Chapter 55 Acorn Bread: Monsters from the Outer Continent Have Arrived?! ...
As the concentration of magic in the air gradually increased, the wind in the Land of Sin no longer fluctuated as before, but gradually became stronger and stronger.
Within the area covered by the Tree of Life, the wind still rustled gently, and although the concentration of magic was also rising, it was more stable.
In contrast, the bitter wheat fields growing by the Sun Spring appear lush and vibrant, while the bitter wheat fields sown by the flower fairy slaves are always blown about by the wind, leaving them in a mess.
However, after careful comparison, Shu Xin found that although the bitter wheat fields outside the Tree of Life's coverage area always looked like they were leaning to one side or the other, the flexible wheat stalks were much thicker than those under the Tree of Life, and even the wheat leaves dancing wildly in the wind were wider and longer.
When the wheat in both fields began to sprout ears, the acorns that had been soaking in the Sun Spring for a long time were also gradually retrieved by the patrol team members arranged by Shu Xin.
Shu Xin also used acorn harvesting as a form of competitive training:
The patrol team that retrieves the most acorns within a certain time limit without getting them wet wins. The process is the same, with teams competing against each other. In addition to receiving a dessert of the day, the members of the winning team can also enjoy acorn bread first.
After shelling the acorns and extracting the kernels, the kernels are then ground using a crushing magic, resulting in acorn flour that emits an incredibly fresh aroma. Guided by a recipe specially created for the Land of Sin by the Tree of Life, the light brown, fine acorn flour is carefully baked by Memeline into a chewy and substantial acorn bread.
The expanded kitchen is now spacious and bright, with the soft morning light streaming in from the window illuminating the neatly arranged wooden kitchenware in a warm and clean light.
The blue-haired flower fairy flew to the wooden shelf fixed to the wall, took a wooden shovel with a long handle, carried it on her shoulder, and flew over the round wooden barrels of various sizes placed against the wall, landing in front of the tall, snow-white clay oven in the corner.
The flint piled up inside the furnace was radiating intense heat, turning the pure white interior of the oven a bright red. Amidst the rolling heat, a rich and somewhat heavy aroma was continuously emanating from the oven opening.
The flower fairy cook's blue eyes, with their petal-shaped pupils, reflected the red light from the oven. She opened her eyes wide, carefully put down the wooden spatula, and gently and steadily scooped out the wooden baking tray from the oven. The acorn bread with its brown crust was crowded together on the tray, emitting steaming heat.
Slender, fair, and almost translucent fingers gently tore off a corner of the bread, revealing its honeycomb-like, dense interior. Shu Xin observed the acorn bread that Mei Meilin had placed on the table with a mixture of surprise and delight. Its crust was an enticing brown, and its round, plump appearance made it look soft and fluffy. With each breath, the unique aroma of bread lingered clearly in her nostrils, fragrant and sweet.
Is this really food made from bitter and astringent acorns? There's even some unknown substance added—
While Shu Xin was focused on arranging the patrol team's training, Mei Meilin came to find Shu Xin again, looking completely bewildered. This time, she came to ask Shu Xin for "magic powder".
The recipe provided by the Tree of Life clearly states that the source of the "magic powder" is: "made by the flower fairies Nonoli and Pengpengan, and now kept by the flower fairy Shushuxin."
The only thing that met all the criteria was the grayish-white powder left over from when Shu Xin and her two subordinates extracted the magic contained in wheat seeds and acorns while researching the magic tax.
Shu Xin kept these powders that had no magic left behind because she thought they might come in handy. But she never imagined they would come in handy so quickly, and even be used to make food!
This grayish-white powder, resembling residue, contains no magic whatsoever, yet it was named "Magic Powder" by the Tree of Life and even used as an ingredient in recipes. No matter how you look at it, this is puzzling.
If she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't think about it. Shu Xin focused her attention on the acorn bread in her hand and tasted it carefully. She found it to be soft yet chewy, with a pleasant aftertaste. The more she chewed, the sweeter it became. Did Mei Mei Lin add powdered sugar to the acorn bread?
Shu Xin carefully sensed it and felt that the magic contained in the acorn bread was also incredibly abundant.
Each acorn bread was about the size of Shu Xin's fist. Of the first batch of bread Mei Meilin baked, besides some given to the victorious patrol team, the rest were all brought over to the Flower Fairy. Shu Xin left one for Nuonuo Li and Peng Peng An, and one for the cook Mei Meilin. There were eight left, but Shu Xin couldn't finish them all; she felt full after eating the sixth.
Looking at the two small breads on the plate in front of her, Shu Xin was overjoyed. She had asked Nonoli and Pengpengan before and learned that there were large oak forests in the territories outside the Land of Sin, so acorns were inexhaustible. Even if the bitter wheat production in the Land of Sin was insufficient, she did not have to worry about the food supply in the Land of Sin!
With the magic situation greatly improved and the food problem solved, the pressing issue now is the attack from the monsters on the outer continent during the harvest month. Shu Xin thought about it and decided that she could seize the time to strengthen the Tree of Life again.
Both Nonori and Pengpengan told her that only the Flower Castle was absolutely safe during the Harvest Month. However, based on Shuxin's observations and perceptions over this period, the flower fairies could actually receive a certain degree of protection as long as they were within the coverage area of the Tree of Life.
Shu Xin herself actually preferred to let the flower fairies go directly into the Flower Castle for refuge. After all, such a large castle has five floors and can easily accommodate flower fairies with an average height of less than 18 centimeters and a number of less than 1,000. The problem is that even if Shu Xin is willing, and Nuonoli and Pengpengan do not stop her, the flower fairy slaves and commoners will not dare to enter the Flower Castle!
Shaking her head, Shu Xin took out the Key of Life and generously poured all the magic power she had accumulated over this period into it. The brilliant magical light almost filled the entire Flower Castle.
When the magical light faded, the first thing Shu Xin saw was a circle of wooden chairs in front of the dining table. She happily pulled out a chair, plopped down, leaned back, and sighed comfortably—it hadn't been easy for her to finally sit in a chair!
Touching her slightly hungry stomach, Shu Xin wondered why she was hungry so soon after simply channeling some magic power without casting any spells.
Unable to figure it out, Shu Xin stopped thinking about it. There were two small bread rolls left that she hadn't finished, so she picked up the acorn bread and started eating while looking around.
The Flower Castle had indeed undergone many changes. Besides the addition of wooden chairs, Shu Xin also noticed that the original wood-colored walls of the Flower Castle now featured subtle yet exquisite patterns. The wooden window that Xi had unilaterally installed in the corridor had also appeared on the wall of the dining room. When Shu Xin's gaze passed through the window and landed on the Tree of Life outside, she was overjoyed—
On the branches of the Tree of Life, tiny green buds that were so small they were easily overlooked never grew bigger after they sprouted, but now they have all turned into tender green leaves swaying in the wind!
Shu Xin immediately rushed to the window, about to carefully examine the current condition of the Tree of Life, when she suddenly noticed that the originally smooth flow of magic in the air had been greatly disturbed. Although it was very abstract, Shu Xin really felt that the originally pure magic seemed to have become turbid.
Wait, have some monsters from another continent come over?!
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-07-24 20:52:43 and 2024-07-25 20:57:12!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Xi Tong and Ye Huan (1 each);
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Ye Huan (5 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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