AgWorld Chapter 215: A Warm Feeling in My Heart
Chapter 215: A Warm Feeling in My Heart
The rain outside never stopped, drizzling like needles weaving askew.
It rustled on the leaves, and the ground was all mud.
One step down left a deep footprint.
The air was damp and cold, and the fabric clinging to the skin was uncomfortable.
The road became muddy and slippery, inevitably affecting their travel speed.
Everyone was mentally prepared for this.
Gideon Larkin transformed without saying a word.
His black, shiny mane was drenched by the rain, clinging to his muscles, making him look even more sturdy.
He stood firmly on four hooves, his back wide and steady.
Isaac Vaughn nimbly climbed onto his back, and once seated, he grasped the long mane behind Gideon’s neck with both hands.
Wyatt Yardley walked over, picked up the beast skin cloak beside him, and wrapped it around Seraphina Caldwell bit by bit.
He gently pulled down the hood, covering her head, leaving only a small bit of her chin exposed.
Her skin was conspicuously white, particularly clear on this gloomy rainy day.
"Hold on to me."
His voice was low.
It sounded a bit muffled, yet especially gentle.
His breath brushed past her ear, carrying a hint of warmth.
Whenever he spoke to Seraphina, he would unconsciously lower his voice.
Evan Orwell and Kaelan Hawthorne, with their bundles on their backs, stood side by side in place waiting.
Gideon shook the rainwater off his head and said in a low voice, "We can go now."
Isaac nodded, wiped the water off his face, and tightened the bundle on his back.
The group set off again, their footsteps stepping on the slippery, muddy ground.
Wyatt held Seraphina with one arm, his embrace strong, keeping her securely in his arms.
They bypassed puddles and mud pits entirely.
He would rather take a few more steps than let her jolt even a little.
His boots were covered in mud, his pant legs were soaked long before, sticking coldly to his legs.
Rain kept pouring down, wetting his hair and trickling down his forehead.
He stopped several times midway, reaching out to adjust her cloak.
Seraphina curled up in his arms, her body well-protected.
She barely felt the cold from the outside world.
Her gaze swept across the few people beside her.
Gideon was drenched all over, his mane matted down, and the once fluffy tail now clung tightly behind him, dripping water.
Isaac’s hair tips dripped water straight down, clinging wetly to his neck and shoulders.
The feathers on Evan’s wings soaked up the water, turning semi-transparent with slightly drooping edges.
Kaelan’s red fur had become matted and stuck to his skin in streaks, its color alternating between dark and light patches.
None of them wore a cloak, letting the cold rain soak through.
Yet no one complained, nor did anyone frown.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable in her heart, her fingertips curled beneath the cloak, she asked quietly, "Why don’t you make something to shelter from the rain? Isn’t being soaked like this bad for you?"
Wyatt looked down at her, the corners of his mouth lifting in a slight smile.
"The cloak is eye-catching and a hindrance when running. We males can handle it; a bit of rain is nothing."
He paused, his fingertips lightly brushing her cheek hidden by the hood.
"We are different; you’re prone to falling ill with a chill. If you got sick, who would feel sorry?"
Seraphina softly hummed in acknowledgment, not continuing further, though her heart felt warm.
She quietly let herself sink into her inner space.
Ever since forming a contract with Evan, she hadn’t had the chance to see if anything had changed inside.
In the blink of an eye, her consciousness delved into that piece of her own spiritual domain.
The ground beneath her feet felt much more solid than before.
The air was filled with the moist scent of earth.
Those grass sprouts planted earlier had all sprouted.
Suddenly, a pit appeared at the edge of the planting area, the base of the soil pit flat and even.
Its size was enough to hold five bathing tubs.
But inside, it was dry, not a single droplet of water in sight.
Fine cracks ran across the surface of the dirt, feeling somewhat rough underfoot.
There was no trace of any water source around, nor any plants growing there.
Seraphina crouched down, poking the mud at the pit’s bottom with her finger.
The moisture level was just right, not sticky to touch nor dusty.
A thought struck her; this pit was likely a reward from the contract with Evan.
The sudden appearance of such a neat soil pit.
The timing coincided perfectly with the contract’s activation, leaving only one explanation: it was tied to the contract.
If she were to fill this pit with water, wouldn’t that be akin to having a small pond?
This idea captivated her thoughts.
A pond could store water resources, be used to irrigate nearby areas, and more importantly, serve for breeding purposes.
She had seen small fish and shrimp frolicking in shallow water in the rainforest.
If she could keep a few here, she wouldn’t need to scramble to find a place to catch fresh river produce when craving it.
She began to picture it in her mind.
Clear water shimmering, fish swishing their tails, shrimp crawling along the pool’s bottom...
Thinking about it brought a smile to her lips.
Unfortunately, there was no water available in her space yet, the pit still empty.
Even the most basic fresh water was non-existent.
She decided to keep an eye out for water sources during future outings.
As long as she found clean, flowing, or stagnant surface water, she would collect it using containers and bring it into her space.
Her gaze initially landed on the edge of the planting area, and just as she was about to leave, it accidentally shifted a few inches to the right.
In that moment, a certain color change caught her attention.
It wasn’t the green of vegetation nor the brown of soil.
It was a vivid man-made hue.
Next to the red wooden box used for exchanging Beast Crystals, a yellow box of the same design suddenly appeared.
So besides the soil pit, there was an extra box?
The contract’s benefits might not just be limited to one item.
The soil pit was one, and this newly appeared box seemed to be the second reward.
Seraphina felt a surge of joy and hurriedly opened it to look inside.
There was nothing inside, completely empty.
The box’s inner walls were dry and clean, without scratches or residue.
She lifted the lid to inspect the internal side; the left side was blank, while the right was covered with images of bottles and jars.
Some were bulging as if filled with powder, others half-empty, half-full as if containing liquid, appearing like potions.
But there wasn’t a single word written, leaving their purposes entirely unknown.
She suddenly remembered that the pattern on the red box would change according to her thoughts.
Could this yellow box be the same?
If her guess was right, then the potion icons in front might indicate future exchangeable content types.
But the issue was, there were only newly planted seedlings in the space, a bare branch-like durian tree, and an empty soil pit; there were no resources, utterly clueless as to what could be traded for these potions.
She thought of her father, remembering that he couldn’t control himself during the mating season, which was why he sought her mother.
At that time, her father often sat in a daze under the eaves, his eyes vacant.
Her mother always kept a cold face, never engaging with him, unwilling to even spare a glance.
Yet her father couldn’t stop trying to approach, refusing to give up despite being pushed away.
Later, after her mother left, her father was consumed by silence, speaking far less.
If there had been medicine to suppress emotions back then, her mother’s reluctance wouldn’t have mattered.
That way, her father wouldn’t have been constantly distressed and upset over this matter.
Seraphina looked at the newly sprouted tender sprouts, biting her lip, she made up her mind to pour out the last of the Spiritual Spring Water in the space, drenching the seedlings until not a drop was left.
The tender sprout trembled slightly upon contact with the Spiritual Spring.
Not daring to delay anymore, she needed it to grow as soon as possible.
After finishing this task, she glanced back at the dry pit, quietly resolving her intentions.