For the next month, the work continued in a steady rhythm: slaying monsters and paving the earth.
Day after day, the process repeated. We cleared the monsters from the Center of the Plain and laid down the road, inch by inch.
Fortunately, once the ground was packed down firmly, the weeds showed no signs of returning. Furthermore, monsters seemed to avoid the stone-paved areas entirely. It was likely that my residual mana acted as a deterrent, warning them away.
While we hadn't covered the entirety of the Center of the Plain, we had managed to eradicate a significant portion of the abnormally overgrown vegetation. We had successfully laid the foundation for a new town.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Thunder Bolt!"
Isis unleashed a blast of lightning at a newly emerged Corrosion Beast. The shimmering strike incinerated the creature in an instant, leaving nothing behind but charred, unrecognizable remains.
"Phew... I think that's most of them," Isis said, exhaling.
"Yeah, surely they've learned their lesson by now," I replied.
We had successfully culled nearly every Corrosion Beast that called the Center of the Plain home. While a few might have fled the region, they were no longer numerous enough to hinder the development project.
"To think that Subnock’s Kin—the very monsters that ruled these plains and drove back every pioneer group for generations—would fall so easily," Priest Rail remarked, speaking up for the first time in a while.
In the past, Subnock and its servants had brought total ruin to anyone who dared attempt to develop the plains. Now, they were facing their twilight. With their master, Subnock, slain and the rest being systematically hunted down by our Pioneer Group, they no longer had a place in this world.
The proud do not endure; they are like a dream on a spring night...
Looking down at the smoldering carcass of the Corrosion Beast, a wave of melancholy washed over me. Rodel had been the same. No matter how powerful a being might be, an end always comes. When it's time to die, you die.
And tomorrow, it could very well be me.
"I have to be careful... Safety first."
"Rest? Is something wrong?" Yuri asked, tilting her head curiously.
"No... it's nothing," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "More importantly, the development has progressed quite a bit, hasn't it? The monster population has plummeted, and we’ve taken out the biggest threats."
The Center of the Plain had once been the undisputed domain of Subnock and its kin. With them gone, the area lacked any powerful predators. At this rate, it was unlikely that a new Master of the Magical Wilds would rise to take its place anytime soon.
"I suppose our job here is almost done. Once the specialists set up the barriers and stabilize the mana flow, things should settle down nicely."
"It all ended surprisingly easily," Lyubase muttered, crossing his arms with a look of dissatisfaction.
Developing the heart of the Magical Wilds was supposed to be a monumental challenge. While it had been time-consuming, we had navigated the process without ever facing a true life-or-death crisis.
"If there is still a concern... it would be the wetlands to the east," Knight Argil interjected.
Just beyond the Center of the Frontier lay a vast marshland. It was a treacherous, swampy terrain that we had yet to touch.
"Yeah, we'll probably have to investigate that area eventually," I agreed. "Though I imagine we'll wait for His Highness Andrew’s instructions first."
The environment of the wetlands differed significantly from the plains, which meant there was a high probability of encountering entirely different species of monsters. It wasn't impossible that something as dangerous as Subnock was lurking in the mire.
When Rodel provoked Subnock, the Corrosion Beasts headed straight for the west. They avoided the Eastern Wetlands entirely. Maybe it was just because Rodel was on the western side, but...
I wondered if even Subnock found the wetlands too troublesome to traverse. If the reason was something simple—like the great beast not wanting to get its paws muddy—that would be fine. But I doubted things were ever that simple in the Magical Wilds.
"Alright, let's call it a day. Good work, everyone."
With a word of thanks to my companions, I led the way back, leaving the Center of the Plain behind.