The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1530 438: Hope Amid the Ruins (Part 4)

Old Hank vaguely remembered that the peasants working on the Priest's land would get slightly better meals, because the Wheat Field Village church's property included an apple orchard, always leaving many unsold apples and unwanted raspberries.

Of course, it was a different situation in other villages.

But in recent years, all villages experienced unprecedented hardship, so there wasn't much to compare anymore; even tree bark had been gnawed clean by them.

Fortunately, hopeful days seemed to be gradually returning.

Although Old Hank didn't understand the difference between the Salvation Army and the former Lord, as long as the leader could keep him fed and clothed, he had no complaints.

No matter if that Holy Daughter was sent by the Church Court or came on her own across the Rushing River, the miracles she brought were real indeed.

Moreover—

The Oracle about the harvest seemed to be gradually coming true.

Staring at the lush fields of wheat seedlings, Old Hank was momentarily lost in thought.

After a while, he murmured softly to himself, finishing the last spoonful from his bowl.

"Actually caught up..."

It's been two weeks since the villagers of Wheat Field Village returned home; reflecting on what happened in the last two weeks felt like a dream to him.

Initially, when they first set foot on this land, almost no one expected to catch up with the spring plowing schedule.

However, just as they were falling into despair, a miracle happened!

First, a group of cloaked "River Elves" used magic to clear the spring plowing obstacles, followed by a group of ancestors calling themselves "Holy Spirits" who came with hoes to help with the work.

It was the first time Old Hank saw such strange undead—oh no, Holy Spirits!

These skeletal figures moved in groups of three or five, tirelessly working during the day under the command of a Holy Spirit, as if they would never grow weary.

They needed no rest.

The Human Clan farmers needed a day to work and a half day to rest, but they could labor from sunrise to sunset, and then from sunset to sunrise.

It's not just that!

These Holy Spirits could not only turn over the soil, a simple task, but also operated complex metal machines.

Under the command of a little creature calling itself a "goblin," they drove machines called tractors across the toughest fields outside Wheat Field Village.

The gigantic beasts spewed thick black smoke from their mouths, advancing with thunderous roars. They seemed to have endless energy, and every pass left deep, neat furrows behind!

The steel plows easily tore through hard soil that even magic couldn't break, achieving in one day's work what would take a dozen farmers a month of toil!

With these creatures' help, the villagers' pace of catching up with the spring plowing could be compared to growing wings.

They only needed to follow behind the machines with baskets, then sow seeds and something called "fertilizer."

After completing these tasks, the elves riding deer and clad in cloaks returned to their village entrance.

As before, those pointed ears silently raised their magic wands, casting a spell upon the barren land, and then the dormant seeds sprouted visibly through the soil!

The elves didn't continue ripening the crops with magic; after doing these things, they left without pause.

Old Hank never thought that such heavy labor like farming could be simplified to this extent.

He even felt a trace of fear in his heart, worrying what he'd do if Lords started using this method for farming in the future.

Oh yes...

Holy Daughter mentioned that there would be no Lord here in the future.

When he thought about the lush green land in front of him belonging to himself, the bit of worry rising in his heart vanished, replaced by a naive smile.

If all this wheat really belonged to him, how long would it take to consume it all...

...

As April came to an end, the window for spring plowing gradually closed, and the villagers of Wheat Field Village shifted their focus from planting the main crops to other tasks.

Such as opening a vegetable garden, repairing the public pasture, assisting the villagers building houses, or finding a secluded spot to have children...

These tasks were directly related to whether they could move from the communal dormitories to warmer houses before the cold winter arrived and share a hot sauerkraut and pig knuckle stew with family by the fire.

Families with children or pregnant women would be prioritized for independent cabins.

As for farm work, they only needed to weed to prevent those opportunistic weeds from sapping nutrients from the crops.

Although this work wasn't easy, it was at least not as urgent as before.

While Old Hank was busy working, the sound of metal clanging came from the nearby village.

The Holy Spirits who helped the villagers plow the fields just a few days ago had put down their hoes and started helping the soldiers of the Salvation Army build houses.

These ancestors truly never stopped moving, and Old Hank couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for them, working even after death.

At the same time, he silently prayed to Holy Daughter, hoping that when his time came, it would be easier, and not being pulled back to work the moment he closed his eyes.

It's a pity those "ancestors" at work didn't know what he was thinking; otherwise, they'd likely laugh out loud on the spot.

Of course—

It's possible they'd pat the NPC's head, marveling at how realistic this game is.

Even a background farmer had such a rich inner world and thoughts.

Of course, they weren't working for free; Lord Demon King would reward them with Joss Paper based on their completed work volume.

As for what value Joss Paper had?

Its uses were immense!

Due to the constant promises of the "garbage developers," "Catastrophe OL" had become a dream for numerous ridiculous netizens to start a second life in the Otherworld.

Every day, a large number of fresh young "chives" flooded in, so Joss Paper never lacked buyers, though its exchange rate fluctuated wildly.

For the "Pork Rib Party" who worked relentlessly for profit, it wasn't much of an issue!

To sooner harvest the Demon King's chives, many people had already spent several thousand.

Of course, there were also deep-pocketed big shots like Dragon Roaming Wanli, who spent real-world money like the Demon King dispersing Joss Paper, with no regard for cost.

Ultimately, thanks to the diligent and brave small players, new hope was budding on the ruins of Wheat Field Village.

Their plowed tractors once again acted as freight wagons, hauling timber-packed trailers from the riverbank's direction.

In the past two weeks, besides the farmers of Wheat Field Village, the craftsmen along the Rushing River were also busy.

With the help of a dozen "Mountain People," the locals not only repaired the long-abandoned water wheels and irrigation channels by the Rushing River but also set up a lumber mill by the river.

Speaking of those "Mountain People," they were a strange bunch, not speaking fluently and not appearing very smart, yet their work was surprisingly skillful.

Especially when operating machines!

Thanks to these helpful guys, the river water finally refilled the irrigation channels of Wheat Field Village.

Looking at the village gradually transforming for the better, every villager's face brimmed with hope.

And as returnee groups passed through this thriving village, taking tools and provisions back to their original homes, soon they would spread hope even further.

Just like the dandelions blooming in the lands of the Twilight Province in May...