A bountiful harvest during the cold winter season made the entire Dragon Nest Village excited at this moment. Obtaining a sufficient food source during the resource-scarce winter season was something the Beastmen couldn't even imagine in their past experiences.
But now they had indeed succeeded, and seeing the way the fish swarmed at the bottom of the lake, it would take quite a while to catch them all. At least it could provide enough food for the tribe to get through the cold winter, and all of this felt like a dream.
Getting enough food from the lake reservoir meant that the Beastmen no longer had to worry about starving during this winter. It also meant that before the arrival of the scorching summer, these Beastmen could freely reproduce, allowing the tribe's population to grow naturally by next year.
A group of Beastmen carried several baskets of fish and returned to the Dragon Nest Village. After that, the Beastmen repeated the process a few more times, fishing until the initial hot water completely neutralized by the cold water and the warm current disappeared, causing the fish to scatter and leave, before they finally stopped.
However, just these few attempts provided enough fish to sustain these Beastmen for nearly ten days.
On the way back, the Beastmen were in high spirits. Compared to their previous hesitation, every Beastman now bore a smile on their face.
Spurred by the moment, they even started singing loudly.
At this time, the sun was setting, casting a layer of yellowish glow over the white earth. The shadows of the departing Beastmen, elongated by the sunset, weaved back and forth.
Returning to the Dragon Nest Village, the entire village became busy.
Although the extremely low external temperature during the cold winter acted as a natural refrigerator, preventing food spoilage to some extent, the fish still needed to be processed.
As the Beastmen were busy in the ice and snow, the Kobold leader Vini came before Austin and reported everything that happened today to him.
"Is that so..."
After breaking the ice hole, it wasn't the oxygen influx that attracted the fish schools, but rather the hot water that did the job.
Austin contemplated for a moment and vaguely guessed one or two reasons.
This might indeed be the result of the varying environment in the Otherworld; perhaps due to the mysterious plants at the lake bottom, the area beneath the ice wasn't severely lacking in oxygen. However, the fish at the lake bottom were also cold-averse, and under such circumstances, it wasn't impossible for them to instinctively swim towards warmer areas. Thus, when the hot water was poured, it gathered many fish. Coupled with the cold stunting their reactions, it allowed the Beastmen to easily harvest them.
"You all did very well; you've worked hard all day today, so take a day off and no training tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Highness is merciful."
Watching Vini's departing figure, the Blue Young Dragon already began plotting in his heart how to deal with the lurking pack of Blood Wolves nearby.
While out today, he discovered the footprints left by those beasts nearby. Although he hadn't actually seen them, Austin believed those beasts approaching here surely had bad intentions.
"The cold winter has lasted for over a month now, and it's likely harder to find food. Hmph, let's take care of them within these few days!"
Having made up his mind, the Blue Young Dragon then yawned.
He'd been feeling drowsy these past few days, and Austin clearly felt his body had grown slightly, with his magic power beginning to grow slowly.
"Is this about to be a slumber?"
The Blue Young Dragon pondered quietly. From the Dragon Race's memories, a Young Dragon's slumber was a necessary phase of growth, easily sleeping for years.
But Austin, unlike those Young Dragons with parental care, estimated that sleeping for one or two years might not starve him to death, but he'd probably end up as excrement among the other fierce beasts.
"Fortunately, I can still control it."
Perhaps due to crossing over, Austin's spirit was stronger than an ordinary Young Dragon, allowing him to resist such sleeping impulses.
During the slumber period, he could remain awake and active, though his nighttime sleeping hours increased.
Forget it, sleep first, deal with the Blood Wolf Demon Beasts in a few days.
Though staying awake during the slumber period wouldn't affect development, the drowsiness was indeed tormenting. Soon Austin surrendered to his instincts, lying down within the Dragon's Nest and fell into a deep sleep.
...
Meanwhile, within the Dragon Nest Village.
Having finally processed all the fish amid this ice and snow wasn't without getting wet; the cold water felt like icy thorns. The Beastmen's hands and feet had become chilled, yet each Beastman, upon seeing the processed fish hanging on sticks, turning into fish-sicles under the cold wind, wore a satisfied smile.
Afterwards, the Beastmen lit a great bonfire in the middle of the village, hosting a primitive bonfire feast using the offal left from processing the fish.
In this cold winter, eating hot food, surrounded by the bonfire, they sang and danced.
This harvest was worth celebrating for all the Beastmen.
During the festivities, a few Beastmen presented a primitive wrestling match to celebrate. Some Kobold couples made eye contact under the firelight and took the matter into their own hands, showing no concern for the other Beastmen around.
The Beastmen didn't possess human concepts of shame, remaining in a primitive state. Affairs between male and female Beastmen were akin to handling elimination issues at the beginning without caring about the venue.
If it weren't for Austin's anger, ordering the establishment of toilets, and mandating the Beastmen to solve personal hygiene there, the entire tribe might have been littered with "landmines."
The entire banquet was harmonious and continued until late at night, only then did the Beastmen finally return to their houses and retired to sleep.
As the last Beastman lay down, the whole village calmed, with the firelight quietly dancing.
Apart from the increasingly loud wind outside, there were no noises.
The cold wind howled outside, the wailing sound seemingly resembled cries of ghosts and wolves around.
At this moment, when all the Beastmen were asleep, unbeknownst to them, something was happening slowly.
The sleeping Beastmen naturally didn't know, the fishy smell emitted during their fish processing was carried by the cold wind, drifting over snow-capped forests, spreading over ten kilometers and entering the nostrils lurking beneath the snow-laden grass.
Under the leadership of a large silhouette akin to a bison, covered in blood-red fur resembling burning flames, shadows cautiously followed the origin of the fishy smell.
Before long, outside the silent Dragon Nest Village, shadows began to move within the dark forest, encircling the Dragon Nest Village from all sides, with occasional green flashes.
Silently, the deeply asleep Beastmen were utterly unaware...