The following morning, Ethan returned to the Origin Association.
The moment he entered the lobby, he noticed the difference between himself and the other Creators.
Not in strength.
In experience.
Many of the older Creators moved through the building with calm confidence.
Some carried storage containers filled with resources.
Others discussed recent expeditions.
A few had visible injuries.
Planetary exploration clearly wasn't as safe as the advertisements made it sound.
Ethan listened quietly while waiting in line.
Most of the conversations revolved around resources.
Rare materials.
New discoveries.
Market prices.
Very few people discussed combat.
The realization surprised him.
Before awakening, he had imagined Creators constantly fighting.
Now he was beginning to understand the truth.
Combat was simply a means to an end.
Development was what truly mattered.
When his turn arrived, he paid another one hundred credits.
Soon afterward, he entered a stabilization pod.
The familiar synchronization process began.
Darkness filled his vision.
A few moments later, Planet 042 appeared beneath him once more.
The vast forest stretched endlessly across the horizon.
Ethan immediately opened a gate.
Ninety-nine sprites emerged onto the forest floor.
The expedition began.
This time, nobody wandered off.
The previous losses had left an impression on the entire civilization.
Even the Fire Sprite behaved itself.
Mostly.
The group advanced carefully through the forest.
Several rabbit-like creatures appeared throughout the morning.
The sprites handled them efficiently.
The Fire Sprite attacked from the front.
The Air Sprite harassed them from above.
The Water Sprite slowed their movement.
The Earth Sprite blocked escape routes.
The remaining sprites finished the job.
Small amounts of XP accumulated steadily.
The gains weren't impressive.
But they were consistent.
By midday, Ethan had already surpassed the amount earned during his first expedition.
The hunt continued.
As the sun climbed higher, the forest gradually began changing.
The trees became larger.
The undergrowth thickened.
Animal tracks appeared more frequently.
This region clearly supported a greater population of creatures.
Eventually, the Air Sprite signaled from above.
Something had been found.
Ethan immediately shifted his attention.
A rocky cliff rose from the forest floor several hundred meters away.
Part of the cliff had collapsed long ago.
Exposed stone was visible beneath the vegetation.
More importantly, a faint metallic sheen reflected sunlight.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
The expedition approached cautiously.
The closer they moved, the clearer the reflection became.
The moment they reached the cliff, a notification appeared.
Resource Detected
A second window followed immediately.
Iron Ore Deposit
Grade: Common
Contains usable metal resources.
Suitable for extraction.
Ethan smiled.
Another resource.
The Earth Sprite immediately stepped forward.
Its eyes seemed glued to the exposed ore.
Without hesitation, it placed both hands against the rock.
Stone shifted.
Cracks spread through the cliff face.
Chunks of ore broke free and fell to the ground.
The nearby sprites cheered.
Or at least made excited noises that sounded close enough.
The mining operation began immediately.
The Earth Sprite handled most of the work.
The others carried materials.
Within an hour, a respectable pile of ore had accumulated.
A portal opened beside them.
The extracted resources were transported back to the Origin Sphere.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Until the Air Sprite suddenly froze.
It stood atop a tree branch.
Looking south.
Ethan's expression immediately became serious.
The warning signal was unmistakable.
Danger.
The Water Sprite looked upward.
The Fire Sprite stopped working.
Even the Elementless Sprites became alert.
The Air Sprite pointed toward the forest.
Moments later, distant howls echoed through the trees.
Ethan's smile disappeared.
The wolves.
They had returned.
Several shapes emerged between the trunks.
Then several more.
Gray fur.
Sharp fangs.
Glowing eyes.
The same species from before.
This time there were fewer.
Only six.
But that didn't make Ethan relax.
If anything, it made him more cautious.
Predators rarely traveled without reason.
The wolves slowly approached the cliff.
Their eyes moved between the sprites and the ore deposit.
Neither side attacked immediately.
The atmosphere became tense.
The Fire Sprite stepped forward.
The lead wolf growled.
The distance between them remained unchanged.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then something unexpected happened.
The lead wolf lowered its head.
Not in submission.
Not in fear.
It sniffed the exposed ore.
The other wolves did the same.
Ethan blinked.
The wolves weren't interested in the sprites.
They were interested in the resource.
The realization surprised him.
Could wild creatures use resources too?
Before he could think further, the lead wolf suddenly bit into a chunk of exposed ore.
A faint metallic glow spread through its body.
The wolf's fur briefly shimmered.
Then the effect vanished.
Ethan stared.
The sprites stared.
Even the wolves looked surprised.
Silence filled the clearing.
Then the Fire Sprite pointed dramatically at the wolf.
The wolf immediately growled back.
The moment shattered.
Chaos erupted.
The Fire Sprite launched a spark.
The wolf pack charged.
And the battle for the Iron Ore Deposit began.