Wanderlust 4.1

There is a place in the area of the Taw't tribe that is known for its harsh environment. It covers itself with hail that is as big as the height of an average man. Some said the place was only protecting itself to nurture what lived inside it. This hypothesis was built on the practice the tribe has been doing ever since the early days of the tribe. As for what the practice was, it's being done by the people of the tribe right after the Veil wanes.

There is a reason why different kinds of tribesmen went to the veil, even if there was a risk of disturbing the enlightenment the students needed.

One group of people were from the agriculture sector. They are divided into two groups. One group consisted of farmers who tend the crops and fruits. The other one was a group that handles livestock.

They had a specific job on this expedition; it was a very big job since their economy relied on it. The Taw't Tribe was a powerhouse in all of the sovereign states in the world because not only did they have powerful celestials that protected and represented the state, but they were also an economic powerhouse. Most of their trade relies on the agriculture sector.

The tribe produced so much that most of the neighboring states relied on them for food, and in some cases, the tribe also used this food for political reasons.

There are other states that produce food as well, but the Taw't tribe has an edge in this. For some reason, their production quality and quantity were miles ahead of theirs. The reason for it was due to this job they had to do on the first day the veil opened.

There was a reason why their group brought livestock, crops, and seeds to the expedition.

One group of farmers was walking towards the deeper parts of the mountain. They were looking for a place—the habitat of the animals they have in tow.

"Oh, there they are!" One of the men pointed in a certain direction. There, a group of Ussa were quietly resting.

The animals saw them, but they didn't run away from them. They just look at them as if they trust the men won't do any harm to them.

The farmers slowly walked towards them, and once they were near, a giant spirit beast came out from the back of the group. The spirit beast stands between the farmers and the man.

The leader of the farmers went towards the spirit beast; they both looked into each other's eyes. No one was trying to break eye contact. Both then closed their eyes.

"What are they doing?" One of the newcomers asked.

"They are building a connection like a temporary contract," one of the many veteran members answered.

"So, the leader will be a celestial?"

"No. The contract only allows them to talk to each other, for them to understand each other's language. There will be no sharing of power between both of them." He looked at the spirit beast with a tinge of fear. Even if he knew that spirit beasts were intelligent species evolved from a normal animal, the giant stature of the animal, around twice the size of a normal one, was still enough to scare him. "The contract you are talking about is the pseudo-spirit beast one. That only happens usually when the uncontracted human and spirit beast are in predicament."

As they watched them, the animals at the back of the spirit beast were also looking at them intently.

After a while, both opened their eyes and stared at each other. Both were seriously staring at each other intently until the farmer blinked once.

The spirit beast looked up and cried.

"Yawoooooooooo!" For the other farmers, the cry was enough for them to pass out from fear of enraging the beast. But what they didn't know was that there was nothing to be afraid of. The leader, who had successfully made a connection, understood that cry.

"Hahahahahahahaha. I won again!" The spirit beast said telepathically.

"Yes, yes. That's 6 for you and 5 for me. You're in the lead."

"Yaooo. *Finally.*" Where is my price?

The leader picked up a fruit from his bag and threw it towards the spirit beast.

"Here. One of the finest fruits from my wive's trees."

The spirit beast caught it mid-air. He munched it, and the fruit fibers started to break and mix into his saliva in his mouth.

"This is so good."

"Of course. That was supposed to be given as tribute this year, but they found a better one, so I brought it here."

"So, it's a reject?"

"I can say it is. But you know, the best one has to be given as a tribute, but don't worry. I have something to give you in return." He fully opened his bag and showed its contents to the spirit beast. "I have more of it. Don't tell my wife, okay?"

"Yawoooooooo!!! That's my boy. Don't worry, my mouth would be too full to tell her that." 

The newcomer looked at the veterans and said, "They do communicate." He is just a normal person away from the lifestyle that made him interact with celestials. From morning to evening, his life only revolves around his job as a livestockman and sometimes a butcher. So, it's really hard to imagine for him that an animal that he couldn't understand can do something like this.

"Anyways," the leader pointed to another member that had an animal on its tow. One was walking in a very good posture, and the other wobbled on its steps. "Just like every year, the tribe offers this one, our finest breed of the year. And also, this one, we hope you could help us as always."

The spirit beast nodded at the much healthier one and took more time to observe the weaker one.

"Poor comrade. Don't worry. In no time he would be healthier like anyone else here."

The spirit beast led the two towards the group of animals on his back, and when he came back, he had a very healthy animal—much healthier than what they brought—in tow.

"This was the one you brought 3 years ago. It became a very healthy one during its stay here. You better take care of him."

"Of course, of course. Like we always do."

The spirit beast looked up again and said, "I think it's time for you all to leave."

The leader looked at his pocket watch and said, "Yeah, sorry, we took a lot of time looking for you. We got lost in the way."

"It's alright. This is just the second year you led the group here. You will get a hang of it like the old man eventually."

"Alright, till next time then. I'll make sure to bring more of those fruits, alright?" The leader walked forward and embraced the neck of the animal and tapped it.

"Sure, sure. If you break your promise, I'll tell your wife."

"Hahahahaa. It's our secret." He gestured to the spirit beat to keep him quiet. Both then started to part ways as the connection between the two broke.

The farmers now have a very healthy animal in tow. This is what kept their agriculture at its best; the animals that came from the mountain could produce much better and create more offspring. It might be cheating for others, but this method is only exclusive to the tribe.

This method also worked with other livestock, fruits, and crops.

It's a kind gesture that the tribe is willing to give up something very important to them in return for a much better outcome.

This method wasn't a secret to their neighbors. Some had tried to import Taw't's livestock, legally and illegally, but both bore a very bad result. Right when the livestock and seeds reach a certain distance, they either die off or they won't germinate.

Some state rivals tried a much harsher strategy, destroying and sabotaging their agriculture sector, but sadly for them, the tribe has the resources and power to defend itself from any outsiders. Add to that, the neighbors that rely on them are also there to help defend their borders.

In another part of the mountain, around the center area, more people were there, and another group of tribesmen were stationed. They were the chefs; they were there to cook for the expedition and also bring some food to the animals and spirit beasts that came near them, lured by the delicious aroma from them. Unlike the others, some of them had to stay around much longer until the end, when the students finished their month-long activity.

"Bro, can I have another bowl?"

"Sure. Here!" 

A chef scooped a soup from his pot and gave it to the one who asked for it.

"Thanks, thank you! This is so good!"

The chef felt a great feeling from the appreciation he had gotten. He felt much energy run through him, and so he decided.

"I'm gonna cook more!"