"As you can see, we have a problem," the Village Chief's voice sounded behind Orion, causing him to pivot and face the source. His mind was still spinning from being abruptly taken away from the training ground.
Orion's response was blunt, "And what does it have to do with me?"
The Village Chief deliberately cleared his throat and coughed before addressing Orion's question, "Well... you see, the Village Chieftess thinks that you might have something to do with this."
He observed as Orion's brows furrowed in even deeper confusion.
The Village Chief continued, "However, I don't believe you are the cause of this problem. Instead, I brought you here because I believe you are the only one capable of finding some of the solutions to our current dilemma."
Listening to the words of the Village Chief, Orion made a conscious effort to calm his racing thoughts and maintain his composure. The fact that he was one of the first individuals the Chief had called upon to address such a critical situation indicated that his aspiration to become influential within the village was taking shape, if not already bearing fruit.
Casting one final glance at the multitude of tree nymphs surrounding them, their bodies emanating a brilliant, mystical glow even in the daylight, he recentered his focus on the Village Chief.
"Chief, could you please explain what is happening here?" He asked.
Observing Orion's shift from agitation to attentiveness, the Village Chief took a deep breath before continuing, "It's Anara... she's not well."
The mention of Anara's name immediately altered Orion's expression. His mind raced with concern and questions.
'How?' He thought, 'What happened to her?'
Sensing that Orion was on the verge of asking about the obvious, the Village Chief hastened to explain, "Last night, one of the tree nymphs urgently reached out to us with distressing news. She said that..." The Village Chief proceeded to recount the details, describing Anara's complaints of a searing pain in her stomach, her sudden immobility, and her unresponsiveness to their attempts to communicate, all of which had persisted since the previous night.
As the Village Chief continued to elaborate on the situation, Orion's countenance grew increasingly grim.
'It can't be, right?' he thought.
Though he wanted to reject the notion, there was a period when he might have questioned the potency of his semen. Yet, considering the events that had transpired, his certainty solidified that this predicament was undoubtedly linked to him.
He recalled a previous occasion when Anara had expressed discomfort due to a burning sensation in her stomach– that moment coincided with when he had ejaculated his semen within her flower.
'I couldn't have also impregnated a tree nymph, right?'
Grabbing his sack of balls, Orion couldn't help but entertain the idea that his gift might very well be his extraordinary 'semen.' However, a new thought sprang to life in his mind – the idea that both his semen and lightning could indeed be manifestations of his gifts.
It wasn't easy to dismiss this idea as mere nonsense, given that every situation he had encountered thus far seemed to defy that conclusion.
"And that's precisely why I called you because the newborns are already waking up one by one. With no way to feed and put them back to sleep while we wait for the plan, we're left with no option but to accelerate its execution," the Village Chief continued. "So, I've brought you here for this reason. You will have to begin working on the construction and make sure it's ready within a matter of days."
He observed the astonishment in Orion's eyes and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that you're generously compensated for your efforts. You and your family will receive 100 Kalna fruits every week, in addition to materials for a new tulga."
The Village Chief understood he had to sweeten the deal to secure Orion's cooperation. He knew that coercion wouldn't work, as forcing Orion's hand could backfire and complicate the situation even further, given the care of over 160+ newborns was at stake. As an additional enticement, the Village Chief remembered one more card to play.
"Furthermore, since you've yet to request a reward for your remarkable performance during the awakening ceremony," he added, "I'll grant you three wishes of your choosing, within my capabilities. I'll do my utmost to fulfil them."
Once the Village Chief finished presenting his offers, Orion found himself subtly raising an eyebrow at the generous terms. He couldn't believe he had nearly forgotten about the reward he deserved for excelling in the awakening ceremony.
Although he was well aware of the Village Chief's desperation and the likelihood that he was tied to the current problem, Orion decided to play along and maintain an air of careful contemplation.
"Chief, this offer seems quite little," Orion said, feigning a thoughtful expression. Observing the Village Chief's hopeful demeanour shift to dissatisfaction, he quickly followed up, almost immediately saying, "However, if we could push the Kalna fruits to 200 per week, then I'll be more than willing to get started right away and make sure everything is in order within the next two to three days."
While it might pose some challenges, Orion believed that with the necessary materials at his disposal, he could utilize his warrior's physique and work persistently over the next two or three days to complete the task at hand.
Of course, that was only part of the equation. The real test would come in spreading the rumour throughout the village and rallying everyone to the designated gathering place, and convincing them, as they had planned.
The Village Chief looked on with furrowed brows. While he had expected the young man to bargain with him given the hefty request he was making, he was taken aback when Orion proposed an additional 100 Kalna fruits.
Letting out a sigh as he weighed the potential consequences of the truth coming to light, the Village Chief eventually relented with a resigned nod.
"Alright, you've got yourself a deal," he conceded. "200 Kalna fruits per week, along with some tulga material and three unused wishes to fulfil your desires. No more, no less. Are these terms satisfactory to you?" He fixed his gaze on Orion, waiting for his response with an expectant demeanour.
