Cooper's shoulders screamed at him as he rowed their small boat past the craggy shoreline on the Eastern edge of the city. Apparently regular exercise did not make all forms of activity easier. Rebecca was doing her best on the bench across from him to work feeling back into her own arms having relinquished the oars after her own turn.

Their return had been a bit of a non-event in the sect. Especially when compared to a visitor from outer space. The sect education had been very clear that such things were possible. In fact, it was encouraged that if they got strong enough, they travel around to stronger worlds, explore, learn, etc. He knew therefore, at least intellectually, that it was an option.

It was a very different matter to have that proven in front of him. Aliens existed. Humans, and plenty of other things, lived on thousands of other worlds. And he had missed his opportunity to ask questions by taking the long way home after the Forest Monarch.

To top it off, Laurel had taken one look at the two of them and told them they needed to start integrating the gifts, sending them off to investigate a mana snarl on the northeastern edge of the city. The area only accessible by climbing down the cliffs (absolutely not) or by boat. Martin had declined to lend them anything that might move on its own. The pair was thus taking a rowboat, and discovering which muscles were lacking.

"How is it going?" he asked, mostly in an effort to distract himself from the burn. Cultivating meant he could do this for hours, not that he wouldn't be sore afterwards.

"Good? I think? It sort of feels like something is growing in my meridians. Which Laurel said is mostly right. But it feels weird. Not painful, but like, you don't want to feel the inside of your body, you know?"

Cooper gagged at the thought. "Yeah, I know."

"What about you? What is the fang doing?"

"I can't tell yet. But I think it is going to make it easier to target? Like making it so I can force venom to focus on one enemy, rather than a cloud where no one can stand nearby."

"Oh, that will be helpful. Then we won't have to deal with Leander forcing himself to develop a resistance because 'a cultivator never abandons his friend'."

He laughed at the good natured joke and swept his senses forward. "I think we're almost there."

Angling closer to the cliffs, he prodded again with his spiritual senses. There was definitely something there. Luckily, it was just about at the water line, or they might have been doing some rock climbing despite all his efforts to the contrary.

Flint and their resident slate-drake looked up from where they had been napping in the bow of the rowboat. The lizard flapped its wings and took off, idly swooping around the disturbance before settling on a nearby ledge to observe.

With the end in sight, Cooper buckled down and heaved, pushing them forward until they bumped gently against the cliffs. With the number of rocks jutting out from the ocean, it was easy enough to toss a rope and secure their small craft.

Then they took a few moments just to observe, with all the senses available, mundane and magical.

It was like a tiny world had cropped up amongst the crevices of the cliff. Crabs and more exotic creatures scuttled about, and the beginnings of some sort of open-air coral were growing in the openings. Plants had sprouted on the hard rock, embracing the salty air and shadowy nooks like a fertile field. Flying creatures with dangling legs flitted around the little ecosystem, adding a buzz that seeped into the back of his mind.

"It's adorable. Like a tiny village," Rebecca exclaimed.

Cooper disagreed, it was creepy, but he kept it to himself. He pushed his perception deeper. There, past the barrier of mana-infused plants and animals, was a cavern system. Bridging a few of the cracks, and dipping below the surface of the ocean, were…something. His own spiritual sight wasn't crisp enough to get details, but he could tell whatever they were was smarter than the rest of the animals, and no bigger than his hand. Maybe approaching Flint's level of awareness.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Well, oh, Rocky, no!" The slate drake had swooped down and crunched on one of the buzzing insects, taking the rest back to his ledge to feast.

"It's fine. I don't think the bugs are smart," Cooper consoled her.

"I know. It's still gross to watch."

Flint, who had just leapt to catch his own insect, reluctantly let it fly away and returned to the boat.

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"Maybe we can give them a gift?" Rebecca said. "It worked with the tree."

He mentally cataloged everything he had packed into their little rowboat. Cooper was steadfastly maintaining his position that preparedness was nine tenths of adventuring, so the list was extensive.

After rifling through the bags, boxes, and loose pieces in their packs, he had a collection of offerings. A small amount of dried fruit, some fresh spiritual mint, along with a few other useful herbs, a carving of a horse, the wood infused with a little bit of mana, and a feather he had picked up from the Forest Monarch's domain.

"Flint," Rebecca cajoled. "Can you bring these in there and give them to whoever it is?"

The lemur was wearing a small leather pack, into which Rebecca placed their offerings. After some chittering that almost sounded like words, he bounded onto the cliff face, and disappeared within.

Cooper sat back and waited. Rebecca had the hooded-eye look that meant she was focusing on her bond with Flint, so conversing was out. Instead he amused himself by watching the tiny mana beasts. He spotted a few snails, slowly making their way up and down, and some more sedentary shellfish. In his notebook he put a task to come back and see if the oysters peeking out above the tide were magical, and if he could eat one safely.

When that got boring, he flicked a few treats up to Rocky. Officially, none of the slate drakes were pets, just small spirit beasts Laurel let live on the sect house. Unofficially, the names and personalities of each were carefully logged amongst the sect members, and they were spoiled more than any pampered dog or cat Cooper had ever come across. It had been a fierce contest at first as Flint asserted his dominance, but things had settled down enough after a few sabotaged nests.

At least the reprieve meant his mana had soothed most of the muscle ache.

Cooper was just contemplating if he could cultivate on a moving boat when Flint came jumping back out of the cliffs. And not alone. Their lemur pal landed on the middle bench, his tiny weight still enough to send it rocking back and forth.

On his back, was…Cooper was not going to call it a tiny human. The too-wide eyes, without any whites, and fur coating prevented that. But it was also wearing a belt with a seashell attached, so Cooper didn't know what to think. Across from him Rebecca squeaked but held in any exclamations. Or attempts to cuddle the beast.

"Hello boyo. Who might you be?"

"You can talk!" Cooper exclaimed, immediately wincing at his lack of tact. His mother would be falling into a faint if she found out one of her children had opened with such a gaffe.

"Aye, we can. And a lot besides. Now, not to say we don't appreciate the gifts but what are you asking from the phocan?"

"Umm. Just wanted to say hello. Ask why you settled here."

The little person in front of him looked Cooper over like a butler examining a new delivery. "And who be you to ask us this. You are the ruler of this place?" He could forgive the skepticism, as the sea spray and sweat was already combining into a salty coating it would take two showers to rinse off. But the tone wasn't necessary, surely.

"Well, the king is technically the ruler. But we work for the sect that manages all the magic for the city," Rebecca cut in. Wisely, as Cooper had been about to explain the delicacies of the local government. "I'm Rebecca, and that's Cooper, and you already met Flint. Rocky is up there."

"I be Barbo. Leader of this tribe. I will come talk to your leader. We have much tribute to offer."

Which meant Cooper found himself unmooring their rowboat, and turning it around. Their return trip was peppered with Rebecca pointing out different landmarks, and Barbo regaling them with how they intended to farm the local cliffs.

"Aye, a fearsome foe indeed," was his only comment when Rocky landed on the prow and hissed at the newcomer.

Back at the sect house, Laurel reacted like strange, tiny seal-people showed up every day. Though maybe compared to someone from another world, this was easy.

Esther, somehow, without warning, still had a seafood banquet prepared for dinner, where Barbo joined the sect officers at the head of the table.

The following morning, Cooper was once more rowing out to the cliffs. This time trading off with Leander, who wanted to see their new allies and where they would be living for the foreseeable future. Their boat was loaded down this time, not with Cooper's gear but gifts to the Phocan. Dried foods they couldn't grow themselves, a few spiritual herbs, and mushrooms the small folk could cultivate in the sunless crevices of their domain. Along with a few maps and invitations to visit the sect or the Guild if they had any interest in bartering for cultivation resources or resources pulled from the sea.

Just another day in a new world.

***********

Martin stood on the Via Merista, looking south. To the left and right, deep furrows broke up the land, five meters wide and five deep. Moving the earth and rock was a boring use of his skills. Compressing the foundation into something unbreakable was a little more interesting. Reinforcing the road without compromising any of the rest had actually been a slight challenge.

His first labors hadn't been limited to the peninsula either. The sea floor was covered in muck and weeds, besides a ring around the city of solid rock. The displaced earth from his furrow above ground. Devon had consulted on the design, and Martin had taken it on board, saturating every part with his own mana, while carving deep runes that would eventually link to the rest of the defenses.

Now his first shipment of stone was being offloaded behind him, and it was time. Finally. Seven years late, but he reminded himself to have patience. It didn't matter how long it took to build, this wall would stand against beast waves for millenia to come.

A shiver went through his mana. It was bad luck to say it out loud. Even thinking about it too much could cause a spiritual block it would take decades to move past. But he was just so close. He shook it off and went back to planning.

Only the losses on last year's wave had convinced the council to allow the construction. Their usual strategies had worked, with both Laurel and himself handling the vast majority of enemies. Until one larger beast took both of them to defeat when it continued to self-replicate, and the soldiers let a few monsters slip through their ranks. Hundreds of injuries and a score of deaths were enough to convince the populace that a wall was worth the price.

That the sect was bearing the entire labor cost tipped the decision over the edge. After the last wave, they were due in another year or so. Martin intended to be laughing from the top of the wall when that time came.

A familiar presence came up behind him. "Finally going to tell me what you got from the off-worlder?"

"He was technically from here. And made it very clear if we were too loud about it that there would be consequences."

He didn't need to turn around to see Laurel roll her eyes. His best friend stood next to him, looking down the road. Her hand twitched and a shard of crystal appeared in front of him. To his senses it was almost inert, like it was hiding away. Only the fact he knew to look let him see the faint traces of anything other than plain quartz.

Until Laurel dropped it into his hand. Safety. Security. A warm blanket to keep the monsters out. Relief. And a thick, strong wall. The impressions came thick and fast, flashing through his mind and spirit too quick to latch on to. But all twining around the same theme.

"I take back my complaints."

"I thought you might."

"Have you figured it out yet?"

Laurel waved her hand back and forth. "I'm not sure if there's an exact match, but I've been calling it sanctuary mana."

"Pretty perfect for building a wall."

"I thought so too, funnily enough. I don't really know how to use the shard, but I suspect if you work it into your design, there isn't a thing on this world that will get through these walls."

"Count on it."

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