Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Chapter 55: Doable Solution_1

Megan glanced down at the documents before responding. “Given our current population of 60,000, the maximum we can sustain without crisis is around three months. But that number is based on our current intake rate. If our population continues increasing—and we know it will—this window could shrink considerably.”

Aiden folded his arms, his expression turning serious. “Three months? That’s cutting it dangerously close.”

Megan nodded. “Exactly and that’s assuming nothing happen and our food supply doesn’t foil for any reason. We also have to factor in the need to defend our it from potential threats both natural or made.”

A wave of tension filled the room as everyone realized how fragile their situation was.

Megan sighed before adding, “However… there is some good news that I wanted to share.”

That caught everyone’s attention.

She continued. “We’ve noticed something strange happening with our crops as they have shown accelerated growth cycles and matured before their harvesting period.”

Amira, who had been leaning forward in thought, caught on to Megan’s implication quickly. “You’re saying that our agricultural plants and crops are also experiencing rapid growth due to the surge? That the current density of spiritual energy in our surroundings is affecting even the crops we plant?”

Megan nodded, somewhat impressed that Amira pieced it together so fast. “Yes, exactly and just as we’ve seen mutated creatures and awakened people, the plant life itself has also been influenced by the spiritual energy saturation and not just the wildlife but also the crops we are cultivating—like everything growing in incredible pace this new environment.”

“If you’ve noticed while heading out on rescue missions, the grasslands outside the basin are growing at an unnatural rate. and the areas that we clear a weeks ago are now densely overgrown—to the point where the grass reaches our waists and if we don’t clear it regularly, making movement difficult and sometimes even dangerous.” As soon she said, it led everyone picture the surrounding environment when they went for rescue missions.

Aiden sighed, rubbing his temple as the scouting rescue missions in future where maneuvering through the wild had become a nightmare. “Yeah it’s been slowing us down and with the grass so tall, we never know what’s hiding beneath while we’ve already had a few close calls with mutated creatures jumping out of these fields.”

Everyone nodded grimly—they’d all experienced it.

Megan, sensing the shift in topic changing, redirected the conversation. “But here’s the important part that we weren’t sure if these crops—growing so unnaturally fast—were actually safe to consume and that’s why before implementing anything on a large scale, we have conducted a controlled experiment.”

Amira’s sharp gaze met hers. “You mean you’ve already tested the final product?”

Megan nodded, flipping through her notes. “Yes as our first harvest was originally scheduled for three months from now, but the crops matured much faster than expected, so we decided to harvest early and conduct tests before implementing full-scale production.”

She paused for a moment before adding, “And to be blunt, we used the prisoners from Cole’s gang which imprisoned earlier.

The room went still and for a fleeting moment, there was an uneasy silence, the kind that carried an unspoken understanding.

It wasn’t exactly the most morally upright decision, but no one voiced an objection as deep down, they all knew—those prisoners deserved worse.

Amira, unfazed, pressed on. “And the results?”

Megan took a moment before responding. “Surprisingly, the food isn’t just edible—it’s nutritionally superior to what we used to eat before the surge.”

Curious glances were exchanged across the room as Aiden leaned forward, arms crossed. “What do you mean by nutritionally superior?”

Megan exhaled and elaborated. “While it doesn’t provide the same spiritual energy boost as consuming beast meat, these crops contain trace amounts of pure spiritual energy. It’s enough to gradually strengthen normal individuals over time and keep them healthier than they would have been with traditional food sources.”

She turned a page in her notes before continuing. “For non-awakened individuals, this could mean they will slowly refine their bodies and potentially awaken their abilities sooner. And for those who are already awakened, it helps maintain their energy balance, making it easier for them to recover after using their abilities.”

“So, essentially… it’s a weaker, sustainable version of beast meat?” Tommy summarized.

Megan nodded. “Exactly.”

Ezzie, who had been quietly running calculations, looked up and said. “That’s actually incredible and if it means the normal people—those who haven’t awakened yet—won’t be left behind and will slowly catch up in this new world.”

Aiden absorbed the information before shifting the discussion forward. “Now that we know the crops are safe, let’s talk about their growth cycle. Do we have an estimate on how long it will take for the next batch?”

Megan tapped her fingers on the desk, organizing her thoughts. “We don’t have an exact estimate yet, but based on our observations, the crops that previously took six months to mature are now growing in just two to three months.”

A wave of relief spread through the room.

Aiden exhaled, shaking his head in amazement. “That changes everything. If we can harvest every two to three months, then food shortages won’t be as big of a problem as we originally thought.”

Megan nodded in agreement. “Yes, but only if we manage to expand our farmland to match the growing demand.”

Amira considered her words for a moment before speaking again. “Megan, how much farmland do we currently have inside the basin?”

Megan flipped through her notes, adjusting her stance before answering. “Right now, we have 500 hectares of already cultivated farmland inside the basin.”

“And how much food does that land currently produce?” Amira asked again after remembering these numbers.

Megan responded promptly. “Before the surge, 500 hectares of land would produce around 1,500 tons of grain per half-year, meaning 3,000 tons annually. However, with the current accelerated growth cycle, we estimate that number will double—giving us roughly 6,000 tons annually.”

“And how much on average we can consume yearly comfortably if we take our current number.” She asked again.

“We have made a rough estimate but can safely assume around 25000 ton annually.” Megan replied after doing some calculation.

Amira noted down the numbers, processing them carefully. “That’s not so promising, and we also need to consider the long-term sustainability and if we keep growing crops back-to-back without allowing the soil to replenish its nutrients, won’t it become barren over time?”

Megan sighed. “Exactly. If we overwork the land without proper crop rotation or soil recovery methods, the fertility of the soil will degrade, making it unsuitable for farming.”

Tommy ran a hand through his hair before asking the most critical question. “Alright… then let’s cut to the chase—how much land do we need to expand to comfortably sustain our people?”

Megan looked up from her notes. “Based on our current population of 60,000—if we want to comfortably sustain everyone without worrying about food shortages and soil degradation—we need at least 4,000 hectares of farmland.”