After the trial concluded, the villagers gradually dispersed.
Most people still had flushed faces from excitement, discussing the shocking scene they had just witnessed in small groups.
A few people hurried along, remaining silent.
But life goes on, and there's plenty of work waiting for them.
Mu En's execution was not without purpose; it was primarily for the two tests he had just conducted.
The first skill is " Divine Descent," through which he can enhance the power of a Blessed at any time to protect their safety, especially Nausicaä, an important representative.
The second item is the " Erdtree Burial System ".
In the Lands Between, or rather, in the Lands Between controlled by the Golden Dynasty, there was no concept of "death."
To maintain her immortal rule, Marika sealed away the Rune of Death.
The term " Erdtree Burial " refers to a substitute for death.
When the Golden Folk are nearing the end of their lives, they will voluntarily offer their souls and the Rune they have accumulated throughout their lives to the Erdtree, and then obtain reincarnation and rebirth through the Erdtree.
In the Lands Between, this is considered a "correct death."
In this process, the Erdtree can harvest all the Rune contained within the Blessed's body, just as a farmer harvests wheat, achieving the circulation and growth of energy.
But clearly, in the world where Valley of the Wind is located, the rules of death are very complete.
The soul will dissipate into the world, and the body will turn into dust. Reincarnation is a self-contained system, and it is none of Mu En's business to interfere.
Therefore, Mu En could only force the Erdtree Burial process by manipulating the Rune within the blessed person's body.
As for how to accomplish this process... the answer is quite simple.
Consider this: in the world of Elden Ring, why was it so difficult for Marika to implement reforms after discovering flaws in the law?
After exiling numerous Golden Folk and smashing the Elden Ring, in the end, it was the Tarnished who had to clean up the mess.
Because she is merely the representative of the Golden Order, not the law itself, she must exercise her powers through complex rituals and contracts.
But Mu En is different.
Although he only possesses incomplete abilities, as a " Erdtree with self-awareness," he has absolute control over the Golden Rune.
The Rune that are transformed and blessed by him and flow within the body of the Blessed are marked with his mark from the very beginning.
Normally, these Rune coexist with the Blessed, nourishing their body and strengthening their soul.
But once Mu En decides to "take it back," Rune will abandon the Blessed like a bird returning to its nest and return to the embrace of the Erdtree.
As for the results of this Erdtree Burial test, they can only be described as mediocre.
Ohara was powerful, and the amount of Rune he harvested was indeed enormous, almost a hundred times more than the Rune he used.
But that's all.
If Ohara were alive, it would only take a few years for him to generate Rune that far exceed that number.
Earning Rune by consuming such exceptionally talented individuals is short-sighted and completely not worthwhile.
Moreover, Mu En had no intention of following Marika's example and completely monopolizing life and death.
After the Golden Dynasty takes control of reincarnation, if people cannot Erdtree Burial, a situation will arise where "people are killed but do not die."
Even if one withers into a dried-up corpse and rots into a pulp, consciousness remains trapped within the body.
This kind of world just doesn't feel right.
In Mu En's plan, those Blessed can maintain their youth and delay aging, but they cannot live forever.
A society composed of immortals will completely lose its drive to move forward and will eventually decay over a long period of time.
He believed that Marika had seen this as well, which was why she resolutely shattered the Elden Ring.
Of course, there were also unexpected gains from this test.
Mu En turned his gaze to the Stone Platform, where a golden dot of light was floating in the night sky, emitting a silent cry of despair.
That was Ohara's soul, extracted here by " Erdtree Burial." Even Mu En hadn't expected that this guy could retain his self-awareness.
Although I can't think of a way to use it right now, this is definitely an important experimental sample.
As for now, let him experience despair in that Void.
He has many sins to atone for.
Finally, there is one more purpose behind this trial.
That is to demonstrate Mu En's "majesty" as a god.
This suggestion was actually made by Nausicaä.
A few days ago, when the two were discussing refugee resettlement and follow-up plans, Nausicaä had analyzed the situation very carefully.
She felt that Mu En's image had always been far too kind.
They offer free assistance and respond to every request. Even when implementing institutional reforms, it's only to motivate people to work harder to build their homes.
This kindness has earned the gratitude of many, but it has also fueled unrealistic fantasies in some.
They'll feel that there will be no consequences for them to slack off, complain, or even secretly resist the new system in private.
The arrival of the Pejite refugees further complicated matters.
Even when nobles, officials, and merchants fall on hard times, those privileged individuals still consider themselves "superior" at heart and find it difficult to genuinely obey the rules of the Valley of the Wind.
Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity, Mu En needs to create a sufficiently shocking scene to demonstrate the majesty of being a "god".
Subduing all discontent with divine power is more effective than any other means.
Mu En was somewhat surprised by Nausicaä's suggestion.
While Nausicaä of this world is equally intelligent and brave, she is ultimately less mature than the Chosen One in the original story who endured many hardships.
Mu En has always regarded this girl as someone who needs guidance and care.
But now it seems that she is growing up faster than she imagined.
In just a few months, she transformed from a princess forced to take on the heavy responsibility of clan chief and struggling through famine and rumors into a leader who can calmly analyze situations and offer effective advice.
This transformation surprised Mu En, but also made her feel gratified.
It's a bit like a father seeing his daughter grow up—although even in his past life, he never had the chance to experience that feeling.
In short, he humbly accepted Nausicaä's advice, and the effect was immediate.
After the executions were completed in the morning, we went to observe again in the afternoon. Those who had previously been slacking off in their basic positions were now working much harder.
The foremen who were supervising the work also reported that instances of slacking off and perfunctory work had decreased significantly.
There aren't many fools in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind; even if there are, they're probably already dead.
Everyone already understands that without the Erdtree, the Valley of the Wind will instantly revert to its former state of food shortages, unrest, and encirclement by external enemies.
The good life we have now didn't just fall from the sky.
The results were also quite good with the refugees.
With Princess Eliana and Meila guiding the way, coupled with Mu En's intimidation, the situation was dire.
The few refugees who had been shouting that " the Valley of the Wind is too small and backward, we should go to the bigger Pejite " all shut their mouths now.
And the voices of those who claimed to be former village officials, merchants, and Pejite nobles, demanding the "return of personal property stolen by the Insect Claw," have completely disappeared.
They're all refugees; who has time to check how many gold coins you originally had in your pocket?
Here, if you want to be well-fed and clothed, and if you want to gain respect, then start now and earn it with your own hands.
However, the results seem to be a little too good.
Many refugees remained kneeling, chanting prayers towards the forest, hoping for a divine response.
Some people's faith fluctuates intensely, even reaching a fanatical level.
"The resettlement plan can begin."