Daily Rewards! Transmigrating into a novel as a side-character!

I had only encountered two Transcendent-rank beasts in the entire area, a region that was supposed to be rampant with such creatures.

The first had been a Flame Wolf that I'd eliminated quickly. The second was a Stone Badger similar to the one I'd killed previously, dispatched with ease.

But after those two kills? Nothing.

Just empty forest and the occasional low Elite-rank specimen that ventured too deep, they weren't worth the effort.

"Where are all the Transcendent beasts?" I muttered, scanning the darkness with my enhanced senses.

The scarcity wasn't natural. These hunting grounds had always maintained healthy populations of powerful creatures, that's what made them valuable training areas for experienced awakeners.

Finding only two Transcendent specimens in two hours of active searching suggested something was wrong.

Could this be related to the increased beast aggression Sylvia had mentioned? Were Transcendent creatures being drawn elsewhere by whatever was coordinating the attacks on settlements? Or had something even more powerful moved into the region and driven them away?

The implications troubled me. If Transcendent beasts were becoming scarce in established hunting grounds, accumulating the soul power I needed would become significantly more difficult and time-consuming.

I continued searching for another thirty minutes without success before finally accepting that tonight's hunt had reached its limit of productivity.

"Two Transcendent kills will have to be enough," I decided reluctantly.

The soul power from those eliminations would contribute to my advancement, but it wasn't the harvest I'd hoped for.

At this rate, reaching Transcendent rank would take longer than my calculations had projected.

I made my way back to where the carriage waited, my mind already considering alternative hunting locations and strategies for finding adequate prey.

The forest felt wrong somehow - too quiet, too empty of the powerful presences that should dominate these territories. Something was changing in the ecosystem, and I didn't like the implications.

As the carriage carried me back toward the mansion, I resolved to investigate this phenomenon more thoroughly.

Understanding why Transcendent beasts were becoming scarce could provide critical information about whatever larger forces were moving in the kingdom.

Early the next morning, workers had already begun arriving at the mansion in organized crews. Today was an off-day from the academy, which worked out perfectly for overseeing this major construction project without missing classes.

My first priority was ensuring nobody discovered Changing Star's existence. I'd moved her to a secure upper floor bedroom with strict instructions through our bond to remain absolutely quiet and hidden.

The door was locked, enchanted with privacy wards, and positioned in a section of the mansion I'd explicitly told workers was off-limits for "personal storage."

Knock knock knock

"Young Master Blackwood," The subordinate greeted as I opened the main entrance. "The construction crews are ready to begin. Senior Enchanter Aldric and Master Blacksmith Torven are here to oversee the specialized work."

Behind him stood two elderly craftsmen whose weathered appearances belied their sharp, intelligent eyes. These were the family's most skilled specialists, men who had served the Blackwood duchy for decades and possessed expertise that commanded respect throughout the kingdom.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming on short notice," I said, leading them inside. "Let me show you exactly what needs to be constructed."

I pulled out my smartphone to display the reference photos I'd taken of the academy's training facilities. The moment the device activated and images appeared on the glowing display, both elderly craftsmen froze.

"What… is that?" Enchanter Aldric asked, his voice carrying genuine shock.

Master Blacksmith Torven leaned closer, squinting at the smartphone with obvious fascination. "I've never seen anything like it. Is that some kind of projection device?"

"It's called a smartphone," I explained, navigating through the photos to show them various angles of the training room designs.

"A personal project combining magical engineering and blacksmithing techniques. It can capture images, transmit communication, and store information."

Both craftsmen's eyes widened progressively as I demonstrated the device's capabilities, zooming in on specific enchantment details, switching between multiple photos, even playing back a short video I'd recorded of combat dummy operation.

"Extraordinary," Aldric breathed. "The enchantment matrices required for image capture and storage alone would be… I can't even conceptualize how you'd miniaturize them to this scale."

Torven was examining the phone's physical construction with interest. "And the materials? The casing appears to be refined metal, but the internal components must be incredibly complex."

"I can provide you both with specimen units once I've refined the production process," I offered, knowing this would secure their complete enthusiasm for the project.

Both elderly craftsmen's faces lit up with genuine excitement, not because they wanted communication devices, but because they recognized an opportunity to learn something entirely new.

These were men who had dedicated their lives to mastering their crafts, and the prospect of understanding revolutionary techniques was more valuable than gold.

"You have our complete commitment, young master," Aldric said with renewed energy. "We'll ensure this training complex exceeds even academy standards."

Torven nodded vigorously. "Any project from someone capable of creating such innovation deserves our absolute best work."

Their enthusiasm became immediately apparent as they began organizing their teams with increased vigor. These were loyal Blackwood family workers who had served for generations, I wasn't concerned about leaks or harmful intentions. Their discretion was guaranteed by both family loyalty and confidentiality oaths.

Large carriages began arriving in steady succession, each one filled with specialized equipment and premium materials. Reinforced flooring materials, enchantment-grade metals, arrays for measurement systems, mana-conductive wiring, and various other components were carefully unloaded and organized.

The blacksmiths immediately established a temporary forge in one of the mansion's courtyards, their hammers beginning the rhythmic work of shaping metal components for equipment frames and structural supports.

The sound of skilled craftsmanship filled the air.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Meanwhile, the enchanters began their meticulous work on the designated training spaces. Aldric personally supervised the installation of structural reinforcement enchantments, his experienced hands tracing complex patterns onto walls and floors with absolute precision.