Chapter 34: Into the Wild: The Forest Expedition Begins
In the morning, Ash opens his eyes in the house and sees Ram and Robin sleeping near each other. A quiet moment of peace settles over him before he wonders where Evan is. His memory clicks into place—Evan is in the city's garden with the new citizens. "Maybe they're still refining mana," Ash thinks. "I'll check on them after I visit the garden. For now, I'll wake Robin and Ram for the upcoming task. I need to get them prepared for survival."
A smile tugs at his lips as he tries to wake Robin and Ram.
A few minutes later, Robin and Ram stir awake. Ash sees the smiles on their faces and wonders, "Maybe they're happy with their roles in the city. As the city grows, they'll become more important. The benefits they gain will only increase."
A few hours later, after eating and preparing for the expedition, Ash, Robin, and Ram head toward the garden to meet Evan and the others.
Five minutes of walking lead them to the garden, where they meet Evan and the new citizens. The group discusses who will join Ash and Ram for the expedition into the forest. After six minutes of discussion, they decide that Evan and Robin will stay in the city for now. Evan needs to rest in the house, exhausted from guarding the mana tree all night. The new recruit, on the other hand, will join Ash and Ram for exposure to the forest, helping with the wood gathering.
For safety, Ash decides to equip the new recruit with Evan's axe, shield, and Robin's knife. After ten minutes of final preparations, they set off toward the forest.
Fifteen minutes later, Ash and the group arrive in the forest. They make their way toward a location where gathering wood is easier than in other places. Along the way, they come across a pack of six level 0 beasts. Ash's instincts sharpen—he decides to eliminate them and opens his system to check their status.
A window appears in front of him:
Name: Dark Pig
Level: 0
Grade: Low-Grade Monster
Description: A dark pig with a massive mouth capable of devouring anything within its level. It prefers living in dark places, where it gains a 20-40% power boost. Female dark pigs can birth up to eight offspring in six months.
Abilities: None
Weakness: Sharp attacks.
Seeing that none of the beasts are above level 0, Ash silently orders Ram not to attack unless absolutely necessary. He turns to the recruits, his voice firm: "Let the new recruit gain some experience in real combat." Ram nods in silent agreement.
Ash hands Ram's sword to one of the recruits who doesn't have a weapon and then steps forward to fight two of the beasts himself. The battle is swift, and after two minutes, he kills the two beasts. As the others fight, Ash watches them closely. Their performance is average but not bad—no one gets injured.
After another two minutes, Ash decides to end the fight. He steps in to help the recruits finish off the remaining beasts. Six minutes later, they collect the mana cores but leave the other parts of the beasts behind. The wood resources are their priority.
They continue toward their designated wood-gathering area. Five more minutes pass, and they arrive. Ash surveys the group and instructs them to begin cutting the wood. Two recruits, one without a weapon and the other with only a shield, help by moving the cut wood.
Twenty minutes later, with Ram's help, they gather 500 wood resources for Nexus City. Ash orders Ram to carry 300 woods, while each recruit takes 50. He stays close to them, alert, watching for any signs of danger.
They continue on their path, but soon, Ash's sharp eyes catch sight of a cave. Inside, he notices a monster lurking, and something that looks like a treasure box sits nearby. His instincts flare—there's something worth investigating here.
He and Ram discuss their strategy. After some deliberation, they agree on a plan. Ash checks the monster's status before deciding on their next move.
A window appears:
Name: Stone Bear
Rank: F-rank
Level: 2
Grade: Low-Grade Monster
Description: A massive stone bear with oversized fangs, capable of chewing through wood, leather, and weak armor. It prefers to eat soil and rock. Known to live alone near mountains, it uses its size and strength to overpower prey.
Abilities: Berserk
Weakness: Weak to water and blunt attacks. Easily irritated by loud noises.
After reading the monster's status, Ash orders the recruits to place their wood far from the fighting area. Wood can be destroyed in battle, and it would only complicate things. He and Ram decide to involve the new recruits in the fight. They need this experience—they need to fight monsters of a higher level. "But be careful," Ash warns. "Always avoid their attacks. Stay alert."
Ash grips his flame knife tightly, ready to attack. He hurls a fireball at the Stone Bear while Ram strikes at it as well. The bear's stone hide deflects their blows, but their combined assault forces the creature to stagger. The recruits, taking Ash's lead, aim for the monster's weak points, but the bear retaliates fiercely.
Ash's thoughts race, "The people of Eldros fight with no hesitation, no fear of injury. They know that survival here depends on their willingness to face danger head-on. It's an exceptional quality… maybe even a survival instinct."
Five minutes later, the Stone Bear's head falls to the ground with a heavy thud. Ash takes the mana core from its body, then heads into the cave to investigate the treasure box.
Inside the cave, he finds the box and inspects it closely. His fingers hover over the surface, eager to know what's inside.
A window appears:
Name: Gacha Treasure Box (Consumable Resource)
Status: Good
Ability: Provides essential items to any grade, with the highest probability of giving items similar to the box's grade.
Description: A low-grade treasure box created by Eldros' will, providing useful items to its finder.
Grade: Low-Grade
Ash doesn't hesitate. He grabs the box and carries it with him as they leave the cave. The journey back to Nexus City is uneventful. After fifteen minutes, they reach the city gates. Ash enters first, followed by the recruits. He notices Ram and the others heading toward the warehouse.
"They're doing well," Ash thinks. "I hope my city will grow according to the system I've created. It will benefit everyone. But if any rebels show up, I'll make an example of them. I won't let anyone challenge my city."
A few minutes later, Ash opens the treasure box. A golden light spills from within, filling the air around him. The light fades, and Ash is left staring at the contents. Something about this feels off. "Why doesn't this box vanish like the others?" he wonders.
Then, a message from Nexus appears in his mind: "This box is a Gacha treasure box, a creation of Eldros' will. Unlike the previous boxes, which are tied to the altar and provide consistent rewards, this one offers more variety. You may receive higher-grade treasures than with the other boxes."
Ash inspects the treasure he's received:
A window appears:
Name: Magic Pond (Item-Resource)
Requirement: Bound with altar to be used
Quantity: 1
Status: Good
Ability: Doubles the efficiency of mana refining, stores mana mist for later use, and converts mana cores instantly with full efficiency.
Description: A large mana cultivation platform for group use, ideal for big cities and armies.
Grade: White
Name: Sword (Item-Resource)
Quantity: 20
Status: Good
Ability: None
Description: Sharp swords used to kill enemies.
Grade: Low-Grade
A smile spreads across Ash's face as his heart swells with satisfaction. The treasures are exactly what he needs. "This is a great start," he thinks. "I hope I get more treasures like this—strategic treasures to help my city grow stronger."
As he looks out toward the city, Ash notices Robin's face, etched with a solemn expression. His stomach tightens. "What happened in the city?" he wonders. "I need to ask Robin if something's wrong."