Chapter 106: Departure to Troll Valley
The most important point was that after successfully crafting the enchanted longsword, a pleasant notification sounded in Matthew's ears:
"Ding! Enchanted longsword successfully crafted. Magic item crafting level +2, now at 100!"
"Advanced magic item crafting: Increases magic item crafting success rate by 20%, with a 5% chance of crafting enhanced magic items."
With a raised eyebrow of surprise, Matthew rubbed the slightly glowing enchanted longsword and turned his attention to the remaining materials and equipment.
It was time to spend gold coins and boost skills again!
Happy times!
...
"Bang!"
The uncontrolled magic surged wildly, tearing open cracks in the sturdy longsword, which then exploded.
Sharp fragments flew in all directions under the explosive force.
Some hit the magic shield, causing ripples before clattering harmlessly to the ground with a series of "ding ding" sounds.
Other metal shards embedded themselves into the rocky floor, creating small craters upon impact.
Such destructive power—without the protective magic shield, Matthew would have surely been bleeding.
"Tsk tsk, having a doppelganger is really handy; no need to risk my own skin anymore."
With a wave of his hand, Matthew cast "Mending" and "Cleaning."
The shattered longsword remnants were cleaned up, and the workbench and floor were restored.
As for the broken scraps, they wouldn't be sent back for remelting but rather fed to the kobolds with their voracious appetites to dispose of the evidence.
In maintaining secrecy and concealing his power, Matthew remained as cautious as ever.
Failing at crafting didn't dampen Matthew's spirits; instead, it provided valuable lessons, helping him avoid the same mistakes in future attempts.
With the help of his system's display and his accumulated experience, Matthew was making rapid progress in magic item crafting.
The frequency of failures steadily decreased, and once Matthew made a mistake, he rarely repeated it.
Fully focused, Matthew reaped substantial rewards for his efforts.
In just one afternoon...
He successfully crafted 30 enchanted weapons and pieces of equipment.
Though he still experienced 20 failures, he raised his magic item crafting level to 122.
Moreover, Matthew had now completely mastered the process of enchanting with Tier 1 spells.
"Too bad Mountain's skill level isn't high enough; otherwise, I could have him handle the crafting of enchanted items."
In just one afternoon, with a 60% success rate, Matthew consumed 1,250 gold coins' worth of materials.
However, the 30 successful enchanted items could easily be sold for 5,000 gold coins, netting him a profit of 3,750 gold coins!
An astonishing number!
At present, Bay Village held 800 troll captives, with 200 trolls "voluntarily donating blood" each day.
Mountain's production of blood-replenishing potions had exceeded 7,000 bottles, and after setting aside some for storage and personal use, the pure profit was around 3,000 gold coins.
While the profit margin for crafting enchanted items was lower, the overall profit was much higher!
Moreover, unlike the relatively cheap blood-replenishing potions, enchanted items, although not affordable for every adventurer, always sold well!
If Mountain's magic item crafting skill increased, he could mass-produce enchanted equipment just like he did with the potions.
Mountain's daily output alone could bring in tens of thousands of gold coins for Bay Village!
Matthew swallowed hard, shaking off this unrealistic thought for now.
Based on Mountain's current growth rate, it would take him at least two more years to reach advanced-level magic item crafting.
There's still a long way to go!
Matthew decided to stop crafting enchanted items for now, as it no longer contributed to his magic item crafting skill.
After leaving the lab, Matthew had dinner.
With some time left in the day, he checked in on Liana and the other children with potential for spellcasting.
Those who worked hard were rewarded.
Those who slacked off and neglected their studies had their parents informed by Ralph, ensuring they would receive some "loving discipline" that evening.
Matthew then spent some time checking on Yaya, who was fast asleep.
She was in a stage of rapid growth, and all she needed was energy, supplies, nutrition, and sleep.
Matthew made good use of the remaining time by heading to the underground training room, where he practiced various spells on training dummies.
He trained until all his mana was depleted.
Afterward, he studied several spell scrolls he had not yet learned, memorizing the critical spell models.
Before bed, Matthew would meditate for about two hours, constructing the new spell models.
Finally, after a busy day, Matthew cast several alert spells outside his bedroom and went to sleep.
He had no time to waste!
Five days later.
Bright sunlight streamed through the layered clouds, illuminating the open fields.
Crystal-clear river water flowed into the tens of thousands of acres of reclaimed land.
Farmers excitedly watched as the water coursed through the crisscrossing channels, their eyes full of delight.
From afar, Ralph turned his gaze from the approaching caravan and looked at the neatly lined-up farmers. In a loud but gentle voice, he said:
"Remember, you are not only working for the lord but also for the territory and for yourselves!"
"The more land we reclaim, the more you will receive. The better the land is cultivated, the greater your harvest will be..."
With just a few words, Ralph had stirred the farmers' enthusiasm.
Under the direction of their teams, they herded oxen, held their tools, and worked methodically.
Meanwhile, in the distance...
The soldiers, seeing the transformation of the fields, curiously discussed it among themselves.
"Are they planning to grow rice? Why not wheat?"
"I know this! My dad said rice can be harvested twice a year, but wheat only once..."
"Wow, rice can be harvested twice a year? Really?"
"How do you not know this?"
"They're from the west. We in the east eat more rice, but other places don't..."
"Why not? Rice is pretty tasty!"
"This goes back over a thousand years. This area used to belong to an empire in the east, but for some reason, they withdrew..."
"..."
Hearing this, Matthew paused from reviewing the Troll Valley map, his thoughts wandering.
He knew that the Eastern Empire, thousands of years ago, hadn't completely withdrawn, leaving some of its people behind to thrive here.
However, a few hundred years ago, this region and its people were fully absorbed into the Netheril Empire.
Matthew felt a pang of regret. Whether in the game or now, he'd never had the chance to explore the mysterious Eastern Empire and see its different landscapes.
But Matthew quickly shook off the thought, focusing on the skull-marked danger zones on the map, his mind racing:
"The area where the magical plant konjac grows is also inhabited by a group of ogres?"