[Jack: Xena, I saw your pickaxe bundle on the trade-hub. I really need them, but I only have 2000 gold coins. Could you do me a favour and lower the price? The 50% fee is a complete scam. However, if you'll trust me this once, I will pay you 1000 gold coins very soon for the trouble]
Jack knew he made a trading error by exposing so much information and hope into a complete stranger. But he really needed those pickaxes and promising 1000 gold coins seemed cheap considering he had an endless supply.
Coincidentally, she replied instantly.
[Xena: I have never sold any of them before, and I really need the gold coins! I will lower them to 1000 gold coins for 10 pickaxes, if you agree to buy from me again instead of the 1000 gold coins!]
Jack was surprised. This person seemed to really need those gold coins, otherwise why would you agree so quickly in a trade deal? At least show a little bartering, right?
[Jack: You make a sweat deal! I will buy from you again, just don't sell your pickaxes to anyone else but me. And I will still give you the 1000 gold coins.]
Jack still didn't know how to manufacture anything yet. So having a steady supply of pickaxes seemed currently in his best interest.
[Xena: Are you for real? I'm getting suspicious about this deal. Next to food, none is willingly giving away gold coins!…. Did you find a gold resource spawn? Even a tiny one would be fought over!]
Jack remembered the gods told him that resources would spawn here and there, ranging from tiny to huge in size. And the information in the chat told him that troops was summoned and died by the second in this world, and what was used to summon troops for survival? Gold Coins.
'No wonder she's getting suspicious, gold coins is surely in high demand'
[You might be right… But don't you worry about our deal. No one will find me where I spawned. As long as you provide those pickaxes, we can both be advantageous]
Jack again recalled the gods words. He would spawn far away from other lords.
'I just hope they meant all lords, and not just human lords?' Jack had a sudden doubt.
Xena then corrected the price and Jack bought the bundle immediately. Paying 1000 gold coins for the pickaxes and an additional 500 gold coins for the systems 'trading-fee'.
As Xena instantly turned her gaze from her surroundings - an endless view of green hills, clustered trees and scattered small fishponds - to her territory that was on just such a hill, with already-made barricades of wooden poles.
She checked her gold resources and breathed a sigh of relief. She could finally replenish the troops she had lost to the wild centaur monsters that roamed the nearby hills.
[Xena: Thank you for the trade Jack! Please tell me anytime if you need more!]
[Jack: It might not be long before I do. I will keep in touch]
With this settled Jack hurriedly checked the tradehub and spend the last 500 gold.
He gained a few torches that could burn for about eight hours, two lumber-axes, a flint-and-tinder and 5kg of meat.
His gold coin resources was empty, but he had gained everything he currently needed. A way to make fire, a way to provide firewood and even timber for building. Not to mention the, very sparingly, rations of food.
Jack currently knew that Harken had dispatched the total amount of 167 troops into various areas to guard.
And just so, a guard-patrol of 10 troops emerged from the pitch-black main tunnel.
"You there, take this and bring these to the dwarfs at the gold mine."
Jack commanded the troops to grab the torch he had just lighted, that immediately provided a comforting area of light in the darkness. They additionally took the 10 pickaxes he provided them, and with deep respectful bows they hurriedly left to the mine.
Jack then put everything back into his inventory except the 4 remaining torches.
As Jack moved through the large main tunnel, he stopped four times to manipulate the walls into a few protruding stone rings, where he hanged the torches. It didn't illuminate the entire main tunnel, far from it. But it did provide some oases with light trough the tunnel.
When he finally reached the outside of the entrance, he had to shield his eyes from the sun. It was on the descent, and it would be evening soon. Yet after being in the mountain for so long his eyes was surely not used to the sun-rays.
The entrance was guarded by 20 troops right outside, and an additional 20 troops where the slope started at the plateau.
The human civilians was walking around on the plateau, talking and enjoying the view. The pregnant young blond woman was squatting in the right side of the entrance, opposite the slope-road.
She was looking between the rocks and bushes there, seemingly picking something from the ground.
As he watched she suddenly straightened her back and looked back over her shoulder. When she saw her Lord watching her, she suddenly smiled brightly and ran over to him.
"Mylord! Mylord! I have good news! I have found some blackroot!"
This sudden movement gained the attention of the other civilians and they all gathered with a bow and a 'Mylord'.
"What's this blackroot, woman?" Jack asked sincerely, his curiosity piqued.
What could have made her so happy as to run over like this?
"It's an edible root lord! It is chewy like a carrot, and its flavour is almost like spicy pepper. It can be be boiled alone or processed into a variant of pepper-spice!"
"What is your name, woman?" Jack was thrilled, with this he could season the meat he just bought.
"Lord, my name is Gynda."
"Gynda, can you process this? Can you cook?" Jack realized that these civilians really would be the foundation of everything, if they all somehow had a useful innate skill.
"Yes lord! Cooking is my speciality! I don't remember how, but when I saw that blackroot I immediately knew what to do! I can even gather the seeds and cultivate them if we can somehow make a field for it!"
It was clear that Gynda was excited, and couldn't wait to start working.
Jack withdrew the flint-and -tinder together with the meat and put it all on a large stone nearby.
"Gynda, you will be in control of this blackroot, and manage its cultivation. But first, please cook all this meat and use that blackroot as supplement."
"oh my lord surely is blessed with all that meat!" The gathered chorus of the civilians sounded. Even the troops looked at the meat with longing eyes.
"Lord, I don't have a fire or pots for cooking". Gynda suddenly seemed less ecstatic upon this realization.
"Worry not my people" Jack simply spoke, while he tried to control his own growing fatigue and hunger, controlling his ability yet again.
Soon after he had guided the water-tread he had used at the guardian encounter to sprout in the middle of the plateau, and a small pond of water was forming.
And near the entrance, somewhat protected from the wind, three circles of stone was created. Above them three large stone pots was hanging from a hook on another stone that rose close to the pot and fireplace.
A little further inside, a two meter wide and 10 meter long stone table was erected, and small stone chairs with no backs was fixed every one meter of the table.
Jack walked back to the civilians who were marveling at the lords power.
"Those of you who are confident enough, pick up these two lumber-axes and find your way down the slope from the plateau. When you reach the ground level, call for Harken and tell him his lord expects him to keep you safe while you collect wood from the forest"
Two sturdy men hurriedly bowed and picked up the axes, and walked with quick steps towards the road down the plateau.
"The rest of you, help Gynda prepare the meat and blackroot, she will be in charge, heed her orders".
They all excitedly began to talk and move around as they inspected the ingredients and heeded Gyndas happy commands.
All Jack could do now, was create some small stone knifes for meat-cutting and some stone bowels they would eat the soon-to-be broth in.
After expending the last bit of energy, he felt too fatigued to stand up anymore and sat down with his back against the rock-wall, watching his civilians working hard to prepare their first meal.
After watching them for a while, he realized that it would take a while before the dinner would be ready.
'I truly need to find some iron.. Or at least buy some proper cooking pots from the tradehub..'
Jack drifted off a bit before he suddenly remembered something.