Ding!
[ EternalWarrior bought 10 liters for 50 BC ]
[ FallenPaladin bought 20 liters for 100 BC ]
[ Prophetess_Mary bought 10 liters for 50 BC ]
...
The moment the listing went live, purchase notifications started pinging Aegis's screen.
A Thousand of liters of water were selling out instantly to desperate Sky Lords. The Bronze Coins (BC) flooded his account.
[ Wealth: 5,010 BC ]
Without hesitation, Aegis began using the influx of wealth.
He immediately spent the traded Bronze Coins on essential items through the Global Trade Platform. He targeted Weapons (simple steel spears and basic bows, as anything advanced was impossibly expensive) and Rare Materials (primarily ores and reinforced wood to begin laying the foundation for defensive fortifications).
However, Manpower wasn't something that could be bought through the System. The system was designed for resource trading, not people trading. He needed to find another way to acquire followers to help defend his newly exposed Aquabyss Domain.
Just as he reviewed his basic defensive purchases, Naida chimed in, having watched him deftly navigate the market.
"Your Grace, the matter of manpower... it requires direct interaction, not system commerce," she said, leading him deeper into a secluded, cavernous section of the palace.
"There is a portal inside the Palace that the previous Sea God used. It is capable of connecting your Domain with a random, temporary Island in the Sky Realm. You may find necessary manpower there. But you must make sure they don't harbour any ulterior motives. For this, I will give you this ring of truth, It will help you detect truth."
She handed him a silver ring.
Aegis accepted it with a thanks.
They stopped before a shimmering vortex of churning blue and white energy suspended between two massive coral pillars. It hummed with contained, unstable power.
"Be careful, Your Grace. The pathway is temporary and unpredictable," Naida warned. "But it is the only way to quickly bring living inhabitants into the Aquabyss Domain and begin the restoration."
Before entering, Aegis took a final look at the Chatbox:
[CuriousAngel]: Is the purified water real?
[DesertFox]: YES. I CAN CONFIRM. The water is real. It's the purest thing I've ever tasted. My island's energy recovered 5%! Thank you, Aegis!
[IronCladMiner]: I traded 100 kg of pure iron ore for 100 liters of water. I'm restocked. This is the only stable trade source right now.
[EternalWarrior] This is outrageous! He's cornering the market! He must be some kind of veteran Skylord exploiting a loophole! Otherwise how else he get so much water?
[xX_GamerDad_Xx]: @IronCladMiner, how much is 100 liters? My daughter is so weak... I need water desperately. What do you need for a trade?
[Aegis]: No need to hurry. I will soon be listing another 1,000 Liters of water at the same price. Use the Trade Platform then.
[ xX_GamerDad_Xx]: @Aegis Thank You. I will be waiting.
[EternalWarrior]: Guys, don't support this cheater. We should do something.
[DesertFox] @EternalWarrior, shut up. This man is saving lives. The water is holy, literally.
Just then—
A massive, crimson-bordered notification violently overlaid the Chatbox, demanding absolute attention.
[ Global Notification: Countdown to next Sky Predators invasion. 2 days, 2 hours, 2 minutes, 1 second. ]
With the system notification, the Global Chatbox exploded again:
[DesertFox]: Holy! What the fuck are Sly predators? Why weren't we informed beforehand?
[ +1 ]
[ +2 ]
[ +99 ]
[FallenPaladin] ONLY TWO DAYS?! We have barely figured out how to use our basic tools! We are all going to die!
[EternalWarrior] TWO DAYS! I TOLD YOU! We need massive defenses! Everyone stop trading and start building!
[xX_GamerDad_Xx]: My daughter... I need to find her before the Sky Predators come! Does anyone know how to send messages to nearby islands?
[Admin_01] All Sky Lords: Prioritize Defense Blueprints! Use your Bronze Coins on basic fortifications! Immediate action required!
[IronCladMiner]: DAMN! I only have enough iron for a few spikes... Two days is impossible.
[DesertFox] @Aegis/ Great Lord Save Me.
Aegis didn't respond. He also felt the shift in urgency. Two days were nothing to build to defense of that Calibre.
He needed to act now.
"The time for trading is over, Naida. I need living beings to populate this Domain and stand on my walls. Naida, open the portal. I am going in."
"Yes, Your Grace. Please stay Safe! I would have joined you If only I could."
Naida immediately activated the portal with a wave of her hand. The gateway came to life, opening a blue vortex of shimmering energy.
"Don't worry, Naida. The power I have in me now, I can overcome any challenges. Hopefully!" Aegis said, trying to sound confident.
Saying that, Aegis picked up a crude Iron Sword from the pile of traded items for his defense.
He then flashed a calm smile at Naida and stepped through at once.
His body was immediately engulfed by the shimmering blue portal.
Plop!
Aegis stumbled out onto a scorched, desolate land. He looked around to see only dry, cracked ground and volcanic structures in the distance.
The dry wind carried a heavy scent of sulfer.
Behind him, the portal remained active, showing a countdown of 24 hours. This meant he had one day to scour this Floating Island before the gateway automatically closed.
"Hmm, what's that?"
Suddenly, something else caught his eyes.
He headed over to find a slime-like creature jumping around in joy.
Cute and Dangerous.
The creature's texture was reddish, with cracks of magma glowing faintly on its surface.
Aegis immediately named it a Fire Slime.
It was heading toward the western volcanic mountain, which appeared dormant currently.
He curiously followed behind it, eager to see where this little fellow would lead him. He didn't rush, maintaining a distance of about ten meters.
The Fire Slime bounced lazily across the cracked earth, leaving faint scorch marks with each movement.
They continued their slow journey until the Fire Slime finally reached the base of the mountain and slipped into a narrow, dark crevice hidden by rubble.
Aegis stopped at the entrance. The crevice led into the dark interior of the volcanic structure.