The unknown was what captivated the heart most.
Zong Shen came to the chest and reached out to touch it lightly.
A prompt appeared before him: [Click to Open].
He clicked it directly.
The chest slowly opened.
Several glowing reward orbs appeared.
[Black Iron Treasure Chest Opened Successfully]
[Market Construction Blueprint ×1]
[Refined Wheat Bread ×10]
[Crafted Rum ×10]
[Sharp Germanic Sword ×1]
[Wooden Shield Blueprint ×1]
There were five rewards in total.
Two were food.
Another two were blueprints, one for a building and one for crafting.
The last was a longsword.
Zong Shen picked up the sword first and inspected it.
[Sharp Germanic Sword]
[One-Handed/Two-Handed]
[Quality: Common]
[Slash Damage: 29/33 (One-Handed/Two-Handed)]
[Pierce Damage: 23]
[Attack Range: 80]
[Attack Speed: +8%]
[Durability: 120]
[Strength Requirement: 8]
Well, this was much better than the rusty sword of damaged quality he had. It could be used one-handed, but also wielded as a two-handed sword.
He immediately stowed his rusty sword and replaced it with the Sharp Germanic Sword.
Then he moved on to his usual inspection routine.
[Wooden Shield Blueprint]
[Use to craft a Simple Wooden Shield]
[Simple Wooden Shield]
[Quality: Common]
[Shield Defense: 35]
[Crafting Requirements: Wood ×6, Hemp ×2]
[Crafting Time: 10m]
It was a basic piece of equipment with rather mediocre stats, not even as good as Zong Shen's damaged Kite Shield.
However, it was simple to make and didn't require many materials, so he could consider crafting a few as temporary protective gear for the farmers.
[Refined Wheat Bread]
[Delicious Refined Wheat Bread]
[Effect: Restores 50 Hunger]
(A decent food. It would be even better with some milk.)
[Crafted Rum]
[Refined Rum]
[Effect: Attack +10%, Defense -20%, Duration: 30m]
(Rum brewed through a complex process. If you encounter the Dwarf Race, offer one of them a cup of rum and you can earn his friendship.)
Food was one of the supplies Zong Shen was short on at the moment.
Especially now, with the population of his territory growing rapidly.
Food was a particularly important basic necessity.
Water came next.
Water, food, and safety.
These were the three most fundamental elements of survival.
He had to remember that finding a water source was still the main purpose of this trip.
But that was fine. He planned to ask the Strategy Module on his way back.
He put all four rewards into his Storage Grid.
Now, only the building blueprint remained.
[Market Construction Blueprint ×1]
[Quality: Common (White)]
[Requirements: Wood ×20, Iron ×8, Hemp Rope ×3, Trade Market Construction Blueprint ×1]
[Construction Time: 1h36m (reduced by 20% through Engineering)]
[Area: 10 square meters]
[Durability: 500]
[Armor: 10]
[Market: Allows trading with other lords. At its current level, it can list up to three items for sale simultaneously.]
The Market blueprint had dropped, and it didn't require many resources to build. Once it was built, he'd be able to trade with other lords who had constructed markets.
He put away all the rewards.
Zong Shen got up and looked at the now-empty chest.
[Black Iron Treasure Chest]
[Click to Dismantle]
"Dismantle."
[Obtained Iron ×10]
Another batch of resources in the bag.
"Is there anything else in this camp?"
Zong Shen posed the question in his mind.
(You're practically a passing locust. Even without my guidance, you'd strip this place bare.)
Reading the message, which sounded both complimentary and sarcastic, Zong Shen rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Then here's my next question."
"Where can I find drinkable water? The closer to my territory, the better!"
(That's not difficult. In fact, there's a clear and safe stream less than three miles north of your territory. There's also a lake forty-seven miles to the southwest, but some ill-tempered fellows have taken it over. Fifty-two miles south of this camp, there's a swamp. The water isn't very clear or safe.)
The Strategy Module presented several options at once.
Zong Shen glanced over them. It turned out there was a stream not far from his territory.
It seemed best to return to his territory first.
"Is there anything valuable or rare worth looking for near this camp?"
(Beneath the camp lies a vast Azshara Ruin. There are some interesting things down there, but excavating it would be a massive undertaking. Consider coming back to dig it up when you have enough people.)
(Thirteen miles west of the camp, there's a small patch of woodland with a Silver Treasure Chest inside. But there are a few strong Bear Monsters there.)
(Leave the camp to the right and walk a hundred paces. Dig straight down, and you'll find a little surprise.)
The Strategy Module immediately offered three suggestions.
Ever since acquiring the Strategy Module, Zong Shen had wanted to get an excavator.
To become a real dirt-digger.
Dig anywhere.
A whole sackful with every strike.
Enough with the nonsense.
Of these three options, the only one Zong Shen could take was the little surprise a hundred paces to the right of the camp.
The other two weren't things he could handle alone.
So he followed the directions, left the camp, and walked a hundred paces to the right.
He swung his pickaxe down.
To his surprise, he dug up a leather wallet.
Zong Shen picked it up.
He took a closer look.
[Traveler's Wallet]
[Money +430]
Well, it really was a little surprise.
Come to think of it, he had obtained some "money" since choosing his starting location.
But so far, he still hadn't figured out where he was supposed to spend it.
He'd probably have to make contact with the native forces of this continent before he could use it.
He put the money away.
Money didn't take up space in the Storage Grid.
It had a separate storage space.
But once taken out and materialized, it became individual copper coins.
Zong Shen glanced down at the watch on his wrist.
It was the only item that had come with him when he landed.
It was already past three in the afternoon.
He'd better hurry back.
By the time he finished gathering water, it would be dark.
Next, he'd build some basic structures.
When the Wolf Cavalry returned, he'd see whether Colby had found anything valuable on this trip.
Tomorrow, eleven farmers would be gathering resources at once.
Zong Shen climbed onto his Old Travel Horse and headed back to his territory.
He thought about his arrangements and plans for what came next.
This was his first day after landing!
It seemed to have gone fairly well.
He had not only acquired food and water,
but also gained two powerful soldiers and eight farmers.
With the population increasing, the 230 square meters of usable space in the Lord's Courtyard was starting to feel cramped.
It seemed that tomorrow or the day after, he'd need to expand his territory.
With his current strength, he should be able to handle ten randomly selected hostile targets within a five-kilometer radius.
Before you continue