He walked toward a towering Mountain Pine near the edge of the territory border. Previously, with his crude, blunt stone tools, felling a tree like this felt like trying to chew through a mountain—vibrations would rattle his teeth and his palms would blister within minutes.
He took a steady breath, gripped the reinforced handle, and swung with a perfect rotation of his hips.
THWAK!
The sound was sharp, like a gunshot echoing off the peaks. The [Inferior Sharpness] didn't just bruise the bark; it bit deep into the heartwood in a single stroke. The [Standard Toughness] absorbed the shock completely—there was no jarring kickback, only the satisfying sensation of a clean, deep cut.
The tree fell with a thunderous groan, followed by the crisp, digital ping of his notification:
[You have obtained: 2x Wood].
The specialized axe had revolutionized the task; the labor felt lighter, almost effortless, as the tool shouldered the brunt of the kinetic shock. His pace was blistering—more than twice as fast as his previous attempts.
Passing the[Fine Stone Axe] to Bala, Akash surveyed the now-thinned glade. "Clear the remaining wood near the boundary," he commanded. "But stay within reach of the barrier. If anything emerges from that treeline, sprint for the barrier if you are not confident. "
Leaving Bala to the rhythmic work of the harvest, Akash retreated toward his manor. The air inside was still, smelling of resin and cold stone. He settled on the floor, the silence of the room allowing his mind to finally shift from physical labor to strategic management.
"Store," he thought, and the interface flickered into existence.
Akash leaned back against the cool wooden wall as he navigated the glowing tabs of the Store.The upgrade to Level 2 hadn't just expanded his manor; it had unlocked a vast, tiered marketplace categorized into Resources, Equipment, Consumables, Living Supplies and Blueprints.
The quality of goods was clearly labeled, ranging from Common and Uncommon to the elusive Good.
The Consumables tab held the most tempting items. He saw exotic fruits,Spirit Rice and Monster meat.
[Crimson Ember Fruit] | Cost: 2000 SC | Effect: +1 Physique (Permanent, Only on first consumption)
[Spirit Rice (1kg)] | Cost: 50 SC | Effect: Spirit increases over Long-term consumption.
[Azure Petal Tea] | Cost: 45 SC | Effect: Magic increases over Long-term consumption.
When he switched to the Living Supplies tab, he found a dizzying array of blue prints of daily necessities. It wasn't just survival gear anymore; there were blueprints for beds, mattresses, chairs, and even complete kitchenware.
Each blueprint promised to turn his empty cabin into a functional home, increasing the comfort level. All the Daily Necessity blueprint was flat-priced at a steep 20 SC. Akash scanned the descriptions. Unlike his Stone Fireplace, these items were mundane—they lacked magical properties, auto-triggers, or special resistances.
After scrolling through the exhaustive list of domestic comforts in the Living Standards tab, Akash toggled over to the primary Blueprints tab. He expected another sprawling menu, but instead, he was met with a stark, sparsely populated screen.
Unlike the dozens of "Daily Necessities," this category held only a handful of entries. These weren't tools or furniture; they were the heavy-duty skeletons of a growing empire—Territory Buildings.
Akash performed a final, meticulous sweep of the Blueprint tab. He wasn't just browsing anymore; he was mapping out the skeletal structure of a functioning society. He ignored the frivolous luxuries and focused on five critical buildings
[Auction House Building] (35 SC): A core building, essential gateway for peer-to-peer trade—his only way to bypass the Store's extortionate prices and acquire raw "trash" for essence extraction.
[Workshop Building ](35 SC): A core building required for production.
[Warehouse Building ](35 SC): A core building for centralized logistics and protecting his resources from the mountain's erratic weather.
[Basic Toilet] (50 SC): Just to avoid sharing bushes with his subjects
[Blueprint: Sky-Well Basin] (120 SC) : The "Must-Have." Water is the immediate bottleneck for him and his subjects.
Akash checked his status one last time before heading out. His balance remained a stagnant 9 Spirit Coins, and the mountain sun was already beginning its descent, the clock at 4:30 PM.
He hiked over to the western edge of the clearing where the rhythmic clink-clink-clink of stone on stone signaled Arjun's progress. A modest pile of grey granite lay near the excavation site. With a wave of his hand, Akash swept the raw materials into his inventory.
[Obtained: 82x Stone]
He walked over to Arjun, who was glistening with sweat despite the mountain chill. Akash looked at the Crude Stone Pickaxe in the man's hands and frowned. He focused his vision on the tool.
[Crude Stone Pickaxe] Durability: 2/15
The tool was on its last leg, the stone head chipped and the bindings frayed. Arjun looked ready to drop, his breathing heavy.
"Rest, Arjun," Akash commanded, his tone firm but appreciative. "You've worked efficiently, but a broken tool is as useless as an exhausted man. Take a breather in the Manor's Living Room."
Arjun nodded, wiped his brow, and handed over the trembling pickaxe. Akash watched him go, then turned back toward the manor. He didn't just need a repair; he needed an upgrade.
Akash moved toward the Eastern Slope where Bala was working. The rhythmic thwack of the [Fine Stone Axe] echoed through the trees, a much sharper, more confident sound than the clumsy chopping from earlier that morning.
As he approached, he saw the fruits of the "24-coin investment." A massive stack of logs sat neatly near the barrier. With a sweep of his hand, Akash transferred the haul into his system storage.
[Notification]: You have collected 254x Wood.
He signaled for Bala to take a brief pause and took the axe from the man's calloused hands to inspect.
[Fine Stone Axe] Durability: 26/30
A faint smile touched Akash's lips. "Twenty-six out of thirty," he muttered. After processing over two hundred units of timber, the tool had barely lost a fraction of its integrity. The Standard Toughness he had infused was holding up perfectly against the mountain pine.
He handed the axe back to Bala, whose eyes were bright with a mix of exhaustion and pride.
"You're doing excellent work, Bala," Akash said, his voice carrying the calm authority of a Lord who knows his people's value. "The speed at which you're clearing this perimeter is exactly what the territory needs before nightfall. Keep the pace steady. Return to the manor before the sun touches the ridge."
Bala straightened his back, the encouragement acting like a fresh surge of stamina. "For the Manor, Lord Akash!"
As Bala returned to the treeline with renewed vigor, Akash turned back toward Monor. His inventory was now heavy with 254 wood and 82 stone.