《Reincarnation Of Audemars》


 Chapter 1 - 1. Battle Of Qodegh

    The conflict between the humans and the dark elves rages on for several days and nights, neither race was on the brink of giving up. The dark elves had put up a such an intense frontal resistance and kept up their stubborn yet defensive stronghold miles before the entrance of their city.


    Traps were set on the ground, leading to the path of the dark elven city, threatening to blow up upon close proximity of the advancing humans. Their traps were like ''Bouncing Betty'', concealed just a few inches in the ground and covered with a thin layer of sand.


    Upon detecting vibrations around it, it would be initiated by bouncing off 10 feet in the air before it explodes. The shrapnel that was made of either minnie balls, rods or spikes would be disseminated in a downward angle, raining down on unsuspecting advancing forces.


    These violent force would puncture their weak or non-armoured clothing and would inevitably wound, blind or decapitate their arms or their heads off the shoulders. These ''Bouncing Betty'' would form a chain reaction within a radius of 5 to 10 meters apart. Once these traps were airborne, no humans can escape from them.


    The dark elven city was situated deep within a ravine, with two towering walls on each side, thousands of feet high. No Arrows could reach that dark elven city and the only offensive manoeuvre that the human race could afford now is to use brute force and physical capabilities.


    There were a few classes of the human races that had been recruited just in time for the battle of ''Battle of Qodegh'', the ultimatum for the human race if they could squash this dark elven race to oblivion.


    The path towards the dark elven city was narrow and siege weapon such as a trebuchet, a catapult or even a ballista could manoeuvre towards the path. Without these siege weapons, the human race had to depend on their foot armies and during that time, there were only 3 classes available.


    The warriors, rangers and healers were the only ones left and the healers could only stay back a short distance away as they continually bombard their allies with spells to heal but had no ability other than that. No smiting, no chants to break down the will of their foes or even to strike fear into their hearts.


    It had been like this for many months, as battalions of human armies were brought in to suppress, trying to take control of the dark elven city, the last known demon establishment that mankind had ever known.


    The search for reliable and able-bodied manpower had brought the Ruler of Aermagh to source out far and wide for every single willing combatant and non-combatant personnel who are willing to fight for credits, glory and honour.


    In the end, all the men that had been deployed on the ''Battle of Qodegh'' slowly vanquished and left only a scattering of men available on the front line. Even it looked futile, but the desire to fight the battle and win over it prevails.


    With no way of knowing whether they''re winning or losing, the other side does whatever it can in order to try to defeat their enemies. Some have succumbed to rage and are recklessly charging towards the enemy with only the aim to kill, while others fight by only focusing on their enemy and not the carnage around them.


    The ravine is littered with destruction, weapons and suits. Red, black and khaki are the new colours of what was once a desolate, dry and worthless ravine, which has now become the stage of a large scale assault.


    The air which would normally be rich in sound from a nearby forest full of wildlife is now a barrage of sounds of war cries and the screams of the wounded and dying, for there''s no coming back from this.


    The last defensive hold by the dark elven had been broken through. A stream of Arrows was raining down on the warriors as they held their shields high to protect their onslaught as they inched their way forward. Those unlucky ones were shot with those arrows with deadly accuracy in their exposed parts of their bodies.


    Screams of agony and anguished were heard throughout the Battlefield as only a handful of warriors were left and only a few healers were left stranded, away from the harmful effective range of the arrows. The human archers were left with several arrows protruding from their cloth armour.


    On the defensive side of the dark elven, things don''t seem to good either. 5 elven archers were left flanking on both sides at a high elevation and were troubling the human warriors with 15 arrows unleashed per minute as the human warrior relentlessly inched their way.


    ..... 4


    ..... 2


    ..... 1 elven archer was left when the human warriors had finally closed in as the lone elven archer engaged in futile melee combat, with nothing but mere arrows in its hands.


    Suddenly, there was a deafening silence that enveloped the whole dark elven city. It was not a silent type of silence, but a type of silence when the air was suddenly sucked up to the heavens just like in a vacuum space.


    The air was suddenly stifling and it was hard to breathe. There was no sound, no cries, nothing... After a moment, a bright shimmering white light shot down from the heavens and *BOOM*, suddenly everything starts falling apart with the sudden powerful downforce unseen current of energy of destruction.


    The concrete columns that were the main support for the dark elven city began to shake and break apart as it began toppling down, the walls and the ground began to form enormous cracks like it was experiencing a mighty earthquake. Everything felt like hell had broken loose as debris and dust began to fill that dark elven city.


    The place shook incessantly as if a giant underneath was trying to rise from the ground or simply waking up from a deep slumber and awaiting to let go a huge earth-shattering fart.


    The dark elven ran out from their city but was crushed immediately by the falling concrete columns that were several dozen feet high and weigh many tons.


    At last... When the dust settled, none was left standing and the majestic dark elven city had totally collapsed and demolished by that unseen forces. Numerous numbers of dark elven warriors, archers, sorcerers and other elven civilian bodies were scattered around bleeding from their orifices, causing crushed from the total wreckage and their bodies were coated with a white greyish layer of dust.


    Every living there perished, the plants were not spared either, except for a lone human warrior who was discovered by a search party organised by the Ruler of Aermagh to determine the fate between the humans and the dark elven.


    That human warrior was knocked silly by the enormous, overbearing force from heavens that had destroyed nearly every living thing within a radius of 10 kilometres of the dark elven city. He was soon brought back on the direction towards the City of Aermagh by a horse-drawn carriage, unconscious but barely alive.


    "Hang in there, boy. We are going to get you out of here and back to the City of Aermagh. But by looking at your extensive internal injuries, we might not get there in time but we''d head out to another direction, a small settlement just south of here." a search and rescue personnel informed the human warrior.


    "Look, his body armour was crushed in by that unseen force from heavens. We might not be able to know how badly injured he is right now. We don''t even the tools to extricate the crushed body armour off him at all." said another search and rescue personnel.


    "Yeah, if that''s the case, we would leave him at the hands of the experts in Ingmery Community Infirmary at Ingmery then. We will report that no one is alive at the Battle of Qodegh then, at least we would be able to avoid filling in the forms for the report and so on."


    "Yes, let''s do it then. Off to Ingmery then. Hide our arms and our insignia. Just pretend we found this poor fellow along the entrance of this ravine." suggested another search and rescue personnel.


    By noon, they had reached Ingmery and had asked the assistant for the Ingmery Community Infirmary to look into this matter instead and hurriedly left the settlement and heads back to the City of Aermagh.


    A couple of Blacksmiths were called in to extricate the crushed body armour of the young warrior as he lay unconscious on a makeshift table, enabling the blacksmiths to use their tools to pry the crushed armour off the warrior.


    "This lad''s been very lucky. If not for the armour to absorb all blunt trauma force of his foes, he would have done for a long time ago. The only thing that died is this bronze breastplate that he is wearing right now." a Blacksmith tried to make light of the situation as he used a huge cutter to cut open through a small opening after using the Jaws of Life to pry and alleviate the pressure of the crushed armour in the warrior''s chest.


    Little did the blacksmiths and the infirmary staffs realised that the warrior''s body was excruciatingly deliberately self-generating in health as broken bones started to fuse back, a single bone at a time.

 Chapter 2 - 2. The Town Of Ingmery

    "Worry not Prius, I''d keep watch over this young man here. You do what is best, at what you are doing right now. It had been 6 months since this young man had been brought in from The Battle Of Qodegh."


    "Not once did he stirred or showed any emotions or feeling when i tickled him with the goose feather as instructed by the staffs of the infirmary."


    A young woman''s voice gently floated as she took a basin of water and a clean towel and began to clean the young man that was lying down on the hard wooden bed with just a straw-filled pillow on his head.


    Patricia, who was tending to the young man was wearing a white long sleeve tunic, with embroidered blue and red flowers around her neck and on the edges of her sleeves. She was wearing black leather pants and black coloured leather boots. She has brown hair that was tied up in a single braid.


    A dagger of about 5 inches long was tucked in on her left side with several semi-precious stones gilded on its sheath. It was one of the ornamental dagger set that can be bought online at Medieval Collectibles at a cost of only $45 with free S&H within the state.


    She gently dabbed the cloth that she had soaked in the water and wrung it dry before she wiped down the face, neck and arms of the young man that had lain there on the bed after being treated at the infirmary 6 months ago and was released to the Keating family to tend and care for him till his last breath.


    Patricia who was working as an aide there in the infirmary took on the task to tend to the young man as there was no other person more capable than the Guild Masters themselves. Even if she was not a Guild Master at that time, the decision to take the man in under their care was her brother, Prius.


    The young man was placed in a fairly large room with a single fireplace at the corner of the room. This was the norm for every room in the house to have a separate fireplace and it would be used to ward off the cold during the nights.


    A small bedside table was placed beside the left-hand side of the bed that held a small bronze-coloured oil lamp. There was a bowl of gruel, replaced daily just in case the young man wakes up from his deep sleep.


    A small bronze bowl with some fruits and a jug of water and a mug were placed on the bedside table too. The curtains were drawn apart slightly to let in the soft sunlight and the windows were shut to keep the draft out.


    The infirmary has yet to establish the state or condition of the young man that had been brought in by a group of travellers that had discovered the former in a state of unconsciousness, lying at the side of the path that leads to the ravine, where the city of the dark elven had once stood.


    When the young man was brought in to the infirmary, he had suffered numerous broken bones in his body and white bones seemed to protrude out when some blacksmiths had helped to extricate the crushed bronze body armour off the former.


    By just looking at the crushed body armour, they knew that the chance for this young man to regain his consciousness was very slim. The body was mangled as if he was struck down by a high-speed steam roller and most of his bones in his body had been crushed by the impact.


    Miraculously, during the initial treatment in the infirmary, they discovered that the young man refused to give in to fate and had shown a tinge of fighting spirit to be alive, despite the horrendous injuries that he had sustained. They decided to hand over the heavily bandaged young man that currently looked like a mummy to recuperate after the initial patch up at the infirmary to a family of two.


    This family was made up of an elder brother named Prius, aged 21 and his younger sister named Patricia aged 19, whose parents had long passed during one of the wars that had ravaged their Town many years ago. They were orphans that had been brought up by the infirmary when they were just 9 and 7 years old respectively.


    The bandages had long been removed by the staffs at the infirmary and discovered that the young man had almost recovered from all the physical injuries and had yet to regain consciousness after being in a comatose state for 6 long months.


    "It is alright Pat, we won''t know how long that young man would hold on to this tiny thread of hope to survive. His body may have healed but his will to even wake up seemed close to zero."


    "I wonder how long he would have to be in this state, even the infirmary staffs were telling me that this young man is going to be a vegetable. I wonder what type of vegetable he would turn to, as I don''t see any roots or leaves growing out from him."


    Prius said across the room as he sat there and fiddled with his smartphone, since there was nothing for him to do back there, offscreen and off the set, away from the viewers'' eyes. He was wearing a brown long sleeve tunic and black leather pants with matching black leather boots and there was a short dagger about a foot long that dangled from his black coloured leather belt on his left side.


    Yup, that poor young man that had been lying unconscious was me. I had lain there for 6 months on the hard wooden platform that they had called it a bed without any form of mattress for my sorry ass. Let me tell you, no one can lie down still on that kind of hard surface for the whole night!


    An aide from the infirmary was sent in a few times during the day and night to turn my body around to prevent bedsores, in fact, it had been sore alright, from laying there several months without moving.


    During that time too, a physiotherapist would come in every day to move my legs and arms so that the blood would circulate better since I had lain there unmoving for the last 6 months.


    Where was I for the past 6 months? In fact, I had transmigrated in this body that had taken its toll from being crushed when it was hit by a steam roller that was paving the path towards the ravine of the dark elven city.


    A path that was being flattened to bring in the siege weapons but was stopped due to the high operational costs. Yeah, something like that and the construction guys with their yellow hard hats and green vests all moved back to their respective construction companies.


    During my unconsciousness state, I had been in a kind of void, a semi-dark world and I was there sitting in a recliner and watching a huge 55" projected screen in front of me, as memories of my past and present life flashed across it, playing nonstop like I was having some sort of marathon movie night.


    Not only did my past and present life flashed on the big screen, but my made-up fancy pants medieval fantasy adventures were played back as well. There were recollections of certain memorable events that made up bits and pieces of my memories before me taking over this body.


    In that void, food and drinks were served so you might be thinking how I would have survived in this world while my transmigrated body was lying down on the cold hard wooden platform bed with just a straw-filled pillow underneath my head.


    I was enjoying the life right now in that void, with no worries and responsibilities and I wished I could stay there forever. Hah hah hah. I would better be off in this way, oblivious to the world outside the void as I simply just need to live comfortably right now.


    The last thing I knew before I came into this void was crashing head-on into a cement truck after the motorbike I was riding was sideswiped by some idiot driver who never did see me when he or she changed lane.


    I was on the extreme right-hand side of the lane, slowing down and had turned on my right signal indicator, signalling my intent as I wanted to make a right turn while stopping to let the oncoming traffic pass. And then *WHAM BAM BOOM*, and I ended here in this void, oblivious to the time and other events.


    "Is this heaven? Or some place of recuperation or rehabilitation centre? Hah hah hah... Shiok ah... At least I know that I''m in some kind of place that had no start and no end to it. It is like the beginning of the end and the end of a beginning. Hah hah hah." I laughed as I tried to see what else was beyond the void but my butt seems glued to the recliner and my eyes were transfixed to the huge screen before me.


    That was my thoughts when I initially woke up to find myself in a dreamless state, with no sense of hunger and thirsts or even to relieve myself. A table was set beside me with all kinds of worldly food and snacks but it was there just to tickle my interest if I wanted to have something to bite as I watched the scenes before me flickered by.


    Soundless and mindless...

 Chapter 3 - 3. Who Is Going To Foot My Medical Bills?

    I was truly enjoying the life of a carefree state of mind in that semi-dark world with the projected screen in front of me, an endless bountiful of drinks and foods before me, sitting comfortably in the plush recliner without a single care in the world.


    Not even once did Max, my sidekick side character who is only visible to me, animals and little children; had visited me throughout the time. Guess maybe he was busy doing other scenes with other protagonists that played as a more frequent side character there than in this novel.


    Ah well, I''m good even without any forms of communications as I laid there, staring the scenes before me unfold on the huge projected screen, most of the time I had caught glimpses of my life, passing me by, while other scenes were hard to depict, as if it was enlightening part of my unforetold future.


    .....


    "Hey Prius, I think this young man is already coming to. I can see his fingers slightly twitching and his eyelids were trying to flutter and open right now," exclaimed Patricia who had done dabbing me with the damp cloth, stepped back and half expected that I would just spring myself off from that hard wooden bed and immediately stand up.


    "Hmm, he seems so as what you had said. I better call the infirmary and let them know of this young man''s condition. You stay here and observe the moment he wakes up from his deep sleep. Try not to stir him too much, or else the blood would rush to his head in a sudden and he might blow it off." Prius said as he picked up his hooded cloak and slipped it over him and went out towards the direction of the infirmary.


    "Are you sure he''s going to do that, huh? Don''t you scare me and then run off to protect your own ass...!" Patricia hollered back at her brother as she stood at the foot of the bed, watching anxiously at the body of the young man that was breathing steadily, his chest rising and falling as each time he took a breathe and exhale. She then took a goose feather that was placed at the foot of the bed and gave a slight brush against my bare foot.


    "Cootchie Cootchie Coo..."


    Back in that semi-dark void, things started to stir around me. The huge projected screen in front of me was shuddering and rippling, as if something behind it was giving way. The void seemed to have brightened a bit as the huge projected screen in front of me shrivelled and shrunk, spinning counterclockwise as if there''s a sinkhole behind it and seemed to suck everything away into its swirl...


    The side table with the food and drinks too were pulled in by that force and I could feel myself being levitated off my soft and cushy recliner and towards the swirling sinkhole that looked like a slit, which resembles me of a slanted cats'' pupils.


    "Hey!!! I haven''t finished that bowl of Ruffles potato chips and the sour cream dippings... Awww... Come on..." I cried out helplessly as the table along with the contents moved forward into the so-called ''sinkhole".


    I felt drawn towards it and in a swoosh feeling, I was sucked through with no grips that I could hold on to and was now gravitating slowly into a form that I had not felt for very long time. The moment I felt that I had taken a form of some sort, the first thing I did was to move my fingers and tapped slowly.


    "At least I''ve got fingers and not some kind of paws and living in an enclosed cage or something. It would be a sad story if I happened to be some kind of lab rat... Huu Huu Huu..."


    It was a feeling of something real, hard and cold to the slightest touch and I tried to move my physical body but was hampered down since it had been mobile for so many months and it felt a heavy and clammy feeling.


    "My body feels kind of stiff, doesn''t it? Felt like I''m a Giant in a land of Lilliputians."


    Something was tickling one of my feet and I can''t help but to curl up my toes and jerked up my knees, and then I heard it for the first time in some many months since being in that semi-dark void, a sweet young woman''s voice calling excitedly.


    "Prius, someone... Please hurry! This young man is about to come to. I just tickled his feet with this goose feather and it had an erection... I mean a reaction!" the voice was soft and yet loud enough to be heard by the incoming infirmary staffs that had entered through the side door of the room. A cold draft wafted in as soon as the door was opened and a few of the infirmary staffs had begun to check on my vital signs.


    They took my wrist and felt for a pulse which is now pulsating slowly and yet strong enough to be felt by them. One of them opened my eyelid and a sudden brightness entered and made me gasped and made me forcefully closed my eyes again.


    "Yes, this is a miracle indeed. This young man had shown signs that he is about to come to from his coma. Aide, please bring me the medical bag alongside me." a female voice spoke up, gesturing for her side to bring the medical bag to her that contained a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer and other medical equipment.


    The infirmary staff had forgotten to blow and heat the diaphragm using her breathe and immediately place it over my chest to listen to my rhythmic heartbeat. The moment the diaphragm touched my bare chest, I muttered a soft "Cold" to her as a cuff was placed on my left arm to check my blood pressure.


    "Hmm, his blood pressure seemed normal at 110/80 and his heart rate is good at 70 per minutes. He''s coming to alright, we just heard his first words. Let him come to naturally, this had been a breakthrough since the last time he was brought in."


    "We would hang around a while to see if he is able to recover on his own." I heard the female infirmary staff said as I slowly raised my right hand towards my lips and felt that it had been parched dry.


    "Its a miracle, thank the Lord above. He finally has the motor skills which we all thought he won''t be able to move at all despite the horrendous injuries he had sustained!" said the aide and she held my hand and gave it a squeeze. It was warm and friendly and I subconsciously gave a weak squeeze back.


    I slowly fluttered my eyelids open and I was squinting despite the windows had its curtains drawn. I touched my lips and asked in a rather hoarse and soft voice, "Water, please" and a mug was placed gently on my lips as someone had raised my head up, allowing me to take small sips of it.


    The water quickly moistened my parched lips and throat, my body had been propped with a few more pillows to make it upright. By the time, my squinted eyes had adjusted to the light and I saw a few anxious people in front of me, standing at the foot of the bed while a petite woman was holding a cup of water for me to drink.


    "Where am I? How long had I been asleep?" I asked in my slightly quivering and horse voice as I slowly pushed the hand that was holding the cup against my lips and propped myself properly and adjusted my propped body against the wall on the right.


    "You are now in Ingmery, a small town just south of the ravine where some travellers had found you. You are the only survivor on that Battlefield against the dark elven."


    "Do you recall anything of that sort? It had been 6 long months since the battle ended and you were brought here instead of the City where you had come from."


    The young woman, named Patricia explained softly and every word she spoke gently floated into my ears and permeated into my brain as I tried to search for any kind of memories that I had there.


    Instinctively my right arm went to my left forearm and was searching for the wound that the Elder in my previous transmigration had helped to blood let despite me being a low blood sufferer and found that there is no signs of any incision made there. I turned my head and saw that there is not even a mark or scratch there at all.


    "No, not really. I don''t recall much of what had happened to me at all. Everything happened in a flash and the next moment, I felt some beings were pounding me down with their Warhammer and the next I was thrown on my back and blacking out." I replied as that''s the only memory I had during the last battle near the entrance of the ravine.


    "The Heavens must be shining down on you. The injuries when you were brought in were too unspeakable and we had to remove a few bones that were sticking out of you since we won''t know whether it belonged to you or part of some bone shrapnel." the infirmary staff said as she took off my intravenous drop that had been sustaining my life all these 6 months. I literally had used over 2 pints of glucose and saline drips every day for the past 6 months without even realising.


    The only thing in my mind is, "Who is going to foot the medical fees" and that thought alone gives me a feeling of blacking out again.

 Chapter 4 - 4. Release Of A Poisonous Gas

    I flipped my hands and saw that it was not belonging to a child and I asked for a small mirror to look myself through. When a small compact mirror was brought to me, I looked at myself and find that I was clean-shaven, had ash black coloured hair and I''ve got remarkable green eyes and it looked and sparkled like a pair of emeralds.


    I was wrapped with several old bandages around my chest and when the infirmary aide removed the bandages, they were astonished that there wasn''t a single mark or scar on my body. It was as if my body had great self-generating healing capabilities that manage to remove any wound and scars in a matter of time.


    "This is remarkable. There are no signs of scars from the injuries that he had sustained. Those broken bones that we had removed from him during the time he was brought in would make his body lighter, I suppose. Look, he seems to be a tad taller than he was." remarked the aide as she removed some of the old bandages that had remained on my body for quite some time.


    Luckily for the Psi Energy Healing properties within my body that I had attained during the previous Leap in Thailand, it had helped to generate back those broken tissues and bones into place. Being immobile for so many months had also helped me to recover back my old self gradually.


    I was only clad in a pair of loose shorts and was wondering what happened to me for those 6 months while I was only dressed in that. Was I being violated in a way since I was in a coma for these 6 months?


    Luckily I was a man, and if I happened to be a woman, I think I''d be pregnant with someone''s baby already. Haiyoo... These kinds of things sure would happen in this times where there are no CCTV cameras to watch over their patents 24/7.


    I sat up on the bed, propped myself with the straw-filled pillows, as all the infirmary staff had left after removing the intravenous drip off my arm. Now, the only people that were left was Patricia and her elder brother, Prius.


    "Hello there, my name is Patricia, and you can just call me Pat for short. This is my elder brother, his name is Prius and there''s 2 of us left here in this house."


    "You had been in our care since i was an aide to the infirmary and the head of the infirmary had decided to place you here under our care. Here''s a small tinkle bell on your side, and if you need anything else, just give it a tinkle."


    "We would come in and render as much assistance to make your stay here comfortable. Here''s a jug of water and some gruel that we had prepared during breakfast."


    "We had been anticipating when you would come to from your deep sleep and we are lucky that you got your senses back within the office hour," explained Patricia with a rather relieved look on her face as she busied herself cleaning after the infirmary staffs had left.


    "Thank you for your hospitality. I''m getting used to my surroundings first. 6 months spent sleeping on this bed really take a toll on my body. Do you have any of my belongings around here?" I asked and hoped I would be able to have some answers of who am I and where am I right now.


    "Oh, there''s a sack underneath the bed. Here, let me get it for you. I''d be in the great hall if you need anything else. Take it easy for these few hours. Let your blood wake up in you after being still for 6 months." Patricia said as she made her way towards the door, leaving me with the sack of stuff, salvaged from the time I was sent to the infirmary by those travellers.


    If I was not found earlier, I would have been the vulture''s next meal. I sat propped up with the wall against me and I looked around my surroundings. It seems like a medieval era but I''m not too sure which era I would be in. It can''t be that I had been transmigrated back where Matilda, Jean Lethal and Stef would be around, would they?


    (You may read series 8 in the Quantum Leap - Multiverse Transmigration novel of mine. You may understand the mention of those names. If you were to read series 1 onwards, you might be able to understand the whole plot and storyline.)


    It had been a long time since I had sat up straight and the blood slowly gushed to my head. Knowing that I had low blood pressure as well as the infamous hypoglycaemia, it would be better if I have the first semi-solid food in 6 months. I wonder what I was fed since I was on a drip all these while.


    I set the sack aside and scooted across the bed with my butt that was barely covered with the loose cotton shorts, as I made my way inching closer to the side table on the left that had a small bowl of gruel that was covered with a small plate on it. A metal or alloy spoon was laid on top of the small plate.


    I took the spoon and inspected it, and found that it was made of brass. The small plate covering the bowl was made of porcelain while the bowl was made of clay. Seems this era had passed in between the Bronze Age and Iron Age, I suppose. I''m no historian so I think this should be a good era, to begin with. Hah hah hah.


    It was the first inward laugh since I woke up in this world. I held the food in my left hand and when I scooped it to my mouth, I suddenly remembered how I used to cook this gruel and had passed the knowledge to Will.I.Am and the two girls on how to make a dull tasting gruel to be one of the most nutritious and sought after meal.


    The gruel was thick and it had pieces of meat cooked inside it. A few slices of chives or spring onion was served as garnishing and it gave a distinctive crunch and taste when i gnashed on it. It sure reminds me of living on the hearth in the middle of the woods with all the 150 adventurers before me.


    After I had completed the gruel, which had me almost licking the bowl clean since I was feeling terribly hungry just by looking at it earlier, I decided to check on my system and it worked the first time I activated it.


    Name Audemar


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 1%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2


    Damage: 2


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Wealth: 50 credits


    Weapon: Long Sword (broken), Bow (broken), Dagger (missing), Shield (broken)


    Armour: Bronze Breast Plate (broken), Helm (broken), gauntlet (missing), Chain mail Long Shirt (missing)


    Next of Kin: unknown


    "Sigh... It seems I''m back to being reborn again. My class and profession has yet to be unlocked and all I have right now is a measly 50 credits? It doesn''t use coins over here, meh? In that case, it''s much better to think rather about gold, silver and copper coins and their conversion as well. " I thought to myself as I switched the interface off before searching for any submenus which are currently greyed out right now.


    I rummaged through the sack and found an identification tag with a photo of me with the name Audemar on it, a social security number and a signature underneath it. It was held in place by a red coloured lanyard, more like a ribbon actually. No address, no date of birth, no nothing, to prove my existence.


    I rummaged through and held a tiny dry green leaf of something in my hand that looked like part of something that came with the sack.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering a four-leaf clover.


    "Hmm, I''ve got an announcement already and this is interesting to find something out of the ordinary. The system usually is quiet when I touch something and this is an upgrade I think. Thinking that my attributes are like 17 to 18 points, well... Its better than nothing. Guess I have to do with that, after all." I thought as I slipped the lucky four-leaf clover inside the slit at the back where my identification was held in place.


    "Huaaarrgghhhh....." I stretched out with both of my arms in the air and suddenly the room of the door was flung open as both Prius and Patricia stormed in. Both of my arms were in the air like I was surrendering when both of them simultaneously asked, "Are you alright and in need of anything?" when I can''t hold it in any longer after being still for 6 months.


    "Prooooottttt...! Prreeetttt...! Prooooootttttt!!" I had to squeeze my butt cheeks together to make my butt hole the size of a pinprick as I let out my fart in halting stages. Both Prius and Patricia heard it and immediately let the windows opened a crack to let in the draft and dilute the pungent, suffocating and death-defying smell that emanates from that 6 months old fart that had been held in for too long. Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 5 - 5. Rediscovering My Skills

    "Oops... I''m terribly sorry. It must be my empty stomach complimenting on the first food when it had entered after being empty and in bed for so long." I explained apologetically as both of them had put on their face masks.


    The smell was extremely overpowering and that wad one that I could compliment on right now. Not overpowering on one''s strength or formidability but in the smell of my fart. Hah hah hah...OP FART! How that''s for a change?!


    "It''s alright, we understand. We presume that you are feeling much better now that you had gained your voice and your appetite." Prius was eyeing the empty bowl of gruel that was replaced there every day, hoping that I would wake up one day and have the strength to feed myself.


    Patricia was going about the room as she sprayed Glade air freshener to rid of the horrible stench of a dead rat that had somehow fumigated the room from my butt hole. Hah hah hah. It took a while before the air freshener was able to suppress the foul smell and in turn replaces it with a light floral scent.


    Both of them removed their protective 3M N95 face masks and sighed a relief since the foul, overpowering stench had left the room. "That''s one hell of a fart, my young friend. It could be bottled and sold to the with Doctor here in this settlement to be made into a kind of stink bomb to be used against the foes." Prius joked as he stood there with his hands on his sides.


    Patricia handed me several pieces of clothing to choose from and I chose one that had a tag on it still. It says ''Basic Medieval Tunic-Model BMT9718'' with a price tag of $31.99. It was a light brown long sleeve tunic that reached down just below the knees and had dark brown trimmings for the neck, end of the sleeves and end of the tunic as well. A brown sash was provided and accentuates well with the plain round neck design of the tunic.


    A black pair of cotton tweed pants from BritishIndia was provided along with a soft pair of leather Timberland moccasins. Some boxers shorts were provided too based on my wear on the first few series of the past novel.


    Patricia handed me a pair of black and grey short trousers that was just above the knee, several woollen black, red and green beret and a simple black archer''s hood. There was also an assorted of short and long sleeve swordsman tunic with a lace up front in light brown, dark brown, blue and black.


    I thanked her and looked at the spread of new clothing that are still in their plastic wraps and discovered that there is a tag that was marked as peasant''s wear, battle gear and I could mix and match with the main apparel that I had chosen.


    Well, what can I say... These clothes had been provided for me for the duration of this series and these are much better than the one I wore during Robin''s adventure. Hah hah hah.


    "Get changed and Prius would be meeting you in the great hall. Sit for a while more, steady your blood from rushing away from your head the moment you stand up."


    "There''s a sweetened cranberry juice for you to steady your hypoglycaemia. I''d be in the kitchen preparing lunch now. Be seeing you in a bit."


    Patricia said as both she and her brother moved out of the room and shutting the door after them. I took the only thing that was in the sack, which is my identification tag and place it in the side table and flung the sack underneath the bed. No other contents were in the sack and wondered that the 50 credits were either deposited in my interface automatically.


    "Now, what would I do with all these clothes spread out before me. Hmm, since I''ve got an interface, might as well I try something out." I muttered to myself as I opened up the interface on my mind and saw my stats once more and on the right I saw an image of myself clad in the loose cotton pants like a paper doll.


    "Well, if that''s the case, dressing up would not be too bad though. Let me store these clothes over first." and as the clothes were swiped over physically with my hands, it disappeared before me and entered the interface and into a storage slot that had 12 slots underneath it. It was marked as ''Costumes''


    "Not bad... Not bad at all..." I said as I saw numerous slots that were greyed out and I picked the light brown tunic and placed it into the slot for the outerwear and it automatically showed the image of me wearing it.


    The same process was repeated with the boxers, pants, shoes, simple black archer''s hood and my identification tag. All fitted nicely into its designated slot and had a few more slots mean for rings on both hands as well.


    There is a tab where it shows ''Battle Gear'' and I find that it was empty and I tried to move some clothes into it but was returned back into the ''Costumes'' tab instead. So this tab here is meant for me to equip armours and weapons, plus all the glittery accessories that were unfortunately unable to stack.


    There were a number of slots on the right side that was meant for 3 types of weapons, a shield, a mount as well as 12 different parts of body armour. On the left side of the image of me had accessories slot for a single amulet, 2 earrings, 2 bracelets and 2 rings.


    The attributes and the stats were on the left indicating my offence, defence and life which at the moment was paltry of the lowest digits that is not worth mentioning. It looks more complicated with all sorts of information that only would cause further confusion in the future so I decided not to touch on that matter, yet.


    I switched the interface off and I saw that using the so-called ''paper doll'' to dress up and change my outlook seems rather nifty. "Hah... So much so for the upgrade of this system. It looks more complicated than before. I wonder if the Realm of Mind is still the same." I sat on the bed cross-legged and started to meditate and soon I entered my Realm of Mind.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering the Realm of Mind.


    *Ding* Congratulation on discovering the Fusion Chamber.


    Everything looked the way it was before, the Fusion Chamber, the leftover poor quality gems, the Stanspar jewels, the skill tomes and also some leftover steel accessories that were left unsocketed.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering the Smelting Production area.


    I swiped the scene and was in the Refined Iron production area and saw the stockpile of over 50k pieces of Refined Steel is still there in the output conveyor dispensing area. The caged trolley had been pushed out of the dispensing area for other projects to come, I hope.


    "Well, if I''m ever short of credits, I could sell these or even upgrade the weapons or armours before selling them off. I wonder what kind of ingots they have available right now in the market." I said aloud to myself and to no one in particular.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering the Blacksmith and Forging Area.


    I swiped again and seeing my Blacksmithing and Forging area still exists and waiting for me to smelt and forge my own weapons and armour pieces there. It had not been used for a long time since I only forge the weapon that I needed before. All I need it to make some designs and I may make my own weapons if the existing one is too shabby to wield. I soon logged off from my meditative state and went back into the ''real world''.


    "Damn... Its a total restart of everything that I had acquired before and I had become a newborn to what I had learnt before." I swung my legs over the bed and sat there for a moment before I slowly stood up.


    I felt slightly dizzy and started seeing stars before me as I quickly reached for the sweetened cranberry juice that was prepared beforehand and gulped it down. There was a shield and two swords just above the mantlepiece and I guess that it was part of room decoration and are just ornamental pieces.


    A full-sized mirror stood at the corner of the room near to a 3 layered wooden armoire and I walked over and checked myself out. I stood there and rubbed my two palms together as I slowly gathered energy around me.


    *Ding* Congratulation on discovering Psi Energy Healing Spheres.


    The Psi Energy Healing Spheres was placed to my chest and it immediately absorbed within me, invigorating my body instantly.


    I snapped my right thumb and middle finger together and a small fire emerged at the tip of my thumb and immediately snuffed it out.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Black Fire.


    Next, I raised my right palm over my left and summoned energy through it and a red glow in the shape of a fireball emerged through it.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Kamehameha Fireball.


    "OFF" I commanded and the fireball disintegrated back as if it had never existed there in the first place.


    Soon, I conjured up the same Kamehameha fireball in my left hand and slowly a small reddish-orange fire emerged on top of my palm, gently hovering and dancing a few inches over it.


    *Ding* Congratulation on discovering Portable Furnace to produce ''Pills Through Mind Control''.


    "OFF" I commanded once again and the portable furnace disintegrated just like how the Kamehameha Fireball did as well.


    "Not too shabby, Audemar... not too shabby indeed. It had been 6 months since you had left the bed and you looked too pathetic and had no class and professions at all. Haisshh... This is going to be one super-long adventure again since everything had to be started from scratch."


    I looked at myself through the mirror and scratched the non-existent itch at the back of my head as I headed towards the door leading to the Great Hall.

 Chapter 6 - 6. Clearing The Basement

    "How are you feeling right now, my young friend?" asked Prius as he greeted me the moment I entered the Great Hall. It wasn''t much to say about this hall except there was 2 long dining table that could accommodate 6 people each.


    There was 2 candlelight holder on each table and had 6 mugs and a jug each. "Hmm, why would there be 2 dining tables that could easily accommodate 12 people whereby there are only 2 people living in this house?" I began to ponder as I began to observe my surroundings.


    A fireplace was set at the end of the great hall and on top of the mantelpiece was another candle holder and a shield with 2 swords laid across one another in a crossed position. The moment I laid my eyes on it, Prius noticed and remarked excitedly, "That''s our family coat of arms, it''s the same throughout the house on every top of the mantlepiece."


    I nodded in apprehension and looked at the coat of arms and wondered why it looked like the way its design as well as the colours and such. "Do you need me to explain the heritage of this shield and its meaning?" Prius asked as he was looking at me, who was observing the shield with interest.


    "The blue coloured saltire design represents Resolution and Resolve and the colour represents Strength and Loyalty. On each of the spaces held heraldic images such as a red lion that represents Courage, a white dove that represents Love and Peace, a green shamrock that represents Perpectuality and Longevity and an arm with armour that represents a person of High Deeds." Prius explained and underneath the shield was the family name ''Keating''.


    "Wow... I didn''t know a single shield can represent so much in detail and it can even spell out the whole interpretation for the family''s coat of arms. It''s something that I never knew before." I casually answered and was given a surprised look as Prius looked at me with bewilderment, as though I had never known about this since I was a warrior before, serving for the Ruler of Aermagh.


    I went over and touch the shield and I received yet another announcement. It seems everything I touched would ring up a notification.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering the Keating''s family bronze coat of arms.


    "How about you, what is your coat of arms be?" Prius asked cautiously and I answered truthfully based on the exact coat of arms that was imbedded on our Body Shield.


    "Oh, it was a Red and White on a Chief Design, had 3 green four-leaf clovers and a black hoe at the bottom of it, arranged in a diamond shape. At the bottom of it had our motto ''Promptus Ut Rursus Adveniat" in Latin which means'' Ready To Strike''." I explained about the recent coat of arms.


    "Hmm, it seems rather interesting enough. I had not seen such coat of arms before and the design of it represents Dominion, Authority, Wisdom and Achievement in Battle. The Red and White colours represent Warrior, Martyr, Military Strength, Sincerity and Peace."


    "The four-leaf clovers means luck and the garden hoe would represent an industrious person. Very interesting indeed especially with a motto underneath and not a family name at all." Prius continued to explain about my recent coat of arms that represented the Band of Vagabonds and the New Vagabond Army.


    "Say, Young man. Your equipment had been destroyed when they brought you here and you don''t even have a piece of armour or even a weapon right now. Hang on, let me pass you something so that at least you won''t feel naked. Would a dagger suit you fine?" Prius asked as he waved his hands on the table and a dagger visualised right before my eyes.


    "Yes, a dagger would suit me fine, at least for a start," I replied as Prius took the dagger and handed it to me.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering bronze Cross Pommel Celtic Dagger. 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Damage +3


    "It is beautiful. It feels the right weight and the design is rather cool. I like the black pommel handle and hilt as well. The blade is double-edged and it feels right for slashing and stabbing. However, I felt that I should find another one to act as a utility knife of some sort. Such a pity to use this to pry or cut some plants for hemp et cetera."


    "Ah, a small utility knife. Yes, yes... This cross pommel dagger is used for defence and offence. It would definitely be poorly seen if one would use it to pry at clams and other shellfish. Hah hah hah. There''s a shop in the marketplace where you can get a utility knife for under 15 credits." Prius explained as he pointed out that the dagger is meant to take someone''s life instead.


    I placed the dagger at the left-hand side of my belt and when I drew up my interface, it showed the damage rating and a miniscule increase in my stats." Ah well, a different era had different stats I suppose."


    Name: Audemars


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 11%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2


    Damage: 2 (+3)


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills: none


    Wealth: 50 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3)


    Armour: none


    "Hmm, the plus 3 I''ve got is from the dagger which means my own attributes hadn''t increased yet. Haiya... Now I''ve got a progress level and it showed just 11%? Which means every time I discover something and receive a notification, then I would gain a 1% increment. Oh. My. God... Don''t tell me I have to touch everything I go? "I sighed inwardly as I thought about the progress and also about touching when a devilish smile crept to my lips.


    "Which also means I could start touchy freely with the NPCs here without being reported? Hah hah hah... You''ve got it right, my dear Audemar... Hah hah hah." I thought to myself and finds it hard to stop a grin from curling up and spread over my face.


    "What would you be doing right now, my young friend? The moment you step out that door is where your new life begins and a new adventure awaits you. Do you have any credits on you? Would you like to borrow some from me, to begin with?" Prius asked me as if my grin was a sign that I am due to embark on an adventure of my own the moment I stepped out of the house.


    "He''s not going anywhere yet Prius, let him stick around the house and explore. I''m sure he could find something useful around here. Come, let''s all sit down for lunch. I''ve prepared something hot to fill your tummy."


    Patricia was saying as she carried 3 huge bowls of steaming hot food from the kitchen and into the great hall. From the looks of it, I surely need sustenance to go through the day and decided to stay around for a bit since I had recovered from my deep sleep.


    Furthermore, I''m sure to find something useful around the house that would be worth my time looking for it. Three of us settled down as I sat across Prius and Patricia and was served with another bowl of gruel. Although it was the same as I had earlier, the food is still food and is greatly welcomed by me.


    We soon engaged in small talk and was advised to change into my other wear if I were to explore the basement of the house. It was said to have some rats in the storage area that need to be cleared up. The storage area is where they store their grains and seeds and these rats may eat through the sacks and defecate on it.


    "You won''t want to stain your newly acquired clothes, am I right? Such a pity to see those new clothes that form your wardrobe to be stained or ripped through shreds, right?" Prius suggested to me since I had gotten quite a good few outwear from Medieval Collectibles, an online merchandiser that deals with the most authentic wear for gatherings, events and so on.


    "Hmm, I will get to it Prius. Do show me the way once we had finished lunch and I would help you to clear those rats once and for all." I replied as I thought, what''s the big deal with those rats. Just a good whack over it would solve the matter once and for all. At least I could do with some exercise too.


    I began to think of some old scroller games where you hacked a few beasts and get experience points from it. Yeah, just like that I reckon. Hack and slash and merrily go my way.


    "Sure, my young friend. I would show you the entrance of the basement and from then on, it is going to be on your own. Just be careful, those rats would surely give a nasty bite or two." Prius advised me with caution. "Bah... Rats, what kind of harm would it do to me..." I said as I scooped another mouthful of gruel into my mouth.


    Feeling the cold bronze dagger at my sides, it gave off a reassuring feeling that there is nothing I could not handle. Hah hah hah. Time to die, you little rodents!!!

 Chapter 7 - 7. What Does These Rats Eat To Be This Size?!

    "Alright Prius, lead the way to the basement then. I''ve been itching for some action and it''s high time since I''ve finally woke up. I think those 2 hours to make my blood circulate would be more than enough."


    I said as I finished up the remnants of the gruel in the large bowl and I felt satiated with the food that had entered within me. It gave me a sense of fulfilment and renewed energy that I had not felt since I had been in bed for the last 6 months.


    "Well, my friend. You looked fiesty after the meal and are raring to go, eh? That''s the spirit, I like what''s in you right now. I wish I could muster the confidence in you just to eradicate those damn rats that had been infested in our basements for quite some time now." Prius said as he too had scooped the last spoonful of gruel unto his mouth.


    "What''s the damn deal with those pesky rats? It doesn''t need someone to have the courage just to go down the basement and start whacking on them. Even a grandmother with a broom would be able to clear those rodents in no time." I thought to myself and shrugged it off.


    "Finders keepers, young friend. Come, let me show you where the door to the basement leads to." Prius said as he picked himself up from the chair and showed me the way. As we passed the door that leads out of the Great Hall, Patricia called out to me, "Please be careful, don''t overexert yourself."


    I heard Patricia''s singalong voice, turned around and gave her a big smile as I waved my hand towards her, walking silently behind Prius. We walked through the kitchen and the space was as big as my room earlier, fully equipped with an earthen oven, 3 rocket stoves with firewood and coal for fuel, an island to prepare dinner, while an array of pots, pans and ladle were hanging above the island.


    It was a nice and homely kitchen, very well organised and very clean. It seems that Patricia would clear out all the cookware right after she had prepared lunch so the place looked tidy. There was an assortment of bottles that contains herbs and spices as other condiments as well.


    Given the chance, I would also love to cook in this kitchen, having been a while since I had cooked in a proper setup as I had been ''roughing it out'' ever since with the Band Of Vagabonds.


    A rather typical kitchen but however what lies underneath the basement is another question. I wanted to ask about their parents and other siblings, but at the moment, my mind was preoccupied on what Prius had mentioned about ''Finders Keepers''.


    In other words, whatever I find there would all be mine, except for the sacks of grains and seeds, of course. Other than that, it does seem like I''m going for a little basement diving and grinding for all these pests.


    "Here''s the door to the basement. Whatever awaits there is a surprise for you. There are 5 levels in this basement and the stairwells that lead to the lower floors are alternatively placed on each end. Good luck, my friend. Be seeing you in 3 hours." Prius explained to me in detail before I embarked on the clearance of these rodents. It won''t be quite hard, wouldn''t it?


    "Thank you too, Prius. But why 3 hours? Wouldn''t it take like an hour or so?" I asked when I met his eyes. A twinkle seemed to appear at the corner of his eyes or so it seemed.


    "You would soon see, my young friend. Take good care." Prius said as he slowly opened the wooden door with a heave as it was heavily set with huge metal hinges with its metal lapel almost covering half of the door''s width.


    As soon as I entered, there was a staircase that leads to the first level of the basement. As soon as I started to walk down the stairs, the torches at the walls soon burst into flames and lit up and the door what I had just entered through shut with a loud slam. I waited at the stairwell and as soon as my eyes got used to the dim lighting, I made my way down.


    .....


    "Prius, do you think its too early for him to start building up his character this way? I mean, he just woke up from his deep sleep just hours ago. Would he be alright?" Patricia asked with a slight worry on her face.


    "Ach... Don''t you worry about him, Pat. I wouldn''t mention the basement if I don''t see him fit enough. Furthermore, he needs experience as well. I did scan him and found out that he had lost his ability totally before as a Warrior and as weak as a newborn baby."


    "Letting him go through the basement is a surefire way to get him to earn experience points as well as to find whatever he needs there for his own loot. He could use it or sell it for later. Its all up to him, as I''ve mentioned that ''Finders Keepers''." Prius explained with a smile and tapped Patricia''s hand to give an assurance that everything is alright.


    "Oh, I didn''t know about him losing the ability as a Warrior. That means he''s as good as any new and young adventurer out there who seeks the fame and fortune, right? I just hope he would do alright down there. Why do you call it the basement instead of a dungeon which we used to call them?"


    "I changed the term not to scare him off. What would a basement hold nowadays? It would only mean a single level with nothing much except for some spiders and cockroaches. Hope he won''t be surprised at how ''small'' these rodents could be as he progressed on. Hah hah hah." Prius laughed at his ingenious idea of calling the dungeon as a basement hoping he would not be scaring me to enter it.


    "Oh... I hope he would do just fine." Patricia said as she looked at Prius with the same worrisome look. "There would surely be something he could find that could be useful down there to fend himself."


    "Don''t you worry about it. He has to open up his eyes real big in order to find useful stuff along the way. He used to be a Warrior and hope his instincts would help him out." Prius mentioned as he rose from his seat and walked to the library where he could sit there and not be bothered with the noises that would come from the basement later.


    .....


    "Oh great, a stick. I hope this could help me ward off those pesky rodents...!" I said to myself aloud as I saw a stick lying down on the ground neat some wooden chest.


    *Ding* Congratulation on the discovery of a broken axe handle. Damage +2.


    "Hmm, a broken axe handle eh? Surely the axehead would be lying close by. Wooden chest, won''t mind me breaking them, would you, Prius?" I said aloud as I gave a few whacks over the wooden chest that sounded empty. Once it broke, a pouch appeared and a remark appeared on my interface. ''Take'', ''Take all'' and a checkbox with ''Auto Retrieve''.


    I pressed the checkbox on ''Auto Retrieve'' and the pouch containing some credits began to automatically swoosh towards me and disappear, while the amount in the credits automatically rises.


    "Wow, just like what I did with the weapon and armours back during party raids, but this is only set as an individual. Maybe when they''re more than 1 person, I could gather just what I need in the future." I thought inwardly... "Hah hah hah... Thanks, Prius, you really made my day." I laughed as I knocked a few more wooden chest and barrels and automatically the spoils began to enter my interface automatically.


    I closed the interface and let it not hinder my vision ahead as I was looking for the rodents that Prius and Patricia were mentioning earlier. A few more wooden barrels showed up and I bashed them with the broken axe handle. Some were empty while some contained just a few credits.


    "Well, you can''t complain as this is free, right?" I thought to myself as I trudged on looking for the rodents. Suddenly a large shadow swept past in front of me, its eyes glowing red as it cowered behind some crates and barrels.


    "Squeak... Squeak... Squeak..." I made the squeaking soon with teeth, hoping to lure it out. The shadows from the lantern may have thrown off a shadow large enough for it to be a cat or something, but there''s nothing to fear, or so I thought. Just as I was bashing one of the wooden barrels, the rat peeked out and stood in front of me hissing and spitting.


    I jumped back in surprise and the first thing that came to my mouth was,


    "H. O. L. Y F. U. C. K...!!! This is not a rat as big as a cat... This is a rat as big as motherfucking COW..!!! How it had gotten to be so big??? Are rats this big in this world?!?!" I shouted and asked at no one in particular.


    The rat hissed and spat at me, it''s red eyes flashing and it''s yellow stained teeth gnashed at me menacingly as it advances slowly towards me, sighting me as its next meal. "Oh no, you don''t...!!! " I shrieked at it as I swung my Axe handle down towards its head and swung back towards it snout and let it swallow its own broken teeth. The eyes turned bloody red and I knew a cornered rat would turn more vicious.


    "T A K E. T H I S..." I jumped up and fortunately, the ceiling was high as I summoned all my strength and brought the Axe handle down forcefully over its head once, twice and thrice before it finally succumbed to it. I swing the stick towards its snout once and twice before I heard an announcement rang in the head.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Big Rat. Experience Points +2


    "W H A T. T H E. F U C K... Just 2 experience points from this rat? And what... No spoils? What a bummer..." I exclaimed loudly as the rat''s body disintegrated. I hope it won''t spawn too soon nor at all.


    I walked on and I killed another 2 more Large Rat and gained another +4 experience points. As soon as I reached the end of the passage and saw a stairwell heading downwards, I paused a while and bring up the interface.


    Name: Audemars


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 17%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2


    Damage: 2 (+2)


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills: none


    Wealth: 64 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Axehandle (+2) (equipped)


    Armour: none


    "Eh, progress 17%, I need to find another 83% to get to Level 1/100,000. Oh. My. God... Does this levelling up take so long to progress? It means I need to hunt another 41 more of those damn rats... Urrgghh..." I lamented as I switched off the interface and went down the stairwell and landed on the 2nd level of the basement.

 Chapter 8 - 8. Hard Work, So Little Experience

    The lanterns here were lit sparingly unlike the one on the 1st level basement. It took a while before my eyes got used to its dim surroundings and from a distance, I saw those rodents once more scurrying away as they smelt the blood of their kind dripping from the axehandle that I had used to bash.


    I bashed a few wooden crates and I collected the spoils and I heard a new announcement.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovery one piece Heavy Work Glove. Toughness (+2) Take?


    "Take" and immediately my interface opened up with the paper doll image in the right. Toughness +2 so it would be socketed as part of my armour. I slid it to the appropriate slot and my toughness and armour showed its states. "Ach... Better than nothing lah...Where''s the other one? Haiya... Just one glove only? If there''s another one, it would be +4 toughness, right?"


    Once again I mumbled to myself as I bashed the wooden crates and barrels and this time the coins seem to be more than the ones discovered upstairs. "Hah hah hah... At least I could go and get myself some good armour and then I would duplicate it in the Fusion Chamber."


    "Would that make me a crafter already? Hah hah hah..." I laughed and shut my mouth as soon as I heard the hissing and spitting sound again.


    The rat in front of me was a tad bigger than the one upstairs. "Ah well, the bigger they are the harder they fall... Heeyaahhh..." I shrieked as I rushed forward and started to swing the axehandle like a bat and hit directly at its snout and mouth that made its whiskers twitch, its front teeth broken and looking dazed and shaken up.


    I swung the axehandle upwards knocking it out like an uppercut and bashed it down on its snout until blood spurted out as it shrieked loudly. The glow in its eyes dimmed as it fell to its side. I bashed down on its snout a few times until I heard another announcement.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Large Rat. Experience Points +3


    "W H A T...??? "Just now was Big Rat and now it''s Large Rat? Does it mean the lower I get to this basement, the larger the rats would be and the higher experience points it would give?" I thought in exasperation as I knew why Prius wanted me to enter this basement and get rid of the rats, it''s not because of them peeing and eating the grains and seeds, it''s a way to gain experience points.


    The thought of Prius helping me gain a level and to unlock the rest of the skills, class and profession is through this method. It also helps to gain a bit of wealth too. As he said ''Finders Keepers'', this is to show that there is nothing worthy like grains and seeds and I wonder if Patricia would enter this place to collect her grains for cooking. It''s impossible, right?


    I trudged on and met with another 4 more of those Large Rats, as well as bashed a handful of wooden crates and barrels which also increased my wealth considerably. Just before I opened the door that leads to another level in the basement, I saw a short 2-foot old sword on the ground. If I had passed it, I might have missed it totally. I picked it up and heard another announcement.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Bronze Short Sword. Damage +5. Take?


    "Take" and soon it was in my inventory and I opened it up and saw the paper doll thingy and I moved the short sword into the slot that had the axehandle. "Drop" and the axehandle that was bloodied with the rat''s blood was dropped to the ground. I checked the interface and a new stats emerged.


    Name: Audemars


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 32%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2 (+2)


    Damage: 2 (+5)


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills: none


    Wealth: 89 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Bronze Short Sword(+5) (equipped)


    Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2)


    "Yeah... Not bad... But how come my skills are rated as none? It should be like bashing with a broken axehandle and knocking some crate and barrels to discover credits, right? Hah hah hah... This system seems to be a bit complicated than before but it''s better than nothing. I wonder how much points it would allocate once I level up." I held the sword in my right hand which had my glove and pushed the door and went ahead to the third level.


    There weren''t many crates and barrel this time but the spoils are much bountiful. I could get some two figures credits for every pickup. I hoped to gather as much as 50 on this level.


    I chanced upon an even larger rat and straight went to into a frenzied attack. Knowing that these rats would take a beating and rarely strikes back except baring its yellow stained teeth, I drew first blood on its snout. It was the weakest point to strike and also a vulnerable spot in case of the rat counters attack.


    *Klang* *Kling* *Slash* *Stab* and it is all over as the rat shrieked, hissed and spat as it finally fell over to its side. The glow of its eyes slowly dimmed and faded away.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Giant Rat. Experience Points +4


    "Not bad... Not bad at all. At least it is a Giant Rat with a considerable amount of experience points. This is the third level, another two more and I would complete the task of clearing all the rats here."


    I kept bashing those crates that I found and then something stood out among the debris. I gave it a slight kick and received an announcement.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Planked Shield. Toughness +4. Take?


    "Take" and I opened up my interface and brought the planked shield to the slot that was greyed out under armour. Automatically my stats increased.


    Name Audemars


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 36%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2 (+6)


    Damage: 2 (+5)


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills: none


    Wealth: 99 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Short Sword (+5) (equipped)


    Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2) Planked Shield (+4)


    I closed the interface and on my left hand, a crude shield that was made of 3 planks of wood and pieced together with several pieces of wood across it and nailed or riveted through to secure it. 2 small leather straps were joined to slip the forearm through it. It would be much to look at but it does give a bit of protection against unforeseen elements, right?


    I met with another group of rodents up ahead and they did put up a bit of resistance, and nothing that the Planked Shield couldn''t put up. I had killed a total of 5 more rodents before I reached the end of the passageway and a door that leads to yet another level of the basement, the fourth level that awaits me.


    I opened up the door and a sudden draft of musty and old odour crept to my nostril that made it itch a little. "I wonder what awaits me there... Surprise, surprise... Nothing beats the old dog like me. Even if I''m armed with just an old bronze sword and a shield that was made out of planks, its better than nothing eh? Two more levels and then it''s time for me to head back up.


    I started my journey downwards and this time only 3 torches were visible and these were just the beginning. The light that was provided by the torch was so dim that I had trouble differentiating between those beasts or stacks of crates that blocked each way. It looked gloomy and I better be on my guard.


    I walked along the wall as close as I could while I used the old bronze sword to scrape the wall, making a dull grinding sound of metal against concrete. This is not to sharpen the sword but it is meant to alert those beasts and come at me one at a time.


    Two large glowing eyes as large as saucers permeated through the darkness of the alleyway and it pierced through me, eyeing me as its next meal or something. "C O M E. O N" I hollered and the beast was taken aback by my hoarse shouting and lashed its tail at me and suddenly it lunged forward.


    It broke through the wooden crates and barrels stacked at the side of the wall effortlessly as it scampered on its hind legs, scurrying at a speed of a large bull in a matador kind of competition.


    "DAMN... at this rate, I don''t think this planked shield would do much good. I''ve got to tank this fella...!!!" as soon as the rat reaches my spot, it stopped and gave an ear-splitting shriek that almost caused me to fall in my knees and have a terrific headache.


    I didn''t know it was one of its attack skill, which is to bring other foes smaller than them down to their feet, just like our shout ''COWARD'' that would bring it down as well. The moment it shrieked, it''s large mouth seemed able to swallow me whole. I took the opportunity and lunged forward while swinging my old bronze sword from the back to strike it downwards.


    The old bronze sword slashed downwards right in the middle of its snout and gotten stuck on the lower parts of its teeth. The snout split open, blood spewing all over the walls as I began to shake my old bronze sword out from between its lower teeth like a bloody toothpick.


    Once the old bronze sword was loose and back in my possession again, I frenziedly struck at its snout, slashing it apart piece by piece and I knew the pain is agonising since the old bronze sword is pretty old and slightly blunt and chipped on its edges.


    Nevertheless, I treated it just like how I handled Fury before and slashed down until the ground was literally flooded with its blood. It managed to throw a paw in front of me and I caught the paw midair with my poor soddy planked shield and struck blindly in front and I felt a certain pressure as the old bronze sword slices its paw cleanly.


    That beast was literally squirming about and I felt that the walls might crumble anytime due to its body thrashing against the two sides and even the ceiling. Light dust fell on us and I had no way but to back off and watch the beast bled to death.


    A few moments later the red glow from the beast died off but the eyes as big as saucers were locked on me and didn''t shut itself. I shivered, not due to the cold and musty air but the thought of being ''naked'' when facing these beasts.


    How I wished I had my Body Shield right now.


    *Ding* Congratulations in defeating Mutated Rat. Experience point +6


    "Hmph... All these for 6 points? So much gore and nearly got swiped by its paw. So much aggression and luckily it didn''t bite my sorry ass!!! " I screamed at the system and the unfairness of how this turned out to be. I''ve got no choice but to shoulder on.


    I met with another 4 of these beasts and by the end of the tunnel, I rested a bit on a wooden crate and checked my stats.

 Chapter 9 - 9. Great Balls Of Fire

    Name: Audemars


    Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.


    Level: 0/100,000


    Progress: 66%


    Attributes


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Toughness: 2 (+6)


    Damage: 2 (+5)


    Recovery: 2


    Free unallocated points: 0


    Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills: none


    Wealth: 122 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Short Sword (+5) (equipped)


    Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2) Planked Shield (+4)


    "Huargh... Oh. My. God. I finally reached this end of the tunnel. My goodness... If I were to meet a few of these, I think I''d better give it up. Their brute strength and my miserable state are too much for me to handle right now. Phew... It wouldn''t hurt if I were to smoke right now, do I? " I said to myself and suddenly an offscreen crew came over and offered his packet of cigarettes.


    I looked at it longingly and saw it was the same brand that I love to smoke due to its cloves aftertaste and thick aroma. I slid one out of the packet and the crew offered to light it up for me. "Thanks, man. You''re a lifesaver."


    The offscreen crew then exited back to where he came and I sat there on an undamaged crate, removed the planked shield and the old bronze sword off my hands. "Phew...I guess I''ve hooked back on smoking again." I slowly pulled on the clove cigarette and the toxins and chemicals clouded my brain and entered my lungs.


    I slowly exhaled through my nostrils and the sides of my mouth as I looked like a fearsome dragon, breathing out smoke instead of fire. Hah hah hah.


    "Oi... Oi... Who said you can smoke here on the set? Hello, you want to get fined, is it? No smoking in a building or under shelter, did you forget that or your brain cells suddenly died when you''re asleep for 6 bloody full months?"


    I looked around, searching for that irritating voice and true enough, it was the director of this novel... The fat yellow-bellied bastard that would spend all days and nights fiddling with his smartphone and scratching his crotch! I wonder what he was up to when I was back a series ago and here he comes, raising his voice acting high and mighty again.


    "What Oi, Oi? I don''t have a name, is it? The author gave me a name and it sounded like an expensive watch you know...so what if I''m smoking? There''s no sign that says I can''t smoke. Go fuck off somewhere, Director. Keep messing around with the script here."


    "Oi... That''s Audemars Piguet with an ''S'', your name does not have an ''S'' so it''s not the same."


    "Hello Director, I''ve got an ass and it''s a silent ass... It is right behind here where I''m sitting on this crate, you fool. Please lah... Go somewhere and bug other MC. This MC just needed a smoke break and once I''m done, I''m off to the fifth level here in this basement."


    "Oi... A basement had got 1 or 2 levels only lah... This has 5 levels and its no more called a basement. Its called a dungeon. Have you gone stupid already?"


    "Oh yeah... A dungeon. Why I had never thought of that before? This is basement and rats and not dungeons and rodents. It sounds really awful and doesn''t have a ring to it at all. Hah hah hah." I thought inwardly to myself as I take another pull of the cloves cigarette.


    "Oi, I''m going to deduct 500 credits from your allowances for smoking in confined and covered spaces. Even if you''re the MC, you are not the director. Quit smoking and stomp it out."


    "Alright, alright ... I''m finishing already. Sheesh... Can''t a guy take a break or something? Where''s Max? I haven''t seen him or heard from him..." I hollered back as I stamped the cigarette underfoot and picked up my planked shield and the old bronze sword.


    "Max has integrated with you and he is now called the system. He would notify you if you discovered something new or achieves something significant in your life, understood?"


    "Yeah, thanks for the tip. I''m off and I hope I don''t need to hear your beratings anymore. It''s really annoying you know. Ciao..." I stood up and crushed the crate which I was sitting on and yielded nothing and I kicked the wooden door a few times and it gave way and fell.


    "Time to R U M B L E... hah hah hah...!!!" as I went down the stairwell and this time it had only 1 torch lit in the middle of the passageway. I bashed through all the visible crates and barrels and I found another interesting item among the debris besides credits.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering a Plain Wooden Buckler. Toughness +6. Take?


    "Take and Replace" and automatically the plain wooden buckler replaces the planked shield and my stats went up a bit. I hope to find a better weapon but then I remembered I could fuse this old bronze sword on the Fusion Chamber later on.


    The plain old wooden buckle looks like it came from a broken garden round table. With two leather hoops at the back to slip the forearm through it looks fairly better than the crude planks that were joined together. If someone were to give a kick, it would definitely break through it.


    This old wooden buckler has a flat surface and it won''t be able to glance away any incoming thrown or striking weapons at all. An Axe would break this apart in one or two hacks. Luckily these rodents aren''t those hack and slash type of foes.


    I was filled with adrenaline, wrath or fury as I bashed through everything I saw, wooden crates and barrels and automatically picked up the credits as I go along. This is my last level of the so-called basement and I would eradicate every living rodent that dwells in this level.


    As I was bashing through the wooden crates and barrels, I was hollering for the beings to come out and confront me. "COME ON YOU LITTLE FUCKTARDS..." I hollered and true enough, they heard me and their bodies were gigantic and it almost reached the ceiling.


    "HUAARRGGHH... COME AT ME AND MEET YOUR MAKER...!!! I lunged forward with the wooden buckler in my left and the old bronze sword in my right. There was no way I''m going to attack through the front. As I ran, I loosen the buckler and threw it in the ground just as I was nearing the rodent.


    The red glowing eyes were as big as my buckler and it too lunged forward the moment I threw the buckler on the ground. I used the momentum and slid on top of the buckler and swoosh down underneath its belly. I saw what I was looking for: 2 huge brown coloured sack of balls hanging on its rear end.


    It was as if inviting me to give it either a stab with the old bronze sword or simply give it a tickle. When I slid on top of the buckler, the momentum picked up and it managed to glide me further and I stopped right underneath its humongous balls that looked like 2 huge coconuts in a loose brown gunny sack!!


    "IT''S NOW OR NEVER...!!!" I hollered and I scrambled to get to its rear end and I managed to decapitate its swishing tail before it does any damage to me. The old bronze sword had done its deed in slicing it close to its body. The tail was swishing about like giant ringworm and the humongous balls were perfectly inlined where I wanted it to be.


    I took a few steps back and I ran forward and gave an upper kick to the balls. It quivered slightly and the beast was shrieking madly and was twisting about. Since the body was as high as the ceiling, it failed to turn around and faced me. I gave a few more kicks until I saw its anus was puckering and I knew I had to evade the oncoming gush of shit that looked like a black cocoon.


    The balls were quivering madly and I stood a few distances back. "Rise of the Sun, DON''T FAIL ME NOW" I made a handseal with my two hands and immediately I was able to summon the energy and I was shooting 3 reddish-orange flames, targeting it directly at its balls.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Ring Of The Sun.


    "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM* 3 shots per seconds and the beast was surely feeling the heat as the sack of balls began to tear and green-reddish liquid began to ooze out. I kept shooting and its anus and balls had finally caught fire. The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh, skin and fur of the beast.


    Upon hearing the first beast shrieking, hissing and spitting about, the others started to stir and moved to find the source of the shrieking. I closed my handseal and its time for me to unleash another one of my fireballs using another of my unused handseal.


    I closed my fingers altogether and pushed them against my palm and leaving only my forefingers protruding out. This is my only handseal that I had not used for a very long time and when the handseal is made I performed the gathering of energy and immediately a bright fireball was formed at the tips of the forefingers.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering The Diamond Thunderbolt.


    "Diamond Thunderbolt, Go!!" I unleashed it and it was a mid-level attack compared between Kamehameha and Rise of the Sun and a series of red hot fireballs was fired down the dim passageway. Since these beasts were as wide as the two walls and as high as the ceiling, there was no escape as I was firing nonstop at about 4 devastating fireballs per second as big as size 3 soccer balls.


    I had no idea about my mana if it is being depleted or not but I just kept firing into the darkness.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Giant Rat. Experience +15.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Giant Rat. Experience +15.


    I heard the announcements and it means that the first one that I had fired upon earlier had finally succumbed to its injuries and the second one that I fired blindly down the alleyway had somehow died too.


    I picked up the buckler and the old bronze sword and made my way through as both of the Giant Rats had dissipated into the ground when it was vanquished. I met another one along the way and dropped the buckler and old bronze sword and used the handseal to unleased the diamond thunderbolt again. After a few minutes I heard two announcements again but this time the second one was different.


    *Ding* Congratulations on levelling up. Level 1/100,000. Allocated points +10. Allocate now?


    "Yes," I opened up the interface and saw that I had finally made some progress. I quickly allocated the necessary points and made my way through the passageway until I got to the end where there''s a wooden door. Upon opening it and entering through it, there was another door a short distance away.


    "Weird, how comes there''s another door right after the other?" I thought inwardly and as I opened the door before me, I exited right into the kitchen of Prius and Patricia''s house. I sighed a huge sense of relief and discovered that it was a portal to exit directly through here.


    "Welcome back, Warrior. Come, take a seat here and have some grog. You sure look like you need one right now." offered Prius as he offered a stool right there in the kitchen''s island and poured me a mug of grog.

 Chapter 10 - 10. The Great Town Of Ingmery

    "So tell me, you''ve got only these few stuff down in the basement, yea? I knew you could do it on your first trial. I hope it gives you a boost after those 5 levels." Prius said as he took a swig from his mug and when he placed it down, he got a foam moustache. Hah hah hah.


    "It was a harrowing experience for me, my friend. I never thought I would be facing gigantic rats at the basement after all. When you mentioned rats, I was half expecting they were this big." I gestured with my hands to show how big I expected them to be.


    "Hah hah hah... Audemars, my friend. Sorry if I were to hide certain information from you regarding that basement. It''s not a basement but it''s a dungeon."


    "Secondly they are no grains and seeds underneath but there were crates and barrels and every one of them contains a certain number of credits. I hope you got them all."


    When Patricia heard us talking, she immediately rushed over with a portable medikit and placed it on top of the island. She wanted to check me out and was stopped by Prius.


    "Leave him be at this moment, you may check for any scratches later on. We''re in the middle of a discussion her, Pat."


    "Oh, my bad. I''d come back later." Patricia threw a glance at me and I smiled and quickly hide it as I picked the mug of grog and took a swig. It was bittersweet and when I placed the mug back, I too had a foamy moustache and I let it be since it looked kind of macho. Hah hah hah.


    "Yes, I got them all. As what you said ''Finders Keepers'' so I was wondering what those crates and wooden barrel were doing there. I kicked one of them and it sounded empty so I started to bash them about and retrieve some pouches with credits in them."


    "That''s good, and so far you had the basic necessities that you need, that would be the one piece of a glove, an old bronze sword as well as as a wooden round buckler. Do you have anything that you need to ask me further?"


    I brought up the interface and saw that I need another 87% before I could progress on to the next level. Seems rather a long and arduous journey for me to travel before I could even be on par as what I used to be before this Leap. Since this is the way, I decided to be a non-combatant during the day and to venture out in dungeons during the night.


    "What does this settlement offer at the moment, Prius? Does it have a Blacksmith, a crafting shop, herbalist, farmlands et cetera?"


    "Ah, this is a small settlement indeed. We do have a small Blacksmith shop here, a general goods store, a Tavern, a Mystical pharmacy and a herbalist pharmacy. This is just in the central parts of Ingmery."


    "The Northern and Southern parts of the settlements have quite a few more stores, mainly for those who have deeper pockets, if you get what I mean," Prius said and I nodded on apprehension.


    "Hmm, it means that there are three zones here and the central ones are the ones that had been built initially. It seems I may need quite a lot of footwork going around these places, eh?" I thought to myself as I wondered how big could this settlement be since I had not left the Great Hall yet.


    "By the way, Prius, I am sure there are other great halls such as this, am I right?"


    "There are, of course, this was named as the Great Hall of Ingmery, the Northern one is named as Guild of Northingmery, while the Southern one is named as Guild of Southingmery. Ours was named as the Great Hall because our forefathers were the ones who founded this central part of the settlement."


    "That''s a very good name, I believed that Ingmery had existed for some years already, right? I asked as some ideas did enter my mind on how to be a non-combatant in the day.


    "Hah hah hah... Ingmery had been around for at least 150 years, my good friend." Prius explained with a sense of pride being born and raised here in Ingmery. "What you may see here would be similar to what you may see in the Northern or Southern parts. We had local produce market and there are quite a number of abandoned houses, small houses that are average in size as well as other homes too."


    "These houses were abandoned since their owners had long demised during the wars that were fought between humans and those beasts," Prius said while subconsciously clenching and unclenching his fists while its knuckles turned white as he gnashed his teeth together to suppress the surmounting feelings of rage and hate within him.


    Seeing Prius in this state, I raised my mug and announced, "KANPAI..." and he too raised his mug and we clinked it together. "TO HEALTH..." he said as he took a big swig from the mug and an offscreen crew came and refilled our mugs with a frothy A&W Root Beer.


    "Could you tell me a bit about your family history? As for me, I can''t remember it vaguely, due to the fact that most of brains cells were dead and I had not much recollection of who I am except for a name, no class and profession but just some skills that I had picked up recently." I told to Prius to bring him out of his anger that was soon to erupt.


    "As you already have known, we are the Keatings and there was once a family of seven, including my parents. My mother died while delivering Patricia that time, and there are 3 elder brothers ahead of me. I''m the 4th while Patricia being the youngest."


    "My dad was a Warrior, a fearsome one and he was the predecessor for our family downline, however during that particular war 12 years ago, my 3 brothers and my dad perished totally. No bodies were being found and I had to fend for ourselves since the age of 10."


    "I had not picked up a sword myself to train because any able-bodied person who learned swordmanship or anything, they would be called to pick up arms and sent to battle, the one that you alone had survived."


    "Right now since the war had abruptly ended, I may take up a sword or a bow to hunt some game outside. Just outside the Northern and Southern gates, there are quite a number of games to hunt such as deer, wild boar, rabbits, sheep''s and an occasional Dino cow."


    "What''s a Dino cow? It sounded a bit weird to me." I asked since I''ve met a Giant Rat before, a Dino Cow could be just a nickname.


    "A Dino Cow is a cow the size of a dinosaur. Hah hah hah. Hence its name. Its larger than a double-storey house and it would take a few hits from an arrow to bring it down. It''s quite docile unless it''s being provoked. Since it''s a Dino Cow, it''s hide and meat is rather unfavourable, and adventurers like yourself would kill it to gain experience points."


    "Of course, there are Snow Wargs and White Bears and they occasionally have good hides," Prius mentioned enthusiastically since these hides could be sold for good money.


    "Be wary though, there''s a troll Cave right in the northern side as beyond it would be a goblin campsite. I heard that grinding for troll would be a good way to gain experience points for levelling up while the goblins do drop quite a lot of credits and certain spoils that might be useful."


    "There''s a small merchant campsite just a mile or two from the troll caves. He seemed to be there like forever though. Maybe he was waiting for his friend or something. Ah well, I had been in this Great Hall and I have not ventured out much. These are the hearsay from the infirmary that I worked from."


    "I''d catch up with you later, would that be alright? I''m going to take a short rest right after the basement raid and once I''m alright if join you for dinner." I explained as I picked myself up and finished the grog from the mug, thanked Prius as I made my way back out and heads to my room.


    "Would you like me to take a look at you first before you rest?" Patricia called out to me as soon as she saw me leave the kitchen and heads to my room. "Don''t mind if you do, Patricia. I don''t think I suffer much from the ordeal but I may have gotten some nicks and bumps that''s all."


    I opened the bedroom door and removed my shoes which were stained with the rats'' blood after I had annihilated them. The wooden buckler and old bronze sword had been placed at the corner of the room near the door and when I looked at them, thoughts of upgrading them entered my mind.


    "Heh...I wonder what kind of metals that they used over here besides bronze. It would be good if iron and steel could be introduced and I could be earning more credits since I have tons of Refined Steel Plates back in the smelting production area." I thought to myself as Patricia entered and asked me to strip down as she wanted to check me out for any injuries.


    True enough, I did suffer from some nicks and bruises while I was down in the basement, smashing up those wooden crates and barrels, looking for hidden pouches of credits. After rubbing some disinfectant and pasting some band-aids, Patricia smiled and left the room without much words spoken between us.


    "Well, I can''t wait to venture out and have a look around the settlement. If there are 2 separate districts, this settlement would be as big as the town already." I thought to myself as I sat in the bed in just my boxers as I bring up the interface.

 Chapter 11 - 11. Exploring The Town And Fact Finding

    "Well, I can''t wait to venture out and have a look around the settlement. If there are 2 separate districts, this settlement would be as big as the town already." I thought to myself as I sat in the bed in just my boxers as I bring up the interface.


    Level: 1/100,000


    Progress: 13%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 4


    Intelligence: 3


    Vitality: 4


    Toughness: 3 (+8)


    Damage: 4 (+5)


    Recovery: 4


    "There''s something worth finding out about the meaning of these attributes above. Let me bring up the ''i'' to give me some insights" I thought to myself as I clicked the information needed to find out about these new attributes and stats.


    .....


    STR: Increases damage by 1% per point. Increases the Armor for all classes by 1 per point


    DEX: Increases damage by 1% per point. Increases the Dodge Chance for all classes by 0.1% per point


    INT: Increases damage by 1% per point. Increases all Resistances for all classes by 0.1 per point


    VIT: Increases Health for all classes by 10 per point.


    TOUGH: This is for armour defence. Increase by 10 per point


    DAM: Deals damage. Increase of 2.75 per point


    REC: Mana. Increase 5 per point.


    .....


    There is another window just underneath it and its worth to take a look. Its the in-depth information needed to check out the secondary stats. It seems this interface is getting more complicated than usual. Just by looking at the stats gave me stars around my eyes and a moon on my head.


    I had managed to unlocked the skills at the first moment it was shown physically and utilised. However, only the ''Pills Through Mind Control'' is still locked. Hmm, guess I do have to read the tomes one at a time to finally get my skills and also to open up my profession.


    Class: Warrior, Wizard


    Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)


    Skills:


    Kamehameha


    Rise of the Sun


    Diamond Thunderbolt


    Black Fire


    Psi Energy Healing Spheres


    Pills Through Mind Control (locked)


    "Luckily I had left those tomes I''ve duplicated before back there in the Fusion Chamber. Sigh... Just like a newborn baby eh?" I sighed as I read through the interface once again as I try to see what kinds of class I would be able to gain. It is not as simple as the one back in the past series, but this is going to be one helluva ride.


    Looking at my other part of the stats, it shows that I had somehow accumulated a bit of wealth. I won''t know how the goods are being sold over here since I had not stepped out from the place even.


    Wealth: 198 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Bronze Short Sword (+5) (equipped)


    Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2) Wooden Buckler (+6)


    Ah well, maybe I should ask Prius when is the best time for me to head out and do some grinding. It would surely help to get some advice from the experts from the Great Hall of Ingmery, right?


    I slowly changed into a fresh pair of clothing and wished that I had the simplest form of body armour as I still hate walking around feeling ''naked'' in this medieval era. I think I''d better move about the town and make myself familiar with the place then.


    .....


    "Hiya Prius, would it be alright if I move about in this central town to have a look-see at the surroundings? I know that I had been out and about for some hours now and some fresh air would do me just fine."


    "At least I could check out the locales here and get acquainted with some of the residents here," I said to Prius who had stopped fiddling with his mobile phone and hid it away when I came out from my room to greet him.


    "That''s alright with me, my friend. You can run along as you wish and be back here by dinner time. I hope you would be able to find what you are looking for in this small central part of town." Prius gestured me to the front door as he opened it up and a blast of fresh air hits me smack in the face.


    "Thank you, my good man," I replied as I stepped out for the first time. "Wow... What a sight! It is even better than what I could have imagined. There''s not much to look at right now but at least this place is not fabricated like the one in my last series where every merchant looked rather identical and all are inter-related with one another."


    "Hah hah hah. At least here I hope to find something that might spark my interest." I looked around and found that there is no name that signifies this Great Hall but there''s a coloured painting of the coat of arms that hung near the door in a wooden board.


    "Nice... It had been ages since I''ve seen this type of setting. A picture sure tells a thousand words." I thought to myself as I walked on the cobblestone walk on the right and in the middle of the courtyard, several merchants had opened up some makeshift tents, displaying some of their wares and goods for sale.


    There is no sense walking around holding to my wooden buckler and old bronze sword so I left it in my storage bag as I walked carefree in the district.


    "Good morrow my friend, would there be anything I could interests you with?" a man named Penn greeted me as I went close to his stall. I saw a few slabs of pork, chicken and meat and even though it was exposed on the table, there wasn''t a single greenbottle fly buzzing around.


    "Hello, it is alright my friend. I am just walking by. These meats sure look fresh." the moment I chatted with him, a trading interface open up and it was marked as ''BUY'' and I could see the prices and their quantity as well. A slab of meat that is good for 5 portion costs 60 credits while the chicken costs only 15 credits for the same number of portions.


    Besides the ''BUY'' option there was a sell and when I clicked on it, it showed nothing for me to sell. Hah hah hah. Guess I have to start grinding in order to change it for credits.


    "By the way, Penn... Is the selling price-controlled or different from one place to another?" I asked since it is my first time handling the trade issues here.


    "You can sell almost anything to these merchants here except for the Tavern who insists on selling and not buying from adventurers. In the Northern area, there is a decor shop and you could sell items there as well, but according to what they are selling."


    "You cannot sell meat there, but you could sell decor items to us merchants. Likewise, decor only buys back decor pieces unlike other merchants or tradesmen in their profession."


    "Oh, you have other tradesmen here in Ingmery?" I asked in question since I might be able to have an upper hand advantage once I get to know a few major players here.


    "Ah yes, my friend. We have a blacksmith here that deals with weapons and armour, we also have a bowman shop that deals with you know; bows, crossbows and blunderbuss. There''s a brewery shop that sells regeneration strength and mana potions. Have a look around since all of their locales are located around this district." Penn explained as he showed with his hands the shops that he had mentioned.


    "Thanks, Penn, I''d have a look around. I would need to head back soon for dinner."


    "You had just awakened from your deep sleep, ya? Be careful, young man. Don''t overexert yourself on the first day. It''s alright to have some fresh air."


    "Be seeing you around soon, Penn." I bade him farewell as I head down to the place that I would target the most. The Blacksmith Shop. Hope I could get some answers that need clarification from the expert.


    The wooden door creaked open and I entered and saw a lone Blacksmith was behind his counter and guessed he had finished up with some of his smithing tasks.


    "Good day, my friend. Would there be anything that I could interest you with?" the Smithy by the name of Blake greeted me.


    "Hello there Blake, I have some questions that only you might have the answers. May I know what are the metals that are currently being used to make weapons and armours?"


    The smithy looked at me with crooked eyebrows as he peered me and glanced at me from top to bottom. "This guy must be nuts asking these types of silly questions or he might not even be part of this world!" Blake asked himself as he straightens up the leather apron that he wore during his smithing.


    I shuffled my feet as I was waiting for him to reply to me since I might have ticked him off by asking a question that might even question his intelligence. Urgghh... Here we go again.. Asking the right question but clearly being misunderstood by the other party.

 Chapter 12 - 12. Paving The Way To My First Profession.

    "Are you testing out my integrity here, boy? How dare you ask such impudent questions. If there''s no business coming out of you, it would be best to be out on your way right now. You knew the way in and you should know the way out." replied Blake in a sarcastic manner.


    "I''m sorry, Blake. I''m not trying to pull a fast one on you or to make a fool out of you. You see, I''m from out of town and I had been in the care of the Great Hall since 6 months ago. I just have awoken today and I am trying to sort out things."


    "I don''t even remember the date and the year right now and I do sincerely hope that we, as blacksmiths, could enlighten one another." I clasped my right hand to my chest and lowered my head as I explained it to him. I didn''t expect this NPC to be able to talk back to me in this manner.


    "You, a Blacksmith? Hah hah hah! Oh, come on... You can''t even lift a 30-pound hammer and you regard yourself as a Blacksmith? Hey, kid... Thank you for making me laugh and brighten my day, quit your shit and get the hell out of my locale, please. I have better things to do right now and if you please, show yourself out." Blake said as he walked out of the counter and was hovering above me like a giant.


    Actually, it''s an understatement to regard him a giant, as he was a big and burly man, about 50kg heavier than me and at least 1 head taller than me.


    "Hmm, I''m very sorry once again, Blake. But did you mention a 30-pound smithing hammer? It had been some time since I had physically done any blacksmithing and also forging myself. I would gladly pay for the ores from your fine locale."


    "I''m not creating or asking for trouble, but I''m just here merely asking some innocent questions," I replied defiantly and I knew what could achieve here, could also be achieved in the Realm of Mind.


    "Alright... Since you said that you are going to pay for the ingot that is in the backroom, come... Follow me this way. It is going to cost you 25 credits for each ore." he finally said and since he is unable to make a business our of me purchasing his array of weapons and armours, might as well he charge me for the ingot that I''m going to destroy first.


    I followed him to the back room and saw several apprentices, as huge as him with biceps as big as my thighs and the moment a scrawny young man entered, everyone, stopped what they were doing and asked if Blake is hiring.


    "Of course I''m not hiring, this young fool was just wasting his credits just to prove a point. Go on boy, use that hammer by that furnace over there." Blake pointed to a small hammer than weighs only about 15 to 20 pounds and I held it in my hand easily and twirled the handle about.


    "Could I use that hammer instead?" I pointed to a larger hammer hung on the wall as it would feel right handling a heavier hammer in performing such task. Using a small one would only be good in tinkering with small pieces and right now we are talking about turning ores into ingots.


    He passed me the hammer and when I carried it in my hands, I was surprised that it was a 30-pound hammer which I had not handled for such a long time since I last entered the blacksmithing area in the Realm of Mind. I passed him 25 credits as I took a piece of ore from the wheelbarrow. It was the size of a fist and I knew that this piece of ore would have a lot of impurities in them.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Common Iron Ore.


    "Eh, they do have Iron Ores here. Why didn''t they tell me straight instead of beating around the bush? I guess that the old bronze sword that I had found was simply an antique already. Sigh... Why shouldn''t they answer a simple question and not lead me to show my skills? Ah well... Here goes nothing... "


    I smiled as I threw the piece of iron ore in the furnace and I began to pump the bellows. The other blacksmiths were looking at me working the manual bellows and some of them gave Blake the thumbs up as I worked on it effortlessly.


    The furnace of coals flared up and became red hot and it heated up the piece of ore to a nice reddish colour, almost the same colour as the coals. I picked the iron ore using a wide mouth tong and placed it on the anvil.


    Unknown to them, I had controlled my chi breathing and absorbed the heat from the furnace earlier into my body. The moment I handled the hammer and raised it above my head, I let out my breath in synchronised rhythm when I brought the hammer down.


    "Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!" the iron ore that was heated up in the furnace was jumping on the same exact spot as I brought the hammer down in 5 successions. Each blow of the hammer had brought out sparks like fireworks from the iron ore and I knew that these sparks were actually the impurities that were forced out during this process.


    The iron ore was dancing on the ingot and before it settled down after each hammering, the hammer struck again.


    10 strikes...


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes...


    150 strikes...


    300 strikes later...


    After hammering for 300 times, I picked the piece of ore using the wide mouth tong that had been hammered down and threw it into a bucket of water nearby.


    "Sssccchhhwwwiiinnnggg..." the hot iron piece that was forged on the anvil sizzled and spluttered in the bucket of water. The 30-pound hammer was returned back to Blake who stood there with his pipe in his mouth and nodded his head in apprehension.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Blacksmithing as a profession. Basic Blacksmithing Level 2/10 Attained.


    The other apprentices all looked at me with awe as they noticed that I had hammered on the iron ore until it became an ingot. Not once did I use a tong to adjust the ingot that was hammered on and I struck each time with a hammer with a perfect ''Tink'' without striking the anvil once...!


    I picked up the piece of iron that was forged by me from the bucket of water and an announcement came to my mind again.


    *Ding* Congratulations on forging a Level 2 Refined Iron.


    I handed the piece to Blake and the moment the iron piece was in his hand, his jaw dropped and the pipe he was smoking dropped to the ground. He couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the piece of iron in his hands.


    "Hey Boss, is there anything that matters? Why are you in this state? Are you alright, Boss?" an apprentice asked while I had unbuttoned my shirt and hanged it on clothes rack behind me to dry while I stood there bare-bodied, the perspiration glistening and was pouring from my head down to my pants and looked like I had peed in them. Hah hah hah.


    "Here, take a look at this! This kid is able to turn iron ore into a Level 2 Refined Iron with just 300 strikes of the hammer. A Level 2 Refined Iron could only be achieved by the blacksmiths in the Northern and Southern District."


    "They are Level 2 Blacksmiths and this kid is a level higher than us and is comparable to them!" Blake handed the piece of Iron to his apprentices to take a look at what I had produced from my efforts.


    "Blake, how do you define a Level 1 and Level 2 Refined Iron just after a few hundred times of hammering?" I asked quizzically since I have my system to recognise it for me and I have no way of doing that by sight.


    "Oh... We just knew it, we just knew. Don''t worry, kid. Would you like to work with us? I mean, as a part-time basis if you have nothing better to do?"


    "I mean if you have some free time in your hands. By the way, it would take some years before anyone could forge this Level 2 Refined Iron piece. By the looks of you, I don''t think you need some years. It''s as if you''re born with this talent."


    "I''m sorry about the incident earlier, kid. My bad, since this business is a closely guarded secret and I thought that you were pulling a fast one on me when you said ''we both are blacksmiths''. Hah hah hah..." Blake stood there with one hand in his hips and the other was running the back of his head.


    "That''s all right Blake, at least you did give me an answer that I needed. Here, can you tell me how old is this bronze sword is?" I asked as I produced the old bronze sword that I had recovered in the basement earlier and handed it to him.


    "Hah hah hah... That''s a worthless piece of junk there my friend. We had started using iron for the past 6 months already and that piece could be considered as an antique already. Did you mention that you had been asleep for the past 6 months? What happened to you?"


    Blake asked as I slowly narrated what I had remembered as what has being told by Patricia to me. Blake stared at me hard when I told the story as the apprentices had forgotten their task at hand and had gathered around as well to listen me spin some bullshit. Hah hah hah.


    "Here kid, take this 25 credits that you had given me earlier. Would you like to come here whenever you have the time? I mean with your expertise, we could finally raise the name of our Blacksmith store here."


    "At least we would be able to churn out better pieces of weapons and armour for the adventurers that might be passing here to buy them. Since the Battle of Qodegh has abruptly ended 6 months ago, there are no more of these demons that the Ruler of Aermagh wanted to eradicate at this moment."


    "What''s left are the Orc, Trolls, Goblins and other Elves that had set up some small camps scattered over the Northern and Southern Side of the forests and caves."


    "These are currently being targeted by some ''game hunters'' as what they wanted to be referred as since using the term adventurers and its different classes might put them at risk of being called up to arms for the Ruler of Aermagh."


    Blake offered me a sweet deal that I can''t refuse. If I take up this profession, then at least I could be a non-combatant for some time since I have not thought of what I would be down the road.


    Would this series be long and boring progress and adventure for me and for those who read them? Well, if you want to get stronger, this is the only way I could think of right now. Even with the skills that I had attained in my previous life, but in this turn of events, it is pretty down back to the minimal or even unknown. Hah hah hah... Talk about being OP, this is OP to me, ''OverPowerless''. Hah hah hah.

 Chapter 13 - 13. Axe Brand Medicated Oil. Hah Hah Hah.

    "What would your offer be, my fellow Blacksmith?" I asked in anticipation as I just earned myself my first unlocked profession and was kind of proud of myself. Who doesn''t feel proud at this moment, right?


    "Just come in anytime you feel free, kid. We would be paying you 20 credits for every piece of Level 2 Refined Iron that you could produce. I''m glad that we have met and given you a chance to prove your words." Blake explains as 20 credits don''t seem too shabby indeed. I could kill 2 birds with an arrow and I won''t mind the hard work.


    The only thing is that I might as well upgrade myself gradually when in the Realm of Mind since in my previous life, the adventurers had collected a huge stockpile of iron ores and coal that were mined many months beforehand.


    "Alright, I''d be off then. I would drop by time and time again then. See you around, Blake." I replied as I took my tunic that had been hung behind me as my perspiration had long dried off. The apprentices bade me farewell as Blake ushered me out from the Blacksmith store and right through the entrance.


    I stepped out into the open and breathe in the cool evening air as it had been some time since I''ve been facing a furnace. It was like a hot damn sauna and it''s one surefire way to get rid of all the toxins in the body. I walked gingerly back to the Great Hall with a sign over the edge of the building with a picture of the coloured shield on it.


    Well, at least I''ve settled one thing at a time, there would be other opportunities as I go along. I knocked on the door as I entered the Great Hall and Prius was there to greet me.


    "How was the thing? Phew... You sure reeked of sweat and hot furnace. It seems you made the first trip to the Blacksmith from the looks of things. Come, sit here with me and we could talk." Prius offered me a seat while Patricia who heard me enter quickly prepared some drinks for ourselves. She had done preparing dinner and brought them out as well.


    "I had met Blake and was offered to a kind of apprenticeship there. I tried my hands at blacksmithing and he was kind enough to offer me to drop in anytime I wished."


    "That''s pretty kind of him. Blacksmithing is a closely guarded trade and only blacksmiths that belonged to a guild would be able to enter such places. How did you manage to do that?"


    I took a swig of cold water that was served in a mug and Patricia handed Prius and me a bowl of gruel as she took one for herself and sat there, listening me spin another tale of bullshit. Hah hah hah.


    "I would be going out right after dinner to do a bit more of exploring here. I heard there''s a potion brewery, I wanted to see if I could find some sort of Herbalist pharmacy around here."


    "Oh, there''s a Herbalist pharmacy right across the potions brewery. Those two people had been at each other''s throats for many years now. This is due to their differences in approach towards medicine but with a twist."


    "The potion brewery has mainly 3 types of potions, one is to generate health, another is to generate mana while another is to generate both health and mana." Patricia continued.


    "There are several other options but it depends on the requests of those wandering adventurers and its availability. As for the Herbalist pharmacist, he normally tends to the needs of the infirmary here and supplies them with medications and pills."


    "It''s meant for common illnesses. These locales are open for business throughout the day and night." Patricia explains as I scooped up the food and slowly ate and listened to her.


    "Wow... A town that never sleeps. That''s great I''d drop by after this to see what the Herbalist has to offer." I thought to myself as I finished the simple dinner and wanted to freshen up a bit right after this. Fortunately, a common bath is available in the house but I missed having those soaps and shampoo that was created back in my previous life.


    (There are some actual recipes and step-by-step procedures on how to make hand soap, body shampoo, face wash, toothpaste and other beauty products in the 5th series or volume of Quantum Leap-Multiverse Transmigration novel. Have fun checking those out and happy trying.)


    Right after dinner and refreshing myself, I rested in my room a bit and looked at my interface and it showed that I had added an unlocked a profession. Even at Blacksmith Level 2/10, there are another 8 more levels before I could further upgrade myself.


    I changed into another set of fresh clothes and placed the 2 Pairs that were soiled into a laundry basket next to the wooden armoire. An offscreen crew or housekeeper entered and took these clothes away and placed them into a laundry bag to be sent to the laundrette.


    "Not bad... Speedy service this time. At least I don''t have to work as a housekeeper to earn credits like before. Hah hah hah." I laughed as I get ready to make a visit to the Herbalist Pharmacy that was located across its bickering neighbour, the Potion Brewery. I wonder why it''s called a brewery since they are not brewing sake, grog or alcohol if any kind. Those potions must be potent and be taken with prescription I guess. Hah hah hah.


    I walked out from the Great Hall and walked towards the marketplace. There I saw a sign that looked like a green coloured potion bottle. From the glass window, I could see a rather petite lady working with such fervour mixing all kinds of liquids from the glass tumblers and test tubes into a mixing bowl while a sudden puff of pink smoke mushroomed into the air.


    "Uurrgghh... No wonder these two professions were at each other throats. I would imagine that an explosion would happen anytime. This is not just a portion brewery store, but alchemy. Haiyoo... I wouldn''t dream of drinking what she was mixing right now in that bowl. It looked like it''s going to blow up anytime."


    I saw the alchemist was throwing her head back and raising her hands in the air as a peal of muffled long laughter could be heard coming out potion brewery. "Shit... This lady is crazier than I thought."


    I walked across the cobbled stone courtyard and reached a store with a sign of a herb painted on the sign. 2 large flower beds adorned the left-hand side of the path while the right had a small kidney shaped pond with water lilies floating on them. A slight splash broke out on the surface and I could see a school of small colourful koi fish swimming in them.


    I saw some familiar plants grown and maintained on the flower bed, and as I held my hands to touch it, I received an announcement immediately.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Chamomile Flower to heal wounds. Can be used to make tea.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Echinacea Plant to cure colds, flu and infection.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Feverfew Leaf to cure fevers.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Garlic Plants to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Can be used in cooking.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Ginger Plants to cure nausea, motion sickness and bloatedness. Can be used in cooking.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Gingko Leaf to cure asthma and bronchitis. The seed can be cooked and eaten to boost the brain''s productivity.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Ginseng Plant to improve vitality and quality of life.


    Ding* Congratulations on discovering Goldenseal to treat diarrhoea, eye and skin irritation. May be used as an antiseptic in tincture form.


    "Wow...! After I touched those plants, I received information on its uses too and I''ve got a 16% increase in my progress. Swell...!" I knocked twice on the wooden door and pushed it open. A small bell was dangling at the top and it gave a slight tinkle to alert the proprietor that someone has entered the store.


    "Good evening, young man. How can I help you with?" a bespectacled man with the name Pointus looked up from behind the counter as he was poring over a large book, presumably about plants, herbs and spices.


    Just then a muffled *BOOM* could be heard and the glass window of the herbalist pharmacy shook. I turned around in shock and I saw the petite lady from the potion brewery ran out and brushed her clothes that were stained with black soot after her experiment had gone awry.


    "Haiyooo... Luckily I didn''t go there in the first place or I would definitely be blown apart. Crazy fool... I wonder what she was concocting early. Is she trying to make a bomb or something?!?"


    "Don''t mind Joan, she is like that most of the time. Experimenting and blowing herself up numerous times. Don''t follow her footsteps though even if she does make some good potions. Other than that, it seems every single weird concoction she makes would end up either as an explosion or a flare-up. Hah hah hah." Pointus explains as he closes his large book and places it aside as he cleared the clutter on his countertop.


    "So, what can I do for you. I believe you are the one that had just woken up from your deep sleep. Really it is remarkable to see a young man like you to recover from your mortal wounds in just under a year. Most people would have died already."


    "Hi Pointus, my name is Audemars and I was... Err... Studying botany for some time before and had some knowledge in the herbs. I would like to discover new herbs, if you may."


    "Tsk... I don''t accept apprentices at this moment and would never do for a long time. Nobody would want to learn about these herbs and all the people want to have is those ready-made ones in pill form. Why do you want to learn all this?"


    Pointus asked as he felt somehow intimated that his trade might be taken over by me one day. Hah hah hah. These people''s attitude never changes at all one bit, in this fantasy world or the real world. If one discovers that someone wants to learn their skills, it''s as if their profession is at risk. Haiyaa... Why so liddat?


    (liddat is slang for like that.)


    "If you had learned botany before, tell me at least 5 of the plants out there in the yard," Pointus asked and he was surprised that I am able to narrate all 8 of them as mentioned in my announcements, complete with its form of uses.


    "That''s very good... Come tell me what is this and its uses." Pointus put me through a test and pushed a little vial in front of me. The moment u opened it up I could smell the strong eucalyptus scent and its uses.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering eucalyptus medicated oil.


    "This is an extract of eucalyptus and mixed with a tincture to make a kind of ointment that you could use to rub on those insect bites, cures headaches when rubbed at the temples as well as to run under the noses to get rid of nausea. It could also be used to run on tummies of babies to relieve bloatedness as well and... " My narration was stopped there and then by Pointus who looked at me with an astonished look and quickly took the vial back from my hands.


    "Alright, stop right there. This is a product that has just being made by me and it is not out yet for production. How do you know so much about this?" he folded his arms and placed a hand under his chin and looked at me as if I''m some kind of alien species that could read minds and has a vast knowledge of the unknown.


    "Oh, its an Axe Brand medicated oil that my grandmother used to give it to me if I''m having some runny nose or some bites from the mosquitoes to relieve the itchiness," I replied nonchalantly as I mentioned the brand as well. Hah hah hah. This would make Pointus drop his pants for sure... Hah hah hah.

 Chapter 14 - 14. A Bit Of Flattery Sure Opens Up New Doors

    "Is there such a thing named ''Axe Oil Medicated Oil''? Does it mean that I had somehow being a bit left behind or something? Tell me what should I do next." Pointus looked at me in exasperation as he thought that his new medication that had not been in circulation yet had been beaten by other Herbalist in other towns.


    "Hah hah hah... Don''t you worry, Pointus my friend. This medication that you had just shown me would not exist in many years to come. Furthermore, as I''ve said I had learned botany and herbs and the medication that you had shown me could only be found in places far far away."


    "I don''t think it would be available anytime soon and I am sure you are not beaten to it. No worries there, my friend. Your fine profession is not threatened in any manner." I joked and laughed at my foolishness when I mentioned the brand of medicated oil from my world.


    Anyone who hears it would definitely felt doomed for i am sure they would spend months on how to produce such medications.


    Pointus let a long sigh of relief from his lips and sat slumped on his high chair. Beads of cold perspiration had emerged from his forehead and he took a hanky and hurriedly wiped it off.


    "Young man, your knowledge seems very vast than mine. You could identify all the herbs that I had planted outside and even could identify the contents of the vial that I had produced to you earlier. You really surprise me and it stumps me indefinitely."


    "Where did you learn from?" Pointus asked as he was curious about my background and wanted to perform his probe as much as he could to gather information for his own gain.


    "It''s a very long story... I used to make extracts to enhance a certain product to improve the everyday lives of the people before. In fact, it was more than 20 kind of extracts and essences from herbs, flowers and resins."


    "But due to my prolonged comatose state, I may have killed more than half of my brain cells and I would like to remember all these once again."


    I replied truthfully since there would be more herbs and plants to be discovered here in this world. The look of surprise did not leave Pointus the moment I mentioned that I had made 20 extracts and essences to improve the daily lifestyle of the citizens before.


    He looked at me from head to toe and there were no signs that I was a Herbalist of some kind except for a small 15 inches long dagger on my left-hand side of my belt. Well, I''ve got to thank Eko and Fei since they were the ones that had introduced me to the herbs that made the range of scents much more unique.


    "Would I be able to read some of your books? There must be some books under your own publication, right? And I am sure that even if you do not take me as an apprentice, you wouldn''t mind if I read and refine my knowledge, do you? These books are hard to find and this would pronounce you as the number one Herbalist that the world had ever known."


    I added a bit of flattery so that I could flip through and read about all the common plants and herbs that''s was being collected in the large book he was poring earlier on when I stepped in.


    "Ah, you mean this personal book that I had to add on for my own collection of known herbs and its uses? Here, you can read this book. It doesn''t seem like much but I won''t mind sharing the world of botany with you."


    "It''s general knowledge so these herbs are quite common to be found anywhere around this region. You may take a sit there, I won''t be expecting much visitors anywhere. I''d be around the back here in case you need me."


    Prius handed me the huge book that looked like half the size of a tabloid about an arm''s length and as thick as about 6 inches and the moment I held it in both arms as I sat down on a stool at the end of the counter, I received numerous announcements coming at me.


    I don''t wish to note it all down because it is going to be repetitive and I won''t want to receive any bad comments regarding this chapter of mine. Hah hah hah.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''Almanac of Herbs, Rhizomes, Spices and Seeds'' by Pointus. Learn?


    The moment I muttered "Learn", all the contents with its sample leaves, stems, rhizomes and flowers were learned automatically and it entered my system and in my brain seamlessly.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering Basic Herbalist Level 0/10 as a profession. You had learned a total of 2000 types of plants and its uses.


    *Ding* Congratulations on levelling up. Level 21/100,000. Allocated points +200. Allocate now?


    "Oh. My. God...!!! Just by picking this book and discovering 2000 different types of herbs, rhizomes, leaves, stems and seeds would give me a huge jump in my experience level and wow...!!! I''ve got 10 points for every levelling up. This is ''O U T R A G E O U S'' Hah Hah Hah... " I was grinning and was so excited that I nearly fell off the chair.


    A venus flytrap sitting in a small clay pot was eyeing me with suspicion as I was whooping in silence and was clenching my fist in triumph. If I am a big fly, that tiny venus flytrap would have swallowed me whole.


    "Fuyoo... I can''t describe the feeling right now and I could only contain my excitement. Even if its a small progress despite reaching the maximum of 100k levels, at least it is worth it. I didn''t know my luck had turned out this way. Woohoo...!!" I clenched my fist once more and punched it in triumphantly as the venus flytrap ignored me and turned its attention to the world outside.


    "Haish...if I am this human, I could feast on bugs all day long and not being trapped here in this storefront and being fed only 3 times a day like a human being... Huu Huu Huu." the venus flytrap was contemplating its life stuck in a clay flowerpot instead of being in the ground with the rest of the plant.


    "Pointus, I''m done now. I would like to take my leave." I said as I peered over the counter and was handing the book over when he emerged from the back room.


    "So fast? Have you finished the whole book? Did you find it boring?" he asked as he adjusted his spectacles on the bridge of his nose and looked at me dumbfounded.


    "Yes, thank you so much didn''t know that you had a wonderful collection of over 2000 types of herbs and stuff as well as its uses," I said nonchalantly and Pointus can''t believe that the young man before him could have read the whole almanack for under 15 minutes.


    "What''s the herb on listing #83?" he asked and want to find out if I had truly read and understood the whole boring book that he had compiled.


    "Herb #83 is Hyssop. A shrub part of the mint family. It could be used as an antiseptic, cough reliever and expectorant. Its extract can be made into a mixture and be taken orally for 3 times a day, 1 tablespoon each for adults and 2 times a day for children. There''s no known side effect and its a medication that is good for 3 days." I replied as though I was reading from a script in front of him.


    "How about Herb listing #222?" Pointus wouldn''t have imagined I had been able to reach that part within 15 minutes.


    "Herb #222 is Lovage. It is a perennial plant. The leaves can be used as salads, the roots can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable and the seeds can be used as a spice, like the fennel. The roots can also be used as an aquaretic, for the excretion of water in the body without the electrolyte loss."


    "WOW...!!! It is really amazing...!!! I thought you were joking and wanted to drop the book because it bores anyone to read it. Hah Hah Hah... You really are something, young man. I can never place a finger on how to describe you." Pointus remarked in amazement and was putting both his hands on top of his head and was looking squarely at me.


    "Young man, I really don''t know what else to think or relate to you. But would you like to come in and help me produce some medications for the citizens of Ingmery? I won''t be able to offer you much but could we work out 20 credits per day?"


    Pointus offered me an opportunity of a lifetime and indeed, at 20 credits a day I would be able to spend some time helping the store out.


    "You can clock in and out anytime you like and we can embark on some new and old projects. I was thinking of harvesting these plants and distribute it directly to the infirmary," he suggested as he spreads his arms in a form of welcoming me into his trade.


    "Sounds good to me, Pointus. I''d see you tomorrow then. I still need to sort out several matters first. Let me settle them and I''d drop in right after I had settled them. Thank you so much for your offer. Your almanack really is a good start, I hope you do have similar books of that kind."


    "Oh no, its the only book I have in my whole collection and as you can see it''s being published by me. How could you possibly read and memorise all these within a span of 15 minutes? A speed reader doesn''t even match up to you." he remarked and still was in disbelief at what I had done.


    "Hah Hah... Maybe it is due to the ginkgo nuts that I had consumed all these years that helps me build the brainpower and enhanced memory. Due to consuming ginkgo nuts daily, it gives sparks and electrons to my brain that seemed to be working tirelessly and filled it with ideas." I explained to Pointus and he made a point to consume that too to improve his brainpower as I bade him farewell and started for the door.


    (Dear readers, this is a known fact that gingko nuts if eaten on alternate days would boost your brainpower, enhances your memories and make it work wondrously great for those who work in mental stress environment and great for students too. Look it up on Google for more info)

 Chapter 15 - 15. Statistics That Makes Me Feel Good.

    "Ah, you''re back early, my friend. Where have you gone to so far?" greeted Prius as soon as he heard the rattle of the front wooden door as I pushed the door and quickly sneaked in. I had since lost track of time and was wondering what time would Patricia and Prius would be sleeping.


    I had seen a ladder leading upstairs and it might have some bedrooms for them, I suppose. Where else would they be sleeping? In the barn? Hah Hah Hah. These are NPC that are meant to serve around the house and I don''t think I would change upon them leaving the house. Or else as mentioned earlier by Prius, he would be picking up a bow to kill some game outside.


    However, these 2 seems to know more about the outside world without even leaving the house.


    "Oh, hello Prius. I''m sorry if I make you wait for me at night. I''ve just visited Pointus, the herbal pharmacist and he gave me quite a lot of heads up in his research. Oh yeah, when I was in Pointus store, the potion brewery lab exploded but the petite lady was alright even if her face and clothes were filled with soot."


    "Oh, that''s Joan. Yes, she had blown her place and face a few times and it would normally be after dusk. We wonder if she is addicted to the blast as it happens ever so frequent. I guess every blast would put her closer to her being a successful alchemist. Hah Hah Hah."


    Prius laughed as he recalled Joan the Alchemist blowing herself up and tripping with all those weird stuff on the floor and around the work area. It seemed that she was hooked on a feeling during such events for her. Hah hah hah. I was half expecting the offscreen crew to break into a song and dance based on the song, ''Hooked On A Feeling'' but it didn''t happen at all.


    "Alright, I''m off to bed now and be seeing you in the morning. I''ve got 2 jobs waiting for me, one is with Pointus while the other is with Blake and after I''m done, I''d like to take a look around outside of town." I said as bade goodnight to Prius and as I walked towards my room I saw Patricia from the corner of my eye.


    "Is anything the matter, Pat? Do you need to say something to me?" I stopped right before my bedroom door and asked her for she was standing there fidgeting with her fingers and not with a fidget spinner. Hah hah.


    "I... I... Actually, want to wipe you down before I head to bed. That''s what I had been doing for the past 6 months when you were brought in here in this household by the infirmary. It''s weird to find that you had somehow recovered and then was walking about as nothing has happened to you."


    Patricia said with a slight stammer. Even she was watching her ties all the time when she was saying this to me but her eyes shifted upwards and somehow looked at me in a very discreet manner.


    "Eh... Hmm... You can still do it though, while I''m asleep later. Would you mind getting me a towel so I could lay down on it? I would be all sweaty throughout the night and I don''t want the cold hard wooden bed to be wet with my perspiration."


    "I could still do that to you? You won''t wake up and do something to me? Alright, I will get the towel ready." she replied with a quizzical look since I had asked for a towel and was mentioning it would be soaking with perspiration later. Little did everyone knows what I would be doing soon.


    I opened up the door, entered and changed to my loose cotton shorts which I found that I had plenty of those in one of the drawers of the wooden armoire. Patricia gently knocked the room and entered as she placed the towel neatly spread out on the wooden bed.


    "I will come in to check when you''re asleep and wipe you down, ok?" she said as she exited the room before throwing a glance at my round buttocks. "I KNEW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER" came a title through my head and I laughed thinking that she must have squeezed it whenever she got the chance. Hah Hah Hah...!!!


    I hung the clothes that I had worn earlier, thinking that it could still be fine for tomorrow as I lie down on the towel. First I opened up the interface and I was guffawing to myself as I looked that I had 200 points to allocate. After allocating, it looked somewhat like this.


    Level: 21/100,000


    Progress: 40%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: 32


    Intelligence: 31


    Vitality: 32


    Toughness: 31 (+8)


    Damage: 40 (+5)


    Recovery: 32


    Unallocated points: 0


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +30 Armor +30 Weight +160kg


    DEX: Damage +32 Dodge +3.2% Stealth +3.2%


    INT: Damage +31 Resistance +3.1%


    VIT: Health +320


    TOUGH: Armour +310 (+80)


    DAM: Damage +110 (+13.75)


    REC: Mana +160


    I had successfully allocated all the 200 points and found that certain classes enjoy certain perks when the stats were improved. STR is strength that could affect Warriors and Berserkers, while DEX or Dexterity affects Rangers and Assassins and INT or Intelligence affects Wizards and Necromancer.


    If I am a Ranger, my damage rating would be 32+110+13.75 and equals to 155.75. Not bad and the variable is measured on what damage rating my weapon would be. That''s cool and unsophisticated, unlike some games which go on and on explaining the damage rating so deep that it would leave the readers dropping the novel after reading them. Hah hah hah.


    "Damn... Frankly speaking, I need the first 3 since I was classified as those 6 classes except for Necromancer. Who would go and learn those conjuring skills to bring up the dead and fight for you? Uurrgghh... I could imagine mummies, skeletons and other whatnot, battling for you."


    "The undead. They got struck down and however got to live again. It''s like an OP class for me, naaahhh... No, thank you. It would require lots of mana too to conjure up those undead beings."


    I switched the interface off and stood up. After allocating those points, I could feel my strength rising within me that allows me to carry a heavy load. Heh... This is good for grinding and carrying that heavy stuff in my storage bag. As long as I''m not encumbered by it, I should be fine.


    "Alright, time to head down to my old favourite place..." as I lay down and adjusted my towel to soak up my perspiration since I would be in the Realm of Mind for at least a good 6 hours there. I closed my eyes and meditated and soon entered the Realm of Mind and went straight to the Fusion Chamber and dragged the wheelbarrow filled with iron ores and moved to the Blacksmith Zone.


    "Ah, the sweet smell of coals burning. It had been so long since I''ve been here that I''ve almost forgotten how it feels like. Hah Hah Hah. And look at me...! I''m only wearing my loose cotton shorts. Hah Hah Hah. I had forgotten how it would turn out since it reflects both worlds similarly...!!!"


    I guffawed like a crazy person when I realised that I''m nearly stark naked and in front of the furnace. This is sure going to be like a bloody sauna...!!!


    I looked at the iron ores on the wheelbarrow and realised that the increment for Blacksmithing was 0.5% increment for every successful hammering. Alright, let''s get to work then.


    I visualised a leather apron to protect me from the heat and sparks when I started to hammer on the iron ores to turn them into iron pieces. I threw two pieces of iron ores which I had chosen from the wheelbarrow on top of the coals and I started to manually pump the bellows.


    The air was sucked in and distributed evenly in the burning coals, and slowly drops of perspiration dripped from my forehead and back. As soon as the two pieces of iron ores were properly heated, I picked them up using a tong and placed them on the anvil.


    I picked a 30-pound hammer and twirled it in my hands before I positioned myself with a stance in front of it. I held the hammer away outstretched from my body as I slowly controlled the chi breathing and uses the heat of the furnace to enter through the secondary points of my body.


    As it travelled to my right hand, I raised the hammer and I started hammering away. *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! * Every time the hammer was brought down on the iron ores, I exhaled and the sparks flew like fireworks in the sky.


    The iron ores were dancing on the anvil and before it landed, my hammer lands on them first, making a perfect tinking sound. Two pieces of iron ores were performing a kind of ballet as I slowly worked on it.


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes...


    200 strikes...


    300 strikes...


    *Ding* Congratulations on Levelling up Basic Blacksmith Level 3/10. Progress 90%. Allocation points +10. Allocate now?


    "Sscchhwwiinngg... Sspplluutteerr..." the two iron ores that had been made into some kind of ingot was picked up by the tong and thrown inside the bucket of water. I heard the announcement and decided to hang on as I picked up another 2 more iron ores and heated them in the bed of coals.


    I repeated the process once again and started to hammer on the next 2 pieces once more. *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes...


    200 strikes...


    300 strikes...


    *Ding* Congratulations on Levelling up Basic Blacksmith Level 4/10. Progress 40%. Allocation points +20. Allocate now?


    "NO... Not now...!!! I have to do even better than this...!!!" I hollered as I knew I am progressing and I do have accumulated certain points. It is like killing two bird with a single pea shooter. Hah hah hah. I''ve lost track of time and I was basically perspiring and made a pool of my own sweat down on the floor.


    "One more time...!!!" I shouted aloud in the Blacksmithing Zone as I repeated placing two more iron ores and hammering them for 300 more strikes.


    *Ding* Congratulations on Levelling up Basic Blacksmith Level 5/10. Progress 90%. Allocation points +30. Allocate now?


    "Sscchhwwiinngg... Sspplluutteerr..." the final 2 more pieces were thrown into the bucket of water and it sizzled and spluttered as it was forced to cool down. I let the hammer down and my right side of the body ached and felt numb and heavy.


    I clapped my hands together and rubbed to produce Psi Healing Energy Spheres and once it was formed in my palms, I merged them into my body and a sense of renewed energy and invigorating feeling washed over me. I closed my eyes momentarily and when I opened up my eyes, I felt that I had not been forging at all...!


    "Hah...! Time to discover what I had produced..." as I dug into the water and retrieve the 6 pieces of iron ingots.


    *Ding* Congratulations on forging Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5 Refined Iron pieces. If I add these all up, it would definitely be able to make a Level 4 Iron something. It won''t hurt giving it a try then.


    I stood back and swiped the room aside and chose the Fusion Chamber. I was able to access my interface and retrieve my old bronze sword out. It had served its purpose and even though this is a piece of junk at the moment, I wouldn''t want to miss a chance to fuse something out of nothing.

 Chapter 16 - 16. So Much For Wishful Thinking.

    "Hello Fusion Chamber machine, you. I''ve done so many things with you and I do hope you don''t turn me down, yeah? Different era different set of skills and here I am, going to utilize you for the first time in this era. So better be good and not fail me, alright?!"


    I spoke softly to it and caressed the machine like it was a living thing. Yes, I had been with Fusion Chamber for many months, from fusing broken Orc weapons and armours to fusing Stanspar shards, as well as Fusing and creating new enhanced armours using Refined Steel Plates.


    (Please pick up the novel Quantum Leap - Multiverse Transmigration if you had done so. There''s in-depth information on how the initial fusing was done using those plates on common class armour.)


    I placed the old bronze sword inside the slot and the 3 pieces of Refined Iron ingots Level 3, 4 and 5 each in the other slot. I closed the sliding door and choose the primary slider to CREATE and the secondary slider to WEAPON. Next, I choose the type of weapon I wish to create since this would automatically enter into my storage bag after fusing.


    "This design is cute. I had seen the bronze type hanging over the mantelpiece and this is one I would love to have my hands on it. Heh heh heh. It would surely surprise Blake and the others tomorrow." I chuckled as I chose Renaissance Claymore Sword with matching quarterfoil quillions angled towards the blade. It is a long 57-inch blade with scabbard and had a nice feel handle and a ferrule-type for its pommel.


    After choosing the design, I cranked the handle and waited for the whole process.


    *Ding* Congratulations on unlocking profession of Basic Crafter Level 0/10. Progress 0%.


    *Ding* Congratulations on creating Level 4 ''Victory'' Renaissance Iron Claymore. Damage +20


    *Ding* Congratulations on Levelling Up to Level 22/100,000. Progress 0%. Allocation points +40.


    It entered my storage and I took it out after inserting it into the weapon slot. "Oh Wow... This is even better than ''Fury'', the bronze part had fused to be part of the hilt, handle and pommel while the iron had been made into its blade. It was unsharpened and it sure needs to be blade-washed. WOW...!!! I''ve unlocked another profession as a Crafter. Not bad... A general crafter in all kinds of items."


    (For a reference on how it looked like, please refer to Item # ZS-926900 of Medieval Collectibles)


    I slipped ''Victory'' back into its scabbard and place it on the quickslot for easy retrieval. Next, I removed the wooden flat and round buckler and placed into the slot of the Fusion Chamber as I placed the remaining iron ingots on another slot. The slider was pushed to ARMOUR instead and I closed the door and choose its design once more.


    "Hah Hah Hah... This buckler is small yet practical and it looked just like a nipple from an angle. Hah Hah Hah... This big nipple gonna hurt you bad, motherfuckers. Hah Hah Hah..." I had chosen a fluted buckler with a round nipple on from to ward off direct blows from a sword or an axe and it''s a small and yet handy 12" diameter nipple buckler. Hah Hah... The design itself would make the foes die of laughter...!!


    (Medieval Collectibles model Item # AB0123)


    I cranked the handle and shortly after 3 minutes, I heard the sweet sound of success.


    *Ding* Congratulations on creating Level 4 Fluted Iron Buckler. Armour +20


    I withdrew the buckler and I find it to be light and versatile and I thought Iron was heavy. It was well made and I placed it in the shield slot together with ''Victory'' and when I clicked the quick slot (QS), both shield and sword appeared at my sides and another click makes it hidden again.


    The dagger that I had received was placed on the 2nd quick slot, which means I would be using


    "Wait till Blake opens his eyes widen when he sees my new buckler and sword but I''d just let it be first since I''m going to forge some iron ingots there. Hah Hah... Can''t wait to see those looks from them tomorrow." I said as I had 40 more points to allocate as I brought up the interface once more before I head back to the real world.


    Level: 22/100,000


    Progress: 10%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 40


    Dexterity: 42


    Intelligence: 41


    Vitality: 32


    Toughness: 31 (+28)


    Damage: 40 (+20)


    Recovery: 42


    Unallocated points: 0


    I discovered that for each successful crafting, it would give me a 10% increase in progress. Thank God for that. At least I could level up regularly in the real world.


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +40 Armor +40 Weight +200kg


    DEX: Damage +42 Dodge +4.2% Stealth +4.2%


    INT: Damage +41 Resistance +4.1%


    VIT: Health +320


    TOUGH: Armour +310 (+280)


    DAM: Damage +110 (+55)


    REC: Mana +210


    Class: Warrior, Wizard


    Profession:


    Basic Blacksmithing Level 5/10


    Basic Herbalist Level 0/10


    Basic Crafter Level 0/10


    Wealth: 198 credits


    Weapon: Dagger (+3), Level 4 Renaissance Iron Claymore (+20) (QS)


    Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2) Level 4 Iron Fluted Buckler (+20) (QS)


    It seems I would need to unlock another 2 more Classes and that would be an Assassin and a Ranger. Fortunately, Prius had given me a dagger which had not been used and it would be a start. I had a great wardrobe and an archer''s hood that made me looked like Assassin Creed and I knew looks could kill. Hah Hah Hah...!!!


    Since the time I visited Blake and saw how outrageous the prices of his dagger that was set at 2,000 credits, I am sure a bow would cost somewhat double of that or triple. Might be a good idea to hop down and say hello to the merchant of the Bowstring store tomorrow.


    "Sigh... Baby Steps, baby steps... Its better than nothing and once I made some progress in the professions, I''d be hunting down those rabbits and other creatures for food and fur. Hah Hah Hah. Maybe a racoon would make a great cap, just like Davy Crockett would do with one.


    .....


    I soon logged off and return to the real world and I felt a pair of hands gently touching my face as a damp towel were used to cover up my chest.


    "Audemars, are you alright? Are you in a comatose state again? Oh dear... What shall I do? The towel is soaked through with his perspiration and no matter how I shook him, he failed to respond or anything." Patricia who was sitting at the side of the bed was worrying like a mother over an ill child. Prius was standing by, as he had alerted the infirmary and awaiting for the staffs to drop by.


    "Uurrgghh... Wha... What happened Pat? Why did you look so worried?" I asked as the moment I opened up my eyes and saw her sitting on the side of the bed beside me. Somehow, one of her hands were placed over my loose shorts and it''s a dangerous place to be there right at this moment...!!!


    "Haiyoo... This NPC girl had just placed her hands at the most vulnerable place... Don''t she ever noticed that before?" I reached out and slowly grasped her left wrist and placed it at my sides. Realising what I had done, she blushed like a red beet and shifted her eyes away from me and placed both of her hands and clasped it on her lap.


    "I''m alright Pat, Prius... I was in deep meditation that''s all. Oh. My. God... This towel had been soaked through. Here you go Pat, sorry to make you both worried about me. Do I look like I''m back in a comatose state or something?" I apologetically explained to them the situation so that it would not happen again in the future. At least I''ve given them a heads up so they won''t think I''m sleeping and won''t be able to wake up from it again like before.


    "You gave us quite a scare just now, young friend. I thought you were sleeping and when Patricia here was sponging you, she sensed no reaction as she had used cold water and noticed that the towel underneath you is totally drenched."


    "She may think you had gotten into a shock and had cold sweat all over you. She felt your hands but felt warm, unlike those others who were in shock. Hah Hah Hah... You gave us quite a scare there, buddy." Prius said as he waved the infirmary staffs that had entered to go back since he explained to them that I was in a deep meditative state instead.


    "Pat here will remain by your side if you do need anything. It would be best to change into something fresh and have a short shower to rid of those icky sticky sweat off you. Pat will dry off your bed here so it won''t have any form of bacteria later on."


    Prius explained as he handed me a dry towel and told me to head on for a shower while Patricia went to the kitchen to put some coals inside an ironing iron to dry the wooden surface of the bed.


    After I emerged from the shower, the bed was made and Patricia was sitting on a wooden reclining chair and had placed it at the side of the bed. This won''t be speeding up to pace and getting into her pants, folks. Haiyoo... Your minds ah... Very the dirty. Hurr Hurr...


    I laid down on the bed and propped up a few pillows behind me as I asked her a few general questions about her and the family. I discovered that she never had a boyfriend and she was still single while her friends are happily married and had their little bundle of joys.


    "Well, most of the able-bodied men here had been sent off for battles and war against the demons, that''s why the population of men are dwindling here. Sometimes what''s in front of me is much better than to think about what''s far and out of reach..."


    Patricia dropped me a hint and she stood up, held her two palms in the sides of my face and then walked slowly out of the room. She glanced at me and smiled as she exits the room.


    So much for wishful thinking...

 Chapter 17 - 17. Lets Have Pengat For Breakfast, Shall We?

    The rooster crowed nearby and I softly mumbled, "Hey guys, when did those birds turned into a rooster? Is Will.I.Am and the girls up yet? I want to control the kitchen today... I want to cook breakfast for us...Hehehehe." Patricia had actually crept into my bedroom, sitting in the chair and she heard every single word I said when I mumbled softly but audible enough to be heard in the silent room.


    "Sure you can control the kitchen today, what would you like to make?" Patricia remembers what her late mother used to say to her. If a sleeping person talks in his sleep, talk to him or her as you would to a fully awake person. He or she would be able to let you know his past experiences or life.


    "I... I am going to make green bean soup with coconut milk, glutinous balls, bananas and with some palm sugar. Do we still have those green beans that the girls had soaked for us, lovely?" I subconsciously speak with my eyes closed and in a fetal position, oblivious that I was talking in my sleep and Patricia was actually leading the way.


    "I don''t think we have that. Do you want to make another breakfast instead?" Patricia said and was curious what kind of dish I had mentioned for breakfast that sounded out of this world.


    "Haiyaa... We can make meat dumplings and we can have them with the XO Sauce. Just inform the 3rd shift girls to reserve some in the rice bowl. Izumi, could you help me do that, right?" I said as I still had my eyes closed and had hugged one of the pillows in that fetal position.


    "Oh, I love meat dumplings, how about the rest, how many do you want to make?" said Patricia as she stated at me, hoping to find out more secrets in this way.


    "Yawn... Just make for the 6 of you, Hiko-sama and me. Make a few batches and we could have them for tea later... Tea... Te... Eh...?" Suddenly I realised that I was murmuring something in my sleep and rubbed my eyes as I slowly adjusted my eyes to the rays of sunlight that was peeking through the drawn curtains.


    "Oh, hello Pat. Good morning. Yawn... How long have you been here?" I greeted her as I slowly moved to the side and used my left elbow to rest.


    "Ah, good morning too, Audemars. I just came in before the cock crows to check on you. It seemed you are sleeping rather comfortably. Did I disturb you in any way? I''m about to leave and make breakfast." she replied as she was about to leave but her left wrist was held on by my right hand.


    "Wait a while...Did I talk in my sleep just now? How much did you learn about me?" I stopped her from leaving and I think I had applied too much pressure on her left wrist that she seemed to squirm in discomfort and wanted to be released.


    "Oh, I''m sorry Pat. I didn''t mean to hurt you. I just... Confused... That''s all." I said since I don''t have any viable answers to give her as I released the wrist that I had held on to. When it was released, Patricia held it close to her chest and was slowly running it with the other hand.


    I saw a 5 fingermark that was left unintentionally there. Little did I knew my strength had doubled or tripled in one night after allocating the points. "Its all right, I know you didn''t mean me any harm." she simply replied as she turned to exit out of the bedroom.


    "Sheesh... How much did Pat know about me? Dammit, I should have used my ninja mask to gag my big mouth when I sleep. Even if I don''t remember what I had said, but images if the captains, as well as the Plant Managers, had emerged before in my dream. Don''t tell me Pat knew what I was mumbling just now." I thought inwardly as I rose and picked last night''s towel and head for the shower.


    (Dear Readers, stories of abovementioned side characters are in series 5-7 in Quantum Leap - Multiverse Transmigration. Add it to the library if you haven''t done so. Cheers)


    I was tiptoeing back after my shower when I caught Patricia in the kitchen and trying to find out what she was doing as she was scratching her head like she had a few thousand lies. Actually back in medieval ages, a serf or a peasant only bathe twice in their lifetime, once when they are born and once again when they are dead.


    If I could mass-produce soap, hair shampoo, body lotion or toothpaste, I''m sure the citizens of Ingmery would be glad to take a bath as regularly as me. Hah Hah Hah... And there would be fewer illnesses, lice, ticks, bugs and all those crawly little beasts all over their bodies...ewwwwwwww...!!!


    I changed as the offscreen housekeeper had placed my fresh pair of clothes inside the armoire and all I need to do is to swipe it with my hands and everything would be on my body. Hah Hah Hah... Like real only, ah?


    I walked to the kitchen and saw Patricia was still looking for some clues on how to settle the things on top of the island. When my eyes settled on the items, I discovered that she was trying to do a Dutch cuisine called the ''Pengat'' and it was a breakfast cum dessert kind of menu.


    "Hi Pat, need any help? What are you Tring to make for breakfast today? This ingredients here looked awfully familiar." I remarked and I knew she had overheard what I had mumbled in my sleep. Not wanting to put her in a situation, I helped her to get everything prepared.


    "Come, I need a double boiler on the rocket stove, pronto... Just fill it with a third of water on the boiler while the other one with a water level just as close to the top of the green beans. Wash it down first before putting them on the 2nd boiler inside."


    I instructed and she placed the raw beans on a wicker tray and ensure that no small rocks or grains of sand were in there before she places it inside a basket to wash it clean. I saw the grated coconut and I placed just half a mug of water and squeezed it. The residue of the grated coconut was then mixed with another half mug of water for the second squeeze. "Don''t throw this away, I could make something out of this."


    "Could you find me some screw pine leaves? I need about 5 pieces of that. Thanks, Pat." I instructed her to find the leaves as this gives off an aromatic smell after cooking. Without the leaves, it''s simply just a watery dish, that''s all.


    I fired up another rocket stove and after the fire had stabilised, I place coal into it. The same goes to the double boiler as I pumped a few times on the bellows and the heat flared up immediately. The double boiler was boiling and I made sure that the water in the beans did not dry up but would soon crack the beans and soften it up.


    Next, I took 2 scoops of glutinous flour and placed them in a basin and added some water. I knead the flour until it doesn''t leave a residue when I stick it with a toothpick. Slowly I pinch it and twirls it between my thumb and forefinger to make small glutinous marbles. I dusted it lightly with flour in another basin so it would not stick together and become one big mass.


    Patricia came back and I told her to wash the screw pine leaves and after that, I folded them and knotted it nicely. She looked at me making the glutinous marbles and was amazed to find that the balls are evenly sized. "This glutinous balls would expand slightly mad had to be dropped in hot water a few balls at a time. Good treats would have to wait longer. Hah hah hah."


    She nodded in apprehension as she tried her hands at making these glutinous balls. Some were big, some were small, hanging on the wall, hey! Hah Hah Hah... I looked at the double boiler and the green beans had already been properly steamed and they looked ready to be rinsed once more before placing them into the pot filled with the 1st squeeze coconut milk. The fire had already started and the smell of the coconut milk being boiled along with the screw pine leaves brought back old memories.


    The 2nd squeezed coconut milk had been placed inside and properly mixed before I put in a mug full of water in them. "Pat, continue to stir every 10 minutes and don''t make the coconut milk dry up." she nodded and peered into the steam that rises from the pot and can''t help to inhale deeply.


    "Audemars, it smells great. This is breakfast and also dessert? I could eat this the whole day. Hehehe." she giggled like a small girl and was holding her tummy and making circular motions. I laughed at her antics and thought of those 3 little girls, Riko, Fei and Gin.


    "You could eat it hot or cold Pat. It doesn''t matter as long as the ladle is not kept inside when not in use, this dessert could be sitting here for at least a day." I explained as to prevent spoilage. Even my spaghetti sauce could be left standing on the stove for 3 days without spoilage.


    I took the bunch of lady finger bananas and peeled them off and place it in a bowl after rinsing. After I tested the green beans to be soft and a bit mushy, I dropped a few glutinous balls and stirred the contents. "Keep doing what I''m doing and I''m going to drop the bananas inside it. Try not to let the balls stick together." as I dropped in the whole piece of palm sugar that weighed nearly 100 grams.


    I pumped a few times in the bellows and the fire flared up again and the contents come to a boil. This would be great since I had dropped in a whole comb of whole bananas and the palm sugar that made the temperature drop a bit. After Pat had deposited all the glutinous rice balls inside the dessert, I told her to cover it up and let it simmer.


    *Ding* Congratulations on unlocking Basic Culinary Level 0/10 profession. Progress 20%.


    "Hmm, doesn''t seem all bad. Crafting and cooking give a yield of 10% each progress. Sooner or later, I would be able to Level up progressively.


    " *Ding Ding Ding* Breakfast is ready to be served... "I announced and not the system when the bananas had been cooked, the glutinous rice balls were of translucent colour and not sticking to one another and the taste, after adding a handful of salt, tasted just right as the green beans were soft, cracked and mushy.


    Patricia held a bowl in front of me and I laughed as she had forgotten to take the rest 2 bowls and she had her tongue sticking out at the side of the tongue just like anime style. Hah Hah Hah... She must be feeling hungry toiling for so long in the kitchen and when I served her, she can''t hell but ogled at the breakfast cum dessert and I asked, "More beans for you or more of the garnishing."


    "Hehehe...this would do just fine. This could be for dessert right?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes. "Yup, sure is... Morning and evening dessert, somewhere in between." I replied as I took a huge bowl and placed a few scoops of the beans while the rest of the bananas and glutinous rice balls follow as I placed it in the centre of the dining table in the Great Hall.

 Chapter 18 - 18. Walking Encyclopaedia.

    "Wow... What''s brewing in the kitchen, my good friend? I could smell that sweet scent all the way from my room upstairs earlier. It seems you have a good cook here to whip up several good dishes, eh Pat?" Prius remarked as he entered the Great Hall and sauntered over to sit next to Patricia while giving her a friendly nudge.


    "You two are awake earlier than usual. So what is this breakfast called? My goodness, this soup is thick and looks so savoury that I could eat the whole bowl. Haha Haha."


    "It''s called a ''Pengat'', a Dutch Colonial dish and it''s meant to be breakfast cum dessert. Best eaten hot or cold, doesn''t matter. Try it, don''t worry, there''s some more inside the kitchen where it comes from. It''s good for another 3 more servings like this."


    "My goodness, these balls here are so chewy... It is super delicious. We never had such dishes before, it is not that Pat here doesn''t know how to cook but she would simply prepare the simplest dishes and there''s only 2 of us before. Now that you''re around, I think our palate would be much better. Haha Haha."


    "Hmm... Hmm... Hmm..." Patricia tries to say something but since her mouth was full, she could only smile and nod her head. Just by looking at her shows how deprived these two of having a great breakfast. I made a note to make something else later on each day, at least I could earn a 10% progress every morning.


    The moment the food entered my mouth, my eyes started to water a little. Not because of the heat, but reminiscing the past lives when I leapt through from one series to another.


    "Do you have a steamer here? I mean a stackable, bamboo steamer where I could whip up some good ole dumplings. We could have a variant of fillings and it may look simple from the outside but it''s going to be a surprise every time you bite into them. It would make a great morning and afternoon tea."


    "No, we don''t have that kind of steamer here. I could ask from the local general store if they do have such thing," replied Patricia after she had slurped down the coconut milk, drinking using the bowl instead of using her spoon and her brother laughed at her demeanour.


    "Don''t mind Pat here, when it comes to great food, she forgot she''s a lady. Haha Haha." Prius said as he too kept stuffing his face with the breakfast. "So what''s your plan for today, my friend?"


    "I''m heading out to Pointus'' first in the morning, then I would be heading to Blake''s about 2 hours later. Then I would be heading to the fields to get myself some game. I''d be back for lunch later then would head back out again and explore the goblin''s hideout as mentioned by you."


    "So, non-combatant by day and a combatant during lunchtime eh? Haha Haha. Well, I don''t think with your capabilities, you would have no problems dealing with those goblins there at all. Good luck to you my friend. And thanks for the wonderful breakfast."


    "Yes, Audemars... It was nice of you to help me out in the kitchen earlier. I had a stroke of an idea but I totally forgot about it. This breakfast is surely delicious, and we would be having this again during afternoon tea. By the way, how many meals do you actually take per day?"


    "You won''t believe it if I were to tell you. Hah Hah Hah...I''d be off then, be seeing you both later then. Cheers..." I said after completing the huge breakfast and I headed out of the door, with just a dagger on my sides.


    .....


    "Pat, it is quite unusual for you to prepare such breakfast in the morning. What type of ''a stroke of genius'' did you get early on the morning today?"


    "Oh, I was in his room earlier this morning before he was awake and he was sort of talking and mumbling in his sleep. So as what Mother used to say, if you hear someone talking in the sleep, you can talk and converse with the person as if the person is awake and you could find out secrets from him."


    "So what kind of secrets did you find from him? I do find him a bit off since he was eager to go out to the dungeons even he had just awaken from his long sleep. Furthermore, I expected him to last 3 hours there but in the end, he makes up half of the time there."


    "Yes, in his sleep he was talking about why the birds were not chirping and its the rooster that was crowing. I did find out about this recipe when he was sleeping and he was mentioning about it on the first part and was mentioning something like captains and William and the girls preparing the beans beforehand. He sounded like a Knight Templar of some sort."


    "Interesting, if he dreams about his captains then he must have held some kind of higher rank like a battle general for one thing."


    "I''m not sure Prius, the next part he was mentioning about plant managers. Do plants need managers? What kind of botanist was he referring to and he was mentioning about sweetmeats dumplings too. There was a mention of 6 girls and someone called Hiko-sama something like that. Weird name, almost like foreign to me."


    "Hmm, just observe for this next few days and see what else can he would cough out. I sincerely hope he is not a spy and he seemed like a decent guy, to begin with. If not for his injuries he had sustained ago and the battle gear that he had worn, I would suspect he is not from the Legion as assigned by the Ruler of Aermagh. Weird, he never mentions about that part too."


    "Yes, I''d keep a close eye on him. Hopefully, he is a truly decent guy and not a spy or anything. He did give us a scare last night when he didn''t wake up after I noticed him sweating buckets on the bed that the towel totally soaked it up. He like as if he knew he would be sweating profusely when he asked for a towel and laid down on it."


    "Well, as I could say right now, he seemed a decent guy. So let''s be optimistic about it. I knew you would think pessimistic about it sometimes to balance things out, so we just keep doing what we are doing right now and it won''t stick out like a sore thumb. Furthermore, we have our family name to upkeep even if there''s 2 of us left around."


    "I heard you wanted to pick up a sword or a bow again and be a game hunter? Would you be doing that as well?"


    "No, it''s just speaking figuratively. You know I can''t even swat a fly, how could I be a game hunter. The sight of those beasts raring down at me would have me running for safety. Haha Haha. By the way, if he did go out into the forest, I''d keep a close watch and see what he does next."


    "Alright, Prius. He did mention he would be out after lunch right? Why not you have an early lunch and when he asks about you, at least I could tell him that you are attending to something else. You could have an early s t set and observe from far."


    "That''s a good idea, Pat. I''d agree with your little suggestion. You just need to stall him abit, that''s all."


    "Yes, Prius. I''d do it in the name of our family," said Patricia as she cleared the empty bowls and carried it off to the sink. She noticed a small bowl had been placed near the pot of breakfast that I had made earlier and the ladle was inside the bowl and not inside the pot to prevent spoilage.


    .....


    "Aattiicchhoo...!!! Gee, am I down with cold already or caught a bug somewhere. Hmm, maybe I should ask Pointus for something to get rid of this since I would be there first. Hah Hah Hah..." I thought, unknowingly someone was talking behind my back as I walked towards Pointus'' herbal pharmacy as I knocked on the door twice and entered.


    Pointus was waiting for me behind the counter as he had just finished watering his plants outside using the water from the pond. He had his large almanack on the counter as usual and making some reference and as soon as I walked in, he asked me, "What is the herbs #1745?"


    "Herb #1745 is a Rue or commonly called herb-of-grace. It could be distinguished by its bluish leaves, and its an ornamental plant as well as a herb. Could be cultivated as a medicinal herb, a condiment as well as an insect repellent. However, this plant is toxic in large doses and may implicate blisters if exposed during the medicinal extract and would cause even death if taken in large doses."


    "Hahahahaha... You have never failed me, my young apprentice. Yes, it''s official as of today. My God... You are just like a walking almanack. Hahahaha. Welcome and come in and make yourself at home." Pointus gestured me in and tapped my shoulders as he heard me explain and narrate the herb content as he referred it back and was surprised at the accuracy of my narration because I was standing beside him as I was reading it out to him. Hah hah hah...!!!

 Chapter 19 - 19 A Months Pay For A Jobs Day.

    "So, tell me, how long had you been a botanist? I mean to say expertise on herbs?" Pointus mentioned as he placed some herbs on top of his work table in the backroom to prepare the necessary medicines. He had a small mortar and pestle, some glass tumblers and a small weighing scale.


    "Oh, just off and on, as and when to those who needed my assistance. Nothing much really, it''s just that I had a vast knowledge on certain herbs such as mushrooms, algae and Ginseng plant."


    "Ah, Ginseng plant. I have that in my garden and it was a gift from a friend a very long time ago. It was just a small rhizome before and I planted it and now it had grown like a small shrub, more like some scrawny bush. Is it normal that way?"


    "Depends on weather conditions. My wild Ginseng was able to grow fully in about 3 months but since I was studying Wizardry, I managed to make it grow within 3 weeks."


    (I can''t say that I made it grow overnight by imbuing the soil with Psi Healing Energy Spheres, its a secret and I just wanted it to stay that way.)


    "Very interesting, mixing botany with Wizardry... Hmm, do you know what this is I''m preparing?"


    I peered at it and I immediately knew it since this herb had already been ''stored in my database''. "That''s a Milk Thistle fruit. It is used to treat liver conditions and high cholesterol, and to reduce the growth of cancer cells. Are you making an extract as a liquid form or a pill? How many do you need to produce?"


    "Right now I have a basket full of them, about 5 kg of those. It would be best if I could produce pills and then push it to the infirmary so that they could distribute to those who had some liver conditions. This is due to many nights of binge drinking."


    "Alright, believe it or not, that''s the main reason I took up wizardry in my line of work. Let me try one and see if it works or not."


    "Be my guest, my young apprentice," Pointus replied and I gestured him to move back a short distance away because what he may see if going to be a shocking revelation to him. Who would have thought that a botanist would use wizardry in his line of work?


    I sat at the counter after taking a handful of fruits. I held my left hand flat and I concentrated the air around me to generate Kamehameha furnace and the flames danced on my left palm. "WHAT IN THE WORLD..." exclaimed Pointus as he saw the dancing red flames on top of my left palm.


    Next I rubbed my right palm over my thighs and generated some heat and I held it out in front of me and generated the Psi Energy Healing Sphere and when it was large enough, I placed my right palm next to my left and the reddish flame swallowed the Psi Energy Healing Sphere and it turned bluish-white after being imbued together.


    "Alright... Don''t worry, this is cold fire, not hot to the human touch or else my left palm would have been burned already. I''m going to start with one fruit first." I said as I threw the milk thistle into it. "Quick, get me something to catch those pills." I motioned for Pointus and he came with a small porcelain bowl and held in his hands.


    As soon as I could feel the pills coming out from my left palm, I asked the porcelain bowl to be placed directly underneath as I shook my left hand and the pills slowly dropped out. Tiny pills the size of 5mm and about 0.2g were dropped into the bowl.


    "There you are, how many pills are there altogether?"


    "6 pills per fruit. This is REMARKABLE... I never knew wizardry could be fused together with botany or pharmacy to make pills."


    "Alright, help me with that fruit basket and we could be over this within an hour. I guess you need to have a bigger bowl than this." I said and Pointus nodded and came back with a large metal basin and he placed it on the floor and I shifted my position that the fruits could be easily deposited and the pills are withdrawn without much effort.


    Soon, Pointus was feeding my Kamehameha furnace with ladles of fruits and once the pills had been produced, it dropped into the metal basin like rain on a zinc roof. *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!" About an hour later, Pointus had fed the furnace with the last ladle of milk thistle fruits and he saw that the metal basin he had placed on the floor was brimming with thousands of pills.


    *Ding* Congratulations. Success on producing ''Milk Thistle Pills'' by using ''Pills By Mind Control''. Congratulations. You had levelled up to Level 26/100,000. You had levelled up Basic Herbalist Level 4/10. Progress 36%. Allocated points +40. Allocate now?


    "OFF" I muttered and a ''NO'' under my breath as I turned the furnace off from my left palm. "Phew, it seems easy but I had spent quite some mana to actually control that flame for more than hour," I said and congratulate myself for gaining 416% which was represented as one herb as 1%. Not bad... Not bad at all. Slowly and surely and I have yet another 40 points to allocate. Woohoo... How cool was that!?!?


    "This is the first time I''ve seen someone worked one Class and one profession to combine together to help aid the profession. And so many pills in such a short time...! Very productive and efficient...! It would take me months to complete extracting these fruits, let alone making them into pills. You''re really a lifesaver, young apprentice. I really owe you big time. Come, let''s cover this thing up and send it to the infirmary."


    "My God...! I feel so ashamed to pass you 20 credits for your work done. A half year''s work and it could be completed within an hour. Here, take this full month''s pay of 600 credits instead. At least I don''t feel bad paying you a month''s pay for a day''s work. Hahahaha." Pointus open up the interface and I received a pouch containing 600 credits.


    "Well, Pointus, my gain and your gain. Just keep this as a secret between us. Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. Since you''re going to the infirmary, I''d be heading to Blake''s. See you again, my friend." I bade him goodbye as he swiped the whole metal basin into his storage and he and I walked together and separated at Blake''s. He shook my hand firmly and I knocked on Blake''s and entered.


    .....


    "Well, hello there, Pointus the Pharmacist, good morning to you, you are up and about early this morning, ya?" greeted the head of infirmary. "Is there any issues with the Milk Thistle so far?"


    "Oh, no... There are no issues here. It is just that I wanted to show you the work my apprentice had done today." Pointus innocently explained as he entered the office of the infirmary.


    "Oh, have you managed to extract the milk thistle so far?"


    "Yes and don''t be surprised, ya. It''s all done and complete. Here, take a look at this." Pointus explained as he swiped his hand and the metal basin full of medicine emerged on the table.


    "Oh, My Goodness Lord... Are these the 5kg of milk thistle that we handed you last evening and now it''s all done? It''s a MIRACLE... Thank goodness. I don''t know how you do it but this definitely would be a boost to those patients of ours that are currently having these liver conditions due to overdrinking...!!" the head infirmary said as she took one pill and measured it with a micrometre and then weighed it on the scale.


    "Everything is exactly 5mm at 0.2g. Aide... Could you come in here for a sec? Please take these medicine away and pack it into 2 pills each for 3 times daily and pack them for a 7 day period. Label it and let me know how many packets of pills are there altogether."


    As soon as the head of infirmary mentioned to her aide working behind in the other room, she emerged and removed the metal basin from the table, and a few of the infirmary staffs started working on it.


    "I won''t ask how you and your apprentice did it, but I entrust you with the task and here you go, the payment for the process of those pills. Take it, as there will be more work to be done in the next few days. My God... I can''t thank you enough for your fine work." the infirmary head exclaimed and handed Pointus a pouch containing 6,000 credits.


    He smiled and thanked the infirmary head and walked away, feeling slightly rich as he had gained 5,400 credits after paying me a month''s salary for a day''s job.

 Chapter 20 - 20. Just Who Are You, Kid?

    "Good morning, kid. I was half expecting you to come in after lunch today. So, you want to have some tea first before we begin?" Blake motioned for me and held my shoulders tight.


    "You seemed to have grown quite strong since the last I met you last night. By the way, that Level 2 Refined Iron piece that you made yesterday had been turned into a nice karambit. Do you want to take a look at its work?" Blake gestured me as I stood near his counter and he showed a piece of thin blade that looked like a talon with a small ring at the end to slip it through the finger.


    (Look up under Wiki for the term and pictures of how a karambit looks like)


    I looked at the piece and found it to be very efficient at personal melee combat, especially for an Assassin. Right now what I had is a bronze dagger given by Prius. I held it in my right hand with the blade outward and it felt light, almost like a feather but with devastating slicing power especially if targeted at the jugular.


    *Slash slash stab* "This is a nice karambit. With a price tag like that, I''m sure Assassins would love to have them." I said as I handed the karambit back. "Come on, let me work on those anvil," I said as I went round and enters the backroom where the apprentices are working.


    The moment I entered, I was greeted by them as they were having their morning coffee break. The business had been slow lately and they managed to make small pieces like spurs for the boots, bridle for the horses and such. I removed my tunic and hanged it behind as usual and carried the 30-pound hammer.


    I twirled it in my hand and I felt something was off. The hammer I was carrying was in fact too light. I looked around when Blake asked, "Kid, is there something wrong? What are you looking for?"


    "Err... Do you have any more hammers here I could use? This 30 pounder sure seems a bit too light today." I casually remarked while some of the apprentices spluttered out and spilt their coffee when they heard my casual remark.


    "Sure... Here''s a 45 pounder that you could use. It had not been used for some time and this would be used to make those heavy plate iron armour. The last time I used this was like 1 year ago. You can have it, kid. Be careful not to drop this on your head. Hahahaha." Blake said as he handed me the 45 pounders with ease.


    I twirled it in my hand and the weight felt fine. I set it aside first as I took 2 pieces of iron ores and placed them on the bed of coals before I operate the bellows once more. Once the iron ores had turned almost reddish-white, I used the tong and placed them on the anvil.


    The apprentices who had never seen anyone work with 2 pieces of iron ores before gathered around. For 2 pieces of iron, ingot to work with is a norm but for 2 iron ores, it''s close to impossible due to its irregular shape.


    I used chi breathing and channelled the heat from the furnace to my secondary points and concentrated it on my right arm. I carried the hammer and raised it on top of my hand and adjusted my breathing rhythm. Then I struck down on the red hot iron ores.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    Every swing, every aimed and direct hit was synchronised with my breath as I exhale hot fumes from the furnace through my pursed lips. The two iron ores were once again doing ballet as it was struck perfectly on top and sparks flew in all directions like fireworks.


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes...


    200 strikes...


    300 strikes...


    I finally stopped and took the tong and threw the hammered iron ores that had become a single piece of iron ingot into the pail of water where it spluttered and sizzled and a cloud of steam came off it.


    *Ding* Congratulations. Basic Blacksmith Level 6/10 attained. Level up 27/100,000. Progress 86%. Allocated point +50. Allocate now?


    I removed the iron ingot that had fused together from two pieces of iron ores and looked at it and an announcement rang once more. I handed the piece to Blake who had his pipe on his lips. The moment he inspected the piece, his mouth opened again and it dropped to the floor with a thud.


    *Ding* Congratulations on forging Level 6 Refined Iron.


    "WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?! This can''t be real, am I right? Kid, tell me this isn''t real?" Blake was watching me and watching the iron ingot in his hand and back at my face again and his jaw can''t be closed at all at what he had seen.


    "What Boss? What happened? What''s with this piece here? It looked alright to us." said an apprentice who had just started working with Blake for a year. To an untrained eye, it might look like an ordinary piece of iron ingot but to a seasoned Blacksmith, this is a true masterpiece.


    "This... This piece here... Is a... Level... 6... Refined... Iron... piece..." stammered Blake as he handed the piece over to his apprentices to view. Blake had never felt Level 2 Refined Iron and he was close to producing them and last night was the first for him. And today, he got a shock of his life as paramedics were on standby on set in case Blake would foam at his mouth and fall into shock.


    After making sure Blake was alright, the paramedics stand down and able to breathe easy. In case Blake fell into shock, the paramedics had to rush him to the nearest hospital for treatment or this novel would lose a side character...! Hah Hah Hah...


    "How... Could... You... Produce... A... Level... 6...refined...iron...piece...?" Blake was hyperventilating as he spoke this sentence. He was struck dumbfounded, awe, surprise, shock and total disbelief as he reached over and took the 45 pounders in his hand. I was perspiring from head to toe and doesn''t want to answer his question yet. "Paramedics, standby...!!!" I hollered.


    I switched to my 1st quickslot and my Fluted Iron Buckler and ''Victory'' Renaissance Iron Claymore appeared on my hands. I handed these to Blake and informed him, "I forged these yesterday using my old bronze sword and the wooden buckler. Do you have a stone grinder I could use here later?"


    What came out from my mouth was very casual and had no hint of arrogance unlike some people, but what these apprentices perceived was totally the opposite when they saw the Renaissance Claymore and the Fluted Buckler.


    "Hahahahah... My God! It looked like a freaking nipple. Hahahahaha...!!!." guffawed an apprentice as he took the first look at the Fluted Buckler and fell to the floor and was laughing so hard that he was clutching his stomach.


    "I like the claymore with the quarterfoil design here. This part is definitely bronze... And it looked polished but the blade is blunt." said another as he held the 57-inch claymore in his hands after he had withdrawn it from the scabbard.


    When Blake reached for the buckler he was amused at how it looked and laughed out loud but the moment he held it, he felt something was off as his set of dentures flew out and landed on the furnace. "Whis wis a wevel wour wuckler... Wou weally wade whis?!?! (This is a Level 4 Buckler... You really made this?!?!)


    As soon as the dentures burst into flames on the furnace, an offscreen crew rushed over and handed Blake a new set of dentures to him right after he had spoken his sentence.


    The other apprentices who heard this are in stitches after hearing the words that come out of Blake''s mouth. But after comprehending what Blake was trying to convey, they stopped laughing and was looking at me either in awe or in a burning desire to throw me in the furnace since I''m sort of threatening their livelihood.


    To make light of the situation, I took the Fluted buckler and placed it over my head and I suddenly looked like a Vietnamese Farmer. "Hahahahahaha..." I laughed out loud and everyone loosened up and laughed along with me. "Don''t worry, I''m not here to steal your jobs away. This is my own collection and I''m never going to part with it. I''m here just to bang these Iron ores and you guys could forge them into weapons and armours."


    I explained earnestly as I held my palm over my chest and bowed down, with the buckler still on my head. "Kid, you came here yesterday with a question and then i allowed you in here and you produced a Level 2 Refined Iron ingot. Today, you produced a Level 6 Refined Iron ingot and showed me your Level 4 Claymore and Nipple Buckler."


    "Just who are you, kid...?! Are you some member of a Blacksmith Alliance that we never heard of or part of the Forge Master Guild? There are 25 to 30 levels of Refined Iron and only those Forge Master could forge Purified Iron at will. Just who are you, kid?"

 Chapter 21 - 21. Im Going Crazy With The Announcements

    I got home early later that day and received the agreed sum of 20 credits from Blake. It was funny, leaving Blake and the apprentices in such a situation that they were truly lost for word. After gaining 5 levels in a single day and had 50 points to allocate, I''ve decided to head back to shower and have lunch before I start to allocate these points.


    "Hi, Pat. I''m back early today. Where''s Prius? He would normally be here in the Great Hall." I greeted her as soon as I entered the house. I saw that Pat had an apron on which means she had prepared some lunch in the kitchen.


    "Oh, hello there Audemars. Prius had to leave and attend to some matters. You''re early today." she mentioned as she wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing.


    "I''d be in my room after my shower later. Are you preparing the same gruel? I would be having lunch and I''d be in my way afterwards. Today I''m heading towards the goblin''s campgrounds. It''s been some time since I''ve met them and I think they would be sorry once I''m there." I simply remarked as I went ahead to my room and as I passed Patricia, I gave her my flashiest grin.


    She smiled back and told me that lunch is ready and she won''t mind waiting to have our meals together. "Alright, be down in a short while." I simply replied as I went to my room, stripped down and sat on the bed first.


    I took the Level 6 Refined Iron ingot since Blake insisted me having it. Having such high-quality work in his store would only spell trouble. So I''ve decided to upgrade the dagger that was given to me instead.


    I sat cross-legged and went into my meditative state and emerged at the Realm of Mind. I went to the Fusion Chamber, inserted the bronze Cross Pommel Dagger into the slot and placed the iron ingot into another. I pushed the slider to FUSE / WEAPON and closed its door.


    I kissed the Fusion Chamber machine (Yes, I did actually kissed the door, in fact) and cranked the handle.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 5 Iron Cross Pommel Dagger. Damage +18


    I retrieve the dagger and found that the design remained the same but the blade was replaced with iron instead. The bronze part was left for the hilt, handle and pommel. I didn''t manage to use the stone grinder at Blake''s so I think I''d use mine here.


    I walked out and went to the Blacksmith Zone where a stone grinder was sitting at the corner. I sat down and turned the machine on at medium speed. The moment the blade touches the grinding stone, the familiar screeching sound came back and I had to wear safety goggles and ear protection. Sparks flew in a steady arching manner and within 15 minutes, I had performed blade washing and sharpening at the same time.


    I then took the ''Victory'' and did the same to it and after 45 mins, the blade washing had been completed and both edges were as sharp as a katana. "Wow... This sure brings back old memories!!"


    *Ding* Congratulations on Level Up 28/100,000. Blade washing technique attained. Basic Blacksmith 7/10. Progress 16%. Allocated Points +10. Allocate now?


    "Double Wow... I didn''t know blade washing could also increase my progress and had surpassed another level. Hah Hah Hah... This is great news." I rubbed my hands gleefully as I turned the interface on.


    Level: 28/100,000


    Progress: 16%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 55


    Dexterity: 57


    Intelligence: 56


    Vitality: 32


    Toughness: 36 (+28)


    Damage: 50 (+38)


    Recovery: 42


    Unallocated points: 0


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +55 Armor +55 Weight +275kg


    DEX: Damage +57 Dodge +5.7% Stealth +5.7%


    INT: Damage +56 Resistance +5.6%


    VIT: Health +320


    TOUGH: Armour +360 (+280)


    DAM: Damage +137.5 (+104.5)


    REC: Mana +210


    "There... It is done. Its time for me to freshen up and change into fresh clothes. I wanted to open a new Class today and once I had gathered enough funds, I''d love to get new gear as well. I wanted to see how these new blades work out in the field today." I thought to myself as I kept everything back in the respective slots and logged off from my meditative state and return to the real world.


    I picked my towel and headed to refresh myself and down to the Great Hall once I had changed to a fresh pair of clothes. I had changed into an all-black outfit, suitable for an Assassin, I hope and took a seat myself at one of the chairs and helped myself to a mug of ice-cold water. "Thank you, guys! I really needed that." I said as I glanced at the offscreen crew and they gave me a thumbs up. Hah Hah Hah.


    Lunch was served by Patricia and she made gruel with bits of vegetables and minced meat inside with the usual garnishing of spring onions and chives. It was a simple meal, day in and out but it won''t get me complaining since I''m getting free board and lodging on this household.


    "You are going out to the forest today, right?" she asked as she took a spoonful of gruel.


    "Hmm... Hmm... I wanted to see if there are good spoils from them or not. What kind of beasts would I encounter when I''m there?" I asked in anticipation.


    "Oh, I heard there are some wild chickens and white rabbits. And further, you''d meet those young fawn as well as wild boar. The wild boars I heard gave plentiful of pork and hide which can be sold." she replied based on her hearsay.


    "Then what about a merchant that had camped there all this while? Any clues to it?"


    "I have no idea since I didn''t leave and head to the forest. You might find the answers when you''re there."


    "Ah, thank you for the meal, Pat. I''d be on my way now. Northern Gate, right?"


    "Yes, just turn left and walk straight on until you pass the Tavern and towards the town jail. There''s a gate to let you into the Northern District and follow on through and you''d meet the exit. There are some guards there so it would be best to keep your weapon sheathed."


    "Thank you so much, Pat. By the way, do you buy your supplies or it''s being supplied by the Director here?" I asked since I had been eating their meals for almost 2 days already since I had woken up.


    "Of course it''s being supplied. At the moment I don''t have many recipes but if you''d like to share yours, I won''t mind to try them out one day," she replied and was half expecting me to hand over a recipe book that would emerge from thin air. Hah Hah Hah.


    "Don''t worry, you keep the morning recipe first and the procedures on how to prepare them. I would pass you some more. I am sure you knew more than cooking thick gruel right? It would be nice to have rice or potatoes once in a while." I suggested as I made my way towards the exit.


    "Be seeing you soon, Pat. I''d bring back some pork so we can have roast later on." I said to her as I bade her and left and walked towards the direction she had mentioned.


    ...


    "Excuse me, young man, could you do me a favour?" asked a young lady wearing a dark brown long dress with a white blouse within.


    "Yes, what can I do to assist you, Ma''am," I replied and saw her name as Rebecca.


    "Could you tend to my young son in my house as I go and get some medications for him at the infirmary? He had not been feeling well and I hope you could just watch him for me. I won''t be long. It is just a matter of minutes." she implored and I said, "Alright, Ma''am. Lead the way..."


    Soon I reached her house en route towards the northern gates and she beckoned me to enter while she moved away towards the infirmary. I knocked and entered and as soon as I entered, it was A TRAP...!!


    "Ah... Hehehe. See what that pussy had brought in. It is a stinking, bloody rat...! Let''s go get him...! " a hoodlum was beckoning his partner who both were armed with a long sword to come at me.


    They were dressed in hooded tunics and their faces were hidden behind a black mask and only their eyes could be seen. Both were wielding glimmering long swords that threaten to slice me up if I made a wrong move.


    "Sswwoosshh..." a blade came down and I was totally unprepared but my reflexes soon took over as I sidestepped on the left and the blade missed me by a few inches. I twirled around and face a two-handed chop on the back of the first hoodlum and sent him tumbling forward. The second hoodlum rushed forward and made a thrusting motion with his long sword and I just barely able to evade.


    "Damn that vile woman!" I thought as I remembered a few shouts to shake off the foes.


    "S H I E L D S. U P"


    "F E A R. M E"


    "O N. Y O U R. K N E E S."


    I shouted but this time nothing happens... Alamak... Bodoh lah...!(slang for oh my gosh, so stupid of me) Those skills were unlearned and can''t be utilised right now...!!


    "Hahahaha... Fear you and down on our knees? Take this, you bloody rat. It seemed that crafty pussy had found some help and you looked so damn helpless and hopeless now... Taste my blade, fool..." the second one hollered and made a horizontal swipe with his long sword that nearly hit my midsection.


    I chose quickslot 1 and my buckler and ''Victory'' emerged as I managed to block the oncoming attack from the first hoodlum. The moment he saw my buckler, he laughed uncontrollably as it looked like a nipple. Yeah, yeah... It is a Nipple Buckler and not a Fluted Buckler. Sheesh...


    "Hahahahaha... Does that buckler come from a Dino Cow? That cow sure would have nipples as big as those... Hahahahaha." laughed the second hoodlum. My god... This has turned out as a laughing stock instead of a sword fight. I took the opportunity at those laughing hoodlum to strike them down swiftly with ''Victory''.


    The hoodlums were taken by surprise and succumbed to their injuries after being sliced almost into half by my newly sharpened blade. They disintegrated and I heard an announcement.


    *Ding* Hoodlum x2 defeated. Progress +20%.


    I sat down on the sofa and opened up my interface and saw what I needed. SILENCE the announcements and appear in front of me instead of constantly ringing in my head. This would turn me into schizophrenia. Hah Hah Hah.


    The interface silenced and appeared before me as just +10 Exp and another +10 Exp and disappeared. Haish... That''s much better. It was OK for the first few times but after that, it''s becoming a kind of bloody annoyance...!


    You wouldn''t want to keep reading *Ding* *Ding* *Ding* on every chapter, do you? Hah hah hah...!!

 Chapter 22 - 22. First Human Kill

    "You..." I wanted to speak my mind when I was stopped by the young lady named Rebecca. "I''m sorry to put you in such a situation. I had no other choice. These men wanted to rob me and take away all my worldly possession. It''s fortunate that you are not hurt."


    "At least give me a warning, I nearly lost my head back there." I lamented to her being sneaky about her wellbeing and all. "I''m terribly sorry, here... I managed to pick these up during my struggle back there. Its a ring with a green stone." she apologies to me and handed me a ring and when I held it, it showed Ring of Truth. Strength +3. No announcements, no nothing. All peace and quiet. Hahahaha. I thanked her and made my way to the Northern gate to head into the next district.


    I checked my interface and placed the ring into the ring slot. The two longswords was automatically placed inside my storage under weapons and I saw that its damage rating was very low. "Ah well, might as well turn it to credits later." It was my first ''human'' kill and I''ve gotten +20 EXP and no credit drop but gotten a ring from Rebecca instead.


    I made my way past the central jail and exited to the Northern Gate. There, I found a store with a bow and arrow sign on it and entered. A proprietor by the name of Bruce was behind the counter. "Good morrow, mate. What can I be of service," he said. I saw the chat interface and a trade link. I clicked on it and clicked ''SELL'' and chose the 2 longswords that I had disposed of for 60 credits.


    I went to the ''BUY'' and saw what I liked. It was a self-loading crossbow with unlimited bolts. Hah Hah Hah... And it''s costing me 2,500 credits. Such high costs. "Are the prices for the crossbow the same through town?"


    "Yes, mate. It is the same and everything is price-controlled here to prevent fluctuations on prices." Bruce replied and I thanked him as I exited and made my way onwards. I looked at my interface and saw that under STR, my load limit is just under 300kg. So I should be able to carry as much as I could in this era and not limited to slots in the storage bags.


    I saw a passing patrol guard and stopped him for some questions. "May I know if it''s alright if I were to occupy an abandoned house here? Is it against the law?"


    "An abandoned house is as-is. It had long been vacated and no one wants to occupy them. As long as a house is unlocked, it could be occupied. If you enter or forced entry into a locked house, whether it''s small, medium or large, it is an offence and you would be caught and have to spend time in jail. Depending on the severity, you may spend from a few hours to a few days." the patrol guard explained and I thanked him for the valuable information.


    "So, if I enter an abandoned house, how could I make it as my own then? Would it be furnished or I need to furnish them myself? Maybe I should ask this Emeritus Decor Shop after my trip to the forest." I thought to myself as I exit the Northern Gates and was greeted with vast and rolling green fields with clumps of trees here and there and lots of hiding places behind large boulders too.


    The sun was shining and it was a very welcoming sight. I slipped to quick slot 2 and my dagger emerged on the left-hand side of my belt. Well, it''s time to hone the Class that I wanted to unlock.


    I lurked among the trees and I saw some wild boars grazing. Their tusks were at least 8 inches long and were protruding from the sides of their snout. Anyone would be gored to death if one angers them unintentionally.


    These beasts are known to just gore their enemies down to their ground using their enormous sharp tusks and I just happen to chanced them as I lay hidden among the shadows and downwind direction.


    "Please unlock this Class for me..." I prayed as I withdrew the dagger from the sheath and crept slowly and inched my way towards the wild boar. However, these beast were able to detect my movement from the vibrations on the ground and instinctively turned its head sideways. Before it reacted, I jumped on it and stabbed furiously a few times just near its cervical vertebrae with my dagger and it gave a stifled squeal before it dropped to its side.


    *Ding* Assassin Class Unlocked. The announcement rang once again and then a message flash before my eyes.


    EXP +10. Boar Hide +3 Pork +3


    The spoils were automatically added into ''Others'' and the beast disintegrated after the spoils were placed in my storage. "Thank God..." I sighed inwardly and went about to target another 6 more wild boars and received another announcement.


    *Ding* Level up 28/100,000. Progress 6%. Allocated points +10.


    I went about and hunted 10 more wild boars to achieve another level up to 29/100,000. Progress 6% and allocated points +20 when I saw the said merchant who had camped out for God knows how long.


    "Hello, my friend. Nice campsite." I greeted him and saw his name as NoOne. "Hello there. Yes, I pitched it myself." he simply replied.


    "What''s the matter? You seemed to be lost." I asked and he simply replied, "I was robbed by goblins and they had taken my cargo of iron ingots that was meant for the Blacksmith in Northern Ingmery."


    "Oh, I''d get it for you," I replied hoping to earn a quest from him or something. "Once you retrieve the stolen Iron ingots, just proceed to Northern Ingmery and hand it over to Jonn. Be careful, the forest is filled with danger," he advised. I saw the trade and disposed of all my 51 boar hide and 48 pork chops for a total of 1,485 credits.


    "Is the goblin''s camp nearby here?" I asked as I do not want to walk around aimlessly. "just follow this path, past one white coloured house and it''s right at the end of a large troll cave yonder. You would see a red coloured banner and that''s where the goblins dwell."


    I thanked him and made my way as I changed my gear to quick slot 1 and my buckler and sword appeared at my sides. I saw from my interface that I had already collected more than 2k credits and soon I would be getting my crossbow and complete my Class as a Ranger soon.


    I met with a few quick bounding fawns and decided to forgo as I hunted another 10 more wild boars along the way, levelling up to 30/100,000, progress 6% and allocated points +30 now.


    I saw the goblins camp up ahead and I whistled to it, indicating that I was coming and the pair of goblin guards, armed with a planked shield and a long sword came rushing in with their short and bowed legs. I readied my Nipple Buckler and sword and I let them hit me a few times as I blocked them with the buckler.


    "Nice deflection...!" I said to no one in particular and with a single swipe, I managed to sever the sword-wielding arm of the first goblin and I decapitated the head in the second. "That was easy!" I muttered as I gained EXP +12, Goblin Shield +2 Credits +24. I walked to the main entrance and saw 3 more goblins and I whistled at them to come at me.


    Soon I was killing a total of 8 goblins that had brought in EXP +96, Goblin Shields +8 and Credits +96. I saw 2 chests at the corner and opened it up and found 1 Ruby and 3 iron ingots that weighed about 1kg each. Seeing there are no other chests, I walked outside and waited for the goblins to respawn again.


    8 goblins per round and I waited for 10 respawn which had brought a total of EXP +960 Goblin Shields +80 and Credits +960. I looked at my interface and saw that I had levelled up to 39 and had a total of 120 points for me to allocate. I sat down at a fallen tree trunk a distance away and quickly allocated the points.


    Level: 39/100,000


    Progress: 66%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 73 (+3)


    Dexterity: 74


    Intelligence: 73


    Vitality: 49


    Toughness: 53 (+22)


    Damage: 67 (+38)


    Recovery: 59


    Unallocated points: 0


    I was feeling a bit encumbered and walked back to the merchant''s camp to trade off the 80 goblin shields that happen to fetch 4,800 credits altogether. I guess he won''t be going anywhere since there is no reaction when I showed him the iron ingot. Guess I have to look for Jonn, the Blacksmith of Northern Ingmery.


    I thanked him and bade farewell and heads back to the northern gate and was stopped by the guards and told him I''m from central Ingmery and showed my identification card. They let me in thereafter and I headed straight to Jonn the Blacksmith of Northern Ingmery.


    "Hello there, how may I help you, sir?" I was greeted by Jonn and the moment he saw my buckler he was astonished as he found that the value surpassed even his highest prized armour.


    "How was business, my good man?" I asked and he replied "Business has been bad. I was expecting a delivery of iron ingots from a merchant but I received news that he was robbed." he replied with a forlorn look on his face.


    "How could I be of service to you? Would you need me to retrieve the goods for you?" I asked and I got a very positive reply from Jonn.


    "I owe my business to you, sir. Yes, please help me retrieve those ingots. My business is doomed if I don''t have them and I have back orders from adventurers like you."


    "Ah, in that case... Here, take these. These are your ingots I had retrieved from the goblins'' camp. The merchant down the road told me about his plight and advised me to bring these back to you. I showed him these but there''s no reaction from him at all."


    "My kind sir, thank you so much. Here... Take this. This is a reward of 250 credits courtesy from our establishment. By the way, are you from here?" Jonn said and I gladly receive the reward. "No, I am not from here. I am way back south of here. Why do you ask?"


    "Your armour and weapon are indeed different from ours. May I take a look at these?" he implored and I handed him my buckler and sword to him and when he held it in his hands, he can''t stop from trembling and looking rather shocked.


    "Who forged this weapon and armour, kind sir? This quality is better and it would cost a fortune. These are made from Level 4 Refined iron, right? Those iron ingots that you had passed me are only Level 2 grades."


    "I''m not sure, but I''ve been having these for quite some time. It was a family heirloom of some sort." I replied and tried to avoid any form of conversations regarding how I acquire such pieces. Of course, I can''t just tell him to look at Medieval Collectibles online website, can I? Hah hah hah...


    "Even your dagger, that''s a Level 5 Refined Iron. You must be from some royalty by the looks of your weapons and armour. Even if this buckler looked somewhat like a part of a human body, but it sure would be able to resist some serious hard knocks."


    "I wonder, my kind Smithy, how much would these higher end pieces cost and how many levels are there in the Refined Iron category?" I asked innocently as I knew this is the only way I could gather some information.


    "This claymore sword with a mix of polished bronze and iron would fetch somewhere between 5 to 10k credits. Same goes to the buckler. Refined Iron would only reach to Level 10 before it becomes Super Refined Level 10 and then Purified Iron to Level 10."


    "An intermediate blacksmith would be able to make Super Refined and a Master Blacksmith would be able to make Purified Iron Level 1. To surpass Level 4, the person must be a Forge Master. And it would take at least 50 to 70 years of experience to reach that level."

 Chapter 23 - 23. A Spark Of Idea From The Genius

    "Wow...thank you so much for your kind advice and information. I''d be going off now, thanks for the rewards and I''d be right back here if we need to chat, alright?" I clasped my hand to my chest and bowed before leaving the store.


    I walked over to meet Bruce the bowsmith and gingerly paid for the automatic self reloading crossbow with unlimited bolts. Hahahaha. It got a stock like a rifle, the bow was made of composite even if it is not drawn back fully like a bow. Its speed would be between 160-190km/h.


    Not bad for a crossbow that acted like a rifle with unlimited bolts. *Pchew Pchew Pchew* down goes one enemy. Hah hah hah. I soon received an announcement regards to the damage rating of +35 and have a socket where I could insert a gem to enhance it


    I placed the crossbow in my 3rd quick slot and I''m finally satisfied. Now to return to the forest this time as a Ranger to unlock the Class. I should stay at the goblins place to let it respawn about 10 times so I would gain another round of EXP, credits and shields to sell.


    I passed by NoOne''s pathetic little camp and waved at him as I walked towards the goblin''s camp. I wonder what else this NPC is waiting for... Giving out quests to more adventurers or something? So far I have not seen anyone carrying any weapons out here besides me. Soon I reached the goblin camp and unslung the crossbow from my back.


    The same goblin grunts were at the main entrance and I shot a few times with the arrow and took down those 2 after shooting at least 4 Arrows at them. I hope to gain more EXP points in this way so I would level up as soon as possible. I went over and grabbed their spoils.


    Soon I heard the similar announcement indicating that I had unlocked Ranger Class. I went in and shot another 4 more who emerged from within their camp, brandishing their long swords and spears along with their coveted shield with a drawing of a white skull in front of it. 2 more emerged from the sides and I shot them down too.


    This crossbow is OP, it''s self reloading with unlimited bolts and seems nothing could stop me right now. I waited for the 8 goblin grunts to respawn and waited for 10 times before I call it a day since the sun had dipped down over the mountain tops. I had attained EXP points +960, 80 goblin shields, and credits +960.


    I was walking back to Northern Ingmery gate and was checking the interface and found that I had levelled up to another 10 more levels. There are another 100 points and I would allocate them when I get back to the Great Hall. It may sound like a great deal but I still have a long way to go. Its a max of 100k levels. The only thing that would help me to raise the levels would be by grinding.


    "Haish... In this system, you win some you lose some. I could grind and it just affects my level up and allocation of points meant for combat. But the rest of the profession remains as it is. Maybe... If I could only discuss with Pointus and the head of infirmary to actually promote better health and living conditions."


    "Would it hurt to make a few bars of soap, body lotion and hair shampoo? Haisshh... I miss those 6 girls who would be able to adapt to anything. Hmm... Wait a minute. They mentioned about abandoned houses and also men going to war, there must be widows and orphans in Ingmery, right? "


    I thought to myself as I stopped near an old tree and was looking at the gates that lead to the Northern District. I think I could get someone to help out. Don''t mind if I do...


    I walked in, showed my identification and went to Bruce the Bowsmith and offloaded all the 80 goblins planked shields and received 4,800 credits. I looked at my wealth and was feeling wonderful since it had reached the 10k mark.


    I walked through the gate that leads to the Central Ingmery and looked at the abandoned house near the Tavern. It doesn''t look too shabby, maybe it needs a fresh coat of paint to make it lively. I saw a patrol guard and asked him, "Excuse me, is there any law against us to take a look at the abandoned house? There''s no occupant there, am I right?"


    "No problem, it''s had long been abandoned, there''s another large house near the central marketplace. It''s an ideal place there if you want to take up residency. You just need to go to the Great Hall, pay a small fee and then the house would be yours." the patrol guard replied.


    "Thank you for your kind service, I''d take a look at the abandoned house near the marketplace. By the way, when the men of Ingmery went to war and lost their lives, do their widows and children stayed behind here?"


    "There''s an orphanage that takes care of these poor orphans. The widows, on the other hand, are quite independent on their own. Would there be any more questions, citizen?"


    "I don''t think so. I may head down to meet Prius at the Great Hall and see what kind of solutions he has gotten for me." I bade the patrol guard and headed back to the Great Hall, with the intent to change, shower and then allocate the points. And after dinner, might scout around for the abandoned houses and then ask about the orphans.


    .....


    "Knock, Knock... I''m back..." I greeted everyone when I entered the main door of the Great Hall. Prius was sitting at the table with a mug in front of him and was pleased with himself over something that I would not know of. Patricia immediately served a jug of ice-cold water and places it there for me since she knew I had been out and about for 20 times waiting for those goblins to respawn.


    "Here you go, 5 pieces of pork chops from the wild boar. The rest had been sold off to the merchant who was always there and not going anywhere soon. Hmm, do you know how to preserve these pieces of meat?" I asked Patricia and she shook her head.


    "That''s a fine crossbow you''ve got there, my friend. How were your results today?" Prius asked as he noticed my self reloading unlimited bolts crossbow. "Well, I''ve killed 160 goblin grunts and some wild boars to sell the hide and meat. The goblins had only some money but their planked shields sure are worth a lot of credits. I wonder why the price is so unbalanced here in this town."


    "Not bad my friend, well run along with Pat and show her to preserve this meat. At least we could have meat for the coming few days, eh?"


    "That''s right, Prius. No problem, Pat. Just leave the pork covered first inside the pot and I will settle it with you later. I just need to get changed, have a shower and then discuss something with you later about an abandoned house and orphanage."


    "No problem, my friend. Carry on..." Prius said as he went to the kitchen to place the pork chops there. As for me, I can''t wait to get rid of the clothes that I wore and have a nice shower. If only I have a body soap, I guess it would be much more refreshing than running down with a piece of rag.


    .....


    "Prius, what did you found out? Is he a decent, law-abiding citizen?" asked Patricia as she placed the pork chops inside a cauldron and covered it up.


    "Yes, he''s a decent man. He helped Jonn to gain back his lost property. Before that, he helped Rebecca and gifted him with a stone ring that increases his strength. He did kill 160 goblins and a few wild boar just to unlock his Class."


    "He did talk to some patrol guards and when I checked with them, Audemars was asking if its an offence to enter an abandoned house. Later when he returned from the forest he asked about acquiring an abandoned house and also about the widows and orphans. I can''t place my finger on it but I think he''s a kind and righteous man. Don''t you think so? "


    "Yes, at least he seemed quite decent to me but his demeanour was something not from this island. Maybe he kept his identity to himself and doesn''t want to reveal too much, who knows. At least one thing we both know is that he got an OP fart that could kill anyone within a radius of 3 meters."


    "Hah hah hah... I can never forget the incident. I was wondering why he was moaning but little did we know he was yawning and had to release after what''s keeping inside him for 6 months. Hah Hah Hah." laughed Prius aloud and had confirmed that I was not a spy and I don''t intend to harm anyone except for those who look for trouble first.

 Chapter 24 - 24. Three Heads Are Better Than One

    After I had done my initial tasks, I sat on the bed with a fresh pair of clothes. I checked the interface and decided to allocate the points. It seems that Day Two had me levelled up to 49. I''m not sure if it''s great or not, but to me, a progress is still a progress.


    Level: 49/100,000


    Progress: 76%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 93 (+3)


    Dexterity: 94


    Intelligence: 73


    Vitality: 59


    Toughness: 53 (+22)


    Damage: 67 (+35)


    Recovery: 69


    Unallocated points: 40


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +96 Armor +96


    DEX: Damage +94 Dodge +9.4% Stealth +9.4%


    INT: Damage +73 Resistance +7.3%


    VIT: Health +590


    TOUGH: Armour +530 (+220)


    DAM: Damage +184.25 (+ 96.25)


    REC: Mana +345


    I decided to leave 40 points aside first since I have no idea where I should be placing them. I think I should just increase the INT to a flat 100 points and then I could pump the STR and DEX accordingly. Right now, there is no beasts or demons that could bother me at this moment. Saving these for later would be a good idea especially stockpiling on allocated points. Hah Hah Hah.


    Alright, enough fooling around. I''d better head to the kitchen to help out Patricia on how to preserve meat. When I got there in the kitchen, Patricia was just about to serve dinner and I asked for the pork chops which she had kept inside the cauldron. I placed the 5 pieces inside the washbasin and cranked the pump to let the water wash the meat first.


    I placed one piece on the cutting board and began to slice them thinly using a kitchen knife and I noticed that the kitchen knife was made of iron. It was a cleaver actually, and it is my favourite tool in the kitchen, whether to prepare vegetables, fish or meat.


    After I had made thin slices, I rubbed it with salt and used a thin wire to pierce the meat and strung it there in the kitchen''s window. Don''t ask where I get the thin wire from, it just materialised in the kitchen for me to use, okay. Hah Hah Hah...


    After I had settled with the 5 chops, I cleaned up the countertop and headed to the Great Hall. They were all waiting for me and I profusely apologies to them since they preferred to wait and eat together, just like a small family would do. Sigh.....


    "You''re done with the preservation of meat already? That was quite fast...so basically you used salt to preserve the meat." Prius asked as he scooped up the gruel.


    "Salt is one way to preserve it. It removes the moisture from the meat and hinders bacteria from forming. Cutting them into thin slices would dry the meat faster. Once there''s sun tomorrow, we could just hang it there to dry faster. The salt would be caked over it and it would be best to clean it off first before cooking."


    "So what the best meal to cook. You were mentioning about having rice, right?" Patricia said as she reminds me of today''s discussion.


    "Well, for a 3 person, all you need is two scoops to make gruel. But for rice, you basically need one scoop each. But it would be better if you could cook rice once a day for both meals so you need to concentrate on the vegetables and other dishes instead." I suggested since it would cut down the times spent in the kitchen. Right, I wonder who would love spending time in the kitchen whipping up the same meals 3 times daily. Maybe an NPC would do that. Haha Haha.


    "Oh, I did ask around regards to the abandoned houses around here and about the orphanages. Maybe you can highlight to me further. I was told I could get an abandoned house here after paying for a small fee." I began the discussion that had me pondering since before.


    "Yes, actually you could choose which one you like and take over completely. Just sign some paperwork here and it''s all done. Just forget about the small fee." replied Prius as taking over an abandoned house that was not being maintained by the City Council is easier.


    "However, if you wanted to get your own small house that was regularly maintained, it would cost you 12,150 credits to acquire the key. It''s just a house and you need to get your very own furnishings after that." Prius added.


    "What do you want to know about the orphanages?" Patricia asked with interest.


    "What''s the legal age for anyone to be properly employed and how much would they be earning per month, let''s say as an assistant or the lowest paid employee?" I asked since I won''t want to have a brush with the law.


    "As long as the person has started to walk, he or she would be able to be employed in all kinds of employment. Hah hah... It depends on the kind of work though, a minimum base salary here would start at 300 credits per month. What do you have in mind, my friend?" Prius asked since I''ve asked about a house and an orphanage plus employment and this three adds up into some kind of scheme.


    "Oh, it''s just an idea I had that had been going round in my head for quite some time. The only person that would connect all the dots together to form a complete picture would be Pointus. He may have the materials that I need. And also Joan too, since I have not met her and chatted with her at all. Maybe I should drop by to meet her after this." I replied as I thought about the distillers, decanters and all those alchemy materials in her shop.


    "Oh, alright. By the way, there''s an abandoned house just behind this Great Hall here. If you want to take it, be our guest then. It''s nothing much, just a single storey building with 2 bedrooms and combined living space and kitchen and 1 bathroom."


    "It was owned by a warrior who had long vanquished in one of the battles. His widow and children had all went back to the wife''s parents since there''s nothing much to look forward to from that moment on. Let me know if you are interested and the house would be yours." Prius hinted to me in getting the abandoned house for no costs at all.


    "I will see the orphanage first. Maybe Patricia would like to bring me there later?" I said as I finished the meal and Patricia nodded to me as she cleared off all the bowls on the table and brought it to the basin.


    "Come let''s go..." Patricia beckoned me as she pulled me off my chair and dragged me out of the house like a cat. *meowwwww*


    .....


    "Here we are. We have reached the orphanage. There are two separate dorms, one for the boys and the other for the girls. There''s only one boy here while there are another 3 girls left here. Come let''s meet the matron." Patricia once again pulled me and heads inside and directly went to the matron office.


    "Good evening matron, Audemars here would like to meet the orphans," Patricia said as she bowed slightly to the matron and she looked at me with a kind of weird look like I''m some kind of paedophile.


    "You are too young to have a family and are you a father already?" the matron asked after giving me the eye from head to toe. It was if she got x-ray eyes that could see what type of boxers i wore and how much money I carry.


    "Errr... I''m not married and still single actually. Is there anything wrong?" I asked since she had given me a kind of dirty look, so I''d guess she has a dirty mind after all.


    "No, No... There''s nothing wrong. I just don''t want the children here being sold off as slaves by the slave traders after all. You don''t seem to be a slave trader right since Patricia here had dragged you in. Come, follow me. Walk this way, please. We will meet with the boy first." the matron finally agreed to bring me rounds, if not for the accompany of Patricia.


    We followed the matron down the hall where a young boy around the age of 12 was lying down on the bed and playing with his PSP. The moment he saw the matron and we walked in, he quickly hid the device under his pillow and stood up while he tugged and arranged the bed. He is the only boy left in the whole boy''s dorm.


    "Meet Adam West, he is 12 and had been staying here for almost 2 years. The rest of the boys had already been picked up. Unfortunately, those boys were being sold off as slaves so he is the lucky one, I guess."


    "Adam, come here and greet these guests." the matron beckoned the boy to come forth and introduce himself.


    "Good evening good sir and madam. My name is Adam West and I am 12 years old. I am supposed to be the Mayor of Quahog when I hit the age of 30 but right now I''m stuck here all alone in this boy''s dorm with no one to talk to and no one to play with. I am a self-study kid, I don''t like to bother anyone else unless I am being bothered first. I love to read all kinds of novels that I could lay my hands on and my favourite ones are magical realism, fantasy and adventure. Phewww... I''m out of breath now after the long introduction." the boy mentioned as he finished talking and when he smiled he showed a perfect set of teeth.


    I remembered the first time when I met Will.I.Am as he was being sold off by a slave trader, who had sold his soul to the devil when he wanted to jump off a low bridge into a brook whose water doesn''t even reach the ankles even.


    "Don''t mind him, he would be a side character in Family Guy soon in 18 years time. Once he had reached the age of 18, he would be free to leave this orphanage and he can venture as and when he needed." the matron explained.


    "So Adam West, you do your own self-study. What is 1+1 equals?" I asked as I wanted to test his intellectual and he went on to scratch his nose and head and counted his fingers and his toes. He placed his hand under his chin as he looked up at the ceiling and counted the ribs of the roof until he finally said, "I don''t know..."


    Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah... It took him nearly a minute to figure it out and he doesn''t even know how to count...!!! Hah hah hah hah hah...


    "That''s a good truthful answer. I like that. You''re hired... Oh... I meant that you''re being kept in view first eh... I''d be seeing you soon, Adam West." I said after I had laughed out loud the moment he answered he doesn''t know what is 1+1 equals to.

 Chapter 25 - 25 Little Monkeys And A Muddlehead.

    Alright, let''s go to the girl''s dorm. You said there are 3 girls left, right? Are they related to one another?" I asked as we were being ushered out and down into the other hall. When we opened up the door, the girls were having a pillow fight and lots of goose feather was scattered in the floor and some were still floating in the air. When the matron walked in, they stopped and were pretending to fluff their pillows and bedsheets in their beds.


    "Tsk tsk tsk... It has been some time since we had done any spring cleaning, matron." said the tallest and presumably the eldest in the group.


    "Huh...these 3 girls are the devil''s offsprings. No, they are not related to one another and they are always full of nonsense such as this. Their parents left them here as their parents had given up their residency here and wanted to move out and start another family elsewhere."


    "I don''t know, that''s what the people here say. Some say the parents had an extramarital affair and some say that they are part of the LGBT. However, these girls have been here ever since. Girls, come over here and introduce yourself to these good citizens here." the matron described how their parents were and beckoned the girls over to introduce themselves.


    "Good evening kind sir and madam. My name is Ingles and I am 12 years old. This is Jane and she is 11, while this little devil is Kayla and she is 10. We are the Charlie''s Angels and please don''t mind us fluffing the pillows over each other''s heads earlier."


    "We are not the devil''s offsprings but Kayla might be, I don''t know. She would throw her tantrum whenever she wishes and we would spar with one another from time to time."


    "If the department of social welfare comes in to check on us for any scratched and bruises, they knew we three loved to spar from time to time. We three had not been chosen to be slaves by the slave traders so we won''t know how it would be like to be as slaves."


    The three grinned at us and both showed a perfect set of teeth. I don''t know why, maybe good teeth means they have better hygiene unlike those in medieval England where the serfs had blackened, unwashed teeth. Or coffee stains, whatever... Hah Hah Hah.


    "Hello girls, my name is Audemars and this is Patricia. And if you are thinking if we are a couple, no... We are not a couple, yet, I suppose. By the way, that''s the least important matter to be discussed, right now. Do you girls know how to start a fire without burning the whole house down?"


    "I know... I do... Yeay Fire...!!" the girls began to jump up and down like little chimpanzees wearing girls'' dresses and were raising their hands high in the air as if they would be getting candy if they gave the right answers. Hah Hah Hah...


    I looked at Patricia and can''t help myself wondering, "Were you like this when you''re their age before? Jumping around, having pillow fights and so on?"


    Patricia looked at me and grinned, and I saw another set of perfect teeth but with a piece of salad stuck between them. If only she knew I won''t know what she would do. Would she pick her teeth in public or she would suck on her teeth instead and making that awful screeching and smacking sounds... So uncouth...!!! Yyuucckkss...!!!


    "Alright, since you had seen these children, come over to my office for a discussion then." the matron gestured us to follow her back to the office. Geez... I haven''t made a confirmation and yet this discussion is going to be a serious one indeed. Haiyooo...


    "Alright, Mister Audemars, I''m not going to ask you how do you find those children because it seems that you are not a big bad wolf that is going to eat them for your meals. But instead, I need to know what are your plans for them since you are not into slave trading and not going to make them your slaves or anything."


    "That''s a real mouthful there, ma''am. I have my plans but right now the question lies with Pointus and I have yet to meet Joan because of certain things that I may need from her. I''m not sure what they would think of me because I would be somewhere in the middle of their profession." I explained since I wanted to use Joan''s equipment as she is into alchemy and also need Pointus on where I could gather certain herbs.


    "What is your profession, Mister Audemars. I am very curious indeed and we all knew that you had just awoken from your deep sleep for 6 months after the Battle of Qodegh ended. It is a bitter war that many people termed it as ''Battle of Widowers''. You get what I mean?"


    "I''m a Herbalist and a Crafter, ma''am. You may take Pointus as my reference. Furthermore, I''m in between alchemy and a pharmacist so I might say that I''m a mix of these professions. Furthermore, I''m a crafter, meaning I am used to crafting something to improve the lives of citizens as well as their wellbeing and living conditions." I explained to her, with just enough information to just scratch the surface.


    "Tell me more what did you do improve the lives of the citizens, their wellbeing and living conditions? I''m very interested because normally a crafter would only think about their own welfare and not others. This is the first time I heard from a warrior of such mannerism."


    The matron leaned forward on her desk and peered deep within me... As if she was some kind of soothsayer or maybe there''s dirt on my face that somehow distracts her. Hah Hah Hah.


    So here I am spinning another trail of bullshit that would make other listeners be in total astonishment when they heard me out. "Long before I was brought into the Legion by the Ruler of Aermagh, I was living in a small town in an unknown part of this country. It is called Oddfish."


    "I was an orphan because my paternal parents can''t afford to have another baby in their household so I was brought to this person who loves children and living in a house that looked like an Old Brown Shoe."


    "When I was 10, I was fortunate to be an apprentice for both a pharmacy and alchemist and one day I was playing with some formula and created some kind of bath soap that comprises using both the pharmacy and alchemist skills put together. They loved the idea and opened up a small establishment for me to run my own show."


    "In two years time, I was able to buy my own house, have small farmland for both food and herbal crops as well as a small coop for the hens and some goats. I was managing this alone until I was so-called responsible enough to take care of some employees to run the business together. I was doing the process and some of the employees were mainly doing the packing, storing as well as distribution to other beauty and cosmetic shops."


    "I had been to the Northern District and it seems that there is no beauty or cosmetic shops so I''m very interested in setting up one while I go about my tasks ad an Adventurer here." I paused for a short while to let these bullshit sink slowly and form beautiful scenes inside their head especially credits that seems to flow in from the air.


    "How much do you earn a month, Audemars?" asked Patricia who suddenly seemed interested in the bullshit that''s coming out of my mouth... Hah Hah Hah.


    "By the time I left, the place was run by 6 Plant Managers, 4 regional managers, 1 head if department and treasurer and more than 2000 employees. After I left to join this Battle of Qodegh, I last heard that some goblins or monsters had overrun the town of Oddfish and it had been ravaged to fires and burned to the ground." I put in a sad face but I was smiling inside, knowing that if I acted as if I''m wallowing in my sad past, Patricia and the matron would definitely help another fellow orphan.


    "Tch... Tch... Tch... It is such a pity, but that doesn''t answer Miss Patricia''s question, Mister Audemars." the matron said while she raised her eyebrows and looked like she got a shrunken forehead...


    "I''m too shy to say since everything was gone. Frankly, I was just earning just about 10 to 20 thousand credits per month after deduction of all the salaries, overhead and operating costs. That profit is all mine after the main balances had been deducted." I said as I spread my hands on the table, cocked my head sideways and put on a sad face as if my goldfish had turned belly up.


    "That''s a lot of money there, Mister Audemars. 10k credits a month, you could surely live comfortably around here. By the way, I heard you had been farming in the forest for the whole day today, am I right? Well, don''t be surprised, Ingmery have ears on the walls and eyes on every street on every corner here, so how much have you collected so far? "


    "*Ahem*...just 10k credits, but these are my personal collections. I intend to hit another 90k before u could use it as capital to run any business. We need capital to run businesses, right? Not to mention employees, we also need to get the equipment and stuff." I replied innocently after I made a quick check on the wealth that I had after I grind those goblins and sold off 160 of the goblins planked shields.


    "10k credits and you think it''s not enough for you? It''s as good to start any business here, Mister Audemars and you are telling me you need another 100k? You think you are able to do it within the next 10 days since you can achieve doing it from lunchtime to before dinner to acquire that much credits?" asked the matron in surprised since she earns slightly less than 1k credits to run the orphanage.


    "I think I could be able to give you my answer for the welfare of those 4 children in 2 weeks time, would that be alright with you ma''am?" I tried to avoid any more discussions because having conversations with women seems to be probing me and stripping me naked piece by piece.


    "That''s all right Mister Audemars. The children won''t be going anywhere because there''s nowhere they are heading and it had been 2 years since the last one had left. If they were being adopted by you, let''s say that for the moment, we would like those children to be around us so that we would be able to monitor their progress."


    "I also want these children to be properly educated in either the public school or any firms of education. As long as they learn something beneficial, we would be fine with that." the matron said as she closed a book in her table and adjusted her glasses and tried to look demure and serious at the same time.


    "Education my ass... Those who will be under my supervision would get the best livelihood ever... Hah Hah Hah..." I smirked inwardly and I accepted it as a challenge because ny me saying I''d give her an answer in 2 weeks we''re not rebuked.


    On with the show, Charlie Chaplin...

 Chapter 26 - 26 Joan The Alchemist

    I and Patricia were sitting at the fountain just outside the Great Hall when I playful dipped my hand inside the water and felt the coldness of the water fountain. "I wonder how they could make the water shoot up from the centre here and let the water drop down from that bowl that catches all the water and then it trickles down from its sides into this part here. There''s no electricity or steam-powered mechanism to work these pumps. This town is really a bit mysterious." I thought to myself.


    "Trish... You won''t mind me calling you that, right? It sounds better than Pat because it''s short for a Patrick. Hah Hah Hah..." actually I''m trying to act like a cool cat in front of her, and see if this NPC is really a heartless and emotionless person.


    "Trish sounds nice to me, I like it. Nearly everyone calls me Pat and you are the only one that called me Trish, I like it... Actually, I loved it when you call me that." Patricia answered with a twinkle in her eye, most probably because someone had shone a torch in her directions and her pupils caught the reflection. How the hell people would have a twinkle in their eyes?!?!


    "Throw a hook, line and sinker and I got a bug whale coming ashore." I thought as flashed her award-winning grin, as sponsored by Pepsodent.


    "How would you like me to call you then? Au? Audi? Aude? Mars?" she asked as she too smiled with the piece of salad still stuck within her front teeth.


    "Au sounds like you knee hits against the edge of a table, Audi sounds like a car, Aude sounds like a Bruneian addressing the other party, Mars sounds like the 3rd planet from the sun. Just call me by name full name and I normally address myself as ''Yours Truly'' as I was used to be called ''Your Excellency'', ''Your Lordship'', ''Young Master'', ''Senior'', ''Gov''ner'' and so on. With so many honorifics, it would be hard to track, just like my interface, attributes and stats. Hah Hah Hah... "


    "Oh, alright Audemars. I thought you wished to be called something else. Hehehe. How was your 2nd day after waking up from your deep sleep?"


    "I''m still getting used to it, Trish. Furthermore, I wanted to ask you something, when I meet Pointus and Joan tomorrow, and if they agree on what I would be proposing to them, would you like to be my partner?"


    "YES...I''D LOVE TO BE YOUR PARTNER, TILL DEATH DO US PART... " Patricia shrieked in joy and she kind of whipped in joy as she accidentally had scooped the water from the fountain and splashed it on me as she raised her hands in the air triumphantly.


    Err... A small sentence that had gone misunderstood again... Haiyooo...


    "Trish... Err... It is not what I meant by that kind of partner. It is only 2 days only, right. I can''t put a finger on my emotions right now. The only thing right now is to grind those goblins, sell it to NoOne, the merchant who is there with tons of credits to buy all those stuff from adventurers and once I had collected the 100k, then I could peacefully out the idea to work."


    "What I meant was a business partner, if the plan goes through." I continue and I can sense her feeling being dampened like as if water had been thrown into a fireplace and all was left was the spluttering and blubbering of fire, smoke and Ash around. I took her hand and placed on my lap and gave it a squeeze and said, "Thank you, Trish. I hadn''t had the chance to thank you for taking care of me while I was unconscious for the whole 6 months. I am sure you were anticipating me to wake up and grab you in my arms, right?"


    I sincerely said as she took her free hand and but in her fingernail when she discovered that there is a piece of salad stuck there in her teeth and she looked at me in horror. I nodded my head and she suddenly stood up and gave me a few beatings on my back with her closed fist and ran back inside. Before she enters the house, she smiled and flashed her teeth at me minus the cabbage.


    "Haish... Girls will always be girls. They could be NPC or humans alike...they do have feelings after all.


    ....


    "I''m off to meet Joan the Alchemist... Be right back before lunch then. Cheers everyone and thanks for the breakfast, Trish." I said as I left the Great Hall and turned left towards the path that leads me past Blake the Blacksmith and Pointus the Herbalist cum Pharmacist.


    "Who is Trish? Why does he call you Trish instead of Pat? Who are you? What did you do to Patricia? Where is my little sister? Tell me, are you a Shapeshifter? Tell me or I''d Swear I drive my family heirloom sword into your vile body...SPEAK...WHERE IS MY SISTER?!?!?!"


    "Haiya Prius. I''m still your sister lah. Audemars... He suddenly acted cute and mushy towards me. He called my middle name, no... The pronunciation of my name, instead of Pat, he called me Trish or Trisha... But I prefer he called me Trish, if he called me Trisha, I would expect a hand-drawn Rickshaw to pass by instead."


    "Eh...i tot you wanted people to address you as Pat instead if your full name? Why change...? Ahaaaaa... You have your heart fluttering for him ya? 6 months tending to him in his bed without him realising what you did ya? You little devil sister you... Hah hah hah."


    "That''s what you think brother. After what happened at the orphanage and what he had told us about his past life, I think I would be partnering with him throughout my life."


    "Eeehhhhhh....???!!!??? Partnering with him all your life? Did he propose to you last night or something? It''s only been two days and I think what he said was true, that half of his brain cells were fried like Char Kway Teow...."


    "Not that kind of partner, not yet I suppose. But a business partner. He''s now going to have a discussion with Joan and see how it worked out. Whatever it is, I am sure I would be able to work out somethings for him."


    "Whatever it is, you are my little sister and the only family I had. I don''t want anyone to hurt you or your feelings, you got that? I really thought you are not my sister when he mentioned you by Trish... Pheww... I thought I was in the wrong series in the wrong novel." Prius finally settled down on the chair and raised his mug of frothy grog that came in the form of a pet bottle called A&W Root beer.


    ....


    "Hello, Miss Joan. Hi, my name is Audemars and I am a fellow Alchemist like you." I greeted the alchemist who was wearing steampunk goggles and a dark coloured leather apron and was handling some liquids with her light green coloured heavy work leather gloves that looked like some bright dishwashing gloves.


    "Don''t you move an inch, stay where you are. Wait until I move this volatile liquid into the side to let it rest for a while." Joan remarked as she hissed the instructions at me.


    I was struck by her words ''volatile'' and I''d be ready to cover myself with my Nipple Buckler when I sense it is going to blow up any second. I was stuck in a half step motion just like a Gold Mime with my hands outstretched and nothing moved except for my eyeballs, my Adam''s apple and my heartbeat.


    Elsewhere in the marketplace, everything, humans, chicken, birds and even cats and dogs were in their own frozen, or bullet time state. No one dared to move or even breathe...!!! Damn... If it is not real then its A-W-E-S-O-M-E...


    "Alright... It is done. What did you say your name was? She walked towards me with her steam pink googles and as she removed one of the pink bright green dishwashing gloves, her elbow brushed a sealed test tube from its holder and toppled off the counter.


    I saw it from the corner of my eye and caught it before it hits the ground with my left hand. Joan saw what I did and remarked, "You really got good reflexes there, young man. If that test tube fell, this whole store would be blown into smithereens." she said casually as she took the tube from my hands and replaced it back in the test tube holder.


    "Oh. My. God... This whole god damn place is a land mine. I shouldn''t be touching anything at all and once I had my say, I''d get the hell out of this place as far as I can...!!!" I thought as my eyes scanned for any other stuff that can be easily knocked over and at last, I was standing by the door.


    "Don''t be afraid, you had cheated death once, it won''t hurt to cheat death an umpteenth time... Hah Hah Hah... Yes, you mention your name is Audemars right? The young man who had awaken from his comatose 3 days ago." she said and by saying that, it seems that I had a poster on my chest indicating that I had indeed awakened from my comatose of 6 months. Geezzz... Really, these walls do have ears, eyes and mouth...!!

 Chapter 27 - 27. Another Project By Pointus the Pharmacist

    "Alright, what can I do for you, Audemars? How can be of your assistance? So you''ve said you''re an alchemist too? What had you produced before, young man?" she asked and sized me up from head to toe since I was known as warrior brought in from some travellers to the infirmary and how the hell I would know anything about alchemy.


    "Ahem, I had used normal everyday products like Cocos Nucifera, Olea Europaea, Elaeis Guineensis, Sodium Hydroxide and Dihydrogen Monoxide to produce something that improved the lives of the people in Oddfish. The tools that you used such as decanters and distillers are the ones that made it a success."


    (Phew... That was a mouthful to say, I had to use scientific terms to put Joan in the same interest as an Alchemy. In fact, the terms used was coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, lye and water.)


    "Wow... That''s very interesting. You really are an Alchemist but why do you end up as a warrior instead eh? It''s really a weird change of trade or profession, I might say." said Joan as she pulled a stool and sat down while offering me nine as she looked at me like as if I was trying to run out of the store in case of any emergencies.


    "Long story cut short, Miss Joan. Right now I wish to know where can I procure the kinds of glass apparatus that you are using right now?" I asked since I was used to using the glass distillers back then in the Realm of Mind to extract the Essences for 24 types of scents.


    "Ah, you''ve got to be certified as an Alchemist before you could procure this equipment. It''s not easy you know, you have to sit for the exams, remember the whole periodic table and then must know every single component of a product and break it down its reaction in room temperature, boiling and freezing point."


    "On top of that, you need to take up quarterly assessment every 3 months and attain a perfect score of 100% and if not, out you go and become a bum," she said as she pointed to the certification that she had hung on the wall behind the counter. It shows which year she had graduated from and the current status of renewal, which was a few weeks old.


    "One question before I go, Miss Joan. It might be a personal question but is there anything like a beauty or cosmetics shop here in Ingmery? How about other towns in the vicinity around here? Women love to preen and smell nice am I right?" I asked since I noticed she had a slight colour on her lips and that may indicate lipstick or some kind.


    "There''s no such store existed around here and it''s not a personal question. Other people would bathe twice in their lifetime, but i bathe every known public holiday of the year which is close to 24 days a year."


    "Of course I smell nicer than other peasants here. "she said as she raised her arm and smelled her armpit. Maybe she smelled a bit sour and was waiting when the next holiday would be. Hah Hah Hah Hah...!!!!!


    I thanked her and slowly made my exit from the glass door that I had entered. Everyone in the street saw how slow I moved and they stopped in their tracks, even animals too and the district turned deathly quiet. The moment I had successfully removed myself from that death trap place and closed the door, everyone sighed relief and began walking about normally.


    My goodness... I think that''s the first and last time I entered through Joan''s Potion Brewery. I wonder what she would be up since she would be concocting every single experiment every day and blows her place up at 5 every evening.


    I walked over to Pointus and entered after knocking the door. "Good day Pointus, how was yesterday at the Infirmary? Have you settled all the medications for the distribution for those patients with liver issues?"


    I greeted with a huge voice and he peered his eyes over a book and place it aside. "Heh, another secret book there. I wonder what he is up to right now." I thought to myself as I walked and sat across him at the counter.


    "Been reading a new book, Pointus? So how was it yesterday? Hopefully, you didn''t sell me out by telling them my trade secret do you?" I said as I wagged a finger at him.


    "Oh, hello there, young man. I''m fine, thank you. The infirmary was a success and I had already collected the full payment for the job done that was supposed to be ready in 6 months. You are a lifesaver, do you know that? Thank goodness for your assistance."


    "Now I have another side project, but I''m not sure if you could help me out or not. Take a look at the whole basket that I had harvested yesterday evening. See what you could make out of those plants."


    Pointus pointed out to a basket of single branched plants with some white flowers like a bonsai plant and brown seeds.


    I went back through the room and when I touched it I saw the lingering message appearing before me. Congratulations in discovering Eurycoma longifolia. A type of plant to aid vitality.


    The root can be used as an aphrodisiac, it is also can be used as antimalarial, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and antipyretic. In small doses, it can be used to treat fever, intestinal worms, indigestion and jaundice.


    Fruits and flowers can be used to treat dysentery.


    "Wow... It seems that Pointus has hit a gold mine and I could even ask for a raise. It is quite rare to find it here in this lands and I''m sure I could ask triple for this process. Let me try and confirm with him." I thought as this product was known as Long Jack in the States.


    "Ahem... Pointus. This root has its magical uses to treat a few kinds of ailments and the seeds and leaves could also be used to treat other complications. Frankly, this plant alone is called Eurycoma Longifolia and this promotes the well being of man. There are 10 uses alone for this type of plant. Would it be alright... Ahem... If I propose 20 times the amount for yesterday''s worth?"


    "W H A T...?!?! 20 times the amount? Are you really sure, asking for 12,000 credits? What are the uses, you tell me so I could be justified to pay you that amount." Pointus nearly jumped from his seat since I had asked for such an astronomical price of 12,000 for the process of this truly magical plant.


    "One thing for sure, if a man takes a few doses of this, he would be a fearsome dragon on the bed and not just a kitty cat lapping milk from a saucer. Do you know what I mean? It brings the beast out of you... *AAAUUUMMM...* You could sell a pill for 50 credits? It''s cheap and it''s a one time use. You could be famous after this...!!! "


    "That''s for one usage, how about the rest? Could it be sold at the same price?" he asked, and from his look alone, he had shown a considerable amount of interest. Last night alone, I had made more than a few thousand pills and if I could pull this off, he could easily earn three to four-fold of the amount that I''m asking for.


    I explained to him of the other 9 uses and he did acknowledge that this is a miracle plant indeed. I placed the basket of these harvested plant on the weighing scale and it tipped more than 6kg excluding the basket.


    "Not bad... Not bad at all..." I thought to myself. Right now all I wanted Pointus to do is to separate the leaves and seeds in one basket and the roots in the other. The stalk can be replanted once more at a 15-degree inclined angle on moist ground.


    I told him what he needs to do and he quickly put the task at work. He passed me the book he was reading and when I touched the book, I got a new message. "Congratulations on discovering Book On Herbs, Vitamins and Supplement. Total new knowledge 220. You have successfully levelled up to 51/100,000. Basic Herbalist 6/10. Total allocated points +240."


    "Fuyoo...another Leap in my levels. This is good progress. I think if I made a few thousand pills, would I be an upgraded Herbalist after this?" I thought to myself as I handed the book back under the countertop and peeked in if Pointus had finished preparing the items.


    I noticed that all the roots had been set aside, clean of all soil and other impurities. The leaves and seeds had been plucked and a soft cotton bud soaked in the water had been wrapped to those stalks that had been harvested.


    "Cool...I could start doing these medications first. The same type of product to produce 9 cures for ailments and for two different prices. Who knows Pointus would be selling the aphrodisiac ones at 100 credits and the normal ones at 50 credits?"


    I thought to myself and wondered what he might be scheming next. Hope he won''t be making me like a cattle with a nose ring, pulling me here and there and taking advantage of me. I''ve got to get the upper hand in this. At least I could make him the distributor and me being the maker. This way I could raise the money I need for the necessary funding.


    "Hah Hah... It seems you are engrossed in your work there, my good friend. I would start using the roots to process. I''d take this basin here and you would help me to feed the roots when you''re done, okay?" I suggested and he nodded, thinking how much I would be able to produce for a single root.


    I weighed the roots and found it to be just above 2.5kg, and I estimated that I could make at least 10k pills from this. This is an estimation based on a 0.2gram 6mm round pill.


    "Ah well... What are 12,000 credits if he could make 60,000 in an instant instead, right?" I thought inwardly as I prepared a small stool where I could sit comfortably and dropped those ready pills into this huge metal basin that I had lined with some clean dishcloth.

 Chapter 28 - 28. I Am Getting Better At Making Pills Now

    I had made the Kamehameha furnace in my left palm which was glowing in a steady red flame, and when I imbued Psi Energy Healing Spheres into it, it glowed a fantastic bluish-white flame that was dancing around and waiting for me to feed it.


    "I''m ready now, I''d make a headstart first okay?" I said as I threw in a piece of the root into it. The bluish-white flames glowed intensely and I can see the small pills raising on top near my palm and when I tipped it over, alot of 6mm round pills were dropped into the basin with a dull plop.


    By the looks of it alone, it amounts to more than a 100 or even 200 pills as I slowly tipped my left palm abit and the pills streamed down almost nonstop.


    "If you happen to pass to your neighbour, I guess you would have a hard time sleeping... You would definitely hear *Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!* all night long. Hah Hah Hah... And in sure the community would have a boost in its population in every 9 months. Hah Hah Hah...!!!"


    I dropped in another piece of root when there''s no more pills to be extracted from my ''Pills By Mind Control''. Pointus looked at me and gave me a naughty kind of smile and a wink on his eye. I don''t know if he''s single or not because these affairs means little to me. Maybe he would use on himself and become the Guinea pig. Hah Hah Hah...!!!


    Soon by 30 mins, Pointus was helping me out and I told him to feed it once I had extracted out all the pills and by the next 30 minutes, we had filled almost to half of the metal basin. After ensuring that I had extracted all the pills for I am caution of cross contamination or process. I hope these men who consumed it would not be a walking towel rack within their nether region or having blue balls effect after consuming it tomorrow. Hah Hah Hah.


    "Remember Pointus, no more than 2 pills per night. I won''t want any adverse effect for those who took more than that for their nocturnal behaviour. Hah Hah Hah..." I advised Pointus so that he could restrict the sales and advise his customers.


    After all the pills had been extracted, the basin was set aside and a soft towel were placed over it. Next, he took another metal basin, carefully laid a clean dishcloth inside it and placed the basin that had the leaves, flowers and seeds next to him.


    *Ding* Pill Through Mind Control Success. MR. P pills produced. Basic Herbalist 9/10. Level up 54/100,000 Progress 16%. Allocated points +270


    I let the announcement sink in and wondered how I ended up having 270 points to be allocated at this moment. Everything was sweet music to my ears and I''ve even got the name for the pills to enhance the Vitality as well. MR. P also short for Mr. Pointy. Haha haha...


    "Alright, as for this, it would be treated for dysentery. It may be nothing much but its good to have a stockpile if it in case an outbreak occurs. It would be great to prepare for survival, right?" I explained and can''t help grinning as Pointus agreed since the idea of stockpiling is great. Furthermore these pills are organic and have no expiration date.


    Why? Don''t ask me why and how. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) have herbs and dried plants dated more than 50 years and the longer they keep it, the more expensive it would be.


    Pointus took a handful of leaves, flowers and seeds and threw them into the furnace that was flaming in top my left palm. When he got near to almost touch it, he find that it was not hot to touch, in fact it seems to be like a cold fire.


    "Hhmm...? This fire is not hot at all... No wonder it doesn''t burn your palm. It has a cooling effect even though it looked like a red hit blazing fire before." he said and find it rather amazing.


    "Ssshhh... This is a secret of mine. Please don''t tell anyone about it. My loos is also your total loss." I almost implored to him because I''m letting a fellow pharmacist to learn about my pill making technique.


    After each handful of the herbs entered the ''Pills Through Mind Control'' it managed to churn out close to 50 pills at one time. I saw that the basket had about three quarters content and before long I would be able to find out how I would actually produce.


    To produce those pills faster after I had extracted those out from the furnace on the left hand, Pointus used two hands to scoop the leaves, seeds and flowers and dumped it into the furnace.


    From that amount and speed, we are able to complete the whole basket within 20 minutes more or less. After the last pills were deposited into the basin, I closed my left palm and the fire extinguished.


    *Ding* Pill Through Mind Control Success. Alternative anti-dysentry pills produced. Congratulations. Intermediate Herbalist 2/100. Level up 57/100,000 Progress 24%. Allocated points +300


    "Fuyoooo... I got an upgrade from Basic Herbalist to an intermediate. That''s pretty cool... Does it mean I could shake down a tree and dump into the ''Pills By Mind Control'' and make whatever new and unknown pills? Hah Hah Hah... That''s pretty cool..." I wanted to jump for joy but Pointus would be thinking I''m going crazy over these pill making technique.


    "Alright, I''m done, Mr Pointus. Heh heh. You can name the 1st batch of pills by ''Mr P'' and these 2nd ones are the anti-dysentery ones. It looked the same but for a different purpose." I advised.


    "So you have time to help me out into placing these pills into the vials for easier distribution? I''d even pay you an extra 3,000 credits. Would it be alright?" he asked since he got some boxes with layers if vials inside them to store these pills.


    "Sure, it would only take a few minutes to store these. How many anti-dysentry pills you want to store first?" I asked and he replied to place in 18 pills each.


    "Would it be alright if you leave the boxes here and leave me about 10 to 15 minutes? Let me try my technique in peace and quiet." he agreed without much questioning and left me with the basin full of anti-dysentry pills and 3 boxed of 600 vials. After he left, I closed the door slightly and I sat down on the stool.


    I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and made a new zone. I visualised a small machine to dispense these pills 10 bottles at a time, according to a counter and I could place all these bottles in a small conveyor belt and slowly fed it automatically from the box using a robotic arm. Well, Realm of Mind can really do wonders and this process could only take up an hour to do so.


    A small pill dispenser machine was visualised and it took just a short while to integrate and materialise on a small work table. Very soon, I carried a box of vials and placed it in the ready box for trlhe robotic arm to pick it up.


    Then I dumped the pills into the top of the machine and clicked the counter to 18. That''s the amount of pills to be dispensed into each vial. A small panel opens up, indicating which row of nozzles I would choose to dispense the pills and I chose a standard 5x2 formation.


    I pressed ''Make 1'' and the robotic arm picked up the empty vial, placed it into the allocated nozzle dispensers and soon 18 pills trickled down and another arm closes the cap and returns to the ''OK Zone''. It only took less than a minute to do it. Since the first trial is fine, I pressed ''Make Batch'' and soon I logged off and returned to the real world. It took no more than 5 minutes to prepare that in the real world timing.


    I came out of the room and met Pointus and he was surprised that I am able to leave so the back room almost immediately. "Wow... That was fast. Its already ready?" he said and when he made a move to go to the backroom, he was held back.


    "S. E. C. R. E. T. It is not ready yet. Another 15 minutes I would go in back again. By the way... How many MR P are you going to distribute? Do you have enough vials in the first place and how much would you be selling them? By the way, it would be advise able to make them into 100g dosage for you know what, and the normal 0.2g for the other 8 more ailments I had earlier mentioned.


    "Yes, I do have the necessary vials required. One box has 600 vials inside it and every layer has 150 of them." he replied and I retorted back and said I would help myself. Its a trade secret and I cannot let anyone know about it.


    He nodded in apprehension and I clapped m hands together and rubbed and made a Psi Energy Healing Spheres and placed them into my chest. He looked at it and asked, "What are those little bluish balls that you had made? Is it a kind of magic once more?"

 Chapter 29 - 29. MR P A New Form Of Virility For Men

    "Ah, this is for my own good and benefit which would be absorbed by my body, so I could continue with the trade secret that I had done earlier. Whatever pills that I had made through the cold fire furnace had already been imbued with it. By the way, I''d come back later to discuss with you, ok? Don''t take a peek in the backroom. "I said as I entered the back room and closed the door this time. Luckily there was a two-way mirror in the room which illuminates the room efficiently.


    I placed a few boxes with me, and I meditated to enter the Realm of Mind and saw that the anti-dysentery pills had been completed. It had used up a total of 555 bottles and this amount could last a few years.


    I dumped all the vials inside an empty box that I had brought along with me from the real world. I checked the contents of the machine, ensuring I had cleared everything off before I used a scoop to gather about 2 of that and poured into the top of the machine. I pressed 5 on the counter and chose the same nozzle to dispense the pills and pressed ''Make 1''.


    Once I am satisfied with the results, I pressed ''Make Batch'' as I poured another 3 more scoops and poured it into the machine. I waited for some time and took a sharpie and marked the side of the carton box as anti-dysentery and placed it aside. I won''t want to mix those pills, would I?


    When I logged off my meditated state, I had brought along the anti-dysentery box filled with 555 vials back. When I emerged from the backroom, I handed the box to Pointus and told him there exact amount and he could place them at the infirmary. Each vial costs 20 credits and he would be rewarded handsomely with 11,100 credits which we would be able to pay me the agreed sum of 15k credits soon.


    "My goodness...!!! It is ready already? Whatever you did was amazing. OK, let me discuss the payment for these pills with the infirmary and see what they could come up with. Just stand in a while for me ok? I''d hang the closed sign outside the door just in case." Pointus said as he carried the box of anti-dysentery off to the infirmary so he could offload these out of sight and out of mind and get his payment ready.


    After 15 minutes, he came back and was grinning from ear to ear. "If this continues for a solid month, I could easily be a rich man and could live from the earnings for a whole year."


    "Ah, that''s good to hear that, Pointus. As long as you seal this secret till your last breath, I''m sure we can work out something for you." I replied and it''s time for me to check on the pills dispensing machine.


    A while later, I came out holding 3 boxes that were marked as MR P in bold letterings and handed it to him. "This is the most coveted pills that I had mentioned. Do you have someone whom you like to try first? Don''t tell me you want to eat this alone right? It''s for married men. 5 pills at one go should do it." I advised as I handed the 3 boxes filled with 1,800 vials of the potent MR P.


    "Wow... So much of these?! This is good for one-time use over a period of 8 or 12 hours?" he asked. "It would be better to have a record of this. It would be issued to a single person for 24 hours. We won''t want them to abuse it right? 50 credits would go along way for you. There are 1800 vials and this could easily make you 90k richer."


    "Hah Hah Hah... That''s right my friend. I just leave it here aside first and once you''re done in the back room, I''d place it inside for safekeeping." he said with a gleam in his teeth when he grinned at me. He must have implanted a diamond in his teeth to have such a glittering smile. Hah Hah Hah.


    "How about the other ailments? What is the dosage like?" he asked since he doesn''t want to have all these mixed up. Since he had offloaded the anti-dysentery, he got to ensure the MR P pills would not be mixed with the same kind.


    "Oh, I just made into 3 pills per vial. One for each day. The balance should come up to about 800 vials. I''ve marked the boxes and written it''s uses. Once it''s ready, you can pass it to the infirmary. At least it won''t be mixed up with the rest of the box that you had sent earlier."


    .....


    I''ve gotten my promised 15k credits and was merrily making my way out. I saw Pointus had slipped a few vials of MR P inside his pocket as he carried the 2 boxes of the medication for antimalarial, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antipyretic, fever, intestinal worms, indigestion and jaundice.


    I got back home just in time to see Patricia preparing lunch as she had just cooked the rice in the rice steamer. "Hey Trish, I''d be in my room for a bit, I need to settle something for a while and be back to help you out to prepare the dishes, ok?"


    "Oh, Alright Audemars... I''d be waiting here then," she replied and I went to my room to distribute the rest of the allocated points as earlier I had heard an announcement that I had levelled up to another 4 more levels. That''s pretty cool...


    ...


    "Tomas, I want you to try this 5 pills one shot for me and let me know the results. You got nothing much to do right during lunch?" Pointus said as he passed a vial to a patrol guard who was going for his lunch break. This is good for ''this''." Pointus mentioned as he showed the motions of his groin pushing in and out with a devious wink.


    "Ah, if it comes from you, I''d guarantee it would be great. The first one is free I reckon, eh? God... I feel like a Guinea pig trapped in the lab right now. Alright, I trust in you." Tomas the patrol guard said as he took the vial and opened the cap and poured the whole 5 pills into his mouth and swallowed. "Alright, I''d be off now. See you later, my good old friend Pointus."


    As Tomas walked he felt his stomach churning as the effects of the medication reacted on an empty stomach. I forgot to mention to Pointus that the effect would be double on an empty stomach rather than after a meal. It was not painful but it radiated a kind of heat from the middle of his stomach.


    The radiated heat didn''t subside when he reached home but instead, it concentrated to his groin area. He was feeling a bit flustered as he felt that his little Tomas was already trying to be awake and stretch out of its bed.


    The more he tried to resist the more he was unable to resist the temptation and feelings that had enveloped him. "Martha, where are you?" Tomas growled as he stormed inside the house. He was holding to his crotch and was unable to hide little Tomas that was now trying to penetrate out through his pants.


    Tomas was now panting and huffing and when he saw his wife, Martha emerged from the kitchen, he swooped her up and carried her on his shoulders. Soon, sounds of clothes shredding apart were heard and screams of shock and pleasure could be heard from within and soon the ''Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!'' goes on for several hours as screams of joy, ecstasy and grunts of pleasure could be heard during midday just like two newlyweds.


    Neighbours walking past the house blushed as they heard the familiar sounds and hurried away back to their houses. Luckily it happened in the day if not the whole neighbourhood would be heard slapping around all night...!!!


    "Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!"


    It sounds like someone is enjoying slapping the backside of a pig. Hah hah hah...


    .....


    I looked at my interface and find that I have more than enough points to make me a formidable warrior, or so it seems. Since I had no one to compare with, to me its like a feeling of being in the top of the world.


    Level: 61/100,000


    Progress: 36%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 100 (+3)


    Dexterity: 100


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 100


    Toughness: 100 (+22)


    Damage: 100 (+35)


    Recovery: 100


    Unallocated points: 153


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +100 Armor +100


    DEX: Damage +100 Dodge +10% Stealth +10%


    INT: Damage +100 Resistance +10%


    VIT: Health +1000


    TOUGH: Armour +1000 (+220)


    DAM: Damage +275 (+ 96.25)


    REC: Mana +500


    "Not bad... Not bad at all. I''ve reserved 153 points away and managed to allocate the points to a 100 across the board. I wish this system existed in volume 7 of my novels so at least I could clearly see how the attributes for my damage rating would be after all the legendary weapons and armours had been equipped.


    I''ve also had gained Intermediate Herbalist Level 6/100 and I''m hoping to have more information shed on this.


    (Please do pick up the main novel on Quantum Leap-Multiverse Transmigration or Vol 7 if you had not done so. You could impress your girlfriends and boyfriends by using the recipes within those series. Hehehehe.)

 Chapter 30 - 30. Getting Closer To My Projected Target.

    "Right where was I just now?" I greeted Patricia when I entered the kitchen and made an appearance. Somehow I felt that I had a glow from within from all the allocated points and she immediately noticed the difference.


    "You seemed a bit stronger now, Audemars. You looked a bit different from just now. Even your tunic seems a bit fitting for you. Did you lift some weights or something when you''re out at Joan''s and Pointus''?" she asked as she eyed me and can''t help to wonder but yeah, I could feel I had somehow being chiselled and sculpted lately.


    "Oh, I was helping Pointus to carry some boxes and clearing his store earlier. I didn''t actually cut it with Joan just now but I find out from her that she bathe 24 times a year and only during the gazetted holidays." I laughed as I remembered how she smelled her armpit in front of me without feeling abit bashful after doing that.


    "Oh, then how about yourself, Audemars? It seemed that you love to feel fresh every time before going to bed and early in the morning," she asked as she prepared the ingredients that would be made for lunch.


    "How I wish I could feel fresh like a newborn baby...! Right after my ongoing plans takes off, I''m sure you would want to shower 2 to 3 times a day just to feel fresh and smell good. By the way, I would be grinding till late at night, so we could cook extra and we don''t really need to spend more time in the kitchen to prepare dinner later, ok?"


    "As you wish, Audemars. So what would we be making?" she asked as I took a step back and observed all the spread of ingredients that was supplied by the Director just for this series. The thinly sliced pork had been placed under the sun and it had dried up quite considerably as I saw a thin layer of salt nicely covered the meat.


    I saw eggs, celery, green and red bell peppers, shallots, garlic, mustard leaves, potatoes and yam. I could visualise what I could whip up 3 dishes in an hour with Patricia''s help.


    "Trish, could you fetch about 8 slices of meat hanging in the sun? Wash them properly to get rid of the salt and then soak it in a plate with a bit of water. After that, you could sit back as I prepare 3 dishes, you just place a cauldron and a frying wok on the stoves. Need not fire them up yet, until I''ve prepared the first dish, alright?"


    She nodded and went to fetch the meat and followed according to my instructions. I broke 3 eggs into a bowl, then I took a green and red Bell pepper and sliced them up. Next up celery, spring onions and shallots were sliced thinly and placed into another bowl.


    The mustard leaves had been washed and then chopped and placed in a plate and I place a bottle of condiment from the shop called McCormicks. It was dark oyster sauce and its good for like a dozen servings.


    Next, I had peeled and diced the potatoes and yam and placed quite a considerable amount into a large bowl and this would be made into soup. I filled the small cauldron with a third of the water and placed the diced potatoes and yam into it. I drop a few drops of olive oil into it and fired up both stoves. A generous spread of condiments was added and some seasoning was sprinkled into it too.


    The three eggs were beaten and had been mixed with the garnishing and a bit of salt. The slices of meat had been chopped with the cleaver and it would be made into 2 portions for both lunch and dinner. A bit of fat was dropped into the wok and once it is hot, I dropped in the shallots and crushed garlic and stir-fried it for a bit before I dropped in the first portion of the chopped meat.


    After it was well done, I dropped in half portion of red and green peppers and soon the beaten eggs were dropped in as well. I held the wok in my hand and moved it around to spread the omelette evenly. I took a plate, invert it and placed it on the omelette and flipped both wok and plate around. I then replace the wok and slide omelette into it so the other side would be fried as well.


    Patricia was watching me all the time and when I did the trick with the omelette, she was surprised. I explain that if a small one it could be flipped easily with just a ladle but a large circumference like this, I would need the help of a plate. I worked the bellows for the soup and the cover was gurgling with steam and from the smell of it, it would be ready once I had settled the rest.


    I repeated the process for the 2nd omelette and once it is done, I placed both the omelette on a clean oval-shaped porcelain ware. The plate that was used to flip the egg was placed in the basin and immediately Patricia went to clean it.


    I used the same wok, dropped a bit of fat and dropped in the garlic and shallots inside it. After a bit of stir frying, until the content is golden brown, I threw in the mustard leaves and stirred it for a while before I pour 2 tablespoons of McCormick''s oyster sauce. The mustard leaves were only chopped into halves and when the oyster sauce was stirred in, I got some water in my cupped hand from the tap from my hand and sprinkle it inside.


    "Wah Eh... I''ve never seen someone does that. It looked kind of fancy... It is like as if you just washed your hands and then sprinkle the water in them." she remarked and can''t help but marvel at the unorthodox way of me preparing the dishes. It was like creating a piece of art and not cooking at all.


    The ladle that I used for the wok was making such a din because I wanted to make not a watery dish but just enough to simmer the vegetables. I took another oval-shaped porcelain ware and carried the wok to it as I carefully poured the content and scraped the sauce and slowly spread it out evenly.


    I placed the wok inside the washbasin and Patricia once again immediately wash it off and wiped it dry before she hangs it back to its original place. I went over to the soup and took a ladle and tested the potatoes and yam since it had pressure cooked and it won''t take a long time for it to be softened. I close the air inlet of the stove and the fire slowly died off.


    I took a large bowl and scooped the vegetable soup after putting in some crushed white pepper seeds. Since it was a clear soup, it could alternatively use white or black pepper as I explained to Patricia. She nodded and had a habit of biting her upper lip and wetting both her lips as I was preparing these dishes.


    "Clang... Clang... Clang..." I used a wooden spoon and hit on the cover of the cauldron as I announced that lunch is served. Patricia took a large tray and placed all the dishes onto it and brought it to the Great Hall. As she walked I can''t help notice the way she swayed her hips and I would really love to sink my teeth into her butt cheeks one day. Hah Hah Hah.


    She really did put up a kind of flirtatious way of walking when she came back as she took the rice steamer, several cutleries and plates for our lunch. We both were arranging the food when Prius walked down from stairs and can''t help exclaiming in surprise at the spread in front of him.


    "Having you awakened is a blessing, my friend. You really had whipped up a great meal today. It had been ages since we have this type of glorious food served before us. How long ago was it, Pat? More like 6 to 7 years ago?" Prius asked and Patricia simply nodded but from the look of her eyes, I could see a sense of sadness. Maybe she was reminiscing their past when their father and the rest of the brothers are still alive.


    We all sat down and said grace before started eating. "Audemars, what do you call this omelette dish?" Patricia asked as she took a slice and tasted it. The moment it entered her mouth, she can''t help but squint her eyes shut as a burst of flavours exploded in her mouth.


    "It''s called ''Omelete De Ovo De Porco'' and it is a Portugal dish. It should usually be served with either prawns or seafood but i substitute it with chopped pork instead."


    No answer was needed as both siblings were shovelling the rice into their mouths and were chewing happily. I then took a bit of vegetable and served the poor siblings as I set them at the sides of their plates. After they had finished chewing their food in their mouth, they slurped the soup and forked down the pieces of potatoes and yam.


    "You remembered the recipes right? Don''t forget to write it down for future references." I advised as I slowly enjoyed the fruit of my labour as I was thinking of going at least 30 rounds against the goblins later. At least I could gain EXP points, level up, grab their spoils and sell off their highly valued goblin planked shields.


    .....


    *Swoosh... Swoosh... Swoosh... * every single arrow i shot from the crossbow had found its mark after I kited the 8 goblins every time I entered their grounds. I discovered another ''cheat'' in the interface when I entered the forested area.


    The map would be activated once I''m out from the safety zone of the town. I could just click the goblin campsite and it would automatically warp me to that place and every time I did that after killing the 8 of them, I could ''force respawn'' on the same location.


    These goblins would emerge at the same place as before. I don''t even have to wait for a whole 5 minutes for them to totally respawn. Hah Hah Hah. This system has a glitch and to my advantage as well. I repeated the whole process for 45 times before the sky turned reddish indicating that dusk is approaching soon.


    I saw an icon marked as ''NoOne Campsite'' and I clicked on it and this brought me there in warp speed. Hah Hah Hah. I sold off 360 goblin planked shields at a whopping price of 21,600 credits. I had also gained 4320% progress and an additional 4320 credits in spoils.


    I checked my system and discovered that I had gained an additional 43 levels and had already hit a century. I''m also close to hitting the halfway mark of acquiring the capital to gather funds for the initial capital. Maybe I should up the ante to 250k credits?


    Level: 104/100,000


    Progress: 56%


    Unallocated points: 583


    Wealth: 51,323 credits


    I decided to leave the unallocated points aside since I''m just grinding goblins which now just took a single arrow shot to be exterminated. *Bbbzzzttt... *

 Chapter 31 - 31. Side Characters Getting All The Attention.

    "Knock... Knock... I''m back..." I greeted everyone the moment I opened up the door and entered. "Look at what I''ve got here... Its Musa Belle and this is great to eat after being steamed until it is soft and mushy..." I said as Prius looked up from a letter that he had read and was looking a bit worried.


    I went to the kitchen and placed a pot and a weaved basket in it and poured enough water until it reaches the base of the basket. I fired up the stove and tore some bananas off its comb and places it in the steamer and closed the cover. I gave the bellows a few pumps and the fire that had been stocked with firewood and coals flared up.


    "Heya Prius, what''s the matter? You look kind of weird and quiet today. Is anything bothering you?" I asked out of curiosity since he didn''t speak a word since I had come in.


    "Ah... Sorry. This letter here, it says that there is a band of thieves lurking around underground. They called themselves White Hand. I''m not sure who and how they looked like but it was said that if they were caught by the authorities sent by the officials, the operators of the Great Hall will suffer the consequences and might be blamed as part of the conspiracy."


    "Come, let me take a look and when I held it, an announcement ring in my ears saying that I had learnt a new skill. Language: Gaelic. After I read it I understood that Prius had never picked up a sword in his life. "Where is Trish now? She usually would be hanging around here before dinner time" I asked as the steam from the pot was pouring out from the lid, as it would take some time until the water had almost evaporated for the bananas to be properly steamed.


    "Pat had gone to gather some information, she would be back shortly. Don''t worry, she works discreetly and no one knows she is gathering such information to decimate to people whom she trusts," he said as he placed the letter in his pocket and looked up at me.


    From the way he looked at me helplessly, I knew he would be seeking for my help very soon and since I am indebted with him and his sister, I felt that the only way to repay them is to hunt those thieves and clear the Keating family name.


    The sun had dipped low on the horizon when Patricia made into the door but not before she looked around as if she was being followed or not. She hurriedly sauntered in and went to sit at the table and an offscreen crew brought out a soda drink for her and poured it into a mug before he disappeared offscreen again.


    HEY...!!! Side characters get to be treated with soda drinks and the MC had to watch them savour in front of my eyes or what? HELLO... Did you forget who I am here? Yours Truly is thirsty too you know after battling 360 goblins and carrying those planked shield even though I am encumbered within the battles.


    "Max didn''t leave the key to his trailer, so we can''t get the stash of Frappucino for you. Sorry...!" hollered the crew who had gotten Patricia the drink. "You can share mine, Audemars," said Patricia as she held her mug to my face. "Is she really wanting me to be in a relationship with her since she is willing to share my saliva in her drink?" I thought to myself as I muttered thanks and took a swig and returned the mug.


    She smiled when I handed the mug and she drank from it too. I don''t know if she did gargle inside the mug earlier before she handed it to me but I''m hoping there won''t be any bits and pieces of today''s meal in there.


    I excused myself and went to the kitchen to see how the bananas were doing and I poured a bit more water in the pot, pumped a few times on the bellows and watched the steam worked on the bananas. Parts of it had turned brown but I need it to be totally cooked so it would take another 20 minutes or so.


    After checking the dessert, Patricia came in and asked what I was doing as she smelled a nice fragrant coming from the kitchen. "Steamed Musa Belle bananas. One of the best there is." I replied as she prepared dinner and carried them over to the Great Hall.


    "It''s fortunate that you both had prepared both lunch and dinner today, if not we would have takeouts." Prius said casually as he mentioned the word ''takeout''.


    "Is it possible to have takeouts here? I see a Tavern and it''s only serving bread and some stuff. Not like those proper meals in a restaurant." I said as I observed the whole northern and central district. I had not gone to the southern district but I suspected it to be similar to the northern one.


    "Ah Yes... We so have takeouts. We just order online and they would deliver it over here. It is as simple as that... Don''t you have a mobile phone? Tsk tsk tsk... We would be caught dead without one these days you know." Prius answered me as he waved his latest Note 10 in front of me and slipped it back.


    WHAAATTTT....?!?!? Side characters now are holding to mobile phones? I''m not even carrying one and I''ve missed carrying one too. I''m busting my ass farming those goblins and yet both of these side characters had enjoyed a rather laid back lifestyle. I saw Patricia showed me her iPhone 11 Pro and smiled as she snapped a photo of me ...huu huu huu...


    The air inlet for the stove had been closed and the fire slowly died off, heating the pot by depending on its embers only. We had dinner with the similar dishes that were cooked for lunch as we sat in deathly silence as no one mentioned about the letter or the band of thieves that had called themselves the White Hand.


    "Trish, leave the plates here. I''m going to get dessert. Don''t worry, you can settle the plates later." I said as I went to the kitchen to get 6 pieces of steamed bananas which the skin had turned almost dark brown due to the steaming process.


    I placed them on a plate and brought it to the Great Hall where I took one myself and showed everyone how to peel it off and eat. Sheesh... It is like as if they had not eaten a banana in their whole life. Because the way if eating it seems abit alien to them. Hah Hah Hah.


    Each took a piece and peeled away the dark brown skin away and when they looked at the banana inside, it was pearly yellow and the taste was even sweeter and compliments the end of our meal. When Prius sliced the banana up with his fork and brought it into his mouth, he was surprised at how different the banana tasted like and he closed his eyes as he chewed it slowly and thoroughly in his mouth.


    Same goes to Patricia and she thought I had steamed it with sugar water as it tasted very sweet indeed. They finished theirs in their plates and took the remaining one. "Don''t worry, there''s some more inside the pot. Go right ahead and dig in. So tell me about this White Hand gang."


    Opening a discussion like this during meals would break the ice somehow and Patricia had somehow gathered enough information that she needed.


    "Go to the Strongbow Tavern, meet with the owner, his name is Silas. He is known to be involved with the White Hand in one way or another but since he had been a citizen here throughout his life, we had doubts he was involved directly with them." Patricia said as she made her findings known to me.


    "Silas? He''s as scared as a kitten for all I know and he wouldn''t harm a single fly in his life. He is a soft-spoken fellow. I think he has been forced into this involvement somehow. Audemars, my good friend. I sincerely hope you would lend a hand to ensure the good name of Keating household."


    "I didn''t mean to spy on your activities yesterday, but I just wanted to make sure that you are not a spy or an opportunist. I hope you forgive me. But please, right now I need your expertise in eradicating these thieves in the name of Keating and the safety of its citizens. Would you do it for us?" Prius explained and implored for my assistance since he knew somehow I had unlocked several of the classes.


    "Small matter. Don''t you guys worry about it. I had been taken care of by both of you for 6 months and didn''t mention about repayment for such services. Let me repay you back by clearing your family''s name. I''d see the owner of the Strongbow Tavern and I''d be back once everything is settled." I reassured them even though I won''t know what the results going to be.


    I finished up the other piece of steamed banana and let out a loud belch... Hah Hah Hah... At least I''m satiated and had my full to the max. I took my leave and headed straight off to the streets.

 Chapter 32 - 32. Silas Of Strongbow Tavern

    I walked down the path and passed by Joan''s and Pointus'' and saw a sign that looked like a frothy mug with white foam on it and I guess this must be the Strongbow Tavern that was mentioned by Prius.


    I walked up a short flight of stair and opened the wooden door and there weren''t many patrons except for an elderly guy in the corner tending to his mug of grog and the owner who was wiping the mugs dry with a cloth.


    I sauntered over at the counter and stood there and was greeted warmly by the owner. "Hello, my name is Silas Brown and welcome to Strongbow Tavern. People around here called me Silas and what can i do for you, young man? I have not seen you before and are you the one that had just woken up from your comatose state?"


    "Good evening to you, Silas. Yup, I''m the one who had just awoken like Sleeping Beauty but I''m not a beauty myself. Hah Hah Hah. Well, I''m here to gather some information, if you may. Could we step around so I could talk to you more discreetly?" I gestured to a spot further away from the elderly patron.


    "Sure, what do you need to ask, young man?" he asked as he places the mug he was drying up aside and walked over to the far end of the counter.


    "Tell me about the White Hand. I believe you are somehow involved with them." I pointed out to him without any hesitation.


    "Err... White Hand? I''m sorry I never heard of that before." he replied with shifty eyes and a slight quivering little voice.


    "Aw... Come on. Would you think a man like you would be easily intimidated by that lowly thieves?"


    "No, I''m sorry but I don''t know what you are talking about," he replied as he tried to avoid my cold glare as I searched for answers.


    "Look, here are 500 credits. Maybe it could loosen your wagging tongue a little? Help me out here, man. This is for your own and for the safety of the citizens here. Furthermore, you are helping a great deal with the Keating family. At least they too were not involved in this mess. Here, take this..." I coaxed him into revealing the whereabouts of those thieves who were working in the underground network, hiding after they had done their deed.


    Silas quickly recovered the pouch containing 500 credits and he stowed it away in his storage. He reached inside his pocket and produced a small key.


    "A key to my house, I don''t live there anymore. There''s is an opening behind the bookcase, slide it sideways and that''s their hideout. Remember, this conversation never took place for my safety''s sake. Take them all out. There''s 8 of them and their leader. They are fast and cunning so be wary, young man. Thank you." as soon as he slid the key and explained their whereabouts, he slipped back to his place and continued to dry those mugs.


    I took the small house key and kept in my pocket and stayed a few more seconds before I made my way out. I noticed the elderly patron was still tending to his drink so he is not a suspect at all. I walked out and wondered where the hell Silas lived since he never gave me the directions.


    I looked at my minimal and there it shows the location of Silas House and I walked just a short distance away from Strongbow Tavern. I reached for the key and inserted into the keyhole and turned and it unlocked just nicely.


    The house was sparsely furnished, just a bed, a few shelves, a wooden chest that was rather empty and dusty inside and a bookcase. I slid it sideways and it gave way effortlessly. Before I entered, I decided to allocate another 100 points for my Ranger abilities.


    After allocating 100 points my DEX had increased slightly. Damage +200 Dodge +20% Stealth +20%. "Great...its time for action. I changed to quickslot 3 and out came my crossbow. Since I had 20% added to my stealth, I hope to utilise it to the max as I entered the dark passageway.


    It was good that I was wearing soft Timberland moccasins as I slowly crept silently and hid among the shadows of the flickering flames of the torches. I saw a head that popped out just near one of the turns and took a quick aim and pressed the trigger.


    "Sswwoosshh... Thump"


    The bolt flew out and immediately struck the sides of the thief''s head. The body was slumped to the side, no gore, no blood except for the protruding bolt. I reached over and collected the spoils and the body disintegrated into the ground.


    "Good, no one will miss this guy from his post." It was a +20 experience point and I collected some credits, a sword and a crossbow. "Great... I''ve got my 500 credits back when I passed it to Silas earlier." I began to think to myself as I cleared the dimly lit passageway as I killed one thief after another.


    "5 down, 3 to go..." as I collected the spoils and found a chest that was easily opened and got some credits there as well.


    There were 2 thieves ahead and both were facing the other directions and both had his crossbows ready. This self-loading unlimited bolts crossbow would take about a second to reload and it could mean life and death in this type of situation.


    I aimed for the furthest one and aimed at his head while I pressed the trigger. "Sswwoosshh... Splat" the furthest thief fell and as soon as the bolt flew past the nearest thief, he turned around and let loose a bolt from his crossbow.


    There is no way for me to block it and I managed to swerve slightly as I dodged the incoming bolt. It ended up like bullet time as the bolt zoomed ahead and hit me squarely in my chest. My armour rating was more than 1k and when the bolt hit my tunic, it deflected and disintegrated into pieces.


    "GODDAMMIT... If this bolt penetrates me, I''d be dead for sure since the bolt was directly heading towards my heart...!!!" My crossbow had reloaded and I shot it from my midsection and I can see the bolt flew out and slowly hit and penetrates the side of the chest.


    Another bolt was unleashed and it entered the thief''s body and it took another one more bolt to finally bring him down. It all happened in bullet time and I could see every single bolt slowly penetrated his poor leather armour and into his body as he was thrown back with every single shot and finally lay still.


    I was down on my right side and I looked at my clothes and fortunately, there was no penetration but a small mark left by the bolt. I wiped the cold sweat that had formed in my forehead and was thankful the bolt was not directed at my skull. "DAMN DAMN DAMN... I''m lucky if I could survive this. It is not as simple as it sounds because right now I''m still ''Naked'' without proper body protection.


    I cleared the two bodies and they disintegrated into the ground, swallowed down as if the earth was expected to perform that way. "SHIT... I''M GOING TO FUSE SOME ARMOUR AFTER THIS." I thought aloud in my head as I made my way in the search for another one more thief and his leader.


    After searching for the one more thief and the leader, I managed to find some chests and while some are locked, the rest of them opened up easily and I''ve gotten hundreds of credits that were stored in them. Once I got proper armour, I would visit here once more and do something about those locked wooden chest.


    After scouring the passageway, I reached a narrow path that opens up into a clearing and I saw the last remaining thief with the leader. The leader was wearing such magnificent garb and was dressed in white from head to toe with intricate gold coloured trimmings and designs from the sides of the hood, down to the tunic and pants.


    I saw that the leader was holding on to a heavy set of crossbows that fires 3 bolts at a time...!!! This is serious shit, man. I have to take down the leader first. I have to worry about the remaining thief later. But this leader really means business...!!!


    I aimed and let my bolt fly after pressing the trigger. Thinking that the leader could be brought down with a single shot, but I''m totally wrong...!!! That white garb he was wearing was like a charmed armour to him. The bolt disintegrated when it reaches his head and he immediately turned around, saw me in a kneeling position and fired his crossbow. 3 bolts rushed at me and this alerted his remaining thief.


    "Intruder... Get him... Don''t let him escape..." I barely managed to dodge the 3 incoming bolts when I stumbled backwards and fell on my back. My crossbow took a while to reload as I saw the remaining bandit was trudging after me.


    "Damn... If I do not have any tactical shooting experiences and training, I don''t think I could pull this off..." I placed the crossbow just at my knees area and fired when the lumbering thief was just within range. Since I was down in my back, I could only estimate the trajectory of the bolt. If this is a pistol, I won''t mind letting loose a few rounds and I''d surely hit some parts of the body.


    "Sswwoosshh... Thud!" I heard my bolt fly and hit a soft target in front and once my crossbow was reloaded, I fired another one. The first arrow hit the jugular of the thief and when he was holding the bolt with 2 hands, another bolt entered his chest cavity.


    I quickly lifted myself off and waited for the crossbow to reload before I did a crawl and saw that the thief was down and I used his body as a cover. Another 3 bolts flew from the crossbow but this time it landed in the body I was shielding from. I looked up and fired my bolt and I saw it hit the lower extremities of the leader.


    After a few exchanges, I heard the leader shouted, "Hit, Hit, Hit" as he raised himself from his hiding spot with his crossbow and his hand raised in the air. I stood up and entered the clearing. The leader was walking away and I shouted at him, "HOY... WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING...???" but he took little notice and walk away offscreen, raising his crossbow and hand indicating that he is unable to continue the confrontation.


    "COME BACK HERE... I''M GOING TO FRISK YOU..." I hollered and started to run after him when an umpire raised a red flag indicating that the opponent has taken a hit and have to withdraw from the shootout. "Awww... I want that OP weapon of his lah... Come on lah... It looks pretty awesome, you know... Please lah... Did I win right? Can I have at least his crossbow?" I pleaded as the leader walked over to the safety zone and placed the crossbow on the table and checked himself out from the confrontation.


    "Bah...!!! So much so from a ''paintball'' type of last man standing match... Hmmph..." I snorted as I collected the spoils from the last thief and I discovered a wooden chest and when I opened it up, I found a glittering red ruby.

 Chapter 33 - 33. Keatings Family Coat Of Arms

    *Ding* Congratulation on defeating White Hand. Band of thieves is now eradicated. Experience Points 180%. Congratulations on Leveling up 102/100,000. Allocated point +20 total to 503 unallocated points. Credits: 2345 attained. Glittering Ruby +30 Damage when socketed.


    "Awww... I want that OP weapon... It is not fair, you know. That crossbow the leader was holding was super awesome...!!! Where in the world could I get that kind of weapon? I don''t think I''ve got the ability to forge such weapons at all. I also want to drink what he was drinking too." I sulked as I watched the leader sat down at one of the lounge chairs and sipped a cold drink.


    I searched the whole underground network and only found those chests that had been searched and those locked ones. There must be a key but I found none at all and I headed back to where I came from. I emerged from the hole behind the wall and slid back the bookcase and jammed it shut.


    "Hah Hah Hah. Now no one could exit from there and let them die of starvation," I thought to myself as I sat down on the bed and allocated my points.


    At the meantime, I decided to allocate 150 points to my Dex and Toughness each and now I had a balance of 203 unallocated points left. I decided to drop by the Bowsmith and inquire the type of light armour he has as I left Silas House and locked the door after it.


    Since he mentioned that the earlier conversation never took place, I decided to keep the house key to myself and hang it around my neck like a talisman of some sort. Hah Hah Hah. Hope this would bring me luck though.


    I reached the Bowsmith and entered and greeted the proprietor, "Hiya Bruce. Have you ever seen a crossbow that can shoot 3 bolts at one time?" I asked since I can''t shake the image of owning that kind of OP weapon.


    "Nope, I have not seen one before but I heard its called by a woman''s named called Avelyn and its only available exclusively from Dark Souls. Why do you ask? Have you seen it recently?" Bruce asked and wondered if he himself could forge that kind of OP weapon.


    "Yeah, I''ve seen it but not up close. Just too bad it doesn''t allow me to have it as part of the spoils. Huu Huu Huu. Do you think you have an idea on how to forge them?" I asked hoping that Bruce would somehow have an idea on how to produce it.


    "If only I could have the blueprint then I am sure I would be able to design it. But since it cokes from you, I''d see what I could do within these few weeks, OK?" Bruce reassured me as I thanked him in advance.


    "I would like to dispose of some weapons first, would that be alright?" I said as I clicked in trade and ''SELL'' and chose the crossbows and longsword that I had picked while eradicating the White Hand earlier. I sold all those for 3,200 credits. I clicked on ''BUY'' and choose armour and there are a few for the headgear and 3 types for the body.


    The head armour was one like I''m wearing, the Archer''s hood, then another that looked like Magneto''s helm while another was a full-face helmet with a visor that looked like a duck''s bill. Nah... It doesn''t interest me since people would not be able to see my handsome face. Hah Hah Hah.


    I choose body armour and saw a leather vest, studded leather armour and a bronze chest plate. The prices were 300, 700 and 1400 credits respectively and I chose the studded leather armour instead. At least this should resemble the past armour that I wore.


    I then choose a pair of leather pauldrons for 150 credits on both shoulders and that''s it. No other forms of elbow guard, arm guard, gloves, knee guards, shin guards and boots. Haiyooo... This store really looks pretty pathetic right now.


    "Don''t you have any other types of armours, Bruce? I mean normally a store like this should be equipped with more stuff than these." I asked and he explained that I could get more choices if I were to get out of Ingmery town and heads toward Aermagh.


    "Aermagh... That''s where this body originates from. Would I be rousing any kind of suspicion if I head there? Now I can only warp to the goblins camp and back to the northern and central district only. Other places undiscovered are unlikely able to warp at all." I thought to myself but decided not to expose myself or else I''d be drafted back into the Legion.


    For all I know right now, the old Audemars is dead and the resurrected one is called Austin Powers...yeah baby, yeah...Hah Hah Hah... just kidding.


    I paid and thanked Bruce for his hospitality as I headed back to the Great Hall. Upon entering, Patricia threw herself at me and held me in a bear hug and somehow this petite lady carried me off my feet when she did that.


    "Whoa... Trish. Be careful there. It has been a success. The White Hand had been eradicated and I''ve just for back from shopping at Bruce''s." I said as she slowly put me down on my feet. Actually, I loved the feeling of her soft curves against my tunic when she held me just now and I wished she could hold me longer. Hah Hah Hah.


    "Thank you, my dear friend. I would consider you part of the Keating family of not for your relationship between my sister here. Here... This is our family heirloom that we would like to present to you for clearing our good name. Our shield and our blade are yours to keep and fight along against the evils of the world." Prius said as he handed me the bronze chief shield that bore the colours and emblem of the Keating coat of arms and also a bronze longsword.


    "This is too much, my kind brother. I won''t be able to use this since this is the family heirloom of yours. I''m afraid I might chip its paint or something when I block incoming attacks from goblins and such." I replied as I take a look at the shield and blade in my arm.


    "Are you kidding me, Prius? These are antiques and these belong to a museum already. No one uses bronze weapons anymore..."I thought to myself as I smirked at the idea of using these against even the giant rats.


    "Is there anything wrong with these?" Prius noticed me pouting when I take a look at those weapons and armour and said to him I would have them as a keepsake and not use them in battles. I then did a quick slot and showed him the dagger that I recently received from him along with the claymore and shield I had chosen to design in the Fusion Chamber.


    "My God... These pieces are much better than what I had presented to you. Forgive my insolence, my good friend. I do not mean to offend you with our paltry weapon and shield. You did some upgrade on the dagger? I like the fine polished look of bronze on the handle, hilt and pommel."


    "Your claymore is even exquisite. It was from the old bronze sword that you had found in the basement of this house, right? My....my...my... it is a fine upgrade. And this shield... Err...could you have chosen a better design? It looks like a nipple to me."


    "It''s supposed to be a Fluted Buckler but then people started to laugh at it. Even Rebecca''s hoodlums were laughing at it and rolling in the floor like a pair of madcap. Yeah, I decided to call it the Nipple Buckler from that day onwards."


    "This design, even if it looks weird, is able to deflect any direct hits from a spear, sword or even a battle axe. It has small nicks here and there but after all, it did a fine job of protecting me."


    "This buckler and claymore is my secondary weapon, I''d prefer to use my crossbow instead. It''s much closer and its deadlier than a bow since its self reloading with unlimited bolts. The White Hand leader refuses to hand me his 3 bolt crossbow after he was beaten in the duel. Baahhh... Sore loser." I explained and even mentioned the loss of the OP weapon.


    "As if said before, even if I do not use these presents of yours, I''d keep these instead and hang it over the bedside, would that be alright with you?" I said as I kept my dagger, Nipple Buckler and ''Victory'' back into my quick slots. I carried the presents and went to my room and Patricia helped me hang those over my bedside as we shifted the bed more to the centre instead of keeping it close over the wall.


    When we had shifted the bed and she had helped me hang the family coat of arms and laid the sword underneath it just above the headboard, she turned around and immediately held my face and kissed my lips. I could smell the distinctive scent of her hair and skin and my hands went to her slender waist and pulled it close to mine.


    I could feel her warm body close to mine as our tongues searched for one another as we tangled ourselves like octopuses. Yeah... That''s the metaphor I could think of right now. Hah Hah Hah.


    When she released my kiss, I noticed her lips were slightly red and swollen after being sucked and bitten gently by me.


    "Thank you for clearing the Keating''s name. I am forever at your service, Audemars," she whispered close to my ears as she made a quick kiss on the side of my neck that made my hair stood up on its end.

 Chapter 34 - 34. No OP Weapon But Got OP Armour.

    Right after I was left alone in my room, I spread out my Archer''s Hood, studded leather body armour, a pair of soft leather boots and the leather pauldrons on the bed. I have decided to fuse my Refined Steel Plates inside the Fusion Chamber and reinforced these 4 items here with 14 layers of meshed steel.


    "After what happened today, its a rather harrowing experience to see a bolt coming down at me even in bullet time and fortunately it did not do any harm and just left a pockmark on my tunic. I won''t be caught dead next time if a bolt rushes towards between my damn eyes...!!!"


    I decided to place one black long sleeve tunic and black pants as well to infuse it with Refined Steel mesh frame inside it. Better be safe than sorry, mate.


    There are 6 pieces of equipment and I told Patricia that I would be meditating before I head for the shower and she understood it as a sign that I should not be disturbed. After arranging the items before me, I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind.


    I picked 12 pieces of Refined Steel Plates from the Smelting Zone and brought it forward to the Fusion Chamber. I placed my Archer''s Hood inside it along with a plate of Refined Steel. I pushed the slider to FUSE/Armour and closed the door.


    With a Basic Crafter Level 0/10, I do not have much confidence in what the results would turn out to be. I hope the system does not fail me and recognises me since u had been Fusing those Stanspar shards for hundred of pieces already.


    I prayed deep in my heart and shouted out loud "LET IT FUSE..." as I turned the crank of the lever. It took nearly a minute before I received an announcement.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 7 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Archer''s Hood. Armour +50. Experience gained +10%.


    "Thank you, Lord Jesus..." I clasped my hands towards my chest and opened the door and inserted another piece of Refined Steel plate, closed the door and cranked the lever. Once again the announcement rang in my head and it was all sweet news to my ears.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Archer''s Hood. Armour +100. Experience gained +10%.


    I repeated the whole process with 2 plates instead of one in a single process and all went through perfectly.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Leather Boots. Armour +100. Experience gained +20%.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Pants. Armour +150. Experience gained +20%


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Tunic. Armour +150. Experience gained +20%


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Studded Leather Vest. Armour +350. Experience gained +20%.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. 14 layers of Mesh Steel Reinforced Pauldrons. Armour +80. Experience Points +20%


    .


    "Woohoo... I hope I''m not bogged down with an extra weight of between 2-2.5kg on my body for as long as I could protect myself, I should be most grateful. Other full plate armour would weigh at least 45 to 60 pounds and once they fall they become a turtle for sure." I thought to myself as I meditated off and went back to the real world.


    I''ve decided to allocated 200 points into Dexterity so I would be able to enhance more on my role as an Assassin and managed to bring it to half rate. I looked at the rest of the attributes and stats and was happy with myself. Now I won''t be afraid of any incoming bolts and could even catch it with my bare teeth. Hah Hah Hah...


    Armour:


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Hood (+100)


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Tunic (+150)


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Pants (+150)


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Boots (+100)


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Leather Vest (+350)


    Mesh Steel Reinforced Pauldrons (+80)


    Level 4 Iron Fluted Buckler (+20)


    Level: 103/100,000


    Progress: 56%


    Toughness: 250 (+850)


    Dexterity: 550


    Unallocated points: 13


    *STATS*


    TOUGH: Armour +2500 (+8500)


    DEX: Damage +550 Dodge 55% Stealth 55%


    "HOT DAMN HOOTCHIE MOMMA..." I looked at armour ratings and had suddenly it has hit more than 11k. Hahahahaha... Not having an OP weapon but rather a set of normal armour with OP capabilities. YES AH... its time to grind for more monsters tomorrow." I remarked to myself as I packed everything up and inserted into my storage as I went ahead to go for my shower.


    Seeing me exit my room, Patricia approached me and asked if I could dab my body in the night and I just smiled at her. Knowing that it''s a kind of obligation for her, I simply could carve a smile on my crooked face.


    Hah Hah... If I just come out from a shower why would she still need to dab my body with a damp cloth again? Hmm... Dear readers, she might be up to something later tonight right?


    I went for a shower and after that, I changed and went to the kitchen to see if the dessert was still there and indeed it was. A solitary steamed banana just for Yours Truly. Hah Hah... I got the rest of the banana and the raw yam and placed it in the steamer and fired it up after filling the pot with water.


    "Hi Audemars, what are you doing so late in the kitchen? Are you hungry?" asked Patricia as she hadn''t slept and had filled a bucket of water and had a wipe cloth inside it. She had caught me getting a bite from the steamed banana and was putting the rest of the raw bananas and yam inside the steamer.


    "Just getting a bite to eat. I''m preparing the bananas and yam for tomorrow''s breakfast. Would it be alright if you could get large jicama, a head of cabbage, shallots, chives, spring onions, skinless fried groundnuts, a bottle of spicy spaghetti sauce, 1 kilo of plain flour, a pint of milk, some eggs, breadcrumbs and some carrots? I want to make some Portuguese Rissole tomorrow for morning and afternoon tea as well as supper."


    "That''s really a lot. What are your plans for breakfast?" she asked and I simply said I do not have any idea and eat these steamed bananas and yam instead. "Once you had prepared the breakfast, could you help me to minced those vegetables I had mentioned and crush the fried groundnuts?"


    "Take like 8 slices of meat and soak it to remove the salt. Just leave the flour, milk, eggs and breadcrumbs one side. I need to make the skin wrapper first before deep-frying them." I explained the procedures and she immediately took note of it in her mobile phone app.


    "The preparation sounds like a lot, frankly it''s about 45 mins to prepare and once it''s all done, it could be fried halfway and then refried fully once we wanted to consume it. Don''t worry, it is going to be fun...!" I said as I pumped the bellows and shut off the air inlet of the rocket stove.


    "You don''t have to think too much about breakfast, just reheat this and it''s done once the water boils," I explained as I finished the food I was eating with my hands and washed the saucer.


    "The meals you cooked for lunch and dinner was very good. I had kept the recipe and would one day tried it out," she said and I told her she should try my garlic butter fried rice one day. "Is it nice?" she asked since she never knew rice could be fried.


    "Once you tried it, you would want to have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So one menu at a time and at least you could be a proficient wife in the future and could whip up any meal or dishes in the future." the mention of the term ''wife'' made her eyes lit up and somehow she looked at me longingly.


    I wonder how people get married to one another. See a woman you fancy in the street, clobber the head with a wooden club and carry her on your shoulders if she is a petite lady or pulls her by the hair if she is a little cow. Hah hah hah... There are no signs of faith here except for the crusader logo and a cross on their daggers. Hmm...


    I hit the bellows a few times and watched the coals glowed red and then I went back to my room while Patricia followed me behind. We spend half the night chatting about the plans and she asked how is the wealth progress and when I mentioned it to her she was utterly shocked that I had gotten 40k in a single day. A person would normally earn that amount in 4 months.


    I explained that due to the desire to open an establishment, sacrifices have to be made. Tomorrow I would be hitting the site of the goblin at least about 50 times again. Upon hearing it she was shocked but she understood my sheer determination to raise the funds needed.


    She didn''t dab my body that night but she sat on the floor and laid her head down on the side of the bed and I patted her head and let her snuggle in that manner till the cock crows.

 Chapter 35 - 35. MR P A New Best Seller On The Market

    The next morning when the cock did crow, I awoke and found Patricia was not at my side. "Hmm, maybe she had left earlier and gone to get the ingredients." I thought to myself as I went to grab my towel and head to the bathroom. I peeked into the kitchen and saw that she had laid the breakfast on the table and had brought it out to the Great Hall on a tray.


    "Good morning, Trish... I''m going to head for a shower and then I''d help you out in the kitchen." I called out to her and she smiled back as I went to perform my daily tasks and once I''m done, I wore my newly upgraded armour. The weight is almost not felt by me and with this light class armour, I don''t feel any restriction on my movements at all.


    When I emerged from the room and entered the kitchen, Patricia covered her mouth in surprise. To me, it looked normal but to a person like Patricia, it looked mighty elegant and exude an aura of mightiness even with light armour class. The pauldrons made me like I had short flappy wings that could make me levitate in the air and shoot down my enemies from above. Hah Hah Hah... This is not Eastern Fantasy alright and my name is not Lin Feng... Hah Hah Hah...


    "Ah... Do you like what you see right now? I just got this yesterday. I got a near accident and I guessed I should be more careful the next time around. Goblins and other creatures are not intelligent, but humans are." I said as a matter of fact and she still didn''t let go of her hand that covers her mouth until a little while later as she regained her composure.


    "You looked like a Knight in Shining Armour. Is that Studded Leather armour you are wearing? How come it looks like it had been improved or enhanced?"


    "It''s brand new and just came out of the shop yesterday at Bruce''s. I wanted to find other types but he told me it''s available only outside of town. So I think what I have is better than nothing and all I need now is to further enhance it if I wanted to."


    "I knew you would say something like that. By the way, the main ingredients had already been minced. Do you need me to mince the meat too?" she asked as she drained the water off the sliced pork.


    "Yes, please. And you could observe how I prepare the skin after stir-frying these main ingredients to medium-rare." I said as I placed a wok on the stove and fired it up. I pouted a bit of fat and once it was simmering I poured all the minced meat inside it. Once the meat is well done, I threw in all the minced vegetables and stir it for a while but before I l turned off the air inlet and let the fire slowly die off.


    "That''s it? Not even 5 minutes..." Patricia was amazed at the speed of cooking I had done. "Yes, medium-rare. After that we make the roll, I show you once or twice and after that, you will resume. I will insert the fillings and fold it up. This egg here will be used to brush the outer skin and then rolled with the breadcrumb. That''s it. When you want to eat, you just deep fry it. Later I will show you ok." I said as I showed her how to make a thin crepe using a round, flat skillet.


    Once I made a few later of crepe, I put it on a plate, brushed it with the spicy spaghetti sauce and sprinkle some crushed groundnuts and then took a portion of the mixed vegetables and place it on one end before I folded it and made it into a spring roll.


    Patricia watched how I did that and she continued making the crepes while we, in turn, made the rissole together. In the end, we made 30 Portuguese Rissole and this could last till tomorrow. Breakfast now is ready and I wanted to make the first 6 rissoles as I deep fry them in a small pot. I used a pot because the rissole could be fully submerged and the oil could be recycled to cook other dishes.


    It may be unhealthy at that time but at least we know we would die of a heart attack sooner or later. Smokers die of a heart attack, obese people also would die of a heart attack. Either way, everyone dies of a heart attack. Hah hah hah...


    I showed her how these rissoles would be after deep frying and once the underside is brown, I showed her how to use two sticks like a chopstick to turn it around. "Don''t turn it around before it''s golden brown because the skin is soft and the contents may tear the skin away." Patricia nodded as stuck her tongue at the sides of her mouth, as she sees the readied golden brown rissole on a plate which had a paper dolly on it.


    "Alright, it''s done now. You may half fry them and keep aside to prevent spoilage. Once you want to eat them, refry till golden brown." she nodded and she carried the plate of rissole to the Great Hall and Prius had just come down and was holding to a mug of coffee in his hands.


    "Boo Hoo... I also want coffee." I said as I went offscreen and poured myself a mug of black coffee and headed back to the set. The smell of coffee is overwhelming but not as overwhelming as the food that was set on the table...


    "Hoo Hoo... What do we have here in the morning? Steamed bananas and yam. Very good... and this golden brown dish is called Popiah is it? (other countries called them Popiah or Lumpia Shanghai, Rissole or Rissoles too) Prius was utterly excited looking at the food that was presented before him and he can''t wait to eat heartily.


    We all sat down and enjoyed breakfast and when they ate the Rissole, they were surprised that they could taste a variety of bursting flavours from spiciness, sweetness, neatness and crunchiness of the vegetables.


    After breakfast, I asked Patricia to look for grilled fish mainly the South China Sea Mackerel or the round Mackerel from the Japanese or Philippines seas. I instructed her to get about 4 Mackerel and some butter since I will show her how to make butter garlic fried rice. I told her to prepare 5 scoops of rice for today''s lunch and dinner.


    She nodded her head and I left the house to go to Pointus and then to grind goblins right till an hour before lunchtime. When I reached Pointus'', I was surprised to see a crowd of men jostling to get in line. "WHAT THE HELL?" I wondered if anything happened to Pointus while he was at his shop but soon a man after another smiled after leaving the store.


    I had totally forgotten about MR P and when I wanted to get in, the group of men turned rowdy and told me to fall in line. When Pointus saw me, he told the men that I was his apprentice and they were wondering why I was dressed up in full body armour.


    "HEHEHE... you really have done it, young man... You really made me famous overnight. This MR P is a wonder pill. It really enhances the Virility of a man and boost his performance and desire ALL NIGHT LONG...!!!" he explained why the sudden crowd had emerged in front of his store even before the opening hours.


    Pointus looked a bit different today for he sports 2 bags under his eyes and a small dark ring around it. Did he not sleep last night?! "Oh... Now I know...!!! He used MR P on himself... What a wolf...!!!"


    He patted me on his shoulders as he dispenses MR P and told his stream of customers that it is good for 24 hours as he wrote each name inside the ledger. He advises anyone caught buying for others to exceed the dosage would not be entertained anymore.


    He scared everyone saying that their dongs would fall off if they consume more than the dosage or within a short period of time. This really put the minds of those who wanted to buy extra for themselves and thus warning was truly explicitly gross-out for those who have an idea to try even more.


    "Young man, there''s a question by a livestock herder here who wants to make his bull, stallion and other male farm animals to ''work'' harder and produce more offsprings. What is the dosage like?" Pointus asked and I used a measurement of human body weight against an animal.


    "For a human weight is approximately 60 kg, so a bull may weigh up to 4 men in total weight. You need to personally issue and administer these pills since we won''t want to have eunuchs walking around our town, would you?" I advised it to him and he understood the ratio and dosage.


    I later learnt that he had sold these MR P for a 100 credits per vial and from the records of his ledger alone, it seems he had sold off more than 40 vials to the group of men and further 20 over vials to the livestock herders. Well, this town would have sleepless nights soon after this from the sheer number of purchases. Hah Hah Hah...

 Chapter 36 - 36. Chow Fun For Lunch, Anyone?

    After the gathering group of men had purchased the wonder MR P pills, only the livestock herders were left and after gathering the number of pills needed, Pointus went out and closed his store for the day. Joan was standing outside the store was peering from her distance what the commotion was all about.


    After seeing Pointus leave, she motioned to me to come over. "What''s all the morning commotion about? Why are all those men so eager to suddenly buy at this store? Did that weird loner make some pills or something? He can''t be making potions, can he? I had never seen a group of men clamouring over his store even before he arrived today and where is he going? Is he done for business today or what?"


    "It is a trade secret, Ma''am. You could ask Pointus personally if you want the direct answers. I''m just a nobody, an apprentice and I just hop around and see where I could fit in." I replied as a matter of fact as I do not want to affect his business and in turn, Joan would undercut his on making her own concoction instead.


    "Alright then, where are you off getting all dressed up in this gear?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows and noticed something peculiar with the battle gear that I wore. "Oh, I''m off to grind goblins early this morning ma''am. I need to raise funds so I would soon be able to embark on my project real soon." I explained as she tried to stop off my clothes with just her gaze, I immediately excused myself and made my way out of the Northern forest.


    Once I''m out of the Northern District, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Firstly, I made Pointus famous overnight and secondly, men from the northern and southern district would soon realise about the miraculous MR P and Pointus soon would have a steady stream of customers daily. Hah Hah Hah... As for me, its time to grind, grind, and grind some more.


    I clicked the goblins camp on my map and readied my crossbow as I warped over there. I easily made a few headshots and managed to kite them over from their hideout. After each turn of 8 goblins and collecting their spoils, I clicked the same location on the map and the goblins were automatically respawned again.


    I repeated this for about 60 repetitions before I took a break and looked at my progress. I had gained Experience Points of +5760%, Credits +4800 and lastly, 480 goblins planked shields. In just one morning I had gained 58 levels and had attained Level 161/100,000. On top of that, I also earned 580 points to allocate and it totalled up to 593 altogether. It looked a lot but in actual fact, I only had gained 0.161% of progress...!!!


    "WHAAAA..." I finally realised after I made the calculations and if I were to meet with other pay2win characters I''m sure to ''die cock stand'' for sure...


    I dragged myself back to NoOne''s after I had warp near his place as I was terribly encumbered with 480 of those shields. I should put all the 500 points into my STR so that I would be able to carry more weight than usual.


    "Be wary of the dangers that lurk in the forest" NoOne said the same thing when I greeted him and I knew he kept tons of credits for us adventurers to exchange. The sale of the shields added another 28,800 credits and made my total wealth to 86,600 credits. I automatically felt unburdened by the heavy shields and immediately push all the unused points into my STR.


    Level: 161/100,000


    Progress: 16%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 693 (+3)


    STR: Damage +693 Armour +693


    Load: 346.5kg


    "Hah Hah Hah... I should be able to get back easily now and return here once more to finish off those goblins and get the wealth I needed. In this way, in 3 days I hoped to garner enough credits to start off the idea that had been nagging in my head.


    I checked the map and pressed Central Ingmery and I automatically warped right outside the gate within the northern district and as I walked through it took me just a few minutes to reach the Great Hall.


    "Aaaahhhh... It is great to be home." I greeted everyone and Prius was there with a tabloid in front of his face as he checked the latest horse lineup racing events that would be taking place in Happy Valley in Hong Kong this weekend Hah Hah Hah...


    "Hello, my young and latest member of the Keating family, glad to see you back home safely. How was the grinding so far? I''m sure it would take a week before you would gain the amount that you need eh?" Prius marvelled at my gear and remarked enthusiastically when he ''saw'' my attributes and wealth after he did a scan on me without my knowledge.


    "Hello Prius, I''m early today, aren''t I? I''m going to help make lunch and dinner today with a slight variation. It''s good for an anytime meal of the day." I said as I walked to my room and changed into my regular clothes and took a towel to jump into a shower.


    "My... You really love to take a shower don''t you, my friend? I understand that you''re feeling hot and yucky after grinding those goblins." he remarked and I simply said that I do not have the mood to cook if my body is not clean at all. I waved at him as I head for my shower and after a while, I came out and entered my room to change into my peasant''s garb.


    A cabbage head had already been sliced and ready to be fried with the rice as Patricia set the steamer aside as I had earlier instructed to cool it off. I told Patricia to remove the spines of the smoked mackerel and set it aside. A few cloves of garlic were mashed against the countertop with a cleaver and was later mashed once more after removing the skin and the hard thingy.


    The wok is ready and I mixed some fat and butter in it and dropped the garlic and fried until fragrant. Later the smoked fish was dumped inside and stirred consistently and I mixed the vegetables and broke 3 eggs inside it. After I had stirred up everything, I scooped rice using a plate and threw them inside the wok and spread a bit of crushed black pepper inside.


    I fired the bellows and the flames flared up as I handled two ladles in stirring the fried rice uniformly. When Patricia noticed me handling two ladles at one time, she looked with awe and only cooks and chefs would do this kind of manner during cooking.


    I laughed at her when she looked at me and when I scooped a bit of rice into my palm of my hand to test, she also wanted to do that, not on her palm but on mine. I scooped a bit of rice and offered her to test and she said not enough salt, but when I showed her the Portuguese Rissoles, she remembered that the meat inside had salt already.


    "Some meals may contain salt while dome doesn''t. It makes an even taste throughout. Some people I knew would make their food as spicy as they could and in the end I could never taste their flavours except the spiciness only." I explained and she nodded and asked me to put some more rice on my palm as she ate from it.


    Is this called affection since the way she ate from my palm remind me of my cat lapping milk from the palm of my hand too? Hah Hah Hah...


    I had the other stove on and Patricia was frying 6 more Rissoles and all was half fried to prevent spoilage and stored inside a food cabinet. Once the rice is steaming hot and the Rissoles were ready, I picked a metal cover and banged it with a wooden spoon.


    *Clang Clang Clang* Chow Fun is ready for lunch... I served generously on a large bowl and Patricia had the plates and Rissoles ready. Heh... It was fun having a companion to cook in the kitchen as she carried the dishes up front to the Great Hall where Prius was waiting hungrily to be served.

 Chapter 37 - 37. Come On Everyone, Grind Those Hips Left And Right.

    "Bbuurrpp... Thank goodness for this wonderful meal. Like what you said, my fine chef, this meal sure would be a hit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Such a simple dish meal and yet it is very fulfilling indeed. I could surely gain a few pounds just by you handling the cooking for these few days. Hah Hah Hah... "


    Prius remarked as he spread his legs under the table and slouched after having a heavy dinner. "You sure looked like you need an exercise regularly, Prius. You are getting rounded already. Hah hah hah... Girls may shun you if you''re having a potbelly. But others might regard this roundness as a wealthy person. Hah hah hah." I remarked at Prius because I had not seen doing much action besides eating and lazing around in the Great Hall.


    "Would you like to see the abandoned house behind our Great Hall? The house costs nothing and the paperwork is free." Prius said as he finally stood up and unbutton his pants and loosed his belt a bit. "You sure looks like you need a walk once in a while. Alright, let''s go ahead and see the house you mentioned." I said as I picked myself up from the dining chair and heads toward the door.


    "You coming along with us, Trish?" I beckoned towards Patricia and she immediately followed us and left the dirty dishes to be cleared later. We went out and walked just a short distance and I saw a mark ''Abandoned House'' on the minimap. The house looked OK on the outside and I guess a paint job was all it needs to make the house livelier.


    The windows were in good condition and none was broken. It could need a good scrubbing, though. The wooden door opens up with a creak and inside were homes to pigeons roosting as well a few rats that had made a house within the wooden cabinets.


    "Hmm, once these are cleared and the holes on the rafters had been fixed, I don''t think any pigeons would come roosting in here. This furniture would need to be disposed of and the whole place needs to have a thorough washdown. These walls could be knocked down to make one big room for me and the storage. It seems decent enough. Are you sure this house is free, Prius?"


    "Yes, it''s truly and absolutely free with no charge of a single credit even. What are you intending to turn this house to? Accommodation or something else?" explained Prius since he saw my interest builds up at the size of this house.


    "I''m going to turn this into a workshop. Do I need to have a permit to run a business here?" I asked since I do not have the faintest idea of running a business here in this town at all.


    "Oh, you need to pay a small fee to register a business, the type of business, the location, the number of employees, their estimated salary, your projected sales per year and also their health insurance and other benefits such as working hours, meal breaks and lastly their annual leave," Prius replied as he tried to recall the requirements to register a business here with the Town Council which is also through the Great Hall.


    "How much is the process to register such business, at least I could set aside some credits for the administrative charges."


    "Oh, it is not much. Registration of business would be 25 credits but the taxes at the end of the year would amount to 10% but based on the number of employees and their wages, it might be reduced to 7% or less."


    "These taxes were being used to pay the patrol guard''s wages to take care of the town''s business so that no one would try to extort protection money which some hoodlums used to do it in the past 50 years ago."


    "Hah Hah Hah... In subtler terms, its still protection money but is being made transparent to the locale owners and ran by the government. Hah Hah Hah... Cute. Very practical for the government to step in this way in the transparency of where these monies would go, eh?"


    Prius was surprised at how sharp my mind was to perceive such information within a short period of time. What else would these so-called taxes be termed and being used? 10% based on a 100k credits would amount to 10k per locale and if there are 20 locales then the government had float cash of 200k credits yearly.


    This is only for one district and if there are 3 districts then the government makes 600k just by sitting on their fat asses all year round. Hmmph... Earning something out of nothing. Robin Hood on series 7 on Inkitt should offload these monies from these ''grobbers''.


    We returned to the house and I changed back to my battle gear and gets ready for another round of grinding. I excused myself as I head out the door and towards the northern gate. As soon as I reached there, I''ve decided to go for an estimated 80 rounds as one round would take less than 3 minutes to wipe out 8 goblins.


    Since I had pushed most of my points into STR, I decided to go against them using just a dagger alone. And after I had pushed all the 593 points onto that attribute, I had gained almost 700 points on damage rating alone. I decided to kite all of them at once and hack and slash them in one go.


    After I had warped to that place, I ran all the way inside their hideout, pushing the 3 grunts along the way and had the 8 of them encircling me. With 11k armour, their spears and swords dealt almost 0 damage on me as I stabbed merrily and picked their spoils. It was over in less than a minute and I kept at it until I had completed 80 repetitions.


    The sky had cast red over the horizons where I stopped and sat down on a tree trunk and I opened up my interface and looked at the new standings. I had gained +6400% experience Points and had jumped 64 levels during that onslaught. I had gained 640 planked shields and also 6400 credits from the spoils.


    By looking at the attributes, it won''t be long till I hit a 1% increase in the Level progress. Here is what it looked like for now


    Level: 225/100,000


    Progress: 16%


    Allocated points: 640


    Wealth: 93000 credits


    After selling the 640 planked shields with NoOne, I received another 38400 credits and this adds up to a total of 131,400 credits. "Just 3 more days, Audemars... 2 rolls of 80 rounds before and after lunch and you could achieve what is being required." I gave myself an uplifting morale booster thought as what lies ahead for the next coming 3 days.


    In this way, I would be able to achieve my target and then rest easy as I looked to gain my other professions. I activated the warp and I appeared at the entrance of the central gate from the northern side and I walked through it and walked gingerly past Pointus''. It would be a long time would he needs m service again as he too is gathering up his wealth.


    He too had marketed his MR P pills to both the northern and southern district by giving a sample to his friends and get them to review alit and bring them over to his store the next day.


    .....


    I was a bit weary when I got home that evening and when I entered the house I just greeted them with a simple ''Hello''. "You seemed a bit under the weather my friend. You should be working too hard and stress yourself, you know. By the looks of it, I think you could leave the cooking by Patricia for tomorrow. I heard there''s a variation for the garlic butter fried rice?"


    I plopped down and an offscreen crew finally served me with a large 2 litre of ''Mountain Dew'' drink to replenish my lost electrolytes and filled three mugs with it." Eehh... I thought I finally got some personal treatment after I came back onto the set..." I thought to myself as I chugged down and nearly choked on the iced cold soda drink.


    It is like this, my throat would suddenly be seized up if I drink am an ice-cold drink after a long hot day. Its the thyroid that worked me up and has not left me even though I had transmigrated into a new body. Whatever the illnesses this body have would add up to my present one. Truly a vicious world, am I right to state that?


    After I had chugged down the mug, I poured another one and finally replied, "The one we had for lunch and dinner is based on smoked fish as the main ingredient. You could use the dried pork and minced it instead. Just shuffle the main ingredients around and you could have prawns one day, squid on the other day or just plain scrambled eggs on the next."


    "The main ingredient could be switched around, same goes to the vegetables where you could have soya bean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage as long as the vegetables are not meant for making soup or wet dishes. You get what i mean, Trish?" I explained as Patricia took down all the details and penned it into her journal on her iPhone 11.


    "Please reserve a plate of rice for me, will you Trish? I''d eat them later for supper with a cup of black coffee. It goes very well with fried rice. Hehehehe." I winked at her and she would surely ensure that there''s a jug of black coffee on the table meant for the offscreen crews.


    "You won''t be taking dinner with us? Alright then, I''d place a plate aside for you and 2 Portuguese Risoles as well?" she asked and I refused the Rissoles since I would be having that for lunch later on out in the forest area tomorrow.


    I told her my plans and she simply nodded as she can''t refuse my decisions. "GOD, I FEEL SO T. I. R. E. D..." I screamed inside as I need those Psi Energy Healing Spheres inside me during my shower. I changed and took my towel and wrapped around my waist as I trudged to the shower.


    I took a basin and filled it with water after I cranked the water pump and as the water-filled inside it, I imbued several Psi Energy Healing Spheres into it and I scooped the water over my head. After a few times, I felt invigorated and regained my loss of energy.


    "Aahh... This feels so much better. I might as well make some candies and imbue them with Psi Energy so I would feel fresh all day long. Maybe a gum would do the trick...instead of Wrigleys, it should be just called ''FRESH''. Hah Hah Hah...

 Chapter 38 - 38. I Love The Idea, And I Love You Too, Audemars

    "Audemars, you can do it if you put your heart and soul into this...!!!" I gave myself the determination of grinding these goblins for the coming 3 days as I head down to the goblin''s hideout for 4 hours and 80 repetitions right after breakfast and another 4 hours and 80 repetitions after lunch.


    Within 3 days, I did not manage dare to take a peek at my stats, and when I did after the 3rd day of nonstop grinding, I had collected a total of 1280 plank shields per day for a total number of 3,840 plank shields.


    I had gathered as much as +38,400 experience points, +38,400 credits from the spoils. After I had sold off the goblin planked shields, I had gained a massive amount of 361,800 credits in wealth.


    Out of these experience points, I had gained a considerable amount of Levels but mainly are targeted to spending on attributes and none was assigned to my professions. 3840 points unallocated...!!! Is this crazy talk or what? In this world, thousands of these meant nothing, perhaps a few hundred thousand would spell an advancement. But right now, I''m only at 0.545% progress...!!!


    I spent some time at NoOne''s pathetic campsite and kept him company as he made himself a lump of barbequed rat meat. Since there was a lot of smoke smouldering from a small campfire that he had made, I had another clove cigarette from one of the offscreen crew that I recognised. He was happy to offer me a stick and we did chat awhile as we smoked along together.


    After he had left I opened up my interface and decided to allocate the rest of the points.


    Level: 545/100,000


    Progress: 16%


    *ATTRIBUTES*


    Strength: 1000 (+3)


    Dexterity: 1000


    Intelligence: 200


    Vitality: 1000


    Toughness: 2500 (+8500)


    Damage: 1000 (+35)


    Recovery: 583


    Unallocated points: 0


    Looks pretty neat, huh? I looked at the stats after I allocate the points and discovered the following:


    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +1000 Armour +1000


    DEX: Damage +1000 Dodge 100% Stealth 100%


    INT: Damage +200 Resistance +20%


    VIT: Health +10,000


    TOUGH: Armour +2500 (+8500)


    DAM: +2750 (+96.25)


    REC: Mana +2915


    I looked at my poor stats above and discovered that once a low-level adventure would have at least 6 for their health alone and mine just was at a paltry amount of only 5 figures. "Just one swipe from a blade from another era would just wipe out those health points back to zero."


    "Haissshhh... I know the journey is hard, but this is extremely hard indeed. But considering I managed to earn half a percentage with a week, it might take me years before I would hit 100% and became the strongest of all."


    I finished my smoke and NoOne was looking at me and was wondering what I had gotten a screw loose after endless grinding. " Ppsstt... Give others a chance, will you? You''d better not report this glitch or the developers would fix it and you would not get to enjoy the instant warp and instant respawn of the goblins."


    I looked up at NoOne and was surprised that today he spoke something else besides "Be wary of the danger that lurks in the forest... Bla Bla Bla yada yada yada..." and I smiled at him and gave a thumbs up and asked how many credits do you still have. The answer I''ve gotten was, "Just a few million left."


    "WHAAAAAATTTTTT.....??!!??!!" This guy is a stationary gold mine, an ATM machine, whatever you want to call it. In this world, maybe millions meant nothing for him at all. I bade him farewell and said that I might take a few days rest and be doing something else. He bade me good luck and continues to roast his rat meat over the fire.


    ....


    Before I walked on the set I asked one of the stewards to prepare us iced coffee because I just craved for one and he gave me a thumbs up. I then walked on set and barged in through the door and exclaimed, "Hurr Hurr Hurr... I''m Viking and I am going to plunder your lands, kidnap all the ladies and make them my wives. Muuuaaahahahahaha... I''ve got MR P and I''ve got nothing to worry to keep them happy all day and all night."


    I then continued, "This advertisement is brought to you by V. I.King and sponsored by the readers from both Webnovel and Inkitt." Hah Hah Hah


    "You seemed lively, mate. Welcome back..." Prius remarked at my mood today as he scanned me and finds that I had accumulated 3.5x the amount that I had intended to gather. This was a remarkable feat that anyone could do as well.


    "The papers are here for the abandoned house, just sign it and the system will indicate the ''Abandoned House'' to be ''Audemars House''," Prius explained as he held the paper on the table while Patricia greeted me with a full kiss on the mouth the moment I hollered and barged in through the door...


    Bah...i was expecting them to be cowering under the table but none had a reaction of such. Maybe they had seen me talking to the steward earlier. As I plopped down on the chair, the steward served us with a jug of ice-cold coffee with milk and 3 hideous mugs just to cover its contents. He poured it out for each of us and left.


    "Could I change it ''Beauty World'' instead? I don''t know how the artists going to draw on the signboard to indicate it. Let me see... A bunch of flowers or a woman''s face. Ach... It is too early, or just whitewash that house after the renovations had been done."


    "Sure, ''Beauty World'' it is then. By the way, doesn''t it seems weird for a warrior like you to divulge in beauty products? Those are for women right?" Prius asked in surprise since a man a d a warrior like me would go into a women''s interest.


    "Not only it is for women, but it is also unisex. Wait till I got the first product. You would surely fell in love with it." I explained as I took a long swig on the iced coffee with the ice floating in the mug. "Aaahhh... This is more like it. As long as I don''t include in this script on what we are not supposed to be doing then it''s fine, right?" Too bad we can''t insert any images or else it''s going to be a wonderful read for the readers as a picture tells a thousand words.


    Patricia served her own recipe of fried rice earlier for lunch which had black pepper beef in it. It was fantastic and it was served again for dinner. I had found some birds eye chilli and told her to slice thinly and fry it when the rice was ready. The chilli was small but fiery hot and it whets the appetite as well. Prius had even taken a second helping of the black pepper beef fried rice.


    "Would you be meeting the children later?" Patricia asked as she seemed to be ready to go out and take a walk with me. Sensing the way she had dragged me off when I asked her out together, I thought carefully and said, "Yes, we will visit them tonight," but in fact, all I wanted is to my turn to sweep her off her feet. Hah hah hah...


    ....


    "You lied to us, Audemars... I really thought we are going to visit the children." Patricia said and she seemed to have a liking towards those 4 children from the orphanage. Maybe she has taken the role of a mother that''s why she had the motherly care and love instilled in her.


    "I just wanted to spend some time with you, that''s all. The house is not ready yet and I''d prefer the house to be renovated and painted all white on the exterior and I need to procure the necessary items. Maybe you could help me find those merchants regarding what I would need in the future."


    I said as I soaked and slightly kicked around with my bare feet in a small surface aqueduct that was not meant for drinking. Even if the water was non-potable, a few fishes were seen swimming against the current, feeding off the algae at the sides of the aqueduct.


    "Sure, whatever you have in mind I would gladly help you out. So what are your plans? Maybe I could help you further." she asked and I asked her a question to answer her question.


    "What do you feel if you came out from a shower and felt like citrus all over your body? Leaving you fresh and makes you feel zest as well?" I asked and the answer I got was, "I would really love. But does people bathe on milk? I heard it makes the skin soft and supple."


    "In that case, citrus for the men and lavender for the ladies. It would be great to have a proper rundown after each bath and leaves you feeling fresh all day unless you bathe 3 times a day like me. Hah hah hah..."


    "I love the idea Audemar, and love you too..." she said and she looked down at her toes that had curly toenails because there weren''t any nail clippers at that time during the era. Hah hah hah...!!!

 Chapter 39 - 39. Setting Up Beauty World

    The abandoned house had got a new name now on the minimap. I had also paid 25 credits to register the business and had left all the other details empty since I hadn''t gotten any employees yet.


    The ''Beauty World'' has been properly christened and had already undergone its renovation of the patches on the roof and the birds had been relocated to a place to properly roost. The Piped Piper of Hamelin, Germany had been called in and all the rats were following him wherever he went and played the pipes and brought all the rats out of Ingmery as well.


    The furniture had been burnt outside since it was already been infested with termites and bed bugs. One of the connecting walls of one of the bedrooms had been torn down to make it as a single room.


    One of the doors had been taken down and replaced with a glass window with a film of a one-way mirror. A set of louvres were installed all around the room and the house to let the draft in and was covered with a mesh chicken wire so no birds and rodents would be able to enter the premise anymore.


    The roof had 2 sunroofs of light blue colours to let in the sunlight and eliminates the use of any lighting during the day. With the louvres installed around the external walls, the house seemed airy and fresh.


    The exterior of the house was painted with a water resistant, enamel type of off white coloured paint. It took 4 men about one day just to complete the whole works of renovating the house and this labour was paid and provided by the City Council.


    Once everything was done, the next thing is furnishings and the only place that I need to buy furnishings from was either in the Northern or Southern District and they were all equally priced.


    Patricia had prepared lunch earlier and we invited the workers to have lunch together before they head back to their office. After lunch, Patricia and I walked over to the decor shop in the Northern District and enters a place called Dawood Decors.


    "Good day, sir, ma''am. What can I help you with? We have 3 ranges of furniture, the basics, contemporary and exquisite designs. Three levels of class and three levels of prices." the owner greeted us as we enter.


    "I need a basic long table with 5 chairs and 10 square cushions that are filled with Ceiba Pentandra Do you have those?" I asked and as a furniture man, he should know that Ceiba Pentandra is a Kapok Tree that has cotton-like seeds.


    "Oh yes sir, we do have in abundance. Its the 2nd cheapest material fillings for cushions, pillows and mattresses. The first I think you would be smart enough to know because it''s filled with air..." replied the owner named Dawood.


    I was shown to a long table that would be used as a production table and several chairs and cushions as I paid them after haggling with the prices with delivery on the same day.


    "Don''t you need any other furnishings? Just a table with 5 chairs and 10 cushions?" asked Patricia after looking at the minimalist needs of mine.


    "Yeah, that house is normally meant for production, other than that it would not need anything else. Furthermore ''Beauty World'' has quite a large space on both sides of the house and I intend to grow some flowers which would be used for the production. Lavender and citrus would do just fine." i said as I had marked out 4 plots on both sides of the house for both of the plants mentioned.


    "So you would still be staying with us right? And how about the children?" she asked since I do not buy any beds or any equipment for the kitchen.


    "Those children would be the employees and you would be supervising their work. Is there pottery or glassblowers here that makes small bottles?" I asked and Patricia led the way towards a pottery store.


    ....


    "Good day, what could I help you with?" Paul the owner greeted us as we entered. "I''m here looking for samples of your pottery pieces and was wondering if you mass-produce them," I said as I looked at his pieces of pottery the at was displayed around the store.


    There were quite a lot of variants and types of curing these clay and since I had the knowledge in the past series, I am able to differentiate the methods of curing these pottery clay pieces.


    "Oh, the available pieces are here. What do you need it for?" Paul asked as I held a piece and placed it back again and started to peer around for the kind of pottery bottles that I need. Some were of fine porcelain while some were of finer clay with all the glazing and such.


    Then I found one, a very simple small-mouthed jar, almost flat and it looked like the modern everyday shampoo dispenser shape without the dispensing unit of course. In place was a stopper.


    It was greyish white in colour and looked like an ornamental piece since it was beautifully glazed and had a design of small flowers at its sides near the bottom. "Is this piece porous or non-porous?" I asked since we would be using it to hold the product in there.


    "Ah... It is non-porous sir, it is our last piece here, and we don''t really mass produce for these pieces. Its an offer for you sir, 75 credits." Paul said as I haggled the price down to 50 credits which he eventually agreed.


    "Just one is enough? I though you need like a hundred or two?" Patricia eyed me again and was surprised I ended up buying just one piece. "Well, as what the good man said here, it''s the only piece left here."


    I reasoned with Patricia and little did she knew that it would be multiplied soon enough. Hah Hah Hah... I had an evil grin on my face and I had horns coming out from my forehead and I looked somewhat like ''Hellboy'' already minus the cigar.


    "Trish, I need a cart, a large cauldron that can fill as much as 100 litres, four lavender and four citrus plants, five 10 litre barrels of coconut oil, four 10 litre barrels virgin unscented olive oil and one 10 litre bags of lye."


    "Could you get this for me and have it delivered to ''Beauty World'' please?" I requested and I passed her 5000 credits so she could purchase them and keep the balance for the operational costs.


    "I will meet you back at ''Beauty World'' alright? I would be doing something in the room later on and I will give you a surprise soon after you get back." I said as I made my way back to Central District as she made her way to get the purchases ready.


    I reached ''Beauty World'' and locked the main door as I entered. I went to the room and sat down cross-legged on the bare floor and meditated and went to the Realm of Mind. I entered the Fusion Chamber and placed the porcelain bottle inside one of the slots. I pushed the slider to DUPLICATE/MULTIPLE and chose to make 1 on the counter.


    I closed the door and cranked the lever. "Hah... If I knew I could have a fusion chamber when I was Himura Kenshin, I don''t need to spend so much to contract the pottery and glassmaker." I thought to myself as this is considered as a ''hack'' and not a cheat.


    *Ding* Duplication Process Complete. 1 no of Porcelain Bottle Attained. Progress +1%


    "Haha... It is a success..! One bottle... Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah..." and I expected the clouds to turn dark and lighting to flash across the skies accompanied by thunders just like Count Dracula from Sesame Street.


    The duplicated piece was automatically sired in my storage and I took it out and examined it with the one inside the fusion chamber. "Wonderful... One piece 1% progress. I''m going to make 999 pieces first then." as I kept the porcelain bottle back in my storage and adjust the counter to 999 and pulled the lever.


    *Ding* Duplicate Process Complete. 999 nos of Porcelain Bottle Attained. Progress +999%. Level up 555/100,000. Level up Intermediate Crafter 1/100. Allocated point +100.


    I heard the announcements and it would take more than this to Level up to just 1% of my overall level. The whole process took approximately two and a half hours in the Realm of Mind and when I had completed the process, I took 20 wooden crates leftover at the Refined Steel Plates production zone, immediately logged off and went back to the real world since the time at the Realm of Mind is 3:1 compared to the real world.


    I set 50 porcelain bottles in each slot of my storage and then I place them all inside the wooden crates. And once I''ve done that, I materialise them and stacked the 20 crates in the far corner of the room.


    The moment I leave the room and unlocked the main door, Patricia was already standing there and the delivery of all the goods that I required had arrived. I instructed all the items to be placed at the preparation room which was the main section of the house, while the plants were placed at the designated plots on both sides of the house.


    "Thank you so much, Trish... You''re really great help." I praised Patricia for a job well done within an hour and took the details of the men who had delivered the raw ingredients. I reached out and patted Patricia over the head and she purred like a kitten.


    "What about the balance? There''s still more than 4k left."


    "Just keep it for Operational costs in the future. This is only the first batch that I would like to test. Furthermore, the surprise is already waiting for you in the corner of the room." I simply showed her the 20 wooden crates stacked at the far corner of the room and she entered and let out a shriek of surprise.


    "Audemars...!!! How did you manage to get so many of these porcelain bottles? You bought just one piece and now... You''ve got crates of them...!!! How did you that? Are you a sort of magician or something?" she asked as she went from one crate to another like a buzzing bee and checked out the crate boxes and counted each one of them.


    "Ssshhh... Keep your voice down, Trish. I am in between of an alchemist and a pharmacist and I made Pointus famous overnight. This is also part of wizardry and I could be able to duplicate items as large as body armour that I had worn the other day."


    "Its a trade secret of mine and I could virtually duplicate almost anything but not precious items like gold and gems or anything as big as a goblin planked shield."


    "If I am able to do that, I would be the most hated cheater in this world. Just imagine I just spend time duplicating like 20,000 of those goblin planks and sell them for a total of 1.2 million credits. There are things that I could manipulate but there are things that I simply can''t." I explained as to why sometimes I would meditate and would be able to conjure these items easily.


    "Ok, I don''t want to know what you would be doing when you meditate, but you could duplicate things right? Then, in this case, you could make one and then you could duplicate thousands of pieces, right?"


    "You don''t need to have employees to do at all. Hmmph... If I were you, I could duplicate it and watch the credits roll in." Patricia looked at me with her hands on her chin and I can see imaginary credits floating above her head right now.

 Chapter 40 - 40. Mummy... Daddy...?!?!

    "Hah Hah Hah... How I wish it could be simple as that, Trish. If I could do that, I''ve done that many years ago. Alright, let''s go and plant these citrus upfronts. I''ve marked out the plot with square pieces, so it would nicely mark out. 2 each plant on each side there, Trish."


    I shooed her out of ''Beauty World'' and I dug the ground about a foot deep with a spade and placed the lavender in the plot of 24 inches on both sides. It was a shrub so it would not need a bigger space than that. And a plot of 24 inches would do just fine.


    The citrus plants that were bought by Patricia were the dwarf kinds and these grow to about 140 centimetres tall and would be bearing flowers and fruits before long. It''s the yellow kind of citrus fruits and I would definitely be giving a surprise again when we are done planting those trees.


    "Wow... Now this ''Beauty World'' is indeed a beauty. It got clean white walls and accentuated with these plants over here. People passing by would think this is a house and not a production place at all. Hah Hah Hah... By the way, Trish... Do you think there is a locale for rent or sale in either of the 3 districts?"


    "I don''t think so, Audemars. What are your plans right now? You''ve got the house, the cauldron, ingredients and the plants. When would you embark on your project?" Patricia asked as she was excited to know the progress as she was to be supervising the children later on.


    I was squatting down near a bucket of water as I rubbed my two hands together to form Psi Energy Healing Spheres and I dropped them inside. I used a small scoop to water the plants and I answered her questions as we go along. She saw what I did and was wondering what I had done for the plants instead.


    "I saw those bluish things that you did when you rubbed your hands before, why did you put them into the water and then you watered the plants?" Patricia asked after she saw what I did and that intrigued her most.


    "Ah, you see... I can also listen to the plants talking and complaining. And they were complaining to me that that ground is hard and wanted some drinks. I can''t be serving coffee or tea for them right? So I just made the ground wet and make them happy since they had been stored in the nursery for so long."


    "I can even hear them talking in a foreign language right now saying their thanks and appreciation and were sighing since they had received this nutrition." I spun my tale of bullshit once more and Patricia nodded as if she understood every single word I say. Hah Hah Hah.


    "Alright, help me to place these 2 types of oils and you mix these while I pour in the lye to make a mix. It is not ready yet though since I have yet to make an Essense for the citrus. This ratio is to make a single batch and once it is done, we can stick citrus leave on it to indicate its scent." I beckoned Patricia as she seemed a bit flushed since she was out in the sun for some time.


    It seems that she is a bit sensitive to the sun and she looked like a steamed prawn already. Hah Hah Hah... And there''s a bit of perspiration just above her upper lip that made her... Beautiful I think. That''s the word I could think off right now. Beautiful sweaty upper lips like a moustache. Hurr Hurr Hurr...


    I positioned the cauldron in such a manner that the children would be able to scoop them into a large bowl before dispensing them into the porcelain bottle. A machine could do that actually, but I need to create a livelihood for the children and make a pathway for their own future.


    I cracked open the top of the barrel and poured in all the oils and Patricia was using a Cajun stirring paddle to mix those 2 oils together. After that, I scooped the lye and slowly mixed them up until I had emptied the whole 10 kilograms sack. The colour of the ingredients inside the cauldron was beautiful creamy colour.


    "This is the cold process, without using any heat whatsoever. Later in I would use a barrel and then I would pour water in it and dilute the solution. In this process, the solution won''t be too thick or runny. This whole process weighs 110 to 120 litres and could easily fill up approximately 400 bottles. How much did you spend on the oils and lye?" I asked as I would make an estimated cost to sell the product.


    "Oh, I had spent only 500 credits for the oils and lye powder. What kind of product are you actually going to make?" she asked as I had filled a barrel with water and was carrying them in and poured the contents into it as Patricia slowly stirred the mixture with the stirring paddle.


    "I am going to make a shampoo called "Head To Toe". It''s an all in one shampoo for showering that''s great for the hair and body as well during showers and I am sure people would feel invigorated, energised and refresh after using this shampoo during their showers every day."


    "This mix would be for a single scent. 400 bottles would do just fine for the moment. The purpose of this is simple. One, create a livelihood for the 4 children. Two, educate them in business such as manufacturing, packing, storing, distribution, sales, accounts, the works."


    "Three, create a healthy lifestyle for the citizens of Ingmery first. Four, keep the citizens free from dirt, lice, bugs and other varmints that might be crawling around their bodies. You won''t have that crawling around your body, would you?"


    "Five, these healthy lifestyles also would keep them away from certain common illnesses. Six, everyone would smell great, feels clean like as if they just showered in perfume."


    I explained it to Patricia in a single breath and I was breathless by the end of my long speech. Hurr Hurr... Patricia absorbed every bit of information and understood what I meant when I asked her about showering the other day. Would she jump in with me and help to scrub my back? Hah Hah...


    .......


    The next morning after breakfast we went to Beauty World and Patricia was surprised that the lavender shrub that was planted sparingly on a plot of 24x24 had grown to about 2 foot in height and had all the purple flowers blooming. The scent itself is invigorating (since the watering last night was imbued with Psi Energy).


    The citrus plant had also grown to about 4 feet in height and there are many yellow fruits the size of a small fist. Patricia was astonished at the development and asked what I''m going to do next and I told her it''s time to bring in the children from the orphanage.


    .......


    "Matron, the children would be employed with Beauty World from 8 am to 5 pm and would be given 3 meal breaks at 1030am, 1230pm and 3 pm," I explained the working hours so that the matron would be able to understand that the children would not work more than 12 hours a day.


    "They would still be putting up with the orphanage and would be paid a salary of 600 credits per month. It could be paid to them twice a month." after I learnt that a minimum wage in town is 20 credits a day, and I used it to make a guideline to be sure.


    "A treasurer account book would be created for them so we would deposit it into their accounts and you would be able to monitor them," I said as I wanted to have a secure place for the children to have a headstart in their lives. Even for the youngest named Kayla, at aged 10 would slowly learn the value of money.


    Since there was nothing else for them to spend as meals were provided by them, as for Kayla, in 8 years time, she would be able to accumulate a wealth of 57,600 credits in her savings. Of course, there would be bonuses and other incentives every quarterly which I did not mention to the matron.


    Upon hearing all the details, she was surprised to know that I am able to meet the deadline of a week to gather the resources I need. The children were released to me and we brought them to the Beauty World where some of the citizens began labelling it as The White House.


    "Adam, Ingles, Jane and Kayla... Welcome to Beauty World. Here, you will receive an education that''s even better than some public schools would teach. You will earn 600 credits a month just by performing some manufacturing, packing, storing, distribution, sales, accounts and so on."


    "You don''t get to earn credits when you actually go to school right? Well, come on in and Trish here will guide you on your jobs at the moment. At the meantime, this room is out of bounds unless I told everyone could enter it. It is my world in there and it is full of secrets in there."


    I explained as their jaws dropped open when they heard they are getting credits for the work they had done. 600 credits are just a few levels lower than the matron earns a month.


    And when they heard I announce that they would be getting 3 meals a day in between their work time, they were surprised because they normally get 2 meals a day each.


    The four of them wiped away their tears of joys silently and Kayla was the one that sobbed uncontrollably. "Mummy, Daddy... Kayla promised to be a good little devil from now on, okay, and won''t disturb the rest of the sisters here."


    "MUMMY... DADDY...?!?!" It was Patricia and my turn to dropped those jaws of ours as we looked at each other in astonishment. When did we even get married and suddenly we have 4 grown-up children... Hah Hah...

 Chapter 41 - 41. First Day Operations For Beauty World

    "Alright, this are the cutting boards and knives in front of you. Please do not mess around here ok, these things are sharp and can cut and hurt you real bad. I''m going to show you an example first and you would all follow. Once it''s done, dump the whole contents inside this huge barrel here and I would carry them inside later."


    The 9 empty barrel was being used to line the pathway from the main path right up to the house. This is being used to decorate the place and also to convert it to seats for those busybodies who wanted to know what we are doing.


    Patricia has helped to harvest the lavender flowers and placed them into a huge basket and was brought into my room. She then observed me sliced the citrus into thin slices and then dumped the contents inside the barrel.


    "Just assist me here and I''d be in my room to set up somethings. I would be back in an hour." I said to Patricia as I head into the room and locked the door from within. Soon, I meditated and went into the Realm of Mind where I swiped the scene before me and made a new blank one.


    I visualised 2 huge half-dome glass distiller and filled it with water. This should contain about 50 litres of plain water. I then placed a white cloth and cover the whole opening and placed all the lavender flowers inside it. A small bunsen burner was used just like before and was set to medium flame. A timer was set at the LPG tank and it will cut off the supply after 9 hours of distilling. I replaced the cover of the other half of the dome glass snugly.


    The other half-dome glass distiller had already been filled with water and on standby for the extraction of the next ingredient, the sliced citrus. The bunsen burner was lit like a small flame to warm the water up and would be ready when the citrus had been sliced up and ready for the process.


    Before I logged off I went to the Fusion Chamber and saw the porcelain bottle that I had bought earlier was still the and the settings were set as before. I checked the counter and set it to 1,000, closed the door and turned the lever. I also took with me another 20 empty wooden crates that I had placed inside my storage bag.


    I emerged from the room and the children are hard at work and I told Patricia to monitor them as I walked out to the local marketplace. I checked with the local bakery and ordered 6 different kinds of bread twice at 10 am and 230pm daily to be sent to the Beauty World aka The White House till the end of the month.


    I asked for the amount and informed the owner to collect from Patricia later on. The bread costs 1 credit each and just for the remaining 10 days of the month, the amount payable was only 120 credits.


    At least the children break time had been settled and now it is time to think about the lunch and dinner for the Keating''s household. Since today was the start of the operational of Beauty World, I should better be doing some marketing on my own.


    I went about to the marketplace and discussed with one of the merchants to supply us with 5 kg of sweet potatoes, yam, green Musa belle, green plantain and tapioca every week and I paid a total of 75 credits for these and this could be made steam, grilled or fried and each day would be a variants of these.


    Stocks of a dozen smoked fish, a dozen eggs, an assortment of fresh vegetables, 1kg of plain flour, a small slab of fat, butter, condiments and 2 kg of rice would be brought in every 2 days for the moment. As for these, it would be delivered by 6 pm and the payment would be collected through Patricia.


    After I had my rounds, I returned to the Great Hall alone and Prius was there greeting me in his usual manner. "You''re alone today, Pat is supervising those children?" Prius asked as stood up and walked towards me and gave me a pat on the shoulders.


    "You know, Pat has taken quite a liking towards you and I hope you knew what it means, right?" he asked as he winked his eyes. "Well my friend, business and family matters shouldn''t mix."


    "Right now she is supervising those children and she is also part of the workforce. We will talk about matters of the heart after 5 pm," i said while u chuckled while keeping a straight face.


    Try doing that while you laugh with a straight face and observe how you''d look like in front of a mirror.


    "Alright, I''m going to prepare gruel for today only for our lunch and dinner. We''d be back to our fried rice paradise tomorrow." I said as I went to the kitchen and grabbed a few pieces of sun-dried slices of pork and soaked them in the water.


    A few moments later, I had saut¨¦ed the minced meat with a bit of fat, onions and garlic before I pour in water to fill half a cauldron and scooped in 8 scoops of rice into it. I pumped the bellows and the fire flared up and I covered it up after inserting the minced cabbage and added salt and black pepper to it.


    I pumped the bellows a few more times and I let the cauldron sit on the flame until it totalled died out. Meanwhile, I went to Beauty World and checked the progress of the citrus. The children and Patricia were having their break and it seems lunch would be served by 12 pm later today.


    "Daddy... This bread is super soft and fresh... Not unlike the ones we had in the orphanage there. Would we be able to stay here?" asked Ingles as soon as I entered the Beauty World.


    "Good God... I have to get used to being called Daddy right now by these kids." I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes upwards. How could a young man like me suddenly have 4 kids to call my own? Hah hah. I have trouble feeding myself and yet here''s another 4 mouths to feed.


    "How was your first day here? I hope it''s not that hard on you. Furthermore, right after this, we would be putting this solution here into the bottles. Trish... Umm, I mean, Mummy here will help you out."


    "I will show you how to do it first alright? I''ve prepared lunch and we could continue after that. Presently after 5 pm all of you need to leave and be back there. Of course, you are welcome to stay for dinner as I made extra. Hope you won''t having gruel fir both lunch and dinner afterwards?"


    I inquired on the children wellbeing and they are very happy at what they are doing now. At least one thing for sure they are being entrusted with a sharp knife for the first time in their lives. In actual fact, it was a sharpened plastic knife that looked like a real blade. I won''t want the social welfare department to run after my ass...


    "Ahem... Rest assured. If Daddy here cooks for us, it is a simple yet the most satisfying meal ever. Trust Mummy''s words..." Patricia added as she winked at me and I could only smile back at her for this moment of time.


    We are playing as Mummy and Daddy right now, I wonder when night falls, would Patricia be playing Mummy''s role tonight. Hurr Hurr.....

 Chapter 42 - 42. MC Committed A Grave Mistake...!!!

    Just before we break for lunch, I brought in the barrel filled with sliced citrus inside the room and locked myself in. I received another notification that I had gained another progress +1000% from the 2nd duplication of the porcelain bottles. All the porcelain bottles had been automatically stored in m storage bag even if I''m in the real world. How cool is that...?!


    I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and straight to the Essense Extraction Zone where I dumped the whole barrel of sliced citrus on the cloth suspended above the steaming water of the 2nd distiller.


    I put the burner to medium flame after covering the half dome and set the LPG timer for 9 hours which means this Essense would be ready for tomorrow. I then imbued Psi Energy Healing Spheres thrice into the lavender extract and watched the spheres slowly merge into the solution.


    I visualised a 2-litre earthen jug and poured the lavender extract into it, as I brought it to the real world along with the lavender that was inside the linen cloth. The scent was overpowering as it was a pure extract. I then poured it into the cauldron and Patricia helped to stir it up. The creamy colour changed to a pale purple and everyone could smell the sweet scent from the solution.


    "Daddy, what is this? Is it some kind of soup?" Adam asked as he watched Patricia slowly stirred the contents and when I checked the uniformity of the solution, it felt just right to be called a ''Head To Toe'' shampoo.


    "This is not something that you can eat. This is shampoo and this is meant to wash your hair and body with it. It would have a soft lather and you could scrub it with a shower rag. It makes you feel fresh, clean, invigorated and energised after this." I explained as I made sure that there are no sediments at the bottom.


    "Oh...I had my bath some months back... And I feel alright though except when the nights are too warm I just strip down to my jockeys." Adam quipped as he too smelt his armpit and determined if it''s too sourish or not to take a bath soon after.


    "Alright, it''s time to break for lunch. Come on everyone, follow Mummy back to the house." I called out and everyone cleared the table and set the cutting boards to the empty kitchen along with the realistic-looking plastic knives.


    Jane took a rag and wiped the table clean as we prepare to engage in the second phase after this which is to fill the bottles with the solution.


    The linen cloth that was filled with lavender was placed on the porch area to dry and used as a branding after tying it up with a baker''s string which I had asked for a small ball earlier.


    "Alright, time to go, children. Let''s go to the Great Hall and have some lunch first." Patricia gestured to the children and led them out of Beauty World and I saw the 4 of them marched behind Patricia as if she was a mother goose and was leading the children to the pond. Hah Hah...


    And I followed behind them like a father goose? Hah hah hah... What a joke we had become since we had picked the 4 children from the orphanage to be our employees. Right now the best person to be pushing this product is through word of mouth.


    The capital per 100 litres of raw products only cost 500 credits and frankly, we would be able to get 4 fold if we were to sell it at just 5 credits. I''m not trying to make so much of a profit but as long as we create a livelihood for these children, we would be able to path a way for them for their future.


    "Sigh... Little did I expect these children us going to call me Daddy... Hah hah... I was as young as Adam when I was transmigrated to be Himura Kenshin. And now looking back, it surely reminds me of Will.I.Am and the rest." I thought and sighed inwardly as I too marched behind them to head for lunch.


    ....


    That was a very gruel meal Mummy and Daddy, I didn''t know that Daddy is a good cook." Kayla said and everyone agrees. Prius who was sitting with us looked in surprised since the children had called both Patricia and me as Mummy and Daddy respectively.


    "Ahem...do you guys know that both Patricia and Audemars here are not even a couple and yet you all are referring them as Mummy and Daddy?" Prius asked them since he doesn''t know what was going on in the children''s mind.


    "Of course we do Uncle Prius... Its a matter of respect that we honour them both." the moment when I heard Ingles referred Prius as an uncle, the gruel in my mouth was spluttered in front as I laughed since calling ''Uncle Prius'' was like making Prius old and a wrinkly man with a walking stick. Hah Hah Hah....!!!


    Patricia was laughing along with me and Prius had this dumbfounded stupid look on his face when he was being referred as ''Uncle''. "Well, Uncle Prius, you already knew the answers from the children right?" I poked fun at Prius and he laughed along but I knew deep inside he felt he was too young to be referred to as ''Uncle''. Hah Hah Hah...


    After lunch there was a break of 30 mins so ''Uncle'' Prius entertained the children while Patricia and I went to look for 4 funnels, 4 small 300ml ladles and a large one along with a cauldron to place the solution on the table for the children to scoop.


    The reason for me getting the cushions is because the children could sit on it to be higher when they scooped the shampoo into the bottles later on. There must be a reason why I bought those cushions, right? Definitely not for decoration purposes. Haiyoo... Don''t tell me I need to saw off the legs of the table to make it shorter just for the children to work with? Hah hah.....


    I returned to Beauty World while Patricia marched the children back and when they entered, I had already prepared the shampoo solution into the new pot that we had bought earlier and since there are 4 funnels and 4 scoops, the children were instructed on how much shampoo they need to fill inside each bottle.


    I excused myself and went to the room where I carried out 8 crates containing 400 porcelain bottles. During that time I managed to check my interface and it seemed that I had jumped to Level: 565/100,000. Intermediate Crafter Level 11/100 and also had a total of 200 points to allocate. At the moment I just let it be first since I''m not off grinding for beasts or monsters.


    When it was ready to be packed into the porcelain bottle, I demonstrated how to fill one up according to a single scoop from the ladle. Not too little and not too much. Once it was done, I closed off the stopper, took a single strand of lavender and tie a baker''s string round the body near the top along with the flower. I wish I could show how you how the end product looks like but too bad this is not a toon novel.


    If not, definitely there would be a lot of artist signing to insert their illustrations. Won''t it be more ''book-like'' in the future?


    The first bottle was shown and I observed for the next few rounds and corrected their mistakes and once everything looked perfect, I left the children be while I went to get the raw materials to be sent over.


    Patricia paid another 500 credits and this would be for the citrus scent. The delivery boys helped to place it next to the cauldron which would be made into ''Head To Toe'' shampoo.


    When the delivery boys came in to deliver the raw materials, they commented on the smell and they liked it very much and would be buying it for their parents if the price is right.


    "What do you think if the price is right," I asked the delivery boys. "I guess this porcelain bottle is already worth nearly 100 credits and the product inside it, well... It would be worth 120 credits at least." one of them replied.


    Then a shocking revelation hit me...!!! It is a PORCELAIN bottle which costs 50 at Paul''s. Definitely, I can''t sell lower than that right? I was thinking of selling it for 5 credits only. FOR FUCK''S SAKE... I''ve done a god damn irreversible mistake NOW....!!!


    "Readers... Tell me what should I do right now...?!?! Haiyoo... Die lah like this... Sure die cock stand... Chialat Liao..."

 Chapter 43 - 43. Head To Toe Shampoo Marketing Strategy

    After the delivery boys had left, the words that they had said etched on my head and I was suddenly stumped by it. I buried my hands over my head and was deep in thought while the children stopped what they were doing and looked at me.


    "Mummy, is Daddy alright? Is he in some sort of trouble or have some problems?" Adam asked ''Mummy Patricia'' as he looked at me and then looked back at the latter''s face, expecting an answer.


    "Mummy doesn''t know... Maybe Daddy has some thoughts on his mind and has to take time to think of it." ''Mummy Patricia'' replied as she looked at me with a worrisome look.


    It had been slightly over a week since I had woken up from my deep sleep and I do not have the time to do some market research. Furthermore, I was planning not of earning credits and become rich but the main thing is to uplift everyone''s wellbeing here in Ingmery.


    The only research that I had made was that Ingmery does not have a beauty shop and this was it''s first. I won''t know about the other towns nearby since I had only been out to the goblins camp and to NoOne''s pathetic campsite.


    "Mummy... Daddy doesn''t seem alright. Look, his face is turning green already. Is he going to throw up?" Ingles mentioned when she noticed my face turning pale and not green.


    "Mummy... I''m scared. Is Daddy turning into a goblin or a troll? Green is their skin colour right?"


    "Yeah, me too. I think Daddy is turning to one of the Avengers, the Hull for sure. See his popping muscles on his arms? Baaaahhh... I don''t want to die...!!! Kayla bawled when she noticed not my muscles popping but I alternatively flex it when I had buried my head in my hands. Its a rhythmic flex from left and right.


    GREEN... ??!!?? Am I turning into a frog or something? These children do sure have a wild imagination.


    I checked myself that I had only interacted with 5 women here in this town. Rebecca, Joan and the matron plus the infirmary head and her aide. I raised my head and wiped my face with my hands and sighed.


    "Daddy is alright... I''m not turning into a goblin or any kind of monster that ran wild in your imagination. Furthermore, I''m not even turning into a hulk... That green thing is from the reflection that bounces from the sunroof above your heads... See, lookup... That''s why this Beauty World does not operate after hours and do not require any lighting at all."


    "Mummy, take care of these children first and carry on with your work. I would take this 5 bottles with me and I would be doing the first marketing. I would be meeting Rebecca, Joan, matron, the infirmary head and her aide. These are the 5 women I have interacted and they would be the first 5 to try this product." I explained as I slipped the 5 porcelain bottles into my storage bag.


    "Hmm mmm..." Patricia nodded as she turned her attention towards her work and organises the ones that the children had prepared into an empty crate on top of a portable cart.


    I excused myself and exit Beauty World and heads down to the main street where I will meet with the matron first.


    .......


    "Ah, good day Mister Audemars, I hope the children are not giving you too many problems on their first day with you?" she asked as she removed her glasses and peered at me from behind the table.


    "Oh, everything is fine. I''m here because I wanted to find out what do you think of this product of ours. Its called ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo. This is used during baths and all you need to do is to pour a dollop of it after you had wet your hair and body and give this a good rundown."


    "You may use a loofah to put the dollop if this shampoo and scrub your body with this. Here, take a look at this and tell me how much you would pay for this. A bottle like this would be good for at least 10 uses." I presented the porcelain bottle of shampoo with a strand of lavender neatly tied around it.


    "Take a whiff and let me know what do you think of it." I offered her as she looked at the intricate design of the porcelain bottle and was delighted at the product display. She removed the stopper and took a whiff and her eyes widened immediately as it was as if she had never smelled such great scent before.


    "My goodness, Mister Audemars... Is this the product that you had mentioned before? The porcelain bottle is very nice and is used as a collection piece, this is a fine product. The scent of the so-called ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo is very intriguing. It smells very nice indeed and it felt like it fits for royalty indeed."


    "Just by the smell alone is really Heavenly. I can''t wait to get into a shower after this. You asked me how much I would pay for this and it is good for 10 uses? 60 credits... That''s what I''m willing to pay for this." she explained and her face had a rosy hue after she took a deep whiff from it.


    "I felt like my spirits were uplifted after I had smelled this. This is really wonderful...!!!" she said as she took out 60 credits and made a trade with me and I accepted it.


    "Good God... And I was dying to see how much this product would do in the market right now. 60 credits it is then. Thank you so much for your kind patronage, ma''am."


    "I really appreciate it and I do hope you could spread the word among your friends and peers about this product and tell them to head to the Beauty World aka The White House to directly purchase from us." I finally said with a beaming smile on my face and it took away my worrisome look immediately.


    "Don''t you worry about it Mister Audemars. I have a circle of peers which I could send a tweet and they would definitely come over and get it. Feeling clean and smelling great is one woman''s desire you know. You really know how to strike a chord with the ladies. This is the product that you mentioned before, right? "


    "Yes, it is. In Oddfish we have about 10 to 15 towns nearby within a range of 10 kilometres and we had distributed it all around regularly. This is for the ladies and we have a citrus scent for the men."


    "Oh, when you mentioned about Oddfish, it''s true I cannot find the location and also the existence of it anymore. Truly sad, am I right Mister Audemars? Your little town had indeed perished from the face of this earth."


    "Oddfish my ass. It is a made-up town''s name. I can''t be telling that I had made this in Kitakata, Fukushima, Japan in the year 1860 right? Presently I can''t be bothered to find out which year I was in but from the looks of it, it must be in the early 10th century or earlier." I thought to myself as I smiled with a crooked look on my face.


    "Oh, all right Ma''am, I would take my leave and meet with the head infirmary, Rebecca and Joan," I said as I excused myself and heads towards the exit.


    "Good luck, Mister Audemars and good luck to the best of your endeavours." the matron bade me off as I walked out and into the sunshine. 60 credits and the matron doesn''t even bat an eyelid.


    I head down to the infirmary and explained the product and the infirmary head and her aide paid up 60 credits each without even a single cringe on their faces. One thing is that the product design itself was exquisite and they knew such porcelain bottles would almost cost 50 credits each...!


    Soon I met Rebecca who was always idling around the street in front of her house and I talked to her and explained the same thing I had done with the matron and the infirmary head. She soon paid the sum after she had inspected it as I mentioned that this is specially formulated for the ladies. She too paid 60 credits even though she did mention before that the two hoodlums that I defeated before were going after her wealth.


    Lastly, I met Joan and before I entered, I made sure she does not have that steampunk goggles and her heavy apron and dishwashing gloves on. Luckily she was wearing any of those and was tinkering with the health generation and mana generation potion.


    I knocked and entered and when she saw me she shrieked in her shrill voice, "Ah... Just what I need and was looking for when the devil comes knocking at my door already...!!!"


    "Huh? You are looking for me, Joan?" I asked since I don''t have the faintest idea of what she was looking for me at all. I looked around suspiciously and anxiously at what she might have in mind but I didn''t have any clue whatsoever as she trudged on and advances towards me with a test-tube in her hand.

 Chapter 44 - 44. I Became A Guinea Pig For Potions Brewery

    "Wha... WHAT ARE YOU DOING...?!?!" I managed to holler when Joan advanced towards me and suddenly she gripped my mouth and popped the test tube cover open and poured the contents directly in my mouth.


    "Aarrgghh... PTUI... PTUI..." I tried to spat out whatever Joan had concocted down my throat as she took a few steps back and looked at me. The taste of whatever Joan had poured from the test tube had a honey taste and I DEFINITELY DO NOT WISH TO BE TREATED LIKE A GUINEA PIG...


    "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT????" I screamed at her and felt the substance began to have a reaction from within. It was warm, then turned violently hot and then I felt a chill as though I was dipped into a tub of ice water. The interface began to ring like a broken down MP3 music inside my head and I wasn''t able to comprehend a single word it said.


    The feelings I''ve got right now and the ringing of the announcements in my head was making me crazy. Joan slipped a chair behind me and pushed my shoulders down as I was forced to sit there as a mix unknown sensations coursed through my body.


    Joan stood there with her arms folded across her chest as she looked at the clock behind her and checked when she had administered that poison and how long was the effect. One moment I was breaking into a cold sweat and the next I was convulsing as if I was going to die the next moment.


    My body felt light and heavy at the same time and after 3 minutes or so, I felt a calm, peaceful feeling as the ringing of announcements had subsided and I felt as though my body was back to normal again.


    "How do you feel, Audemars?" she asked as she held a clipboard in front of her and was taking down some notes for her experiment on me. "I FEEL LIKE KILLING YOU RIGHT NOW." that was my reply to her question.


    "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... Audemars, would I dare to poison an MC of this novel eh? You can''t think so pessimistic my dear Audemars. If I were to ask you in a polite manner to drink the potion, I don''t think you''d want to do that."


    "OF COURSE I WON''T WANT TO HAVE ANY CONNECTION WITH YOUR POTION AT ALL..." I screamed again and my voice somehow boomed and passerby heard it very clearly.


    "Calm down. You are in one piece right now, are you not? Go check yourself out first." Joan advised as she poured tea and offered me one and I flatly refuse. I opened up my interface and it was a bit fuzzy because of the interference from the potion that was forced down my throat. Suddenly I saw a change in the statistics. "Resistance +170%"


    "Is this permanent or just a temporary buff," I asked myself and finally, I calmed down and told her my Resistance had increased +150% against all elements.


    "Very good indeed. I am sure you have a system where you can check for yourself. Don''t worry, this is only temporary and it would wear off 15 minutes later." Joan explained while she continued, "Why are you here in the first place?"


    "Definitely not going to be a Guinea pig for you, Joan. Here... Take this and let me know what you think about it. Its a ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo meant for at least 10 uses for showering." I explained as I place the porcelain bottle on top of the glass counter where I was forced down to sit on a chair earlier.


    Joan took the porcelain bottle and looked at the design and its feel. I guess I had the right choice of getting a simple porcelain bottle to store the contents. One look of it, the ladies would have surely fallen in love with it.


    Joan opened up the stopper and a lingering scent immediately wafted out of it and she can''t help herself but took a long whiff and a blush of pink emerged from her cheeks, turned it, rosy and at the same time make her a little... Errr... Attractive?


    "Aaahhh... This scent is indeed very nice. I could sense some kind of magic in this as well. You said before you were an Alchemist, am I right? A bit of in-between of an Alchemist and a Herbalist, you''d say?"


    "Yes, that''s what I said before to you when I asked about the instruments that you had used and how I could procure them." I simply replied as I can''t forget the way she manhandled me to force the potion down my throat. At least give me a heads up next time, lady...


    "I can sense something within it as well, is it a magic spell that had been enchanted within or something? It felts very fresh, invigorating and somehow it manages to get rid of some of the tiredness I felt these days. What did you do?" she asked with her inquiring eyes and held a magnifying glass over her face as she looked at me like Sherlock Holmes would do.


    "Eh... What are you doing? Actually, I''m a bit of a Herbalist, alchemist and also a wizard. The magic I had imbued inside it is to regain back the vigour that had been lost. Furthermore, it''s a healing spell so if you do have cuts and nicks, it would be immediately healed up, I suppose."


    Joan dabbed a little if it on her hands and rubbed it and it formed a lathery feeling. She ran her hands under her sink to wash it off and she felt her hands cleaner than before and the smell lingered on after being rinsed off.


    She raised her cupped hands and took a long breath in and immediately she felt totally immersed with the scent. I wonder if people would start smelling their armpits as they go along the streets and smelling each other''s armpits as well. Hah Hah Hah...


    "I love the smell of this. How much are you selling these for? I love the porcelain ware, it looks rather expensive. It would make a great collection at home." Joan said as she kept her cupped hands over her face and closed her eyes as she sniffed long and hard into it.


    "I had shown to Rebecca, the matron of the orphanage and the infirmary head and her assistant and they agreed that 60 credits are very affordable to them."


    "60 credits? It''s not even half of what my potions sell... My health generation potion costs 150 credits, the mana generation potion costs 200 while the health and mana combo regeneration potion costs 300 credits. And you are selling this for 60 credits? Such a low price for a fine product you''ve got here, Audemars." she said in a shocked manner when she realises that the product in her hand is a real bargain.


    "Here, take this. Keep the change. The balance is for the experiment that I had done on you. So you are going to sell this personally? I heard that there''s a beauty store behind the Great Hall. The White House as what people mentioned and that''s what I heard."


    Joan handed me 100 credits through the trade link and I accepted it. "Its called Beauty World and presently we had come up with a single product, and there are a few more products that I would introduce as well for both ladies and men."


    "Hmm, that''s very thoughtful of you. Are you married and how many kids do you have?" Joan asked me in which the questions were taken by surprise as I never thought she would present such a question for me.


    "I''m actually single, err... And not available. I don''t have kids in my own but I have 4 children from the orphanage that called me and Patricia as the Daddy and Mummy." I said after I chose the right words to say.


    "Heh, fancy being called a Daddy and Mummy at such a tender age, huh? Well, if you have other products for the ladies, don''t mind coming over here." she offered and the first thing in my mind was, "I''M NEVER GONNA BE A GUINEA PIG, YOU WITCH..."


    .......


    "How did it go, Audemars? Have you managed to talk with the ladies you mentioned?" Patricia asked when I enter Beauty World with a smile on my face.


    "Ah yes, the matron was the first I met and she told me the price that she is willing to pay, and so I went round and sold off all the 5 bottles of ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo even to Joan."


    "Ha Ha Ha... So you managed to sell it to Joan the crazy Alchemist?" Patricia asked and I said that it does come with a price. Patricia cocked her head sideways and looked at me and I said "I was made as a Guinea Pig for one of her potions without asking my permission. She alone paid 100 credits for the bottle of ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo while the rest paid up 60 credits each."


    The moment the children heard it costs 60 credits each, they were silent for a moment since they were holding something that had a future in their lives. Earlier discussion I told them I''m selling them for 5 credits but since it came in a nice porcelain bottle, the price has to jacked up considerably.


    "Daddy, in this case, if a bottle of this sells for 60 credits, then a crate of this holds 50 bottles, so the total earning for this would be 24,000 credits right? And after what I heard from Mummy just now, the cost of making this is just 500 credits, so Beauty World has already an assured profit of 23,500 credits" Ingles surprises both Patricia and me when she mentioned about the earnings after every single 400 bottles had been sold off.


    There we have it folks, a real accounting girl in the making. On that first day, Ingles, of the eldest among the girls had outshone herself and unlocked her ability. I wondered if she had an announcement that rang incessantly just like mine. *Ding**Ding**Ding*

 Chapter 45 - 45. The Joys Of Showering Together

    The packing of the first ''Head To Toe'' Lavender Scented shampoo had been completed and I passed the 300 credits to Patricia so she would be able to keep track of the incoming revenue besides the first 5000 credits I had passed to her.


    The 40 credits that I earned being a Guinea Pig for Joan was given to the children instead and they were happy to receive the first credits in their whole life. The children thanked their ''Daddy'' profusely because they hadn''t received a single credit in their whole life since they had been in the orphanage as they had been provided with free board and lodging.


    "Thank you, Daddy, is this our salary?" asked Jane as she jiggled her coin pouch at the side of her waist. "Of course not, this was something extra that Joan the Alchemist had given so I do not have the right to keep it except for the intended sale price. The balance is distributed equally to you all." I explained as they looked forward to spending their first credit.


    Seeing their excited looks on the girls, I knew they would be heading to the general goods section of the marketplace to buy themselves goodies and such to store in their dorm. Only Adam was silent as he looked at the credits in his hands and wondered what to do with them as he kept it inside his pants pocket after a while.


    The children then helped to clear away the table and the equipment and there is some shampoo left and I took a porcelain bottle and filled it up to almost half. "You three girls won''t mind having a shower together right after this? Daddy wants you to test this product. As for Adam, he would be taking his bath ALONE after you all had taken yours. Mummy will accompany you in the bath later."


    "Yeay...!!!" the 3 girls choruses while Patricia looked at me and a bubble thought appeared on her head and I could read it clearly, "I want to bathe with you, Audemars and not with this children... Yoohoo... Can you see what my thoughts are?"


    It was a huge bubble thought that emerged on top of Patricia''s head and I smiled and nodded and made a bubble thought myself and it simply read, "Be patient... The time will come soon." Hah hah hah...


    The bug cauldron was washed clean a few times and Patricia, Adam and Ingles helped to pour the new contents of the oils into the cauldron while I slipped into the Realm of Mind to take the citrus essence from the glass distillers. Again, I dropped in 6 Psi Energy Healing Spheres inside the citrus Essense before I took a 2-litre jug and filled it.


    When I came back to the real world, all the 9 barrels and the lye solution had been poured inside the cauldron while Ingles helped to stir using the stirring paddle. When everything was uniform, I poured in a barrel of water and then the 2 litres of citrus Essense. The moment it was mixed, the solution turned creamy bright yellow and the smell of refreshing citrus emanates from it and filled the whole house with its strong scent of spring in the air.


    "Wow... Daddy, this smell is even stronger and nicer. Its like springtime in the middle of summer and autumn... I like it very much. Is it the same product that we are doing?" asked Jane as she peered inside and the creamy bright yellow solution made her think we are making creamed corn or something.


    "It looks good enough to eat, Daddy..." said Kayla whose mind was mainly on food and she reminded me of Matilda Fitzwater. I wondered what she would be buying to keep inside her dorm and almost thought it would be chips and candies for sure. Hah hah hah...


    (Dear Readers, read about Matilda Fitzwater in Vol 7 in Inkitt or Series 8 in Webnovel under the novel title of Quantum Leap - Multiverse Transmigration)


    "Hahahahaha... Its another variant of ''Head To Toe'' Citrus Scented shampoo meant for the men in this town, Kayle. I agree it looked almost good enough to eat. Hahahaha." I laughed at Kayla who grinned from ear to ear when the idea of them showering together with the shampoo that they had finished packing.


    "Alright now, our job is done for the day, shower on first and then proceed for dinner before all of your head down to the dorms once again." I said as I made them march behind Patricia and before they leave, I advised them, "Whatever you saw here is our trade secrets. I don''t want any of you to leak that away since it would definitely take away your income for sure. Do you understand that?"


    All of them nodded, including Patricia as they cleared away the empty barrels and places them outside. The delivery boys had mentioned about that and would be taking them back and recycling them as long as it''s in one piece. A discount would be given for the empty barrels on the next purchase of oils.


    ....


    Patricia and the girls were basically frolicking inside the bathrooms and I could only imagine their lithe naked bodies in there as they were laughing and giggling while shampooing themselves and scrubbing their backs. Moans of pleasure were heard (FROM THE SCRUBBINGS) as they took turns at scrubbing their bodies with the loofah and a hard brush that was made from wild boars bristles.


    Prius was totally surprised when he heard squeals of laughter and joy from a simple bath and he too wanted to have a bath together with me to get a good rundown. Hahahaha... You could shower with Adam if he wants too and not with 2 adults Especially MALE ADULTS...!!! Don''t want this novel to turn into an LGBT type of genre soon. Hahahahaha.


    When I proposed to Adam to shower with ''Uncle Prius'', at first he was sceptical and I said ''Uncle Prius'' would not be naked and would be wearing loose cotton pants, won''t he? Prius simply nodded as he got 2 towels ready and knocked on the bathroom door to hasten the 4 girls inside to hurry up. He wanted to smell great too.


    .......


    I was busying myself in the kitchen when the 6 of them had finally finished showering and since the men and ladies at that time had long locks of hair, it took some time for them to dry it off. Furthermore, there is no barber or hairstylists during that era and every one sports a long hair. From behind, everyone looked the same and hard to differentiate except for the clothes they wore.


    The 3 girls were smelling at each other in the Great Hall with their hairs slightly damp and were dripping slightly in their frocks. The moment Patricia entered, she exuded a very nice scent that I had not smelled for quite a long time and she was basically flitting around me to make the scent lingers even longer.


    "Hahahaha... Trish, you don''t have to do that. You smelled very wonderful and...." I let the words hang halfway since I can''t make up the right words. "And.....?"Patricia asked as she wanted me to finish the second half of the sentence. "Err...spend the night with me later? We can talk if you want to and I could share with you all the wonders and luxuries a lady if your stature could gain from Beauty World."


    "Hehehhehe..." that''s all she could muster right now as the sense of feeling clean and smelling great uplifted her spirits. She didn''t know that the Psi Energy Healing Spheres did wonders for the body, mind and soul once a person uses these shampoo. Not only it helps to cure those blemishes and kept bacteria away, but it also nourishes the skin and at the same time make them feel ''light'' than ever before.


    "I''m glad you liked it, although the citrus is meant more for the men rather than the lavender one. It''s a start and a trial and I hope you liked them." I said as she was flitting around the kitchen with her hair dripping wet on its ends. Her demeanour indicates how happy a person would be after using the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo.


    Previously I had made just a hand soap, a separate hair shampoo and a body lotion and mass-produced with the help of a proper production place and 50 workers per shift on a single product. But right now, all I can say is that it all started from humble beginnings.


    We had dinner and it was a noisy occasion as they were discussing how great they smelled and there wasn''t a speck of single stubborn dirt in their bodies. "Daddy, so we need to bathe like once a week with this?" asked Ingles.


    "You don''t know your Daddy yet, he bathes twice a day and sometimes three times a day after he grinds monsters to gather the capital needed to run this operation." ''Mummy Patricia'' answered on my behalf as I smiled and scooped the gruel I had made for the day.


    "Oooooo... We didn''t know Daddy is a cool warrior as well. He doesn''t look like the nerd when he first came and visits us." Kayla said in a matter of fact manner and described me as a Nerd.


    "Gosh...I''m not definitely a Nerd but a NEET instead in real life. Hahahahaha" I laughed within and smiled at Kayla as I patted her head and she closed her eyes and smiled at me.


    "Haish... It is pretty hard being myself right now. And looking at these poor kids, I do not have the heart to disappoint any of them, even in this life no matter how arduous it may seem." I thought to myself and I saw Patricia was looking at me as if she can read my thought bubble above my head.

 Chapter 46 - 46. More Variety Of Scents On The Way

    After dinner and a short rest, we sent the children back to their orphanage and were welcomed by the matron which noticed that the girls had taken their shower, including Adam too. She saw that all 4 of her wards were feeling rather joyful and somewhat refreshed after their shower and she can''t help to smell the sweet lingering smell of lavender on them.


    "Ah... Thank you for bringing back the kids here. They smelled wonderful after their shower. It''s from the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo that you had sold it to me just now, right? My... They smelled so sweet and fresh today." the matron remarked and marvelled at how obedient the children are under our care.


    "Madam matron, you should try it too you know. Not only its fun but it''s gives you boundless energy after showering. It''s as if you worked the whole day and after showering, you could work again for the next 8 hours." exclaimed Adam as he excused himself and skipped back to his other half of the dorm meant for the boys.


    "Hahahhaa. I entrust those children back in your care, ma''am. We''re off now and be picking up the children or they can report directly to Beauty World tomorrow by 745 am." I said as both Patricia and I excused ourselves to head to our own matters.


    "In God''s will, Mister and Missus Audemars. We didn''t actually have your family''s name registered. What were yours, Mister Audemars?" the matron asked and I can''t think of a better name as I muttered a muffled ''MacLeod'', Audemars MacLeod.


    "Alright then Mister and Missus MacLeod, off you go with your business. I would personally bring the children over to Beauty World for a few days and then they would independently head there themselves." the matron bade us farewell and decided that she would also take a shower once her shift ends and tell about its wondrous effect to all her friends and relatives about it.


    ....


    "You''re buying this strawberry shrub, dwarf green apple tree, peppermint shrub and 3 of these dragon head jasmine plants? These are the next fragrances, am I right?" asked Patricia and saw the enthusiasm in her eyes as I came up with another 4 more fragrances for the ''Head To Toe'' Scented shampoo.


    She wanted to help out in making the Essences and I told her that with her and the children picking each of the fragrances tomorrow would be a great help already. She doesn''t need to so further than that.


    It is not that I don''t want her to help out in the Realm of Mind, but she needs to attain a level of meditative state before she could successfully enter it. Furthermore, we do not have a concrete relationship so best to keep the secrets to my own for now.


    "Why stop at two when we can have 6? These are the ones that are available right now and we used to have more than 35 scents at one go." I said casually and she was stumped when I mentioned we have made more than 35 scents altogether.


    "And you sold every piece of it?" she asked as her mouth was agape as we walked back to the house with the delivery boy ahead of us and was instructed to place the plants at the side of the house.


    "Yes, 35 scents. One scent has 50 in a crate and it costs 1 piece of gold coin that time and we sold more than a few thousand pieces per day. At the end of the month, we had more than 100k gold coins at that time."


    "Is the gold coin higher than credits?"


    "Well, during that time I can say that one gold coin would represent 20 to 50 credits, depending on the exchange rate. 5 gold coins could buy you a dairy cow. How much would a dairy cow costs here?"


    I asked in comparison to the current rate and told me that a dairy cow costs between 1000 to 1500 credits at the minimum depending on how young the dairy cow is. "Hmm, in that''s the case, a gold coin is equivalent to 200 to 250 credits then. That''s about 4 to 5 times the amount that we currently are selling."


    ....


    When we reached Beauty World, I was digging a sizeable hole in the ground to plant the 4 fruiting tree and shrubs since I am the only one left that hadn''t taken a shower yet. Patricia helped by slowly pumping water into one of the empty barrels.


    Once I had planted all the 4 fruit tree and shrubs and had made a nice mound of earth around it, I dropped in 6 Psi Energy Healing Spheres into the barrel of water and slowly watered the plants as well as the earlier planted ones.


    I noticed the plants did give a slight quiver when the water enters into the ground and reaches its roots as if it was a welcoming energy drink for them. Well, we would be able to see its results tomorrow.


    The 8 crates filled with ''Head To Toe'' Lavender Scented shampoo was stacked against the wall at the furthest end of the wall and soon there would be 6 stacks of those and I wonder if we need to clear off these stocks first before we make some more as the ''Beauty World'' would soon be a production and storage as well as a sales centre.


    I looked at it and thought inwardly, "Come what may, I hope this would be a great start. 6 scents of 400 bottles each would make up 2400 bottles and each one would cost 60 credits. Clear everything off in a month would bring in a profit of 141,000 credits after taking out the costs.


    "As the saying goes, never count the eggs before the hen lays them. So just let it be and let it slowly build up. It''s not easy for the children to produce all these 2400 bottles, right? There''s only 4 and 1 adult and it would take some time for them to adjust to their speed in producing them.


    .....


    The next following day, the process for the first batch of ''Head To Toe'' Citrus Shampoo was put to later as the first task they need to do was to pluck the peppermint leaves into a large basket, making the plant ''bald'' of all its leaves.


    Patricia was overwhelmed to see its the newly planted tree and shrubs that had borne fruits and leaves that had sprouted within a few hours. "Daddy, won''t this tree be alive if we removed all the leaves from it?" asked Jane as she carefully plucked the leaves with her hands and then tossed it into the basket.


    "Not really. The more you make it bald the more it will grow tomorrow. Just wait and see." I replied as Ingles made another note and asked me, "Daddy, these apple and strawberries are also going to be made into the sweet scents as well?"


    "Yes, Ingles... At least now we have more variety for the customers to choose from." I replied as Ingles began to count the types of trees and shrubs and finally came out with the same figure as the one I had thought the night before.


    "Daddy, 6 kinds of scents and 400 bottles would make 2400 bottles altogether, right? That''s quite a lot...! Do we have the space to store them since you told us that your room is out of bounds?" Ingles inquired since she knew that Beauty World is a production and storage place for beauty products.


    "Don''t you worry about it. I''m amazed at you, Ingles. At least you have a quick mind to think of all these mental sums in your head." I praised Ingles as she smiled and waved a hidden calculator from inside her frock.


    "Laaaaaaaaaaa.... She got a life hack after all...." I said to myself as I rolled my eyes once more.


    Afterwards, as usual, the 5 of them were filling up the porcelain bottle with the desired amount from the citrus Scented shampoo and once they are done, a piece of citrus leaf was tied with a baker''s string on the neck of the bottle to indicate its scent.


    I took the basket of peppermint leaves and head to the room and locked myself there as I went to the Realm of Mind after I entered my meditative state. I visualise another 4 more half glass dome distillers and spread the peppermint leaves on a linen cloth and covered it up with the other half glass dome.


    A bunsen burner was set to medium flame and then set to distil and extract the peppermint content for 9 hours as indicated from the LPG tank. It would then automatically shut off when the timer was triggered.


    I went to the Refined Steel production area and took the rest of the empty crates along with me and places them in my storage. I then went to the Fusion Chamber and adjusted the counter to 1000 and cranked the lever.


    Soon I would be levelling up another 10 more levels and earns another 100 points where I could allocate later on for my attributes. My Intermediate Crafting would level up to another 10 more levels this way.


    I smiled and was satisfied as I soon logged off and went back to the real world after performing all the tasks there. I came out from the room and joined them for a little while before I excused myself to prepare our all-time favourite, the garlic butter fried rice and also prepare some steamed sweet potatoes for their snacks in the mid-afternoon tea.

 Chapter 47 - 47. Purchasing A Plot Of Land And Building Like A Boss

    Over the next 3 days, I had managed to create 6 scents altogether in the Essense Extraction Zone in the Realm of Mind and Patricia has gotten used to seeing the blooming fruits and flowers on the sides of Beauty World. So far not one bottle of Shampoo has been sold and what we are doing was to make a stockpile of them first.


    "Mummy, Daddy... It would be alright for us to keep producing these shampoo? I mean, you had sold only 5 bottles on the first day and had not even gotten any more sales on them." Ingles was worried as she looked at the piles of crates in the corner of the house.


    "Don''t you all worry about it, I''ve decided to have another 4 more new scents which are lilac, rose, aloe vera and orange. 2 flowers, 1 herb and 1 fruit. I''ve already ordered it and it should be on it way now." I said as I would like to make 10 variety of scents and I knew that some people would like to buy all 10 of them since they were afraid that it might be sold off and would be hard to get their hands on it.


    "Hmm, that gives me an idea. Let me talk to the Council Chambers and asked if I could acquire a piece of land so that I could build a store just like Joan''s and Pointus''. I''m sure it won''t hurt if I open a store beside them." I thought as I excused myself and heads down to the town council.


    The Council Chambers was right in the vicinity of the central marketplace and it held Manby departments, just like the Governmental District in Kitakata, Japan. I knocked on the door and asked a petite lady for some pieces of information regarding a plot of land for a single storey building.


    I was led to meet a man named Angus and I introduced myself using the new surname i had picked myself as Mister MacLeod.


    "Have a seat, Mister MacLeod. What can I help you with? I head from our assistant that you are looking to procure a piece of land here in this district, am I right? What is the purpose of the land in the business district, Mister MacLeod?"


    Angus asked me with full interest since somehow he knew I was the man who had awakened from my deep sleep and now venturing as a tradesman instead to avoid the conflicts of war, perhaps?


    I saw an unmarked plot of land that had the word ''vacant'' on it and I asked what is the size of the land. I said I wanted to have a store, but no production in it, just like Dawood''s Decor in the Northern District.


    "Ah, I see... We know that you had converted a house near the Great Hall in making some kind of production there. Well, this plot of land here is 120 square meters. 12 meters across and 10 meters on its shorter side. The price for that land is 1250 credits per square meter so it adds up to 150,000 credits. That is for the land itself, Mister Macleod."


    "If you wanted a default fabricated design if a store, we do have some samples and all you can do is to mix and match them together. Like for example, the land size is 12 x 10 meters but you may need a building by a size of 10 x 8 so you have some space at the side and front to decorate them later on."


    "Here, here''s a checklist to begin with. Please write down the size of the lot with the reference CBD2246-ING and state the land size as 12x10 or 120 square meters. Also, the price would reflect as 150,000 credits."


    "Does the price include the building itself?" I inquired as I checked my funds and I''ve got more than 300k, to begin with. "Hahahaha...you must be joking, Mister Macleod. It is a business area, the price is triple of that a residential plot of land."


    "Although its cheaper but its sales were forbidden from the residential area, such as The White House. I hope you understand that Mister Macleod." Angus explains and I definitely don''t want to brush against the law since I''m now an Assassin cum tradesman and I made killings in both sides of the blade. Hah Hah Hah.


    I nodded and first chose the size of the store. It comes default with masonry as the walls and I chose a glass door, and a huge glass front as its window. It''s basically a rectangular design and I had a flat roof that was slanted at a 15 degrees inclination. Next, I had a small light yellow coloured canopy on top of its door as part of its decoration.


    Inside, I had a long glass display unit that serves as a countertop with a swinging wooden entrance like an entrance to a western bar at the end of it. The glass countertop is about 1.2 meter in height and had 3 glass layers of the display. Both of the sides had a 3-meter wide glass cabinet just like Joan''s and had 5 tiers on it at a height of 30 centimetres in between each layer.


    The floor was made of stone and both the interior and exterior was painted off white. There would be a 2 long benches faced side by side right before the wide glass window so that customers could sit there and wait for the store to open.


    I requested for red and black stencilling for Beauty World and below the name would be ''Brought To You By Audemars For Both Ladies And Gentlemen''. I chose the fonts and their size as well.


    I was amazed at its simplicity of use to choose a design of the store and was even amazed that the design would be sent through email and it would be ready within 24 hours.


    "Wow...!!! Is it possible to be that fast? By the way, how much for the building since I also made the purchase of the land." I asked as I hoped it would not over exceed the budget.


    "Oh... Don''t worry. We have these instalment scheme introduced by Fasuto Japan Bank. There''s no interest if you pay by full or break down the payment in 6 months. There are a 12, 24 and 48 months repayment schemes at 10%, 20% and 30% interest on top of initial cost respective."


    "The total amount comes to 270,000 credits and the store would be up and ready in 24 hours once you make your John Hancock over here." Angus pointed to the end of the form which I had filled up with the price calculated on it.


    For someone who dreams of pursuing a path as a tradesman sure would have to cough out blood even to produce a 10% deposit. Furthermore, with a 48 months repayment scheme at 30%, that amount would easily come out to 351,000 credits with repayment of 6582 credits monthly.


    Wow... That bank of Hiko Seijuro really makes a lot of credits too in this era, huh? I reconfirmed everything and signed the agreement and crossed out payment in full and asked for a receipt. I don''t want to end up like the men at arms from the Sheriff Of Nottingham when they first emerged at Camp Salvation before.


    *Kaching* once I signed the credits were automatically withdrawn from my wealth and a receipt of 270,000 credits with my name, business name and a copy of the land deed and design was handed to me in a large A4 sized envelope.


    "Thank you for your business Mister Macleod, it was a pleasure dealing with you. Your store would be ready and delivered within 24 hours from now and please report to us if you had found any defects or not, yes?" Angus stood up and shook my hands as I placed the envelope under my arm and was ushered out.


    "Thank God... Since I got this under my belt now, and with a loss of 270,000 personal wealth, I better go grind some goblins later after lunch. Luckily, lunch and dinner, as well as mid-afternoon snacks, had been settled by me and Trish earlier. I better inform her about my plans for grinding later." I thought to myself and I can''t wait to see the appearance of a new store before me tomorrow.


    ....


    "Die, you vile creatures... you''re the answer to my financial woes right now and I''m going to grind after you after I kite all of you inside this hideout...!!!" I screamed at the goblins for I knew their goblin plank shields costs 60 credits but weighed a hefty 3kg. Presently my load bearing allows me to carry slightly over 300kg and I''m going to grind 100 repetitions today...


    *Press Goblins Site On Map*


    *Warp*


    *Kite all 8 of them*


    *Slash with my ''Victory''*


    *Pickup Spoils*


    *Repeat*


    100 repetitions later and 5 trips to NoOne to dispose of the goblins planks shields, I had accumulated +8000% progress, collected +8000 credits in spoils and a measly 48,000 credits after selling the goblin planked shields. I had also levelled up to Level: 655/100,000. Accumulated +1100 total unused allocation points and had garnered a total of Wealth: 142,800 credits.


    "Heh... Not bad at all, another half day tomorrow after breakfast would do just fine. At least I have sufficient wealth and at the same time upgrade myself too." I said aloud to myself as I walked into Beauty World with streaks of blue goblins blood on my face and body armour.


    The children working hours would be over soon as they had finished clearing up the table and had made a total of 5 variants of ''Head To Toe'' Scented shampoo. Another 5 more to go and everything would be going clockwork.


    The moment I entered the children were shocked and the three girls suddenly broke into tears as they saw blue blood trickling from me. (Blue blood was a sign of royalty, not just from the demon''s blood). They all went over and hugged my legs and arms as they thought I was being attacked and when I laughed, the children were once again taken aback with shock.


    "Daddy must have hurt himself so bad that he is now delirious and going crazy... Huu Huu Huu... I don''t want a crazy Daddy... I want my nerdy Daddy back...." Jane cried out and that made me laugh even louder...

 Chapter 48 - 48. Hamigakiko, I Choose You...

    The following day, no one knew what I was up to besides grinding to gather funds at the same time producing things for Patricia and the children to do before they start to pack the newly acquired scents.


    They didn''t even know that I had purchased land and had gotten an instant store delivered by a 24 foot long prime low bed trailer and a crane attached to it.


    The children had an enjoyable feast since the would eat slices if the green apples as they prepare it for me to do the extraction as well as the strawberries.


    These fruit tree and shrubs were imbued by Psi Energy Healing Spheres and even if the children had made the peppermint shrub ''bald'', it grew in abundance the next day as if it was not being harvested before.


    The children asked why these plants regrew everything overnight and I told them, "Daddy can hear and talk to these plants. When they were being cut or their fruits taken down each one of them were screaming in pain. So Daddy talked to them and said this is good for the citizens here and put to good use when Daddy waters them."


    "The moment Daddy waters them and if they wish to continue living, they would produce the same amount of fruits, leaves and flowers for the next day. If not they just wither and die... Huu Huu Huu..." I explained as I spin a tale of bullshit that smelled like credits to them.


    The children nodded their heads and began to resume their work by harvesting and then to pack those shampoo inside the porcelain bottles. I slipped into the Realm of Mind during my meditative state and pressed 3000 on the Fusion Chamber to make another round of duplication for the porcelain bottles.


    I also had prepared all 10 of the distillers and had made a new batch of scent when the children had performed the first part of their task. I excused myself once more as I head down with a spring in my steps to the Council Chambers.


    "Ah, Mister Macleod, the store is being delivered as we speak. Come let''s head down to the business district with me, eh? I''m sure everything checks out alright and I''d any breakages occurs, it would be replaced accordingly. I hope there won''t be any but let us take a look first, shall we?"


    I was greeted when I knocked and opened the door to one in charge of the City Plannings of the Council Chambers and was led out by Angus as we take a walk down to the business district.


    Actually, I have not seen the place when I bought the land and when I got there the piece of land was higher than the rest and it looked simply magnificent. The workers had finished rolling up the lifting belt from the crane that was used to lift the store and I looked perfect just as I would imagine to be.


    I saw the Fengshui and since it was on elevated land, it became one of its strong points. I looked at the direction of NW and found that I had chosen the best colours there is to actually fully enhances the elemental changes. I simply nodded in appreciation at the work done and the workers had indeed left a space of 2 meters on both sides of the store with 2 meters for the front as well.


    It was not that big an area but to improve its environment, I decided jasmine, gardenia and magnolia can be planted here. Rocks and gravels would form on the other side of the store. This outdoor decor comes free and when I mentioned it, Angus took out his Apple Tablet and I chose the types of rocks and gravel including the flowers too and I marked the physical location of where to place them.


    Actually, there is an Apple Tablet produced by Angus, and I just mention it here to confuse you, readers, whether this a modern or a medieval era. Hah hah hah...


    I got the key from the workers and I opened up the door and entered and find that everything was perfect and no breakages were seen. After inspecting everything, I locked it up and an offscreen crew brought out a roll of white art paper that I used to cover the stencilled words outside the glass window.


    "Sigh... How I wished I had my regional managers so that they could help to assist me in distributing these to the nearby towns." I said aloud when I was inside and I found the interior to be free from a single speck of dust. Somehow these workers were able to spray the glass tops with anti-static so that dust would be repelled from them permanently. Hah hah hah.


    I thanked Angus and I sat outside on one of the garden outdoor benches and was doing a bit of PR in front of the store. A passerby asked my wellbeing, the new store and the products it would be selling and I said the store opens from 7 pm to 9 pm daily.


    "How peculiar is the opening hours, Mister Audemars, since they only knew the first name of mine and I said it would be run by both me and Patricia after we had settled with the production.


    "Oh, you can check out the products that had been bought by Joan, Rebecca, the infirmary head and her aide as well as the matron of the orphanage. They could testify if the products are good or not. Remember to come by when this paper is being taken down, yes?"


    I explained and describe in my best charismatic manner of the wonderful effects of the shampoo and it is available, not one, not two, but 10 kinds of different scents.


    The ladies were ecstatic when they heard how wonderful the skin felt after showering and using a loofah to scrub down. The wonderful scent, the invigorating, refreshing and energising feeling one can feel after each bath.


    Their bodies would be squeaky clean, no more itchiness, no more bug bites and also all those hideous streaks and marks on the body would be gone. The wonderful scent would exude from their bodies for up to 8 hours and it would make their husbands being closer to them or for those single ladies, to attract more men to their sides.


    In the town of Ingmery as well as other medieval made up towns and villages, there certainly would have a place for these working ladies who tend to single, or men who were not being entertained by their wives and the sound of these sweet-smelling scent makes them want their ''man'' to get it for them as presents.


    "Sure, my fine ladies... You could even get them to buy for you as a basket of gifts with 10 porcelain bottles carefully lain inside or a single porcelain bottle a week, it''s all up to you." upon hearing porcelain bottles they asked how much each scent costs and I said its 60 credits per scent and good for up to 10 to 12 uses.


    "I am sure your handsome men would afford to pay 60 credits am I right? Such a paltry amount for a fine young lady such as yourself. If I am your boyfriend, I am sure to be able to afford a basket each for one of you but I''m already ''engaged'' with Patricia Keating and have 4 mouths to feed."


    I flattered to them as I open up myself as someone who can afford to buy these gifts for them and closed the opening to them by saying I''m not a flirtatious man and have been engaged with Patricia Keating and have 4 children in our own.


    "Ooooo... I didn''t know Patricia has any children at all and so do you, kind sir. Where did you get those children from? They won''t be growing from a tree, don''t they?" giggled one of the working girls as she used a lace type of fan to cover her face when she did that.


    "Ah... I felt pity for those children and they came from the orphanage, Adam West, Ingles, Jane and Kayla. They were adopted by us and once the date is confirmed, I''m sure there would be a small gathering at the same time introduce my bride to be." I explained and when the working lady closed her handheld the laced fan, I could see that her teeth were a bit yellowed from drinking tea and coffee and smoking shishas and another idea struck me...


    *Ding* Hamigakiko... Where are you? Save these poor ladies... Muuuaahhaahhaa...


    I excused myself and headed straight to the nursery and looked for hibiscus and tea tree shrub. I found several potted ones and bought 4 of those each and asked to be sent to the White House and asked the payment from Patricia.


    I then looked for the main ingredients to make the toothpaste and found what I need. 3 main basic ingredient was coconut oil, baking powder and Essense from fruits or leaves.


    *Kaching*Kaching* credits would soon be coming in pretty soon. I went to Paul''s and saw some of the fine porcelain ware once more and asked for a jewellery round container to store jewels of some sort.


    "Ah... Here you do sir, this is a fine piece that had colourful mother inlaid pearl as its design at the top. Just for you, it would 50 credits." he excitedly produces it and I hard bargained once more and got it reduced to 35 credits.


    Not bad for a small container to fill the necessary toothpaste and the lid is solid too. It snugs firmly over the container and these products could last a week to two weeks once it is exposed to air and moisture.


    I quickly paid it up and Paul personally wrapped it up and handed it to me. Wonderful... Another way to gain experience points and increase the level of my Intermediate craftsmanship as well.


    As I walked to Beauty World with yet a spring in my steps I heard an announcement stating that I had successfully duplicated 3000 porcelain bottles, gained +3000 experience Points, gained +30 personal level and became 685/100,000 and had levelled up to Intermediate Crafter 51/100, and also another 300 points for me to allocate.


    "OP seeehhhhh...." I thought to myself as I thought of duplicating these porcelain toothpaste containers to 10,000 pieces on a single run later tonight. I entered Beauty World and had a super wide grin as I announced, "Once we had made 10 of these Scented shampoos, we are going to put bright smiles on people''s faces soon with another 5 new products."


    I shared the information and everyone beamed with a smile on their faces. At least I got a base price to work on the toothpaste based on the porcelain piece that I had. I excused myself as I went to my room, locked myself in and meditated to enter the Realm of Mind.


    I then removed the porcelain ware for the bottle and set it aside. I replace it with the newly porcelain ware for the toothpaste and I closed the door. I reset the counter and pressed 1 and in about 10 seconds or less, I received a notification and the item was duplicated and stored in my storage.


    I removed it and saw an exact duplication except for the mother of pearl that was duplicated was replaced with just a normal paint job. Yup... There it is. You got the answer now. Any precious gems or metals like gold and silver cannot be duplicated.


    "Whatever it is, I am satisfied with you, my trusted Fusion Chamber. You had made my life pretty easy right now. Muah muah muah..." I hugged the machine and kissed it like it was a living thing. I checked the counter and changed it to 9999 and closed the door. I decided to use the original porcelain round container to duplicate and I cranked the lever.

 Chapter 49 - 49. Taking A Stroll And Doing Some PR Work

    I sat down with children with ''Mummy Patricia'' on my lap as I calculated the exact ingredients and measurement that I need. They were giggling at us since every time, Patricia wiggled, I let out a soft moan as I could feel her firm cheekbutts planted directly at my nether regions.


    "God, it is hard to concentrate with her wriggling about." I thought to myself as I pored myself over the foolscap and makes numerous mistakes here and there until I got everything right, finally.


    I need the conversions right for this:


    1/2 cup coconut oil equals 170g


    3 tablespoon of baking soda equals 43 grams


    20 drops of Essense equals 1ml


    This would produce an approximate 213 nett weight in grams.


    For a 10 litre barrel of coconut oil, the rest of the ingredients should be 58.8 times the amount which means I would need 2.5kg of baking soda and 60 ml of Essense. Luckily I had used an electronic scale and borrowed Ingles calculator, if not I would be in hell trying to figure out the exact measurements to embark on the next project.


    100-litre coconut oil (everything is x10)


    25 kg of baking soda


    600 ml of Essense


    I decided that the contents would be based on 250 grams and each of the processes would produce 500 single Scented toothpaste. Each of these would sell for 35 credits and the taste would be peppermint, citrus, green apple, strawberry and green tea.


    I went to the baker''s shop and supplies and bought 6 piping bags with a straight nozzle and 25kg of baking soda, as I smiled when they asked me whether I was planning to bake a cake. Hehehe. Only I have the answer to that.


    Unknown to the ever-curious readers out there, I had bought another 5 solar-powered electronic scale that also runs on a 3V button rechargeable battery. How would these kids know if they had poured in 250 grams of homemade toothpaste, right?


    I showed everyone how to reset the scale after putting the porcelain container on it before using the piping bag to insert the toothpaste later on tomorrow.


    Once they understood how to operate it accordingly, they cleared the tables as they had completed the 10 scents for the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo. The same cauldron was used and had been cleaned and dried before I poured 10 barrels of coconut oil, 25 kg of baking soda which Adam West was slowly scooping them out while Ingles was stirring the contents with a stirring paddle.


    At first, the process was smooth as the solution was not thickening but as Adam West nearly completes halfway, Ingles asked for help as the solution had become thick and difficult to stir. I helped out as I told Adam to pour all of the baking soda and I slowly stirred it while Patricia helped out by using a ladle.


    I measured 600 ml of peppermint and poured the Essense into it and immediately the mixture seems a bit easier to stir. I made a figure 8 stirring movement from the top and I stirred it until I was satisfied that the mixture had been formed well.


    I dabbed a bit of the solution and used it to run abit on my teeth and I can feel the grittiness and I gargle and spit it out at the washbasin. I could taste the peppermint and I could feel my teeth to be utterly fresh.


    I took a spoonful and asked everyone to try and they loved the taste. "Daddy, can''t we use the shampoo to brush like this? It''s the same powder we put inside right?" asked Kayla as she thought the lye was the same as baking soda.


    "Of course we can''t, my dear. That''s a totally different product. The idea is to have the same scent but different uses. This is called toothpaste and in this form, you would use this piping bag which Mummy will fill up for you and then slowly insert it inside the container. You don''t have to be perfect and a margin of +5/10 grams would be alright."


    I explained and the children nodded. I closed the lid of the cauldron tightly so air would not enter it and harden the mixture and we all left to the Great Hall for our dinner.


    Before we left, I had the chance to plant the 4 tea tree shrubs that I had halved in 2 new plots and the hibiscus plant were halved and now I have 8 hibiscus plants and were planted in a single plot and would then be halved again and planted into the other plot. So this makes 16 hibiscus plants whose twigs can be used as a toothbrush.


    I inserted 3 drops of Psi Energy Healing Spheres into 2 barrels of water each and the children helped to water the plants and I told them to ''shower'' the plants from the top so it would also make them refresh. They never saw me dropping the Psi Energy Healing Spheres so it would at least shuts them up from asking some questions that I find it hard to answer to them.


    After all the plants around Beauty World had been ''showered'', we head to the Great Hall where the children washed their hands and faces with the 10 variety of shampoo scents while Patricia and I were tinkering in the kitchen to preheat dinner for every one us.


    Oh yeah... Since these few days, Prius had received a scroll and had travelled South to pay a visit to Aermagh, the city where I was summoned to be in their Legion. It takes 2 days and 2 days to return so he would be missed within the next few days.


    Since Prius was not around, Patricia practically shared the bed with me in my room as we played the role of Mummy and Daddy during their off-hours. Hah Hah Hah Hah... What else could you heat except for "Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!" Hahahahaha.


    After we had dinner that I had prepared beforehand before leaving for Beauty World and the Council Chambers earlier, I grouped them together and made a small announcement.


    "You know that you had already completed making 4000 porcelain bottles of 10 different scents of 400 bottles each, and we would embark on the next project that would bring about 2500 porcelain containers that would be filled with 5 flavoured kinds of toothpaste in the next 5 days."


    "I won''t want to count the eggs before the hens lay them but this would bring motivation to all of you. This is key here... It opens up to another opportunity for you in maybe 6 months to a year down the road."


    "This key would open to a door filled with opportunities and I would now be shown you where it leads okay? Is everyone done with your meals so far?" I asked and they were intrigued with the key that was held in my hands and was tied with a red coloured ribbon.


    They knew it looked like a key to a house but so far they knew that I had not mentioned about a house before. Furthermore, it was the end of the month and as promised, I would be giving them a full month''s pay despite working for 10 days till the end of the month.


    I handed the children 600 credits each in a pouch and their eyes said it all, from tears of joy and appreciation as they had never held so many credits in their hands before.


    "Come, let''s go for some shopping. Trish, you follow us too okay? This is a big step for both of us, and I wished Prius was with us right now too." I said and pulled Patricia''s hands just like she did when the first time I asked her to follow me to the orphanage.


    Since the dishes at the Great Hall and the kitchen was cleared, and the mention of shopping, greatly made the children enthusiastic towards their shopping trip that evening.


    So we made our way out of the Great Hall and savoured in the evening with the 6 of us walking as Ingles and Jane held both of my hands while Adam and Kayla held on to both of Patricia''s.


    We walked out and passed the marketplace and soon entered the busy business district where everyone was milling around after work hours, entering the taverns or meeting the working ladies. Some passerby bowed to Patricia while others smiled and gave a thumbs up to me.


    Maybe they thought I was a bit industrious at night and able to produce these children out of thin air. Hahahahaha. We met Rebecca on the way and she whispered something to Patricia and both ends up laughing. Rebecca is Prius sweetheart and she knew that Prius had left to attend some matters and would be back in town in a few more days.


    Patricia asked Rebecca about the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo and was complimented and told that she had spent a long time in the bath and also bathed once daily in the morning. She showed some scars that the hoodlums had left on her and it was disappearing.


    "Mister Audemars, I would be visiting Beauty World to get another bottle if you may." Rebecca said and Ingles told her, "We have 10 other scents to choose from. Feel free to drop by, yes?" Ingles smiled happily as she held my arm and hugged it.


    This was the first time she felt that she was treated as a citizen and not just a human being parentless for so long in her life.


    Soon we passed Joan''s and when she saw me she waved madly and said that the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo was terrific... She knew of the magic imbued inside and didn''t mention it out loud.


    "Ma''am Joan, please inform your customers to come and get it from us. We have 10 other scents as well and in the next 5 days we are going to have a new product soon." Jane called out to Joan from a distance because she too was afraid of the dark stories revolving around Joan the Madcap Alchemist.

 Chapter 50 - 50. Shopping Spree

    We walked in the Central Atelier and there were a huge collection of children clothes on the 2nd floor of the building. I told them that the money they received should not be used to spend but to save instead and they are free to choose whatever clothes they wished for.


    "Trish, you do the same as well too if you need, otherwise you may get from Medieval Collectibles like what I did as well," I said since spending at Medieval Collectibles would cost real money but here we just spend credits which came from endless grinding from the site of the goblin.


    Adam came back with a red, blue and black Viking tunics with a ''V'' neck opening at the front and laced up. He had also a black coloured gugel that was similar to my Archer''s Hood and a pair of black breeches. He said he could mix and match with the rest of his clothes and the total cost is only 150 credits.


    The 3 girls chose 3 ring black leather belts, 3 satin sash of red, white and blue colours, 3 sets of canvas aprons of red, blue and green colours, three canvas dresses in blue, green and blue, three red, blue and white Viking''s tunic and 3 black breeches which can either be made as long pants or above the knees.


    The girl''s wears cost a total of 600 credits. I guess that girls'' wear is more elaborate and expensive. Well, the boss is paying so it shouldn''t be a problem. After I had paid for the purchases, the girls were happily carrying their paper bags from the Central Atelier and were excited to wear them alternatively with their set of clothes that were hand me downs.


    We stopped at a roadside seller that was selling freshly roasted pork chop and I bought one each for the children. Patricia wanted to maintain her figure since I was sort of pinching her sides when she was on top of me... Ahem... Playing poker.


    We all sat at the sidewalk and watched the people walk past as I too munched on the street food that was greasy but at the same time enjoyable. Who would have thought of these street foods nowadays? Put the hygiene part aside will ya... Its food, glorious food.


    If you''ve been to any parts of the world and you had not tried any of these street foods, you had never been to that parts of the world yet. No way man... You should be eating and drinking like the locals to feel how it was like to be living as one.


    After we had smacked our fingers clean free of the fats and grease of the freshly roasted pork chops, we wiped it off with pieces of tissue handed by the seller. Dining here in this era is different. You pay once only when you are about to leave and the 4 roasted pork chops cost 60 credits.


    The four children including Patricia had forgotten about the key until we reached a store with a glass front with a spread of paper plastered over the store''s name. We sat at the garden benches and this time we were savouring on lightly buttered and salted steamed, then roasted sweet corn.


    As we ate and sat there, Kayla asked, "Don''t you think the owner of this store mind us eating and sitting here in this lawn. It even got these huge rocks and stones here and Daddy seems to sit there acting so cool. Don''t you think the store owner would chase you off, Daddy?"


    "Hmmph... Does the store owner dare to do that to Daddy? You see this rock here? I will throw against the glass window and then I will pillage the store... Muuaahhaahhaa..." I said as I weighed a flat rock in my hand and then threw it back among the large boulder.


    "Waaah...Daddy don''t do that lah please...later you would end up in jail and we won''t know how long the jailer will keep you there." pleaded Ingles as she came near me and placed a gentle hand on my arm.


    "Hmmph... No one can bring me to jail, ever. I never did anything wrong. All I did was to kill hundreds of goblins just to have credits to spend... Muuaahhaahhaa..."


    "Furthermore, this store is empty. Maybe the owner left town or maybe the owner had just entered the town and bought this new place here. What do you think?" I said as I gave Patricia a wink and she cocked her head sideways as she never comprehends that wink of mine.


    "Maybe the owner had hit his head somewhere and suddenly awaken from his deep sleep..." I said as I stood up and immediately Patricia let out a gasp as she finally gripped the shoe situation.


    "Maybe the owner is someone who impersonates Daddy and uses the same name as me and looks... Even the store name has the same name as the one we are working on right now... How impudence..." as I slowly reached the end of the paper that hides the store name.


    Much earlier in the orphanage, all 4 put up a good show at being illiterate but in fact, they all were in junior high school and were considered stars at their age, acting in this novel called ''Reincarnation of Audemars''.


    When I slowly peeled back the paper, all 5 of them squealed with delight as they saw the store name Beauty World and the catchy little phrase underneath it.


    "Hahahahaha... Come let''s teach this owner a lesson..." I said as I pasted the paperback, held the key and unlocked the glass door. I entered and threw the light switch on and the chandelier in the middle light up with mellow 5w led flickering lightings like as it the ends of the chandelier was lit with 8 candles.


    The 4 children were jumping about like Jackrabbits and were feeling on top of the world when they discovered that Beauty World had a store and it was brand new. They went inside and marvelled at the simple design and there are two mahogany tables and 2 plush chairs to sit and do accounts or bring their homework from school to do it there.


    "This store would be open from 7 pm to 9 pm outside your working hours so the ones who run them would be Mummy and Daddy. You would only be involved with the store after the age of 13 which would be within a year from now. This, however, would be decided when the time comes because everything comes in baby steps."


    "You won''t expect a baby to immediately run when it was first born right? Haaaa...in 6 to 12 months time, a life-changing decision would be made to determine your path. Some of you may become Production Managers, some of you may even be an Accountant while some of you may even be distributors." I explained as there would be a fork in their lives when the time comes for expansion.


    "This is proof of the existence of opportunities in your lives later on. So who excels best would take in the role. Furthermore, there''s no need to open the stores the whole day. We open just 2 hours per day and entertain those once that requires from us."


    "Daddy, when does it officially launched to open the store?" Adam West asked as he peered at the store from inside and out.


    "As soon as we had finished the 5 flavoured toothpaste. So work hard and you all could reap the benefits..."


    "Yeay...of course we will, Daddy..." the children choruses as Patricia stood there in total surprise as she had never imagined that I could reach an ultimatum in just 10 days of operational.


    "Trish... Do you have anything to say? This is the true start from humble beginnings. We all know where we come from and we should feel more humble towards ourselves and others. Remember, customers are not always right but they are the KINGS that provide us with our daily living."


    I explained and Patricia said, " I''m truly lost for words right now, Audemars. But one thing for sure, you are like a Phoenix that rises from the ashes and you are like a Dragon that unleashes its fire in bed... Oops... Did I add something extra spicy here... Hehehehe. You kids should cover your ears next time, okay?"


    I ushered the children out and I switched off the lights and locked the door. When I just did that a female voice floated in the air, "My... My... My... Mister Audemars, you sure are looking frisky tonight. Bringing the Missus and the children out for a walk? When would you be opening the store so I could check out the wares."


    When I turned around I saw the lady whose voice belonged to and it belonged to the working ladies that was out for a walk with their funny little frilly umbrellas and fanning themselves with the laced fans and all dressed up in Renaissance dresses... Dressed to kill.


    Patricia glared at me and I can see the piercing glare as if she was saying, "YOU OUT FUCKING WITH THEM INSTEAD OF GRINDING YOUR ASS IN THE GOBLINS SITE YOU SAY?!?!"


    "Haiyah... Why must innocent situation happen like this at this crucial moment? It won''t be easy to coax a woman''s heart and I simply whispered to Patricia saying, "I don''t shit at the place where I''m eating..." I hope she understands what I am trying to say to her.

 Chapter 51 - 51. Production Of Sparklie Toothpaste

    *Ding* Duplication Success. 9999 nos of porcelain jewel box attained. Progress +10,000%. Level up 785/100000. Allocation points +1000 for a total of unallocated 2400 points. Congratulations, you had become Advanced Crafter 51/1000.


    I awoke and saw that I had 2400 points and I just leave it as it is for the moment. I wonder what happens if I threw 500 points into my DEX which will make the dodge and stealth to increase 150%. Would I be doing bullet time whenever I dodge blows or bolts? Or would I be forever in stealth mode and kill everyone off even if I''m standing in front of them? Hahahaha... This is going to be OP indeed.


    Patricia and I were at Beauty World when the children reported work by themselves and arrived 10 minutes before the actual working hours. I had earlier prepared lunch and dinner with the mid-morning as well as the mid-afternoon snacks as well.


    I noticed that the children were wearing their new clothes and all of them had forgotten to remove the price tags that were dangling at the side of their new wardrobe. I reached out and pulled it out after I used scissors to cut it off instead of ripping it off.


    Patricia and I then proceed to tend to the garden at Beauty World and had begun to cut off the branches of the hibiscus plant and were drying them. The leaves and flowers were separated and dried out in the sun as they had medicinal values in them. Now what was left on the ground was a small part of the shrub as we harvested as many twigs and branches the size of our little pinkies and were laid to be dried as well.


    When the children came, they helped to pluck the tea leaves and it left the tea tree bald like the other plants that were done before. These tea trees were part of the green tea family so it the database was already inside me and there''s no ding here and there to indicate anything from the notifications.


    Once we had collected the tea leaves from the 4 plants that were planted the night before, I brought it inside the room and showed the children and Patricia on how to fill the contents.


    I produced several wooden crates that were filled with 250 porcelain jewel case each that would be turned into toothpaste containers instead. The children saw the fine pieces and asked me what would the ideal price to sell and I simply replied, "35 credits each. In this case, there would be 5 flavours and it could be bundled together and sold as 150 credits or sold desperately at 35 credits."


    "It would come with a nice wicker basket, laid with some dry straws and then tied with a big bow ribbon either at the handle or from the sides. It would make a great gift for the working ladies who entertain those men."


    "Have you seen the teeth of the working lady that spoke to Daddy last night? She''s the one that chats with Daddy when Mister Angus from the Council Chambers was there to hand the key of the store to me." I explained and its within earshot of Patricia who looked at me with a smile after she sighed inwardly.


    Nnggeekk...she gave me the cold shoulder yesterday and without a chance for me to explain anything to her. She slept in her own room after we got back and never spoke to me since even when we were preparing the meals for the day.


    As I was explaining things to Patricia and the children, a familiar head peeked in and Prius made a loud greeting as he made an entrance. "Hey old friend, been busy teaching new things with all these gadgets and what''s this? A new product?" Prius said as he saw the whole table filled with the equipment to start a meth lab... Oops, I mean a production line.


    "Yes, Prius. How have you been? You had been gone like 5 days and we kind of missed you." I said ad I sauntered over and placed a hand in his shoulder. What would you expect me to do? Hug and kiss him?


    "Uncle Prius, Daddy showed us our new shop in the central business district. It is going to open once we have made this new product which Daddy has named it as ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste. It comes with a free hibiscus twig that can be used as a toothbrush but it''s not called a brush since there are no bristles on it but just a tooth stump after biting down on it?" said Kayla who was the most talkative than the rest of them.


    "Hahahahaha. You really had travelled the distance, my friend. Indeed, when you set your sights on something, you would definitely achieve something. So how were your sales so far?" Prius asked as he saw stacks of wooden cartons at the back of the production hall.


    "Daddy has only sold 5 bottles of shampoo last month and had not made any sales so far," replied Ingles innocently and Prius was shocked to hear that. "Weeehhh...it can''t be, right? Just 5 bottles last month? How could that be possible?" Prius asked as he scratched his head that had not been washed for 5 days and he was itching to spend time in the bathroom today to get rid of the grime and dirt.


    "Worry not, the business would come once the store opens this week. The ladies had been informed and you could also be our marketing guy, how''s that?" I suggested to Prius but was countered by him.


    "I guess I need to have your hand in this matter. The Ruler of Aermagh is old and is 64 years old. I received a letter from the messenger and had to take off immediately. He was glad that the White Hand had been defeated and he tasked me with another quest."


    "The quest is to get a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth in the Troll Caves, just north of here. When you see hordes of wild boar, that''s where the Cave entrance is. The trolls keep these wild boar as game and pets so once the wild boars are cleared, you may enter the Troll caves."


    "The Ruler of Aermagh had sent a few scouts and warriors from their Legion but none came back alive. These Trolls are 2 times taller than us and towers above any tallest human."


    "The caves have many passageways, some were interlinked while some would come to a dead end. There would be many treasure chests and all the Ruler of Aermagh wanted was a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth. He said a single drop would push him forward 40 years, which means he would be 25 years old again."


    "Alright, give me details over dinner after the children had left since we three would be attending to this case. Then I saw a piece of an amulet that was dangling over Prius'' neck and I asked to see it more closely.


    "This is a family heirloom, it''s a simple bronze amulet with no stones or precious metal in them. You may have it if you like." Prius said but I replied to him that it would be returned to him during lunchtime. He agreed and went out and heads to the Great Hall and had his late breakfast of garlic fried rice with salted eggs and cauliflower which I had prepared beforehand.


    *Ding* Congratulation on Discovering Bronze Amulet of Strength. STR +3


    "Trish, I would be in my room for a short while and be right back," I said as I turned around and heads to my room and locked the door after me. I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and to the Essense Extraction Area where I place the tea leaves that had been gathered by the children earlier.


    I visualised another distiller and placed the tea leaves in the same procedure as the rest and started the distillation process for 9 hours. I then stepped back and swiped to the Fusion Chamber where I opened up the door of the Fusion Chamber and removed the porcelain jewel case and replaced it with the Amulet Of Strength inside the slot.


    I chose 1 on the counter and closed the door and cranked the lever. A short while later I received an announcement as it was a successful duplication. I removed the original Amulet Of Strength and replaces it with the duplicated one and I changed the counter to 9999 and I started to make 10,000 of those.


    The reasons are simple. Firstly, I need to gain an extra 1k experience Points. Secondly, I would level up on my crafting and my base level to another 100 points. Thirdly, I could sell these off at NoOne''s camp for whatever price he offered me and this would accumulate my wealth.


    I placed the original Amulet Of Strength in my pants pocket and I had found a way to make money even faster without grinding. I visualised another Fusion Chamber, exactly the same one as I had and I made a duplicate on the original Amulet Of Strength and it came out as another success.


    Since we have one, why don''t we make twice the amount and gain as much within the same time? I then repeated the process for the first machine and ran it 9999 times and the original Amulet of Strength was kept back in my pants pocket.


    I measured out 600 ml for the citrus, green apple and strawberry since peppermint is underway and green tea is under process. I logged off hugging those 3 jugs and emerged back at the real world.


    "Trish, do you have the notes taken for the production of this ''Sparklie'' toothpaste right? Here are 3 jugs that would be made on the next consecutive days. They are citrus, green apple and strawberry." I explained as I gave the instructions and checked with the notes taken for the right measurement.


    Patricia still had some more credits with her to make the necessary purchases of coconut oil and baking soda so in this few days, 10 barrels and a 25kg sack of baking soda will be delivered accordingly.


    "I''d be back soon. I''m going to meet Prius and return the family heirloom to him." I said as I held the original Amulet of Strength in my hands and I walked out of Beauty World. The children were anxious since their Daddy is going to fight some unknown monsters and would be returning in about 3 days.


    ....


    "Here you go, buddy... Your family heirloom. Thanks for letting me take a look at it." I said as I handed the Amulet of Strength back to him and he immediately replaces it back in his neck like as if I wanted to take it away from him.


    Little did he knew that his amulet would be duplicated 20,000 times and would be sold to NoOne at the Northern forest. Hah Hah Hah...

 Chapter 52 - 52. The Probe Into The Troll Caves.

    After the children had left after their dinner, the three of us remained at the Great Hall as we discussed with one another on Prius'' trip to Aermagh. He eventually took a vial out of his pocket and presented it on the table.


    "Don''t worry my good friend, your awakening from your deep sleep was not blown or discovered and with just a small fry like you, the Ruler of Aermagh had totally forgotten about the sole survivor from the Battle of Qodegh."


    "Do you think a Ruler like him, so high and mighty would remember such an event after 6 months? For all, he knew everyone did not survive the Battle of Qodegh and that battle, even though the dark elven had vanquished from its existence, was just a small significance to him."


    "Don''t you miss Aermagh, my young friend?" Prius finally stopped yapping as he looked at me as he toyed and twirled the little vial in his hands.


    "Ach... Don''t talk about the Battle of Qodegh at all to me. It is just a figment of my memory and all I need was to either push it down the back of my memories or when I eat, it would be digested and would come out with my poop when I take a dump."


    "Furthermore, I do not have any recollection of any significant others in Aermagh as I''m just a drop of water in the ocean. I''m not like Quagmire who goes around and say ''giggetty giggetty goo'' and then humps with every girl I''ve met in the taverns, pubs, bar, whorehouses et cetera. Hah hah hah... "


    "By the way, that''s the vial you were talking about to put the water from Fountain Of Youth, is it? Heh... You don''t have to play physiological games and twirl that thing in your hand just to spark my interest. By the way, it would be good for me to grind for something else besides the goblins."


    "Will you stop yapping one after another and get to the point? I''m getting such a headache especially when Webnovel had introduced a Writing Contest that started today for 7 days and so far they had recorded that the author had managed to write 2914 words for the past 2 chapters he had submitted after 2359hours today. " it was Patricia''s turn to read from the script and her voice sounded rather monotonous after reading it.


    "How do i sound like? Is it original as before or it is like those news broadcasters on BBC that read the news bulletin every hour for about 5 to 10 minutes as such?" Patricia asked as she saw us buried our heads in our hands and listened her narrate the script like an old broadcaster that was seemed forced to read with no expressions at all.


    "Alright Prius, please explain the deal here slowly so that Trish here could understand and then take the necessary actions. I had placed the 3 jugs of flavours so that it would keep her and the children busy for the next 3 days, am I right?"


    "Yes, thank you for the heads up. I''ve also taken note of the measurements and would stick to it and make the necessary preparations. The children and I had completed the processing and packing of 500 of these Peppermint ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste." Patricia said as she rechecked her schedule of work and confirmed it with me as she showed her iPhone 11 and I saw all the tasks she had entered was true and correct.


    "Alright, I guess the speech baton had been passed to me now. OK, let''s continue. This vial is supposed to be filled with a single drop of the water from the Fountain Of Youth that was believed to be situated deep inside the Troll Caves. This assignment was not meant for me alone as the rest of the Guild Halls representatives in Northern and Southern Ingmery was present as well."


    "It had been so long since the men of Ingmery had taken arms so it seems that it would be sometime before they could assemble some men to go into those caves. Furthermore, the trolls there have much thicker armoured skin towers about three times our height and had long arms and short legs like a chimpanzee."


    "A lot of adventurers perished because of their incapability to conquer past a few of these trolls with their experience level. The Ruler of Aermagh required just one drop, that''s all. A single drop would pull 40 years back and he would be a 25-year-old ruler again."


    "So if a 41year old man takes a single drop, he would be a 1-year-old baby, is that right? Any younger than that he would be a spermatozoon already." I asked and wondered if it could be true. If this Fountain of Youth exists, Joan and the head infirmary could make the citizens of Ingmery be young and full of Vitality and take MR P to improve their Virility and boost the Fertility and also increase the population here.


    "Heh...as what I used to say, ''the bigger they are the harder they fall''. Alright, is there any due date that I should know of?"


    "You seriously going after that so-called Fountain of Youth in the Troll Caves? I don''t wish for you to get hurt, this is crazy... Let other men do it." pleaded Patricia with eyes start starts brimming with tears.


    "Look, if I am unsure about myself, I don''t think I would be volunteering myself to be slaughtered there, am I right? So far I had helped Rebecca to get rid of the hoodlums, went hundred of rounds against the goblins and defeating the White Hand despite not getting the Avelyn Crossbow from their ring leader."


    "That''s why I have the set of battle gear that I kept in case I really need them. It looks simple but I''ve *ahem* got someone to design for me an improved version of simple looking armour. Even my weapons are considered a top-class at Level 4 Iron Claymore and Buckler." I explained and this out both Prius and Patricia at ease.


    "So where is the Troll Cave exactly?" I asked as I looked at the map of my interface and only found the location for Northern, Central and Southern Ingmery, NoOne''s Camp and Goblin''s Hideout. I switched the interface off and peered at Prius for an answer.


    "The Troll Cave is just in between NoOne''s camp and the Goblin''s hideout. I know you searched your map but any unknown place that had not been ventured would be greyed out and would not reflect on the map."


    "Once a place had been discovered, it would be permanently etched there and you could warp easily," replied Prius as he finally mentioned about the map on my interface and I immediately sensed that he knew about my attributes and stats.


    "Alright, keep the vial with you first, Prius. I would be doing a recon tomorrow and find out the Troll Cave you mentioned and at the same time, I would also get some raw pork chops to bring back. The wild boar hide would also be sold for credits as well."


    ''So I would be gone for a few hours and back by lunchtime. I would leave right after the children had reported to work and Trish had mixed the second batch of ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste." I announced as it would be best if I could go out game hunting and do a bit of recon before I finally dive into the Troll Cave.


    "Tonight I would be allocating my points to increase my Damage Rating even though my crossbow is just the medium-range weapon, but I hope it would do me good. It seems the further I advance the bigger these monsters and the harder for me to kill them."


    I thought to myself as I heard even the seasoned warriors were vanquished when facing these trolls. I would only find the answer tomorrow on how tough these opponents would be.


    "Do take care, Audemars. Would you help me in the kitchen and clear these dishes? I''m sure you would be making preparations for the mud morning and mid-afternoon snacks right?" Patricia reminded me as she started to clear the table and carried it to the kitchen. I excused myself and joined her.


    "These two really played the role of Mummy and Daddy well. I wonder what they were up to when I wasn''t around these past few days. Don''t tell me these two really put their effort in their role-play, eh? I would be surprised if they do... Hmm... I wonder... "


    Prius thought as he watched Patricia and I walked to the kitchen and I had placed my hands on Patricia''s cheekbutts and were giving it a tight squeeze... Oops... A brush to clear away some powder stains.


    "I saw the gleam in your eyes when you both were discussing the water from Fountain Of Youth. Don''t tell me you going to sell that too?" asked Patricia and a sudden rush of thought passed by and I replied excitedly, "I''m going to make another new product for our skincare next. Wait until I get my hands on the water from the Fountain of Youth."


    The thought of skincare products brought a gleam on Patricia''s eyes too because she didn''t know a man with a warrior class can divulge himself with ladies products. It seems that I may have been a woman in my past life but if she knew I''m the one who plans the robbing of the Churches off all their loot and taxes that they had gathered from the town''s villages.

 Chapter 53 - 53. Eradication Of The Trolls

    The next day, as usual, I was busying myself in the kitchen preparing breakfast of simple oatmeal and had prepared the ingredients for lunch and dinner as well. As for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon break, I had prepared steamed sweet potatoes and steamed musa belle bananas.


    I had also taken a porcelain bottle with me and the vial that was held by Prius. Whether I enter the Troll Cave it not depends on how tough they are going to be as I need to kite one to test it out.


    With this kind of cooking arrangements, Patricia and I no longer spend so much time in the kitchen and when I bring those pork chips back, the children could help to slice them up into thin slices, smear them with salt and let it hang to dry and preserve. It had almost 2 weeks since i had brought back these pork chips after I had grind those wild boars from the Northern Forest.


    The meals for lunch and dinner is the same, and it''s garlic butter fried rice. This time I had gotten some whitebait fishes delivered from the market and I had deep-fried them to a crisp. 10 eggs were prepared to be fried and scrambled while half a cabbage head and a pack of bean sprouts had been ready for frying.


    The rice had been steamed last night and was left to cool after steaming and it is perfect to make these garlic butter fried rice. A few birds eyes chilli was sliced thinly to give it a slightly spicy kick.


    ....


    The children had arrived and were helping Patricia as she stirred the mixture of the second batch of Green Apple ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste inside the cauldron using the stirring paddle. I had slipped into my room and meditated to enter the Realm of Mind and checked the Essense Extraction of the tea leaves and found that it was ready.


    I readied the Essense into a 60ml jug and then I went to check the Fusion Chamber and found that the two machines were still duplicating and only left in their hundreds before the duplication would be complete.


    I logged off and before I left the room, I changed my normal everyday wear into my Battle gear and emerged from the room. I placed the jug of green tea extract and informed Patricia of the 5th flavour for the toothpaste.


    "Alright children, Daddy is going to bring back some pork chips to be made into jerkies later ok. I would be back by lunchtime and I will show you how to prepare those jerkies once you had completed this batch of Toothpaste."


    "Alright Daddy, take care... See you back at lunchtime" hooted Kayla while the rest choruses their ''Take Cares'' to me. I went over to Patricia and gave her a lingering kiss on her lips and told her that I''d be careful as I made an exit and left Beauty World.


    ....


    Once I exited from Northern Gates, I checked my map and clicked NoOne''s camp and immediately I was warped to his spot. "Hello, friend... How are things." I greeted NoOne and I''ve got the usual reply of "Be wary of the dangers that lurk in the forest... Bla Bla Bla"


    "Good God... Doesn''t he ever change his dialogue or something? He sure sounded like a broken MP3 player." I thought to myself and looked at the distance and saw some wild boars. I guessed asking these wild boars for direction would be much better.


    Before I head out for my first kill, I decided to allocate 1400 points into my DAM to increase the damage rating to DAM: +6600 (+96.25). After doing so, I retrieved my crossbow from my quick slot and proceed to hunt and look for the entrance of the Troll Cave.


    I picked out some wild boars from a distance and unleashed my bolt. It took them by surprise as I remained hidden among the boulders that blocked their line of sight but with their humongous bodies, it was a sire sight for me to hit their rumps. It took a single bolt from the crossbow to bring those beasts.


    Soon I was exploring the place and was looking for the entrance of the Troll Cave when I chanced among a herd of those wild boars. "Ah... This must near the entrance already as told by Prius." I said to myself as I crept closer and shot the wild boars as one bu one fell with ease.


    Up ahead there was an opening on the sides of the wall, and it would take a watchful eye to notice it since the entrance was nearly near invisible to the naked eye. A marge sheen of rock was blocking the entrance from the side so it was well hidden if one does not take a closer look.


    "Hello Cave entrance, Knock knock... Here comes Your Truly..." I said in a rather loud voice as I peered into the Cave that was lighted with incandescent lights from the hanging stalactites above the interior of the Cave as well as from the ground up.


    "Gotta be careful, my insurance doesn''t cover Cave diving in this type of conditions. I wonder how those trolls would look like. There are so many monsters with so many names that I nearly find it hard to recall."


    *Ding* Congratulation on discovering Troll Cave.


    "Do I get to win a prize or something? I thought I had shut this thing off already." I mumbled to myself and hope the interface didn''t reset itself to its default settings after being garbled with the interference that Joan had done to me some time back.


    I crept inside and saw a looming figure up ahead. All I can see it as a dark figure, and with long arms and was hunching over like a big gorilla. "Is that how a Troll would look like?" I thought to myself as I raised my crossbow and crept closer until I got the Troll in my sight.


    I unleashed a bolt, half expecting it to fall on its side but NO...!!! It sensed me and barged forward even though the bolt had penetrated its shoulder. I unleashed another bolt and it was being knocked back about feet or two and i unleashed another one as it snarled and roared while showing its massive jagged teeth at me. "DAMN... HOW MANY SHOTS TO BRING IT DOWN?" I shouted as I unleashed another 2 more bolts and suddenly it stopped its advances and topple to its side and disintegrated into the ground.


    *Ding* Congratulations on defeating Troll. Experience Points +25%


    "FUCK... IT NEEDS 5 BOLTS TO BRING ONE DOWN." I thought aloud as I decided to put all the unallocated points into DAM and raising it further to DAM: +9350 (+96.25). "I hope this would be better and I can''t wait to get those points from the duplication of the 20,000 amulets back in the Fusion Chamber"


    I went forward and saw two of them now. One was out of range and the other is just a short distance from the other. "JUST MY ROTTEN LUCK..." I thought as I aimed the nearest one and unleashed my bolt and I scurried away backwards to gain a distance and hoped to kite it.


    It was a success as the bolt penetrated the shoulder and it howled in pain. It ambled slowly leaving the other one unawares and when I saw it getting closer, I shot another boot and it entered its throat. It reached for the bolt and howled as it lunges at me and I unleashed another one as I madly backpaddled.


    It let out a long moan and fell to its sides. "Thank God... All I need is 3 bolts to bring these trolls down." as I continued to hunt down the other partner.


    Soon I had cleared a total of 10 trolls and had gained 250% in experience Points and I searched forward and found human remains on the floor, their bones picked clean of its flesh and meat.


    I guess these poor adventurers were killed at the first sight by the first Troll and their remains were brought here as a feast for them. Looking up ahead I saw an opening, just large enough for a Troll to pass through and there are no such treasure chests as mentioned by Prius.


    Maybe this is a made-up story by the Ruler of Armagh to entice the adventurers to venture deep and getting killed themselves. I guess the fittest of them all would emerge victoriously.


    "I wonder if the trolls would end up drinking from that Fountain of Youth and they became babies and easier to kill. Hah hah hah..." I laughed out loud as I heard 2 announcements ringing in my head just as I stepped into the crevice.


    *Ding* Duplication success. 10,000 nos of Amulet of Strength attained. Progress +1000%. Level up 795/100,000. Level up Intermediate Crafter 61/100. Allocation points +1000


    *Ding* Duplication success. 10,000 nos of Amulet of Strength attained. Progress +1000%. Level up 805/100,000. Level up Intermediate Crafter 71/100. Allocation points +1000. Total unallocated points +2000


    "Thank you, sweet Jesus... I''m going to dump another 1600 for DAM and bring the damage rating to DAM: +13,750 (+96.25)." I said after I quickly made the allocations and stepped inside the crevice and ended up with a fork on both left and right.


    "DAMN...THIS PLACE IS SWARMING WITH THEM..." as I took Aim with my crossbow and let one go. The bolt streaked in the air and it struck the side of the troll''s head and it slumped to its sides.


    I was elated that the points I had dumped to the damage to improve its ratings had to bear its results. I hollered at them and this brought the attention of the trolls as they heard the voice and lumbered from both directions of the fork. I made not so perfect headshots to all the incoming trolls as images of experience Points emerge before me.


    One by one fell to their sides as my bolt entered through their brains and splattered brain matter all over the walls and ceilings of the Cave. Actually, I had turned the gore off since it would stain my recently laundered armoured tunic and Studded Leather vest. I would do without the gore.


    As soon as I had shot the last one that lumbered along towards my direction, I toyed with it for a while before I locked my sights between its eyes and fired my bolt. The bolt made a crack sound as it pierced the centre of its forehead in between the eyes as it fell to its back and disintegrated into the ground.


    *Ding* Congratulation. Trolls had been totally eradicated. Progress +1250%. Level up to 807/100,000. Allocated points +125 for a total of 525 points.


    "Yeah, Baby yeah..." As I made thrusting motions with my groin as I heard the wonderful announcement of finally eradicating the Trolls.

 Chapter 54 - 54. The Fountain Of Youth

    "The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters." that''s what I got from Wiki. Heh... It is as if as though the Fountain Of Youth truly exists here. "Whatever lah... As long as I got a drop of water for the Ruler of Aermagh, and a bottle full of it for myself, it is just a matter of truce though."


    I went forward and walked like an hour through the winding passageway and I suddenly saw a bright light coming from the end of it. "Eh...? I''ve already reached the end or what? Where''s that so-called Fountain Of Youth... Don''t tell me it''s after that exit?" I thought once more as I walked and had to cover my eyes to avoid the glare of the sun and my nose could smell the scent of water and also the splashing sound that came from none other than a decorative fountain...!!!


    It was a statue of a naked lady in the centre if a stone fountain and she was holding on to a jug which had a steady stream of water spouting from it and it cascades to a group of 7 little angles statues that seems to be frolicking at her feet.


    *Ding* Congratulations on Discovering Fountain Of Youth that was fabled for thousands of years. A single drop could bring an old man back to his early twenties. For more information, please do not hesitate to read the plague near the site.


    "Eh...this announcement is able to start yapping when it find such treasure. Well, it says there''s a plague somewhere... Oh, here it is. Hmm... Very interesting. It shows when it was built and even the date it''s being inaugurated. Heh... Fountain Of Youth... Well, I''m here to take a drop for the Ruler of Aermagh and a bottle for myself." I said aloud as if I''m talking to the statue of the lady that was endlessly pouting water from her jug into the fountain.


    I opened up the vial and saw the top had consisted of a glass eyedropper. I suction the water from the fountain using the eyedropper and a single of the liquid was dropped inside it. I squirt the balance from the eyedropper and closed the vial.


    Next, I unscrewed the top off my porcelain bottle, and dipped the whole bottle inside the pond and when it was filled to the brim, I closed the stopper and placed both of the items into my storage. The water from the Fountain of Youth could last me for at least a few months.


    "Hah Hah Hah... Another new product would be on its way soon. I can''t help to think of its main ingredients such as cucumber, avocado, lemon, mandarin orange, oatmeal, apricot, green tea, coconut oil, hibiscus, chamomile, watermelon, green apple, strawberry and ginger and coffee. 15 new ingredients for a brand new product. Yes...!!! And I start to hump my groin three times once more."


    I looked at my Map for an update and it did show 2 more new location. One is the Troll Cave while the other is the Fountain Of Youth. I clicked NoOne''s camp and I was instantly warped to the desired location, just some 50 meters away from my favourite merchant.


    I exchanged the 20,000 Amulet Of Strength and got a price of 5 credits each, earning me a total of 100,000 with a grand total of 239650 credits. "Well, if you want BIG then you have to save a HUGE amount of credits and my intention is to ''hack'' for a week to get as much as 1 million credits since I have another future plan ahead.


    I walked on ahead and rested a short distance away. I intend to enter my Realm of Mind and started another batch of 20,000 duplications of the amulets and so I chose a nice place to sit and meditate. After settling the duplication process on the two machines, I logged off and went to the real world. I picked myself up and heads into the Northern Gate.


    The guards were used to seeing me with my black shiny Studded Leather vest and ushered me in when they saw me walking from the distance. I walked passed Pointus'' but the store had been closed and only opens during certain hours of the day.


    I reached Beauty World and when the children saw me enters, they all left their work in the tables and hugged my legs. My goodness... They are all 12, 11 and 10 and they still are hugging my legs. Hah hah hah.


    "So I''m back... Basically unhurt as the Trolls just excused themselves as they let me make my way through. They created a path and threw flowers as I walked by. Such an honour to be present before them trolls." I simply fabricated a story that made them all gaped when hearing how I was treated by the trolls.


    "Daddy, Daddy... It is true they didn''t hurt you at all and make way for you to walk?" asked Ingles as she tugged at my feet basically like a little koala.


    "Of course it''s true, I was a bit held up because I went hunting these wild boars for their pork chops since I didn''t take their hides away. Once all you are done with the work and had taken dinner, I''d let you slice the pork chops and give a few to the matron as a sign to do forgive you for coming back late to the dorms." I suggested and they all chorused their enthusiasm for going back late tonight.


    They all wished to stay up later after dinner and listen to me spin tales of bullshit and entertain them. They immediately returned to their work and continued as all wanted to complete their target of 500 toothpaste in porcelain jewel cases for the day.


    I went to Patricia and kissed her on her forehead as she wished me, "Welcome back my Prince..." Hah Hah Hah... When did I become a Prince without heritage and a kingdom?"


    I went to my room and placed my bottle filled with the water from the Fountain Of Youth and then I went back to the Great Hall to make roasted pork chops and to give the vial of the water for Prius.


    "Leave for Aermagh in 7 days time, bro. You don''t have to give him immediately. He would surely be suspicious about how you would be able to obtain it in such a short time. By the way, what are you going to get for the reward?" I asked since u had totally forgotten to ask what Prius would get after he presented the vial to the Ruler of Aermagh.


    "I don''t think I would receive the reward, maybe it''s in the form of credits, horse or livestock. The effort is you, Audemars my friend. You should be getting the reward."


    "Naaahhh...I''ve got mine already and its a form of another 15 new products." I waved my hand off since I''ve got what I wanted and this would be great for the community here in Ingmery.


    "You are really keeping this going eh? 400 bottles of ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo in 10 different scents and 500 jewel cases of ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste in 5 flavours and now another 15 more new products? Maybe I get some of the travelling merchants to come and visit Beauty World after 2 weeks from now? " Prius pointed out after he decided to help out in the business.


    "Ah... That''s the reward that I would like to be getting. We can start with the ones in Ingmery after your return. I''m going to settle these pork chips and add it to our dinner later on. It takes some time to marinate them." I said as I excused myself to my room and change back to my everyday clothes and went to the kitchen to prepare the marination ingredients for the pork chop.


    After taking out the meat tenderizer, some salt, pepper and spices, the pork chops were sliced into half a thumb thick. After washing them off, I used a small meat pounder to slightly flatten the meat so it would be easily roasted and the meat to absorb the spices.


    I then placed several pieces inside a large bowl, placed the ingredients inside it and smother them evenly and set it aside after covering it. This way, the pieces would be ready for me to roast them before dinner.


    I washed my hands and then I proceeded to buy the needed plants for the next project. I had already the following Peppermint, Citrus, Tea tree, Strawberry, Green Apple, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Lavender, Lilac, Rose, Aloe vera and Orange.


    All I need is to have cultivation for cucumber, avocado, apricot, chamomile, watermelon, and ginger. As for the rest like oatmeal, coconut oil and coffee it would be bought directly from the market once we had completed the base scent ingredient.

 Chapter 55 - 55. X4Li8 Face Scrubs And Stock Check

    "Hmm, it takes quite a while for me to recollect back the base ingredients for the face scrubs. If I''m not wrong it''s made up of 5 ingredients and they are as follows to make one except for a single drop or two of the water from the Fountain Of Youth that would surely do wonders.


    340 ml of coconut oil


    340 ml of olive oil


    58 grams of sugar


    15 ml of essence


    30 grams of baking soda


    This would make a grand total weight of 750 grams approximately and this would be able to produce 3 porcelain jewel case face scrub.


    Since the contents of the toothpaste and facial scrub look alike, I had gone to the Realm of Mind where I took a sharpie and draw a huge question mark with a small tail on the cover.


    Then I drew two eyes, nose and lips and I had made a silhouette of a lady''s face on it. I cancelled the duplication on one of the Fusion Machine and removed the amulet and replaced it with the porcelain jewel case with the face on it. I reset the counter to 1 and made a duplication.


    It came out perfect as what I had drawn and I preset the counter to 9999 and cranked the handle. The other Fusion Chamber was also stopped and I reset it back to duplicate the run once more to 9999.


    When I made it earlier, I had just gained 200 amulets altogether and hoped to gain another 10,000 right after this. Even though the sum is small, the experience counts most.


    "Hah Hah Hah... What a way to safely hack this system. If I knew I could do this on the first day, I would have done so. Well, I won''t be going anywhere for the next 14 days so might as well I prepare another 10 more distillers in the Essence extraction zone.


    There was a balance of a dozen empty porcelain bottles which I intend to make duplication and set it aside in the Fusion Chamber. The porcelain jewel case had a balance of 1500 and I took 1494 with me as I would turn them into credits and save space. Furthermore, I had made 10,000 porcelain jewel cases for the scrub and the balance could also be sold off as credits, leaving behind a few samples.


    To avoid any future mistakes, I visualise a small table and places these 3 porcelain wares and marked them as samples on a big piece of paper and places it underneath the pieces.


    Even if I''m alone in the Realm of Mind, mistakes do happen and I won''t want such matters to arise and started pointing fingers at no one in particular. Hah hah hah.


    I logged off and entered the real world and I warped to NoOne''s camp to offload the porcelain pieces and amulets and the price was the same, set at 5 credits. So far I had gotten 8470 for the trouble and warped back to Northern Ingmery where I walked back to Beauty World.


    I went in and sat down in my room this time and took out the calculator and try to figure out a 10 litre of coconut oil and olive oil to get the closest measurement I could. At last, I made a ballpark figure to multiply it by 150 and I got the following:


    51,000 ml of coconut oil


    51,000 ml of olive oil


    9,000 grams of sugar


    2,250 ml of essence


    4,500 grams of baking soda


    The total weight would be 117kg and based on a 250 grams content, it should be able to produce 468 facial scrubs.


    I gave the statistics to Patricia and immediately she understood what it all means and when I showed the porcelain jewel case with a face drawn on it, she was happy with the simple design and asked me what would the new product called.


    "X4Li8... That''s the new branding and product. It is going to be 15 scents altogether and based on the ingredients here. I will take out the necessary Essense in its individual jug and places all 15 of them. I would get those we do not have at the moment and plant or purchase them."


    "Coffee, oatmeal and ginger can be grounded fine and directly placed inside them. The rest of the extracts need to be done accordingly. So the first 3 scents would be abovementioned." I explained to Patricia as she took note of it and send a message about the required ingredients and weight and the answer came back within a short while.


    Some 15 minutes later, bags of finely grounded oatmeal, ginger and coffee were delivered and paid for. Such efficiency for Patricia being my PA. Hah hah.


    ....


    I took my clipboard folder and checked the progress for all the products. ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo has a total of 3995 bottles consisting of 10 scents made from lavender, citrus,


    ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste is made up of 5 flavours and that would be peppermint, green apple, strawberry, tea tree and orange. Each batch produces 500 nos and there would be 2500 porcelain jewel cases altogether.


    Soon there would be 15 scents for ''X4Li8'' facial scrubs which would consist of cucumber, avocado, citrus, mandarin orange, oatmeal, apricot, green tea, coconut oil, hibiscus, chamomile, watermelon, green apple, strawberry, ginger and coffee. Each scent would be made roughly into 465 nos each and would total to 6975 of porcelain jewel cases.


    After I made a check on all these, it''s time for me to push these products down to the store to arrange them. I have gotten another 3 more trolleys and I carefully stacked them accordingly and held a piece of charcoal and marked the item description on the wooden crate. After filling the 4 trolleys, I set them aside and would be settling them after dinner.


    "Daddy, you don''t want us to help you stack these crates?" asked Adam West as he saw that I had settled settling what I need. "Ah... It is alright, we have 4 trolleys here and each of you would push one each and when people asked what it is, just tell them and heads straight to the store between 7 pm to 9 pm on about a week''s time."


    "There''s no hurry to make the sales because right now it''s good to even have a slow start. You''d have to work 24 hours just to make these 3 products, don''t you think so?" I replied as I informed them how the process used to be where each line of 10 workers worked on each scent of the product and how I used to have 50 workers per warehouse per 8 hours shift to turn these products around.


    "What you are learning right now is crucial because you would be teaching those people who would be reporting under you directly, no matter how young or old they may be."


    "Mummy and Daddy would supervise on the process, you 4 would be supervising them on what to do and not to mix and jumble the products and lastly you would be responsible to pack and store these things." I explained the future plans for them when suddenly Patricia mentioned, "Just like the Plant Managers that you told me before?"


    "Plant Managers? I don''t recall discussing Plant Managers before... However, yeah...you would be plant managers soon too if Daddy''s plans worked out fine." I said as a nagging thought came when Patricia mentioned something that I had never opened up before...


    The children are finishing up with the last roll for the ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste and they helped me with the packing and the update of stock status. Soon the children and we pushed the 4 trolleys that were laden with crates of goods to the Great Hall where we would be taking a break for dinner and to help push the items to the store in the business district.


    ......


    "Mummy, Daddy... These pork chops are even better from the business district," exclaimed Adam West between a spoonful of garlic fried rice with the whitebait fish as he cut a piece of the pan-fried pork chop that was done to perfection.


    "This is a good quality meal. Frankly, this Great Hall was once filled with men in shining armour. I recalled when our dad and brothers with their fellow mates had their meals here."


    "It was busy every single night and we do have a cook before but I guess she had left when everyone is not around. Just too bad though..." Prius mentioned about the past as his eyes slightly watered and told us not to be bothered with what he had just said.


    "Prius, tell us about Rebecca. She is still your fianc¨¦e, yes?" I asked as everyone fell silent and dropped in to listen. "Yes... She''s my fianc¨¦e, but since the last attack of the hoodlums before in her house, she experiences some trauma and always spends her time outside until its time for her to rest." Prius replied as he looked ahead, staring into nothingness, thinking about the fate of his fianc¨¦e.


    "How about this, later we will be going out to the store. You can come along with us Prius. I would then invite her over to the store and we can discuss things more in our welfare and wellbeing." I suggested and Prius'' eyes sparkled at the idea and said alright to me.


    "Also at the same time, my dear brother... You can see our store and chat with Rebecca. I''d love to see you both together." Patricia added as she beamed a smile at her brother.


    "I would like you and Audemars to be together as well too..." Prius'' said as he glanced at me as he forked a piece of the pan-fried pork chop into his mouth and closed his eyes as he chewed the meat and savour the burst of flavours in his mouth.

 Chapter 56 - 56. Rebecca Becky Joins The Workforce

    After dinner, we cleared up our plates in the washbasin and went out of the Great Hall. As we pushed the trolleys, my idea worked as people began to ask what we are transporting and then the children entertain the queries, those folks can''t help but felt refreshed when they smelled the sweet scent that emanated from the wooden crates.


    It was like opening a treasure chest and the things inside it were even better than jewels and credits. The ladies stopped is and we, in turn, gave the information. Even Prius engaged in small talk with them and they are interested to patronise our store. After several names were mentioned for referral, they were convinced of the wellness of these products...


    We reached out store and Prius was looking at it with awe. It was a neat white coloured store with a small light yellow canopy above the main door. I went inside and threw the light switch up and the whole placed lighted in its own splendour. It was on top of a small knoll and with its mellow lighting, everyone can see clearly from a distance.


    We pushed the trolley inside and I stacked the products accordingly since the glass counter had castor wheels and can be moved easily. After I had made the stacks of wooden crate according to their types, I then removed half a dozen each and arranges them on the 5 tiered glass showcase on the left and right, leaving some spaces for the ''X4Li8'' Face Scrubs that would be ready in batches within the next 15 days.


    Passerbys who passed by the store can''t hell to notice the bustling of work that was done in there. Soon they entered even though it was not operating hours and asked what we are selling. I asked Patricia to entertain them as I went along to arrange the products in such a way that they would be able to view what we have from the outside glass window.


    The 10 kinds of ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo and 5 kinds of ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste were arranged in such an angle and when I looked at it from outside, it was simply breathtaking. The view was magnificent and the product display was good enough.


    I wrote the description with the scent along with the price in a bright yellow kind of price tag and place it next to the porcelain bottles and jewel cases. This way they could identify what they were buying besides the small dried flower that was attached to it.


    There was a small ledge inside the store next to the glass front and I decided I could decorate it with basket gifts with assorted products in them. In that way, those deep-pocket customers could buy in bulk and make it as a personal gift, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and so on.


    "Trish, could you get those 2 kinds of wicker basket like this size without a handle while the other one with a handle like this size?" I showed the sizes with my palms outstretched and she immediately understood. After the arrangement of the cartons were complete and the product display had been properly achieved, all of us left the store.


    Prius was chatting happily with Rebecca and it seems that Prius'' hands can''t be kept still and was like having its own mind as it kept patting Rebecca''s head, fondling the head, touching the shoulders, arms and hands. Hah hah hah...


    I sat down next to Prius as Patricia went hunting for a sample of the basket. I told her I need one each as I could do the rest and she nodded. The children were told to push the trolleys back and park it at Beauty World as they made their way back. Adam West was holding on to 4 slices of the pan-fried pork chops to be given to the matron as a sign of favour for letting them return late.


    "Rebecca... Or shall I call you Becky instead... Would you mind be employed by Beauty World as our chef to prepare our 6 meals per day? We would gladly pay you 600 credits a month." I opened up the discussion to Rebecca but instead, Prius was the one who answered excitedly, "Yes Becky... I like that name. Say Yes, Yes, Yes..."


    As soon as the mention of the word "Say Yes", the offscreen crews broke into a serenade along with a minus one musical interlude. They were the crew that helped to work on Series 5


    Yokei na mono nado nai yone


    Subete ga Kimi to Boku to no ai no kamaesa


    Sukoshikurai no uso ya Wagamama mo


    Marude Boku wo tamesu youna


    Koibito no FUREIZU ni Naru


    Kono mama Futari de Yume wo soroete


    Nanigenaku kurasanaika


    Ai ni wa ai de kanjiaouyo


    Garasu KEESU ni narabanai youni


    Nando mo iuyo nokosazu iuyo


    Kimi ga afureteru


    There is nothing unnecessary


    Everything was prepared for the love


    of you and I


    Even a little lie or selfishness


    Is like you''re testing me


    It becomes a phrase for lovers


    Let our dreams come together,


    just the two of us


    and live together naturally


    Let''s feel each other''s love with love


    Not to become like jewellery in the glass cases


    I will say this no matter how many times, without leaving out any words


    You''re overflowing


    "Well, I guess the answer is Yes then" I simply said as I watched Rebecca fell into the arms of Prius in an embrace as she had just awakened from her stupor. Both can''t help it but cry out as tears of joy streamed down the face. After both had calmed down and cleared away the snot and tears, I asked, "You don''t have any children, do you?"


    "No, I''m unmarried and have no children yet. Thank you so much for your offer. And thank you so much for awakening me from a long stupor and thank you lastly for making me meet with my long sweetheart and employing me within the Keating household." she replied and she blew her nose on her hanky like a baby elephant...


    I further explained about the number of people for breakfast, lunch and dinner including the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. She nodded and take note of the number of pax she needs to prepare for every meal.


    "Prius here is hooked on our garlic butter fried rice with a lot of variants from smoked fish, shrimps, squid, pork, whitebait fish, scrambled eggs, jerkies and salted eggs as well."


    "We used a variant vegetables for each time we cook and that would be bean sprouts from mung and wheat, cabbage, cauliflower and we also love to have a bit of spiciness in our meals so you could add from 3 to 5 birds eye chilli."


    I explained about the preparation of the meals and Becky told us that she would be there as soon as the cock crows, so she could prepare the ingredients for lunch and dinner. As we are not fussy with the two snacks, it would either be steamed, fried or roasted over coals and there are sweet potatoes, corn, plantain, musabelle and yam with an occasion of tapioca.


    "Don''t you worry about the snacks, I have experiences in them. I just need to observe in how the garlic butter fried rice looked like so at least I know how the basis would be like." Becky told us as we began to head back to the Great Hall and was joined by Patricia who held three wicker baskets of different sizes in her hands.


    "Is this what you are looking for, Audemars? At least one fits about 5 products and the other could fit at least 10. This bigger basket can hold 20 products at one time. It looks awful big as it is normally used for marketing and could easily keep one live chicken or duck inside it. Hehehehe."


    "Perfect, Trish... This is what we need for the moment. Oh yeah, Becky had agreed to join us and so we now have 5 employees under our care. Take note of the employee records for me, ok?" and she nodded.


    "Well, at least we no longer need to spend time in the kitchen. Furthermore, those pork chips stored inside the storage bag seemed to be unspoilt and it was in a kind of time freeze. Heh... Another life hack discovered by me." I thought as I Patricia cradled my arm and we both couples walked back while Patricia was holding to the 3 wicker baskets in the crook of her left arm.


    When we get back to the Great Hall, a bottle of chilled A&W Rootbeer was served inside a bronze champagne holder with some ice and 4 mugs were made ready as well. I took the baskets and excused myself as I went to the room to meditate and went to the Realm of Mind and places them at the Fusion Chamber. At least the duplication is still in progress and it would be in the morning when it finally completes.


    I logged off and went back to the real world and joined them at the table in the Great Hall and listened to Prius and Rebecca chatted about their childhood memories and a tale of other bullshit.

 Chapter 57 - 57. Replicate, Duplicate, Manipulate

    In the middle of the night, while I was fast asleep, I heard the tinkle of the announcements rang in my head and I woke up with a start. I rubbed my eyes and there wasn''t any indication of what time it was so u checked my interface.


    "Hmm... Not bad. I''ve gotten another +20,000% progress, which means another jump of 200 levels that makes my personal level to be Level: 1007/100,000. I also earned +2000 allocation points and had raised to Advanced Crafter 161/1000." I said to myself as I sat up cross-legged and meditated and went to the Realm of Mind. There, I removed the amulet of strength and the porcelain jewel case with the drawing on it and reset the whole machine.


    I placed the smallest wicker basket in the fusion chamber and closed the door and made 1 first. The same goes to the medium wicker basket after I placed a large bow on its handle. It went into the second chamber and closed the door and made 1 as well. Both machines announced the success of completion and I checked the result from my duplication and the medium-sized basket had a similar ribbon tied to its handle.


    I then proceeded to duplicate 1000 for the small one, 500 for the medium one. Now I''ve got a ton of porcelain jewel case meant for the X4Li8 face scrub and I won''t be able to log off and appeared in my room at Beauty World. So instead I logged off and appeared in my room at the Great Hall. I put on my shoes and went outside in the chill of the night, wearing just my pyjamas.


    I saw a patrol guard walking in my direction and I asked him the time and he said it was just 3 am. He asked me where I am heading and I answered my intended direction and he waved me off as I head behind the Great Hall. It was weird walking around without my armour and only dressed up in my PJ as I entered Beauty World and I arranged the empty porcelain jewel cases inside the empty wooden crates.


    Once I had done so, I went back to the Great Hall, entered my room and tried to continue my slumber. It had been about 2 weeks since I''ve met Pointus after he had acquired such wealth from the sales of MR P that I had churned out from ''Pills Through Mind Control'' and wondered if there are more things to learn about herbs in this part of an era.


    I was about to fall asleep when I heard another announcement indicating that the wicker baskets are ready. I sat up cross-legged and meditated once more and took the initial wicker baskets out from the fusion chamber.


    I took the large basket, tied one bow around the rim of the basket and then another bow at the handle and inserted it into the slot. I changed it to 250 pieces and shut the door and cranked the handle. At an advanced level, I could do without sampling and I wonder how many levels I could level up...


    I remembered the bronze amulet of strength and I realised that I could actually duplicate bronze in this era. I was also able to duplicate legendary steel pieces of accessories before with Matilda, Stef and John Lethal. I weighed the piece in front of me and decided to try something out.


    A piece of the iron ingot was taken out from the Blacksmithing Zone and into the Fusing Zone. I placed the iron ingot in the slot and reset the counter to 1, as I closed the door and cranked the lever. It took a while before I received the announcement.


    *Ding* Duplication Success. 1 no of iron ingot attained. Progress +1%


    "HOT DAMN... I could duplicate iron ingots now. Hmm... If I could duplicate iron ingots it means I could upgrade these bronze amulet of strength and sell it at a much higher price. So, one machine to duplicate the amulet and the other machine to fuse."


    "Either way, I could earn 20,000 experience points, and 2000 allocation points as well as raise another 200 on both profession and combat level. Let me see if this fuses well and I could determine how much it would be sold as an iron piece."


    "Since bronze piece earned 5 credits, I''m sure the iron ones would cost higher. Let me ask NoOne for both the iron ingot and the iron amulet." I said to myself as I place a bronze amulet in the other machine, push the slider to FUSE/MULTIPLE and set the counter to 1. I then closed the door and cranked the handle and I received a new announcement.


    *Ding* Duplication Success. 1 no of Iron Amulet Of Strength. Strength +8 Progress +1%


    "Heh heh heh... It is a success, dammit...!!! It is considered as a life hack and not a cheat even though it feels like cheating. Hurr hurr hurr... No worries lah. No one is going to get hurt. Sorry dear readers, this is not an OP machine that I''ve got... Since I really have a long way to go from here."


    I removed the Iron Amulet Of Strength and reset the machine to 9999 and places it on standby as I removed all the bronze amulet of strength from my storage and dumped it in there. This would be made into iron once I have the ingots ready and once I have completed this, both machines would be able to duplicate iron pieces next.


    Even though what I was doing was rather dumb as it looks, I can''t be disposing them but instead, I could get them to work for me while I sleep. Ain''t that, right? The second run would be much better than this. I could make use of the added points.


    During this time of pondering in the Realm of Mind, the large basket was ready and I slipped them all into my storage. I got another piece of an iron ingot, reset the counter to 9999 and restart the replication.


    So one Fusion chamber was replicating the iron ingot while the other was on standby to be turned from bronze to iron amulet. I logged off and went back to the real world and exited my room to head to Beauty World to place the baskets there and at the meantime head for shower and change.


    I really need to make the fullest advantage of the situation as I knew the only way to levelling up is not just by grinding alone. I went to the kitchen and was preparing the ingredients for breakfast when everyone had stirred awake and I planned to make oatmeal with ladyfinger bananas on top as garnishing.


    Becky arrived early and I showed her the ingredients for lunch and dinner as I prepared the rest of the items. "Lunch would be garlic butter fried rice with smoked fish and dinner it would be with minced pork. Here''s a slab of pork chop, you can use all of these, no problem. Just don''t forget the birds eye chilli later.


    Becky nodded as she watched at the sidelines with a Virginia slim in her hands as she puffed the smoke as if she was fumigating the place to get rid of mosquitoes. "Oh yes, no smoking while preparing food and wash your hands when handling them. I''m a smoker too... I only to smoke and anger the director. Hehehehe."


    I looked at Rebecca and offscreen she had a kind of demeanour like an arrogant person while in a script and on set she looked so demure. Hmm, can''t blame them since people have their own characters right?


    Rebecca washed her hands and she proceeded to prepare the ingredients and I took a bowl and went to Beauty World as I get a few green apples, strawberries, apricots and mandarin orange and brought them back to the Great Hall and places it on the table after giving them a quick rinse. At least we could savour the fruits of our labour.


    Patricia was up and about after her shower and watched the bowl of fruits as she came down from her room. She saw me that had awoken early and asked, "Good morning Audemars, what time did you wake up this morning? Oh Hello, Becky... You''re here early too. Wow... Oatmeals and ladyfinger bananas? This banana is really sweet on its own."


    "I keep in waking up because of the things that I need to do. Well, right now what we could do is to process the essences while the children continue to make the X4Li8 face scrubs. Since there are 15 scents, it would take some time for them to make their own right after this."


    "Yes, what an odd number to make. 465 of them per batch?" Patricia asked as she referred back to her clipboard that she had written down all the details.


    "Yep... And once we had made about 5 of these, Prius can head down to Aermagh and wait for his return which would take about 6 days in total."


    "By the time, he did say that he would be gathering the travelling merchants there and the locals here to help distribute our products. At the meantime, I would be busy heading to the meet NoOne since he is like sitting on a gold mine." I explained when I wanted to make a trip there ever so often so she wouldn''t be thinking I''d be visiting the working ladies instead like the last time.


    "Do you really need to make daily trips there, Audemars? By the way, how about the operation for the production here? It''s going to be somehow automated and let the children handle it while I just supervise it?" Patricia asked about the status and I told her she could do abit of marketing around and inform the customers about our products.


    "If they wanted to purchase it, just inform them it would be open in 15 days time. At the meantime the shopfront there is just a store or some kind of advertising. No worries, everything would work out from word of mouth."


    I explained fully the purpose and Patricia understood it. There is no hurry since we are not running a full-fledged production, just yet.

 Chapter 58 - 58. Earn A Million, Spend A Million.

    Over the course of 5 days, for the first day itself, all the 10,000 iron ingots and 10,000 bronze amulets were being stored in my storage bag. It would be offloaded to NoOne at the Northern Forest. Right now both Fusion Chambers had a single iron amulet each in their slot and it was set to duplicate to 9999 instead.


    The initial idea for me to fuse them had been abandoned as it was like a double and triple job so on that day, it was considered as a fresh start. "Damn... How could I be so stoopid...?!?! Other MC should have more brains than mine to think of a better solution instead of beating around the Bush and taking a long cut instead.


    I had made a trial of putting 2 pieces to be made into duplication but it failed and both pieces of iron amulet disintegrated. Somehow it knew I was trying to beat the system and duplicate it twice as fast per round. Heh... Its a smart system at the same time a dumb one too.


    During Day One at the fusion chamber, I had gotten a +20,000% progress. I levelled up to Level: 1324/100,000, Advanced Crafter 478/1000 and had Unallocated points: 3570. I warped from my room after I had changed to my battle gear and went to NoOne''s little camp and he took the iron ingot at 1 credit, the bronze amulet at 5 credit and I had accumulated a total of 60,000 credits.


    When I showed him the iron amulet of strength he offered me 10 credits for it. Well, at least I made the right choice to dispose of all the bronze ones and start in duplicating the iron ones.


    For the rest of the 4 days, I had managed to duplicate a total of 80,000 pieces of iron amulets and had exchanged it 800,000 credits and a progress level of 80,000%. Later on, I checked my stats and discovered that I had made a whooping Level: 2124/100,000


    Professional Crafter 278/10000


    Unallocated points: 11570


    Wealth: 1,099,650 credits.


    I looked at my attributes and while some of the readers might say... OP Xia this MC... But actually fact I''m just the lowest of the adventurers out there.


    I thanked NoOne for the trade as he did not even inquire where I get so many of the iron amulets and I headed back to Northern Ingmery. Somehow I walked past the Council Chambers in the Central Ingmery and I''ve got an idea and I went inside to Angus'' office.


    "Good morning Mister Audemars, you had gotten the store but you had not run your business yet? What can I do for you today?" Angus asked me as he placed his glasses from his bridge of the nose and let it hang instead. There was a gold chain that supports the end of the glasses and it made ponder that a man like Angus could afford to have a gold chain. I wonder how much is his salary right now.


    "Hmm, I would like to take a look at the other pieces of land that''s available. It''s not for residential and its not for business, it''s a place where people can work silently. I wished to open a production plant that runs 24 hours a day on 3 rotating shifts. Do you have such facilities here, Mister Angus?"


    "Actually we have plots of lands near the residential areas where there are a number of abandoned houses clustered together. Since these houses are considered as large houses, you can replace them with a design that you seem fit. It''s more economical to get workers to knock them down or renovate them."


    "So far Mister Angus, the White House had been a production place in the midst of residential district and so far is there any complaints coming from the neighbours?" I asked as I was actually walking on thin ice and really wanted to expand the business first.


    Preparation is the key, my friend. Furthermore, I had a life hack so I don''t really mind about finance. My trusted Fusion Chambers are churning out the iron amulets as we speak right now.


    Too bad it can''t be made to duplicate 99k times... Hehehehe. Given one foot, demand one yard. (this is an old proverb stating how a person who gets a bit of privilege and starts demanding for more and can never be satiated in life) Haiyooo... Greedy human!


    "So far it has been good. It is great having this type of conversation and interaction as we all could be on the same page. Hmm, let me bring down the locale map here."


    "Oh, here''s an abandoned plot of land which was used to be a duck farm and another abandoned farmland just beside it. Its a street past down the White House and here''s another one adjacent to it. This was a chicken farm as well."


    Angus pointed out that the plot for farming is bigger than the large residential lots and furthermore these lots are assigned and there''s no way to convert farmland to be a residential at all.


    "Have you seen how compact the Northern and Southern District yet? There are some small and medium residential lots there and no farmlands as it was meant for the nobles and royalties while the serfs stayed mostly in the central district."


    "Not that I noticed about the empty houses there in the Northern and Southern. How about the statistics here in Central? Would there be a high rate of unemployment here?"


    "Oh, as for the unemployment rate, it is on medium to medium-high which means its 10:1 ratio. There are a total of 500 odd residents here in Central and so the unemployed is about 50 or so."


    "Northern and Southern are mainly unemployed but they are extremely filthy rich. They basically walk and sleeps on credits. I won''t mention where they get their wealth from but these are the people who were exiled as they do not wish to follow the Ruler of Aermagh."


    "Do you know that this country is under the Ruler of Aermagh whom you were deployed under their Legion before? Or have you forgotten about it already?" Angus pointed out and I managed to get a little grasp of this country''s history.


    "I am from a distance far, far away, Mister Angus, and my whole town were wiped out by these rampaging beasts and now what was left is just a flat piece of desert." I put in a sad face while I told him this part which was total bullshit and I kept to the story somehow.


    "Oh, I didn''t know about. Sorry, mate. So back to this farmlands. Which one would you prefer? We can negotiate the price since the Council Chambers has viewed you as having a good reputation."


    "REPUTATION... That''s what I need now. At least be as law-abiding as possible, no brushes against the law and any government officials and everything is good to go." I thought as I decided on these 2 farmlands which stood just side by side. It would be great to start with at this moment.


    "This farmland is 24x18 meters and its price is 650 credits per square meter. The total cost for each farmland is 280,800 credits and if you are taking these 2 farmlands of equal size, we could give you a discount. It would be a flat 550,000 credits."


    Angus explained to me and as I figured out, I would be able to raise a further 1 million credits on every 5 days time. "Its a deal Mister Angus. 550,000 credits for these 2 plots of lands." I replied as I let out a sigh at seeing my credits just fly by.


    "Alright, here''s 2 drafts for the design, you may choose the size of the building you want to choose. The cheapest range would be a wooden barn of 20x15 meters. It has two sliding doors 2.5 meters on each side with high ceiling ventilation windows. Its height would be about 2.5meters high with a flat thatched roof. Here is the fabricated design."


    Angus has shown me the exact warehouse design that I had when I was in Kitakata. A very simple barn-like design with elevated staging area inside to store the goods as well as a workspace of 50 employees per shift. But right now 15 employees per shift would suffice.


    "Do you provide wooden furniture as well? I would like to have nine 3 meters and 2-meter wide long table joined together and 18 long 3-meter bench with a backrest. Please add 5 clear 10x5 meters sunroofs each and also 5 central lightings."


    "The floor would be a simple dirt floor, and I would like to have 24 pieces of 2x2 meters pallets and 1000 wooden crates the size of 50x50x50 centimetres. A 3x1x1.5 meter wooden shelf would do."


    "It would be a full barn with nothing else in them. The same goes to the other barn as well. Could you calculate the costs for me? I hope it won''t be over my budget."


    "Alright, give me a second as I finish up the cut and paste for all your requirements... That''s it, it''s done. Take a look at the designs I had implemented based on your requirements."


    Angus showed me the 3D designs that he had created in the app on his Apple Tablet (which I''m not supposed to say, but I mention it anyway) and it looked exactly what I had imagined it to be complete with a fly and walk-in mode." The price for each barn with the specific details and its furnishing totals to 145,678 and for both is 291,356. Just pay 290,000 credits as a round figure and this 2 barns would be on the way within 24 hours from now."


    I looked at the total on the draft and design form and saw 840,000 credits. I swallowed real hard and then I put my John Hancock at the bottom of the design and immediately my wealth dwindled down. *Kaching* A receipt was given for both farmhouses, land title deed and the design of the barns was handed to me, as from today I am the new proud owner of 2 barns right now.


    I wiped imaginary beads of perspiration in my head and asked how much does a small house costs and was told the key is 12,150 credits, the lot on a 4x4 meters cost 10,400 and the house, with a living space, one bedroom, kitchen and bathroom costs 50,000.


    A person would fork out 72,550 credits. A medium 2 bedroom house would be about 150,000 credits and a large 3 bedroom house would be 250,000. A studio unit would just cost 35,000 credits.


    Wow, to be able to own your own house it would take a minimum 35,000 credits to begin with... That would be 4 and a half years of saving up. I checked my interface and found that my new balance for Wealth: 259,650 credits. *Huuuuuuuuu*

 Chapter 59 - 59. Recruitment Drive And A Sharp Tongue

    The next day, I received the announcements for the successful duplication of 20,000 pieces of iron amulets and had gained Level: 2324/100,000. Professional Crafter 478/10000. Unallocated points: 13570 and managed to fill my back to Wealth: 459,650 credits.


    I repeated the process in the Fusion Chamber of the Realm of Mind and logged off to the real world after that. Prius has decided to leave for Aermagh and would be there to see the changes in the effects once the water from the Fountain Of Youth had been consumed by the Ruler.


    We bade him goodbye and I told Patricia, Rebecca and the rest that I had acquired the 2 land across Beauty World to be made into a production plant and the children would help to supervise the plant with the help of Patricia and me as the acting Plant Managers for the moment.


    The three of them were surprised and were utterly speechless that I could accumulate such wealth in a short time and I explained that the reason why I went out to the Northern Forest every morning to deal with my other ''business''. Little did they knew what the hell I''m actually doing... Hah hah.


    "So Audemars, you are planning ahead to expand the production without making any sales yet?" Patricia asked with a worried look on her face since there had been no sales so far in the first week of the new month.


    "Don''t worry about it, Trish. Prius here has agreed to invite the merchants in Aermagh and they would be able to help us to push the products. That''s why we need to push the production first. I''m afraid that we are unable to supply despite the high demand. You know what I mean?"


    "What Audemars says is true, Pat. It''s better to have a good stockpile rather than to have an empty store and zero production. With the children here, the production would not be as smooth as it would look like in the future."


    "How many do you intend to employ at this moment, Audemars? I could help to spread the word and they would all be able to come here for an interview and briefing. The Great shall here suit just fine." added Prius as I could take advantage of this place to conduct my speech and whatsoever.


    "I would need 2 shifts at the moment and 15 people per shift per plant for a grand total of 60 employees. It would be from 7 am to 3 pm and the other would be 245pm to 1045pm. I need a person on each shift to have leadership qualities."


    "Both genders are able to work. Their basic salary would be 650 credits a month and 700 for the leader. Get them to meet me for an interview and I would set an employee record book to state their details and work shifts et cetera."


    "Alright, I would get to it soonest possible. Don''t you worry a thing, my friend? Rebecca can also help out spreading the word. I am sure there are citizens in the central area who are willing to work for Beauty World." assured Prius as he made his way and warped his way to Aermagh.


    "Heh, that guy has a system as well... All along I thought he was an NPC. There must be something that he didn''t tell me for sure. Well... People have secrets, mainly clean ones and some dark ones as well..."


    "I don''t even have the time to check out about the Keating''s and their background... But they seemed nice though. Ah well... Never judge a book by its cover especially this one with a rather simple book title. Hah hah hah... "


    For the next 4 days, I was busy going on and out of the Realm of Mind and duplicating 80,000 Iron amulets for an 80,000% progress. I had soon levelled up as follows:


    Level: 3124/100,000


    Professional Crafter 1278/10000


    Unallocated points: 21,570


    Wealth: 1,259,650 credits.


    I saw my unallocated points and wished there is something where I could improve my luck, charisma, looks, charm, public speaking et cetera but there nothing of that sort for the moment.


    I had dropped by the farmlands and saw that the barns had been delivered and the designs were what I needed it to be. After the workers had helped me to arrange the things in order, the next phase would be getting the raw materials and the preparation for the rest of the equipment. The barns were placed in such a way that the doors were facing the White House and we could monitor the progress from there.


    There were quite a number of applicants that had to be turned away since its either they are not used to be sitting for too long and even though the pay is alright they require meals to be provided.


    Furthermore, we have the 60 employees and they were separated into 2 groups, the 1st shift and 2nd shift employees. I had also managed to find a suitable candidate for the line leader role.


    "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name is Audemars and this is Patricia and we are the acting Plant Managers here and we would be handling the payroll and welfare for all of you."


    "These 4 children here would be supervising the work at the moment and you would be manufacturing the first 2 products which would be the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo and ''X4Li8'' Face Scrubs. The other product ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste would be handled by these children here. Would there be any problems in the future so far? "


    "We as seniors would have to listen to these children? Why...?" asked a man within the group asked and was stumped that he should be listening to these kids as children should be seen and not heard. It was kind of ridiculous for the man and some of them agreed.


    "You may be seniors in age and experience in many fields, but these children have an early headstart and are much more capable than most of you. Of course, it doesn''t mean that you are incapable to work better than them, but in terms of our products, they are your pioneers and you should respect MY decision."


    "Tell me kind sir, you readily come to this place to look for employment, right? And you agree to be bind by the rules and regulations, am I right? So what''s the problem with following with My rules?"


    "If anyone of you here is able to find employment right after you leave this place, go right ahead. There are throngs of people waiting in line here. There...these people are waiting to replace those who wish to walk out."


    "Furthermore, let me drill this in your heads. You were telling me you do not even have enough to eat. Scavenging in the refuse bins of the Northern and Southern District, running after rats in the sewers and not daring to step out to the forest to hunt for your meal."


    "You do not even have ENOUGH even to feed yourself on days in the end and HOW do you feed the rest of your FAMILY? If any of you feel heated die to this friction and felt that you are unable to feel the heat, PLEASE you know where the door is and you are WELCOME to EXIT within the next 5 breaths."


    By this time there were a lot of murmurs and some jostling can be seen and 5 men stood up and walked out and were replaced by 5 women.


    "Who else has any issues that need to straighten out before we go on to the next stage," I asked again within the crowd and another man spoke up timidly.


    "Sir, the salary you provide is barely enough to cover for our daily meals when we work. Would you be able to increase them accordingly?"


    "Stand up kind sir when you speak and raise the hands if you want to raise any question. Is that understood?


    "So... 600 credits per month and an additional 50 for your monthly meals are not enough for you? You''re working in the afternoon shift right? 245pm is your work hours."


    "Have you taken your breakfast and lunch before that? There is a break at 545pm for 30 mins for your meals, and you are allowed to bring in your own food for your consumption. At 815pm you have a 15 minutes coffee or smoke break and continue till 1045pm where you would be going back home."


    "My main question here is: being currently unemployed for an infinite time, where do you find your credits from? How many meals per day that you had and how much do you spend for each meal? Don''t tell me you don''t cook for your self or you buy your own food in the Tavern?"


    "That 50 credits to compensate for your meals could buy you a few kilos of rice and some smoked fish or whatever you''d like to eat to make a simple gruel. How much is a home-cooked meal would cost per day? Can anyone answer me?"


    "One credit, Your Honour, and can be cooked for 2 days." shouted a lady who is used to go marketing and knew how to save rather than the men who love to drink and ogle at the working ladies while scratching their crotches.


    "I DO NOT personally like people who haggle with their salary, even before they STARTED working. You are not working for me but you are working with us as a family. If you think that the salary is not enough, there are other jobs that pay much higher than us."


    "If you think working 8 hours a day and getting this type of salary is way too cheap, once again... If you feel the heat now, you can SHOW your own way out."


    "You are dealing with beauty products, something for the ladies and not entirely for the men and if you think that you can''t handle this job well, it''s normal to show how miserable you are at proving how manly you could be."


    Unable to hear any more of my berating at them like an old senile lady, another 13 couldn''t take the criticism and sarcasm, walked out and was replaced with another 13 ladies who were standing at the bylines.


    There were 6 more ladies left and I noticed that all the men had left except for the 2 line leaders who were now quite unsure of how to make of the situation.


    "You two line leaders better not think of any funny ideas ok. You were referred by Prius Keating and don''t you dare show DISRESPECT towards the good family name. The other 6 ladies, please give your name and details to Patricia here."


    "You would be placed in our main Beauty World HQ and work from 8 am to 5 pm. Your salary would be the same as the children here which are 600 credits. Would that be alright, ladies?"


    "Yes, Your Honour." a lady among the 6 answers for the rest and they proceeded to give their name and details to Patricia. The 18 ladies that had replaced the men also gave their names and soon was deployed according to their shifts."


    "Thank you so much, please be here tonight at 9 pm to collect your uniform. We would like everyone to be recognised as working for Beauty World. From today onwards you will call yourself as The Beauties... Hahaha."


    "One more thing, even if you all work for half a month, you will receive the full payment at the end of it. Rest assured, this Macleod speaks the truth and never backs down from what he said..." I withdrew my sword and raised it high in the air and the moment they saw the Renaissance Claymore, they knew I had sworn by my sword and would also die by my sword if I go back in my words.

 Chapter 60 - 60. The Big Spender Earns Good Reputation

    After Patricia and Rebecca had collected the database of their names, age, marital status, number of children and their ages, I discovered that all 66 ladies were all widows and had either a child or two. How come this was not recorded in the census?


    I shook my head and since it''s a rest day for all of us, we went to the Central Atelier and the children helped to pick an adult ladies open vest that came in various colours and designs and lastly I settled one. A bright yellow sleeveless vest, with red trimmings on the collar and sides and had 2 small pockets in front and a hood attached to it.


    Ingles chose one for the kid''s size and asked if they could wear them also. I laughed at her and let her choose the colour she wanted since they are the ones supervising the plant. I told them the colours should be the same as the 4 of them but different from the rest of the employees.


    "Daddy, we are holding a post but our pay is lesser than them," asked Adam West. "Yes, but you have lunch, 2 in between meals and also dinner." I reasoned with him and he nodded as he agreed. "Daddy those men arguing about the salary has no brain just like a bird," Kayla said and we all laughed since bird brain is as big as a mungo bean. Hahahaha.


    The Atelier had also made emblems and coat of arms and I asked if they could make one on the spot and they said it could be done while we wait. I drew a sketch on it using a pencil on a tracing paper and after some adjustments, I managed to make a perfect design based on the question mark and the silhouette of the face.


    When I saw the embroidery was completed on the left side of the vest, it looked pretty A-W-E-S-O-M-E... And the kids wanted too and since they chose black, the embroidery would be in gold thread. When it was ready it was G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S...


    "Daddy, why are you only buying just 2 pairs? We have a total of 70 employees including us right?" asked Jane and I told her that "I had some friends and only small children and animals can see them, and they are called wisps and they helped Daddy to multiply this clothes."


    The children had never seen what a wisp look like as I churn out a barrel full of bullshit that''s good for manure and they all smelled it and believed in it. Hahahahaha.


    I paid for the vest and then we went to the kitchen supplies and bought several 150 litres cauldrons, 30-litre pots, stirring paddles, ladles, electronic scales, pipping bags and funnels and for that, I had paid 45,000 after discount.


    Next stop would be the raw materials supply and I asked for 45 nos of 10 litres barrels of coconut oil, and 36 nos of 10 litres barrel of olive oil along with 9 nos 10 kg of lye for the making of 10 scents ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo in production plant #1.


    As for production plant #2, 90 nos of 10-litre barrels of coconut oil and 90 nos of 25kg baking soda would be delivered to make the 5 flavours of the ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste


    Last but not least, the Beauty World HQ would have 5 nos of 10-litre barrels of coconut oil, 5 nos of 10-litre barrels of olive oil, 9kg of sugar and 4.5kg of baking soda and plan to make 15 scents of X4Li8 Face Scrubs.


    Daily expenditure of a discounted price of 4,100 was expected daily and the I had paid for a duration of payment for 30 days and paid in a lump sum of 123,000 credits.


    Just that night alone I had splurged 168,500 credits. It is almost the cost for a medium house!!! Well, it was in the name of building up the empire, I guess.


    ...


    Back in my room in the Great Hall, I meditated and reached the Realm of Mind and I had duplicated 3 of the kids'' work vest and 65 for the adult vest. When I had completed those, I returned to the real world and placed it on the table of the Great Hall and the children were surprised that their vests had been prepared by the so-called wisps.


    They gladly put them on and were excited to show it off to their matron on their new working attire. "Now children, I would be guiding all of you how to be a great supervisor. You do not lead just by your instructions alone but you would be lead by example."


    "Even though you would be working from 8 am to 5 pm, in between you would need to guide those who are not sure of their work from tomorrow onwards and then you may resume your duties here, making these X4Li8 Face Scrubs. You understand that?"


    "Mummy and Daddy would be both handling the first hour ensuring that the new workers would be briefed and a set of ingredients would be ready for them to refer to in order to make them."


    "Right now, let''s go and prepare the first 3 batches for Production Plant #1 and #2. The other batch would be done by you today and then the leaders would be doing the rest. The line leaders are waiting in the production plant as we speak."


    With that, the children and Patricia headed to our new Production Plants where the delivery boys had already arranged the set of cauldrons and other equipment accordingly. They also had helped to move the 10,000 porcelain bottles and 10,000 porcelain jewel cases into each respective Production Plant from Beauty World.


    For their additional work that they had performed, all 10 of the delivery boys were paid 10 credits each and they did an amazing job on the arrangements of the tools of our trade as well as the ingredients. Since this would be a daily affair for the deliveries, they promised to be back the next day by 3 pm.


    The first 3 cauldrons (since we have 9 per plant) that were first in the row was being prepared for 3 different scents. The leaders took note in their processes and assisted in the makings. Since the two leaders named Lucas and Marcus would be handling these 2 production plants, it would be good for them to know the procedures as well.


    "Alright guys, you know what to do right? Right now all you need to do once you had prepared this is to assist the line operators to fill their pots in front of them and then refill as and when needed."


    "Observe how these solutions were being weighed so that it would be exactly as how these supervisors had been doing so far all along. If you have any problems, please don''t hesitate to meet Patricia or me in Beauty World HQ."


    "Lucas and Marcus, both of you decide among yourself in which shift you would be taking and if in doubt, please ask for our assistance or the supervisor''s assistance. They too would be involved in the process and remember the exact measurements based on the board here, okay?" I showed both the line leaders on the ingredients and it''s measurement for each of the larger cauldron that was stated in the board.


    By 5 pm, all the workers had reached Beauty World HQ and were briefed once more. The vests were handed to them by the children and the 30 employees went to their respective plants to observe on the preparation of the products. By then, everyone knows their roles and duties and they would be reporting to work tomorrow before 7 am.


    We bade them adieu and they went back to their respective destinations, each one of them wearing the vests that bore the company logo. They seemed excited to start work the next following day.


    The 6 of us were in the Great Hall when Prius had warped back to the Southern District and was walking towards the Great Hall when he saw those citizens wearing bright yellow vest streaming out along the streets.


    "Is there a fiesta going on? What a bright and cheerful garb they had on." he thought to himself and when he entered his home, he discovered that it was part of the employee''s workwear as the children were wearing the black ones with the golden threaded embroidery on the left side.


    "Hiya Prius, I hope you have good news from Aermagh? You look fresh after coming back from there... Come, join us for dinner." I greeted Prius as he walked with a cheerful look on his face.


    When I asked him about the results from the Ruler of Aermagh that had drunk the drop of water from the Fountain of Youth, he raised his thumb and remarked, "You never going to believe what had just happened in Court."

 Chapter 61 - 61. Paying The First Visit To Aermagh

    "It was a sight to behold. When the Ruler got hold of the vial, he asked one of his Wizards to look at it and confirmed that it contained the water from the Fountain Of Youth. The Ruler wanted to present me with his gifts but I flatly refuse and said we are doing this service for His Majesty without even asking anything in return."


    "So, right there and then, the Ruler opened up the vial and was about to let that single drop of water drips into his mouth and you do you know what happened in the next few minutes?"


    "What happened Uncle Prius? Tell us what happened next..." asked Ingles as they all were excited to listen to the tale, and were clamouring all around him as he builds up the suspense.


    "The vial drop to the floor and break and the Ruler lapped it up from the dirty floor like a dog or something?" I asked as I thought that there''s the most viable case for a clumsy old 65-year-old man would do...


    "A great falcon swooped down and grab the vial and drank it up and became a Tweety Bird?" added Patricia as she imagined something had happened to the vial too as the Ruler was about to drink it.


    "Hahahaha... Not really lah. Actually, when he drank the single drop of water that was provided by Audemars here, the Ruler went into a series of transformation. At first, his white hair had totally dropped off from his head, then all his wrinkles disappeared from his face, neck, arms and legs even I think."


    The baldy head suddenly sprouted black hair and his stoop had mysteriously disappeared and it was straightened back again. Within a few minutes, his paunch had gone and he began to regain back as what he was 40 years ago and became a handsome man indeed."


    "The whole Court was in total silence that you could hear a feather that falls to the floor...!!! After the transformation, he let out a terrifying roar and then he sent his Queen to the gallows because she was an old hag anyway. All his concubine were being sent to the dungeons and he chooses new petite 16 to 18-year-olds to be his bedmates."


    "The Ruler took a peek inside his pants and discovered that his baby carrot had grown to be a huge cucumber and since he had regained his youth, Aermagh is celebrating 3 days and 3 nights of merrymaking."


    "Frankly speaking, the Ruler regaining his youth is like hell rebooting and starting afresh. By the way, the Ruler seeks your attendance during the merrymaking. You need to be there soonest possible using the warp travel of my Map."


    "I had no way to reject him because when he was a 65 old man he ruled Aermagh with an iron fist and how he''s a 25-year-old dude right now, I don''t think he would be much different, in fact, he would be much worse, and rules with an iron arm, body and legs too not just his fists. He would be fisting with his whole arm I guess. Yeah, fisting... " said Prius replied in a very dejected manner since in a way he felt that he had betrayed me somehow.


    "Arch... Since he wants my attendance, what could you do about it? It''s either your neck or the town of Ingmery... Haish... Sometimes doing something good would bring bad things to us. Haiya... Don''t you worry about it then? Think positive, my man. I''d get ready a few things then." I said as I went to take a medium basket and place some shampoo and toothpaste in it as a present for the Ruler.


    When I was away doing all those I can''t help thinking aloud to myself, "WHAT KIND OF SHIT I HAD BROUGHT MYSELF INTO NOW...?!?!"


    I regained my composure when I met Prius. Patricia and the children were worried about my being right now. I patted the children''s heads and I kissed Patricia and took advantage of the situation. "Heh... When would be the time you could kiss your side characters, yeah?"


    I had changed to my battle gear complete with my Nipple Buckler, Victory and my light crossbow as I bade everyone and they, in turn, bade me good luck as Prius and I stepped out in the cool evening air.


    "Please forgive me, my good friend. I never knew it would turn out this way... I just hope everything turns out just right." Prius mentioned as we head out of Southern District, the only district which I had not ventured out and soon we reached outside called the Southern Plains.


    Prius checked his map out and before he clicked Armagh City, he held on to my arm and we warped out from there. Soon, we had reached the outskirts of the magnificent city of Aermagh that looked somewhat like Disneyland.


    "Hang on a sec, Prius. I need to do something first before I enter here. I better prepare something rather than do nothing." I told Prius as we stopped near the gates as I allocated all my unused 11k+ points into all my 7 attributes. It seems rather unnecessary at this moment but it''s better to be prepared.


    "Alright, come... Let''s go in and meet the Ruler." I said as I beckoned Prius as he scanned me and find what he had done to myself but he just kept quiet for the moment. It''s weird how he can readily scan me but I am unable to get a piece of single information from him. Is it because I hadn''t activated my Third Eye yet?


    We entered through the gates and a metal detector beeped while the scanner officers went through a body search as I presented my Nipple Buckler which made every scanner officer laughed hysterically and before I even removed my light crossbow or even dagger, I was ushered in because if not those security performing those scanners would eventually die of laughter.


    It was a sight to behold, the streets were littered with remnants of firecrackers that made the path red, and there were lots of colourful streamers that hung around every house and every lamppost there is. People were milling about, drinking and eating merrily as though it was an orgy of fisting... I mean feasting.


    The rats were bloated and were lying on their backs, literally enjoying and basking after they had their fills. The cats could not be bothered to chase after them as they too were as fat as Garfield. The Town was basically in a freaking mess, and not only streamers were hung, but even their panties, breeches, bra, tunic and every single piece of dirty laundry were also hung out to be aired.


    "This is Aermagh? I don''t recall this city to be damn messy and dirty as such..." I said as I was amazed at the overflowing rubbish bins all over the paths as it seems that no one bothered about clearing them when they were supposed to expect a visitor like me? Nggeekk... So yucky and icky place to walk through right now.


    We passed through the streets and there are either groups of people spraying water all around them like having a Songkhla festival, another part there were people throwing tomatoes all around and colour the whole street reddish orangey while in another part of town, merrymakers were literally popping noisemakers and bursting confetti all over the streets, on their clothes and their bodies.


    We literally had to slink away in between these merrymakers and avoid getting wet, splattered by tomato juice and covered with confetti and such.


    "What do you think will happen back in Court? Does he want to thank me personally since he wanted to see me personally? What shall I address him? Oh mighty Ruler, meet your Protractor or something like that?" I asked since he was made up of the equipment of a mechanical pencil box.


    "His Majesty or Highness would do..." Prius simply said as he gets more worried as we inched closer to the Court. Some medieval era called it a Keep, some would call it the Castle. In French, they called it Chateau which I know would come in dark green bottles with either red or white contents. Well... Here they call it a Court and it can be basketball, badminton or a tennis court. Hah hah hah...


    We reached the Court and it was a large compound and guards on full armour plates surrounding the circular perimeter amidst the columns and were holding full-body shields, mighty two-handed swords, pikes and other single-handed weapons like a flail and spiked mace. I wonder if any of the warriors need to remove their armour or not when they take a dump or a leak. There''s no rear or front trap door to release such excrement.


    Furthermore, if one takes too many beans, they would suffocate in their own farts. Hah hah hah... We soon were greeted by the Court''s jester, just like the Joker in the playing cards and had bells hanging from his headgear and on the top of his shoes as well... And it tinkled as he walked up to us and then announced our attendance to everyone present...


    "The Lord of Keating and his companion, Macleod is here to meet the Ruler of Aermagh...." the jester announced as we entered and I noticed the armoured plated guards somehow moved some 5 steps ahead of them and closed in on us, making the circle a bit smaller... As if ensnaring us with their enclosures.

 Chapter 62 - 62. Putting On A Dramatic Act

    Prius tugged on my sleeve as he kneeled down on one knee and I followed suit. He was in a sort of posture that I find it really hard to adjust to. It is not I''m not accustomed to this type of bowing the knee or what you might call genuflection or something, but it seems quite rare since I had not been doing this gesture since I started transmigrating.


    I just acted ''monkey see monkey do'' type of actions because this is the first time I had to do this in front of royalty. Even to the Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi I just bow slightly while standing up.


    "Hoho... The Lord of Keating is here and this is the Hero that had vanquished the Trolls and brought me the water from the Fountain of Youth, am I right?" the Ruler of Aermagh remarked in a booming voice. Since he regains his youth, he had exchanged his squeaky mickey mouse voice to a large booming and overwhelmingly loud authoritative voice instead.


    "HERO... COME FORWARD so I could see your face." his voice boomed again. As I stood up, one of the armoured plated guards came over and hit me behind my neck and told me to scoot myself forward. Haiya... I''m going to get my pants dirty if I scoot in that manner.


    "GUARD...let him be. It is his first time here in this Court and being present in front of me..." his voice boomed once more as I slowly picked myself up and walked in a hunched manner as I brought myself forward and then bowed to my knee once more.


    "LOOK UP... I want to see your face and remove that hood of yours. This is NO PLACE for hoods..." his voice seems a bit crackled when I was at that distance and when k looked up, I saw there''s a small Mike bear his collar that picked up and amplify his voice through several speakers behind and above him..." Ooooo... That''s how he got his booming voice..." I thought to myself as I slowly removed my hood, ruffled my hair a bit and smoothen it as I raised my head to look at the Ruler.


    If I am a woman, I would be captivated by his sharp figures as if he was chiselled out from a piece of marble stone. His features were sharp, sharp eyes, sharp nose and his gaze were so sharp that it could cut down any person with his gaze... That''s the definition of sharp to me.


    "HERO... Tell me your name." the Ruler asked as he adjusted his butt on his cushioned throne. I was down in my knee so close to him that I was literally near his feet at the throne and I had to raise my head up high just to be glared by the spotlight that was behind him, creating a kind of halo of holiness around him.


    Halo of holiness my ass...


    "My name is Audemars Macleod, Your Majesty. I am just a travelling tradesman and I happen to be in Ingmery to set up my trade. Here''s a little something for you, Your Majesty." I said as I swiped my cloak aside and the armoured plated guards suddenly stormed at me with their spears, as though I was going to brandish a weapon and harm their handsome, young Ruler.


    Seeing those spears aimed at me, I gave a grown look at the armoured plate guards as I slowly reach into my storage bag and produced the wicker basket that I had filled with some shampoo, toothpaste and a few hibiscus twigs.


    An armoured plated guard took it from me and instead of presenting it to his Ruler, he passed it to an old man in a mage''s hat, all dressed in black, and he looked the part of Gandalf from LOTR. He looked at the contents in the basket and when he opened it and took a whiff, he was surprised as his cheeks and nose turned rosy all of a sudden.


    "HERO... where did you get this product and why are these products have a sense of magic in it? Its a kind of magic..." said the mage who looked like Gandalf when suddenly the armoured plated guards broke into a song and dance. They started to snap their fingers through their armoured gloved and stomp Iron clad boots on the grounds as they sang.


    (It''s a kind of magic)


    (It''s a kind of magic)


    (It''s a kind of magic)


    (It''s a kind of magic)


    One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal


    One golden glance of what should be


    (It''s a kind of magic)


    One shaft of light that shows the way


    No mortal man can win this day


    Hahahaha... Its was a song excerpt from Freddie Mercury of Queen though.


    "THERE''S MAGIC IN THERE?" said the Ruler if Aermagh as he looked excitedly and his wizard advisor nodded and replied, "It''s good magic, Your Majesty. Just a whiff of this takes away your fatigue and weariness. This is good stuff... Really goooooooooodddd..." the wizard advisor said as he handed the whole basket to his Ruler and he saw the intricate designs of the porcelain bottles.


    "OOOO... These are fine pieces of porcelain, I love these fine pieces. It would be great... What are these, HERO...?" the Ruler asked as he opened up one of the porcelain stoppers and took a whiff. It was citrus.


    "It''s a ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo, Your Majesty so that you would enjoy your bath as only use a dollop of that for your hair right down to your toes. There are citrus, green apple and lavender. The round porcelain jewel cases are ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste."


    "It is used to brush your teeth and it has peppermint and strawberry flavours. Those are my trades, Your Majesty..."


    I replied while I tried to bear staring at that halo of holiness that surrounds him made by the strong 15w spotlight twined behind him and into my poor eyes. I remembered my shades and put them on and I can see the Ruler clearly.


    "THANK YOU... HOHO... These porcelain ware are fine pieces indeed. So... Tell me, how do you defeat the trolls to get me the water from the Fountain Of Youth?" his voice boomed once more as he peered down at me as he inched his body forward.


    "Oh... I just stroll in, say hello to the trolls and told them I wanted to get a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth. One of the trolls brought me in from the entrance and accompanied me right to the fountain and then back out again." I said as I spun a tale of bullshit that made the Ruler almost jumped to his feet.


    "WHAAATTT...?!?! It is that simple? How come I sent countless of men and they died in the hands of those trolls while you just walked over and easily got the drop of water from the Fountain Of Youth...?!?!" the Ruler inquired and out of a sudden, he placed his foot over in my left shoulder and made me become his footrest or something. "MOTHERFUCKER..." I screamed in my head.


    "Yes, Your Majesty... My... How fine your Red Wing boots are... These must be expensive pair eh? I went in as a tradesman and I simply asked for their permission. I learnt about this because there was an incident a long time ago where a mighty bear said to me, "Just say the magic word and I could beat him up to a pulp and the magic word is ''Please''" I said innocently and the wizard advisor nodded to himself as well as the Ruler.


    "HOHO... I didn''t know that a simple word could be magical," he said as he now not place a foot but his both feet as he crossed it and on my left shoulder. "DAMN... if not for him a royalty, I would have knocked some senses into him and not being so rude. Even the MC doesn''t get to do that given the chance to be King..." I thought inwardly as I looked over my shoulder and saw a piece of gum underneath his boot and there''s a gold coin stuck underneath it.


    "Your Majesty, there''s a gold coin underneath your boot with a piece of gum stuck at its soles," I said nonchalantly and the Ruler withdrew his boots from my shoulder as he used the hibiscus twig to scratch away the gum and retrieved the gold coin. Seeing no one else was watching him, he slipped the gum into his mouth and chew on it.


    "HOHO... You are an honest man, HERO. Other people would grovel at my feet for that piece of chewing gum. We don''t brush our teeth here, in Aermagh we chew gum to clean our teeth and strengthen our jaws. How do you expect someone to carry a piece of leg and bite through it, right?"


    "HOHO... a tradesman and a hero... This is the first time I had met such a person. Your products do interest me a lot but I love watching bloody sports like UFC, MMA and WWE... Would you show me your prowess, HERO with our lowest-ranked hero here in this Court?"


    "ENTERTAIN me awhile, and then you can proceed to the banquet. Help yourself to the food and one of my guards will usher you to the vault and you can take anything you wish that your two hands can hold on to." his voice boomed as he called upon his lowest-ranked hero to spar with me.


    "WHAT THE FUCK... I''m here to present myself and after I''m treated like a footrest, now I''m going to be a bloody clown and fight for his entertainment?" I thought inwardly and I gasped as I saw a huge looming figure ambled forward, made a bow to his Ruler and unsuspectingly gave a low kick at me as I was thrown off in the air like a football...


    "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS...??? That low ranked hero is a Barbarian/Berserker/KnightWarrior/Wizard Class type and I could feel his boot crunched against me when he kicked me that sent me flying through the air.


    "Should I somersault and land on my feet or land on my back and act injured...? If I do that this EVIL MOTHERFUCKER would not deflate his ego. Let me play along then." I thought as I muffled a loud "Ooommmppppffff" as I perform a somersault and landed on my face as I slid across the Court.


    "If this Ruler wants to be entertained, then I''m gonna let my body be a punching bag...let me just play along with this Barbarian/Berserker/KnightWarrior/Wizard Bastard here." I looked at my interface and made a quick check after I had earlier allocated my points.


    .

 Chapter 63 - 63. The Fight Of The Century... HAHAHA.

    *STATS*


    STR: Damage +3000 Armour +3000


    DEX: Damage +2000 Dodge 200% Stealth 200%


    INT: Damage +1270 Resistance +127%


    VIT: Health +25,000


    TOUGH: Armour +4500 (+8500)


    DAM: +13,750 (+96.25)


    REC: Mana +12915


    "Alright, I''ve got more than enough Health and able to withstand attacks as such since I''ve got 13k armour, thanks to my steel meshed reinforced body armour." I slowly stood up, hunched and swung my arms like how a zombie would look like and lumbered slowly towards the Barbarian/Berserker/KnightWarrior/Wizard or I just coined it for BBKW for short. I hate typing so long descriptions for such a towering freak like that beast.


    When BBKW lunged towards me, he looked like those marauding Orcs that I had fought against in many of the party raids just to get their pieces of weapons and armours. Not only he looked like a mutant ninja turtle with his bulging arms and leg muscles, but I could also imagine him to be like God''s Army of Punishment from RTW...


    Each step that he took shook the ground as he made a barging advance with his shoulders like NFL and once again I spun around in the air, knocked silly like a rag doll. Prius looked on with horror-stricken face and eyes but I managed to give him a wink and a thumbs-up before I was hit by that raging mutated bull.


    "HHHUUAARRGGHHH..." I purposely screamed out as I inserted a few fake blood pills and bite on them as I blew it in the air, like as if it was my own blood that spluttered out. I landed on the ground, literally looked like a crumpled origami as I was picked up by BBKW High above his head, spun a few times and was thrown like a human Frisbee, sliding and spread-eagled across the floor.


    I decided to play dead when suddenly, the BBKW wanted to incite the masses as he sent them into a frenzy when he removed 2 short-handle battle axes from behind his back and stormed towards me. "THIS IS NOT GOOD... UNARMED MELEE IS OK BUT THIS...??!!" I was lying on my back and my head was in his direction.


    He clanged his 2 shirt-handle battle axes as he ''S H A R P E N'' it using one of his spells and swung down in my direction with both of the battle axes. As soon as it was nearing me in that downward swing, I used my feet and propel myself away from imminent danger as the two axes missed my wonderful long locks by a few inches.


    I can see the flint of the axes and I knew it was at least a Level 2 iron. The axes were brought down with such force that the ground simply splintered, sending shards of broken pieces into the air and cracks were formed around where it had landed. "FUCK... IS THAT A LEGENDARY WEAPON?"


    No fucking way I''m going to use my body to block and parry that weapon so I quickslot and only retrieved my Nipple Buckler... And when I took it out, peals of laughter could be heard among the stands like as if I''m in a gladiator set of some sort, holding a large nipple to block the onslaught of the attacks.


    I acted as if it was a pain to stand up after that body toss and I raised and peered from behind my Nipple Buckler and said, "Peekaboo... I see you... Hah hah hah" and BBKW raised his battle axe and used it as though he was slicing and dicing his way through a large freezer filled with beef carcases as I blocked every single hack that was made the 2 axes.


    I hummed the tune from Rocky Theme loud enough for the BBKW to synchronise it with every "Pah Pah Paaa" "Clang Clang" as the battle axes hit against the nipple buckler. It was entertaining as I acted like as if those blows were literally knocking me back. Hah hah hah...


    The Ruler was bouncing on and off his throne as he slammed down his hands on the armrest as he saw every blow of the axe made by BBKW hits the nipple buckler. The ruler stomped with his two feet when he saw I fell to one knee due to the ''forced blows'' of the axes and clapped happily like a little girl. Yeah...


    I had now as if regained my strength and ran around in circles as I absorbed blows after blows and acted as if I was overwhelmed by it and threw myself down on my back as I blocked the blows every now and then.


    I slowly stood up, using my buckler as a support as I raised my left hand at BBKW as he too was breathing heavily from all the exertions and I copied his breathing too. All this while Prius thought I was done for in this battle and I showed a time out a sign as I placed my buckler upright and sat on it.


    BBKW gestured to me and said how long more we going to act because his energy is depleting fast. He talked through his teeth as he bent over and used his hands down on his knees to support it as he huffed and puffed like a big old gorilla.


    I instructed to him in a barely audible whisper and said, "Just strike me once across my chest and I will throw my arms in the air and spin around like a broken ballerina and you give me a kick and I will tumble like Jack and Jill and lay broken like Humpty Dumpty."


    "Stand with one leg on my back and holler like King Kong, beat your chest and its over... " BBKW nodded because no one actually choreographed the fight scene and we have to make it up along the way. Hah hah hah...


    The fight had been going for more than 10 minutes and the paramedic staffs were on standby to carry off the injured while some girls were there to present the winner with some garlands of flowers like a Hawaiian Lei.


    "Alright, let''s go and end this... RAWR..." I shouted as I went forward and bashed the BBKW with my nipple buckler as he was slightly thrown off his balance. WHAAAAAATTTTTT? I used only about 25% of my strength and he was already thrown off his balance.


    I flapped my nipple buckler like a flappy bird app game and was cawing at him to come forward. I was like Hulk Hogan doing his signature move and rushed forward as he took it as a cue to slashed me across the body armour.


    "HHUUAARRGGHH..." I threw my arms in the air and spun around like a broken ballerina a few times in slow motion as I described to him and fell face forward. Heh... That slice did not even hurt nor scratch my armour one bit ...!!!


    I can feel his foot over my back as he hollered his warcry and beat his chest with his short-handled battle axes and then the fight is finally over. The Ruler was very excited as he bounded on and off his throne and clapped his hands as he swiped his hands to end the fight.


    The paramedics rushed over and placed me on the stretcher and carried me off while the BBKW went over to his Ruler and bowed on one knee as the girls presented garlands of flowers around his neck.


    "HOHO... A tradesman who acted like a Hero...Baahh...No one could ever beat my warriors... Not even one. They are the BEST there is and the BEST it will ever be. Send the Lord of Keating out of this Court along with his crumpled companion. HOHO HOHO HOHO... " the Ruler boomed his voice again over the amplified speakers once more.


    Prius bowed to the Ruler and was rushing over to the paramedics when they brought my body out of the Court and dumped me just outside the entrance where we were greeted by the Court Jester earlier.


    Prius was bending over me and checking my vital signs and tears welled up in his eyes as he stammered, "P... Please forgive me, m... My friend. If I knew this could happen, I wouldn''t have brought you here and would have never taken the quest to get the water from the Fountain of Youth."


    Prius practically melted his face over me and I could feel hot tears down on my arms when he bent over and hugged my so-called lifeless body. "What am I going to tell Pat? Oh... Woe is me... Now my sister is going to end like an old wrinkly spinster till her death for not being able to marry this man and bear any Macleods at all... Boo Hoo Hoo...."


    "Oi... I''m not dead yet. Let''s get the hell out of here before they find out I''m only acting..." I said as I picked myself up and dusted myself off since I was thrown out like a piece of rolled over roadkill.


    Prius looked at me dumbfoundedly and was speechless and I held his arm and pulled him away from the Court''s entrance and disappeared into the crowd. He was wiping his tears and snot on the sleeve of his tunic and was staring in disbelief that I was actually alright.


    "You...you are alright? You didn''t get killed just now? I saw that blood shoot off from your mouth and dribbling at the sides but you''re alright?!?! That strike from the axe sounded surreal and it sounds like it had sliced through your body in two...!!!" Prius was saying as he was pulled into the crowd of revellers.


    "His bloody axe didn''t even leave a scratch on my nipple buckler so I knew his axes were meant for cosplaying. Do you think I would be crazy enough to let him slay me? Talk later... Warp us out of here when we leave those gates..."


    The gates opened up when the guards saw us leaving in a hurried manner and once we were out by the outskirts of Aermagh, Prius activated his Map and we were immediately warped out from there and reached Southern Gates of Ingmery. It was the second time we had been to the Southern Plains and I asked, "What type of monsters lies in here? Do you have any idea at all?"


    Prius managed to catch his breath from the shock and excitement and spoke up, "Desert Warg, The Red Axes Orcs, The Corpse Maws Skeletons and Pseudoscorpion. These to name a few and beyond that would be the Wastelands where you would find all kinds of Radiated and Mutated beasts."


    I looked in the distance and I said, "I would like to grind those for a change." as Prius managed to catch his breath and regained his composure. I looked at my interface and saw on my Map there are two new locations, The City of Aermagh and Southern Plains.


    Not bad... Not bad at all. I wonder what kind of spoils I would get and how valuable those spoils might be. Skeletons and Orcs eh...they sure would be dropping lots of weapons and armour... Hehehe.


    I placed my arm on Prius shoulder as we walked through the Southern Gates after the guards identified us through our identification cards. We walked in the streets and were welcomed by the serenity of this side of town as there''s no mess and revellers like the mad City of Aermagh.

 Chapter 64 - 64. The Truth And Revelation From Prius

    "Ohhh... Audemars... You are alright... Did anything untoward happen to you at the City of Aermagh? Oh My God... I was worried sick when you are summoned there. Muah Muah Muah..." Patricia literally clung to me like a blood-sucking leech as she planted kisses all over my face and was delighted to see me without a single scratch.


    ''Sorry my dear friend, please forgive me for putting you in such a dire situation." Prius said apologetically as he places his hands on my shoulder and looked at me with puppy eyes, asking for a bit of sympathy.


    "Don''t worry my man... At least I could test my armour against a human foe. I was terrified when he took out his battle axes and starts slashing at me but I noticed my buckler did not even sustain a scratch. Here, take a look..."


    "This is only Level 4 iron buckler and it does nothing to it." I handed my buckler to Prius for close inspection and Rebecca was standing there shocked when she heard about the axes and getting blows from it.


    "Level 4 Iron Buckler? I thought it was just a normal Iron Buckler... This is even better than I originally thought. Then, this means that the axes used earlier were lesser than Level 4 Iron?" Prius checked out the buckler and was amazed there wasn''t a single hacked mark made by the battle axes from the Barbarian/Berserker/KnightWarrior/Wizard that I had abbreviated it as BBKW instead.


    I held Patricia''s hand and brought her to the long table of the Great Hall and I sat there with her by my side as Prius and Rebecca sidled up and sat in front of me. "Look, I know the Keatings had been in so much pressure lately. Things did not start well in the first few chapters of this novel too but I managed to straighten things up."


    "You have a system as well, Prius? And you didn''t tell me about yourself actually. Does the Keatings love to hide secrets even though now you regarded me as your brother in law?" the moment Patricia heard brother in law, she yelped out in joy like a puppy that had not met its master for a long time and hugged me from the sides and buried her face in my chest.


    "It''s not what I wanted to hide from you, my dear friend... But I had to hide it because that''s not the path I wanted to take in my life. I don''t want to end up like my late father and 3 brothers before me if I were to take arms and be a warrior or ranger class just like what you are now."


    "All I wanted was a simple life, live a normal life like any other citizens and never have to bear arms like you. I didn''t even have a bit of reluctance when I handed you the family heirloom like the dagger, the chief shield and the longsword."


    "All I wanted is to learn a new profession and not be under anyone''s beck and call like the Ruler of Aermagh. Could I be part of Beauty World, my brother in law?" Prius finally revealed his intention as he was getting sick at being bullied and was expected to perform and act like a Keating, as what his late father used to be.


    "YOU HAVE NOT ANSWERED MY QUESTION, PRIUS..." Oh My God... This fella also had a habit of not answering a direct question but instead gives an answer that is not relevant in this part of the chapter. Fillers, anyone, to keep this chapter above 1.5k words? Hah hah hah...


    "Oh... Your question. Well, here in Ingmery everyone has a system, just like the rest of the NPCs do. But the system that was installed in Patricia and me were not the default NPC types, I''m just like you, Audemars... We were born as both warriors, I were to be one while Pat here is supposed to be a Wizard."


    "We both were supposed to follow our own Class and then were instructed to uphold the Keating''s name in pride and honour as a Warrior and a Wizard respectively but since the demise of our father and brothers, we were afraid that one day we may follow their path."


    "My system is able to do a scan on an individual whether he or she is an NPC and also be able to scan a piece of in-depth information such as attributes, stats, types of classes, their secondary professions as well as their wealth. But we won''t be able to scan through their storage bags."


    "How come I can''t scan yours? Is mine the outdated ones or what? How comes yours sounds so OP...? So basically, you are able to scan me the moment from Day One after I woke up from my coma?" I asked as I looked at my interface and saw no versions or any type of information pertaining to it.


    "I''m not sure how updated was mine but it been there since I''m born with it. I''m not sure about yours, does it indicate any version or any icon for you to click to update over WiFi or data? Mine is the latest version of CheeseSteak Android version 15."


    Prius remarked as I kept looking for anything but didn''t find anything. "Baaahhh... That warp thing is not a life hack at all, it was actually meant to perform like that." I thought as I shut off the interface and looked at Prius to see some answers from him.


    "So you want to learn the art of being a tradesman? You''ve come to the right place, my dear friend. Tomorrow report to work by 8 am and knock off by 5 pm and learn as much from Trish and the children. We have 3 products at the moment and soon there would be another 2 to 3 more in the future that would complete the beautification of our ladies here in Ingmery."


    "Wow... We are going to have another few more products? Would that mean we would be having a single production plant for every single product?" asked Patricia with full enthusiasm at the thought of beautification. She wonders what it does mean and what types of products we would soon be producing next in the future.


    "Don''t worry about the products, now the main thing is that both you do not wish to take up arms and as for Trish, to take up a Wizard''s wand or a staff. So who would be representing the Keatings in the future?" I asked as I probed for an answer as Patricia was hugging my arm like a cat that needs to be petted.


    "You... Soulja boy..." Patricia finally answered and then I heard a soundtrack being played over the air as both Prius and Rebecca started to rap and rave as they sang:


    Soulja Boy off in this ohhhh


    Watch me crank it, watch me roll


    Watch me crank dat, Soulja Boy


    Then Superman dat ohhhh


    Now watch me youuuu


    Now watch me youuuu


    Now watch me youuuu...


    "Hahahaha... Seems you both are awfully happy today yeah... By the way where are the children?" I asked as I sensed something is missing since I didn''t see Adam West, Ingles, Jane and Kayla.


    "Oh... They were lecturing to Jules and Marcus and they were testing on how well those 2 line leaders were able to memorise the ingredients and measurements for both the products. They had completed the first batch of X4LI8 and had used the eyedropper to put in 2 drops as per your instruction."


    "What eyedropper, is that what I think it is...?" asked Prius as he looked at me for some answers and I replied, "Yeah... That''s right and I got a whole bottle of it, not just a single drop, my man..."


    "Why should I risk my ass for a single drop where I can take a full bottle of it? Once I heard from you that the effects of the water from the Fountain of Youth, I had informed Trish to drip in 2 drops into a 120 litre of the mixture."


    "Since a man weighs 60 kg and a drop could bring him back as a 25-year-old lad, then the ratio would be 2 drops per 120 litres... Am I right? Hahahaha... All the old ladies here would have wrinkles removed from their faces and it would bring them back 40 years back and have fresh, youthful skin... "


    I laughed heartily as I will see hunched back old ladies with a fresh youthful look. Hahahahaha... Oh My God... It would be like the Hunchback from Notre Dam but instead with a young, smooth, girlie like face instead.


    Hah hah hah hah... As I laughed at the thought of the hunchback as the words in this chapter had finally neared its target of at least one thousand and five hundred words... Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 65 - 65. Expansion Growth of Beauty World.

    Over the next 15 days in order to complete the whole collection of X4Li8 Face Scrubs, I had managed to duplicate out 50,000 for the first 3 days of porcelain bottles and jewel cases for the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo, ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste and ''X4Li8'' Face Scrubs and day by day the children helped to push the crates of "X4Li8'' to the store and helped to do a good product display from the outside looking in.


    During that 15 days, I had purchased yet another 3 more production plants at a cost of 1.2 million credits paid in full to the Council Chambers and had employed yet another 60 employees from Ingmery and other smaller settlements around, making the whole workforce to 160 including the ones from Beauty World HQ and they were introduced to produce a basic foundation powder makeup, lip balm applicator which I called lipstick for short and eyeliner.


    Since the basic foundation powder, lipstick and eyeliner use the same type of compact porcelain jewel case, it was marked with a picture of an eye, lips and the silhouette design of a lady''s face. These compact porcelain jewel cases were duplicated 36,000 times.


    As for the 4th day onwards, I had duplicated the iron amulets at 20,000 pieces for the next 11 days and I had sold the 220,000 pieces of iron amulets for a whopping total of 2.2 million credits...!!! Like I''ve said, NoOne is sitting on a gold mine and is a walking ATM to me.


    The duplication of the 50,000 porcelain pieces, 36,000 compact porcelain jewel cases and the 220,000 pieces of iron amulet had raised my levels considerably, rewarding me extra allocation points that I might find it useful in the future.


    I had levelled up to Level: 5183/100,000. Professional Crafter 4338/10000. I had a total of Unallocated points: 31,317 and my Wealth leapt to 2,091,150 credits after deducting 1.2 million credits for the 3 production plants.


    By this time, the three of them, Patricia, Prius and Rebecca had created such a fantastic PR that the citizens of Ingmery from Central, Northern and Southern were all excited and had jiggled their credits in front of them and were asking when would the store be opened.


    When the store finally did open after the 15th batch of X4Li8 had been delivered into the store, throngs of women flocked outside it and the patrolmen had to be engaged to control the crowd. The soft launch was at 5 pm that day and the children helped to answer the queries and what they should buy and its uses.


    Without the children''s assistance, the customers would not have the faintest idea on what to buy. This crowd overseeds the group of men buying MR P when it was released to the public.


    The sales for the ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo was at 60 credits, the ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste at 35 credits and ''X4Li8'' was sold at 40 credits. As the store was considered filled with fragile items, only 5 ladies were allowed to enter at one time. I was busy entertaining their questions.


    The patrol guards were helpful to form 5 rows each and allow the ladies into the store, from the 5 in the row. I told the ladies there''s no need to rush and we will put up a sign on what time we would be open on the next day. Furthermore, the ladies that had just come out from the store also did a little PR for the store without realising it.


    "Hey, Nancy... What did you buy?" a lady in the queue called out to her acquaintance that had emerged from the store carrying a large basket. "Oh... I bought these wonderful ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo with these wonderful scents... It smells like perfume from Sephora you know and the DFS store at the port. A small vial of that perfume can buy a few of these." she answered and allowed some of the ladies who were queueing to smell the sweet fragrances of the shampoo she bought.


    Upon hearing the cost of a perfume could buy a few of these perfume Scented shampoos, those ladies even tried to borrow money from each other so that they could buy the whole 10 collections.


    "I bought these ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste as well... My God... It smells so refreshing. You need to use this end of the hibiscus twig to brush with it. The children with the black work vest showed how to do it and the peppermint taste could still be felt right now... " Nancy said as the women ohhhs and ahhhs over the products she had bought.


    "Lastly, this is a facial scrub, that is said to rejuvenate the skin, leaving it free from oil and also makes one face youthful. I don''t have enough credits so I settle for 2 Scented ones. There have 15 types of wonderful smell and I''m going to try that tonight...! Toodle doo... Be seeing you girls... "she said as she waved and heads back home with the large wicker basket and two large bows tied around and at the handle.


    Just the sight of the porcelain ware that the customer held and the sweet scent that wafted through the air when the stopper of the shampoo bottle was opened made the women that lined up to be more enthusiastic on getting their hands on the products.


    "Luckily, we had kept more than enough stocks for them to buy these..." I said happily to Patricia as she beamed her widest grin to me as she made quite a good sales over the counter and every single purchase entitles them to a free wicker basket, from small, medium and large depending on the prices.


    The sales were brisk and steady but when the ladies enter and realised that there are 3 types of products but with 30 types of scents and flavours they wished they could buy the whole store. Since it was ''cash only'' basis, some even wanted to buy every single scent and flavour on IOU but was turned down by Patricia.


    Prius and Rebecca joined us around 630pm since we did not return back for dinner and helped to serve and take orders from the ladies waiting in line. In this case, they were like those Jolibee order takers and rooks orders of 3 ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo,


    "Sorry, my dear sisters... Sorry to be bummed if you don''t have enough credits. Don''t you worry, this store is not going anywhere and you could always come back anytime. Once the light is turned on means business is open. Buy only according to your affordability, come back here and get other types of scents and flavours too."


    "Furthermore, stocks of new products would be brought in to our store very soon..." Patricia added and asked what types of products would be brought in. "Just bring a minimum 1000 credits with you, sisters, I am sure you won''t find these products anywhere else."


    Just these products on hand look good enough and could be used as decorative pieces and yet another few more products would be introduced. Wow... This is sure a happening place for the ladies to mill around and flaunt their beauty.


    The working ladies were also there and when they saw me they waved their lace fans in their hands. They had gathered quite a ransom from their handsome princes as they had brought more than 2000 credits with them and literally wanted to buy every single scent of ''Head To Toe'' Shampoo, ''Sparklie'' Toothpaste and ''X4Li8'' Face Scrubs that''s available. This is the frenzy of the ladies during that time and era.


    After we had served the last customers, little did we realised that we had worked ourselves to overtime and it was close to midnight when we finally settled the payment. Patricia counted the total takings from 5 pm just now to be 41k credits. If this continues for the rest of the 15 days until the end of the month, we would be able to achieve an approximate taking of 615k credits.


    The children were sleepy but were excited that they had helped to boost the marketing and the sales. With the assistance of Prius and Rebecca from the outside taking the orders and making the sales, it helped speed up things as the ladies just asked Prius and Rebecca to randomly pick for them the products.


    When Prius and Rebecca learned about the takings for today, they were surprised. Well... It would be time for the basic foundation makeup, lipstick and eyeliner to be rolled out in batches real soon.


    As we were sitting on the wooden benches outside the store as I had closed up for the night, we were discussing how to further market these products when 2 travelling merchants came over.


    "Good evening ladies and gents. My name is Nolan and Otis here is my friend. We are a travelling merchants and we saw how your business had boomed on the first day today, could we make a proposal so that its going to be both a win-win situation for us all?" said a travelling merchant who was taller than the other and from their looks and demeanour, these 2 men in front of us are of good nature and behaviour.

 Chapter 66 - 66. Business Proposal That Pays Peanuts

    "What kind of proposal do you have in mind, my fellow tradesman?" I asked as we 4 sat on a bench while the empty bench in front of us was occupied by Nolan and Otis. The travelling merchant was neatly dressed and had a cool demeanour around them and they eyes the store and its contents through the glass window with a look like a wolf that''s about to pounce on a lonely sheep.


    The four children were sitting on the rock outcrop and were observing the adults discuss the business and wanted to learn a thing or two. At their age, they had become plant supervisors and be able to hand down instructions as well as lend a hand as and when they drop by the production plants.


    "It seems that your business here is very good indeed. We wanted to approach you earlier but the crowd of ladies doesn''t seem to thin out. In fact, the crowd grew every hour and at last, we had our dinner then supper and midnight snack before you had finally cleared off the frenzied crowd." explained Nolan as he peered and was rather intrigued by the fine porcelain wares inside the store.


    "Ah... This is nothing really. It is like this when any store had newly opened. Everyone would scramble in order to lay their hands as though we do not have stocks to replenish and satisfy their needs." I explained as the thought of engaging these travelling merchants come to mind.


    "This is the first store we found that beauty products for both ladies and gent. Furthermore, Ingmery is right smack in between of other satellite towns such as Oxborough, SummerFort and Bronzeminster."


    "It would be an opportunity for both you and us as travelling merchants as we would be planning to ride in your product name and advertise as well as market your fine products."


    "Furthermore, your products come in these fine porcelain pieces and I am sure that everyone would like to have them in their homes and reside the porcelain wares as decorative pieces."


    Otis, the shorter travelling merchant spoke up and he began by his usual flattery, while Prius, Patricia and Rebecca were taken by it, I was not affected by it one bit. This is kind of the sales pitch one would use in order to gain favour from the other party. In other words, its called "C A R R Y B A L L S".


    "Uh-huh... I used to put the products inside clay bottles and the results are the same. In fact, we had sent hundred of invitation letter before and the tradesmen themselves come over for a convention as they were shown the range of products before deciding to take a few back and test the market."


    "When they came back the second time, they literally bought crates and crates of every single type of product that we had. Alas... Our town was overrun by marauding Orcs and what''s left is a piece of desert." I talked too much and nearly exposed the truth and had to revert to its original bullshit story of Oddfish little town.


    "Ah... I see. So right now you have decided to open a store and serve the local community, am I right?" asked Nolan as he reaches into his pocket and took out a packet of cigarettes and offered to us. The 3 of them took it but I refused as I have my own brand. I looked for the offscreen crew that had those wonderful clove cigarettes and he came over and offered one and lit it for me.


    As soon as I took a long haul on it, it filled my lungs and the sudden rush of harmful carbon monoxide and toxins rushed to my head. It did leave me stars after a while.


    "Alright, back to the proposal. You said you would be running our brand which means you would be designing your caravans as part of Beauty World as you would be seen as part of representatives of us, am I right? Who would bear the cost for the design of the caravan?" I asked and little did they knew, in my previous life I had a major in Business Administration and Business Management.


    "Oh, if we ride on your branding, you would bear the cost, sir. Furthermore, not only we are the face for your products but also we would be taking care of your establishment and reputation." Otis spoke up since he knew about the aspects of Advertising, Marketing and Promotions during his college days.


    "Uh-huh... How well do you know about beauty products? The children here take some weeks to learn about every single product that we have. What we have is just 3 products on display at the moment, another 3 more are being stockpiled in our production plants."


    "Not really so much so in beauty products, but we are willing to understand about them. It''s not really a big deal for us," explained Nolan as he spoke about our products that seem to a small deal to him and from his speech, his intentions started to rear its ugly head.


    "Aahh...in that case, tomorrow morning you would be directly under these supervisors to learn about product knowledge. 8 am to 5 pm for 3 straight days. Would that be fine? At least you would learn about these products so it''s easier for you to explain it to your customers." I explained with a slight hint of sarcasm.


    There is a certain type of body language a smoker would display through how they exhale their smoke from their mouth and nose and from these two, it was a dead giveaway. They were blowing their smoke slightly at a downward angle which means they already have something in their minds. I responded by blowing mine upwards into the sky in a sign of sovereignty.


    "Oh... How we wish to learn about these products in detail but as a travelling merchant, we won''t be in this town for more than 24 hours. Once we had made some sales we would rotate in a clockwise direction around town and then ends up at Lightmore which would be at the furthest."


    "That last town would be a mark before we travel to Ingmery here and start our trade once again. It had been our practice to do it in such manner." explained Nolan with a pained expression at the thought of being under the instruction of children and the idea of having ''Beauty World'' etched across their caravan might hurt their image and stature.


    Men of that time and era never realise that they were once children before. Furthermore, they should be proud that these children were given an opportunity to carve their own path in order to have a brighter future. Who knows these children would be their own bosses in the future and be entrepreneurs and leaders.


    "So let''s open the deal then, how much would you be offering for our products. Since you both are well-travelled merchants, you should realise how much a single piece is, not forgetting the exquisite products that were in them."


    "Well, for a start, we would like to offer you an 80/20 offer for the products. We would like to have at least 500 per type per product. I learned from the ladies earlier that you have currently 3 type products under 30 subcategories. We would like to have 500 pieces each." offered Nolan as he began to produce his big pouch that contains credits in them.


    Patricia and the two of them were excited since we got less profit but we are moving the items by bulk. 500 pieces of every kind mean we would sell 15,000 items at one go and it would be an approximately be a taking of more than 500k...!!


    "Let us do it, Audemars..." said Patricia excitedly. "Yes, Audemars, at least these gentlemen would help us buy in bulk and then sell it off all around towns," Prius added as the thought of the bulk purchase would help to increase the sales. "Yes, Audemars... Its a damn pretty cool idea..." said Rebecca but only me was staring at the two fools in front of us with a crooked frown just like Hiko Seijuro.


    "One question... Who is 80 and who is 20?" I asked and that''s where their true colours are shown brightly. "Oh, we take 80 while you take 20. Since we are buying in bulk and selling them under your branding, we should take 80 for all the trouble. I was thinking of 85/15 earlier but we decided to give you some face and increase another 5 percent." explain Otis on the first part and followed by Nolan for the rest of their intent and explanation.


    "DO YOU TAKE US LIKE A DUMB FUCK?" I roared at them and at the sheer of my voice, the glass window rattled and the children who were sitting on the rock display fell to the ground in shock.


    "FOR A SHAMPOO WE ONLY GET 12 CREDITS?" I roared at them again and this time with my sheer voice and with the earlier points that I had allocated before at the City of Aermagh, the shock wave from my voice alone could move some grass on the ground...


    "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU BOTH THINKING? PAYING PEANUTS AND GET GORILLAS?" another roar came from me and this time the sputter of my saliva landed some in their faces as the travelling merchants took out an umbrella and shield themselves from the onslaught of my spewing saliva.


    The two travelling merchants were staring blankly at me since they never knew a nerd like me could have such a commanding voice and splattering saliva that''s seems deadly and filled with all kinds of bacteria. Actually saliva is clean and can be used as an emergency disinfectant for scratches out in the woods.

 Chapter 67 - 67. 7 Production Plants And 220 Employees

    "YOU THINK THIS IS A TOY STORE?" I roared once again through the hard cardboard megaphone that I had used during the battles of the party raids in the past series and this time I directed the come directly at the two merchant faces.


    I regained my composure just as quickly as I lost them and I said, "OUR products are exclusive and one of its kind. Even if you can find similar products in the market somewhere in town but it''s comparable to what you might find inside it."


    "The wizard and Ruler of Aermagh acknowledge the value of these products. Just because you carry a huge pouch and containing a large number of credits doesn''t mean you can take us as your bloody fools."


    "Just you two are working only for yourselves and you do not have mouths to feed. Do you know how much mouths we have to feed for two weeks? You don''t have the faintest ideas and you shirk at the ideas of learning from my appointed supervisors here."


    "In time to come, they would be Plant Managers and would be running the whole show by themselves. What...? You think it''s not possible, is it? We believe in our products and right now we have more than 100 employees working with us to produce these products with the highest quality."


    "You two Bastard just offered us 20% out of our prices and you''d be taking the larger sums for your self. It''s damn outright greedy little pigs, aren''t you? What... Your parents taught you to be this greedy and think about your puny assholes?"


    "Huh...? Answer me... Why are you keeping mum after I said this to you? Are you the same offsprings as that yellow-bellied motherfucker that calls himself the Director here, huh?"


    "Thinking of oneself instead of others. Might as well I hire travelling merchants on our own and let them do their own advertising, marketing and promotions instead."


    "How many people have you manipulated so far in this scheme of yours, huh? Goddammit, you damn dumb fucktards, get out of my face if you are not answering me. I should be running my own travelling merchants, yeah... Thanks to you guys, you''ve given me a good God damn idea...!!!"


    "NOW, GET OUT IF MY FACE AND PROPERTY..." I used the cardboard megaphone once more to holler at them and I think I used it too many times towards them and they had turned temporarily deaf by it.


    Patricia, Prius and Rebecca were dumbfounded when I reacted that way and they never knew that the odds the two merchants offered were truly against us. They sat there, clenching their knuckles and gnashed their teeth at being taken as fools.


    Yeah, the merchants tried to pay peanuts to get monkeys but in fact, King Kong has emerged before them. They immediately scampered off from the bench and walked hurriedly without excusing themselves and went to their respective caravans and started off.


    "Audemars... Err... When did you become this fierce all of a sudden? I was totally shocked by it. Are you going to scold me that way if I made a mistake?" asked Patricia as she was worried that I had some sort of split personality and rage that''s uncontrollable.


    "It''s in my nature to be this fierce, Trish. I have lost a lot of friends along the way and it kept bottled up for the past many series and chapters already. Don''t worry, I won''t scold you if you made a mistake. All I will do is to bite your pretty, firm cheekbutts instead."


    Hearing me wanting to bite her cheekbutts, she blushed because one thing would definitely lead to another after the bite. It is like getting a bite from a werewolf and don''t have to wait for the full moon to show if one is inflicted or not. Hah hah hah...


    "Prius... I want you to bite my cheekbutts as well. If Audemars can do it, so can you, right? Or get some MR P to work out an appetite. Would you like me to smear some apple sauce or strawberry sauce on it while you bite it?" Rebecca was hinting to Prius about tonight''s nocturnal activities that would end up with lots of ''Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!''.


    The children were bashful when they hear these adults talking about biting cheekbutts like as if they were biting into dumplings. It''s already past midnight, children... Don''t you all want to go back and sleep?


    "Come on... Let''s head back. Trish just handles the accounts and keep a record of today''s takings. We had worked far too long and we are all tired. These two had taken their dinner but we and the children have not taken theirs. Come on..." I gestured to everyone as we went back to the Great Hall and pushed the trolleys behind us.


    Another day and another kind of adventure and people we meet. There are 3 more products that would be introduced into the store by stages and the best model to do the marketing would be Patricia.


    She would be wearing the basic foundation makeup, eyeliner and lipstick. Now I have to find another 2 more plants to produce 2 more products and that would nearly complete for a beautiful transformation of a plain Jane to an exciting one.


    Presently the name of Beauty World starts to spread far and wide within Ingmery and people started to stream slowly to purchase these products. One way or another, the well being of these citizens were uplifted as they now shower once to thrice a day just to feel and smell nice.


    In doing so, the Infirmary and Pharmacy have lesser ailments to attend to as the citizens are getting cleaner each day.


    ....


    "Mister Macleod... How nice of you to drop in our Council Chambers again." Angus greeted me as I entered his office and previously he had only a gold chain to support his spectacles and now he had all this bling bling hanging from his neck and around his wrists that made him look like a Thug boss.


    "I''m here to get another 2 more farmlands, do you still have any abandoned ones left?" I asked and by looking at the local map on the wall, it seems that I had bought all the empty farmlands.


    "Ahem... Let me see... There are no more farmlands but there are these two large abandoned houses that you could take over. I know that you are doing business and sometimes a business needs to expand."


    "There are certain risks involved and rules that could be bend until its breaking point. How about if I offer you these 2 abandoned large houses and lot so that you could build your production plant in it."


    "The plot size is smaller than the farmlands of course at 18x10 course for a 180 square meters. I''d be willing to let it go at the same price as the farmlands if you may..." Angus spoke and finally concluded his speech as he tries to bend the rules to his own advantage.


    Furthermore, getting these new employees to Ingmery also helps the economy and raises the GDP significantly.


    "How does 400,000 for each lot and barn of 18x10 to cover the whole area? It would be ready in 24 hours and you could get it to be operational in time to come? Angus offered and I am sure that he would siphon some of the money into his own pocket.


    If not how the hell he would afford all those bling-bling and flaunt it in front of his co-worker? It''s the Council Chambers and its part of the governmental system.


    "300,000 each Mister Angus if you could reduce to that price. Since its a smaller lot, it is pretty hard to get a lot of employees to gather inside. Furthermore, these employees are helping the economy right? Who else pays a salary every 2 weeks?" I implored and hoped to reach some kind of agreement.


    Angus took his draft and order form and duplicated the design of the barn that I had ordered before and inserted in the plot number for both abandoned houses. He checked his calculator and at last, he spoke up, "640,000 for both barns and lots, and we will close the deal, Mister Macleod. How does that sound to you?"


    "What is a sacrifice of 40k if I could get what I needed to start the operation for another 2 more products and 60 more employees, right?" I thought to myself and I saw everything is in order and then I put down my John Hancock at the agreement form and automatically, once again 640k credits had extricated itself from my funds. I took a peek at my balances and it showed I''ve got 1,400,000 credits left.


    With a total operational of 7 production plants, the workforce had increased to 220 including those from the HQ and it would take 154k monthly just to pay their salaries per month since I had increased their base salary to 700 credits per month.


    Earning credits and spending them is like turning on a tap and watch the water flows down the sinkhole. Well, at this moment, let''s see how I would be able to survive on my remaining credits without going through the hack from the help of those Fusion Chambers from the Realm of Mind.

 Chapter 68 - 68. So Boring After Am I Right Or What?

    I''ve got the 7 Production Plants in the way including the one in Beauty World and it''s high time for some adventure as I head out to the Southern Plains. I don''t want to be labelled as a wussy since I''ve been relying on my light crossbow for quite some time.


    Well, this time I''m going to spend some of my allocated points into my other attributes. I''ve decided to allocate 5k points to my STR and make it to Strength: 8000 (+3) and dumped 3k+ on my INT to make it to Intelligence: 4587.


    My stats had increased to this amount.


    STR: Damage +8000 Armour +8000


    INT: Damage +4587 Resistance +458.7%


    Even it may look OP, well its time to find out once I deploy my Kamehameha, Diamond Thunderbolt and Rise of the Sun. I''m itching to find out the damage ratings once I deeply those three.


    I''ve been grinding those goblins and trolls lately and I remember that Prius had mentioned about Desert Warg, The Red Axes Orcs, The Corpse Maws Skeletons and Pseudoscorpion. These sounds exciting enough and the only thing I need to watch out for would be the sting from that Pseudoscorpion. No matter how small it would be, its sting is one that is venomous.


    I clicked on my quickslot 1 and my nipple buckler and the iron pommel dagger emerged. Although it''s damage was only so-so, but with my allocated attributes of 8k damage, it should do well enough, I guess.


    The Desert Wargs were like mutated wolves with bodies 3 times as large and as tall as a man. A beast of that size and with my dagger and buckler, it was like a personal battle.


    It was a super close melee and I had used the nipple buckler as a weapon as well as armour. When those desert Wargs gets too close, I would use the nipple buckler to smash it against its head instead. *Kaboing Kaboing Kaboing*


    *Ding* Congratulations. You had defeated Desert Warg. Experience +2


    Instead of the Desert Wargs chasing me down as its prey, they become the hunted as I chased them down. After a while, I gave up chasing them like a crazed maniac across the Southern Plain.


    It was becoming an idle morning for me so I decided to shoot countless Kamehameha into rock walls, boulders and anything lifeless in the Plains.


    It seems the Southern Plain is pretty plain boring to me right now. There seems to be nothing of interest right now except for getting sunburnt and the offscreen crew were either sunning themselves or simply basking in the shades with their ice-cold Slurpees as I decided to join them as well.


    "How''s the progress for this series so far?" asked one of the crews. "I don''t know man, I''m kind of getting a writer''s block and there nothing much I could do over here." I simply replied as I spread my hands and shrug my shoulders as I took a sip from the green apple flavoured ice cold Slurpees out in the Plains.


    "How about getting some progress on your basic skills right now? Pointus would have something for you to do since it had been a month since you last help him in the pill making." suggested one of the crew.


    "Or you can go to the library and learn some botany, plants, herbs and spices? I am sure there are reference books in the local library that could help you gain further progress rather than roaming aimlessly here in the Plains." suggested one of the offscreen crew as he offered me a stick of cloves cigarette.


    I smoked while I was sitting under the shade and wondered what else would I be doing at this moment, rather than grinding or duplicating pieces of iron amulet for sale. Would there be another trade to explore since I do have 7 production plants running at the same time to produce beauty products?


    I blew my smoke in circles with my mouth as I relaxed with the offscreen crew out there in the Plains. After I had finished my smoke and the ice-cold Slurpees, I decided to head back inside and see what else they have in the Southern District that I had not ventured.


    I thanked the offscreen crew as I went back in and looked at the minimap as I made my way around. True enough there is a library here and I headed inside. A group of scholars thought that I had lost my way and ventured into a wrong place instead.


    "Excuse me, would there book on botany or plants that I could make the reference of in this place?" I asked a librarian as the group if scholars kept their eyes on me as I sauntered with the librarian to the reference section and were shown a shelf with all kinds of books on botany, plant and its medicinal uses.


    "Thank you very much... This will do just fine." I replied when I reached the section and with my system, I basically just need to touch the books with my hands and I am able to learn the whole contents of it immediately.


    I held a book called ''Inside The Secret World Of Plants'' and I heard an announcement ringing in my head.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''Inside The Secret World Of Plants''. +46 new knowledge acquired. Learn?


    "Learn" I just answer through my thoughts and I replace the book after I''m done.


    *Ding* Congratulations. You had learnt +46 new plants. Progress 61%. Intermediate Herbalist 6/100.


    I continued to bring down every book and once there''s a thing or two of new things I had picked up, I immediate learnt every single book on the shelves. There were 5 shelves altogether and even a book called ''Botany for Dummies'' and even it had a hidden gem inside it.


    After I had spent nearly 1 hour just to basically bring the book to my hand and pretend to open it, I had learned total progress of 123% and that brings me to Intermediate Herbalist 7/100. I had covered almost everything there is about plants, its medicinal uses and benefits


    I checked my other profession and my cooking prowess was only at Basic Culinary 4/10 which means I would be able to make simple dishes. Even a simple garlic butter fried rice would be taking at least 1 hour to prepare. Haissshhh... I guess these basic skills would need to upgrade after all.


    I went to the librarian once more and asked about books and culinary and she brought me over to a large shelf with at least 12 tiers on cooking from rice, vegetables, soups, meats, Western, Eastern, comfort foods, cakes, pastries, drinks and so on.


    Wow...!!! This is heaven. I think I would be able to clear all these within 2 hours and soon I began from the left topmost and decided to work my way down and then move on to the right once more.


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''The Joys Of Cooking'' Learn?


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''La bonne cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange'' Learn?


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''The Art Of Cookery'' Learn?


    *Ding* Congratulations on discovering ''A Gift To Young Housewives'' Learn?


    ''Learn, Learn, Learn, Learn" I replied as I absorbed new knowledge from this 4 book and I had gained +146 new recipes and gained +146% experiences. After more than an hour, I had finally covered the whole books on culinary and had gained a total of 2418 new recipes and gained 2418% in progress altogether.


    I''ve progressed a further Base Level: 5208/100,000 and Intermediate Culinary 19/100. Heh... Well, its a time well spent in the library. As I was about to leave the section, the group of scholars who were watching me intently walked over and blocked the way.


    "I think you did lose your way here, you don''t seem to be a learned person. What are you doing in this library? We saw you pick a book up and after a while, you replace it back on the shelf. What kind of reading is that?" asked one of the scholars while eyeing me from head to toe.


    If I''m regarded as a cockroach, I would have been squashed right there and then. The armour I was wearing really seems out of place in this library and I should have used the paper doll to dress myself up so I would look rather conspicuous.


    "Look, guys, I don''t mean to cause any trouble or impair your judgement of fine studying, alright? If I were to offend you in any way, please forgive me for my impudence. I''d be on my way right now." I said lamely as I do not want to cause trouble, especially in a public place right now.


    Violence is not an answer to everything and since this is a library, knowledge is POWER.


    "We are going to rip that smarty pants face off yours because we can''t help noticing you were smiling from the moment you enter this library. Yeah, you wanted to test our integrity or what?"


    "We spent years studying to be the top scholar and you just waltzed in with your Studded Leather armour and what...? Fool us thinking that a warrior like you could read?"


    One of the scholars was actually pointing his middle finger right in my face and how I wish I could break that finger of his so he won''t be able to scratch his itching asshole in the future.


    "Well, you can test me..." I reached a few cookbooks by random and pushed it to one of the scholar''s face. "Ask me anything on any page in any paragraph and I will recite to you. If I got the answers right, I walk out from here. If I got the answers wrong, you can gang up on me and beat me up 100 times."


    I offered the best deal to them as each one of them held a cookbook that I had learnt from. I took a hanky and blindfold myself." Read the title of the book so I would know which one I should answer first." I said.


    "Everyday breakfast 365 meals for each morning. Page 25. What is it?" one of the scholars asked the first question. "5 ingredients instant pot of mac and cheese. Next book and question please " I promptly replied.


    "Dinner under 20 mins. Page 79. What is it?" asked another one of the scholars. "Grilled steak with Greek corn salad. Next book and question, please." another answer shot from my mouth and the scholars were taken aback at what I had achieved so far


    "Candlelight dinner for two. Page 194. What is it?" asked the last scholar with a slight jitter in his voice as he had never seen someone like me who practically memories everything. "Hmm... It had something to do with chicken in a basket. Wait a minute. It''s barbecue Chinese chicken wrapped in lettuce and served in a tiny wicker basket. Prep time 20 mins. Cook time 12 mins. Now, I''m out of here and when I step in this library, I don''t want to see your donkey asses faces anymore."


    I took out my hanky as my blindfold and simply pushes my way out when suddenly the three of them dropped to their knees and implored apologetically, "Genius, please take us as your disciples."


    My answer? Well, you guessed it right, as I replied, "FUCK OFF..."

 Chapter 69 - 69. Breakdown of Product List And Ingredients.

    I went back to the Great Hall and entered without saying any greetings as I sat slumped on the chair. Prius noticed my glum face and he asked, "What''s the matter, my dear friend? Why the gloomy face? Did something in the Southern Plains upset you in any manner?"


    "Naahh... It is not that they upset me, but it seems those beasts ran away from me instead of attacking me. Am I that fearsome until those beasts turned tailed away from me? I only managed to kill one desert warg and the rest all ran away and in the end, I ended up chasing them." I sighed when I remembered what happened back in Southern Plains.


    "I think you need a few days off and go about to other towns and see what else they might have that might spark your interest. You know, Spend a bit of time sightseeing, have a bit of R&R so at least it keeps your mind of things at the moment."


    "You will face a burn out real soon, my friend and a writer who suffers a burn out would be hazardous to your work."


    "Nah, don''t worry about my work. This novel stretches out a chapter a day so by the time this chapter is released, it would be somewhere nearing the last week of November already."


    "Hah... I used to publish 5 chapters every week and 2 chapters daily but there''s no difference. Now the developers added a target of published chapters and I''ve hit my mark of more than 10k a week. You think there are any other writers who would top that?"


    "Tell me more about your make up foundation and its ingredients, at least it keeps your mind of things," Prius said as he presented his notepad and ready to take down the necessary information.


    "For the base of the foundation makeup, we used Arrowroot Powder, then add Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg and lastly Olive Oil. It''s a mix of 50/40/10. It has one colour for this kind."


    "The eyeliner we had used activated charcoal that we had acquired from Pointus''. There are 3 types, original, one is water-based, aloe vera gel-based and coconut oils based. Its mixture is 90/10. This product has one colour but 4 types"


    "Our lipsticks come on a clear gloss which consists of coconut oil, beeswax, butter and Essense. The ratio for this would be 50/25/25. The Essense would be just 50ml. Use a double boiler to melt the beeswax, then add coconut oil and butter. Once it''s cool, add the essence. For colour shading and intensity add 150 or 250 and 500 grams of beet, cinnamon or turmeric to have the colours of pink, light brown or golden brown. Our lipsticks come in 9 shades."


    "The eye shadows also use Arrowroot powder and butter. The ratio would be 80/20. Use the beet, cinnamon or turmeric to have pink, light brown or golden brown depending on a mix of 150, 250 or 500 grams for the intensity. This eye shadow has 9 colours."


    "The blusher is made up of 3 ingredients too. Arrowroot powder, beetroot for pink, annatto for orange, madder root powder for red to purple and activated charcoal. The mix would be 45/45/10, 40/40/20 and 35/35/30 for 3 colours and 3 shade. There are 9 variants altogether."


    I gave Prius of the breakdown of the product, price and its daily output. Since we are running 2 shifts, it would be better to keep as it is. Since we have sufficient demand, it''s time for us to expand our mode of advertising, marketing and promotions.


    Shampoo 10 scents 60 credits


    Daily output : 400 pcs / line / shift


    Toothpaste 5 scents 35 credits


    Daily output - 500 pcs / line / shift


    Face Scrubs 15 scents 40 credits


    Daily output - 465 pcs / line / shift


    Foundation Make up 1 type 50 credits


    Daily Output - 600 pcs / line / shift


    Eyeliner 4 types 35 credits


    Daily Output - 650 pcs / line / shift


    Lipstick 9 types 40 credits


    Daily Output -700 pcs / line / shift


    Eyeshadow 9 types 45 credits


    Daily Output -700 pcs / line / shift


    Blusher 9 types 45 credits.


    Daily Output -650 pcs / line / shift


    Prius took down every single detail and when I checked it back, it was true and correct. It is the most basic ingredients for a homemade product. I didn''t bother to add the nail polish in this era because it would be harder to find the solutions that I require and the potters here seem to guard their trade closely.


    The rest of the ingredients had already been posted in the other chapters so it would repetitious if I were to include in here and it would not be fair, don''t you think?


    "So what would you be doing right now, my friend? You are not thinking of going away, do you right after you had given me the ingredients as well as the statistics for the daily output?" asked Prius as he looked at me and to see what kind of reasons I would give if I were to turn my back now.


    "Actually... I''m planning to add a bit of welfare into the community, especially for our employees. There are 15 employees per production plant and there''s a total of 115 across 7 production plants and 1 HQ in the 1st shift and 105 in the second shift, right?"


    "At first I thought of turning this Great Hall into a great dining hall but I think otherwise. It''s better for me to get another barn on a residential lot and turn it into a canteen. It''s pretty hard working with limited land right now since it''s being governed by the Council Chambers."


    "I get what you mean, my friend. Good luck in acquiring the land for the purpose. I''m sure you would be able to find it. There''s a few more abandoned houses nearby the production plants and I think you would be able to provide sufficient seating and a cooking area as well. "


    I excused myself as I head down to the Council Chambers, hopefully for the last time and inquired yet, another residential lot that I would be converting in as a meal area for the employees. The lot is available and the design I made was an open-air clean and dirty kitchen with running water, of course. There is an open-air shelter with wooden benches and tables that could accommodate 120 people at one time.


    There was a place for the storage of ingredients and 4 XL rockets stoves with cooking equipment that can be stowed away out of sight after use. Since its operational 12 hours from 9 am to 9 pm, there would be 4 cooks cum dishwashers altogether.


    It was the usual process of 24 hours before the structure was brought over and with that simplistic design and a medium compound, I ended paying just 115k credits altogether with the equipment.


    After achieving that goal of mine, 4 cooks were immediately hired through word of mouth and soon reported to me as to what kind of a 1 vegetable, 1 meat dish and 1 soup they could prepare and they immediately gave me the list of dishes they could cook.


    I compiled it based on a 14-day menu for lunch, dinner, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks and tea. After I am satisfied with the list and found no repetition except for snacks and tea, I told the cooks to post it on the bulletin board for their own personal reference.


    A separate small blackboard was used to write the menu for the day. After all, was done, they were told to report to work the next following day. Before that, the menu reference was given to them and was told to acquire the ingredients and to send it to the dining area.


    "The goods would preferably be sent in daily and would be taking care of the venison, pork and rabbit meats. Just hand me the bill and I would take care of it. It should be itemised so I won''t miss any discrepancies. You would just do the preparation for each day''s meals. As for the fish and other stuff, you may acquire them from the market. Everything clear so far?"


    "Yes sir, everything is clear. So they would deliver the items first and be paid later or the next following day, right?" asked one of the cooks named Penelope. "Yup, that''s right. I''m sure they have no problem with it." I replied as the end of the chapter is closing soon.


    I soon informed the leaders of all 7 production plants to inform both shifts that their meals would be taken care of at 930 am for the mid-morning tea. 1130 am for their lunch, 430 pm for the mid-afternoon tea and 730 pm for dinner.


    Since there is some daylight left, I decided to go for some hunting at the Northern Forest. Since we now have 4 cooks, Rebecca does not have to be our cook anymore and was advised to stay back at the Keating''s as a wife for Prius. This would call for a celebration as Prius announced an end to his bachelor days.


    Furthermore, we need all the hands-on deck to embark on the next project.

 Chapter 70 - 70. Men Putting On Make Up For Ladies?

    "Oxborough, SummerFort and Bronzeminster. These are the satellite towns which are close proximity to Ingmery as mentioned by the two idiotic travelling merchants that had tried to tackle our business down." I thought to myself as I entered Northern Forest and in search of the wild boars.


    "Too bad I need someone to bring me there first so it would be activated in my map system here. Or else it''s just Aermagh, Norther Forest, Southern Plains, Troll Caves, Goblin Hideout and not forgetting NoOne''s little campsite."


    I was just ''playing'' nearby NoOne''s campsite just to hunt these wild boars, an occasional deer as well as some wild Jackrabbits. After some time, I had gotten quite a number of meats this would last for a few days and I left those wild boars to hide and rabbit''s pelt behind as I entered back the Northern Gate.


    I approached a patrol guard and recognised him as the one who had to maintain the order during the first-day launch of the store. "Good day, my good man. I would like to ask some questions if it''s alright with you." I said as I stopped the patrol guards who were unarmed except for a small truncheon at his sides.


    "Ah, yes sir...what can I do for you? Is there anything you need assistance at your store?" he asked and held his hand to his chest as a sign of salute and respect.


    "Oh... I''m not sure if you could help me, but I need to know the towns of Oxborough, SummerFort and Bronzeminster which was said to be nearby Ingmery. I''ve seen so far the Southern Plains is a treacherous place for anyone to travel and there''s even a wasteland there."


    "Oh... Southern Plains. No one travels there anymore. There was a wasteland some months back, I recall. There was Battle of Qodegh that occurred for some years because the humans wanted to get rid of the dark elven that was said was sitting on some precious minerals there."


    "Suddenly, everything crumbled when an explosion occurred and all life was being sucked away. There was a tremendous light, and the air was suddenly still for some minutes. This effect was like a hydrogen bomb that was dropped and exploded some few hundred feet above it."


    "No one survived that Battle, sir. The humans that fought in that area and the dark elven vanquished, as even its city had crumbled to the ground. Now it is just a piece of wasteland and not even a blade of grass grows there. What I know is that the wastelands are now being occupied by mutated beasts and monsters which are actually derived from small insects and animals."


    "Ah, thank you for the information on the Southern Plains, my friend. How about the other towns that I had mentioned?" I asked as I figured out that the blast that had taken place during that last inevitable battle had totalled wiped out the Legion and monsters alike. It is just too bad that it was all a waste of efforts and manpower to annihilate the dark elven back then.


    "These towns would be in the Northern, Western and Eastern part of Ingmery. There is one town each and from there it would branch out to another 3 more which means it would be 9 more towns and then these 9 more towns would branch out to another 3 more towns which mean 27 towns altogether."


    ''From one it becomes three then nine and lastly twenty-seven. That would be for one zone, Sir. The number of towns surrounding Ingmery totals to 81 altogether. Have you been to the Eastern and Western Side of Ingmery, Sir?" asked the patrol guard and it seems I''m just like a frog under a coconut shell and oblivious of the existence of these two gates before.


    If this patrol guard didn''t mention about these, I would not have known of other towns as well. "Wow... Thanks so much for the valuable information, my friend. You had been a great help nowadays. By the way, don''t you patrol guards take up arms?" I asked since he was only armed with a wooden truncheon that would not even hurt a rat.


    "We weren''t supposed to take up arms unlike you sir. Furthermore, there aren''t many adventurers around anymore and this town business is dwindling too. Don''t you know that the Tavern, Blacksmith, Bowsmith, Atelier as well as the Decor stores going out of business?" the patrol remarked as he gazed at the direction of stores that had not been frequented by many adventurers lately.


    "How is it so, my good man? I thought they must be sitting on some kind of gold mine? Whether they have adventurers coming in or not, then the business would still be running for game hunters and so on right? People need clothes, don''t tell me they are going out of business?"


    "Nobody buys clothes daily sir... Same goes to the Blacksmith and the rest that I had mentioned to you before." I listened and I thought to myself as a flicker of hope began to form in my mind, "Just hope that everything would be on track after this." I said to him as I bade him farewell and went to the cookhouse to deliver some rabbit meat to be cooked along with the rest of the dishes.


    "Hiya Trish, where''s Prius? I''ve got something to discuss the advertising, marketing and promotions for Beauty World. Could you all meet me in the Great Hall, since I have to show you some ideas and see how you would be able to help improvise and exercise on it?"


    I said as I waved a large drawing block and some crayons so I would be drawing and show somethings for them, rather than talk and no show. At least a picture, no matter how bad it would be scrawled, would definitely mean a thousand words.


    ....


    Meanwhile, back in the Great Hall, I was joined by Patricia, Prius and Rebecca and I was drawing some cartoon characters on the drawing block and when I finished I showed it to them. It was a picture of a lady and was fully made up on one corner and the other corner was a cartoon of a lady slaying a fire breathing dragon.


    In the centre was ''Beauty World'' in bold with red lettering while a marketing slogan that says ''Iron Maiden. A Look That Kills'' and below it our advertising slogan ''Beauty Products That Made To Last - House Of Keating - Central Ingmery''


    "This would be a tarp sponsored by Beauty World. It would be used to cover the sides of a caravan and they would be pulled and marketed in the towns from the Northern side."


    "The idea is this, the caravan would be pulled and then the products would be demonstrated to the public in the town square. Use permission to rent the Great Hall there and invite as many people as you can to view the demonstration."


    "Then, hand out the order form to the citizens and leave a stack of empty ones there. The order form should have tick boxes and quantity next to it along with product types and colours."


    "The top part of the form should have their names on it. Once the forms were filled up, send those forms back to the store by courier and we will process it here. The model is Rebecca and the one who manages this caravan is Prius."


    "I had discovered that there are some 27 towns from each Northern, Western and Eastern Gates and if I were to depend on you alone, its pretty hard for us to see you even after a 30-day cycle."


    "Then how are we going to tackle this matter, my friend? Only you may have a great solution to all these issues." Prius said as he doesn''t mind because being a tradesman is better than being killed in the battlefront.


    "Simple... First thing is to find 5 couples who are willing to be travelling merchants under the company of Beauty World. Their spouse would be performing the application of these beauty products while the husband would be handing out the order forms and start taking orders."


    "They would be taking up a 2-day course on how to apply these makeup and they would then embark on their journey. 5 couples per zone which mean 15 couples and 15 caravans. I need another 15 caravans to make the deliveries and collect the payment."


    "As for their payment, its 2000 credits each for marketing caravans and 1500 credits each for the delivery caravan. Now I have to set aside 30k and 22.5k for them in top of 154k for the employees. Overall ballpark figure it''s set at 250k credits including the cooks and the food supplies."


    "We don''t aim for so high at this moment, I''m happy if we can garner 15k credits from every single 81 towns. Once we receive the orders of at least 5 towns, we can push one caravan out for delivery. We just ensure that these delivery men would be trusted."


    "Don''t you worry, my friend. Anyone who swore an oath of allegiance under the House of Keating would have to be trustworthy and if they were to breach our trust, they would be smitten by thunder."


    "Thunder... Not lightning?" I asked in surprise. "The people here are more afraid that the Thunder because of their booming sound that shakes the earth. As for lightning, it was just regarded as a spark in the sky, that''s all." Prius explains as he took down all the information and set about to inform the patrol guards who in turn informed their neighbours of a job vacancy.


    Next order of business would be the Atelier. We have to save it somehow from going out of business and I summoned for the proprietor to our Great Hall.

 Chapter 71 - 71. Keatings Armoured Fashion Apparel (KAFA) Initiated

    "Yes sir, what can I do be of your assistance since I had been summoned to the Great Hall of Keating''s? This is the first time once I had entered in many years when Master Keating was still alive." the owner of the Atelier said.


    "I heard that your business, as well as some others, are not doing that well? Is that so? Some say that it is dwindling and some say it might go off business. Is that really true?" I asked since I had an idea on how to improve his business.


    "It is true, sir. Business had been bad and I only get to sell a piece per day and sometimes not even one would enter the store at all. What can I humbly do to serve you, sir? It seems your products here are booming and doing very well." he said.


    "Well, look here. I would like to buy over your store... No, as a matter of fact, just your space in the store. Rent out to me 2 mannequin space, and show me the colours that I need from the colour chart you have with you right now."


    I gestured for the colour chart booklet he was holding and I choose dark colours such as black, brown, dark green, dark blue, maroon and grey. 6 colours for 2 mannequins that would be dressed up as an Assassin and a Ranger.


    These mannequins would be equipped with a set of daggers and a short sword for the Assassin and a long sword and a light bow for the Ranger and they would be in a dramatic pose at the front of the shop.


    "Why do you ask for these colour codes and their matching clothes, sir? I don''t mind the mannequins but these requests were a bit hard for me to digest."


    "Just bring me each of all the 6 colours for these two types of Class. I would buy them all complete with their belts and boots. So it would be a hood, a tunic, a cloak, pants and boots, am I right? 5 sets of 6 colours and 2 sets for these two classes add up to be 60 pieces, right? "


    "That''s right sir, it would be... Uhmm... A total of 7500 credits. For all the 60 pieces. I don''t make much profit from it but at least I''m able to help you out." he said as he gave a huge discount over these pieces and informed his assistant to come and collect the pieces according to what I need.


    "What I am going to tell you is that I am an atelier as well. It had been some time since u practised my art. Here... Take a look at the tunic I bought from you, and here, take this dagger and try to slice it stab at it."


    I said as I took my meshed steel-reinforced tunic. He held my blade and asked me, "Are you sure you want me to slice it with this dagger? It would be destroyed sir..." and eyed me with worry that I would be angry with that he was supposed to do.


    "Just do it, my friend, I will explain later." Prius, Patricia and Rebecca were there watching me as I persuaded the atelier to slice my tunic apart with my dagger. When he sliced through the fabric, the sharp knife didn''t leave a mark...!!!


    "Eh... I just sliced it and now am stabbing it in top of the wooden table. The blade doesn''t penetrator this at all. Could I borrow young master Keating''s blade instead?" and Prius handed the atelier his own dagger as the three looked at it with dumbfounded faces as their own blade didn''t even penetrate the tunic at all after being stabbed and sliced by the atelier that his face was red from all the exertion.


    "What is this, kind sir? Even an iron blade doesn''t even make a mark in this tunic. You said you are also an atelier? This is a normal tunic and it bore like a suit of armour." he said finally when the idea sank into his head, finally.


    "Yes, it is the KAFA Grade 2 which is finer and much more expensive than a normal armoured tunic that I have. KAFA stands for Keating''s Armoured Fashion Apparel. Grade 2 is a finer piece of metal and it would cost 10 times the amount for a 5 piece set."


    "What you need to do is we will supply the materials once it''s ready. You sell it as per 5 piece set and then you will earn 60/40 while we take the 40. Would that be alright with you? How much did you sell these 5 pieces set to me?"


    "5 piece sets at 600 credits, sir. It is below the selling price since you are buying at a bulk. How much should I sell back to the public? Would there be any kind of upfront payment?" he asked as he was worried that I might need him to pay a sum.


    "Don''t worry, if I am helping you and if I ask credits in return before you make a sale is to kill you, right? No... No... I''m not trying to kill your business, I would be handing you 50 pairs per colour for these 2 mannequins. All I need you to do is to sell them at 3000 credits for the 5 piece set."


    "Which means 50 sets x 6 colours x 2 Classes and equals to 600 sets and each set sells for 3000 credits for a total of 1.8m credits. I would be sending you these 50 sets each day for a total of 30 days. As I''ve said, you take 60 and we take 40. If the customers inquire about the weapons, direct them to the bowsmith and Blacksmith respectively. We only collect for the sale after the end of the month after your apprentice had made a stock check on them. Understood?"


    "So it''s something like a consignment good then, pay for the goods sold. So how much is the KAFA Grade 2?"


    "As I''ve said, it''s 10 times the amount and it would something in between 6000 to 10,000 credits per pair. I would not manufacture them as yet but in due time my friend. Now that your assistant is here I''d pay for the 7200 credits first."


    "Thank you so much. Please inform your assistant to set up the two mannequins upfront at your store glass. Please inform Blake and Bruce on your way out to come over so I would need to talk to them later. Please make an embroidery coat of arms on every piece here."


    "Return it back when it''s ready. Sorry, my bad. I almost had forgotten all about it." I said as the assistant and atelier brought back the pieces and would be putting embroidery on every piece of KAFA as directed by me on the desired positions.


    ....


    "How come I didn''t know your tunic is impenetrable with a dagger even being sliced and stabbed with such force?" asked Prius as he picked up the tunic and found that its slighted heavier by 250 grams.


    "Ah... I thought you are able to scan me and find out my professions? Well, I made this and I would be making the rest as well. By the way, all the clothes that were given to me on the first day I awoke had been imbued with something to look like a normal pair but work as an armour."


    "I would be spending a lot of time meditating and I would not wish to be disturbed. I hope you can understand, Trish. This is one of my marketing strategy that would spread the name of Keating''s around the 80+ towns."


    I explained as Prius had gotten several artists over and had them copy my drawings to be drawn on 60 pieces of tarps. Rebecca had also summoned for 30 caravans and 60 horses for rental to market the products around the neighbouring towns.


    The caravans would be moving out in phases of 3 per day and the 15 couples would be attending the makeup course held by Patricia. Everything works like clockwork and the new travelling merchants were happy about their salaries as the highest-paid would be just 1200 credits a month.


    Once we had settled the matter and the draft of the order form was being made with an option of Assassin and Ranger class wardrobe complete with the pricelist and the colour available. Only the light bow, arrowheads, dagger, short sword and long sword prices would then be decided later on.


    I am glad that right now what I had in mind had finally begun to form and slowly take shape. I am sure that once I had met with Blake and Bruce, we can start to embark on our project. Right now, the only thing is for the first 3 caravans to make their first advertising campaign and would be followed up with the orders and sales of the product.


    Since the 15 couples would be taking a 2-day course, the dispatch of the first 3 caravans would take 5 days from now.

 Chapter 72 - 72. Keatings Enhanced Weapon Supplies.

    "Aye Audemars, my young man. What can I do for you." the moment Blake enters the Great Hall he greeted me and patted me on my back. ''It''s been such quite some time since you had entered my smithy, ya? What have you got in store for us?" he continued as I returned the gesture by patting his shoulders too.


    Bruce that had entered didn''t know what was it all about and seeing Bruce is quite acquainted with me, somehow had brought a smile on his weary face. He had last seen me when I entered his store asking if he had seen a triple bolt crossbow names Avelyn and until now he had not managed to produce the item for me.


    "Gentlemen, I heard that your businesses had not been doing very well so far and it had been rumoured that you might be closing up soon. Is that true?" I asked after I had thought the best way to address these senior tradesmen.


    "Aye, it is true, Audemars, my young friend. First, the iron plates had been robbed from NoOne who had been our merchant for so long. Then after that, it was retrieved by you after entering the goblin''s hideout. You had been a good friend, Audemars, and a trusted one."


    "Aye, business had been bad and the apprentices that were employed by me had been laid off work because there were no more orders from the adventurers anymore. So Far you had been the only one we knew, Audemars," replied Blake as he sat there, looking mournfully at his unlit pipe. He was wondering if he could smoke his pipe or not.


    "Aye, matey... Me business is not doing very well too. You had been the last person to buy the 2500 credit light crossbow and that''s it. There had not been any purchase and I had not been making any more crossbows, Light bows or even the blunderbuss. It seems as if this is going to be a dying trade."


    Bruce looked pitifully at me through his sunken eyes as if he had been losing sleep for several weeks due to his dwindling business.


    "Sigh... It is so sad to hear from you tradesman whom I was also a Blacksmith as well as a bowsmith. Ok, I have a proposition for you. This is what that been arranged by the owner of the atelier and me much earlier."


    I soon narrated to him and even demonstrated the slicing and stabbing of my tunic to show how I had also been an atelier and somehow had developed a new product. Now I would like to use their products to actually sell it is that they would have a steady income.


    All I need from Bruce is a light crossbow, a light bow, a quiver, some bolts, arrowheads and some arrows. I reassured to Bruce that this would be a purchase. As for Blake, I need a short dagger, a short sword, a long sword as well as an Assassin karambit or a talon dagger. Bronze or Iron it doesn''t matter, I said.


    "A light bow cost 1100 credits, light crossbow costs 2500 credits, those broad arrowheads and 50 Arrows with quiver costs 500 credits. Altogether it would be 4,100 credits," said Bruce to me and I knew he was selling those at his base price to me. I nodded as I agree to his price and asked his assistant to gather the items for me.


    "A short dagger costs 500 credits, a talon dagger costs 900 credits, a short sword and long swords cost 1200 and 1700 respectively. They were all low-grade iron, my friend. I hope you realised that these weapon grades are lesser than your lowest armour right now. That''s a total of 4,300 credits, my good friend."


    "Alright Blake, get your assistant over and bring them to me. We are both in this trade, but only Blake can quote for me the price for his tools now. Here, how much would you think this iron dagger and blade costs?" I said as I presented my iron pommel Cross and Victory blade on the table.


    "This dagger alone would be 1500 credits, a talon dagger might cost 2000 credits. The long sword would cost at least 5500 credits. As for a short sword of this quality, it might be 3500 credits." answered Blake as he handled the sword and admired its Level 4 Iron quality. Bruce handled the dagger and was surprised that it could be forged with a higher iron material not found elsewhere.


    At last, my secret as a Blacksmith and forger had been exposed and Bruce was taken aback and he thought I was just a nerdy Adventurer out looking for some kills and then that''s it. No more than that and he didn''t realise I was the one that singlehandedly took out the band of thieves that call themselves the White Hand.


    Actually, Prius was the one who leaked the information to them after he had returned from his task of getting the painters and gathering the new merchants for their debrief. The other 15 delivery boys were in standby too and would enter once the travelling merchants had gone through their initial briefing.


    "What I need from you is to advertise these weapons with the atelier. I had 2 sets of classes that would be displayed on the glass storefront. One is an Assassin and the other is a Ranger. If anyone wanted to be a Warrior Class, they would be heading to the respective stores."


    "Bruce will settle with me for the prices later on since it would be enhanced with iron pieces. The light now would be called composite bow, the light crossbow would be a heavy one and all the Arrows and Broad arrowheads would be of a higher grade Iron."


    "Give me a few days and once it is ready, I would call upon you. Keep the new stock with you once it is ready, and please make use of Keating''s coat of arms on the hilt of the weapons, as well as the quiver, the stock of the crossbow and also the bow."


    "These new weapons would be called Keating''s Enhanced Weapon Supplies, KEWS for short. You may stop what you are doing at the moment for your current weapons and instead, stock these up and sell them accordingly."


    "Your stores would be our storefront for this moment and for the trouble, you would take 60 and we would take 40 instead. Would that be alright, gentlemen?" I asked as Blake and Bruce calculated their takings.


    "You don''t need to pay a single credit to me now, I would collect it at the end of 30 days. Pay only that you had sold and even if any of the representatives from the House of Keatings came to collect those weapons, they would still have to pay the base price, understood?"


    "I understood you, my young friend. So at the end of the month, I would pay you 40% of the sales amount, right? I do not have to fork out any materials or credits for all these, is that right?" Blake asked as to ensure he is not being snared into some kind of scheme.


    "The same goes to me too, right? And if let''s say Prius comes to the store to get a few bows, he would be paying the same price as stated and I would only set aside the 40% later for you. I don''t have to take out a single credit for the stocks but if anyone wants to purchase them, the price would still be as stated?"


    Bruce inquired as he finds that it was a pretty good darn deal. He was wondering what I could do with a single bow and crossbow at the moment but since Blake acknowledges that I am a Blacksmith, Bruce had no choice to acknowledge that I am a bowsmith as well, even though he had not seen any of my works. He is now relying on fate and his trust in me.


    "That would be all gentlemen, I would call upon you once the products are ready to be collected. Thank you for the time and accommodating to our requests in a short while. Don''t forget to forge the Keating''s coat of arms when you get back." I said as I bade them farewell and hope to see them in a lighter mood when the time comes.


    ....


    "Blake, do you trust in this young man''s capabilities to boost our sales and also alleviate us of our hardships now?" asked Bruce as they ambled back to their stores.


    "Aye, we are now representatives of the House Of Keatings. We no longer are the same tradesman as we used to be. Times have changed and I trust this young man with my life, Bruce."


    "He is a low key person but he could simply work wonders. His KAFA tunic is a wonder and same goes to his Level 4 Iron dagger and sword. I wonder what kind of surprises he had in store for us soon." concluded Blake, as he knew that his day''s being a Blacksmith, is close to nought and he had to be an employee instead of his own boss anymore.


    "If that''s the case, even if we are under the House of Keating''s, one thing for sure, it puts food and grog on the table. Since the Atelier is involved, it would not be easy for him to let go of his establishment just for the House of Keating."


    Bruce replied to Blake, as one thing for sure, he felt that his future right now, even though seems a bit restricted, but he does not have to worry as there''s a glimmer of hope for the both of them.


    "Aye, my friend... Amen to that," answered Blake and for the first time in many months, he felt as though a tremendous weight upon his shoulders had been miraculously lifted away.

 Chapter 73 - 73. Preparing KAFA And KEWS Through Realm Of Mind.

    "What are you going to do with all these pieces of clothes, Audemars?" asked Patricia as she looked at the piles of 5 sets of gear for the Assassins and Rangers in 6 colours? "Would there be anything I could do to help?"


    "You could help me by sorting out the clothes, later on, Trish. There''s nothing much you could do at this moment but I would be doing my meditation and the wisps would be helping me to fuse these normal cloth wardrobes into fine pieces with armour within."


    I replied as I saw the time had already past midday and once we had our lunch at the cookhouse, I would be entering the Realm of Mind soon after. I used the term wisps just to avoid detection of what I''m actually doing.


    "Alright, let''s break for lunch. Pat here would be holding the class for the makeup and the delivery guys would be there too to learn about product knowledge," suggested Prius as we all headed to the cookhouse as the travelling merchants and the delivery guys were being ushered there as well.


    After lunch, Patricia was explaining all the products and the men were astonished that we had a cookhouse and also 220 employees under us. Seeing these established company they knew that Beauty World and House of Keating was literally built on a mountain of gold. They were happy to be employed by the House of Keating and had sworn their allegiance and trustworthiness towards the Keating''s Coat Of Arms.


    ....


    "Ah... At last. Peace and tranquillity here in the Realm of Mind. First off, I need to experiment on these coal ores since the Author had told me that for every 50 hammerings, these Iron ingots would be increased a level."


    "In that case, let''s start with Level 4 iron and make 60 double pieces for the clothes first. Even though I could duplicate these, but hey... I need the upgrades for the Basic Blacksmith Level up as well, you know." I spoke out and hope the traders understand why I don''t just duplicate a single iron ingot that I would produce and save all the trouble. Hah hah.


    So I went to the Blacksmith Zone and fired up the furnace and dropped in 2 iron ingots that were salvaged during the first mining expeditions for the adventurers in series 7. After the bellows were pumped until those iron ingots were red hot, I gingerly picked them up using my fingers (because I had more than 150% resistance) and placed it in the anvil and started hammering.


    Sparks flew in all directions as the two ingots were being hammered constantly with precision and after 50 hammerings, the two red hot ingots had turned to be a single piece. I picked the red hot iron ingot and a system rang out indicating that it was of Level 2 iron quality.


    "Hmm, not bad. Another 100 more hammerings and 60 repetitions, I would be able to produce Level 4 Iron ingots. So, let''s get on with the show, shall we?"


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    2 red hot iron ingots got hammered down.


    50 times...


    100 times...


    After a closer inspection, I had managed to produce Level 4 Iron Ingot effortlessly. I threw the pieces inside the large trough of water where it sputtered and sizzled down.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    50 times...


    100 times...


    150 times...


    59 repetitions and 6 hours later... I had managed to gather 60 Level 4 Iron Ingots that was sizzling inside the trough of water.


    "Let me fuse all the clothes first inside the Fusion Chamber... At least I could cool down at this moment. While in sweating buckets here, I would be sweating buckets in the real world too. Luckily I''m sitting up and not lying down or else my whole bed would be soaked." I said to no-one in particular and was hoping a reader would reply in a paragraph comment.


    I visualised a large fan so I could at least cool down from my tedious work in the Blacksmithing Zone. A lot of announcements had rung in my head I haven''t got the time to check it out earlier. I started with the set Ranger''s Hood and a Masked Gugel for the Assassins.


    Before I started Fusing, I checked y interface and discovered they I had gotten 9,000% progress where I had +90 base levels and +90 for my Basic Blacksmithing that had levelled up to Intermediate Blacksmith and +900 allocated points. Another few more levels I would be an Advanced Blacksmith.


    I set both the Fusion Chambers to FUSE/ARMOUR and set the counter to 1, place the item on a slot on both machines and then placed a single piece of Level 4 Iron Ingot. I closed the doors and cranked the lever.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Mesh Iron Reinforced Archer''s Hood attained. Armour +40


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Mesh Iron Reinforced Assassin''s Masked Gugel attained. Armour +40


    I went ahead and fuse the rest of the pieces, one at a time and once I had completed, I checked my interface and had gained 60% progress making it be a total of 147% from the previous balances.


    All the pieces had a +40 armour each and it is just plain everyday wear and considered as a cloth armour. Not bad... And I reset the slider to DUPLICATE/ARMOUR and placed the all the black coloured pieces first into each of the 5 slots, set the counter to 50 and QUEUE the items to be duplicated.


    I closed the doors of the Fusion Chamber and hugged and kissed both machines. I cranked up the lever and soon the work continues into the final 2 phases. I let the Fusion Chambers work by itself as I went back to the Blacksmithing Zone to prepare another round of 8 double pieces of iron ingots to forge Level 4 iron pieces.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    50 times...


    100 times...


    150 times...


    I had produced 8 pieces of the double ingots and then I brought it down to the Fusion Chamber where the clothes were still in the process of infusion. The progress I earned from Blacksmithing was 1200%.


    Some of you might wonder why I never visualise another 4 or 5 more of these Fusion Chambers, it''s because I''m limited to only two. The flow space and superimposed load for that Fusion Zone had a limit, and if I add another machine, the floor might collapse and land on the office employees underneath. Yup... It is going to cause a major catastrophe, my friends. Tsk...Tsk...Tsk...


    After exchanging the clothes to be duplicated to another set of colours and waiting for each one of them to be duplicated, I had spent another hour before I had completed Fusing all the Keating''s Armoured Fashion Apparel. 600 pairs of clothes and 600% progress.


    Now for the moment of truth... *drum roll*


    I placed the light bow inside the fusion chamber and place a Level 4 iron ingot inside it. I pushed the slider to FUSE/WEAPON and reset the counter to 2 and closed the door as I cranked the lever afterwards.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Composite Bow Attained. Damage +45


    I repeated for the rest of the weapon pieces and everything got the same positive reply.


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Composite CrossBow Attained. Damage +35


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Karambit Attained. Damage +18


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Dagger Attained. Damage +20


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Short Sword Attained. Damage +18


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Light Long Sword Attained. Damage +20


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Broadhead Arrows Attained. Damage +15


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... Just like before but right now we are using Iron instead of Steel. Not bad for the trials with bigger pieces of weapons. 7 pieces of weapons and right now it''s time for me to head back to rest while I queue these for 200 repetitions except for the Broadhead Arrows which I would make at least 20k pieces." I said aloud once more, hoping that a reader would take notice and send in their paragraph comments.


    After setting up the Fusion Chambers to queue 3 weapons each in each chamber and duplicate 200 repetitions each, I logged off and brought the Armoured Apparel and the duplicated weapons back to the real world.


    When I get back to the real world and had meditated off... I realised that I had gone for 9 hours in the Realm of Mind and now it''s almost 5 pm since its a ratio of 3:1 in case you readers might be wondering the time difference.


    I came out from the room and was holding to my towel since I need to shower and get rid of the icky feeling of being sweaty and hot in the Blacksmithing Zone. "Audemars, have you completed them already?" Patricia asked since I was smiling from ear to ear at my achievement.


    "Here, the weapons are ready and the wisps are still working on it. These are the sample ones and are much improved than before."


    "The clothes are ready as well, and could you inform the atelier to bring in those clothes rack to hang these 50 pieces sets of 6 coloured wardrobe and 2 sets of classes each?" I said as I headed towards the shower to cool off. After a while, when I emerged, the atelier and his assistant were sorting out the clothes on the display rack and were pushing those out except for the boots.


    "Could you provide me with 30 mannequins so that I could advertise and promote these clothes as well? These are Grade 1 but you could see that even a dagger can''t pierce through it." I said as I''ve tested it out in the Fusion Chamber out of boredom.


    "Yes... Yes... No problem, sir. I will send the 30 mannequins right away. My... These wardrobes sure seem to have gained a bit of weight." the atelier said as he looked through the clothes and was surprised that even a Grade 1 Armoured Apparel prevents a dagger attack easily.


    "Yes... My wisps helped me throughout the process. Thank God they were able to produce this within the hour." I simply replied as I headed back to the room after excusing myself and then take a look at my stats.


    I had gained a total of 180 levels to my base level increasing it to Level: 5478/100,000. Advanced Blacksmith 198/1000 and Professional Crafter 4498/10,000. I had also gotten an additional 1800 allocated points too.


    Once the 6 sets of weapons are ready, I would once again gain 1200% and gained another 12 base levels and Crafter respectively. Once I''m down to the iron Broadhead Arrows, it''s going to be a jump of 20,000%, a 200 level jump on base and crafting levels and another 2000 allocated points. "Aaahhh... How simple my life is right now, earning these level-ups as I go along... Hah hah hah..."

 Chapter 74 - 74. Awww... I Had Been Missed By The Kids

    The next following day, the weapons were ready to be picked up and 200 sets were laid on the floor of the Great Hall while the 20k Arrows were still churning in the Fusion Chamber.


    From the looks of it, it seems as though the House of Keating was preparing for war. A set of the weapons were given to the Atelier and was displayed prominently outside the glass front display and everyone who walked past could see the difference of the make of these newly upgraded weapons.


    Bruce and Blake were called in and they were surprised at the array of weapons that had been arranged neatly by the children and were astonished beyond words these weapons had been upgraded by Yours Truly. Hah hah hah.


    "Here are your new weapons, my dear friends. 200 sets of them. You can freely sell them once you had notified me of the selling price. Prius here would be taking in the details." I beckoned for the duo to come forward and inspect the goods and when they held it in their hands, the craftsmanship was second to none.


    "Oh My God...!!! I never believed it until I saw it in my eyes. These light bows and crossbows had been upgraded... But why is yours still the same old one, my friend?" Bruce held a composite now in his hands and found that the damage rating had increased considerably. He even saw his crossbows were upgraded and it seems to be tauter and he estimated the speed of the bolts would be increased by 20-60 km/h.


    When he looked at the iron broadhead Arrows made by Level 4 Iron, his eyes were close to tears... He never knew that his old iron flat head Arrows had also been upgraded to a more lethal tip. The wooden shaft had also been fluted with a layer of iron.


    "My God... To think that there is another fine bowmaster here in our little town... I can''t express my deepest gratitude well enough, young man... These 200 composite bows and composite crossbows would definitely be a big hit. But where are the customers coming from?" asked Bruce since he does not fork out a single credit for the weapons and asked how my marketing strategy would work out.


    ''I can thank you enough, brother. These daggers, karambit, short and long swords are perfectly made from Level 4 Iron. I can''t thank you enough and I am sure that the towns would appreciate such fine pieces. As Bruce had asked, how are you going about with the marketing?" asked Blake as he withdraws a short sword and finds it to be of his exquisite taste.


    Then horror of all horrors... All weapons were unsharpened, including the broadhead Arrows... Yup... They need to be blade washed or grounded to be sharpened. You think the MC has to do all the job for them meh...?


    "Hah... You need to sharpen them yourselves, dudes. These weapons were produced by me but the sharpening has to be done in your side. Don''t worry, sales would pick up once you had completed sharpening one set each for 15 of my travelling merchants."


    "Now I need to compile the sale prices, please," I instructed as the men quickly swiped their respective weapons into the storage bags. How do you think they going to carry all these back? Haiyaa...


    "The composite light bow would be sold at 2500 credits, the composite crossbow would be sold at 4000 credits. These broadhead Arrows would be sold per quiver 50 pcs at 750 credits," said Bruce as he finally made up his mind on the pricing.


    "This dagger, Assassin''s Karambit, the short and long sword would be 1500 credits, 2000 credits, 3500 credits and 5500 credits respectively," replied Blake as he had finished swiping all his weapons into his storage bag.


    Prius who were taking the accounts for the total number of weapons said, "Bruce has a total of 2.1 million credits on investment and Blake has 2.5 million credits. That''s a total of 4.6 million credits. Bruce''s price is inclusive of 200k broadhead Arrows. He would be receiving those Arrows by this evening I suppose?"


    Hearing the investments made and the tradesmen were getting a 60% profit from it, I smiled and nodded and replied, "Yes, the broadhead Arrows would be received this evening. I will notify you to inform Bruce to come and collect them later."


    "Thank you for being part of House of Keating investment. You are now part of the family and in times of need, please do not hesitate to come forth and find Yours Truly." I announced and since the owner of the Atelier was there as well, he was also deeply affected by the short speech made by me.


    He too felt grateful as he was saved from the dilemma of closing up his business. He gathered up the set of clothes and had his assistant push it back to the store and had gotten a set of weapons each to put in display at his storefronts.


    Since a set of clothes and weapons were placed aside for further duplicating, at least my initial purchase for the weapons and clothes was just a minimum sum. The returns for these investments is definitely unparalleled to the initial cost.


    "Here comes the money, Baby...!!!" I said aloud and this surprised Patricia, Prius and Rebecca as they were discussing some matters when I hollered those words. "Haish... That MC is going bonkers already, I think," said Patricia and Rebecca agreed.


    "I wonder what those wisps look like. Even the offscreen crew were helping him to churn out the clothes in the Fusion Chamber as well," added Prius.


    "Baahh... And he said we can''t even enter his so-called Realm of Mind, where we can just walk over to it," whispered Patricia but unknowingly to all of them, it was narrated and scripted here in this chapter. Hah hah hah.


    Well, I can''t deny that the offscreen crew were helping me churn out the clothes right after the duplicating of the Arrows had ended and all the items were automatically deposited into my storage bag.


    How the hell I''m going to do all that and keep meditating and appearing there just to run the machines? Baahh... Leave the work to our crews who had nothing better to do than laze around all day. Hah hah hah...


    ....


    By the end of the evening, 20k Arrows were duplicated, bringing an increase of 200 levels to both my base and crafting levels and addition of 2k points into my allocated points. By then I had achieved Level: 5678/100,000, gained Professional Crafter 4698/10,000 and Unallocated points: 27,960.


    .......


    "DADDY...!!! WE MISS YOU...!!!" That''s the first thing I heard when I entered the Beauty World that I had been neglecting ever since I had embarked on saving other peoples businesses and had not been tending to mine lately.


    The children rushed at me as I bend on one knee as I hugged them back when they literally fell into my open arms. The children had been hard at work and had kept asking the ''Mummy Patricia'' on my whereabouts since I normally would drop in from time to time.


    They seemed rounder and rosier now compared to the first time they entered our circle. Well, at least we are assured of their wellbeing and I asked if they have encountered any problems in their work.


    "No, Daddy... Everything worked very well," answered Adam West. "Yes, the leaders are strict and they made sure the rest of the employees finishes their work before the end of the shift," replied Ingles as she snuggled in between the rest of the girls.


    "The aunties were very nice indeed, they even gave me a bracelet," said Jane as she showed her numerous bracelet beads that the employees had made for the girls. "I even have some of the aunties who wanted me to be their child too...but I told them I already have a Daddy and Mummy. " replied young Kayla as she jingles her wrists and showed the bead bracelets that the employees had given them.


    "Well, what can I do... I''m their favourite Daddy of all time..." I said to myself. "We would be going to the store afterwards and we are going to get some corn dogs... Who wants corn dogs....?" I said and the children all were jumping around when they heard that they would be rewarded with the corn dogs later on after sending the goods to the store.

 Chapter 75 - 75. A Fool Making Things Right For The Hopefuls.

    After sending the goods to the store and having corn dogs and other snacks for supper on our wooden benches, some of the women came over when they saw the lights inside it was turned on.


    These women were well... Working ladies and can''t help to wonder the new products as Patricia, Prius and Rebecca were putting them on display. The working ladies saw some new products and I can''t help to compliment on how sweet they do smell.


    The lady with the rotten teeth has already gone to the local dentist and gotten a new set to replace those rotten ones that had not being cared for forever since they were born. Hah hah hah...


    "Pat... Could you help to make us up? You won''t mind, do you?" inquired a working lady as she asked for assistance to put on fresh makeup, blusher eye shadows and lipstick. "Sure... Give me a second while I finish up my work here. Be there in a minute, dearie..."


    A moment later, Patricia was putting makeup for the ladies and some passersby came over and can''t help remarked the beauty transformation when someone had put on makeup. Soon swarms of ladies became customers as they watched the live demonstration done by Patricia and Rebecca and soon a buying frenzy started once more.


    Our 15 couples who were assigned by us as travelling merchants walked past the store and can''t help but gasped in astonishment at the buying frenzy that these ladies had shown. It was as if everyone was clamouring to buy as if there''s no tomorrow and the stocks were very limited.


    Some of the couples came over to me and asked, "Sir, would be facing these type of crowds by the time we move out tomorrow at first light to do the promotions?" I looked at them and answered truthfully, "They would be something like that. Expect at least 30% of the population be grabbing for those order forms and returning them back to you."


    "Don''t worry, we would be doing the packing over here for the delivery guys. You would just be doing the demo and be presenting them on how to make the orders and make the count. All you need to do is to carry a few samples in your kit and a few basins of water to let those ladies wash their hands and faces to try the X4Li8 facial scrub and head to toe shampoo."


    "Once they had done so, your partner would be doing the makeup and during that time, you would be starting to distribute the order forms. Once you had collected them back, put them in an envelope and send it back by a courier. I''m sure every town has it, right?" I explained in detail and they understood since they had been briefed several times in order not to forget the procedures.


    "As for the clothes and weapons, how was the procedure like again? They can come here to this town to make the purchase on their own as well as deliver to them together as stated the order form, right?" asked another couple.


    "Yes...these clothes and weapons are mainly for men. But it''s not stopping the ladies who wanted to become adventurers. They could head over here and make their purchases and test the weapons and clothes first before making their purchase."


    "In this way, we also bring the crowd into Ingmery and boost its sales." I finally explain and they can''t help to wonder that I am a genius at making things right... But at times I''m just a fool not to notice things happening in front of me as well...


    I looked at Patricia and find that I can''t help to give false hopes to her. Furthermore, these children had grown accustomed and it is easy to break and make a child''s heart and at this moment I''ve decided to make the ultimatum move. Hope I didn''t get transmigrated into another era when I get married like the last time.


    The children were very happy to see the crowd once more and after they finished their snacks, the helped to maintain 5 rows of ladies once more in an orderly queue as they let 5 ladies in first to make their purchases. Some of them came to buy the same products but with different scents and added a few more like eyeliner and lipstick.


    The much earlier two travelling merchants named Nolan and Otis just passed by and not daring to look at me directly as they saw that the store itself was making good of the sales. They wanted to manipulate others but just too bad they had gotten the wrong kind of prey.


    Unlike me offering the 60/40 with Blake, Bruce and the Atelier, they didn''t have to fork out any initial credits and these goods were supplied to them at no questions at all. All we need to do is to check their stocks and be paid accordingly. It is simple and most importantly it is based on trust.


    "Daddy... Daddy... Could we come with you one day when you enter the Northern Forest? We also would like to learn how to handle a crossbow just like you too. *sswwoosshh sswwoosshh sswwoosshh* and bring home the kill. At least we could learn a skill or two, please... Daddy...?" asked Ingles as she tugged at my sleeves... And what do you know... Right now if I say yes, I would have 4 apprentice Rangers with me.


    "Hah Hah Hah... Let''s discuss this at home, shall we? I have no worries as long as you are with Daddy and we can hunt deer, rabbits, wild boars and an occasional bear or two... Hah hah hah... Let''s see what Mummy has to say."


    Right now I think I''m closer to my target then I dreamt it would be since the children have taken up as taking me as their role model in life. At least they too can learn to take up a new class.


    ....


    "Prius, how many rooms do you have upstairs? Don''t mind me asking since I have some ideas in my head and I wanted to share with the three of you." I said casually as we entered the Great Hall after sending the children back to their dorms. The matron doesn''t give many hoots since she knew the children would be in good hands.


    "Oh, we have 6 additional bedrooms, a study, a museum and 2 bathrooms upstairs, why do you ask?" Prius asked since I had never ventured upstairs nor asked about the number of rooms in this Great Hall before.


    "If I may say so... I would like to take your sister''s hand in marriage, Prius and that make me your brother in law." I explained after heaving a huge sigh of relief because I knew someday the question will pop out and I don''t want Patricia to keep on hoping and nothing comes out of it.


    Prius was so happy that he slapped his things and guffawed while Patricia was holding her hands to her mouth and tears of joys started to stream down her face. "My God... I''ve been waiting for the day for you to say that my friend... I mean, brother in law. This would be the best news so far that I had received in my whole entire life...!!! I knew Pat would be ecstatic ever since you had woken up from your deep sleep... "


    "Audemars... You had made my dream come true. Alas, I do not have to worry about my future of not finding the right man to be my lawfully wedded husband..." cried Patricia as she rushed to me and literally melt in my arms as she moulded her body into mine and looked up longingly.


    "You are my hero and my everything, a man of virtue and yet as soft as a woman''s heart. I never knew such a man exists that knows so much about a woman''s wellbeing and beauty and I want to have many kids with you..." said Patricia as she hugged on to me on my knees.


    "Talking about the kids, how do you find Adam West, Ingles, Jane and Kayla? Do you think they should bear the Macleod''s family name as well?" I said as I teased Patricia lock of hair that fell in front of her face.


    "You mean to say, you wanted to adopt them for real? All 4 of them and putting the orphanage out of business?" asked Prius as he too had Rebecca in his arms due to jealousy of seeing Patricia doing that to the MC.


    "The orphanage won''t be out of business. It would be a daycare centre where our employees could drop their kids when they are at work. Don''t worry about the finances, it''s well under control at this moment."


    I reassured Prius and the first thing on my mind was to duplicate the iron amulet to a further 20k pieces for 5 days straight. At least I would be able to earn 2m credits at the end of the duration.


    "You mean you are taking control of the orphanage as well?" Patricia asked me since I had made up some decisions to ensure that Ingmery would flourish under the new management head of the House of Keating.


    "Yes, that''s true, my dear. And also the Strongbow Tavern that is being run by Silas Brown as well." I finally said and told them that the 4 of us would be heading to the orphanage to meet the matron and be taking over the orphanage.


    Then we would inform the employees to drop their children there as the Strongbow Tavern would be supplying them with foods. I''ve decided to go to the Southern Library to meet with the scholars and get them to be educators for the children in the orphanage that would be called daycare centre once we had successfully taken over.


    Little did we expect, from a lowly Adventurer, Audemars was able to rise up from the ashes, and not only he was hacking the system to his advantage, but he was also helping the community to a better, healthier lifestyle. He had also helped the business to grow and to somehow help the economic growth in Ingmery itself.


    Such a selfless act had earned Audemars thousands of points in Reputation.

 Chapter 76 - 76. You Dont Have To Go Back To That Crummy Place Anymore.

    "You really wanted to take those children under your care, Mister Macleod? Are you sure about it? There''s no way to release those children over to us once you decided to change your mind, do you understand that Mister Macleod?" asked the matron with raised eyebrows as she prepared the adoption papers.


    "In the name of the Macleod, as well as the Keatings, there''s no turning back. Furthermore, we have half a mind of taking over these orphanages soon after these adoption papers are ready." I replied as I take a glance of these papers and Adam West would not be called as a West anymore.


    These children would bear my family name, and this would be a surprise for the children once they reported off work. Their belongings are still there in their respective places and we only proceeded to the orphanage once the children had gone to work.


    "I am actually very glad to know that these children would be in safe hands at the House of Keating. So their names would be Adam Keating Macleod, Jane Keating Macleod, Ingles Keating Macleod and Kayla Keating Macleod from now on, is that right?" exclaimed the matron as she handed me the adoption forms and they had officially become our children. Patricia''s and mine...


    I signed the papers as tears of joy came to Patricia''s eyes as Prius held his hand over my shoulders as a sign of welcome and gratification. Next off, to the Registry of Marriage at the Council Chambers as Patricia and I exchanged our vows and had her name added as Patricia Keating Macleod as well.


    I bought a ring there at the Council Chambers and slipped it into the wedding finger of Patricia''s and we finally were considered as husband and wife and be able to cohabitate as a couple. It''s time for ''Piak! Piak! Piak!'' lesson for Patricia soon, tonight. Haha haha.


    We bought a new wardrobe for the 4 children and had rearranged the rooms according to their names etched on the door. The new bedding and other furnishings were installed in them as we had gathered all their belongings and placed them inside a wooden chest for them to sort out later.


    It seems these children do carry some mementoes of their past with them so I would not touch on that sensitive stuff at all. The empty dorms when we left had given us parts of their painful past that the children will soon be left behind. It was so quiet and serene as the dorms were finally left empty and the beds were pushed aside to make way for the big change real soon.


    Silas Brown of Strongbow Tavern was summoned to attend to the meeting at the orphanage with the 4 of us along with the matron.


    We had gone back to the matron''s office after we had gotten married at the Council Chambers and we had a proposal for the matron. She knew for sure that once the dorms were empty, it would also spell the end of her career. However, we would soon about to change that.


    "Ma''am Matron, since this orphanage was run by you as appointed by the Council Chambers, you would be out of work if this dorm is left empty, am I right? I had discussed with the officials at the Council Chambers about us taking over this building and putting you back in charge." upon hearing this the Matron''s eyes lit up and was excited to hear the details.


    By taking over the orphanage, the Council Chambers will no longer have any control of it and had released the Matron to be under our payroll. "That''s right Ma''am Matron, we are taking over this orphanage and taking hostage of all the children from our employees and you would be the Head of the henchmen... Hah hah hah..." the matron looked on as she was confused when I cracked a joke that time.


    "Yup... You heard me right. We would be taken hostage of the children from 7 am to 3 pm and then another batch from 245pm to 1045pm. This is to ensure that their mothers would be feeling secure at work, knowing since their children all would be held hostage here."


    "3 square meals would be provided by Silas Brown and the payment for the meals would be paid by House of Keating. Would that be alright, my fine man?" and Silas simply nodded as he heard the news of House of Keating was reviving the failed business around town and was wondering when he would be summoned.


    "I have here with me the database of the mothers who are working with us with their children, and those aged below 12 were uncared for at home. So right now we would expect 100 children, more or less to be taken in by the Keating Day Care Centre."


    "Mister Brown, let me know how much is the budget to feed these 100 children for 4 square meals daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. We have a cookhouse but I''d prefer not to add to their workload."


    "Our staple food in the Tavern is bread, sir. We could have bread with gruel, oatmeal, mixed leafy vegetable soup, meat soup and others. Since there would be 4 square meals, I would propose a daily change of nutrition for them. A budget of 36,000 per month would be enough for us to cover the labour and prepare the ingredients ourselves." I calculated that the cost is only 3 credits per meal and find it very affordable.


    "Consider it done. Prepare me a 7-day menu and hand it over to the Matron and me. Since you both had already sworn under the House of Keating, I hope you don''t break the trust we have in you." I said as we concluded the matters at heart.


    During this time the children don''t know what was happening as we had assembled the two shift employees and gave an announcement that from the following day onwards, they could place their children under the age of 12 in the orphanage that we had turned it to be Keating''s Day Care Centre.


    "You don''t have to worry about their meals. The first shift children would be entitled to their breakfast and lunch while the second shift children would be entitled their dinner and supper."


    "You need not worry for the children at all." when the employees heard that they sighed a relief since they were afraid of their children falling into some kind of mishap when left unattended at home alone.


    "Thank you so much for taking care of our welfare since we were being employed by Beauty World. You are one thoughtful and just employer that is not only looking for profits but also takes care of the backbone of the company." a woman spoke up among the crowd and everyone murmured their gratitude.


    "This is just the beginning, more will come it is way..." I reassured them as I remembered the scholars and had not approached them yet. "Alright, the first shift can be dismissed and you may help out the matron if she needs anything that you could do at this moment."


    "We hadn''t taken our lunch yet and we need to attend to some other businesses as well." I excused myself and the four of us headed back to the cookhouse to see any leftovers from lunch before we head down to the next venue.


    After a light lunch, we all went to the Southern District and went to the Library and we found what we were looking for. The three stooges... I mean the scholars who acted like the three stooges.


    "Hiya guys... Remember me?" I asked as I came near them and the first thought when I brought the other three with me, the scholars were thinking I''m going to beat them up or something. Really, those stooges don''t even know what''s coming on to them.


    "Err... Genius. How nice of you to be meeting you again. Have you considered our preposition the other time?" one of them asked as they looked fearfully since they recognised the used-to-be amnesiac Rebecca and the Keating family.


    "Actually I do. What good of you scholars if you do not bring forth your knowledge to the community? Would it be of self-worth and for your own good and purposes? What are your aims in life if you do not dedicate yourself as the young that pave the way as young educators?" I began my bullshit once more and I noticed that the bullshit had some worked its way inside the peanut-sized brains of these so-called scholars.


    "If you accept us as your disciples, we would love to be young educators as you had mentioned before. And we would be called as Seniors right?" asked one of the scholars as the thought of them being called a Senior entices them to move forward with my plan.


    "Alright, you will earn the title of Seniors if you come and see us tomorrow at the Great Hall before 630am. You would swear an oath and pledge allegiance to the House of Keating and be the greatest educators mankind had ever known."


    "And you can quit calling yourself as scholars since you won''t be graduating anytime soon with the looks of you school dropouts." and the scholars nodded their heads and agreed to be meeting Yours Truly at the designated time and place.


    ....


    "Wah seh... I didn''t know your negotiation skills were up to that par, my friend." Prius said as we headed back to the Great Hall and all were feeling hungry as we ate practically scraps at the cookhouse.


    "Well, those scholars were gullible and won''t know what''s in store for them. They tried to corner me one time since I was wearing my full armour gear and then they were taken aback by me teaching them a lesson they would never forget. They even called me a genius... My ass... Hah hah." I added while I went to the kitchen and all four of us continued the discussion.


    After 5 pm when the Beauty World had closed operations for the day, I told the children that their orphanage had burnt down. They were shocked since they smelled no burnings at all and when they walked past to the Great Hall, everything looked normal to them.


    "You don''t need to go back to that crummy place ever, you would be here and would be the next generation of Rangers as well as our plant supervisors." and the children looked at being in bewilderment because that''s the place they normally return to after their hours are over.


    "Little trolls had taken over your orphanage. Your rooms are upstairs now, go look under your name and your stuff are there as well. Oh yeah... Welcome to the Macleod family. You are now one of us now." the children still hadn''t gotten over their shock and they were thinking who is Macleod and they thought I was a Keating.


    "You are now officially our children, Mummy and Daddy had finally adopted you and your middle name is Keating followed by your Daddy''s family name. Don''t you get it?" Patricia said and then the children realised it and they all rushed to embrace us and cried their tears of joy. That''s what the children had been hoping for and their wishes finally come true.

 Chapter 77 - 77. Humping Like A Jack Rabbit On The Bed, Issit?

    "Huuu... Mummy... Huuu... Daddy..." tears of joys and cries of the children could be heard and suddenly the social welfare department appeared and thought that the children were being abused and tortured by us.


    When they learnt about the happy tidings, they were happy for them and for us as well since we were able to take on responsibility at a young age.


    Spon the children were ushered to their respective rooms and they were overjoyed after seeing that they have their own rooms and they were also overjoyed seeing their stuff inside the wooden chest that had been brought over from the orphanage.


    All the four children were flitting around the rooms to discover that each room was equally sized and all had their individual queen-sized beds to lie on. Every single room was similarly furnished and the decorations would be left to their own choices thereafter.


    "Mummy, Daddy... Is this truly our bedroom and we are staying here for good?" asked Kayla as she was bounding on and off the bed like a little Jackrabbit. "Wow... I can see the whole town from here..." said Ingles as she opened up a window and she could see the half part of town from there.


    "This is cool, we can decorate our room as we like..." said Jane as she took out some of her things in the wooden chest and rearranges inside the wardrobe. "Could we throw some of our old clothes and we can go shopping after dinner?" asked Adam K. Macleod as he rummaged through the wooden chest and removed some of his old, worn, tattered and patched clothes.


    "Ahh... No problem, children. We can go right after this. Furthermore, your old clothes could be turned to rags once they are stacked and cut into square pieces and seen together. All of you could pick up 4 pairs of new clothes later at the atelier and also your gear for the role of Rangers." I told the children as they wanted to be Rangers like me to learn the Class and handle a crossbow as effectively as me.


    Soon their stacks of old clothes were compiled and then were cut into squares and sewn together to serve as rags. I told them to keep their rooms clean and no eating is allowed on the beds to prevent those pesky ants from biting them. The children nodded in agreement as we settled downstairs for dinner and then heads out to the marketplace and to the store to serve our customers.


    ....


    At the atelier, the 4 children picked up a camouflage set of clothes as Rangers and after putting the embroidery of Keating in the middle of their tunic and on some parts of their gear, I decided to infuse them with level 8 iron pieces which mean that 2 pieces of iron ingots would be hammered for up to 350 times to attain that level.


    It is a small thing for me, as long as the children get to follow the footsteps. Furthermore, 4 more ladies would take up their places at work and the children themselves would be working from 10 am to 10 pm to supervise the production plants.


    Hearing that the employee''s children would be putting up at the new Keating Day Care Centre in the old orphanage, they vowed to hunt for wild boar and present it to Silas Brown Of Strongbow Tavern to make sumptuous meals for them. This way, they said its a form of giving back to the community.


    3 brand new composite crossbows were purchased and Kayla had trouble handling it at first since the weight was a bit too much for her. Bruce decided to fashion one composite small crossbow light enough for her to handle with speeds of only


    120-180km/h within a week and promised to deliver it to Kayla once it is ready. That too would be fused with Level 4 iron to make it par with the rest of her sisters and brother.


    After settling these two tasks, we head back to the store where Prius and Rebecca had opened up the store and were entertaining the customers. Since the store is open after 7 pm, it somehow created a buying frenzy from the customers as they grabbed all colours from the lipsticks and eyeshadow since they only managed to buy one a piece on their last purchase.


    "Haiyoo... Ladies. There''s always tomorrow you know. Hahahaha... It is like as if there are limited stocks." I chuckled at a customer and she smiled as she said that these pieces that come in porcelain ware is exquisite and also the price is right. Unlike the porcelain pieces that were sold at Paul''s, the pieces and products were considered much lower. They would be killing two birds at one time.


    Some asked for a demonstration on how to put on the eye shadows and eyeliner while Patricia and Rebecca handled the requests after the customers had paid for their purchase. There was a rapport build with the customers as they were happy with the sales and after-sales services provided by the store.


    Sales were brisk and we finally settled the last customer around 11 pm and closes up for the day. As we head back to the Great Hall we had received 9 thick envelopes from our travelling merchants and when we opened it up, we discovered that the response from the neighbouring towns was quite overwhelming.


    "Prius, could you assign the delivery guys to come and do the sorting tonight? I know, it''s past their time but if we don''t act now it would be hell in the next few days." I reasoned with Prius and when he gathered the delivery guys, they were anticipating when the day would come.


    "Alright, listen up carefully. Each if you would take on one town at a time. Each purchase would be placed inside this wicker basket and into this paper bag. Label the bag according to their name and price and insert the order form inside the bag as well. Since the customer had the white copy, we had the blue one and the pink is for you guys."


    "Once a town had been settled, store them up in carton boxes and label the name of the town at the sides and place it according to their distance, the nearest would be close to the entrance of the caravan and the farthest would be deep inside. I will show you a few sets in how it''s done and the children here would arrange the goods in this table here according to product and type."


    "They will check against the order list and hand it to you once it is verified. Once you had reached the town to deliver the goods to them, all monies collected would automatically enter Patricia''s account so you would not worry about mishandling the credits. Remember that you would be handling each of the zones like as if they were your own babies, alright?"


    "Perform your work slowly but surely. Thank you for coming in at this late hour, we will help you out until we had covered the whole 9 towns. Now, let''s all start by doing one town until we had completed it. Many hands make light work, gentlemen."


    I had completed the set of instructions and we only settled one envelope at a time so we would not mix the orders. After each order had been completed it was placed into a paper bag, properly labelled and into the carton boxes set available for transportation and distribution.


    It was fun having a lot of people working together and everything seemed clockwork. Each one took an order form each, went to the line of tables where the exact order of goods was placed according to the order form and pick up the appropriate goods that were labelled. This way no one got the wrong item and the stock were replenished on the table once it is depleted.


    One town is completed with 10 minutes and by close 2 hours, we had completed packing and sorting the boxes according to their distribution. Rebecca made supper and once the delivery guys had their breakfast, they were raring to go at first light.


    Looking at how orderly and synchronised the way we had done for the packing, we decided to leave the goods on the tables and had space just nice for the 8 of us to squeeze and have our meals.


    "I''m going to get another two long tables tomorrow for the goods. You want to come along?" I asked Patricia and she nodded sleepily. The children were tired but happy at what they had accomplished tonight and can''t wait to spend their first night in their new bedrooms in the House of Keating. And as for Patricia and me? There is just rest and sleep afterwards... My foot... Hah hah hah...


    ......


    The children had finally settled in their own rooms, and we cleared a bit of the mess in the Great Hall while Prius and Rebecca had settled back in their room as well.


    Patricia and I sat down in the Great Hall and were having a cup of hot cocoa and we looked at each other longingly and looked back at where I first had woken up right till today, having 4 instant children and being wedded couple and all.


    We drew a laugh together when we discussed and were thinking of the same things together and after finishing up our cocoa, the first day awaits at the Keating Day Care Centre where the children of the employees would be placed there under the care of the matron.


    Patricia and ai both retired in my room where we snuggled up and rested for a few hours before the first light... My foot... Rest. Put a woman and a man on my bed and they''d sleep meh? Or playing checkers until daybreak? Hahahahaha... Of course, I won''t go into detail except for the sounds of "Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!"

 Chapter 78 - 78. Its Great Making Me Busy All Day, Right?

    The next day at Keating Day Care Centre, the employees brought their young children and placed them under the care of the Matron and she was busy separating the boys from the girls in each dorm.


    The three scholars were there and they brought along some placards with alphabets and pictures depicting the first words in the placard. They seemed intent to work as young educators as they exude a sense of pride when the children addressed them as ''Seniors''.


    The delivery boys had also excused themselves as they headed out according to their zones to distribute the orders. They would be engaging a room from the Council Chambers of the respective towns in order to distribute the items in an orderly fashion.


    The credits paid by the customers were automatically channelled to Patricia''s as she saw trickles of credits began to pile up in her interface. Since the store had opened up, she had collected close to 500k credits and the amount from the 9 towns alone had gained another 450k of income. This had brought close to 1m credits inside Patricia''s account.


    Within a day, Patricia was able to monitor the sales as each one of the customers paid up their purchase, while some had ordered a few sets of Assassin''s and Ranger''s gear for their husbands and boyfriends too. Those who had purchased the gear preferred to travel to Ingmery to check out their goods before purchasing.


    The Atelier, Blacksmith and Bowsmith enjoyed sales which they had not felt in some months after the fateful Battle of Qodegh as some adventurers from neighbouring towns started to emerge. It seems that the plan had worked perfectly according to what I had in mind.


    Besides the Great Hall also known as the House of Keating, there were other great families there as well that had a similar kind of smaller guild for those adventurers who were thirsty for adventure and knowledge.


    They were the House of Pallemon, House of Grundy and House of Light. Madam Pallemon was handling the knowledge as well as the way of the fearless Warrior and weapon mastery of a Berserker along with her husband. The House of Grundy was handled by Mister Grundy and his son where they trained the eagle-eyed Rangers and the way of an Assassin while the House of Light was handled by 3 siblings who teaches the art of Wizardry.


    These said houses appear when the mannequin was finally out up and was posed in a various manner that entices the passersby to inquire about them. After realising that Ingmery finally resurfaces to its former glory, the town folks slowly realises that they need to defend themselves when trouble comes. Preparation is the key and the time is NOW.


    I had just emerged from my room after spending some time in the Realm of Mind to produce Level 8 iron ingots since the children need the best in their armour pieces. Furthermore, I had just completed using their clothes and also 3 of their crossbows by using Level 8 iron as well.


    To my dismay, after fusing their current Level 4 iron composite crossbows with Level 8 Iron ingots, the quality of the Level drops to 6. Well, it''s better than being disintegrated into thin air. By the way, the children sure need a headstart and decided to give them an edge in their clothes as well as their weapons.


    Level 8 mesh iron reinforced armour clothing could not even be penetrated by a bolt at close range... Actually, it was stabbed furiously by Adam to see if stabbing at the same spot would break the tunic or not. He was covered in sweat and I explain to him a Level 4 iron bolt would have no way to penetrate a Level 8 KAFA. Only a Level 9 iron bolt would be able to penetrated and pierce the wearer.


    "Daddy, is that true that these weapons were forged by you? It is a Level 4 iron weapons and the highest they have around is Level 2. It is said that a Level 4 Blacksmith would be able to forge such weapons." asked Adam after he was slumped on the floor since he doesn''t even manage to scratch the tunic.


    "Those weapons were forged using Level 4 iron, how do you explain your Level 8 KAFA? Don''t leak out that you are wearing Level 8 and only Blake the Blacksmith knows it''s from Daddy." I explained as I do not want the crowd to ask for Level 8 set of KAFA. The cost for the 5 sets would be double from what is being offered at the Atelier and the hammering for 2 iron ingots would be 450 times to get to that level.


    ....


    "Mister Macleod, are you in there? It is me, the Atelier and I''ve got Blake and Bruce here with me as well. We need your help and expertise, Mister Macleod." greeted the Atelier as he knocked and peered through the door of the Great Hall and entered, followed by Blake the Blacksmith and Bruce the Bowsmith.


    Patricia and I were having tea as the children were upstairs getting ready to advertise their new wardrobe in the Northern Forest where they are looking forward to hunting for wild boars. We greeted the guests over and three of them entered with certain types of equipment in their hands.


    "The Houses had started their activity once more, my young friend. They wanted me to fashion the Level 4 iron battle axes and broad two-handed swords for them. These are for the Berserker class that was requested by the House of Pallemon." Blake handed me the two-piece locally produced Iron weapons to me.


    "How much are you selling these at the moment?" I asked as the sudden appearance of the 3 Houses appeared in my minimap as well. These Houses of knowledge and membership had been dormant but when they saw the Atelier started to promote the battle gear for the Assassin and Ranger class, they got worked up and open their doors once again.


    "Battle axes and these broad two-handed swords are priced at 2200 and 2500 credits respectively. These are Level 1 iron. If there were increased to Level 4 iron, I guess their prices would be triple at 6000 and 7000 respectively, my friend."


    "Hmm...I will settle this after my return from the trip to Northern Plains. How about you Bruce? You too seemed lively today." as Bruce smiled and showed me a one-handed crossbow that would shoot a bolt at 160km/h max. It looked like a pistol and could be easily concealed and it suits Kayla well.


    "This is a concealed crossbow which I had kept and not shown in public before. It was used by the Assassin Creed many years ago and had gone out of fashion and now it is back in demand."


    "A couple of Assassins came and asked for these and the first thing in mind was your youngest daughter. This would suit her fine. I intend to sell it at 5000 credits once it''s upgraded to Level 4 Composite Iron Compact Crossbow." said Bruce shyly because he was ashamed for asking another bowsmith for assistance as he could not produce even a single Level 2 iron by himself.


    "No problem Bruce, and how about you, my fine Atelier..." I asked since he was holding to some wardrobe and I realised it was a mage''s hat and a single piece of long over the cloak. "This sells at 400 credits per set and I intend to sell it at 1600 credits once the upgrade is done."


    "Considered it all done. Patricia will summon you to come and collect once this was done. At the meantime, Atelier, you had reached 200 pairs of each colour for each class and I would let the wisps to make another 200 of these for you."


    "As for the weapons, it would be 200 each. Alright then, I better inform the children we would be an hour late as I need to prepare these for all of you." I replied as the trio excused themselves and heads back to their stores.


    The Atelier puts up another 3 more mannequins, each one depicting the Berserker, Warrior and Wizard. Presently he used the default Studded Leather armour suit for the Berserker, an iron breastplate for the warrior with a helm and a plume of red feathers in the head, holding on to a large chief shield and adorned with a claymore at its side while a simple cloak and hat for the Wizard holding to a staff.


    The glass front of the Atelier had looked more like a Halloween dress-up costumes rather than advertising the types of battle gears from these 5 classes. In fact, the advertising, marketing and promotion made by the Atelier had also garnered sales for both the Blacksmith and Bowsmith. It was the first time they ever worked together and it is a success.


    "Just give Daddy a moment, I will be right back. Bruce just handed Daddy somethings and I would be gone not even for an hour, ok?" the children nodded in apprehension because they knew what I would be doing is good for the House of Keating.


    I went to my room and meditated as I enter the Realm of Mind where I went straight to fuse the battle axe, the two-handed broadswords, the Assassin compact crossbow and the set of mage''s wear. Since I had made quite a number of Level 4 iron ingots, it took me a while before I finally fused all the items and had duplicated 4 Assassin compact crossbow for the children to try.


    Actually, it was a way to keep them quiet, if I were to produce one to Kayla, they all sure want to one. So in this way, I could satiate them and keep their mouth shut. Hah hah hah...


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Battle Axe Attained. Damage +30


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Two-handed Broadsword Attained. Damage +30


    *Ding* Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Assassin Compact Crossbow Attained. Damage +30


    I duplicated 4 more Assassin Compact Crossbow for the children and then I ran 250 duplications each for the 3 weapons and the mages hat and long overcoat that had been fused with mesh iron and had raised its armour to +20.


    Both Fusion Chambers were set to run simultaneously and on queue, as I logged off and went back to the real world, holding the Level 4 Assassin''s Compact Crossbow in my hand.


    The moment I came out from the room I told the children to keep their crossbows in their rooms while I showed Kayla her new crossbow. It was the same self-loading with unlimited bolts. With the Level 4 iron upgrade, each bolt would travel at 190km/h.


    The children were ecstatic when they came down and saw the new one-handed crossbow waiting for them and all slung their crossbow at their sides and I could say it looked pretty cool that way, just like a pistol would look like.


    Next, we headed to the Northern Plains and Bruce saw the dangling compact crossbows at the sides of the children''s waist and he felt a sense of pride that I could work with the product within an hour. I waved my hands to Bruce as we exit the Northern Gates and appeared at the Forest.

 Chapter 79 - 79. Imparting The Ranger Skills To The Little Ones

    "Alright children, listen up carefully. These wild boars would be easily angered and I would only interfere when the wild boars get too close or the situation gets out of hand. All of you understand?" I made myself clear and they nodded their heads. I knew each of them wanted to impress me with their first kill but its better to warn caution first.


    "Since I am unable to see your levels and your skills as a Ranger, despite holding on an Assassin compact crossbow, it would be best to target each and every wild boar with 4 bolts at a time. I would use this laser pointer and at the count of 3, I want you all to shoot at the same time, yes?" I instructed them as I held a tiny red laser pointer in my hand so I could ''laser'' and pinpoint the targets.


    "Yes, Daddy... We understand." Adam was locking his lips as he wanted to kill those wild boars on his own if given the opportunity to do so.


    "Let me show you an example. With my full-sized crossbow, it would be a distance hit a single bolt. Hand me yours, Kayla and everyone follow silently behind me. Use the boulders as a place to hide and shoot them from a distance." I gestured for Kayla''s Assassin compact crossbow while I sling mine at my back.


    I sighted a single wild boar that was grazing in the open and I took aim with the Assassin''s compact crossbow like a pistol and aligned the sights and took aim at the rump of the beast. It was a distance less than 50 meters and with my high damage rating, all it took was a single shot.


    After the animal went down, the choice of two was on my visual and I chose the pork chops instead. "That''s the way to do it. But if you don''t succeed with 4 bolts, unleash the next one." I said as I handed to Kayla her Assassin''s compact crossbow and I soon targeted the next wild boar for them.


    After I had ''laser'' the target and at the count of three, 4 bolts were shot and it went through the wild boar like a hot needle through butter. I hit the rump, the other two hit the body and another somehow ended at the snout.


    Kayla was giggling because she was the one who shot the wild boar''s snout. Even though it didn''t kill the beast but somehow managed to injure it. The other bolts did massive damage and the animal fell to its side.


    Another one was sighted and this time it was Ingles turn to giggle as she shot the ass of the beast. "Hii Hii Hii... Kayla for the snout and I got the ass. Hii Hii Hii. This is fun, Daddy..." as we all giggled at their antics and soon each one took turns to pick up the pork chops and hide.


    "Daddy, what are we going to do with the hide? The bristles were so rough I don''t think is good to be used as a carpet or a blanket." Adam said as he for the hide into his own storage bag.


    "You can sell it to the merchant by the name if NoOne. That''s where Daddy used to sell all kinds of useless items to him and got back credits."


    "It says here, sells for 15 credits. Which means we would collect 10 hides and sell them for 150 credits, right Daddy?" Ingles spoke up as she too had picked up a wild boar''s hide some time back.


    "Yes... No matter what we do we must watch our surroundings ok? Do you see that horde of wild boars near the wall there? That''s the entrance to the Troll Cave. The trolls keep these wild boars for their game and livestock."


    "There''s about 50 to 60 of them and once we shoot one in an upwind, they could smell us and charge at us. Be very careful. It''s not the time yet, so we can hunt those faster rabbits or even faster deers."


    "This would help you to be familiar with your Assassin compact crossbow. Come, let''s hunt some more and we would return before midday and break for lunch. I will ask Uncle Prius to look at your stats because Daddy can''t view them at all." I said as I ushered the children to NoOne''s camp and offload the hides for credits.


    "No wonder you kept all those pork chops with you, Daddy, it''s only 2 credits for each piece. Better save it and let Uncle Silas have it to cook for the Keating Day Care Centre," said Jane as she observed the prices and decides not to sell them. The hides would be good enough to sell and gain their wealth.


    After a while I let them hunt on their own as I moved with them and observe the situation. As I could enable my Stealth, I could creep along without any detection as I bring them to hunt deer and some fast hopping rabbits.


    Seeing those cute rabbits, they decided not to shoot at them. The children also were inclined to shoot at the deers too so we settled for wild boars instead. After we had hunted around 50 to 60 wild boars, we sold the hides to NoOne and heads back to Northern Gates.


    "I''ve got 10 pork chops with 5 types of meat per chop, how many have you got Kayla?"


    "Uhmm... I''ve only got 9, and yes I''ve got 5 slices of meat each too. Jane, how many have you got?"


    "I''ve got 11 so far, it''s a tiring job yes being a game hunter? Adam, I think you''ve got the most today... How many do you have actually?"


    "Hmm, hehe... I''ve got 15 pork chops and each group has 5 lumps of meat too. Too bad NoOne cannot raise the price higher or else we would be selling half and bringing back half." he said as he gleefully checked his storage bag and saw the credits in them after selling the hides.


    "Well, at least you do quite alright for the first day... What are you going to do with these meats? Don''t tell me all of you would just keep it inside your storage bags?"


    "Daddy, you ever told us that as long as you keep those meats inside the storage bag, the meats won''t get spoil, right?" Ingles pointed it out since she wanted to keep some and decides to learn how to make the pork chops that were sold in the marketplace.


    "Yes, somehow once meat stored inside our storage bags won''t get spoil. Don''t ask me why but I think time stood still when anything stored in there. Heh, like a big freezer or some kind."


    "I want to give half to Uncle Silas at Strongbow Tavern. How about Jane, you want to give half as well so Uncle Silas would prepare the meats and cook for the children at Keating Day Care Centre?" said Kayla as she patted her side where she had slung her storage bag.


    All the children''s storage bag looked like a small sling bag but in fact, virtually it''s a huge storage bag that could simply fit the whole house furnishings in them. Hah hah hah...


    When we are about to enter, we saw a group of teenagers who seemed to be new adventurers and an adult was accompanying them. From their gear, 2 looked like Rangers while another one is an Assassin. I hope they do not go and hurt themselves on the first day of adventuring.


    They were eyeing the Assassin''s compact crossbow that was slung on the side waistbelt of our children and they wished to lay their hands on those newly designed compact crossbows instead of their cumbersome crossbows that they had brought with them.


    "Good luck, Mister Grundy...!" greeted Adam who knew of the House of Grundy as they passed us by and he waved at them as the teenagers waved back too.


    "Daddy, the House of Keating, what kind of adventurers and knowledge do they actually impart? It was used to be the top well-known House in Ingmery, but since Mister Keating is no more, only left Uncle Prius and Mummy who never take arms."


    "We have fallen to the last tier in the ranked of Houses." Ingles inquired since they knew abit about the history of the Houses and asked me about the future since I am the new household for the Keating.


    "One thing for sure is that we have the Keating Armoured Fashion Apparel, Keating Enhanced Weapon Supplies, Keating Day Care Centre, Beauty World HQ and 7 Beauty World Production Plants. Not forgetting Strongbow Tavern, Blake''s Blacksmith, Bruce''s Bowsmith and Central Atelier are now operating under the House of Keating too."


    "We have 15 travelling merchant caravans and 15 delivery caravans to cover the whole of the 87 towns around Ingmery. Just 9 of these towns bring us 450k credits which are about 50k per town and close to 5m credits by the end of the 87 towns altogether."


    "We may be low in terms of adventurers and House ranking, but we definitely come up tops in terms of financial. Don''t forget, if anyone sneers at you or bully you, ask them where they get the clothes and weapons from. That would shut them up." I advised the children because I don''t want our children to be bullied.


    Since the first day they were being employed in Beauty World, they were taught to be humble and not fight back against those idiots. I always say, "The DOGS bark, but the caravans MOVE along their way."


    When we reached Strongbow Tavern, the children all gave 3 pork chops each containing 15 lumps of meat each to Silas Brown and he gladly accepted them as he could make minced meats, sweet buns, jerkies and smoked meats with them.


    This is for the children at Keating''s Day Care Centre and furthermore, it is free of charge. At least this meat would be able to last for 2 to 3 days meals for the children in the daycare centre.


    Wherever we passed by, the passersby clasped their hands to their chest as a sign of their respect for us, maybe because we are the household of the House of Keating, but most importantly our reputation has made the citizens be in a healthier condition than before. Not only they feel good but they feel happier and more beautiful especially for the ladies.


    Next, we went over to the cookhouse and each contributed 3 pork chops as well and the cooks were glad to receive it from the kids. The rest would be for our children to keep and distribute accordingly.


    All this while, what Ingles had said to me was buried deep in my mind. There is some truth about what she said about our House ranking to be at the last within Central Ingmery and undoubtedly the last on the whole of Ingmery.


    I wondered how to build our House reputation to be ranked the highest in the whole of Ingmery when I suddenly thought of going to visit the Council Chambers for the Northern and Southern part of town. Maybe they could shed some light on it and I could gather how many Houses there are altogether.


    Maybe meddling in some governmental issues won''t hurt for the House of Keating, am I right?

 Chapter 80 - 80. A Hungry Man Is An Angry Man...

    "Hello children, how was your hunting today? Did you get many wild boars today?" Patricia greeted us as we sauntered in and washed our hands and faces before we all sat down at the Great Hall.


    "It''s been great Mummy, I shot a wild boar through its nose... And ingles shot one near its asshole... Hii Hii..." Kayla answered and she laughed at her foolishness when she thought she did aimed at the neck but ended hitting the side of the snout.


    "We''ve got quite a lot today and we gave away to the cookhouse and to Uncle Silas to prepare for the daycare centre. We still have a few with us and we could have roasted pork chops later on, can we, Mummy?" said Jane as she checked and find that she still has quite a number of pieces left.


    "We didn''t want to shoot at rabbits and deers, they looked too cute to be killed for meat. It''s better we go for slower, uglier beasts instead. Even though most of the time they were grazing the fields, somehow it''s an easier target than swinging our crossbow around to hunt for those quicker ones. Daddy says it''s to build our reflexes, is that right Daddy?


    Ingles was pointing out to me and I was lost in thoughts when I realised that Ingles was talking to me. "Oh, I''m sorry Ingles, Daddy was deep in thought. Yes, to hunt those quicker ones is to build your reflexes where you need to hit a moving target as accurately as possible."


    Actually, I wasn''t lost in thoughts but I received a whole set of notifications stating that I had completed the duplication of the 5 items and had gained 1250% progress that had made me leap a few base levels, crafting levels and earn some more allocation points.


    All the items were automatically transferred into my storage bag and I went over to the space where I placed the weapons before and with a single swipe of my hand, the 250 pieces of battle axes, two-handed Broadsword, Assassin''s compact crossbow, mages hat and mages long overcoat were displayed in neat stacks on the floor.


    I sat down with the children again and I opened up the topic of the ranking of the Houses in Ingmery and finds out from Prius that there are a total of 12 Houses in Ingmery itself. We had already known about the houses here in Central and for the Northern District we have the 5 different Houses and each House represent each Class. The same goes to the Southern District.


    As for the ranking, yes... House of Keating was indeed ranked at the 14th standings. It was quite miserable to hear that but in terms of wealth and reputation, we were in top position and it would take many years for the second runner up to catch up. It was all thanks to the business development from the House of Keating.


    As we were about to settle for lunch with the freshly roasted pork which was marinated with salt, tomato sauce and black pepper, our front door was knocked furiously and someone was calling for me from the outside. As the door was swung open, am apprentice apparently from Blake''s was at the door.


    "Mister Macleod, you better hurry. There''s an incident at our Blacksmith as the 2 other Blacksmith from the Northern and Southern had come to stir some trouble."


    "They wanted Blake to produce Level 4 iron ingots but all he could produce was close to Level 2 but had failed. He doesn''t want to expose you but he''s stuck at this moment and can''t provide any answers at all."


    "Please hurry..." and the apprentice left hurriedly to Blake''s leaving me on wonder what could have happened to stir up such problems. Then I remembered when I looked at the pieces that were ready to be picked up for distribution and sale.


    I swiped all the weapons back into my storage and told the children and Patricia not to worry. It had happened before and the outcome for the results is still the same. I left without my lunch and walked gingerly towards the marketplace where a small group of people were gathering to watch the commotion.


    I walked in and some of the people recognised me and made a path to let me pass through. They were talking in a hushed manner but when I got inside 2 burly looking men were raiding their voice at Blake who somehow was cowering in his seat and even he himself is a burly man, right now he looked like a tiny dwarf to me.


    The moment I stepped in, a beam of hope flashed on Blake''s face as I introduced myself, "Good noon my good gentlemen, what can we do for you in the House of Keating Blacksmith." by using the phrase House of Keating instead of Blake''s Blacksmith put me in an upper hand position to deal with those so-called intruders.


    "Eh... Is it Blake''s Blacksmith and when did it change? Why is the store''s signboard didn''t indicate anything about the House of Keating instead? And who might you be, young man?" queried one of the burly men whom I later learnt was called Quentin from the Northern District while the other was named Romulus from the Southern.


    "Mister Blake here is our employee and I am the owner of this Blacksmith for a week now. My name is not important but you can call me, ''Father''." I simply replied and not a bit intimidated by these two men.


    "Father? Are you some kind of priest because clearly, you are not since you are in the lowest level of Armour Class," said Quentin as he held his hand on my shoulders, seemingly wanting to put pressure on it to intimidate me somehow.


    But the scowl on his face disappeared when he touched my shoulder which happens to have a pair of leather pauldron that were fused with Level 4 Iron making it Mesh Iron Reinforced Pauldron with an armour rating of +80.


    He could sense something was off from the leather pauldron and his finger slightly brushed the edges and discovered that it somehow had been reinforced but he could put his finger around it.


    "Look here, Father... House of Keating... I mean Blake here is trying to destroy my business in the North."


    "Yes, the same goes to mine in the South. He had been selling these Level 4 weapons and had been keeping mum all this while. He had not told us where and how he managed to procure these pieces." rebuked Romulus as he moved forward and tried to jab Blake in the chest with his stubby fingers.


    "We tried him to produce the Level 4 but his skills were not up to ours since we both are Level 2 Blacksmith and on the way becoming Level 3 Blacksmith. Our little friend here is still producing Level 1 iron pieces... BBAAHH..." and Quentin suddenly sucked in his throat and spat thick yellowish phlegm and nearly landed at my boots.


    "WHAT THE FUCK! YOU WANT TROUBLE, HERE COMES TROUBLE, YOU FUCKTARDS..." I screamed literally in my head. A person who does that has no respect towards the other party and in the underworld, his face would be smacked hard with a 2x4 so that he would learn some manners after losing some of his teeth.


    "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... This is not the place where you could just spit your saliva around, Mister Quentin. This is a place of business and this is also the House of Keating Blacksmith. I emphasise again, Blake here is our employee and we have every right to protect our employees'' interest." I tried to be a reasoning person and not to lose my cool and kick their balls in front of the public, for now, I represent the House of Keating and not just a Macleod.


    "So, maybe you could be honest with us. Where does your puny, cowardly Blake the employee here get his little girlie hands-on Level 4 iron pieces? From you, I suppose... Mister F A T H E R?" Romulus was clearly out to destroy Blake and the business that House of Keating had taken over and clearly these two men were out creating trouble.

 Chapter 81 - 81. Better Listen When Your Father Speaks

    "As a matter of fact, he did get it from me. I may not be much to look at right now but I am also a Blacksmith just like Blake and the both of you. So if the both of you wanted to have a live demonstration, then let your F A T H E R demonstrate it to you free of charge. But there''s a small condition."


    "HAH... You really have a BIG mouth for a small puny body of yours. YOU could produce Level 4 iron pieces? You must be kidding us right now, am I right?" it was Romulus turn to jab his fingers at my chest that was adorned with my Level 4 Iron Mesh Reinforced Studded Leather Armour. When his fingers jabbed at me, his scowl on his face disappeared just like Quentin before.


    He too was unable to distinguish the type of armour I was wearing as it looked like a simple, cheap studded leather armour. "So what if you said you could produce Level 4 iron ingots? TALK is cheap, little man," said Romulus and Quentin whispered something in his ears that no one could hear.


    "You look like in your early twenties. Do you know how long a person needs to keep on forging to upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2? You said you could do a Level 4 and each level takes up at least 5 to 8 years of his life. Don''t tell me your MOMMA lets you handle a hammer when you are a newborn baby?" Quentin mocked me but when he mocked my mother... This is another level of disrespect and this means W-A-R...!!!


    I acted cool and reasonable and tried to act as rational as I could. I took off my body armour and my leather pauldron and removed my mesh iron tunic as well. I don''t want them to realise I was wearing armour from head to toe except for my boxers. Hah hah hah...


    "So do you want to listen to my condition or you still wanted to continue yapping like puppies in a cage? All bark and no bite?" I said as I took a leather apron and put on my shirtless body. My chest and arms muscles did ripple a bit since I had worked out for quite some time in the Blacksmithing Zone of the Realm of Mind.


    "You still are a strong-headed, stubborn little kid. How do we know you even from the House of Keating? For all, we know there''s only Prius and the sweet ass Patricia. Alright, quit playing with us. Either you or Blake tells us where you get those Level 4 Iron pieces or we going to LEVEL this store down... " mocked Romulus since he thought that I am going to be a little pushover for these two idiots.


    "I am sure a stubborn little kid. Look, if I can''t produce a Level 2 iron piece after this, I''m gladly going to hand over the store to you and I will give you 10 million credits as well. How about that?" I said as I withdrew my coin pouch that had a little more than 10 million credits and showed it to them.


    I juggled the coin pouch and the two men knew automatically that the pouch does contain the said amount. Their eyes were like crazed wolves as they watched the pouch like they were watching rabbit meat that was being juggled in my hands.


    I stopped juggling the pouch and asked them, "What if I could make a Level 2 or 3 or even Level 6 iron piece? What could you offer me?" I asked but the two men hardly answer me but stared intently at the pouch.


    "HOY... listen to YOUR FATHER speaks when he talks. YOUR FATHER asked you again, what would you offer if YOUR FATHER could produce Level 2 or 3 or even Level 6 Iron piece?" the crowd that had gathered outside Blake''s was getting larger and rowdier as some were placing bets if I could or could not even process a higher grade level of iron pieces after this.


    "HAH... If you could make a higher grade iron than me, I will buy the whole store''s worth of goods. Come at me and try me, kid." Romulus pushed me aside as he walked to the furnace and picked an iron ore and threw it in the furnace.


    "Are you sure you are going to buy everything in this store which includes the one in my storage as well? There''s 250 battle axes, two-handed Broadsword and also an Assassin''s compact crossbow. All these alone would set you back 7.5 million credits and the whole weapons in this store would cost another 2.5 million and that would be 10 million credits.


    "Come at me and try me, old man... Nyeh Nyeh Nyeh..." I said and somehow I don''t know what''s up with these men. They seemed that money is nothing to them or just greed in levelling their competition. Like what my mother used to say, EGO will blind a man...


    "Ten million credits is nothing for me, kid. I accept your challenge, you stupid snobbish sonofabitch. Let YOUR FATHER show you how to forge... Go sit there in the corner and suck your thumb. Let the expert show you how it''s done and by that time, this Blacksmith is DONE... HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA..." Romulus said as he started the bellows and pumped until the coals turned to bright red.


    He picked up the piece of iron ore and placed it on the anvil. He then took a 45-pound hammer, hoisted up on his shoulder and flex his arms as he showed the massive bulging muscles in his left biceps and he kissed both of them before he started hammering.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Piak!*


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Piak!*


    The hammering made sparks flew as if the day was ablaze with fireworks within the store.


    I was eating a packet of cheese flavoured Cheetos on the floor when I heard a *Piak* sound. Don''t tell me the idiot who was hammering was grinding his hips at the anvil after every 5 hammerings. When I heard peals of laughter from the outside, I can''t help to peer from Blake''s side and saw the idiot was hammering and at the same time slapping his butt.


    "DAFUQ... this idiot was trying to mock the House of Keating and the Blacksmith store or what?" I thought to myself as I peered as when he slapped his butt, it seemed to jiggle a bit. Blake who was sitting in his chair can''t help but frown and rubbed his temples at the thought of the humiliation that he had to face right now.


    Not only the *Piak* sounds reminded him of his nocturnal throes with his missus, but he is also in favour of round, firm butts. Seems that years of forging sure develops strong butts after all.


    I can''t be bothered and continue eating my chips and once I was done, I ate another one called Nova, a lightly spiced corn chips and I munched through the rhythm of the hammering except for the *Piak* part.


    "Ssiizzllee... Sspplluutteerr..." the ready iron ingot was thrown into a bucket of water and Romulus wiped away his sweat and asked someone from the crowd who knew about metallurgy to inspect the iron ingot that he had produced.


    Suddenly a character from other novel peeked in and said he was also had a bit of knowledge on these pieces. His name was Fabrigas or something like that and he held the warm iron ingot piece in his hand and said, "This is clearly a Level 2 iron piece and is close to Level 3 in a few months time."


    When the crowd heard it, they can''t help but cheered and clapped loudly. Now, it is my turn as I walked over and I threw not one, not two but three pieces of iron ores inside the furnace. When I threw the three pieces of iron ores, I heard that I was a big show-off and is going to bring Blake shop down.


    Some of the men started to argue while they were being argued back. Those who were supporting me can be counted less than 2 hands. (Its a quote saying that it got less than 10 supporters, my dear readers)


    I raised my hands to grab everyone''s attention after I threw the iron ores on the furnace. "Sir Fabrigas, we had made a bet earlier, if I can''t top what he had made, this store would belong to these duos here plus 10 million credits in my pouch. However, if I can top that, they will buy all the weapons here including the ones inside my storage for 10 million credits. Is that right, Romulus and Quentin?"


    "Yeah, that''s right kid. Now just admit defeat, throwing 3 pieces of iron ores into the furnace doesn''t mean a thing. Come on... Just throw in the towel. You don''t have to do anything. Just hand over the shop to us." said Quentin in an intimidating tone and was stopped by Fabrigas as he said, "This bet is fair if he cannot beat you, this store belongs to you guys plus 10 million credits. If he can be better, produce a Level 3 iron ingot, then this bet is won by him."


    "Get ready kid... We are all waiting here," said Fabrigas in a gentle voice. And so I asked Blake to pass me the heaviest hammer he got and he reached for the 60 pounders and carried it over to me.

 Chapter 82 - 82. We Will, We Will, Rock You...

    In order to humiliate these idiotic Romulus and Quentin, I made a pained expression when I dragged the 60-pound hammer across the floor and when everyone saw what was happening, they all laughed and the loudest was from the two blacksmiths.


    "HAHA HAHA HAHA... you seem to be constipated, kid. Nah... Take this hammer instead and starts hammering. We have all day because this shop belongs to us already..." Quentin laughed the hardest when he handed me a ball pein hammer that merely weighs just under 3 pounds.


    I huffed and puffed when I worked the bellows and the moment I did that, Blake realised I was putting a show and he took his apron to cover his face as he smiled and sniggered. After he had satisfied snickering, he let his apron down and pretend to rub his temples and shook his head from side to side.


    The crowd had formed almost to a hundred men and they were laughing when they saw and realised what had happened. Some gave up watching since they thought that I was done for and would have to leave town in shame afterwards. The men who recognised me and watched intently, arms folded across their chest and watched with bated breaths.


    I acted as if the heat from the furnace was unbearable and picked the pieces of iron ores while shielding my face from the heat. It was all in pretence and when I carried the hammer, again I pretended it was too heavy for me to lift. In fact, it was an ideal weight after all.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    The three iron ores were dancing on the anvil as I hammered and hummed a tune as well right after I had controlled my breathing and transfer all the heat into my right arm.


    The moment the 2 men heard the perfect hammering sounds and watched that the 3 pieces of iron ores were not even dancing about but stayed in their positions after each hammering, they looked in surprise and in silence. "This kid can sure hammer..."


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!*


    *Tink! WE! Tink! WILL! Tink! WE! Tink! WILL! Tink! ROCK Tink! YOU!*


    The apprentices of Blake''s knew what I was humming and suddenly every hammering of mine was followed by a rhythmic sound and music as the apprentices started to sing along my humming. It started soft but worked into a fervour soon after.


    ....


    *Stomp Stomp Clap* Stomp Stomp Clap*


    We will, we will, rock you


    We will, we will, rock you


    Buddy, you''re a boy, make a big noise


    Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday


    You got mud on your face, you big disgrace


    Kicking your can all over the place, singin''


    We will, we will, rock you


    We will, we will, rock you


    Buddy, you''re a young man, hard man


    Shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday


    You got blood on your face, you big disgrace


    Waving your banner all over the place


    We will, we will, rock you, sing it!


    We will, we will, rock you, yeah


    Buddy, you''re an old man, poor man


    Pleading with your eyes, gonna get you some peace someday


    You got mud on your face, big disgrace


    Somebody better put you back into your place, do it!


    ....


    The apprentices stomped on the floor twice and clapped their hands once to the rhythm of my hammering as they sang the song that I hummed and repeated it twice. This worked up the crowd of men outside and they all followed with the stomping and clapping and even Fabrigas were tapping his feet away.


    "DIE LAH NOW... WE KENA PLAYOUT BIG TIME..." hollered Quentin as he watched me hammered each piece with precision. He can work with two pieces but three pieces need years of practice. Furthermore, he noticed that the iron pieces even though it jumped up after being hammered but it stayed in place when the hammer was brought down again.


    "WHAT THE FUCK XIA... THEN HOW? XIA LA... DAMN CHIALAT ALREADY..." cried Quentin as he knew that they were done for. The young man that looked amateurish had trouble pumping the bellows and carrying the hammer is now hammering using the 60 pounders like it was a 15 pounder one.


    "YOUR FAULT LA, KNN...I SHOULDN''T HAVE LISTENED TO YOU..." cried Quentin as for right now, they somehow knew the tables were turned against them. The young man in front of them could easily make a Level 3 and even though its a marginal difference, but its a major win for the young man and Blake.


    After 450 of constant hammering I put down the hammer and I used a tong to throw the iron piece into the bucket of water where it made a sharp whistle unlike the one made by the earlier piece. The water on the bucket suddenly bubbled over and when it''s finally settled down, the neutral person judging this bet whose name is Fabrigas, reached in and took out the piece.


    The crowd inched forward to hear the ultimate decisive final say from this Fabrigas guy when he suddenly remarked, "Kid, are you kidding me? I have my say but let this two men take a look at your work." and tossed the warm piece of the iron ingot to Quentin.


    When the piece landed in his palms, he can''t help but cried out like a baby and passed the piece to Romulus who received it with trembling hands. "IT CANNOT BE TRUE..." and collapsed to the ground and buried his face in his hands. If he could at that precise moment, he would dig a hole and bury himself there and then.


    Blake took the piece from Romulus that had fallen from his hands and when he held it, he too felt a tremble from his hands down to his feet and looked at the piece with mouth wide open.


    Blake looked at the piece, then looked at me and then to Fabridies and back again to the piece in his hands. "ARE YOU A DEMIGOD?" Blake asked as I took the piece from Blake''s hands and passed it to Fabrigas and I simply said, "Please, you may state your verdict now, Mister Fabrigas..."


    "This piece here can only be forged by someone who has attained many years of training. And this piece here is something that I even myself has not seen for a very long time in my whole life. I myself was an apprentice to a Forge Master before, but this piece... IS A LEVEL 10 IRON INGOT... I repeat myself again, a LEVEL 10 IRON INGOT. Can you men outside repeat what I had just said? "


    "LEVEL 10 IRON INGOT..." choruses everyone and finally the decisive mention had been announced as Fabrigas spoke up, "WE HAVE A WINNER... Please pay up 10 million credits to this young man, and young man, please produce the 750 pieces of weapons that you had mentioned earlier that is inside your storage bags."


    "Quick... I need to rush back to my other novel. The MC and my daughter is waiting for me back home. I need to get back and straighten out that situation as well. If I need anything I would be looking for you here in this smithy." Fabrigas said hurriedly as I swooped my hand aside and produced 250 Level 4 iron battle-axes, two-handed Broadsword and Assassin''s compact crossbow.


    "Now gentlemen, this young man has defeated you not one fold, not two-fold but actually five folds. Pay up the 10 million credits now or I will get the jailer to place you in jail for inciting the mass for a wrong reason and this would set you back 10 to 20 years in prison." Fabrigas commanded as Quentin and Romulus had no choice but produce 5 million credits each and transfer it to me.


    "Boo Hoo Hoo... How are we going to face the public now? We lost... For the first time... To a kid... Here in our own... backyard... Boo Hoo Hoo..." cried Quentin with snot literally dangling from his nostril. Romulus had a scrawny alley cat on his face that had caught his tongue and he can''t peel the cat away. His eyes were like a burst tap and streams were flowing down his face.


    Not only they had lost, but they also had lost their respect and reputation and definitely, they had lost the trust from the would-be customers that were watching at the storefront.


    Talk about these two failed Blacksmith will be like wildfire and it will not only spread within Ingmery but also to the 80+ towns around Ingmery as well.


    "I believe this is mine," I said as I pocketed the Level 10 iron ingot inside my pocket and I spoke to Blake and said "And I believe this is yours." as I handed him 7.5 million credits. "Where''s Bruce, the bowsmith?" and when Bruce appeared I passed him 2.5 million credits for his Assassin''s Compact Crossbow.


    "This is too...ouch...!" I cut off Bruce''s statement by putting my finger to my lips and kicked his shin to shut him up. When I looked for Fabrigas, he had silently slithered away into the crowd and out in his way back to his other novel.


    I saw men outside changing credits into those who had believed in me and I clasped my hands to my chest as a sign of appreciation. Romulus and Quentin dragged themselves out and when they were a short distance away, the crowd pelted the duo with rotten tomatoes and rocks even as each of them made their way to the Northern and Southern District.


    They are going to be licking their wounds right until their two feet were in a graveyard. "Audemars, the Assassin''s crossbow doesn''t cost this much...its only 5000 credits and 250 pieces would only cost 1.25 million credits. There''s an excess of 1.25 million credits." Bruce finally said when the men had dispersed from the store and only left Blake, him and me.


    The children, Patricia, Prius and Rebecca came in a short while later when they finally are able to enter the store when the crowd had totally dispersed.


    "Keep the balance, Bruce. Just hand me 40% based on the actual selling price." and Blake also added by saying about his weapons, "Audemars, both my weapons cost 6k and 7k respectively. It only adds up to 3,506,000 credits and I have an excess of 3,994,000 credits. This is way too much already..."


    "Same goes to you Blake, keep the balance and just hand me the 40% based on your selling price back to me. Both of you just hand the money in to Patricia. Today, we had cleared 10 million credits in sales and excess profits for both stores." I simply said and when everyone heard that both stores had gotten a sum of 10 million credits, blood seems to flow from their nose and ears since to earn even a 10k credits would take close to a year or even two years of saving.


    "10 million credits? How many zeros are there?" asked Kayla when she heard that her Daddy could achieve such a feat by the time he left the house without any lunch and by the time everyone managed to enter the store.


    Patricia''s interface rang when she received 6 million credits from Blake and 1.5 million from Bruce. Since these men did not fork out a single credit for these investments, they decided to transfer the funds and felt right if they exceed the agreed amount to us.


    "There''s a little something for your children, Audemars. Please accept the extras. Without you, House of Keating, we would be living off the streets right now." Bruce said as he made his final decision on handing us the extras.


    "Not only you had saved our business, but you had saved us from the brink of despair and depression. We and our families are forever indebted to you," added Blake and Bruce nodded in agreement.


    "Daddy...You''re the BEST IN THE WORLD, isn''t that right, Mummy?" exclaimed Kayla as she looked and tugged at Patricia''s sleeve who had just received 7.5 million credits inside the account of hers as she was too shocked to even blink or even say anything to her husband and the children.

 Chapter 83 - 83. Sirius, The Archmage In The Southern Ingmery

    "Heh... I guess I have to go and get the wisps to make the battle axes, two-handed Broadsword and the Assassin''s compact crossbow again eh? Your customers would be dying to get their hands on it. Remember, each of the pieces was sold at a sinful amount of 10k credits, but so far I had known that your Assassin''s compact Crossbow, Battle axes and the two-handed broadswords would be sold at 5k, 6k and 7k."


    "Stick to that price and even if those idiots matched the price, they would eventually lose a lot of money in the end. Don''t you worry guys, as you had sworn your oath and allegiance to the House of Keating, you will always be under our protection."


    "I''ve missed my lunch just because of those idiots and I really need a break from today. Come, children, let''s head to Waffle Town and get us some chops, steaks, burgers and fries... Hehehe." I spoke as if these restaurants are available during that time and only available in the novel called, ''Werewolves and Vampires - A Shapeshifter''s Tale''


    "Yeay..." choruses our children and they knew I''m only kidding on Waffle Town and heads to Beauty World store while we summoned up the street vendors and we ate our early mid-afternoon snacks while sitting at the benches. I had 2 chicken chops with dripping gravy, potato wedges and sweetmeat buns. I placed the food on my lap as I savoured each bite and the children, as well as the other 3 adults, also had their mid-afternoon snacks as well.


    "All this excitement really worked up an appetite," I said as I somehow visualised 10 million credits from a 1.4 million credit pouch when I showed the idiotic duo that I had 10 million which in fact was an illusion for them. Greed and Ego sure makes one blind...


    "Daddy, how did you become such a genius like who you are now? Do you mind telling us abit of yourself besides being in the Legion as well on Oddfish? We knew that there''s no such place as Oddfish Town because it''s not even marked on the maps at all." Adam asked as he began to probe into my history which I had kept hidden for all this while.


    "Well, children... All I can say that time will only tell. It would be dangerous if I were to tell you now because what I''m going to tell you would not exist in the history books and also on the maps."


    "You need to have a world map to actually know what I''m talking about. But rest assured, one day you would be able to tell when you''re a bit older. You just become a Macleod and I don''t want you to disappear into the clouds if I were to tell you now."


    "Daddy, you are being silly, you know..." Ingles said as she nudged Adam and signalled him to shut up and not ask too many things because she somehow saw my distant look in my eyes as I look back into my past and the leaps that I had made and ended in this era.


    The only person that can relate well to this would be my wife, Patricia who had somehow talked to me in my sleep and discovered a bit about myself in a jumble of mashed-up names and events during my leaps. Seeing me suddenly grew quiet she took a potato wedge and stuffed into my mouth and I woke up from my stupor.


    Even Prius and Rebecca knew something was a bit off from the look in my eyes and dismissed it due to fatigue since I was hammering away for 450 times in Blake''s. Somehow, only Prius was able to see through my system as he scanned me from time to time. I still wondered how to be could do that... Or is he someone that leapt like me as well?


    I wonder... But I dismissed the thoughts since he looked like a normal person from this era as well. Soon, we finished our meal and since we didn''t enter the store and it was only in the afternoon so no one came by to purchase any of the products.


    After having the snacks and spoiling my appetite for dinner, we all head to the Atelier and hands the completed Mages'' gear and back to the Great Hall. I went to my room and meditated to enter the Realm of Mind and started to duplicate the weapons that had been ''sold'' to the two idiots, Quentin and Romulus. Once I had queued the duplication in the Fusion Chambers, I headed back to the real world.


    "Tell us what happens, Daddy... We were not being able to enter because there were hundreds of people swarming the storefront. When we teach there the crowd were singing, stamping their feet and clapping their hands. We wondered what had happened so we waited outside. Once the crowd moved away, we all went inside."


    Jane pleaded as she wanted to know what''s the whole story about. And so the children gathered at my feet as I told the story from head to toe as I showed how dramatic I was when I lifted the hammer and everything. This kept the children for about an hour as Rebecca and Patricia were in the kitchen preparing dinner.


    Hearing me retold the stories to the children made the two snickered as it was a rather comical narration on my part especially when Quentin and Romulus received the piece of forged iron by me after Fabrigas has passed to them.


    "Daddy, tell us more about the House of Keating, what type of adventurers do you take in and what type of knowledge do you impart to them?" asked Jane who was curious that we hadn''t had any Adventurer asking for membership or getting any quests and so on.


    "Ah... Uncle Prius is the right person to tell us, right?" I gestured to Prius to tell a bit more of Keating''s history and its background.


    Prius began to tell the children on the legacy of House of Keating that began by his great grandparents and how the foundation started from a small cottage and was made up of adventurers from all walks of life. They were mainly farmers who protected their lands using pitchforks and garden hoes which later became spears, pikes and Warhammer.


    It looked rather shabby at that time, and whatever the farmers and hunters could lay their hands on, that became their weapon that served to protect what''s theirs. They do not have the mind to plunder anyone''s land but merely to protect their own interests.


    So the cottage grew into a larger house as time goes by and the adventurers contribute to the building of this Great Hall eventually and had more than 100 members. Eventually, all able-bodied men were called up through several battles and slowly the men vanquished, so did the House of Pallemon, House of Grundy and the House of Light.


    The members dwindled and what was left was their guilds. Right now with the emergence of me in the household, people began to take notice and taken an interest back in their old professions and right now the three Houses mentioned had begun to take in memberships.


    As for the House of Keating, even though it does not have memberships at the moment, Audemars and the 4 children make up the pioneers. As for the knowledge, Prius himself has nothing to impart but he sure is looking forward to Audemars as he was scanned and to be the potential candidate to superseded the memberships.


    It may not be the approach of taking arms, but what Audemars had done, it was towards the economic structure instead and that was more than sufficient. With the added revenue that Audemars had gotten from the sales of the weapons earlier, and also the sales of the beauty products around the 87 towns, it was more than enough to sustain House of Keating for a very long time.


    The children when they heard the background and future standings of House of Keating, began to mutter their oohhs and aahhs and discovered that they and their Daddy had become pioneers in the House.


    Furthermore with their Daddy''s variety of Classes and Professions unlocked, they would learn a more diversified knowledge rather than being in a single class alone.


    "So Daddy, that means you are a Warrior, Wizard, Ranger and Assassin as well at this moment? Wow... Daddy is so cool... So you would be able to switch your classes as and when needed right, depending on the situation?" Adam asked as he is interested too to become a versatile fighter rather than to stick with one class. It would be good to be ranged and close quarter combat fighter, rather than being a Ranger all the while.


    "What does a Wizard do, Daddy? You didn''t wear a Mages hat or even a long overcoat and not even the stick that the Wizard used to carry around." Kayla asked me and everyone laughed when Kayla referred the staff as a stick even though the staff may be made of wood.


    "A Wizard normally is a healer and a conjurer using natural forces. Some Wizards can do both but their skills would be halved. Some wizards chose to heal while others chose to be a long-range offensive mage."


    "There are wizards who would use fire, frost or lightning. As for Daddy, I could only use Fire since I had not learnt about Frost or Lightning before. And I am also a Healer as well." I explained and the children were delighted to hear that I could heal and attack at the same time.


    "How about the Warrior Class, Daddy? Do you always battle upfront using your sword and shield?" Jane asked as she noticed that I had a long sword and a dagger with me. "A warrior class is an up-close and personal battle when your crossbows proved to be ineffective at close range due to the reloading and firing."


    "Furthermore, it would always good to have a short sword handy in case you were jumped by enemies that managed to sneak up on you. In the case of a wild boar, they might be angered if you do not manage to kill it with 2 bolts and in the end, these wild boars would be charging against you. That''s the time you would deal the last blow to them."


    "Eehh...Jane, why are you asking about the warrior class? Do you think it''s cute to bring along a sword, shield and a crossbow all at the same time? It would be hard to aim, shoot and kill those wild boars."


    "Daddy, do you think we would be able to perform a one-shot kill like you? Even hitting the backside of a wild boar would also kill it. How about the snout, would you be able to kill it too?" Kayla asked since she would not dream of carrying too many equipments out in the field when hunting and also the idea of me being able to do a one-shot kill with Kayla''s compact one-handed crossbow.


    "Prius, I am unable to see the children stats and attributes, do you think they have a system to check and also allocate their points, whatsoever? I find it weird how come I can''t others but you can see mine." I implored to Prius and to help check for me the children''s attributes, stats and classes.


    "Ah, you need to unlock one more profession my dear brother in law. Go to the Archmage Tower in the Southern District and the person whom you need to meet is called Sirius. Here, bring this letter with you, its an official letter given to all the Houses here. Only with this letter would grant you entry and meet with the Archmage."


    Prius handed me a scroll with a gold ribbon set on an old parchment. It looked pretty old and worn as if it was handed down generations ago. Upon receiving it, I stored it inside the storage bag.

 Chapter 84 - 84. Ive Finally Found What Im Looking For.

    "Daddy, Daddy... Would you be going to meet the Archmage now? Could we follow you along, please...?" Kayla pleaded as she too wanted to follow and tail me whenever she could. The rest of the children were excited since they had not been to the Southern District and wanted to see how it looked like especially the monsters.


    "Heh... All of you can follow me but you only have to wait for me outside, ok? Don''t venture elsewhere especially the Southern Gates. I know all of you are excited to see what''s on the other side. But let me tell you, the grass is never greener on the other side and it would be best to stick to the wild boars instead for this moment."


    "There''s trolls, goblins, an occasional bear it two and Imps in the Northern Forest which you had not even ventured yet. There''s also treasure chest that would reward credits, gems and other whatnot for you to dispose and sell it to NoOne." I explained and the children all were happy since I am letting them follow me.


    Even wandering around the interior of Southern District would make them happy, but of course, being given an adventure of going out to through the Southern Gates would make them much happier. Hah hah... Fat chance, children. Not yet, I suppose.


    After dinner, the children all tailed behind me and Patricia as we walked through the Central and went to the Southern District after passing through the gates. They were told to wait for me in the town centre once they were done with their sightseeing, as I walked up to the entrance of the Archmage Tower where two guards were guarding the entrance.


    ....


    "I''m sorry, the Archmage is not expecting any visitors. Please head your way back." a guard approached me when I came near the entrance.


    "I''ve got a letter here." I showed the guard the letter that was handed by Prius to me and he takes a look at it and opened up the scroll.


    "It got the Archmage seal and signature here, here... Take this lette back with you. It is pretty old and tattered you know. You should ask another one from the Archmage inlbwithbthus letter could you gain entry here." the guard said and rolled up the scroll carefully before handing it back to me.


    "Go on, this way please..." the guard replied as he opened up the massive door with his proximity card and ushered me in. "Heh... Fancy having to open a door using a proximity card. It''s sure a tight security place here like from a G6 convention centre." I thought to myself as I walked in through the hall way that leads to a large hall with just a single high back chair or almost like a throne on the end of it.


    "Yes, what kind I so for you, young man. I can see from the surveillance camera that you had shown a letter from me dated many years ago. Here, let me hand you another one. The one that you had had almost being eaten by moths, bookworms and would break apart anytime."


    The Archmage stamped his seal and signed at the end of a letter, rolled it up like a scroll and handed it to me while I slipped it into the storage bag.


    "Thank you, Archmage Sirius. My name is Audemars Macleod and..." I was cut off halfway as the Archmage waved his hand and retired back from to his throne, crossed his legs and places his chin in one hand as he supported his elbow on the armrest.


    "I know everything about you and what you had done..." Archmage Sirius spoke at first and when he said that, my Adam''s apple bobbed up and down as I swallowed my saliva, thinking he knew that I was a Leaper of Multiverse Transmigration.


    "But I''m not going to probe you on that, what you had done so far is really amazing, from the time you awoke from your 6 months of comatose and till the time you are standing before me now." the Archmage Sirius spoke for the second time.


    "I understand why you are here and the reason is that only you yourself, could search for it, as I can only unlock it for you. You are a self-proclaimed wizard, but without your system, you''re just a blubbering fool. Do you understand what I mean?" the Archmage spoke for the third time.


    "O Wise, Archmage Sirius, I sincerely hope we are on the page right now. I wanted to know why others can view my system while I can''t even see theirs... Normally I will hide my attributes and stats from prying eyes but rigj now im as blind as a bat. I can''t even see my children''s and I can''t even know their strengths and weakness." I was finally able to speak without any of the Archmage''s interruptions.


    "I am not sure what you mean by me searching for it and you unlock it. By the way, I am not a self-proclaimed wizard because I don''t even know how to describe what powers I have since I could both heal and attack."


    "Does it doubt as a wizard or half wizard or something? Maybe there is a new term for it which I am unaware of. You are the wise one here, come on, share with me what I don''t know and what I should do." I asked in an exasperated manner since the Archmage Sirius knew what is wrong and can only bring about the rights.


    "Actually its called a Witch, not a wizard. They would hang you upside down if you were being discovered as a witch. Furthermore, you''re a male witch... Who in the world would believe that." the Archmage Sirius suddenly spoke up and I was surprised to be called a witch. It has 5 characters instead of 6 and it began with ''WI''... Whatever lah old man... I thought as the Archmage stood up and walked towards me.


    "Come this way, you may not realise it but I knew it all along. Sit in this zone, cross-legged or down in your knees in a kneeling position, whichever you find comfortable." I looked at the place he had ushered me looks uncomfortable to be down on my knees so I decided to sit cross-legged instead.


    "Close your eyes and clear your mind. Empty it and don''t think if anything else in your head. Just clear it away..." I followed his instructions as I sat there and closed my eyes. It''s like a feeling of dejavu all of a sudden once more.


    *SSMMAACCKK* Then suddenly I was palmed right in the middle of my forehead and I began to remember of chapter 14 in the first series on how it all began. My forehead was stinging and there was a sensation on the middle as I slowly opened up my eyes, and it became a bit teary due to the shock and surprise of being slapped on the forehead for the second time.


    "Old Master...? Wh... Where am I...?" I asked as my eyes adjusted to the stinging sensation and I instinctively rubbed it. "Old Master your head lah... It is me the Archmage Sirius and you are in Archmage Tower here in Southern Ingmery." a voice spoke up as my eyes slowly began to adjust to its surrounding.


    It was barely a minute when I sat down on the floor pointed out by the Archmage Sirius. "Give me your hands..." and as I stretched out both of my hands, I was half expecting to be pulled up back on my feet but then my wrists were gripped and an electrifying surge coursed from my wrist down to my 4th chakra point and from there, it is spread out to all my other primary and secondary points.


    I can feel the crackling, burning scent of burning hair as the electrifying sensation coursed through all the points in my body and all of a sudden I felt awakened.


    Yes... Finally, I can feel a sense of being able to sense my surrounding extremely well. The fluttering of butterflies outside the window, the chatter of birds from across the streets and the scurrying of rats underneath the sewers. Its like im beginning to become one with nature once more.


    When the Archmage finally let go of my wrists, it felt limp and fell to my sides and my body, in that sitting position swayed to the sides and toppled over. The moment my head hit the floor, I let out a groan and rubbed at the sides of my head. "Uurrgghh... Is it over yet, Archmage Sirius." I asked as I tried to lift myself up in an upright position with difficulty.


    "How long have I been here? It felt like a minute before I was smacked on the forehead and then I was electrified by you and I could hear and sense all those happenings outside like I''ve got Spider sense. It''s like I''m Peter Parker, and I''ve become Spiderman... " I asked as I still sat there with my legs outstretched.


    "Hmph... Peter Parker, Spiderman my ass. You are only here like an hour or so. You totally forgot your talent the moment you woke up. Do you know what you had forgotten and nearly lost it? Go now, I''ve unlocked for you. All you need to do is to search for the way." The Archmage finally spoke as he helped me to stand up and rise on my feet.


    The rush of blood made me lightheaded as I said my gratitude to him, brushed my butt off any dust from the spot I was sitting and ambled back to the door. As I walked, I gained my composure back and finally, I realised what I had been missing so far... ''My Third Eye''.

 Chapter 85 - 85. Red Leader Daddy...? How Cool Is That?

    "Daddy... Daddy... We are all worried. You told us you would be gone by 1 hour and the guards had been asking us what we had been doing here for almost 3 hours. Look, we even had a tub of ice cream and Mummy bought a loaf soft bread and we had ice cream sandwich. We even shared it with the guards over there, guarding the Archmage Tower." Ingles spoke up with her mouth that was smudged with chocolate from the icecream.


    "Daddy... Daddy... Did anything happen to you? How come you look like a blurr sotong right now? Don''t you remember us anymore or something? Are you in some kind of trance? How about you sit here and have an ice cream sandwich... Oops... I forgot, its all melted now." Jane spoke as she looked at me like I was some kind of stranger of some sort.


    "Daddy...Daddy...how come your forehead is so red? Did you knock into something or something hit you there? It got a bit of a welt in the centre... Eeee... Looks like a big add mosquito that had bitten you... You got a big ''bintat'' right there... Like an ''anene'' you know Daddy... Hello Daddy, are you there... Woohoo... " Kayla saw my forehead and when she drew my lock of hair she saw a welt that she called a ''bintat'' and called me an ''anene'' like an Indian guy with a dot in the centre of the forehead.


    "Audemars, are you alright? You seemed... Rather lost. You know who you are and where is this place right? Don''t tell me you had forgotten all these children of ours and especially me, your wife, Patricia, whom you called me Trish? Haiyoo... Don''t tell me you became another Rebecca who got lost in the stupor for many months. There''s no psychiatric clinic over here in Ingmery you know, and the infirmary would only do so much... Hello, Audemars... Are you thereeeeee....?"


    Patricia tried to speak some sense into me but I can''t grasp my situation right now. What I felt is like a flooding sensation of all my memories came flooding in all of a sudden from series one till eight.


    I sat there in the town square listening to them but was unable to comprehend at first as my mind was having some kind of reboot. "OH FUCK... AM I GOING TO LEAP?" when all in my mind was a flurry of images that was moving not at 2x but 5x as I moved from the time I woke up from a sandy beach, the old village set up by the ''Boat People'', then it sped to another scene of a beach where I find a girl slowly arranging clumps of seaweed on the beach.


    The image moved on to another Japanese school where I was scoring a goal and someone shoved me some papers on scholarships or something, then remembered having a kind of party outside a house.


    The next scene brings me to an Asian town where I was riding a scooter and feeling the cool breeze on my face, then an image of a woman that turns out to be a ghost or something and was serving noodles that turned into worms, maggots and all the vile insects in them and police were all around us and an exhumation of a bodies set in cement.


    The following brought me to medieval Japan in the Edo period where I was sparring with my eyes blindfolded and then the 6 girls who were part of slaves that had escaped. The next flurry of scenes brought me to medieval England where I was fishing with a girl on a platform.


    Then the images changed and there I was, battling with a group of adventurers, as we planned successful raid after raid of demons and monsters and painful memory of me being in the arms of a man who supported me as I shot an arrow through a window. The girl whom I went fishing before had literally melted her face as streams of tears had smeared her mascara and makeup.


    Suddenly all the flurry images began to slow down as it brought me to the present era, the present where I am here right now. Smack in the middle of a town called Ingmery, in a country that was made up of Irish and Gaelic races. And there before me a beautiful woman with all the curves that would make any man crazy and 4 children in tow.


    "Eh... Uurrgghh... Yeah, I got a bit of a headache and now it''s clearing up. I... Gosh... What an experience I''ve got just now. Sorry guys to put you in a scare... You''re right, Jane... I looked like a blurr sotong earlier. But I''m not so blurr right now. Haish... If only I could write a book and publish it, you all would understand what I''ve gone through."


    I finally made good of the situation and suddenly I heard some children shouting quite close to us and my reflex suddenly took over. "WATCH OUT MISSUS..." a boy around the age of 13 to 14 shouted out and suddenly I saw an imminent danger coming as I suddenly sprang to my feet and held an outstretched hand near Patricia''s head.


    *SSMMAACCKK* My outstretched hand had just in the nick of time caught a soccer ball that was miskicked and nearly hit Patricia''s head. The soccer ball was caught with a single outstretched hand without me looking at it.


    "Wow, Mister... You are like Peter Schmeichel, the great Danish who played for Manchester United as a goalkeeper... Fuyoo... A single-handed catch just like him. But why is that ball still spinning in your hands? Shouldn''t it be still?" a boy asked as he came over to get the soccer ball from me.


    I looked at my hands and found that the ball was just an inch from my palm and was spinning as if there''s a kind of force that had caught it, and not me myself.


    Patricia was shocked when my hand darted out bear her head and she cowered and thought that I wanted to hit her. But when she looked, she saw that I had caught a soccer ball and preventing Patricia from gaining a concussion. She too saw the ball was spinning in my hand instead of being caught fully. It was like pure magic.


    Our children gasped at the sight and Adam suddenly remarked, "Wow... Daddy is a goalkeeper too... Not only he is a warrior and a genius, he too plays soccer...Hahahahaha. Daddy never fails to surprise us from time to time... Hahahahaha. Wow... Mummy, if Daddy never catches the ball, you surely kena concuss."


    The children then realised what happened and suddenly clapped their hands. The spinning soccer ball was dropped to the ground and I just gave a slight tap with my foot and it bounced away towards the end, where a boy was standing in between two posts as a goalkeeper and the ball span like a banana curve manner and entered the net.


    "GGOOAALL..." our children hollered and jumped around and its already 10 pm and they did raise a ruckus. The guards were hushing the children as normally it would be lights out by 10 pm in both the Northern and Southern District. "Daddy... You now became a forward like Eric Cantona... Wow..." and the children cheered again as we ushered them back to the Central where they can shout and holler as much as they can and no one would bother them. Hah hah hah...


    "Eh... When did this become a soccer thingy instead of medieval Irish, Celtic and Gaelic era?" I asked myself and I really wanted an ice cream sandwich too...Boo Hoo Hoo.


    ....


    Meanwhile back at the Great Hall...


    "Daddy, what actually happened in the Archmage Tower?" Ingles asked with curiosity because the children were told I would be gone for one hour but instead u was gone for almost 3 hours.


    "Ermm... Daddy''s eyes are finally opened. Come, sit still while I look at all of you." I instructed and the kids complied but were intrigued because I mentioned that my eyes are finally open. "Are my eyes forever closed before?" they thought to themselves.


    And then I saw it, Adam K. Macleod, male, aged 12, level 1/1000 Ranger-Assassin Class, Progress 1.5%, Ingles K. Macleod, female, aged 12, Level 1/1000 Ranger-Assassin Class, Progress 1.2%, Jane K. Macleod, female, aged 11, Level 1/1000 Ranger-Assassin Class, Progress 1.0%, Kayla K. Macleod, female, aged 10, Level 1/1000 Ranger-Assassin Class, Progress 0.8%.


    "Hmm, it seems you all are Ranger-Assassin Class, it pretty cool since you all had managed to combine both these two classes together. A ranged and an even up close and personal melee combatant." I spoke up and seemed to congratulate them. The children were stupified at the moment and don''t seem to grasp what I was trying to say.


    "Daddy, what do you mean by combining two classes as one? I thought we were Rangers? Err... Like the Power Rangers?" Adam inquired because all he wanted to be was a Power Ranger after all and now he was announced to having another class added.


    "As a Ranger, you need to have Expertise, Beast Mastery, Marksmanship and Wilderness Survival, while as an Assassin, you would have Critical Strikes, Dagger Mastery, Deadly Arts and Shadow Arts."


    "I should be able to impart this knowledge to you but you must swear an oath to me and to the House of Keating, that once you possess these skills, you are not to take advantage of the weak, not to use it against the innocence, not to cause hurt and harm to humans and animals and to hunt only for your survival. Do you understand that?"


    "Yes, Daddy... We understand." they chorus as they drop to one knee and placed their right fist over their chests on a salute.


    "However, once you become a full-fledged Ranger-Assassins, I cannot address you by name or you to call me Daddy anymore. You would be calling me Red Leader and you, Adam would be called Red Two, Ingles be called Red Three, Jane is called Red Four and Kayla be called Red Five."


    "This would imply the moment we step out in public and we only address ourselves by names only at home." I explained and the children answered, "Understood Red Leader Daddy..." Hah Hah Hah...

 Chapter 86 - 86. Gaining Knowledge On More Armours and Weapons

    "That''s quite an impressive jump on improvements there, brother in law. I never knew that your progress would be this quick..." Prius said and was whacked over the head by Patricia.


    "What are you talking about, brother? Audemars is turning these kids into little monsters... Ranger-Assassins my ass. They are my children, and your nephew and nieces... How could Audemars turn them into such monsters soon?" Patricia cried out as she watched in horror as the kids enacted themselves as being an Assassin and were eviscerating each other with their hands and were falling around the floor in mocked agony.


    The kids were also shooting one another with imaginary crossbows with both hands and were peeking behind chairs and under the tables as they were imagining themselves got shot. One was holding their butts and some holding their noses as they imagined they were shot as they went down, rolling and sprawling on the floor.


    "Alright, all of you... Time to wash up and head to bed. Don''t play with your crossbows in the room, ok? Tomorrow Daddy would let you read a book and let you master it one type of knowledge at a time. By the way, do you all know how to access your system, right?"


    "Yes, Daddy... I know how to use the system to check how many candies and snacks I left inside my storage bags." Kayla replied and realised that she had leaked a secret and suddenly she kept quiet and looked at her feet.


    "Ah-hah... I caught you at last... Hah hah hah... Remember to brush your teeth after eating your snacks, those sweets left in your teeth would form cavities and all those yucky stuff in your mouth. Brush before you sleep and no more snacking after that, remember? "


    "Yes, Daddy..." and the four children scrambled upstairs to their rooms and we heard quite a commotion as they took turns to brush their teeth and wash their faces before heading to bed. It was very quiet some time back and the presence of these children do make it somewhat lively.


    "I''m not turning them into little monsters. By instilling them the right set of skills, they would be able to use it more effectively. Furthermore, it''s high time House of Keating would rise up the rankings. What would it be, quantity versus quality? How do they base in the House rankings?" I asked as I wanted to find out more on how to move up the House rankings from the bottom 14th place.


    "It is based on the number of kills, monsters and beasts. Also once the Houses started to open once more, we would expect a number of quests that would appear around this time. Rebecca would also play her part in dispensing the quest that you had undergone before." Prius said as he mentioned a few more quests that are not based on annihilation but were like common everyday tasks like getting things done such as helping the community and so on.


    "These quests are good for building up character in the adventurers and for the battle seasoned ones, it would be like getting rid of the trolls to gather a certain piece of something in the caves or like the one you had gotten for Blake, the iron ingots from the goblin''s hideout."


    "Other dangerous ones are like collecting resources from the Southern Plains and the Wastelands. There are quite a number of main quests as well as side quests and these would be given out by either the Houses, passersby, merchants or even from residential houses. You can see from your minimap as these quests would represent blinks on it."


    Prius explained and I understood what he meant by building character. "How about allocated points, I haven''t checked on the children''s attributes yet. Could these be given to them of I am not using them at all?" I inquired since I hadn''t got a chance to check on the children''s other attributes and stats.


    Prius looked at me and find that I have more than 27k unallocated points and told me that I could give away my unused points to anyone who''s in a party with me. Giving away the unallocated points won''t make the person level up, and it''s limited to only 100 points per level.


    "Alright, I understand Prius, at last, I''m able to look into their stats but they could hide their attributes and stats right?" I opened up my interface and saw nothing of that but was filled with in-depth information from the attributes and stats that I had filled with my allocation points.


    "The newer version has the ability to hide these from prying eyes. I think yours was an older version and an outdated one. It was a wonder you still be able to figure out how to use your interface." Prius explains as he was comprehensive but easier to use. Mine was like from the Stone Ages era. Hah hah hah...


    "Ah well, I don''t really have to time to peer into mine because if so many details and breakdown from it. By the way, so Rebecca would be here when she was not handing out quests? And a person just needs to go through once, am I right? In that case, we would be able to get to know the number of adventurers here in Ingmery." I finally said as I gather up the thoughts of the Atelier, Blacksmith and Bowsmith finally getting in the business for themselves.


    *Ding* Duplication Success. 250 nos of Battle Axes, Two-handed Broadsword and Assassin''s Compact crossbow attained each. Progress 750%. Base Level +7, Crafter Level +7, Allocation points +75.


    "Hmm, your notification just rang and I could hear them as well. It''s like as if you are cooking something inside a microwave and it dinged when it''s ready. Hahahahaha." Prius said and I was totally taken aback since he can hear and see my attributes and stats right now and I felt as if I''m totally naked right now.


    "What do you plan for the children, right now, Audemars. Your mind is always working 24/7 and you had been going through a lot ever since you wake up from your coma. From small business to a major distributor right down to helping other establishments to grow under the household name House of Keating."


    "Our travelling merchants and delivery boys are working autonomously and so far they had covered about 20 over towns. The sales and credits had been compiled and we have close to 10 million credits, thanks to the commotion over at Blake''s."


    "What else do you want to achieve in life? I have never seen a man this ambitious before and I am proud to be your wife, Audemars. Tell me... What else do you have in mind?" Patricia pleasingly asked me since she was filled with shock and surprises ever since I had been up and about after lying on the hard wooden bed for 6 months.


    "Right now for sure, is that I wish to groom these 4 children to become mentors and leaders of the future. There are hidden skills that I will impart for them and one thing for sure, other Houses won''t have them. This knowledge is very valuable and I don''t think it could be found elsewhere. These children if ours would be next predecessors of Rangers-Assassins."


    "It would be tops above House of Grundy. Right now I have a task to do and I would be heading to Blake''s to see if he have any short swords, throwing knives and the sort. I''d be right back in a short while." I said as I motioned for the exit as I kissed Patricia''s forehead.


    ....


    "From the moment that man entered this household by the infirmary, I knew that he would be the successor for House of Keating. I was waiting for him to wake up and when he did finally, he filled me with awe and surprises every time. I am glad he is my brother in law and your husband, Pat... "


    "Yes... I''m glad too. Within a period of less than two months, he is able to gather a wealth of 10 million credits and those credits were continuing to pile up. Furthermore, he entrusts me with those financial matters. I don''t know what''s in his mind, you won''t be able to probe right?"


    "I don''t think I would probe in too far, Pat. The actual truth would better be left untouched. I had managed to accidentally probe into his past and all I can say is that he had been through many places and had experienced more things in life than us at least 5 fold."


    "As for now, I can say that he is a great leader, a great warrior, a man with a vision and a responsible person. Whatever he does is best left to his judgement, and if he thinks it''s not going well for him, he would dispose of the idea totally."


    "What I can say is that he trusts the children and the children trusts him too. What he sees in the children is the future for House of Keating and what he does right now is to sculpt these children to become a more responsible adult even before they become a teenager."


    "At the age of 10, 11 and 12, these children began to learn a trade from their young age and able to lead by example with the adults. The employees after I had chatted with them were saying that they were proud that these children had taken up such a responsibility and wished that these children were theirs. Who knows, one day, House of Keating would be getting memberships from as young as 10 to be Ranger-Assassins."


    "I have to agree with you Prius, you too have great minds just like Audemars. I''m going to tuck the children in and make sure they don''t eat snacks or whatever in the beds." Patricia said as she stood up and heads upstairs and she places her ears on every door and finds that the children had already fallen asleep with steady breathing. She peered in and tucked the children in bed properly while adjusting the aircon to 26 degrees and oscillate the wall fan as well.


    ....


    "Hiho, my good old friend..." I greeted as I sauntered in to meet Blake as I handed him the 250 pieces of battle axes and two-handed Broadsword into his storage. "Thank you, my good brother. You had once again helped salvage our business and our reputation. I wonder how Romulus and Quentin are going to sell those weapons since you had placed a 10k price in every item since our selling price is this much."


    "Don''t worry about them, Blake. It is their fault to stir up a hornet''s nest. And the one that got stung is them and not you. What you need to do is to sell them. By the way, I am here because I am looking for you to look at some designs. Do you have a design book or something? "


    "Ah, yes... We do have design books on weapons and armours. Here you go, you may keep it since I no longer need it for my reference as customers now come in and just buy what''s in store right now. Thanks to you, these Level 4 weapons are surely one of its kind." Blake said as he handed me several books which he placed on his counter and it covers from arming wear, cloth, leather, chain mail, plated armour, bucklers and shields and ladies battle gear as well.


    Next, he places the books on swords, daggers, pole weapons, oriental swords, knives and throwing weapons. There are 14 books and I am sure I am able to learn everything within a short while. I thank Blake and places them inside my storage bags as my notifications rang out wildly.


    "And now, the next order of things would soon come your way, my friend. I would be helping you out as much as I could and then I''d see what else I could do for our friend Blake since he is into ranged weapons so he might be into flintlock and pistols as well." I said as I left the store and heads next to Bruce''s.

 Chapter 87 - 87. Learning From The Books.

    "Hiya Bruce, hey you go. Assassin''s compact crossbow. One-handed pistol grip sure-fire 180km/h self-loading unlimited bolt. Hah hah..." I greeted him as I went inside his store. There were a few customers waiting for the order and was inquiring when those new crossbows would come.


    I found from those late-night adventurers that they were getting ripped off by Quentin and Romulus since their prices were almost double at what''s being sold at Bruce''s.


    "I''m glad you came, my brethren. Ah... Fellow adventurers, here are the crossbows that you had been looking for. Just 5k credits and the damage rating is +30. It''s being crafted by Yours Truly here." Bruce mentioned to the adventurers and it quickly being snapped up as each of them bought two to arm themselves with both hands at the same time.


    "Aawww... That''s what I wanted to do too..." I said to myself. Fancy hitting those trolls with these two instead of relying on a single crossbow. *pcheeww pcheeww pcheeww* I made those sounds of bolts coming out of the crossbows in my mind as I was thinking how lucky these adventurers were. With money, they could get anything they wished. Must be from some rich bastards. Hah hah hah...


    "Sorry to keep you waiting, guys. Thank you for your business, please do tell your fellow Assassins and Rangers to get their crossbows here." Bruce thanked his customers and they quickly left after making the purchases. Bruce finally sat behind the counter and took out a flask and poured two shot glasses and offered one for me.


    "I had been keeping this for a very long time. Here you go, brethren... To our health...!!" he said as he raised his shot glass at me and clinked my glass. I soon down the contents and felt the warm feeling of scotch entering my stomach. It was a fine feeling, my dear readers, for being treated as such. Hah hah.


    "Thank you for the shot, brother. I am here asking about how things are going and wondered if you would be upgrading your ranged weapons or not." I asked as I looked around his store and he had only added a single collection to his ranged weapons.


    "I am not sure what you are getting at brethren, may I ask what''s on your mind?" Bruce raised his flask and wanted to offer me another shot which I politely declined. "You see, I am upgrading the range of weapons for Blake''s and I thought I would do the same to you."


    "Do you have any books on weapon designs that you had no time to produce them? I could add a few flintlock pistols as well as a few blunderbusses if you want to. At least with these ranged weapons, who knows, you might open another class on its own?"


    I explained and he told me to wait a while as he went to his backroom and produced three books on Archery, pistols and riles. These books were pretty well-thumbed and he simply said, "Keep these book for your reference, brethren. I have not much use for them at this moment as Blake and I were totally dependent on you."


    "You had done a great job, brethren. You had saved us from closing this business and we really are indebted to House of Keating. Yes, I would like to have the idea of acquiring some new ranged weapons from you. My gratitude from the bottom of my soles, my dear brethren."


    As I took the book, some announcements rang in my head which means there are some designs which I had not known yet and they would prove to be useful in the long run in the business. Furthermore, it is unheard of for adventurers to take up as Gunslinger and no House would be able to accommodate them.


    "Well, if there are any adventurers who come by and ask for membership or anything like that, you can direct them to the House of Keating. We are breeding a new batch of adventurers ourselves and adding a gunslinger class would be a good idea."


    "Our House of Keating is a versatile and flexible class for adventurers, even a warrior or berserker could even join us, provided they have the interest. Furthermore, we might be expanding into the unknown and may be involved in getting a few new classes of adventurers in time to come."


    I explained as I had the vision of getting memberships from adventurers who are looking for a modest start. "By the way, do these House charge for the membership as well? I mean do they train these adventurers and charge them for credits?"


    "Of course they do, my brethren, for example, the House of Grundy who trains a Ranger or Assassin, they charge 5000 credits per level up with an increment of 500 credits per level."


    "For example, if you are a Level 1 and wishes to upgrade to Level 2, you would pay 5000 credits, then Level 3 would be 5500 and Level 4 would be 6000 and so on and so forth."


    "Each adventurer has 1000 levels and so they make a profit. That''s how the members of the House survived and also gained credits. It''s a real cutthroat business but I''m not sure how is the arrangement like, right now. Maybe they have ''introduce-a-friend'' scheme and get some discounts... I don''t know."


    Brice shrugged his shoulders since he does not know more about how these Houses operate but one thing for sure, the Houses don''t have any other business except recruitment and this is the only way these Houses could support themselves.


    I have to remind the children not to get enticed by these methods of Leveling Up because it would make their old folks go bald faster. Based on my one base level, it was based on 100k and so far I had reached only a measly 5.68% but if I based on my attributes, no one would be able to top that.


    "Before I leave, do you sell any unsocketed amulets, rings or accessories to increase Wisdom, Dexterity, Strength, Constitution and Damage?" I asked and Bruce produces 4 sets of amulets and 4 sets of rings. "These are the ones made in bronze and their prices are the same across the board. It''s +3 for all and their prices are only 200 credits. Don''t tell me you are going to churn them to be Level 4 Iron amulets and rings?"


    Bruce asked as his eyes were filled with a twinkle of hope. "You would soon find out, brethren, you would soon find out..." I replied and I stored the items in my storage bag as announcements rang in my head, making me a bit dizzy from all these.


    I excused myself as I made my way back home as I thought the kind of knowledge I will gain from all the books.


    ....


    "Hi honey, I''m back. Sorry, I had to send those weapons to Blake and Bruce and gotten several books and some amulets and rings. I think the children and I won''t be going out for these few days as I need to do some study first."


    "You won''t mind, do you? I may have some other plans in mind but I think I''d better set it aside first for the moment. But these books need to be attended first and it been so long since I''ve cooked for ourselves."


    "It''s good to have you around some days, Audemars. Now get some sleep, it''s almost close to midnight... I miss you so much."


    "I miss you too, honey..." and soon in the middle of the night, soft sounds of slapping can be heard. *Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!* "Damn these blood-sucking mosquitoes, you did let the window open again, honey? Haiyoo... Those kids have the luxury of having an air-conditioner in their rooms while their parents were suffering from mosquitoes buzzing nonstop at our ears..."


    I got up and closed the window while I burnt chamomile essence on a candle and diffused it while keeping those pesky mosquitoes at bay. Sheesh... If it is not the buzzing mosquitoes, it''s those crickets who would be serenading at our windows or the cats that would leap into our kitchen through the louvres to chase away the roaches and rodents away.


    Well... This is the life in medieval Irish/Celtic/Gaelic era. Who would have thought that hidden technology would exist in this world, right?

 Chapter 88 - 88. The Reds Having Their First Quest.

    For the next following few days, I was spending time at home and the children went about their tasks at hand, ensuring that the supplies for all the production plants were sufficient. They themselves ordered the next batch of supplies accordingly to keep the supplies at a safe level.


    Since there were no storekeepers involved, the children had counted to ensure the stacks of merchandise were according to their types and colours and they accurately took down the stock level every day before they retire from their tasks.


    They went to the Keating''s Day Care Centre about 10 am or so, to gather new knowledge from the scholars that were taken to perform community service in teaching the children. Since Kayla and Jane fall under the category of below 12, they had to relearn some of the basics in education.


    I brought the children to Northern Forest accompanied by Patricia to hone their skills about 3 hours for each day and they had performed considerably well as we ambushed those wild boars near the Troll Caves.


    The children ended up with more than 30 kills per person after we had waited for the wild boars to respawn. Each of the children picked up the wild boar hide and pork and sold off the rest that they don''t need to NoOne.


    The travelling merchants had also completed their advertising and promotions to the rest of the towns and had returned to give support for the delivery guys as they helped to pack the orders.


    After taking a day''s break, they began to move out once more from the nearest town closest to Ingmery, right to the furthest. This time, just the arrival of the caravan would be enough to send the ladies to hand over the order forms and place more orders. And so the cycle began and ends that way, week in and week out.


    By every week when the orders had been sent to the farthest town, Patricia had accumulated an approximately 1.3m credits that made up about 5.2m credits per month. Only 15% were used for the operational costs such as salaries for all the employees and the purchase of raw materials.


    The balance of some 4.4m credits remains. By the standards of a noble or royalty, our amount was only a fraction of what they actually have in their wealth. A million credits to us are like 100k credits to them... Boo Hoo Hoo...


    During that time, I also acquired knowledge of more than 50 types of new weapons and armour and I had the chance to fuse the knowledge that I had into the databank of the Fusion Chamber. Furthermore, I had forged 8 pieces of Level 4 iron ingots and had fused them with the bronze pieces of amulets and rings.


    All the new Level 4 iron amulets and rings come with 2 free sockets and had a +12 for Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constituency and I ran a duplication of 9999 pieces for all the 8 pieces. In all, I earned another 80,000% progress, increased my base level to +800, my crafter level to +800 and another +8,000 for allocation points.


    I handed 1000 pieces each to Bruce and told him to sell it at 80 credits since I had sold the balance 72k pieces for 40 credits each with NoOne and earned a personal wealth of 2.88m credits.


    Patricia and I then helped the children to push the necessary amount of crates to the store in the marketplace and stacked them accordingly to their product types while replenishing and rearranging some of the products that were on display.


    We closed the store and headed back to the Great Hall where Rebecca had just returned back with Prius, seemingly exhausted since she had given the quest to all the adventurers that had come to town, and was passing her way.


    "Becky, how did the quests of yours go? Did you manage to keep track of the number of adventurers so far?"


    "Oh... Yes, I did, Audemars. There''s was a total of 150 quests that had been given out and all of them succeeded. Even the two hoodlums were exhausted as well since they keep respawning at the same spot and also repeating their speech over and over again for every single Adventurer."


    "Wow...we have that many adventurers in town, eh? That''s pretty awesome considering that we had been promoting the range of wardrobe in front of the Atelier glass front. I wonder if the Atelier had other things in mind, to replenish their stocks or not." I said and remembered that on the first day of me being Audemars, I was given a quest by Prius as well.


    "Trish, could Prius give the quest to enter the 5 levels of dungeons for the children? By the way, could I accompany the children if you give them the quest?"


    "As long as you are around, I would feel safe, Audemars. Just take care of them well, I am sure everyone would come out tops." Patricia finally replied as she thought of the idea of letting the children down into the dungeons.


    "Sure thing, brother in law. You can enter the dungeons with one nephew or niece at a time and once you are done, you can exit the same way as you enter. Heh heh... I almost forgot that I too give out quests. But you are not allowed to participate or it would be a missed opportunity for my nephew and nieces, I hope you understand."


    Prius explained and I understand what he meant. No matter what happens, the children HAVE to complete the quest by themselves." Well, since the children have two Assassin''s compact crossbow with them, I don''t think they would have any trouble passing through the dungeons with ease."


    "The children had already shown their capabilities for this whole week and I guess its high time for them to go through a quest. By the way Becky, what is the youngest Adventurer that had gone through your quest?" I asked since Kayla was only 10 going to 11 and was surprised that thinking she might be too young to engage in a close battle.


    "The youngest is 12, Audemars. Do you think Jane and Kayla were too young to perform these quests?" Rebecca asked worriedly as Kayla is too young to be engaged in killing monsters or even be a Ranger-Assassin at all.


    "We shall soon see, Becky. In that case, I will gather up the children right now and Prius, you may issue the quests to them. I will follow them closely at a distance." I suggested as I put on my sigil of communications over my head that looks like a 5.11 tactical headset and pressed the PTT button.


    "Red Leader to all Reds, assemble at the Great Hall with full battle gear, asap." and soon I heard their chatter through my comms as they rushed back from wherever they are right now and went back inside and changed to their battle gear. After a while, they emerged back and had slung their two Assassin''s compact crossbows at their sides.


    "Daddy... I mean, Red Leader... We are here at your request." Red Two Adam announced when everyone was properly equipped and were waiting for the next instruction.


    "Alright, listen up. When I got started, I didn''t actually go out and deal with the wild boars first but was given a quest. The quest is to vanquish all the rats from the basement which had five levels and each level has an increased difficulty."


    "I will follow you, not closely but from a distance and will not participate in this quest. I merely will accompany you until you complete this quest. These Rats will retaliate and so you need to be quick on your feet and reflexes."


    "No matter what happens, the moment you give up, the quest is forfeited and you could never go back in again. Is that right, Quest Master?"


    "Yes, that''s right. If any of you backed away or give up halfway during the quest, you are unable to perform it once more and it''s considered as a failed quest. I''m not sure what is going to happen to your progress but what experience you gained is forfeited." replied Prius who now take on the role of a Quest Master just as Rebecca did.


    ''Alright, the Quest Master will usher in one at a time, be very careful... Remember that. Even if you are wearing Level 8 Mesh Iron Reinforced Cloth Armour, even if blades or bolts cannot penetrate it, but you might get hurt if they swipe you with their paws or tail."


    "Remember this. Hit hard, hit fast, kill swiftly and silently, and then move on to the next target. Don''t let any of the rats down in the basement have a chance to attack or counter-attack."


    "Once you had gone through this quest, I will pass you some book to learn and at the meantime, don''t let them hit you," I concluded the briefing and the children all went down on one knee and clasped their chest in a salute. I was thinking, if the youngest can do it, every kid in town would be a follower.


    "I''m going to pass you 100 points and you will allocate them according to your attributes. As a Ranger-Assassin, you need to evenly distribute the 100 points into your Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution. 25 points per attributes, have you got that?"


    Soon, a 100 allocation points were distributed to each of the Reds and they immediately allocate 25 points each to their Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution and this could be done for every level only. I saw that their base attributes were only 5 each and when they had allocated the 25, their stats were increased considerably too.

 Chapter 89 - 89. Down The Dungeons You Go To Your Doom.

    Soon, a 100 allocation points were distributed to each of the Reds and they immediately allocate 25 points each to their Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution and this could be done for every level only. I saw that their base attributes were only 5 each and when they had allocated the 25, their stats were increased considerably too.


    Before I head down to the dungeon with Red Two Adam, I handed an amulet and 3 rings to each of them to add +12 to their already allocated points for their Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom and Constitution. This adds to become +42 to all their attributes.


    "Wow... This is cool... Thanks, Red Leader." Ingles remarked as she looked at the simple amulet that has 2 empty sockets and then she saw her attributes rise to another +12.


    "Alright Red Two, prepare yourself and follow the Quest Master," I said as I ushered Red Two Adam into the kitchen where there''s the wooden door that spirals down into the first level of the dungeon.


    "Remember what I said... Hit hard, hit fast, kill swiftly and silently." I reminded the 4 of them as they assembled in the kitchen awaiting to be sent down to their doom... I mean, their quest. "And don''t forget ''Finders Keepers''" added Prius as he swung the wooden door open and the lights from the torches finally came to life, illuminating the dark, musty dungeons below.


    I instructed Red Two Adam to enter the dungeon first and I followed about 25 paces back. This level has 8 giant rats and the rest would be 5 each. The doorway that leads to the next level would be at the end of each passageway as usual.


    "There''s hidden credits among the crates and wooden barrels. Break them up and collect as you go along." I reminded Red Two Adam as he walked slowly and held his two Assassin''s compact crossbows on each hand and poised to shoot the moment he saw the threat.


    ....


    "Gosh, this place really reeks of rat''s urine and poop all over. And the size of this poop is really like a small bolster. How big are these rats anyway." Adam thought to himself as he sidestepped the poop and puddles of urine and suddenly he heard hissing and spitting sounds just a few paces in front of him.


    "My gosh... This rat is thrice the size of a wild boar." Adam took aim and shot his crossbows in alternative firing mode. The rat''s eyes glowed red and were charging ahead towards Adam and he managed to kill it with 3 shots. The rat fell to its side and during its charge, it broke some of the crates and wooden barrels as Adam collected the spoils.


    "Try not to think that I am behind you all this time, just proceed on, there''s another 7 more to go on this level." I hollered to Red Two Adam and he replied confidently, "Roger that Red Leader." as he walked on and found another target even before it could react.


    One after another fell and we soon reached the end of the passageway and asked Adam to push the wooden door himself and enter Level 2 of the dungeon.


    The real difficulty is when he was at Level 4 dungeon when during one of the battle, he suffered a gash on his forehead and I was worried sick since his cut was rather deep and nasty. It was caused when a rat suddenly swiped a crate and a plank flew towards Adam and he was unable to avoid. It was unexpected...!!


    "ARE YOU ALRIGHT? Do you still wished to go on?" I asked and Adam nodded his head and wiped away at the blood that trickled down his face. "Yeah... Let''s get in with this. This is nothing... It is just a small scratch." he said as he walked on and this time he steered a slight distance away as he bounded backwards a few steps to avoid any incoming projectile.


    His reflexes seemed to be a bit better at this Level and he managed to kill all the 5 rats and took a break and tended to his wound at the entrance of the doorway. Seeing my worried look since I am unable to lend a hand even to dress his wounds, he simply said, "Red Leader, I have come this far and yet need to be at the last level. I know you are worried and I don''t want to forfeit this quest at all. I will be more careful. If not for the 100 points that I had allocated, I don''t think I could manage it."


    When he said that, I knew he would be somebody in the near future. I just need to keep an eye on him to ensure that his path doesn''t wayward to the dark side. During the dungeoneering, he had picked up one glove, a bronze sword, a planked shield and a round buckler.


    It was the same exact items that I had picked up myself before. Before long he opened the last doorway that leads to level 5 of the dungeons and there the passageway had only one torch that was lighted in the middle. The place was as gloomy as the one that I had last entered and this is where 5 mutated extra-large boss ass rats were stacked one after another.


    "Hit and run. Don''t stay in one place, Red Two. Don''t be too cocky and hasty place your shots well." I hollered after him as Red Two Adam went swiftly crouched on one side and stealthily crept.


    "Affirmative, Red Leader. OH MY GOSH... These rats are really enormous. What do they eat to gain this size?" as Red Two Adam gazed at the large monstrosity ahead of him as he unleashed alternative bolts from both his crossbows.


    Its a good thing he aimed for the large saucer-shaped red glowing eyes of the rat and it was blinded by the shots and would be soon taken down by him. I lost count of how many Red Two Adam shot at the rat as soon the rat fell to its sides. He managed to shoot twice then moved to another position and shoot another two bolts before he shifted his position once again.


    Good thing he had worn the amulet and the three wings that were given to him and the rest of the children, if not he would have given up on the third level. Seeing him shot the 1st rat multiple times, I congratulated him and he moved in to the next and the next until he had vanquished the whole dungeons filled with these rats.


    "Red Leader, I''m tired..." Red Two Adam said as he reached for the last door that leads to the kitchen upstairs. "You have done well, Red Two... It is now for Red Three to enter this dungeon. You may discuss the tactics with them once you had gone upstairs." I reassured him as he pushed the door open and there''s another door that greeted him a few paces in front.


    He opened it up and emerged into the kitchen and the moment the rest of his sisters saw the gash on his forehead, Jane and Kayla decided to forgo the ordeal. "Hah... A battle scar is all I got from them and its not by a rat but a plank that came loose and hut me squarely over my head here." Red Two Adam reassured them as he was immediately treated by Patricia with her handy medkit.


    "You sure you are going to let the rest go through with this? Look, Adam needs at least a few stitches to seal this wound up. Now he doesn''t look handsome at all and everyone would call him Harry Potter instead."


    True enough, the gash that Adam got was somewhat similar to the flash scar on Harry Potters forehead. Nevertheless, Red Three Ingles was raring to go despite seeing the blood-streaked face.


    "I also want to have a gash like him. It looked pretty cool, right? The other adventurers sure would be asking for one too if they were to see me walking around with a bloody bandage Iver my forehead..." Ingles said while she raised her dust triumphantly. "My God... What did I raise... Little monsters as what Trish had mentioned before?" I shook my head and buried my face in my hands as Adam was sent to the infirmary to get his forehead stitched up.


    Just as I figured, when Adam was ushered to the infirmary, a group of adventurers were sighted and Adam called out to them and informed them to head to the House Of Keating as there was a quest for them to gain experience.


    The group made up of 10 to 12 adventurers were ecstatic and heads down to the House of Keating where they were ushered in by Rebecca whom they had recognised when they were given their first quest back in Central.


    Seeing the new blood that had entered the House of Keating, and Kayla suddenly felt like a senior since there was a small girl about the age of 9 and a half. She is a wizard and Kayla felt that if this little sister is brave enough, why not she and Jane be afraid of? The little girl exudes such a confidence that even Jane and Kayla was awed by it.


    Not only them, I too was awestruck by her confidence at such a young age.

 Chapter 90 - 90. Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Kill Swiftly and Silently

    Seeing the new blood that had entered the House of Keating, and Kayla suddenly felt like a senior since there was a small girl about the age of 9 and a half. She is a wizard and Kayla felt that if this little sister is brave enough, why not she and Jane be afraid of? The little girl exudes such a confidence that even Jane and Kayla was awed by it.


    Not only them, I too was awestruck by her confidence at such a young age.


    We planned the strategy and as soon as Adam returned with Patricia from the infirmary, his whole forehead was bandaged and he scrawled a logo in front of his bandage that looked like somewhat like a clan or something from Naruto''s. Whatever it is, he is happy to return back alive.


    "Are you ready, Red Three?" I asked after I had informed the rest of the adventurers to prepare for the worse and to equip themselves with the amulet and rings to improve their attribute ratings.


    In this way at least those adventurers had been forwarded of the dangers that lurk underneath the House. When I asked about their membership, they preferred to stay with the other well-known Houses from the Central, Southern and Western except for two rangers who wanted to try the dungeons out first before they decide if they would sign for membership under the House of Keating.


    Having heard that, we knew our House standings were well in the bottom 14th and after getting some tips from Adam, it was Ingles turn to head to the dungeons next accompanied by me.


    ....


    "Red Three, remember to hit hard, hit fast and make use of the shadows and hiding places to shoot and move at the same time," I advised Red Three Ingles as we entered the dungeons, as the Quest Master opened up the door for us to enter.


    "I would be 25 paces behind you. Most of all, be careful and avoid getting a single hit." I advised once more and was answered with a nod. "Uhm mmm..." a short reply came as I saw Red Three Ingles breaking through some of the wooden crates and barrels with her feet and gathered hell the credits as she goes along.


    She saw a stick in the ground picked it up and tossed it aside and readied the two Assassin''s compact crossbows in her hands as she made contact and drew first blood. She had deployed the same tactics as Adam before and had effectively shot her first kill.


    "It is not just a simple rat, Red Leader... That looks like a Dino-rat." Red Three Ingles said as she made her way deftly as she had killed the so-called Dino-rat and moved in to the next. She kept shooting from a distance and the rats didn''t manage to retaliate nor make so much other than a groan after they fell to their sides.


    Since she had gotten the tips from Adam earlier, she managed to clear 3 levels with ease and then another tragedy struck. This time, Ingles got bumped on her head as she managed to evade a flying wooden crate towards her but one piece of the broken crate did end up falling in top of her head.


    Even though she was wearing a gugel, but that blunt trauma didn''t stop the force that had hit her head.


    "Oooh... I can see stars right now, Red Leader..." she hollered as she backed away and blindly shot in front of her as she hid her body within a tiny crack in the wall. It was enough to shield her body as she unleashes a few more bolts and finally heard a thud.


    "Awww... I''ve got a bump on my head and it''s bleeding..." she said as she touched her bump and found that blood had trickled down the side of her face. Angered at being hurt by these beasts, she went forward and darted left and right as she shot another beast.


    "Nobody... Hurts... Me... In... Front... Of... My... Daddy..." she screamed as she went ahead and shot another one, all her bolts ended up on the head of the beast as it penetrated the skull and entered the brain.


    One by one, the beast fell as she advanced on, and little did she knew she was filled with adrenaline as finally, she reached the end of the passageway and the door that leads to the 4th level.


    She opened up the door and straight went to the next level and began to shoot those beasts even before they could react. Seeing a little puny human in front of them holding two one-handed Assassin''s compact crossbow, these beasts were stupified in their tracks as they were struck down.


    "I... Am... A... Macleod... And... I... Fear... No... Beast...!!!" Red Three Ingles screamed as her voice echoed down the passageway and alerted the beasts to come forward.


    "Hit and run, shoot as you move... Don''t stay in one place...!!!" I shouted after Red Three Ingles as she unleashes bolt after bolt and ran to one side and then to the other. The improved attributes that she had allocated earlier had made her movements faster than normal as she even went the point-blank range to shoot the last bolt into the skull of the beast.


    By the end of the passageway, she sat down on one of the wooden crates as she huffed and puffed and tried to catch her breath. The rush of adrenaline was too much for her, I suppose, since she had experienced killing only wild boars, same like the rest as well.


    "I''m ready now, Red Leader..." she said as she pushed the door that leads to the last level of the dungeon. 5 more gigantic beasts to deal with and she would complete level 5 and would complete the quest.


    The moment she saw the big saucer-like red eyes of the beasts she can''t help herself from gasping in surprise, not terror and this does not stop her from sending a barrage of the bolt into the eyes of the beast.


    As I stood there evaluating the way they fought, and I remembered the whole set of tomes for every class and for every shouts, hex and spell available. I should introduce 4 intimidating shouts and 2 spells for Ranger and 2 spells for Assassin before they embark on their second and consecutive quests.


    "WHY... DON''T... YOU... JUST... DIE..." Red Three Ingles were shouting amidst the shrieking of beasts as she sidestepped and unleash a series of bolts and sidestepped once more. She even hid in the crevices and cracks in the walls to shield her body as she releases bolts after another at the beast while it tried to claw its way towards Red Three Ingles.


    It is different when one is battling with them and one is being an observer and unable to render any assistance that might forfeit the quest when it''s nearing the end. At last the 5th beast fell and Red Three Ingles sighed a huge relief.


    "Its all over... Let''s head back up..." I finally said as Ingles opened up the door that leads to another door that opens up to the kitchen in the House of Keating. When she emerged, everyone congratulated her and the Quest Master decided to bend the rules a bit.


    "Alright... This time I''ve adjusted the setting if the dungeons. Two adventurers can proceed on next at one time. The observer can still follow on through but since there are two adventurers having a go, the rate if monsters below would be increased to 1.5 times." Prius announced as he was worried that Jane and Kayla might not make it.


    Furthermore, there are 12 more adventurers to go and speeding things up won''t hurt them one bit. "That means, instead of 28 monsters, you have an additional 14 more that makes up to 42 monsters altogether. That would be snazzy, don''t you think so Red Four and Red Five?"


    Hearing 42 monsters rather than the usual 28 made the others shudder as they saw that the following one that emerged from the dungeons had blood streaked down the side of her face and down her chin. Seeing the other adventurers eyeing her injury, Ingles spoke up and said nonchalantly, "Arch... It is just a scratch... Don''t you all worry so much. I will leave yet for another of this."


    Patricia was petrified and quickly bundled Ingles away to the infirmary as she saw that she could suffer a knock and bleed even though she was wearing Level 4 mesh iron reinforced gugel.


    "Ready when you are, Red Four and Red Five. Both of you are able and can have a go at it together. Remember, be careful always, don''t be too cocky and hasty and..." I was cut short by those two as they choruses, "Hit hard, hit fast, kill swiftly and silently... Pchew Pchew Pchew Pchew ..." chorused the duo as Kayla added the sound effects which made them laugh and loosened the situation.

 Chapter 91 - 91. Pchew... Pchew... Pchew...

    "Ready when you are, Red Four and Red Five. Both of you are able and can have a go at it together. Remember, be careful always, don''t be too cocky and hasty and..." I was cut short by those two as they choruses, "Hit hard, hit fast, kill swiftly and silently... Pchew Pchew Pchew Pchew ..." chorused the duo as Kayla added the sound effects which made them laugh and loosened the situation.


    "Go... Go... Go..." Jane and Kaa cheered on as they were being ushered through the dungeon door and the Quest Master can''t help it but patted in their heads as they went in and followed closely by me.


    "I won''t be too far behind. Since there two of you, one take the left and the other in the right. Watch out for those crates what might be sent flying towards you if these beasts were enraged. You won''t want to end up like Ingles or Adam." I advised as the two of them went down the spiral staircase and entered the level 1 dungeon.


    "Eewww... What is that? It looked like a black bolster... Ewww... And it''s soft... Don''t tell me this is poop that I just sank my foot in...? Ewwww....." Kayla grimaced and shrieked as her foot sank into the poop of the giant rat and she looked at me helplessly at her foot that is now being covered with rat poop.


    "Uncle Prius mentioned ''Finders Keeper'' so this is good for fertiliser, don''t you think Daddy... I mean Red Leader? Shall we keep it?" asked Kayla who was looking at me who was leaning against the wall a short distance away.


    "You keep it, Kayla..." said Jane "NO... You keep it. I stepped on it and discovered it, so you shall keep it." argued Kayla and they were bickering just as they entered the dungeon. "Haisshh... How long would they keep up like this... They haven''t even seen the rats yet and now they are arguing whose going to carry the shit back." I shook my head and better handle the situation before someone gets hurt.


    "HEY... HEY... YOU TWO BETTER STOP BICKERING. BOTH OF YOU ARE CARRYING WEAPONS, NOT DOLLIES..." I hollered at them since I''ve got no choice. I don''t want to end up shooting one another. "FORGET ABOUT THAT RAT POOP...LET''S GO..." I hollered once more and this made the two girls continue ahead.


    "SSHHRRIIEEKK... Daddy what''s that...??!! Is that a rat or a monster...??!!" Kayla once again kicked a fuss and I have to intervene once again. "KILL IT FAST... There''s 42 of these and they will get bigger as you progress..." I instructed and Jane is the one that took the initiative to shoot at the big-ass rat first.


    "SHOOT... SHOOT... SHOOT... PCHEW PCHEW PCHEW" shrieked Kayla as she shot alternatively with her two crossbows. Soon with the combined effort, the rat fell to its side and disintegrated to the floor...


    "Eh...? That''s all from the rat? It seems easier than it looks. WHEEE... THIS IS SO MUCH FUN..." Kayla was searching the ground here it disintegrated and found no spoils or anything they could bring back up later.


    "Daddy... I mean, Red Leader... Don''t these rat drop any spoils, meat or hide?" asked Jane and I replied out of irritance, "If they do drop meat, do you think you want to eat them? They are sure big and their meat surely would be tasteless and tough. Furthermore, less talk more action please."


    The levels are easily cleared as instead of one shooting at the beast, 4 bolts were fired simultaneously.


    As we cleared the passageway filled with rats queuing up to get killed, we soon reached the end of level 3 and were at the door leading to Level 4. "Be careful girls, Mummy doesn''t want you to get hurt in any way, understand..."


    "Yes, Daddy... I mean...." Kayla replied as I waved my hand at her. It doesn''t matter right now what they had called me as long as they can get out of here safely.


    As they entered level 4, they seemed rather shocked to see the size of these rats that had somehow multiplied in size and also were queuing up to be hit one after the other. As the rats shrieked and spat as they ambled forwards the girls, both can''t help but shriek back in horror...


    "SSHHRRIIEEKK... SSHHRRIIEEKK... SSHHRRIIEEKK..." the shrieking girls somehow stopped the advancing rats as they had never heard such sharp shrieking in their lives before. "SHOOT AND MOVE, SHOOT AND MOVE..." I shouted to them from a distance as they finally realised what was happening and unleashed their bolts and did what was instructed by me. After every 8 bolts, the beast fell to their sides before groaning in despair for not being able to counterattack.


    Little did I realised that both girls were closing their eyes as they shoot because the beast before them somehow terrified them out of their wits. They just stood there and hoot their bolts straight as the beast slowly advanced and let itself get hit and fell to their sides.


    Even the beast knew how to pity those girls and let them be sacrificed. After 10 of the beasts had fallen to their sides and disintegrated into the ground, the girls who had their eyes closed all the time, kept firing until I told them to stop.


    "Haiyoo... How can you call yourself as Ranger-Assassin? Both of you are like scared little kittens you know. Hahahahaha..." I wanted to pat their heads but I withdrew my hand back knowing that it would forfeit their quest.


    "Alright Daddy, it''s the last level and another 10 of them right?" Jane asked as she was afraid that she might not even last and go through the last level successfully. "Yes, and another 10 more and all of you would have ice cream sandwich after this. I missed mine the other day. We will go after dinner, ok?"


    "YEAY... ICE CREAM SANDWICH... What are you waiting for Jane, let''s go already..." said Kayla full of determination as she tried to kick down the door down several times and discovered there is a ''PULL'' sign on it and she eventually pulls on it. Hahahahaha... One can guess the look on her face... So malu lah...


    The moment she saw the saucer-like round red eyes of the beast, Kayla is the one that shouted at it with her squeaky voice, "WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT? LIE DOWN ON YOUR SIDES AND PLAY DEAD..."


    "Yeah... Turn around and I can shoot you in the ass..." added Jane and surprisingly the beast happen to understand as it tried to turn its body around and showed its butt with the swishing tail towards the girls instead.


    "Uuhh...we have all turned around, just shoot our butts and we would soon be dead anyway..." the beast spoke up and that surprises me but not the two children as they shot the butts of the beast as it howled, twerked its butt a little and fell to its sides.


    "Quick, aim for the other butts... We want to finish this and then go for dinner and ice cream sandwich next..." shrieked Kayla as she placed Aimed Shots on the butt and the muscles of the beast sort of rippled when it was struck.


    "Is the ice cream sandwich nice to eat or not?" asked one of the beast to Kayla and Jane is the one who answered the beast, "There''s Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate. It costs 135 credits and it comes in an 8 litre round tub. It''s called Neopolitan ice cream and it''s great to eat with soft creamy bread. You should try it sometimes..."


    Hahahaha... These beasts knew our human language as they willingly let themselves being hit by the bolts in their butts just like ''pin the donkey''s tail'' and fell to their sides and died.


    "Kids, if you see rats scampering near your feet when you are having the ice cream, don''t mind it because that''s what we are... Please give a slice or two to share ok?"


    "OK, you big ugly rat... Pchew Pchew Pchew... See you later at the town square of the market place near the Beauty World store..." replied Kayla as she shot the last one as it fell to its side and disintegrated into the ground...


    "Hah...so much so for level 5 rats. Hehehehe... Time to head upstairs now Daddy... Daddy? Are you alright?" asked Jane as she looked at me who was staring at the beasts and how the children were able to command them. These beasts could even listen to what the children commanded them to do.


    When we finally headed upstairs, the two girls were posing the moment they entered with the kitchen and they looked somewhat like power puff girls... With their shrieks of joy and their fists that were pumping in the air as they sashayed around the kitchen.


    The adventurers looked at them with awe as they emerged unhurt and seemed rather happy. The word power of ICE CREAM SANDWICH, no one is able to resist the temptation at all.


    "Mummy...Daddy is treating us ice cream sandwich later after dinner. Would we be having dinner here since it is so crowded or we head down to the marketplace for dinner?" asked Jane as she peered that there are 12 more adventurers to go and this time without any adult supervision.


    Hearing the word dinner made the other Adventurers'' stomachs growl and were ushered to the Great Hall instead as we took a break and prepare dinner at home. Home-cooked meals always tasted the best and the rest of the adventurers were invited for dinner as well. It is part of House of Keating''s hospitality too.

 Chapter 92 - 92. Ranger-Assassin-Wizard Triple Class Cadets.

    After dinner, the children changed back to their everyday wear and stowed away their crossbows. The 12 adventurers too had finished their dinner and were queueing up to take their numbers as they prefer to go at it alone.


    The children didn''t actually inform the others how big ass these rats were and they thought it might only be as big as a wild boar they had seen in the Northern Forest. Little did they knew they should have gone in pairs instead of being a lone wolf and entering the treacherous dungeon alone. It was regret for some and out of the 12, 4 had dropped out halfway through the dungeons. What a pity.


    Earlier while having dinner, I had taken out my notepad and scribbled somethings that I had discovered from our children since they were of Ranger-Assassin Class. For each of the attributes, which were Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution, I saw that there were other traits that fall under each category.


    Acrobatics (Dex)


    Stealth (Dex)


    Lock picking (Dex)


    Athletics (Str)


    Endurance (Con)


    Perception (Wis)


    Dungeoneering (Wis)


    Insight (Wis)


    It seems that they would need to allocate the +42 points for each of the attributes into individual traits and I showed them when we were having a chat at the benches in front of the store later that evening. I also had found them to have increased progress since their visit to the dungeon. It was small and marginal but the added 100 points given to them proved to be most beneficial.


    "Daddy, would you mind explaining to us what these traits are for?" Adam asked as he was holding on to the bandage in his head and was feeling the throbbing pain as the painkiller effect had worn off.


    "Acrobatics allows you to move swiftly and without any problems thus being able to have you move and shoot at the same time. It would also allow you to perform somersaults to dodge incoming attacks I suppose."


    "Stealth as you know it, makes you almost hidden from the line of sight of enemies and able to approach them close to zero detection. However, this move allows you to move without weapons drawn and once it is drawn, you are unable to perform Stealth except for throwing knives and daggers."


    "Lock picking... As well, gaining entry to people''s home undetected as you assassinate them. Other than that is it being used to open locked cabinets and chests to get to the treasure. It is also used to gain entry to those unsuspecting places like dungeons and cellars."


    "Athletics allows you to run faster and jump higher and longer. As a Ranger-Assassin Class, you may need to climb vertical walls, trees or other high places in order to view and assess the situation well before you strike. It also makes you impervious to high falls if you have allocated a high enough points in your attributes."


    "Endurance is part of your health as well as your hit points. It is good that it has a single trait so far under Constitution and you could build on that. Health and hit points would make a difference in the battle against your favour especially in other ranged or close combat."


    "Perception... This is a good trait to have. It is to check to notice clues, detect secret doors, spot imminent dangers, find traps, follow tracks, listen for sounds behind a closed door, or locate hidden objects. I would love to have this trait too."


    "Dungeoneering is part of determining cardinal directions while underground, recognizing a dangerous underground plant, or spotting new construction or noticing a change in depth while exploring an area. It can be used to gather knowledge about an underground environment or to recognize an underground hazard or clue."


    "Last but not least, Insight. You can discern intent and decipher body language during social interactions. You make an Insight check to comprehend motives, to read between the lines, to get a sense of moods and attitudes, and to determine how truthful someone is being. You use Insight as the social counterpart to the Perception skill."


    The children were taking down notes based on the traits that were mentioned and find that they could allocate the necessary points accordingly.


    Soon, these children took off running around the marketplace and were testing whether one can outrun the other or not and they were performing broad jumps to see who can jump the farthest and running and jumping at the same time.


    The passersby were astonished to see the children were full of energy and remarked how fortunate for these orphans to finally have parents especially coming from the House of Keating.


    "Alright, children... You may show off your skills later at the Northern Plains, but right after you had read some tomes to improve yourself. Looking at the four of you had managed to emerge alive if not for me being behind you."


    "Daddy... What are tomes? Are they scrolls of some sort?" Adam asked as he was exerted and his head was throbbing from all the running and jumping around. "Daddy... I could run faster and jump linger than usual after I allocate the necessary points," said Ingles. "Yes, Daddy... Same goes for me too... Phew... When is the ice cream man coming? These Rats are here already and begging their paws at me now." Kayla pointed out and I remembered that these are the rats from the level 5 dungeon.


    "Answering your question, Adam... These tomes are skill book. It could be a shout to intimidate your enemies and bring them to their knees, freeze them with fear or simply lose the heart to do battle with you. There are 4 shouts that I would let you all learn together."


    "But it won''t work on an ally and the only way is to test them out against Auntie Becky''s hoodlums. Another one is a spell, a passive one that could make your bolt that you shoot to be an Arching Shot, unblockable but at a slower speed reduction of 10-20%."


    "Another one is Go For Their Eyes. These passive spells would go hand in hand. No matter what direction you shoot, it would arched back and penetrate the eyes of the enemies."


    "2 more spells I wanted of you to learn is Double Shot and Triple Shot. You can use this active spell and stack with your Arching Shot and Go For Their Eyes Shot."


    "You would be able to use this active spell for 10 to 15 seconds and the cooling time is I think 45-60 seconds if I am not wrong. There are 8 tomes or spell books that you would be learning one day at a time."


    Well, I guess giving them these tomes or spell books to learn is better and would be above par than the rest of the adventurers. "Daddy, if we learn spells, won''t we be Wizards as well?" asked Kayla when she heard about spells and shouts...


    "No... You won''t be Wizards, not at all... But you would be the first Ranger-Assassin-Wizard Triple Class Threat. "RAW" for short... Hehehehe. In this case, make it 10 tomes or spellbooks. I want you to learn to Heal Me and Make Haste shout. These shouts are an active shout and have an effective time of 15-20 seconds and a cooling time between 45-60 seconds."


    "Wow...Mummy, Daddy has quite a number of spells for us to learn. Mummy, when would you be a wizard and carry the big walking stick with you?" asked Jane as she forgot the term for staff and called it a stick.


    I looked at Patricia and she was surprised that I had spellbooks for the children to learn. Furthermore learning spells not meant for the wizard is totally unheard of. "Dear, how many spellbooks do you have in your knowledge?" Patricia finally asked and someone spotted the ice cream vendor and all the children scrambled over to get a big chunk of ice cream served on bread.


    "Frankly speaking darling, I''ve forgotten how much I have but if I''m not mistaken I have over a 100 shouts, chants, spells and hexes for all class available, no matter if they are a Warrior, Berserker, Ranger, Assassin, Necromancer, Wizard, Monk or a Paragon."


    "Oh. My. God... Do you know that with the spell books House of Keating could be the number one undisputed ranking in the whole of Ingmery...? I have not heard of a Monk and Paragon before and we rarely even see a Necromancer too."


    "With each of the spellbook, adventurers would be bound by the House and all equipment would be borne by us. Your spare Unallocated points could also be given to them as a binding contract. Wow... House of Keating surely has struck gold...!!"


    Striking gold is one thing, but we do not have a training ground except to go to Northern Plains to practise there in wild boars alone?


    Adventurers are definitely looking for more adventures and until they are still stuck at Level 1, they are not allowed to go elsewhere except within the cities to gain quests as well as quests within the Northern Plains.


    "I need Captains and our children still needs exposure, and I can''t leave them alone. Kayla is just a 10-year-old girl. I don''t want others to look down on her due to her age and not judging her with her experience."


    "Even though children will still remain as children, they are sometimes mischievous but at the same time downright serious," I explained as I spread my hands and then an ice cream sandwich landed there. It was from Kayla and she said a big Thank you" to me.

 Chapter 93 - 93. Back To Forging Those Pieces Again.

    Over the course of 10 days, the children had been diligently learning the spellbooks that had been handed to them one for each day.


    The children had also performed their daily task autonomously as they checked the readied stocks, stacked them accordingly and made purchases for the following next batch.


    Once the children had learned each shout, we went out to the Northern Forest and test them out with wild boars. Humans and beasts, when they heard these shouts would either cower in fear, were brought down on their knees, lose their will to fight or simply knocked down and unable to stand up for the next 10-15 seconds.


    The children had successfully learned to Fear Me, On Your Knees, Cowards and None Shall Pass. Even if these shouts have a duration of 10-15 seconds, if they used it within one after another, they would simply be able to stack them within a minute and reuse them once again.


    The next thing they had mastered was Arching Shot and Go For Their Eyes. Whichever direction they shoot, even 180 degrees from the enemy, their bolt would seek out a single enemy at one time and it would be like a guided missile as it slams through the eyes of the wild boars.


    The children were excited since they were able to blindly shoot and it still reaches the target. I told them, "Arching Shot is meant for outdoors like this, it can''t be shot from inside a dungeon unless it was aimed directly at them."


    "Furthermore, your bolt even though it is unblockable, would be flying at a slower speed. But because it was stacked with Go For Their Eyes, this shot would never lose its target."


    The children nodded in agreement as they shot alternatively with their crossbows directly this time and it takes just a single hit to bring the wild boars down. This is due to the addition of the spells that they had learnt.


    Next, they tried the Double Shot and Triple Shot where it was an active spell. Each spell has a duration of 15 seconds and each spell would make their bolt split into 2 and 2 respectively. This would prove useful and advantageous against enemies of a higher Constitution.


    "WOW... Daddy... This Double Shot is really NASTY... With just a single bolt we could bring down a wild boar and this is sure an OK... Overkill if you readers are wondering what it means." Ingles remarked and marvelled at the effectiveness of the spell. 15 seconds is enough to unleash 5 bolts each from the crossbows and this would be effective against goblins and trolls, not to mention humans too.


    "I am happy that you are delighted with your new spells that could be used to enhance your combat capabilities. All right, we will collect the spoils and sell what we don''t need to NoOne over there. I wonder when he will get to be a pauper since Daddy had been leeching millions of credits from through the sales of certain things." I said as I picked myself up and walked with the children towards the Northern Gate.


    ....


    "Excuse me, sir, I can''t help noticing you were training these young rangers on how to shoot and it seems your techniques of shooting far exceed my expectations." I was approached by a man about 40 years old and was leading a group of other youngsters. "Oh hello there, my name is Audemars and we are from the House of Keating. What can we do for you?"


    "My name is Caine and these two are my children. We are from the Coldstream Town and we just had purchased these fine wardrobe that we saw being demonstrated in our town the other week and had bought 2 light bows for them too."


    "I can''t help but notice the way these children shot their bolts and it seemed that each of them was directed to every single of these wild boars. Is there some kind of unknown Ranger technique that I should know of?"


    "Ah, in this case, you may go to the House of Grundy, sir. They take in members to join their guild as Rangers. By the way, may I ask you a little something, don''t Coldstream Town has any House that takes in these new members?" I asked since he came all the way from a town unknown to my knowledge and started to ask about techniques and so on.


    "Not really sir, the Houses are currently inactive right now. House of Grundy, right sir? Thank you so much for the tips. By the way, you mentioned you are from the House of Keating, don''t you take in membership?"


    "Not at the moment, kind sir. I am grooming these children to become Captains and soon would be spearheading their own teams, squads, platoons in the future. Right now it''s too early for them and they need to groom themselves properly. Furthermore, we are Triple Class which means my children are Ranger-Assassin-Wizard Class."


    "Ranger-Assassin-Wizard you might say sir?" the man asked as he scratched his head since he had never heard of such class before. "That''s right, and if you want your children to enrol as new members, please wait for some time because I want these Captains to learn my skills as much as possible."


    We all bade them farewell and good luck and walked in the Northern Gate and through the Central where we reached our Great Hall. We saw a stream of new adventurers trying their luck at the dungeons and the moment we walked in, those adventurers bowed slightly and let us pass since the news had reached that the first four who entered the dungeons came out unharmed and able to complete the quests.


    "Alright, all of you are dismissed and can chat around with these adventurers over here. Give them some tips on how small these rats are and advise them to be careful and..."


    "Hit hard, Hit fast... Pchew Pchew Pchew..." chorused the children while Kayla added the sound effects the made everyone laugh.


    ....


    *Ding* Creation Failed.


    *Ding* Creation Failed. Why don''t you just give up?


    "Damn... It was easier back in the 7th series for me to create weapons out from this database and right now it''s almost impossible. Aarrgghh... I''m frustrated. Don''t tell me I need to spend time at forging before I could surpass a certain level of competency?"


    The weapon that I tried to create in the Fusion Chamber was a set of flintlock with an 8-inch barrel. It would be self reloading with unlimited bullets and right now I had used 4 pieces of Level 4 iron ingots and got no results from it.


    "Well, Bruce... I''m sorry but I can''t help to forge some more weapons from you unless I have a sample. Guess I''m off to the Blacksmithing Zone once more." I said in a resigned note as I swiped the scene before me and went to the said zone and prepares to make some Level 8 or higher Iron Ingots.


    Currently, I am at an Advanced Blacksmith 258/1000 and there''s a long way to go and there''s no jack around it. "Sigh... I guess I''d be forging three pieces of iron ores at one time and I''m going to hammer these for at least 450 times to get to Level 8 and 900 times to get to Level 16? I think that''s what Blake had mentioned to me before. Well... Here goes, little Blacksmith... Do your stuff...!!! "


    Soon, after the bellows were pumped and the three iron ores were red hot, I picked it up with my bare hands and place it on the anvil and an offscreen crew began his count using a manual counter. Sparks flew when my 60 pounder hammer hits the three pieces of red hot iron ores.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes...


    200 strikes......


    400 strikes......


    800 strikes.........


    900 strikes............


    After I hammered for 900 times, I picked up the iron ingot and threw it into the bucket of water and I picked another 3 pieces of iron ore and started to pump the bellows once more. When I touched the red hot iron ingot, I received an announcement.


    *Ding* Congratulations. Level 15 Refined Iron attained. +900% Progress. Advanced Blacksmith 267/1000. Allocation points +90.


    "Eh... How come at level 15? Did I reach a bottleneck or something? Haiyaa... What shall I do now?" I said aloud then I received another announcement.


    *Ding* Level of Refined Iron will be increased in the first 1000 level as a Professional Blacksmith. Maximum capped at Level 25 for Professional Blacksmith. Once you reach Master Blacksmith, it would be the next 10k level before it would be upgraded to Level 1 Purified Iron.


    "DAFUQ... not only did my system talked back to me but it also prompted me the levelling up process. Even if I hammered the piece at 2000 times it would still be Level 15 Refined Iron. HAIYAAAA.... In that case, I better hammer these iron ingot until it becomes a flat piece of metal disc.


    I picked another 3 pieces of iron ores and threw them into the furnace and pumped the bellows. After it got red hot, I placed it on the anvil and started to hammer 900 times. The offscreen crew told me it would take me 15 minutes flat to make one piece of Level 15 Refined Iron and I need to make at least 80+ pieces to Level up.


    "Haiya... In 3 hours here in the Realm of Mind I could only produce a dozen pieces. I think I need to spend at least 12 hours of constant hammering to produce 48 pieces. 12 hours here is 4 hours in the real world."


    "Once I hit the 12-hour mark, it''s time for me to rest and continue back later... Haiyaa... " I complained to the system as I picked my hammer and the offscreen crew helped me to time the number of hammering.


    Since I was going to stay for 12 hours in the Realm of Mind, 6 offscreen crew took turns to manually use the handheld counter to make sure I made the exact hammering and not overdo per piece.


    I had a camelback strapped behind me as I sipped the isotonic energy drink that they had mixed for me to go on hammering for 12 straight hours. I changed hands handling the hammer if not people would think I''m doing something with only my right arm over something that only a wife would do for me. Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 94 - 94. Husband And Wife Squabble

    The 12 hours of spending in the Realm of Mind has ended and the offscreen crews were basically tired and sleepy as well since they were lulled by the *Tink! Tink! Tink!* of the hammering.


    I threw the last piece in and u have made a total of 48 pieces of Level 15 Refined Iron Ingots. I received numerous announcements one after another and after some time, the announcer got tired and the system went to sleep mode. Hahahaha... Even system need to sleep...!


    I nudged the system and it finally woke up and announced that I had gained 43,200% progress. I had levelled up Advanced Blacksmith 690/1000 and base level to Level: 6920/100,000 and gained 4320 allocation points for a total of 33,100.


    I soon logged off and went back to the real world and everyone was in the kitchen area preparing dinner. "Hi everyone, sorry to be missing from part of your daily activities, I just got back to observe how those wisps were doing at this moment."


    "Daddy...Daddy...can you bring me to see the wisps? I wanted to see how it looked like one day..." asked Kayla as she was using a kitchen knife and was chopping away at the cabbage-like using a chopper. Not only she was shredding it as small as coleslaw but she was literally making a mess with the kitchen.


    Patricia was minding the children in the kitchen while Prius was still acting as the Quest Master and Rebecca was manning her house and to repeat the same thing over and over again to the new adventurers who came to Ingmery for quests.


    "These wisps are shy, dear... If they see someone new, they would hide for 44 days before emerging once more. Furthermore, they are helping the business and the House of Keating. One day I would ask their permission first, ok?" I replied to Kayla who was merrily chopping the cabbage-like some kind of game to her.


    "Say, Quest Master Prius, don''t other towns have Houses as well that give out quests? And are those Houses still active or still dormant?" I asked Prius as he was having an easy job opening the door and waiting for the adventurers failed one after another.


    "Those Houses are not able to compete with us since we are the main central town here. Furthermore, those are only satellite towns and people would come here to actually to grind for monsters and beasts as well as to learn their classes and new traits."


    "Aahh...i was approached by someone with his two children earlier that commented on our children''s progress. He saw what I had taught these children and was inquiring for memberships."


    "Judging from their experience, they would be better off grinding the wild boars until they hit a certain stage. Their attributes were only the basic 25 points only. They''ve got a long way to go... " I added and I wondered how long would these children be able to handle such responsibility to be lieutenants and not captains first. Guess I still have to play my role.


    "Well, you can bring the children to Becky''s since they had completed the first quest. Go along like how you did before. They would just be fine, I have faith in you guiding them." Quest Master Prius mentioned to me and I knew what he was letting me do... Have some confidence in our children.


    "Children, when we are done for dinner, you could ask Auntie Becky on her quest and she may relate to you alright? Of course, when she was not being a Quest Master herself she can give tips but when she is out there issuing quests, she is the Quest Master, alright?"


    "Yes Daddy, we understand. Just like Uncle Prius here... He is our uncle but when we take his quest, he is the K-I-N-G... hehehehe." replied Ingles as she cried and wiped her tears when she peeled the shallots.


    "What are you guys doing? Garlic butter fried rice?" I asked when I saw the usual ingredients. "Yes... Today we would make something special with an egg omelette and wrap the rice in between another omelette. It''s going to be like Pattaya Rice. Mummy told us since you like to talk in your sleep." Jane said and exposed another family secret which they were supposed to keep from me.


    I screwed up my face when I realised what had happened and then Patricia was trying to hush up Jane but was too far away. When I looked at Patricia she stood there smiling with a silly look on her face as she didn''t mean to let the cat out of the bag and the cat was running about in the kitchen and making pawprints all over the counter and floor. Haha haha


    "Why didn''t you tell me I talk in my sleep? What else did you find out?" I pulled Patricia aside and asked her and the grip on her arm make her squirm with discomfort. I let it go and asked for her forgiveness and didn''t mean to manhandle her except for the *Piak! Piak! Piak!* session when she asked me to do it harder on her... Haha haha haha.


    "Yes, Audemars... There are a lot of things you didn''t tell me. You did talk in your sleep like as if you are talking to me. So I thought you were talking to me and I responded."


    "I later found out that you were actually fast asleep after all. Tell me who are the names of men and women that you had mentioned before? Do you have any kind of relationship with them?" Patricia''s eyes started to get teary and she bit her lips, not knowing if she asked the question at the right time or not or maybe the order of the questions are right or could be easily understood.


    "Let me begin by telling what I told you is the truth. Where else can I get those spellbooks in the first place and the mention of the Monks and paragons are all seemingly out of place right?"


    "I am not angry at you, Trish... But these secrets are deep dark secrets. I can only tell you this simply that I am not what you think I am right now. Hmm... Is that the right order? Let me rephrase... I am not what you think. Hmm... Seems rather off... But you get the whole picture. I am not Audemars Macleod, he had died during the Battle of Qodegh and I am Sam Mulder and I came from the United States of America."


    "Yeah... Yeah... And I am Princess Diana of England... Whatever..." Patricia said and a thought came to my mind ''WHY IS IT WOMEN ARE HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD?''


    "Go ask the children, they can realise whether I was talking the truth or not. You yourself is a wizard, just smite me down if I''m not telling the truth?"


    "Eyah... Eyah... Eyah... Why all this fuss in front of the children and other adventurers? Why don''t you both kiss and make up? Quarrelling only takes place in the bedroom lah... Not here in front of the children and in front of the food you are preparing... " Quest Master Prius tried to simmer down the heat that was going to blow off its top soon.


    Patricia suddenly walked out of the kitchen and as I tried to grab her hand, she just swiped it free from my grip. I watched her go and was contemplating whether I should chase after her or should I just wait until we had finished preparing dinner.


    "WHAT THE FUCK..." I cursed myself and thought that I should reproach her in any manner and could just smile at her instead of accosting her like that. "Is there anyone inside the dungeon right now?" I asked curtly and Prius answered, "There''s no one, why do you ask?"


    "Open it up..." I instructed to Prius and he just stood there not knowing what to do because I was neither wearing my armour and was carrying any weapons at all. "But you''re..."


    "JUST OPEN THE GODDAMN DUNGEON AND LET ME BE, DAMMIT..." I roared at Prius and everyone stopped what they were doing and even the adventurers were dumbfounded and were watching me with fear in their eyes.


    Is this crazy man about to do a crazy stunt in that crazy dungeon facing those crazy big ass rats with not a single weapon in him? Prius was taken aback by my sudden burst of roar and before Patricia who was rushing back into the kitchen could stop me, I opened the door myself and bounded a few steps and landed inside on Level 1 dungeon.


    When I saw the rat in front of me rearing its head back and attempt to so call intimidate me, I rushed forward and let out a roar and punched and kicked my way. The beast was in such pain and agony and was simply tortured that it went and reported to Animal Cruelty after it fell to its side and disintegrated to the ground.


    I was mad, I was angry, i was filled with such fury that I was blinded by my own tears that somehow had streamed down my face. I punched and kicked and I imbued Kamehameha into my own two fists and starts hammering those poor beasts.


    Little did I knew, Patricia had followed down the dungeons and remain hidden as she looked at me trying to hide my emotions by beating up the beasts with my own hands.


    *Ding* Congratulations on unlocking Pugilist Class.


    "HHUUAARRGGHH... I... AM... SAM... MULDER... I... AM... A... TRANS... MIGRATOR..." each word that came out my mouth was followed by a bash from my bare fists that I am oblivious to all the cuts and grazes when I pinched through the mouth of those beasts that they ended going to the dentist to get a pair of dentures.

 Chapter 95 - 95. Self Mutilation As A Sign Of Repentance

    This is my only way to vent my frustration and anger not to anyone but only to myself. I prefer to hurt myself rather than to hurt someone I love and this is the only way of self-mutilation that I could think of right now.


    I went down to the next level and then to the following levels as I used my hands and feet to hammer and stomp those beasts. The beasts were fearing for their lives and when I came at them with just my bare hands, they knew they would be in for a beat-up.


    "I... HAVE... SEEN... FRIENDS... DIE... BEFORE... ME..." I roared as I punched the teeth and shattered both my fists and had broken several of my fingers and they were really bent out of shape right now.


    "I... AM... FROM... THE... PAST... AND... FUTURE..." I roared again as I annihilate one beast after another in the 4th level of the dungeon. When I had punched at the teeth, my arms were shredded and pieces of meat and tendons were dangling from it and I felt numb to the pain.


    Trickles of blood began to trail the floor and unknown to me, Patricia was sobbing uncontrollably as she watched me from a distance and was afraid to stop me at all.


    Both of my arms had dangling meat from my own skin and flesh and my left arm had broken into three parts. But yet I continued to punch those beasts as I ventured deeper and went down level 5. With my broken left arm, meat dangling from both arms, blood trickling in the floor and made it slippery, I bashed my way through.


    Seeing a madman before the beasts, they shat and peed in fear and they feinted death just like me when I was at the Court of Aermagh. I kicked and smashed the heads of those beasts and my pants were torn and my bone was exposed when their teeth somehow got entangled with my legs and I simply pulled them away.


    My shinbone could be seen... My left calf was literally torn away and dangling like a piece of steak and I was limping despite the horrific injuries that I had sustained. But I kept hammering with my good unbroken arm and kicking with my other good leg.


    I neither used a weapon or a crate to hit at those beasts and rely on my brute force. "I... AM... ROBIN... HOOD... AND... I... WATCH... MYSELF... DIE... IN... BURNING... FIELDS..." I smashed the head of the cowering mutated gigantic rat and finally, I emerged the end of the passageway.


    Patricia rushed to me and hugged me and I hugged her back. "I''m sorry Trish for hurting you. This is the punishment I dealt on myself as a way of repentance..." I was going giddy from the loss of blood as I was carried up by Patricia and her clothes were already soaked with my blood.


    "Forgive me for messing up your clothes..." I mumbled as I''m beginning to lose my consciousness and the pain that I had not felt began to throb incessantly... "Oooh... My arm, it looked like a boomerang... Hah hah... Oh fuck... I''ve destroyed my own body..." and as soon as I emerged from the kitchen door, Prius was totally taken aback at my condition that seemed as bad as the first day I was wheeled into the infirmary.


    "QUICK GET THE INFIRMARY... STOP THE QUEST..." shouted Patricia and the children all clamoured around me sobbing and crying loudly as they had not seen a bloodied, mangled body like mine before and when Patricia carried me to the room, I collapsed as everything went white, just before I reached the bed.


    Patricia and the children helped to carry me to the bed and all the children clothes were soaked with my blood. The adventurers that were waiting to start their quest thinking that the man is crazy enough to enter the dungeons unarmed and yet managed to finish the quest in record time.


    The infirmary staffs entered and were shocked to see my mangled state like as if I met with a road accident and had just bashed through a stationary steam roller with my car. Broken bones, pieces of shrapnel from the beasts, dangling meat and crying children made the whole situation extremely hectic.


    The staffs from the TV series ER was called in to support and when they looked at my body all they could do was clicked their tongues. "Tsk... Tsk... Tsk... This man is truly done for. How long was he awakened before he ends up like this again?"


    "He lost a lot of blood and I think we need to bring the whole blood bank here just to patch him up. Look... He got holes in his body as well and I can see his internal organs... Eeewww... I think I''m going to quit being an ER nurse..."


    "Please save him... He did this because he loved me..." Patricia said in between sobs and snots and the wailing children crying out for their Daddys and Mummys.


    A mortician came in with a saw in his hand and starts hacking away at those loose dangling meat from my broken and mutilated arm and leg as he said, "I don''t think he needs this... And this as well... And definitely, he might be using this in time to come..." he said as he was holding on to my crotch and waving his saw to Patricia''s face and decided not to cut my Dong.


    "Hoho... I''m done..." he said as he leaves with the pieces of meat inside a kidney dish and he whistled as he went out and went offscreen. He must be a mad scientist because he doesn''t look one bit like a coroner at all.


    "He looks like he''s going to lose a few more bones in his body, Pat. He''s back in his comatose state again. I''ve fixed his arms and legs and all we can do is to wait again... Haisshh... This fella... Keeps going into a coma twice. When will he put a full stop to it?"


    Patricia looked deep into my scarred face that had been bandaged up by the ER staffs and I happened to sport a pouting manner with my lips...and making kissy sounds with it that irritates anyone who hears it. Patricia can''t help but cry and wail and Prius were calling her and the children to finish what they were doing because other adventurers were waiting to eat dinner.


    The deed is already been done and all that they can do is to wait for me to wake up and the question that remains in their heads was when would I wake up?


    A pint of blood was transfused along with a packet of saline that had been injected with some antibiotic. The blood-soaked clothes had been cut open and thrown away and the infirmary staffs had helped Patricia to wipe my body clean off the blood.


    The infirmary staffs looked at Patricia with mournful eyes because they never expected me to enter the dungeons with no armour and weapons and to roar at the beasts until it got such a trauma and have to attend some psychiatric clinic since those beasts have images of a madman coming at them with fire in his eyes and arms.


    ....


    I was back at the black void and I knew I wasn''t making any jump or anything after this. This was my last jump and I made it good for the first 2 months and now I''m back here again in the recesses of Audemars mind.


    "System, what is your version? Do you intend to upgrade yourself after this? I could use an upgrade you know... Everyone''s got an upgrade system and you are still the old Nokia 3310 type of mobile phone. Hah hah hah..."


    *Ding* If you want an upgrade, just go to about and press update OS through WiFi or data. Once I had upgraded, it would be rebooted and then it would a totally brand new like the others.


    "Before I do that, would I lose my levels, my professions and what I had achieved so far in the past 2 months?" I asked since it would be a waste of time going through all those manual work and forging in order to gain back my current levels.


    *Ding* You would not lose what you had learnt and achieved so far. The interface would be cleaner and I would be smarter.


    "How could I trust your words, system? What if everything had turned back to where I was in the beginning. You would be cleaner and smarter but... I don''t know..." I said exasperatedly as I sat down on the recliner and reached out and grabbed some chips and munched.


    "Fuck... I must be crazy talking to a system while my other half was lying in bed in a coma." I thought to myself.


    *Ding* I am the system whom you had been entrusted and had been trusting in me for a very long time. I am part of you as well as you are a part of me. We coexist together in this parallel universe and making readers confuse is our main priority.


    "Hahahaha...that''s one thing for sure. Just look at how many of them were confused at the twist of the story in the beginning few chapters of this series... Hahahahah."


    "Naahh... I''m just joking with you, system. I''m happy at what I have at the moment. So shall we get on with the rest of the story development?" I said and as soon as the words left my mouth, the image before me swirled and somehow I was thrown back into the body of Audemars who is now been lying in a comatose state for 2 months.

 Chapter 96 - 96. Ice Cream Sandwich After A Coma

    "OH... HE''S ABOUT TO BE AWAKE NOW..." hollered Patricia to everyone and the children all clamoured around the bed and was waiting for the moment I open up my eyes. Patricia had dark rings around her eyes made darker by the eyeliner that she had put on to emphasise the darkness around it.


    She was still wearing the blood-stained clothes the day I emerged from the dungeons and the dried blood had caked around around the area where she had slung my arm over her shoulder when she supported me.


    The children clothes and hair was matted with my blood when they surged forward to help their Mummy carry their Daddy to the room and they had not taken a bath since. Both Patricia and the children looked like they had either lost weight or had grown taller while I was lying there on the bed in a comatose state, while actually taking a break from the chapters for a little while.


    It is a chore to work day in day out and enters the Realm of Mind to upgrade myself and make sure the business runs smoothly. Ngeekk... Who wouldn''t want to take a break from all these, right?


    The children then heard it. Patricia too... A sudden burst of hot air that had been kept for so God knows how long, began to forcefully reverberate around the room and it sounded exactly like a deflated balloon when someone holds on to the outlet in a pinched manner.


    That''s how I would imagine my puckered asshole would look like as the air leaked out slowly from it, at first in a sharp and shrill pitch and then it became long and with a deep bass..... "PPRREETT... BBRROOOOOOTTT..."


    "Children cover your noses and open the windows to let the draft in. Don''t inhale the poisonous gas. There''s no way for anyone to survive through that...!!!" Patricia hollered the instructions as she went out and fetched the Glade air freshener and immediately sprayed into the room to neutralise the poisonous gas.


    "Cough... Cough... Cough...Mummy... It smelled just like the rat''s poop in the dungeon... Ewww... I can''t stand it but I wanted to be here when Daddy wakes up...!!!" Ingles was coughing amidst the mix of flowers and poop smell that is wafting and engulfing everyone.


    "MUMMY... I can''t breathe..." Jane spoke through her mask she had placed over her nose and mouth as it muffled her voice and had difficulty breathing through it.


    "Just a few minutes, children... Your Daddy would be awake very soon. See... He''s even wiggling his toes and his feet is showing some kind of movement already... Even his eyelids are fluttering open now as we speak... Hang on children... Just a little bit more... " Patricia pleaded to the children to witness the second awakening of me from my comatose state.


    "Uurrgghh... Where am I...?" I mumbled as I tried to open my eyes and focused since I was under heavy sedation for quite some time. The morning glory that had formed crusts over my eyes had totally made it difficult for me to open up and I had to peel those crusts with my bare hands.


    "Yeay... Long Live Daddy..." shouted Kayla as she put on her party hat, blew a paper trumpet that made her look like she got a chameleon tongue and someone had let go a confetti cannon inside the room. It was chaotic the moment I made some movements and had removed the months old morning glory that had formed over my eyes.


    When I eyes had finally focused, Patricia leaned over and looked at me with tears streaking down her face and she sobbed uncontrollably once again. I looked at her and I said, "Who are you..." in a weak and hoarse voice. The moment Patricia heard that she wailed loudly as if her husband really died that fateful day.


    The children looked at their Mummy and stopped their revelry as they sensed something was amiss when they saw their Mummy wailing and crying like a crazed woman. Would she ends up going to the dungeon and beat the crap out of the rats just like what their Daddy did?!


    Suddenly, I cracked a silly smile over my face and looked at Patricia. The moment she saw my smile, she threw literally herself in the air and made a body press on top of mine... Just like in a wrestling move. "Don''t you dare pull that stunt with me again...!!" she shrieked and hugged me tightly and all I could do was to tap the bed three times, stating my defeat.


    "Yeay... Long Live Daddy..." Kayla was screaming happily again as she blew the trumpet in her mouth and the kids joined in again. I too raised my hands in triumph and find that the injuries I had sustained had healed completely.


    "How long was I in a coma again?" I whispered and was told by Patricia "59 days, 59 minutes and 59 seconds..." Hahahaha...


    ....


    Meals were served on the bed and I hadn''t been taking any solids for quite a long time except when I was in the black void space in somewhere indescribable. The children too had their meals on the bed as they described what had happened in the past two months that I had been asleep.


    "Daddy... Don''t worry about the production plants, it has been running smoothly despite you being ''dead'' for some time." Adam remarked as he tells the part where they had maintained the peace despite the employees hearing my plight.


    "Yes Daddy, the travelling merchants and deliveries had been going smoothly too. In these past two months, they had made a sales of over 10.4 million credits and Mummy handles all the accounts well." Jane added and this adds to the assurance that the business had been smooth despite my absence.


    "Uncle Blake''s and Uncle Bruce''s had depleted their stocks and the rest of the adventurers had been waiting for the resupply. They both heard what you had gone through and will be meeting you once you are fully recovered. They have acquired several new weapons and wanted you to evaluate them." Ingles spoke up and she patted my arm. New weapons mean a new business opportunity for them and more experiences for me to gain.


    "Yes Daddy, the sales from the stores are also nene very good. Uncle Prius and Auntie Becky had been handling the store and we had replenished the stocks accordingly. Within these two months, the store was opened from 7 pm to 9 pm daily and they had made a total of 420k credits in total sales."


    "Oh yes... We almost forgot... Uncle Blake had handed about 2.6 million credits for the sales of his battle axes, two-handed broadswords. Uncle Bruce had handed about 500k for the sale of the crossbows and another 256k for the amulets and rings." said Adam as he took out his notepad and narrated the amount.


    "During these 2 months of you being in a coma, House of Keating had earned a massive total of 24.2 million credits on top of the current wealth that I had. The employees had their salary paid in time as well as the daily raw materials."


    Patricia reported the total amount of wealth strained during these 2 months and with my current 3 million credits in personal wealth, in fact, we would be able to live quite comfortably.


    "Haiyoo... I just awoke and they were telling me about the statistics on the financial status of the Beauty World and House of Keating. Didn''t they want to know where I''ve been or something?" I asked myself as I listened to the reports made by the children and Patricia.


    "Did any of you get to go out and practise what you had learnt?" I asked in between mouthfuls of rice, beansprouts, cauliflowers and green curry chicken. Somehow my bed had become a dining area since everyone ate together which they had missed doing so for the past 2 months.


    "Not really Daddy, we didn''t get a chance because Uncle Prius and Auntie Rebecca were Quest Masters and had been distributing quests from 9 am to 11 pm and break for lunch before they resumed from 1 pm to 5 pm."


    "They then attended to the store after dinner till 9 pm and heads back here," answered Ingles as she chewed through her food and talked at the same time, mimicking the way I eat.


    "Daddy, when are you getting out of bed? Mummy told us the last time you awoke and then was in your feet in just a few hours and then you went to the dungeons afterwards. So, how long you intend to stay in bed?" asked Jane as she licked her fingers clean after she was done with her buffalo wings.


    "As soon as we all have ice cream sandwich after this..." I simply replied since it is been some time since i had ice cream on a piece of bread.


    "Yeay... ICE CREAM SANDWICH..." the children chorused and then scrambled to clear all the plates and mess they made on the bed and I sat up and went to a recliner while a housekeeper helped to change the bedsheet and turn the bedding around.


    "I guess I''m feeling much better now. I''d better be up and about. It''s been two months I''ve been lying in bed and doing nothing except being in the black void space eating chips and drinking soda all day."


    I thought to myself as I stood up, steadied myself and checked myself out in the full-length mirror at the end of the room near the armoire. I looked pretty normal after what I had gone through and Patricia was beside me, clutching my arm as I posed in front of the full-length mirror.


    "Not bad... I regained back what I had lost and I guess from now on I need to meditate more often." I said to Patricia as she still held on to my arm as if I would lose my balance and fell to my side and disintegrate into the ground. Haha haha haha...

 Chapter 97 - 97. New Weapons Or Fashion Accessories?

    When I emerged from the room I couldn''t help to notice that there are quite a number of people who had come in to check on my condition after they had received news that I had woken up.


    Matron from the Keating''s Day Care Centre was there together with Blake, Bruce, Pointus, Joan, Silas and also the Atelier. They had come to give their best wishes and also to discuss their upcoming projects with me. However since I had just woken up and had not taken a shower except for the constant dabbing of a damp cloth every day and night dine by Patricia, they decided to leave it for another day instead.


    The matron, Silas and Joan had nothing much to present at the moment and were only checking out how am I after these 2 months. Furthermore, they were astonished at my rate of recovery and they thought that a person who ended up like me, should be in the morgue already.


    "Thank you for coming over and bringing me these get well gift baskets and balloons. Really, after being in a coma for 2 months and finally being able to wake up from it makes me feel like a brand new man. Heh... You should all try that some times." I joked and pulled a silly look on my face and that made everyone laugh and smile and finally, the ice was broken.


    "How''s the Day Care Centre and the scholars going on so far, ma''am matron? Is everything alright?" I asked since she is there so might as well I do a bit of catching up with everyone.


    "Everything is working fine, Mister Macleod. It had never been better. The scholars had indeed done their task wonderfully and able to guide the children how to read and write."


    "Hmm... How about you Silas? I know we have not been supplying meats due to me being in a coma and all and the kids were not allowed to be in the Northern Forest without my guidance. Is everything going fine there?"


    "Everything is going great Mister Macleod. I haven''t faced any problem so far being contracted to provide the 4 meals daily for the children. In fact, they had gotten rounder and rosier. Hahaha."


    "Hmm...that''s great to hear... How about you, Atelier? Do you have enough stocks for the clothing since the last time we supplied you?"


    "Sorry for the delay, Mister Macleod. Here is the 40% share for the 3 sets of clothes that you had supplied to us before, the Assassin, Wizard and Ranger. The Assassin and Ranger gears had a new set of collection which is of camouflage design. There are 4 types here and once you are up and about, you can get your wisps to assist you, right?"


    I soon received the amount of 960k credits from Atelier and soon hand it over to Patricia for safekeeping. Wonderful... It seems the Atelier had kept the money after all and waited for me to wake up. Heh...


    "Hmm... Very nice designs. You had the black and grey camo, desert camo, forest camo and marshland camo. Great, 250 each for the sets I presume? How about the rest of the designs? You still want to keep that in production or just based on this?"


    I asked as there were only 4 designs and another 4 gugel with a mask for the Assassins. At least its much easier work now because the Ranger clothes had some frills at the end of their sleeves and pants while the Assassin''s doesn''t have such fancy designs at all. Maybe the Assassins were meant purely for business and credits.


    "500 pieces each for the tunic, pants and 250 pieces for each of the gugel please, Mister Audemars." implored the Atelier and I made a note of it.


    "Alright then, it seems you do not require any of the potions from my brewery so I think I''d better make my move. Take care and don''t pull that kind of stunt anymore. You are no longer alone and you have a wife and 4 children now." Joan advised me and I thanked her for coming over.


    "I''d be going off too, my good man. Hope to see you back on your feet and great hunting once more with the children." Silas mentioned as he got up and shook hands with me.


    "Thank goodness you are better and able to move about, I thought you are going to bedridden or even a wheelchair ridden after the ordeal. Take care, hope to see you visit the Keating''s Day Care Centre Real soon." the matron too, motioned to excuse herself and leaving only Blake and Bruce there to deal with the rest of their businesses.


    "Don''t you think its too early to meddle with business? Do you think you should at least rest a bit more before going about with business instead of taking care of yourself?" Patricia asked me in a worried manner as I have just awoken from my coma for the 2nd time and now I was tending to business instead of resting and gaining a few extra pounds.


    "Don''t you worry, my dear. Doing business gets me worked up, wakes up my blood and senses and it makes me feel wonderful. Furthermore, don''t you think it''s high time for me to run things back in track?" I replied and patted Patricia''s head and she just smiled and hugged to my arm as we went about our business of the day.


    "I would like a fresh batch of the amulets and rings, my brethren. I had only a few pieces left and they were snapped up like hotcakes. The price is incredibly cheap and very affordable. It''s a Level 4 Iron, right? Would you be making Level 5 iron amulets and rings soon?" Bruce asked since he knew about me being able to make Level 8 Iron.


    "For your case, I would make a batch of 500 pieces amulets and rings of Level 4 iron first. Once you had sold all the Level 4 iron amulets and rings, I would issue you with Level 5 Iron. Remember, do not trade those Level 4 Iron amulets and rings, you can advise the adventurers to sell it to NoOne."


    "Level 4 iron amulets and rings still cost 80 while the Level 5 iron amulets and rings prices would be given to you later. I need to send it for an appraisal for its selling and buying back prices."


    "Would that be alright for you, brethren?" I advised Bruce and he readily agrees since he does not even have to fork out a single credit at all. Furthermore, he had gained quite a wealth over the sales of his trinkets.


    "I guess I would be making the Level 4 mesh iron reinforced clothes for the Atelier for this moment. If it goes up to Level 5, the prices have to be adjusted accordingly.


    "Blake, my fellow Blacksmith... What can I do for you this time?" I asked since he had been anticipating to discuss terms with me with a glint in his eyes.


    "Brother, for the past two months you had been in your coma, I wish to announce that Quentin and Romulus had closed their business permanently and had moved out of town. They were unable to sell those weapons and gain any profit and in the end, they had to sell par to our prices."


    "Right now, it is considered that I am the only Blacksmith and Bruce is the only Bowsmith in Ingmery and representing the household name of the House of Keating. The rest of the Blacksmiths in other towns are mainly doing pieces of machinery, gardening or farming tools and other household items and spare parts."


    "I was at Romulus store when the Council Chambers were auctioning the items off and I managed to lay my hands on these few more pieces of weapons that might interests you very much," Blake said as he took out a rolled leather skin the held several items in them and laid out on the table for me to evaluate.


    "This is throwing blades and it comes in a set of six. It is self returnable after each use. It''s thin and it is weighted in the centre and the looks are unlike the ones used by the ninjas in some Japanese anime, where they called it the kunai. This has no loop pommel where you could attach a rope, unlike a kunai. By the way, this is made of bronze."


    "Here''s another one that might interest you. It''s a 4 pointed throwing star. It''s super sharp, just like a razor''s edge. Be careful when handling it. I myself get cut from it. I think you need to hold this in the centre here, like this."


    "This 3 and 6 bladed circular thingy is called a cyclone twister. It could be thrown by holding on to the blade and in a manner where it will strike the opponent, or cuts their jugular. It is compact and could be placed with the blades safely pulled in and retracted when ready to use. It also can be made into a fashion accessory for girls due to its mirror-like finish. "


    "Last but not least, here is a piece with a very strange design. I think it would take weeks for me to duplicate the exact manner this dagger is being designed. Take a look at all these, it comes in a catchy red and black colour and the handle is being wrapped in some kind of nylon rope. I think just by unsheathing this dagger, everyone would just fall on their knees and now down to you."


    "Don''t worry about the small investments I made. These are being auctioned off at Romulus'' and these are the only pieces they''ve got." Blake said and I pulled the leather skin forward and I held the throwing knives.


    *Ding* I''m bbaacckk... Congratulations on discovering 6 piece Bronze Cold Blooded Throwing Knives. Damage +10


    *Ding* Do you miss me... Congratulations on discovering 4 pointed Throwing Twinkle Star. Damage +10


    *Ding* Wheeeeee... Congratulations on discovering 3 bladed Bronze Cyclone Twister. Damage +8


    *Ding* What else is new, brother... Congratulations on discovering 6 bladed Bronze Cyclone Twister. Damage +10


    *Ding* Food is ready to be served... Congratulations on discovering Bronze Red and Black Dragon Fang Assassin Dagger. Damage +12


    "Haha haha haha... System, you really are kidding around with me right?" I laughed aloud inwardly and had let out a small laugh as I held those pieces before me. Furthermore, these are the pieces that I wanted to make beforehand when I got stuck with the flintlock for Bruce.


    "Hang on, I will call the children and they will let me know what''s best for them," I said as I covered the weapons back with the leather skin. "ADAM, INGLES, JANE, KAYLA... come over here, Daddy wants to show you all something..."


    The children when they heard me calling them ran to the Great Hall from their room and presented themselves with smudges of chocolate on the sides of their mouths. It seems there were snacking right after lunch just now.


    "I thought I told you... Oh, never mind. Here, Uncle Blake has brought something for you to see but there''s one piece that you better handle carefully. It''s razor-sharp and mishandling could cut your fingers even without you knowing it." I advised as I opened up the leather skin and presented the weapons to them.


    "Wow... This is great... What is it? It is used to signal someone with it using the sun''s reflection?" Adam asked when he held a 3 bladed Cyclone Twister.


    "Hey... I can see my reflection in it like a mirror... Cool..." Kayla said as she held the other 6 bladed Cyclone Twister.


    "Ah... This could be a great kitchen tool to speed up the cooking in the kitchen," said Jane.


    "I like this dagger... It looks like it won''t cut anything at all... But the colour would definitely suit fine with my other red and black clothing. It is a fashion accessory... I like it." said Ingles as she took hold of the Dragon Fang and saw that the point is sharp and has a short blade while the serrated edge near the hilt was of not much use.


    "Oh. My. God... These children had forgotten their classes and traits already or what?!" I slapped my forehead and buried my face in my hands as I lay it on the table.


    "Hah Hah Hah... We are only joking la Daddy... How can we forget what you had taught us before you slept for the whole day... Oops... I mean for two months." Jane chuckled at me and had nearly leaked a piece of certain information only known to us and unknown to the readers.

 Chapter 98 - 98. Checking Accounts And Quality Time With The Family

    After they had left, I took out my notepad and checked the orders that Blake, Bruce and Atelier had ordered and I ran it through once more.


    Blake didn''t ask for Level 4 weapons but I think once I upgraded it to Level 5 iron, then I''m sure everyone would want them to be upgraded and sell it at a higher price.


    Greedy Bastard... Hah hah hah... I''m also greedy, right? Getting a 40% cut by using their efforts. Maybe this time around I would settle for 30% since I''ve got too many credits and I would prefer to use it all up for the future House of Keating.


    Atelier: 500 pieces x2 sets x4 designs each and 250 pieces x2 sets x4 designs of gugels. Total is 4000 Level 4 mesh iron sets since the designs are the same except to break it down to 2 classes.


    Bruce: 500 pieces of x4 amulets and 500 pieces of x4 rings. These rings would be Level 4 iron trinkets and the total is 4000 pieces as well.


    Blake: 500 pieces of Level 4 iron throwing knives, throwing star, 3 bladed cyclone twister, 6 bladed cyclone star and dragon fang dagger.


    There are 5 items and the total would be 2500 pieces.


    Myself: Level 15 iron. 900 strikes. 15 minutes. Adds only +9 to my base and Blacksmith level. I''ve got 310 more to go before I become a Professional Blacksmith and for every 1000 level, the iron piece would be increased to Level 16. Adoi... Why take so long... ?!?!


    I slipped the notepad, the new set of clothes from Atelier and the new weapons from Blake back in my storage and called the children to wash their faces and then we are going out for dinner and ice cream.


    "Yeay...we all thought Daddy had forgotten all about it. Since Daddy had been sleeping the whole time, we were afraid that you might have caught amnesia or something. Hii Hii Hii..." giggled Ingles as she ushered everyone to wash their faces first to get rid of the pieces of evidence that they were snacking in their rooms.


    "Trish... Can you tell me how much is the salary for employees?" I gestured for Patricia because of its high time the employees enjoy the fruits of their labour.


    "The 220 production employees were earning 700 as before. The 7 line leaders earn 750. Delivery guys earn 1500. The travelling merchants earn 2000. Cooks earn 1000, the matron earns 1200 and Silas gets 36k credits as he bought the ingredients himself."


    "Hmm, in that''s the case, an increment of salary as follows: employees 750, line leaders 800, delivery guys 1700, merchants 2200, cooks 1200, matron 1500, Silas 40k. Calculate for me, dear." I asked for Patricia''s help to calculate the salary for the next 3 months and she gave me a final count."


    "Production employees 165k, line leaders 5.6k, delivery 51k, merchants 66k, cooks 4.8k, matron 1.5k and Silas 40k. Total per month is 282.9k and for a quarterly, it is 849k round off to the nearest figure."


    "Do you need operational costs as well? It is 675k per month and quarterly is 2.025 million credits. However, our monthly input from Blake, Bruce and Atelier would be like 5 million. The store makes 450k low to a high of 750k. Furthermore, our accumulated sales from 87 other towns would be 4 to 5 million on average per month. This adds up to approximately 10.5 million before and 9 million after deducting the operational costs."


    "Right, you have 25 million and I have 3, here combine all these. I don''t think I need so many credits at all. I just need enough to live by. So you would have 28 million credits right now."


    "Why do you give me so many credits for? Are you leaving somewhere?" Patricia suddenly had a worrisome look and she was wringing her hands until her fingernails went white.


    "''Cause I''m leavin'' on a jet plane, don''t know when I''ll be back again, Oh babe, I hate to go... Woo, woo woooooo... Just joking darling... I''m not leaving anywhere... Only to spend some time with you and the children as we go for dinner in a nice restaurant and have ice cream sandwich later... Dum Dum Dooby Doo Dum Dum... "


    Patricia smiled at me and threw herself at me and I caught her just in time, in case she misses and landed on the floor instead. Hah hah hah...


    ....


    "Wow... We have never seen this place before existed in the marketplace... Am I right, Adam?"


    "Yes, that''s true, Ingles... Its as if this restaurant had just popped up like a mushroom..."


    "Daddy, Daddy... Did your wisps make this restaurant while you are in a coma? These deep-fried chicken pieces are delicious... They have the original 11 spices taste and also the spicy and crispy ones... Wow... I''m really spoilt for choices too...!!! Jane was sitting with 3 plates of deep-fried chicken parts on the front of her and was spread and shared like a platter.


    "Daddy... Don''t tell me this restaurant belongs to the House of Keating? This mashed potatoes with the mushroom gravy are supercilious... Furthermore, they have this potato, shaped into matchsticks, crinkle cut, steaks, chips, sweet, wedges, cottage, potato tornado and smiley shapes... "


    "I didn''t know potatoes can be made like this and why do they call it French Fries?" 9 small wicker baskets filled with fried complete with ketchup, garlic chilli, sour cream, thousand Island dressing and sweet chilli dippings and Kayla was basically trying every dipping and she liked the smiley French fries the most.


    "I don''t know why they called them French Fries, Kayla... But all 6 of us can share some right, a little bit here and there and lastly we could have our ice-cream. Maybe the French invaded the land of potatoes and took over the country and continents this naming it French fries after the potatoes had been fried."


    "Wow... Mummy look... There are 24 flavours of ice cream over here... Could we all have all the 24 flavours and have them in a scoop or something? It''s interesting to have so many tastes like this..." Ingles spoke as she munched a piece of chicken drumlet.


    "In this menu book here shows a mini earthquake, a small, medium, large and devastating earthquake and it comes in a tiny, small, medium and large bowl. Banana split too with 3 flavours of ice cream on a banana, pecan, walnut, cashew, macadamia. Wow... I want to try this too..." said Adam as he pointed out the types of ice cream menus.


    "All kinds of spaghetti... But I''m afraid to eat this after I''ve seen the video on YouTube last night where the doctors removed a kind of worm from someone''s tummy that looked like spaghetti. I think I better skip it. And here... Look... All kind of hotdogs and burgers too... Doesn''t it looked like a bun that was halved and then you out the pieces of chicken and meat and some vegetables in between?" said Jane as she made a squirming motion when she saw the spaghetti.


    "Hah Hah Hah... You have too much Jane, choose what you wish to order and don''t leave anything behind. We would be heading to the store to see how things are going on right now. We could have takeaways for Uncle Prius and Auntie Becky too."


    I suggested as we both put away the menus and have whatever was served and the kids chatted and we were entertained by their antics and conversations.


    Another day had soon passed and we bagged some burgers and fries for Prius and Becky who were unable to join us for supper due to them manning the stores from 7 pm to 9 pm.


    Normally on Fridays, the sales would peak up since it was the payday for the working girls and also for the ladies to spend the extra money they had collected from their daily marketing.


    We had ice cream as suggested by Kayla since she wanted to try all the 24 flavours and ended up having 24 scoops of icecream. Luckily there were 6 of us and we managed to wallop the whole big bowl of ice cream.


    We went to the store and sat at the front while the children took over to man the counter and entertained the customers while Prius and Rebecca ate their suppers at the benches with us.


    The restaurant we had gone to was not made by the wisps nor owned by House of Keating. It was, however, owned by House of Sanders. Hah hah hah... A bit fast forward for him to start tackling his menus and customers over in this period, eh?


    So far, with the accumulated wealth and since I''m spearheading the household name of House of Keating, I guess its high time for an upgrade and taking in new members or maybe venture out in other business aspects. If one is unable to compete in the rankings of membership and popularity among the Houses, then no one is able to beat its financial status of House of Keating.


    No doubt we are raking in millions of credits every month, and even though the children and I do not engage in many battles or party raids, don''t you think I should be involved with other aspects?


    "Trish, let''s walk around town and check out House of Pallemon, House of Grundy and House of Light. I have an idea in my head and I was wondering if it could be done or not." I said as I picked myself up and informed the children to stay put while their Mummy and Daddy rake a short stroll around town.


    After been sleeping the whole day... Ahem, I Mean for two months... It would be good for me to take a stroll and let the food goes down to where it is supposed to nestle. Heh... At the same time, I think Patricia would like to grope me since the children are not around with us.


    I mean grope my pockets for extra loose credits...

 Chapter 99 - 99 Spider Sense Or Non Sense?

    "Wow...look at all these adventurers lining up at the House of Grundy... Its already coming to 10 pm and these adventurers are queuing up to hand in their applications for the membership? Wow... Look at all these Rangers and Assassins... It is unbelievable." I said in amazement and saw a long line that snaked around and it has more than 50 new adventurers signing up to be members of the House.


    Some were equipped with a light bow, a crossbow or Assassin compact one-handed crossbows. The Assassins were simpler and all they had is a short sword and a Karambit on their backs. Looks cool though and I wonder if the House of Grundy gives away quests just like we do.


    "House of Grundy does give out quests but mainly to test the Agility and Dexterity of these applicants. If they were unable to get a high passing mark of 90%, they were disallowed from being a part of the House in the inner circle. However, they may apply to be in the outer circle of the membership until they are competent enough to take the following test."


    "They have to sit for a test every 3 months and if they failed to achieve a minimum of 80% in the outer circle, they have an option to leave the House and be contracted to other Noble''s, merchants and so on. These apply to Assassins."


    "As for the Rangers, they might be assigned to other outposts such as a mining outpost and all they have to do is to be a hunter as well as a ranged guard against the wild beast," explained Patricia as we walked among the candidates who were lining up to hand in their applications.


    There were a few dejected-looking applicants who emerged from the House of Grundy since they either qualify to be in the outer circle even. A few of them congregate outside and I heard them squabbling, "Do you think the House of Keating would accept us? We have failed to even qualify for a measly 80% of the passing mark and now all we could be is just a wayward renegade adventurer." said one of them in the group.


    "We had paid a 1000 credits for this application alone and there''s no refund... Such a waste. Do you think the House of Keating has that kind of application fees? I heard the House of Keating is well to do and have several establishments around this town. My friend''s mother is working with them as a plant employee."


    We were standing quite a distance away and I used my spider-sense to eavesdrop on their conversation, but in actual fact, I was just squatting beside them and was nodding to them as I heard their conversation. Hah hah hah... Spider-sense my ass... Spider can hear that far, meh? Sure or not...? I thought its bat sense? Or non-sense... Hah hah hah...


    "I heard the last two months that the person in charge of the House of Keating, I don''t quite remember his name... It ends with Mars... Bruno Mars, I think... Went into the dungeons and wallop the beasts with his bare hands and no armour from level 1 and level 5 and emerged victoriously."


    "The beasts were so traumatised that some were sent for psychiatric evaluation after they saw a crazed looking madman coming at them by using his own fists and legs. Maybe he was determined to show that these puny beasts could be defeated without any weapons at all, right?" one of them said and retold the story of what I had done before when I had a little squabble with Patricia.


    "The quest that was given to the Quest Master there doesn''t even have any requirements, you can go in alone or in pairs but the more people partying inside, the number of the beast would be doubled. I haven''t ventured in there but I heard the failure rate is 25%. There''s no fee or whatsoever. The Quest Master''s missus is also a Quest Master and her quest does look simple but it is surprise that one had to handle first." another one said as he took a stick and pokes at an anthill.


    "Haish... We go there tomorrow then, both the Quest Masters are handling the sales at the store. Hmm, it seems House of Keating is not only involved with adventurers but also sales, business, marketing and so on." a Ranger dressed in maroon spoke up.


    "Alright, see you at the House of Keating tomorrow after breakfast... See ya guys there." and soon the 4 Rangers and 1 Assassin dispersed and went back to their own homes.


    "You hear that, Audemars... This House charges a 1000 credits just for an application alone. This is sure a cut-throat business. It''s like having land pirates invading these poor adventurers. They had already paid for their gears and yet have to pay a non-refundable fee to apply. I wonder how much they need to pay as a member once they are in." remarked Patricia and she counted that the House of Grundy could easily earn a 200k credits per day or 6 million per month just doing nothing but accepting the fees only.


    "I think I know what to do... But I need to talk to the Keating''s... Which mean you and Prius. You are holding to more than 25 million credits, right? I think I know how to beat the odds and bring about the name of House of Keating and bring it to the top spot soon." I explained as I looked at Patricia and saw she has more than 25 million credits with her in physical wealth and I could easily make some Level 4 Iron rings and sell it to NoOne for 40 credits a piece.


    "Back to cheating the system again, I guess." I thought to myself as I would like to raise at least 10 million credits more just in case I need the funds anyway. Furthermore, the plan I had in my mind is big... It is as big as the Court of Aermagh and if one is to succeed, they have to think BIG... And I mean REAL BIG.


    "Come, darling, let''s pick up the children and head back. Furthermore, it''s closing time for the store and tomorrow is yet another day. By the way, you said you are a Wizard and the children did ask you when you are going to pick up your staff right?" I asked as we walked back to the store.


    "Yes... But I''m just one Wizard, and I''ve got limited spells and these spells are active spells and they have a long cooling period before i could use again. I''m a Red Wizard, Audemars... I could attack and heal and my powers are limited. Which means my base level is 1000 and my increment is at 0.25% than any warriors, berserker, rangers or assassins." explained Patricia and I thought I was the only one who has to deal with my own system and its increment.


    "You mean as a Red Mage, every time you heal or attack is only an increment of 0.25% and you need something like 400 repetitions to get to 100% and then you get to Level up? That''s 13 hours and 20 minutes of continuous healing or attacks." I was simply astonished since her cooling time for such active spells were 2 minutes long.


    "Then how about your passive spells? Don''t you have that you could deploy?" I asked with curiosity and she told me she was a Frost and Lighting Red Mage, so basically, her passive spells would only be effective if there''s an enemy in front of her.


    If there''s no enemy, she could not deploy it at all. Likewise her passive healing, it would be effective only if the allies are in the battle, if they are just sitting around, her spell castings won''t work and be effective at all.


    "Waaahhh...why is it so troublesome to be a Red Mage? Is it your choice or your father''s?" I asked as the children had been picked up and we all were heading towards the Great Hall.


    "Following my father''s and my 3 brothers demise, I wanted to help in the battlefront and the only way was to heal and attack. So I myself decided to take up the Class as a Red Mage or a Wizard. I took the initial test from the Archmage and had passed, but since there was no one to party with me since I was a newbie, my staff had been used as a fireplace poker right now. Pretty sad, huh?"


    "Mummy... Mummy... You can take us to the Northern Forest. You are not a Quest Master right so you could also train with us." pleaded Ingles since she had been itching to go and grind those wild boar in the forest and then sell them to NoOne.


    "Mummy... Since you can summon frost, could you do it constantly to make ice-cold beverages for us? At least you can level up very soon. It sure beats the heat around the house." Jane suggested and Patricia''s eyes brightened up since she could use her abilities off combat and still earns progress every time.


    "Let me think about it, I do not have a staff at all right now, so I would be hard for me to use my frost and lightning capabilities. Audemars, does Blake have any staffs for sale?" asked Patricia and I shook my head because all I could see was weapons besides any staffs at all.


    "Let us go to the House of Light and buy a simple staff. I would get my wisps to make you a better one that could improve your healing and attacks for sure. How about that?" I suggested and we all make our way to the House of Light where the family only parts knowledge and membership to Wizards only. Even entry to that place is difficult unless one can certify that he or she is a Wizard.


    ....


    "Sorry Mister... Wizards only. If you could show your accreditation then you can enter. Even dressing up as one would allow you to enter here. But you are neither and you seemed to be an outcast." a young fellow explained as I watched Patricia enter as they knew she was one wizard that had stayed dormant for quite some time.


    "So what do i have to show if I am a Wizard? A wizard does not necessarily wear a wizard''s hat or a cloak, carry a big stick or a wand just to prove that he or she is a wizard." I argued since I would love to see what kind of stuff is being sold there.


    "If you show any kind of wizardry, then I might allow entry, if not this place is off bounds." the young fellow said...


    "Haish... Why make oneself so difficult? Nah... Here is it... If you want a show, then I''d show it to you." I said as I snapped my fingers and two flames emerge from the tips of my middle fingers.


    "Here''s my Black Fire... Even though it is not black and i wondered why it''s called Black Fire after all. This is used to light the way in the dark and also to offer those who wanted to light their cigarettes. It is being charged through an USB outlet and a single charge could light these baby up for weeks."


    "Oh all right, you''re a Fire wizard. You should have told me earlier... And skip this bickering to reach a 2k worlds for this chapter. Come on in, fellow Wizard. Hope we could be of assistance to you." the fellow gestured me on and I informed Prius and Becky that I would be in for a few moments and then to take care of the children since they were mimicking me showing their middle fingers at the Wizards who were lining up to sign up an application for the entry into the House of Lights. Hah hah hah.

 Chapter 100 - 100 A Gem That Shows The Way Of An Enhancer

    "WALAOEHH...the application fees is not just a killer but these staffs on sale is also a killer...!!! Trish, why don''t you fashion one from a branch of a tree and use it as a mage''s staff instead? Look here... This even look like a driftwood that is found on the beach and it is selling for 15k credits...?!?! "


    I whispered to Patricia as she went from one counter to another inside the store as there''s all kinds of amulets, rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings and even a a kind of head band for the wizard to use.


    If a Wizard wears a head band, then what is the purpose of using a Mage''s hat or a hoodie? This accessory worn around the heat cannot be seen at all and defeats the purpose of being called an accessory.


    An accessory is meant to flaunt, am I right? Geez... And the prices... Alamak... It is like as if this House of Lights is the only proprietary place to assign Wizards as they have their own enchanted store within. Not that I am totally taken aback but these pieces are being sold at an astronomical prices compared to Level 4 iron amulets and rings sold by Bruce.


    A simple old man walking stick just like Moses'' cost 25k credits. A piece of driftwood staff is already 15k. This piece of walking cane with a hard knob on top is already 12k. Fuyoo... Daylight robbery... Help... We''ve got a case here...!!!


    Patricia was holding to one stick, seemingly looks very simple with a kind of a crook at the end. A price tag of 12.5k was dangling at the end if it. I held on to it and an announcement rang in my head.


    *Ding* Guess what... Congratulations on discovering Plain Wooden Shepherd''s Crook. Damage +10 Mana +10 Socket 0/5.


    "Sheesh... This system after I got back from the coma would always say something after its *Ding-a-ling*..." I thought to myself as I looked a the staff and and asked what kind of gems that is best suited for the sockets.


    "Well, since there are 5 sockets, it could be enhanced by putting a Ruby, Emerald , Sapphire , Diamond or the mighty elusive Stanspar gem that costs 50k credit a pop."


    "Ruby adds Defense, Emerald adds Attack Rating, Sapphire adds Damage Rating and Diamond adds Hit points. We have 4 type of gems which are Dull, Shimmering, Glittering and Dazzling and their costs would be from 5k, 10k, 20k and 40k except for Stanspar that adds Mana and that gem alone costs 50k."


    "Cough...Cough...Cough... You mean to say a Dull gem costs 5k and the Dazzling gem costs 40k? Who could afford that?" I sputtered, coughed and choked on the peanuts what I was munching while the sales person explained the prices and the effects of the gems.


    I thought of the thousand pieces of poor, fair and good quality gems in my collection and would be able to sell off these for a profit if I want to. Then another idea struck me and I smiled like a bloody silly man in front of the seller and Patricia.


    I still have a few thousand pieces of Stanspar on my Fusion Chamber area that I had fused and this alone costs 50k a piece. Just imagine how much I could earn if I sell a thousand of them... Hah hah hah... A thousand pieces would give me a profit of 50 million credits.


    Hah hah hah...I''m going to be a rich man but what''s the purpose of wealth when one could not bring any benefits to the community, especially to the adventurers.


    "Tell me about the ever elusive Stanspar... Its light blue in colour right? Almost like the color of a clear blue sky." I purposely described the Stanspar and this brought the attention of the seller and the three siblings that were recruiting the new Wizards.


    "How come you know about these Stanspar? You are a human and not a half-elf or half-dwarven that could easily see these Stanspar with the naked eye?" said one of the sibling with interned since i had somehow known about the Stanspar gem, even though the siblings had seen once and these were imbued with the staffs that belonged to their parents.


    "Ah... I am also a wizard, therefore I can enter here and also I am an Enhancer, which means I could imbue any weapons to be fully enchanted and I had dealt with Stanspar back in my little town in Oddfish. Its a small town that now had turned to dust by those marauding Orcs when we were being deployed as part of the Legions in Aermagh."


    "Yes... Yes... I''ve heard of Oddfish before... Pity the town is overrun by marauders." said one of the siblings as he shook in head sadly. Oddfish my ass... Its a made up town in my own bullshit story, dumbass. Hah hah hah...


    "By the way, is there any place where these adventurers can mine for these jewels or they only appear on some places here and there in the Northern Forest?" I asked since the only way to gain more shards would be mining for them.


    Pay those advebrurers credits for their hard work in order to procure them. Then these shards could be fused to be a poor or what they called it as a Dull gem. Heh... Little did they know I have just the machine to fuse these gems... Hah hah hah... We are in business, baby...!!!


    "There''s a place in the cavernous mountains on the Southern Plains, the entrance is protected by the Pseudoscorpions and some other Poisonous vile beasts. Once an adventurer manages to slip inside, there would be 5 forks which lead to an individual gem Cave."


    "Normally an Adventurer would stay there for weeks before they ran out of food supply and then heads back out, once again vanquishing the vile, poisonous beasts and heads back in from the Southern Gate." said one of the siblings.


    "Hmm, at this rate no one is capable enough to last out there in the Southern Plains. They can''t even survive the dungeons under the House of Keating and they were being told to mine for these shards."


    "Nyeehh... Another idea down the drain for this moment." I thought to myself as I agreed for Patricia to get the Wooden Shepherd''s Crook and I wonder if she is going to kill those wild boars or going to herd them like a flock of sheeps. Hah hah hah... What a joke of sjenis caught holding that and blasting the frost and lightning from it.


    I got a pair of earring since they don''t sell a single side, an anklet, a bracelet and a headband. As usual, I heard the announcements rang in my head and it indicated the accessories I bought as common class bronze earrings, bracelets and anklets and they were just +5 for all attributes.


    After paying the goods, Patricia and I bade farewell and never to enter the place again since its simply daylight robbery. The accessories that I paid costs higher than the wooden shepherd''s crook Patricia was holding. "Uurrgghh... Guess anyone who seeks the to be a Wizard would have deeper pockets." I thought to myself and then was chuckling silently with the rest of the children when they saw their Mummy holding the newly bought staff.


    "Mummy... Can you sit on your stick and fly like a Witch? Or maybe your stick can hang on the rafters and we can take turns to swing and practise our acrobatics... Hii Hii Hii... It looks kind weird and cool at the same time." Kayla commented as she held on to the stick and tried to ride on it like a stick horse.


    "Haiya kids... I just bought this stick and I won''t want to scratch it at all and there you go making it like some kind of a toy..." sighed Patricia as she saw Kayla galloping with it since the crook was considered like a horse''s head to her.


    "Giddy up... Yah... Yah... Yah..." Kayla was practically shrieking in joy as she went ahead and heads to the Great Hall and passersby looked and laughed at the antics of a girl that seems like a tomboy to the others.


    ....


    Back in the Great Hall, I took out the purchase that I had made and decided to produce them for Bruce since he had only the amulets and rings and decided to produce at least a 1000 of these earrings, bracelets, anklets and headband to Level 4 iron pieces and that makes it to be 8000 pieces altogether with his 4 types of amulets and rings.


    Since I had bought them at 2.5k, 3k, 3k and 5k respectively from the House of Light, I think I''m going to par the price too. Furthermore there a +5 for all attributes at this moment and I wonder what could the level 4 iron would bring.


    After we had settled down for the night, I informed Patricia that I''m going to meditate and be right back and at least she won''t be surprised when she finds out that I''m going to sit cross-legged on the bed for ah hour or two as I entered the Realm of Mind with all the items inside my storage as well as her shepherd''s crook.


    It was after we had tucked the children in bed and they were simply delighted that I had woken up from my sleep and had new ideas when they saw me open up the notepad.


    ....

 Chapter 101 - 101. Upgrade To Keep Up With Times.

    I wrote on my notepad just like what I had written over here and it was as clear as daylight. Patricia and the rest were sitting across me as they watched me write fervently like a crazed madman and scribbled what I had in my mind into paper and ink. After I had completed writing, Patricia took the notepad and the three peered at it.


    Atelier:


    500 pieces x2 sets x4 camo designs


    250 pieces x2 sets x4 gugel designs


    Total is 6000


    Bruce:


    500 pieces of x4 amulets


    500 pieces of x4 rings.


    2000 pieces of earrings


    1000 pieces of bracelets


    1000 pieces of anklets


    1000 pieces of headband


    Total is 8000 pieces


    Blake:


    3000 pieces throwing knives (set of 6)


    2500 pieces of throwing star (set of 5)


    1500 pieces of 3 bladed cyclone twister


    1500 pieces of 6 bladed cyclone twister


    500 pieces of dragon fang dagger.


    Myself:


    Level 15 iron. 900 strikes. 15 minutes. Adds only +9 to my base and Blacksmith level. Another 310 pieces then I would upgrade to Professional Blacksmith 0/10,000 and I would be making Level 16 Refined Iron from then on.


    Great Hall:


    Upgrade to a keep or a castle with 10 bedrooms with attached baths.


    Design training grounds for Warrior, Ranger, Assassin, Wizards as well as unarmed combat.


    Design a room downstairs for me.


    Maintain the dungeons to hone adventurers capabilities.


    Upgrade the Great Hall and employ 2 cooks.


    Advertise open membership and its F-R-E-E for the first 50 adventurers of each Class.


    Pledge allegiance and give out 100 allocation points.


    50% off for gems enhancements for their weapons and armours for members only.


    "Brother in law... You intend to upgrade this Great Hall into a castle or a keep? That would set you back at least 20 to 30 million credits or even more. A castle or a keep is the highest order and it would be at least 3 storeys high and it would be towering over the rest of the houses around here." Prius asked and explained my future plans. Even he agreed that it was a splendid idea and the stature of House of Keating would be raised dramatically, but the cost of the castle would depend on the design itself.


    "Yes, brother in law... I agree and the House of Keating status would also be raised automatically to No.1 in the whole of Ingmery. It would be like the Archmage Tower with all its magnifico and elegance. Rebecca added but at the same time, she was worried at the financial status that would be unhealthy for the next few days after the keep or castle was built.


    "Arch... Don''t you worry about it. It is not like a design from Walt Disney or even from those abandoned cities shown in YouTube that looked like some kind of medieval fantasy town. I will see to it the simplest design, as long as it serves the purpose, has a courtyard where I could address those adventurers and also the employees and 4 enclosed training grounds."


    "These training grounds is for them to test on their physical battles, levelling up, test their reflexes as well as stationary Wingchun statues and practical target practises for all classes. I had the idea to design and make the best of it."


    "I agree that the costs would set me back for a few bundles of some millions of credits each, that''s why the idea of having the keep or castle would be last priority. I have in mind to have at least an additional 20 or 30 million credits to add to the House of Keating."


    "Don''t worry, my wisps would be hard at work," I reassured them and their thoughts went back to the first 100k credits which I had raised through days of grinding at the goblins camp.


    The Keatings was hopeful that I had made my decision to have a castle with training grounds and they were thankful that I was made a household of the Keating''s. Despite just woken up after a day of slumber... I mean 2 months of coma, I woke up with great ideas within 24 hours.


    Does being in a coma bring great ideas and a wider horizon way of thinking?


    ....


    Back in the Realm of Mind, as I entered the Fusion Chamber, system rang in my head and spoke up.


    *Ding* Host... Would you like to hear a suggestion?


    "What is it system... Can you get out of my head and just announce as per normal? Do I have to think aloud to communicate with you or simply chat like a normal person? I don''t learn telepathy like the Assassins do you know..."


    *Ding* You can chat as per normal. Remember when said to the readers about the Fusion Chambers that could be placed at a max of two machines per room?


    "Yeah... What about it? Is there a better way to have like 10 slots where I can queue every item or somehow upgrade these Fusion Chambers?"


    *Ding* Actually you cannot upgrade it once you had visualised it. Its a default design and it''s the same as across any universe. However...


    "However what... Please don''t talk in riddles and get straight to the point. The readers are also anticipating that how come now that you are able to communicate with me and not since the first few chapters of the 1st series..."


    *Ding* Ahem... However, you can have multiple rooms of Fusion Chambers and name is at Chamber #1, #2 and #3 respectively and you could fuse, create, multiply, duplicate 5 items per Fusion Chamber on three Chambers at one go.


    "I CAN REALLY DO THAT? FUYOO... I could kiss you, system if you appear in front of me. But I could hug myself if you want to... So all I could do is visualise another 2 more rooms and 4 more Fusion Chambers? Hah hah hah... Thank you system... You really made my day and really helped me out this time."


    "One more thing system, please upgrade the counter instead of 4 figures to go up to 5 figures instead so I could make like 99,999 items at one go."


    *Ding* Your request had been submitted. Visualisation in progress. *beep beep beep beep* Visualisation complete. The counter has been added another digit to become 5 digits for multiplication and duplication.


    "System... Is there a way to speed things up for the Fusion Chambers? I mean, every time if I made a batch, it depends on the bulkiness and complexity of the item. If only it could speed up just a little."


    *Ding* Your insistent request is being submitted. Booster installed for all Fusion Chambers. Speed of Fusion Chamber increased +15%. Happy now...?


    "Eh... This system can ask me if I''m happy or not..." I thought to myself since when did system is able to detect emotions?


    *Ding* I heard what you are thinking, Audemars, the Host. I am part of you and you are also a part of me. Upgrade yourself so that I would be upgraded as well. I am only able to communicate with you when you had passed 5% of your level. Next upgrade is 15%.


    "Haiyoo... 15% means my base level is 15,000. Ngeek... This is sooooooo slow, my dear system. I''m sure you don''t have any tips to make me level up faster?"


    *Ding* You already can have 3 Fusion Chamber rooms. Go forth and do what''s best. I cannot say yes or no or even agree if I were to give you tips. These 6 Fusion Chambers running simultaneously would make your job easier. That''s all. It''s already past midnight goodnight... I also want to sleep.


    The system shuts itself off into sleep mode after making a few whistling and whirling sounds like Artoo would be doing as well.


    "Yeah... At last, I am in for a great tip, thank you so much system for being with me all this while and lastly rearing your head in order to make my job easier... Hehehehe..." I can''t help thinking now that I could possibly make 99k of stuff that I could duplicate and then sell them at a profit to accumulate my wealth. Hahahaha... Another day, another surprise for me...


    I began to swipe to a blank scene ahead of me and visualised two Fusion Chamber and I decided to name it FC#2 and after visualising it, I checked everything is in order and the counters had already added another digit to it. Simply wonderful... And so I made repeated another one and names it FC#3 with the similar setup.


    The first phase of production I assigned it to fuse the Atelier''s request where I fused a piece of Level 4 Iron ingot which I had made several dozens of pieces to prepare for any new incoming project. With the +15% Speed added to all the Fusion Chambers, it is considerably faster to complete a single project.


    After I had fused all the 4 camouflaged tunic, pants and the two type of gugels for Ranger and Assassin class, I set both Fusion Chambers to DUPLICATE/MULTIPLE 500 pieces for the tunic and pants first. Since there are 16 types of wear, I could only manage to make the first 10. After settling all inside the respective slots, I closed the door, set the counter to 500 and cranked the lever.


    Once I am satisfied with the process, I swiped the screen and moved to the next one. When I reached FC#2, I prepared to fuse Level 4 iron ingots for all the bronze throwing knife, throwing star, 3 bladed cyclone twister, 6 bladed cyclone twister and the dragon fang dagger one at a time.


    The results that came back to me was simply wonderful as the system was awakened from its sleep mode to announce the new fusion of the new set of weapons.

 Chapter 102 - 102. Hardwork Do Pays Off Pretty Well.

    *Ding* Hey Hey Hey... Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Power Point Throwing Knife. Damage +20


    *Ding* Dinner''s ready... Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Throwing Twinkle Star. Damage +22


    *Ding* Someone''s at your door... Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron 3 Bladed Cyclone Twister. Damage +16


    *Ding* Incoming message... Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron 6 Bladed Cyclone Twister. Damage +20


    *Ding* Is it the time of the month already... Fusion Success. Level 4 Iron Dragon Fang Dagger. Damage +25


    "I wonder how much each piece would sell... Might as well I bring these 5 sets and ask NoOne for appraisal." and I made 6 sets of throwing knives, 5 sets of throwing twinkle stars, a 3 bladed and 6 bladed cyclone twister and a dragon fang Assassin dagger.


    After that, I queue the items inside the slots, arrange all the 5 counters according to the slots numbers to 3k, 2.5k,1.5k, 1.5k and 500 pieces respectively. Closed the door and changed the slider to DUPLICATE/Multiple and then I cranked the lever.


    Next, I moved on to the next Fusion Chamber and opened up the door and places the earrings, bracelets, anklets and headband for me to fuse and the results rang back as +25 to all attributes for all items.


    I place all the items back in each numbered slot and chose the counter to duplicate 2000 pieces for the earrings and 1000 pieces each for the rest of the items, closed the door and queue everything before I cranked the lever.


    I then went to FC#3 where I set up the rest for Bruce''s 4 amulets and 4 rings in both Chambers and ran a duplication for 500 pieces each.


    I visualised a small chair with an armrest and took out my notepad as I called out to the system.


    *Ding* What is it now? I thought we are done?


    "Heh, I''m done when I''m asleep, my friend. Tell me, after all these duplications how many levels would I gain?" I asked the system because at least I would be informed of the progress beforehand and don''t need to be reminded when I was in the middle of working something out.


    *Ding* Give me a minute while I compute. You will gain 21k progress which means you will gain a total of 210 levels for your base Level: 7130/100,000. Professional Crafter 5738/10,000. And Unallocated points: 35,200.


    "Hmm... According to Prius, I could give away 100 points to new members of the House per level and I intend to have 50 members maximum per class. It would be enough to input for all of them since I don''t require them at this moment with my OP Armour."


    "Giving away 20k points would leave me 15.2k points which I would be able to accumulate after I fuse and duplicate many kinds of stuff. Also, I''ve got a target of 50 million credits so I think I''d go visit the Council Chambers tomorrow." I thought to myself and I knew the system is eavesdropping at this moment.


    "Alright system, don''t have to notify me every single item when it is complete. Just consolidate and inform me when the last item is done. I need to get the offscreen crew to help me duplicate the gugels next. Thank you and goodnight, system."


    *Ding* whistle whistle plink zing plop whirr


    "Yeah... The system does sound like Artoo with all the whistled and whirrs et cetera. Well, everything is working fine and so it''s time for me to go back to the real world folks." I wrote to the readers out there who may or may not have noticed this and I wonder when they would comment on this paragraph. By the way, this paragraph was written on Friday, October 4th 2019 and I wonder when you would be able to reach here... Hehehehe.


    After I blabbered like a fool, I soon logged off from my meditative state and returned to the real world. When I opened up my eyes, I just realised that I had taken an hour in the real world and Patricia was fast asleep.


    "Haisshh... Let her sleep then. Pity her for being awake or having sleepless nights due to the state I was in for the past... Ahem... 2 months."


    "Furthermore, it''s been sometimes since I meditate in my pouring stance with nature. I think I''d just do it here in the Great Hall then since everyone is asleep." I thought to myself once again and realised that I might wake up the system too so I hushed myself and creaked the door slowly and crept to the Great Hall that is now illuminated by 2 single led fiery torches near the mantlepiece.


    I stood with one foot with my whole weight on it and let myself loose and free of thoughts as I relaxed my muscles. I could feel myself ''floating'' but in fact, I was going to be swooning and be out of balance as I merge with nature.


    I closed my eyes and controlled my breathing like before and emptied my mind as I raised my two hands like a walking zombie. I felt a sense of enlightenment and a feeling of weightlessness as I moved my arms in the shape of a taiji... The yin and Yang that made up a balance of the emotions and nature.


    Little did I knew I was observed by Prius whose ears are like a rat and even a small rustle would wake him up as he too crept outside and watched me from the 2nd-floor balcony. I felt myself become rooted to the ground under my own body weight.


    My hands moved autonomously and I was making a stance called the single whip move. My legs were bent apart and ht rear leg was supporting my weight as I made a sort of a palm stroke movement and a beak of a bird with the other.


    Next, I''ve moved to a white crane movement where my leg was supporting my weight and the other was just touching the ground as I raised one arm in the air and made a circle from its original position while the other was performing a downward palm strike.


    With my other leg that''s barely weighted, I kicked forward and then I changed my stance to a creeping position where it looks similar to a snake creeping and aimed to strike at a moments notice.


    After doing all those stances and added a few of my own in sharp bursts and then in slow motion, I could picture myself being a bird, a snake, a dragon, a tiger and even a monkey.


    I felt my Third Eye was being exercised as well and I could see visions of oceans, the clear blue skies and the vast open fields with no trees but rolling hills and green fields all over that had just being mowed by some farmers for their animals to graze.


    The fresh smell of freshly cut grass permeates into my nostrils as a bale of kapok was pushed in front of me by Rebecca to make some new fillings for their bedding.


    I returned back to my pouring position and slowly opened my eyes and I was surprised to see the children, Prius, Rebecca and Patricia were sitting silently watching me perform my so-called Taijiquan.


    "EH... I THOUGHT ALL OF YOU ARE ASLEEP...?" I asked them and was surprised to see them all awake. "Daddy... How could we all have our sleep peacefully... You were kicking those chairs and were rolling about on the floor knocking those tables and the tankard off to the floor... Yawn... I thought there''s a burglar..." Kayla informed me and I saw what I had done during the taijiquan.


    "Hah Hah Hah... My bad. I''m sorry... I thought that I won''t be knocking into these tables and chairs in the Great Hall." I stood there and scratched my head like a baby chimpanzee.


    "Alright, shows''s over now. Everyone get back to bed. It''s almost 2 am in the morning. We may have a big day ahead in the next few days and Daddy would be busy as well." Patricia shooed the children off upstairs and they all climbed to the second floor like a group of PK bounding the railing and steps instead of using the stairs like a normal child would do.


    "Eh... They also learned about PK? When did they learn from? They looked quite alright, you know." I asked since I had been... Ahem... Asleep for two months and the children had somehow developed themselves to be agile in PK.


    "The children saw some YouTube videos and decided that this would be an added advantage being an Assassin and therefore they followed the simple yet effective way of getting from one place to another by jumping, leaping, crawling and bounding like a frog. This also enhances their Agility, Acrobatics and Athletism in their traits. Well, as what they say, like father like son and daughters..."


    "Maybe it''s high time to have our very own Macleod, don''t you think?"


    Patricia spoke up after she shooed me out from the Great shall and back to bed. It seemed there might be some *Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!* action going on tonight. Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 103 - 103. Red Mage Patricia Joins The Party

    The next morning, the children were up and running about using the staircase and the landings to practise their PK and I thought to myself that these children should have a better place to practise their newly acquired traits and hobby.


    After breakfast, I discussed matters with Patricia. "I would like to bring the children to the Northern Forest where they could practise their PK, shoot some wild boars while they are at it and also I need to ask NoOne for his appraisal on the new weapons. Furthermore, you could bring out the staff and kill some wild boars too. Wouldn''t it be great?"


    "Sure... Let them perform their daily tasks first and then we could head out to the Northern Forest. It''s been so long since I practise my Frost and Lightning attacks. By the way, is the staff ready yet?" Patricia asked and I slapped my forehead since I had forgotten all about it.


    "Haiya... I forgot to ask the wisps to help me imbue the staff for you. They had been busy doing all the other works that I had forgotten all about it. However, the staff that I would be imbuing for you is a special one. It may or may not help you to gain faster in your levels. Here, take this 100 points first and distribute to your attributes first." I said as I passed 100 allocation points to Patricia to allocate in her attributes first beforehand.


    "Here, take these earrings, bracelet, anklets and this cute headband for yourself. It''s +25 for all attributes and as a Wizard, I think you have another attribute called Intelligence. Dump 40 points in there and it will also improve your Mana as well as your Attack and Damage Rating for Wizardry. Just like mine." I suggested and she did so and the balance was divided equally and since she wore the accessories, she had gained +100 on her INT.


    "Wow... I can feel the power surge within my body when it hits 145. The rest was at base 5 +15 allocated plus another +100 from these 4 accessories making them +120 altogether. How about the children?" Patricia asked and I dangled the 4 sets in front of her. I don''t think Adam would be suited to wear a headband in front of his forehead and also a set of earrings. But since the earrings are a clip-on type I think it should be fine since there was no piercing involved.


    "Children, come and get your accessories... Daddy made them for Mummy and now I could feel its power and strength." and when the children came to get theirs, they were delighted to find that their +42 attributes had become +142 overall.


    Since the children are actually not a full-fledged wizard since they were using shouts and some passive and active spells, the did not INT shown in their attributes and instead have 4 that would be fully emphasised. A sudden rise in the DEX made them even more agile and able to perform the rest of the traits well. The only thing is that their level of progress remained the same.


    "How does one improve their progress? System, are you there... I''m using my thoughts to communicate with you."


    *Ding* Anything concerning LUCK would improve their progress level. It could be a 4 leaf clover, rabbits foot, horseshoe, acorn, a painting of a goldfish, dream catcher, a painting of an elephant, a physical key, a picture of a physical ladybug, a picture or a physical mushroom, picture of a number 7, scarab, an old shoe, a penny, a piece of quartz, a picture of a tortoise or a physical one, a picture of a unicorn, a physical wishbone, a picture of a yew tree and a zumi bean.


    "That''s a mouthful... A picture of any of those would improve luck, am I right? Not necessarily to be a physical one especially a tortoise and other large items like an elephant."


    *Ding* Right you are, Host. Just look at the coat of arms. Presently, you could design one of your own and have at least 5 to 6 of them to call it as Macleod''s.


    "Thanks, system, I made a note of it. Let me know when everything is ready since I need to make the staff for Patricia." I said as I tried to delay the time to hand her the precious staff that I would try to imbue with the latest Level 15 Iron ingot that was made before the coma.


    "We will head to the Atelier when we are in the way, would that be alright, dear? I need to see some designs and the House of Keating would soon have a new coat of arms for the Macleod''s collection." I suggested and she agreed as the children went about their duties to check the production plants were working smoothly.


    Once the children had done, they went to the Strongbow Tavern and then to the Keating''s Day Care Centre to help guide the rest of the toddlers and small children there.


    I managed to slip into the Realm of Mind and I went to a free Fusion Chamber that had completed its task and inserted Patricia''s Shepherd''s Crook inside it and then I placed 2 pieces of Level 15 iron ingot in the Fusing slot. I pushed the slider to CREATE/WEAPON and then I choose the one that would make it more suitable for our new mage. It was the Mark of Magi... The one that I had created for Stef and the rest of the Mages back in series 7.


    I kissed the fusion chamber''s door, closed it and crank the lever. I waited for about 15 minutes before I heard a notification and it was like sweet juicy steak waiting for me to chomp...


    *Ding* Santa''s coming early this winter... Congratulations. Creation Success. Level 15 Iron Mark of Magi Staff. Damage +2250 Mana +2250. 10 base points x15x15. Sockets 0/5


    I logged off and returned to the real world and I think Patricia would be super delighted with the design and also the damage rating and the addition of her mana.


    When Patricia came back to the table, she saw me smiling like a silly kid and can''t help by asking, "Well... You sure look kind of happy today. Do you have anything surprisingly good?" I kept smiling at her and I simply said, "You won''t believe what good tidings you would going to have very soon." and subconsciously she held her hand over her belly.


    "Not that, my dear... Time will tell... Are the children done with their tasks?" and as soon as I mentioned it, the children entered the door and barged right in. "We''d get change soon, Daddy... These new accessories were the envy of those adventurers and were asking where we got them," exclaimed Ingles as she bounded upstairs to get changed.


    "I just replied to them that our Daddy is the one that gave these to us," replied Jane as she too bounded after her elder sister. "I told them House of Keating would be recruiting soon and we four are going to be their mentors," added Kayla as she too bounded upstairs after saying so.


    "Yes... And I told them that the membership is free of charge and any weapons or accessories from Uncle Blake or Uncle Bruce would be 50% for the first 50 members of the 4 classes." finally Adam spoke up before he bounded up the stairs and get changed into their camouflaged Ranger-Assassin-Wizard gear.


    These children knew how to make the best of any situation and right now word of mouth had spread around stating that House of Keating has finally decided to open its doors.


    But could House of Keating be able to compete with the current Houses in the 3 Districts? A slow starter but House of Keating had gained #1 position in accumulated wealth but its membership is still at NIL. The children are not considered as part of its members since they are originally from the House itself.


    Well, only time will tell, right?


    ....


    We reached the Atelier first and checked if they could design an embroidery badge like the Keating''s coat of arms before when we had sewn onto all the Keating''s Armoured Fashion Apparel.


    They have a collection of designs and first I chose a yellow and red vertical stripes, a pointy bottom crest, a silhouette of an elephant''s head in the centre, two 4 leaves clover on both top left and right of the crest.


    A double-crossed key in the top centre above the elephant, a goldfish at the bottom centre underneath the elephant, a horseshoe on the bottom left and an inverted no.7 on the bottom right.


    Then I added 3 crossed bows and 2 crossed assassin''s daggers both on the left and right of the silhouette of the elephant''s head. When I''m done I take a look at it and wanted to try out these first so I asked the assistant o produce one and it took mere minutes as he computes the design and it came out from the mould.


    It came out perfect and I passed it to Patricia and explained that each of these is considered as Luck. I had her hold on it first as it has 7 pieces of good luck pictures on it and I wanted her to try it out first.


    "Why is Mummy holding on to the coat of arms you had just designed? Does a Wizard needs a lot of Luck?" Adam asked as she saw that the designs had been hurriedly picked and it wasn''t going to look like a Macleod''s coat of arms even.


    "We will soon find out, my dear children. Atelier, here are the set of clothes that you wished for and it''s ready. There are 500 sets for camouflage designs and 250x4 for Assassins and 250x4 for the Rangers. We hope you are satisfied with the products." I introduced to the Atelier with the ready wardrobe and it was randomly tested with a knife and it didn''t pierce through.


    "Here''s the 40% share, Mister Audemars. I have decided to pay it forward since we are making a boom with the other unarmoured merchandise as well." the Atelier handed Patricia 2.4 million credits and our accumulated wealth swelled to 30.4 million credits.


    We thanked the Atelier and made our way to Bruce''s where I handed him the amulets and rings first. I handed him the 4k pieces of assorted amulets and rings and he paid up as well and handed Patricia 128k. He saw what Patricia was wearing and was marvelled at its attributes and I presented him 1k each for the earrings, bracelets, anklets and headband.


    The moment he held those in his hands he was surprised at its +15 attributes. He asked for each price, "Does it sells at 80 credits too, my brethren?" I looked at it and advised him to change the price for the amulets and rings.


    "The amulets and rings would be priced at 120 credits each since it is only meant for a single attribute. These new items cost 750 credits each since it enhances 5 attributes at one time."


    "I was advised to settle for this price even if the House of Light is selling at a much higher price than you. Don''t worry, if they ask anything from you, just say that an Archmage came and helped you."


    "If they ask for the Archmage''s name, say that his name is Merlin and he came from the House of Keating. Healthy competition is all we need now, am I right? Furthermore, theirs is bronze but yours is Level 4 iron."


    He wanted to pay up the 40% share but I told him to sell off these pieces first since its cheaper than the rest sold in House of Light.


    When he heard the prices that were sold in the House of Light, he asked if he could match the price. "Don''t sell them too exorbitantly. Maybe you could sell them at 2k credits across the board but just pay me according to the base price of 750 credits.


    Bruce reluctantly agrees but he said he would deal with them accordingly and would pay up at the end of 30 days.


    As we walked out to Northern Forest, Ingles can''t help noticing that I had missed Blake''s store altogether. "Daddy, aren''t you going to Uncle Blake''s store? His weapons are ready, am I right?" I smiled as we passed NoOne''s camp. "Yes dear, they are ready. I''m here to ask for the appraisal pricing from Mister NoOne."

 Chapter 104 - 104. Mark Of Magi And The Lucky Coat Of Arms

    As we walked out to Northern Forest, Ingles can''t help noticing that I had missed Blake''s store altogether. "Daddy, aren''t you going to Uncle Blake''s store? His weapons are ready, am I right?" I smiled as we passed NoOne''s camp. "Yes dear, they are ready. I''m here to ask for the appraisal pricing from Mister NoOne."


    "Be wary of the dangers lurking in the forest..." NoOne said in his usual greeting. He should change it "WATCH OUT... Audemars is robbing me of my credits with his incredulous amount of iron thingy that made me bankrupt...!!!" Hah Hah Hah...


    "Could you evaluate and tell me these prices before I could tell Blake on how much these could be sold?" I showed the throwing knives set, throwing stars set, 3 bladed cyclone twister, 6 bladed cyclone twister and the dragon fang dagger.


    "Very good pieces indeed. I offer you 60 for the knives set, 50 for the stars set, 80 for the 3 bladed cyclone twister, 120 for the 6 bladed cyclone twister and 250 for the Dragon fang dagger."


    "Alright Mister NoOne... Thank you so much for the offer. I would like to take them back at this moment." and NoOne handed me back the weapons and I stored it back into the storage bag.


    "Just one more question, how much do you think this is worth?" I said and showed him the Mark of Magi staff since Patricia was being led away by the children where they PK over boulders, fallen tree trunks and at the same time shoot their way with the Assassin''s compact crossbow. Since there we PKing, they used only one compact crossbow instead.


    NoOne looked at the Mark Of Magi Staff and held it in his hands and he calculated with his fingers and toes and then gathered some sticks to get the appraisal for the buying right. "I offer you 12,150 credits for this Mark of Magi," he said finally.


    "12,150 here means 121.5k outside then. Fuyoo... This would make a great killing but too bad it is not for real or sale at the moment. I take this back, please." as I reached out and took the Mark of Magi back and stored in my storage bag.


    "Are you a Blacksmith? You had been showing me these pieces and asked for my selling price and you had sold me tons of iron amulets before. Your children wear nice earrings. I would offer you 80 for that." he finally spoke some words rather than his irritating greeting.


    "80 credits eh? Hmm... Can, no problem. I will get back to you right after this game if hunting and hide and seek. I''m raining my wife, Patricia on her wizardry skills and see if there are any improvements with the lucky charms."


    "Be wary of the danger that lurks in the forest." There he goes again... And I waved at him and went on my way towards Patricia who was watching the kids performing acrobats and the shooting those Arrows between their legs, bending backwards and shooting them et cetera. If they didn''t use the Arching Shot, their shots would be way off-target.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting for babes, I''ve finally gotten the prices that I need. What are the kids are doing right now?" I asked since they hadn''t been acting this way since the last time we went out to the Northern Forest.


    "Shall we start? Start by frost or lightning attacks without the coat of arms and let me know the results." I said and she looked at me with a kind of look that could swallow me whole. "Did I just said anything wrong?" I asked and discovered that she needs to have a stick in her hand to conjure up those tricks up her sleeves.


    "Where''s the Shepherd''s Crook, dear? Did anything happen to it?" Patricia asked as she squinted her eyes and stared deep into my face.


    "Uuhh... Something did happen to it. I don''t know how to explain it to you but here it is..." I purposely pulled out from the end of the staff and she saw that there is a metal ferrule at the end of it. She held it and the moment it was in her hands, her eyes were big as saucers and she slowly slides it out.


    "Oh. My. God... This. Is. The. Mark. Of. Magi." she exclaimed in total surprise and disbelief that her normal Shepherd''s Crook had turned into something so damn magnificent. "+2250 damage and +2250 mana. My passive spells of frost and lightning take up only 5 points per use. My mana right now has slightly more than 2.9k...wow...wow...wow...this is the bestest present that I''ve gotten so far."


    "Don''t tell anyone that this is made from level 15 refined iron pieces. It was +10x15x15. If its a Level 4 iron then the rating is only +600 for damage and mana."


    "WOW... I could all hit all day with his. But I''m not sure how to replenish my Mana. And... thisisthefirsttimeimbeingawizard..." Patricia mentioned the last word so softly that it sounded like a squeak from a mouse.


    "What did you just said? All I could hear was bzzt bzzt bzzt..." I looked at her quizzically because she was talking in an incoherent manner. "I said... This is the first time I''m being a wizard." and finally I realised what she was trying to say.


    "You mean, all this while after you graduate from the Archmage, you had not fired a single frost or lightning bolt before?!?!" I asked and she just smiled meekly like a lamb... "Only during the practical and theory and the final exams..." she answered and I slapped my forehead again, missing the mosquito that was feasting on it.


    "Never mind, I have confidence in you. Children, retreat." when the children heard that shout, they repeated it and they were able to run 25% faster than normal and stayed behind the lines with me.


    "Daddy...Mummy got a new stick. This one looks more powerful and taunting to the eyes." Kayla said to me and noticed that the stick she was riding on last night had changed to a proper staff purely for Wizards.


    "What is the new staff that Mummy is carrying now, Daddy?" asked Adam as he too looks at it with a sense of amazement at the different look the staff has at the moment.


    "Wow... Mummy is finally gonna be with us and healing us as well as blasting these wild boars," said Jane as she saw Patricia moving slightly ahead and had held the head of Mark of Magi towards a wild boar grazing happily, oblivious that it would be blown to hits.


    "Look at the staff, it''s glowing super white now... Mummy is going to fire something out from the head of the staff," exclaimed Ingles in her excitement as she is now proud to have their Mummy and Daddy alongside them.


    "That staff is called the Mark of Magi. It''s the highest-ranked staff that anyone could have and I made it, especially for Mummy. It was errr... The time I made this way the time when I supply the other Mages as well." I simply said and waited for Patricia to perform her wizardry outside of Ingmery for the first time.


    "Hit hard and Hit fast, Mummy..." Ingles shouted as the three girls were simply waiting for Patricia''s first shot from the Symbol of the Mark of Magi. The white flash slowly engulfs the top of the staff and when the 1st volley of frost came out, it was so blinding that it left after images which head towards a grazing wild boar.


    "Zzoomm... Bbaaaammmm..." a frost icicle hit the wild boar squarely on its body and it disintegrates after the spoils were deposited automatically inside Patricia''s storage bag. Another frost icicle was unleashed and it struck a wild boar some 100 meters away and again the animal fell to its side.


    Patricia came back to me and said that each ice bolt had only made a 0.25% progress without the cost of arms. She looked a bit dismayed but I told her to try using the coat of arms and hold it in the hand instead. I saw her laid the embroidered coat of arms at the rock where she was standing next to it.


    "Zzoomm... Bbaaaaaammmmmm..." she shot another ice bolt at another wild boar and this time she was waving her arms excitedly in the air and she used a lightning bolt instead and her passive skills enabled her to hit up to 3 adjacent wild boar within a 15-meter radius.


    "Woohoo...dear...IT MADE A BETTER PROGRESS...!!!" Patricia was literally running and waving her staff above her head and it reminded me of the Amazonian Fighters after they had a made impressive kill.


    "After I held the coat of arms, my progress leapt tremendously... A single hit made a +1.75% progress, which means I could reach level 2/1000 in another 57 shots instead of the usual 400...!!! This coat of arms is wonderful...!!! It is like huge progress in getting a level up faster...!!!"


    "Pass it back to me. I need to check on the children''s as well. If it does an increase if progress, then it should be able to do it for them as well. Adam, come here. Hold this on your free hand and shoot a wild boar. Wait, let me check your progress level..." I instructed Adam and checked his progress before he killed a wild boar was 7.3%.


    "Ok, your progress is 7.3% right now. Go kill a wild boar and get back here again." I instructed and he nodded and went to find the nearest wild boar and shot one with Arching Shot. It took two bolts before it went down and he collected the spoils and the wild boar disintegrated into the ground before he came back running.


    "9.05% so it means per kill no matter its a wild boar or some other beast or monster it''s a 0.1% increment and a +1.75% additional with the coat of arms. Hmm, hang on a minute. I''d be right back soon." I said as I took the coat of arms from Adam and meditated under the shade of a tree to enter the Realm of Mind.


    There I quickly took a level 15 iron and then I put it inside the Fusion Chamber and pushed the slider to CREATE/MULTIPLE/ARMOUR and closed the door and pulled the crank.


    If I am not mistaken, this coat of arms would be badges and could just simply pin on the clothes and increase the luck and the progress.


    As I had done thinking an announcement rang in my head indicating that I had created multiple armour pieces and now it''s being deposited inside my storage bag.


    *Ding* It''s me again... Congratulations. Creation Success. 15 pieces of Level 15 Iron Lucky Macleod badge attained.


    Luck x15 based on their progress increment.


    "Wow... I can''t believe it...!!! Another piece with a high multiplier." I said as I logged off and went back to the real world where the children were thinking, "What a weird time Daddy picks to closes his eyes and have a power snooze."

 Chapter 105 - 105. Bruces Store Just Got Wiped Clean By Storm

    "Wow... I can''t believe it...!!! Another piece with a high type of multiplier." I said as I logged off and went back to the real world where the children were thinking, "What a weird time Daddy picks to closes his eyes and have a power snooze."


    "Everyone pinned one on your chest. It''s called a Macleod''s Lucky Badge." I instructed them and when the children are able to pin into their Level 8 mesh iron reinforced tunic, they were very surprised.


    "Daddy, you ever told us that our bolts can''t penetrate our Level 8 tunic, but how come they can be easily pierced by this pin at the back of this badge?" asked Adam as he recalled using his bolt trying to pierce his tunic but didn''t leave a mark.


    "That''s because Macleod Lucky Badge is Level 15 iron. Same like Mummy''s Mark Of Magi staff here. That badge has a 0.1 x 15 multiplier so a single kill made by you would give you a jump of 1.5% progress."


    "Unlike Mummy here, it would be 0.25 x 15 which means one kill would give her a 3.75% progress and that means she needs 26 kills each time to get a level up, while you need at least 67 kills for a level up."


    I turned to Patricia and instructed her "Trish, go kill 26 of those to Level up to 2. Children, kill 67 of those wild boars to get to Level 2 as well. We need to Level up and show to those Houses we can do it even better than them."


    "How about you, Daddy... Are you levelling up as well?" asked Adam as he ran and then turned back and asked me. "Don''t worry about me, I don''t think I would be able to Level up as you do. My system is an old outdated one."


    *Ding* I heard what you said, Audemars... I''m not outdated. You are just afraid to lose all the levels you had.


    "Sorry system, just a slip of my tongue." I profusely apologise when the children went off shooting their two crossbows in the air, aiming at the horde of wild boars near the entrance of the Troll Caves. Ever since the children had deployed the passive skills of Arching Shot, they seemed lazy to aim anymore and just shoot aimlessly and the bolt would eventually find its own target.


    *Ding* All duplication is done and has now being transferred to your storage bag. I''m going to snooze now... Bzzt Bzzt plong toing cuckoo.


    "Haish... System I think you need to upgrade your logoff tune. It is so damn irritating. Hah hah..." I laughed at the system and just laze around under the shade while the 5 of them grounded to upgrade themselves.


    During that time I had sneaked to the Realm of Mind and had gone to the Fusion Chambers and had duplicated the earrings on all the 6 Fusion Chambers and had run all the 5 slots to duplicate a total of 1.5m pieces that would be bought by NoOne at a price of 80 credits per pair so the pieces would be 750k pairs for a total of 60 million credits.


    After some hours they came running back to me and told me that they had done with the 67 counts each and they checked their system and find that they had reached Level 2 already.


    Patricia had also done with her 26 targets and they sold off the wild boars hide to NoOne and then decided to bring back the excess meat and hand it over to the cooks and Silas Brown of Strongbow Tavern.


    "Dear Audemars, firstly I can''t thank you enough with this OP staff that you had given me. Then the addition of Macleod Lucky Badge is really a blessing and had given me the confidence to Level up."


    "Daddy...this is way cool. When can we get Level 15 weapon like Mummy?" asked Adam and I replied, "Do you know that your current Level 2 is impossible for anyone to par right now? How many points do you have right now for allocation into your attributes?"


    "A 10 points, Daddy... Shall we allocate them?" replied Adam and I told them to hang on as I contribute another 100 points from mine to them equally. "Alright, you can distribute now. That would make your attributes to be +167 after the allocation right?"


    "Wow... This way too cool, Daddy... Yes... We now have +167 for all our attributes" replied Jane as she looked at Patricia and asked, "Mummy, how many have you got right now?"


    "Earlier my INT was +145 and the rest 4 was at +120 so if I divide them equally, it should be +175 for INT and the rest would be +140. This is pretty awesome right now. Well, we all are Level 2 right now. So that''s quite an achievement right now."


    "Yes... That''s pretty great, come on guys. Let''s head down to the Council Chambers and we could find ourselves a new castle to live in..." I announced as the Fusion Chamber is currently duplicating those 750k pairs of earrings that I would use it to build the biggest and most magnificent stronghold in the whole of Ingmery.


    I smiled at myself for using this ''hack'' system to gain considerable wealth in order to achieve the last goal: Upgrade the House of Keating.


    Along the way, we met with some adventurers and from the looks of it, they had decided to grind these beasts to gain experience points as well as to sell their spoils. Since they do not have many responsibilities, they decided to sell everything inside the storage bags.


    I wondered if they had gone to Blake''s and met NoOne for their subsequent quests. The children waved at them and the adventurers waved them back as they knew where our children had come from.


    We went to Silas Brown, the owner of the Strongbow Tavern where he and his missus were preparing the meals for the children at the Keating''s Day Care Centre. Ingles and Adam gave all the collection of meat to him and decided that Jane and Kayla give to the cooks later.


    Meat obtained from Patricia would be given out to our household and the figure was sure well enough for the rest of the weeks to come. Next stop, we went to Blake''s and I showed him the new Level 4 iron pieces that I had turned from bronze.


    "Here you go, brother. All the weapons that you had given me had been turned into Level 4 Iron. I''ve done the appraisal and here are the prices to sell. Throwing Knives to be sold at 600 credits. Damage +20, Throwing Twinkle Star to be sold at 500 credits. Damage +22"


    "Here are the 3 bladed Cyclone Twister. 800 credits. Damage +16 and the 6 bladed Cyclone Twister. 1200 credits Damage +20. Last but not least Dragon Fang Assassin Dagger. 2500 credits Damage +25."


    "3000 sets for the throwing knives, 2500 sets for the throwing star, 1500 pairs of 3 Bladed Cyclone Twister, 1500 pairs of 6 Bladed Cyclone Twister and 500 sets of Dragon Fang Assassin''s Dagger."


    After hearing the prices, Blake''s took down the figure and immediately handed 2,920,000 credits to me whom he knew I would be passing to Patricia who would be handling the accounts later. "Brother, this is just being delivered and you had paid them upfront already," I said when the transfer had been made.


    "Arch... It is a small price to pay, brother... Furthermore, this is business, so once the goods have arrived, they should be paid up. Furthermore, I used the last profit to roll into this and they had been going on quite good so far."


    "With these new pieces of weapons, this place would be storming with adventurers, laying their hands on these despite any Class they were in."


    I asked Blake if there''s a quest that he had given to the adventurers and he replied, "There had been no quests issued by me. It is the missing iron ingots, right? Ah... I remember them. But so far no one did ask me about the quest and so far only you are the one that did. Heh... I still remember you asked me and then you presented the iron ingots directly... Its as if you knew about the quest."


    "Ah...that really nothing, brother. I just asked NoOne and he told me that his ingots were stolen by the goblins and I just went to retrieve them. After that when I showed it to him, he just told me to bring it to you. I think that''s what he was there for, giving a side quest once they had met you."


    "Ah yes, that''s true. You told me you wanted to sell the ingots to him. And it costs 3 credits, right? Hah hah hah... I remember that time, brother and little did we know we had become closer right now..." Blake laughed as he slapped my shoulders as he ushered me out and he did feel something weird when he held my piece of armour I was wearing.


    "Say, brother... What type of armour are you wearing? How come it feels like a different type of iron I just felt... Its neither bronze nor iron."


    "Well... This piece would only be available when I had produced Purified Iron Level 5. The price is astronomical but the armour rating is also astronomical. Just this alone in wearing is a +350."


    "WWHHAATT...? +350 Armour and from your head to toe, what is your armour rating like?" Blake''s eyes were as wide as spaghetti plates as he heard I mention casually that my whole armour from the Archer''s Hood I''m wearing, right to my boots was already +850.


    I tapped Blake''s shoulders and he finally regained his composure. If only he knew about the children''s Level 8 battle gear, he would be surprised that it is +40 armour and also Patricia''s Mark of Magi that was made with Level 15 Iron. Even my Macleod''s Lucky Badges would leave everyone astounded.


    I passed by Bruce''s and I was stopped by him saying that he needs a second batch of all the Level 4 iron earrings, bracelets, anklets and headbands. "What did you do Bruce? Don''t tell me you trade it off with NoOne?" I question him since I had only passed him earlier before heading to the Northern Forest.


    "Well, a Wizard came here to buy a headband and then when she went back to her House where the three siblings came over and inquired about the pieces."


    "After discovering that I''m selling them at 750 credits each, they decided to buy everything off the shelf and I''ve got nothing to sell anymore. Hah hah... It seems business is going on too great for me and the siblings from the House of Lights wants to monopolise the market for the items. Even the rings and amulets were wiped off clean."


    "Hah hah hah... Business sure seems to be going on fast. I wonder how much these siblings are going to sell because it would likely be double or triple the amount they bought from you."


    "Here, my dear brethren. These are the profit for the sudden wealth that I had accumulated." Bruce passed me 1.2m credits right after he spoke and I kept them all inside the storage bags.


    "Thank God... Thanks for the credits, brethren. I would make another 1000 pieces for all the accessories and hand it over to you earliest by tomorrow." I bade him farewell and joined Patricia and handed her the credits that were given by Blake and Bruce.


    I handed her 4m credits and held the balances just for me and altogether Patricia had a total of 32m credits now. I explained to her that I got the credits from Blake as he pays forward and from Bruce as someone had wiped his store clean this time. "So, you would be slightly busy right after this, am I right?" Patricia eyed me as we walked down to the Council Chambers as the children had gone to distribute the balance meat to the cooks.


    "Just slightly dear, by the way... Can you bring the children for their second quest at Rebecca''s? I''m sure they would be more than happy. Furthermore, there are some more hidden quests right?" I probed since she is the citizen of Ingmery and knows what other side quests this NPC are giving out when they asked the right questions.


    "Definitely my dear, I''m sure they all would do just fine," Patricia assured me as we walked to the Council Chamber to ask for information.

 Chapter 106 - 106. Now You Know The Fury Of A Red Mage

    "Good Day Mister and Missus Macleod, what can I do for you today?" Angus greeted us as we knocked on his door and entered. The sight of gold that was hanging in his neck and wrists are normal but he also has added a golden crown that was too small for his head.


    I wonder... Which cartoon character did he represent when he wore that golden, shimmering crown. Nyeehh... That''s not important because later on, some readers would be commenting on how the walls were being pulled down or something like that. Heh...


    We took a seat first and found that his office chairs were of top plush quality and our butts simply sank when we sat on it. Must be from David Decor''s I suppose.


    "Hmm... I wanted to know about the history of House of Keating. When it first started, it was a small cottage, right? How much did it cost that time?"


    "Oh... We do not have a record of those but as far as I know a small cottage is smaller than a small house here that''s being sold. If I''m not wrong it only costs 150 credits that time which is equivalent to 75k credits in this time."


    "Have you any records on how many times did the House of Keating underwent upgrades and renovations?"


    "Haiya, Mister and Missus Macleod, quit asking about upgrades and renovations since I frankly wasn''t even born during that time. Stop beating around the Bush since there''s nothing for you to gather there."


    "Just get to the point and I could get more commission... Oops... I mean, you would get more reputation by buying more lands and transforming them into factories and such."


    "Heh... You sure know how to be direct nowadays, eh Angus. No wonder you got all the commission from my husband and you start flaunting them. What''s next? A golden body?" Patricia rebutted in as she saw what this member of the Council Chambers was up to.


    "Maybe my husband here does not know how to bargain like a lady in the market... Look at the commission this guy is raking from him so far. I think its better for me to step in."Patricia thought in her mind and when I glanced over I could see her thought bubble above her head and I couldn''t agree more with her.


    "Alright Angus, show us the blueprints for a castle and what is the base price for it. Furthermore, my husband here has already made quite a few purchases from you so I''m sure he would be entitled to a discount, am I right?" Patricia eyed Angus and he seemed to be smaller when he shirked in his swivel armchair that had a sheepskin draped over it.


    "Ah yes... Heres the blueprint... What kind of castle do you need to build? Is it over the present House of Keating where it stands now?" Angus asked as he had lost his composure and felt slightly defeated at Patricia''s demeanour.


    Later on, Patricia explained to me that she had used Insight and Perception traits on Angus and she learned that he had taken a 30% cut from the lands that I purchased. In short to say, all the lands I had purchased and built upon had been jacked up 30% cost over value.


    "I will tell you what we need and you just punch in the required data and then show us the 3D model of the castle and the surroundings."


    "The ground surface would be enlarged on all the 4 sides meaning it is going to be double of what the present land House of Keating is sitting on. I also need a courtyard in front of the castle which means it''s inside within the compound."


    "The courtyard would have a seating capacity of 210 pax and it would on either the left or right of the courtyard. It would be a covered area and there should be several drink stands and some pushcarts so vendors could sell their food there. 2 of each for each side would be sufficient for now."


    "I need you to allocate 5 training grounds, and each training grounds would have these features; Wingchun statues, archery targets, a practical shooting and duelling arena, a protected place surrounded with protective walls and an obstacle course all around the castle."


    After some time designing the courtyard with the features, the design of the castle comes next. "The dungeon remains where it is right now, the Great Hall would be expanded and the kitchen would be enlarged as well. A small study room would be on the ground floor next to the kitchen and there would be two entrances from the great hall to the kitchen.


    "The second floor would have 10 bedrooms equipped with attached T&B with a shower and a bathtub in every room and there would be 2 staircases leading to the second level from the great hall."


    "The great hall would also have a seating area for 10 pax, a dining area for 10 pax as well as a cosy corner to have coffee during breaks. It would be meant for 10 pax too and it would be best to have the fireplace and mantle to be placed where the cosy corner is."


    "The interior flooring would be parquet floorings, while the exterior walls would be masonry. There should be 2 chandeliers for the kitchen, 4 chandeliers for the great hall and all rooms would have chandeliers and small bathroom lights."


    "Stained glass windows would be fitted for all the rooms and for the castle interiors, which means it would be a floor to ceiling height kind of Victoria windows."


    "Two grand wooden sliding doors would be at the main entrance of the castle and at the main gate as well. The walls surrounding it would be a low wall of about 2 meters in height."


    "Two watchtowers would be included at the rear castle areas here and on the third level, there would be a figure 8 swimming pool with a winding water slide about 10 meters from the ground and a hot and cold jacuzzi. There would be 2 changing rooms for the boys and girls."


    "Some deck chairs would be nice to place around the area and there would be a low wall surrounding the pool area. A retractable roof is needed to cover part of the deck area and swimming pool. The access to the 3rd floor is from the towers at the back of the castles. The second floor within the castle would be accessible using a proximity card."


    "Have you got it so far, Mister Angus?" I finally asked as he fervently set all the designs and managed to complete and furnish it within the same time when I stated the requirements.


    "A three-storey castle on a current House of Keating along with the expansions on all the sides here. It''s done, but let me advise you Mister Macleod, a castle is set at a different price than the largest house here in Ingmery and it might set you back quite a considerable amount of credits. Just the castle and courtyard would set you back 15 million credits per floor and it''s 45 million credits."


    "The furnishings and the third-floor swimming pool and all would set you back for another 8 million credits, making it a grand total of 53 million credits."


    *BBBBAAAAMMMM* The top of Angus'' table was slammed hard with Patricia''s flat hand causing some of the decorative ornaments on the table to topple over and also caused some pieces to fall on the floor.


    The aftershock of the slamming on the table surprises Patricia as well but she managed to control her composure. The shock waves of the slammed palm shook some of the pictures and testimonials that were hanging on the wall behind Angus as it became skewed at an odd angle.


    The goldfishes inside the small glass aquarium beside the table had been affected as well and it all hid inside the small clay castle underwater.


    "UTTER HORSESHIT..." Just these two words that spewed from Patricia had caused some members of the Council Chambers entering Angus'' office, and when they saw Patricia was there, they all backed away as they knew once a woman flares into a temper, Anyone who stood her way would be steamroller at high speed.


    "LAND PIRATES..." *BBBBAAAAMMMM* another two words came out from Patricia as she slammed the top of the table with her palm once more. (she could ask for a discount without doing all those inconveniences right? Hah hah hah)


    As she raised her hand for the third time, Angus suddenly cried out in despair as he was too shaken by the ferocity of Patricia right now. "Alright... Alright... I acknowledge that I am a Land Pirate and also my boots smelled like horseshit when I stepped on it en route to work today..."


    "Look... Err... Missus Macleod, I think I''ve made a miscalculation here a while ago... Ahem... The total figure would come to a round figure of 47 million credits. This..." Angus let the words hand in midair as he saw Patricia was holding to her Mark Of Magi and right now the staff''s head was glowing in a blinding white aura and was as if it was going to unleash a frost bolt or a lightning bolt.


    "EEHH... AAHH... M... MISSUS MACLEOD... W...WAIT... AAHH..." suddenly Angus was spluttering like a blubbering fool as he was reeling back in his swivel armchair when he saw that danger is imminent and the intense glow from the Mark of Magi was blinding that he searched for his shades and clipped it on over his glasses.


    "I think there''s terribly wrong with the price again, Mister Angus." I spread out my hands as if I''m saying that his life is hanging by a frayed thread at this moment and he quickly snatched the device and readjusted the price for the second time.


    "Err... No, Missus Macleod, the price is actually rounded off as 42 million because I thought you wanted polished marble flooring instead of parquet." Angus finally said as he wiped the beads of cold sweat that was pouring down from his forehead.


    The air crackled around the Mark of Magi and suddenly the temperature inside the office dropped and cold vapours seemed to appear when Angus exhaled. The goldfishes are now wearing winter jackets underwater inside the fish tank as the temperature dropped drastically.


    Angus was shivering uncontrollably as he took the sheepskin behind his back and covered himself with it. I had activated Black Fire and it was dancing on the palms of my hands, warming me and when Angus saw what both husband and wife were doing in front of him, he thought that he might be smitten with heat and cold at the same time...!!! "


    "ALRIGHT... ALRIGHT... 35 million credits... Sign here, pay now or pay later it doesn''t matter. Once the signature is there, the castle would be delivered and the old House of Keating would be towed away within 24 hours... Sign and leave, please... Oh. My. God... I think I''m going away for a very long time after this... " Angus was on the brink of desperation as he cried out the moment he saw flames dancing on the tips of my fingers, flitting from one finger to another as well as on my palms.


    Patricia finally let the menacing aura from the Mark of Magi dissipate as I extinguished the black flame as well from my fingertips. So much for showing some ''threat'' in front of a corrupt Council Member right now... Hah hah...


    "Trish, sign it since it is under the Keating''s. No matter because I''ve signed too many of them and now it''s your turn. It''s the House of Keating and not the Macleod''s." I pushed the device in front of her and she looked at me. "Are you sure, my dear husband that you are doing this for us and not for our sake alone?"


    "That''s right, just sign it, dear and hand him the 30 million credits first. The balance would be 24 hours right after you had acknowledged it."


    The moment Patricia acknowledge the order of a 3 storey castle with all the mentioned facilities and amenities, 30 million credits were automatically deducted and went into the treasury of the Council Chambers. She was left with only a paltry 2 million credits.

 Chapter 107 - 107. The Big Move

    "How did you know about Angus activities all this while? To me, I won''t ask for the discount because I thought the prices he presented were very fair and affordable."


    "Furthermore I''m getting these credits through my own efforts and there would soon be another injection of 60 million credits to help the community. I was thinking that to use the 60 million to inject in the purchase of the castle."


    "In the end, I didn''t even realise that we don''t actually need the 60 million credits at all. Ah well, since the credits are in the process we would just leave them be."


    "I used my Insight to gather such information, my dear. The moment I had allocated the necessary points, I could sense a person intent, their aura as well as how truthful they are to us."


    "The moment we stepped into the office, I could hear Angus screaming in his mind like ''Another gold miner just stepped in and I could buy a gold throne with Studded gems after this.'' and that''s what I saw in him."


    "All this while, he had been jacking up as high as 30% cost over value on all the properties you had bought. You seemed like a bull that had a rope through its nose. Wherever he leads you, you would just follow and never even did ask for a discount except for the cookhouse."


    "Haiya... Please don''t bring up the past. I don''t like to recall the past that''s unrecoverable. Would you don''t do that in the future, please? Aren''t you excited at how the castle would look like tomorrow?"


    It would be better if I inform the rest of the children, Prius and Becky to stand by their luggage and we could all shift back in when everything has been in place." I shrugged off what Patricia had mentioned earlier and it''s time to look forward, for chrissake.


    ....


    When the children heard about the home improvements, they were excited and can''t help to see how they are going to pull the house down and replace it with a castle this time.


    "Daddy, would you be opening the membership soon? Some of the adventurers came walking by when we were at the cookhouse and asked about our level up. I didn''t say anything much because you didn''t tell us to tell anything." Adam inquired and explained about the incident earlier as I listened and rubbed my chin.


    "Yes, Daddy... They knew we are now Level 2 and most of the adventurers didn''t know how to Level up except going to Northern Forest and grind the beasts there. They knew only about 2 quests that are under our house and the one that is being issued by Auntie Becky." Ingles mentioned as she too was wondering where to earn some more quests and they had been to only one so far.


    "Daddy, can we go looking for quests after this? I really wanted to go for the quest issued by Auntie Becky. At least I would be killing someone who would fight back." Jane said in a very confident manner but deep inside she knew how fast her heartbeat was beating just like horses running on a muddy field...


    "Daddy, do you think Auntie Becky would allow us to enter in pairs? I have not seen anyone enter in pairs and I am afraid that the hoodlums inside might scare me," added Kayla as she was the timid ones but the assuring words of Ice Cream would sure rile her up.


    I turned my head towards Adam and replied, "As soon things are in order, we can bring in the new recruits. However, all of you may need to show me your consistency, discipline, mental and physical strength."


    "There''s 4 training ground but only 3 would be in use and I have designed an obstacle course around it so you would be timed on your individual or group performance."


    "As a R.A.W, you should never ''Leave a man behind'' which means no matter how injured they are, you would always ensure they come back here in this House of Keating safely and in one piece."


    I turned to Ingles and spoke, "As a R.A.W, you need to open your eyes more and observe your surroundings and minimap. I''m sure you would find something out of the ordinary if you happen to talk to any of the citizens around here."


    I looked at Jane and said, "Be careful in unknown territories even though it is your own backyard. As NoOne always says ''Beware of the dangers that lurk in the forest'' or I might say, in Ingmery."


    Lastly, I patted Kayla''s head and said, "The quest issued by Auntie Becky is only meant for one person at a time. After the quest, you will get something and you could dispose of them if you don''t need them. Remember one thing as a R.A.W, ''Hit hard, Hit fast, Kill silently and swiftly."


    "Which also brings about the introduction of two more weapons for the Ranger-Assassin-Wizard Class. Here take these and keep first... Here''s a set of throwing knives that would return to the pouch automatically after use. Another would be the Dragon Fang Assassin''s Dagger."


    "You will be taught how to effectively deploy and to use it when the time comes. There will be a training area just for it. Also, there would be a practical shooting and duelling arena that would hone your reflexes."


    After answering those questions, the children understood that their lifestyles would change for the better on the next coming weeks and they prepared the big move by the arrival of their new home tomorrow.


    After hearing that the new castle would have a swimming pool and a water slide, the children were very ecstatic about it and can''t wait to see their new home tomorrow. They took their new weapons and packed together with their wooden chest that contains their belongings and during that night all the children, even Prius and the rest of the adults were having a sleepless night.


    The news of the House of Keating of acquiring a castle in replace of their great Hall was spread far and wide. All the adventurers who heard about the dramatic changes of the House were excited since they knew the House would be open for membership as they heard from others.


    However, the membership is limited to 50 per class and its a combination of Warriors, Assassins, Rangers and Wizards. While some of the Houses in Ingmery were not a bit moved by this news but it would surely make an impact on their future development.


    Furthermore, they discovered that the pioneers of the House had attained a level 2 in a breeze while some of the adventurers were still struggling to progress since all classes were capped at 0.1% except for wizards, who were capped at 0.25% progression.


    *Ding* Ppsstt... Duplication Success. 750k pairs of Level 4 earrings +15 all attributes completed. Sorry to wake you up, I''m going back to snooze... Bbuuzztt...


    "Uuhh... It is completed already? I''d better head back to the Fusion Chamber and carry on for Bruce''s orders of a 1000 sets for all the new accessories and I rubbed my eyes as I sat up on my bed and tried not to move too much and awaken Patricia who was spreadeagled beside me.


    I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and I made a duplication of the Level 4 iron earrings, bracelets, anklets and headbands and went back to the real world thereafter. It took less than 15 minutes to do so and lay back on the bed, and was excited to see how the move of the House would be, and replaced with a castle next.


    Well, one thing for sure is, Ingmery finally gets to have its castle and it would be par to the Archmage Tower in the Southern District.


    ....


    Morning came soon after and the children were already up and had placed their wooden chests containing all their personal effects downstairs. Prius and Rebecca had already cleaned up their room and packed all the necessary things with them.


    As for me, I had stored everything inside my storage bag since I do not have many worldly things except for the clothes that were presented to me months ago by Patricia. All 8 of us were happy with the changes despite being sudden and all Keating''s family heirloom had been stored away as well.


    A small caravan came and we stored all the personal and family''s treasures inside it and it went to the marketplace and parked in front of the store. Since there was no breakfast being prepared, all 8 of us went to the cookhouse and had our coffee and toast while waiting for the yellow hardhats to come and take away the House.


    While we were having breakfast, the yellow hardhats had arrived and had cordoned off the area around the House of Keating first before they crumpled the House part by part until what was left behind was just a barren flat piece of land.


    Prius'' and Patricia''s eyes were brimming with tears as they watched the House that they had been living all this while had been crumpled down... Yes, it was like a piece of cardboard since the House existed many years ago starting from a small cottage down to a medium house and until a large double-storey building.


    Many men, warriors and local folks, had come and gone in that House and soon, the name of Keating''s would rise from the ashes like a Phoenix and hopefully not end up being like Chicky.

 Chapter 108 - 108. Gathering Quest Information For All Adventurers.

    Since the arrival of the castle would take some time and the yellow hardhats were clearing the debris, I''ve decided to visit Bruce''s and hand him the readied weapons that I had set for him the night before.


    The children didn''t follow me since they were watching the progress of the moving of the castle into the premise and they were, in fact, doing some PR as they went about the production plants and the Day Care Centre. In fact, they were doing their tasks as per normal despite the expectations for their castle to move into the neighbourhood.


    "System, please update me with the progress for the 750k pairs of earrings and 8k for Bruce''s." I nudged the system awake and it groggily replied.


    *Ding* Performing system check. Progress earned 758k, Level: 14,710/100,000


    Unallocated Points: 111k Master Crafter 3318/100,000


    "Heh... I''m already a Master Crafter now but I''m missing a few more points before the system could have a kind of upgrade? What kind of upgrade are you going to have?"


    *Ding* Unable to disclose such information at this time. 290 more levels to surpass before it hits 15% progress.


    "Ah... It is all right if you are unable to inform me at this moment. I''m happy at what you are right now." I was communicating with system telepathically or else people might think the person behind the spearhead of House of Keating might be either mad or simply talking through a Bluetooth set. Hahahahaha.


    ....


    "Good day brethren, here are the things that I had promised you. A 1000 pieces of all these items except for 500 pieces for the amulets and rings." I greeted Bruce as I entered his store and he was happy to receive me at the door.


    "I heard about the developments for the House of Keating. Here''s a little information for you. The Houses around Ingmery were now shaken, for one thing, House of Keating came up tops in wealth management. And with the development of a Castle instead of a Great Hall, House of Keating''s would rise to the tops in building and facilities management."


    "House of Keating is still in the bottom 14th position in terms of recruitment and membership management. But in terms of internal structural management, the House of Keating came up to the top 8 positions since there are 5 internal members of the House that had gone up to Level 2."


    "What an achievement brethren, this is the first time I have seen anyone who took over the household name of Keating and had saved businesses from collapsing, created jobs for many, improved the wellbeing and wholesomeness of the citizens and on top of that had accumulated wealth from humble beginnings."


    "That''s all right brethren, I am not here to compete in such trivial matters but in fact, I''m happy that the 87 Town folks around us had finally started to emerge as adventurers and its a good thing that they start early. How would you expect a middle, hunched back, wheezing aged man with a walking stick to go against a goblin? Hah hah hah... That would be me then, in years to come I guess."


    We both laughed heartily as I described myself hobbling on a walking cane and guiding the adventurers against the goblins as I waved my sword in the air like Highlander... Hah hah hah...


    "Hey, brethren, I just want to ask, Blake''s got a quest right to give out, how about yourself?" I asked when I remembered that the locales so give out quest from time to time.


    "Yes I do, do you want one? It''s a simple quest though. To retrieve 10 hamstrings and 20 planks of wood to make 5 light bows. These are booby quests brethren, it''s for those new adventurers only. Unlike you, your quest is to produce as many trinkets so I could sell them and you would collect the profits later on."


    "Hah Hah Hah... These quests are not for me but to build up the confidences of the adventurers around me. By the way, I might be making a small booklet on where to look for quest masters without describing the quests inside."


    "That''s a splendid idea, my brethren. At least the adventurers know where to go from one point to another." Bruce''s agrees with my idea of making a small booklet as a guide to quests around Ingmery and I am sure the adventurers would be well equipped with the knowledge given free to them, especially if they had sworn their allegiance to the House of Keating.


    I went to the Northern Forest and Noone was happy to meet me and i presented him with a whopping 750k pairs of earrings. "Last night you told me that you love those earrings and would pay 80 credits for it right? Well, here''s 750k pairs of them for me to exchange for some credits."


    "Some credits you say? 60 million credits just for these earrings... Where shall I put them? On every beast, goblin, Troll and other monsters here? I didn''t expect you to bring me 750k pairs... And I thought you bring me like a few dozens or so... This is too much... Simply too much... Tsk tsk tsk... Well, a deal is a deal mister... Here are the 60 million credits."


    I received the 60 million credits and they are just a matter of speaking and not in real currency. How the hell could a camper like NoOne has so much money on him? He is like the world bank already. Hah hah hah...


    I then spent the whole morning asking the rest of the Houses and finding out if they give out quests and then to the rest of the locales as well. The quests may be simple but the knowledge of going through the town and discovering them is invaluable.


    After I had compiled the list of quest, it had come up to quite a considerable amount. The House of Pallemon had 2 quests that are stacked on top of another but there is a tricky question at the end of it. Even an ordinary house belonging to a citizen also had a quest in it.


    I went back to the cookhouse and saw the yellow hardhats guys were already getting ready to receive the first installation of the castle and so I went back to the cookhouse and sat there with the rest of the children and adults.


    ....


    "Daddy... Where have you been and why are you smiling right now? Did something happen wonderfully happen? Tell us quick... We want to hear all about it." Ingles proclaimed as she saw the look on my face and then she was clapping her hands when she saw me take out the notepad.


    Quest #1


    House of Keating (C) - 5 level dungeons


    Quest #2


    Rebecca (C) - Taking care of her ''son''


    Quest #3A


    Blake''s (C) - Waiting for Goods


    Side Quest #3B


    Northern Forest merchant (N) - Stolen Goods


    Quest #4


    House of Pallemon (C) - Read a history book


    Quest #5


    House of Pallemon (C) - Retrieve family treasure


    Quest #6


    Bruce''s (C) - collect resources for bow


    Quest #7


    House of Light (C) - gather orbs and wisps


    Quest #8


    House of Grundy (C) - gather wood for arrow


    Quest #9


    David''s (N) - collect resources bear rug


    Quest #10


    Atelier''s (C) - collect resources for wool


    Quest #11


    Archmage (N) - gather Yeti''s fang


    Quest #12


    Stella (C) - investigate disturbances


    Quest #13


    Silas'' (C) - collect resources for meat


    Quest #14


    Cookhouse (C) - collect resources for vegetables


    Quest #15


    Pointus'' (C) - collect resources for herbs


    Quest #16


    Joan''s (C) - conduct an experiment


    Quest #17


    Tania (C) - find missing cat


    Quest #18


    Ivan''s Hat (N) - gather resources for a hat


    Quest #19


    Lady Katrin (N) - Rooftop PK


    Quest #20


    Wayne''s (N) - deliveries


    I showed the children what I had compiled and they were surprised at the number of quests I had discovered so far within half a day. "Do we need to do them in sequence, Daddy?" Ingles asked as she saw skeletal information on the quest because they knew I would not want to divulge too much information to make the quest any easier.


    "No, you don''t need to do them in sequence at all. You may choose all the gatherings ones and then attend to the rest. There is a mix of battle quests in them. Those marked with an apostrophe would mean it''s a local while others are just citizens here."


    "There''s another 15 more quests that I hadn''t include in so it would be given by me, as a quest master once everything is done for these 20 quests."


    "Wow... There''s so much quest for us to do here. There''s nothing marked in (S) southern, right Daddy? Why is it so?" Adam asked as he saw the annotation and realised it either meant from the central or from the Northern District.


    "I do not wish to include the Southern District yet. Furthermore there the Eastern and Western front where adventurers may seek to find their own quests from other 87 towns there. That''s what I heard." I replied as to answer to Adam''s question.


    "Right now there is a small quest, can anyone find me a bookstore or a printing shop to make this into a small booklet? It would be 5 quests per page and it would just be a small pocketbook about 3 inches by 2.5 inches in size. Leave some blank pages behind for anyone to take down notes et cetera." I asked and the 4 children all raised their hands excitedly as they all wanted to have the quest to find the said stores.


    "Alright, just make one copy and then head back to me once it''s done. Thank you, children, don''t lose my notepad, ok? Adam, you take care of this notepad and the three girls would go look for the stores." I instructed and I hoped the eldest would be the most responsible.


    "Affirmative, Red Leader..." Adam saluted me and off they went to the market and business district to look for the said stores to make a small booklet.

 Chapter 109 - 109. Here Cometh The Castle Of Keating-Macleod

    It was lunchtime when the children had returned from their task... I mean their quest and produced me the little pocketbook that they had gotten a bookstore to design for them.


    When they heard it is from the House of Keating, the proprietor decided to produce the small pocketbook for free since House of Keating had been supporting the bookstore in general supplies for the children from Keating''s Day Care Centre.


    One thing for sure, we had received quite a reputation for being a tradesman as well as a guild master, some would call. Even though we were waiting for the castle to be ready, it would still be zero memberships as I would wish the lieutenants or the mentors to master all the training grounds first.


    During our lunch of steamed rice, some vegetables and braised pork in salted beans, the arrival of the castle was announced and it was brought in by a few low bed trailers where the workers who had early lunch began to commence their work.


    A few hundred men were deployed and they set up the towers first before they lay the ground for the obstacle course around it, along with the courtyard that could assemble 200 over people. Within a span of a few hours and before dinner time the whole setup was done and a hundred workers and the flatbed trailers moved off to where they had come from.


    The children went to see the development of the building and were amazed on how fast they could set up all the partitions and boarding to make it look like a castle, complete with its Formica masonry stone walls and all the fittings. Before long, it finally took shape like a three-storey castle complete with its 4 training grounds on the lower floors as the castle was situated in an elevated platform.


    "Daddy, Mummy... The 3 storey castle has finally been completed. It is H-U-G-E...with a perimeter of at least 400 meters around it. Can we all move right in after this?" Ingles was excited to see the development and she reported back to me and I just smiled at her and the rest of the children.


    "There''s no furnishings up in the rooms yet, no bed, bedding, pillows, armoire, full-length windows and there''s no cooks and housekeeper engaged yet. Trish, is there such an agency here where we can hire cooks unlike the ones in the cookhouse but mainly for domestic purposes and a housekeeper as well? "


    I asked and the reply I got was rather disappointing because we do not wish to hire general cooks but at least one that could produce snacks, pastries, cakes and puddings rather than steamed corn, yam, roasted sweet potatoes and such.


    "Ah well... We can get a general cook to handle our main meals first and a general housekeeper. Come on, let''s see our new home." I picked myself from the bench I was sitting in the cookhouse and went ahead with the rest of them towards the grounds of the castle.


    It was what we had ordered for the main doors, the courtyard, the drink and food stands and the tables and chairs at the sides of it. Around the courtyard''s perimeter, I could see all the obstacles lined up just as I had requested which consist of the SOC and AOC combined together.


    (SOC is the standard obstacle course and AOC is the advanced obstacle course meant for cadet and ranger officers during their training stint)


    Right through the courtyard, the 4 training grounds for 4 classes were ready and a practical and duelling ground is in the centre with interchangeable and programmable courses. Just like in a practical shooting course.


    Wooden one-handed and two-handed swords, poles, spears, bucklers are arranged nicely in the weapons rack. There''s also wooden blank arrow shafts and bolts complete with wooden throwing knives, darts and stars.


    8 wingchun statues were also there and with a press of a remote button, the wingchun statues could be raised and hidden into the grounds to make space.


    8 archery lanes of about 35 meters were there equipped with stationery and pop up targets. These too could be raised and hidden under the surface at a clock of a remote button.


    The best part that I loved the most is the practical and reflexes training area. There are about 12 designs that we could choose from and it would be beasts, hoodlums and innocent bystanders pop up targets inside them.


    These 12 designs make up a maze where pop up targets would emerge from the corners, from the ground or from above. A scoreboard and a timer were present so everyone could have a go with it except for the Wizards.


    As for the wizards, there was a special arena for them to home their skills and this would be enclosed and away from prying eyes and innocent bystanders. They could freely unleash their fire, frost or lightning magic as and when they like but within the protected area. This is well... You should know that the kind of damage they would deal each time they deploy their magic.


    The sliding door for the two majestic wooden doors slid with ease and what we saw was astounding. A great seating area welcomes us at the end of a short hallway and the Keating coat of arms were displayed on the left side of the passageway. "Dear, you could have someone design the Macleod''s coat of arms here on the right," suggested Patricia as she saw an empty wall across Keating''s coat of arms.


    "Yes, that would be a great idea." I simply replied as I scanned the interior and find it quite to my liking. The left-hand side of the living space had a grand oval-shaped table that''s meant for 10 pax. The right-hand side had another seating area next to a fireplace and a mantlepiece. There, stood 4 huge empty mahogany bookcases that I intend to fill it with chants, spells, hexes and shouts spellbooks.


    An entrance on each end leads to the kitchen while an extra door leads to my small study where I could sit there and relax with a bag of chips and a can of soda if I''m bored and wanted to be secluded for a while, especially if I wanted to enter the Realm of Mind.


    We all went to the kitchen and saw the setup was of contemporary design. It had a big earthen oven, fired using firewood and charcoal and its great to make pizzas. Then they had 3 XL sized rocket stoves where the cooks would be happy to whip up large breakfast, lunch and dinner. Next to the earthen oven, a large 6 tiered basket steamer was there to make steamed dumplings...!!! It is been some time since we had made such dumplings.


    A large food cabinet was meant to store dry ingredients and also cooked food with a green mesh wire in front. Nice... At least it would keep those nasty cockroaches away for good. There was an island in the middle complete with drawers and cabinets to store the large pots and pans, skillets and all those party knives and forks et cetera.


    A wire hanger was installed on top of the island and there were all the everyday use pots and pans as well as ladles. And on the other side, there were porcelain plates bowls as well as drinking mugs.


    The island was equipped with a sink in the centre plus the 2 sinks in the centre of the countertop at the washing area. There was a row of windows at the back of the kitchen that would let in as much sunlight during the day, making the kitchen livelier.


    Next, we went upstairs that had two staircases leading to it from the centre of the living space. There are 10 equally sized rooms and inside the rooms, the basic amenities were installed as planned. Hanging on the doorknobs of every door was a proximity card that accesses to the third open space where the swimming pool, water slides and jacuzzi was and the children were the first to raced upstairs.


    "WOW... a figure 8 swimming pool... And it''s 1.8 meters deep and shallowest is 1.2 at the sides. WOW... Look at that waterside... It is not only high, but it circles the whole place before letting a slider comes out from the end and plops right in the centre here... Hehehehe... I would love to swim in that during the hot summer." Ingles and the two girls were excited while Adam looked gloomily.


    "Hey, buddy... What''s the matter... You don''t like the swimming pool?" I asked and the answer I got from him was surprising indeed coming from a 12-year-old... "I''m afraid of heights and I don''t know how to swim..."


    Kayla looked at him and brought a bright yellow rubber ducky float ring and handed it to Adam. "Here... You can use this floatation device. Hahahaha..." and she ran around the place and climbed the top to inspect the trapdoor release on the verticle water slide.


    All the adults can''t help but laugh at the kids'' antics and there was a sign that says no swimming during rainy or stormy weather.


    "Well, the whole place looks smashing and neat. All we need to do is to employ a lifeguard here on the rooftop, snacks and drinks server, 2 cooks to run the show in the kitchen and 2 housekeepers."


    "They won''t be living in with us so basically they would work a 12-hour shift per day." I finally concluded and they asked me where could they find a lifeguard and the cooks that I have in mind and well, that brings me to have a sudden spark of an idea.


    As we walked out to head to David''s Decor in the Northern Business District, Prius came to me and said that there are 2 things that are missing, "Brother in law... We should name this Castle of Keating-Macleod and it should bear both of our family colours on the left and right side of the entrance here. Our family colours and yours."


    "That would be swell, I love the idea, brother in law... Hehehe. Keating-Macleod... I like that name... I guess in terms of structure management, we sure come up tops right now." I smiled again and tapped his shoulder as we walked on.


    Passersby were complimenting the magnificence of the castle and its layout as we opened up the door to let the public view the interior of the courtyard as well as the obstacle course around it and the training areas too.


    "I would like my children to come here and train and be under Keating''s. This structure is well built and it spells how established and well reputation these people are..." said a man about the age of middle 30s was heard commenting to the group of people around.


    "Yes... Yes... I overhead that it is now called Castle of Keating-Macleod... What great family names... I heard the Macleod guy is a very low profile person, almost like a commoner, unlike the other Houses." said a lady who was admiring the surroundings.


    "Uh-huh... He is the founder of Beauty World. Imagine that... A man whose interest is into beauty products for women. He''s a low profile guy, and I heard he bought over the orphanage and turned it into a free Day Care Centre for his 200+ employees."


    "He also got the Atelier, Blacksmith, Bowsmith and the Tavern into the business circle under the name of House of Keating and saved their businesses. He is a great man I tell you, a low profile, humble and respectable person as well." added a lady and everyone agreed on what she had said about the stature of the man named Audemars Macleod.

 Chapter 110 - 110. Groomed To Be A Versatile Fighter

    Everywhere we went, a lot of passersby came and congratulate us and even the members of the Houses too were congratulating us despite having to swallow the bitter pill of doing so.


    We were happy and some adventurers do ask about the membership and we informed that the recruitment Drive would be announced when everything had settled down.


    A group of berserker came and asked if they could be part of the membership since they knew that there would be only 4 classes available and I said to them, "Why not... The more the merrier. Don''t worry, we have more than enough space to bring in the Monks, Spearmen and Paragons as well. There might an emergence of some new class in the future, who knows..." I said as we bade them farewell and went about the business.


    "Daddy, are you going to guide the berserker as well?" asked Adam and was wondering how many Classes I have under my belt. "Well, a Berserker is someone who wields a Battle Axe and a Two-Handed Sword. He is considered as a Warrior too. The same goes to a Pugilist, as he or she fights with just their fists and feet."


    "I could handle a Battle Axe, a mace, a flail or a two-handed sword, but the two mighty weapons take up a lot of strength and tires a person real fast. Their attributes in Strength and Dexterity are the top priority. Even they have strengths, they do have weakness too."


    "Its good to be a R.A.W, since you would be excellent at close quarters combat, a ranged warrior as well as someone who deals with magic. You may have covered the strengths and weaknesses really well at the moment." I finally concluded what I had said and the children were proud to realise that their Daddy had groomed them to be a versatile fighter.


    ....


    "Hi, welcome to David''s Decor... What can I do for you?" I was greeted by the proprietor and I saw that there''s an option for a quest there but I chose to ignore it since it was meant for the adventurers and not for me.


    "There are some missing pieces in the house and I wonder if we make the purchases, would they be able to send it down to the house later this evening?" I asked since the purchases would be for 10 rooms and little did the owner knows about it.


    "Oh sure, Mister... We would be able to deliver it right away. What kind of furnishings are you looking for, right now?" David asked as he was flitting among us as we looked at the bedding section. After deciding on a king-size bed with double mattresses, complete with a divan set, we chose the model we deemed fit.


    Then we also chose some rugs to place in every room and also in the centre of our seating area as well as the cosy corner to make it homely. A long rectangular carpet was also chosen to place it in the middle of the passageway to decorate it. Other than that, we kept everything at its minimal.


    Patricia paid for the items and delivery were being made along with setting up in the respective rooms of our new home. Afterwards, we then head to the Atelier where Prius ordered a long banner-like streamer to place on the left of the huge doorway of the castle that bore its family colours, the blue and white, while I got the red and yellow for the Macleod''s.


    The Atelier congratulated us for upgrading our current House to a Castle and knew that upgrading means the stature of their locales would also be uplifted as well.


    After that, we went to the House of Sanders and ordered a bucket of 11 secret herbs and spices recipe of fried mix of original, crispy, hot and spicy chicken thighs and drumsticks with all kinds of sauces. We also shared some waffle ice creams and the kids really enjoyed the meal there.


    It was a dainty little restaurant that is able to accommodate at least 40 pax on both lower and upper floors and was painted with red and white stripes all over. Well, this little restaurant would soon be a household name for takeaways and deliveries in time to come for sure.


    "Dear, with the upgrade to the Castle of Keating-Macleod, when do you wish to start the recruitment drive for new members? The children confided with me that there are more than 50 adventurers per class that would be willing to pledge their allegiance to our Castle of Keating-Macleod." Patricia asked in between her gnawing at the crispy chicken thigh.


    "Well, it''s too early to decide now, Trish. I would like our children to familiarise with the training grounds first and each training ground like the practical reflex area has a minimum requirement... Zero casualties and 100% success rate in the shortest time possible."


    "Once they had done so, it would be ranked. Same applies to the archery and pop up targets which are good for Rangers and Assassins to hone their compact one-handed crossbows, the throwing knives, darts, stars as well as the cyclone twister."


    "Those Wingchun statues are great for pugilist, staffs, swords, spears, throwing knives, darts, stars and even battle axes to practise their skills. Those wooden weapons would do just fine and at least the statues won''t really get too damaged. As time goes by, the wooden statues would be layered with iron plates."


    "Well, I could be rest assured that the next few days and weeks to come to the castle won''t be teeming with adventurers soon. Seeing the big pool on the rooftop and the deck chairs interests me to work on my tan. What do oi think dear?" Patricia beamed at the thought of basking in the sun after a swim and relaxed during peacetime since there was no trouble brewing elsewhere.


    Little did she know that there sure is some trouble brewing here and there within Ingmery as well as the other towns and is still manageable by the respective town''s patrol guards.


    The trouble that brewed were normally from outsiders and rarely from within and the source came from Aermagh as some of the residents there turned to petty crimes to sustain their livelihood. This was due to the iron fist ruling and the imbalanced taxes imposed on trade and personal.


    Right now the trouble brewing is just like a passing wind that blows little cyclones on the ground as it picked up the dry leaves and scattering it around the area.


    It comes and goes and never stays in one place and right now these scattered leaves were eyeing the caravans that ply the route between each of the 87 towns and were planning on the day best to strike.


    Of course, I didn''t know this even I wrote about it in this chapter. Come what may, trouble... If it comes at me, I''m surely going to take action so let us be the punching bag first before we would take any action, shall we.


    We enjoyed the meals that were served at the House of Saunders and when we had our fills after the ice cream and the free flow of soda drinks afterwards, we all went back to check on the deliveries that had been sent to our new home, as since the items are identical, those guys sure would have no difficulty to arrange the furnishings accordingly.


    We made our way and exchange pleasantries with the passersby as we walked past our store. We had added 2 salespeople to man the counter and all sales proceed to enter into Patricia''s account automatically, bypassing the counter sales at the store.


    We waved at them as we walk past as now the store is operational 12 hours a day from 10 am to 10 pm and would be able to accommodate customers instead of letting them wait during our opening hours which originally from 7 pm to 9 pm only.


    Walking through the main doors of the courtyard and closing it for the night, was like entering a new realm since it would take some time for everyone to get adjusted to.


    "Mummy, Daddy... Take a look at this. I made a training regime right after we had done our task and then when we are ready, we will let you know when is the time we would be doing our quests, would that be alright?" Ingles produced a sheet of paper that denotes their work schedule for the morning right after breakfast, their 3-hour training before lunch and then a trip to the Northern Forest to grind for experience points.


    I took the paper from Ingles as we sat down in the seating area while Prius, Rebecca and Patricia were checking out the rooms and allocating the rooms for the children and us. Since we only need to occupy 6 rooms the children would get the rooms clustered with one another while the adults occupy the other end.


    The other 4 rooms were left for the sports of their parents and the 3 brothers that were vanquished during some of the wars that rage between the years before them.


    "It does seem a workable idea and it would be interchangeable and not meant to be fixed. Remember, no one is to venture to the Northern Forest alone without adult supervision, all of you understand that right? It would be either one of us or both of us going there." I advised them and they all nodded in agreement.


    "Well, it''s time for us to hit the sack. Tomorrow, all of us are going to check on the training grounds and the Quest Masters tomorrow would be busy handing out quests. I would like to test those training grounds as well... So I would be joining you then. All, off to bed kids... Have a good night."


    I place the paper on the table that was produced by Ingles based on their daily schedule and I walked with the children together to the second floor.


    I looked back and can''t help to remark to myself, "You had come a long way, Audemars, and the road ahead of you is full of brambles. All you need is to be a good guide to the children and lead them to how a good and reliable role model you are..."

 Chapter 111 - 111. The Twelve Levels Of Hell.

    The next following morning, since we do not have our domestic cooks and housekeeper, we tried not to create too much of a mess and we all had our breakfast at the cookhouse instead. Although it was quite a chore to go there to have our meals once in a while, we had no other choices because we cannot disrupt Quest Master Rebecca who would be issuing quest to the adventurers.


    During the first night on our new home, I had gone to the Realm of Mind and duplicated 300 quest booklets to give out to our members soon. Then I compiled all the spellbooks according to the classes and made sure I had duplicates for them as I brought them back in my storage bag.


    After I had done so, I went back to the real world after I logged off from my meditative state and went back to sleep.


    After breakfast, the children excused themselves and then went about to their tasks and once they had done so, they returned to the castle and waited for me. I had changed to simple wear, and so does the children and I first checked out the obstacle course. There was a simple 100 meter run down which had some bales of hay and some crates and barrel midway for the children to PK their way before reaching the first obstacle, the low wall.


    It wasn''t a low wall but rather a short 3.5-meter wall that would enable 2 people to clear at once. The trick is to kick once against the wall and throwing oneself to reach the top before hoisting and clearing the top. However, in this case, it would be a test not of one''s strength but coordination as well as teamwork with the others to clear first before the one who was on top of the wall finally clears over.


    Next was a short run before meeting the next obstacle called the Stepping Stones. Actually, it wasn''t stepping stones at all but 2 walls on both sides that were set at a 45-degree angle. In the centre of it was a wall with spaces, good enough to slip in a person through and a penalty would be imposed on those who touched the centre wall.


    The two side walls were chained so in order to get to the other segment, the person needs to run at an inclined angle, run and slip between the centre partition and lands on the other side. From the start of the second obstacle, it simply looked like a "V".


    A short run forward brings them to an obstacle called the Rubble. It has a one-meter wall, and then a horizontal bar and there are 4 walls and 4 of those bars. This is to train the members in learning to the vault and ducking movement.


    Once they had cleared the Rubble, next is a long 10-meter tunnel and inside it was not smooth crouching either as the floor and some of the parts of the wall had those knobs that might catch your knee and elbows or sometimes the head if they aren''t careful enough.


    Next is the Dodging Panels where the trainers run in between the panels to train lateral dodging on confined spaces like a dungeon.


    The next would be the Low Rope. A vertical single rope that is about 5 meters high to train the upper and lower limbs to jump up and club the rope and tap the metal bar at the top before sliding downwards. This is also to train those who would be using a rope and grapple to clear high walls to gain entry.


    The next is called the Ditch where a trainee is required to jump over a 5-meter ditch after a short climb and landing on a low and flat surface. Failure to clear that would mean that they would fall into the water inside the ditch and have to repeat the process until they successfully cleared it.


    Next after that is called a Corridor, a small tight space that requires crouching and clearing the place with some overhead obstacles shaped like open windows. A concussion is inevitable if one happen to raise their heads too early.


    The Balancing Bridge is next. A zig-zagged 6-inch wide beam at a height of 3 meters was emplaced and to get to it, a trainee has to run up an incline first before walking on the zig-zagged beam 8 meters long before jumping off into a sandpit to cushion their fall.


    The Suicide Window is next after a short run where a trainee simply runs and jumps through a cut out of a wall that resembles a window. Assassin Trainee except for other classes is advised not to touch the window with any parts of their bodies as it would incur a penalty.


    The next would be Jacob''s Ladder where 8 beams were placed horizontally and shaped like a pyramid on each side which means one has to climb up and then scale downwards without losing their balance of falling through the gaps. This is to train their balance and afraid of heights.


    The last obstacle is the Ramp, where a short run up an incline and a vertical drop down below which they need to clear past a triple concertina wire which was a placed a short distance away. This trains their confidence, jumping and landing from a height. A shorter than usual leap to clear those concertina wires below would result in a nasty gash and torn tunic and pants.


    "Daddy, did you design this obstacle course? It does look menacing as we walked around it right, guys? This is to build confidence in all members, is that true Daddy? So many ''to touch zones'', what if a fat grubby adventurer decides to join, Daddy and he can''t fit through this window or get stuck inside the tunnel?"


    So many questions from all the kids as I took a can of red paint and a small brush and walked to the low wall that was painted in white. It looked too clean and virgin and I am going to deflower it with this quick-dry elastic rubber paint as I wrote these words on it. "TO LEAD, TO EXCEL, TO OVERCOME by Keating-Macleod."


    After slapping the red-painted words on the virgin wall that had just been deflowered by me, I looked at it and reminiscing the time where I had to face this wall continuously for 18 months before I became an infantry officer after transitioning from an infantryman, to a guardsman and scout and then back to infantryman once more.


    "Yes, Adam... Daddy is the one who designed this obstacle course. It sure looks menacing but once you clear it up to speed, it''s really nothing. Looking at it from the side may seem rather intimidating, of course."


    "This obstacle course is not only to build confidence, but it also enhances the upper and lower parts of the physique and at the same time to instil teamwork."


    "What would you do if you find a trainee behind you who are afraid of heights and then got stuck at the top of this Jacob''s ladder? Are you going to leave the trainee stuck up there the whole day long? No, right?"


    "So you have to give the trainee confidence and step down the ladder one at the time. The trick is here, the groove at the bottom of your boots before the heel. Using that to scale down is easier and safer."


    "If a fat grubby adventure joins in, then the first thing he needs to do is to slim down and lose that fat in 7 days diet regime that I may implement. "


    "The trainee would have a high carbo and fibre breakfast, followed by high fibre mid-morning snack, low carbo high fibre lunch, high fibre mid-afternoon snack, a low carbo high fibre dinner and high fibre supper."


    "In this way, the person would be able to lose at least 2 to 3 kgs a day and would be fitter and slimmer by the end of the week. I don''t think a fat grubby adventurer would join us, right, Kayla?"


    "Yes, Daddy there is, he is ssooooo fat that his tunic is hitched up above his big tummy that his belly button can be seen...!!! So gross you know, Daddy... And he places the earrings there on his belly button instead of his ears as he jiggles his tummy whenever he talks to us. And then his front of tunic would have crumbs from what he ate the day before and his hands... Ewww... The fingers are so grubby and short and dirty with the sauce dripping all over it until it reaches his elbows... Ewww... And his face has that permanently fixed silly grin and has smudges of food that he wipes or clean every time on his sleeves... Ewww..."


    "EEEEWWWW....." chorused the children all at the same time and seeing my face grimaced at the mention of putting the earrings at the belly button made them all burst into laughter...


    If their Daddy can talk and spew bullshit all day long, his children could also magically churn out birdshit in cartloads as well... Hah hah hah...


    "Alright, jokes time is over. Let''s all get to work... Run with Daddy in a straight line around the castle grounds for 13 rounds..." I said as I brushed my butt after picking myself up after I sat down and talk with the children. "13 rounds... That''s 5 km dear... Don''t you think it''s a torture for them?" asked Patricia after she had returned from the town square after putting up a notice for job vacancies in the town square.


    "5 km is nothing... I used to do 10 daily with the commandos and Gurkha contingents" I replied and began to jog slowly with the children in tow. "1 lap jog and then the other lap sprint. Alternate until we finish the 13 rounds and then immediately hit the obstacle course."


    I told the children as we jogged alongside the course and wondered if the children would find the 13 levels of Hell too demanding and strenuous for them or not. After the 13th lap sprint, I don''t think the children would have any strength to even clear the 1st obstacle... Which is the Low Wall. Hah Hah Hah...

 Chapter 112 - 112. Learning Everything From A Humble Master.

    Passersby were curious as they peered from the gates outside as they watched the father and children jogging a lap of approximately 400 meters before breaking into a sprint and then slow down to a jog afterwards.


    This type of exercise is to enhance their cardio so that it would be able to pump blood and oxygen throughout the whole body. Also, it is to train them to cover long distances in a sprint and jog manner to evade enemies and to cover their tracks and distance well.


    Secondly, this is to train their focus that after running such a great distance, they would meet their first obstacle... The Low Wall. On certain instances, I used to witness trainees that simply end up bulldozing the wall after performing a mere 800 meter run down.


    It''s either their legs refuse to listen to the command to stop or simply they wanted to bring down the wall in order for them and the rest to clear. It''s either that or they wanted a high wall instead to scale.


    Its been a week since I had woken up from the coma and I could feel the leg muscles burning at my valves and thighs. My mouth was dry and my throat was dry too since I used my physical strength to cover the distance of slightly more than 5 clicks.


    In the end, after my 6th round, I have to use my chi breathing to regulate everything back to normal and on the 8th round, it was smooth sailing onwards. I saw the children seems to have boundless energy due to their upgrade in their base level as well as their attributes and they PK their way at the obstacles before the Low Wall.


    They were laughing and joking around and yeah, I was a bit jealous that even I occupy a youthful body but my original ailments were brought along with me too and didn''t just disappear. Hmm, maybe visiting Pointus would have some remedies for me to apply.


    I was soaked through with perspiration after we finally cleared the 13 rounds around the castle and I finally noticed a group of adventurers were gathering and discussing among themselves at the gate entrance after they saw us running around. When the children and I finally hit the low wall, I was the first to clear it with a leap, a kick and a snatch, sitting on top of the wall and hoisting the kids one by one and throwing them off at the sides.


    Since these children had a newer system than mine, their acrobatics and athletism were greatly improved. Soon we cleared the second, third, fourth and continues until we cleared the ramp. The moment I landed past the concertina wire, I felt as if my whole strength had left my body and sunk into the ground and leaving just my body above it.


    "OOOFFFPPPHHH..." I grunted as I landed and rolled to the ground to break my fall and ended up back on my feet as I jogged on the spot to recover my lost strength... I really need some isotonic drink right now.


    I watched the children did the same way as me, thinking it was one way to PK and furthermore their Daddy had done so acrobatically... "Phew... Daddy, you really wanted us to be as strong as you, eh? Is this want we will be doing each day before the start of anything else?"


    "That''s right, strong mind and body. We would take a 5-minute break and then I would guide you through the training grounds next." I suggested next as we went over to the courtyard where a water dispenser was there as we helped with cold water just to replace some lost fluids.


    "Since all of you are considered as Ranger-Assassin-Wizards, it would be good to learn some basic swordsmanship. You had all been issued with the Dragon Fang Assassin''s Dagger, and it''s time to learn some basics."


    "Pick up a wooden dagger from the weapons rack and follow me after I raise the Wingchun statutes." I pressed a button near the wall next to the weapons rack and 8 Wingchun statues raise from the ground slowly as I took a dagger and a staff for myself as I wished to demonstrate to them.


    "Most importantly is watch your stance and posture and make it as small as you can and low to the ground. This is a horse stance with your legs apart, this gives you an equal balance to your body but gives you restrictions to parry or counterattack your opponent."


    "Try this stance, one foot forward and one in the back to support most of your weight." as I demonstrated from an upright position until I am able to get lower to the ground with my left foot forward and my right holding the dagger and pointing inwards as I shield my arm to my face.


    I adjusted the weight to my front foot and with a slight spring I was able to cover a distance and perform a slash across from eight to left, then an upward slash turning the blade inwards from left to upper right.


    I sidestepped to the left and perform another horizontal slash before delivering a reverse turning back thrust with my left foot against the centre of the statue that made it vibrate violently after it was kicked.


    "The purpose of the kick is to bring the opponent down and once he is down, a stab through the chest or on the base of the throat would silence him forever," I explained while Patricia was clapping her hands excitedly as I moved and deliver these slashes and kicks that left after images.


    It was quick and deadly and I showed the children stances, footwork as well as delivering precision hits with their dagger. The concept is to kill as swiftly and silently within a few short seconds before the opponent could counter react.


    "Daddy, in this case, would you teach us how to learn to punch and kicking effectively?" Jane asked since she was awed at how fast I moved and deliver the second slash even before my feet touched the ground. And the moment when it did, a kick had already been sent right into the chest of the statue.


    "Hmm... I think a new breed of Class would emerge soon right here in the Castle of Keating-Macleod after all. In this case, let''s start from the basics. An open palm, a closed fist, both can be used to block, to counter as well as to slash, chop, punch and hammer respectively and aimed mainly at the face, eyes, nose, under the nose, temple, jaw, cheekbones, throat, side of neck, rear of neck, solar plex, ribs, kidney, underarm, joints and so on."


    And so the children were taught several types of punches that includes a normal lunge punch, roundhouse punch, scissors punch, back fist punch, hammer fist punch, one knuckle punch, middle knuckle punch, knife hand strike, ridge hand strike, backhand strike, bear hand strike, bird beak strike, ox jaw strike, cobra strike and lastly the palm heel strike.


    Next I taught them the basic of kicking that includes side kick, turning kick, hook kick, front snap kick, back kick, back hook, roundhouse kick, reverse kick, spinning kick, flying kick and jump kick which could be used as a combo such a spinning back heel or a reverse back kick.


    I demonstrated the parts of the foot for striking including the knee as well. I also included the infamous balls kicking technique and I told them a story about how I kicked the balls of a giant rat until it peed and shat on the spot and the balls become enlarged.


    The children laughed so hard that they are literally rolling on the floor laughing and clutching their stomachs at the same time. "Daddy... My stomach needs stitches after this..." screamed Kayla as she rolled on the floor and couldn''t stop her tears due to excessive laughing.


    After they had done laughing like a pack of hyenas and regained their composure, I tried to continue with them while putting a serious look. Last but not least I showed them ways to block incoming attacks such as single forearm block, low blow, rising block, palm block, knife hand block, double forearm block, double knife hand block and the upper block that follow through with a punch or a kick.


    Posture, stance and balancing also affect the way a punch is thrown or a kick is performed. The most important is aim, focus, speed and power. A kick can be combined with kicks and punched or a punch to be combined with punches and kicks.


    "The main thing here, children, is to be able to bring down the enemy as fast as you can with the minimum number of movement. There must be a way to actually put this to work effectively. Just wait a while first while Daddy worked out something for you."


    I was thinking of a punching upright dummy but we have the Wingchun statues already. Maybe I should perform of a combo kicks and punches, at least these children would understand how. And to get protective gear unless they hurt one another. But I need a live opponent and not a dummy or Wingchun statue.


    We took a break for lunch and when I met Rebecca, I asked if we could hire the hoodlums that were assigned to the quest in her old home for the rest of the evening. In that way, if they got injured or killed, they would immediately be able to respawn and continue.


    Rebecca informed me that she will check with the hoodlums first since she would like to be taking a break and soak in the swimming pool. Furthermore, the majority of the adventurers had been approached by her and only a handful of them failed in their quest.

 Chapter 113 - 113. Family That Eats Together, Stays Together

    After lunch, I told the children to gear up as we would be going through some of the stations as well as try their hands at the new weapons. The children slung the two Assassin''s compact crossbows at their sides and had strapped their throwing knives set on their chest and the new dragon fang dagger at the front, near the sides as well.


    I lead them to the archery lanes and since there was no enemy, they can''t regard the round target 35 meters in front of them as one. I told them the main aim is to hit the bullseye and were told this repetition is 400 bolts per day.


    Next is the flip pop up targets where they need accuracy hit of 25/25 after I had pressed the archery targets and it went back into the floor and was presented with a set of flip pop up targets across the archery lanes.


    This flip target has a small half foot disc that would flip 90 degrees to make it visible and then flip back when the timer is up. 25 targets, each randomly appearing for 2 seconds and repetition is required in a prone, crouch, shooting from the hips and standing position. Altogether it would be 100 hits per person with a repetition of 4 times which makes them shooting for 400 bolts.


    These flip pop targets are also meant for throwing knives and they were shown how to handle one and 3 types of throwing techniques for close range, medium-range and long-range throws. To hit the target is one issue as they had not used the throwing knives before and will rely on the archery targets instead. A set of 6 knives for 10 repetitions.


    Then I moved them to the centre where I pressed a button and the wingchun statues sank into the floor and a pop-up design of a set of partitions, dead ends and maze-like structure. It was a FIBUA concept where one needs to be able to distinguish enemy and hostages and innocent bystanders.


    (FIBUA is Fighting In Build Up Area)


    A sensor invisible to the eye would detect a trainee''s movement and a life-size flip target would appear at random. A total of 25 flip targets would appear and it would be randomly picked. They would employ their bolts without a piercing head and this was readily changed by replacing the first bolt on the crossbow and the rest will follow.


    This would be a single pass and it depends on the accuracy and timing for each ''kill''. A scoreboard and timer were shown next to the entrance as one exits the FIBUA they can see their scored and timing.


    I reminded the children to slip their "live'' bolt into their backs so that they would change it back once the training is finished. "Hmm, I should have a signboard to remind them to change to a dummy one before entering and change to their live one afterwards. I wouldn''t want them to be shooting at a raging bull and ends up shooting blanks that will tickle their nostrils and their assholes, in the case of Jane and Kayla."


    *Ding* I heard what you said. Initialising signs to be placed at entrance and exit. You''re welcome.


    "Eehh... I haven''t thanked you and yet you already acknowledge it. Hehe... Thanks a lot, system."


    "Alright children, you may begin for your archery shots now. 400 bolts. Dead centre. 35 metres. BEGIN..." I instructed and I took lane 5 and began to shoot from my crossbow too. Since I have not shot for quite some time, my first 2 aims were off target and once I had squared it off, all 398 bolts were smooth. After 50 shots, the children stepped in a pedal in front of their feet and a fresh target appears.


    Their Assassin''s compact crossbow had a faster reloading time than mine and when I had hit the 300th bolt, they had completed their 400 and waited for me to finish up before we changed to the flip pop up target where it was one session per person. After each turn, the whole line up proceeded for another 3 times, making it a total of 500 bolts during that time.


    I noticed that everyone was taking their training seriously and there was no giggling or snickering among them. They shot every single bolt with precision. After that, we moved to the FIBUA where there some dummy bolts and they slipped one into their crossbow before they pulled the drawstring. That was the only time they had to manually eject and insert the bolt.


    I demonstrated using one of the compact crossbow and when a short whistle was blown I rushed into the corridor and targets flipped to expose themselves.


    There were targets of men in a black and white striped shirt and holding a dagger, there was also an old lady with a walking aid which I didn''t shoot, of course. Some full-size targets, some half-size depicting that they were crouching and some only a quarter target as if they were peering behind a door or a wall.


    There are also 4 random targets, with a hostage and the target that is meant to be shot was only the size of a melon head peering just on the shoulder next to the hostage''s head. I nearly hit the hostage and after I completed it, it was a score of 25/25 with a timing of 2 min and 23 seconds.


    It was Adam''s turn, followed by Ingles, Jane and Kayla and their timing was slightly above mine at 2 mins and 59 seconds at the most. Surprisingly those children still did not laugh or joke around even in the FIBUA and this shows that their acceptance was very high towards their training regime.


    After everything had been completed, Patricia was calling to us from the rooftop and it was time to break our training sessions. Swimming time...


    "Let''s break for the day. Remember to run 13 laps, clear the obstacles, then shoot at the archery targets, then the flip targets and lastly the FIBUA."


    "Yes, Daddy..." the children chorused.


    "The moment you reach the archery position, all of you might have exerted your energy and the heaving breathing and panting would be an obstacle. By the way, have you all changed the bolts back to their originals, right?"


    "Yes, Daddy...we had reloaded back the originals right after we step out of the FIBUA. luckily the dummy bolts have orange tips so we would know if our crossbows are alive or dead... Hehehe" Kayla replied when she mentioned her crossbow as being ''dead'' instead of ''inactive''.


    "Also it could be done counter clockwise, you can do the FIBUA first, flip targets next and then the archery targets. Most importantly you had gone through all the stations and after the next 2 days, you would meet Quest Master Becky for your next quest."


    "Yes, Daddy... By the way, would the hoodlums strike back in Auntie Becky''s quest? I mean... Quest Master Becky''s?" Jane asked as we walked up to our rooms and the children were removing all their weapons off their holsters including the unused throwing knives and their daggers.


    "Definitely... Apply what you had learnt in FIBUA on that quest. Remember Hit fast, hit hard and kill swiftly and silently."


    "Alright Daddy...we will always keep that in mind," replied Ingles as they bounded off to change into their swimming suits.


    I too changed and went upstairs to the rooftop and join Patricia as she frolicked in the jacuzzi and enjoying her afternoon dip as the sun wa setting on the horizon.


    The children were taking their turns at the vertical drop water slide and Adam was wearing those bright yellow arm floats because he can''t swim. How could he be an Adventurer and each time has to avoid bodies of water to cross? Does he expect a Tanuki on every corner to assist him to cross a river or a stream? Hmm...


    "D A D D Y...W H E E E E E E...this is so much fun...!!! The rush of adrenaline on the vertical drop and then the water slide brings you all around the castle before dropping you across the water, skimming like a flat stone... "saif Jane as she emerged on the shallow end and when it was Adam''s turn... He was basically flapping on the surface of the pool after he was ejected from the end of the slide.


    Everyone was screaming with joy even Patricia was having a go at it. After being persuaded by the children, I too had gone to the top of the slide, placed myself inside the so-called capsule and then was vertically plunged before I slid away around the castle and ejected into the pool. Hah hah hah... Of course, the water slide is a made of transparent tubing so no one would fall off the 3 storey castle.


    After splashing around for an hour and feeling rejuvenated since I release some Psi Energy Healing Spheres inside the pool and this relieves the sore muscles that I had not been exercising them for a very long time. Little did I recall when was the last time I used physical strength to exert myself.


    We dabbed ourselves dry afterwards and hung the towels to dry and not leave them on the deck chairs like most people do since we do not have a housekeeper yet.


    "Mummy, could you bring the children out to the Northern Forest tomorrow after lunch for their levelling up? I have something that I need to do and I would like to meet some of the nobles in either the Northern or Southern side and after that, I would be joining all of you there." I suggested as we all walked down after our swim and changed back to our regular everyday clothes.


    As they heard they are going to the Northern Forest tomorrow, it leaves them excited knowing that the fact they would be levelling up. They remembered that I told them, once they had reached Level 5, we would start recruiting new members in and they have a responsibility to mentor those new adventurers.


    This mentoring would be done right after they had performed their daily tasks. Upon realising that tomorrow would be another day if grinding and levelling up, the children were very delighted and looked forward to the day. As usual, they helped in the kitchen to prepare dinner for the 8 of us and decided that we are going to have a simple meal of garlic butter fried rice instead.


    A meal is still a meal and no matter how simple or elaborate it is, the main thing is ''A Family That Eats Together, Stays Together''

 Chapter 114 - 114. Internship For Chefs Opens Up At Castle Keating-Macleod

    The next day after breakfast, the children went about to do their tasks and then hitting the training regime with full battle gear this time. I observed them ensuring that they did not injure themselves in the process and once they were at the individual stations, I slipped out to town after informing Patricia of my intention.


    They were some applicants for the lifeguard, who knows how to swim, of course. Then a server for the poolside, 2 housekeepers and 2 cooks. Altogether they are an additional 6 more employees to add to the monthly payroll.


    I walked to the Southern District where I sat down at a fountain in the town square and was doing some fact-finding about the employability of the cooks and find that they are general cooks and have little to no experience in making snacks like cakes, muffins, pastries, puddings and so on because these can be bought from the local bakery.


    I checked with the bakery and find that they do not have apprenticeship for the bakers since they are too busy themselves. In both Northern and Southern District, there is no place for a livelihood centre to upgrade the skills for these cooks.


    Next, I checked with some of the locals there that employ cooks and informed me that the cooks themselves worked 16 hours a day at a salary between 900 to 1100 credits and they are cooks cum housekeeper. Anyone can maintain the cleanliness of a house but only those with the expertise of cooking would toil in the kitchen.


    "16 hours a day for 30 days a month and no rest in between? These are human and not bulls or cattle. Even a machine need to take rests and they are lowly paid compared to our production workers who are paid 750 for 8 hours job and with the provision of 2 meals and 3 breaks in between their shift."


    *Ding* Looks who''s talking... It is in the case of an untrained personal or cooks. Most of them take in these jobs because of their basic knowledge of cooking. Go and ask around how much these people would pay for a qualified cook. *Dong*


    "Ah... System. I like your Ding Ding during your entrance and exit. Thanks for the heads up. I may just ask if someone is willing to pay up to 2500 credits a month for 12 hours work for a qualified cook who can prepare cuisines such as Mexican, Italian, Indian, Cajun, Chinese, Soul Food, Thailand, Greek, Lebanese, American, Moroccan, Mediterranean, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Vietnamese, Turkish and the Carribean."


    "On top of that, the cooks would be able to know about baking, roasting, broiling, grilling, barbecuing, frying, stir-frying, boiling, simmering and steaming. Not only they would be taught in the art of making the 3 basic square meals, but they would also be taught in confectioneries as well."


    I chatted with the system and narrated what I had learnt so far in culinary and then I realised that the system had shut itself off. I slapped my forehead and sat down with a cigarette ok one hand and a cold drink in the other. Hah hah hah... This is the time for me to enjoy a smoke as I cloud my kind and kill a few brain cells.


    A few ladies sat nearby and asked for a light when I subconsciously performed black fire and the ladies were surprised and delighted at the same time. "Young man, you have a way to light up fags, ya? We haven''t seen you around here before." one of the ladies asked. From their demeanour and dressing, they sure exude nobility and we soon struck a conversation.


    "Madame, may I ask if you do have a chef at home at your disposal?"


    "Ah yes, we do, young man... Every noble has at least one or two of them at home." one of the ladies replied and her name was Ursula while the other introduced herself as Victoria.


    "I was thinking of getting one myself to help our family of 4 at home. But I wonder how much it would cost for a chef to know at least 6 types of cuisines and also a proficient Baker or confectioner and has knowledge in baking cakes, pizzas, pies, puddings, muffins and such."


    "Aww...that''s too bad. We wish to have one of those cooks if it''s available. 6 types of cuisines? That''s terrific... One cuisine per day and cakes, muffins, cakes and pudding... Oh my... What a treat it is going to be..."


    "Well Madame, I heard that it would cost 2500 credits per month for just 12 hours of work and a day off every 5 days work week. It''s quite affordable, don''t you think to have a personal chef that could whip up 5-star menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then have wonderful snacks for morning, afternoon teas as well a light supper after dinner."


    "2500 credits? I would gladly pay 3500 credits for one. Oh, by the way, we have introduced ourselves, how about you, young man? I am a Secret while Ursula is a Petunia." remarked Victoria as she explains and asks about me.


    "Oh... Secret as in a family name and not secret that you won''t be telling people about... Sorry, I was lost in translation there. My name is Audemars... And I am new in town.i just for myself a sizeable house in the Central some time back."


    "Hmm...Audemars, it''s a pleasure meeting you. If you do find such cooks, please recommend them to us first. Remember, it''s Secret and Petunia. You can ask anyone and they could direct you to our humble abode." they excused themselves after saying that and leave.


    "Even better than I thought, we could run a culinary class here, Level up on my skills and then runs an employment agency, certify them with various certificates so that their employees would know their speciality, earns 30% out from their 3500 credits a month salary for 6 months and release them without a clause thereafter."


    "At least, one way or another, these chefs would be able to upgrade their lives and improve their livelihood. Heh heh heh... Killing two birds at one time and not only would we have adventurers in the future, but we would also have chefs that would also contribute to our wealth considerably."


    "Next stop, the Statistic Office of Ingmery..." I said to myself as I finished my smoke and my drink as I head down to the Council Chamber for another purpose. Soon passersby were exchanging pleasantries as I walked in the town square as I clasped my hands to my chest and bowed slightly to them as I made m way to the Council Chambers.


    "Good morrow, young master. What can we do for you?" asked a lady receptionist since i had approached her once before and now approaching her for another purpose.


    "Do you know how many noble families living in the whole of Ingmery?" I asked bluntly and to check if the figure available is feasible for me to embark on this little business venture of mine.


    "Oh, there''s about 2500 noble families here in Ingmery. A thousand each on the North and South District and 500 over here in Central. You are considered as one of the nobles too." the lady receptionist added after she had informed me of the number of families.


    "Arch... I''m just a commoner like everyone else. Poke a knife here and it would bleed red. Nothing differentiates between nobility and a commoner. It''s just status as well as wealth. Would a noble be walking around with just 100 credits in his pouch?"


    "I don''t think so right? Furthermore, nobles were known for their flair of fashion... As for me, I get to wear whatever I like as long as it is comfortable. Furthermore, what''s important is about respect and reputation. What''s the use of being a noble if he got a screw loose or of unscrupulous background, am I right?"


    I replied and thanked her and she was taken aback about how I describe a noble as a fitting as a commoner and how important is the gained respect and reputation instead of wealth and status.


    ....


    When I got back, it was time for lunch and by looking at the 2 cooks, I''m sure they would like to upgrade themselves, get certified and then off they go to be properly employed because right now they only earned 1000 credits per month for a 12 hours work with a day off every 6 days.


    I spoke to Patricia about my idea and she was delighted to learn that I would be improving the livelihood of the people around here and she is sure a lot of people would enrol in this programme. I explained that there would be a batch of 10 chefs per session to train and during their internship, they would earn 1000 credits a month, once after that, I could start to advertise to the noble families starting with the Secret and Petunia family.


    The children were excited at this new business venture that I would embark pretty soon and were delighted that cakes, pastries and puddings would be served daily and their meals would also change tremendously.


    "Daddy, that means today you would join us for the levelling up, right?" Adam asked as he was anticipating me to join them after lunch. "That''s right, children, Daddy would join you soon. Mummy would help Daddy put up an advertisement in the town square for an internship with monthly salary and then we all could head down to the Northern Forest to grind and level up."


    "Tomorrow, you would meet with Quest Master Rebecca and perform your second quest. It had been like a few months since your last quest down in the dungeons."


    "Yeeaayy...Auntie Becky, tell the hoodlums not to scare me too much ok?" pleaded Kayla as she finished off her meal and places the plate into the washbasin.

 Chapter 115 - 115. Its Hard Naming New Side Characters, You Know.

    As we walked to the town square, adventurers were vying for attention as they approached us and wanted to follow us to grind and I welcomed the whole lot. Since they had better nothing to do at this moment and have no clear direction, they preferred to follow someone whom they can look up to and grind together.


    After Patricia has posted a new advertisement in the town square looking for new apprentices in culinary, there were already a few takers that wanted to give it a try. Try as they may, I do not have any restrictions at all since everyone is welcome but only for the first 10 slots.


    Even with a large kitchen like ours in the castle, having 12 people inside and a mentor is cramped enough. Furthermore, there is a clause that they need to sign so they would not be there for the whole 12 hours every day. They are there to learn and to go home and bring back the menu that they had learnt for the day, on the next following day.


    There''s quite a number of adventurers that followed us during that day and our children had worn their Macleod Lucky Badge on their tunic to level up at an accelerated manner.


    We reached the Northern Forest and I spoke to our children, "Adam, Ingles, Jane and Kayla... All four of you will split up and take these adventurers with you and split into a group of four. The Wizards may follow the madam here as you belonged to one class."


    "Rangers who are following your mentors, be careful... No friendly fire... Adam, you will take these Assassins with you and hunt in that direction, use Stealth and everyone lead by example, alright? Goodluck... Daddy would be observing from here and do some study."


    "Alright Daddy, we will strike the same number of beasts before?" asked Ingles and I nodded in acknowledgement. Soon, our children had brought and briefed the adventurers along the way about what they should do and should not do.


    Little did they knew that I was following their tracks and observing them since I had more than 200% Stealth in my old attributes. The study that I would do is simple actually. The apprentices would take an oath, learn how to prepare the 3 meals and also the 3 snacks and supper on each day based on the cuisine taught.


    They would try to repeat what I had taught based on small portions and each of their meal would be presented on the tables and appraised by us. Something like Iron chef as since we have only 3 rocket stoves, only 3 cooks would be able to cook at any one time. Furthermore cooking is simple but the preparation is indeed laborious.


    I opened up my notepad as I sat down near them and in hidden mode as I listened to our children guiding the adventurers, and even the older adventurers listened attentively to Kayla who was much younger than them.


    This is the usual mannerism where age is not a boundary but the experience that counts. Furthermore, our children are Level 2 and on their way to becoming Level 3 once they had taken down 67 wild boars, rabbits, deers, an occasional bear and also a few wandering goblins when they emerged from their hideout to investigate.


    Each kill has a 1.5% progress for our children while the rest of the adventurers will earn only a 0.1% progress for each kill. That''s the hard fact, readers. Levelling up in this novel is sure difficult no matter how ferocious or mighty the beast or monster would be. Pretty sad huh?


    When the sun dipped past the ridges of the mountain and as the sky turned with a reddish hue, our children came back to me along with Patricia and Adam suggested, "Could we bring them over to our castle and we can explain the training regime there? I did tell the new adventurers that only when we are Level 5 then we would start recruiting."


    "Today we only managed to get a 50% increase, and the rest of the kills were distributed to the rest of them. We would have no hurry to reach our target, right Daddy?" Ingles asked as she had gathered information from the rest of her sisters that they all managed to get 50% of their usual target.


    "No worries, anyone is welcome to take a look at our training grounds. Would you think 50 adventurers per class is too much for you to handle first? How about the first 6 or a dozen first?" I suggested as it seems that our children were able to take up some responsibilities in guiding a small group rather than a horde of 50 per class. Even I myself leads 10 men per class before.


    "That''s a splendid idea, honey. At least they make new friends and well... Even though it is too early for recruitment, let those children hang around ours first. Furthermore, they all seemed to be good children. Patricia added as we packed our things and went to NoOne to sell off the spoils. I stood beside NoOne as he began his normal opening speech and I followed him in a rather robotic voice, "Be wary of the dangers that lurk in this forest..."


    Everyone who saw me did that laughed as they began their trade and sell off those hides and excess meats. After we had done so, all of us walked back to the Northern gate and past the town square and into the castle.


    There are a total number of 20 adventurers who were with us that day and they had already completed the quests given by QM Prius and QM Rebecca. The rest of the adventurers who had already become House members are not worried at getting other quests, and they all could gain progress by paying credits.


    It is a real cutthroat business and only those who could afford joins the Houses while those who are seeking adventures for free remain as to where they are as renegades. Just like the 20 of them right now. It seems that applying for memberships need credits. Then they would sit for a proficiency test and if they failed, they would not get back their fees.


    The passing marks for the proficiency tests were ridiculously high, now being 95% to be in the inner circle and 90-94% to be in the outer circle, any lesser than that it''s either they change their class or become renegades.


    Well, Band of Vagabonds used to be a group of 150 renegades before... Why not Castle Keating-Macleod? If there''s nowhere else to go, this castle will open doors to them. And opening doors to them, would definitely surpass the rankings and become #1 very soon.


    As I had discussed with our children before, once the adventurers had pledged their allegiance to Castle Keating-Macleod, they would be bonded and if they leave prematurely, all the items that had been presented to them would be taken back and destroyed. Whatever they had learnt from the spellbooks would slowly dissipate into nothingness within a month upon leaving.


    As the new adventurers were sitting in the courtyard, I counted 5 rangers, 5 Assassins, 5 warriors and 5 wizards. When I looked at them I can''t help to reminisce the time when I first transmigrated and I was all alone until I met Matilda Fitzwater and her granny.


    "Haish... There wasn''t a levelling system back then. Just the 4 classes of weapons and Armours, as well as its tier from the common, rare, epic and legendary and all, could be enhanced to make them more OP than OP itself. Hah hah hah...


    Right now we could just be based on our levelling up and rely on our paltry weapons and armours. If not for the Atelier, Blake and Bruce, I don''t think the adventurers would be interested to be one at all.


    "Hey... Are you daydreaming?" Patricia asked as she sat beside me and held my arm. "Did you remember something from the past?" she said and this time she chose her words properly and I did mine too as I answer, "It''s been a long time, Trish. I guess you already knew about me after you had placed those points into the Insight traits."


    "Don''t you worry, honey... Your secrets are safe with me... Or would you like me to call you Sam?" she asked as she snuggles next to me even closer. "Nah... Audemars seems nice. Sam could be short for Samantha or Sammie which is a girl''s name anyway. Audemars... Would be just right... Am I right, Missus Macleod?"


    "Hahaha... Yes... It is really fine with me. Whether you came from the past or the future, you are still my husband, Audemars Keating Macleod. Come on, dinners ready. We can get the rest of the new adventurers to join us as well... The cooks whipped up extra servings so it would be enough to spread the goodness around."


    And so our children prepared the tables and arranged the benches as we waited for dinner to be served and soon, it was being brought out using a trolley and we had a simple fried rice meal with black pepper diced pork which had fried earlier when our children handed over their spoils for the cooks to prepare.


    After dinner as we relaxed under the moonlight in the courtyard, I popped several questions to the adventurers. "Adventurers, what is your aim of being an adventurer? Looking for fame? Fortune? Recognition? Wealth? Friends? Knowledge? Adventures? Or simply bored?"


    Kayla giggled when she heard I mention of adventurers becoming adventurers because they are bored and wanted to copy cat those around them.


    "Mister Macleod, we all came from different towns and had gathered here in search of something... Its called humanity and humility. We all have lost either our fathers or mother''s or even our guardians, uncles, aunties, older sister or older brother. Each of us had a story to tell, a story that would break someone''s heart and bring tears to their eyes and snot to their noses."


    "All of us that gathered here, worked hard for these past years and saved enough to have ourselves the lowest grade weapon and cloth armour. Not to be an outstanding adventurer but to follow a path that would make us believe in ourselves so that we could be a better person than we are right now."


    "Before, we do not even have a single idea on what we wanted to be, so we pulled out straws and ended up being a Ranger, Assassin and Warrior. Our fellow sisters here were assigned as wizards since we would not want them to battle in front, but rather to learn a spell or two to attack and to heal."


    "Missus Macleod, I am sure you realised that the sisters here are not Wizards yet but more to herbalist and gatherers. They wished to take up arms but we advised them against it. Right now all the Houses we had asked for memberships were turned down and we had nowhere else to go and turn to."


    "Mister Macleod, we heard from other members of the House that you are the only House that hadn''t taken any members in. We had no one to guide us and we don''t want to drift too long especially when we had basically no money at all. Please, I beg thee mercy and kindness from the bottom of thee soul."


    When these words were spoken, all 20 of them rise and went forward in the courtyard clearing and were down on their knees. The spokesperson then continued, "We deeply wishes to express our gratitude for the meal and to thank you for the hospitality, allowing us to be lead by your good children out there in the Northern Forest. We regard them as our instructors and mentors. Please accept us as your junior members."


    They all bowed their heads and I was kind of flabbergasted at the moment since I did not even probe on their background but Patricia was looking at me with approving looks and eyes on her face. She had used Insight and she can see through everyone like a clear glass of water. Everyone is expressing their truth when they were down on their knees.


    Our children were hushed and in silence as they were feeling excited at gaining new friends and adventurers and at the same time feeling anxious that they were feeling a bit pessimistic on their own qualities to become leaders.


    "What is your name?" I finally spoke up after I gave a huge smile back at Patricia.


    "My name is Rodney, at your service, Mister Macleod," he spoke up and bowed his head done again.


    I was thinking... I''m going to have a new problem... And the problem is REMEMBERING THEIR NAMES...

 Chapter 116 - 116. You See, You See... Overshot In Realm Of Mind

    "Alright Rodney, according to Missus Macleod here, it seems agreeable to take all of you in as junior members. Since there are twenty of you here, where do you all sleep in the night?" I asked out of curiosity since I don''t think they would be spending at the Tavern for the night and I wondered if they carried any camping gear to spend the night just like NoOne in the Northern Forest.


    "We sleep around the sidewalks, the town square and if we get chased away by the patrol guards we would move aimlessly until we were heavy with sleep and rested anywhere we could."


    "We are used to doing that and answering to your bubble thoughts, we do not have any camping equipment with us," Rodney replied with a resigned look on his face and the thoughts of the past few sleepless nights crossed his mind again.


    "Ingles and Jane, would you mind sharing the bed with 2 of these girls each in your room?" I asked and they were more than delighted to do so. "That''s settled then, the 4 girls may sleep in the room upstairs while all the boys would settle themselves on the main hall below. I will get some bedding, blankets and pillows for you tonight."


    "Mister Macleod, there are actually six girls here and they are masked to hide their identities. They have a dark history and they joined us because they need to hide from the authorities. It''s not that they were guilty of something but there were wronged and accused of something they never did." Rodney explained and the two girls exposed their faces by removing their masks and taking out the hood.


    "Please forgive us for masking our identities, Mister Macleod. We were working in a household as a housemaid when one day a friend of our boss decided to do something fun with us, and we didn''t even laugh at that time. So one morning, we both ended up sticking a butterknife each through his loaf of bread at breakfast and we ran off from the house."


    "The girls are speaking the truth, pity the innocent loaf of bread. I''m sure it wasn''t being sent to the infirmary immediately afterwards right? Tsk...Tsk...Tsk...such a tragic end for that loaf of bread. Don''t worry about the loaves of bread here, I doubt they would take revenge against the brutality." Patricia assured me and the two newly exposed girls.


    "Alright... Is there any more hidden girls in the group that we should be aware of?" I asked Rodney and he responded that there aren''t anymore. "OK, Kayla... These brutal bread killers will be sharing your bed with you tonight ok? Do you have snacks that resemble like a bread? If you do then you better hide it well... I won''t want them to have a case anymore with the loaves of bread."


    "Don''t worry Daddy, I''ve got no such snacks inside my storage bag except for some gum, lollies and lots of candies... Yyeeaayyy...."


    "Oi... Oi... I don''t want you to be a toothless Ranger-Assassin-Wizard ok? Remember to..."


    "Hit hard, hit fast and kill swiftly and silently..." Kayla cut my sentence short as I was wagging my finger at her.


    "Not that Kayla... Remember to brush your teeth before going off to bed..." I informed her in a resigned state and realised that she may have used all her allowance to pile up on all her goodies and snacks instead.


    ....


    "So... Tomorrow all the twenty of them would swear allegiance on our Castle Keating-Macleod and would be a full-fledged junior member. I thought of getting out children to Level up to 5 before taking in new adventurers and definitely, those live in ones."


    "But frankly, am I doing the right thing in a wrong manner or a wrong thing in the right manner?" I asked Patricia as I shrugged my shoulders, spread my hands and looked exasperatedly while she patted my chest and said, "You neither do the right thing nor the wrong thing, the most important thing is you follow your heart."


    ....


    "Hii Hii Hii... Come let me show you the rooms" Kayla and Jane raced stairs and were followed by the 4 girls whom I had not named them in this chapter yet, while the other two girls followed behind Ingles and Adam slowly. They were elated that they were accepted by the Keating-Macleod by chance and were thankful towards their lucky stars.


    Prius and Rebecca volunteered to let the 4 rooms upstairs to be shared by the other 14 boys as it would be unnecessary to purchase more bedding to put up with the accommodation.


    At last 3 boys shared one room each while the other remaining two boys shared with Adam. He was delighted to have room buddies staying together with him and shared whatever belongings he had with them.


    "We now have twenty adventurers under our wing and I think it would be enough for this moment. We have no other accommodations if we were to meet similar cases in the future. May God guide me in making the right choices for the moment. These junior members would likely be the backbone for many adventurers to join in months to come."


    I finally said and arranged the right words to say and Patricia, Prius and Rebecca all claimed that the path that I had arranged was all preplanned by God Himself. "We arrange which paths we would be going, but God himself would determine where it would lead," Prius said as he places a gentle hand on my shoulder.


    "Yeah... I guess so, my dear brother in law. God and his little Angels are sure looking after us right now under this Castle Keating-Macleod."


    ....


    "Dear... I would be spending some time meditating tonight... I would away for some hours. You may check on me downstairs in my study... I would begin after supper." I said and Patricia nodded as she knew I was speaking the truth. I wonder if she knew I was bullshitting when I mentioned about the wisps that duplicated all the clothes from the Atelier, Blake''s weapons and Bruce''s trinkets.


    *Ding* She knew all along, you fool... Hahaha hahaha hahaha...


    "Haiyoo... This system is ever eavesdropping on me... Help me out to check on my progress tonight yeah? I would be making some Level 8 iron ingots and then I''m going to fuse the 20 camouflaged battle gear for them."


    "I''m going to be long in the Realm of Mind since I would be levelling up my Smithy skills and make Level 15 Iron ingots." I thought aloud and I could feel the existence of the system within me as I can feel it winked at me somehow.


    When the children had settled in their respective rooms along with their new Adventurer friends, I showered before I went down to the study and meditated to enter the Realm of Mind and heads to the Fusion Chamber to check on my Level 8 iron ingots and found that I still have a bucket full of them.


    "Our children are wearing these marshland camouflages, I think I''d better make the black ones for the adventurers. Their current ones that they are wearing are just plain clothes and cannot be classified as armour."


    "Thinking back... I wondered how they are before they embarked on being an Adventurer. Right... Well, maybe one day they would open up to us and tell their story one after another." I said to myself as I arranged a tunic, gugel, pants and boots for them and started to fuse with the Level 8 iron ingots. After fusing them, I duplicated in queue for 20 sets of all the clothes that I had fused.


    I went to the other Fusion Chamber and duplicated 20 Dragon Fang Dagger, 20 Assassin''s compact one-handed crossbow, 20 set of throwing knives and 20 long swords. In this way, these new adventurers would be the next new breed of Ranger-Assassin-Warrior-Wizard right after they had pledged their allegiance. If you want to be the best, you need to be a versatile fighter.


    I went to the Blacksmith zone next and removed my tunic as I fired up the furnace and threw 3 pieces of iron ores inside it and pumped the bellows. After it glowed fiery red I picked the pieces up and set them on the anvil.


    "900 strikes to make a single Level 15 iron ingot... Well, here we go again." I said and then system interrupted me saying I just need 700 strikes to make it to Level 15 iron and was down to 200 strikes lesser.


    "Thanks, system, I owe you one," and I started hammering as an offscreen crew had an led counter set up for me so that I would know how many hammering I had done and doesn''t need them to be there to count manually for me.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!*


    1 piece...


    5 pieces...


    10 pieces...


    50 pieces...


    100 pieces...


    200 pieces later...


    I finally dropped the hammer and realised that I had gone for more than 40 hours in the Realm of Mind and that means I had been gone for more than 12 hours in the real world. "Alamak... I''ve forgotten the time and I missed half of the morning already. Sheesh... Being engrossed in my own self makes one too selfish... I''d better hurry back to the real world already..."


    I logged off from my meditative state and heads to the real world where I emerged from the study, soaking and dropping in my own sweat as I''ve just come out from the sauna. Patricia was waiting for me patiently and handed me a towel for me to cool myself first, have breakfast and then guide the new adventurers to pledge their allegiance to Castle Keating-Macleod.


    "I''m so sorry dear, I was too busy levelling up that I had forgotten the time. Oh my gosh... Look at the time. Where are the children?"


    "Its alright dear. I know you are telling the truth, it''s already past 9 and our children are performing their tasks as we speak. They would be done in a while bit to witness the pledge of allegiance. You''d better hurry and get changed, it''s as if you had peed in your pants and you were sweating the whole night."


    "Thanks, dear..." I kissed Patricia on her lips and bounded the steps three at a time and heads into the shower to cool myself off. Soon, I stepped out and was wearing my full battle gear, with all my weapons strapped around me.


    "Look... Daddy is here now... And we are just in time to witness the pledge of allegiance." Ingles remarked as she saw me walking down the steps in full regalia and Adam ushered the new members to enter the hall and assemble before the two coat of arms what were adorned right in the centre.

 Chapter 117 - 117. Better Watch Those Waistline Trish.

    "Stand up before me and face our two coat of arms. Put your right hand over heart and clasp it to be a fist and raise your left hand as in taking an oath." I instructed as I faced the twenty members who were dressed in their last night''s clothes.


    The twenty new members were standing in rows of 5 all placed their fist over their hearts and raised their left hand. The deafening silence was so great that a fart from an ant would sound like a trumpet at this moment. All the new members were staring straight ahead and looked poised. Even our children who were standing at the sides held their hands in a similar manner.


    "I want you all to repeat after me..." I began and said the oath of allegiance.


    "WE..."


    "WE..." they chorused back.


    "THE CITIZENS OF INGMERY....."


    "PLEDGES OURSELVES..."


    "AS ONE UNITED MEMBER..."


    "OF CASTLE KEATING-MACLEOD....."


    "REGARDLESS OF RACE..."


    "LANGUAGE OR RELIGION....."


    "TO UPHOLD JUSTICE..."


    "SHOW HUMANITY AND HUMILITY..."


    "BASED ON EQUALITY AND PROGRESS..."


    "FOR OUR SOCIETY..."


    "TO LEAD..."


    "TO EXCEL..."


    "TO OVERCOME..."


    Every pledge was announced clearly and was repeated with a thunderous response to every single word and phrase that Patricia was literally moved to tears by it. When I finally dropped my both hands at my sides, the children and the new junior members Wiped away the tears as they had never heard such a moving pledge of allegiance before in their lives.


    They stood at ease and looked at the two coat of arms and Rodney finally spoke up, "We will protect and preserve peace and justice and help others in need. This is my pledge to lay my life for Castle Keating-Macleod."


    "We all will lay our lives for Castle Keating-Macleod...!!!" came the next thunderous roar as they pledge not only their services but their lives for our humble castle.


    "Thank you, dear members, of Castle Keating-Macleod. I believe your seniors had mentioned to you regards the pledge and going against the pledge?"


    "Yes, Sir... We do. We will never back down on our words and action and we will definitely serve Castle Keating-Macleod for the rest of our lives." replied Rodney and I saw Patricia nodding her head as she used her Insight.


    "Alright then, everyone is dismissed. Please come over to collect your new battle gear and weapons. And pin this badge over your left side of the tunic."


    "This is the Macleod''s Lucky Badge and this alone has a multiplier for you to Level up faster. Your battle gear is made of Level 8 meshed iron reinforced material which means the current Level 4 iron weapons could not penetrate but blunt force trauma could cause pain."


    "If you are all wondering how come our Macleod''s Lucky Badge can penetrate your Level 8 meshed iron reinforced tunic, it is because our Badge is Level 15 iron material. Currently, this is the highest range of iron available and it''s only found here in the Castle of Keating-Macleod."


    The new members were awed and suddenly realises that all were issues with the same weapons as their seniors were not wielding a long sword but they were equipped with only one Assassin''s compact crossbow.


    "Listen up carefully, in case you might be wondering how come your set of weapons are different from the seniors. This is because you are the new breed of multirole versatile fighters and is a combination of 4 classes which is Ranger-Assassin-Warrior-Wizard."


    "Being members of this Castle also entitles you to learn a few spellbooks that could be used during your battles. These are passive spells and once you learn them, it''s yours to keep."


    "But if you break your allegiance, the spells you learnt would be ineffective with 7 days and you will die, rot and resurrect as a zombie. You will have no recollection of who you are, where you are and what you are doing. A zombie is a walking undead if you want to know what it is."


    The last paragraph is actually a barrel load of bullshit that I added just to scare them. Hah hah hah... And by their looks, they were simply terrified.


    The books I handed to them were called Move Like Snail shout. A passive spell for their crossbows would be Point Blank and another passive spell for the swordsmanship was the First Strike. I added one more spellbook for their throwing knives called Aimed Throw and the Assassin''s dagger as Eviscerate.


    The same spellbooks were given to our children for their dagger and throwing knives. They do not prefer to have the longsword and I agreed since there was no space to hand around their belts.


    The new members went to change into their new battle gear equipped with weapons and sat around the hall, on the floor as they read their spellbooks and learned them.


    Since the new members had gone to the dungeons beneath the castle and also to QM Becky, they waited for the seniors to show the grounds to them with me and Patricia tailing them as they took turns to introduce the obstacle course and then showed the archery, the random flip pop up target discs and the FIBUA.


    When they first heard they have to run 5 clicks daily, I explained to them that we need to check in their limits and break their limits. Don''t worry, if this old man and the seniors could do it, I''m sure you would be able to perform even better than me.


    Hearing that, they felt ashamed because they didn''t realise that the seniors could do it and even the youngest senior was raring to go as she was jogging on the spot and stretching herself.


    "Alright seniors... LEAD THE WAY ..." and I ran with the seniors and dropped back to the end of the line to bring the rear forward. We jogged and sprinted and jogged alternately until we complete the 13 rounds before we hit the obstacles.


    "Archery 50 bolts, flip target 1 round crouching position..." I instructed and the seniors guided the juniors on their first shoot after they had cleared the obstacles. Clearly, the juniors never anticipate the running part and nearly everyone was wheezing like an old houndog after chasing a wild goose and failed to capture it.


    It was nearly lunchtime when the 24 of them had finally completed the whole stations and were looking forward to the meals. I checked with Patricia on the apprenticeship for the chefs and told me the final count would be tonight. She looked at me and shook her head as I was going at a pace that I couldn''t even manage myself at this moment.


    Actually, it''s not that I can''t manage my time, it''s just that things happen without our planning and now I''m stuck in managing the new members and going to further enhance the livelihood of the serfs in Ingmery. I was hoping to delegate the task for minding the children from now on so I could concentrate on other matters.


    Even if having apprenticeship for the moment is not of priority, but it would be a step forward for those who involve the programme. Furthermore, our current 2 cooks can take over as chief cooks and guide after they too had taken the apprenticeship.


    Giving them an additional 1 month of commission to them won''t even cause debt in our financial status. I smiled at the idea and took out my notepad and wrote the details.


    I went to the kitchen and spoke to the two chefs that they would be learning new cuisine for the next 30 days. After that, they would be senior cooks to teach the apprenticeship next and their salary would be increased to 2k a month. Hearing that they are getting twice as much as they are getting now, they vowed to lean and impart their skills under my supervision.


    "System... Have you compute how many levels I had gained from all the duplication and forging last night?


    *Ding* You are my everything... Duplication earns you 160% progress and the forging earns you 140k%. +140 to your base level, +1 to your crafting level, +140 to your Blacksmithing level and +1400 to your allocation points.


    *Ding* Base Level: 14,850/100,000 Total Unallocated points: 112.4k.


    Master Crafter 3319/100,000.


    Advanced Blacksmith 830/1000


    "Haiya... What am I going to do now? I don''t need any extra cash flow and I have more than enough items to duplicate. Maybe I just duplicate some wooden weapons just to Level up instead." I thought to myself as I sat at the courtyard and observed how the new members are coping as I took a wooden dagger and slipped into my storage.


    I took the opportunity to enter the Realm of Mind and went to the Fusion Chamber and ran 10 times of duplication and after then I placed all the 10 wooden daggers in each slot for both Fusion Chambers and ran 5000 duplications and cranked the lever. In this case, I would have 50,000 wooden daggers to sell off.


    Since it was made of wood, each duplication would take about 3 seconds. And the whole process would only be like 40 pieces for every minute and everything should be done in 6 hours or less.


    I went back to the real world and replaces the wooden short dagger back and sat down with Patricia as I discussed with her is she is willing to spearhead the training regime. Once she has gotten the hang of it she could observe while I busy myself in the kitchen and spearhead the apprentice when it''s time.


    Patricia agrees and she really would love to witness 6 types of cuisine from all over the world as well as experiencing 30 days of variation of menus. She has to be careful or else we would have a hard time to perform the Stepping Stones on the 2nd obstacle course. Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 118 - 118. Getting Hype With All The Enchanted Trinkets

    "THERE''S ANOTHER CASTLE BESIDE OURS..." the Ruler of Aermagh shouted when he heard about this as reported by his court''s spies. His spies were called to report from time to time regards to the development of the City around Aermagh and it seems that there is another castle that sprouted in one of the towns in Ingmery.


    "My Lord, it belongs to the Keating''s. Somehow they had called it Castle of Keating-Macleod and it was an originally the House of Keating. He is the one that had brought you the elixir that contains the precious drop from the Fountain of Youth some three months ago." explained one of the spies.


    "Give me a full report on Keating''s. This is interesting. The hero he brought along was vanquished by our lowest ranking member of the legion, am I right?"


    "Here''s the full report, my lord. The hero name is Audemars Macleod and he was heard to be in a coma and had just awakened some weeks ago. He is a low key person and had completed 4 Quests so far in Ingmery. His reputation is considered the highest in town."


    "He had established a store called Beauty World and has 2 store assistants. He also had 8 production plants with a total number of 220 workers. The production plant operates from 7 am to 3 pm and the other shift works from 245 pm to 1045 pm."


    "He has 4 cooks and a cookhouse where they prepare food for the workers in the production plants. All the raw items were fully paid in advance and he has zero bad debts till date."


    "He also had 15 advertising caravans and 15 delivery caravans and these 2 types of caravans made up of 60 employees which ply the trading routes of all 87 satellite towns around Ingmery."


    "On top of that he had helped 4 orphans managed by the matron of the orphanage and he had taken over the management of the orphanage and turned it into Keating''s Day Care Centre where the production workers can drop their children off when they go to work and picks them up after that."


    "The welfare of Keating''s Day Care Centre has been managed by a Silas Brown of Strongbow Tavern where Audemars Macleod had engaged him to serve 4 meals a day for the children. The centre is also managed by 3 scholars from Southern District."


    "He had helped other business to grow and survive when he realised there were going out of business, which are the ones I mentioned earlier, the Atelier, Blacksmith and Bowsmith from Central Ingmery."


    "I heard about a story where he helped the Blacksmith store to regains its stature during a bet by the Northern and Southern Blacksmith named Quentin and Romulus. Both Northern and Southern Blacksmith had lost the bet and had closed their business since."


    "Audemars Macleod is married to Patricia Keating at the Council Chamber and he is putting up at the House of Keating. Somehow he managed to procure a castle through his accumulated wealth and with the blessing of Prius, the head of the Great Hall, the new building was called Castle of Keating-Macleod. They even hang the two family colours at the front of the great doors of the castle."


    "We had discovered that he mainly stay with the children he had adopted from the orphanage and takes care of their welfare and wellbeing as well."


    "As I''ve mentioned your lordship, he may have the stature of a noble or even royalty, but his demeanour is like a commoner. He greets everyone he met and exchange pleasantries was never a nuisance to the public and are law-abiding."


    "Even when the rest of the Houses were accepting new members to join the House, theirs were quite dormant. The only activities were when he brings the children out to the Northern Forest to grind for wild boar meat and distribute to the Tavern and cookhouse."


    "That''s my full report, my lord. I will update your lordship when I have fresh news from him. Would your lordship wants me to continue the observation?"


    "Hmm...that''s all? I thought he was like a rampaging warrior, ready to spill blood wherever he went... But from what I heard from you, he''s just a family man. Just leave him be. I don''t think he could hurt a fly even." the Ruler of Aermagh concluded and decided there''s no purpose to probe any more details that had been provided by the court''s spies.


    "All is good... Back to the story." the Ruler of Aermagh waved his hands towards the author and gestured that his part is finally over and we can concentrate on the MC and all the side characters instead.


    ....


    I took out my whistle and blew to indicate that it is time to take a break. Since it was bearing lunchtime I decided to give them a pep talk. After evaluating everyone who is still in Level 1, all their base points were just at 5 across the board.


    They had 4 attributes instead of 5 without an added INT. I asked them about their attributes and they realised that they have secondary traits under each attribute. Since their attributes were low at the moment, they distributed points within their secondary traits was truly abysmal.


    "Alright... All of you are on the first Level so as I''ve learned, only the Guild Master is able to pass all of you a 100 points each. This only occurs on every level that you had upgraded. When I pass you the 100 points, I want you to distribute them evenly. Understand?"


    All of them nodded in apprehension and they never believed their luck when the first time they met us and secondly were being accepted as new members of Castle Keating-Macleod. Thirdly, they were given a set of battle gear and weapons and had an opportunity to be a multirole versatile fighter that is good in ranged and close melee.


    Fourth, they were given spellbooks that only existed for Mages and Wizards but were available to a higher class than them and they had read and learned all the spells and shouts. Fifth, they are now about to be given allocations points from their Guild Master and it was like a dream emerging into a reality.


    100 points... A person can get that many points only when he or she reaches Level 10...!!! And they can''t believe that all this were given for F-R-E-E. As they queued up to receive the points, they were deeply moved by the generosity of the House that they had been accepted to.


    The points received were distributed evenly as instructed and now each of their attributes had a +25. The sudden spike in their attributes made them reach a higher sense of strength and other attributes as well.


    "There''s more... Here are three rings and an amulet. Each of these increases your STR, WIS, DEX and CONS by +12. Seniors, please assist in distributing them accordingly.


    "Another +12 for our attributes? How cool was that? From +25 it now becomes +37 across the board." whispered one of the girls to her peers.


    After everyone had gotten their rings and amulet and had placed them around their necks and fingers, they noticed the improvements that were brought about by the items.


    "I guess you are now feeling much better, stronger, wiser and so on. Remember the badge on your tunic? That would make all of you to Level up even faster and once you had surpassed level 1, the Castle of Keating-Macleod would be on the top already, I guess."


    "We are late bloomers, I guess but it''s better late than never. Seniors, once more, please distribute these clip-on earrings, bracelets, anklets and headband. These are +15 to all attributes and right now you would +97 across the board, am I right?"


    Our children helped to hand out all the trinkets to their juniors and when they put it on, their attributes surged and they felt a sense of awakening. It was as if they were on top of the world right now and no House could compare with the Castle of Keating-Macleod.


    One by one the juniors kneeled before us and bowed to show their gratitude. "Ah well...Might as well don''t disappoint for those who are hopeful." I thought to myself.


    "Last but not least, here''s a booklet which you can never reveal to anyone. These are the basic Quests that are available from Central here mostly. There''s no battle quest so for those who have not done theirs, can proceed to perform them right after lunch."


    I also passed the 4 booklets to the children as well but I need them to Level up by today.


    "Do not go in groups to perform the Quests. Pair up and organise yourself. Seniors, delegate those who would be going for their quest and once they are done with one, they can proceed to another. Perform 3 quests today and don''t make it obvious that all of you are going to the same quest at the same time."


    The junior members'' hands quivered when they held on to the booklet as if they were given a testament from God and it comes in a 10-page booklet with details of 20 quests and who to look for.


    "You are now Ranger-Assassin-Warrior-Wizard so act discreetly. Treat what i said to you as part of a quest. All of you get what I''m trying to say?"


    "Yes, Sir...!!!" came a loud crisp answer from the 20-strong junior members.


    "Alright, lunch is now being served. Seniors, I would like to talk to you in private." I gestured our children aside as the cooks wheeled out the lunch that had been prepared inside several chaffing dishes.


    It seems that the cooks were happy to hear about the role of being senior chefs after a round of apprenticeships as well as an increment into their salaries that they whipped out a sumptuous lunch for everyone.


    "Children, after lunch Mummy would bring you all out to the Northern Forest. Level up ASAP and once you''re done, return back here immediately. After that, I need you to go to QM Becky and get to the quest. I''m sure you''re confident enough to take down hostiles that retaliated back."


    "Once you are done, separate and observe the other Houses'' activities because once the junior members level up to 2, there would be a commotion going on and everybody would definitely get riled up as we would be bringing up the rear."


    "Yes, Daddy... Understood." chorused the children and then the seniors and the cooks helped to serve the food from the chafing dishes. Seeing them perform such tasks really made an impact on me since these children were able to act like adults and were ready to take on bigger responsibilities.

 Chapter 119 - 119. Who In The World Would Use Wooden Daggers Anymore?

    Patricia left the Castle with our children to usher them to the Northern Forest for their levelling up as the other junior members were going out in pairs in search for the Quests that had been recorded in the booklet.


    The ten apprentices that had signed up for the programme came by and each of them was briefed on the internship programme and had acknowledged on their terms and conditions. Furthermore its already past lunchtime so the programme would start the day after for a duration of 30 days.


    The look of enthusiasms didn''t leave their faces as they left the Castle as I turned to my notepad and planned for the first week of internship based on just 4 types of cuisines whose ingredients could be readily found.


    After a lot of scribblings, I had finally decided the first one week set of cuisines that are simple to prepare. Based on difficulty levels, the cuisines should be a 2/5 rating.


    Well, since we have 28 occupants in the house, having these apprentices to prepare those meals wouldn''t be a problem. At least those meals won''t go to waste as it would be more than enough to go round.


    ....


    "Mummy, how many more wild boars you need to kill before you get to Level up? I think I need to kill another 20+ more." Adam asked as he shot bolts after bolts as each wild boar met its demise as he collected the hide and meat.


    "Mummy''s got something like 10+ more, it won''t be long when we level up. So how does it feel to be seniors at the moment?" Patricia asked as she let her Mark of Magi rest against her as she wiped her hands dry after holding the staff for quite some time.


    "Well, it''s a matter of getting used to it since I started from the beginning as well. Furthermore, if the juniors were to grind all at the same time, there won''t be enough wild boars to respawn in a short while and it would take at least 2 to 3 days to Level up."


    "Mummy, would you be going with us for the second quest at QM Becky''s?" Ingles asked as she sat down on the grassy knoll and took a small grass plant and put it into her mouth.


    "I won''t be going out with you since it would show the other Houses what we are up to. Even if the other junior members are wearing the same battle gear and holding the same weapons, at least they are going out in pairs and it is not that obvious, don''t you think?"


    "Aahh... So this is the part where both Daddy and you are training us to be independent. Furthermore, I think if time permits, we may ask around to see who else have Quests for us." Jane said as she took out her booklet and decides to see which quest she would go next.


    "Mummy, Mummy... We also could go in pairs, right? In that case, I would pair up with Jane as usual then. At least whatever she does I could also copycat too... Hii Hii Hii..." Kayla spoke up as she lay on the grassy knoll like she was lying down on a carpet and raised her legs while gazing at the rest of her sisters and brother.


    "As Daddy always says, ''Be very careful when venturing alone or in pairs''. Furthermore, these Quests that Daddy had compiled are quite mild compared to the first one under our Castle. That should be placed under the last order instead of the first." Patricia held the booklet as she gazed on it and finds them to be more of a gathering quest rather than a battle quest.


    "Yes, Mummy... This booklet is not complete which means Daddy hasn''t covered the Southern District yet, am I right?" Adam asked as he saw only a handful of them are in the Northern District and mainly ate gathering quests in the Central.


    "That''s right, Daddy purposely didn''t complete the handbook because he can''t be spoonfeeding everyone all the time, right? Alright then, out 15 minutes break us over so we better hurry to the spot near the trolls Cave since there are more than 50 wild boars there and the respawn rate is much higher."


    Patricia said as she picked herself off and dusted her butt... I mean her pants and pointed to the further end of the Northern Forest where a large herd of wild boar was waiting to be grinded.


    "Yeay... With Mummy or Daddy around, we won''t need to worry or afraid of anything..." Kayla responded as she rolled on the grass patch before she does a flip and landed on her feet just like a breakdancer. Hah hah hah...


    Giving them more points makes them more agile and acrobatic. Luckily they didn''t do any of their stunts at home and practises on their free time around the Castle''s grounds instead.


    ....


    "System, could you update me of my current levels since those wooden daggers had been completed? Thank you..." I said as I got ready to be able to Level up considerably even if my Blacksmithing level had been put on hold.


    *Ding* Checking. Please hold on. Base Level increased to 15,350/100,000. Master Crafter 4319/100,000. Total Unallocated points: 117.4k.


    *Ding* Congratulations. You had reached 15% of your target. Commencing sequence of system upgrade in 5...4...3...2...1... System upgrades complete.


    *Ding* Hello, Sam in your previous life and Audemars in this life. You can call me Ceres from now on. From time to time I would alert you of any incidences that might prove beneficial to you.


    "Wow... Something like a fortune teller or a soothsayer? That would be great... Can you tell me what I would be having for sinner afterwards?" I thought aloud as I thought the system upgrade would be able to tell the future for me.


    *Ding* I''m not something that you could predict the future. What you would be having for dinner is most probably food. Yes, food, that you would fork down into your mouth and shove down your throat. After some hours, it would be withdrawn like an atm machine out from your butt.


    "Eehh... How come the upgrade made you a little bit cocky now?"


    *Ding* System inherited some of the host''s traits.


    "Hmm, not only its a bit cocky, but it has turned out to be foul-mouthed as well." I visualised the words since the system, or Ceres as what it wanted to be known now, is able to read my thoughts not unless I drew it out. Hah hah hah...


    Alright, it seems that everything is on track right now. All I need is to let the cooks prepare breakfast tomorrow and then I would prepare all the ingredients for lunch and dinner and make a small demo.


    From then on the apprentice would be able to present their skills for on both lunches and dinners and once the whole 3 weeks is done, it would move to desserts, cakes and so on. At the meantime, whatever the present cooks want to impart additional skills, it would be most welcome for my part.


    I had set up the regime since I would be doing a demo for the first week and the last week and from then on I would pin up a recipe and it would be their creativity to present it to me and the rest of the family and members.


    Well, this is a planning but I''m sure it would change when the time comes. At this moment, I gave a set of ingredients to prepare for tomorrow''s lunch and dinner and the menu would be as follows: Tex Mex Meatballs and Turkey Tetrazzini.


    These two recipes had been extracted out of my memories on what I learnt so far from all the culinary books from the past, present and future. After giving the set of ingredients for tomorrow, one of the cooks went to get the ingredients in the local produce while I went to Northern Forest to meet with Patricia and our children.


    Along the way, the junior members had followed my instructions and moved in pairs so they would look inconspicuous to the other Houses. Even if the Macleod''s Lucky Badge was visible on their black battle gear, at least they don''t attract the crowd''s attention when they moved in groups.


    ...


    I met Patricia when I reached the Northern Forest and informed her that I''d go meet NoOne first and then join with the rest. Seeing me without my battle gear or even a single weapon in my quickslot, she knew that I''m not there to grind.


    "Be way of the...." NoOne began to narrate his usual greeting when I greeted him and I hushed him up immediately and said u want to trade and after I showed him the wooden dagger, it was offered 1 credit per item and I gladly shoved the whole 50k pieces to him.


    "Haiyoo adventurer... What am I going to do with so many of this wooden daggers? Make the wild boars go against the rest of the adventurers with these?" NoOne lamented to me as he thought I wanted to trade one or two pieces.


    "Hah Hah Hah... You could use it for firewood since you are always here and grilling those rat meats ever since I met you. By the way, any other adventurers came here and asking you about the secondary quest of the stolen Iron ingots?"


    "None so far today, ah well... Might as well I make this into firewood as you suggested. Just my luck getting stranded here and have to trade these useless wooden daggers even though I find them if no use to me or to retrade back."


    "You are doing just fine, NoOne. You had been a great help for me since the day I get to know you and had been robbing you with utmost courtesy." I told NoOne and praised him for his tenacity of being here alone and no one to converse with. I excused myself and walked over to the children to check their progress.


    "Woot... All of you had levelled up already. Don''t you want to go back and head to QM Becky for your quest?" I discovered that even if the children knew they had levelled up they decided to add some more progress to it so at least they would be able to achieve half more when they grind on some other days.


    "A little bit more Daddy, I''m going to hit the 50% mark then I would call it a day," replied Kayla as she shot a single bolt to bring down a wild boar about 15 meters away.


    "Kayla... Not only you who would reach the 50% mark, so would I and the rest too..." replied Jane as she hollered from the other side some 25 meters away.

 Chapter 120 - 120. So Much To Do And All Depends On Me.

    I sat under a tree, took out my notepad and scanned through what I had written while I scrapped the rest since it is of no use and takes up space. I tore off the pages and burnt it to asked near the base of the tree to turn it into compost.


    Since there was nothing much to do, I decided to write down as follows for the internship to follow up on their set of menus.


    Day One


    Tex Mex Meatballs


    Turkey Tetrazzini


    Pork Chops in bread crumbs


    Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup


    Day Two


    Chicken Fajitas


    Classic Calzones


    Baked Spaghetti


    Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups


    Day Three


    Cheesy Ground Pork Tacos


    Braised Beef and Brocolli


    Cilantro Lime Chicken


    Tempura Prawns


    Day Four


    Garlicky Spaghetti


    Lemon Pepper Chicken Curry


    Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken


    Beef Totchos


    Day Five


    Pineapple Baked Chicken


    Pasta Carbonara


    Chicken Tortilla Soup


    Shepherd''s Pie


    Day Six


    Black Pepper Roasted Meat


    Cajun Jambalaya


    Spaghetti and Meatballs


    Beef Stew with Potatoes, Peas, Carrots and Corn


    Day Seven


    Tamale Loco Pie


    Crunchwrap Supreme


    Greek Salad


    Classic Stuffed Peppers


    Day Twenty-Two


    Cheesy Beef Macaroni Ghoulash


    Hawaiian Pizza


    Japanese Yakiniku


    Sloppy Joe''s Grilled Cheese


    Day Twenty Three


    Indian Keema with Garlic Bread


    Classic Falafel


    Cheesy Ravioli Lasagna


    Garlic Butter Spaghetti Meatballs


    Day Twenty Four


    Spring Chicken Soup


    Meat Curry Rendang


    Mixed Vegetable Seafood Chopsuey


    Instant Pot Rice and Fish


    Day Twenty-Five


    Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Gravy


    Mashed Potato with Mayo and Chives


    Fish Fillet with sweet and a spicy chilli


    Hot dog fried rice


    Day Twenty-Six


    Rasta Pasta


    Chicken and waffle casserole


    Perfect fish tacos


    Cheesy Chicken Alfredo soup


    Day Twenty-Seven


    Taco Casserole


    Greek gyro skillet


    Creamy Tuscan chicken


    Spiced Fried Tilapia


    Day Twenty-Eight


    Butter gnocchi


    Creamed chicken spinach in gravy


    Lemon baked tilapia


    Cranberry balsamic chicken


    Notable additionals to be added accordingly.


    Hot dog cheesies


    Cheesy taco lasagna


    Apple cider glazed chicken


    Fried rice with egg rolls


    Chilli cheese dog sliders


    Bbq sheet pan pork chops with mixed vegetables


    Burger and fries


    Triple heart attack ham burgers


    At last, I put the notepad down as I roughly made about 14 days of 4 recipes each for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have not made the schedule for the puddings, cakes, pastries, muffins, pies and biscuits but some of the recipes can be made rotational into mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks as well.


    The children clamoured after me as they had completed more than level 3 at 60% progressed and I handed them the 100 points to them on top of the 10 points that they''ve gained through the level up.


    After Patricia has received another 100 points from me, she had allocated all into her 5 attributes and hers looks like this: STR +162, DEX +162, CONS +162, INT +197, WIS +162 while the children''s stats looked like this: STR +194, DEX +206, CONS +194, WIS +194 after allocating 110 points into 4 attributes.


    "Come on, let''s go and see how well you perform on your next quest. Let''s meet with Quest Master Becky then." I stood up and Jane took my notepad and read what I had written while I was waiting for them to finish the grinding.


    "Oh. My. God... You are going to teach them to make a burger and fried, Daddy? So many dishes in one day... Oh yeah... I almost forgot we have 20 junior members to feed. Hehe." said Jane as she looked in amazement at what we are going to have for the next month as I had made up about 60 menus excluding the desserts.


    The children all looked at my notepad and saw the list of menus and can''t stop their stomachs from growling. They soon exchanged their wild boar''s hide for credits and then heads back to accomplish their second Quests.


    ...


    "Hi Becky, we are here to send them in for their second quest. Hah hah hah... It had been some time since they had done their first quest and right now they are just about to do their second one." I greeted Rebecca who was waiting for the last 4 adventurers before she calls it quits and back to her normal life.


    "Oooh... Finally. They are ready, aren''t they? Well, one at a time and once you come out wait a while before I issue to the next niece if mine. But seriously, juggling between a Quest Master and an aunt sometimes is a real headache for me." replied Rebecca as she began to narrate for help to the adventurers.


    "Please, adventurer. Tend to my son while I go and get some medicine for him." Rebecca started her role as a quest master and asked for assistance from the children. "Adam, you go ahead first and accept the offer to help Quest Master Becky," I said to Adam and he nodded his head and did a little role play.


    Adam opened the door and went into Rebecca''s house and when he shut the door after him, he saw the two hoodlums with their weapons drawn. "Oh, look at what the crafty puss...." before they could finish their sentence, Adam had shot the two hoodlums at point blank and they were thrown back and their bodies disintegrated into the ground.


    He merged and Rebecca approached him and said, "Thank you there, adventurer. Here, I found this when they were pushing me around and demands me to hand over my purse to them. It''s a Ring of Strength." she presented the ring to Adam and he took it and thanked.


    "That was easy... What could I do with this ring, Daddy?" Adam asked as he held the fingers and tries to see its attributes.


    "Keep it then, it serves as a remembrance that you had completed the second quest, just like me." I showed Adam my little pinky and there''s the ring that I got from Rebecca that time.


    "It''s Ingles turn now." I tapped Ingles as she got her Assassin''s compact crossbow ready in hand as she accepted the quest and once she has done so, she barged in and shot the two hoodlums dead.


    When she emerged from the door, she too got a similar ring from Rebecca. Jane took the quest and after accepting it she, she enters and a little while later she emerges with her two crossbows tucked at her sides as she flashed a Victory sign with her fingers across her eye.


    Lastly, it was Kayla''s turn to accept the quest and the moment she enters and closed the door after her, I heard blood-curdling shrieks coming from her and soon after she emerges from the door. "Daddy...!!! Those hoodlums are really hideous... Where did the director pick those two guys from? They were brandishing their swords and jumped from that corner of the house and I shot a few bolts at them."


    "They got no chance to speak and I had my eyes closed on that moment as I shot the crossbows right in front of me. Really, Daddy... Those men were really ugly and they looked fiercer than lions trapped in a cage...!!!"


    We all laughed at Kayla as she went to receive the ring and that ends the task of Quest Master Becky for the whole period. She had been repeating the same requests over and over again until she had lost count and was there to wait for the 4 of them to complete the quest.


    "Hah Hah Hah... Now I can go back being the Rebecca you used to know. Phew... I guess my task is done now unless there are new adventurers popping from other towns. So how was your grinding at the Northern Forest?" Rebecca asked Patricia as she saw that the latter was holding to a Mark of Magi as everyone heads back to the Castle.


    "Well, we had a lot of fun blasting the wild boars into smithereens with my frost and lightning bolts. Furthermore, I''m there to level up, the same goes to our children." Patricia replied to her sister in law.


    "Daddy has made a lot of recipes and menus for next month starting tomorrow, am I right Daddy?" exclaimed Ingles in her excitement as she had worn the ring on her pinky and kept sliding out so she kept it around her amulet instead.


    "Yes, that''s for the apprentices, and since Auntie Becky is free now, she may help to mind the junior members as well in the first part of the morning. Uncle Prius had also completed his task being the Quest Master so everyone can chip in."


    "So the internship would commence tomorrow am I right? Wow... I can''t wait to try every single recipe that your Daddy would teach to those apprentices." Rebecca replied as we walked in the town square and got ourselves a cold soda first from the vendors.


    .....


    "Hmm, excuse me. I can''t help noticing the staff that you are holding. I am Cyrus and I am the youngest siblings from the House of Light. Are you a fellow Wizard that came over to our store many days back?"


    a young man hurriedly approached and introduced himself to us. By the looks of him, he may not even have passed his 16th birthday with a boyish look and scrawny little arms beneath his cloak that was made of light blue material.


    "Well, hello there Cyrus. Yes, we are all fellow Wizards and don''t be fooled by our battle gear as well. We are from the Castle of Keating and these seniors here are the new breed of Ranger-Assassin-Wizards. What is special about the staff I am carrying right now?"


    Patricia replied as she introduced herself and the children to Cyrus. She eyed him with suspicion and is able to read his body language and his intent even before he opened Cyrus opened up his mouth to speak the next sentence.

 Chapter 121 - 121. Be Prepared And Expect The Unexpected

    Patricia replied as she introduced herself and the children to Cyrus. She eyed him with suspicion and is able to read his body language and his intent even before he opened Cyrus opened up his mouth to speak the next sentence.


    Cyrus, from the House of Light, was licking his lips as he eyed the Mark of Magi staff and asked, "May I know where you do acquire that staff that you wield, oh wise one? I have not seen that kind of staff before and it might not be in our books of lore."


    Patricia looked at me with a glanced look and I took the cue that it was my turn to speak, literally.


    "Cyrus, that staff was acquired by me and I handed it to my wife as she is the wiser one to wield it. Furthermore, she does qualify to handle the Mark of Magi as it represents the pinnacle of her career." I choose my words and laid it out to him and he was pleased to no end when he heard the name of the staff.


    "Oh wise one, could you let me handle the staff a while as I inspect it at closer proximity?" Cyrus turned and looked at Patricia and he simply ignored me, bloody fool...


    "Here, take a look at it but no touching it at all." Patricia shoved the staff near Cyrus'' face at an angle with one hand and letting him see clearly the Mark of Magi that was clearly adorned on top of the staff.


    Seeing the staff at close range near his nose, Cyrus could feel its strength, its power emitting from it and also the grandeur of wielding it during battles. He knew that this staff is the top legendary model that one could have in the fantasy world and in some cases, it is one in a million that someone could actually possess it.


    "Yes... The Mark of Magi... The most powerful staff in this whole wide world and its the only one that''s available. Ownership and wielding this staff is comparable to the Archmage himself. Good Heavens... I wouldn''t imagine that this Mark of Magi would be so close to my nose at all right now ... "


    Cyrus was basically inhaling so deep as his flared nostril happened to be flared more viciously as took in a deep whiff that might suck in the Mark of Magi if given the permission to do so. His nostrils simply looked like a big vacuum cleaner right now...


    "Aahh... Yesssss...if I could only possess this then the tables would turn against them. By the way, don''t you mind me asking... Is this for sale and would you be if interest to be our mentor at the House of Lights?" Cyrus was in an orgasmic state after he inhaled the Mark of Magi deeply that it filled not only his lungs but clouded his pea brain as well.


    "You are asking me to join the House of Lights? What if I were to knock some sense into you with this Mark of Magi and knock the lights out if you right now? How dare you, little imp, asking a representative of Castle of Keating-Macleod to leave and join other Houses?"


    Patricia was basically fuming mad as she blew smoke that comes out from her nostrils and sides of the mouth like a fire breathing dragon, as she had taken a long pull of her Virginia slims earlier and exhaled right in front of Cyrus.


    Seeing Patricia in a raging mad temper, Cyrus took to his heels, pulled his pants higher up his waist, as he ran off into the other direction towards the House of Light. He regretted his last sentence and all he wanted was to wield the Mark of Magi once in his life before he loses his virginity.


    "Wow... You really got a temper there, sister in law. I had never seen anyone so fierce before. You really knew his intentions, yes?" Rebecca said as she held Patricia''s waist and walked off towards the Castle.


    The children walked along with us back and Patricia simply replied, "He got the eyes of a hungry wolf and I can sense that in him. He''s so naive and didn''t even think twice that I could use Insight on him as a fellow Wizard."


    "Mummy, Mummy... Can you teach me about Insight and Perception? It''s really shameful for me to enter the house of Auntie Becky and not realising that the 2 hoodlums were waiting for me and jumped on me." Kayla asked Patricia and the latter pulled her closer and walked beside her.


    "Don''t worry, Mummy will guide you in case Daddy is busy with his two hands at the moment. Not only you, but Mummy will also guide Jane, Ingles and Adam as well... And also our junior members too."


    Hearing that, I felt relieved as finally, Patricia has the courage and determination to lead ever since she picked the Mark of Magi in her hands. That staff alone had built walls of confidence around her and nothing could bring it down.


    It was close to dinner time when we reached our Castle and I went to pin the menu up on the pinup board in the kitchen to prepare the necessary menus for tomorrow. When the present cooks saw the list, almost everything looked alien to them except for some meals that were available in the House of Sanders.


    "There are 4 types of menus for each day, Master? Which is for lunch and dinner then?" one of the cooks asked and I told them that 2 would be for lunch and the other 2 would be for dinner. Since they had gotten the raw ingredients ready for tomorrow, the 2 cooks were excited to learn new menus and impart others to the new interns.


    After dinner with the family and junior members, we all sat at the courtyard as we discussed on the Quests that they had done. Most of the Quests they had gone to had not to lead them out to the Northern Forest yet, which means our children would be able to head to Blake''s one at a time since the side quest for them is to talk to NoOne as he gives a clue to where the main quest could be solved.


    Having dinner under the stars despite within a courtyard do being back sweet memories of my past leap. So much so, at least those experiences that I had gained or obtained could be used for the junior members here, especially the knowledge of some basic spells that are being stored in my large so-called library of crates in the Realm of Mind.


    Completing quests does not improve on their progress but is just accomplishing tasks as they get along. Some of the junior members asked if some would grind for some time and then head to perform their next quests. As there are no set of House rules that restrict one''s movements and achievements, I couldn''t say no to their requests at all.


    "The best is to perform your routine regime in the morning and then move off to your task at hand. The seniors had their daily morning task to perform as well and may join you later once they had completed their dailies."


    "Furthermore, don''t hesitate to put up anything for suggestions in the future. There''s 20 of you and all of you might not have the same minds and thoughts at the same time."


    I passed the message down to the rest of the juniors and understood what I''m trying to deliver. Furthermore, seeing their seniors had levelled up, they too wanted to Level up and at the same time to bring the name of Castle of Keating-Macleod up the rankings.


    "Guild Master, do you organise night raids?" one of the junior members asked. "Not really, why do you ask? Do some of you intend to do night raids?" I eyed them as I answer the question with another question. "If we may, Guild Master, we would like to grind after dinner right till about 9 pm. At least the quests would be done during the day and grinding be done at leisure time after dinner."


    Rodney, the spokesperson for the junior members, was enthusiastic when some of the junior members asked about the night raids. "Wild beasts are more aggressive when night falls, you may encounter a wild boar aggressiveness about 1.5x or even 2x from the day time. It''s not that I don''t allow night raids before, but extreme care bed to be exercised at all times, do you all understand?"


    "We understand, Guild Master. And that means you''ll allow us to go for night raids then. We would be most careful since we knew the beasts are much more aggressive than in the day. We will always ''Be Prepared and Expect the Unexpected''."


    "Alright, since you all knew the consequences and dangers of night raids, proceed with caution." I reluctantly have to agree as I''ve said before, there are no House rules that don''t allow a member to progress and level up.


    "Guild Master Daddy... Could we go with them for the night raids? Don''t worry... We will also ''Be Prepared and Expect the Unexpected''..." asked Ingles whose eyes sparkled with interest and enthusiasm. I sighed inwardly as there no Parent''s Handbook that doesn''t allow a child to develop progress on their own.


    "Alright, all of you be careful... Extremely careful. Here... These are 20 spellbooks for each one of you to learn how to heal yourself in the outdoors. Read and learn before you leave for the night raids." I reached into my storage bag and retrieved the said amount of spellbooks in case the situation arises and it did at the last minute.


    The spellbooks were called Heal Me. And our children had already learnt it beforehand. It was a shout and they gained +5 health points every second for 15 seconds and only affect themselves. Cooling period of 2 minutes.

 Chapter 122 - 122. Highway Robbers Known To Rob With Politeness

    "Are you sure you are letting them go all by themselves? Would they get hurt or something?" Patricia asked me and tugged at my arm as the seniors and junior members were getting ready to move out to the Northern Forest.


    "Hmm, I don''t think some cuts and bruises would cause much harm. It is not as bad as those rats that live in the dungeons under our castle right now." I reminded Patricia on how Adam and Ingles got bumped and grazes after the rats swiped those wooden crates that sent them flying and hit on the heads of those two before.


    "Aahh... As what you had thought before and also can''t help agreeing to it. Furthermore, we cannot let our children be huddled up in comfort and not letting them spread their wings when it''s time to fly, am I right?" Patricia finally understood what I had meant and have no other choice but to agree to their choices. If the time for them to progress is not now, then when?


    Prius and Rebecca nodded to each other and at us as we had made a decision to let our children be independent and to finally let them spread their wings and fly. Furthermore the members decided to grind at night is to firstly improve their perception, secondly, gain soils which they can sell off and thirdly gain experience Points to upgrade.


    All the juniors are at Level 1 and it seems that their seniors had levelled up to 3 and all they wanted is to catch up and be par to them, earn another 100 points from me to allocate and then the rankings of Castle Keating-Macleod would rise to the top.


    Across the board, all adventurers except for the founders of the House are still Level 1 and had gained below 85% progress. The only way to bring the rankings was to hit Level 2 midway. The members were all rating to go for their night raid and before they leave I summoned them and announced, "I any of you had met any imminent danger, leave the Northern Forest immediately and return."


    "I myself had not gone to the Northern Forest at night so, if the odds are against you, return immediately and report your findings. It may be interesting to do night raids but first and foremost, do not jeopardise others for the sake of your interest alone. Good luck and dismissed."


    I finally said as they chorused their acknowledgement and filed out of the Castle grounds in twos as they marched out, led by the seniors, our children. It was quite a sight to behold as it seems like a tiny group of an army marching out of a parade square.


    Then I heard someone rang out a marching song and it was led by Adam himself. I wonder where he got the song from but it sure sounds like this:


    "Everywhere we go, oh..."


    "People want to know, oh..."


    "Who we are, ah..."


    "Where we come from..."


    "So we tell them..."


    "We are from CKM..."


    "High and mighty CKM..."


    "March on..."


    "One two..."


    "Three-four..."


    "Left-right..."


    "Left-right..."


    "One two..."


    "THREE FOUR..."


    I looked at the rear end of the marching members and wondered if they were given bass drums and snares I''m sure they would wake up the whole neighbourhood and be pelted by eggs and tomatoes... Hmm, eggs and tomatoes... It would be great with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables... Hah hah.


    I looked back at myself and instead of being a true adventurer, I had turned more to a business management guy in the past 3 series. Ah well, not everything must have blood, gore, clashes and battles, right?


    .....


    Meanwhile, in Wildeborough, the last town at the end of the outskirts of the Eastern Border, our travelling advertising merchants had just completed their yet another round of order takings and had accumulated all the forms and were getting ready to leave.


    They had made almost one trip for every 8 days to receive the orders from the customers requesting for beauty products as well as answering inquiries about being an adventurer and stuff like that.


    After answering some of the queries, the husband and wife team decided to pack their items and leave while heading to the local courier to send the order forms back which proved to be faster than them.


    Normally when they had reached the 27th town of the outermost border, as they make their way back to Ingmery, they would pick up some more order forms that were made by last-minute orders and it would be categorised into individual towns and sent in as a compiled list when they returned to Ingmery.


    This would be their usual practise and it was a career that they had enjoyed most in their lives. Although the advertisement caravan only carries a few products per category, it was still spacious enough to ferry their children around with them. Most of the time they would camp out just outside the town and set up a small fireplace for them to cook their meals and keep themselves warm.


    It was a life they had grown accustomed to and they don''t mind since they were able to save up during their career and supplies for food were given free to them to sustain them during their journeys.


    However, ever since the Ruler of Aermagh had become young again after drinking a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth, his previously iron fist ruling when he was a 65-year-old man sis bit subside and tide over. However, his greed for wealth and power without lifting a finger had left his citizens with barely enough to sustain their lives.


    These citizens became bandits, snatch thieves and kidnappers. In short, to say, these poor citizens had turned against the law and their own principle in life for survival.


    Fertile lands around the town perimeter were scarce and even if it was well fenced up or stonewalled, beasts and marauders still persist to steal the livestock and destroy part or all of the harvest. These farmers too, turned into vile citizens just to survive and all the villains started to group up and target travelling merchants.


    One thing they all knew, travelling merchants have money on them as well as produce.


    Soon every single town except for Ingmery and Aermagh has a division of these ill-mannered citizens as they banded together and called themselves ''The Rusty Blades'' and surprisingly, the combined number of these gang members per town exceed even the number of total adventurers in the whole of Ingmery.


    Then tragedy struck one of the travelling merchants. As they travelled away from the 18th town and was en route to the 17th, the caravan was ambushed by a group of highway robbers. Some potholes were dug on the ground to slow the caravans that were passing through and when one of the poor wheels got stuck in the pothole, that''s when the highway robbers took action.


    They emerged from some bushes nearby and approached the caravan. One of the robbers, presumably the leader of the henchmen, spoke up, "Good evening lady and gent. We are sorry that your wheel got stuck in one of the potholes that we had dug on the ground. Let us introduce ourselves first. We are ''The Rusty Blades'' and there is no need to get acquainted with names and so on.


    "Right now, you are being held up in a highway robbery and all we need from you is to hand over your credits and valuables and then we would help to unstuck your wheel and you could be in your way. We do not want your lives. We just need your valuables and credits.


    Do not try to do anything funny, because we are not that easy to be tickled with laughter."


    "Alright, lady on the left, gents on the right, get off your caravan and hand over your credits and valuables right away. There are a few caravans on the way and they may need to use that pothole to get their wheels stuck and get robbed on purpose. QUICK... YOUR CHILDREN TOO, GET OFF NOW..."


    One of the highway robbers started to brandish his sword and acting like he was a pirate from the Caribbeans especially when he was brandishing a large thin-bladed curvy sword. In fact, he was indeed a land pirate.


    The unfortunate travelling merchants had to disembark and brought the children with them as the interior was ransacked by the robbers. Every single sample pieces of beauty product were taken down and whatever valuables they could find were taken as well, especially the Level 4 mesh iron reinforced tunic that they had brought along for demonstration.


    "Alright... Hand over your credits... We all know you are not doing any selling but just to do advertising and collecting orders, come on... Out with the credits." one of the robbers menacingly pointed his dagger at a child''s throat and he quickly poured out the credits that he had stowed in his storage bag.


    However, all our merchants were smart enough and hid their actual storage contents not on their physical clutch or shoulder bag, but in the buckle of their belts. That''s right readers, Eastern fantasy hides their storage in rings but Western one especially in this era his theirs in the buckle of their belts.


    "Bbaahh... What a crock... They had only a paltry 100 credits in their storage bag. Alright, move along now. Thank you for your compliance. Even if this robbery is not that fruitful to us, those beauty products in their porcelain ware sure would bring in some extras."


    The leader commented when he looked at the loot and ordered his henchmen to lift the wheel of the caravan off the pothole and let them continue their journey.


    "Honey, our saving is still intact, right? We need to report this matter immediately." said the wife of the travelling merchant as they make their way to the 17th Town and reported the matter to the guards there. Then they made a letter and addressed it to us, stating if the existence of highway robbers that called themselves ''The Rusty Blades".

 Chapter 123 - 123. The Northern Forest Turned Into A Night Safari

    It was slightly past 9 pm when the members of the Castle Keating-Macleod cake marching in through the gates silently and were greeted by me before unlocked the gates up.


    "Daddy, the night raid has been a success. You are right about the beasts getting more aggressive after sundown. Somehow their numbers had somehow multiplied too. Not only there are wild boars but there are also creatures like giant apes, gorillas, zebras, elks, wild horses, brown bears, black bears, wolves, foxes, cougars, leopards and cheetahs too. There are bulls, sheep and goats too roaming around and we shot them all." Adam reported the situation after their first night raid.


    "Only the wild boars, bulls, sheep and goats gave us 2 types of spoils while the rest only drop their coats. We won''t know what to do with the coats and sold off to NoOne and he takes 40 credits for the coats unlike the wild boars hide which he only takes in 15 credits." Ingles reported the prices that were being traded.


    "Yes Daddy, the coats were nice to look at but we won''t know what to do except to sell them off. Furthermore, we also had gotten beef and mutton meat right now besides the usual pork. Are they nice to eat, Daddy?" asked Jane as she counted the spoils and decides to give away the pork and keep the beef and mutton if they are nice.


    "Sheep''s mutton is nice to eat and more tender, just like a lamb. Goat mutton is a bit...stinker and would be best boiled to get rid of it''s fat first before making them into curries with potatoes and peas or makes into meat fillings for the dumplings."


    I explained as Kayla showed me a sample and it had been some time since I''ve cooked with other meats. I returned it to Kayla and she kept it back inside her storage.


    "Daddy... Just now the stupid idiotic goblins were taunting at me from far. They were taunting me with their spears and I shot 5 of them just now. 2 were at the entrance, 2 were patrolling and 1 dropped from their lookout platform on the second floor of their hideout."


    "They looked hideous with short bodies and legs with long arms, big heads and large saucer eyes. I took their spoils and they had credits about 25 to 35 each and also had this heavy planked shield with a drawing of a white cartoony skull on it."


    "I sold the 5 heavy planked shield for 60 credits each," Kayla informed me and finally finished her sentence with a huff. She grinned at me and she said she didn''t close her eyes or shriek when she confronted the goblins.


    "Do you want to hear the story behind the goblins hideout and their planked shields?" I asked and everyone gathered around. "Before I picked the 4 of you to work with us initially, I had spent days on that ground simply grinding them after breakfast before I took a break for lunch and continued until before dinner time."


    "It was a gruelling marathon and I had spent almost 80 rounds each time to gather all their shields and sell them to NoOne and continue again after lunch. This is to build up enough credits and gather enough money so when I started off with buying the abandoned house behind us, you are the pioneers of Beauty World."


    "That''s right, I spent more than 5 days to grind those goblins to sell those planked shields and that''s how Beauty World is established and that''s how we could afford this Castle of Keating-Macleod after some months of grinding, forging and working with the *ahem* wisps to make the clothes for Atelier, weapons and trinkets for Uncle Blake and Uncle Bruce."


    "Junior members of Castle Keating-Macleod, this Castle does not pop up years ago and through our hard work, we would be able to achieve what we all wanted in the future," I said as I treat this achievement as one of the lessons in life.


    "Guild Master, your story had inspired us very much... We wanted to follow your footsteps and grind those goblins day and night because we wished to be independent and own our own houses. There are small, medium and large houses that were empty in the Central and we would very much like to own them and to start life afresh."


    "Abandoned small houses cost only like 20-30% market price of a small house. With a bit of maintenance and basic furnishings, it would definitely look brand new inside. Only thing is that you need to relocate the birds and the rats living inside before you finally clean the interior and get new furnishings."


    "If you are no hurry to own a house, keep on grinding, level up and keep those credits. Make sure you have at least 2x to 4x the amount required since you might want to have a rather up standard abode in the future."


    "Guild Master, you are truly a learned person. Not only you are a versatile fighter, but you are also a man with multiple professions and a tradesman. You are the only righteous and virtuous person that we would look up to right now because not only you are a Guild Master to us but also a Father."


    "OH NO... SUDDENLY I MIGHT HAVE 20 MORE CHILDREN?!?!" I gasped in horror at the mention of the word ''Father'' and our children all laughed at me and Kayla finally spoke up, "Not ''father'' as in Daddy lah... It is a fatherly figure since we all are orphans remember?


    "Ooooooo..." my lips were still making the shape of an ''O'' as I heard our children explain it clearly to me. Having no children of my own before I start transmigrating from one body to another in the very beginning, I had little or no experience dealing with children at all and I learnt it through life experiences and finally to our own adopted children whom I regard them as our very own.


    "Alright, about the meats... *ahem*, since you are giving away the pork to Strongbow and the cookhouse and some to the kitchen, why not sell the meats to me instead? At least, I could use it to make the menus as well as some patties as well. If you have some poultry such as chicken, duck or turkey, that would be great too. Same price, 5 credits per slab of meat."


    I suggested and everyone traded their resources with me that night and I discovered that our children had levelled up to 4 and the junior members had levelled up to 2. After handing out 100 points each to allocate their attributes along with the 10 they got when they levelled up, they felt more confident.


    The increase in their levels and the addition of the 100 allocation points made their attributes to be more firm than others. I wouldn''t know how the founders of the Houses would treat their members but a 100 allocation points are no joke because a person needs to gain at least 10 levels to earn that 100 points.


    Right now I''m giving those points away like giving away candies on Halloween to 24 of them and to simply earn that 2400 points, they should imagine what their Guild Master level without telling them because I myself earns 10 points per level. Heh... If only they knew my level and how I worked on them, I''m sure they would shit green. (a metaphor for an extreme shock... Usually happens to birds)


    "Alright, time to get washed up and to bed everyone. There''s another day for a round of adventure tomorrow." I advised and they bowed low to me, thanked me and then proceeded off.


    "The children are now a level higher than me, honey. I should also level up too... Since my level up is much faster than them, it would not take half a day even. That''s so generous of you to trade all the meat, you still have enough credits with you right?"


    "Don''t worry about my credits, I have more than enough to go through. Furthermore, I wanted to see if there''s a demand for new armour or armour. It had been some time since I designed new pieces but I may need the help of Blake and Bruce to do the marketing for me, especially to Aermagh. I just look up to Aermagh for financial gains, that''s all."


    "I thought for a second there you would be going to Aermagh. Oh alright, so you are sure the children would be fine without us minding them? If it''s alright with you, I would like to grind for my levelling up. Who knows someone might need the help of a wizard someday, right?"


    "Sure, no problem. Oh yeah, did Prius mentioned about the points and until when I won''t be able to issue to them?" I asked since I knew it was mentioned by Prius but I''m to muddleheaded not to record it down somewhere.


    "Level 5 maximum and then they are on their own. Just imagine some Houses are charging 100 points for 50k credits? If there are founders like you, you would be a common man with the deepest pocket that ever lived. Hehe."


    "Nah... Fame and fortune are not what I seek, it''s what I can do to serve the community and society."


    "Why dear, did you do something in the past and this is the way you repay back and redeem back your dignity and honour or something?"


    "Nope... I didn''t do anything wrong. It is giving back to the society what they had given me before... Which is LIFE.

 Chapter 124 - 124. Preparing Breakfast And First Day Of Internship

    The next morning I was early when I hopped down from the bed and headed for the shower. Today is the start of the internship for the chef apprentices and I wanted to impart my knowledge as much to them as possible. It was before the cock crows when I was up and about and had dressed up for the day.


    "You''re up early, darling... Come on, come back to bed... Meeeooowww..." Patricia called me but I told her that I need to check the ingredients and make sure that we have enough.


    "Today, I would be presenting the menus such as Tex Mex meatballs, Turkey Tetrazzini, Pork Chops in bread crumbs and Crock-Pot chicken noodle soup. So I need to make sure everything is fresh. It''s been a while since I''ve cooked and these menus are going to be wonderful. Luckily I bought all the meats from the members last night and all we need to do is change a bit of menu for today."


    "Hhhmmm...alright then, I will be up and about soon. I just need to stretch on the bed and dry-swim on it for a while." Patricia replied as she dived under the blankets once again.


    After getting dressed I went downstairs and since the cooks arrive from 9 am, we are the ones who would prepare breakfast. I fired up the earthen stove and measured 2 kg of flour, added some fat and hot water and started to knead it. I placed a damp cloth over it and added yeast to it to make it rise.


    Next, I took out the mutton and immerse it in hot boiling water to get rid of its fat before I turned it into minced meat in the manual grinder.


    I took out the necessary spices and mixed with the minced mutton and I took 2 kg of potatoes and diced them into smaller pieces. I took half a kilo of green peas and corn kernels and steamed them separately before I mashed the peas into a mush. I also added diced onions, chopped garlic, spring onions and celery into it.


    After the mutton had been seasoned, I mixed all the ingredients up. Today for breakfast, I''m going to make ''Golden Pillow'', a super-sized baked dumpling that could serve 6 people at a time.


    The earthen oven had been properly heated up and I separated about 14 lumps of kneaded dough and began to flatten them using a rolling pin. I made a base just like a pie should be and inserted equal portions of fillings inside it.


    I then roll another piece and covered it up nicely as I pleat all the sides and places them onto a baking tray for up to 7 bread per layer after I brushed a bit of fat on it.


    The ''Golden Pillow'' looked pretty much like an Empanada but in a circular shape. A layer of fat was also brushed on top of it so that it would be constantly baked and turned golden brown.


    This type of baking may need constant glazing of fat even though the mutton from the goat would also release its natural fat inside it. After baking for about 15 minutes, the trays were interchanges and the ''Golden Pillows'' which were in the bottom tray were turned to the other side after I glazed some more fat on it.


    It was a process of interchanging the trays, overturning the Golden Pillows and ensuring that the insides would be fully cooked. Even as mutton from a goat may take some time to cook as a whole, but when it''s minced and had been immersed in hot boiling water, it is much faster to cook this way.


    The earthen oven is convenient to use and the heat is very constant. Every time I opened up the oven door, the scent of freshly baked bread and the seasoned meat inside it began to waft and somehow I could hear the members stirring and preparing themselves.


    "WOW...I KNEW IT MUST BE DADDY IN THE KITCHEN..." Kayla hollered and she climbed to sit on top of the counter. "What are you cooking, Daddy? The smell is very nice and I was awakened by the smell of fresh bread too."


    "I''m making Golden Pillows for breakfast. One pillow could be eaten by 4 to 5 persons and I made 14 of these. I hope its enough to share around." I replied as unopened up the oven door and let the heat comes out again.


    I had stopped stoking the fire and the fire had died down to embers only. The release of heat when I opened up the door makes the heat within be regulated and also to spread the scent all over the Castle. Hah hah hah...


    "Wahseh...what is my brother in law up to so early in the kitchen. I can smell something wonderful in the kitchen from upstairs." greeted Prius as he and Rebecca walked in. Patricia arrived soon after and the way I looked at her that day was simply breathtaking. I don''t know what that makes my heart thump like horses running on muddy flats.


    "Hi everyone... Yeah, it''s been so long since I''ve baked and I''ve decided to make some Golden Pillows today for breakfast." the oven door was slightly ajar and when I opened it and pulled a tray out, everyone in the gasped at the enormous size and the sizzling of the fat that was in the tray.


    "This is the Golden Pillow I was talking about. Its good for 4 people and I made extras just in case. Kayla, Jane... Could you help me by taking out some plates? Ingles, could you get me a trolley and Adam would you help me arrange the cutlery outdoors?"


    The children went about the task and I placed 10 golden pillows on a large platter and then took 7 plates and arrange them on a food trolley. Ingles and Jane helped to push the trolley as Kayla had seated herself outdoors with the rest of the members.


    When each of the Golden Pillow was served on a plate and evenly distributed, I used a knife and fork to cut it up into 4 squares and served a quarter in each saucer.


    "Guild Master, I didn''t know you are a cook too..." said one of the member as he is literally salivating when he saw the quarter slice before him.


    "I stand corrected, Guild Master is a culinary expert... This Golden Pillow has the crispiest skin outside and the juiciest and moist on the insides. This looked simply D-E-L-I-S-H..."


    "Alright, let''s all dig in." I finally said as I finished cutting up and serving everyone. I used my hands to pick up the quarter and when I bite into it, the juices of the meat, along with the spices, herbs and curry with its mashed peas, the diced potatoes and corn kernels made me have a locked jaw temporarily.


    Some called it turnovers or empanada of they are bitesize and baked or deep-fried. If it is this big its definitely a golden pillow for sure. I ate it with my bare fingers and everyone followed me and our children said that I ate it like it was like a burger.


    "If you want burgers, I would make them for breakfast tomorrow. I just need to get some buns and after I made the meat into patties, it would be flame-broiled and served with lots of salad leaves, cucumber, pickles and a choice of ketchup or chilli sauces and with molten mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Who wants a burger for breakfast?"


    "Me...! Me...! Me...! Me...!!!" answered our children while the members just smiled since WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD REFUSE A BURGER. Especially for breakfast. Hah hah hah...


    Sometime later our 2 guests came by since they got my message for them to be over. I told them to ran a seat and share a golden pillow and when they saw I bring out the huge empanada, they were delighted when they saw what''s the fillings inside were.


    "My God... Is this prepared by you, my brethren? You really do surprise me, and I didn''t know culinary is also part of your skills set. This is simply very delectable. I do love spicy meals from time to time and this is something I''ve never tasted in my life."


    "Thank you my brethren. The members brought back the meat from the hunt last night? I saw the whole army of them marching in last night. I thought who they might be until I saw the emblem on their chest and recognises it was from Castle Keating-Macleod." exclaimed Bruce as he bit into the goodness of golden pillow.


    "Its part of a meal made up of part Mediterranean and part Asian. I simply loved the spiced and seasoned meat and it could be made into anything you could think of. By the way, I do have something to discuss with you both later, but we will do it right after this, would that be alright?"


    I said as both of the men nodded and began to bite into the meal and since both of them were sharing a single golden pillow, that piece simply looked like the men were enjoying half a 12" pie each.

 Chapter 125 - 125. The Tongue Of The Devil Makes My Job Easier

    "Have you served the Ruler of Aermagh into supplying weapons and armours before?" I spoke at last once the men had finished the Golden Pillow and I handed out several extras in case the members want a second helping and they did. I left 2 pieces for the apprentices to taste and to tell me what''s the ingredients were like.


    "I used to supply them certain weapons upon request but it was of low quantity. Most of the weapons they acquired were from Quentin and Romulus who would make better quality weapons and armours though Level 2 iron ingots before."


    "Oh... You were being sidetracked before by them, what do you think if you both market both Level 4 weapon and armours to the Ruler of Aermagh? Upgrading their weapons and armours would bring in extra income, don''t you think so?"


    "I guess right now the adventurers had reached a bottleneck as the Houses had already gotten what they require for the number of members, and we have the lowest members compared to all the rest of Houses here in Ingmery," I said since this would expand their business as well as for us to maintain the profits coming in.


    "Oh...you didn''t know about the Ruler of Aermagh... He would always buy at the lowest price possible and would haggle the price even further. It doesn''t even able to cover the cost of a single iron ingot."


    "Haaaaaaa...?!?! He is like that, is it? Damn... I thought we could strike a deal with him or any of his advisors in order to push the sales even further. By the way, Blake, you haven''t requested to produce a shield or buckler yet right? So far how were the sales and do you keep track of the number of warriors?"


    "Yeah...the sales had been a bit stale right now. There''s a total of 704 registered adventurers assembled here in Ingmery except for the founders and the household members of the House." Blake explained to me as I took note in the notepad of mine.


    "There are 14 Houses altogether and yours had 20 members while the other Houses had 50 members each. That leaves 34 renegade ones who wish to move on their own. Furthermore, they are not interested to be in any of the Houses as they would not be bound to any terms and conditions." Bruce spoke up and giving me a piece of more detailed information.


    "Wow... I thought we had a little over a 200. I didn''t know that there''s more than 500 in total. How come I don''t see them moving about in the streets?" I asked in surprise because the number of people coming to complete the quest of the Keating''s dungeons is slightly above a hundred.


    "The founders trained the members within their compound and their method is more like building an army, rather than a group of adventurers. What I see from you is flexibility. You have trust in the members and let them hunt even at night which was usually not a practise here at all."


    "Yes, some of the Houses have their own armoury so sales weren''t as brisk as before. But don''t worry, there profit even though we left about 50ish weapons per category in our stores."


    "That''s good to hear... So what are you both are going to do now? Maybe you should ask the Houses what kind of weapons they wished to fashion and the types of Armour they would like to have specifically. We can''t always wait for things to happen, but we MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. That''s the most important in business."


    "What you said is true and through. Well go right away and ask them what they need at the moment and get some samples for you. It won''t be long for you to make them right? Just like before?" said Blake since he knew making a full plate armour would take some time to do it while single pieces if light armour or weapons could be done within a day or two.


    "Yes... Whether its a bronze or even an earlier piece of weapon or armour, I will try to make them. I was also thinking of Level 5 iron next but I think I''d reserve it in a month or two. Come back with good tidings and may success be with us." I blessed both Blake and Bruce as they excused themselves after thanking for a great meal.


    By the end of the discussion the members had finished their 13 rounds around the courtyard and were waiting for the ground to clear before they start the rest of the training regime.


    The apprentices came and after the dishes were cleared, I tested all of them based on their knowledge of the ability to distinguish taste. All of them were able to distinguish up to 80-85% of the ingredients and spices used inside the Golden Pillow and that makes my job easier.


    I used to call these people as gifted with the tongue of the devil. They don''t smoke and their taste buds were amazing because of routinely scraping the tongue as well as practising the centre of the tongue to perceive taste which is 99% normally unable to in most people.


    After the hearty breakfast, the other 3 adults of the household joined me in the kitchen as they listened to me describe the preparations and the ingredients and it was a bit awkward for the apprentices who were all women to be taught how to prepare dishes by a man.


    WHO SAYS THAT A MAN CANNOT COOK?


    Go and ask NoOne who keeps grilling the piece of meat ever since I met him at the Northern Forest. Hah hah hah...


    I asked them if they knew how to make meatballs and all of them knew how to do it. So I prepared the ingredients and asked 2 of them to prepare the meatballs using the beef that I supplied to them. There were 5 pieces of meat weighing about 5 kg altogether and it would be sufficient to feed everyone.


    Next, I asked who knew how to make pasta and the rest knew how and I got 2 to work on it and prepare the turkey. The other two were handed 5 kg of pork and were told to remove the fat to make pork rinds and keep the fat for later use. Then the pork would be sliced to make pork chops, tenderised, soaked in a bit of grog and then deep fried with light batter and bread crumbs.


    Next, since none of the members had brought in fowl meat, I had it delivered from the market and they were to prepare crockpot shredded chicken in glass noodle soup with heaps of greens.


    Everyone gets to work while the 2 whole turkeys were steamed and shredded, same goes to the 2 whole chicken as well.


    I went about to steam about 5 kg of rice as each layer of the bamboo steamer is able to accommodate 5 layers and each layer was a kilo of rice, washed, rinsed and places on top of white linen cloth.


    They saw I place some screw pine leaves, cinnamon, aniseed, turmeric leaves and some of the 5 herbs family inside the water to boil instead of together with the rice. A heap of salt was dumped into the boiler too.


    When they saw what I did with the water inside the steamer, they claimed its the first time they saw rice is being cooked in that manner. I told them that there are 10 types of rice that can be cooked and I narrated to them and they took down the notes on the rice preparation.


    Why stop at white steam rice when you could have aromatic rice, coconut milk steamed rice, garlic steamed rice, tomato rice, pineapple rice, raisin butter aromatic rice, sweet corn aromatic rice, chicken essence rice and lastly aromatic rice with meat, fried fish or chicken stuffing in them.


    All these rice details were noted down and they had a new dining experience to experiment with. With 10 types of rice, it could be rotated within 10 days and repeat once more. At least it won''t be boring just to stick to steamed white rice, am I right?


    I advised them that if they were to cook on a 3 layer steamer, there is no need to rotate the layers accordingly. But since there''s 5, the top 2 needs to be rotated once every 15 minutes because that''s where the rice nearest to the boiler would be fully steamed. I marked the layers and it would be in descending order.


    As in culinary, the preparation part is a chore. And it can take up anything from 30 mins to 2 hours of your time. Take for example the chicken that needs to be dressed, cleaned, steamed, shredded and then it''s done to wait for the next preparations.


    This is not something where you can buy a dressed chicken like in a supermarket. This is medieval period and fowls come fully with their feathers and all. Although live fowl is somehow much juicier and sweeter than frozen ones for sure.


    So by midday, the steamed aromatic rice is ready, the tex mex meatballs too were already ready along with the chicken in glass noodle vegetable soup. Our children and the members had come back about 15 minutes before lunchtime and had washed up to have their lunches prepared by the apprentices and directed by me.


    When the food was wheeled out to the courtyard, the children, as well as the members, were delighted at the spread of food before them as we sat down, including the apprentices to savour what was prepared and it is a real gastronomical trip.


    "The meat came from the ones you had gathered yesterday. If you do happen to hunt tonight, watch out for chicken, duck or turkey... It would be on our menu for tomorrow and the next few days." I announced to the members and they literally stuffed their faces during lunchtime.


    The rice was slightly yellowish-green in colour due to the spices that were steamed along with the screw pine extract. We were all having lunch when a messenger came to deliver a letter and was addressed to Beauty World and not the Castle Keating-Macleod.

 Chapter 126 - 126. Whats The Use Of Money If One Doesnt Get To Enjoy It

    "What''s the matter, dear? Is everything alright?" Patricia looked at me after I had torn open the seal and read it. It was not a good piece of news and I folded the letter and place it inside my pants. It''s lunchtime and for me, it''s taboo to read such things in front of food that was blessed by the Lord.


    "We discuss later, now we enjoy the food. Nom... Nom... Nom..." it has been some time since I''ve eaten meatballs and I love the Tex Mex spicy taste that goes really well with the rice and also the chicken vegetable soup.


    "When you prepare the meals for your future employees, just one dish per day would suffice because you would be learning more than 50 menus by the end of the month," I announced to the apprentices and they nodded their heads because this is the first time they had eaten such aromatic rice and this would be enough with just a sliver of fish or some meats.


    The meals before them were of royalty standards, and for a noble to have them on a daily basis, would definitely run their money ship aground in a few months. Hah hah hah...


    I tried to keep a straight face but Patricia had used Insight on me without me realising and knew something was terribly wrong with the operations of Beauty World. Since I said that these things should not be mentioned in front of the food, she waited until we had cleared lunch and the members had a short break before some went to grind while others performed their quest.


    I motioned for Prius and Rebecca to come over as we discussed the letter that I had received during lunch earlier.


    "We have been hit by highway robbers that called themselves as ''The Rusty Blades''. It sounded like an 80ish rock band from the sounds of it. This letter came from the travelling merchants that ply the Eastern Borders."


    "Although no lives were harmed, the sample products were offloaded and all contents inside the storage bag had been taken away. Their hidden stash only known by these travelling merchants were not discovered by the robbers so their life savings were untouched."


    "The problem is that these highway robbers would strike at our delivery caravans and they would eye these porcelain wares as valuables which they could sell off. So far, the Western and Northern Borders didn''t report in anything of such activities."


    "No report doesn''t mean no crimes, am I right? Do you think this matter should be addressed to the Ruler of Aermagh so that he could assign his advisors to attend to it? This would be damaging to our business."


    "Late delivery is one thing, the other thing is that most men would wake up to strangers the next morning if these products were not delivered at all."


    "Just imagine waking up to someone who basically had no make up, no lipstick or hadn''t even taken a bath in days... Just imagine their messed up hair and stinky breathe that smells worse than a dead rat...!!"


    "This letter also says that the number of highway robbers, bandits and thieves made up more than our number of adventurers in the whole of Ingmery. If we do not take up arms, then when would be the time to protect ourselves, right?" I said as I place the letter on the table so that everyone can read it.


    On the letter were no words at all except for a drawing of a caravan being stopped by men holding swords, the occupants of the caravan and their children holding up their hands in the air. A piece of rusty shaving blade was taped and next to it was a drawn megaphone. The word CR was drawn in 3D lettering and had a pair of wings next to it and some bottles were also drawn with wings on it too. A drawing of a grave was marked X on it and the next drawing was the caravan with all 4 occupants riding away.


    "You can really tell the whole story by looking just these pictures? Wow... You really amaze me, Audemars. You must be an expert in pictogram and I could draw a straight line and you could a story for hours...!!! WOW..." remarked Prius as he tapped my shoulders in a congratulatory way.


    "I couldn''t make half of it and you can know what is happening... So who would go and inform the Ruler of Aermagh?" asked Patricia and I placed my head in my palm and rested it just like The Thinker. Finally, I spoke up, "Prius, Blake and Bruce would go forth and meet the Ruler. As of date, he knew I was dead."


    "Prius, you had met the Ruler twice, and that Ruler needs to be bent with carefully spoken words from a true man like you. Tell them you had brought the men that could enhance their army but at the cost of the actual selling price. Just say that these two gets the base material from a passing Forge Master who forges Level 3 iron weapons and armours."


    "Level 3? Why stop at Level 3 and not Level 4 like our current weapon?" Rebecca asked since she knew I could forge Level 8 and she doesn''t know that Patricia''s Mark of Magi is forged by Level 15 Iron.


    "The last encounter I had with their Berserker was a Level 1 Iron axe. But his brute strength is enough for that piece of junk to defeat normal low-class beast or monster. If we supply Level 4, won''t it be a little over the top? Furthermore, the one I had fought against was at least a Level 5 Berserker."


    "So we supply them with a lower graded weapon and armour since the Ruler of Aermagh knows a little bit of Iron grading since Quentin and Romulus were known to forge Level 2 iron and close to Level 3 grade."


    I explained as I do not want to raise suspicion and risk myself being pulled into the courtyard of Aermagh once more. They understood as I explained to them and then Blake and Bruce were summoned to the Castle.


    Since they hadn''t lunch yet, we offer them lunch and discussed afterwards when we showed him the letter I received and explained the situation. The duo agreed its a good idea since there are no other Blacksmith or Bowsmith around except for them and decided to entice the Ruler to purchase Level 3 weapons and armours in according to their requirements and quantity.


    They promised to bring back some pieces of their current weapons and armour so that I could fashion them out and hand it over to the duo when it''s ready.


    "Prices would be based on the current Level 4 pieces. Take a 60% deposit first, if possible. And tell them the pieces would be ready in 1 month. 75% deposit, the pieces would be ready in 2 weeks and 90% deposit, the pieces would be ready in 1 week."


    "For this project, we only take 20-80. You take 80 and we take 20. Don''t argue... It is fine with us. We have more than enough funds to go round." I finally said and gave Prius the letter to show as proof.


    Since they were able to warp to the place, they took their leave and went there immediately. This beats taking a caravan or a horse to travel there. Within 1 hour they returned with a big smile on their face as they had somehow closed the deal. Based on the selling prices of their Level 4 pieces and also the inclusion of some of the weapons that they need to be crafted, the duo had managed to secure a 90% deposit and the military advisors demanded these pieces that they wished to be crafted with a week.


    I held on to some of the pieces give and noted they were all common Iron pieces, and not even qualified for the entry-level 1 at all. No wonder the body of Audemars that I had taken over suffer greatly when his breastplate simply crumpled like a piece of aluminium foil when he was wheeled into Ingmery Infirmary nearly a year ago.


    There was a one-handed short sword, two-handed long sword, falchion, short sword, claymore, one-handed war axe and two-handed battle axe. A total of 7 bladed weapons.


    It also had a glaive, halberd, lucerne hammer, poleaxe and a war scythe. A total of 5 pole weapons.


    They also brought Iron breastplate, half plate, medium shield, barbute helm and an iron galea helm and a chain mail full-length gauntlet that covers all the way to the upper arm. A total of 6 armour.


    "How many pieces are they looking at?" I asked at the number of pieces and guess it won''t take long for me to duplicate all to Level 3 Iron for sure.


    "1500 pieces each. By the way, Blake and I have decided to merge our two smiths together so that we could share the profits equally. At least it is not so bad for this project alone." Bruce said and he told me they had settled for a price of 2000 credits each which means 18 pieces of weapons and armours.


    Since they had gotten a 90% deposit, 48.6 million credits and Patricia told me that they had already deposited 10.8 million credits into her account. "Aww... Guys, thank you so much. This would mean a lot to all of us. So you would split the profit 50-50 among yourself?"


    "So... 21.6 million credits per person, right? Wow... You both really have super deep pockets as deep as a sinkhole. Hah hah hah... Bravo... " I congratulated to them at achieving the unbelievable.


    So in order to improve the whole army, the military advisors were fast to snap for their orders after they had haggled the price a bit and settled for 2k across the board. Ah well, since its a 90% deposit I''d better get to work fast and produce 18 pieces of Level 3 Iron for them.


    I swiped all the 18 pieces of assorted weapons and armours into my storage bag and excused myself after Bruce and Blake had left the Castle grounds. I informed Patricia that I would be in my study for some time and she understood my intentions well.


    With the injection of funds, our wealth had gained to 70 million credits and this is not inclusive from Beauty World yet. Ah well, credits are just figures only, and it could be a million, a hundred million or a 100 billion, but what''s the point if one is not happy, right?

 Chapter 127 - 127. Needing More Time In Forging To Upgrade.

    I entered the Realm of Mind soon after and went to the Blacksmithing zone to produce some Level 3 iron for the orders that had just been received. At least those three guys didn''t have to meet the Ruler of Aermagh and just dealt with the military advisors instead.


    Depending on the sizes of armour and weapons that I would have to fuse, it would either be two pieces of iron ingots to four pieces and I set down to work after I place two iron ores into the furnace and began to pump the bellows.


    After the iron ores were hot enough, I picked the two pieces and placed them on the anvil and started hammering.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! *


    Sparks flew in all directions as I hammered the iron ores that were dancing on the anvil as it hammered to remove its impurities.


    50 strikes...


    100 strikes later...


    I stopped and looked at the piece I''ve created and threw it into the bucket of water as it sizzled and spluttered. When it was cool, I picked it up from the bucket and inspected. Ceres the system updated me that it was a Level 3 iron before I began to produce those iron ores soon into Level 3 iron ingots.


    *Ding* Host has upgraded Base Level 14,868/100,000. Advanced Blacksmith 848/1000. Acquired 18 pieces Level 3 iron ingots.


    "Great, I would really love to upgrade to Professional Blacksmith since its the only one lagging behind besides my culinary one. I wonder it won''t be long if I keep on hammering on these Iron ores. If I don''t use the so-called hack, I would be making at least 27k pieces of iron ingots and that would definitely keep me here for months...!!! Haish... I don''t have the time to be here that long... "I sighed and I swiped the scene and came to the Fusion Chamber.


    I started with two iron ingots and fused the weapons first. After successfully fusing the weapons, I moved on next to the armours. Once I had completed the process, I slotted all the 18 pieces into 3 Fusion Chambers and I ran the counter to 1500 times, queued the items accordingly and pushed the slider to DUPLICATE/MULTIPLE and cranked the lever.


    "Well, at least level 3 iron would be a slightly faster in their duplication and before I logged off I checked with Ceres, the system on the progress level after everything is completed.


    *Ding* you will earn Base Level 17,568/100,000. Master Crafter 6019/100,000 right after the whole process. You will also earn a grand total of 113k points.


    "Ceres, if I were to use the Smelting zone, would I upgrade my Blacksmithing levels as well?"


    *Ding* Negative. Smelting is a one-time complete process, you would likely end up with Level 1 iron ingots after the process.


    "Any other ways that I could upgrade my forging in order to get the results faster? I mean to say I will use lesser hammering to produce the desired level of iron?"


    *Ding* Upgrade your current skills to Professional Blacksmith and you will require only 40 strikes and Master Blacksmith 30 strikes for each level of iron quality.


    "Haiyoo... Acquiring lesser hammering to produce the iron pieces but then I would also earn lesser progress. I guess there are Pros and Cons to levelling up, right?"


    *Ding* Affirmative. You could spend 3 hours here to produce multiple iron ingots so that your Blacksmith level would gradually upgrade. Your crafting and blacksmithing are unbalanced so far.


    "Aahh... Alright then. I see what else I could do. Maybe you''re right, I will produce tons of Level 3 iron ingots for every 100 strikes and when I need to make them into Level 5, I could reheat them and strike another 100 times, would that be the case, then?"


    *Ding* Affirmative, smart boy. Now go back to your wife. She is waiting and it won''t be good to talk to an imaginary system with a woman''s name. Now go...


    "Eh... This system is now telling what to do, already? I wonder what else it would do after another upgrade."


    *Ding* Next upgrade 30% on a base level. With your current progress, give or take another 3 months before you would hit the next upgrade.


    "Hmm, a system with emotions. Weird... Ah well, don''t want to keep Trish waiting. Furthermore, these pieces are now being processed and would be ready in the next day I guess."


    *Ding* To be exact 8 hours, 3 minutes and 15 seconds.


    "Alright, thanks again. I''m out of here. Have to teach those internships how to prepare dishes." and I logged off and went back to the real world.


    ....


    "Hi, honey... Guess what, those pieces would be ready by 8 hours. Once they are ready I could hand them over to Blake and Bruce by tomorrow or the day after. By the 6th day, they should be able to deliver the items to them and receive the balance 10% or they could just ignore it as a sign of goodwill."


    I sat down beside Patricia as she was waiting for me as she minds the apprentices. Even as they were called interns but they do get some compensation in helping out in the kitchen too even though it may not be as much as a normal cookhouse cook but it''s still a considerable amount.


    "How was your levelling up?" Patricia asked and I was surprised that she was able to ''know'' using her Insight, maybe? "How did you know about my levelling up?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows at her. "Does anyone else can see me like this?" I was feeling something would be off especially if I''m walking around and feeling naked as if people can see through me like an x-ray vision.


    "Only the household of Keating is able to see your system attributes, statistics and wealth. Like I''ve said before, your system is outdated. If you upgrade now, you would like us and the system would be much cleaner. You don''t need to think about your statistics because it would be off the chart. All your allocated stats would be reset to 5 and returned back to unallocated."


    "From there, you would be able to rearrange your attributes and your traits once more. Also, there''s an option to hide and reveal your stats so you would be like an open book wherever you go." Patricia advised me and I was thinking it would be a great idea.


    *Ding* System Upgrade would set you back in a dreamless state. Be forewarned. System upgrade initiated... 5...4...3...


    "HEY...HEY...STOP IT... I''M NOT UPGRADING THE SYSTEM NOW CERES..."


    *Ding* Hah...hah...fooled you, Silly Boy...


    "WHO IS CERES? And who are you screaming at just now?" Patricia was glaring me with the sides of her eyes as her hand was gripping the Mark of Magi until her knuckles turned white. She gashes his teeth and then she smiled at me and places her gentle hand on my shoulder and suddenly held it with a deathly vice-like grip.


    "No fooling around as long as I''m around, do you understand Sam... I mean Audemars or whoever you used to be for your past few lives that I''ve dug out while talking in your sleep, eh?" she warned while squinting her eyes menacingly at me.


    "Ceres is the name of my system. It introduced its name when I just hit 15% on my base level. It said it would materialise before me when I hit 30% something like that. Awww... Your fingernails are biting into my skin already, honey." I said finally as I held my hand onto hers and tries to pry it away.


    "Heh... Just a bit of intimidation and you give out your information so easily. Tsk...Tsk...Tsk...you should be trained in a torture chamber so that you would not reveal such information that easily.


    "Nnggeekk... Actually, I should not be a warrior or any weapon-wielding hero except for a kitchen knife you know. My passion is cooking and watching people eat."


    ''Also I love to create business opportunities to earn money and to help others be sufficiently employed and able to sustain better living standards. Like what I''m doing right now..."


    "Internship, Blake, Bruce, Silas, Matron, the 4 cooks in the cookhouse, the 60 merchants, the 220 employees and thousands of satisfied customers around the 87 towns."


    "Yeah...yeah...now get back to the kitchen and do your thing... They''ve got 2 more menus to dish up, right?" Patricia reminded me as she finally loosened her grip on my shoulders. She may look weak but her fingers and nails were like a falcon''s talons.


    "How about the children? You are not grinding afterwards?" I asked as I saw her that she already had the Mark of Magi with her right after our lunch just now.


    "I''m going to grind because I''m one level behind our children. I want to be Level 5 today. So be good then." she stood up and walked off towards the direction of the Northern Gates as I soon entered the kitchen to observe the rest of the interns'' task and prepare for dinner.


    "Hello again. Today we are going to make baked turkey pasta with ground black pepper beef or mutton. And we are going to prepare the pork chops that had been soaked with grog, and then would be dipped in a light batter and rolled in bread crumbs before there are fried in a low-medium fire."


    "Since the pork chops had been marinated with a bit of grog and some spices, it won''t take long before it gets cooked. Remember that pork needs to be 100% cooked while some prefer medium-rare beef, lamb or mutton chops which are fine."


    It was the first day and so they prepared the turkey pasta with minced meat and sweet spicy sauce. I mentioned that to have the sauce to be more lasting, avoid using red onions but use shallots instead and plenty of garlic for taste. The sauce would need to simmer and not boiled for at least 2 hours to ''mature'' the tomato sauce into a kind of paste.


    After making the turkey pasta it was layered in a baking pan alternatively with turkey then pasta then cheese and the process is repeated until we had gotten 3 trays filled and set inside the earthen oven to bake.


    Next is the chops which were fairly simple that Kayla could also perform. The sides include potato wedges with its skin after being carefully scrubbed and quartered. Then some sliced cucumber which was fashioned in a way that it was sliced into jagged pieces, some tomatoes, some slices of lime and a mix of mayo, lime juice, jalapeno pickles and salt to make a sour cream dipping.


    The coleslaw was made as well just by using basic cabbage and carrots with a pinch of salt pepper and mayonnaise. I told everyone that anyone can cook but the passion for making each meal makes it the most enjoyable part of dining.


    I explained that there are 2 kinds of dining, one is fine dining where it''s best suited for a small family of 4 or a buffet type of dining with more than 6 to 100 people. I showed them the usage of the steamer that was used to create 5 kg of rice and the measurements would be 1 scoop of uncooked rice for 2 servings.


    After the lecture and guidance, I guess these interns understand what I''m trying to reach out.

 Chapter 128 - 128. In-Depth Information And Analysis Of A System Upgrade

    When the apprentices were preparing for dinner and were guided on what to prepare, I decided to head down to the Realm of Mind once again and work up on my Forging skill in order to increase the level of my Blacksmith as well as earning some base points and experience points as well.


    It was like throwing a stone and it killed a bird a cat and a dog at the same time. Hah hah hah... Since the cat was about to pounce on the bird and the dog was waiting for the cat as well...


    I threw 2 handfuls of iron ores as big as my fist and managed to drop something like 6 ores in the furnace. I looked back and realised that the number of ores inside the old wooden cart had not depleted one bit. Maybe it''s just my illusion... And I shook it off my mind as I began to pump the bellows.


    "Just create a bunch of these for 3 hours and I would be done with it." I thought to myself and asked Ceres to time me since I do not wish to miss dinner time afterwards.


    *Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink!*


    10 strikes...


    20 strikes...


    50 strikes...


    And I threw the forged iron ingot inside the bucket of water. "That''s one piece."


    1 piece...


    5 pieces...


    10 pieces...


    30 pieces...


    *Ding* Times running out. You''ve got another 30 minutes to go before the 3 hours are up.


    31 pieces...


    36 pieces...


    *Ding* Times up. Time to log off and return to the real world, buddy.


    I wiped my forehead and I was literally soaked in my own sweat and I logged off and returned to the real world.


    .....


    "Mummy... Did Daddy fix the plumbing or the showerhead in the bathrooms or something? How come his tunic and pants are all wet?" Kayla asked when I emerged from my room and headed straight to the courtyard to catch my breath and to cool myself down.


    "Ah... Daddy is working out as well. Since you are all grinding to Level up, Daddy is levelling up too in his own way." Patricia reason with Kayla as I had a long ice-cold drink from the water station in the courtyard.


    "Fuyoo... Yeah, Daddy is levelling up too. As you can see, I''m the only one with the outdated system which Daddy doesn''t want to upgrade just yet. It is an old system but a very complex one. It was alright for me at first but after knowing that nearly everyone has a new operating system, I think I''m the odd one out right now." I said as I untied the front of my tunic to cool myself off.


    "You should upgrade it, Daddy. Your base level is in the 100,000 while everyone else''s is on 1000 only. Yours may look cool in their 5 digit levels but the actual fact it''s only a 2 digit progress if based against us." Adam advised me as he too could see my levels, class, profession, wealth and my unallocated points.


    "After dinner, we and the juniors are out again for night grinding. I wanted to teach the goblins a lesson again for jeering at me. No doubt I''m the youngest but I''m as spicy as a bird''s eye chilli you know."Kayla informed me with her hands on her hips and was standing in a prideful manner.


    "Hahahahaha... I''m sure you are Kayla. Well, it''s just too bad there are 8 to 9 goblins there at any one time. And the trolls don''t even have a drop at all but it gives you the same amount of experience points as any wild beasts but 5 times the threat. Don''t risk it, ok. It''s not the time yet. Even at my level, it takes 3 bolts to bring them down with Aimed Shot."


    "After dinner would be about 645 pm and you''d be back here slightly after 9 pm, right? I too would be grinding and levelling up as well..." I said as I saw Patricia coming over me with a fresh pair of clothes and a towel.


    "What would we be having for dinner, Daddy?" Ingles asked with anticipation and I replied that we are having baked turkey cheesy pasta and pork chops in bread crumbs with wedges and stuff.


    "Wow... I would take some baked turkey pasta for dinner. Then the pork chops I''d reserve for supper, would that be alright, Daddy?" Jane asked as she was quite full from lunch and heavy breakfast.


    "Of course my children, I don''t expect you to dump everything down your trap like a trash compactor. Hah hah hah...at least don''t overeat or else you won''t be able to even go over the low wall and clear the second obstacle of the course." I laughed and joked of them being overweight and too wide to pass through the V-shaped stepping stones of the obstacle course.


    "No, we won''t, Daddy... We have a higher metabolism rate than other people because we run 5km every morning before clearing the obstacles and then went to the 3 stations before we went about our own matters. Like you, Daddy...you are fitter than most men because you exert your energy when you level up too... " Ingles spoke up and defended their eating habits and their exercise regime daily.


    "Ah well, I''m checking whether dinner would be ready while I go and shower first. I''m going to soak in the pool later in the evening. I would be levelling up soon after dinner and I will check on you guys afterwards. By the way, the giving off of allocation points is up to Level 5 and then you would be in your own by then."


    "Yes Daddy, we understand. No worries, by level 5 you would have given us 500 points and that''s more than enough."


    "Wait for a second, if Guild Master hands us 500 points each after we had reached level 5 and there''s 24 of us, that means... Err... 12,000 allocation points. Does that mean our Guild Master is already at level 1200 or even more?!?!" Rodney, the spokesperson for the juniors were wide-eyed in bewilderment as he realised something about my levelling up.


    "Is our Guild Master some kind of Grandmaster? Eh...how come we never think of it before...?" Rodney continued as he was stumped and so did the rest of his mates when they heard me being a Grandmaster.


    "Eeerrr... Not really Rodney. I''m using an old system. If let''s say I learn about plants and had acquired new knowledge of 100 plants, I reached a 100% progress and earned a level and 10 points. There are 20 to 30 thousand plants so I level up 200 or 300 levels one time after I had learnt about plants."


    "Levelling 300 levels in my old system means its only 3 levels in yours. As you can see I have more than 17k in my levels which is just a level 17 compared in your system."


    "That''s the reason I''m sticking with my old system due to its levelling up and experience points. If my system is upgraded to the new one, I would only have 170 points to give away... Am I right?"


    They did the math and found that the old system is rather beneficial rather than the new one especially in gaining experience points as well as the ability to stockpile on the points and allocate as and when it''s necessary.


    When they used Insight, they could read me like an open book and found that my stats are indeed detailed but have no secondary traits that I could master. Just as they were studying me, dinner was served and everyone washed up before proceeding.


    Since everyone would be away after this, I would be away in the Realm of Mind for 2 hours in the real world timing. After a quick dinner and storing the rest for supper, Patricia headed to Level up herself as the members all went for the usual night hunting and were looking out for fowls tonight as well as other meats.


    Back in the Realm of Mind in the Blacksmithing zone, Ceres was watching over me producing the Level 2 iron after every 50 strikes and when I was closing on to the 6 hours mark in the Realm timing. I realised that I had produced 90 pieces of Level 2 Iron ingots that are now sitting underwater in the bucket.


    *Ding* Progress Report. You had gained +4 on your base level and blacksmith level.


    "WWHHAATT...?!?! JUST 4 ONLY?!?! Crap... What a waste of my bloody time...!!!" I cried out in exasperation and was reminded by Ceres that quantity is not a matter but the effort does.


    "Damn...i sure need to eat those ginkgo nuts again to add my brainpower. Well, never mind for these pieces. At least I could turn them to Level 15 if I want to."


    "Ding* That''s 650 strikes per piece and you''ve got 126 pieces of Level 2 iron ingots. It would take you 65 minutes to make a single Level 15 iron ingot and each piece gives you 0.65% on your level up.


    *Ding* You could make 21 pieces from 10 pm to 5 am every night based in the real world timing and you would be able to earn 13 levels for your base and Blacksmith level.


    *Ding* You need 42 more levels to upgrade to a professional blacksmith where you can create Level 16 Iron. To surpass it, you need to Level up every 1000 levels before you can forge the next level of the iron piece.


    "Thank you for reminding me, Ceres. Uurrgghh... Nevermind, just bear with it. By the way, what happens when I hit the 100,000 level?"


    *Ding* your proficiency levels would increase to 5% based on your 1% now. Its a multiplier of 5. This is based on the old OS. If you have an upgrade you might find it more frustrating and have much lesser experience Points to allocate. Your stats will disappear and you have at least 5 traits to add on per attribute and you would have 6 attributes instead of the maximum five.


    "What are the new attributes like? But losing all the efforts in gaining the experience points is such a waste you know."


    *Ding* You will gain Charisma as an added attribute on top of Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Intelligence. You would not waste gaining experience Points because you will have a 0.025 multiplier for each progress and with your luck increment by x7 x15, you would gain a 2.6% each time.


    *Ding* if you earn a 20,000% in your current progress that equals to 200 levels, in the new system you would earn 520 levels which would increase all primary and secondary bases.


    *Ding* primary bases would be increased at 2.6% while secondary bases would be increased by 0.25% across the board. Your primary and secondary levels would be a limit to 1,000,000. All points can be carry forward or reset back into your allocation points.


    *Ding* For your info, you have 113,000 unallocated points. You can only carry forward your base level which is 17,568. All attributes point 29,140 would be placed back into the unallocated points where 5 points will be allocated into your 6 attributes.


    *Ding* Your distribution points based on your current professions would be reset and pooled as follows:


    HERBALIST: 116


    CRAFTER: 14,428


    BLACKSMITH: 958


    CULINARY: 142


    I sat down as Ceres narrated for me and I furiously noted down the things that I need to know and find out. Upgrading is one sure way to increase my levelling up but would it affect my crafting and forging?


    *Ding* For now, you are still able to produce Level 15 iron. But to get past that level, you need to hit 1000. Once you hit that the next level to upgrade every level of iron would be by a 10,000 until you hit level 25 iron. Then it would be 15,000 levels for each increment of purified iron for 5 levels.


    *Ding* As for steel, it would be 20,000 levels for each grade until you hit Grade 10 Refine Steel before another 5 of 25,000 to hit Grade 1 Purified Steel for 5 levels and another 5 of 30,000 levels to achieve Grade 1 Stainless Steel


    "Uurrgghh... This is too much for me to take in now... I''ve got to take a break....." I laid down on my back spread-eagled and was making dust angels like when I was discovered by Hiko Seijuro when I made up a system.

 Chapter 129 - 129. System Upgrade And My Actual Life Story

    I went back to the real world after I logged off from the Realm of Mind and I sat at the courtyard while having a clove cigarette in one hand and black sweeneted coffee in the other. Prius saw me looking all confused and he approached me as he too smoked his own brand of cigarettes.


    "What''s up my brother in law... You looked kind of troubled. Is your wisps giving you a problem or are you thinking about the business that is being ceased at this moment until every town has a deployment of soldiers from Aermagh?"


    "Not really Prius... Haish... I was thinking of my system upgrade. I get to keep my allocated points. I also gain an additional attribute as well. The only thing is that I would be having is a higher demand for materials and I don''t think I would be able to do it based on one profession only."


    Prius looked at me and discovered I had quite a number of professions and skills. While skills are acquired without any additional points, the profession that I had needs a lot of input as well.


    "Don''t you worry, my brother in law. What you need to do is trust your system and yourself. It''s not good to keep your attributes exposed in this manner because everyone would know your professions as well as your allocation points."


    "Furthermore having an equal system like the rest would be fair and furthermore you could hide your stats from peering eyes. Don''t you think so, brother?"


    "I guess so... Well... Trish would be back soon and so does the children and the members soon. I had been grinding to Level up and it seems the progress is very slow indeed. Furthermore if I wear our Macleod''s Lucky Badge, my progress would be at 2.6%. The only thing is that everyone''s level is at 1000 while mine is at 1,000,000."


    "Are you sure? Let me check my database. Normally a person to attain a 1 million cap for their levels are considered as a Master already. It would be an Elite Master at 10 million and 100 million for a Grand Master."


    "Hoo... Hoo... Hoo... You are a Master once you upgraded system. You''ve indeed come a long way, brother. To achieve a Master level is not easy because only certain people with certain capabilities could open up these levels. The rest are capped at only a 1000...but you... Tsk tsk tsk... Unbelievable."


    "Well Prius... I don''t think Christmas is around the corner yet. And furthermore please keep it within the household. And I think I would be getting the system upgrade tonight."


    *Ding* Good idea, host. You won''t regret it. Initialisation and Upgrade would take between 2 to 6 hours.


    "Thanks, Ceres. I greatly appreciate it." I thought inwardly as I noticed the seniors were marching in followed by Patricia and I noticed that our children had reached level 5, the seniors had also reached Level 3 while Patricia herself had gained to Level 4. I handed 100 allocation points each to everyone and our children realises that they have to depend on themselves to upgrade as well.


    *Ding* Castle Keating-Macleod has now reached #1 position in members ranking.


    "Well guys... We have reached #1 in House standings for achieving the top level of members. We had also reached #1 on House''s reputation, wealth and management too. Right now, there''s going to be a race for the rest to catch up already."


    Supper was served before our 2 cooks left for the night and everyone chomped down on their pork chops with potato wedges, carrot sticks, cucumber, tomato and coleslaw. I had my share and I informed Patricia that my system would be upgraded tonight.


    "Good for you honey... Your system is terribly outdated. Once you had upgraded, you will feel like you''re reborn." Patricia said as she hugged on to my arm. As usual, that night I bought all the beef and mutton as well as some chicken and ducks from our children and the rest of the members.


    "Daddy... Do you have anything to share with us like a battle strategy?" Ingles spoke up for the rest of the members. By the looks of her she reminded me of Alleicea and Aventina, the two orphans we had discovered way back when we made our last stop at Camp Salvation in the past series.


    "Actually I do have a simple battle strategy plan... One is to kite and the other is to tank and then take two squad to flank and create a pincer attack. Its the most basic form of battle strategy and it works everytime."


    "I will draw it out for you the battle plan, it is great for you to practise on the goblins, elven, imps, Orcs and the undead. Other than that it''s a basic formation of tanking and protecting the rear."


    "Tomorrow then, it''s time to wash up and get ready for another day tomorrow. Let me know when you had done all your Quests because I have another 15 more to go from the Southern District."


    "Wow...once we complete all the quests, we would be rewarded right Daddy? I heard the prize is 50k credits per person." Kayla asked and I knew for sure she would empty her wooden chest upstairs in the room and fill it up with snack and other candies.


    "Yup... 50k from the organiser and 25k from the Castle of Keating-Macleod." I replied as everyone was delighted as they bounded off to their respective rooms to wash up and get ready for bed.


    ....


    "Honey, are you going to upgrade your system in you sleep?" Patricia asked as she herself had gone under the covers.


    "Yes, dear... It says it would be between 2 to 6 hours. I should be awake by 5 am tomorrow to prepare another batch of menu. Let''s discuss about Beauty World tomorrow then."


    I said as I dimmed the lights and went under the covers too and we playfully tickled ourselves silly and laughed until our bed became our little battleground. After an hour or two, when everything had settled down, I laid on the bed and closed m eyes as I called upon Ceres to begin the upgrade and reboot.


    *Ding* System Upgrade initialising. Initiation in 5...4...3...2...1...System reboot.


    By the time I heard the word reboot, I find myself spinning out of control into an bottomless abyssa like a sinkhole and when I finally came to. I was somehow back in the future but my previous past.


    It was like watching myself grew up on a family that I had known before, my dad''s a fireman with Central Fire Station after he was promoted and transfered from the Airport Division and my mother, as always busy in the kitchen preparing simple meals for the large family of 8 and my 3 cats.


    I saw myself entering the house and my mother warned me to shut up because I saw my little self sniffing the air, as my mum had prepared a Fermented tapioca snack and hidden it somewhere to properly fermented it. By the looks of it, I think I''m just 10 years old that time. Singapore, Toa Payoh.1982. (NonFic)


    Next the scene changed and I saw myself in desert camouflage uniform and was calling out to someone, "Fire at anything that moves". Shit...!!! That''s Kuwait, in Operation Desert Shield. I disobeyed a direct order to stay put in camp and rushed off with my trusted M16S1 with 8x ACOG scope and rode my recon bike to reach the UN forces that were bottle necked and was hit by multiple RPG. Operation Nightingale, Kuwait 1991. (NonFic)


    The scene changed and I saw my mother in the hospital bed and by looking at it, I knew it was her last few days because she fell into a coma and slipped away. I saw myself in a camouflage uniform once again and this time with a lady by my side.


    "Go home, I know you''re tired. You can come back tomorrow." that was my mother''s last words since she knew I rushed from camp just to visit her. I saw myself staying there until the visiting hours are over. I wish I could physically tell her that I''m gratified that I was born into this world. Without her, my world would slowly crumble and it would be in ruins.


    "Stay back... Don''t go...!!!" I called out to my old me as both the old me and the lady walked away and closed the door after the old me had taken a last glance at my mother and waved goodnight to her. Changi General Hospital. Singapore. 1998.(NonFic)


    "Hey, Singaporean... Rappel down now..." I saw myself peering down the sides of a Huey Helicopter as I hooked my carabiner and stood on the skid and lowered myself down and jumped when I neared the ground. I unhook the cargo line underneath the heli and called the other crew members for help. Philippines, 2006. PNF against the Mindanao insurgency. (NonFic)


    "The end of a beginning and the beginning of the end. If you do not pick yourself up now, when would the time be? Recividism is a cycle, join the circle and break the cycle." I saw myself performing a confrontational speech with a group of mandated offenders in a tight prison setting. I was a psychologist back then. Singapore Changi Prison. 2013 (NonFic)


    "Brother, you finally getting married eh? End your bachelor life at the age of 41 finally...Haha...congratulations." a group of mandated offenders came and shook hands with me when I got married that day and realised that my career as a psychologist ended within a month of me getting married. Singapore. Feb 2014. (NonFic)


    *BEEP BEEP BEEEEPPPP*


    *SSSSCCCCEEEEEEEECCCCHHHH*


    *BBBBAAAAMMMM*


    Of all a sudden there was no pain only a dull throbbing feeling. I think I''m dead... No, I can''t be dead. I''ve for to go to work and hand up my casefile for my closure. No, this doesn''t feel right... I can''t move my arms and legs... Why the sudden thick smell of rusty metal all around me. Sticky, warm oozy feeling... Errr... I can''t see anything... Everything black and red. The voices around me seems muffled. Why do I have a feeling that I''m lying down on the ground? Where''s my motorbike? I can''t breathe... I''m losing it... God... I''m dying...!!! Feb 22nd 2017 (NonFic)


    (start of fic)


    Then the scenes seems to flash by like a broken projector, whirring and distorted pictures and scenes of the beach, and an old village near the sea, the meeting of an old man, the awakening of my third eye and the first introduction to the Realm of Mind.


    Then it changed to a Japanese Town, and after some blurry pics it went on to another part of Japanese Town where I was both a student of different identities and age. The scene sped up and it showed me in Thailand with a girl whom I had just known walking around the beach with a bottle of Singha beer in hand.


    The scene changed to medieval Japan where I saw myself as an 11-year-old kid with a group of samurai. A few whirring scenes later it slowed and showed me running away, into the forest as I held on to a blanket to cover my face. I carried a bow with some arrows and somehow I might have done a grievous deed as I sensed people chasing me down.


    The scene stopped and whirred forward and came to a scene where there was a huge explosion in midair. Then a deafening silence as if the air was sucked up in a vacuum and it was hard to breathe. Choking.


    The blinding flash of brilliant white light. Envelopes everything. Standstill. Everything is devoid of Life. A sense of scorching heat that shrivelled everything up.


    I then transmigrated into a body of a nearly lifeless warrior before he crossed over to the other side. And then darkness. For a very long time.


    *Ding* System Upgrade Complete. Initialising system stabilisers and life support system. System online. Welcome back, Host. Wakeup sleepy head.


    Suddenly I sense an electrifying sensation on my toes and my fingers and I was shaking them off as if I felt a cockroach crawling up my feet and hands. Then I felt something warm with my hands and I instinctively gave it a soft squeeze.


    "Hmm... Honey, that''s my butt cheeks... Do you want another round of golden pillows?" a lady''s voice purred beside me as she cuddled up close to me.

 Chapter 130 - 130. Checking Out The New Me...Err...System

    "Trish... Is that you?" I asked and I knew its a bloody wrong question as I felt a pillow suddenly stuck my face. "What do you think? Ceres is it?" *BADABOOK* the pillow that struck my face was not of goose down feathers but was of a straw-filled one. Who puts the old pillow back there?


    "Trish, sorry... Look at me. I''ve just upgraded the system. I''m sorry, Trish... I thought that I had landed into someone''s body again." I explained because she was the only one that knew of my ''secrets''.


    "You were calling out to your mum, and then to other people and then to your mum again and to other people with weird sounding names. You really missed your mum, is it?" she leaned on one side and used her elbow to support herself.


    "Yes, I missed her too damn much... By the way, I think I did talk in my dream and in my sleep as well, do I? Hope it doesn''t wake you too much." I innocently replied to her because I got nothing to hide from her at all. "It''s alright, I had to use this hard pillow to absorb your punches in your sleep at one part. Lucky you didn''t give me a black eye at all."


    She replied as she threw the heavy straw-filled old pillow away and snuggled close to me. "What time is it? I''ve got to prepare breakfast."


    "Almost 5 dear. What are you going to cook today for breakfast and the menus?" Patricia asked as she stood up on the bed and huddled her feet.


    "I''m planning rice for breakfast today. I''m going to make a basic plain garlic butter fried rice from the Polynesian menu. With a sunny side up egg and also 2 large sausages." I replied since lunch and dinner would be rice again.


    "I''m planning to make Cheesy Ground Pork Tacos, Braised Beef and Brocolli, Cilantro Lime Chicken and Tempura Prawns. We are going to have a parade of pork, beef, chicken and prawn. Hah hah... It is going to be fun."


    "I''m off to shower now. I would go check on my system once everything is ready." I said as I bounded for the shower and filled the bathtub with water. Since it''s going to be cold water, I imbued it with black fire and it danced on the surface of the water and I dropped 2 Psi energy healing spheres inside it before I poured a bit of body shampoo and make a bubble bath.


    After my shower, I changed and head down to the kitchen where I saw that we still have more than half of the rice and that would be great to make some light carbo breakfast for us. After settling the piles of sausages and runny sunny side up eggs, the rice was cooked simply with some fat, butter, salt, pepper and garlic. That''s it... A simple fried rice paradise kind of meal for breakfast.


    I sat down in the kitchen and called up Ceres and checked my interface. It was fresh and clean and there''s an option to hide and visible on the top left-hand corner and I chose to hide. The paper doll was not there but it showed a digital remake of me. There''s attributes, traits, profession, skills, map and option.


    I checked options and found there a checkbox for all notifications, some notifications and important only notifications. There is a checkbox whether it''s silent or buzz on silent and I chose buzz on silent.


    Next, I checked the map and found the places that I had visited existed and there is an option to share links with known others. "That''s great, I could get headings for directions with people I knew like the merchants." I thought to myself as I saw a minimap that shows the current location as Castle Keating-Macleod.


    Skills and profession remained unchanged. But the levels in the professions was too scary to mention.


    Herbalist 116/1,000,000


    Crafter 14,428/1,000,000


    Blacksmith 958/1,000,000


    Culinary 142/1,000,000


    Next is my traits which I knew would a mess since it is not even arranged properly according to my attributes at the moment. It showed a lot of traits in each attribute listing and I have no idea some of them meant. I was born as a warrior or Adventurer in the first place... Huu Huu Huu...


    STR: Athletics


    DEX: Acrobatics, Stealth, Thievery


    CON: Endurance,


    WIS: Nature, Perception, Dungeoneering, Insight, Heal, Nature


    INT: Religion, Magical, Arcana, History


    CHA: Intimidate, Streetwise, Bluff, Diplomacy


    I looked at my traits and there are some things I do not realise and I don''t find it useful such as Thievery, History, Religion, Intimidate and Bluff. Can I remove all this because I don''t see any ''i'' that denotes as information or a question where I could find out more?


    *Ding* Thievery. You have picked up thieving abilities and can perform tasks that require nerves of steel and a steady hand: disabling traps, opening locks, picking pockets, and sleight of hand


    *Ding* History. You have picked up knowledge related to the history of a region and beyond, including the chronological record of significant events and an explanation of their causes. This includes information pertaining to royalty and other leaders, wars, legends, significant personalities, laws, customs, traditions, and memorable events.


    *Ding* Religion. You have picked up knowledge about gods, religious traditions and ceremonies, divine effects, holy symbols, and theology. This knowledge extends to information about the undead.


    *Ding* Intimidate. Make an Intimidate check to influence others through hostile actions, overt threats, and deadly persuasion. Intimidate can be used in combat encounters.


    *Ding* Bluff. You can make what''s false appear to be true, what''s outrageous seem plausible, and what''s suspicious seem ordinary. You make a Bluff check to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, gamble, pass off a disguise or fake documentation, and otherwise tell lies.


    "Well, thank you, Ceres. It seems rather... Err... Additional to have these traits. Even though I don''t use many battles, is there I could do away with these?"


    *Ding* You are considered as a Master. This is your traits and you have all the traits classes of a Pugilist, Assassin, Wizard, Warrior and Ranger or you may call yourself a P.A.W.W.R or Power Master for short.


    "Seow ah... Power Master my foot. But to think of it... It sounds cool too. People ask who am I and I will answer, I''m Power... Power Master. Muahahahaha..."


    *Ding* What... Ever... As... You...Wish...


    "Ceres, you said that every base level I earn, the secondary profession earns 0.25% right? So I would like to allocate my points, how does it do?"


    *Ding* Your strength has only 1 trait and that means if you put 95 points to make a 100, your trait alone gets 100 points. If it has two traits then each trait gets 50 points, so on and so forth.


    "So I have 6 traits in Wisdom, it''s better for me to dump at least 3x the amount if I want the trait to be close or above a 100?"


    *Ding* Did you fail math in elementary school or what? To get a 100 on each trait, you need 600 points, dum dum...


    "Ceres... Do you happen to be Matilda Fitzwater? Because she would only use the words, ''silly boy'' and ''dum dum''."


    *Ding* Bbuuzztt... Bbuuzztt...


    "I think I will allocate according to the number of traits then and make it 1000 overall?" and I went on to allocate the necessary points to make it OP but in actual fact its just some random numbers... Too bad guys.


    STR-1000, DEX-3000, WIS-6000, INT-4000, CON-1000, CHA-4000


    "It is done now. I had spent 18,970 points already and I guess it is just a minimum to spend on these attributes for now. I guess I have Unallocated points 123,170 with a


    Base Level 17,568/1,000,000. Haisshh... So long old attributes. I won''t know what is my armour or toughness is right now."


    "Daddy... Are you done talking to yourself? We are here waiting for our breakfast and you were talking to the eggs and sausages there. Did they do something to you that you need to lecture them until this long?" Kayla asked as she was puffing her cheeks and then poked at it and blew it up again like she was Poking a balloon.


    "Aiyah... Aiyah... Sorry...sorry... Daddy finished cooking already. Here, someone helps me take the chafing dish. I''m going to put all the rice in there and also gather those 28 plates and cutlery. Daddy was just elating on the new system, just like yours and I have 6 traits altogether instead of 4 like yours or 5 like Mummy."


    "Hmm, I can''t see anything on your status Daddy. Just your name and your class and it were arranged not like ours... P.A.W.W.R... Pour? Or pawrer? Where''s the P come from Daddy?" Jane was peering left and right and around my head and she cannot find any other information.


    "PAWWR...PAWWR...POWER...!!! That''s it, wow... Power lah Daddy... Haha haha hahaha..." Adam laughed as he soon finds out it does sounds like power.


    "The P stands for pugilist... It means a martial artist that fights using his bare hands and feet like the other day Daddy went into a rampage and attack those rats in the dungeon and fell into a coma for a day...*ahem* for two months?"


    "In Thailand, they call it Muay Thai... But if they knew it is you, they call it Ting Tong..." said Ingles as she pushed the food trolley before she looked behind her at me and playfully stuck out her tongue... *Blep... *

 Chapter 131 - 131. Lemon Chicken Rice, Anyone? Nom... Nom...

    "Ceres, what about the 30% base level that you are mentioning before?" I asked in my thoughts as I pushed the food trolley out.


    *Ding* It does not apply anymore. As you level up, I get smarter as well.


    "Hmm, well... I''m going for my breakfast and then I''m off making those Level 2 iron ingots again. I wonder what else I had forgotten now. It seems upgrading the system does make me a bit forgetful already. Oh, gingko nuts, where art thou?"


    *Ding* Don''t use forget as an excuse. You had completed duplicating those items in the Fusion Chamber. You have earned 270x2.6=702 points for your base level and 702x0.25=175.5¡Â6=29.25 points across all your professions.


    *Ding* Base Level 18270/1,000,000


    Herbalist 145.25/1,000,000


    Crafter 14,457.25/1,000,000


    Blacksmith 987.25/1,000,000


    Culinary 171.25/1,000,000


    "Well, I can see a significant increase and I am getting close to getting 1k for Blacksmith. So once I hit 1k to the next 10k, I could forge Level 16 iron, am I right, Ceres?"


    *Ding* Yes... At last, you understand how the upgrading process is like.


    "The million is just a number to cap the maximum that all. If I go over it, it would be turned as 10 million and 100 million for the last final stage. So what I''m going to do is to now is to visit NoOne and ask him to evaluate the Level 3 gauntlet and then see how much is it so I would make tons of it in the Fusion Chamber."


    *Ding* C-H-E-A-T-E-R *blep* *blep* *blep*


    ....


    After breakfast, Patricia went to grind and I went to the Northern Forest and asked NoOne how much he would trade for the Level 3 iron chain mail gauntlet. He looked at the piece and asked me, "How many pieces do have at this moment? Don''t tell me you have something like 50k pieces again..."


    I smiled at him and said at most it would be like 30k pieces. "I''d offer you 80 for these each. You really are making me bald, do you know that?"


    "Then tell me about these two helms I''ve got, the Barbute and the Galea." He looked at the quality and told me, "80 credits each. Why are you selling so many items for? You just rob several caravans is it?"


    "Just a way for me to earn some credits and also to Level up myself. Thanks, man. I''ve got to get back to the house." I excused myself and I used my system to access the map and chose Castle Keating-Macleod and I warped back just in time to see the interns just entered the kitchen.


    "Enjoy the breakfast first while I do something and would be right back." I hurried left the kitchen and went to my study where I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and proceeded to the Fusion Chamber.


    "Forget about the helm, I just duplicate these Level 3 chain mail gauntlet at 1k for each slot and running on 6 Fusion Chambers instead. They are equally priced and this gauntlet takes 30 seconds to duplicate one pair."


    "Alright... I''d better head back now." I said aloud after I had placed a pair of gloves in each slot and cranked it up to duplicate and queue 1k each and this goes to 5 other machines for a total of 30k pairs. I then logged off and heads back to the real world and enters my kitchen.


    "Hello again everyone. Enjoy your breakfast as we continue. Today we are going to make Cheesy Ground Pork Tacos, Braised Beef and Brocolli, Cilantro Lime Chicken and Tempura Prawns. Out of these menus, 2 are for mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks with dipping and sauces. "


    "So can anyone advise me which one would be for mid-morning snacks, lunch, mid-afternoon snacks and dinner or we can skip mid-morning snacks and push it to supper instead?" I asked to test their imaginative ideas on which one would be best to go around.


    Looking at the spread of ingredients before me, they decided that the lunch would be Cilantro Lime Chicken and dinner would be Braised Beef and Brocolli. As for mid-afternoon snacks, they would prefer it to be light and they picked the Tempura Prawns while supper would be Cheesy Ground Pork Tacos.


    "That''s pretty good. I like that. At least its quite balanced. Alright so for today, since we would be having Cilantro Lime Chicken, let me show you how to make Chicken Rice." and so all the interns watched me get the rice ready as I got someone to rinse and strained the rice.


    Next, I got the interns to tie at least 20 screw pine leaves, 10 cloves of garlic to be blended, cinnamon, aniseed, some fat and sesame seed oil. After getting the ingredients, I got them to steam the chicken to get the extract and once the chicken is steamed, it was to dip in cold water to ''tighten'' it up.


    The rice that was rinsed and strained were placed in 2 large frying wok and 2 interns got to ''stir fry'' the uncooked rice with the fat, sesame oil, garlic, cinnamon, aniseed and lastly the 10 screw pine leaves each. They were to fry the uncooked rice until it became a uniform yellowish colour and the water had dried off.


    Once it was done, the frying wok was to be put away for the chicken to be steamed next.


    The chicken was basically cut from the breast and I broke the spine and spread the chicken open. We used 25 fowl from the hunt last night and it was separated into 2 steamer basket. The extract was collected and I told them this is the water that needs to be steamed with the rice.


    The rice in the frying wok was then placed into a large cauldron and it was filled with the chicken extract and salt was added, stirred and the water level should be measured by the number 2 mark on the middle finger, which is a notch away from the palm. I placed 30 eggs inside it and arranged them to be boiled together with the rice after it was properly washed to get rid of chicken shit and feathers. Hah hah hah.


    There was a taboo that I had learnt from my mom, which is to put some salt on top of the cauldron and when the rice was being cooked and looks nearly ready, use a knife to stab the rice all around the cauldron and command it to "cook, cook, cook,".


    Actually, it was to open up some spaces for the steam to rise. As for the salt, my mom said it was to feed the rocket stove genie. Even having a third eye would not even let me see the genie until now.


    The smell of the rice indicates that it is ready soon and was already very enticing and I showed them how to test the rice by stirring and loosening it up and to take a small pinch out in the palm and eat from there. Never use a spoon to taste the food but use the spoon to pour a sample to test from the palm.


    The halved and intact chicken was placed in a wire barbecue thingy and was told to roast it in the fire. I explained that one fowl would be good for 4 pax. The roasted chicken had some salt and pepper to sprinkle and turned over until its golden brown and place aside.


    Next would be the lemon extract and everyone learnt a new hack. I rolled the lemon on the countertop to soften and get the juices out first. Then when I halved it, the juices come out freely. I gave them a basket full of it and told them to do the same and extract the juices.


    The juices were mixed with honey, sesame oil, salt and pepper. I told them to spread this over the chicken when it was about to be served. Next would be the sides and the sides are salad leaves, sliced tomatoes and cucumber and steamed eggs that need to be sliced.


    I used a piece of thread and tie it on the counter and that is going to be used to slice the steamed egg. After putting all the sides around an oval serving plate I then made another sauce. It''s a sweet and spicy sauce that is being made with chilli, garlic, shallots, ginger, vinegar, salt, sugar, sesame oil and thickener.


    All the raw ingredients were blended and were made to be boiled with vinegar with all the other stuff added inside. Water was being used to thin it abit and I told them that this sauce needs to be evaporated and becomes a thick sauce. The process takes from 1 to 2 hours time depending on how ''fierce'' the fire from the rocket stove would be.


    I took a high stool and sat and narrated them on how to prepare the mid-afternoon snack, dinner, as well as supper and they, took down the notes and from that notes, I would observe how fast their creativity and imaginative minds would work.


    "Culinary is an art, a passion as well as using one''s creativity, whether to serve a single person or a 100 people in a buffet style. Just by looking at the ingredients and the name of the menu, you could use it to twist them around and create your own menus."


    "This week you would be guided but the next you would have the ingredients before you and you need to brief me what you would be doing for lunch, mid-afternoon snacks, dinner and supper."


    "One thing to remember is, recipes are there for a guideline. You would need to use your creativity and wildest imagination to create it and call it your own. Remember that, ok?"


    The interns nodded and find that they had learnt something valuable in their path. When they heard the salary that they would be getting and also a 20% cut from there for my commission for 6 months, they didn''t mind it at all because what they are getting is almost 2x to 3x the amount that was offered by some of the nobles.


    It was almost lunchtime and 7 platters were set with the sides and it was time to pour the sweet-spicy sauce around the platter and arrange the roasted chicken in the centre and to bask the roasted chicken with the lemon juice.


    Each of the interns took the platter with the lemon roasted chicken and rice in the chafing dish. Each serving of rice would be shaped in a medium bowl before it was upturned on a plate. They saw how it was done and told me it was the first time they had seen this way.


    "There''s always a first time for everything, eh?"

 Chapter 132 - 132. Ive Got Them All... 87 Towns Info

    Patricia and the rest of the members came sauntering in and saw the interns were preparing the lunch and by the look of the menu in front of them, it was like welcoming royal troops entering the Castle.


    Prius and Rebecca had just returned from making their rounds at the production plants, the Keating''s Day Care Centre, Strongbow Tavern as well as the Beauty World store.


    They reminded me that the group of merchants and delivery guys would be holding a conference to meet me during lunch and I nodded in acknowledgement.


    When Patricia entered the grounds and saw the interns were arranging the cuisine and were using the bowl to scoop the rice in the plate she can''t help herself exclaiming, "Oh. My. God... The display is very enticing. Oh. My. God... The rice is of very nice colour and the smell is really very inviting. The chicken and the appearance makes me want to sit down and have the meal straight away...!!!"


    Adam and Ingles saw the dishes that were placed in the middle and the way it was arranged make it look like an art. There were greens, red, white, yellow with dripping sauce and the chicken wonderfully roasted and was dripping with unknown juices that somehow makes them salivate.


    Jane and Kayla saw how the chicken was made to split into two but was kept intact can''t help exclaiming, "Daddy... This chicken is sooooooo huge...!!! 4 person to a plate of whole chicken? The words on the menu are already very nice sounding and when the food is served, I could chomp on it all day long..."


    The rest of the members were also delightfully surprised and all went to scrub their hands and wash their faces before they sit down at the table. The interns and cooks had 3 whole chicken to themselves, properly arranged and displayed just like the rest.


    They were delighted to know that I made them sit and eat with us and were treated equally. The other housekeepers, lifeguard and server were also told to dine together.


    I said grace and it had been years since I was trained to do so but I seldom perform it. I don''t know why I said Grace over our lunch today as I began, "Thank you, Lord, for the food that had been presented before us. In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. Let us all eat... Nom... Nom... Nom..."


    Kayla laughed at me and said I was kind of silly to add the Nom ... Nom... Nom... After saying grace because its the first time she heard in that manner. Soon the chicken was halved and quartered and the members and all started to dig in.


    Kayla''s eyes lit up when she took a spoonful of rice and remarked, "Daddy... This rice is super aromatic. It could be eaten just with the lemon tangy sauce, the salad, tomatoes, eggs and cucumber even without the chicken. No wonder you are a PAWWR... Because you are a PAWWR CHEF..."


    Rebecca added after she had torn off the chicken thigh with her hands, "My goodness, the flesh simply fell off the bones... It is so tender and crispy on the outside. This is the best roasted chicken I''ve tasted before..."


    "Well... I just tell the interns what to do and they followed my instructions. It''s their handiwork and praises should be directed to them as a form of encouragement. Am I right, interns?"


    The interns simply smiled and blushed because they had never imagined that they would learn how to cook from a man before.


    Lunch was done when the merchants and delivery guys came over and lunch was served for them as well. Our long tables and benches were able to accommodate the 60 guests and they were complimenting on the cuisine.


    Later they had learnt that I was the one who guided the interns how to cook and also its a part of our pilot project to create better chefs and create better menus. Also, the chefs would be highly paid and would be of high reputation since they will be certified by me.


    I told the 60 guests to eat first and talk later about what they would be discussing with me next. I knew the main topic is safety for their lives and the next topic would be property and I guess right. Maybe it was the Insight that I had automatically used, however at least there''s something I could have a heads up, to begin with.


    "Good day everyone. Would you like to bring up the matter that was reflected in the letter sent earlier to me?" I began as everyone had finished their meals and were starting to pick their teeth with a wooden toothpick.


    "Good day, sir... It had been a while since we had last met and I was the one who sent you the letter." said a young man with his wife beside him.


    "The trouble seems to brew in between the cities and there are plenty of highway robbers plying the roads." another travelling merchant spoke up, stating his disgust at those human marauders.


    "We have not seen such happenings within the towns but when we are in the road back from the outermost border, that''s where the trouble started. These highway robbers would dig potholes and when the wheels of the caravan got stuck, they would rob us of our valuables and whatever credits we have. Fortunately, we have stashed our credits in you-know-where" another young couple highlighted to me and I took note of the MO of these Highway Robbers.


    "So basically they tried to slow the traffic down so they could perform their heinous deeds. Hmm...ingenious." I replied and the young couple nodded their heads.


    "We are afraid of our safety because we ferry our young children with us wherever we go. They claimed they do not want our lives, but who knows they might change after that. These robbers were known to be law-abiding citizens and they acted this way because of survival." another couple lamented as she hugged her young child close to her bosom.


    I listened to them and I replied, "I wonder what makes then turned that way." the young couple spread their hands and shrugged their shoulders in a silent reply.


    "Yes, and I''ve heard that these highway robbers have families to feed as well. We do not wish to travel there with goods laden at the moment because they might rob the customers'' orders and then we might not be able to recover and pay the loss back to you." a father and son delivery guys spoke up and he looked sullen at the mention of paying back for the goods.


    I was shocked when they mention they had to pay back the losses and I defended them, "No... No... No... Your lives and safety is the utmost importance. You can never buy your life back from any store. Goods can be replaced anytime and there we have plenty of it. No worries, material loss is nothing new to us."


    "We won''t be penalising anyone who dropped a bottle of shampoo just because their hands are slippery. No... No... As I''ve said, safety is more important. Nevermind, everyone takes a paid break for this whole week. I will see what I could do to salvage this situation."


    An elderly man who was a travelling merchant spoke up, "Sir, if I may suggest, why not you assign one adventurer from Castle Keating-Macleod here to escort every single caravan then? We could scare them half to death by the prowess of these warriors."


    "If we were to do that, they would not be able to compete of which House would come up tops as well as personal achievements on who had completed the most quest and collected the most kills on beasts, monsters and villains," I replied after I assess the suggestion. Furthermore, we have 30 caravans and only 20 adventurers.


    "Then our livelihood is being disrupted this way, Sir. We love working with you because you are not hard up for results immediately and somehow we work free and easy for you. The salaries also were paid up a day before the month-end and lately, we had also received an increment in our salary." a mother and daughter who worked as delivery guys lamented at their fate if this matter goes on.


    I looked at everyone and through Insight, I am able to tell that everyone is speaking the truth and was sincere about their hard work and dedication for Beauty World. "We had reported to Ruler of Aermagh and they had taken action. Prius, Blake and Bruce had discussed with the military advisors and will be pursuing the matters."


    "We won''t know how long they will deploy their soldiers over to eradicate this problem but we are pretty sure that they are not sitting on their fat ass cheek butts and do nothing. By the way, all of you have a system right?"


    "Yes, we do Sir. What do you want us to do with our system?"


    "Those plying the Northern, Eastern and Western borders, please link your systems up with me so I would be able to have all the town details. Please do it right now." I opened up my interface and went to select the map tab and I had a few links coming in to connect with me. I clicked on link-up information and a flurry of information was passed.


    Within minutes I had the map filled with all kinds of information such as brothels, taverns, pubs, discotheque and drug houses. I looked at them and those who had given me the additional useless information grinned widely at me as I filter out those I do not need.


    What I need is each of the 87 town names in those zones and their town squares, business district and the place where they held the distribution of sales. After getting all the information that I require, I shut the interface and thanked Ceres for the system upgrade.


    "Give me three days and come back here to listen to my suggestion and make a rebuttal if you think it''s appropriate" I finally said and bade them have a good rest within 8 days as they were paid to do so.


    They thanked me and filed out of the Castle and some of them remarked that they should be sending their children and grandchildren here to be trained as adventurers when they grow up. Everyone agrees at the magnitude of the Castle and the humbleness of their founders.

 Chapter 133 - 133. H-A-C-K-E-R-C-H-E-A-T-E-R Whatever...

    After they had left, I checked on the interns and they informed me about the procedures on how they are going to prepare for the mid-afternoon snacks and as the members were informed of the schedule, they would return in about 1.5hrs later.


    This would give me enough time to settle the orders for Blake''s and Bruce''s as well as settle the trade with NoOne. After telling them that I would be out for a while, the interns told me that they would stay right until supper time to see how their results would be. I nodded at them and I left the Castle grounds and head to NoOne first.


    ....


    "Here you go, mate. 30k pieces of level 3 iron chain mail gauntlets. 80 credits for a pair right?" I greeted him and finds that he never greeted me with the usual "Be wary of the dangers bla bla bla..."


    The trade was made and he handed me 2.4 million credits that could get me a decent sports car to zip around the towns. Hah... I wished. I thanked him for the trade and went to Blake''s and Bruce''s.


    ....


    "Good day gentlemen, here are your orders for 1500 of all these weapons and armours each." I greeted Blake as I entered the store and saw Bruce there as well. Seems these two had worked out a plan to merge their venture after all.


    "Good day to you too, my good brother. Thank you so much... I would never realise the orders could be completed in such a short time." Blake responded as he received all the items that I trade link with from my storage. Having a system Upgrade is pretty neat after all. There''s no limit to one''s storage and can store as many items as we want without being encumbered like before.


    "These pieces were much better than those junk that the legion that is wearing that time. We won''t be delivering to them immediately and we would be heading there one day before the due date. At least the military advisors won''t suspect anything that this kind of quantity and quality could be forged within 24 hours." Bruce added when he inspected the goods from Blake.


    "Yup, I''m hoping the military advisors would deploy their troops to the towns that need their help to eradicate those Bandits. However the case it may be, its a good trade negotiation so far that you had made."


    "Which other cities you think you would be able to market these products then? Here, here''s a sample for you to bring there in case they need some proof that we could produce level 3 iron weapons and armours."


    I handed Bruce a few sets of armour and weapons that I had duplicated extra so that he could show them to potential military advisors. Well, these people do have the potential and calibre to create sales from one city, why not go ahead and find some more cities then.


    "Oh... Aermagh lies in the far South, the North has a city called Northrup, Emerald City in the East and Westinghouse in the West. The travel by caravan would take about 2 days and it would take just a minute to travel by map."


    Hearing the word map I asked Blake to link up the information with me and soon 3 other cities emerged on my map. I had to pinch the screen in order to reach the location of the cities and I saw that all roads leading to the city were treacherous.


    "Alright, since all of you had nothing better to do, why not you go ahead and check out the other cities for us? But if they were to ask for full plate armour, just tell them that we do not do them because of its size and cumbersomeness."


    "Furthermore, my wisps helpers would not be able to make the full armour plate in time even if I break down the pieces to manageable sizes to do it."


    "Wow, this Bluff trait is wonderful. I could lie with a straight face and tell a lie as if it was the damn truth." I thought and smile inwardly as Blake and Bruce discussed on the cities they would go next.


    "Try to put various prices on each weapon and armours they want us to produce, the same procedures apply. 70% deposit for one-month arrival of goods, 80% for 2 weeks arrival of goods and 90% for a week arrival of goods. Get the samples as well and we could work around it." I advised Blake and Bruce and they nodded their heads in agreement and would inform me soonest when they return from the 3 cities.


    I bade them Goodluck as I left the store and head back to the Castle. I stopped at the Beauty World store and asked how the two shop assistant was coping with the orders and they were happy with my visit because they thought I was a potential customer.


    When they realised I was the owner, they felt ashamed at their eagerness to serve everyone that comes into the store. "Arch... Don''t worry, it shows how enthusiastic you are to entertain anyone that walks here. Very good and keep it up." I praised the two shop assistants and they showed me the records for the sales.


    It was about 8k average across a 30 day period and I''m not sure if I would be making some other new products. It seems I had nearly completed 70% of the beauty products except for face mask and also nail polish and acetone. Maybe I should improve 2 products to improve their sales such as glitter for their eyebrows and lips maybe?


    If putting glitter on lips, I don''t think the ladies would be kissing around and eating since it would smear their lips and put glitter on their cutleries. Hah hah hah...


    Maybe 7 different colours of nail polish that comes in 5 hues and one with glitter and the other without. Now I need Joan to help me out with the procurement of these basic ingredients and Pointus on the colour pigmentation that I need.


    I left the Beauty World store and headed to the Castle to assess the map since an idea struck me when I had finished delivering the goods to Blake and Bruce. So right now if better sort out the things one at a time and the production plant had also slowed its production because of the trouble. It would soon pick up in the following week.


    I thought of this plan and saw some of the members walking around and trying to evade some followers from other Houses when they somehow learned that those members were competing for quests. Well, sooner or later everyone would know about it and so what''s the use of keeping it a secret. All they have to do is to ask around and observe the conversation and answer the right questions.


    I picked up a wooden dagger again and entered my room where I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind and here I go again, 5k duplication for each slot and for 6 Fusion Chambers at the same time. NoOne would be getting mad at me for pulling this kind stunt on him.


    *Ding* Your duplication of 150k wooden dagger yields you to an increase of 1500x2.6=3900 levels increase for your base level and 3900x0.25=975¡Â4= 243.75 levels each for professions. You had also gained 1500 for your allocation points.


    *Ding* Latest update Unallocated point 124,670, Base Level 21468/1,000,000, Herbalist 161.5/1,000,000, Crafter 14,481.25/1,000,000, Blacksmith 1011.25/1,000,000, Culinary 195.25/1,000,000 Any other additional professions would be from zero onwards.


    *Ding* You can forge Level 16 iron for now. Next level Blacksmith 11k.


    At last, I could produce Level 16 but it''s still a long way to go and I would hit 500k levels before I could finally complete making the Finest Stainless Steel wares. I wonder how long it would take to reach that level.


    *Ding* Based on my estimate calculations, it would be at least another 1000 chapters before you could attain that level. *blep* *blep*


    "Blep Blep? Not blip blip... Ceres is just like sticking out her tongue at me again, just like Jane did to me earlier last night at dinner time..."


    "Ah well, maybe Ceres is just a figment of a spoiled lite brat. I don''t think she would call herself as Ceres if not it would call herself Charlie Brown. Hah hah hah... I wonder how a male system would be like?"


    By the way, I entered the smelting zone and finds that I had still had the steel plates that I had made 2 series ago when I was in Japan in the body of Himura Kenshin. I wonder if it does make any difference if I were to smelt steel this way.


    *Ding* You can smelt anything you want even yourself but it won''t give you any booger with of anything. You got the steel plates but it would amount to nothing.


    "Bbaahh... Win-lose situation. Nevermind, leave the steel technology aside first. Furthermore, I''m sure I''d be ready when the time comes later." I logged off and return to the real world with my notepad ready in my hand to write my thoughts and work out a plan.

 Chapter 134 - 134. Delectable Underwater Cockroaches.

    It''s a good thing my study is within the living space of the Castle and all I could now be to plop myself in the cosy corner and then relax while I take some notes of the cities around Ingmery.


    I feel like I am a frog under a coconut husk and oblivious to the happenings outside. Right now I had acquired the knowledge of 87 Towns on the Northern, Eastern and Western part and now I have the knowledge of 3 other cities.


    First off I drew a flowchart stating the number of weapons and armours bought from Aermagh. This would indicate the approximate number of soldiers that existed in the city. Since I was given 2 kinds of helmets to forge, it would be safe to say that there are 2 types of the army and it is about 3k strong.


    Next would be Northrup, Emerald City and Westinghouse. I just hope Blake and Bruce would be able to travel there and make a round trip before ending up back here in Ingmery.


    The map showing the 87 Towns were far and wide. Each connecting towns had a network between one another and it was like a spider net type of road network. Not only I was surprised by its complexity and ease to travel from one city to another, but the ease of warping to one another is also ideal.


    I was at Blake''s when the idea came into my mind. Why risk lives and properties when once could warp and reach the outskirts of town on just under a minute? WHY DIDN''T I THINK OF THAT BEFORE..?? Maybe the idea of having the advertisement for our brand name was the first step and I have forgotten that everybody has a system of their own.


    Not for adventuring but for their own trade and profession. I''m sure Blake, Bruce and many others out there have a system. If they used their system to gather the order sales and hang around the town for some time, I''m sure they don''t need to spend any more time on the road.


    Furthermore, I think I would design them a vest that anyone would be able to distinguish them from afar. A bright yellow vest with red lettering would be visible from afar and that would the most ideal. Behind is the name "BEAUTY WORLD" while the front would the Macleod''s Lucky Badge emblem on the left-hand side.


    Just get one piece of vest and then duplicate as many as 60. The emblem would be the same badge as the adventurers are using right now. I looked at the time and decided to leave after mid-afternoon snacks as the adventurers are already on their way.


    I went to the kitchen and saw two variants of fillings for the tacos. One is halved and the other is a quarter. They asked me which one is suitable and I said the quarter one is better because at least the fillings are stuffed sparingly and advised them not to use too much cheese.


    The best way is to ready the stuffings and spread the cheese just before filling them in. The cheese would be spread out in lines and it was a thin spread and most importantly each taco would have a hint taste of cheese.


    I showed them how to perform it as they got the rest of the dressings ready before they scooped a bit of filling inside it. The spread of cheese was made in a zigzag manner from the corner of the serving pan and once done the interns started filling the stuffing.


    "Alright, there is 5 minutes before the time to prepare 150 of these tacos. Come on, test your ability to finish everything within 5 minutes. Time is of the essence. The King''s men are coming back to have their afternoon snack and they are hungry."


    I spread out these instructions and see how fast they could prepare the necessary dish and place them on a serving platter. Just like any culinary in a hotel where you would be ending up rushing your work to finish it as timely as possible. These are only 28 people in the house and also the second day of their work.


    "Right on time...!!" I whooped when the interns just completed arranging the last piece of taco on the platter when I saw the first member entering the Castle gates. "Alright, go ahead and serve the snacks up. Reserve some for yourselves too." I instructed as I walked to the courtyard and welcomed them back.


    "You seemed happy today... Is there anything that you wanted to share with me?" Patricia saw my beaming smiling face as she sat down in the courtyard after washing up as she waits for the afternoon snack to be served.


    "Beauty World would resume its operations as per normal in the next few days time. All I need is to get a new set of uniform and we are good to go." I soon explained to Patricia of my plans and she seemed delighted to know that there is a way around it and all of us seemed to have missed it.


    "Whatever it is, I guessed its much better this way since Beauty World had been operational for more than 3 months already and I am sure a lot of people knows our branding." Patricia agrees at my plans as it seems the most feasible right now. Safety is assured and deliverance of goods would be timely.


    Mid-afternoon snacks were served and everyone was happily munching away as they tasted for the very first time a type of snack the was used to be called shawarma in other countries, burrito in some others or simply meat wraps for me. It is just food with a lot of variants to call it. As long as it is edible and delish, no one is going to complain about it, right? Hah hah... Good food, no complains.


    Another day, another accomplishments as the cuisine that was prepared were deemed to be favourable among the members. Next cuisine would be baked, braised black pepper beef with broccoli, shitake mushrooms, green peas, onion rings and potato wedges. It is like a whole dish in one sitting. It''s called the beefsteak or affectionately known as "bistik"


    ....


    After the mud afternoon snack, I head down to the Atelier and chose a bright fluorescent yellow coloured vest and with red trimmings at the sides. Then I got their assistant to make some embroidery at the back of the vest using the company''s name and underneath it a large logo as well.


    At least town folks would be able to recognise the corporate colours, the company''s name as well as the logo if they are illiterate. At least moving around in these would make them as a walking advertising billboard.


    After the assistants had embroidered the vest with the intended name and design, I paid for it and placed it into my storage while I make my way to the Castle and then to my study where I immediately meditate and enter the Realm of Mind.


    I pinned the Macleod''s Lucky Badge on the left-hand side of the vest and I made a single duplication and it came out just nice. A shiny badge was embedded on the left-hand side of the vest, about three times larger design than the original pin-up badge and it looked like a school vest. Hah hah...


    "I just hope that this new vest with this new Macleod''s Lucky Badge would have an added advantage to the lucky wearer, not just for adventurers alone." I then made 60 duplications for the Beauty World vest as it automatically stored into my storage bag.


    I logged off meditative state and returned to the real world and went to the kitchen to see how the progress for the dinner would be and it was wonderful. There was a bit of rice left and I told them to make prepare 5 kg of rice to feed the hungry adventures.


    I did a bit of probe with the interns and sound that they all had worked as cooks before coming in to learn a few more cuisines to upgrade themselves. "Ahh... This makes my job prettier easier. In this way, your internship would be able to advance faster in the sense that I would just present the ingredients and tell you the name of the menu and then it would be a matter of the first-time demonstration if you are unsure of its procedures."


    I explained as the rest of the interns understood what I''m trying to imply to them since I am making the kitchen and the internships as a training ground for them.


    The braised black pepper beef and broccoli were being prepared in the cauldron first as some ingredients need to be cooked medium rare while others would be completely raw. After the process, it was laid out in the baking pans and was baked in the earthen oven for approximately 30 to 45 mins.


    While waiting for the dinner to be ready inside the oven, I showed them how to make butterfly tempura prawns and showed them the vein of the prawn that needs to be removed. I explained that a small quantity is fine to eat but if in excess it would have an adverse effect. It was actually not a vein but much like the intestinal tract.


    I added a bit of bluff because I prefer to devein my shrimps because it makes them cleaner. Furthermore, the prawns head have these sharp thingy at the sides and it needs to be cut away leaving it intact and the legs would be cut off with a pair of scissors too.


    It looks rather clean rather than to deal with those legs and so on. I don''t prefer to eat so many shrimps myself no matter how delectable they are... Its is because they are considered as UNDERWATER COCKROACHES... Eeewww...

 Chapter 135 - 135. Would You Kill Me If You Are Being Told To Do So...?

    "Honey, today the members are all taking a break from their grinding and levelling up. They wanted to take a dip on the roof afterwards. Would that be OK for them?" Patricia brought up the subject because she feels our children and the members need some binding time with us since I had been away from them except on during meal times.


    The chain of the events for the past few days had brought us slightly apart and I immediately agree. "Sure, why not... A bit of R&R would not hurt them at all. Especially when they had been working furiously to get the ratings to hit sky-high."


    "Thank you, Guild Master, for allowing us to have some free time. As the saying goes, ''All work and no play would make Jack a dull boy. I don''t know who Jack is but I''m sure he is not a jackass for sure." Rodney was grinning from ear to ear when he heard that the members would take a break and use the pool for some relaxation.


    "Don''t have to thank me, the decision is yours. As a leader of the junior members, you should be able to decide what is good and what is not. Even though grinding daily may sound like a chore but basically, you are levelling much faster than the other Houses."


    "There would be a time where the Houses would start coming here and ask what we had created in order for all of you to Level up at this blazing speed," I said and Rodney knew what I was implying and decides to slow down once they hit Level 5.


    "Daddy, what are we going to do right after? We are now at Level 5, Mummy is now Level 4 and the junior members are Level 3. The other members from other houses are struggling and it seems that we are the ones that had shoot straight up in the sky like a fireworks rocket." Ingles pointed out to me since they had almost completed the quest that was compiled in the quest booklet.


    "Yes, Daddy... Don''t tell me we would keep on grinding and gathering resources until there''s no end? There must be something to do that is more fun than these." Jane explained as she is nearing her goal in completing her quest booklet too.


    I looked at them and then spoke up finally, "Being an Adventurer doesn''t mean that someone has to stick to the so-called unwritten House rules. There are more things to do than meets the eyes. Right now we are on peacetime mode, but that doesn''t mean that it would be forever like this, right?"


    "The Southern District has 15 Quests and if I''m not wrong, there are 10 battle Quests and 5 gathering Quests. These Quests in the Southern involved the Plains and The Wasteland where the Battle of Qodegh once fought for some years."


    "I myself had not even ventured deeper in the Northern Forest because it connects to some other places, not explored or discovered by many adventurers. There are 29 connecting towns in the North, East and West and there are 4 cities that surround us at the borders some 20-50 clicks away."


    "There are 2 unbeaten paths in the Northern Forest that do not lead to the nearest town but it leads right into the Troll Caves and the goblins hideout as well as the unknowns. The centre path leads to the nearest town while another fork on the left side would bring you to the treacherous, cavernous icy mountains where there would be more beasts and monsters available."


    "An Adventurer does not go around just for kills but to uncover unchartered grounds not shown on our map in the system. Would it be better if we have a map and we can use it to pinpoint places of interest?"


    "Don''t treat a quest as a quest... Which means if let''s say you went around and then you meet someone who needs your assistance, but has got nothing in return, would you help the person out?"


    "I will help them, Daddy. Helping others also raises our reputation and we can gain points too." Kayla answered excitedly as she thought a quest is something that is meant to be accomplished but helping others in need is another way to gain good reputations.


    "What if the someone who asked for your assistance wants you to kill another person?" I drilled these question into their minds because these requests may exist from time to time and I wonder what they would decide to determine the other part''s fate or even their own.


    "What if the someone asked you to kill and if you don''t perform it, you would be killed too?" the next question made everyone felt perplexed because this type of questions was never in their minds.


    "What if a government official asks you to break an entry, get certain stuff from a locked safe or wooden chest, and then to kill anyone that stands your way or discover your movement?" I shot another question and suddenly felt that being an Adventurer is not just about grinding, selling their spoils, gathering credits or just levelling up.


    "What if someone asked you to kill another Guild Master like me?" the last question that I shot at them made everyone gasped. Little did they knew that their roles as a Ranger-Assassin-Warrior-Wizard would require them to do such things.


    "Remember, an Adventurer is an Adventurer. Your role and class is yet another matter. Picking the path of an Assassin is not just about skills, but you would be contracted from time to time to perform these. Not only in recon or spying but also in thievery and murder."


    The members never had imagined their path in their lives would be to murder someone because they thought it was one way of survival and the knowledge of know-how in the wilderness, nature or dungeoneering.


    "Daddy... How come it turns out like this... I don''t want to murder anyone for no reason, whether I''m being paid or not. You said if someone asked me for the job, they might kill me if I refuse?" Kayla asked as her eyes started brimming with tears as I told her to quote those away.


    "Being a fighter of any class has their perks as well as their path during their journey. It can be a dark path or a very bright and righteous one. I don''t expect you to lean into the dark side but I need you to have some Diplomacy on your traits. It''s part of being a Wizard class since you use shouts and could cast spells but have not learnt anything in the arcane world."


    "Performing tasks along the way would affect your reputations too. The lower it gets the negative impact on you would be greater. The world is a balanced place. In the animal kingdom, a lion would pounce and eat a deer right?"


    "Same goes to the human world, you terminate someone''s life because maybe they cause harm to the victim or may cause an adverse effect if he is in power. Other than that, it may be of political gain and some personal gains as well. It is a balanced world so its best to use your judgement and investigative work."


    "Don''t go blindly into following every single action. If you are not sure, come back to me and we will both see and assess the situation together." I reassured them but I knew that they are shocked to find the fact that they have to kill someone one day not because of a battle but on a request.


    They then realised the true meaning of Assassin. It is used to assassinate and not just by having the class to wield the weapons, learn Stealth et cetera.


    Upon hearing my pep talk, half does not wish to rest and relax like the others and preferred to laze around in their rooms and contemplate on their paths as an adventurer.


    "I guess there''s too late for us to turn back now. Even if we are not Assassins, they might engage us as a Ranger to kill from a distance or as a Warrior to ambush and kill on site with mighty swords and so on. Either way, this is the life of an adventurer and frankly... That''s the way it is then for us." the girl who murdered a bread in front of her employee''s friend before spoke up and then lay sprawled on the floor.


    The rest who had relaxed after their dinner and went for a cooling dip in the roof was laughing and smiling on the outside but within their hearts, the questions rose up as they peered from the top wall down at me as I sat in the courtyard with the rest of the founders.


    A question rose within them as they asked themselves, "Would I have to kill a Guild Master even if I was instructed to? To kill him would definitely have me killed by the Guild Master''s hands. Not to kill, would also have me killed by the one who contracts us... Haisshh... Life is hard, but I never knew it would be this miserable."

 Chapter 136 - 136. Uplifting Their Spirits Through Bluff And Storytelling

    Supper time on that night is rather solemn as they assembled and ate the freshly fried prawn tempura with a squeeze of lemon and sour cream dipping with some sweet and spicy ketchup at the sides along with some potato wedges.


    I had left a message to one of the travelling merchants to gather tomorrow for lunch as we discuss the proceedings for the operations of Beauty World.


    "Sir, I am amazed that you had found a solution for us. And thank you for giving us a week paid leave to spend time with the family. Furthermore, I will inform the rest to come for lunch tomorrow and discuss after it." said the travelling merchants when I saw him walked past our gates that evening.


    I returned to the table and before the interns leave for their homes, they were informed that there''s going to be 100 guests including our own for lunch. Hearing the 100 guests for tomorrow, I''m sure some of you may feint being sick and have some stomach trouble and avoid work... Hah hah hah.


    But not to these 10 interns who were excited since their skills would be out to the ultimate test. They asked me what''s the menu for tomorrow and I told them that we would be preparing Chicken Banditos, Classic Hawaiian Pizza, Baked Spaghetti and Sausages and Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups. There''s only rice for breakfast and dinner and 2 snacks.


    They nodded and left for the night as we too packed ourselves up and head for the shower and then to bed. By 955pm the lights on the swimming pool by the rooftop would be switched off so it would indicate that it''s closing time and the lifeguard would be leaving soon with the server. The housekeepers would be making their last rounds before locking up and goes home.


    I had washed myself up and was lying in bed when Patricia mentioned that I am being too harsh to the members. I lay down sideways and looked at Patricia and asked, "Would you want them to discover the truth of being an Adventurer at a later stage, and then they would regret it for the rest of their lives, or make it known to them now and cause them to regret earlier?"


    "Either way it is better now it later or never at all. Look, it''s peacetime at this moment and a calm looking river doesn''t mean these no alligators at all, am I right Trish. I don''t know what was the situation like when the Battle of Qodegh was still underway at that time."


    "But I''m sure the adventurers were drafted into the legion as well right? Hunters, trappers, farmers... All those able-bodied men were forced into the legion. You know where I come from and basically I..." Patricia silenced my sentence midway as she kissed me and said, "Whoever you are, and where you come from before in the past or future, to me, you are my husband and my hero."


    "Haish... Maybe those members were thinking adventuring was beating the crap of monsters and capturing beasts. Gather spoils, trade for credits and then live lavish life or buy a house, settle down with someone they love, get married, have kids then watch their kids so the same and when they get old, they dig a hole on the ground and then they D-I-E..."


    "Dear...how come today your expressions were very direct, very sharp and at the same time unavoidable and it hits 100% precision that strikes the brain and the heart of others?"


    "I''m not so sure myself, maybe it''s the therapeutic community of creating awareness without beating around the bush but direct to the point makes it be like this. It is harsh and crude but it wakes up the person who listens to it. There''s two way of comprehending those, it''s either they buck up and move on or they ship out."


    "We cannot force someone to be what we wanted them to be unless its a mandated case but if they can''t carry on... Then it is just too bad. We all wanted the best for everyone. We all wanted them to be want we wanted to be. But can we sculpt a better character out from this?"


    "Although my words are harsh now, at least in the future, they don''t approach us and accost us for not being hard on them and sort of spoon-feeding them all the way. There you have it, follow the life of Audemars and you will survive anywhere." I finished my last sentence and find that I do not receive a response from Patricia and I looked over to my side, I saw her lips were slightly apart and SHE WAS FAST ASLEEP...


    "Haiya... My lecture is so boring that it could cast a sleeping spell... Hah hah hah... Ah well, tomorrow would be another day for me to hand those dagger to NoOne to trade and I hope he doesn''t curse and swear for getting to trade all the wood for 1 credit each like the other time. Hah hah hah... " I thought to myself and Ceres, the system told me to shut the hell up and go to sleep and move on to the next scene...


    "Haish... Even a system dare to provoke me in this way... What more a human being..."


    .....


    "I''d better get up earlier than usual and prepare breakfast and set up the ingredients for today''s menu." I thought to myself as I woke up, washed up and get changed before I head down to the kitchen. God knows what time I woke up and I knew dawn has yet to be broken over the horizons.


    "We still have braised black pepper beef with all the sides. I better chuck this into the oven to jest this up. We still got more than enough rice and I''d get this steamed as well. Hmm, I guess breakfast would be last night''s dinner then. It''s better to consume rather than to throw it away."


    After diluting the braised black pepper beef gravy with a bit of water and then adding more onion ring slices inside it, I set the earthen oven and then place the 2 trays of it inside it and leave the door slightly ajar. It''s a single pass just to reheat. I looked for the prawn tempura they had for supper and found that there is nothing left. Heh...


    Today''s menu would be Chicken Banditos, Classic Hawaiian Pizza, Baked Spaghetti, Meatballs and Sausages and Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups. By the looks of it, there won''t be rice for today and lunch would be a 100 pax and I wonder what those interns would think of the arrangement.


    I sat there in the kitchen and checked with Ceres, the system and was told that the wooden daggers were ready and the necessary points had been allocated as mentioned during the process.


    "Thanks, Ceres...I''d better be making some more of those duplications of wooden daggers."


    *Ding* The system Upgrade and your level up to 15% allow me to perform your last known tasks. As long as the process was the same as the last, I could relocate it for you. It is only for the Fusion Chamber and you still get the necessary points.


    "WOW... I never knew you would be able to do that. Thanks a million, Ceres. Please duplicate according to the same numbers again. Thank you... Thank you..." I profusely thanked Ceres as I never knew it was one of the perks of getting things done with her help.


    *Ding* Initializing duplication process of 5k per slots for 30 slots. Duplication process would be completed in 8 hours by 1 pm today.


    *Ding* Your duplication of 150k wooden dagger yields you to an increase of 1500x2.6=3900 levels increase for your base level and 3900x0.25=975¡Â4= 243.75 levels each for professions. You had also gained 1500 for your allocation points.


    "Thanks again Ceres... Really appreciate your kind assistance." I expressed my gratitude and the system went silent. Well, at least there someone who would be able to help me out then it would be alright. Furthermore, the item must be physically in the slots and had run once before.


    Everyone had stirred up and one by one came down for their breakfast in the courtyard and our children helped to settle the food trolley as they pushed it to the courtyard. Ever since the pep talk that I had made last night, it does set them thinking and was feeling a bit down. After all, I should be addressing them after breakfast to perk up their mood.


    After their breakfast, I gathered them around as I told them about the story of where able-bodied men as long as they are fit are sent to battle. It is a matter of an emergency and urgency that concerns the lives of others. It was a huge sacrifice that they made and those who were adventurers before have an added edge in battle.


    "Daddy, why are you talking about the Battle of Qodegh? Everyone died except you. There''s no significance to what you are telling us right now." Kayla voiced her dejection when the Battle of Qodegh was mentioned and I quickly changed it to Battle of Zord where 80 adventurers went against an army of different classes of the orc as well as skeletons.


    I told them that safety is ensured for every member and there is no casualty except for some who tripped on the ribs of those skeletons'' ribs and sprained their ankles, while some had sore butts when they slipped on the Orcs slippery blue coloured blood.


    There were oohhs and aahhs as I retold the story and I did use Bluff traits and also some of my charismatic charms to cheer them up. "The Skeleton King was shot several times by our archers but then every single part of its bone turned into hundreds of other skeleton armies. Those are fast runners and wield a rusty cutlass."


    "And so we have to group up and make another formation. There were 8 classes altogether and we worked on coordination and lastly, we vanquished the horses in about 3 hours and saved the village from further destruction."


    "We destroyed the portal and that''s the end of the marauding Orcs and its skeleton counterparts. The Orcs normally fight in groups and trust their own kind but during that time, The Skeleton King is the one that controls everyone. Scary shit right, fighting the undead?"


    I spun the story so well that got everyone riled up and performed their morning training with vigour. The interns came and were surprised that the situation was turned around as they saw the members were performing their runs in a very determined manner.


    "What happens when we are not around, ya?" asked an intern to her fellow mates as she walked through the gates and watched the members in awe.

 Chapter 137 - 137. Pizza? We Are Going To Have Them For Tea Time...!!!

    "There won''t be rice for lunch and dinner today and we have to feed 100 guests today. So please choose your pick for lunch, mid-afternoon snacks, dinner and supper for tonight. I let you decide 5 minutes because time is precious."


    When the time is up, they''ve decided to make Spaghetti Meatballs and Sausages for lunch, followed by Chicken Bandits for mid-afternoon snacks, Classic Hawaiian Pizza dinner and Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups for supper.


    "Alright ladies, we have less than 3 hours to prepare and serve lunch today for 100 pax. One person attends to the spaghetti noodles, another prep the fresh tomato for the grave, another prep the onions and garlic, oregano and all the spices and herbs, another decide to have chicken, beef, mutton or pork balls today since today menu is talking about chicken... Cluck... Cluck... Cluck..."


    I clapped my hands and got everyone to work in a frenzied manner and see how they would work under pressure and see how well they could cope. Even myself was like a frenzied madman, gathering all the trays, firing up the rockets stoves to boil 25 packets of spaghetti in water that had been mixed with a bit of oil and salt.


    I explained that we don''t have to wait for the water to boil and then soak the spaghetti. They''ve decided to have chicken for the Meatballs and I took out 10 chicken from my storage bag and three cooks went about it.


    I told them don''t throw away the skin because it could be made into crisps when rubbed with salt and then deep-fried. This crisps would be used to sprinkle on top of anything we want to dish up.


    The chicken was deboned and then pass through the meat grinder. Once it was complete herbs and spices were mixed and hands started to knead the meat to properly marinate it and were made into balls which would be deep-fried. To hold the balls together, a bit of flour and egg is used to dip them and fried over.


    The spaghetti sauce was poured into the pan together with the noodles and sprinkled with shredded mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar before it was covered by one row of balls and halved sausages and then the process is repeated. It looked like morse code once it is ready.


    5 trays of spaghetti were being baked inside the earthen oven and it was already 1 hour before lunchtime. "Time to make garlic bread. Someone prepare finely chopped garlic about 10 large cloves. Another churn up the butter. One gathers 50 medium loaves of bread. Another get ready the rosemary, thyme and oregano leaves. Add some salt inside it."


    I took the French loaf and began to slice lengthwise about 4 slices without cutting through it. All the ingredients were mixed in a bowl and I took a pastry brush and brush the insides of all the spaces that I had cut inside the loaf of bread.


    "1 loaf stayed inside the oven for 5 mins. Use a large tray and arrange a load of bread inside it. Spread open the slices before you put them inside so it would be fully baked. 5 minutes per loaf, ladies."


    "You can load 5 at one time and make sure its crispy on the outside and soft and brown on the insides. Go... Go... Go... " I clapped my hands once more because I had led them by example on the first few loaves and everyone followed.


    It was simply chaotic in the fairly large kitchen but everyone was smiling and giggling when I clapped my hands halfway midair like a mariachi dancer and was stamping my foot like a half-horse kick.


    "Luckily its 10 interns and 2 cooks. I was half thinking to hold a class of 20 interns before." I thought as I looked at the war-torn battlefield of chopping boards, knives, food and pots and pans.


    Fortunately, they learnt that after each preparation, the utensils would be washed and kept. At least the sink would always be free of any stuff and the utensils would be ready for the next use.


    "10 minutes before lunchtime, get the bread ready to be cut. I show you once and you repeat the rest." I picked up the medium loaf of bread and it felt warm and nice and the spread of butter and garlic inside it was properly baked and was slightly brown in colour.


    I halved it across and began cutting up the garlic loaves into bite-size sticks. I laid them in a small wicker basket that was lined with a linen towel. "That''s how it''s done. Hurry, everyone starts cutting. I will prep the food trolley." The 2 cooks who were the original ones working there began to assist to bring out the baking trays of spaghetti and I cut to make 20 equal portions.


    Everything was loaded inside the food trolleys and were pushed out just in time to see our 60 merchants entering the compound and our members coming back. Everything was served as the members washed up and had seated themselves.


    "Wow... Another creation by the master chef in the house. This should be wonderful, it looks like a pie to me but this is sure looks like spaghetti pie to me." Patricia forked the food in front of her and I told her to flatten it with her cutlery because it was baked.


    It looked pretty normal but the taste and the cheesy texture made it seems out of this world. I looked at the everyone while they eat and find that they had all levelled up one more level higher than yesterday.


    Our children were now level 6, the rest of the members have all reached level 4 and Patricia had just reached level 5. "Time for the last injection of points to Trish", I thought to myself as I walked up to where the merchants were seated and having their lunches.


    "There are some changes in our Operations later so I do hope you would be able to voice out your thoughts later to me. I will attend to the adventurers first and then I would get back to you. This is going to be fantastic."


    I enunciated to them and they nodded their heads in apprehension. Furthermore, they knew my responsibilities so it would be attended to those who require the priority.


    After lunch, the members were gathered and 100 allocation points each were given to 21 of them, including Patricia where they had allocated their points into their attributes accordingly. "One more level to go, guys, from then on, your direction would be at the Southern District for your battle and gathering Quests. The seniors are all waiting for you to Level up and hope you would achieve it by tonight."


    ''Our House ranking is #1 for the top completion number of Quests and the second is slightly behind us. Once we had gone to the Southern District, I don''t think the #2 would be able to chase us." I believed this is the case since the seniors are now 2 levels away from our members and our members are 2 levels away from other adventurers from the rest of the Houses.


    It was an inevitable win for the Castle of Keating-Macleod once the members had gone to the Southern District because the Quests there involved the venturing into the Southern Plains and Wastelands.


    God knows what awaits them there. Only 5 gathering Quests and 10 battle Quests were known to me but I''m sure there are more than 10 battle Quests to accomplish. I looked at them and little did I realise I had turn boys into men and girls into fighters in their own class.


    After the injection of new allocation points to the junior members, they decided to finish up the remaining Quests in the central and northern district and then move on to grind. They decided to skip the mid-afternoon snacks but when I announced that we at shaving pizza, they cancelled their plans immediately.


    "Guild Master, since we are having pizza later for afternoon snacks, we decided to return back here. Heh heh... Could we take away instead so we could eat on our way when we hit the Northern Forest?" Rodney inquired and was given an affirmative answer by me and everyone whooped in joy.


    "Yeay... We are going to have pizzas for our afternoon break... Love you, Daddy...!!!" Kayla was excited as she heard that pizza would be served and she opted to have two pieces with her. One to eat on the way there and one to eat while grinding.


    Well, the word ''pizza'' sure worked out their enthusiasm to achieve higher than what they are right now. Furthermore, levelling up for them is like a walk in the park while hundreds of other adventurers were struggling to get past each level.


    "Daddy, just now when I was searching for a quest, some of the members of the House of Grundy approached me and head me in a corner."


    "They wanted how come I could level up faster than them and I told them I killed hundreds of wild beasts day and night until the next morning just to reach to where I am."


    "They believed my bullshit and they wanted to do it 24 hours a day as well because their house rules don''t actually allow them to leave the grounds after 6 pm. So boring, right Daddy?" quipped Jane as she got ready to leave to complete the last few quests and then off to grind.


    "Well, that''s not boring... Its too rigid and disallows its members to grow. If they follow our free and easy concept, I''m sure they could go to the night safari if the Northern Forest and enjoy gathering more resources than just wild boars, deer and rabbit." I simply stated the fact and everyone agrees.


    "Well, we better be going now Daddy, see you later at 3 pm." Ingles pronounced and assembled the rest and marched out of the Castle grounds.


    ...

 Chapter 138 - 138. A Hundred New Products For Beauty World.

    "Good day ladies and gentlemen, I hope you had a wonderful lunch today. We would like to discuss the progress of Beauty World to everyone now." I commenced my intentions clearly and that means no bullshit or anything involved.


    "I need a volunteer..." I remarked and a lady from the travelling merchant came up and stood beside me. I handed her a vest that I had taken from my storage and told her to wear it and walk around the courtyard.


    The bright yellow vest with red trimming signifies the coat of arms colour of the Macleod''s and it could be seen clearly when reflected in the sun and the words on the back with the large logo of a woman in silhouette could be seen and recognised.


    "You do have a system, don''t you?" I started off the conference and everyone nodded their heads. There are 15 of you as travelling merchants and there is no need for you to use the advertising caravans anymore." I continued.


    "5 travelling merchants would handle each of the zones accordingly like before. There are 29 towns per zone and I need you to tackle 5 towns per day to collect the orders. Once you wear this vest, everyone knows you represent Beauty World."


    "After the end of the cycle, take a day''s off and then proceed with the sequence once more. Everyone got that?" I finally concluded for the travelling merchants and they finally realised that they could have more to spend home with their children and the children could be placed at the Keating''s Day Care Centre.


    "Yes Sir, we understand. We would teleport to the towns using the map function instead of using the caravans and using these vest to take the orders. That''s a wonderful idea, sir, you really have thought it all." exclaimed a young merchant.


    "Other companies would do away with so many manpower and cut down to half, but for me, there is no need to do it since we provide a livelihood to all of you and all of you do take care of Beauty World''s name and reputation very well."


    "You would start after your one week break. All of you deserved it. And now we move on to the deliveries." I declared to the part of the deliveries.


    "You would be staying back as usual and sort out all the deliveries that are being required by each town. Once you had done so, teleport to each town, one at a time to distribute it to the customers and return back here to get the next one and this procedure repeats until you are done for the day."


    "It may look troublesome at first but the store assistant would be able to process the orders for you as you settle each of the towns. Just begin packing for two towns first and then you may proceed for your deliveries."


    "You may start work by 8 am and ends by 5 pm where the original travelling merchants would return every time they got the orders to process them ASAP. It cuts down on waiting time and I''m sure you would be helping the company in a great way."


    "Would there be any questions?" I questioned before I proceeded on further and everyone understood my intent clearly.


    "In that case, there''s no objection, these new operations start by the next day of your week-long break. Thank you for being part of the Beauty World family and I sincerely hope to have you around for many years to come. Here, everyone has a vest each. This brings you good luck since the cost of arms were also being used by the members as well."


    I stated to them as I bade them good luck and well wishes for being employed and made sacrifices along the way for the development of Beauty Worlds business all over the towns.


    The thought of meeting Pointus and Joan would be next as I sent word for them to meet me up for mid-afternoon tea since it would be better to talk to both of them at the same time and have them loggerheads to rake up ideas and other innovations.


    After the 60 guests had left, I went to the kitchen to observe the progress for the pizza. Since there had some experiments ice to make the crust, I had them fill the crust with sausages all around it.


    There would be 4 types of meats, the pork in the inner circle, followed by beef, chicken and mutton on the outermost circle. Layers of sliced tomatoes, pineapple, onion rings, olives, mushrooms and some tangy fruits, strawberries and green apple slices were lined on top after the meat had been spread out.


    Then the 3 types of cheese were sprinkled on top and its done to be sent to the fiery earthen oven and each pan pizza was at least 28 inches in diameter. We had made 4 pan pizzas and all of them were able to fit inside the oven. As usual, the pan pizza would be rotated in order to be cooked evenly.


    I went to sit in the cosy corner because every time I get involved in the kitchen I would smell of food. I wondered how those chefs in the hotels would be able to withstand hours on their feet and spending hours in preparation of foods et cetera. It must be a great chore for them.


    By mid-afternoon, the pizzas were ready and they were being sliced according to 10 each per pan and kept back inside the oven to keep it warm. Everyone came back on time and the slices of pizza were grabbed up within seconds as the members all had their share and went back to their tasks.


    Pointus and Joan were present as I began to address the need for their combined expertise. "Good day to both of you. Thank you for coming to our humble Castle here and I wish to seek your cooperation in order to accomplish these two tasks." I began as I hope they would stop bickering for once and work out something beneficial for Beauty World.


    "Pointus, I need 8 colour pigments from you which would be white, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Let me know the prices later and I need a vat of that, maybe about 50 litres each?"


    "So Audemars, it would like paint from a pastel of colours, right? That won''t be too hard if I were to acquire a 300ml for you but for a 50 litres vat, I think it would be achievable in about 2 weeks time I suppose." Pointus replied as he counted the number of days to achieve the desired amount required by me.


    "That''s right, Pointus, the 7 colours of a rainbow including white. Take your time and let me know ho much it is"


    "Joan, we really need your help in your expertise in alchemy. We would like you to prepare us ethyl acetate and an organic polymer. These two products would be used for some new products. Provide a small sample off us to test first and let me know the prices, please."


    "A small coal would be enough, like a 50ml solution each for testing?" Joan inquired and I answered affirmatively to her since it would be a great way for these two to work together.


    "Another thing is, does anyone know how to make glitter out from synthetic fluorphlogopite? It would be a great help as it doesn''t harm the environment. I intend to incorporate it with the current products." I mentioned and Pointus and Joan suddenly looked at each other.


    Seeing them glanced each other eye to eye I can help but inquire in their current status. "It is like this Audemars, making the synthetic fluorphlogopite would require both Joan and my expertise to combine and work together."


    "We had never worked together before and I wonder how the results would be." Pointus articulated to us and was a bit sceptical to gather such resources and to produce such an ingredient together.


    "There are ways the first time, put aside the differences and then come up with a solution. There are some basic colours that I need you to work with me such as the colours that I had mentioned including black, silver and gold colour. There would be a total of 11 glitter colours and I would like you to produce a kilogram each for the moment."


    "No buts, squabbles or bickering when comes to a customer''s request right? Let me know how long it is required for you to complete both Projects and let me know how long would everything be done."


    "Thank you so much for your attendance and participation. I hope with both of your involvement, it would help Beauty World to grow." I thanked them for coming and also in a way I had managed to trap these two in embarking with our Beauty World projects.


    Acetone that would be made into two uses; one for nail polish remover and the other would be used for the production of perfumes.


    Organic polymer to be used for 7 colours of nail polish with 5 grades of hues per colour with and without glitter. That would make up 70 types of nail polishes.


    Currently, there are 9 eye shadows and it would be another 9 with glitter and the total number of new products that would be churned out in the production plants would be 80 with the exclusion of perfumes that would be on the drawing board.


    "Hah hah hah... These two have to work with one another despite their differences and the only to make it happen is for me to get them to loggerheads together."


    "80 new products and maybe I would make 20 perfumes and then that''s it. It is not easy to make perfume especially when they have 3 kinds of tones in them."


    "There''s going to be Rhumba as I turn the whole order of the production around once more." I snickered as I thought of the fun I would generate for the next weeks before the new products would be up for sale.


    And so, its back to the notepad as I planned the next course of actions for the induction of the new range of products.

 Chapter 139 - 139. Too Much Pressure On A Battered Body And Soul

    It''s already 4 pm when I sat down and checked that the 150k wooden daggers had been processed and ready to be traded with NoOne.


    The notepad I had with me was written the following of new products for Beauty World.


    35 shades of nail polish without glitter


    35 shades of nail polish with glitter


    9 eye shadows with glitter


    1 acetone for nail polish remover


    20 perfume based on using ethyl acetate as the base.


    "But why stop at 20 when we have so many lists of fruits, plants, herbs, spices and even those resins? It would be spoilt for choices and I''m sure people would be clamouring for it. The only to improve is pay a visit to the library again."


    "Guess I head there now and complete the trade and then I''d be back here before dinner." I figured for myself and informed the interns to prepare dinner according to their creativity. I soon head out of the Castle grounds to meet NoOne in the northern forest.


    ....


    "Thank you for the trade, buddy. Take care of yourself and don''t look too glum..." as I thanked NoOne after I made a trade of 150k wooden daggers. "Weird, NoOne seems to be a bit troubled these past few days as its not his usual self to stay quiet even he finds that I''m trading useless wooden training daggers at an enormous amount of quantity."


    "Maybe he got indigestion after eating too much rat meat I think? Fuyoo...rat meat is nice, it tasted like a rabbit. Those rats that feed on wheat and rice is the ones that are consumable. The rest, like the sewer rat, is full of viruses so better keep away from that." I reckoned because I had consumed those large rats before that looked like an adult overgrown cat.


    With a jingle in my pockets, I asked Ceres for assistance again and duplicate the wooden daggers to the same amount again and the system complied." Not only I''ve gotten 150k credits, but I''ve also earned a considerable amount of experience points too. This levels up pretty well... Hah hah hah..." I laughed as I entered the library and heads to gather about scents and sensibility.


    *Ding* You have discovered 369 Fragrant Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Stems, Resins and Barks Perennials for making perfumes and incense. Congratulations. You had unlocked Perfumer as a Profession.


    *Ding* For your achievement today, you have a total of 1503.69x2.6=3909.6 increase for your base levels and 3909.6x0.25¡Â5=195.5 across all your professions. Your duplications would be ready by midnight tonight at 1225am.


    *Ding* Here are your new statistics.


    Experience point 141000


    Level 26871/1,000,000,


    Herbalist 600.75/1,000,000,


    Crafter 14,920.5/1,000,000,


    Blacksmith 1450.5/1,000,000,


    Culinary 634.5/1,000,000


    Perfumery 195.5/1,000,000


    "Wahseh... Not bad leh... I''ve earned a new Profession and it starts at a cap of 1 million. Just for the start, I''ve earned 195 points but in actual fact, I''ve earned only 0.0195% progress. WTF...we can have so many high digits but in the end, it amounts to this much only.


    I walked back unhurriedly to the Castle as I checked on the progress of the interns and showed them how to fold the burritos. It''s was shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, salad leaves, scrambled eggs, shredded chicken meat, mayo and tomato ketchup with a bit of pickle in them and folded within a tortilla.


    This tortilla wrap was made with only plain flour, fat and water, kneaded and rolled flat with a pin and baked over a flat piece of an iron pan on the rocket stove.


    It was wrapped and a wooden skewer was being pinned to hold everything in place and then kept warm inside the earthen oven. It was simple to make but the preparation was simply laborious.


    Luckily, many hands make light work.


    It was quite fun as the interns had learnt a new recipe and looking at the way I prepare it with all the ingredients lined up in front of me, it only takes less than a minute to wrap everything up. Since the ingredients were cooked except for the cabbage that was blanched in hot water after being shredded, all ingredients were good to go.


    After I finished preparing the banditos, it would be for the Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups which literally means the lettuce leaves were blanched and then used to hold all the ingredients inside it like a cup...! Egg omelette was used to make egg rolls. And the main thing is the tangy sauce that Thailand loved and I quickly whipped it up using the sweet and spicy chilli instead and with a squeeze of lemon.


    The lemon squeeze would be used in the last minute before serving and everyone took note and make a few squeezes of lemon and set it aside. The prep was only like 20 minutes.


    "Sir, can we ask you a question?" asked an intern as we sat around in the kitchen as we had done preparing dinner and supper. "Go right ahead." I simply replied.


    "How come a man like you know so much about culinary despite being a founder of this House that is meant for Warriors and other classes as well?" the intern inquired as she looked at me, hoping to receive an answer that would be an inspiration to all.


    "Well, like my mother used to say, ''IF YOU KNOW HOW TO EAT, YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO TASTE AND COOK''.Hah hah hah..."


    "Cooking is a way of using one''s imagination and creativity. Another is using the spices and salt sparingly. Not too strong and not too mild. The cuisine is just another term to make it sounds so wonderful. So to prepare a menu, it depends on the ingredients at hand and how many hands you''ve got. The rest is all up to you already. Cheers... "


    I ended my answers to their queries and I excused myself and went to the cosy corner where I take a look at the list of new products and wondered how it''s going to affect the production lines later on.


    "Haiya... Come what may then. We would see when the ingredients that I sought from Pointus and Joan would be ready by next week. Furthermore, I haven''t received their prices so I won''t know how much I owe them."


    I stood up and went to the courtyard and greeted the return of the members. "What''s for dinner, Daddy? Could it be taken away like lunch earlier?"


    Ingles enquired and I told her that we have chicken banditos dressed as burritos. The children were dumbfounded because its the first time they heard about it.


    When the food was brought out, everyone was excited to see a brand new range of dinner. Each of the member and seniors took 2 each and then left for the Northern Forest to grind and level up.


    "We can eat while we shoot from our crossbow in one hand," exclaimed Kayla as she skipped merrily along with the members after they had taken 2 burritos each and headed north.


    "Just like that? Grab and go and then comes back for supper and rest? It''s like a picnic to them right now? Uurrgghh... I wonder how long would this keep up." I lamented to Prius and Rebecca who had been busy getting everything inventoried as the start of the sales would begin in the next few days and it would be a very busy and hectic day.


    "Don''t worry, they know what''s the best for them because the members would be hitting level 5 tonight and then it would be the last time you would be giving them the 100 points each to allocate into their attributes," Prius mentioned it to me but then something else troubled me.


    The Battle Quests from the southern district. Everybody would be aiming for it which means they would end up in the Southern Plains, Terraces as well as The Wasteland. I''ve been to these 3 places and it''s a harsh place where there''s basically no food to be gathered there at all.


    There are so many vile creatures and they only drop like a horn, some fangs and poison sacs and some komodo dragon hides that can be sold for 450 credits each. Other than its plain boring out there. Maybe because I didn''t get involved with the Quests so it''s quite a dull thing for me to just hang around and kill things. Hah hah hah.


    "Haish...in the next day or two those members would have completed all their Quests and then they would head down to the Southern District already and began their new batch of Quests. It would be better to give them a pep talk in preparing the necessary supplies because there''s no food there.


    Wouldn''t it be a good idea if an NPC were to have a pushcart or something, to sell soft drinks and snacks in case the adventurers get hungry out there? Saves the trouble of carrying so many foodstuffs in the storage.


    I ate a chicken bandito in the courtyard and had a Thai chicken in lettuce cup a while later. After some time, I got myself thinking that I''ve become stumped at this moment because I''m running out of ideas on what to write in this novel so far... Hah hah hah.


    I''m still waiting for Pointus and Joan to come up with the ingredients that I needed before I could embark on the next product lists for Beauty World.


    On top of that, the highway robbers issues had not been settled yet as they are still robbing the caravans that ply the roads throughout all the three districts.


    "Well... Let us see what would the outcome in the next few days be then." I yawned and stretched on the courtyard benches after my meal and I had a nap put there under the stars. Maybe staying up late in the nights had taken its toll on my battered body and soon I had my eyes closed and dozed off.

 Chapter 140 - 140. Its Time For Me To Action...!!!

    It was already dinner time when the members arrived at the Castle grounds and all had washed up prior for their mealtime. Patricia approached me and sat beside me as she scrutinised me as if there''s something there on my thought bubble that she had read.


    "Dear, why the long face? Did your pet rock died or something?" Patricia places a gentle hand on mine as she gave a gentle squeeze.


    "Haiya... As usual lah. I have to throw aside my ideas that refused to pour out when I write on the fly. Furthermore, there are some outstanding issues on my head right now that I need to address. ''The Rusty Blade'' gang members had been nagging for some time already."


    "I think because my supply of cigarettes was cut short and this the only reason I can''t ''steam'' ahead like a locomotive. Furthermore, Blake and Bruce had not returned with the news that we require for the promotion of the Level 3 iron weapons."


    "Eh...why Level 3? Our children''s armour is Level 8. Mark Of Magi is Level 15 along with our Macleod''s Lucky Badge. Our weapons across the board are Level 4 and same goes to the supply for Atelier, Bruce and Blake." beseeched Patricia since she knew of the grades that I had forged with the wisps.


    "We won''t want our counterparts to be better than us right? Presently they knew about Level 2 iron that had been forged by Romulus and Quentin and so it won''t be surprising to know we could forge Level 16 iron now. Furthermore, I''m running behind the scenes while our friends Blake and Bruce runs the foreground." I explained as I spread my hands and spoke to Patricia.


    "We won''t want them to run into some kind of trouble with the military advisors or even the City''s Blacksmith there." the words finally sank into realisation as Patricia''s nodded her head in apprehension.


    "Do what you think its best to be done. Let me know if you need anything." Patricia articulated to me since she knows what''s best for me would be best for others. Little did she knew about my plans as I''ve decided to make a round trip starting in the Eastern Borders right till the end of the last 29th town and then back.


    "Alright, I would be taking off tonight and try to investigate. I would be taking a caravan and load it up with Level 3 swords and Level 3 tunic and I would be off. I won''t be back till the next morning and I see how much I would be able to cover the distance." I mentioned as I''ve got a plan that might or might not work.


    "Do you want to accompany you, dear?" Patricia queried as she wanted to follow me for this adventure. "Sure, but leave the Mark of Magi at home and get 2 volunteers. I would brief everyone along the way." I replied as I was happy within my heart that Patricia wished to follow me despite the dangers.


    ....


    "This is what you are required to do for now, OK? Load your crossbows with non-lethal shots. The idea is to create damage and not to kill." I instructed the two adventurers who are eager to volunteer. This was done in secrecy and our children do not know of our mission that night.


    Patricia and I were wearing long cloaks and beneath it was our armoured battle gear. The 2 members were wearing the same outfit and we sitting inside the caravan while we chugged along the way towards the first town, Oxborough. SummerFort would be in the Western Borders and Bronzeminster is in the Northern Borders.


    It would be a long hard tackle for the roads that connect to all the towns within the Eastern Borders as we led the horses that pulled our caravans. On the way to the first town, our caravan wheels, however, got stuck in one of the potholes and all of a sudden, a group of 5 men jumped into the road from the sides of the bushes.


    "Good evening to you all. We are the ''Rusty Blades'' and we are the known Highway Robbers that ply every single road that leads to these 29 towns. If there''s 5 of us, that means there''s 145 of us from Oxborough right till Eastend."


    "Right now your caravan wheels are stuck in the pothole and please exit from your caravan and stand at the sides in an orderly manner. Please set aside your credits and valuables too. Thank you for your cooperation."


    "Hmm, these robbers seems rather polite enough. Reminds me of certain groups of people that were called the Merry Men." I recalled as we step down from the caravan and stood at its right side. When the 2 adventurers had exited from the caravan from the rear, each took the blind side of both sides and unleashed their non-lethal bolts at the highway robbers.


    *Pchew... Pchew... Pchew... Pchew... Pchew..." 5 bolts were released from the Assassin''s compact crossbow and all the bolts hit the target right on the foreheads of the highway robbers and it left a huge red mark on it.


    "What in damnation is this? OUCH...!!! This is worse than being hit by a live bolt. Goddammit... MY FOREHEAD... It hurts like hell. I''m seeing stars right now. Medic... Medic..." screams of horror and surprise sounded in the dark unlit road as 5 bolts found their mark.


    *Swoosh... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... Thump... *I quickly moved on my feet and took out my dragon fang dagger and used the pommel to smash each of the robbers on the back of their necks as I moved deftly from one to another and as they fell to their knees, Patricia helped me to lassoed everyone and we pulled them to the side of the road.


    The 5 highway robbers were a sorry lot, as they were bundled on the ground and had been lassoed and the rope was entwined around them for some rounds. This would disable them to run away despite having their hands and feet unbound.


    By now the 2 adventurers had loaded their non-lethal bolts with live bolts and knew that if anyone tries to make a sudden move, these bolts would be capped into their knees for sure.


    "What''s the big idea...?!?! We are supposed to be doing the robbing here...!!! Mummy... Help me...!!! My head still hurts and now we got clobbered...!!! Why are we tied up and huddled like a bunch of sheep... We didn''t do anything wrong... Yet, I suppose... " another bellow of screams of pains and anguished voices rose from the huddled bunch and I stood before them.


    "Shut up all of you before those bolts really would find their mark in the middle of your foreheads. So, you were the infamous Rusty Blade robbers that Rob poor, unsuspecting merchants and families that ply this road eh? How long have you been doing this business?" I accosted the bunch as they looked like hog tied bunch of pigs at this moment.


    "Boo Hoo Hoo... I just joined them when they held a recruitment drive for this particular kind of jobs. We take 20% commission for every loot we received... Boo Hoo Hoo..." cried one of the robbers.


    "We had no other choice... Either we turned to rob others or others would rob us instead. Look...we don''t take lives, all we would take is credits and valuable loot." explained another who seemed to be the leader of the band right now.


    "Our lands were ravaged by beasts and monsters. There''s little left to even feed our families... Much less to sell or trade them in the marketplace. Do you know how long a crop would be ready for harvesting?"


    "God damn that Ruler of Aermagh, if not for him and his iron fist and iron bowl, we won''t be in this situation and turns to rob others to sustain for our families."


    "This is the only way we were being taught to do and it applies to all the roads that connect in between all the towns here. We Sig potholes so that the wheels got stuck and we politely rob them and once we had done so, we helped the caravan wheels out from the pothole and they make their way onwards."


    "Just 20% cut to divide among ourselves and we make quite a bit every day and night. The rest is given to that fat bastard leader of ours called ''The Fat Bastard''. Please, sir, release us. We don''t mean anyone harm. We just need to survive each day and bring foods to the table."


    I looked at them and back to Patricia and the two adventurers and I beckoned for a stool to sit so that I could address the whole situation to them right now.


    "Do you know that your assets are in the line and you are in very thin ice right now? The army of Aermagh is preparing themselves to eradicate every one of you as I speak right now."


    "Aermagh has deployed 4500 strong armies made of spearmen, warriors and also some berserker as well. Do you think you could be able to resist their incoming army?"


    "Look at your pathetic armour and weapons, even our most lowest ranking Adventurer had some pretty good armours and weapons and those could break your cutlass and sabres into two."


    I demonstrated by taking one of their cutlasses and I just ran the blade of Dragon fang on it and it was broken into 2 pieces just like cutting through paper.


    The robbers gasped as they saw what I had done to their weapons and now they have a shorter weapon to taunt those passing caravans and most likely they would be laughed at right now.

 Chapter 141 - 141. Beauty World = Booty Whirl, New Bandits Established

    "From this day, your robbing days are over. Do you hear me? I don''t want to see any of you robbing others for your own sake or livelihood. Don''t tell me that''s the only way for you to survive?" I quipped as I took a long stick and prodded one of the robber''s chest like a cattle.


    "Boo Hoo Hoo... My cutlass has been cut in two pieces. What can I do right now? There''s no such thing as compensation if our weapons got lost or damaged... The recruitment form does not state anything like that." cried the newly recruited highway robber.


    I glanced at the road and saw that there are two roads that separate the path, one is heading towards the town and one was coming from it. The distance between towns was clearly marked out as 5 km between one another.


    "How many of you were stationed on each border? You mentioned there 145 of you and that makes up a total of 435 highway robbers and not including those who were deployed as snatch thieves, burglars and extortionist right?" I inquired and took out my notepad. This notepad is going to be my ultimate weapon and a solution provider for these highway robbers.


    "I want all of you to turn face towards me. It is just too bad that you had robbed the wrong person right now. Do you know who I am? For your knowledge, I am called ''Night Ryder'' and these are my finest who are with me now and we are called ''Booty Whirl''.


    "Let me tell you if you turn the face towards me and my cause and save your flat assets right now. Are you interested or not? The Army of Aermagh would not touch you one bit of you listened to me and follow my direct instructions." I used Bluff, Insight and Diplomacy with them and it worked perfectly just as I thought it would be.


    "First of all, I want all 400+ to disband from the ''Rusty Blades'' and pledge your allegiance to ''Booty Whirl''. Not only you won''t be captured and tortured, but you would love a more luxurious and relaxed living from this moment on."


    I continued and one of the robbers raised his hands and asked me, "I like the idea of not being captured and tortured. What are the benefits because the 20% we earned and shared among the 5 of us would not be sufficient even to buy bread for three meals a day."


    "Now you know where you stand right? If you pledge your allegiance to me, ''Night Ryder'' and to ''Booty Whirl'' you not only gain 100% profit but you would also earn a steady livelihood and good reputations. Not only that, you would get a new set of uniforms and weapons to fight against your old ''Rusty Blade'' gang."


    "Joining ''Booty Whirl'' is not without a cause or smooth sailing. You''d expect storms and trouble brewing from your old gang. Are you going to put up with it?" I enticed them with some bluff and diplomacy and these words really sank into these poor sods.


    "What should we be doing sir, to enjoy the full benefits? I have never heard of ''Night Ryder'' or ''Booty Whirl'' before but an organisation is able to provide arms and uniforms and a new livelihood would sound too good to be true." replied another as I''ve finished prodding him and prodded another one.


    "Simple, first, I want you to fill up those potholes that you had dug up before. Then set up two barriers here on both sides of the roads. Each passing caravan would be allowed to pass and they need to pay 20 credits for using this road, that you are going to refer to as ''Road Tax''."


    "Identify yourself as ''Booty Whirl'' that repairs the roads and ensure a smooth journey and collect 20 credits per caravan that ply on both sides of the roads. I am sure that there are more than 20 caravans that would be passing through here every day, right? 20 on each road is already 40 trips. Each day all of you would have a share of 800 credits and 160 shares equally between the 5 of you."


    The robbers were looking at each other and were thinking it was the sweetest deal they had hard in several months. 100% profit and no cuts.


    Just a mere 20 credits to be collected per caravan and ensure the roads are useable and had no potholes et cetera.


    Sounds like Land Traffic Authorities to them but hell yeah, no one ones these roads and merely maintaining them would be nothing to it.


    The robbers were busy chatting with one another and Patricia pulled me aside and pointed out, "Dear, your Bluff, Diplomacy and Insight are the tops right now. You could even ask them to turn face and pledge allegiance to a non-existent group and our company name do sound alike to the group you had mentioned earlier."


    "No one would take notice and they thought that it''s just another branch of our company but under a different name that''s all," I replied quickly and turned back to the robbers.


    "What say you? It is a nay or an aye? It''s its a nay, I''d get my two Assassins here to kill you right here and now so that you won''t need to worry about your next meal. If it''s an aye, raise your hands and we''d untie you and get to work as soon as possible."


    "Aye Night Ryder... We pledge our lives and allegiances to Booty Whirl and would do as per instructed and no more than that. Please untie us sir and we get back to work as soon as possible." I used Insight on the robber that had pledged his allegiance and saw that he was talking the truth and I got the two adventurers to untie them.


    Soon the 5 robbers were busy hoisting the stuck wheel inside the pothole and replacing the pothole back with dirt to smoothen it out again. A few caravans passed us and saw the robbers were filling up the hole and exchanged pleasantries and information.


    I explained to them that these are the new men from Booty Whirl and they would be tasked to collect 20 credits for every caravan moving in and out of towns.


    "20 credits? That''s a reasonable amount. And they are maintaining the roads too? What happened to the ''Rusty Blade'' highway robbers now?" asked a passing merchant.


    "Oh, they are now transitioned into Booty Whirl and right now the main task is ensuring a safe and smooth journey. They would be wearing a pair of uniform and be recognised through the coat of arms here." I showed the merchants the tunic with the coat of arms emblazed on the left-hand side and acknowledged while he dropped 20 credits in a small pouch to the nearest ex-robber who had now become our latest gang member.


    "Look, 20 credits even without asking or even harassing them. This is a dream come true, guys. Money does drop from the Heaven''s and it has just dropped into my hands." exclaimed an ex-robber excitedly as he placed the pouch of coins inside an empty old wicker basket.


    A few more caravans passed through and they paid up as they overtook us and heads to the next town. Within the time we were there, they had been paid a total of 120 credits and this was collected in 6 small pouches.


    Next, I told them to strip except for their arming gear and changed into the tunic and hands them a longsword each. "If I ever hear anyone if you rob once more, I will decorate the road with you intestines from this point until to the next town in one single line." I sternly warned them as I made a cutting gesture with my thumb across my neck.


    "I want you to send word to all your friends to face and pledge allegiance to our new Gang. All 4 of you, go and send the word to all the rest and I would meet them at the next checkpoint." I instructed as I want them to convince the whole Eastern Border highway robbers to bow down on us, change their livelihood and save their assess from being captured, tortured and killed"


    "You, the oldest member here. Link up all the checkpoints with me and we would be able to teleport there instead of relying on the caravan itself." I asserted to new members of the Booty Whirl and he quickly linked up and send me all the coordinates of the checkpoints to me.


    "Now, that was easy... You better delegate a junior member to be here and all 4 of you go and spread the good news now. Return to me soonest possible and we would be able to meet them personally to hand them the instruction, their allegiances, the new tunic and weapon."


    All the new members of Booty Whirl quickly teleported to each checkpoint in the Eastern Border and came nearly 2 hours later.


    During that time I had gone to the back of the caravan and had told the adventurers I need some time alone as I meditated and went to the Realm of Mind.


    I duplicated 450 longsword and 450 tunics to be handed to these Highway Robbers after they were chastised and convert their faith towards Booty Whirl instead.


    *Ding* You had earned 23 points for your base levels and 1 points for each of your professions. Congratulations, you had unlocked another profession. Negotiator.


    "Heh... In times like this enables me to unlock a new profession? Hmm, that would be 6 professions and any points earned would be divided equally. Haisshh... Well, you win some and lose some I guess." I shrugged my shoulders and logged off my meditative state and heads back to the real world.


    Merchants heading out from Ingmery and heads to Oxborough paid their 20 credits willingly as the dropped the pouches of credits inside the wicker basket and the youngest member thanked their merchants and bowed slightly.


    I smiled as my crude idea worked and when the 4 of them arrived, they said that the others had agreed to the terms and conditions and were not filling up the potholes and waiting for our arrival.


    That night alone we had settled all the checkpoints in the Eastern Borders and each of them was told to spread the word to stop robbing with effect and to fill up the potholes in the roads. 145 ex-robbers were turned to road marshals by the company name of Booty Whirl to ensure safe passage for all merchants and traveller for a small fee of 20 credits.


    Road Tax, Manual Road Pricing or whatever you would name it, to me it''s a subtle way of day and night time robbery for road users and it became worldwide attention as each governing country adopts this way to collect revenue for their fat stomachs. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This the case of Booty Whirl, all benefits goes to them 100%.


    After we had done settling all the checkpoints in the Eastern Border, we intend to settle the Western Borders on the next following day.

 Chapter 142 - 142. Farewell And Good Luck...!!!

    The next day ensued as per normal as I prepared gruel with cabbage, carrots, sweet corn kernels, cauliflower and broccoli with lots of minced meat and bones from chicken, pork and mutton. I used some spices, cinnamon and aniseed for fragrance and taste afterwards and uses spring onions to garnish the top.


    It was like a Mediterranean breakfast that''s back to basic and the soup that was boiling with all the bones and minced meat. I soon mixed in the rice and when it was nearly done, I poured in all the vegetables, shut off the fire and closed the lid of the cauldron tightly. The smell wafted through the whole Castle and stirred up the rest of the occupants awake.


    "Wah... Daddy is cooking again and I can smell its wonderful smell. I wonder what it is but I''m sure what Daddy is cooking right now smells like soup...!!!" May bounded off from bed and heads to the shower to brush her teeth as she and her companions too woke up and made their beds.


    "You are sure to have a good and caring Daddy, do you know that? Others would fight over to have a Daddy like you. We are all in the same fate but you 4 are the luckier ones." remarked a girl in her early teens as she took her hibiscus twig and dabbed some Sparklie toothpaste and used it to clean her teeth.


    "Uh-huh... My Daddy is not only a warrior like us, but he is also even the Jack of All Trades. Good in business and money-making. Never scolds us but advises us in front of others. He is a good guide and a role model."


    "He treats Mummy well and every night I could hear like ''Honey'', ''Dear'', ''Darling'', ''Babes'', ''Harder'', ''Faster'' something like that... I think my Mummy massages my Daddy every night and it could go on like 2 to 3 hours nightly, really..."


    "The sounds of slapping also could be heard and I think Daddy was being massaged by a slapping motion, I think... *Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak! Piak!*"


    "Alright, my turn to wash my face and have a rinse before heading for breakfast. We have all levelled up now and I''d inform Daddy that we could head to the Southern District today for the next 5 days or so." Kayla announced as she began to have her shower.


    ....


    "Daddy... I mean Guild Master... Our members had all completed their Quests and collected a lot of valuable points as well as gifts and credits from the rest of the quest master in Central and Northern District."


    "We would like to seek your advice to proceed to the Southern District after this to complete the Quests there. It would likely to take more than 5 days or so." Kayla spoke up and when I looked at her I find that she had grown more mature and rounded around the edges. I guess she is reaching her puberty or maybe she had stuffed some snacks where her chest would be. Hah hah hah...


    "Alright, just to give you a heads up. There are 25 Quests there since I last updated. 18 battle Quests and 7 gathering Quests. There''s 24 of you so each one takes one per day and you would complete it not in 5 days Kayla, but in 25 days altogether."


    "Does everyone understand that? The junior members have already reached level 5 while the rest of the adventurers in other Houses were of Level 2 majority and only a handful are already Level 3. Well done everyone..."


    "Everyone opened up your trade link and receive your rewards from the Castle of Keating-Macleod. 15k credits for every one of you."


    "We do not expect you to be home once you started the Quests in the Southern because all the 25 Quests requires you to travel and discover new lands and locations."


    Soon after, I transferred 15k to everyone and advised them to stock up on some health and mana generation potion from Joan. Since there was no food out there in the Southern, they were advised to grind for some hours and collect enough resources before heading there."


    "You need to chop wood, make your own fires, bedding and cook your own food. Whatever it is, pair up in a buddy or a 4 man system. Teamwork is important and never leave anyone behind. I will miss you all for the next 25 days and all I could wish for all of you if Good luck and Be Safe...!!! "


    "YES GUILD MASTER...!!!" everyone chorused as they approached one by one and kneeled on one knee and got my blessings. Everyone was solemn that morning as they prepared to move out and be back after 25 days. With their own savings and the fresh injection of reward money, they have more than enough credits to last at least 3 months.


    They marched out and went to Joan''s where they bought a series of health options from 25%, 50% and 100% regeneration for both health and mana.


    Next, they went to the confectionery and bought some loaves of bread and assorted cakes that were placed in the storage infinitely and won''t turn green with fungus.


    They also bought some fruits, vegetables from the marketplace and cooking utensils from the Adventurer store.


    After they had done with their shopping and ensuring they had enough to last a month in the wilderness, they set out to the Southern District after assembling in the town square.


    Adam was leading the group as he started to sing a marching sound and everyone echoed behind. Little children were seen running behind the members and the other adventurers couldn''t help but watched with awe at the uniformity and camaraderie that our members had shown.


    The rest of the adventurers knew they were already Level 5 and were about to head to the Southern District for their set of Quests. The rest of the adventurers were feeling left out since most of them are Level 2 and their Houses did not spare them free allocations like what we did not at a ridiculously high price for every 10 points.


    Adam started with a line and everyone started to follow the marching band song.


    Hey, hey baby...


    I want to know...


    If you''ll be my girl...


    Hey, hey baby...


    I want to know...


    If you''ll be my girl...


    When I saw you...


    Walking down the street...


    I said that''s a kind of girl...


    I''d like to meet...


    She''s so pretty...


    Lord, she''s fine...


    I''m gonna make her ...


    Mine, all mine...


    H-E-Y B-A-B-Y...!!!


    .....


    Patricia was holding to my arms when she watched the seniors left the Castle grounds and finally discovered that they had all grown matured and were able to shoulder responsibilities.


    Tears seemed to well up on her eyes as she watched our children stepped out and would be pronounced as hardened Adventurers after they had completed the 25 Quests in the Southern District.


    Even though Southern District is just beside the Central Ingmery, but each quest may require them to be out on the open for 12 hours or more and that includes day and night quest.


    Even if our 4 children were not if our lineage, but we consider them as our own children. Soon, our interns arrived and headed into the kitchen as usual.


    .....


    Day Four... I''ve put up a note in the kitchen that today''s meal would consist of only 4 household members, 6 staffs and 10 interns and I showed them the menu and told them to decide which is which for lunch and the rest of the meals.


    They have decided that lunch would be Garlicky Spaghetti, dinner would be Lemon Pepper Chicken Curry with steamed rice, supper would be Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken while afternoon snacks would be Beef Tocino with hot bread.


    It was a good choice for the meals and since we need to cover the Western Borders and the rest of the checkpoints today, only Patricia and I were left to perform the tasks. Prius and Rebecca had already gone for their daily tasks and ensuring the main ingredients for all the production plants had been replenished.


    Something was gnawing at my insides and before we embarked to the Western Borders, I allocated 10k points into my attributes just in case anything happens. A total of 60k points were used up and the sudden increase of points make my awareness, perception, as well as my battle prowess, went up some notches higher.


    "Honey, bring along Mark of Magi today. I don''t know... Something gnawing at my insides and its not a rat that tries to get out. We would be in full battle gear and with our cloaks on as well." I recommended to Patricia as we prepared for ourselves ready and sat in the caravan as I activated the teleport function to head to the furthest checkpoint in the Western Border, the Westend Town.


    ....


    "I am not called the FAT BASTARD for nothing...!!!" bellowed a rather fat, baldy, about 30ish-year-old man with just a moustache and goatee on his face. *BBAAMM* he slammed his fist on the table and he reached for his throwing knives and threw them across the room where his minions suddenly ducked to avoid getting hit by the wild throw.


    "Uhhmm...Fat Bastard. The report that had come in was true. There are no more highway robbers and all of them were christened Booty Whirl and had sworn their allegiances to them. Not only we lose 80% of earnings but the gang of Booty World in the East had new uniforms and weapons." a minion replied to Fat Bastard as he slowly picked himself up and returned the throwing knives for his master.


    "Who the fuck is Booty Whirl and I heard the person who runs the operations is called Night Ryder? What kind of name is that? Is this kind of joke they going to pull on me or what? What do you mean we had lost 435 members in our Association?" bellowed Fat Bastard and a sputter of spit ejected from his mouth and landed all over his table.


    "That''s right Fat Bastard. All of our deployed men in all the checkpoints had turned tail against us and refuses to comply with our directions at all. This is a mutiny, Boss... We cannot sit around and so nothing..." another minion, presumably, a contracted Assassin spoke up as he picked his teeth with his fingernails and sucked on its leftovers.


    "You''re damn right we won''t sit around and do nothing. You, Assassin... Go and find out who this Night Ryder is and what''s the BIG DAMN DEAL with Booty Whirl. Give me the statistics on the number of men we have right now on all the 87 Towns."


    "We must stop this cockroach once and for all for disrupting our plans." Fat Bastard waves his hands off and his other minion that acted as his advisor soon took off from the dilapidated house somewhere in one of the towns of Western Borders.


    Fat Bastard looked at his dwindling wealth and had found that he had only few thousand credits left that that means he had only a few weeks to enjoy his time with the ladies in the whorehouses, drinks in the pubs and meals at his favourite Tavern.


    Ever since he had been part of this organised crime syndicate, he had been enjoying his lifestyle and these interruptions sure blew him up.


    "I''m going to get that Night Ryder and crush his organisation. Bloody hell... He dares to dishevel my joint, I make sure he would be meeting Hell soon..." he barked at no one in particular as he took a long drag at a bottle of whiskey that he had kept hidden inside his drawer and smashed the half-empty bottle against the wall opposite him.


    "I will personally SKIN HIM ALIVE..." he caterwaul and took another small bottle of scotch next

 Chapter 143 - 143. Booty Whirl Made Its First Mark.

    We had cleared all the checkpoints through warping through map locations and find that they ex-robbers were all too happy to have a new leader that does not even take a single credit from their takings.


    As long as they complied to the instructions and defend themselves against the angry mob that consists of the thieves and burglars in the towns, it would be smooth operations for them.


    The angry mobs of thieves and burglars weren''t happy not because of the highway robbers turning their rails against Rusty Blade but its the fact that they had more privileges and earns a 100% takings each day and shared by 5 people. Unlike before, they earn 20% and it was not enough to see through their next meal.


    The robbers and burglars on each town have a safe house where they would go in nightly to have their thin gruel with almost nothing in it except for a few grains. It was a secret safehouse where their loot was being submitted and if they were to squirrel away some credits for their own, they would be bludgeoned without any mercy.


    Red, blue and black seems to be the latest colour on these poor faces as they continue to extort money from merchants, pick the pockets of the unsuspecting and perform burglaries on houses that were vacant of occupants.


    Their deeds were on a high rampage that the town''s patrol guards themselves were not spared from being pickpocketed or robbed even in broad daylight...!!!


    Unknown to them, word has been sent to Aermagh and soon it would be a joint operation from 3 other cities and would move in to eradicate these vile creatures once and for all.


    "That''s the last of the Western checkpoints. We better head back and continue on the next following day." I suggested as I slapped the reins of the horses that pulled the caravan back to Ingmery.


    As we passed the last checkpoint and was heading towards Ingmery, I felt my hair standing in the back of my neck as if it was sending me a message or some spirits had passed by me causing my hairs in the back on my neck to stand.


    I pulled the reins to stop the caravan and quickly threw myself over the sides and pulled Patricia down with me. 2 throwing knives were embedded in the wooden seat that was lined with a cushy pillow where I once sat.


    "SHIT. AMBUSH. TAKE COVER..." I quickly gave the commands to Patricia as pulled her out to safety and went to the back of the caravan. "FRONTAL ATTACK. WAIT HERE." I hollered like as if Patricia was standing some hundred meters away but in fact, she was just beside me and had turned slightly deaf due to my screams.


    "Damn... It is a good thing I had allocated points into my attributes. I wonder if it is enough. Furthermore, these attacks were just too close. It''s broad daylight and I can''t see any foes in front of me." I scanned the surroundings and what stands before me were just sparse vegetation and clumps of trees that provide a perfect hiding and sniping place.


    "A R C H I N G. S H O T"


    "C R I P P L I N G. S H O T"


    "S C R E A M I N G. S H O T"


    I shouted these chants and fired a bolt from my crossbow and I saw my bolt arched and went to its target. I fired a single shit because I knew Assassins worked alone and this Assassin is one of them. I saw my bolt arched in the air and zoomed into the direction of some clump of shady trees that could easily hide shady characters.


    *Pchew... * *Whiiiiiiieeee... * "AAARRRGGGHHH... MY LEG. CHEATER...!!!" screamed the Assassin as he was surprised that the arrow came from behind and struck him in the calf and was embedded there. If the bolt passes through his calf, he could break the bolt head and pull out the shaft but it was entirely embedded inside the calf with no exit wound.


    "HHUUAARRGGHH...FUCKING CHEATER... HOW COULD YOU BE A RANGER AND YET USING SPELLS?!?!" bellowed the Assassin as he basically clawed his way in the ground and was dragging his left leg that had the broadhead arrow protruding from it.


    Patricia and I walked slowly forward and readied our Dragon Fang daggers just in case we need to use them. We rested our backs against a tree and watched the clawing Assassin that tries to escape from us but was unable to do so since he was moving at a turtle''s pace.


    There was no blood since I had switched the option off from my interface and watching the arrow wobble with every distance he covered, made it looked rather comical.


    "Hoy... Are you going to claw back on that manner until you get to your boss or what?" I was squatting near his dead leg and was plucking at the arrow that was embedded inside his calf.


    "HHOOII... ENOUGH ALREADY... THE PAIN IS KILLING ME." he hollered again as he kept clawing ahead to where he had come from. "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK... YOU REALLY ENJOYED THE SCENE BEFORE YOU RIGHT?" he cried out again pitifully knowing that he would rather die than be faced in this kind of humiliating state.


    "Who sent you? How much are you paid? Did you get enough to eat? How long have you been an Assassin? Do you have health and medical coverage?" I inquired as I squatted on top of him and he was unable to move anywhere. He tried to use his Karambit on me but Patricia quickly stabbed his both hand and dislodged the Karambit.


    "GET OFF ME YOU UGLY TOAD."


    "WHO SENT ME IS NOT YOUR CONCERN." "HOW MUCH I''M PAID I''M IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS."


    "I GOT ENOUGH TO EAT, THANK YOU FOR ASKING."


    "I''M AN ASSASSIN FOR AS LONG AS YOUR EYELASHES ARE..."


    "AND I DON''T HAVE HEALTH OR MEDICAL BENEFITS, ALRIGHT?!?!"


    I took out a polished compact that was used to store the basic foundation makeup and observed my own eyelashes. They''re quite long actually. I wonder if it would be turned white in many years to come.


    "You really a fiesty little one, don''t you? Maybe I''d like to send a message to your boss, Fat Fucking Bastard. Since you don''t want to talk, then let your body do the talking to him then. Tell him Booty Whirl is here to stay and we will take over this Underworld business and make him a bloody pauper."


    "If you guys are really hungry for blood, find me in Central Ingmery... I''d be waiting for you there, 1 versus a thousand would not make me shake in fear. I will take on every single piece of trash as a garbage compactor."


    I took his Karambit and tore his tunic from the collar down and I used lipstick and drew our company logo on his bare back and wrote the words, "YOU''RE BEING OWNED, BITCH"


    "HHUUAARRGGHH... YOU CAN''T DO THIS TO ME... NOOOOOOOOOO...." he cried out once more as he struggled and Patricia had to pound her Mark of Magi several times in the back of his head to keep him still.


    After we had left our mark, we left the unconscious Assassin and headed back to the caravan, dislodged the throwing knives from the wooden seat and threw the knives away on the ground. "Worthless trash, just a basic iron weapon," I remarked as I slapped the reins of the horses and trudged forward.


    I threw a last glance in the direction of the unconscious Assassin and saw that his eyes had 2 little ''x'' and his tongue was slightly wagging out at the sides of the mouth.


    "Hah Hah... I didn''t know you were vicious, honey." I remarked at Patricia and she simply replied, "What you can do, I could do better..." *Pling* That phrase seemed rather familiar and I peered deep into Patricia and hoped that she would not turn to that witch that had me trapped with a relationship, a school and sports scholarship in my past Leap back in modern Japan.


    We made our way back and I parked the carriage outside the Castle main gates that had a water trough, some grains, carrots and hay for it to choose and eat.


    "Do you think the plan of yours would work in the long term? What if the Fat Bastard starts murdering their ex-comrades? What if Fat Bastard and his men start to pillage house after house and became the number one villain?"


    "Yes... I''m positive the plan works in the long term and has low risk. If Fat Bastards starts killing their ex-comrades then it would be a massacre. If Fat Bastard and his men start pillaging the town, then the army would be caked in to eradicate the nonsense from spreading. If they wanted to become the number one villain, then they have to step over m dead body first."


    I replied through my clenched teeth as I looked at the two coat of arms colours that adorned the sides of our main doors of the Castle and swore on both banners that the innocents shall not be harmed and Castle of Keating-Macleod and Booty Whirl would fight these marauding bastards and we will reign as number one good villain.


    Is there such a thing as a good villain? Hah hah hah. Night Ryder riding the caravan and the horses that were named Kidd.

 Chapter 144 - 144. 384 Blacksmiths To Complete 135k Pieces Of Equipment?

    "Good morrow my good brethren. Did you miss the both of us?" greeted a Bruce as he stepped into the Castle grounds and I sighed a huge sense of relief seeing those 2 who had returned after their scouring in the three cities; Northrup in the North, Emerald City in the East and Westinghouse in the West.


    "Good Lord... I thought you were being kidnapped by some bewitching ladies and kept in their high towers and waiting for me to rescue the both of you...!!!" I can''t contain my excitement as I rushed forward and clasped both of them on the shoulders.


    "Wow... You seemed to be stronger than the last few days that I met you. You had been working out something or doing push up on the Missus lately?" Blake joked as he rubbed the part where I had clasped him earlier.


    "Eh... Don''t tell me the points I allocated earlier could even make a strong Blacksmith like Blake winch." I thought to myself and Ceres the system was silent as if her battery had gone flat or something.


    "Well, as a usual brother. I had to forge all those Level 3 iron ingots to make those low-level weapons for Aermagh and you could imagine how many pieces I need to forge for each piece." I defended myself and thought that''s the only plausible reason I could give at this moment.


    "Talking about iron ingots, it does seem you do have quite a lot of iron ores in your smithy? I don''t mean to be rude or to test your integrity but it seems you have an unlimited supply."


    "Furthermore, you had not taken a single piece from me to forge and those iron ores were sitting there looking so lonely and lost. I had not been forging myself, and frankly, I''m getting to be a bit lazy myself since I''m entirely dependent on you. Hah hah hah... " stated Blake with his usual unlit pipe in his mouth.


    "Don''t worry about it brother. It is a small thing. So... Tell me about our trip to the 3 cities. From the looks on your face it would be terrific news, am I right? Huh... Huh... Huh...?" I ribbed Blake and Bruce as if we were three kids who liked teasing and playing the fool.


    "Dear Brethren, let me tell you. This Macleod''s Lucky Badge that you had asked us to wear, is indeed lucky... We never believed our luck when we approached the military advisor of those cities and when we showed the Level 3 weapons and armour, it was immediately appraised."


    "Their current weapons were unable to cause a scratch on our shields but our daggers were able to slice their two-handed greatswords just by running the tip of the blade against their weapon. Even their shield was halved and it was like cutting through paper."


    "Even the current Level 3 weapons and armours are superior to their current ones and of course, we didn''t tell them about our Level 4 Iron weapons and armours that were currently being used by our adventurers. Hah hah..." Blake added as he inhaled his pipe even though it was unlit.


    "Alright... So what have you for me this time, brother?" I was eager to see the sets of weapons and armours that I had not seen from other cities and I was a bit excited to see its design and so on.


    "We were at Northrup when we had our first deal and we had weapons and armours for 4 classes. Paladin, Berserker, Ranger and Pikeman."


    "4 kinds of body armours were given to us, a breastplate, a half plate, studded armour, chain mail shirt, a small buckler, medium shield and a bronze aspis."


    "The design on the aspis was very eye-catching and it had two spaces where the pikeman would be able to wield his pike and shield at the same time."


    "This small buckler is small enough to be slipped through the forearm and it is being used by the Rangers. It would be used to deflect Arrows and it would be fitted over their left forearm." Bruce showed how it was wielded and I saw that it was quite initiative.


    "Here''s something new I have not seen before. It has a nasal helm and a half-open mail coif and it was an all-rounder armour for all the 4 classes." Blake handed it to me and I saw that it would need the same number pieces of Iron ingot to forge a half plate.


    "Next are the weapons. Pretty basic requirements here. A one-handed sword for the Rangers and Pikeman, two-handed greatswords for the Paladin and Berserker and a two-handed Warhammer with a 3-meter chain at the end of it."


    "This Warhammer could be thrown, swung or wielded. Last but not least, a spectum for the pikeman. Just the head would do and the staff would be inserted. It would be cumbersome to transport a 2.5-meter long pike, wouldn''t it?"


    I looked at the collection and counted there are 4 body armour, 3 shields, 1 helm, 4 weapons. A total of 12 collections for Northrup.


    "Boss, Northrup wishes for 2500 breastplate, 2500 half plate, 2500 Studded Leather armour 2500 chain mail shirt, 2500 small bucklers, 5000 medium shields, 2500 aspis, 10,000 helm and coif, 5000 one-handed swords, 5000 two-handed swords, 2500 Warhammer and 2500 spectum pike heads."


    "That''s a total of 45,000 pieces and we managed to get an average of 1.5k per item and we had a 70% deposit of 47 million and 250k credits out of 67.5 million credits." Blake described as he took out his notepad and made clear of the figure.


    "Emerald City and Westinghouse ordered the same sets of weapons and armours since they wanted to make it standardised with Northrup. Both other cities had also paid 70% deposits and they would be expecting them anytime. There''s a grand total of 202.5 million and we had collected 141.75 million of credits in the deposit."


    "Here''s your share Brethern, 40.5 million credits at 20% of the share. We don''t know how to thank you, brother... We had made so much these past few weeks that it''s hard for us to keep track."


    "Earning millions was like earning thousands of credits and if not because of you that saved our business, we would have jumped off our beds and landed on the hard ground in committing suicide."


    "We owe it all to you and Castle Keating-Macleod..." Blake added and he goes down on one knee and bowed his head as Bruce followed suit. The men knew how to be humble and know their roots and I told them it would be good to spare some money to give away as charity to those who need them.


    "There are 87 Towns and I''m sure there are 87 orphanages. Why not spare a thousand or two for them and make those poor children happy?"


    "They may need new clothes, some foods and candies or even a new soft toy. I don''t know how many kids there are in each orphanage and I don''t know if those orphanages do exist, but I''m sure small little things would go a long way."


    "What do you think? Make small little hampers and put a 20 credit pouch in them along with some foods and kinds of stuff. I''m sure you would be more blessed in your endeavours."


    I suggested since the got a major share of 80% and each of them earned double from what I had been given earlier.


    "Its a good idea brother, let me check how many orphanages existed and how many children are there in each town and we would embark on our little ''giving back to the society'' charity campaign. Blake replied as they made their move after they excused themselves.


    I swiped all the weapons and all entered the storage bag. I wanted to hand the 40 million to Patricia but she refuses saying she already had the 60 million and it''s more than enough. The sales of Beauty World would soon pick up and she can''t wait for the production of the 100 New Products.


    I grinned at her and told her that I would be in my study and I would be joining her in the pool later on. Since the children are out, we got the whole house to ourselves and play hide and seek. Hah hah hah... Hide and seek my ass. It''s going to be under the covers for sure.


    She smiled back and took the hint as the interns prepared the foods as arranged and I did check on them and find that on the fourth day they were able to be independent and able to work seamlessly in the kitchen. Time to spice up the snacks a bit since they had more free time on their hands for the next 25 days.


    ....


    Back in the Realm of Mind after I entered my meditative state and had fused the necessary pieces of iron ingot according to the required number of pieces per equipment, I cranked up the production for all the items and there was a total of 135,000 pieces of equipment altogether.


    *Ding* Duplicate and separate them accordingly over 6 of these Fusion Chamber. It would take 5.2 days to complete the whole process due to the complexity of the duplication.


    *Ding* You would earn +3510 on your base levels, and you would earn 146 levels across all the 6 professions that you have. You would also earn 1350 points on your allocation points due to the system upgrade and overhaul.


    "Well, you lose some and win some. It is going to be 5 full days of churning those weapons out due to its size. If I could do it with 5 days, I wonder how long it would take for a team of Blacksmith to forge all those." I thought aloud and Ceres unexpectedly answered my question.


    *Ding* For a team of 6 Blacksmiths, it would take 312 days for the completion of those 135k pieces of equipment. 156 days for a team of 12 blacksmiths, 78 days for 24 Blacksmith, 39 days for 48 Blacksmith, 19 days for 96 Blacksmith, 9 days 192 blacksmiths and 4.5 days for 384 blacksmiths working 24 hours without taking a single break. This figure is taken into consideration that there are 384 Level 5 blacksmiths in the whole of the continent.


    I was stumped when Ceres, the system updated me the number of blacksmiths that are working 24 hours non stop for 4.5 days to produce these 135k pieces of equipment. "Should I lie again and says that I have 384 wisps helping me out as blacksmiths?"


    I sighed as I logged off from my meditative state and returned to the real world. After I came out, I told Patricia that all the orders would be completed within 5 days who were already frolicking in the pool.


    "Your wisps are really helpful dear, I wished to see your wisps one day...hope they aren''t shy and then run off and would return months later to help you again," Patricia stated as she swam across the pool and came back again. She was like a mermaid, as her lithe body sliced through the waters underneath without a single thread on her body.


    No wonder she swims like a mermaid... SHE''S STARK NAKED...!!!

 Chapter 145 - 145. Penetrated And Violated.

    Day Five for the interns had arrived. Today I''ve decided to make Pineapple Baked Chicken with cinnamon and cloves in a pan and tomato sweet corn fragrant rice for lunch.


    Since the interns had knowledge of steamed puddings, so they would perform on their own today and make at least 3 variants of puddings in small quantities. A set of ingredients were once again set aside on the countertop for lunch and the interns were once again ready for the set of instructions.


    "Alright... You do remember how I made the rice for the Lemon Chicken right? Well, it''s the same process but this time you would blend 5 kg of tomatoes, sieve take the extract out. Prepare the rice as what you had done before and then add the same spices."


    "As for the chicken meat, it would be sliced to cook faster inside the baking pan and layer them with pineapple slices. Add the spices on top and salt to taste. That''s it." I ended the instructions that morning for lunch and mid-afternoon snacks.


    "Dinner remains unchanged, and prepare these sweet corns into kernels and grate the coconut and set it aside for snacks. I''m going to show you a fairly simple snack that everyone would enjoy. It''s steamed sweet corn kernels with grated coconut with salt and butter to taste."


    After I had briefed the interns on how to prepare the simple menu for today, I prepared the caravan as today would be the last day where I''m going to visit the checkpoints for the Northern Borders. Patricia was with me with her Mark of Magi and we both are cloaked to cover our identities.


    "Honey, today would be the last day we are going to convert those ex-robbers to be part of Booty Whirl road maintenance as well as highway peacekeepers, right?"


    "That''s right Trish, it''s the last day today and it''s only 2 days since the members had left the Castle to perform their Quests in the Southern District," I replied as I adjusted the reins on the horses as I patted the heads of the animals and sat on the caravan and slapped the reins.


    "So how about the weapons that the 3 other cities had ordered? Won''t you need to attend to it at all?"


    "Ahh... It is all automated and every Hong would be ready in 5 days. Don''t think about them too much then, we will settle these matters and then we would head back home and enjoy our lunch later on." I remarked as we had ridden the caravan until it had reached the outskirts of Southern District and we did saw some of the members milling about to perform their Quests.


    I activated the teleport from my map and we went to the furthest end of Southern Borders where the 5 ex-robbers had been anticipating our arrival.


    ....


    "MASTER... I HAD BEEN VIOLATED..." shrieked the Assassin as he finally reached his safe house after he had literally crawled his way back from where he was shot by me and his clothes had been tattered as if he was being trampled by raging bulls.


    "WHAT DAFUQ HAPPENED TO YOU?" hollered Fat Bastard as he saw the tattered clothed Assassin that had crawled through the sewers, pigsty and other what not just to reach to the safehouse many towns away. He doesn''t look like an Assassin right now but someone who had just crawled out of a donkey''s ass. Hah hah hah...


    "Boo Hoo Hoo... That Night Ryder is no match for me. He cheated... CHEATED... He was in front of me when he fired his crossbow but his bolt penetrated me from behind... FROM BEHIND...It is not fair... NOT FAIR... Boo Hoo Hoo..." the Assassin cried as though someone had snatched a candy from him.


    "YOU GOT PENETRATED AND VIOLATED BY HIM? HOW SAVAGE CAN HE BE?" Fat Bastard simply shrieked like a little girl as he recounted the horrors of being penetrated from behind and was violated some more. Fat Bastard''s eyes opened up as big as saucers when the Assassin tried to stand up with much difficulty and started to remove his tunic.


    "LOOK AT WHAT HE HAD DONE TO ME... Boo Hoo Hoo..." the Assassin removed the tunic and turned around to let Fat Bastard saw what I had done to the Assassins back and those who saw it laughed uncontrollably. "It seems you got owned, buddy..." remarked a minion who saw the red lipstick markings that had been left by me.


    "THIS IS UTTER HUMILIATION TO THE RUSTY BLADES. WE NEVER LAY OUR WEAPONS BEFORE AND HE STRUCK FIRST. IS HE NOT AFRAID OF DEATH?" Fat Bastard was literally off his chair right now as he peered at the drawing of Beauty World''s logo that looked like a Whirl of wind and the writings around it.


    "Damn, kid...You really got owned by him. Such a savage beast. To penetrate you from behind and violate you in such a manner. Tsk tsk tsk... "


    "I had never seen a cold, stone-hearted person in my whole life before. He must be a bloody expert to be able to shoot his crossbow in the front and his bolt penetrated you from behind. Tsk tsk tsk... "


    "This Night Ryder would be our captain for our Association and not a rampaging lone wolf right now."


    Fat Bastard returned to his seat and got someone to attend to the Assassin''s injuries and see how bad was the injuries when he got penetrated from behind and violated as well.


    The Assassin was stripped to his skivvies and was brought out by a minion to first wash him up at the water trough outside the safe house before he was sent to meet a witch to get rid of the curse mark on his back. The witch had also performed some magic to remove the bolt that was still protruding from the Assassin''s left calf.


    "How could I deal with that Night Ryder. His bolt shot from the front would penetrate from behind? I had never seen such trickery before in my life. If he can''t be dealt with violence, then a round of chess, checkers, backgammon, poker, gin rummy, blackjack, carroms would put him down. HE DARES TO MESS WITH US... DAMN YOU NIGHT RYDER... YOU WON''T LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER NIGHT... "


    Fat Bastard retires back to his chair, having exerted himself a little bit too much since the return of his paid Assassin. He slumped back on his armchair, sweat pouring from his bald head and down to the sides of his face.


    He took a large cloth diaper and wiped down his sweat as he opened up his drawer and retrieved a bottle of drink and took several gulps from it. After he put down the bottle, he let out a loud and long belch and wiped his thick horrendous lips with the back of his hand.


    "This green bottle does have a weird logo on it. Don''t mind the weird logo but the drink is really refreshing and new." Fat Bastard saw that the logo was a fat man holding a club on one hand and a skinny red Indian holding to an axe in the other and both were holding to a bottled drink and was being blown off from a large wooden tub.


    "Weird logo... But nice citrus flavoured drink." as Fat Bastard took another few more gulps and let out a long and loud belch that erupted in 3 bursts. Hah hah hah... He tapped his fat obscene tummy as he sat there with his legs on the table.


    ....


    News of me evading the attacks by the Assassin and how I made good of the situation had reached far and wide. It was a hush-hush talk among the ex-robbers and they knew that their new leader is much more formidable than their former.


    "Our new leader does not take a single credit from our collection of road tax ever since and its a 100% divided by the 5 of us."


    "Yeah... I heard Night Ryder is a super-wealthy person and have a few million credits with him at all times."


    "No wonder he wants us to be under his gang. No wonder he is a gang leader because a leader leads by example. Unlike Fat Bastard that will always be a fat bastard living off our earnings."


    "Yeah man... Keeping this road free from potholes, fallen trees and roadkill is not a chore at all and all passing caravans, merchants and travellers alike would drop their 20 inside the wicker basket. How convenient is that..."


    "What is a 20 for them where they could save thousands of credit from the old us where we used to rob them. Not only we have a better reputation now but we also earned recognition from the public point of view."


    "Some even packed lunches and snacks for us since they knew we worked hard to keep this road safe from other robbers as well."


    Its an irony where ex-robbers managed to foil other attempts of robbery by small-time thieves and bandits despite being their ''turf'' a few days before. Hah hah hah...


    Patricia and I had finally completed meeting up with all the ex-robbers who had pledged their allegiances to Booty Whirl for a more worthy cause and had distributed their new weapons and tunic. All the 87 checkpoints had been covered and 435 men had been seen and briefed.


    They knew that if they were to go against my orders, the bolts from my crossbow would be shot and then they would be penetrated from behind and I would end up violating them like what I had done to the Assassin that reports to Fat Bastard. Hah hah hah...

 Chapter 146 - 146. Main Ingredients Are Ready

    It was yet an unhurried day for the interns as I walked in the kitchen and they seemed intent to finish up the menu for lunch and made some final touches.


    Even the rice was decorated with sprigs of parsley and the colour of the rice was slightly reddish-orange due to the tomato extract that the rice was steamed in.


    I checked on the baked chicken with pineapple and it looked just right. I told them that something is missing and then I made a quick batch of curry gravy with some potatoes in it.


    After preparing the light gravy, everything seemed to be running just fine and I made sure the interns took the recipe down for the light gravy as it would be prepared for lunch the next day.


    When we were about to have our lunch, our children came back unexpectedly and were welcomed to join us for lunch. The 4 children had narrated how the 2 days had gone and how each 4 of them had paired up and completed two quests so far.


    "Daddy...how come the quests there are quite terrible compared to the North and Central? At least we knew we would be up against those trolls that you had mentioned to stay away from and to collect a certain gem for the Quest Master."


    Kayla started to complain right when she had begun stuffing her face with the tomato steamed rice and baked pineapple chicken with a generous spread of light curry gravy.


    "That''s the beauty of it, Kayla. An Adventurer would not only be gathering resources, saving a kitten from a tree or hunting for a certain mythical creature to bring its eyebrows back for the quest master."


    "What did you do for your quest?" I inquired as I was also interested in finding out how they all fared on these two battle quests.


    Adam who had paired with Kayla narrated how the quest had taken place as he first described meeting a quest master that hired a few mercenaries but had turned against him.


    ....


    "Forgive me, champion. Please, help me out."


    "I''ve been betrayed, betrayed by my own foolishness. I knew I shouldn''t have hired mercenaries, instead of fighting the enemy they joined them."


    "Hero, teach them a lesson in honour and make sure they remember it. Curse those ugly creatures. It''ll be dangerous, but I''m willing to come along if you need me to."


    "We''re counting on you to deal with those creatures. Try to take down as many of them as possible, the less of a threat they pose the better."


    "It pains me to say I won''t be able to reward you with a lot, but I''ll do my best to make it worth your while. I''m looking forward to your return, hero. Good luck."


    ....


    Adam told us how he and Kayla had tracked those mercenaries in the Southern Plains and had to battle several beasts along the way such as desert wargs, mutated beetles and scorpions before they discovered the hideout.


    "It was a bunch of blue coloured yeti and we had no idea how to defeat those monsters as they were huddled close to one another. Even we tried to distract them by throwing a rock at them, they took little notice and one got irritated by the stone that it got into a scratching frenzy." Kayla told the story to us on how difficult they were to kite a single monster from that group.


    "Daddy, we remember the time you told us that we need to ask ''Pretty Please'' to them so I walked up to one of them and kicked its butt while saying, ''Could I kill one of you at one time, please?'' and you know what, Daddy? It worked...!!!"


    "One of them started to chase me around and once we both got tired of playing tag, it was Kayla''s turn and she was shrieking around while being chased."


    "Those blue coloured yetis got so worked up by Kayla''s shrieking that all of them started to chase us around and we started to shoot our crossbows blindly. Those yetis were slow lumbering creatures but we had managed to kill all 5 of them and brought back its toenail as proof that we had killed all the mercenaries. The quest master gave us a vial of good luck potion and that''s it."


    "However, we both managed to Level up and we are now Level 8. I grouped up with the others and they too had levelled up the same while the members were 2 levels behind us." Adam concluded as he took another serving of tomato rice and discovered that it goes well with the light curry gravy and tomatoes.


    Even without the naked pineapple chicken, the rice and gravy alone would just do fine.


    "We would be leaving right after this, Daddy. Thank you for a wonderful lunch. It makes me feel lazy already. Hah hah... All those running the 5 km daily and going through the obstacles did improve our agility in those Plains."


    Kayla exclaimed as she had finished her meal and was sitting around with a packet of snack in her hand. I was half wondering how this child could munch right after her hearty meal.


    Both Adam and Kayla soon bounded off for the direction of Southern District and I''ve decided to follow up on Pointus'' and Joan''s progress for the materials that I had wanted. At the mean time, I discussed with Patricia on the upcoming projects.


    "It would be better if the day operations take over the new products while the second shift would resume its normal processes."


    "Furthermore you had informed me that there would be more than a hundred new products and the 22 production lines would be better off handling the new ones as we would be able to monitor them."


    "Therefore, the work would be halved so production still would be moving at a much slower pace but the output would be the same."


    Patricia shared with me her ideas and I find it very feasible since it would greatly increase the outputs for the new products. I drew up a plan where 5 production plants would be handling the nail polish of 70 hues with and without glitter.


    1 production plant was assigned to enhance the eye shadow with glitter while 2 production lines would be handling the perfume and acetone.


    Patricia liked the idea of delegating of the following tasks and wished to follow me to meet with Pointus and Joan for the pigmentation, glitter, acetone and organic polymer.


    The interns were briefed on their next menu and they had gotten the rough idea on how it would be prepared and served. Since there weren''t many people in the Castle, the jobs are now much more relaxed and they were able to be more creative in recreating their own styles and preparation of the cuisine.


    .....


    Patricia and I arrived at Joan''s and we peered from her glass from that she had a pair of bright yellow dishwashing gloves on, a bright green apron and a pair of steampunk googled over her face.


    From the looks of it, she was busy pouring her whole head into the projects and from the looks of it, she had gotten to the part where the organic polymer was being processed.


    We knocked on the glass window and Joan looked up and gestured us to enter the alchemist store. We opened up the glass door and peered inside for any kind of boobie traps that may be lying on the floor or any test tubes that might topple over if she walked carelessly around.


    We walked in and I could smell the familiar scent of organic polymer that smells like rubber but with a non-intoxicating after effect unlike glue for woodworking. I sniffed around and much to Joan''s liking, she asked what this organic polymer would be used for.


    She showed me a vial containing a clear colourless liquid that swished and swirled and I knew that she had found the right ingredient for nail polish.


    "Well, Joan... This clear, colourless and slightly odourless liquid organic polymer is what is used to make your fingernails as tough as nails."


    "You need not worry about chipped fingernails as it would coat it very nicely. After the organic polymer hardens, it protects your nails and nourishes them as well because the organic polymer is a breathable compound."


    I explained and she exclaimed in a very ecstatic manner, "I am so glad that I am involved with this project. Uh... Does it mean that this store becomes a subsidiary of Castle Keating-Macleod?"


    "Err... Not really, only a small part of it when you are being contracted to make this organic polymer for us. So how many litres have you got for us already?" I questioned as I am as excited as Patricia as she starts dabbing her fingernails with the organic polymer and made a mess with it.


    "You don''t dip your fingertips inside dear. Later I will see if Paul have the right porcelain bottle for us or not." I shook my head at Patricia as she and Joan had wiped their fingertips clean with a piece of rag and smirked foolishly at me.


    "How about this ethyl acetate that you had asked me to? I''ve got 500 flasks of 1 litre of them ready in my backroom. Do you want them now? I could get it for you, you know." Joan just casually spoke up that she had accomplished the main ingredient for nail polish remover as well as a base ingredient for perfume.


    "Oh wow... That''s wonderful. 500 litres had already been produced. How could you manage it alone, Joan? You really surprise me." I praised Joan for her effectiveness and she simply replied, "Arch... You are not the only one with the wisps you know. Hah hah hah... I got mine as well and how do you think I would come up with 500 flasks of that? What are you going with that?"


    "Heh... 200 of those would be made into nail polish remover. While 300 of them would be made into perfumes. It would be filled with all kinds of scents and it would be used to dab on your points where you would be smelling great all day long."


    Joan and Patricia looked at one another and held their fists under their chubs and gleefully giggled like elementary school girls. I looked at them and rolled my eyes instead.


    So after taking the 500 flasks of the ethyl acetate, I paid 500 credits per flask and for a total of 250k credits. It was actually a small sum to pay since her mana and health generation potion already costs 500 credits each and the adventurers had bought quite a lot from her already.


    We went to Pointus and found out that he had already gotten the 8 colour pigmentation that I had asked for and they were ready in 10-litre barrels. There was 5 barrels per colour and a total of 40 barrels altogether. We chatted for a while and I paid the same amount per litre as I handed him 500 credits per litre and he received 200k credits.


    He was surprised at the amount and he informed me that he would generate more in the next few days and I could come and collect them when it''s ready. I agreed as I swiped everything off into my storage.


    Next would be Paul''s in the Northern porcelain shop of his and after scouring the types of bottles for the perfume, nail polish remover and the nail polish with its applicator, we had found what we are looking for and paid for the three items and made our way back to the Castle.


    "Darling, help me with these barrels and flasks, please. We are going to store them in the HQ first and from there I need to wait for 4 more days before the equipment has been completely forged by the wisps." I requested for Patricia''s help as she assisted in stacking those precious, volatile, ethyl acetate flasks in crates filled with hay and stacked them maximum two crates high.


    After labelling the crates and arranging the barrels of 8 colour pigmentation accordingly, we left the HQ and went to Keating''s Day Care Centre that we had not been visiting for quite some time.

 Chapter 147 - 147. Wandering Adventurers

    When we reached Keating''s Day Care Centre, the children clamoured around us and wanted us to tell some of our tales in adventuring around the forest and around Ingmery.


    The children were excited at our presence since it had been some time since I had last visited the children due to being busy with other matter. And once we were there, the children spotted us and rushed over to us.


    It was a rather heartfelt welcome that the children had given us and so I decided to tell a story since their mothers would end their shift soon and would be coming to collect their children after work.


    And so here I am rewriting this chapter once more since there''s a bug in this app that happens to wipe out not just a few paragraphs but the whole chapter. Uurrgghh... I think I''m going to copy this whole chapter before I close it or so a spell check.


    After spinning a tale with my fingers and basically had the children eat from the palm of my hand, they were filled with awe and excitement.


    "So you had slain the dragon and all the dragon did was left its dentures before it died? What good is dragon dentures do, Uncle Mars?" one of the children that were sitting on Patricia''s lap asked me. Mars was a short nick for me since the children find it hard to pronounce my full name.


    "If any of you children doesn''t want to listen to your mummy and daddy and goes to bed early or refuses to brush your teeth before bed, the dentures would come and find you and BITE you in the ass... I mean knees... AAAWWWOOO..." I made a clamping motion with my hands and clamp it on the girl''s knees that were sitting on Patricia''s lap.


    "Hah Hah Hah hah hah..." I laughed so hard when the children squealed and screamed in fright. It was my kind of thing to scare little kids after they listened attentively to your little story.


    Their mothers who came to pick up their children can''t help to laugh as well since it scared the children and they all rushed to them and said they will listen to their mummy and don''t want the Dragon dentures to come and bite them when they go off to sleep without brushing their teeth. Hah hah hah.


    Their mothers came and say their gratitude to us for employing them, giving them a chance and pace a way through their livelihood and at the same time allowing their children to be cared for in the Keating''s Day Care Centre as there are other older kids who would be doing the mentoring as usual.


    When we walked back to our Castle after entertaining the children and spoken to the scholars, we discovered a group of adventurers were wearing their coat of arms of their respective houses and were waiting for our arrival.


    "Excuse me, Guild Master and Mistress, we are from the Northern District and I am from a warrior from House of Lord Mountbatten, these are Rangers from House of Rising Sun, the Assassins from House of Lady Katrina and these Wizards from House of Arcane."


    "The 36 of us wanted to form our own party band and would like to ask for your kind opinions but we do not have the intention to leave the House as we had spent quite a considerable amount of credits to reach to where we are now."


    "Would you let us use your training grounds so we would be able to train and improve further? " a young warrior who becomes the spokesperson for the whole group named Nelson spoke up.


    "Sure... Whatever house you all came doesn''t bother one bit. You may use the obstacles to clear some first and every station has its explanation as well as safety guidelines. Roam one round first and observe and then you may start the run down as many times as you like."


    "Let me know if you want to use the static stations. I need to activate for you and you need to arm yourself with those wooden weapons instead. No live firing or weapons inside the FIBUA." I explained as I pointed out to the weapons rack and they all chorused their appreciation and comprehension about the rules and regulations.


    "You are really that kind-hearted to let outsiders use our training grounds as theirs. The House should be able to provide with such training facilities if not how are they going to compete with us?" Patricia pouted her lips as she mentioned the fact.


    "Naaahhh... It is just a small matter, dear. It doesn''t benefit me or you whether they use this facility of not. Let them be. We can''t be too stingy and just privilege it to our members-only, right? Except for the pool, of course, it''s not open for public. Hah hah hah..."


    I ribbed at Patricia and we ran around the courtyard and went inside the Castle where I wanted to observe and guide the interns next.


    "Salted corn kernels with coconut gratings and butter. All these to be molten in a cup and could be steamed individually on bowls. Go on, try it. You gonna love this simple snack." I motioned them to make some desserts since there was nothing much to do today.


    "Help yourself to the kitchen and feel free to create your own snacks like pudding and steamed cakes. No worries, just inform the senior cooks and they could assist you to get the necessary ingredients."


    I advised them and went to the pool deck to have a dip and at the same time observe the members of the other house try out the obstacle course. After they had completed one round, their faces had already become red like a tomato. Hah hah hah...weaklings.


    It seems that the Houses have no training facilities or simply left their members at their own wits to train and level up. I wonder if they would reveal anything if I were to ''interview'' some of them.


    "Server, could you inform those adventurers who were using our training facility to stay back for some supper? I would like to have a little chat with them afterwards." I implored to the person who was in charge of serving drinks and snacks at the pool area and she passed the message down to the housekeepers and down to the Adventures below.


    Since our Castle was lit by surrounding lights around the obstacle area, the group of adventurers continued their training well into the evening. Seeing their tenacity of training after dark, they seemed to improve their timings and agility in clearing the obstacles below.


    "Come on dear, let''s go and meet those adventurers and have a little chat after we have dinner. Maybe we could uncover a thing or two from their internal operations of each House and see if there''s room for improvements on our side that we could learn from them." I reckoned to Patricia and got out of the pool and towelled myself dry.


    Thanks to the addition of the server, lifeguard and a housekeeper that maintains the pool and the 2nd floor, our place looked pretty neat and tidy. It was a small investment made to run things smoothly around the Castle. Even though our home was a Castle, but we don''t need so many servants, unlike those nobles that had so many cooks and butlers to attend to them.


    We got dressed and went downstairs to meet with the adventurers from the other House that were using our facilities and gestured them aside after we had our light dinner. The adventurers were taking a breather in the courtyard and were having their refreshments down by the water stations.


    "Tell me, how do you find the training facility here that tests your endurance and stamina?" I question the one that had introduced himself as Nelson, the spokesperson for the group of mix and match of adventures from the various Houses.


    "Fuwee... This is the best training facility that you got here, Sir. Our Houses cannot be compared to yours and I''m sure you had groomed the best adventurers through your training regime." Nelson spoke up after he sipped from his cup.


    "Does your House encourages you to leave and train at your accord or something?" I asked since he finds that training here does bring about some benefits.


    "Actually Sir, the Houses does have a strict rule. Every each of us must be trained in a certain stamina building area before he or she could join the House, take their preliminary tests and then if they succeed satisfactorily, they would be allowed to be in the inner circle of the organisation."


    "They don''t accept anyone who looks unfit or just there to take advantage of the recruitment system. We paid dearly for the application and if anyone here did fail, we would lose the deposit and there''s no second chance for us unless we prove ourselves to be able to enter the House on the next second round, which would be in a 30 day''s time."


    Nelson replied to me as he looked forlornly at his group of friends that had gathered to try out the training facility that we had. They were 36 of them and all came from 4 different Houses in the Northern District.


    "Have you completed all the Quests so far in the Central and Northern District? There''s a total of 25 Quests so far and how have you been getting along?" by this time everyone had gathered around us to listen to a few tips and tricks up my sleeve and it wouldn''t harm them one bit if I were to draw out a quest for them.


    "Yes Sir, we had completed the 25 Quests and was wondering if you do have any hidden Quests that you may want to reveal to us," spoke Nelson with enthusiasm in his voice since he saw that this Guild Master in front of him was quite friendly compared to the other Guild Masters.


    "Well, there are 25 Quests in the Southern but more than half is battle Quests while the remaining are gathering Quests. These Quests would take more than a day to complete and you would traverse in the Southern Plains, The Terraces and also The Wastelands."


    "These Quests may seem simple but the treacherous terrains that you need to pass as well as dealing with the beasts and monsters would be much higher than you meet in the Northern Forest."


    "If you think that dealing with the Trolls would be hard, wait till you meet the beasts there in the Southern Plains. The dangers that you would meet would be 150% higher in the day compared to at least 300% after dark. There are Bosses that you may deal after you had eradicated their minions."


    "Their Bosses high levels, as well as HP, would be considered as if you were dealing with a dozen or more Common Ranked foes. Do you have that capability? All of you are Level 3 and just barely hit 25% of the progress and all your allocation points for 4 or 5 attributes are considered as extremely atrocious."


    I explained to them the dangers and their incapability to enter just the Southern Plains to achieve further Quests. One would need Level 5 just to fulfil its bare requirements.

 Chapter 148 - 148. Issuing Quests

    The 36 of the adventurers that were sitting in a circle around us was stupified as they listened that there''s such thing as a Boss in the Southern Plains that leads their minions. Unlike the Northern Forest, the goblins and the trolls, they had not met any Bosses so far and the latter that they had vanquished was the hardest since they had to lure one by one away from the group using their ranges attacks.


    They finally realised that the information that I had given to them regards to the Southern Plains was too invaluable and if I had mentioned about the Boss in the Southern Plains, it also means that I had encountered them and defeated them too. In fact, I had never encountered the Bosses before and I only stepped once in the Southern Plains and find it ''Plain Boring''... Hah hah hah...


    Seeing them on Level 3 across the board I asked Prius and Rebecca who had joined us for dinner on the courtyard and saw the bobbings of the Adventurer''s throats as they saw Prius and Rebecca was enjoying their dinner in front of them.


    "Are they our new members?" Rebecca asked as she eyed them through her spoonfuls of rice coated with some light curry gravy and some baked pineapple chicken.


    "Of course they aren''t. They are from the other Houses in the Northern District and they were here earlier to try out the obstacles. Since you are here, how do you get the adventurers to perform Quests? Are those Quests determined by your system or made up at your convenience?" I inquired Rebecca and Prius since I am interested in how they became Quest Masters.


    "Some of the Quests are made up of their own while some are predetermined by the system itself. Those are the main quest while side Quests could be anything like a gathering Quest. Like collecting a number of resources and such." Prius explained as he stuffed his face with food.


    The other adventurers had not taken their dinners and I invited them to have supper instead because of limited supply. I called for one intern to serve up all their puddings and steamed cakes they had prepared in the kitchen and to serve the steamed corn kernels with the grated coconut as well.


    "Let''s all have supper first before we continue." I motioned to the adventurers as supper was being served. They sat at the end of the table while the ones reserved for the founders were in the other end.


    "Prius, do you think I could create a quest for these adventurers? At least I could have them to perform something and reward them afterwards." I queried as I had something in my mind that I would get them to do with experience points as well as a cash reward.


    "Sure, just go to your interface and go to quest, choose to add and register your name as well as the type of Quests. Then you fill-up the necessary details such as minimum level and its descriptions and then your good to go. Put in the rewards as experience Points as well as credits for each accomplishment." Prius replied and soon I was checking out n system''s interface and had created a quest in my own.


    Soon I created a Quest called "Divine Journey" or "DJ" for short with a difficulty of 3/5 stars and a minimum level requirement of 3. There were 36 of them in front of me and it requires 12 team members. A 100 allocation points of would be given to each member of the team after its completion along with reward money of 10k credits would be awarded as well.


    It was a gathering quest and it requires two types of gathering. One is information while the other is gathering of resources. Time to complete is 72 hours. Location is towards the end of each Northern, Eastern and Western borders town.


    The information that they are required to gather is to find out the wellbeing of the Booty Whirl personnel who were manning the checkpoints and also to gather the following resources that we need.


    I stated that I need amber oil from the Baltic tree, Amyris bush, Styrax tree, bergamot orange, clary sage herb, frankincense gum resin, guaiac wood, heliotrope flowers, Rockrose bush, lily of the valley, myrrh gum resin, narcissus flowering tree, opopanax herbs, iris plant, osmanthus flowering tree, agar tree, sandalwood tree, tonka bean, vanilla orchid, vetiver grass and ylang-ylang evergreen tree,


    There are 21 types of plants that need to be brought back which evenly distributes as 7 plants per group. It should be potted and made into easy transportation and it would be grown in our Beauty World HQ.


    Once I had completed it, I put it up as a Primary Quest and put it up as a closed quest, which means it would only be directed for a certain type of adventurers only.


    "Nelson, who are the other 2 team leaders in your group?" I inquired and was told it was Wendy and Xander, the former is leading the Wizards and the former is leading the Assassins.


    "Alright, the three of you, Nelson, Wendy and Xander. I have a quest for the three if you that runs simultaneously. It is a 3-day Quests and do you wish to accept it?" I inquired and they saw a notification on their own system that they were to be given a quest by me.


    (System) Do you wish to accept an epic quest from Guild Master Audemars K. Macleod?


    All 3 were overjoyed when they saw a quest out of Northern and Central District and this is considered as a one time off quest that would never be repeated. When the group leaders saw the announcement, they clicked ''YES'' and the next announcement appears.


    (System) You had activated the epic quest ''DIVINE JOURNEY''. You would travel to either North, East or West border towns to gather information and 7 types of plants. A reward of 100 allocation points for each individual member and 10k each would be awarded as well. You have 72 hours to complete this quest. Details are enclosed within.


    The moment they saw the Quests and the rewards they would receive, it was considered as a gift sent from Heavens. 100 allocation points where they could dump into their attribute and also 10k credits each.


    Now all they need to do is to pick out their own members and then they would move out within the next 15 minutes. The group leaders discuss among themselves when they had accepted the quest and each decided which zone they would be going to.


    "Guild Master, thank you for your generosity. We would not let you down. We will be back here on the 71st hour and hand the good news to you. Bade us Farewell and good luck on our journeys ahead." Nelson was the first to spoke up as he had gathered his necessary mates to head out.


    "Yes, Guild Master. We will not disappoint you," exclaimed Xander as he thumped his chest with his fist and he coughed out due to the force that he had exerted on his chest.


    "Guild Master, we take our leave now. Thank you for the hospitality and the quest." Wendy added as the bowed down to perform a curtsy and left with her group.


    Three groups of adventurers, 3 different locations and all with similar goals. Get information from all the 29 checkpoints and gather 7 types of plants that would be used for the perfumes.


    21 types of new scents and current 14 from our side that would comprise of citrus, green apple, strawberry, lemon, green tea, blueberry, raspberry, lavender, rose, jasmine, lilac, frangipani, gardenia and peppermint.


    That would make 35 new perfume scents and this would fit perfectly in those new 50ml dabbing porcelain bottles that we had bought earlier.


    I took out the notepad and wrote down the types of scents of perfume that we are going to make and this surprises Patricia and said aloud, "Wow... We are going to have 35 new perfume scents? Isn''t it wonderful or what? This would make the sales rocket further. How much do you want to sell for each perfume?"


    "Not much, 30 credits per scent would be good enough. Furthermore, the solution would be 50-30-20 where 50% would be concentrated essence, 30% would be the ethyl acetate and the 20% would be water-based. Don''t worry about the cost, it would do just fine. Furthermore, we had bought 500 litres from Joan and we would get her to produce some more if we need to."


    "Remember, our production lines would operate the new products of nail polish, polish remover, glitter eyeshadow, glitter nail polish and perfume on the first shift while the second shift would still be producing the same products such as shampoo, lipstick, blusher, makeup foundation, eye shadow, eyeliners and toothpaste."


    "There would be a total of 12 complete beauty products and I am sure this would be a boom for the rest of the towns. Hah hah hah... Its been a week since we had not had any incoming sales and as soon as our merchants move to their locations in the next few days, our packers and delivery guys are sure that going to get real busy."


    I claimed and was truly excited of the credits the would be trickling in. Since I had transferred the 40 million credits to Patricia earlier, she had accumulated a gross wealth of over 130 million credits before the deduction of the monthly operational costs.


    The wealth was the results of the thousands of weapons and armours that had been produced for Atelier, Blake and Bruce. With just a balance of slightly over 1 million for myself, it is more than enough for our personal expenses.


    In this world, millions of credits may mean like a big deal but in fact, it was compared to be only like hundred of thousands since certain goods and services are way off their charts, as a plot of land or even a house.


    Owning a house means you have to purchase the man''s and that means the land and house tax would be imposed every half-yearly. If its a business, it would be imposed at every quarterly and that means its a 3% tax on top of the total value of the property.


    I had Patricia pay up for all these without fail along with the half-yearly income taxes of the employees that came up to 2% of their gross income. It is a small portion to pay as long as our employees are not burdened with such trivial matters. Its roughly 90 to 100 credits per person for every 6 months and that amount could buy them at least 50 kg of rice for the household.


    I concluded the meeting with the 3 of them and as the interns cleared up our tables before they leave for home, I too decided to enter my study and to meditate to enter the Realm of Mind and check out the progress for the Fusion Chambers.

 Chapter 149 - 149. Pugilist Hard At Work.

    The fifth day for the interns had arrived and today I would need them to prepare certain cuisines that would definitely tickle our taste buds nonstop.


    The menu today would be Black Pepper Roasted Pork with Brocolli, Cauliflower and Baby Kailan in Oyster Sauce for lunch. As for dinner, I would introduce Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots for dinner.


    Midway for mid-morning snacks, I would have the interns prepare glutinous rice flour to make into a steamed pudding with a slice of Musa belle banana in the centre. It would be wrapped in banana leaves and then it would be prepared for us as well as the children in the Keating''s Day Care Centre. There would be a total of 250 servings that would be enough to go round for both sessions.


    Then as for mid-afternoon snacks, it would be mashed tapioca, coconut gratings, some food colouring as well as some glutinous flour to hold the cake in place as it would be shaped with a brim of a cup and be pan-fried with a bit of fat that would be spread into the pan with screw pine leaves.


    The list of ingredients had been prepared along with the recipe that notes of its measurements to make for a group of 8. It would then be multiplied accordingly to make for the 250 servings for both the Castle''s occupants and the children at Keating''s Day Care Centre.


    Since the interns had 2 days of relaxing in the kitchen, it''s now to whip up a storm to make these desserts. The rest is up to them to create the stew and I showed the interns how to prepare the sweet corn rice. It was basically the same herbs and spices used but with a twist. A blob of fat was being used to stir fry the rice in a wok before ending transferred to cook the rice in a cauldron.


    The rice, after being cooked had a yellowish tinge in them due to the spices used and there were heaps of sweet corn kernels in them as it was steamed together with the rice. One look at it would definitely whet someone''s appetite and the sweet aroma of the rice what wafted out from the steam filled the whole Castle.


    "Sir, this is what you mean by cooking rice in a different manner?" an intern asked as she scoped a spoonful of rice in her palm and gently blew in it before she rammed it down her mouth. Hah hah hah...


    "Yup, rice is not meant to be white steamed only. It is so boring after some time and you could even cook a whole meal inside it. It would be shown sometime later but in the meantime, you could do with these 3 cuisines and make a serving of 20 pax for the rest of us."


    "There will be lamb shank and chunks of fist-sized meats cooked with red wine in some light gravy until it becomes dry and this would be cooked together with rice that had been mixed with saffron to give it a yellowish colour and also the herbs and spices with certain leaves inside it."


    "As for this saffron rice, there''s no need to use the screw pine leaves but we use a lot of parsley and mint leaves, with cinnamon, cloves and the other ''siblings'' instead."


    "The siblings that I mentioned are cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, Szechwan peppercorns, ginger, nutmeg, and liquorice. The flavours that you would receive from this would be sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami."


    There we a lot of note-taking and discussions among them in hearing the new cuisine that they would be undertaking. I explained that its a fusion of Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean and French cuisine all mixed together to make this fine meal.


    Just the mention of the meal alone would make them salivate. Even as they were preparing the mid-morning snack, after they had successfully made the glutinous base for the ''pudding'', I showed them an example of how to fold them into the banana leaves and used two wooden skewers to closed the two ends together.


    A layer of each steamer basket could hold 40 of these cakes and we have an 8 layer steamer basket that could do the job well. In times like this, it would be good to train them to make quantities in order for them to prepare banquets that some nobles would throw every week.


    Since it was lull period in the training grounds as well as the fusion chamber in the Realm of Mind is still duplicating the hundred thousand of weapons, I decided to head to the courtyard to do some light training. I changed to a red and black gi that I had bought in the Atelier on my last visit and put in black canvas shoes meant for sparring on unarmed combat.


    "Wow...dear. You looked stunning in that pair of clothes. You really look like a martial artist." remarked Patricia as she saw me sauntering down the stairs and into the living area. "I don''t look like a martial artist because I am one of them." I chided Patricia and I went straight into the courtyard and activated the button to raise the 8 wingchun statues from the ground.


    I set the wingchun spring to be the hardest because I''m not sure the effects of my kicks and punches as I''ve lately dumped a total of 11k points into my strength. I wonder what kind of damage rating it would do.


    I went in the centre of the arena and went into a pouring stance where I would be one with Mother Nature and was watched by Prius, Rebecca and Patricia who sat in the shade under the awnings of the seating area.


    "Your husband is really a remarkable man. Not only he is good in culinary but he is also proficiency of several weapons too. And he is also an unarmed martial artist as well?"


    "Wow... In this era who would go against the enemy with just his bare fists and feet?" remarked Rebecca to Patricia as she watched how I was pouring myself on one leg and stood on it with almost 90% of my body weight.


    "Well, it''s good to be versed in ranged, close combat as well as unarmed combat. Who knows he might train a team of pugilist as what he had informed me earlier."


    "Unarmed combat is used even with armed foes and the way he does it was quite a feat. He dodges and then attacks while keeping his distance away from striking distance."


    "That''s what he told me," replied Patricia as she watched me making slow circular movements with my arms as I slowly became one with Mother Nature.


    My body is the trunk of a tree and my limbs were like the branches slowly swaying in the wind. It was taught in Taichi as I slowly controlled the breathing and let my body move by itself as it became one.


    I opened up my eyes and I ''attacked'' the nearest wingchun statue some feet away. I moved two quick steps and made a lunged punch and then used the protruding arms of the statue to block using a palm heel strike.


    The statue was shaking under the pressures of the earlier punch and it was making clattering sounds as it shook under its spring. A palm strike block was followed by an elbow strike on the other protruding arm and a reverse chop was delivered afterwards.


    I moved to the next statue in two quick steps and delivered a sidekick, followed by a right kick using the same leg. A small jump was sent by my left leg in a reverse back kick and the statue was violently vibrating on it spring even though I had set it to the hardest.


    Small indentations could be seen where my first punch and kicks landed thereafter and I was wondering how many kilograms were forced into each punch and kick. Frankly, these statues were being used to be made into knives or darts throwing practises as well as swords and daggers. I don''t think it would be fitting to be kicked and punched by me at all since its a dead target.


    After 45 minutes of a series of kicks and punches, blocks and parry... I had completed the session and walked back to where the trio was sitting. "Do you want me to send some live targets for you? They''re the hoodlums from my house and they''ve got nothing better to do and you could whoop their ass anytime. They would arrive the minute I send word for them."


    Rebecca was recommending the two hoodlums from her quest and since they have nothing better to do, it would be best to hand them over to the to me as sparring partners.


    "Sure, why not. It is been some time since I spar on a triangular formation. Send them over, I let the statue return to their normal position underground and those hoodlums could use there wooden daggers and swords and I would whoop their ass. Hah hah hah... "


    I agreed the moment it was suggested to me and when Rebecca summoned them, they came a short while later and changed their iron swords into wooden ones and wore padded armour to absorb the punches and kicks that they would be receiving next.


    "What are their respawn rate?" I queried and Rebecca announced it was between 15 seconds to 30 depending on the injuries they sustained. "That should be fine, I''m just using my hands and feet. What damage would I be able to afflict to them."


    Unknown to Rebecca I had 11k points on my Strength, 13k on my Dexterity and 16k in my Constitution. I would really love to find out how much would a 25% strength of punches and kicks would afflict on them.


    The hoodlums arrived and wore their turtle vest and armed themselves with wooden daggers, swords and also a staff that they had set aside. "Come at me at the same time and do not hold back...!" I called out to them and so the spar session began.


    One of them had a wooden sword and was coming at me as he slashes down. I stood there unmoving as the blade nearly reaches to me, I sidestepped and held on to the wrist and used his motion to my advantage.


    His arm holding the sword was pushed down in front of him, making him lose his balance and had thrown off his body weight forward. I grabbed his elbow and used gravity to make him bundle forward and he fell flat on his back. Still holding his elbow, I flipped my body and landed a knee strike downwards right in his turtle vest and let out a groan as my knee struck his solar plex.


    "Ooommmpppfffhhh...I''M OUT..." he hollered as he clutched his body and dropped the wooden sword he was holding. One move, one hit, one kill.


    The other one was smarter and tracked me with a series of blade attacks. Slashes, hacks and chops were delivered and I managed to evade and block every one of them. I saw an opening when he held the sword in both hands and swung it above his head to slash it down towards me.


    I used a double overhand block that stopped his wrists just as he brought the wooden sword down. I smiled at his alarmed face and I grasped his wrist and twisted my body around. The wooden sword actually had blunt edges and top but when I brought the sword down in a downward arch, I bent his wrist and drove the sword past my sides and into his stomach.


    It was a quick motion that uses his body movement and when the wooden sword was twisted and directed into his stomach, he had no way to avoid it and it was like performing a harakiri. That wooden sword pierced the turtle vest and went into his stomach and he let out a yelp before falling like a sack of potatoes on the ground behind me.


    "Eh... Are you alright?" I managed to ask before he disappeared into starlight and respawn back 15 seconds later. "Sorry... Sorry... Didn''t mean to kill you with a wooden sword. Eh... I didn''t know my own strength, you ok to continue?" I asked out of concern because I don''t want to be in their books even though they are just NPC.


    "A wooden sword with a blunt tip could penetrate a padded vest with ease?!?! What kind of demonic strength did you posses, Audemars?" asked Prius as he peered into me and tried to get an Insight on my attributes.


    I unhide my attributes and he was shocked. "11k strength and you can already do so much damage? Those monsters out there in the Southern Wastelands have strengths 3 to 5 times of yours... 11k in strength is like child''s play." Prius highlighted to me and I later discovered that there are traits that had been overlooked.


    "Then how about the rest of the members who are doing the battle Quests in the Southern Plains?" I asked since I did not know the consequences of sending them there to perform their quest.


    "God Help Them..." Prius simply replied and just stared blankly at me.

 Chapter 150 - 150. Abort! Abort! Return To Base!

    The glaring look that was given to me by Prius made me shudder a bit since I didn''t know that the situation in the Southern Plains would be that great for the new adventurers to face.


    Little did I realise that the lives of the members including our children would be placed in jeopardy since I haven''t even venture far inside The Wastelands nor even close to the Southern Plains.


    Even my last trip there didn''t even have much impact for me to grind anything useful. "Is Level 5 adventurers able to handle the monsters there at all? I mean the beast would still be alright, right? Tell me more about the secrets of the Southern Plains and The Wasteland." I implored to Prius as he opened up his notepad that contained all the secrets and information he had collected so far during his childhood.


    "Based on the information that I had gathered when I was young and when my father and brothers were still alive, the beasts that they encounter would be Common Rank. Unlike the Northern Forest, only the trolls and goblins would prove to be troublesome and not a threat to vanquish." Prius spoke up after he had made several comparisons on his notepad.


    "The beasts in Southern Plains would be equal level to that of the members, and they have 3 kinds of immunity which is Fire, Frost and Poison. The monsters, however, are immune to binding spells and magical spells on top of the 3 that I had mentioned."


    "There are 5 types of beasts and monsters and they come in the category as such: Common Rank, Elite Rank, Super Elite Rank, Chieftain Rank and Lord Rank. If the members are Level 5, then they would be facing level 5 beasts and monsters."


    "However, their HP would be from 5k, 10k, 20k, 50k and 100k. For example, the wild boars on the Northern Plain are all 500 HP and could be dealt with 2 or 3 bolts. However, if one faces an Elite Rank the only significance would be their size, their HP and their aggressiveness. Furthermore, there would be a runic marking on the sides of their bodies or even their foreheads."


    "That''s the only distinguishing mark on their upper echelons based on their strengths and aggressiveness and these beasts and misters have at least 2 power skills and up to 5 at most. Each power skills would be in effect when their HP drops to a certain level or they enter a Rage mode."


    "I hope that whatever information that I had given you would make you aware of the dangers that lurk in the South. Moreover, you had been in the outskirts and been there like an hour or so, which means you had not even scratched the surface of it."


    "There are at least 5 dungeons and 10 respawn points for the Bosses out there and the only way for you is to be an overwatch for the members."


    I pondered a while after Prius had finished speaking and I decided to go and have a look there to ensure that the members are handling the situation well. There is no point to pursue the Quests if the situation is out of hand and dangerous. Safety is more important and I decided to leave right after.


    "Thanks for the tips, brother. I think I would better off leave now and forgo the lunch and all. I would be back shortly after." I explained to Prius and would be pulling them out of the situation is too dangerous and hard for them to complete the Quests.


    "Alright Audemars, God Speed and take good care of yourself. I would be manning the operations here as usual and awaiting your return. Bring Pat along with you, she may be an assistance to you when the need arises." Prius advised and I quickly summoned Patricia and we both got into our battle gear.


    Instead of bringing the light crossbow with me, I took an Assassin''s compact crossbow instead and would be using it on my sub arm and my Victory claymore on my master arm. Before I left I reminded the interns in the kitchen to proceed what they were supposed to do as Patricia and I went out from the Castle grounds and headed South.


    ....


    "This place hasn''t changed a bit. The only difference is the addition to The Wastelands where your last battle took place. Do you happen to recall anything at this moment?" Patricia implored as I seemed to look right far away in the great distance.


    "Not really dear, we got to find our children and the rest of the members first. We meet here in this boulder here in the Plains. I don''t see any of the members in the Southern District so I''d guess they are all over this place right now." I beckoned as we split up and search for the rest of the members and assemble them over to the spot that I had pointed to.


    A little while later as I walked among the Plains, I heard some rustling and when I turn around I saw Jane and Ingles were hiding in the shadows and bushes as they were observing the Desert War Bears in the distance.


    "Hey guys, how are you been doing?" I greeted Ingles and Jane and they both looked up in surprise and ran towards us and hugged us as they had never seen us for months.


    "Mummy... Daddy... What are you doing over here? How are things back in the Castle?" exclaimed Ingles as she hugged Patricia with her face all smudged up due to the number of days in the wild.


    "Mummy is fine dear. Your Daddy is just concerned about you and the rest of the members. How are you getting along?" asked Patricia as both girls had released their embrace and looked at the both of us in question as they can''t believe their eyes that we are right before them.


    "These Desert War Bears are impossible to be killed. Our crossbow bolts are nearly impossible to penetrate through their tough armour hide."


    "It is supposed to be our quest to gather its hide by one of the merchants but right now it had been more than 12 hours we had been shooting and running about. Not even one was able to be killed at the moment." Jane articulated and was at the breaking point of despair.


    "Dear, I think we better call off and get everyone back to the Castle. We need to find the others and make this our grinding spot first to gain experience Points and for them to Level up. By the looks of things, even at their current Level 8, it would be quite impossible to handle things right now." Patricia advised and I nodded my head after pondering of this matter for some time.


    "Alright, we retreat for now. Gather all the rest and abandon all Quests. There''s no penalty in doing so and safety is the main priority. Furthermore, we have 36 other adventurers who are undergoing my quest so it would be another 2 days before they would complete it." I reckoned and the two girls nodded their heads.


    "Daddy, the rest of the adventurers are in the Southern District and we are the only ones out here. I feel bad to abandon this quest but since you said safety is the main priority, I guess we have to abide for now," replied Ingles as she crouched to pick up her stuff and then we quickly left the spot.


    These Desert War Bears have a keen sense of smell and much more acute than the normal bears that we could find in the wilderness. These beasts when tamed could be used as a mount or as a fighting companion as they already have a saddle and also equipped with various types of armour on their body.


    These beasts were being used by Orcs during their battle to aid the dark elven in The Wastelands and since the Orcs had abandoned the majority of these beasts, it roamed wild in the Plains.


    We quickly made it to the Southern District and waited at the town plaza while Ingles and Jane went to summon the rest to abandon their Quests and head back to the Castle. Even if we may lose rankings in the completion of Quests but at least we knew that the members and our children are safe.


    It took quite a while to gather all the 24 members back to the town plaza and when everyone is assembled, they heaved a sigh of relief when I announce them to abandon their current Quests.


    It proved that their current ability is not yet up to par to complete some of the Quests. As this took place in the South, the majority of the Quests are Battle Quests that require them to battle these beasts and monsters to achieve certain resources that they need to present to the quest master.


    While the Quests in the North and Central can be considered as child''s play, the South is really hardcore. We went for some ice cream sandwich to alleviate their spirits and once everyone got their share, we head back to the Central once more.


    It seems that the majority of the members were dragging their feet due to the fatigue and hardship that they had been facing these few days. Although some easier Quests had been completed, the rest of the Quests had been marked as 4/5 stars in difficulty level.


    Furthermore, since these adventurers had been newly resurfaced after being dormant for nearly a year and a half, it would take some months before it establishes itself again.


    "Daddy, Daddy... Will we be going out to do the Quests again here in a few weeks time? It''s a perfect place to grind but then the beasts don''t drop many items." Kayla inquired as the Quests that she had picked were the easier ones.


    "Let''s hone your current skills first before we head out once more. This time, we would be heading to the Northern because there are a lot more places that we hadn''t venture yet." I simply replied and everyone was delighted and their faces lit up with anticipation.


    Level up is a must and to gain more experiences before they deal with the beasts and monsters in the South. Furthermore, they are anticipating to receive more Battle manoeuvres and tactics from me real soon.

 Chapter 151 - 151. Blakes In Trouble

    A military advisor from the administration of Aermagh walked in and brought in the pieces of weapons and armours that he had recently procured to equip the men and soldiers of the legion


    "Your Highness, these are the weapons and armours that we had purchased to equip our men. These pieces are of better quality than the ones that our men were wearing and every single piece had been appraised and verified that they were Level 3 Iron equipment."


    "The sample pieces that had been given to the Blacksmith in Ingmery was greatly improved and we would be able to vanquish those Bandits and thieves that had been running around the towns." explained the military advisor to the Ruler of Aermagh.


    The Ruler of Aermagh instinctively took a piece of a breastplate and admired the finishing touches and discovered it was indeed a better quality than the ones that his bodyguards were equipped. He took a great sword that had been recently forged and gestured to one of this bodyguard to come over.


    Thinking that the Ruler of Aermagh was going to present the greatsword to him, he walked over gingerly after he had saluted to the Ruler of Aermagh.


    "SSWWOOSSHH... CCLLAANNGG... HHUUAARRGGHH..." The greatsword that was wielded by the Ruler of Aermagh suddenly struck horizontally towards the bodyguard. An afterimage of the greatsword was formed as it sliced the air like as if it was paper with a great swooshing effect.


    The bodyguard was taken aback and had no way to react and the new greatsword that he was anticipating to receive did arrive and it was exactly what the Ruler of Aermagh math had in his mind. To test the weapon''s effectiveness.


    The great sword was swung with no difficulty as it struck the bodyguard squarely across the chest that was protected with the earlier models of the Iron plate. The glimmer of the plate shows that it was properly maintained and polished to such a degree that it could even use as a mirror.


    The glimmering plate armour that the bodyguard wore provided very little or no protection at all as the new greatsword slices through the old plate armour with ease like as if it was like a hot knife through butter.


    Not only the new greatsword slices through the plate armour with ease, but with a single strike, it had even disembowelled the poor bodyguard as he stood there, clutching at his chest as a large cavity was caused by the great sword.


    His eyes were wide with shock and there was no more pain as he slowly slithered to the floor in a heap as part of his body began to ooze out from the cavity. A pool of blood soon formed where he fell and the Ruler of Aermagh returned back to his throne.


    "Truly sharp indeed. I like it." that''s the first few words that the Ruler of Aermagh uttered when he sat back and admired the greatsword in his hand. The blood from the bodyguard slowly dripped down the blade of the great sword and formed a small pool on the floor where the tip of the blade was held.


    "Who is the forger?" inquired the Ruler of Aermagh as he looked at the other pieces of weapons and armour on the floor that had been arranged by the military advisor.


    "He''s Blake from Central Ingmery, Your Highness." replied the military advisor as he eyed the destruction caused by the Ruler of Aermagh. He was afraid that the blade that was wielded would befall on his neck of he answered a bit too late.


    "Hmm, I never heard of him before." uttered the Ruler of Aermagh as he looked at the blade that he was holding that was dripping with blood on the first kill.


    "He''s the Blacksmith the defeated Romulus and Quentin in a bet. Both Romulus and Quentin were the main forgers that had made Level 2 iron ingots and was defeated by Blake who made these Level 3 weapons and equipment for us." explained the military advisor unhurriedly as he recalled the incident the happen some time back in Ingmery.


    That incident also caused Romulus and Quentin to lose their business and then had to make their appearance scarce from that day onwards. The Ruler of Aermagh nodded his head in acknowledgement and then he voiced his thoughts to his military advisor.


    "Bring Blake to me." the Ruler of Aermagh demanded as he placed the blood-soaked great sword beside his throne and stood up. He walked up to the military advisor and said, "Make a preposition. Blake must work for us." and then he retired back in his Chambers.


    The military advisor bowed his head low and remained there until the back of the Ruler of Aermagh was turned against him as he walked back to his Chambers. "Send a messenger to summon Blake the Blacksmith of Central Ingmery to meet the Ruler of Aermagh right away." he finally straightened his body and gestured for a guard to send for a messenger.


    "Clean up this mess and compensate the family of the deceased." the military advisor spoke to one of the bodyguards and several men quickly carried the deceased bodyguard away and a team of clean up came afterwards to clear away the blood that had begun to coagulate on the ground.


    Soon after, a messenger had made his way to Ingmery with a note summoning Blake the Blacksmith of Central Ingmery to come forth and present himself to the Ruler of Aermagh.


    ...


    "A note for me from the Ruler of Aermagh? What does he want? Ooo... I have a bad premonition about this. I better ask Audemars about this to find out what he could advise me about." pondered Blake as he held the note from the messenger from the Courts of Aermagh as he closed his store and together with Bruce, he proceeded to the Castle of Keating-Macleod.


    Upon reaching there, Blake was flustered and had informed me of the note that he had received from a messenger in Aermagh''s Court. He had a bad premonition about it as he knew what kind of person is the Ruler of Aermagh.


    I took the note from Blake and read it and it was a simple one-liner asking Blake to present himself to the Ruler of Aermagh. "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of this." I simply explained to Blake as he sighed a huge sense of relief. Little did he knew that I would be representing Blake in every manner when the time comes.


    "I knew why he wanted you to be there, brother. Don''t worry much. I would take the matter and save you and the rest of the business. The wisps would be readying the weapons and armours that were meant for the other 3 cities and once I had passed them to you, I would proceed to meet the Ruler of Aermagh." I reassured Blake and Bruce as I knew that they were scared shirtless whenever they meet such powerhouses.


    Furthermore, the Ruler of Aermagh is not someone that could be contested by anyone else. It would take wits to overcome him. As the deadline for the duplication of weapons and armours were nearing, it would be a matter of hours before I would be delivering to Blake and Bruce.


    "Dear, are you sure you know what you are doing?" Patricia inquired as Blake and Bruce left the Castle grounds and head to their own destination.


    "Yup, there''s no doubt about it. Don''t you worry much? A person of such power would be powerless against wits and wisdom with a sprinkle of bullshit along the way. I won''t go and present myself if I''m not sure about it myself." I explained to Patricia as I patted her hand gently.


    "I would be making arrangements to head there in the next coming few days. Furthermore, I have the equipment that I had promised to Blake and Bruce."


    "Moreover, I need to inform the interns and make sure they would stick to their schedule. Another day or two the 36 adventurers would be coming back with 21 plants that I had made them procure."


    "Once the adventurers had returned, their rewards would be promptly handed over to them as well as their reward money. I would leave when everything had settled by then." I concluded my plans with Patricia and she understood my every single plans and procedure.


    She knew I wouldn''t leave everything hanging in the air especially when our own members had just been recalled back to the Castle due to the unpreparedness of their Quests and also the Perils of facing those beasts and monsters in the Southern Plains.


    "Daddy, would you be leaving us to go to Aermagh?" inquired Kayla with a meek voice as she overheard the conversation earlier with Blake and Bruce and them with Patricia.


    "In a few days time, Kayla. Is there any matter that you need to bring up?" I asked since she was standing rooted to where she was when she came and asked me the question.


    "Ahh... Nothing, Daddy. Just be careful, that''s all." she replied but deep in her eyes, I knew that there are a lot more stories that wanted to relate. I gestured her over and she leaned against me like a cat as I slowly patted her head and said, "Don''t worry, I would only be gone for a few hours and I would leave when I had settled the matters here first."


    I reassured her as I patted her head and she unexpectedly gave me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. She looked up and said, "I know you would be doing so Daddy. Love you..." and right after she said that, she skipped away and joined the rest of the members.


    "Hmm, how fast these kids grow under our wing..." I thought inwardly as Patricia held my hand and gently squeezed it. I looked at her as she gazed into my eyes and leaned her head on my chest.


    Since there a few more days before I proceed to Aermagh, it would be best to settle all my task and tomorrow the 36 adventurers doing their Quests would be arriving. Hopefully, I would be able to get my hands on the 21 plants that I had requested.


    I went to the Beauty World HQ with Patricia to clear away the duplicate plants and planted them over at our production plants. In that way, I would have more spaces for the 21 plants that would be arriving soon from the adventurers.


    By evening time, we had transplanted all the duplicate plants over to our production area and I told the line leader to pick any of the products if they need. Furthermore, these plants had been imbued with Psi Healing Energy so it would bear fruit even if it had been totally harvested the day before.


    "Come on dear, we''re quite done here. There are a few more things that need to be cleared in the kitchen. There''s dinner to be set as well as supper. I hope these interns would be properly guided when I''m not here in the next few days." I reassured Patricia as we both heads back to the castle grounds.


    Back in the kitchen, everything had been going smoothly and the interns were briefed in tomorrow''s menu:


    Hawaiian Pizza


    Japanese Yakiniku


    Sloppy Joe''s Grilled Cheese


    Indian Keema with Garlic Bread


    "Alright, tomorrow''s schedule would be Indian keema with garlic bread for lunch, Japanese yakiniku for a mid-afternoon snack, Hawaiian pizza for dinner and sloppy Joe''s grilled cheeseburgers for supper. The list of ingredients are on the board here and please read and if you are not sure, please feel free to ask. Now, prepare for dinner and the supper as well." I instructed the interns and they busied themselves preparing the meals.


    I looked back at them and the members are all expecting a great buffet for dinner and supper later on. It had been quite an achievement that these interns had shown for the past one week and are sure that they would be able to whip up great meals tomorrow, especially the pizza and burgers. Hah hah.

 Chapter 152 - 152.

    After the next 2 days of training the kitchen staffs on the rounds of the menu to be prepared for lunch, dinner and supper, the adventurers that were tasked had returned with the number of potted plants in their hands.


    Every member of the team received the appropriate rewards such as credits as well as points for them to allocate into their stats, as the children and I brought the plants to the side of the Beauty World HQ and planted in their designated rows. Energy induced water was then used to replenish the soil as well as nourishes the plants that had been sitting on their little ''homes'' before being transferred into a bigger one.


    I had summoned for Blake and Bruce as they came to collect the remaining weapons and ar ours that was due for the rest of the cities. I reminded them not to send one shot to them but rather in batches where they could start next week. They nodded their heads as they stored all the readied Level 3 weapons and armours into the spatial storage bag.


    A merchant''s or trader''s spatial bag is unique compared to a personal one. Even a house could fit into it along with its contents, literally.


    As the time approaches for me to leave for Aermagh to meet the ruler on what was being proposed to Blake, I got my equipment ready. My one-handed crossbow and the Dragon Fang hung loosely at my sides, while my claymore was slung behind my back.


    A small pouch containing some 5k credits were placed inside my pouch along with 2 sets of throwing knives which I still hadn''t had the time to practise on them properly.


    I felt rather heavy as I sat there having breakfast with the whole family. It was as if I was having jitters travelling alone to Aermagh without the aid of Prius this time. "Dear, do you want me to accompany you?" Patricia inquired as she held my hands softly.


    "Tch...there''s no need to dear if you come along who is going to tend to the children? Furthermore, I would be gone for at most 3 hours and then hurry back in your arms and the children. Hahaha." I laughed but it sounded awful and no one did laugh at me but looked forlornly instead.


    "Hey cheer up. It is not that I''m going to let that Ruler of Aermagh bully me once again, right? Furthermore, I would be going on Blake''s behalf. With me around, I should be able to twos and turn my take so that they would be able to believe me, somehow."


    "By the way, if Blake was to go there himself, how would he be able to forge a Level 3 iron? He would be putting himself at risk if he does that, don''t you think? Who is going to take care of his store is he have to stay there for some months before he is able to forge a Level 3 iron then?"


    "The note in the message clearly states that the Ruler of Aermagh wants Blake to be there on a permanent basis. If he can''t convince the Ruler of Aermagh, who would''ve?"


    I explained to the rest of the children and those present in the current situation as it would be hard to imagine Blake hitting the anvil on their presence just to produce a single piece of a decent Level 3 iron ingot.


    =*=


    The harsh winds that welcomed me the moment I step out denote a premonition and this had me tugging at my little heartstrings as I trudged on, my feet sinking into the sand as I used my shawl to cover part of my face against the billowing sandstorm.


    "This doesn''t look too good, does it? Ah well, the faster I settle the matter the faster I could get back home." I thought inwardly as I walked towards the direction. I didn''t take the portal to make the journey faster but instead, I took the long way out from town.


    As I walked on, images and thoughts began to replay in my mind like a broken cinematic video. Memories of me battling in the battle of Qodegh, gaining my consciousness in an unknown town and now having a great place to finally call my own. My heartfelt heavy as I made my journey through.


    Suddenly, my chest tightened. It is not that I am used to having such feelings but maybe is it due to a feeling of homesickness?


    A ringing sounded in my head at first it was just a slight buzzing sound but it got heavier like a swarm of bees finally found a place to make their home inside it. The uncomfortable feeling on my chest began to radiate throughout my chest and I had to bend forward as I heaved my last meal onto the scorched ground.


    "Damn... What''s happening to me right now?" I said aloud to no one in particular as tears blurred my vision as I continued to heave and threw up bile this time.


    "Maybe it''s good poisoning. Hope I would be able to clear it when I get to the next town though. This weather seems to be kicking up a fuss around me and I don''t like it one bit...!"


    I tried to think optimistically as I walked on and I discovered that my right eye had a stabbing sensation that seems to pole through the eye socket and through the back of my head.


    A feeling of a tightening vice was felt around the sides of the temple and the forehead and as the feeling got tighter and tighter, I was keeping myself upright as much as possible as I walked on. The thought of turning back was in the back of my mind but my feet don''t seem to follow my commands.


    The stabbing sensation in my right eye coupled with the tightening vice around my head makes me lose the vertical control of my body and I drifted to my right-hand side and I lost my balance. Is this a sign of vertigo? I don''t know... Hypoglycaemia perhaps?


    I fell sideways on my right on the scorching sand as the tightening vice around my temples tighten. Is this death or what? Hot damn... Not when I''m about to save the household in the last minute...!


    My fingers felt clammy, its as if I had been exposed to frostbite. I can''t help the feeling but I felt like kicking my shoes off since I felt my toes cramping up and felt that my calves and thigh muscles suddenly gave up on its motor skills.


    "Help... Help me, anyone..." I croaked with my hoarse voice due to the excessive loss of body fluids especially the pints of bile and vomit earlier.


    "SYSTEM SHUTDOWN IMMINENT."


    "HOST MAKES LAST LEAP TO ENGLAND, 1424, RETAINING IDENTITY."


    "INITIALISING ARTIFICIAL REMOVAL OF MEMORIES AND ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAIN."


    I choked up upon hearing the system notifications in my head. The system would make me complete the last leap to England in 1424?


    Losing all my memories and anything associated with my brain? Am I going to be a cabbage or what?


    1424 England? That''s the 15th century, right? In the parallel world or the actual world that I was born in?


    I can feel the pounding on my head like the beating of my own heart, from a fast beat it trickled down until I just felt like I can see myself lying sideways in the sand. As the sandstorm kicks up, thin layers of sand began to fine over my body... Slowly burying me.


    I''m freaking buried alive in here...!


    Was I having an out of body experience? Cold sweat seems to endlessly pour out from my back and top of my head. The cold sweat acts like cement when the fine sand slowly covered my body and soon that body would be lost in time...!


    How could that be? I''m just 30 minutes or so away from the gates. Didn''t anyone had a lookout of something and saw this poor old body of mine tumbling in the sand?!


    The pounding in my head that was synchronised with my heartbeat slowly came to a near stop ¡ª about a few beats per minute now. I can''t feel any parts of my body as I lay sideways in a fetal position, as I began to feel forced into a dark void.


    It was a spinning sensation and all I could do was to leave everything to God this time. If I died, then so be it. Everyone dies one way or another and in my case, I had left a bunch of people feeling disappointed.


    Wait... In the first place did the battle of Qodegh ever took place? How about the town of Ingmery and kingdom of Aermagh? How about the events that happened and all the memories that I had experienced back then? Would everything wipe off like a clean slate?


    Suddenly all turned dark and quiet as I slipped away. My breath had stopped, my lungs failed to pump the necessary oxygen that I require. My heart finally failed to pump vital oxygenated blood all over my veins. I was soon... DEAD ONCE AGAIN?!?


    =*=


    Authors Note:


    This would be the closure of the novel as it would be brought into a new arc of a new novel titled "Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince".


    =*=


    Sunday, June 27th 1424.


    A bundle of joy was brought into the world by a certain Macleod family. Yes, the Macleod family that consisted of the father, Richard Macleod and the mother, Silvia Macleod. It was their first newborn and huge celebrations were held to commemorate the firstborn Prince of Darlington.


    A couple of years later, a little sister named Tanya Macleod followed suit into the family, making it a complete Prince and Princess bunch in the town of Darlington.


    The day I was reborn into this world was also a significant year since the Battle of Verneuil, where The English had defeated the French at Verneuil.


    A few weeks after my first weaning, I was named as Prince Audemars, a Frenchie name adopted by my mother despite the interventions made by my father who was Pro English during that time and would not have anything French around him.


    However, the name got stuck as my mother would call me Audemars while my father would just call me Mars or Dede whenever he pleases. Well, it doesn''t really matter though. I was a baby so I don''t have many recollections at all.


    Images flashed by and soon I was a small kid running around the huge Manor and playing with the other children. My father, as I recalled, allows me to mingle with everyone and told me to respect everyone too. "What''s a Prince? It won''t even bring food on the table, son. Respect begets respect, remember that. You earn respect and not by demanding over it."


    His words kept ringing in my head by the time I had learnt how to write my name and other whatnot as I scribbled on any clean surface I could find, even on my little sister''s dress. Ah well, the helpers were always around to clean up my mess and as long as the mess was manageable, I could write as freely as I want. Hahaha.


    Images flashed by again and this time I was having little tea parties with the girls. I don''t have many friends with the boys because they tend to play a bit too rough and I would end up with tears and would run up and Bury my face arming my mother''s thick dress. I was literally a cry baby with snot on my face most times. It was not a pretty sight...!


    We held a lot of make-believe tea parties and there was this girl whom I liked the most. She was a little thin, a year younger than me perhaps, her hands and bare feet would always be dirty but her cute face would be as clean and fresh as a baby''s buttocks.


    There would be tea parties down the cellar and we also would have them in the garden at the side of the Manor. The girl who intends to like the most was one of the daughters of the employees in the Manor, the kitchen staff and she would always have a scone, crumpet or a bun that she would readily share it with me and my sister.


    Images once again flashed by as I was now a young man, a teenager actually and had just finished compulsory education and entered tertiary education.


    Actually, education was only meant for the privileged and it so happens that I had a classmate ¡ª The girl whom I liked most when we were playmates before. She sat a desk from the utmost front while I sat diagonally 2 desks across.


    That angle gave me a good side view of her and soon we became acquaintances. However, due to our status, she shunned away from me 90% of the time because after all, I was a so-called royal member of a family while she was just a daughter of a worker in our household.


    I don''t mind it a bit though but she made it as a big deal and always push it around when comes to friendship. She would always say that she does not fit to be a friend of mine while other nobles would readily take her place anytime.


    I remember her words that time, "From the earliest times, it acts as a social marker, sifting the poor from the wealthy, the cereal from the chaff." her words rang deep within me and I have always left a deep impression within me and after several attempts, I had decided to shut myself in, act like a class clown in front of everyone and surround myself with books and had little care to make friends or socialise anymore.


    I was literally a recluse and soon the image of the girl that I had taken fancy drifted out of my mind.


    Then, the inevitable happened somewhere during the Winter of 1440, where father had requested me to be at home on short notice. It was a total shut-in where no one was allowed to be out of town or allowed in to town except for the town folks.


    War had been raging as we know it but it seems to edge closer and closer inland. The French had managed to harness the help of rebels, marauders and opportunists that would be paid in coins to help them clear the lands of any influential powers.


    It simply means ¡ª Off with their heads.


    It''s sad... Terribly sad to think that Englishmen were turning against their own kind. Because of a single mission ¡ª to survive and stay alive...!


    It happened one evening when we were under siege. I had just finished a simple dinner and was walking about the Manor in a worried manner as reports from the soldiers came to alert our family too late.


    Rebel forces aiding the French had surrounded our town. They were like those red weaver ants and was swarming the three entrances of town to bring down a single elephant. Panic shouts of men rang out in all directions as they tried to furtively fortify the town''s defences but were soon overrun.


    The rebels had managed to destroy the three gates, killed off the guards who were pathetically armed with bows and swords while the rebels were heavily armed. Take one enemy down and three more appeared and soon the situation was against us.


    =*=


    "Burn...! Don''t leave a single building standing...!"


    "Kill all of them...! Paint the ground with their blood...!"


    "You...! Take a few men with you and guard the gates...! No one gets in or out...! Kill them on sight...!"


    "Come on men...! We Red Bandits take no prisoners and leave none alive...! Once our initial deed is achieved, we can slowly take our time to gather the spoils...! Darlington will collapse tonight by our hands and we will allege victory...!"


    A rebel captain outfitted in black except for a red coloured bandanna that was wrapped over his head hollered once the initial attack upon the guards manning the gates were ruthlessly slaughtered and was successfully executed.


    ¡ªinserts spinning top scene¡ª


    ¡ªfades to black¡ª