---Third POV---
ProGamer_Daddy stood on the riverbank, peering into the water, where the silhouettes of fish faintly appeared and disappeared.
"Almost there. Keep an eye on my signal. When I count to 1, act immediately!"
Five meters away, NeverShowOff struck a javelin-throwing pose and gave him an "OK" gesture.
"Got it!"
ProGamer_Daddy glanced at him and then at Viktor and Alyanne, who were watching from farther away.
Taking a deep breath, he shouted a countdown:
"5, 4, 1, fire!"
As soon as he finished, he covered his ears, quickly crouched, and moved away from the riverbank.
A gray arc shot through the air and plunged straight into the water.
Plop!
Two seconds later, a muffled "boom" sounded from beneath the water, sending ripples across the surface.
A flat, black fish slowly floated to the surface, belly up.
"Yeah! Success on the first try!"
Excited, ProGamer_Daddy grabbed a wooden bucket nearby and tossed it into the water.
The black fish's sharp teeth, protruding from its fishy lips, easily dug into the bucket, and he hauled it up, bucket and all.
The fish was less than half a meter long and didn't look like it had much meat, but he grinned from ear to ear, triumphantly raising their prize.
"Lord Viktor, look! This is the power of gunpowder!"
The sound jolted Alyanne back to reality.
She patted her cheeks, flushed red from holding her breath, and exclaimed in astonishment and disbelief,
"What kind of magic is this?"
Why did that small round object create such a loud noise when thrown into the water?
And it even killed a razor-toothed pomfret!
These river-dwelling carnivorous fish could bite off a person's arm in one chomp! They were incredibly fast and could even go ashore briefly.
Ordinary people would turn tail and run at the sight of one.
What an incredible method of attack!
Viktor offered praise without hesitation, "Not bad."
But don't think he didn't notice.
The amount of gunpowder in the earlier experiments was double what they used for this demonstration.
Using the smaller amount for a showcase? Being this stingy with an investor?
Still, given that their homemade gunpowder managed to kill a razor-toothed pomfret, he'd let this small oversight slide.
Now that the trial was a success, ProGamer_Daddy could consider his 3,000 magicoin loan fully repaid.
It was time to discuss further details about the munitions factory.
At the moment, the factory could produce only two types of weapons: obsidian melee weapons and homemade bombs with a wider attack range.
The obsidian series weapons were self-explanatory.
The raw material was obsidian near the lava pool. When obsidian wasn't available, ordinary stone, wood, or thornleaves could be used instead.
But bombs were trickier.
Viktor planned to use the explosives made by ProGamer_Daddy in the upcoming battle against the goblins.
This required a significant number of bombs.
"How many weapons like the one just now can you produce in 15 days?" Viktor asked.
"Uh… This isn't really about time," ProGamer_Daddy replied, scratching his head hesitantly.
"If we had enough raw materials, we could make as many of these crude bombs as we wanted. It's just a matter of mixing and packing!"
After tinkering for so long, he had identified two issues:
First, the charcoal wasn't ground finely enough.
Second, the casing material for the explosives wasn't quite right.
With the help of the internet, these problems were easily solved.
The real challenge was finding raw materials.
Despite following online guides to search for saltpeter and sulfur mines, he had yet to succeed.
All he had was a small amount of sulfur crystals found near the serpent's lava pool, which was long gone.
They'd only returned to the lava pool once. On their second visit, a turtle-shaped magical creature had appeared there. It not only turned the lava into a water pool but also cost the lives of five players who had accepted a mission there.
The casualties were heavy.
"How many exactly?" Viktor pressed.
ProGamer_Daddy pushed over a box filled with explosives.
"Just 12. That's all."
The rest of the gunpowder had been used to make a single firecracker, the sample used for the demonstration.
The 12 bombs, packed in coconut melon gourd shells, were neatly arranged in a wooden box.
"This plant is the best gunpowder container we've found so far. It's hard, non-flammable, and maximizes the energy released during detonation."
"The explosive power is nearly four to five times that of the sample!"
ProGamer_Daddy lovingly caressed his recent creations.
"The only downside is the size and weight, making it suitable only for small- to medium-scale battles."
The gourd was about the size of a rugby ball.
Other than dropping it from above, it wasn't useful for long-range attacks.
And they couldn't make it any smaller.
With their crude gunpowder refinement, they needed larger quantities to even crack the shell.
While the bombs were powerful, Viktor wasn't satisfied with the quantity.
This small number of bombs would be almost useless against five to six hundred goblins.
"Only these?"
"If we can't find more saltpeter or sulfur, that's all there is," ProGamer_Daddy admitted.
Viktor tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the box, pondering.
"Expand the production and storage of all materials except for saltpeter and sulfur. I'll figure those two out."
Saltpeter and sulfur weren't really rare resources, and the Great Oak Forest was vast and rich.
Logically, it shouldn't be this hard to find them.
ProGamer_Daddy shrugged. As the faction leader, Viktor had the final say.
After verifying the goods, Viktor accepted all 12 bombs.
Although ProGamer_Daddy would only receive a 20% share, the final price was enough to make NeverShowOff drool.
The profit from one transaction, plus the advance for continued work, exceeded the total revenue from running the Cloth Cuckoo Workshop for days!
"You sly dog!" NeverShowOff punched his shoulder, giving him a knowing look. "I helped you test the bomb's effect, and you're not even giving me a cut of the profit?"
ProGamer_Daddy grinned wider than an AK's spray pattern.
"Heh, keep it low-key!"
Even he hadn't expected to make his first pot of gold in the game from selling weapons.
"How about this? Since the factory is just starting up, I'll ask Viktor if you can join as a shareholder?"
The mention of becoming a shareholder dampened NeverShowOff's enthusiasm instantly.
"Forget it. I don't know anything about weapon tech, and the Cloth Cuckoo Workshop is already keeping me busy."
He was here to play a game, not start a company.
Even ProGamer_Daddy had quit the workshop to focus on gunpowder research.
Why would he add more stress to himself?
NeverShowOff's ambitions remained on the front lines.
Once he made his first pot of gold, he'd probably quit the workshop too.
There was no way he'd involve himself in wartime logistics now.
"Then let's talk about a different reward."
ProGamer_Daddy lifted the flat, black fish hanging on the bucket and gave it a little shake.
"How about this? I am treating you to fish tonight. Let's invite Hedgehog and Garble too!"
"By the way, I owe this fish catch to your foresight—deliberately setting the bomb's detonation two seconds late."
NeverShowOff raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"You think I did that on purpose? Who messes up a countdown and skips two numbers?"
"Speaking of numbers," he said, changing the subject entirely, "this fish doesn't seem like enough for four people."
"Just add some potatoes. We can't just eat fish."
"Fair enough. Got any seasonings?"
"Does salt count? I'm willing to invest a whopping 10 magicoins!"
"… We should really put finding seasonings on the to-do list."
---
The sun set, and rose again.
A new batch of rookie players had just arrived and were still in shock. They were being herded around like little chicks by veteran players, sent to different locations to work.
After a night of dedicated searching, Viktor finally found a coal mine nearly 15 kilometers from Honeyvale Town.
The coal itself wasn't particularly valuable—what mattered was its byproduct: pyrite, also known as fool's gold.
Pyrite, with its main component being iron disulfide, could be used to extract sulfur.
Although this coal mine's pyrite wouldn't suffice for setting up a long-term sulfur production line, it was more than enough for the upcoming war against the goblins.
Even though the location was a bit far, his injuries had improved, and his ability to carry heavy loads had returned. Transporting the materials would be no issue for him, and the smelting process could be handed off to the players.
---
"By heating sulfur ore at high temperatures, it releases sulfur gas. The gas can then be condensed into a solid form, which becomes sulfur," ProGamer_Daddy explained enthusiastically, taking a sip of water to moisten his dry throat.
"Did you all get that?"
The players, who had been dragged into this labor, were gathered around three stone mills—currently the only functional mills in Honeyvale Town.
Hedgehog yawned. "So, after all that talk, you're just telling us to grind these rocks into powder?"
"Exactly. Wow, a student who learns quickly!"
"Don't patronize me!" Hedgehog snapped back mercilessly. "You've only been promoted to factory manager for a day, and you're already bossing us around?"
"For real, leaders love rambling useless stuff," another player chimed in.
"Can we just get started already? I've got to finish this task and pick up another one from Alyanne," another said.
ProGamer_Daddy was speechless.
Was nobody going to respect his authority?
He decided to make an example out of the last player.
"What's the rush? It's just a little extra time. Do you see Cloth Cuckoo Workshop offering rewards as generous as mine? Newbies shouldn't be so picky…"
Hedgehog, who happened to be from Cloth Cuckoo Workshop, interrupted coldly, "… Say one more word, and I'm out of here."
"Ahem, sorry, I forgot you were here," ProGamer_Daddy, caught up in his role as a taskmaster, awkwardly coughed twice and quickly changed the subject.
"Besides, Alyanne's also here helping out. No matter when we finish, you two will leave together!"
Hearing her name suddenly mentioned, Alyanne jolted and looked up. Three pairs of eyes stared at her. She stiffly nodded in acknowledgment.
The feeling of not understanding someone's language but knowing they were talking about you… It was nerve-wracking.
"Alright!" ProGamer_Daddy clapped his hands forcefully.
"Enough chit-chat. Get to work! The final quality of the powdered ore has to pass her inspection, so don't even think about slacking!"
With that, he turned to leave, but after a few steps, he looked back uneasily.
"You all know how to use the stone mills, right?"
"Stop nagging! Even an idiot could figure it out!" the players shouted in unison.
After chasing off the overly talkative ProGamer_Daddy, the players began figuring out how to use the stone mills.
Each mill had a circular stone base with a stone rod inserted in the center. On top was a cylindrical grinding stone, attached to the rod in the middle and extending outward with a handle.
Operating the mill was simple. First, the players would roughly crush the ore and place it on the stone base. Then, like oxen, they'd push the handle to rotate the grinding stone in circles.
Though straightforward, the process made them feel ridiculous.
One player, pushing the mill, sighed. "I thought 'working like a slave' was just a metaphor. Didn't expect to actually do it!"
Hedgehog, smashing chunks of ore with a hammer and piling them onto the mill, remarked, "He said time's tight and making a proper crushing machine isn't feasible, so we're the stand-ins for now. Once this critical period passes, these mills will retire."
Another player was even more shocked. "So we're the last batch of slaves?"
"… Good point."
That cursed ProGamer_Daddy had tricked Hedgehog into this. He even claimed this type of task hadn't been done before, making it more likely to yield bonus experience.
He rolled up his nonexistent sleeves. "No way. I'm going to negotiate with him. The task reward needs to increase by at least 10%!"
Suddenly, a crunching sound like bones being crushed came from behind.
The players turned simultaneously, only to see Alyanne crushing a chunk of ore in her hand. With a slight squeeze, the rock turned to powder. She placed the powder on the mill and softly asked, "Is this how it's done?"
Alyanne had volunteered to help at ProGamer_Daddy's factory, curious about how a mere magic apprentice had managed to create tools as powerful as advanced magical scrolls.
So far, there didn't seem to be anything special—just grinding rocks into powder.
The players' eyes lit up.
"Holy crap! Iron Barbie!"
"Beastly Femme Fatale!"
Watching her pulverize rocks with her bare hands, then looking at their hammers and mills, suddenly made those tools seem unappealing.
The players exchanged glances, all arriving at the same idea.
Three, two, one—go!
They dashed over like arrows, swarming Alyanne.
"Hehehe, Alyanne~~~If you've got such strength, why just sit and watch?"
---
By noon, when Viktor came to check on progress, he was greeted by the sight of half the players surrounding Alyanne, fawning over her and bringing her drinks. The other half were grudgingly grinding away at the other two mills, grumbling about how short their shift rotations were.
She sat by the mill, casually crushing rocks as if they were tofu.
Viktor stepped back and checked the wooden sign nearby.
Yup, this was indeed the weapon factory site he'd assigned to ProGamer_Daddy.
When Alyanne saw Viktor, the ore in her hand slipped. She quickly dusted herself off and stood up.
"Lord Viktor!"
"Just call me Viktor."
For once, Viktor felt a bit of normalcy and stepped inside.
The six players glanced at him curiously.
He spoke up. "I'm here to find ProGamer_Daddy."
"That guy went offline to check some info. I'll go fetch him!" Hedgehog eagerly volunteered, setting his cup aside and bolting away.
The remaining players tactfully scattered, pretending to inspect the sky, the ground, or the ore—changing poses a hundred times a minute.
Viktor was used to it by now.
He was really just here for a routine check-in.
Why did everyone always act like his presence meant triggering some special storyline?
Not every interaction had to involve unexpected twists, right?
---
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50 advance chapters!
[email protected]/Malphegor