I couldn't believe it.
Just one swing, and he had already felled that massive oak tree? What the hell?
All he had to do now was cut off the branches and haul the log back to the castle, and the quest would be complete!
Gopuro raised the new iron axe high above his head and let out a victorious roar.
"YAARRRRRR!!"
Then he moved toward another tree, charging his skill for one full second once more.
Another swing.
BAM!
Another tree crashed down in a single clean cut!
And then…
BAM!
Yet another one!
(Oh god! This is so incredible!)
At this rate, I would be rich very soon!
That made me wonder… was it the fact that the weapon was made of iron that mattered, or was it mostly because of the skill?
After all, they had been chopping with freaking stone axes before. Stones! Those things must have been so dull. And it was already a miracle that none of those axes had broken after so many long sessions.
Gopuro then tried to use his skill for the fourth time. But as he charged it again, the axe only glowed for half a second before the light dimmed and faded. He swung anyway. The blade bit into the tree trunk, but it couldn't even cut through one-tenth of it.
(Oh right, not enough mana!)
Still, from that regular swing alone, it was clear that the iron axe was vastly more powerful than the old bone ones.
Gopuro currently had 30 Max MP, with an MP recovery rate of 0.75 per minute. That meant… he would be able to unleash that powerful skill once every 13 to 14 minutes.
(Haha, I can't wait to see how many rounds of the Wood Gathering Quest you'll be able to complete today, Gopuro!)
The dude was quite smart though. Instead of attacking another standing tree, he moved on to process one of the fallen ones.
(Right! Since processing and hauling the log back to the castle would take more than 14 minutes, by the time he returned, his mana would already be enough again!)
(Haha! That's my citizen!)
"Gopuro, good job! Keep it up!"
"Yes! Big Boss!"
Meanwhile, Gopuran had been standing aside the whole time, growing visibly restless. She had cheered and clapped excitedly when Gopuro felled the first tree with the overpowered skill, but now she was pouting, her ears drooping slightly. It was obvious that seeing Gopuro receive such an incredible gift while she had yet to get anything was making her a bit jealous.
"Big Boss!" Gopuran eventually mustered up the courage to ask, her voice full of hope. "What about me? Puran get big axe too?"
Her eyes sparkled like an eager puppy's, so cute it tugged at my stony heart a little.
(Huhu… Gopuran… I'm so sorry!!!)
The truth was, I only had enough Points left for that one axe. My wallet was literally bone-dry right now.
But as soon as I got more Points from selling the wood Gopuro was bringing me, I would definitely get her something nice too.
I gently told Gopuran the truth — that I wasn't able to get her a better weapon just yet.
"I-It's okay…" she said softly. But her face betrayed her true feelings. Her ears drooped even lower, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
Fortunately, it wasn't like I had nothing new to give her.
"Well, not a big axe, but you get something else!"
"Ooh! Really?"
"Yeah!"
I materialized a single, beautiful apple and gently dropped it into her small green hand.
"Woah! Apple!"
"Ahem! It's an apple, but not an ordinary apple!"
"Huh?" Gopuran tilted her head cutely.
She then proceeded to inspect the fruit closely.
The apple sparkled with a faint, magical sheen. And as Gopuran held it up toward the sun, beautiful rainbow reflections danced across its glossy red skin.
"Uwwooohhh!" Gopuran gasped in wonder.
"Puran! Eat it! Now!"
"Yes!"
Puran replied excitedly. Then—
CHOMP!
As soon as she took a big bite, the apple suddenly melted into a sweet, liquid form and flowed straight down her throat.
Her entire body glowed with a bright, warm light for a second. A deeply satisfied gasp escaped her mouth as a pleasant shiver ran through her.
Gopuro watched the entire scene with wide, envious eyes.
And then, as Gopuran's body returned to normal a moment later, she cheered happily.
"Big Boss! Apple is delish! I feel stronger!"
"Haha, of course!"
After all, that apple had literally cost me 50 Points!
[Magic Apple]
Description: An apple that contains a blessing of the System.
Effect: A magical fruit that immediately grants the eater 2 free random Core Attribute points! However, this effect can only be gained once every month. Consuming the Magic Apple or any other magic fruit within the same month will bring no additional effect.
It was something I had obtained from the Food Shop after upgrading it to Level 2.
At first, I thought that reaching Level 2 would only add more ordinary food options, nothing special. But no. The regular food selection remained fairly basic. Instead, a wonderful new choice had appeared — I could now buy these Magic Apples directly with Points!
And through the sneak peek, it mentioned that if I upgraded the shop further, I would be able to purchase [Magic Pears], and even unlock a [Seed Shop]!
I had no idea what kind of buff the Magic Pears would grant. Perhaps something even stronger than the Magic Apples? Still… the Seed Shop was what truly drew my attention right now. Cultivation? Finally?
It looked like soon enough, I would be able to transform my currently shitty, weed-choked yard into a beautiful, thriving garden blooming with magical trees and plants.
Anyways, back to the two goblins.
"Big Boss? I want special apple too!" Gopuro said, his eyes shining with clear expectation.
"No! You chop wood now! Bring me more wood! I give you magic apple later!"
"Al-alright!"
(Haiz…) I sighed inwardly. (Goblins.)
"Puran," I sent a message directly to Gopuran using [Ruler's Voice]. "I have another quest for you."
"Yes! Big Boss!"
[Quest: Scouting the Forest!]
Prerequisite: None
Quest Info: Your Ruler wishes to tour around and see what lies within the forest. However, their magic is still limited, so they have a spell that allows them to connect with your eyes and see what you see. Therefore, you will go into the forest and show your Sovereign around, answering any questions they may have along the way.
Quest Type: One-Time
Objective: Walk into the forest and explore until your Ruler tells you to return. Answer questions if possible. Do not go more than 3 km away from the castle.
Reward: 1 Powerstone per hours