Eric was incredibly curious about this so-called "King of Mankind" who would rise decades from now.
If he could get a sneak peek ahead of time, that'd be pretty cool.
However, heading to the Valley of Shadows meant he'd likely be gone for quite a while. And with no way to summon his Iron Golem right now, leaving the castle would mean it'd be completely unguarded.
After thinking it over, Eric decided it was best to make a quick trip back to Bree first. He needed to stock up on supplies and properly secure his territory before gallivanting off into unknown lands.
He left a wooden sign hanging at the castle gate, carved with the words: "Out for a bit, back soon!" Then, he packed several sets of rations, made sure all his tools and equipment were in order, and set off westward along the road.
Compared to when he first arrived, this return trip was a breeze. For one, he now knew the terrain and what to expect. Two, he had plenty of food.
And third—perhaps most importantly—he now had access to a world map, which let him see his current position at any time and even estimate how long it'd take to reach his destination.
Apart from the tedium of walking for hours, nothing else bothered him along the way. It was a smooth journey, and soon enough, Eric arrived at Bree's gate, where the guards were conducting their usual checks.
This time, though, something felt... different.
At the gate, the guard peeked through the small wooden window, glanced at Eric, then—without asking a single question—opened the gate wide and motioned him through.
"Welcome, friend," the guard said casually. "How were the roads this time?"
Eric blinked, caught off guard by the friendliness. "Not bad at all. Smooth sailing, actually. Didn't run into a single problem."
"Glad to hear it."
The guard nodded and returned to his seat like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Eric walked further into town, deep in thought. Then, on a whim, he opened his Faction Interface and checked the entry for Bree.
[Bree] Regional Reputation: 34 (Friendly)
Source: Eliminated bandits, wiped out orc raiders.
Ah, so that's it. The reputation system might have unlocked late, but clearly, the things he did earlier hadn't been forgotten.
Once a reputation score hits 10, the faction's attitude turns "Friendly."
To unlock more perks or higher-level rewards, though, he'd need a lot more. A quick glance told him the next tier required—yep—100 points.
No sense obsessing over it. He'd deal with it later.
For now, Eric focused on the real reason he'd returned to Bree:
Shopping.
He needed to buy things he couldn't find or make on his own—like crop seeds. Pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, wheat... all the good stuff.
Oh, and a horse.
Running on foot was fine and all, but let's face it—horses are faster. Sure, Eric had more endurance than any horse alive (his food consumption basically translated into "half a pack of jerky per hundred kilometers"), but even he was getting tired of running everywhere.
With a clear goal in mind, Eric headed straight to the Prancing Pony Inn, rented a room, and approached the innkeeper.
"Can you get me two good horses?" he asked.
Maybe it was his rising reputation. Or maybe it was just the fact that he paid well and didn't haggle. Either way, the innkeeper beamed and assured him he'd personally arrange to have the best two horses in Bree delivered as soon as possible.
Exactly how soon "as soon as possible" meant was anyone's guess, but Eric was used to waiting by now.
After sorting out his lodgings and devouring a solid meal, he hit the streets to ask where he could buy crops.
Thanks to his friendly rep, it didn't take long. He casually asked a couple of passing townsfolk, and they enthusiastically gave him a full rundown of Bree's market layout—east to west—and even listed which vendors sold what.
Following their directions, Eric soon found himself at a local farm.
"Welcome, sir! What can I help you with?" the farmer greeted warmly.
Eric listed the crops he wanted, and to his delight, the farm had them all.
Pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, wheat…
"Ooh, what's this?" Eric asked, approaching a basket of yellow kernels.
"Corn!"
[New Craft Unlocked: Corn Seeds]
"Perfect! I'll take a sack of this too."
"Coming right up, sir! Bree's hardest-working hands are at your service!"
And right next to that? Garlic, onions, and ginger, still dusted with a bit of fresh soil.
"I'll take these as well!"
"Of course!"
By the end of the shopping spree, Eric had emptied out every last silver coin he had—including a few charred ones looted from that orc squad.
The farmer, meanwhile, couldn't stop grinning. It had been a great day. This customer was clearly the type who didn't think twice about money—he didn't even ask for prices. Just pointed and bought things by the sack.
"Hope to see you again soon!"
Not likely, Eric thought.
You'll see soon enough what Minecraft farming speed looks like—ever seen wheat that matures in a couple days?
He left the farm with his backpack bulging from sacks of crops, feeling very satisfied.
The only disappointment? No watermelons. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen a single one.
With his seed collection complete, all that was left was to wait for the innkeeper to bring the horses, and then he could head home.
As for the seeds—thanks to his crafting table, he could convert the raw crops directly into seeds with all the handy Minecraft properties.
Animal breeding, though? That was still untested. Out in the wilderness near his roadside fortress, wild animals were rare. The most he'd seen were a few wild bulls, and those were better off turned into steak than dragged home.
So buying two horses now had a second purpose—he wanted to test if they could be bred into full-on MC horses.
But first things first: in Minecraft, breeding horses required gold—at minimum, two golden carrots.
And gold was, unfortunately, a royal pain to mine. He'd been chipping away at the mines near his fortress for over a month and hadn't seen even a glint.
No choice—he had to trade for it.
First stop? The blacksmith.
Eric made his way to the familiar forge and stepped inside.
"What can I do for yo—huh?" the blacksmith started, then smiled. "Oh! It's you! Good to see you again. What can I help with today?"
"Glad you remember me."
"Of course I do! Word travels fast. They say a lone adventurer passed through Bree and single-handedly took out a gang of bandits and an entire pack of orcs and direwolves."
As he spoke, the blacksmith put down his tools and leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"They also say you can use magic. Is that true?"
Eric quickly held up a hand. "Whoa, hold up, my man. That's not what I'm here for. I'm looking to buy something—do you have any gold?"
The blacksmith blinked. Then gave a dramatic tilt of the head.
"I'm a blacksmith, not a goldsmith, sir."
Figures.
Just as Eric sighed and turned to leave, a voice called out from nearby—a very familiar voice.
"Hey there, adventurer! I couldn't help but overhear—you're looking for gold?"
"Get lost, you junk-hawking gremlin!" the blacksmith snapped immediately. "Stay away from my customers!"
Eric turned and, as expected, saw that face again—grinning like a weasel.
It was William the Scavenger.
Of course.
He was struck by a sudden sense of déjà vu.