Jolan placed 20 units of meat for trade, leaving only 10 units in his inventory.
After finishing the setup, he didn't bother waiting for the trades to complete. Instead, he switched over to the Global Chat.
---
[ Lord Nobody: Brothers, there's a beast pounding on my protective barrier! I'm safe as long as I stay within my territory, but I can't kill it since all my troops are just civilians and none of them have weapons. Does anyone know a solution? ]
[ Byzantine Prince: My friend above, first of all—you'll have to wait until tomorrow's recruitment and pray for better luck. Second, don't let your troops idle; make them gather basic resources like wood and stone since both you and your people need food. Third, keep your eyes on the Global Market. It's hard to find weapons on day one, but nothing is impossible. ]
[ Forest Kingdom: Byzantine Prince@ Lord Nobody@ Since he can't reply—he's out of free messages—I'll thank you on his behalf. Also, I benefited from your advice as well, thanks! ]
[ Lord of the Frozen North: Fresh bear meat, White Peak tier, is now available on the market! Limited quantity, fair price—hurry before it's gone!! ]
[ Dragon Lord: Damn! Someone's already selling meat this fast?! ]
[ Samurai: He's right, but the exchange rate is actually ten times the basic resources for one unit of meat. Still, when you think about it, that's a fair deal. ]
[ Stunning Beauty: Waaaah! I tried to exchange for one unit but it was already sold out. Lord of the Frozen North@ accept my friend request! I'll even send you my picture! ]
"…"
---
Not long after his announcement, notifications began to roll in.
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[ Reminder: Lord Forest Kingdom has exchanged 5 units of meat for 50 units of wood. Please collect them from the market. ]
[ Reminder: Lord Samurai has exchanged 3 units of meat for 30 units of wood. Please collect them from the market. ]
[ Reminder: Lord Byzantine Prince has exchanged 8 units of meat for 80 units of stone. Please collect them from the market. ]
[ Reminder: … ]
…
[ Reminder: Trade completed. 100 units of wood and 100 units of stone are now available in your Trade Storage. Please collect them from the market. ]
[ Reminder: Lord Byzantine Prince has sent you a Friend Request. ]
[ Reminder: Lord Stunning Beauty has sent you a Friend Request. ]
…
[ Reminder: 12 Friend Requests pending. ]
---
"Haha~ The promotional announcement worked perfectly."
In less than five minutes, Jolan had completed the exchanges and secured plenty of basic resources. The only shortage left was metal, which was naturally rarer and more expensive. But since the day had just begun, there was no need to rush.
After wrapping up the trades, Jolan stepped outside the Lord's Hut, intending to gather his followers—partly to see their progress and partly to test his newly acquired skill.
Scanning the barren territory of just 200 meters in diameter, it wasn't hard to locate them.
Yet, what puzzled him was the sight of a massive gray wolf clawing at the barrier while Suleiman and the others simply stood by watching, taking no action.
He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he strode directly toward his people.
---
"We see Lord Jolan!" ×5
All of them knelt on one knee the moment they noticed him.
"Stand. From now on, don't waste time with such formalities, especially in times of war!"
The sharp tone on his face made them answer immediately.
"Yes, my Lord!"
"Suleiman, explain the situation."
The bald soldier quickly understood what Jolan was asking. With military discipline, he gave a concise report.
"So, you're saying you encountered another wolf earlier and tried the same method we used on the bear. But the beast dodged and only took a shallow wound, which forced it to retreat. Now, with this wolf, you're trying to find a better opening so it doesn't escape again?"
"That's exactly it, my Lord. I've failed you."
"It's not your fault."
Jolan waved his hand dismissively to calm his soldier.
"In fact, I have a solution. I've acquired a new skill that can briefly disorient the enemy. Once I unleash it, you'll have the perfect chance to drive your spear into its head or throat. End it in one strike."
"The Lord is both wise and mighty! I won't disappoint you this time!" Suleiman replied, eyes burning with resolve.
"Good. The rest of you—same plan as before. Arm yourselves with stones. If the beast doesn't fall to Suleiman's first strike, it's up to you to finish the job."
"Understood, my Lord!" ×4
---
Satisfied, Jolan took his place beside Suleiman, facing the snarling wolf.
A prompt appeared before his eyes:
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[ Monster: Frozen Prairie Wolf ]
[ Power Level: White, Intermediate ]
[ Monster Info: A predator born in the northern tundra. Fierce, cautious, with sharp reflexes, high speed, and deadly claws. ]
---
'Hmph, so it's weaker than the bear but trickier to deal with. All the more reason it's lucky I'm here.'
He took a deep breath, then unleashed his new skill.
"ROAR!!"
The wild bellow shook the air.
The wolf froze mid-strike against the barrier, its sharp gaze suddenly turning dull, its movements faltering with visible confusion.
Suleiman wasted no time. He lunged forward with all his strength, thrusting his spear into the wolf's exposed throat.
The beast could've easily dodged under normal circumstances, but disoriented as it was, it stood no chance.
"SWISH!" — "SPLURT!!"
Blood spurted as the spear tore through its vital point.
The wolf let out one last pitiful cry before collapsing, lifeless.
Of course, a familiar notification appeared in Jolan's vision.
---
[ Reminder: Your subordinate, Spearman Suleiman, has slain the Frozen Prairie Wolf (White, Intermediate). ]
---
This time, the surge of energy flowing into Jolan was far stronger than before. No doubt, it was because he had played a key role in the kill.
"Same procedure as before. Drag the corpse to the Ancient Purification Grave. From now on, all beasts we kill are to be sent there. If the grave is busy, assign a non-combatant to wait until it's free, then have them push the corpse in. Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord!" ×5
---
[ Reminder: Wolf corpse placed into the Ancient Purification Grave. Begin purification? Yes/No ]
"Confirm!"
[ Purification in progress. Estimated time: 20 minutes. ]
'As expected. A weaker beast means faster purification.'
Jolan carried a chair from the hut and placed it beside the grave, lounging casually as the purification began. The cold didn't bother him anymore thanks to the warmth of the bear pelt draped across his shoulders.
"Take a break, all of you. Mira, you three—use these five units of bear meat to prepare lunch for everyone. Suleiman, you're free for now. Just don't step outside the barrier."
His people obeyed, some heading off to cook while Suleiman took his spear and began training nearby, executing thrust after thrust in disciplined rhythm.
'A good soldier,' Jolan thought with satisfaction before turning his attention back to the Global Market.
He opened a new trade post:
---
[ Item: Bear Meat (Ironclaw Northern Bear) ]
[ Tier: White, Peak ]
[ Quantity: 5 units ]
[ Trade Requirement: 1 unit of Metal per unit of meat ]
---
Since his free daily message had already been used, Jolan refrained from sending another promotional broadcast—it wasn't worth wasting a Chaos Gem so early. For now, posting the trade was enough.
---
End of Chapter 4