Gideon didn't answer right away. He needed a moment to think, especially about whether Jade was affected by the Commonsense Override like the others.
Noticing his hesitation, Jade shrugged as if she had already lost interest.
"Right. It's impossible for you to know anyway."
She leaned back against the sofa and casually placed her boots on the coffee table.
Gideon's eyes twitched.
Sand stained the leather, bits of dust clinging to her boots and jacket where she had rubbed against it earlier. Even Kilian had the sense to change into slippers.
"Hey, take your boots off the table."
"Huh?" Jade lifted a brow. "Is this your house or something?"
"It is," Gideon replied without hesitation.
"I found it first. This house is mine. Not just that, this whole area and the fertile land belong to me."
Jade was attractive, undeniably so, but gods, she was a mess. Even Summer was cleaner and more refined than this.
For some reason, Jade reminded him of his older sister back on Earth. The kind of person who could not cook without destroying the kitchen, left her belongings everywhere, and still got angry when he tried to clean up, saying something like, 'I have a system here, don't mess it up!'
Jade burst out laughing and shook her head. "And what if I wanted to take this territory and this house for myself? What would you do then?"
"I'd fight you head on."
Their gazes locked. The air in the room grew tense. Neither of them backed down, and even Kilian slowly stood up, clearly planning to leave before things got ugly.
Then Jade laughed again, louder this time. She lowered her feet to the floor and leaned forward.
"Fine. I don't want it." She waved a hand dismissively. "This place is too far from my headquarters. Maintaining it would cost too much. I'll let you have it."
She tapped his shoulder casually, and Gideon immediately slapped her hand away.
"You're not letting me have anything," Gideon said. "This was mine from the start."
Kilian groaned and rubbed his temples. "Just accept it, man. I can't stand this atmosphere."
Gideon clicked his tongue. "Fine. But why would it take so much effort to maintain this place? Just because it's far?"
"That's only one reason," Jade replied.
Her tone shifted as she leaned closer, her expression turning serious. "The bigger problem is that fertile land like this won't stay hidden forever."
She met his eyes directly.
"In a world like this, humans are more dangerous than monsters. When resources are scarce, people will do anything to survive. Sometimes they're worse than S-rank aberrants."
Gideon stiffened. She was right. Back in his old world, people had laws, food, and comfort. Still, some bad seeds still exist.
Here, even a good deed could turn into a nightmare, just like what had happened to Freya.
"And fertile land is the most valuable resource there is," he murmured.
Jade smiled, seeing that he understood. "That's why cooperation is needed. Freebound protects you, and in exchange, you share part of this land with us."
Gideon frowned immediately. "No. I'm not giving away my land."
This place was meant to be the foundation of something bigger. His system existed to rebuild civilization, not to hand it over to every faction he wanted to work with.
If needed, he could get defenses, modern weapons, and protection through buying from the Infinite Shop.
But all of that required people to use it. A lot of people.
"Damn it," Gideon muttered under his breath.
The problem was becoming clearer by the second.
"I do not want the land itself," Jade said calmly. "I want about ten liters of fertile soil as a starter. We will transport it to Climber Rift and begin a small farming experiment."
Gideon widened his eyes, then nodded slowly. "Alright. I can give you permission for that."
His expression changed as he spoke. This was no longer a casual discussion. This was a trade, and if it was a trade, then he needed to squeeze as much value out of it as possible.
Jade noticed immediately and laughed. "Oh, I love that look. That is a business face."
She crossed her legs and leaned back. "Go on. Propose everything you want, and I will decide."
Gideon leaned forward slightly. "First, I want information. Everything about the big factions. Their reputations, their strength, their leaders, and how dangerous they really are."
"Second, I want protection, but quietly. I do not want this place to attract attention. Third, I want skilled people sent here. Builders, engineers, anyone who can help develop this land. And lastly, I want twenty A-rank aberrant cores."
Kilian immediately raised a hand. "Whoa, stop right there. That is way too much."
He turned to Jade, who nodded for him to continue. "Information alone is expensive. You cannot just ask for 'everything.' You need to be specific. And skilled people are rare, especially ones willing to live this far from civilization."
Jade picked up the conversation smoothly. "You also need to choose which request you want first. We can provide the rest gradually, after at least a month of cooperation. As for the twenty A-rank cores, that part is manageable."
"A month is too long," Gideon said, leaning back against the sofa.
He needed progress now. The system objectives were clear. Population mattered, and once he reached a certain number, the Infinite Shop would unlock a new section dedicated to civilization building.
But without people, nothing would move forward. He could buy materials, but materials alone would not build a settlement.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
They wanted fertile soil, but did they even have seeds?
A slow smile formed on his face.
"I can offer something extra," Gideon said. "Seeds, kernels. Any plant seeds you want."
Jade froze for a split second before slamming her hand on the table. "You have seeds? Where do you get it?"
Kilian leaned forward instantly, eyes sharp. "You are serious?"
Gideon did not answer right away. He only smiled, relaxed and confident.
"That is a secret," he said lightly. "But if that interests you, then we have a deal."