“It’s a pity. It would be great if it could be accelerated like in some games, or I could see the result directly with some kind of prop.”

No matter how much David hoped that Winter Village would soon embrace the freedom of cooking, he could only wait for the result day by day.

Compared to Mark Watney, who was running back and forth between two ends, David's life felt much easier. Apart from exploring the forest to the north occasionally to check for any dangerous neighbors, the most important part of his day was practicing and studying.

Cultivation focused mainly on mastering various weapons and fighting skills. In addition to being a teacher, Fording also served as David’s training partner, which wasn’t an easy experience for him.

Learning was a constant process as well. David realized this kind of learning could go on for a long time; it was impossible to master all the scattered knowledge in just a few years.

After a few more days, Mark Watney successfully opened a potato field at the Mars base. Now, he just needed to wait for the results.

With the support of Cold Winter Village, Mark didn’t feel as much psychological pressure about this experimental project. He still hoped to succeed—growing potatoes on Mars would make him the first person in history to do so.

“You know what?” Mark said during dinner, a grin spreading across his face. “Maybe I’ll be called the first human to colonize Mars.”

As he spoke, it was clear that, compared to the sprouting and unearthed wheat in Winter Village, this was no longer surprising news.

“There’s one thing I don’t quite understand,” Fording interjected. His English had improved rapidly, allowing him to communicate normally. His accent had become more American due to his lessons with Mark. “Why go to a planet that has nothing and can’t even support life?”

In Fording’s view, even with the overpopulation on Earth, they should seek a world that could sustain them. But from Mark’s descriptions, Mars didn’t seem like a suitable new home.

“This… it’s because leaving Earth for other planets is incredibly difficult. In that case, Mars is already the ‘best’ choice,” Mark explained. He went on to introduce Fording to the other major planets in the solar system while emphasizing the significance of their experiment—if it was successful, it would prove that humanity might have a chance at living on Mars.

While Mark and Fording conversed, David was engaged in a fighting game with Laura, who had moved in numerous electronic devices, generators, solar panels, and other gadgets.

As David’s character was easily knocked down, Laura shot him a few knowing glances.

“What’s with that look?” he asked, puzzled.

“Nothing,” she replied, gripping her controller as she started the next game. “When are you going to leave?”

David’s next plan was to visit Iron Tree Fort to report on the situation in Cold Winter Village and obtain the kingdom's certification. Everyone knew about this. If it hadn’t been for David wanting to see if Mark’s wheat would germinate, he would have set off after defeating the troll village a few days prior.

“Let’s go at dawn tomorrow,” he decided. Now that he had confirmed the wheat could be planted, he felt more confident about recruiting villagers. However, he worried that news spread by the earlier pioneers could undermine his credibility.

“Iron Tree Fort is a big city, right?” Laura asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

“Iron Tree Fort is the largest city in the north of the Kingdom of Tilan,” David confirmed.

As a crucial town in the north and the kingdom's main high-grade timber producer, Iron Tree Fort held significant status in the Kingdom of Tilan. For David, who had seen the "world," it was merely a bustling yet dirty place that couldn’t escape his critical eye.

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“What? Are you interested in Iron Tree Fort?” Laura asked, her interest piqued.

“Of course! I’m interested in many things in this world,” she replied, her eyes lighting up. Laura frequently visited this world, almost regarding it as her new home. It was an unexplored realm, brimming with unknowns. Her innate desire to explore pushed her to uncover everything in this world and understand it clearly.

“So...” Laura’s sudden enthusiasm made David guess what she was thinking. “You want to go with me?”

“Yes! I also did some prep work.”

“Huh? Ready for work?”

“Yeah, for example, clothes that are more in line with the style of this world.” Laura paused the game, dashed back to her room, and returned wearing clothes similar to David’s.

“I’m really well prepared.” David had also dug out some of his old clothes over the past few days, camouflaging his backpack and bow with layers of wild animal fur.

When Mark and Fording heard David and Laura discussing their trip to Iron Tree Fort, they paused their science talk about the Milky Way.

“How long does it take to get to Iron Tree Fort from here?” Mark asked.

“If the road goes well, it’ll take more than half a month—at most a month.” David recalled that it had taken two months to walk from Iron Tree Fort to this place, mainly due to the slow pace of large teams.

But with just David and Laura, they could move faster. “If all goes well, we should manage it in about twenty days.”

“It’s a pity there are no livestock left in the village,” Laura said, her brow furrowed. “Not even a horse to ride. If we had some livestock to carry food, the journey would be much easier.”

Now, they could only bring more compressed food and rely on the river flowing from Iron Tree Forest as their main source of sustenance along the way.

“Speaking of which,” David continued, “it seems we also need to buy some livestock along with recruiting villagers.” He realized that livestock were essential for the village’s development—if possible, they should also acquire some poultry.

After discussing for a bit, Mark suddenly became curious. “Wait a minute—after talking for so long, is there any money in the village?”

The room fell silent. No one had considered that question before, and all eyes turned to David, the only one who could answer.

“No.” David met their stares with a straightforward reply. “The development team prepares everything before departure. Once the village is established, we move on to normal life.”

He explained, “In normal circumstances, livestock, seeds, agricultural tools, and poultry are all prepped when the team is formed. If we need anything afterward, the village must find a way.”

For example, they could sell food produced, high-quality fur from hunting, or minerals found, then use the earnings to buy what they needed.

“It should be like that in normal circumstances…” David added.

But his situation was anything but normal. Cold Winter Village had been established unsuccessfully, and most resources he brought back were already consumed. Although the village now had food, it wasn’t rich enough to sell on a large scale.

“Then how will we buy poultry and livestock?” Mark pressed.

“Let’s figure that out once we get to Iron Tree Fort!” David suggested. He hoped to convince those willing to come to Cold Winter Village to bring some poultry or livestock with them, focusing first on solving the immediate issue.

“As long as we have a foundation, we’ll find ways to grow as the village develops.”

He also wondered if Iron Tree Fort would offer Winter Village any “support.”

According to custom, once he became the head of Cold Winter Village, the Lord of Iron Tree Fort would become his direct superior. As a subordinate, it would be normal for David to request material support from his superior.

Fording briefly stated his thoughts, agreeing with David's ideas. He saw no major issues and deemed them feasible.

Mark sighed, lamenting the timing. His Martian potato-planting experiment was still in its early stages, and he needed to tend to several fields in the village. There was no way he could escape to explore the world's big cities.

“When there are enough people, you can go out at will.” David’s concern lingered over Mark’s lack of self-protection skills. “But until then, you should focus on increasing your strength.”

“I will!” Mark nodded, acknowledging the dangers surrounding him. “I’m not planning to venture out alone, anyway. Maybe after you return from Iron Tree Fort, I can join you next time.”

“There will definitely be many opportunities,” David replied, already envisioning the future. He knew he would have to travel back and forth between Cold Winter Village and Iron Tree Castle often.

Curiosity struck him suddenly. “Speaking of which, there were three pioneering teams that set out from Iron Tree Fort back then. I wonder what happened to the other two?”

“Huh? There are two other teams?” Mark and Laura’s interest piqued at the mention of two more teams that might have faced similar hardships.

“One of the teams established a village to the south of Winter Village, near Iron Tree Forest. We’ll pass by it on our way to Iron Tree Fort. If it’s still standing, we could pick up some supplies there.”

The atmosphere shifted, and everyone present, including David, felt the same uncertainty. The likelihood of successfully establishing a village in that area didn’t seem promising.