With the Thornwood Flowers issue settled, Victor headed back toward the academy. On his way, he stumbled across a group of lumberjacks hard at work chopping trees. Not wanting to disturb them, he continued without interruption.
There was one place he wanted to visit: the kitchen. Recently, a player with real-life chef experience joined, meaning Princess_Tomato was no longer the sole cook responsible for preparing meals. Now, she had the assistance of a culinary professional, and with their combined efforts the quality of the food being served would significantly improve.
Upon entering the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of the two players, a pair of male and female, working in tandem as they butchered a magical beast — the Thornback Boar. This included bleeding, skinning, deboning, cutting, and, most importantly, drying. The boar’s substantial size yielded a ton of meat, far too much to be consumed at once. Preservation was essential.
Ideally, smoking the meat would have been the preferred method, but due to space and equipment constraints at the academy, the new chef player, going by the username “CookieMons,” had opted for air drying the meat. This involved coating the meat with salt and hanging it on a wooden frame outside the building. Although not the most sophisticated method, it was effective given the circumstances.
“How’s your progress?” Victor asked as he observed the activity in the kitchen.
Currently, the beast had been reduced to meat, bones, and skin, with its original frame gone for good. It was thanks to this Victor managed to get the boar’s bones and thorns to give to Eleanor this morning.
Princess_Tomato, brimming with enthusiasm, responded, “It’s been going well, Headmaster! We should be able to complete the disassembly by the end of today. CookieMons has been a tremendous help! I’m no longer feeling overwhelmed with my workload.”
Unfortunately, Victor was so focused on getting back that he didn’t hunt on his way back from the village. As such, he couldn’t give them another creature to be dismantled.
“Uh-huh. Separating the meat and the bones is relatively straightforward…” CookieMons agreed. Then his brows furrowed in thought as he stated, “However, there’s only one problem with tanning the hides. I’ve managed some basic treatments, such as sprinkling salt and drying them alongside the meat. Afterward, I plan to soak them in water. But I’m uncertain about the final quality, and I’m clueless about how to transform them into usable clothing.”
Tanning hides was a complex and labor-intensive process, far more intricate than making jerky from the meat. The clothes available inside the Nexus Tower had a limited quantity, and Victor was not completely sure if they would be replenished when it leveled up. Consequently, he believed that having alternative clothing options was crucial, especially as a contingency for players who might lose their clothes due to unfortunate events; they didn’t need enchanted clothes like the acolyte robes, just warm clothes that could keep out the cold.
“That will suffice for now. There’s no need to concern yourself with the making of clothes. Fresh acolytes are enrolling in our academy with each passing day, and those possessing the necessary talents will soon emerge.” Talents from all walks of life were registering even as of this moment, and a constant stream of ten individuals were entering the game daily. While not all were industry experts, their abilities could still be used to some extent. Besides, there was still the internet.
Victor wasn’t planning to set up a tailor shop, though. He would perhaps instead opt to open up a market in the academy and let players decide this on their own. Besides, if he urgently needed clothes, the village was a viable option.
“Mmm, then I’m glad,” CookieMons said.
Princess_Tomato clenched her fists resolutely. “I’ll do my best to work with what we have!”
Victor nodded, appreciating their efforts.
CookieMons chimed in, “Still, I can’t believe that dismantling a magical beast feels so real in this game…”
The game’s intricate mechanics and lifelike realism had left an indelible mark on the players. This experience was more than just a game, after all. Unknown to them, it was a genuine reality.
“Um… I find myself rather famished. Could you prepare some delectable dishes?”
Having attained the status of a third-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte, Victor possessed the ability to endure for days without sustenance. He often skipped breakfast or settled for modest refreshments. Similarly, players often skipped meals, considering the game merely a virtual realm and eating only when strictly necessary. This would likely become more prevalent once Victor started charging players a fee for their meals.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Gladly, Headmaster!”
“Of course! I’m at your service.”
***
After checking the kitchen, Victor proceeded to oversee the clay collector group. As he journeyed eastward, he caught sight of the agricultural field where the assigned players were hard at work. They were currently in the process of planting earthnug seeds, a task that seemed to be progressing well despite the players having no prior experience as farmers. Nevertheless, sowing seeds across a one-hectare expanse was no small task.
“Huh, what’s that?”
Victor’s attention was drawn to a modest structure constructed with log walls and a roof fashioned from leaves. Situated not far from the field’s edge and adjacent to the forest, if he remembered correctly, it was the designated spot for clay collection. Indeed, a neatly arranged mound of reddish soil had been carefully piled there.
Coincidentally, a player stood nearby, so Victor approached him. “Esteemed Headmaster! How may I be of assistance?”
“Who is responsible for crafting this structure?” Victor asked sternly.
The player replied respectfully, “It was our doing, Headmaster. We feared that rain might mingle with the clay, causing it to merge with the soil and transform into mud. As a precaution, we’ve made a provisional storage area here…”
“I see,” he said, thinking it over and then nodding approvingly. “Yes, good thinking.”
While this part of the forest typically experienced only light rainfall, there was no guarantee that a storm would never occur at all. These past few days had unfolded serenely without a drop of rain, yet this tranquility might very well act as a prelude to an impending rainstorm. It was as if the adage “calm before the storm” lingered as an unspoken warning.
Finding that the player was preparing to return to the stream, Victor asked him to lead the way. He spotted Mike, the leader of the clay collector group, working alongside his team.
The rest of the group was stunned to see Victor, their headmaster, come to this place and stand still in place. For some reason, Victor felt that the players were becoming accustomed to role-playing as acolytes of the academy. Although it was convenient, he found it rather odd and embarrassing.
“Sir Astralium! What brings you to this corner of the woods?” Mike inquired, his task of shoveling a patch of clay momentarily halted.
“Just conducting a routine inspection,” Victor replied with a charismatic tone. “How’s the progress of collecting clay so far?”
“All is progressing smoothly, sir. Though I must admit, we don’t have buckets to store the clay. As a workaround, we’ve been relying on the wooden cart to transport between the designated area and our workspace.”
Indeed. There were no buckets that could be used in the academy; Victor realized he had forgotten to purchase some from the village. Similarly, fetching water from the stream was currently done using waterskins which was highly inefficient. Perhaps with the currently available materials, the players could make wooden buckets by themselves. They just needed some supervision.
“Mm, that will be taken care of soon. Is there anything else worth noting?”
To make an earthen wall that surrounded the academy, clay was not absolutely necessary as a material. However, it was an excellent cohesive material that could provide strength and water resistance to the wall when properly compacted.
Mike hesitated before answering, “Well, we noticed a significant fish population in the stream, and we’re thinking about the possibility of fishing. We’ve been discussing the feasibility of crafting rudimentary traps designed to ensnare fish in the gaps between rocks. But due to time constraints, little progress has been made so far.”
“Oh?” Adding fish to the menu would undoubtedly be well received. “Carry on with your diligent efforts, then.”
“Yes! Ah, right. Sir, I have a proposal for advancing the academy’s development.”
Victor raised an eyebrow. “What is it? I’m all ears.”
Mike cleared his throat, enthusiasm clear in his eyes. “I believe we should consider constructing a water well…”
“A well, you say?”
“Yes. Please allow me to elaborate…” According to him, there were logistical benefits to placing a well between the stream and the academy’s main building. The distance between the two locations had proven to be more than a mere stroll, and having a well positioned at this midpoint would not only cater to the water needs of the academy but also facilitate the crucial task of irrigating the crops.
“But this comes back with the problem of not having large enough containers to store the water other than the waterskins,” he added.
“Your proposal is indeed interesting. Tomorrow, I shall initiate the creation of a dedicated group tasked with constructing various facilities across the academy.”
“Understood. Your support is greatly appreciated, Headmaster.”
Victor waved off the gratitude. “Think nothing of it. Ideas such as yours are what will continue to shape this academy’s future.”
As Mike resumed his task with a renewed sense of purpose, a distinct “ding” resonated within Victor’s mind, accompanied by the sudden materialization of a holographic display before him.
[Mission Accomplished!]
[Congratulations on passing the mission. You and your players have sown a one-hectare field and filled it with life.]
[The reward (10 progression value points) has been issued.]
Victor took a quick look at the list of missions and found a follow-up to Farming Simulator 1.0 with the unoriginal title “Farming Simulator 2.0.” This time, it called for two one-hectare fields with different crops. Likewise, the reward was fifteen progression value points as opposed to ten. Another welcome piece of news.