It took my group of Orc youth all morning to pick up a dozen ore the size of pebbles. That's one pebble for everyone, not counting myself and our guards.
So it's true that you can find them lying around, but it isn't enough for a single spear. And I want to make more crossbows and bolts.
Shields, armor, better tools, and some iron might be useful for building too. There's so much to do, with so few resources.
If only I had a long-range metal detector or something. Without one, it's safe to say, that plan A didn't work out, but I have two more.
[Notice: Three, if you pick up the Mining Skill.]
And that's not going to happen.
Besides, you suggested holding on to that extra skill point. And to mine, I'd need a mountain or something rich in iron.
The highest point I found was the hill between the water reservoir and the vast emptiness of the Capital.
It didn't seem rich in minerals, though I'm not an expert. And I won't be.
It wouldn't matter anyway. Skill or not, you can't dig a shaft into thin air and get what you need.
And if I find the ore, I wouldn't need the skill anyway.
Don't expect me to do everything on my own.
There are plenty of Orcs to delegate some work to, Alexandra is their leader, not their slave.
It would make me suspicious again if I overworked myself to do all the manual labor.
[Notice: You make your laziness sound very logical.]
Why thank you. It seems weird to toil away on a farm or deep inside a mine when I have an entire magical world to explore.
At least from the YouCube videos, I know where people gathered minerals in medieval times.
Let's go through those first.
I'd also like to stick to where we are now without knowing a lot about the geography of this place.
There must be a reason why the Orcs decided to make their camp here.
[Notice: You campaigned for exploration and now want to stay here, that's much less logical.]
Well, there's no logic to the System and its values either. I only wish it were consistent. And don't you dare to touch my INT or WIS values again!
I'm glad I don't have to talk loud with the System, or the Orcs would think I have gone crazy.
Well, who knows if I did? But let's not go down that route again.
If this world is real, then so is Alexandra, her body I'm in, and the System she gave me. After that short trip back to my world, also in one of her shells, I'm tempted to think, it's all real.
"Okay, it's lunchtime, gather around, kids." Rather than trekking home, it's better to set up camp near the marsh if we're already this far.
Eating won't make me less tired after that all-nighter, but it might clear my thoughts. This is where my plan B will take place anyway, and we packed meat for everyone.
My initial weapons were enough to sort out the tribe's food crisis.
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Now the hunters are on a spree, preparing for the winter, though it's still too hot in here. I'm sweating bullets even under the thick green canopy of the forest.
It was a nice cold September back in my world. Since time passes at a different rate, I can't tell if the seasons work the same way here.
[Notice: This area is deep within the continent, north of its largest arid plains.]
That would explain the hot winds coming from the south. Wait a second, do you have a map now? Did Alex upgrade you while she was here?
[This is basic information. I don't have a map, but I know some things about the Continent.]
She leaves me hanging as usual, but it's time to eat anyway.
"What's next?" Mabel is eager as ever, chomping down on the largest piece of meat we brought.
"We'll see what we can dig up from the riverbed." And fingers crossed it has enough iron dust to make it worth our time.
"The old blacksmith said the slimes ate everything in the swamp." She notes through munching noises. If that's true, I can also throw plan B out the window.
[Notice: Slimes only eat organic matter. They would leave minerals intact even if they sift through the riverbed.]
That is good to know. The System went from only answering specific questions to trivia mode. But I won't complain, as long as she doesn't troll me.
The next question comes out of the blue though.
[Do you want to turn on Auto Battle mode?]
What? It takes a second until the howling reaches my ears. Then the heavy breathing of people running. The guards are still eating and don't seem to notice.
Of course, I forgot to make myself a weapon, even giving away the second crossbow. I should have at least brought a knife. Fine. Screw it, whatever is coming, Auto Battle it is.
Without wasting a second to warn the others, Alexandra's body moves. It no longer feels like mine, though I can still hear, see, and feel everything she does.
I'll never get used to this. The System takes over, rushing towards the sounds, but teleporting a few steps later. I land two yards from a hungry-looking grey wolf and it looks enormous.
Am I going to fight this thing bare-handed?
The System has other ideas. I'm not static, the momentum from running carries over after the teleportation too. She uses this body like a martial artist, jumping into the air with a graceful sidekick.
At least I can't imagine Alex's body moving in any other way. As the leg connects with the head of the beast, it's thrown backward and against a tree trunk. It won't move anymore.
There are still two dozen more of them, and the people they chased. And while it's all a blur as she runs at neck-breaking speeds, it's quite the group.
A man, who looks like one of these wolves transformed into a human.
A small green creature that looks like an adult Orc shrunken down to child-size.
And a girl with purple hair, covered in vomit.