<h4>Chapter 32: End Of Activity And Sludge Monster?</h4>
<strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong>Editor: </strong>As Studios
Three days passed by very quickly. As Sherlock had an agreement with Nichs, the Merchant Band was not allowed to wander, interact with the Goblins or ask questions. The Merchant Band loaded up more than 5000 Magic Stones worth of Adamantine Ore on three carts while Nichs was burdened with lots of unanswered questions. Sherlock gave him a warm farewell.
“Baron Nichs, you will always be wee at Eternal Kingdom. As long as you abide by our trading agreement, you’ll always be our guests.”
Sherlock apanied them toward the exit to Winterfell.
The gathered gamers also gave their warm farewell.
“I hope that there will be more goods in the next round.”
“The Small Cloth Bags sold out in one day, and there were not enough Short Bows. I only got a Short Sword. Ehhh...”
“Those Stitches are so grotesque!”
“Three days is too short. Ten days is more reasonable.”
“Will this be a repeating event? Maybe once a month?”
The gamers were chatting excitedly. Nichs was now more or less used to their “insane” behavior.
To Nichs, the gamers were a bunch of nonsense-spouting creatures who slept readily on the ground. They were not fearful of superior creatures and were addicted to worthless metal coins. They were indeed insane.
This could be a special trait of such a superior Devil — the power to summon a group of insane Goblins to develop his Dungeon.
“I’m grateful to you for your hospitality. If you have time, do visit my Winterfell Manor when I am on break from my business trips,” Nichs said earnestly.
“I’ll pay you a visit when I have time.” Sherlock smiled.
Nichs took out a basic materials list, a card and a Teleport Scroll and handed them over to Sherlock.
“I’ll have to count on Lord Sherlock to deliver the basic materials to Winterfell. I just contacted my butler. He will be waiting at the Teleport Portal Reception Hall with his men. Just hand over the basic materials to him and he willplete the transportation.”
Sherlock was taken aback. He was puzzled by the 15 Magic Stones he had been given to arrange for his Goblins to help transport with the basic materials.
Sherlock had been thinking of how to transport the materials. Though there were a lot of materials, with the help of 50 gamers, his Devil Lord’s dominance, and the promise of rich rewards, he thought there would be no problem for the gamers to transport the basic materials.
Sherlock would have to work harder, like a teacher bringing the students out on a field trip. He recalled the fond memories in his school...
“The card...”
Sherlock looked at the card in his hand. On the card were the words “Gift Card”.
Nichs smiled cordially and said, “The card is a small token of appreciation for Lord Sherlock’s hospitality. It is a 1000 Magic Stones gift card that can be used in any Merchant Alliance shop. It can be exchanged for 800 Magic Stones in other ces.”
Sherlock understood Nichs’ intentions but he felt embarrassed. “Aiya, this might not be appropriate. If I keep it and others learn of it, I’ll have lots of exnations to do.”
Though he said that, his hand slipped the card into his pocket.
“I can understand Lord Sherlock’s concern. 1000 Magic Stones isn’t a lot. An afternoon tea can cost a few hundred Magic Stones. This is merely a small gift to friends. It’s not much. I’m honored to be friends with Lord Sherlock.”
Hearing Nichs’ sincere words, Sherlock pocketed the 1000 Magic Stones pretentiously.
Nichs left. The farewell shouts of the gamers rang behind him. “Lassie,e back again!”
The three day “Beta Testing Activity” waspleted. The gamers had obtained items that were not avable in Eternal Kingdom. Sherlock received 5000 Magic Stones and a 1000 Magic Stones gift card. He was well-off again.
Sherlock’s workload had been reduced significantly. Originally, he had intended to bring the Goblins like students on a field trip and have them carry the materials like hardborers. Nichs had solved the transportation problem by paying for the Teleport Portal.
After dispersing the gathered gamers who were keen for more cutscenes, Sherlock had Bru broadcast a “Maintenance Announcement” to shut down the Revival System for one to three hours. He was going to help Nichs transport therge quantities of materials to Winterfell and hand them over to Nichs’s butler. Next, he was going to Winterfell to buy the Rest Chambers’ beds and the Short Bow’s arrows.
The gamers had bartered with Nichs for the Short Bows, but there had only been 30plimentary arrows. There had also been no quivers, but fortunately, those who had managed to get the Short Bow were also able to get a Small Cloth Bag.
Sherlock had seen gamersining in the discussion forum about insufficient arrows. As a Dungeon Lord, he had to remedy and improve the situation.
After the Merchant Band had left, the space intended for the gamers’ Rest Chambers could be excavated again. It was about 80%plete and would take another three days to entirelyplete. With them, the gamers would be able to return to their Rest Chambers to go offline instead of lying down on the ground.
Sherlock had to do some nning to figure out how to encourage the gamers to go offline in the Rest Chambers. Twenty days had psed since the Beta Testing started. If Sherlock did not know how to direct the gamers, then he would be a lousy Dungeon Lord.
With Bru’s suggestion, it was not a huge problem. In Bru’s words, “If we include a housing system, the gamers’ happiness will skyrocket. They will be extremely excited aboutnd and property. Even selling them a bed will have the same effect.”
Bru also made a maintenance announcement.
[The Revival System will be having a one to three hour maintenance, starting in half an hour. Lord Sherlock will leave the Dungeon. Please take care of yourself and avoid risks.]
“S*it! Why the maintenance?!”
“This is hrious. Those gamers hunting for materials at the Spiders’ Lair entrance will explode with anger.”
“What the heck! Why isn’t there advance notice for maintenance? I’ve already formed an expedition to the Spiders’ Lair.
“What lousy nning! What a lousypany. Isn’t that awful?”
“D*mn, the forum will explode with posts tonight! There’s got to be better nning!”
[Gamers will receive 200 Reputation Points and 100 bronze coins aspensation.]
“Work, continue working. Hurry and carry the bricks.”
“Who’s selling Spider Silk? I need a bit more material to improve my equipment!”
“Who has a Short Bow? What’s the effect? Can I try it?”
“Quick, Moroes is starting the session!”
“It’s alright. I didn’t say anything.”
Sherlock was relieved when he saw the gamers full of enthusiasm and without anyints.
Holding the Teleport Scroll, Sherlock went to the material storage location. He had restricted the area so that the gamers would not steal the materials.
Sherlock opened the Teleport Scroll and was bathed in magical light. He used his Mana to expand the radius to cover the piles of materials. Then, Sherlock vanished with the materials.
In the next instant, Sherlock arrived at the Winterfell Teleport Portal Reception Hall with the materials.
Sherlock used arge amount of Mana for the Teleport Scroll and had arrived at the cargo Teleport Portal Reception Hall.
Compared to the previous Reception Hall, the cargo hall was more rundown and more spacious. The size of the portal wasrger and spaced further apart. The number of portals was significantly less.
This was the Winterfell Cargo Terminal.
A Gnome with sses stood by the portal. He held a book as he looked at the Magical Scale that indicated the weight of the materials brought by Sherlock.
The Gnome gave a list and a form to Sherlock.
“ording to the cargo weight, we’re collecting 10 Magic Stones for the processing fee. Here’s your invoice.”
Surprised, Sherlock looked at the invoice. It was his first time delivering goods to Winterfell and his first time encountering the processing fee.
“Please wait a while. Are you Lord Sherlock?”
As Sherlock was hesitating whether to pay or to keep the goods as his own, a jelly-like thing walked over.
It was a Sludge Monster in wet Tuxedo.