.
Peter carefully separated each ear of corn from the plant
First, he held the stem of the plant firmly with one hand. Then, with his free hand, he carefully separated the ear of corn from the plant. He repeated this several times until the process became natural to him.
Each corn plant has four ears. In total, he harvested four dozen ears of corn. Forty-eight ears of corn in a single harvest is not much for a farmer, but Peter is still very happy with what he has accomplished. He can say for himself that his first harvest in the Livelihood Dungeon was a success! Peter set aside the bundle of corn he had gathered before opening his status.
A wide smile spread across Peter's lips when he saw the updated status. He heard the familiar notification sound he used to hear only in his games.
...
First Harvest Achievement!
Rewards!
- Expand the land up to 200 square meter.
- Build an establishment of your choice for free.
Dungeon Points : 100+
Livelihood Points : 100+
Master Points : 100+
Claim Rewards :
Yes 👈 or No?
...
Of course, Peter pressed yes without hesitation.
Besides the First Harvest Achievement, there were a few more messages that Peter noticed. So, he postponed checking his rewards to review the others.
...
You've gained an additional 480 Livelihood Points for successfully harvesting 48 corns.
...
Quests Unlocked!
You completing the First Harvest Achievement signifies that you're no longer a beginner dungeon master, with that in mind, the quests feature is unlocked. Finishing quests rewards you with rare Dungeon Points.
...
Peter quickly checked his status to see exactly how many points he had. There were three types.
...
Name : Peter Bulalakaw
Race : Human
Gender : Male
Age : 23
Lifespan : (40-90)
Title/s :
Master of the Livelihood Dungeon!Passionate Tamer!
Status :
Stats.
Strength : E
Resilience : E
Agility : E
Spirit : E
Main Ability :
Livelihood Dungeon!
Dungeon Points : 100
Livelihood Points : 580
Master Points : 110
Sub-ability :
Appraisal
...
Right now, he had over a hundred points in all three categories. He was overwhelmed by the total. He wiped his mouth, as every additional point was always welcome to him. To him, those points represented abundant resources and a better future.
"'I won't touch the points for now. It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm still too excited-- I might end up doing something stupid. For now..." Peter reminded himself, forcing himself to stay disciplined.
Peter turned his attention to the rewards he had received.
...
Are you sure you want to expand your Livelihood Dungeon?
Yes 👈 or No?
...
The decision was obvious to Peter. He selected 'Yes' without hesitation.
Peter clung tightly to the nearest tree, his heart pounding in his chest. It was because a moderate tremor occurred at the same time he expanded the dungeon.
An earthquake is currently occurring in the Livelihood Dungeon.
Peter calmly waited for the shaking to stop. He was not disappointed. After about a minute, the earthquake ended. Peter's first reaction was to check his dungeon map.
His suspicion was correct. The tremor was an artificial earthquake. It occurred at the same time his Livelihood Dungeon was expanding.
There were several eye-catching changes in his Livelihood Dungeon. Peter immediately noticed them when he looked at his dungeon map.
His dungeon had obviously doubled in size, making his master's lodge seem smaller by comparison. His map also provided him with accurate data.
"200 square meter." he read aloud.
Peter went to the Dungeon Shop, where another reward was waiting for him.
...
Dungeon shop
Expand!
Tools!
Build!
...
Peter pressed the Build option and went through the category, examining each building he might use in the future.
...
Barns (Designable)
Chicken Coops (Designable)
Monster Lairs (Designable)
Gristmill
Seed Storage (Time Suspension)
Livestock Storage (Time Suspension)
Crop Storage (Time Suspension)
Greenhouse (Indestructible)
...
Peter stared at it for a long time. He liked everything that could be built, but knew he could only choose one. Faced with an unexpectedly difficult choice, Peter decided to resolve the problem right away. He chose the gristmill because, among the eight available options, he thought it would maximize his utility immediately.
He could have chosen a monster lair for Ichiro, but he immediately rejected the idea. The wolf was still the only one contracted as his companion who needed a monster lair. He could always take the Regeneration Slime with him because it was small and could easily be hidden. For the time being, he kept the wolf in his master's lodge. He didn't use it because he lived with Richard and Peter. Also, Ichiro was often outside the dungeon, frequently looking for food near the entrance to the Eternal Forest. He doesn't stay much on the dungeon besides sleeping in it.
He finalized his choice to take the gristmill.
The virtual dungeon map opened on its own. In the distance, a large structure floated, the gristmill. Beneath it, glowing text appeared: "Do you want to build your gristmill here?""
Peter tried to move the image. He succeeded. The image of the gristmill followed his finger, shifting in whichever direction he moved it. He had an ideal place to place it.
A message appeared: "You can't build it there. A banana tree is occupying the space."
"Tsk!" he dragged the gristmill back and let it go.
He exhaled slowly, then tried something new. A smile spread across the dungeon master's lips as he succeeded, pushing the tree away from its original place.
"Do you want to relocate the banana tree to this location?" Peter confirmed immediately, then placed the gristmill beside the Magical Fountain of Life.
As soon as the dungeon master arrived at the establishment, the virtual map vanished. At the same time, a real gristmill appeared beside the Magical Fountain of Life. Peter's new structure occupied a large area, which wasn't surprising.
A gristmill is a machine used to grind cereal grains, such as wheat and other types of grains.
Milling has played a major role in human history. Gristmills were crucial to the development of medieval society, which eventually gave way to later eras that led to urbanization.
In the past, gristmills were used by all classes to grind grain into flour for bread, a staple food particularly important to peasants, the lowest social class. In fact, most gristmills were owned by local lords in rural areas.
Let's not go any further. Even in today's world, gristmills still play quite a huge role. The flour they produce is still widely used. Just as in the Middle Ages, it is used to make bread. In fact, the use of flour has become even more diverse. In addition to simple breads, pastries have been developed, and flour is also used to make noodles, among many other foods. It remains a kitchen essential.
Peter's eyes sparkled as he looked at his new gristmill. In the olden times, there were two types of gristmills: water-powered gristmills and wind-powered gristmills. Peter closed his eyes and savored the soothing sound of flowing water. The dungeon master opened his eyes again, now serious. He slowly walked toward his new gristmill.
A suppressed smile flashed across Peter's face as the bridge to his gristmill creaked underfoot.
"Beautiful!" The word slipped from the dungeon master's lips before he could stop it.
"Beautiful," he repeated as he drew closer to the entrance of the gristmill.
"It almost feels wrong to grind corn here. It would be a shame if it got dirty." Peter quickly praised his new equipment and handled it carefully. He treated it with great care, almost as if he were ready to lick the gristmill.
After the uncontainable excitement subsided, he went outside and headed toward the newly harvested corn.
Peter squatted in front of the corn, already planning what to do with each ear.
First, he set aside eighteen ears of corn. "This is for Richard's family of three; Alice's family of three; Richmond, the drugstore owner; the priest who serves the Goddess of Goodwill; and Old Man John, the tavern owner."
Next, he set aside another batch of corn, ten to be precise. "For grinding and... hmm... for experimenting."
And lastly, the remaining twenty corns.
"The ones for sale," the master of the unique dungeon said with a smile.
After hiding ten ears of corn for himself and setting aside twenty for sale in the Master's Lodge, Peter placed the remaining eighteen ears into his now-empty bag. Our protagonist then exited the Livelihood Dungeon.
...
Peter first went to the house of the widow Alice. As usual, he only found the siblings Gwen and Alfred there. The mother of the two was giving it her all for her small family.
"What is this, brother?" asked Gwen, the older of the two siblings, as she looked at the six pieces of corn that Peter handed over.
"That's corn, Gwen. It's a product of our town. It's food," Peter used this as his excuse.
"Ouch!" young Alfred cried after biting into the raw corn.
"It's still raw, Alfred, so you can't eat it yet," Peter said, struggling to hold back his laughter.
"You should have told me sooner," Alfred complained, clutching his mouth.
"Alfred, you're being given this food for free and you're still complaining?" Gwen, the older one, said sternly. Her younger brother just grumbled, still grumpy.
"But it's the truth!" the younger brother said, insisting.
"That's fine, Gwen. Don't scold the kid. I'll just teach the two of you how to cook it," Peter said, tolerating Alfred's behavior.
He revealed to them one of the most basic ways to cook the corn, which was by boiling it.
After the first, he went to the only pharmacy in the village.
"Oh! You shouldn't have gone through the trouble of giving me these." He tried to sound nonchalant about the gift. Even so, Richmond was betrayed by the tone of his own voice.
"Thanks for this, huh?" Richmond gave the piece of corn Peter had given him a little shake.
Third, Peter went to the priest of the Order of the Goddess of Goodwill.
"I thank the Goddess of Goodwill for this unexpected blessing. And I thank you as well, my child." The priest lifted the two ears of corn toward the sky in gratitude
Peter simply nodded his head.
After handing over the two ears of corn to the priest, Peter immediately turned back. He soon reached the edge of the Village of Beginnings near the Eternal Forest and arrived at his next destination: Old Man John's dilapidated tavern. He entered and found Old Man John gently wiping down the tavern's dining utensils.
"Mr. Peter!" Old Man John greeted him calmly, a slight smile creasing the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
"Good morning, old John." Peter greeted the tavern owner.
"Good morning to you as well, Peter," Old Man John greeted formally. With a reserved smile, he observed Peter for a moment before asking, "What would you like to eat, sir?"
"Oh! I'm not here to eat. I just wanted to..." Peter couldn't finish what he was saying when he saw Old Man John's face grow dark. "Just like before."
"Sit down. It'll only be a moment, sir." As Old Man John's face brightened, Peter didn't know whether to cry or laugh. In the end, he had no choice but to sit down.
After a while, the food Peter ordered arrived. The moment it was placed on the table, Peter devoured it.
Today, unlike before, Old Man John simply let Peter eat in peace.
After eating, Peter began to carry out his true purpose. After paying, he took out two ears of corn for the old man.
"These are for you, Old Man John." he said as he handed two ears of corn to the tavern owner.
"Really? Wait! Are these what Richard said are your products?" Old Man John looked at the two ears of corn with interest.
"Yes," Peter replied briefly, pleased with the old tavern owner's reaction. The old tavern owner seemed unfamiliar with corn.
"Then how much will you sell this to me for?" Old Man John asked with a smile.
"You're wrong, Old Man John. I'm not selling these to you-- not yet. I'm giving you those ears of corn as a gift," Peter said, correcting himself. He coughed a few times to shake off the awkwardness after accidentally blurting out his thoughts.
Peter felt a pang of worry when he saw the old man's troubled expression at what he had said.
"Are you sure you're just going to give these to me? I'm not sure of the exact price, but since I've just seen them and they have a golden color, I think they must be worth something," Old Man John said doubtfully, looking at Peter.
Peter almost laughed but managed to hold it back. "That's just corn, Old Man John. You can find it in any market back on Earth."
But Peter quickly realized his mistake. He was in another world. If there was a possibility that corn didn't exist in this world or even in this kingdom, that was another matter. Peter's mind raced. He began to formulate a plan to use corn to his advantage.
"Old Man John, aren't you familiar with corn?" Peter asked, as if probing him.
"So these things are called corn? I know you weren't asking me, but I'm from the capital of the kingdom, and I've never seen anything like your product." Peter smiled triumphantly at the old man's words.
"Good!" the master of the unique dungeon shouted in his head with satisfaction.
"Even if that's the case, that's all the more reason to give them to you. I'm not taking them back," Peter said, a wide smile plastered on his face.
For merchants, the key to success is having customers. In that sense, Peter's investment lies in giving the old man a unique product. Building strong relationships is a crucial step, and a good reputation is essential for any successful business. At least, that's what Peter learned in his old world, Earth. He may not be a merchant, but since he is posing as one in the Skylark Realm, he might as well give it his all.
Even if it's not about being a merchant, it's about being a good person to the villagers who have taken him in without expecting anything in return. He has no intention of leaving just yet-- not until he's comfortable with what he has discovered, and what he has yet to discover, about his Livelihood Dungeon.
And then there was what happened near the Eternal Forest. He had almost died there. With no means to protect himself, Peter had no intention of venturing into such an unsafe world. For now, he would put on a brave face and remain in the area.
The old man could not contain his joy. He thanked Peter profusely, which surprised Peter, as it was completely unlike the old man's usual demeanor.
Old John suddenly grew serious, leaning his left arm on the wooden bar. Next, he rested his right elbow on his clenched fist, then slowly lowered it again, as if lost in deep thought.
The sudden change in the old man's expression surprised Peter.
The old man slowly scratched his right cheek with his index finger.
"If I'm not mistaken, what you brought me is food, right? Then how do you cook it, Peter?" Old Man John said, blunt and direct.
Peter was pleased that Old Man John had stopped being so formal with him.
"That's right, Old Man John. But how did you know?" Peter asked, curious.
"I wasn't sure, but I assumed it was food-- you did bring it into my tavern, after all. If it's not for eating, I haven't a clue what it is."
Peter was amazed at Uncle John's powers of observation.
"Fair point," Peter agreed.
"Anyway, there are many ways to cook corn, but two are more basic than—" Peter started, but the rest of his sentence was cut short by a something.
They heard a loud neighing that made the two people inside the tavern turn around. A short while later, Peter heard loud and rapid footsteps. Soon, the tavern door swung open violently.
"Old John, it's been a while! Maybe you've missed me enough to provide a free meal?" the newcomer shouted over the ringing of the door. Despite the frantic entrance, their voice was bright with forced enthusiasm.
"Oh? You have a visitor, Old John?" The newcomer's voice dropped, the playfulness vanishing instantly. They gave Peter a sharp, measuring nod.
Peter returned the nod politely, then glanced back at Old John. Whatever he expected to see, it wasn't the look on the older man's face. Peter's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait—what?" Peter's head whipped around, following the stranger's line of sight.
The newly arrived stranger quickly rushed towards Old Man John as if he had unleashed his hidden desire. To be accurate, he knelt down in front of Old Man John. Carefully, he moved both hands towards the golden corn on the wooden bar. The stranger's expression was indescribable. Sometimes it was surprise, sometimes it was a look of confusion.
"What's this, Old John?" The stranger's head snapped up, his attention shifting from the corn to the old man in a heartbeat. His voice turned sharp and accusatory, his tone practically persecutory as he demanded an answer.
"Don't ask me. Ask the one behind you." The old man gave the newcomer, who seemed to have a few screws loose, a long and complicated look.
Peter glared accusingly at old John when the stranger turned and stared at him full of intensity.
The old tavern owner quickly averted his eyes, looking anywhere but at Peter, and began to whistle a low, off-key tune.
"Sir! What are those?" Peter had no choice but to shift his gaze back to the newcomer. With Old John officially playing spectator, Peter was left alone to face the stranger's wide-eyed interrogation.
"Those are corns!" Peter pushed the stranger away. He was taking up too much of his personal space. He first wiped the saliva-soaked face that had endured so much before continuing. “Fruits from my hometown… or vegetables?”
"Ah! That food? Great! Great!" the stranger exclaimed, his face lighting up with a manic joy. He clapped his hands together, seemingly forgetting all about the shove Peter had just given him.
Peter recoiled from the intensity the stranger displayed. Peter looked sharply at the source of the faint laughter.
Old John became serious when he felt the watchful eyes.
"Can you sell me those corn?" the stranger began to get closer again as he intensely said to Peter.
"What are you saying, Thomas? The corn is mine. It was a gift given to me by Peter." Old John's argued back from the side.
"A gift? Then do you have any more of these corn? Can you sell me some? No! Even one piece will do. Don't worry. I'll pay you." The mysterious stranger named Thomas said thumping on his own chest and didn't even bother to look at old John.
Peter gave old John a troubled look.
The old man immediately understood Peter's worry.
"You have nothing to worry about. Thomas may sometimes go off track but he's completely fine, and just like you, he is also a merchant," Old John gave Peter a somehow apologetic look as he introduced the stranger. He threw him a wry smile as he finished his introduction.
"Yes. Too intense," Peter secretly agreed.
"But he's not the type to do anything illegal. In fact, he wouldn't dare," Old John added, his voice steady as he guaranteed Thomas's character. "He's a member of the Merchant's Guild. He has a reputation to uphold, so you have nothing to worry about on that front."
Peter's eyes lit up at the mention of the Merchant's guild.
The mention of the legendary Merchant's Guild acted like a bucket of cold water on Peter's irritation. Suddenly, Thomas's saliva-soaked face and frantic chest-thumping didn't matter; the man was a gateway to power and profit.
"He's just a bit quirky." Peter reasoned out.
He's excited because he is finally seeing a member of a fantasy-like organization called Merchant's guild in the flesh. He only reads about them in fantasy novels.
"It's my pleasure to do business with you." The two residents of the Terragon Kingdom were taken aback by Peter's sudden change in attitude as he smiled from ear to ear.
"A silver coin for a single piece of corn," Thomas offered without hesitation.
Peter's heart almost jumped when he saw Old Man John's surprise at the merchant's offer.
"Jackpot?" Peter thought in confusion.
Thomas misunderstood Peter's silence, thinking the young man wasn't satisfied with his offer.
"Two pieces of silver for a piece of corn!" with gritted teeth, he quickly doubled his initial offer.
"Deal," Peter said.
He thought two silver coins were too much for a piece of corn. He remembered Old John's cheap food, where even meat cost only a few copper pieces. Compared to that, this price felt excessive.
"Happy doing business with you, Peter. Here's to more transactions to come." They shook hands.
"To more transactions to come, Thomas." Peter repeated with a smile.
"Where are the products?" Thomas said.
"Just wait here. I'll get it," Peter said, standing up.
Peter was about to leave the tavern when Thomas stopped him for a second. "By the way, how many pieces do you have left?" Thomas asked.
"Just a few, twenty pieces in total," Peter replied truthfully before finally leaving.
"Huh?" Thomas said, his eyes wide. When he recovered from his surprise, Old John joked, "You always go wild whenever you see new potential products," and laughed.
Thomas shrugged proudly. "What can I do? I'm a merchant."
"Will the money you're carrying be enough to pay for Peter's product?" Old Man John asked.
"I think trading some of my products will do," Thomas said with a shrug.
"What if Peter's corn isn't worth the price you gave it?" the old man asked, and Thomas began to worry.
"Cook the corn Peter gave you, so we can be sure!" Thomas said, almost pleading.
"No way! It's a gift for me," Old Man John refused. "What if it turns out to be worth the same as what you paid?"
"I'll pay you back," Thomas said angrily, his jaw clenched. He was already anxious to find out whether he had lost or gained from the transaction he had just completed.
"Much better. We have a deal, then," Old Man John said, a shrewd look in his eyes.
...