Around midday, Noah decided to visit the fields Arcer had been cultivating.
The moment he arrived, he fell silent.
The sight before him far exceeded his expectations.
The land that had once been overgrown with shrubs had been transformed into neat, orderly plots. Irrigation channels ran straight along the natural contours of the terrain, while small embankments had been built with remarkable precision.
Every section of farmland had already been designated for a different type of crop.
Noah smiled in admiration.
He knew absolutely nothing about farming.
To him, everything Arcer had done looked like the work of a true master.
Not far away, he noticed a pile of dried leaves.
"Arcer."
"What's that for?"
Arcer paused his work.
"Oh, these?"
"I'm turning them into fertilizer, my Lord."
"It'll make the soil even more fertile."
Noah simply nodded.
He was an artificial intelligence developer.
Technology was his field.
But farming, construction, and animal husbandry were all completely outside his area of expertise.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Astra."
"Does this world have mineral resources too? Iron ore, for example?"
Astra immediately answered inside his mind.
Information: Yes.
Magnora possesses natural resources very similar to those of your original world.
The primary differences lie in its living creatures and its magical system.
A broad smile spread across Noah's face.
"Excellent."
That was all he said.
Watching him from the field, Arcer tilted his head in confusion, unable to understand why his lord suddenly looked so pleased.
Noah sat down on a large rock at the edge of the field.
Then—
Crack.
Crack.
The sound of snapping branches came from behind him.
Instinctively, Noah turned around.
Two large, shaggy beasts were tied to a sturdy wooden post.
Their bodies resembled cattle, but their coats were far thicker.
"Orkk..."
"Orkk..."
Noah immediately stood up.
For a brief moment, his heart raced.
The memory of encountering the Wolfrius still hadn't completely faded.
Seeing Noah's reaction, Arcer chuckled.
"Those are Cowny, my Lord."
"I caught a male and a female before dawn."
"I plan to raise them as our livestock."
"And breed them."
Noah cautiously walked closer.
The animals looked far gentler than he had expected.
"Astra."
"Tell me about Cowny."
Information: Cowny meat is considered a luxury food.
It is generally consumed only by nobles.
To date, no one has successfully domesticated or bred Cowny.
All available meat comes from hunting wild individuals.
Noah looked at Arcer.
"Then..."
"Why are you trying to raise them?"
Arcer stopped swinging his hoe.
"My Lord already knew that?"
He smiled with admiration.
"That's impressive."
"But why?" Noah asked again.
Arcer pointed toward the rocks lining the riverbank.
"Because they're wrong."
"People think Cowny eat grass."
"But their primary food source is purple moss."
"That moss only grows on rocks containing certain minerals."
Noah frowned.
"Wouldn't that make them even harder to raise?"
Arcer shook his head.
"Look toward the river."
Noah followed his finger.
Only then did he notice it.
The rocks along the riverbank were covered in patches of deep purple moss.
"That's what they eat."
"From the moment I arrived here, I observed the entire area."
"The plant life."
"The condition of the soil."
"The water flow."
"Everything."
"Then I chose the animal best suited for domestication based on the available food sources."
Noah remained silent for a long time.
Arcer's explanation sounded simple.
But the reasoning behind it was extraordinary.
For a brief moment, Noah was reminded of the agricultural experts back on Earth.
In his opinion...
Arcer was every bit as capable.
Noah looked back toward the simple house standing in the distance.
They already had a home.
The fields were taking shape.
Even a livestock farm was beginning to emerge.
But another question surfaced in his mind.
Once all of this is complete...
What will I do next?
For a moment, he considered creating someone to oversee everything in his place.
A leader.
A steward.
Someone to manage it all.
But after a while, he slowly shook his head.
"Not yet."
"I can't rush this."
Every person he created would become part of his life.
Because of that, Noah refused to make decisions simply out of impatience.
For now...
One objective remained above all else.
Finding a way for them to earn their first coins.
Lost in thought, Noah spoke to Astra once more.
"Astra."
"Can you also appraise the value of gems carried by monsters or animals?"
Astra answered immediately.
Information: Yes.
As long as the target is within your field of vision, I can estimate both its market value and its rarity.
A faint smile appeared on Noah's face.
"Good..."
"Although that means I'll have to go hunting too."
The smile quickly faded.
Another problem came to mind.
"But who's going to do the hunting?"
Arcer was already carrying two major responsibilities.
Managing the fields.
And establishing their livestock farm.
Noah didn't want to burden one person with too much work.
"Astra."
"Can the people I create generate others as well?"
Information: No.
A moment later, Astra added,
Suggestion: Recruiting villagers is more efficient than continuously generating new followers.
Noah slowly nodded.
"That does make sense."
"But not yet."
He was still a complete stranger in Magnora.
His very existence had already driven a king to order his execution.
Even though Lucia was always by his side now, Noah had no desire to attract even more attention.
His mind continued working.
"In that case..."
"Someday I'll need someone who's an expert blacksmith."
"A military strategist."
"And another master hunter."
"Once everything is stable, they can pass their knowledge on to ordinary people."
A small smile crossed Noah's face.
But he quickly abandoned the idea.
"Not yet."
"I need to make sure every decision is truly necessary."
For now...
He simply wanted to test Astra's ability to evaluate monster gems.
"Arcer."
"Stop working for now."
"Come with me."
Arcer immediately set down his hoe.
Without asking any questions, he picked up the bow and quiver hanging beside the cabin.
"Where are we going, my Lord?"
"Hunting."
The two of them entered the nameless forest.
Along the way, Noah encountered countless creatures he had never imagined.
A massive bull with three horns.
A deer with a flowing golden mane.
A giant black-furred gorilla.
A bear whose claws were as long as swords.
One after another, Astra identified them.
Bisona.
Deerly.
Gorilius.
Bearlos.
And many more.
Not all of them were equally valuable.
According to Astra, only mature Gorilius and Bearlos possessed gems worth collecting.
Noah didn't participate in the hunt.
He simply observed from behind the trees while listening to Astra's analysis.
Meanwhile, Arcer moved with calm precision.
Every arrow he released struck its target flawlessly.
Before long, they had gathered several red and blue monster gems.
Noah carefully stored them inside the large pouch he had brought.
They were just about to head home.
Then—
Their footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
ROOOAAARRR!!
A deafening roar shook the entire forest.
The surrounding trees trembled violently.
A Wolfrius emerged from between the trees.
It was nearly twice the size of the one Noah had encountered before.
Its body was covered in black armor.
A gigantic battle axe rested in one hand.
Its eyes burned with fury.
"You have trespassed into my territory."
"I will kill every one of you."
Noah's face instantly went pale.
This creature was far more terrifying than an ordinary Wolfrius.
"Arcer."
"Don't fight it."
Noah immediately stopped him.
He knew Arcer excelled at hunting—not battling monsters of this caliber.
At that moment, Lucia leaped down from Noah's shoulder.
The tiny Rabiba's body shone with golden light.
In an instant—
She returned to her true form.
Her crimson hair danced in the wind.
Brilliant white wings spread wide.
A golden sword slowly materialized in her hand.
The Alpha Wolfrius's eyes widened.
"The Legendary Goddess of War...?"
For a brief moment...
Fear crossed its face.
Then it burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"The Goddess disappeared ages ago."
"You're nothing but an imitation!"
Lucia calmly raised her sword.
"So..."
"You're the source of the hostile presence I sensed."
She glanced back at Noah.
"My Lord."
"Please stand back."
"Allow me to deal with this."
The battle began.
To Noah...
Their movements were almost impossible to follow.
One explosive clash after another shattered the silence of the forest.
Several towering trees collapsed simply from the shockwaves generated by their weapons.
Yet the battle was surprisingly brief.
Lucia fought as though she were merely measuring her opponent's strength.
Moments later—
Her golden blade pierced straight through the Alpha Wolfrius's defenses.
The monster collapsed.
Its body slowly dissolved into countless particles of light.
Only a single purple gemstone remained.
Lucia picked it up.
Then quietly walked back to Noah.
He accepted the gem.
"Astra."
"How much is it worth?"
Information: Alpha Wolfrius Gem.
An Alpha Wolfrius is one of the leaders of a Wolfrius pack, renowned for its fiercely territorial nature.
Estimated market value: equivalent to ten Gold Coins.
Noah stared at the purple gem for several moments.
He still didn't fully understand the value of money in this world.
But from Astra's tone...
He knew the object now resting in his hand was far from ordinary.
A faint smile slowly spread across his face.
Perhaps...
This was the beginning of how they would earn their very first fortune.