Chapter 56: Keep going
With the Essence Shards now sufficient and only needing over nine thousand more magic crystals to upgrade the Barracks, Alex decided to sell the equipment first to earn some magic crystals. The remaining needed crystals would be figured out later.
[Hamburger initiates a trade!]
[One Standard equipment, trading for ten magic crystals or five iron ingots.]
[Remaining quantity: one hundred eighteen pieces.]
[One Commanding level equipment, trading for three hundred magic crystals or one hundred fifty iron ingots.]
[Remaining quantity: two pieces.]
Chi-Chi watched as Alex expertly listed these weapons and equipment for sale, feeling a bit envious.
So this is how Miss Alex acquires resources? It seemed so different from her own struggles, where she labored daily for food and worried about her troops being killed. In contrast, Miss Alex seemed on the verge of achieving financial freedom.
Chi-Chi couldn't help but wonder if Alex had some secret system boost or cheat.
Chi-Chi opened the World Chat to see the reactions of other Lords.
[CtrlAltDefeat]: "Big Shot has listed weapons again, everyone hurry!"
[Night Queen]: "Excited over a bunch of ordinary weapons, a bunch of mongrels."
[King Kong]: "Look at you guys acting like you've never seen the world."
Chi-Chi couldn't resist chiming in.
[BlackTigerI]: "@King Kong, did you find that bastard Lord who killed your troops?"
(⋯Skipping several messages⋯)
[King Kong]: "@BlackTiger, I suggest you speak with some respect. The person beside me is ranked in the top tier [Hamburger], I am now a loyal follower of hers, so watch your tone!"
Chi-Chi, now a keyboard warrior in the World Chat, flaunted her connection, attracting more Lords' envy. They all envied Chi-Chi for having the protection of a Big Shot like Hamburger.
[NotARobot]: "Holy fuck, you're so damn lucky, what kind of troops does Hamburger have, please tell @King Kong."
[BaconWrapped]: "What level is Hamburger now? Damn, you got taken in as a minion by Big Shot, you must be a lucky star @King Kong."
[Fuuuuuck]: "Seeing your good fortune makes me feel worse than if you'd killed me!"
A flood of Lords joined the discussion, and the name King Kong was quickly remembered by many. Chi-Chi, watching these unlucky fellows, couldn't help but smirk.
They're asking about Miss Alex's troops, do they think I'm a fool?
Alex saw the messages in the World Chat too, but it didn't matter to her. The Lords who chatted here daily were generally not very powerful. What would a real Big Shot do?
Would they ignore the World Chat?
No, no, they would, like Alex, secretly monitor but never engage.
Coincidentally, Sophie saw the message.
"What! Someone became a follower of Big Shot before me!"
"Ah, damn, someone beat me to it!"
The dwarves working in Sophie's castle yard looked at her, puzzled by her outburst.
Are all human females like this?
Sophie was fuming.
How lucky was this King Kong to be born near Big Shot's castle, while she only had rocks for company?
When the dwarves sought refuge with Sophie, she had asked them for some basic information about Eldoria continent, even before Alex knew.
Besides mountains, Sophie's castle was surrounded by more mountains, hundreds of square miles with nothing, not even another Lord's castle!
No wonder the distressed dwarves all ran this way.
Could it be that King Kong was an incredibly handsome guy who had charmed Hamburger?
Yes, that's possible. That despicable fellow, using his good looks to seduce Big Shot.
If only she had submitted to Big Shot right from the start, now suddenly there was a competitor vying for favor!
Sophie was still in the midst of a furious brainstorm.
Alex and Chi-Chi were chatting in the hall, a rare opportunity for Alex to talk to someone after so long in this strange world.
They waited for the trading post transactions to complete, after which Alex could upgrade her Barracks.
As the afternoon approached, Chi-Chi prepared to return to her own castle.
Alex courteously tried to persuade her to stay; after all, there were plenty of rooms in the castle, and one more person wouldn't be a problem.
But Chi-Chi declined, worried that her Red Blood Gorillas might revolt from hunger if she didn't return to take care of them.
Alex didn't insist. Given their current location, aside from the frost dragon in Frostwind snowy mountain, there really weren't any powerful flying creatures to worry about.
Chi-Chi had her Flying Nimbus, so basic safety wasn't a concern, but Alex still thoughtfully arranged for an Ethereal Wraith to escort her back to her castle.
Knowing that Alex had arranged for a Commanding level undead to protect her all the way made Chi-Chi incredibly touched.
"Miss Alex, goodbye!" Chi-Chi called out as she waved from the sky, with Alex waving back from the ground.
Now, Alex's undead army included five Commanding level undead, although Arthur hadn't yet been promoted to Commanding level, he still possessed the combat power of one. Along with a dozen level 9 undead within her territory, they could perform at Commanding level capabilities.
Alex felt completely unafraid of the upcoming beast tide in two days. With two days left, there was plenty of time for Arthur to be promoted to Commanding level.
Alex collected the resources from the trading post.
[Congratulations Lord, you have successfully traded one hundred eighteen Standard equipment pieces, receiving 1180 magic crystals.]
[Congratulations Lord, you have successfully traded two Commanding level weapons, receiving 600 magic crystals.]
With over a thousand magic crystals now accounted for, she was only eight thousand short of the needed amount to upgrade her castle.
Keep going!
Ah, she had forgotten to change her clothes. The blood from the Hobgoblin had splashed on her during the battle and had now dried...
Because Chi-Chi hadn't left, Alex felt awkward about changing in her bedroom and only remembered now.
Alex decided that next time she went out, she definitely needed to wear pants.
Time for a bath first!
After her promotion to Commanding level, Alex felt a significant enhancement in her physical condition; her strength had increased considerably. She felt that now she could do more than just punch a hippopotamus to death—it was more like she could smash a car with a single punch.
Alex walked into the bathroom, naked, and admired her perfect body in the mirror for a moment.
"This body is just too perfect!" she exclaimed.