"Arthur, take John with you. You're the main force, responsible for hunting monsters within our territory. Focus on low-level monsters for efficiency. I need roasted at, and lots of it!"
Arthur's soul fires flickered in his empty sockets. "Yes, master."
"Skeleton Squad 1, all twelve level 3 and fifty-seven level 2 skeletons, follow Arthur and John. Support their hunt."
A level 3 skeleton stepped forward. "As you command, master."
"The remaining 268 level 1 skeletons, gather firewood! As much as you can carry! I'm building a giant outdoor barbeque pit!" The pit would be for cooking the raw at Sophie would be sending. With Arthur and John's Dragon Fla, she had a steady fire source.
"Wait a second... *cooking*..." Alex's eyes widened. "How could I forget?!" She could cook for *other* lords, for a fee! She was the only one with a reliable fire source, at least for now. A little processing fee seed perfectly reasonable.
"I'm going to be rolling in it!"
...
anwhile, in World Chat...
**[World Channel 111122 (10,000 players)]**
"How do you think Alex got fire?"
"Friction fire, maybe? I saw a survival show where they used sticks."
"Don't sticks make water?"
"Dude, what?"
"Those TV shows are fake."
"I'm a professional survivalist. Friction fire is real, but... this world's different. I rubbed my hands raw, and nothing."
"See? Sticks make water."
"Back to the topic. If not friction fire, then how?"
"Maybe she unlocked the castle kitchen?"
"Impossible! Level 5 unlocks the master bedroom. Unless... she's level 10?"
"Level 5 unlocks sothing? How do you know?"
"Because *I'm* level 5!"
"Whoa, big shot! My castle's still level 1..."
" too..."
"Level 1 checking in..."
"Resources are so hard to get!"
"Any tips, oh wise one?"
"Sure. I pretended to be a cute girl and begged 1893 lords for 1 wood and stone each. Easy upgrade."
"...Damn."
"Gross."
"Wait, if you're telling the truth, then Alex is even more terrifying! She's level 10?!"
"Even worse. When did she start selling cooked at?"
"Yesterday at noon, I think. I bought so."
"So either she gathered enough resources in half a day to reach level 10, maybe even 15... or she leveled her troops to 10 in half a day and unlocked a fire skill."
"Huh?"
"Our initial troops have no skills. They unlock their first skill at level 10."
"Level 10?!"
"Yep. No skills before that, not even for dragons or titans."
"What about above King Tier?"
"No idea. No one's reported anything higher than King Tier. Maybe that's the highest in the ga?"
"So Alex might have leveled her troops to 10 in half a day? That's crazier than upgrading the castle! You can trick people into giving you resources for the castle, but troop levels require actual monster grinding!"
"I wonder what her troops are. Must be sothing big to grind that fast."
"Yeah, gotta be a large creature for that kind of efficiency."
"Hey, don't underestimate small but mighty!"
"Dude, not everything's a euphemism!"
...
Alex's na was spreading. Mysterious, powerful, greedy. Those were the labels. Envy, jealousy, and a desire to... well, you know... those were the common reactions.
And then, Alex's ssages flooded World Chat.
**[Various World Channels]**
**[Alex]:** Sexy Lord taking orders! Cooked at processing services! I have a controllable fire source. 1 raw at cooked for 10 wood or stone, or 0.5 Magic Stone, or 0.1 Red Crystal, or other rare treasures!
...
The chat channels were filled with her ads.
"10 wood for cooking? That's highway robbery!"
"Easiest job ever!"
"Not falling for that!"
"Is there no one else who can break Alex's cooked at monopoly?"
"Damn monopolies! We're at their rcy!"
"I'd rather starve!"
...
The outrage was predictable. But among the billions, there were plenty of sharp minds. The mont Alex's ads appeared, they saw the opportunity.
**[798,627,365 new friend requests]**
"Alex, I'll pay 12 wood per unit, priority processing please!"
"15 wood!"
...
These clever lords saw the profit margin. Alex charged 10 wood or stone. Cooked at sold for 20. Even accounting for the cost of raw at, they could make a tidy profit as middlen.
But Alex wasn't about to let others steal her business. She contacted Sophie.
**[Alex]:** Sophie, what are you doing?
**[Sophie]:** Hunting monsters, like you said.
**[Alex]:** Send your Golden Retriever Kings. You get back to the castle. I have sothing important for you.
**[Sophie]:** Okay!
Sophie always listened to her big sister.
**[Sophie]:** I'm back.
**[Alex]:** Good. I'm starting a cooked at processing business. I need you to be my sales rep. Contact lords who need cooking services, take their orders and raw at, send it to , I'll cook it, send it back to you, and you deliver it to the custors. You're the liaison. I won't deal with them directly.
**[Sophie]:** Alex, you're terrible at business. Why not just talk to them yourself? This is inefficient.
**[Alex]:** Because I'll announce you as my exclusive agent. They *have* to go through you. I'll charge 10 wood or stone per unit. You can add a 2-unit agent fee! That's 2 wood or stone per unit for you, just for being the middleman. Get enough orders, and you'll have enough for the master bedroom upgrade by this afternoon! Faster than hunting monsters, right?
Sophie's eyes lit up.
**[Sophie]:** Alex, I love you!
**[Alex]:** Less talk, more work!
**[Sophie]:** Yes, ma'am!
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