"Whoosh!"
Chen Yu pushed open the window, stretching lazily.
A gentle breeze blew.
Though the brilliant, dazzling star was unseen, this cave world remained radiant.
"Hee-yah, hee-yah—"
In the sub-camp, diligent little bees were already toiling in the flowerbeds, scattering seeds with cheerful smiles and flower baskets.
With a creak, a door opened.
The sound turned the diligent little bee’s head, and she offered Chen Yu a sweet smile.
"Master, good morning."
"Morning."
Chen Yu waved with a smile, stretched lazily, and performed his morning ablutions.
After washing,
Wiping his face, Chen Yu walked towards the bee-girl with a smile and slapped her plump backside with his large hand.
The feel was simply superb.
The bee-girl blushed at the pat.
Chen Yu, as if nothing had happened, lowered his head to look at the seeds being sown on the ground.
"Planting flowers so early in the morning."
The blushing bee-girl smiled sweetly, her flower basket slung over her arm.
"Planting flowers in the early morning makes them bloom more vibrantly. Once I fill these two flowerbeds, you'll see a colorful garden in a while."
Looking at the bee-girl's radiant smile, Chen Yu felt an inexplicable sense of healing.
Why,
Did the girls in the cave world have such pure smiles?
Iliya was like that.
The bee-girl was also like that.
Life here was truly wonderful. Despite being a new world, its simple customs were something rarely encountered in reality.
"Are you accustomed to living here?" Chen Yu asked.
"Very much so!" The bee-girl's smile remained bright as she casually rubbed her backside. "It's just that the ground is a bit too hard."
"Oh dear!"
Chen Yu slapped his own head.
It was over!
He was so caught up in his own enjoyment that he forgot to make a bed for the bee-girl.
"My apologies, my fault," Chen Yu said with a wry smile. "I'll go make you a bed right away. Please wait for me a moment."
Immediately, Chen Yu opened the crafting interface.
Roy's blueprints.
Even though they weren't of great use, Chen Yu had learned them all.
He recalled there seemed to be a blueprint for a bed.
【Soft Double Bed: Perfect Fur 0/5, Wood 2216/40, Iron Block 535/20, Fire Elemental Crystal Shard 752/2, Wind Elemental Crystal Shard 1002/2】
Chen Yu had given all the fur to Roy, so he had no stock.
He wasn't worried.
No matter what he lacked, he would never lack fur.
He walked towards the side yard.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The sounds of pounding from the side yard reached Chen Yu's ears.
That familiar sound.
He knew that Kuka, the company's model worker, had already begun his poaching expedition.
"Damn it, why are they watching so closely?" Kuka muttered, wiping sweat from his face after smashing a mole with his shovel.
He tossed the defeated mole onto the pile of moles behind him.
As he turned back, he saw Chen Yu approaching.
"Boss!"
Kuka, who had been frowning and cursing a moment ago, broke into a smile upon seeing Chen Yu. He pointed to the mountain of moles behind him.
"Boss, the moles needed for the company's support are all gathered. Here are 640 moles. Can I apply for another batch of company support?"
Kuka rubbed his hands.
The nourishment from the Ice Spring Water had significantly increased his elemental affinity.
Poaching moles had become even more skillful.
Chen Yu looked at the pile of moles with surprise, stretching his neck.
"This is from one night?"
"Some of them were ones you hadn't butchered before. Last night, I managed to get around 400." Kuka scratched his face and then said solemnly, "Boss, I also want to thank you for letting me chop wood and mine. Only now do I realize how important a good physique is for a mage."
Kuka's eyes were filled with sincerity.
He admitted.
When Chen Yu first asked him to chop wood and mine, he felt a bit resentful.
Who was he?
A noble mage, even if just an apprentice mage.
He shouldn't be doing manual labor like chopping wood and mining.
However, after long periods of mining and chopping wood, his physique had improved, and he could now contain much more elemental magic.
By now, he understood the depth of Chen Yu's intentions.
So—
Boss had always loved him; letting him chop wood and mine was meant to make him stronger.
"If it's useful, chop and mine more!"
Chen Yu patted Kuka on the shoulder and walked towards the pile of moles.
The Perfect Dagger began to dissect the mole carcasses.
【Cave Reminder: Perfect Mole Fur +1】
【Cave Reminder: 300g Mole Meat +1】
【Ding: Glutton's Greed triggered, Food Greed Crit x50】
【Greed Crit: 300g Mole Meat +50】
...
Chen Yu, squatting on the ground, dissected the moles silently, glancing at Kuka.
"Tell me how many you want to support this time. Since you can get 400 moles a night now, our company's friendly gift will be canceled," Chen Yu murmured. "100 moles for 100..."
"Ah?"
Chen Yu looked up from his dissection.
"I've been discovered?"
"Indeed," Kuka said, placing a hand on his hip. "When you were asleep last night, I was bored and wanted to get some moles. Back then, I could drag two or three dozen at a time. But this morning, I couldn't catch a single one after half the morning. It seems the mole camp is guarding against me."
"Those Muggles in the mole camp can actually be vigilant?" Chen Yu was surprised.
"I think the Ratman Association might be involved," Kuka said, a black circle swirling around him as he looked at Chen Yu.
"Ratman Association?"
Chen Yu looked blankly at Kuka.
"There's such an association?"
"Yes!" Kuka nodded. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed, and he grinned. "Boss, I'll explain later. Some fool just walked into my trap."
Sensing a prey in the trap, Kuka, holding an iron shovel, eagerly waited.
Unexpectedly—
What emerged from the light circle was not a dim-witted mole, but a ratman wearing a magic robe, with a slightly graying beard.
Seeing this, Kuka was stunned.
He didn't even swing his shovel, and Chen Yu stared intently at the ratman who was about half-emerged from the light circle.
How did he poach this guy?
It was a spirit, inedible!
"Kuka, poach more carefully. How did you poach a spirit?" Chen Yu, squatting by the mole pile and dissecting, saw the ratman in the light circle and the ratman's eyes widened instantly.
"Hah! You thieves! We've caught you!"
Chen Yu slowly stood up, hands behind his back, and looked down at the moles at his feet.
"Who are you?"
"I, I am a special envoy from the mole association's external camp. You dirty thieves, I've finally caught you! I will now take you back to the city-state for questioning..."
Bang!
Before the ratman could finish speaking, Chen Yu backhanded him with a brick, hitting the back of his head. He then glared at Kuka.
"What are you standing there for? Beat him!!"
--
Author's Note:
Good morning, have you eaten?