Continuing deeper into the forest, our small group encountered another goblin patrol; this time a little more organized than the one before. They were in the middle of gutting a deer-like creature, its delicate legs twitching as life slipped away. Ria identified it for me with a wrinkle of disgust.
"That's a Silvestre. They're gentle forest grazers. Poor thing must've wandered too close to a nest."
The three women cut the goblins down before the creatures could react. It was all over in seconds, flashes of steel, the hiss of a spell, and four green corpses lay sprawled in the grass.
As we approached the dying Silvestre, it let out a weak, trembling cry. I hesitated, then swung my short sword. The blade met its neck cleanly, ending its suffering.
A faint chime echoed in my head. [Slain – Silvestre +10 XP]
"Oh? So killing things gives me experience too…" I murmured. That was an interesting development; apparently, my crafting system wasn't purely for creation. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but it was worth remembering.
I stored the Silvestre and the goblins in my inventory, then used my [Dress Corpse] function to process them all. The girls took the usual spoils : goblin ears, small magic stones, and one of the Silvestre's antlers, while I kept the leftover materials. From the Silvestre alone, I obtained meat, hide, fat, and another antler.
We continued along the forest trail, and I eagerly gathered every herb, root, and flower I spotted. My inventory space was so vast that I didn't need to be picky; if something looked remotely useful, I took it.
After nearly an hour of walking, the forest opened up into a clearing, and the lake finally came into view. To my surprise, it wasn't a small pond like I'd imagined — it was enormous, easily the size of an Olympic swimming pool, glimmering in the soft daylight. The water was astonishingly clear, and the embankments were composed of loose sand and small stones.
"It's beautiful," Ria breathed.
"Yeah," I replied, stepping closer. "And full of exactly what I need."
The water looked shallow enough to wade into, so I took off my boots and rolled up my pants. "I'm going to start collecting. How long do you think until more monsters show up?"
"You've got a few hours," Josey said, scanning the tree line. "We'll keep watch."
I stripped off my shirt, earning a glance or two, and stepped ankle-deep into the cold, clear water. Then I drove my stone shovel into the silty lakebed. Instantly, a perfect cubic meter of material vanished with a soft pop as it entered my inventory.
Checking my storage, I grinned. 10 Iron Sand, 2 Clay, 60 Stones, and 10 Sand. Everything I needed in one scoop. Perfect.
I waded back to shore and, to Ria's astonishment, placed one of my [Tier 1 Furnaces] directly onto the ground. I loaded charcoal as fuel and inserted the iron sand.
Three iron sand produced a single iron ingot with a one-minute craft time. The clay yielded bricks, and the sand became glass.
"Fun, isn't it?" I said proudly.
Ria crouched beside the furnace, eyes wide with curiosity. "You just… conjured this from nothing?"
"Not quite. I crafted it through my interface and then placed it. Here, I'll make more."
I laid down a craftbench and queued up twelve additional furnaces, figuring I could process far more materials simultaneously. Despite my earlier claim that I wouldn't craft during this trip, I couldn't resist. Efficiency was addictive.
For the next four hours, I worked my way around the lake in a slow spiral, collecting shovelfuls of material. My inventory filled with iron sand, clay, and stone. Occasionally, a stray goblin or small beast wandered too close and met a swift end at the hands of my escorts.
When I returned to the others, sweaty and content, I found a neat pile of monster corpses waiting for me. "You spoil me," I joked.
"Think of it as a gift," Josey laughed.
I stored and dressed the remains, handing over the proof of kills and magic stones to the girls before setting up a simple wooden table and four chairs for lunch. The contrast between the rustic furniture and the wild forest made the scene oddly charming.
We ate together. Some dried meat, bread, and fruit, and we chatted about our skills.
Josey's swordsmanship system enhanced her strength and precision, allowing her to channel power through her blade. Daisy's assassin skills were built around speed, stealth, and lethal dagger techniques. Ria's magic system was the most complex, granting her the ability to learn and evolve spells through study.
"Most people's systems are like that," Ria explained. "They grow stronger the more you train them. But the truly rare ones,like yours, are completely unique."
"Unique, huh?" I said with a wry smile.
As we spoke, I felt a brush against my boot under the table. Then another, deliberate nudge. Someone was playing footsie with me. I glanced between the three women, but their faces were unreadable, all of them ate as though nothing had happened. Ria was my first suspect, given her flirty nature, but Daisy's faint smirk didn't help.
After lunch, I returned to work while the girls kept patrolling. By mid-afternoon, I had completed a full loop of the lake, collecting several hundred units of materials.
To finish the day, I switched from shovel to axe and began chopping down trees near the lake. Each fell in the odd, physics-defying way my crafting system always produced: collapsing into perfectly uniform logs that vanished into my inventory. The girls stared, equal parts amazed and disturbed.
"I'll never get used to that," Josey muttered.
"Magic from another world," Ria teased.
We laughed and packed up for the return trip. Fortunately, the journey back to the village was uneventful. The forest seemed quieter after our earlier encounters, as if the monsters had sensed we were not worth challenging.
Back at the village gate, I paid the girls their thirty silver. It was worth every coin. They promised to report the goblin sightings to the mayor before heading home.
When I stepped into the tavern, Belle immediately lit up. "You're back! And filthy," she scolded affectionately. She heated water, handed me a rag and soap, and ordered me to clean up before dinner.
Before heading upstairs, I produced several cuts of fresh Silvestre meat from my inventory. Her eyes went wide with delight. "Oh, Abel, this is wonderful! Silvestre meat is rare and expensive. I'll cook it right away!"
I washed up and returned to find the table set. The meal was simple but divine: grilled Silvestre steak seasoned with herbs and butter, paired with bread and roasted vegetables.
"This is incredible," I said between bites.
Belle smiled warmly. "You work hard. It's only right that you eat well."
That night, as the tavern lights dimmed and Belle curled up beside me, I reflected on the day. I had materials to last for weeks, new knowledge of how my system worked, and allies who were growing fonder of me by the day.