---Viktor's POV---

I suddenly remembered a little creature I'd forgotten for a long time.

"There's a pregnant Thread Spider nearby."

Its silk threads were everywhere, and every few days, I would receive new spider silk traps provided by players. The production of silk was astonishing, more than enough to supply the players, who recklessly squandered it day in and day out.

What was strange, however, was that the Thread Spider mother hadn't given birth yet, even though the one-month gestation period typical for Thread spiders had long passed.

Not paying attention was one thing, but thinking about it carefully, something definitely felt off.

I noticed Hawkes' hand trembled.

"Thread Spider?!" He took a deep breath. "If it's a Thread Spider, then the identity of the monster down there becomes clear…"

Previously, it had been said that monsters that thrived near iron mines were typically strength-based. But there was one particularly special kind of monster:

The Blackrock Toad.

Its most distinguishing feature was the secretion of a mucus that could soften anything into liquid, be it ice at -40°C or magma at 1,000°C. The Blackrock Toad could survive in any environment.

The second feature was its fertility.

A single clutch of Blackrock Toad eggs could number in the thousands. Once hatched, the offspring would engage in a brutal survival battle until only one remained. This survivor would inherit the strength of all its siblings, instantly maturing into an adult toad.

The territory battles of the young toads determined how far their nests could self-move, aside from during magic surges.

After hearing this, my eyes sparkled. "No wonder the hatching time is measured in years."

The juvenile stage of the Blackrock Toad depended entirely on the intensity of its internal fights. Once only one toad remained in the nest, it would inherit the combined strength of its siblings, reaching adulthood instantly.

They could freely control the time it took to soften rock, allowing them to burrow underground at will. This made it nearly impossible for players to deal with them effectively. This could be an incredibly tricky foe for them.

Hawkes nodded in agreement. "Yes, a creature with such reproductive abilities is a nightmare."

Most races could only rely on numbers or tools to defeat monsters, but these creatures could outnumber them effortlessly. The more you killed, the stronger they became, it was downright unfair.

A strong necromancer was unfair too... My glorious days. So far away.

"Fortunately, in my youth, I did some research on them," Hawkes continued. "A pregnant Blackrock Toad temporarily loses its ability to soften objects. To protect itself, it leaves a small door in its hatching chamber."

"The adult Blackrock Toad isn't that big, so the door is more than enough for dwarves or humans to pass through. All we need now is to forge a magical tool that will allow you and the other Watchers to move safely within the chamber!"

"What materials do we need?" I asked immediately, my urgency to resolve the iron mine issue growing stronger now that the threat of the Blackrock Toad was clear. Once the toad started hatching, its nest could expand several times over, potentially enveloping Honeyvale in no time.

"Thread Spider silk, Star Iron, and Dragon Crystal," Hawkes replied.

"The other materials are less significant, I've seen them in the warehouse. We can make do with those."

In truth, we could barely scrape together enough for one attempt, but Hawkes had no choice but to aim for a one-time success under these harsh conditions.

Originally, he'd been called to create a "greenhouse," but the lack of a smithy and even basic iron ore had somehow turned this into a quest to deal with the Blackrock Toad. Truly, a rollercoaster of complications.

Even so, my resources were limited.

"Thread Spider silk is resistant to the Blackrock Toad's mucus, and Star Iron is essential for high-grade magical tools, I get that. But Dragon Crystal…" I narrowed my eyes at Hawkes. "Are you scamming me?"

Dragon Crystals could only be found in the long-secluded Dragon Valley. They were so rare that their price was nearly half of my bounty, practically priceless.

Even though I was now a skeleton, my forging skills were intact. I had a good sense of when such expensive alchemy materials were actually necessary.

Hawkes protested his innocence. "This magical tool's deterrent power against monsters relies heavily on dragon breath. Without Dragon Crystals, I can't think of any alternatives!"

"Dragon breath?"

I had a rough grasp of Hawkes' magical tool design. But who said dragon breath could only come from Dragon Crystals?

---

When I explained my request, Alyanne's mind froze. "You're saying you want… the clothes I've worn before?"

She doubted her own hearing.

"Of course," I nodded naturally, eyeing her dust-covered outfit. "In fact, the set you're wearing now would be ideal if you could hand it over directly. And anything else you've used for a long time like cups, bowls, utensils, the more, the better."

As her face turned crimson, I casually added, "Whatever I take, you can replace at the workshop or warehouse. Treat it like a chance for a full furniture refresh."

I reasoned that while her bloodline wasn't pure, gathering enough of her belongings should provide sufficient dragon breath.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Having made my instructions clear, I told her to take her time and deliver everything to Hawkes once she was ready.

Then I left.

---Third POV---

It wasn't until much later that Alyanne processed Viktor's calm demeanor and specific requests.

"Wait… this isn't what I thought, is it?"

Her face flushed deeper, and she crouched down, covering it with her hands.

The embarrassment was overwhelming, what now?!

---

"To clear the goblin nests around Honeyvale, we paid a great price. But the outcome is worth celebrating. Hard work and struggles should be rewarded! Don't forget to enjoy your hard-earned victory! Special savory stew, prepared with aromatic herbs from the forest, will bring you the taste of home. Tonight, drink to your heart's content!"

By dusk, long tables had been set up outside the church, the setting sun still lingering in the sky.

The recently revived players gathered in full force.

Pots of hearty stew, rich with forest herbs and spices, bubbled merrily.

"Come on, come on! This is otherworldly rum!"

"Did Viktor bring out all the liquor we confiscated?"

"If you want more, let's raid another nest!"

"Try these colorful mushrooms I gathered, they're definitely not poisonous!"

"No, no, try my roasted meat instead!"

Familiar players gathered around tables, and the atmosphere quickly grew lively…

"Wow, so spicy, so spicy!"

GameLord420 fanned her tongue, tears streaming down her cheeks from the heat.

MemeKnight quickly handed her a glass of warm water. "I told you, you can't handle spicy food, but you just had to try."

"I thought it would be different in the game!" GameLord420 replied with watery eyes, gulping down the water in one go.

"Ah, much better!"

She licked her tingling tongue.

"What on earth is in this stew? Why is it both warming and spicy? Did they use those pepper and cinnamon spices Viktor mentioned?"

"No idea," Lux said casually, scooping up some of the rich broth with pieces of meat. She squinted in satisfaction.

"Mmm..."

The texture was tender, absorbing the essence of the stew while maintaining a savory richness.

"Delicious!"

Whether it was due to the freshness of the wild game or the mutated plants in the game, every ingredient tasted phenomenal.

"If only we had more of those spices, it would be perfect!"

GameLord420 puffed up her cheeks in complaint. "There aren't enough condiments in the game. If only we could find seeds and grow some…"

As Hedgehog shoveled a piece of bread soaked in stew into his mouth, he looked up. "You could ask Viktor. He'd probably tell you, but it'll cost you."

ProGamer_Daddy chimed in with a raised hand. "I can make the plow for you. But I'm not skipping my fee!"

GameLord420 looked troubled, resting her chin on her hands with a sigh. "Why is it that even in the game, everything costs magicoins? Is there a profession that makes quick cash?"

Lux raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me NeverShowOff has been underpaying you?"

NeverShowOff protested while tapping his spoon against his bowl. "That's because the workshop's orders just got maxed out yesterday!"

GameLord420's private commissions were still in the idea phase and hadn't gained much recognition yet. For now, things were calm, but once new players arrived, they'd definitely rake in the profits.

MemeKnight suddenly perked up. "Hmm? Did you forget? I have money!"

"You? Oh, right!" An idea struck GameLord420 like lightning.

When he had found potatoes, MemeKnight could make a small fortune. And if they discovered other high-value crops, money would no longer be an issue!

"Let's take on an exploration quest!" GameLord420's eyes sparkled as she grabbed his arm. "We should head into the forest and look for species not yet recorded in the game's guidebook!"

"Uh?" MemeKnight, slightly distracted, scooped up a chunk of meat from his stew, eating as he nodded. "Sure, but we might need to wait a bit. I've got a construction project to finish first."

"Yay!" GameLord420 cheered excitedly. At last, she had a new goal to break free from her idle workshop master lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Hedgehog, head buried in food, paused long enough to give Garble a thumbs up. "This meat you brought back is amazing!"

NeverShowOff nodded in agreement, bowl in hand. "It's so fresh and flavorful, with no gamey smell. What species is it, anyway?"

"Some kind of hornless sheep-like creature," Garble explained, adding, "And it kicks hard."

It really did. One kick had fractured one of his ribs.

"But I forgot to have Viktor identify it."

Conveniently, the auto-identification feature had been turned off yesterday. As the food on the table quickly disappeared, he had no choice but to join the scramble for leftovers.

"I'll take you to see a live one in a few days."

The creature was rare and fast. Catching one yesterday had been pure luck, and who knew if they'd be that fortunate again?

"Sounds great!" ProGamer_Daddy responded eagerly. He fully supported any action that expanded their culinary repertoire.

Lux, frowning, pushed her wine glass aside. "This wine tastes so sour. Did you guys try it?"

"Let me have a sip." Hedgehog downed a small cup and smacked his lips. "It's okay, just a bit weak."

NeverShowOff chimed in, "The brewing techniques in the game's setting are probably underdeveloped, so low alcohol content is expected."

"I heard medieval wine was stomped with bare feet!" ProGamer_Daddy announced proudly.

The group fell silent, staring at him in shock.

"Disgusting..." someone whispered.

"Blergh!" A drunk player stumbled to a corner to vomit, unable to handle the mental image.

"I'm not drunk… I can drink more!"

"Darn it, why was I kicked offline again?"

"Viktor, come have a drink!"

---Viktor's POV---

A half-drunk player extended an invitation to me.

Why "half-drunk," you ask? Because no sane person would invite a skeleton to drink.

What was this, a dark comedy? Would someone catch the wine pouring through my ribs?

I politely declined. "No, thanks. As long as you're all having fun."

This event was meant to improve player morale and camaraderie, after all. The players were starting to feel more like an adventurer's guild every day.

"Wahhh, Viktor!" Another drunk player clung to me, refusing to let go.

"I don't want to revise my application anymore! Just approve my museum already, wahhh…"

I remained expressionless. Was it possible the rejection was literal? The application wasn't flawed; it just wasn't needed.

Honeyvale's current state didn't exactly scream "museum-worthy." The town was barely standing, surrounded by monster-infested wilderness, with half-built structures. And this player wanted to dedicate precious resources to... displaying anime figures?

Maybe this player was too obsessed with in-game collectibles from other games. That had to be it.

Checking out his name, I froze.

AhegoMaster.

That was his name. No further information was needed.

With a blank expression, I peeled the player off and finally found peace inside the church. Then I noticed Luminaris gnawing on a statue while clutching a small cup of wine.

His whole orb glowed red like an alarm light, emitting bubbles of red mist.

"Hic~ Hehehe~"

"A divine essence can drink alcohol?" I wondered.

And get drunk?!

Weren't they supposed to survive on divine power?

Approaching, I inspected his status and realized that a small fraction of his divine power was depleting at a steady rate.

Looks like he was having some kind of happy dream, mumbling incomprehensibly with a smug expression.

After confirming everything, I shook my head helplessly.

"Fine, it's your allowance anyway. Spend it however you like."

I just hoped he wouldn't regret it when he sobered up tomorrow.

I walked deeper into the church to inspect the newly created player bodies.

After ensuring there were no unusual species like LootGoblin among them, I resealed the door, lost in thought.

"Maybe this time we could try a new approach to welcome the newbies…"

If they could handle it, that is.

---Third POV---

Outside, the banquet continued. The laughter and chatter carried on late into the night. Most of the captives didn't venture out, staying in the shelter while watching the distant glow of the festivities.

The sky was tinted orange-red from the firelight. Joy was infectious.

Someone stared out the window and murmured, "It looks so lively… Is it some kind of festival today?"

"No idea," another person mumbled from a seat near the window.

"Probably one of The Watchers' celebrations. Who knows?"

Someone else lay on a straw bed with their hands behind their head. "The wine they're drinking might even be ours."

The others were horrified.

"Shh!" The first speaker hissed, lowering his voice in a sharp warning. "Do you have a death wish?"

After all, a legendary dark mage was nearby.

The person by the window nodded solemnly.

"Surviving that hellhole is blessing enough. Don't push your luck."

Creak!

The door opened...

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