Nexha and Lilay woke up excited to finish the platform. After sharing a bottle of milk that Nexha had bought, the two began working with all the energy their tails could propel.
They reinforced some parts, corrected misaligned sections, and finally completed the scaffolding. As they climbed onto the structure, Nexha looked around and frowned. Something didn’t feel right.
— Just say what’s wrong already. — Lilay crossed his arms.
— What?
— You have that "it didn’t turn out how I wanted" face.
Nexha sighed.
— It’s just… I wanted to use fire here, but this whole platform is made of dried moray-algae. If a spark escapes, everything could burn.
Lilay thought for a moment and shrugged.
— Why don’t you do it like the place where you used to cook before?
— I used a stone… Wait… That’s it! Lilay, you’re a genius!
— Of course, I am! … Wait, what?
— Nothing, nothing.
Without wasting time, Nexha quickly opened the shop while Lilay watched him, trying to understand what the big revelation was.
((Shop)/) (\MD 1,769/)
Welcome to the shop, user! Here, you can buy whatever you need for your world conquest. You again? Are you finally going to spend for real? (?^-^?)
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Food/Medicine - Slaves
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Skills - Magic Items
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Miners - Animals/Pets
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Plant Materials - Accessories
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Clothing/Armor - Technology
Nexha opened the technology tab and searched for something useful at the moment. His eyes landed on a specific skill, and with a tight feeling in his chest, he wondered if it was really worth the price.
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— Basic Stone Carving — 1,500 MD
He closed his eyes and confirmed the purchase. The next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his head as knowledge was forcibly inserted into his mind. He rolled across the platform, groaning in pain.
Lilay watched him with a bored expression.
— You okay? You’re acting crazy again.
— I’m… I’m… — Nexha panted, gripping the floor until the pain subsided.
Gradually, he felt the new skill settle into his mind. Taking a deep breath, he opened the shop again and bought two sturdy bones. With his obsidian knife, he began shaping them into makeshift chisels.
— What’s that? — Lilay asked, pointing at the bones.
— Just wait a bit. First, go grab those stones we used to hammer the pillars.
— Got it.
While Lilay went to fetch the stones, Nexha finished crafting the chisels, blowing away the loose shavings. Fortunately, he had chosen a durable bone, which made the process a bit more difficult, but the crafting knowledge he had purchased a while ago helped speed up the work.
When Lilay returned with the stones, Nexha opened the shop once more. Now that he had stone-carving knowledge, the material names appeared in more detail.
He selected a type of stone that, according to his newly acquired knowledge, would be easier to sculpt.
— Soapstone — 100 MD
Various irregular stones appeared before them. Lilay sighed at the sight.
— More rocks?
— I’ll teach you how to use them. If you help me, I’ll give you another bottle of milk tomorrow.
Lilay narrowed his eyes, thinking.
— Fine, but I want a full bottle.
— Deal.
With patience, Nexha showed Lilay how to use the chisel. At first, the younger one struggled and almost broke some stones, but gradually, he got the hang of it.
— Yeah, cut it like this. Now hold it firmly and tap carefully.
— Like this?
— That’s it! You’re learning fast.
The two spent the entire day carving and fitting the stone bricks to cover the platform floor. It was repetitive and exhausting work, but little by little, the platform’s surface became more solid and durable.
As the sun began to set, both were completely exhausted. Their hands were covered in small cuts and scratches from handling the chisels and stones for so long.
They swam back home, and as soon as they entered, they collapsed onto the floor, falling asleep instantly.
Krahs, who had been nearby, found the scene strange. Noticing the wounds on their hands, he sighed in frustration but chose not to wake them. Silently, he took some medicinal algae and carefully wrapped their hands.
Afterward, he sat beside them for a while, watching the two sleeping children before finally leaving.
Like a whisper passing through his mind, Nexha felt something different. Suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes.
{Technology Acquired: Engineering}
Congratulations! Keep learning to earn more bonuses.
You have received 10,000 MD.
His eyes widened at the amount. All the exhaustion momentarily faded, replaced by silent euphoria. With this money, he could buy even more materials and improve so many things.
But then, the fatigue washed over him once again, and he fell asleep like a rock.
"This is going to be useful… very useful."