Two gatherers delivered another batch of materials and food.
Jason quickly posted the food on the trading platform in exchange for 11 soul crystals, 220 units of wood, and 90 units of stone.
When he added the 32 soul crystals earned from the Spartan warriors' monster kills, Jason now had a total of 78 soul crystals, 920 units of wood, and 490 units of stone.
He was very close to upgrading the Beacon to Tier 2, perhaps even before dark tonight.
[The lord has gained 312 experience points and 12 soul crystals!]
Suddenly, a surge of golden light erupted from Jason's body, shining brightly for a long moment before slowly fading.
The energy flooded into him, and he felt a dramatic increase in his physical strength.
"Did I level up again?" Jason muttered, surprised.
Opening his Lord Info panel, Jason saw that his level had jumped from LV2 to LV4!
He was baffled. "What did Dilios do to get me two levels in a row?"
Just as Jason was pondering, he heard the shocked exclamations of his villagers outside the wooden house.
Jason hurried out and was immediately stunned by the sight in front of him.
There, standing in the village, was a massive creature—an ancient monitor lizard about three meters tall and nearly ten meters long. It resembled the extinct ancient monitor lizards from Earth but was over twice the size.
Dilios and the four Spartan warriors were covered in blood, their eyes red with battle frenzy. They were dragging the massive creature by its tail, its enormous body leaving deep footprints in the earth with every step.
"Hoo! Sparta!" they roared as they approached the village, the energy of battle still boiling within them.
The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
Dilios, despite the injuries on his team, was still full of rage. The Spartan warrior named Xiuen had bite marks on his thigh, blood dripping from his wound. Yet, he seemed to feel no pain as he prepared to rush into the forest once again with his spear raised.
"Stop, Dilios!" Jason called out, alarmed by the sight of his warriors in such a state.
Dilios and his team were in a frenzy from battle and would continue unless Jason commanded otherwise.
Hearing Jason's voice, Dilios stepped forward, slowly coming back to his senses.
"Lord! What are your orders?" Dilios asked respectfully, as if the violent frenzy had momentarily passed.
"Enough for today," Jason said firmly. "You have brought great victories, and I am pleased. Now, go rest. I look forward to more victories tomorrow."
Dilios and the warriors, still weary but full of honor, bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
"Yes, my lord!"
After they left for the Spartan Training Camp to recover, Jason inspected the trophies they had gathered.
An information panel appeared in front of him, displaying the monster's stats:
[Ancient Monitor Lizard]
[Level: LV10]
[Status: Dead]
Jason was stunned. "They killed a monster several levels higher than themselves. Incredible!"
The two gatherers had already worked hard to collect materials from the monitor lizard.
[Get 35 units of ancient monitor lizard meat (fine food)!]
[Get 10 ancient monitor lizard skins (common materials)!]
[Get 20 ancient monitor lizard claws (common material)!]
Jason couldn't help but marvel at the bounty. "Great food," he thought as he picked up a piece of the monitor lizard meat.
The meat was vibrant and fresh, radiating warmth. Jason handed it to the cook to roast, and the fragrance soon filled the air.
Taking a large bite of the perfectly roasted meat, Jason was astonished. "This is amazing!"
The meat was tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
[The lord eats excellent ingredients, and experience value +10!]
Jason was surprised by the notification. He had gained experience simply by eating the food!
He continued eating and gained a total of 24 experience points, feeling rejuvenated after every bite.
The energy from the monitor lizard meat seemed to energize him, providing enough sustenance to keep an average person going for two days. And the experience gain was an added bonus.
"However, this is a rare commodity," Jason thought to himself.
He quickly remembered the trading platform. While Chaos Mall only accepted soul crystals, the trading platform allowed for bartering, and Jason could trade his food for valuable resources like wood and stone.
He set up a trade on the platform, offering 24 units of fine monitor lizard meat.
[Monitor Lizard Meat (Fine Food)]
[Price: 10 soul crystals / 200 units of wood / 100 units of stone]
[Quantity: 24 units]
With his listing up, Jason sent a quick advertisement on the World Channel:
[Notice: The Universal Store is now open! Fresh stock: 24 units of fine monitor lizard meat, fair prices, first come, first served!]
The World Channel immediately exploded with activity.
[Excellent food? Did the Universal Store's owner kill a high-level monster already?]
[I can't believe it! This is the first day, and someone already has such food.]
[I'm too scared to leave my village right now. Please, share some experience with us!]
[Experience +1!]
[Experience +2!]
... and many more messages flooded in.
The price of the fine food had some complaining, but the excitement was palpable.
Before long, all 24 units of the monitor lizard meat were sold.
Jason received 130 soul crystals, 1,200 units of wood, and 500 units of stone.
He was now richer than ever, with more than enough resources to upgrade his Beacon to Tier 2 and continue building his strength.
Jason glanced at the bill and noticed a transaction from "Xuanji Village," who had bought 5 sets of monitor lizard meat, paying with 600 units of wood and 200 units of stone.
"How is that possible?" Jason wondered, perplexed by the immense resources these other lords had.
With that, Jason knew the world was filled with talented and wealthy individuals, and he would have to be strategic to keep up. But for now, his power was growing, and his plans were beginning to take shape.