Looking back, the four Spartans were still engaged in fierce combat with the wild boar.
Dilios, fueled by relentless fighting spirit, threw his spear with a sharp whistle. It pierced the head of one wild boar, and without a moment's hesitation, he turned toward the remaining one.
With a mighty kick, Dilios sent the boar that was trying to escape flying.
Two Spartan warriors immediately followed up, stabbing the boar to death.
Their coordination was flawless, seamlessly working together like a well-oiled machine.
Jason's heart raced as he watched the battle unfold.
[The lord has gained 62 experience and 3 soul crystals!]
[The lord has gained 54 experience and 2 soul crystals!]
[The lord has gained 50 experience and 2 soul crystals!]
A burst of energy surged through Jason's body, and he could feel the transformation.
His abdominal muscles tightened, and he felt a rush of power.
He flexed his fists, feeling the strength building within him.
Jason grinned. "If I punched someone now, I might just give Tyson a run for his money..."
He checked his Lord Panel. His level had increased from LV1 to LV2.
"Lord!" Dilios called out excitedly, dragging several wild boars, each far larger than normal, back to the village.
"I feel stronger!" Dilios exclaimed.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
He immediately opened Dilios' information panel.
[Spartan Hero: Dilios]
[Level: LV2]
[Loyalty: 100 (Unwavering)]
[Potential: Sanctuary (Upgradeable to LV69)]
[Occupation: Spartan Berserker]
[Skills: Spartan Wrath, Spartan Combat Skills, Spartan Battle Array...]
To Jason's surprise, Dilios had leveled up! This was a significant boost.
Jason quickly checked the other four Spartans. They had also reached LV2, which made sense given their impressive growth during the battle.
"Good!" Jason nodded, a smile crossing his face. "Keep fighting, my warriors! The more you fight, the stronger you become!"
"Yes, my lord!" Dilios and his team roared in unison, eager for the next battle.
Once again, Dilios led the Spartans into the forest, and the sounds of battle echoed shortly thereafter.
Monsters' shrieks and the clash of weapons filled the air as the five Spartans continued their rampage.
Jason received a steady stream of notifications, and his experience and soul crystals grew.
The monsters in the forest seemed endless, and the Spartans, fueled by their newfound strength, showed no signs of slowing down.
More and more monster corpses were dragged back into the village, and the two foragers worked tirelessly to collect materials from the fallen creatures.
Jason's soul crystals quickly surpassed 20.
Back at the hut, Jason surveyed the overflowing wooden boxes filled with supplies.
The amount of food had reached 120 units—enough to last the current population for ten days. And it was all meat, not the coarse grain bread from the Chaos Mall.
Jason smiled at the pile of supplies. For once, he had too much to handle.
There was just one problem—there were no refrigerators in this world, and meat would spoil within two days.
[Chaos Mall only accepts soul crystals to purchase goods and does not offer a recycling option.]
Jason thought for a moment and then had an idea.
[Trading Platform] might offer a solution. Instead of relying on soul crystals, he could barter with other lords for materials like wood and stone.
Meat, being a high-protein food, would likely be more desirable than multigrain bread, and by trading it, Jason could strengthen his position without draining his soul crystals.
He quickly opened a personal shop on the trading platform and uploaded his 100 units of fresh meat.
[Fresh Meat]
[Unit price: 1 soul crystal / 20 units of wood / 10 units of stone]
[Quantity: 100 units]
Then, Jason posted an advertisement in the [World Channel]:
[Notice: The Universal Store is officially open! Current stock: 100 units of fresh meat, fair prices, first come, first served!]
As soon as the ad was posted, the World Channel erupted with activity.
[Is anyone selling supplies this early? Wait, it's meat!]
[The price of meat is the same as multigrain bread, just 1 soul crystal! What a deal!]
[I only caught a chicken and got 3 units of meat... How many monsters have to be killed for 100 units of meat?]
[Soul crystals are precious, I'd rather trade them for wood, I've been cutting down trees all day.]
[This is outrageous! The prices are double what they should be. He's a black-market merchant!]
The comments flooded in, some impressed by the offer, others critical of the prices.
Many criticized Jason, claiming that he should donate food to help other lords, but he knew better than to give in to pressure.
If he gave away food for free, he'd only attract more complaints.
[There's no such thing as a free lunch.]
Jason wasn't concerned about being boycotted. He knew the market would work itself out, and as long as he maintained his lead, his territory would continue to grow.
And just as expected, the response was overwhelming. The 100 units of meat sold out in no time, bringing Jason 25 soul crystals, 700 units of wood, and 400 units of stone.
These materials were automatically added to his storage, ready for future use.
Jason then opened the [Friend List] and cleared 99+ friend requests. True leaders don't need to waste time on friendships.
The road to dominance had just begun, and Jason knew that this was only the start of his rise to power.