Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Time in the trial flew by. When Mu Ying woke from the trial, her bed—layered with several blankets—was soft and comfortable. After all the activity that day, both her body and mind were exhausted, and she soon drifted off to sleep again.

She slept early and woke early, once again the first in the territory to rise.

After washing up, she opened her wardrobe and changed into the new clothes she’d bought yesterday: a fitted top and pants, knee-high lace-up boots, and a loose, hooded cloak in a fresh grass-green that matched the morning forest perfectly.

The vegetables in the plantation had grown a lot. The leafy greens would be ready to pick soon, and the saplings had grown taller—by tomorrow, they’d be ready to transplant.

Mu Ying exchanged for some Spring of Recovery and watered all the plants before leaving the plantation. With the camp expanded, more trees were now included, and with enough time today, she could finally connect with each one.

[You have completed a profession practice. Gained 1 Profession Experience.]

[You have completed a profession practice. Gained 1 Profession Experience.]

Her understanding of the power of nature grew deeper, and her experience accumulated quickly.

It took her most of the morning to connect with all the trees in the camp. Then, Mu Ying opened her player manual to check her stats.

[Profession: Druid Lv2 (242/300)]

[HP: 170/170]

[MP: 3/80]

[Attributes: Strength 8, Constitution 11, Agility 11, Intelligence 12, Perception 16, Charisma 11]

She’d gained about twenty experience points today. At this rate, she’d be ready to level up to 3 in about a week.

She’d also finished absorbing her last point of Constitution, so she put her final free attribute point into Perception.

It was almost noon. Mu Ying hadn’t checked out all the new shops in the territory yet, so she decided to take a look now.

She started with the shops to the right of the furniture store.

The weapon shop owner, Curry, was a tall, thin young man. The armor shop owner, Paul, was short and stout but solidly built.

The blacksmith, Old Luber, had white hair but was still strong and muscular.

If it hadn’t been for their application stating that the three of them—father and sons—wanted to settle in the same territory and have their shops side by side, Mu Ying would never have guessed these three, who looked nothing alike, were family.

The blacksmith mainly sold daily tools and could take custom orders, all at reasonable prices.

The weapon and armor shops sold equipment, mostly ungraded or white-quality gear, with only one or two green-quality items on display.

Mu Ying found that white-quality gear was a step above ungraded gear, though the added effects were pretty basic. Green-quality equipment, on the other hand, provided attribute boosts.

White gear was priced in silver coins, while green gear required gold coins—and not just one or two.

She only had enough money for one or two pieces of white gear, so after some thought, she prioritized armor.

Druids could equip non-metal light or medium armor, so she chose a mid-priced leather armor and a low-priced spear.

The leather armor would help cover her defensive weakness, and the spear would replace her hoe, which had broken while farming yesterday.

She could also cast Shillelagh on the spear. It was lighter than the hoe but sharper.

[Cowhide Chestplate]

[Quality: White (Common)]

[Effect: Chest and abdomen defense +20]

[Piercing Spear]

[Quality: White (Common)]

[Effect: Penetration +10]

The cowhide chestplate cost 60 silver coins, the Piercing Spear 30 silver coins, and she also bought a small hoe from the blacksmith for planting trees."

"After finishing her shopping, Mu Ying felt a bit hungry. Knowing she’d need plenty of energy for her afternoon magic practice, she decided to treat herself to a good lunch.

Bruce’s Tavern was right next to Aisha’s Furniture Store.

The tavern looked old and worn. Several tightly shut little windows were caked with thick dust, making it impossible to see inside.

But this place had just opened, so there was no way it could have accumulated so much dust. Mu Ying could only chalk it up to the owner’s peculiar habits.

She pushed open the tavern’s small door. Dim candlelight flickered inside, making it feel like night had fallen all of a sudden—the atmosphere for drinking was set instantly.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many people in the territory who could afford to come to the tavern. Most of the tables sat empty. Compared to eating and drinking, people preferred to save up for a piece or two of equipment.

Mu Ying walked up to the bar and glanced at a small wooden board hanging nearby.

“Today’s Menu:

Pan-seared Steak: 20 copper coins per serving”

It looked like there was only one dish to choose from. Mu Ying tapped on the bar. “Boss, two steaks, please.”

Behind the bar, Bruce—face flushed from drinking, snoring like thunder—rubbed his eyes and looked over. “Hic~ Not having a mug of ale?”

“I’ve got things to do this afternoon, so I’ll skip the alcohol,” Mu Ying replied helplessly.

“Alright then, hic~” Bruce wobbled off to busy himself behind the bar, and soon brought out two large plates.

Mu Ying lifted Yuan Gun Gun up onto the bar and pushed a plate in front of it before focusing on her own food.

The steak was generous in portion, though the taste was just average. Still, it was meat, and Mu Ying ate with relish.

“Lord, let me ask you something—could you get a restaurant to open in the territory a bit sooner?” Bruce took a swig of ale and sighed.

“Huh?” Mu Ying looked at him in confusion. Wasn’t he worried a restaurant would steal his business?

Bruce scratched his nose, a little embarrassed. “I’m great at brewing, but when it comes to cooking, all I can do is pan-fry steak and such. I’m getting sick of it.”

Mu Ying was speechless. She’d thought a tavern would serve both drinks and a variety of hot food, but it turned out Bruce could only make steak. No wonder there was only one dish on the menu—she might as well call it the “Daily Dish” instead of “Today’s Menu.”

“There just aren’t enough people in the territory. No one wants to come,” she explained. That was the real reason she hadn’t opened a restaurant yet.

“Sigh!” Bruce slumped over the bar, utterly dejected. Why hadn’t he thought about the food issue before?

“You could always buy bread from the bakery,” Mu Ying suggested. “Once we have enough people, I’ll definitely get a restaurant set up.”

The meal left Mu Ying feeling rather anxious. It seemed like all the shopkeepers in her territory were a bit too… individualistic.

Anyway, until a restaurant was built, she didn’t want to see Bruce’s resentful gaze again. She’d just eat bread for dinner.