[Celestia.]
Kyle materialized within his Kingdom, his eyes widening in disbelief as he took in the sprawling cityscape. Buildings stretched across the once-barren land, a testament to the System's sudden construction.
"Is this…?"
He breathed, his gaze sweeping over the silent avenues.
{BS: Yes Host… welcome to your kingdom.}
Speechless, Kyle continued to stare. The city, though currently devoid of inhabitants, possessed everything one could imagine: a bustling marketplace, numerous apartment complexes, a well-equipped hospital, and countless houses. The System had indeed built a city overnight.
He began to walk down the deserted street, his one hundred soldiers marching in formation behind him, their footsteps echoing in the stillness.
"Should I be impressed or what?" he muttered under his breath, a mixture of awe and bewilderment swirling within him.
{BS: Host, Castle is now Lv10, so Host can choose a Kingdom flag or create one… And Host can now unlock stage two soldiers… Requirement, 500,000 gold coins.}
'500,000?!'
The thought slammed into Kyle, bringing him to an abrupt halt. He instinctively accessed his storage, only to be met with a stark reality.
{BS: Building: Vault: gold coins: 0.}
'Where in the world am I supposed to find such an astronomical amount of coins?!' He mentally exclaimed, frustration beginning to bubble.
Then, a memory flickered in his mind, and his fingers snapped.
"Why don't I just rob a bank…? The bank in Baton town must have millions of gold coins. I can simply raid everything and take what I need."
{BS: Host have other means of gaining gold coins.}
"Like what?" Kyle asked, his tone laced with skepticism.
{BS: Host can set up the market, and your people can buy things with gold coins. However, Host will also have to replenish the market daily.}
Kyle sighed softly, his eyes drifting towards the imposing silver castle in the distance.
"They have to make coins before they can spend them, and second… I need…"
{BS: Host don't need to worry about hard labor in his Kingdom… I can take care of everything. But Host can give them jobs in the other territories in the outside world… Then Host can pay the workers, while they use the money to buy things in the market.}
"I also need to make the doorway a lot easier… My people should have a way to move to this place without me always physically bringing them."
{BS: Castle Lv10… Teleportation Rune have been built… Host can teleport fifty people to his kingdom… Upgrade castle to increase the number of people.}
"Fifty… If my guess is correct, I'll have to build another Teleportation Rune in the outside world, right?"
{BS: Yes… Teleportation Rune can only be built in a Manor, Dukedom or castle.}
"Oh… That means I can't build it in a small village like Oakhavan. I will have to take over Baton then. Okay, next target set: Baton."
He started walking again, heading towards the impressive structure he knew to be the marketplace. He stopped at the entrance, a look of mild confusion on his face.
"What is this?"
He reached out, his hand meeting a shimmering, blue, water-like barrier that surrounded the entire marketplace.
{BS: Any public places in your Kingdom is built separately. I suggest Host should enter and find out himself.}
Kyle nodded, a sense of curiosity overcoming his initial bewilderment. He stepped through the barrier and instantly vanished from the quiet street of his kingdom.
Kyle found himself in a vast, empty space. He turned in a slow circle, his confusion deepening with each passing moment. There were no stalls, no people, just an endless expanse.
{Welcome Host, this is the master section.}
{On this spot, you can monitor the whole market, and know everything your people buy. You'll also know what is needed to be added.}
Suddenly, countless holographic screens materialized before him, filling the empty space with vibrant displays.
One screen showed a detailed layout of the market stores, but every shelf and counter within them was completely bare.
The second screen functioned like a comprehensive surveillance system, displaying live feeds from every corner of the marketplace. Kyle could see rows upon rows of empty stalls, waiting to be filled. And then…
"Gabriela? She's in the market?" he muttered in mild surprise, his eyes fixed on one of the feeds.
He watched as Gabriela wandered through the empty aisles, her head swiveling left and right, her expression a mixture of astonishment and disbelief.
'I can just say it's a powerful magic spell I used,' Kyle thought, a small smirk playing on his lips. He stared at the empty store screen for a few more seconds and then sighed.
"Food."
He tapped the designated food section on the master screen, and instantly, countless categories of food and fruits appeared before him, an overwhelming abundance of options.
{BS: Host have a total of 3,890,000 fruits, with 500,000 being rare fruit, which increases Life force, beauty, and, attributes, etc...}
"Oh! I have such fruits… It must be from the forest." Kyle mused.
He opened his palm, and a single, radiant golden apple materialized in his hand.
{BS: Golden Apple of light: Increase 30% attributes… Suitable cost: 10,000 gold coins… Host can set his own price.}
"I have enough food, fruits, and herbs to last a year, at least," Kyle realized, a wave of satisfaction washing over him. "Not only that, but I also have high-grade herbs, exotic fruits, potent potions, and the most exquisite food. Mages and Hunters will kill for some of these things."
A wider smirk spread across his face.
"I definitely have a way to earn money now, but that doesn't mean I won't rob a bank," he added, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"If I really want to reduce the empire's strength, why not start by targeting their weaknesses?"
He began tapping the various sections on the master screen, selecting a substantial amount of fruits, food, and even herbs to be stocked in the market – a total of two million items.
"All the truly rare ones will stay with me." He decided, a strategic plan forming in his mind.
Kyle then moved his gaze around the master section once more.
"Let's go. I need to see how she's doing," he said, taking a step forward and walking out of the master section of the market, reappearing on the quiet streets of his kingdom.
Kyle's gaze swept over the silent buildings as he made his way towards the imposing silver castle.
"Okay, BS… Activate all buildings."
He tucked his hands into the pockets of his overcoat, his soldiers still following closely behind.
{DING!}
{Host gained: 1,000 wood from wood mill. 1,000 metals from smelter. 1,000 coals, and 100 gold from mines. 100 25kg rice. 1,000 stones from Quarry. 100 cotton from Cotton mill.}
"Hmm… How often can I get this?" Kyle inquired, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
{BS: Every Hour.}
"Okay, what about the gold?"
{BS: One gold is equal to ten gold coins.}
'Exchange it then.'
{BS: Done.}
Kyle slowly nodded, processing the information. He increased his pace, eager to see the next stage of his kingdom's development.
___
[In The Market.]
Gabriela continued to wander through the seemingly endless rows of empty stalls, her mind reeling from the sheer impossibility of the place.
"What high magic… How can one human create such a space?" she murmured to herself, her understanding of the world's capabilities being stretched to its limits.
Though she had no idea of the true nature of this market, she instinctively knew it was significant, being the largest and most elaborate structure that had materialized last.
{DING!}
{Category, Food… Have been restocked.}
{Category, Potions and Herbs… Have been restocked.}
{You can now check and purchase it.}
"Restocked? Is Kyle back?" Gabriela asked aloud, her surprise evident. Seeing no one, she nodded to herself. "Well, I can check it out."
Whoosh!
A holographic screen suddenly appeared directly in front of her, displaying a list of categories. She tapped on "Potions and Herbs," and a new screen filled with various vials and dried plants appeared.
"Hmm… I don't know much about herbs, but I'm sure all these are low and mid-grade herbs and potions…" she muttered, her limited knowledge preventing her from truly appreciating their potential value.
Gabriela quickly switched to the "Food" category.
Upon seeing the section, her eyes widened in astonishment as she scrolled through the seemingly infinite selection. There were more than a hundred thousand different types of fruits, ranging in size from tiny, pill-like berries to massive fruits larger than a human head.
"Mangoes!"
She quickly tapped on the mango section, and the screen displayed thousands of the familiar tropical fruit.
"This might have been gathered from the forest," Gabriela speculated, remembering the sudden disappearance of the forest.
The moment she saw the listed cost of a mango, her jaw dropped.
"One gold coin for a mango?!! That's surprisingly cheap! In the demon kingdom, and probably the whole three kingdoms, a single mango costs ten gold coins, which is why it's considered a fruit belonging only to the rich… I don't even have a copper or silver coin, let alone a gold coin for one."
A hopeful smile then bloomed on her face.
"Luckily, I stole some few gold coins when was searching for suitable clothing."
She carefully reached into a hidden pouch and retrieved two gleaming gold coins.
"Now… How can I pay?" she muttered in confusion, looking at the holographic display.
{Instruction: You can simply hold the coins in your hand and tap buy.}
"Oh, that's easy enough," Gabriela said, a wave of relief washing over her.
She tapped on the image of two ripe mangoes, then pressed the "buy" icon on the holographic screen.
{DING}
{Purchase done.}
She watched in amazement as the two golden coins in her hand shimmered and then vanished, replaced by two perfectly ripe mangoes, their sweet aroma filling the air.
"Eh! This market is so awesome!!" she exclaimed inwardly, a childish giggle escaping her lips.
The simplicity and efficiency of the transaction were unlike anything she had ever experienced.
"Wow, I love Celestia." She added, with a growing sense of wonder and excitement.