Luck was by Gustav's side, he felt so on every occasion where he saw the demonic moles work. They were simply efficient, and only improved over time.
The couple of friends walked into a massive pile of ores, about two-hundred meters away from the village. Some of his worries went away after that point, because he was certain that half of his debt was already erased!
"Gotta be like three-hundred here, damn." He thought, but didn't really bother to count.
They could only wait afterwards, as the demons weren't yet ready to stop. Their body-fat jiggled around, as work gradually intensified in respect to their speed!
Chances are that they only started minutes ago, but they crawled around so fast that dust along with tiny bits of rock, shot out of the few holes they dug in. Any movement seemed dramatic, they were simply clashing against the ground, forcing for progress to come along!
The pile grew bigger in time, to the point where it blocked the little tunnels which the demons made. It wasn't a big issue though, as they quickly made new exits close by!
They stopped at last. Gustav now met with an accumulation of material, that was taller than himself.
"Okay, so that's your limit? Didn't even take half an hour." He muttered, and rubbed a couple of them on the back.
Afterwards he said, "We're gonna need some help, again. There has to be over a thousand ores here now, we have plenty to spare so I'm not gonna make you carry all of this back home."
It was risky to be greedy now, neither did he have a reason to, as the pile in front of them was double the amount he hoped for. With all things considered, about five-hundred ores would be left over as extras, without a solid purpose to serve.
He had spent a lot today, so it felt nice to be ahead with wealth for once. Extra ore was always welcomed from his side, especially since it could help speed up that beacon project!
With that considered, he then tried to comfort the demonic children. "I never saw y'all get tired before, but it's more than fair. Can't even imagine what kinda cave you opened up down there, must be huge."
He picked a couple of the demons up in the meantime, and felt how they've become a hunch heavier now. This helped remind that food was very important for this odd species, so he planned to spoil them well.
"My little rascals... we'll get you all the meat you want, don't worry. A hundred men couldn't do this much work in half an hour, so I'll never be able to pay you all enough." He added, and truthfully didn't know what else to give them.
In the meantime, Arila's excitement helped get things moving. Guards were respected here, and since she knew everyone in the village, she helped organise a work-force in no time whatsoever!
Trade-deals went smoothly as well, and throughout that rush, Gustav was given a handsome offer by one of the many blacksmiths, regarding armour.
He didn't nearly think about this before, but considering the risk factors, this could be one of the best trades he ever agreed to. The deal was cheap even, promising a custom suit in exchange for two-hundred, random types of iron ores!
"The beacon's skeleton cost me as much as that, can't ignore this deal." Gustav thought.
He didn't want to die, and therefore felt confident about this trade. Three-hundred ores would be left over even after this purchase, which would help tame any future expenses!
Anyway, several minor adjustments were made throughout the following few hours, which all together equaled to a big step forward. Trades were made, and Gustav felt ready to handle the next task at hand.
"What a good time to be all armoured up," He thought.
Little poking around, helped figure out where the demon crystals resided. The villagers were well aware of them, but never really dared to handle those anomalies, due to their names alone.
Gustav didn't hesitate whatsoever to go after them, as fear fueled his every step. It was uncertain how these crystals could be implemented on the signal-beacon, but he trusted that information about the matter would flood his brain soon.
There was no time to waste, as aliens could attack at any given time! He had luckily recovered a tad bit through these past few hours, and was ready to properly travel now.
"Kids, you're coming with me. Arila said that place is dangerous, so I could pretty much die without y'all." Gustav said, and helped them climb on his back.
They were more than happy to join, as about forty kilos of meat, managed to bounce their energy up. It was advantageous how they grew by a fourth, once more, especially since the adventure ahead of them promised a few battles!
The demon crystals resided underground, and their history was darker than their name too. Many creatures lived down there, and although their intelligence was questionable, the danger they posed was historically violent!
Much like the name would encourage, they were demonic. Gustav didn't exactly know what to expect, but he hoped to survive that place either way.
...
After travelling for about an hour, and crossing a distance of nearly six kilometers, they arrived at the aforementioned cave. This cave was more of an entrance, which led towards the demonic crystals.
"Let's hope we don't get lost, one of my uncles disappeared down there." Arila added, she undoubtedly joined this little adventure.
Gustav only grew more nervous in the meantime, as he didn't know what to expect. "We'll try to keep track, and my kids here are pretty good with tunnels. Let's try to keep our heads though, are you good with that sword?"
"Pretty good," Arila casually answered, and pulled out her short-sword.
Gustav had a similar weapon, except it was twice the size; Four foot long. Less than ideal for a large mammoth, but it could still prove lethal thanks to his swinging-strength alone!
They felt ready now, and could only hope that the torches they've just lit, wouldn't tangle their hands if a battle broke out.
With their armors crackling around upon every step, they cautiously went into the cave. The mountainside in front of them taunted their senses, as they've traveled far enough to partially escape those comforting flat-lands!