Motivated by the rewards, the players successfully completed the task of collecting wood before logging off.
Seeing the exhausted players in front of him, panting and trembling, Ryan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
He had underestimated the potential of the players. They were willing to push themselves hard for the sake of rewards.
Ryan even thought that if he had offered enough rewards during the fight with Ursaring, these players might have dared to take it on as well.
"Congratulations on successfully completing the wood collection task. Here are your well-deserved rewards."
Ryan distributed some experience points and PokéCoins to the players.
The experience points were automatically added to their accounts via the panel.
As for the PokéCoins, Ryan had White find someone to craft them out of scrap metal.
The PokéCoins distributed through the panel were virtual and couldn't be withdrawn. They could only be used for shopping in the store module.
He couldn't transfer these coins to the players because they didn't have access to the task panel.
So, Ryan decided to create physical currency. He would act as an intermediary—players would use these coins to purchase items from him, and he would then buy those items from the store.
Of course, he wasn't going to sell the items at the same price as the store. He still had to make a small commission as a middleman.
Additionally, giving out physical currency would increase the players' sense of achievement. At this moment, they were happily playing with the PokéCoins in their hands.
"As for the rights to use farmland, once you return from the Divine Realm tomorrow, I'll have someone take you to make your selections."
Ryan then turned his gaze to Silent Walker.
"The player who collected the most wood is Silent Walker. His plot of land will be larger, and he'll receive a special reward."
Ryan took out a Pokéball and a Sticky Ball and handed them to Silent Walker.
"I've already explained the use of the Pokéball. As for the Sticky Orb, it's used to restrict the movement of Pokémon. I used this item during the battle with Ursaring this morning, and you've seen its effectiveness."
Silent Walker, visibly excited, accepted the rewards. He had originally thought the special reward would only be a Pokéball, so getting an extra Sticky Orb was a pleasant surprise.
This tool had managed to trap the powerful Ursaring, so it would be a great way to protect himself in the future.
He happily put the two items away and then heard Ryan continue:
"In addition to this, you can also rent a Diglett for free to help you till the land."
"Diglett? Is that another Pokémon? It can help with farming?"
"I only know about whack-a-mole. Aren't moles usually harmful to farmland?"
Seeing the confused expressions on some players' faces, Ryan decided to show them in person.
He led the players to the courtyard, where they found Digletts munching on tree roots.
"So, these are Digletts? They don't look like mice at all. They're more like earthworms."
"In reality, earthworms are good for the soil. Could it be that they have similar abilities?"
"They're eating tree roots? No wonder the lord had us bring back some roots when we chopped down trees."
When the Digletts saw Ryan, they all gathered around. They had been living quite comfortably the past few days, enjoying both Pokémon food and fresh tree roots.
Ryan had kept his promise, and the Digletts were fulfilling their part of the deal, diligently helping with the farming.
After all, just eating and not working made the Digletts uneasy, afraid that Ryan might abandon them one day.
"These people need your help with farming, but they don't know what you're capable of. Show them what you can do," Ryan said, crouching down to speak to the Digletts.
"Diglett!"
The Digletts nodded, not wanting to disappoint Ryan.
They immediately burrowed into the nearby soil, and as they moved forward, the soil was thoroughly tilled.
In no time, they had tilled a large area of land.
The players were dumbfounded.
"How long did that take? Their efficiency is amazing!"
"The soil is perfectly tilled! With a little adjustment, we can start planting right away."
Seeing the players' amazed expressions, Ryan knew they were already sold on the idea. So, he sweetened the deal:
"You've seen it yourselves. Diglett is a master at tilling the land, and it doesn't take long for them to turn the soil."
"Plus, their waste enriches the soil, greatly improving crop yields."
Ryan then pointed to one of the Digletts and said to Silent Walker:
"This Diglett is yours to rent for free. All you need to do is feed it some tree roots each day."
The other four players, seeing Silent Walker getting a free Diglett, were visibly envious. They also wanted a Diglett to help with their farming.
"Well, the rewards have been distributed. You can return to the Divine Realm now. We'll meet again tomorrow," Ryan said as he prepared to head back to the castle.
Seeing that Ryan was about to leave, one of the players couldn't hold back any longer.
"Wait! Lord, is there any chance we could rent a Diglett too?"
Leaf stepped forward to stop Ryan.
"I'm afraid not. These Digletts are actually meant to help repair the farmland of the local villagers whose fields have been damaged."
"The reason Silent Walker is getting one for free is because it's part of his special reward. You don't currently have the qualifications to rent one," Ryan shook his head, pretending to refuse, which made the players anxious.
"But Lord, we're also your citizens, sent from the Divine Realm to help build your territory. We've completed several tasks, too. Even if we don't have major achievements, we've certainly worked hard. Please, let us rent one!"
"That's not a bad point," Ryan pretended to hesitate.
Seeing that Ryan seemed to be wavering, Leaf quickly continued:
"And we're willing to pay in PokéCoins!"
Ryan's heart skipped with joy—that's exactly what he was waiting for!
After pretending to think for a while, he finally gritted his teeth and said:
"Fine, I'll let you rent them!"
The players were ecstatic when Ryan agreed and eagerly handed over their money.
However, they soon realized that they didn't have enough PokéCoins to cover the rental fees.
"The cost is that high? I can only afford to rent it for two days."
"You're lucky! After deducting the coins I used for revival, I don't even have enough to rent it for one day."
Seeing their empty pockets, Ryan generously offered a solution.
They could borrow the money for now, and the debt would be deducted from their future rewards.
The players were deeply touched, grateful that Ryan was so considerate, willing to lend them money for the Diglett rental without even charging interest.
So, when Ryan suggested they rent three Digletts, they didn't hesitate to agree.
"The lord wouldn't deceive us!"
Even though renting three Digletts was more expensive, they worked faster and could even use the "Plow" move to further increase crop growth speed and yield.
Since they were already in debt, they figured they might as well rent three Digletts.
In the end, aside from the more cautious Stella and Silent Walker, who could rent a Diglett for free, the other three players rented three Digletts each.
They also found themselves heavily in debt.
Yet they were happy, feeling like they had struck a great deal. As they logged off, they even thanked Ryan.
After all the players logged off, Ryan returned to his study, looking at the PokéCoins that had just been distributed but had now returned to his possession. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
His plan had been to let the players use Digletts for farming to set an example for the local villagers who were afraid of Pokémon. Yet, he still had to pretend to be reluctant to rent the Digletts to them.
His real goal was to reclaim the PokéCoins from the players.
In the end, not only had he gotten the players to promote the benefits of using Pokémon for farming, but he had also managed to get them into debt.
"Am I turning into a capitalist? What if the players revolt and hang me from a lamppost?"
Ryan muttered to himself.
"Probably not. They thanked me when they logged off. Besides, although they're in debt, they're happy. It's not really a loss for them."
"Knock, knock~"
A knocking sound interrupted Ryan's thoughts.
"Young Master Ryan, the Ursaring has woken up. Do you want to go see it?"
"Yes, I'll head over now."
Ryan got up and left the room—he had plenty of questions to ask Ursaring.