I opened the system screen and navigated to the inventory menu. The text displayed before me made me nod in satisfaction, though not complete satisfaction.
Moondrops: 2,000
Base Gold: 39,198
Research Points: 0
Zero Research Points. The same issue again. I stared at the screen, my brows furrowed. How could I possibly gain Research Points under these circumstances? My flying castle was equipped with various features, but I had never paid much attention to how to manage research points. It was starting to feel like a major obstacle.
I let out a long sigh and scrolled through the options, searching for a solution. My eyes landed on the construction icon. Perhaps building something new could solve this problem. I pressed the construction button, and a list of building options appeared.
"Laboratory, huh?" I muttered as I tapped on the option. However, a notification immediately popped up in the center of the screen.
[Insufficient materials for construction. Please collect additional resources.]
I frowned, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling up inside me. Of course, building a laboratory required materials I didn't have. But what could I do with the resources I had now?
I turned to the main building, the Main Headquarter. After selecting it, an upgrade option appeared. I examined the cost.
[Would the Navigator like to upgrade the Main Headquarter? Requires 5,000 Base Gold.]
"5,000 Base Gold?" I thought for a moment before nodding. "That's a reasonable price."
I pressed [Accept], and the system screen displayed the upgrade process. Within seconds, a new notification appeared.
[Main Headquarter has been upgraded to Level 2.]
A sense of relief washed over me. A better main building meant the management of the flying castle could become more efficient. I still had plenty of Base Gold left to spend, and with renewed enthusiasm, I returned to the construction menu. This time, my eyes landed on the Training Hall.
"A training ground," I muttered. "This might be useful for my combat units."
I selected the option, and the system screen displayed another notification.
[Would the Navigator like to build a Training Hall? Requires 7,500 Base Gold.]
"7,500? A bit pricey, but I think it's worth it."
I pressed [Accept], and moments later, the southern section of my flying castle began to transform. A training ground, complete with dummies and stacks of training weapons, materialized quickly. I stood on the balcony of the castle, looking out at the new structure with satisfaction.
"This will do for now," I thought.
The training ground would be a great place for my combat units to sharpen their skills. I could already imagine Thomas and Catherine grumbling about practicing there, but I knew they'd use it. Pierre, with his enthusiasm, would likely be the first to test the dummies, and Virginia would quietly follow suit.
Even so, my thoughts kept returning to the Research Points. How could I obtain them? It felt like there was a significant step I hadn't yet discovered. But for now, my flying castle had undergone significant upgrades. Perhaps it was time to pause and strategize anew.
With the new training ground in the south and the upgraded Main Headquarter, I felt like I was moving in the right direction. However, the journey was far from over, and I had to stay vigilant. Every decision I made here would have a major impact on the next mission.
"All right, this is enough for now," I muttered as I closed the system screen. "Time to think about the next step."
After upgrading the base, I walked to the storeroom, a large room lined with sturdy wooden shelves filled with crates, sacks, and neatly arranged glass jars. At the center of the room stood Luna, calm and poised, holding a magical clipboard that displayed a list of items. Her hair shimmered under the light of the magical crystals illuminating the space.
"Ah, Navigator," Luna greeted me as she turned. "What brings you here?"
I approached her and pointed to the clipboard. "What are you cataloging?" I asked.
"Items from the latest supplies," she replied, handing me the clipboard. "Mostly food provisions for the tavern, but also loot from monster hunting and dungeon explorations."
I examined the list carefully. The writing was neat and precise:
- Goblin's Eyes x44
- Cursed Bones x108
- Direfang Wolf Hide x18
- Direfang Alpha Hide x1
- Land Dragon's Scales x54
- Elemental Orbs x4
"These items are quite diverse," I muttered as I read further. "But they don't seem immediately useful."
Luna nodded. "That's why I'm keeping them here in the storeroom. If stored in the system inventory, it would fill up quickly and make managing other important items difficult."
My eyes focused on the line reading Land Dragon's Scales x54. I pointed at it. "This material looks special. It must be for crafting powerful weapons or armor," I remarked.
"Correct," Luna said, glancing at the list. "But we still need proper facilities to use them. The blacksmith in this castle is only Level 1."
I sighed deeply. "And we don't have enough Base Gold to upgrade or forge new equipment," I said. "All these materials will have to wait for the right time."
"At least we have them," Luna replied with an optimistic tone. "Gather resources now, use them later. That's how it works in this world, isn't it?"
I nodded in agreement. "True. But waiting can be tiresome." I handed the clipboard back to her. "Do you think there are any priorities for these materials?"
"Goblin's Eyes and Cursed Bones are usually used for low-tier crafting," Luna explained, pointing at the list. "Direfang Wolf Hide and Alpha Hide might be for light armor, but Land Dragon's Scales? That's definitely for forging high-tier weapons or armor."
I gave a faint smile. "But forging high-tier items requires high-tier facilities too. Right now, we don't even have enough Base Gold to upgrade the blacksmith, let alone forge anything."
Luna gave me an understanding look. "That's why I'm ensuring everything is stored safely here. One day, when this flying castle develops further, we'll be able to use these materials to their full potential."
I stared at the pile of materials in the storeroom. Everything in this world required time and planning—not just construction and resource gathering but patience as well.
"You're right," I finally said. "I'll focus on upgrading the facilities first. For now, let everything remain safe here."
"Of course, Navigator. I'll keep monitoring it," Luna replied with a calm smile.
I left the storeroom with mixed emotions. There was a sense of satisfaction from having gathered those materials but also frustration because they couldn't yet be utilized.
After finishing the inventory check, I decided to return to the Main Headquarter. As I stepped inside, I carefully observed the surroundings, hoping to notice something different after upgrading the building to Level 2. However, my expectations seemed too high. There were no striking changes. The navigation panels, system screens, and other equipment were still in the same places, with no significant new features added. Even the room itself felt the same, albeit cleaner and slightly more organized.
Perhaps Level 2 was too early to expect major changes. After all, the primary base level of this flying castle was still at Level 1. More meaningful improvements might come once I succeeded in upgrading the base level. For now, this was enough. I couldn't complain. These were just the first steps of a long journey.
I moved toward the main chair in the center of the room. It was designed simply but was comfortable enough for brief rests. After pressing a few buttons on the system screen to ensure all functions of the flying castle were operating normally, I allowed myself to sit and lean back. Fatigue began to creep in, especially after a day full of planning, building, and discussions with my team.
"Tomorrow morning, we head to Arcadia," I murmured softly, almost as if reminding myself. That city was the destination for the next main quest. I didn't know much about it, aside from the brief description that had appeared on the system screen. Arcadia seemed to be a large city with a diverse population, a center of trade and culture. It would be interesting to see what awaited us there, but I didn't want to get my hopes too high. Past experiences had taught me that behind every new place lay challenges waiting to be faced.
I opened the system screen again, just to ensure no notifications had been missed. All indicators showed that the flying castle was ready to operate tomorrow. The newly built Training Hall was also visible on the system map, although I hadn't had enough time to test its functions. At the very least, the facility was there as a starting point for training combat units in the future.
"This feels slow, but that's how it goes," I thought. The development of this castle was a long process, and I couldn't force everything to happen overnight. Resources were limited, and priorities had to be carefully determined. I could only hope the decisions I had made so far were the right ones to support our journey ahead.
After confirming there was nothing else to be done for the night, I decided to shut down the system screen. The room fell silent, save for the soft hum of the castle's mechanisms that continued to operate. Sleepiness began to take over, and I knew it was time to rest.
I left the main chair and headed to the small sleeping quarters located at the side of the room. The space was simple, containing only a small bed and a desk in the corner. It was enough for me. I didn't need luxury; I just needed a place to unwind.
As I lay down on the bed, my thoughts wandered to everything that had happened so far. The Kingdom of Esverita, my team, the decisions I had made—they all felt like puzzle pieces slowly forming a bigger picture. Despite some anxiety, there was also a sense of anticipation. I didn't know what would happen in Arcadia.
With that thought, I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the much-needed rest. Tomorrow was a new day, and this flying castle would soar again, heading toward the next adventure.
***