Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 16 Damascus Steel

Kruze knew very well that the range of the Elf Bug's ability—the limit of its precise influence coverage—was only a hundred acres.

Beyond this range, the effect will decrease drastically until it disappears.

By transferring "Azure Jade" to twenty acres of new land, it can focus on this small area and achieve maximum efficiency, unlike in a hundred-acre pea field where it would be overwhelmed and unable to make ends meet.

"Temporarily reduce consumption and buy time to recover!" Kruze clenched his fist, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

This is the most feasible emergency solution at present!
This is just the first step.

The "Azure Jade" has suffered severe depletion of its essence. Simply relocating it to a small area to reduce consumption can only be considered "stopping the bleeding." To truly restore its vitality and even give it hope for evolution, the replenishment of jade powder is indispensable!

“Wilstone is right, jade powder is a necessity…” Kruze took a deep breath, suppressing his worries about the high cost, “No matter how poor the territory is, we must squeeze out the money! Even if we can only buy a small amount, we must ensure a continuous supply!”

The plan was good, but Kruse knew that the biggest challenge was just beginning—how to persuade Wilstone!
This loyal and dedicated silver knight considers protecting the pea sprite "Azure Jade" to be a duty more important than his own life.

His core concern must be the absolute safety of "Azure Jade" and the current food security of the territory!

Kruse could almost foresee the reasons for Wilstone's fierce opposition:

At this point in time! Thanks to "Azure Jade's" hard work, the pea sprouts, though not growing vigorously, have at least taken root and started to grow.

In another month, it will be harvest season! This is one of the most important sources of food for the territory this year!

If the "Azure Jade" is forcibly transferred to that newly cultivated twenty acres of land that has not even been planted yet, then the yield of the hundred acres of pea garden that has lost the nourishment of the fairy insects will definitely drop significantly, and there may even be a poor harvest!
With no new food source in Lion's Tooth Territory yet to be seen or harvested, should we sacrifice the pea harvest that was almost within our grasp?
In Wilstone's view, this was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, destroying one's own foundation!

He would absolutely oppose it to the death!

“Wilstone will never agree to relocate ‘Azure Jade’ without a new, reliable food source!” Kruse confirmed this reality with a bitter smile.

Wilstone's loyalty and sense of responsibility became the biggest obstacle to the plan.

So, it seems that the only breakthrough point is jade powder!
If you can immediately produce jade powder, even a small amount, it can prove that you have the ability to support "green jade," which might increase your persuasiveness.

More importantly, the jade powder itself can alleviate the "green jade's" immediate crisis and reduce the urgency of the transfer... No, the transfer is still necessary, but at least with the jade powder, Wilstone's worries about the "green jade's" condition will be somewhat reduced.
However, the thought of jade powder gave Kruse a sharp headache, like steel needles piercing his temples!

money! money! money!
The price of jade powder is equivalent to one silver coin for five carats!
The basic daily requirement for "blue jade" is sixty to seventy carats! This means a terrifying expense of more than a dozen silver coins every day!

According to Wilstone, Lionfang Territory's annual net income is a paltry few gold coins! That's not even enough to cover "Azure Jade's" monthly jade powder needs!
This is a bottomless pit!

An abyss that Lion Fang Territory's current financial resources cannot fill!

"Could it be... that we can only watch helplessly as 'Azure Jade' is drained dry, or risk a forced transfer that would provoke Wilstone's strong opposition, or even... alienation?" Kruze felt a wave of helplessness. The joy he had just felt in condensing his Qi Seed and his plans for the future were instantly crushed by this cold reality, leaving him breathless.

But Qingfei's weak yet hopeful thoughts, and his "little elf dream" concerning the future potential of the territory, made him unable to give up!
"We have to find a way! There must be a way!" Kruze rubbed his throbbing temples, forcing himself to calm down and think. "Jade powder... money... what else in the territory can be quickly converted into cash? Or... is there any way to get the initial startup capital?"

He paced the room like a caged beast, finally casting his last, faint hope towards the cold system panel in his mind. 'System, oh system!' he cried out inwardly, 'Send me a mission! Keep it simple! Be direct! The reward is a ton of gold coins or ready-made jade powder! Please!'

He held his breath and focused intently, repeatedly "refreshing" the system interface, hoping that a glittering "money-giving" task would pop up.

However, he was met with only silence.

The system panel hangs there indifferently, devoid of any human compassion, and certainly not offering any unexpected windfall.

"Damn it!" Kruze cursed under his breath, completely abandoning the idea. Since he wouldn't get a mission, he'd have to find his own way to survive!

He focused his mind on the system, opened the rudimentary "System Encyclopedia" search engine, and quickly typed in: "The fastest way to make money".

Swish! More than a dozen search results popped up instantly.

Kruse's heart raced, his gaze sweeping across the area like lightning:
Monopolizing the mining of magic crystals…

Establish a multinational caravan of magical items…

Cultivating and selling high-level magical plants and magical beasts...

Accepting kingdom-level war orders…

……

With each line he read, the light in his eyes dimmed a little.

These "fastest" businesses all require substantial capital, extensive networks, strong military force, or scarce resources as support!

For the Lion Tooth Territory, which couldn't even afford jade powder and could barely feed its serfs, these options were simply a pipe dream!
They are nothing like the Lion Fang Clan of today!
Just as despair was about to overwhelm him like icy water, an inconspicuous search result, like a match struck in the dark, weakly but stubbornly attracted his attention:

To manufacture and sell Damascus steel weapons.

Damascus steel!
Kruse's heart skipped a beat!
In his past life, he had seen those dazzling sword-forging competition videos on Douyin. The natural patterns on those swords were breathtakingly beautiful, like flowing clouds and sparkling stars.

That's a perfect combination of strength and beauty!

In this medieval fantasy world that reveres martial prowess and ornate decorations, this unique patterned steel weapon, which combines artistic beauty with the legendary "cutting magic" properties, is sure to cause a sensation among the aristocratic circles who crave luxury and power!
Just imagine those noble gentlemen who would spend a fortune on a master-crafted enchanted longsword... Kruze could almost see gold coins beckoning to him!

Moreover, the world itself has "Iron Knights" who exist, so he could totally... play the role for a while! It would be believable from the outside!

"That's it!" Kruse's eyes blazed with renewed passion, and he clenched his fist tightly!

This is almost the only way to quickly make huge profits without needing a huge amount of start-up capital, relying only on core technology and a bit of luck!

(End of this chapter)