> [Yes. The system can purchase the harvested Ashveil Grass.]
The system answered in its usual flat, arrogant, and annoying tone.
Elias smiled. "Great."
There were a lot of bundles lying around. If he could sell them all, he might finally have enough Karma Points to unlock some useful tools or upgrades for the territory. Maybe even a weapon.
He nodded to himself, then asked in a hopeful voice, "So, how about five points per bundle? That's one thousand blades of grass in each bundle, and there's a lot of them."
But the system's response came a second later, instantly crushing his hopes.
> [Negative. Maximum appraisal value for all available Ashveil Grass is 6,000 Karma Points. No more, no less.]
Elias froze, his eyes shooting up.
"Wait, what? 6,000 total?" He blinked in disbelief, then suddenly flared up. "This is a goddamn scam!"
> [It is not. As I previously explained, the system appraises all items based on factors like quantity, quality, and rarity. While Ashveil Grass may seem valuable to you, its rarity rating is low, and the quality of your harvest was reduced due to the use of dulled tools. Therefore, this is the best value the system can provide.]
"Damn it," Elias cursed again, gritting his teeth. "So that's it? No more, no less?"
> [Affirmative. You can take it or leave it. That is the final offer.]
Elias muttered curses under his breath, clearly annoyed. But the truth was, he needed those points.
First of all, he needed tools and gear for himself. Then there was the water supply issue—he still hadn't figured out a solution for that. And to make things worse, he didn't have any real building experience. If he wanted to expand the territory or construct more structures, he'd need blueprints. All of that requires some spending, and right now, the system was his only option. He didn't exactly have the luxury of options.
"Fine. I accept."
With a heavy sigh, Elias stepped outside the house.
The last orange rays of the setting sun stretched across the land. Vael was still working, finishing up the final bundles of grass. Elias didn't disturb him since he had already told him to handle it. Instead, he found a spot in the shade just outside the house and sat down.
It didn't take long before Vael approached, straightening up as he spoke.
"Master, I'm done with it."
Elias looked up and gave a nod.
"Good job. Thanks."
He stood, and the two of them walked over to the huge pile of Ashveil Grass—bundled neatly in dozens. Elias looked at it with clenched jaws.
'Damn system… and I'm trading all of this for scraps.'
Still, he didn't have a choice.
"System, complete the trade."
> [Confirm transaction: Sell Ashveil Grasses for 6,000 Karma Points?]
Elias gritted his teeth and let out another sigh, clearly pained.
"Yeah, just do it. Get it over with."
His chest felt tight.
A soft pale light flashed across the bundles of Ashveil Grass. In the blink of an eye, they vanished—gone without a trace.
Vael, standing beside him, furrowed his brows slightly as he watched. Meanwhile, Alia gasped from inside Elias' mind.
"[What was that!?]" she exclaimed.
Elias rubbed his temples.
"That... is the other thing inside my head. The system."
"[System?]"
"Yeah. It's... like something that helps me keep track of my progress. But it's also arrogant, annoying, stingy, and a total rip-off—all rolled into one. I sell stuff to it, and it gives me Karma Points. Then I use those points to buy the things I need."
"[Woooow. That's amazing!]" Alia said with wonder in her voice.
"Yeah, well…" Elias grumbled. "Not when it rips you off."
He sighed again, folding his arms across his chest.
"By the way, how come you didn't know about it already? Can't you read my thoughts or something?"
"[I can, but… that system thing… it doesn't seem to want to talk to me. It's like it blocks me out completely. I can't access any of your interactions with it.]"
"Oh. Makes sense. He's a very rude brat, after all," Elias muttered.
Meanwhile, Vael, who had already recovered from his earlier confusion, looked at Elias and asked, "What now, Master?"
Elias frowned slightly, scanning the now-cleared field. The land was bare, not a single blade of grass left. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows. And to top it off, his stomach gave a loud growl.
"Now? I'm starving."
He grimaced, remembering the stale bread left behind by the original owner of this body.
"Go hunt one of the dire wolves outside the dome," he said. "Just one will do. And don't use your dagger."
Vael tilted his head. "Why not?"
"I'm not sure how the poison enchantment on it will affect the meat. I'd rather not drop dead from eating poisoned wolf steak."
"Understood." Without another word, Vael turned and vanished with impressive speed, off to carry out the task.
With that, Elias was finally alone.
He leaned back a little, letting the silence settle. But it didn't last long before Alia's curious voice echoed in his mind again.
"[So… you can sell anything to the system?]"
Elias shrugged. "Apparently. I haven't seen any clear limits yet. But I don't think just selling anything will work. Everything gets appraised based on quality, rarity, usefulness… stuff like that. Selling junk might be worthless—or maybe worth something in large amounts. I honestly don't know yet."
Alia went quiet for a moment, but then her next question caught Elias off guard.
"[What about Vael?]"
Elias blinked. "Huh?"
"[I mean… you said you can sell valuable things. Vael looks valuable. His gear too. And… he's not technically alive, right? So you could basically dissect and sell him to the system. He seems strong, so maybe his body is worth something.]"
Elias was speechless.
Why would she even think of something like that?
Before he could respond, Alia spoke again.
"[I'm sorry. Was that a bad question? I didn't mean anything bad. It's just… when you told him to hunt the wolf, I didn't feel any emotion from you. But with Vael… I don't sense any life at all. So I thought you'd care more about the living creature. Since you didn't care about the wolf, I assumed you'd care even less about Vael.]"
Elias sighed, his shoulders sinking slightly.
"No… it's not a bad question. It's just… complicated."
He leaned forward and clasped his hands together.
"Human emotions don't always follow logic. They're very, very complicated. Sometimes, something as simple as an old cloth can mean more to someone than another person's life. It could be about memories. Or loss. Or… just a bond."
Alia was silent for a while.
"[A bond? Like family?]" she asked softly.
"Exactly," Elias nodded. "Or a friend. Or someone who's stood beside you in battle. In my case, Vael is both a summon and a soldier. He listens. Follows orders. He's part of my force now. Even if he's not alive in the traditional way, his value—his worth—to me is far more than that of any wild animal, alive or not."
"[Oh… I understand. I'm glad I asked. I learned something new.]" Alia said, her voice softer now.
Elias let out a small chuckle. "Happy to teach."
Just then, a familiar ding echoed in his mind.
> [Your summon has killed a 1-Star★, Level 3 Dire Wolf.]
[You have received half the reward: +1 Extraction Point (EP), +10 Experience Points, +2 Karma Points (KP).]