T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 582, Section 581: Neutral NPC Merchant
There wasn't enough winged deer crystal to begin with, so leaving the winged deer crystals that were left outside unprocessed in the orange tea also provided a way for the creatures in the forest to enjoy them.

The winged deer crystals she dried were either exchanged for food or potentially valuable minerals; there was absolutely no reason to give them away for free.

There's no need to deliberately seek explanations from monsters; by secretly observing the creatures given in the Winged Deer Cave, you'll soon understand the changes in the situation from the squirrels' movements.

After the deal was struck, the squirrels actively began their search for food.

After taking a sip of water from the orange tea that was scraping salt crystals from among the salt flowers, I saw a group of squirrels darting over in the distance, led by a winged deer.

They either spit out a bunch of small pine nuts from their bulging cheek pouches, or they present the nuts they hold like treasures to the palm of the orange tea drinker's hand.

In no time, the spoils of a dozen or so squirrels piled up into a small mountain relative to their size.

After inspection, everything was found to be something that Orange Tea likes to eat.

She got up to get the winged deer crystal, but her eyes fell on the spherical salt flower and she suddenly became interested.

"Would you like to try this?"

The salt shaker was waved around in front of the squirrels, and each one straightened up and sniffed intently.

Orange Tea generously shared one orange with each mouse: "Try it, try it."

These adorable little creatures eat salt crystals like candy; the moment they put them in their mouths, their fluffy tails behind them tense up as if electrocuted.

*Splat!*

The reaction was slightly better than that of the winged deer, but it still fell to the ground, hugging its tail and rolling around happily.

I seriously suspect that the orange tea, made from the extract of petal burl, contains some element that is highly irritating to monsters and animals.

After eating it, one or two of them were as happy as cats that had inhaled catnip.

Even searching the entire forest wouldn't guarantee a second taste, leaving the squirrels wagging their tails and gazing longingly at the orange tea, yearning for another chance to try it.

"Do you want salt crystals, or the winged deer's crystals?"

One hand holds a jar, the other points to the ground.

The squirrels' gazes shifted back and forth, finally slowly moving towards the side of the salt shaker.

Seeing these silly mice actually planning to bury their heads in the salt shaker and take a big bite to fill their cheek pouches and take them home, Orange Tea was both amused and exasperated.

She used fire to melt the salt crystals, which then reformed into a small cube.

Each squirrel holds a small piece of the glistening salt, happily turning its tail toward the orange tea.

It's as if it's saying, "I've given you so much, I can't repay you enough, so let me let you touch my most prized tail."

The entire transaction took place in an open area with a good view outside the cave.

Eyes, both overt and covert, take in everything.

As evening approached and the winged deer returned to their caves, a robust black bear slowly approached.

Instead of heading straight for the pit where the winged deer crystals were stored, the moment the winged deer guard discovered it, it immediately threw out a slime it had hunted from who-knows-where, as well as half a goat.

The goat's internal organs had been eaten, and the bloody, mangled goat meat made Orange Tea frown.

She had lived there for almost two months and this was the first time she had ever seen any trace of sheep.

The tender lamb was perfectly fine, but it was covered in bite marks, making it almost unappetizing even after it was properly prepared.

The giant bear was the "little thief" who tried to steal the crystal that day. Immersed in magic, he gained intelligence, but he wasn't particularly clever, nor had he mastered the basics of magic.

The battle was still decided by pure brute force, so the slime, a low-intelligence monster, was able to leave several terrible scorch marks on its body.

His size and fat saved him; had it been a powerful monster, the giant bear would have been severely injured if it had faced magic directly.

Orange Tea sighed, thinking that he might have risked his life to challenge the slime for a delicious bite.

The salt shaker and the freshly taken-out cake-shaped winged deer crystals were placed in the left and right hands respectively.

She asked, "What do you want?"

The giant bear looked around eagerly, its expression perfectly illustrating that at its most vulnerable age, it encountered its favorite thing.

It ultimately chose salt crystals.

Observing from the shadows, it noticed that the squirrel and the deer showed extremely happy reactions after finishing their meal.

The sense of joy and resonance was so strong that even just looking at it from afar aroused a strong curiosity in it, which led it to challenge the slime.

"Since this is your first time here, I'll give you a little extra."

The large bear paw was covered with salt crystals from orange tea.

The giant bear eagerly licked it, "Slurp~~~"

Instead of rolling around on the ground in excitement like a winged squirrel, it quickened its licking pace.

Those big eyes are shining!

The salt crystals dissolved in his saliva, creating a taste in his mouth that the giant bear couldn't get enough of. The unprecedented stimulation caused his tired and injured body to surge with renewed power.

The time of happiness is so short, like a marinated bear paw that can no longer be seasoned with salt.

It let out a soft, humble growl, which drew the attention of the orange tea maker tending to the sage flowers not far away.

The giant bear obediently lay down on the ground, placing its paws under its chest, and its only protruding right paw pointed to the salt container placed in the backpack of the lightning-struck winged deer.

The meaning is obvious.

"Just a little more, just a little more!"

Orange Tea shrugged: "This is all you can get in exchange for what you brought. That's my rule."

"If you want more, bring a sheep next time. But I want a whole sheep, not a tattered one that you dump on me."

“I won’t give you salt if there’s no whole sheep, but this time is an exception.” The giant bear tilted its head.

It didn't quite understand how the powerful herd of winged deer had become a place where humans held absolute power.

I don't understand, and I don't dare to ask.

The materials provided by the other party had a flavor he had never experienced before, and he didn't mind spending more time and effort to savor them.

This is such a great deal!

Just as they were about to leave, the giant bear was called back.

Orange Tea took a metal can, walked over, dipped herself in the dark green liquid inside, and applied it to his wounds.

The stinging pain made the giant bear restless, but when it looked down and saw Orange Tea's figure, and then glanced at a group of winged deer eyeing it menacingly, it chose to lie down and tuck its paws in.

The burning wound felt cool, and at that moment, it understood what the orange tea was doing, and lowered its head even further.

"Slimes are useless to me. Get more cows and sheep, preferably those without magic."

Orange Tea pressed further, "Can you understand?"

The giant bear nodded and obediently responded with a "woof".

After it left, the lightning-struck winged deer nibbled at the corner of Orange Tea's clothes and nudged her waist.

"You have to make all kinds of friends. During my time here, I often crave meat. You guys don't really like to attack other animals, so I can only find someone willing to help."

The antlers of the lightning-struck winged deer have been electrified.

“You don’t need to change anything for me. I’m going to leave eventually.” Orange Tea hugged the head of the lightning-struck winged deer and patted it. “You’re quite like the jailer. You like to snuggle in my arms and act cute with me… Well, it’s good that you’re just like that.”

The lightning-struck winged deer was puzzled.

Could this strange guy known as "Jailer Bro" be doing other weird things?

The creatures in the woodlands have unknown channels for information dissemination.

As autumn approached, many monsters learned that near the Winged Deer's cave, there was a human who could provide them with the ultimate delicacies.

The items traded are not fixed; one can search for nuts like a squirrel.

They can also hunt cattle and sheep like giant bears.

In order to complete the transactions regularly, the giant bear, for the first time ever, put its limited brainpower to good use, transforming into a master strategist, and dragged a flock of sheep back to its den and trapped them.

All you need to do is gather some fresh grass and plants and throw them in. When you want to satisfy your craving, just bring them to the orange tea.

So happy~~~
Like an NPC suddenly appearing in the woods, Orange Tea sells exquisite ingredients that neither monsters nor animals can produce in this land.

The powerful attraction and the backing of the Winged Deer's strength have turned the surrounding area into a peaceful trading zone.

All the intelligent monsters and beasts that set foot in the area where the Winged Deer were active silently put aside their hostility, carrying or holding the items they were trading, and hurried on their way.

After it was over, they dispersed cautiously.

They left the area where the Winged Deer were active, seeking revenge for any wrongs and settling any scores, fearing that disturbing neutral NPCs would lead to the disruption of trade routes.

The remarkable balance of order amazed even the orange tea that observed this phenomenon.

No one made the rules; the rules were created simply because monsters and beasts did not want to suffer significant losses before trading, or lose their trading channels.

The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, coupled with trust in the good temperament of the winged deer, silently built a basic framework of order in less than a month.

Orange Tea marveled, for she witnessed a large-scale social experiment unfolding deep in the uninhabited woods.

If the monster scholars of Anna knew all this, they would probably rush in to watch.

It's unknown whether the Overlords currently observing the battles in the Anna world have witnessed similar events.

Flavored Orange Tea is the only designated source of high-level materials in the neutral NPC safe zone and the only designated deity in the hearts of the Winged Deer Clan.

Her grain stockpiling plan went very smoothly.

Since the beginning of autumn, a large number of creatures have brought abundant trade goods in order to obtain salt crystals and winged deer crystals.

From beef and mutton to fresh tree fruits, it's all plentiful.

Orange Tea uses all the ingredients, either air-dried or oven-dried, to make a food that can be stored for a long time, and then piles it up deep in a dry cave.

When the cold wind suddenly rose, the winged deer herd, under her command, began to reduce their frequency of venturing out, only active near the cave.

The squirrels that had been helping to supply pine cones were also called back—and along the way, she emptied all the tree holes near her home.

The cave renovation project officially commenced during the winter months when it is not advisable to go out.

Although the natural caves are large and cool in summer and warm in winter, they cannot meet the needs of the expanding winged deer population.

Orange Tea, anticipating future needs, decided to expand its living area downwards and create a cave.

The initial exploration was carried out by the earth-attribute magic of the lightning-struck winged deer, which drilled a small downward hole. Then, squirrel vanguards were arranged to drill through the hole to explore the underground soil structure.

Having received nods of approval from the squirrels and realizing that the modification was feasible, Orange Tea stood on a high place and shouted to the winged deer and squirrels.

"Our grain reserves are sufficient until the sweltering summer arrives."

"The first snow has fallen, and fresh, clean water is readily available."

"Salt crystal production remains abundant."

"From now on, those who work harder will be rewarded more, and resources will be supplied without limit!"

"Target: Winged Deer Dungeon!"

(End of this chapter)