Let MapleStory experience the Fourth Calamity

Chapter 130 Winter Harvest

The bright white flames inside the furnace surged violently, illuminating the area around the south workshop.

Sind, shirtless, raised the heavy forging hammer high.

This veteran craftsman is now preparing to strike the first blow to restore the glory of Treasure Island.

Outside the workshop, in the muddy ground, a goose, a snail, an agent, and several other players were rubbing their hands, which had been chilled by the night wind, and tiptoeing to peek inside.

"We've managed to build the first usable high-temperature converter in the southern part of the ruined capital."

Big Goose patted his dusty thighs, his tone brimming with undisguised pride. "From now on, this place will be the starting point for our camp's heavy industry. It wouldn't be right if it didn't even have a name. Everyone, brainstorm and let's come up with a catchy sign!"

The little snail stroked its chin, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "According to the old version of the game, what is the most famous specialty of this abandoned city we're standing on right now?"

"The sewers, the crocodile pond, and a bar where nobody drinks," the agent casually rattled off a few place names.

"That's the background. I'm talking about the iconic boss we fought when we teamed up to do a quest in the ruined city back then."

The little snail offered a suggestion.

The goose slapped its thigh, its eyes gleaming: "Giant Green Slime King!"

"That's right."

The little snail grinned and said, "This place is all about shabby and nostalgic, so why not call it Green Water Spirit Workshop?"

The name is down-to-earth and easily recognizable to us players, making it feel more welcoming when we come to repair our equipment.

Several expert players immediately made the decision.

Although Lynn was skipped, it shouldn't be a problem for a few players to name a small workshop in the game.

Based on a fleeting idea from the players, in a corner of the ruined city, the name of a steel heart that would one day devour countless weapons of war was casually decided.

Just as the goose turned around, preparing to find a whole piece of wood to carve the signboard onto with a dagger, a loud and noisy sound of wheels rolling over came from the uneven dirt road in the distance.

The creaking of heavy wooden wheels on the ground, mixed with the panting of several horses, abruptly interrupted Smith's actions.

The old blacksmith frowned, slowly lowered the heavy hammer that was hanging in mid-air, and turned to look at the door with a puzzled expression.

The goose and the others also looked in the direction of the sound.

Following the rising dust, a large convoy of transport vehicles slowly drove into the South Square.

The group was led by several indigenous people wearing thick fur coats.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group dismounted. The little snail looked closely and realized that the man looked very familiar. He was one of the villagers who had been with the old village chief Lucas in Rainbow Village.

The guard strode to the center of the square and ripped off the thick tarpaulin covering the first truck.

There were no swords, spears, or halberds that players had been eagerly anticipating, nor were there any detailed firearm blueprints.

By the bright firelight emanating from the workshop, everyone could clearly see that bundles of rough iron sickles were neatly stacked inside the large wooden cart.

Immediately afterwards, the tarpaulins on the second and third vehicles were also removed by the accompanying personnel.

The package includes a large, long-handled agricultural shovel, sturdy hemp rope, a complete set of pulley components, and even a bunch of single-wheeled cart chassis that can be assembled and used directly.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that war will be inevitable soon.

Having weapons alone is not enough to fight a war; logistics and food supplies must also keep up.

Lucas was, after all, a man who had managed a massive armed fleet and the Pearl Harbor refugee camp, and his organizational and mobilization skills were by no means empty talk.

His production line for basic civilian logistics supplies is so efficient that it's a game-changer for players who are currently penniless and meticulous about even the smallest things.

At the same time, along the farmland of Archer Village, the cold wind howled like knives.

Standing before the twenty acres of land belonging to the future guild, the roasted whole lamb looked at the cabbages that were at risk of freezing, his face turning pale.

"Oh no, the temperature is dropping too fast."

Roasted Whole Lamb gritted his teeth and sent a message to Little Snail: "Even if we form a guild, with this few people, even if we work ourselves to death in the fields all night, it's impossible to finish the harvest in one night."

Before long, all these vegetables will freeze and rot in the ground, and all the hard work I put in will be for nothing!

The little snail's brain worked at lightning speed, and it made a decisive decision: "Find the official support! Request external assistance from the GM; this is our only chance."

""

Inside the abandoned capital's command center, Lynn's mind was processing the urgent distress message from the whole roasted lamb.

If the entire Treasure Island's granaries cannot be filled before the first winter, the entire faction will face the risk of running out of food.

Now, these desperate players have voluntarily handed over the hilt of their knives.

Lynn immediately drafted an official bailout agreement and sent it over.

The official team can fund a server-wide call to action, mobilizing all players to help with the harvest.

However, in return, after deducting the amount that Archer Village needs to retain, 70% of the remaining agricultural products must be allocated to the official authorities, and the remaining 30% must go to the guild. Furthermore, the official authorities will take away the priority right to lease farmland for the next two quarters.

This was practically taking advantage of someone's misfortune, but under the threat of total loss and bankruptcy, the little snail and the whole roasted lamb on the other side signed the papers without hesitation.

Cutting your losses is better than losing everything.

Shifting the risk of crop damage from frost to the government in exchange for a safety net of funds is the most helpless yet wisest way to monetize crops at this stage.

For Lynn, this is also a good economic closed loop.

Once the temperature truly drops below the critical point, and the players' health bars begin to plummet due to hunger and the cold, these agricultural products stored in the official cellar will become grain with clearly marked prices in the official store.

At that time, the Maple Leaf Coins he sent out will return to his pocket with interest.

Having completed the property rights reset, the only thing missing now is cheap, readily available labor.

The Green Water Spirit Workshop doesn't need so many players; the real work that needs to be done is in Archer Village.

In the South Square, the goose was staring blankly at the cart full of sickles, and the emblem on its forearm reacted again.

That was an emergency mobilization order for the faction, highlighted in red and bold, visible to all players.

Regular farming quests such as those for refined iron ore and monster pelts have been significantly downgraded, replaced by two high-value bounties that are now pinned to the top:

[Winter Harvest: Head to the Archer Village farmland to harvest and transport ripe crops for the GM. Payment is based on piecework; for each standard single-wheeled cartload (approximately 50 kg) of cabbage or grains harvested and successfully transported, a reward of 15 Maple Leaf Coins will be given.]

[Cold Weather Reserves: Go to the surrounding forests to cut down trees and deliver peeled and dried logs that meet building insulation standards. For each standard bundle (three logs) delivered, you will receive a reward of 12 Maple Leaf Coins.]

Keep in mind that normally, pushing a heavy cart of slag is exhausting enough to earn only 3 Maple Coins, and an average player might only earn 20 or 30 a day by grinding. The prices listed in this announcement are practically robbery.

At the bottom of this recruitment notice, there is also a countdown timer for the "Winter Harvest Vanguard" honor roll.

The top ten participants will receive an additional 500 Maple Leaf Coins winter allowance at the end of the event.

What are we waiting for? It's definitely more cost-effective to go to Archer Village to move bricks.

The goose and the snail, who were just moments before staring longingly into the workshop, hoping that Smith could forge a peerless weapon, exchanged a knowing glance, both seeing the greed in each other's eyes.

At this stage, crafting equipment presents a significant challenge, both in terms of the necessary materials and the user's own level.

That's the moon, hanging in the sky, visible but untouchable.

The cabbages in the fields of Archer Village that are about to be frozen to death by the cold wave can be exchanged for real money in credits!

A small portion of the agricultural products belong to the future guild, but the majority of the remaining products offer considerable room for manipulation!

"What are you looking at weapons for! Brothers, grab your weapons and get to the ground!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

The group of players who had been gathered at the workshop entrance went into an uproar, completely ignoring the top blacksmith behind them who was holding a hammer.

They pounced on Lucas's caravan like a pack of hungry wolves, their eyes bloodshot.

"Give me a sickle! I'll pay you whatever it costs!"

"Don't push! We've reserved three single-wheeled carts for our regular group, that's all we need!"

"Hurry! Let's stay up all night and take over the top ten spots!"

Inside the workshop, Sind and Smith looked on in astonishment.

The old-school blacksmith couldn't understand why these young people, who had been excitedly shouting and jumping for joy about the blast furnace not long ago, could almost fight over a few cheap, rough iron sickles in the blink of an eye.

Those guys who were originally lining up and shouting that they wanted to be apprentices have now vanished without a trace.

He sighed and shook his head helplessly.

The heavy forging hammer finally fell heavily, striking the red-hot iron ingot and sending sparks flying.

The sound of hammering echoed in the empty workshop, sounding somewhat lonely. Fortunately, the young foreigner hadn't run away.

Amidst the rhythmic pounding, a large number of fully armed players, carrying Cheng Liang's scythes and pushing wooden carts, surged out of the abandoned city's south gate.

The massive caravan raced across the wilderness, messages scrolling at an astonishing speed in the team chat.

Some people were already dividing up the ownership of several high-yield farmlands in Archer Village, while others were quickly calculating how many Maple Coins this wave of high bounties could be exchanged for. The entire channel was filled with anticipation of the impending windfall.