Chapter 5

Caelum, feeling the post-battle exhaustion settling in, decided to retreat under the protective barrier for safety. However, before he could act on this instinct, Aric halted him, raising a valid concern about leaving the kobold corpses unattended.

"Aren't we going to loot the Kobolds?"

Caelum paused at Aric's question, the notion of looting not immediately registering in his mind. The concept seemed foreign, but as Aric mentioned it, a spark of realization flickered in Caelum's thoughts.

"Loot?" Caelum muttered to himself, the word resonating as if triggering a connection to the gaming world he knew. The surreal nature of their situation began to sink in, and Caelum understood that this realm operated on its own set of rules, rules that mirrored those of a game.

He looked at the kobold corpses and contemplated the idea of finding resources or items that could aid them on their journey. With a determined nod, he decided, "Alright, let's see if there's anything useful."

Caelum approached the kobold's lifeless form, reaching into its pouch that's hanging from its waist. He retrieved it, discovering a set of valuable items

[Obtained 10 Bronze and 1 Silver]

[Obtained a Dagger]

Puzzled, he thought to himself, 'A dagger inside the kobold's pouch? Shouldn't the kobold have used this during our fight? I guess they are more accustomed to relying on their claws.'

"Aric, can we eat these Kobolds?" inquired Galen.

Aric, uncertain about the edibility of Kobolds, admitted his lack of knowledge. He suggested, 'Well, we're not sure if they're edible, but we can at least retrieve the magic stones inside their bodies. They are valuable; in my hometown, whenever my father killed a monster, he would retrieve the magic stones and sell them to a merchant for a high price.'"

Caelum was delighted to hear that the magic stones could be sold for a high price. He instructed everyone to prioritize looting them, recognizing the potential value this magic stones held

The trio continued to loot the corpses of the Kobolds they had defeated. After collecting what they deemed valuable, Caelum decided it was time to head back and check on the other three who had been left behind at the ruins.

As they walked back to the ruins, Caelum took stock of the valuables they had obtained from the Kobolds. The loot included 66 Bronze, 4 Silvers, 4 sets of claws, and 4 Grey Magic Stones. Caelum was delighted with the loot, even though he wasn't sure about the exact value or what they could purchase with it in this world.

Moments later, they arrived back at the ruins, and at the center of it stood the Summoning Gate, where the three men were patiently waiting for them. Their expressions shifted from anticipation to surprise as they noticed a scratch on Caelum's arm.

"My Lord, are you alright?" the first man asked, his concern evident in his eyes.

Caelum nodded, glancing down at the scratch on his arm. "It's just a minor wound. We encountered a group of kobolds outside the ruins."

"We got some spare clothes that we found in the ruins. We can use them to bandage your wounds," the second man suggested, already moving towards a pile of boxes beside the summoning gate.

As the second man worked on bandaging Caelum's arm, the third man chimed in, "We found quite a few things out there. Weapons and tools, a bit of food, and some materials that we can use to rebuild one of the houses. Oh, and we also stumbled upon a well. It should help with our water problem."

Caelum, now more at ease, inquired further, "Did you see anything else of note? Any potential threats or resources we should be aware of?"

The three men exchanged glances before the second man spoke, "Well, there's still a lot to explore, but we didn't encounter any immediate threats. We'll need to be cautious as we continue, but it seems like we've got a decent start."

"Good work everyone. Let's prioritize building a small home for now where we can all sleep. We'll use the materials you found in here." The group dispersed, each member contributing to the construction of their makeshift home. As they labored together, Caelum's mind buzzed with thoughts of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. The Celestial Glade held mysteries, and he was determined to unravel them.

The group spent almost a day constructing a small shelter. Despite their earnest efforts, their lack of experience in house-building led to some wasted materials and consume their time. To make matters worse, one of the men accidentally smashed his finger with a hammer, but fortunately, it wasn't a serious injury. The process was a learning curve, but they eventually managed to erect a modest structure to provide them with some much-needed refuge.

"Wow, we actually built a house," Caelum exclaimed, a mix of surprise and satisfaction evident in his voice. The group gathered around the newly constructed shelter, taking a moment to appreciate their collective achievement.

Galen, looking at the structure with a sense of accomplishment, chimed in, "It might not be grand, but it's a start. We'll get better at this with time."

Aric, who had been examining the details of their creation, added, "And we can always make improvements. Maybe find more materials or discover new building techniques."

Caelum nodded, acknowledging the potential for growth. "True. This is just the beginning. We've got a lot to learn and explore in this new world."

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the landscape, the group settled into their humble abode, eager to rest and prepare for the challenges that awaited them in the days to come.