My Evil System

The line of coconut trees abruptly ended at the coastline. Because the river was so wide, it was hard to tell where the river ended, and the sea began.

Where the ground was eroded backward, trees that had once stood on the muddy banks now sat on the water itself, and their aching roots were exposed to the hot, humid air.

Under their shadows, colorful fish darted out of the way of predatory lizards and turtles. Above them, the branches were heavy with mosses, ferns, and squabbling birds.

This area was clean, and the gold sand pleased my eyes. The beach was long and shallow during low tide, and the sand stretched up to a mile wide. However, this beautiful shallow water would turn into angry waves of nightmares every high tide and a night's rain.

I knew about it because that was the source of my dilemma.

Coastal areas were always subjected to saltwater, changing tides, and harsh weather. All plants that were able to grow here were adaptable enough to weather storms, take root in complex terrain, and handle saline waters.

But there was an exception — plants that grew in Eternal Soil or Sand. I was pretty sure about that because the proof was right where I stood. Flowers bloomed around where I was.

Depending on my LCK, I might or might not get that [Eternal Sand] I was looking for. I had foraged in this area before, but I had never come across something like that.

My LCK was now higher. It should be high enough to let me acquire what I want.

Bless me, especially since I only had three tries to forage in the same spot in a day. If I got nothing now, I'd have to wait until tomorrow to try again.

<Good Luck, Host.>

Squatting down, I foraged the piles of grass and found . . .

[ACQUIRED!

❶ Broken Glass x2

❷ Driftwood x4

❸ Seashells x2

❹ Corals x4

❺ Black Bryony x2

❻ Oak x2

❼ 10 oz. of Eternal Sand]

Oh! Lucky! I got it on the first try!

ǁ E T E R N A L S A N D ǁ

● A rare sand that contains eternal nutrients for all types of plants to grow.

● This soil can grow any crop, whether it's the season of spring, summer, fall, or winter!

● Need at least 4 liters of Eternal Sand for every single plant or crop.

● Need at least a cubic meter of Eternal Sand for every hundred square meters of crops.

ǁ E N D ǁ

I released a blast over the heavens.

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy. But at this rate, I wouldn't be able to plant anything until a year later with this minuscule amount of sand in my hand.

Moreover, this was the only foraging spot that contained this type of soil.

<You still have two tries, Host>

And I did use them both.

Unfortunately, when I finished my three tries, it turned out that only one try gave me [Eternal Sand].

Well . . . this sucks. I cursed.

And then an idea popped into my head.

That's right!

I'll have Ulysses look at it and see if he can replicate the sand.

<Good thinking, Host! Ulysses is an S-grade Token and probably the greatest Alchemist alive today!>

You seem more excited than me.

<Thrilled! You're slowly building your Evil Kingdom, Host! You're one step into becoming an Evil Overlord, the greatest villain there is!>

First things first, we'll go back to Haven and see what we can do at the moment.

"My Lord!" Florin shouted the moment I returned to the wagon.

She looked ecstatic to see me again. "You've gone so long that Florin misses you so much!"

"I was only gone for ten minutes," I responded with a flat voice and deadpan face.

Florin pointed a finger over her chin and smiled coquettishly. "A second of not seeing My Lord makes Florin anxious."

I threw myself back into the coachman's seat and resumed the journey to my territory. "Don't worry. As I said, I won't leave you behind. I'll give you shelter, food, things, and protection as long as you do your job and stay loyal to me. You can drop the act now. You don't have to lick my boots all the time."

Florin sweetly smiled and nodded her head. "As you say, my lord."

Minion 0 steadily walked behind the carriage as quietly as it could, and I couldn't help but wish that Florin was as obedient and silent.

The trip back to my lair was as peaceful as it could get, with the occasional racketing of the wagon's wheels.

I'm guessing that anytime now, it would give way and break. Unfortunately, I was right. That was precisely what happened when we reached the first sign of the gates.

My mood lightened when I saw the gates made of lumbers. It looked thick and sturdy, and it was half-finished around my house. It even had archer towers.

Would there even be archers stationed there?

Inside, my territory was slowly coming together. The huts remained untouched, but there was a newly constructed building made of stone bricks. It had two big chimneys that stuck out on its blue-tiled roofs.

The new building was the largest out of the current structures — about twenty by ten meters, and I knew that it must be Ulysses' lab.

A paved path walk was already on the muddy ground, connecting all the structures and important features of my territory.

Hmm . . . very good.

"My Lord." Athena greeted me without an inch of emotion on her lovely face. "You have returned."

It was safe to assume that she wasn't thrilled to see me again. She didn't even ask how I was doing or how my travel was.

Not that I cared.

"How are things proceeding?" I asked Athena.

"As scheduled. But the breakwater hasn't started construction."

"It's fine."

I called everyone and introduced Florin to the group.

As I did the introduction, all Florin could do was stare at Athena with a thunderstruck expression.

I already explained the Tokens I had to Florin, making sure to keep their grade a secret for safety purposes. I still didn't trust her enough to let her know those kinds of important information.

"She's. . . she's too beautiful," Florin exclaimed while exaggeratingly covering her eyes as if she was blinded by Athena's beauty.

Athena only stared at Florin dead in the eyes and said with a flat voice, "Thrilled."

I almost laughed out loud when I heard her response.

Athena had no malice or negative intentions. It was just she had an air around her that told everyone that nothing could faze her. It was because of this that the more anxious someone was around her, the more they found it hard to calm down.

"Ignore her. She had a rough childhood." I then addressed Daedalus. "I have all the Tokens that you need. But consider making a shed for the animals first, a field for the crops, as well as Florin's hut."

"Egh?" Florin cocked her head to the side. "We aren't going to live in the same house?"

I flicked Florin's forehead. "No."