25 Chapter 25 - The Path To Power!

"So to move forward, you push this pedal here.."

The villager nodded his head as he listened to the instructions given by Theo to operate this divine chariot. He was just a nameless person who happened to be nearby when all these bizarre things happened. He couldn't believe he was chosen to drive it. His eyes gleamed with keen and anticipation.

'Tak tak! BROOOMMMM!!'

"Hahahaha! I did it!" said the man happily. Recalling the instructions from Theo, the combine harvester machine slowly moved forward. Soon, it was repeating cycles after cycles, harvesting the plot of wheat efficiently.

When the other villagers saw this, they couldn't help but to feel envy and thought that nameless person was quite lucky to be picked by Theo, which is both true and false at the same time.

In fact, When Theo decided to choose someone to drive the harvester machine after gleeing onto the two old fellas, he just randomly analyzed the first villager he saw. To his surprise, that man has a very high intelligence. The machine had a prerequisite intelligence stats to operate, and the man fits the criteria. Thus, he was selected.

Nodding his head approvingly, he decided to once again use the ability [Ruler's Mode] and build a windmill for 10 RP just besides the wheat field. This is for the process called 'wheat meddling'. It produces whole wheat flour, a good source of protein, fiber, phosphorus and other nutrients beneficial for the human body.

Theo planned to firstly strengthen the health and overall fitness of the village as a whole by consuming both meat and whole wheat foods. Only when they become strong will they be motivated to work hard with their utmost zeal. This will in turn accelarate later development stages in the future. As the saying goes, 'You can't march on an empty stomach!'.

At this stage, The two old man wiped the sweat on their forehead with their sleeves, seeming to take the windmill quite better. Eventhough it appeared from nothingness which still startled them a bit, at least what appeared was something that they recognized.

Theo instructed the nearby villagers to do the manual labor of managing the windmill and the produced whole wheat flour to be delivered and stored in the village's warehouse temporarily. He planned to build a fortified granary later on to store all their food resources. Lest if any mishaps where to occur, the losses would be quite severe.

[Ting!]

[Congratulations! The first ever food resources is built! Achievement unlocked!]

[Received 150 RP!]

Theo smiled when he saw this notification as if it was as he expected. Doing something that will benefit the people and the village development will earn him RPs. His investment in this village will definitely brings more profit to him in the near future!

After instructing the villagers, he gestured towards the two old man for them to accompany him towards the mine in the North. In his opinion, the next important agenda should be procuring important resource minerals such as iron and maybe even encountering gold deposits if they are lucky!

There are numerous uses for them such as for trades, expensive accessories and building materials. Even making armors and weapons would become possible. The sooner he could increase the strength of this village, the better.

...

After about half an hour walk, they finally reached the mine entrance. The mine doesn't seem that big from the outside, as it extended downwards to the ground.

Theo could see dozens of people working here. For them, this mine is both their lifeline and the village. It is the source of their income, although they knew that the pay isn't even at the standard level and that they were being exploited. However, they had to work anyway.

The Village Head shook his head, seemingly to lament their fate. Had it been in the past when he was at his peak, even the Empire had to give him some face and would send frequent aid to the village by a single word of his. Now that he is old and is devoid of any uses, he was soon forgotten.

"System, are there any machineries that can be used for mining that is suitable for this mine and its terrain?" asked Theo.

[Ting!]

[Responding to host inquiries.]

[Affirmative. The simple drilling diesel engine machine could be used in this mine. Proceed?]

Theo pondered for a moment. With his system, he could request for a big a*s machineries, but that wouldn't be efficient as the mine goes underground instead of tunneling through the mountains.

"Proceed." confirmed Theo.

[Ting!]

[Simple drilling diesel engine machine added to shop! 50 RP deducted!]

Theo's heart pained whenever he lost 50 RP for a request to the system. But for the sake of development, he had to bear with it for now. One had to invest to earn the profits.

Accessing his shop, he bought the simple drilling diesel engine machine for another 10 RP, after which a blinding holy light appeared in front of him with a gesture of his right palm. In its place, a seemingly heavyweight lumps of metal about the size of a bear appeared with a protruding drilling head.

Theo had long ignored the continuous shocked expression of the two old man behind him as he called the surrounding workers to gather around the machine.

He explained to them that it would require at least two people to operate it as there are two driver seats. He quickly analyzed the crowds of people and selected two of them that reached the prerequisite intelligence stats to operate the machine.

"So you sit there and you there.."

"First, you turn on the machine here..."

"Use that left lever for the drill.."

"Remember to.."

Theo then began to explain its standard operating procedure (SOP) to the two people. He also allowed other miners to listen as they could take turns to operate it.

'Tak tak! BRROOOMM!'

The sounds of the machine being started startled the crowd to retreat in panic as they hid in between rocks for cover. At times, you could see their head poking out from behind the rocks to see if the machine had any intention to attack them. When they saw Theo just stood there being carefree, they sigh in relief and came out from hiding.

Theo shook his head and almost laughed out loud at their panic faces and ugly sprint when they ran and hid. He couldn't help but to be amused with these village people. Its like giving a technology to a bunch of cavemen.

...

After several rounds of practical training of using and driving the machine, they started to get the hang of it. People began to cheer and took turns to use it. Of course not many were able to comprehend how to use it, regardless of how much they were being taught by their peers, the machine's prerequisite intelligence stats is absolute. They need to raise their intelligence somehow to use it.

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Theo observed them for awhile with his hands clasped behind his back. The Village Head and his butler approached him at this time.

"Lord Theo, how were you able to do all this? That divine chariot before.. and now this thing you called 'machine'.. I've already understood of their uses and its immense potential. But how is such a thing even exists?" asked the Village Head with bated breath.

He was very eager with all these stuff being brought by Theo. Although he is now old, he had a fair share of experience handling management before, thus he could understood that these two things will definitely accelerate the village resource procurement by a very large margin. Perhaps more than 10 times!

Theo scratched his head a bit as he spoke a little bit shyly:

"Well, in my old world, our technology has progressed far and wide. We have even started to expand towards the outerspace."

Hearing this, both of them showed a puzzled look. But conjectured that whatever Theo had said is definitely mind-boggling and is beyond their current understanding.

"Is everyone from your old world all this capable my Lord? To both have and the ability to use these things, are surely two different matter.. " this time, it was his butler who asked.

It is an important question on his part, as regardless of one's wealth and knowledge, they wouldn't be able to master everything and its uses. No one has that much of a free time on their hands. That's just how reality works.

Well, had this been his old world, it would definitely be true in all sense and is irrefutable. However, Theo now was someone with a system. Somehow, every single technology that he bought from the system also imparted to him the perfect SOP and knowledge on how to use it.

"It is simply because I have mastered them all. For that, is how I become the single monarch of my old world." replied Theo as he tilted his head towards the sky with his hands behind his back, his gaze turned muddle, seemingly to reminisce his glory days.

Turning his head to the Village Head, he continued to speak and this time, in a firm voice, seemingly to be saying something that is very important to remember.

"Remember, just keep on trading the usual volume to the Pearl Town so they don't get suspicious. The excess resources should be kept hidden away. We will use them for our own agenda in the near future."

Hearing this, the Village Head gaze became serious, as he nodded.

"Alright, i'll teach them a few tricks for awhile now before we go back to the village center." said Theo as he moved towards the excited crowd.

The Village Head turned towards the butler, his aura seemed to change from a fragile old man into that of a supreme commander. His voice solemn and serious as he issued an order:

"Notify Griselda and her assassin guild to relocate to this village immediately. Tell them that it is time."

The butler's gaze became sharp and his aura rattled as he heard the sentence coming out from the Village Head, seemingly to understood the true meaning behind that sentence. With a slight bow, his silhoutte immediately vanished into thin air as he disappeared with a 'swish' sound.

Looking back towards the back of Theo at the front among the crowd whom merrily giving the miners some free tips to operate the machine, the Village Head clenched the handle of his cane stick tightly as he made a firm resolution in his heart that could shock the earth and made the sky tremble:

"I will protect this lad and his ambition whatever the cost! For he is our path to rise to power once more!"

...