Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 3 - 3: Red Face and White Face Alternately Taking the Stage_1

Nearby, Taylor effortlessly set down the carcass of the demon beast and approached Leo Ray’s side.

He offered a salute and reported, "Lord, the reconnaissance of the area within a one-kilometer radius of our camp is complete. I found no signs of demon beast dens or other rival powers."

Pausing briefly, he added, "Furthermore, I ran into these two small insects obstructing my path and dealt with them accordingly."

Leo Ray looked down at the "small insects" Taylor described and couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

Stretched out on the ground was a massive black hexagonal cattle, as large as a young elephant, alongside a blue python that was thicker than a century-old tree!

The blue python was particularly striking; even in death, its shimmering, heavy scales and the half-meter-long fangs in its maw proved that this demon beast had been a terrifying predator while alive!

"Lord, do you have further instructions?" Taylor inquired once more.

Observing that Taylor wasn't even short of breath, looking as though he had merely taken a casual stroll, Leo Ray replied without hesitation, "Widen the search perimeter. I want a comprehensive understanding of our surroundings."

"As you command!" Taylor struck his fist against his chest in salute, then blurred into a shadow and vanished into the distance.

Once Taylor had departed, Leo Ray rolled up his sleeves and dragged the wooden storage chest out of the log cabin.

This chest was a specialized tool for the Lord.

Access was restricted to Leo Ray and those he specifically authorized.

Essentially, it functioned as a storage space containing its own pocket dimension.

While it currently offered only 100 slots, identical items could be stacked within them.

Additionally, the chest possessed a unique secondary function: it could instantly and perfectly disassemble selected items.

Naturally, this applied to the two demon beast carcasses as well.

With a mere thought from Leo Ray, the corpses were enveloped in white light and automatically pulled into the storage space.

"Disassemble!" Leo Ray commanded, initiating the process immediately.

[You have disassembled a Tier 1 Five-Star Demon Beast: Hexagonal Cattle. Obtained: 1400x Beef, 50x Tendons, 20x Hides, 6x Horns!]

[You have disassembled a Tier 1 Eight-Star Magical Beast: Greenstone Python. Obtained: 1600x Snake Meat, 30x Snake Skin, 2x Hypertoxic Fang (Rare)!]

A satisfied grin spread across Leo Ray’s face as he felt his storage space swell with resources.

This marked his very first harvest in this new world!

Beyond the 3,000 portions of meat, the other materials were vital components for crafting equipment that would surely be needed later.

The two rare hypertoxic fangs, in particular, held the potential to be forged into top-tier weaponry!

After experimenting, Leo Ray realized that his Golden Finger did not trigger for food or raw materials.

"It appears this talent is only compatible with functional items..." he mused.

"If that's the case, weapons and gear should work. I wonder what the result will be when I finally test them..."

Lost in thought, Leo Ray accessed the system interface again. This time, he bypassed the Chat Channel and headed straight for the Trading Center.

This feature allowed all Lords to conduct real-time trades regardless of their distance from one another.

A vast number of Lords had already posted their requests.

Without exception, everyone was offering basic resources like wood, stone, and thatch in exchange for food.

Even the occasional listing for fruits or vegetables was snatched up instantly.

However, no one had listed meat for trade yet.

Recognizing this, and recalling previous conversations in the chat, Leo Ray’s expression turned contemplative.

Because of their weak combat capabilities, most people were currently confined to the Safety Zone, unable to secure a steady food supply.

"Does this mean I can leverage the food I have in abundance to strip others of their resources?"

Leo Ray continued to weigh the possibilities.

He possessed 3,000 portions of meat, each weighing roughly half a kilogram.

Furthermore, he could send Taylor out to restock his supplies at any moment.

"Food is a consumable, but resources are permanent assets for building and upgrading the Lord’s Mansion."

"If I control the food supply, doesn't that mean every player in the early game is essentially working for me?"

With his mind made up, a faint, predatory smile—reminiscent of a ruthless capitalist—tugged at the corner of his mouth. Earlier, while monitoring the chat, he had already calculated the average resource-gathering efficiency of the other players.

With proper tools, a summoned Tier 1 farmer could harvest roughly 5 units of stone, 10 units of wood, or 20 units of thatch per hour.

Using these metrics, Leo Ray deliberated for a moment before anonymously listing 1,000 portions of snake meat in the Trading Center.

His plan wasn't just a simple trade; it was a psychological maneuver!

[Trader: Anonymous]

[Item for Trade: 1000 portions of Snake Meat (1 portion per trade, 0.5kg each)]

[Requirement One: Stone (50 Units)]

[Requirement Two: Wood (100 Units)]

[Requirement Three: Thatch (200 Units)]

Because so many Lords were hovering over the Trading Center waiting for food, the listing caused an immediate explosion of activity across the chat channels.

"1,000 portions of snake meat?! Am I hallucinating? This anonymous powerhouse is insane!"

"This guy is strong, but the price is daylight robbery! Who has that many resources?"

"Exactly! My farmer only gets 5 stone an hour, and this person wants 50 units for a single portion? Talk about greed!"

"Are there no other bigshots out there? Working ten hours for one pound of meat? I’d rather starve!"

"I’m with the guy above. If it were five hours of work for a pound, I might consider it!"

"I hope someone else steps up to help us! Let this greedy dog’s listing rot!"

...

Leo Ray watched the chat with a sense of triumph.

This was exactly the reaction he had anticipated.

By first playing the "bad cop" anonymously, he had set an absurdly high price ceiling, lowering everyone's expectations.

Now, he would step in as the "good cop." Through the power of contrast, he could maximize his profits while still appearing reasonable.

This would allow him to reap both wealth and gratitude. He knew the food-for-resources window wouldn't stay open forever, so he had to secure his future position now.

Building a heroic image in the minds of other Lords was a perfect beginning.

Furthermore, he knew that among a billion people, there were bound to be hidden geniuses. By creating a powerful, anonymous "imaginary enemy," he could divert their suspicion away from himself and keep his true strength hidden.

A moment later, once the chat was sufficiently fueled with outrage, Leo Ray smiled and reopened the trading interface.

It was time for the "savior" to make his entrance.

[Trader: Leo Ray]

[Item for Trade: 100 portions of Beef (1 portion per trade, 0.5kg each)]

[Requirement One: Stone (20 Units)]

[Requirement Two: Wood (40 Units)]

[Requirement Three: Thatch (80 Units)]

As soon as this new listing appeared, the chat channels hit a fever pitch once again!

"Brothers! Look! The savior we were waiting for is here! The price is actually fair! Get to the Trading Center now!"

"Thank you, Bigshot! I just got a pound! My starving farmers can finally get back to work!"

"Hahaha, me too! My farmer’s loyalty was down to 30, and they were giving me death stares. Leo Ray is a legend!"

"Incredible! We finally have meat! This guy is the real deal!"

"Bigshot? No, he's a Titan! Please accept my humble respect!"

"Save some for me! I just need one more wood to... wait, it's already sold out?"

"Leo Ray, we’re behind you! Lead us against that greedy anonymous dog!"

...

Just as Leo Ray had planned, all 100 portions of beef vanished in seconds.

In exchange, he had successfully amassed 2,000 units of wood, 1,600 units of thatch, and 600 units of stone.

The materials required for his first Lord’s Mansion upgrade had been secured with ease.