The pale light of dawn seeped through the small window of Lord Hall, waking Lucas from his restless sleep. His body felt stiff after a night on the hard stone floor. He slowly got up, stretching his sore muscles as he listened to the silence that enveloped his domain.
The terrifying sounds from the previous night were gone. There were no more growls, screeches, or the sound of hoofs scratching the ground. Only a gentle breeze blew through the stones, carrying the familiar scent of dry earth.
Lucas approached the window and peered out. The sight that greeted him made him gasp.
Along the perimeter of his domain, were scattered the corpses of strange creatures he had never seen before. Most were goblins—small green creatures with pointed ears and sharp teeth that glistened even in death. There were also a few large wolves with pitch-black fur and eyes still open, staring blankly at the sky.
"What happened?" Lucas muttered, still half in disbelief.
[Your domain's barrier has successfully blocked the night attack. Hostile mobs that fail to break through the protection will automatically die when dawn arrives.]
The system voice answered his question in the same flat tone as usual. Lucas heaved a sigh of relief—at least he survived the first night.
[It is recommended to collect loot from the corpses of hostile mobs. The resources obtained can be used to strengthen your territory.]
Loot? Lucas recalled the strategy games he once played. Usually, defeating an enemy would yield various useful items or resources. But did the same rule apply in the real world?
He exited the Lord Hall cautiously, remaining vigilant even though there seemed to be no threat. The morning air was cool and fresh, a stark contrast to the tension of the previous night. Lucas approached the nearest goblin corpse—a small green creature lying in an odd position, as if it had died in agony.
As he touched the corpse, a small panel appeared in the air:
[Goblin Scout - Eliminated]
Available Loot:
Copper Coins: 3
Crude Dagger: 1
Blood Essence: 1
[Collect All?]
Lucas confirmed his choice. The goblin corpse shimmered for a moment before fading into particles of light, leaving behind three small copper pieces, a rusty dagger, and—most interestingly—a dark red crystal the size of a marble that pulsed with a faint light.
Blood Essence. Something about the item made him feel both uneasy and intrigued. The crystal felt warm in his palm, and there was a strange sensation as if something was alive inside it.
Lucas spent the next hour collecting loot from all the corpses around his territory. The results were quite encouraging: 47 Copper Coins, 12 Crude Daggers, 3 Wolf Pelts, and most importantly—18 Blood Essence.
As he returned to the Lord Hall with an improvised bag made from wolf pelts, Lucas felt something was different. His Lord Panel showed the following changes:
[LORD PANEL - Updated]
Name: Lucas Thorne
Level: 1
Region: Barren Outskirts
Population: 0
Resources:
Gold: 147 (Copper Coins converted)
Wood: 50
Stone: 50
Food: 20
Blood Essence: 18
Buildings:
Lord Hall (Level 1)
Empty Lair (x1)
Special Status: [Locked - Will be unlocked after tutorial]
Blood Essence was now listed as a resource. Lucas felt something strange—as if the item was not just a material, but something... alive.
He decided to check the Empty Lair again. Perhaps with the Blood Essence, there would be new options available. Lucas walked towards the circular building in the northwest corner of his territory.
This time, when he entered the Lair, the atmosphere felt different. The previously completely empty room now had a sort of eerie aura. The black stone walls seemed to glow with a faint light, and previously invisible carvings began to appear on their surfaces.
Lucas touched the center wall of the lair, and suddenly a large panel appeared in front of him:
[CRYPT - Level 0]
Type: Undead Lair
Specialization: Darkness & Blood Magic
Available Units: [Locked - Insufficient Blood Essence]
Upgrade Requirements:
Blood Essence: 1,000
Bones: 100
Dark Crystals: 10
Current Blood Essence: 18/1,000
Special Ability: [Locked - Lair must be activated first]
Crypt. Not just any lair, but a tomb that could raise the undead. Lucas felt a mixture of fear and excitement. This explained why Blood Essence felt strange—it was an ingredient for necromancy.
But 1,000 Blood Essence? He only had 18. That wasn't even 2% of what was needed.
Lucas explored the Crypt menu further. There were several tabs available: Summon, Upgrade, Research, and Ritual. Most were still locked, but the Summon tab displayed some interesting information:
[SUMMON MENU]
Available Units:
Skeleton Warrior: 50 Blood Essence
Zombie Grunt: 30 Blood Essence
Shadow Wisp: 25 Blood Essence
Elite Units: [Locked - Crypt Level too low]
Legendary Units: [Locked - Special conditions not met]
Even the weakest unit required 25 Blood Essence. Lucas only had 18. He needed to find a way to get more Blood Essence.
[Tip: Low-level hostile mobs contain 1-2 Blood Essence per unit. High-level or elite mobs contain more. Exploring dangerous areas can also yield Blood Essence from various sources.]
Lucas sighed. He needed to hunt monsters, but his territory was protected by a barrier. The only way was to leave the safe zone and find trouble.
He spent the rest of the morning preparing himself. Using a few Crude Daggers and Wolf Pelts, Lucas tried to craft basic equipment. The system had a simple crafting menu that allowed him to make basic survival items.
The result was a leather vest that gave +2 Defense, an improved dagger with +5 Attack, and a small pouch to store items. Not too impressive, but better than nothing.
As the sun began to rise, Lucas prepared to leave his territory. He left the Lord Hall with mixed feelings—fear, but also curiosity about what was out there.
The territory barrier felt like a wall of water as he passed through it. A cold sensation spread across his skin, and he suddenly felt... vulnerable. The system's automatic protection was no longer there.
The landscape outside his domain was not much different—barren land with scattered rocks. But there was something in the air that felt different. More dangerous, wilder.
Lucas used the minimap on the Lord Panel to navigate. The nearest "Unexplored" point was about a kilometer to the east. He began walking, gripping his improved dagger tightly.
The journey took nearly an hour. Every sound made him flinch, every shadow made him wary. But nothing attacked him—at least not yet.
The "Unexplored" point turned out to be a small ruin. A crumbling stone structure, perhaps the remains of an ancient building. A few pillars still stood, adorned with carvings worn away by time.
Lucas approached the ruins cautiously. When he touched one of the pillars, a panel appeared:
[Ancient Ruins - Goblin Nest]
Threat Level: Low
Estimated Enemies: 5-8 Goblin Warriors
Potential Loot: Blood Essence, Ancient Coins, Equipment
Warning: Enemies are active during exploration. Stealth or combat required.
Goblin Warriors. Stronger than the Goblin Scouts who died in the barrier, but should still be manageable. Lucas took a deep breath and entered the ruins.
The interior of the ruins was much larger than it looked from the outside. There were several rooms connected by narrow corridors. The walls were decorated with ancient paintings depicting strange rituals and creatures he didn't recognize.
In the first room, Lucas found three Goblin Warriors sleeping around a small campfire. They were larger than the Goblin Scouts, with more developed muscles and better weapons.
Lucas decided to attack from behind. He snuck up on the nearest goblin and stabbed his dagger into its neck. The goblin died instantly, but its small groans woke up his two companions.
The ensuing battle was brutal and quick. Lucas managed to kill another goblin with a surprise attack, but the third managed to scream before dying. The sound echoed throughout the ruins.
Heavy footsteps sounded from the depths of the ruins. Lucas took cover behind a pillar and waited. Five more Goblin Warriors emerged, led by a larger goblin in leather armor and a battle axe.
[Goblin Chief - Elite Enemy]
Lucas swallowed. Elite enemies meant more danger, but also more loot. He decided to use hit-and-run tactics, taking advantage of the ruins' structure to avoid direct attacks.
The battle lasted for almost half an hour. Lucas was wounded in several places, but managed to kill all the goblins one by one. The last Goblin Chief put up the most resistance, but eventually fell after Lucas managed to stab him in the heart.
The loot from this exploration was surprising: 127 Copper Coins, various equipment, and most importantly—67 Blood Essence. The Goblin Chief alone gave 15 Blood Essence.
With a total of 85 Blood Essence, Lucas could now summon three basic units. He decided to return to his territory before nightfall.
The return journey felt faster because he was already familiar with the route. When the barrier of his territory came into view, Lucas felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He almost ran into the safe zone.
But fatigue took over. Lucas immediately entered the Lord Hall and rested for a while. The sun was already low in the sky, indicating that evening would soon arrive.
He decided to use the Blood Essence he had collected. Back in the Crypt, Lucas opened the Summon menu and selected three Skeleton Warriors. Total cost: 150 Blood Essence.
The summoning process began with a creepy ritual. The Crypt room was suddenly filled with blood-red light. From the stone floor, three ritual circles appeared on their own. The Blood Essence that Lucas had collected dissolved into red smoke and flowed into the circles.
Slowly, bones began to emerge from the ground. Moving on their own, arranging themselves into human skeletons. Empty eyes lit up with blue flames, and dull armor materialized on their bodies.
[Summon successful: 3 Skeleton Warriors]
[Population: 3/10]
Three skeleton warriors stood in front of Lucas, waiting for orders. They didn't say anything, but he could feel the mental connection connecting them. This was his army.
Lucas felt a new power flowing through him. He was no longer a helpless Lord. He now had an army.
But when he checked the Crypt once more, there was something surprising. At the bottom of the interface, there was a bar slowly filling up:
[Ritual Progress: 95%]
[Blood Essence Absorbed: 950/1,000]
[Warning: Ancient Seal Weakening]
Lucas had never seen that bar before. And the number 950—it was almost the same as the total Blood Essence he had ever had. It was as if all the Blood Essence he had collected was not only used for summoning, but also for something else.
The sun was starting to set, and Lucas could hear familiar voices in the distance. Hostile mobs were starting to appear again. But this time he wasn't afraid. He had three Skeleton Warriors ready to fight.
But the ritual bar still made him uneasy. What would happen when it reached 100%? What would rise from the depths of the Crypt?
Lucas stared at the darkening sky. He had a feeling that tonight would be different from the previous ones. Something big was going to happen, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.
[Ritual Progress: 100%]
[Ancient Seal: BROKEN]
[Something ancient stirs in the depths...]