Liam, one of the newcomers, finally broke the silence. "My Lord... did that... did that really just happen?"
Ryan let out a long, shaky breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. A wide, incredulous grin spread across his face.
"I think it did," he said, the sheer absurdity of the situation finally hitting him. He had shown mercy to a tricky monster, and in return, he'd gained an entire village of warriors. This world was absolutely insane.
Just as the reality began to sink in, a familiar golden light bathed him, and a new set of notifications chimed in his mind, far more pleasant than the last.
[Your act of inter-species diplomacy has been recognized as a major contribution to territorial stability!]
[You have successfully pacified a hostile native force and turned them into a productive asset.]
[Reward: 200 Development Points!]
[Reward: Your territory has gained the permanent passive buff 'Zone of Trust'. Native intelligent creatures will be less prone to aggression within your borders.]
Ryan's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Two hundred points! On top of the 10 he had left, he now had a massive 210 points.
Diplomacy, it turned out, was even more profitable than killing.
His people cheered as he shared the news of their newfound fortune.
And, of course, the system decided that was the perfect moment to throw another wrench in the works.
Before the cheers had even died down, a new announcement, this one framed in an urgent, silver border, appeared before every Lord on the planet.
[EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: THE FIRST LORD'S CHALLENGE!]
[Event Name: Rise of the Villages]
[Description: The era of scattered survivors is ending! The time has come to lay the foundations of true civilization! Prove your worth and guide your territory to the next stage of its evolution.]
[Objective: Upgrade your territory to become a "Recognized Village."]
[Time Limit: 7 days from this announcement. Countdown: 168:00:00]
[Requirements for Recognition:]
A minimum population of 50 citizens.
A minimum of 5 functional buildings (residential, storage, workshop, etc.).
A fully enclosed defensive wall or palisade.
[Rewards for all who complete the challenge: 'Village Foundation Pack' (contains rare blueprints and resources). Bonus rewards for the first 100 Lords to succeed!]
The casual, celebratory mood vanished in an instant, replaced by a tense, focused silence.
A seven-day time limit.
The Global Chat, which had been a nonstop stream of insults directed at Ryan, immediately shifted gears.
[DataScout]: "The rewards will be massive, especially for the top 100."
[MonsterSlayer_69]: "Fifty people?! I only have four! It costs 40 points for one human! How are we supposed to get that many?!"
[Kaiser]: "Hah! A challenge perfectly suited for a true king. My treasury is vast. I will simply purchase the necessary population. The top spot is mine, as it should be."
Ryan quickly did the math in his head.
The buildings and the wall were achievable. With Elias's skill, his human workforce, and the promise of Kobold assistance, they could get it done. The real problem, the massive, glaring roadblock, was the population.
He had 8 humans. He needed 42 more.
He looked at the market. Forty-two humans at 40 points each would cost 1,680 points. An impossible, laughable number. H
is eyes drifted down the list. Goblins. Mischievous, weak, but undeniably cheap. Ten points each.
Forty-two goblins would cost 420 points. Still far more than his 210.
A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach.
Was this it? Was he going to fail the very first event after his spectacular start?
His gaze fell on his 50 new Kobold allies.
Did they count? He quickly scanned the event details.
Minimum population of 50 citizens.
Citizens were people summoned from the market or given at the start. Allies, no matter how loyal, were not citizens. They wouldn't count.
This was a direct test of a Lord's economic power.
He looked at his 210 points. It wasn't enough to hit the target. He could buy some humans, some goblins, and get part of the way there, but he'd still fall short. He would fail.
Unless…
The system wanted 50 citizens, but the territory needed a workforce. His eight humans were skilled.
They could build, they could fight, they could lead. They were his specialists. What he needed was raw, unskilled labor. He needed bodies to haul logs, dig foundations, and mine stone.
He looked at the goblin entry again.
A wild, reckless, and utterly brilliant idea sparked in his mind. The other Lords would spend their fortunes carefully balancing their economy, buying a few humans here and there. They would play it safe. But his talent was about infinite evolution. It was about taking the mundane and making it legendary.
Why play by the old rules?
He wasn't just going to buy a few workers. He was going to build an army of them.
"It's a bit of a gamble," he muttered to himself, a manic grin spreading across his face.
Elias, standing nearby, overheard him. "My Lord?"
"Elias," Ryan said, his eyes gleaming with a feverish light. "How would you feel about having a few… new employees?"
Before the old carpenter could answer, Ryan opened the shop. He didn't just browse. He slammed his entire fortune down on the table.
He selected the 'Goblin' option.
He typed in the quantity: '21'.
[Purchase 21x Goblin citizens?]
[Total Cost: 210 Development Points.]
[Warning: A large, unsupervised goblin population may lead to unforeseen… complications. Proceed with caution.]
[Confirm Purchase.]
He hit 'Confirm' without a shred of hesitation.
[210 Development Points have been spent.]
[Current Development Points: 0]
The pillar of blue light that descended this time was massive, ten times larger than the one that had delivered his human friends.
When the light faded, the clearing was filled with a chaotic, chattering, and utterly bewildered sea of green.
The goblins stood there, blinking in the sunlight. These weren't the frenzied monsters from the Calamity. They were small, scrawny, and dressed in grubby loincloths.
Some held crude stone knives, others held nothing at all. They looked at the towering humans, the sturdy log cabin, and the imposing Lord with his blood-red spear, and their initial reaction was a collective, nervous gulp.
This brought his total citizen count to 29. He was still 21 short of the goal. He had spent every last point he had.
The seven-day timer for the first global event was ticking down...