Chapter 2: The First Decree
The air still hummed with the residual energy of the summoning. Sun Tzu stood before Leo, his posture one of calm readiness, his ancient eyes taking in the rocky outcrop, the terrified students, and the corpse of the wolf-marked [Warrior] with a single, sweeping glance that missed nothing. There was no shock, no confusion on his face—only a profound, analytical acceptance.
"Status report," Leo said, the command coming more naturally than he would have thought possible. The exhaustion from forcing the wolf to kneel was still a lead weight in his limbs, but the presence of his first summoned legend acted as a stimulant, sharpening his focus.
"Immediate threats have withdrawn, but not departed," Sun Tzu replied, his voice low. "They will be observing. We are five… six, including myself. One casualty. Morale is shattered. Our position is defensible in the short term, but lacks resources: no water, no food, and poor visibility from this ledge." He gestured to the top of the outcrop. "The high ground is useless if we cannot see the enemy approaching."
As if on cue, a new, global notification flashed across everyone's vision, a shimmering gold scroll that unfurled in the mind's eye.
GLOBAL SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT
The First Wave of Integration is complete.
The Global Lord Leaderboard is now active.
To all holders of Lord Classes: Your race for dominance begins now. May the most worthy ascend.
A secondary, smaller list appeared beneath it.
Global Lord Leaderboard (Initial):
1. Zhang Wei - [Dragon's Fist] - Territory: Dragon's Roost - Nation: China
2. Alexander Vance - [Eagle Commander] - Territory: Liberty's Stand - Nation: USA
3. Rajesh Gupta - [Tiger Lord] - Territory: Monsoon Citadel - Nation: India
4. Kenji Tanaka - [Shogunate Heir] - Territory: Rising Sun Fort - Nation: Japan
5. Ivan Petrov - [Bear Tsar] - Territory: Winter's Heart - Nation: Russia
...
Rank 10,000+ - Leo Lin - [Cosmic Emperor] - Territory: Unnamed - Nation: Unaffiliated
A cold knot tightened in Leo's stomach. They had names. They had territories. They had the backing of entire nations. They were already building, already ranked, while he was clinging to a rock with a handful of traumatized civilians. The scale of the competition was staggering.
"They… they have countries behind them," Sarah whispered, her face pale as she read the same list. The other students—a lanky boy named Ben and a pair of twins, Chloe and Chris—looked even more despondent.
"They have infrastructure and pre-existing chains of command," Sun Tzu corrected calmly, his gaze still on Leo, ignoring the others. "But they also have bureaucracy, conflicting agendas, and the weight of expectation. You, my Emperor, have only one agenda: your own. Do not be dismayed by their head start. In war, the swift do not always win the long campaign."
Leo nodded, the strategist's words cutting through the initial shock. He was an independent. A wild card. He looked at the four surviving students. They were his first assets. His first citizens.
He opened his [Imperial Domain] interface.
[Imperial Domain: Anchored]
Designation: Unnamed
Level: 0 (Village)
Population: 5/100
Morale: Terrible (-30% to all actions)
Resources: 0 Wood, 0 Stone, 0 Food, 0 Water
Structures: None
Defenses: Natural Rockface (Partial)
Upkeep: 5 Food / Day (Deficit)
The numbers were a stark confirmation of their desperation. But it was a start. He focused on the four students.
"Listen to me," Leo said, his voice firm, projecting a confidence he didn't fully feel. The [Cosmic Emperor] class seemed to lend it weight, making them look up. "My name is Leo Lin. This is Sun Tzu. You've just seen the leaderboard. The world you knew is gone. Out there," he gestured to the darkening forest, "are monsters, rival lords, and things we can't even imagine. Your only chance of survival is here, with me."
He paused, letting that sink in. "I am offering you Citizenship in my domain. It means protection, a share of resources, and a place in what we will build. In return, you will work. You will follow orders. You will be loyal. This is not a democracy. It is an empire, and I am your Emperor. Choose now. Stay and swear loyalty, or take your chances in the forest alone."
It was brutal, but it was necessary. There was no room for dissent, not now.
Sarah was the first to meet his gaze. She was scared, but a core of pragmatism held firm beneath her fear. She'd seen his power. She'd seen the wolves flee. "I… I don't want to die out there. I swear loyalty. I'll do what you say."
Ben, the lanky boy, just nodded mutely, his eyes wide. The twins, Chloe and Chris, clutched each other's hands and whispered a hurried agreement.
As each one agreed, a new notification appeared.
Sarah has sworn Fealty. Citizen Registered. [Mage - Lv. 1]
Ben has sworn Fealty. Citizen Registered. [Rogue - Lv. 1]
Chloe has sworn Fealty. Citizen Registered. [No Class]
Chris has sworn Fealty. Citizen Registered. [No Class]
Morale has improved from [Terrible] to [Poor] (-15% to all actions).
It was a small shift, but a critical one.
"Good," Leo said. "First order of business. This territory needs a name." He focused on the interface. He needed something that spoke to his heritage, his ambition, and his current state. He typed it in: New Dragon's Rest.
The name solidified in the interface. It felt right. A new beginning, a nod to his Chinese roots, and a statement of intent—this would be a place of safety.
"Sun Tzu, assessment. Priority of needs."
The strategist didn't hesitate. "Water. Then a defensible perimeter we can actually see from. Then fire. Food is a concern, but a human can survive days without it. Dehydration and a surprise attack will kill us before dawn."
Leo agreed. He looked at his new citizens. "Ben. Your [Rogue] class. Do you have any skills related to scouting or perception?"
Ben jumped, startled at being addressed directly. "Uh… I have a skill. [Keen Eye]. It highlights resources and points of interest. It's on a cooldown."
"Use it. Scan the area from this ledge. Look for a source of fresh water and the easiest path to it. Sarah, you're with me. The rest of you, start gathering loose stones from the base of this outcrop. Pile them here. We're building a wall."
There was a moment of hesitation, then movement. Ben closed his eyes, a faint glow surrounding them. Sarah moved to Leo's side, her staff held tight.
"My Emperor," Sun Tzu said, pointing towards the top of the rocky outcrop. "A lookout post is our second most critical need. I will ascend and survey the land. We must understand our battlefield."
"Do it," Leo ordered.
As Sun Tzu began to climb with an ageless grace, Leo turned to his interface. There had to be more. He navigated to a sub-menu he'd glimpsed before: [Imperial Decrees].
It was a list of abilities, most greyed out. But one at the top was available.
[Decree I: Imperial Mandate]
Channel your authority to dramatically increase the efficiency of a single, specified task performed by your citizens within your Domain.
Effect: +500% work speed and +100% quality for 10 minutes.
Cooldown: 24 Hours.
Cost: 50 Willpower.
It was a powerful tool, but the cost was high. He could feel a resource called 'Willpower' as a pool within him, currently at 200/200. It had already been depleted by his earlier command. He needed to use this wisely.
"The stone is gathered, my Emperor," Chloe said timidly. She and her brother had formed a small pile of football-sized rocks.
It was a start, but building a serviceable wall by hand would take hours they didn't have. This was the moment.
Leo took a deep breath, feeling the authority of his class coalesce around him. He pointed at the pile of stones and the bare rock face where he wanted the wall to begin.
"By my will," he intoned, his voice echoing with unnatural power. "[Imperial Mandate]: Construct a defensive barricade!"
Golden light erupted from him, flowing over the gathered students and the pile of stones. Their eyes glazed over with a zealous intensity. Their movements became a blur. Stones that should have required two people to lift were hefted by Chris alone. Chloe and Ben fitted them together with an instinctual understanding of masonry, the rocks seeming to lock together as if shaped by an invisible stonemason. The wall began to rise at an impossible, mesmerizing speed, transforming from a scattered pile into a solid, chest-high crescent protecting the entrance to their ledge in less than five minutes.
As the golden light faded, the four citizens slumped, panting with exertion, but looking at their handiwork with awe. The wall was crude, but it was solid. It was real.
Structure Built: Crude Stone Barricade. Domain Defense Rating: 5 → 15.
"My Emperor!" Sun Tzu's voice carried down from the summit. "I have surveyed the land. There is a small, fast-moving stream approximately three hundred paces to the east. The path is treacherous. I also see smoke to the south—another settlement, likely hostile or desperate. And the wolf pack is circling. They number six now."
The information was a torrent of good and bad. Water was close. But so were others, and the wolves were regrouping.
"Ben, the water?" Leo asked.
"I see it!" Ben said, his eyes still glowing. "[Keen Eye] confirms it's [Fresh Water]. But… there's something else near it. A glow. A resource node, I think. [Small Timber Node]."
Resources. They needed wood desperately. For fire, for tools, for expanding the domain.
A new quest window appeared, personalized and glowing with a soft purple light.
[Imperial Trial Offered: Securing the Lifeline]
Objective: Claim the resource node at the stream and secure a sustainable water source for your territory.
Time Limit: 2 Hours.
Reward: Summon One (1) Conditional Legion. Unlock Basic Building Blueprints.
Failure: Domain Morale collapses. Resource scarcity triggers attrition.
This was the next step. It was a risk, but the reward was a legion. An army. Or the start of one.
"We're going," Leo declared. "Sarah, Ben, you're with me. Sun Tzu, you have command of the domain in my absence. Hold this position."
"Understood," Sun Tzu replied. "A swift, targeted strike is the correct strategy. Remember, the greatest victory is one that requires no battle. Do not engage the wolves if you can avoid it. Your objective is the node."
Leo nodded. He looked at his two companions. Sarah, the [Mage], her knuckles white on her staff. Ben, the [Rogue], looking terrified but trying to stand straight.
"Stay close, do exactly as I say, and we'll all live through this," Leo said, locking eyes with each of them. He then turned and, without another word, slipped past the new stone barricade and into the shadows of the forest.
The woods were a different world at night. The twin moons cast conflicting, eerie shadows, making every shape ambiguous and threatening. Leo led the way, his [Imperial Eye] active, painting the world in layers of data. He saw the health bars of strange glowing plants, the spore trails of giant fungi, and the distant, red outlines of hostile creatures moving in the darkness. He avoided them all, charting a path towards the stream Ben had identified.
They moved in silence for twenty tense minutes, the only sounds their own breathing and the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth. Then, they heard it: the welcome sound of rushing water. And the low, menacing growl of a wolf.
Crouching behind a thick, purple-barked tree, Leo peered into the next clearing. The stream was there, clear and beautiful, cutting through the rock. Next to it was a cluster of trees that pulsed with a soft, harvestable green light—the [Small Timber Node]. And standing between them and their goal, were two of the massive forest wolves, their eyes glowing in the moonlight. They were guarding the approach.
"There are only two," Ben whispered, a note of desperate hope in his voice.
"Where there are two, there are four more nearby," Leo murmured, echoing Sun Tzu's wisdom. A direct fight was out of the question. Sarah's magic was too weak, Ben's daggers were useless against such beasts, and Leo's willpower was too depleted for another [Kneel] command.
He used his [Imperial Eye] on the node itself.
[Small Timber Node]
Yield: 100/100 Units of Wood.
Can be harvested by any citizen with a tool.
Node will replenish in 24 hours.
A tool. They had no tools. Leo's mind raced. Then he looked at Sarah's staff.
"Sarah," he said, an idea forming. "Your fireball. Can you aim it not at the wolves, but at that patch of dry brush behind them? The one near the big rock?"
Sarah followed his gaze. "I… I think so. It's small, but I can try."
"Do it. On my mark. Ben, the moment the fire catches, you run to that node. Don't fight the wolves. Use your [Rogue] skills to be quick, and start breaking off branches. Use your daggers if you have to. I'll be your shield."
Ben looked like he was going to be sick, but he nodded.
Leo took a deep breath. This was it. His first tactical command in the field. "Now!"
Sarah stood, leveled her staff, and a sputtering ball of flame shot forth. It was weak, but it was accurate. It landed squarely in the tinder-dry brush, which caught with a satisfying whoosh of flame.
The two wolves yelped in surprise, jumping back from the sudden heat and light. Their attention was completely diverted.
"Go!" Leo hissed.
Ben was off like a shot, his form becoming slightly blurred as he activated a skill. He darted past the distracted wolves and began frantically hacking at the glowing trees with his daggers. Wood +5… Wood +5… the notifications began to tick in the corner of Leo's vision.
One of the wolves, however, was smarter than the rest. It ignored the fire, its head snapping towards the sound of Ben's harvesting. It snarled and lunged.
Leo was ready. He didn't have the will for a major command, but he could muster a lesser one. He stepped out from behind the tree, placing himself directly in the wolf's path.
"HALT!" he commanded, pouring a small amount of will into the order.
The wolf stumbled, its charge broken for a single, crucial second. It shook its head, growling in frustration, but that second was all Ben needed.
Wood +5… Wood +100/100. [Small Timber Node] depleted.
"I've got it!" Ben yelled, his arms full of strangely straight and uniform wooden logs that had materialized from the node.
"Fall back!" Leo ordered, backpedaling quickly. The second wolf was now turning from the fire, its eyes locking onto them with murderous intent.
They ran. They crashed through the undergrowth, the sounds of enraged howls close behind. Leo could hear the snapping of branches, the heavy panting of the pursuit. He risked a glance back. Four wolves were now on their trail, the original two having been joined by their packmates.
They wouldn't make it to the barricade.
"The stream! Cross it!" Leo shouted, changing course. They splashed through the icy water, scrambling up the opposite bank. The wolves hit the water behind them, but hesitated for a moment, buying them another few precious seconds.
The outcrop was in sight. He could see Sun Tzu standing atop it, his arm raised.
"Down!" Sun Tzu's voice rang out.
Leo, Sarah, and Ben threw themselves to the ground. From the top of the outcrop, a volley of sharpened stones, hurled by Chloe and Chris with surprising force, rained down on the lead wolves. It wasn't enough to kill them, but it stung, confusing them and breaking their charge.
Leo scrambled the last few feet, his party tumbling behind the stone barricade to safety. The wolves paced and snarled on the other side, but the combination of the wall, the elevated position, and the defenders made a direct assault too costly. After a few minutes of posturing, they melted back into the forest.
For a moment, there was only the sound of heavy breathing. Then, a chime.
[Imperial Trial: Securing the Lifeline - COMPLETE.]
Reward: Summon One (1) Conditional Legion. Basic Building Blueprints Unlocked.
Leo didn't wait. He opened the summoning interface. This time, the tapestry of light was different. It showed not individuals, but formations, units, legions. He saw phalanxes, cavalry, archers. He filtered for infantry, for something solid and dependable for defense.
His choice settled on a formation that glowed with a stern, disciplined light.
[Spartan Hoplites (Century)]
"Come back with your shield, or on it."
Unit:Heavy Infantry (100 Soldiers)
Commander:Anonymous Lochanos
Loyalty:Conditional (50/100 - They will obey, but respect must be earned.)
Loyalty Conditions:Rises with successful defensive actions and demonstrated martial courage. Falls with retreat or perceived cowardice.
It was perfect for their current situation.
"Summon," Leo commanded.
The air in the cleared area behind the barricade shimmered. Where there was empty space, now stood one hundred men. They were clad in bronze breastplates and crested Corinthian helmets, holding long spears and heavy, bronze-faced shields bearing the lambda symbol of Sparta. They stood in a perfect phalanx formation, utterly silent and immobile. Their commander took a step forward, saluting by tapping his spear against his shield.
"The Sons of Sparta stand ready," the man's voice was a gravelly echo from within his helmet. "Command us, Lord."
Leo looked at them, then at the crude wall, then at the faces of his citizens, which were now filled with a new, potent emotion: hope. They had water. They had wood. They had an army.
He had survived the first day. Now, it was time to build.
"Commander," Leo said, his voice ringing with authority. "Your first task is to fortify this position. I want a palisade built by dawn."
The empire was no longer just an idea. It had its first soldiers.