Deep in the endless forest, atop a mountain, a human village stood.
Inside one of the wooden houses, a graceful woman named Megan lay on her bed, savoring the fine food she had just acquired. As she tasted the food, her big eyes narrowed into crescents with delight.
"It's delicious!" she exclaimed.
After finishing a piece of the exquisite food, she rubbed her slightly full belly. "Mmm."
Suddenly, a golden light flashed from her body. It lingered for a moment before gradually dissipating. Her physical energy surged, and she felt more powerful.
"Did I level up?" Megan murmured in surprise.
Opening her status panel, she saw that her level had risen by one.
"Such a happy day! You can level up just by eating! I'm so envious of the owner of the Universal Store!" she sighed.
She then remembered that the meat in her stomach had cost her 200 units of wood. Her expression soured slightly. "I bought it myself, but I still can't help but feel envious..."
With a deep sigh, she got up and walked out of the wooden house. The lively sounds of the village greeted her: the sound of trees being chopped, stones being hewn, and the bustle of hardworking villagers.
The village was full of activity as all 110 residents worked diligently, their energy never flagging.
"Everyone, keep at it!" she called out, waving her fist enthusiastically. "Whether Xander's Town gets to eat meat tomorrow depends on all of you!"
"Don't worry, Lord!" the villagers chorused in unison.
Pleased with the response, Megan nodded and clapped her hands, walking behind the wooden house where a large pile of wood and stone had accumulated.
She scratched her head, looking at the mountain of materials, clearly troubled.
"There's so much material... but my people haven't eaten yet!" she thought, frowning. "Maybe I'll open a shop too. Sell these materials for meat to feed everyone."
Meanwhile, in a canyon, twenty warriors in black robes, their faces masked, armed with wooden spears, cornered five antelopes, each as large as a warhorse, at the foot of a rock.
The soldiers formed ranks, attacking the antelopes with their spears.
Suddenly, the last remaining antelope jumped toward the warriors, its hooves hammering the ground. With a brutal impact, it sent one soldier flying, his brain exploding upon impact. The creature's long antlers turned into deadly spears, impaling another warrior.
"Kill!" the masked soldiers roared, charging forward to finish off the beast. But by the time they did, two of their own had already perished.
Lynch, who had been observing from his village, was saddened by the loss of his two soldiers. But after being promoted to LV2 and earning a soul crystal, he regained his smug confidence.
"With food and soul crystals, and the help of Ryan, an elite warrior, I, Lynch, will not fall behind!"
The Chaos Continent was vast, and the circumstances of each human lord varied greatly. Some were still adapting, while others were beginning to master survival.
Jason, however, was unconcerned with the struggles of other lords. His focus was on his own territory, as his Beacon was about to be upgraded.
Taking stock of his resources, Jason had 220 soul crystals, 2,300 units of wood, and 1,050 units of stone. With these resources, he could upgrade the Beacon to Tier 2.
The upgrade requirements were met, and the wealth of resources meant he could even upgrade the Spartan Training Camp to Tier 2.
[Would you like to upgrade the Beacon to Tier 2?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes!" Jason confirmed.
It was getting late, and the Spartans had not fully recovered. The villagers also needed rest, so Jason decided that now was the perfect time to upgrade both the Beacon and the Spartan Training Camp.
As he confirmed the upgrade, the energy from the fire surged outward, enveloping the entire territory in a brilliant golden light.
When the light dissipated, the landscape had dramatically changed. The wooden house behind Jason had transformed into a small two-story castle, built from stone. The thatched huts where the colonists had lived were now replaced with neatly arranged wooden houses—twenty in total. A small warehouse had been constructed as well.
The upgrade took about an hour, and the results were impressive.
[Ding! Beacon upgraded to Tier 2! (Increases daily population by 10)]
[Note: It takes 1,000 soul crystals, 10,000 units of wood, 5,000 units of stone, and 1,000 units of refined iron to upgrade the Beacon to Tier 3.]
[Territory: Xander's Town (500X500m)]
[Lord: Jason (LV4)]
[Ordinary building: Warehouse (Tier 1: can store 11,000 units of wood, 5,500 units of stone, 1,100 units of refined iron)]
[Special Building: Spartan Training Camp (Tier 1)]
Jason looked around. The living quarters occupied less than one-tenth of the territory, leaving ample space for future developments such as farms, animal pens, or mineral resources.
However, Jason wasn't ready to build those yet, as he still couldn't afford the necessary plans or resources.
That night, the forest outside was alive with activity. The town was situated on high ground, and from the second floor of his castle, Jason saw a massive humanoid creature with a single red eye watching the territory from afar before retreating back into the woods.
The creatures in the forest were far more active at night than during the day.
"Let's upgrade the Spartan Training Camp to Tier 2," Jason thought. "Tomorrow, ten more people will be born in the town, and the Spartan Training Camp will increase its capacity for training."
He stared at the Spartan Training Camp, contemplating his next steps.
[Would you like to upgrade the Spartan Training Camp to Tier 2?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes!" Jason confirmed.
The fire cast a beam of light toward the Spartan Training Camp, and a golden protective shield enveloped it.
Half an hour later, the shield dissipated, and the camp had expanded. The size of the building had more than doubled, with stone pillars replacing the wood supports.
Jason was pleased, though a bit disappointed that the camp's functions had only slightly improved. Perhaps with further upgrades, the training camp's abilities would be enhanced.
[Spartan Training Camp (Extraordinary Grade Building)]
[Level: 2]
[Note: Upgrading to Tier 3 requires Tier 3 Beacon, 600 soul crystals, 3,000 units of wood, 6,000 units of stone, and 600 units of refined iron.]
[Function: 10 human beings can be trained 100% every day as extraordinary troops—Spartan warriors.]
Jason took a deep breath, looking out at the strange purple glow of the three moons in the sky—one red, one purple, and one white. The largest moon was a deep violet, casting an eerie light over the land.
"Let's rest... tomorrow will bring new challenges," Jason thought.
The seven-day protection period was almost over, and he knew the next few days would not be as easy.