"Yes."
Golden light spread from beneath the Lord’s hut.
It travelled through every dirt path, field, wall and building before sinking into the territory boundary.
--
[Territory officially named: Ironroot]
[All residents have recognized Ironroot as their home]
[Territory Reputation unlocked]
Ironroot Reputation: 0
--
Carlos waited, but no reward chest came.
"A name costs nothing and gives nothing," he muttered in sadness.
"My lord, these Hell difficulty conquests have distorted your understanding of ordinary rewards. They are not that easy to obtain." Kaia spoke from the side, earning a sideways glance from the disappointed Carlos.
"It gives us something to call home, though," Mira said.
Carlos closed the panel. They tried to cheer him up, but only making progress would improve his mood.
The daily summons had refreshed, so Carlos selected both available Farmers from the Level 2 Farmer’s Lodge.
Light filled the entrance before a broad-shouldered human stepped outside carrying a wooden rake.
The second was a dog-man. Brown fur covered his arms, pointed ears rose above his straw hat and a thick tail moved behind him.
Every Farmer summoned before this had been human. Nothing in the lodge’s description said it could summon other races.
The dog-man sniffed the air. His tail stopped moving when he noticed the burned fields.
--
Race: Dog-man
Level: 1
--
The human possessed the same farming abilities. Neither summon had a name.
"The lodge can summon different races?" Carlos asked.
Carlos brought the workers to Rowan. "You wanted two Farmers. They need names."
Rowan checked their hands and tools before pointing toward the damaged farmland.
"Elias," he said, pointing at the human. Then he pointed at the dog-man. "Boro."
"You decided quickly," Carlos said.
"I need names to shout when they make mistakes."
Both accepted their names and followed Rowan toward the damaged farmland.
"They start there."
[Rowan Favorability increased by 2]
He opened the Natural Territory Expansion next.
A transparent copy of Ironroot appeared before him. Four sections of land glowed beyond its boundaries.
Every section was the same: completely flat, empty land.
Rowan could judge the soil, while Kaia could judge its defensive value.
Carlos brought both of them closer and showed them the map.
"If the soil is the same as our current plain, it can be prepared for crops," Rowan said.
Kaia pointed south.
"Expanding there gives us space behind the current residences. North and east should remain open for military construction. West moves us closer to the conquest portal."
Carlos considered the warehouse, additional barracks, new residences and every production building he still needed.
Then he selected the south.
[Natural Territory Expansion confirmed]
The golden boundary moved.
The boundary passed over another six hundred square meters of empty plain and joined it to Ironroot.
--
Territory Area: 2,400 square meters
Unoccupied Territory: 914 square meters
--
The residents walked to the newly claimed land.
Kaia began measuring a second defensive line. Rowan crouched and tested the soil between his fingers.
"Usable," he said. "Not as good as the Common Farmland."
"Can it grow basic crops?"
"After it is cleared and prepared."
That was enough.
Carlos opened District Management.
The system allowed him to mark sections as Residential, Agricultural, Military, Production or Storage districts. The designations provided no immediate bonuses.
They organized construction and prevented new buildings from blocking planned roads.
Carlos almost closed it but then he looked at the scattered residences, the barracks squeezed between towers and the tables occupying the center of the territory.
Ironroot had grown by placing buildings wherever empty ground happened to exist.
If he continued doing that, the town would become a maze.
He spent the next hour with Kaia, Rowan and Mira.
The existing fields became the Agricultural District.
The land along the northern and western walls became the Military District, containing the barracks, towers and training space.
The Territory Kitchen, Cold Storage and Tool Workshop formed the beginning of a Production District.
The new southern land was divided between residences and future storage.
Mira insisted that the kitchen remain close to both.
"Food needs to reach the residents," she explained, "and ingredients need to reach me." Her explanation was simple.
Carlos moved the planned road twice before she approved.
[First Territory Road designated]
Golden boundary lines marked a three-meter-wide route from the southern entrance. It passed the residences, kitchen and Lord’s hut before dividing toward the fields and military buildings.
The road still needed to be cleared and constructed, but no new building could occupy its route.
No one would need to carry food through a training yard again.
Carlos opened the Warehouse function last.
--
Territory Warehouse
Rare Grade
Stores construction materials, equipment and nonperishable resources.
Inventory records can be viewed by the Lord.
Authorized residents may deposit or withdraw assigned resources.
Construction Requirements:
Wood x300
Stone x250
Iron Ore x30
--
Carlos checked his resources.
The previous day’s trades had given him enough wood and stone. Most of his remaining Iron Ore had already been assigned to wall fittings, arrows and equipment for the Militia.
Only twenty-six remained unassigned. He was short by four and decided to trade a single High-quality meal for them.
Before he could create a request, a private message appeared.
--
[Cosmic Merchant has sent you a message]
[Cosmic Merchant]- Bro, check the Beginner Rankings. I know you dumbass didn’t do it until now.
--
Carlos opened them.
His Production Rank still displayed one.
His military and defensive ranks had both improved.
But a new symbol had appeared beside Ironroot’s name.
A small golden root surrounded by a black ring.
Carlos selected it.
--
[First Development Milestone achieved]
[Ironroot has become the first Level 3 territory in Beginner Region 184]
[Regional First Reward obtained]
[Basic Development Chest x1]
--
Cosmic sent another message.
--
[Cosmic Merchant]: Level 3 already? Do you ever stop?
--
Carlos smiled, but it was as if his smile itself was cursed when a loud sound came from the Lord’s hut.
He and the others looked toward it. The sound came again, confirming that something had struck the floor beneath the Lord’s hut. Only one thing was stored there.
Carlos’s heartbeat increased for a moment.
Blue turned toward the hut and the Water Sprite’s body trembled for a moment as if memories flashed through its mind.
"Bloo..."
Carlos ran toward the entrance and pulled the locked iron box from beneath the floor.
The cloth wrapped around it had turned black.
Another impact came from inside.
When Carlos looked at the uncovered stone again, he saw one of the five closed carvings being forced open.
The second eye had begun to wake.
Carlos pulled the iron box into the open.
Kaia reached the Lord’s hut first. Brann and Garr followed her, carrying their hammers. Everyone could feel that something was wrong.
"Everyone else stays back," Carlos ordered.
Mira moved Elias, Boro and the kitchen workers toward the southern land. Rowan did not ask what was inside the box. He gathered the others and kept them away from the hut.
Carlos unlocked it.
The cloth around the Warden’s Closed Eye had become wet and black. It clung to the stone like burned skin.
One carved eyelid was already open.
The second trembled.
--
[Warden’s Closed Eye reacting through the first open connection]
[Ironroot reaching Territory Level 3 has strengthened the existing connection]
[Connection Strength: 1/6]
[A second connection is attempting to form]
[Time until Second Eye opens: 00:09:42]
--
"Can we destroy it?" Kaia asked.
Carlos struck the stone with his hoe. A metallic sound rang across the open ground, but the hoe bounced away.
--
[Destruction failed]
--
"No."
Brann raised his hammer.
"I try."
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