The following morning began without an alarm.
Rowan, Elias and Boro worked around the young Bellvine while Kaia trained the Militia near the western wall. Mira and the Hearthkeepers prepared the day’s trade meals.
Carlos remained inside the training ground with one Warden Chain wrapped around his arm.
He sent it toward a wooden target, stopped it halfway and recalled it without hitting himself.
That counted as progress.
A golden notification suddenly appeared before every person inside Ironroot.
--
[Beginner World Exploration Event]
[An Unclaimed Pocket Dimension will open shortly]
[Registration begins in one hour]
[Maximum Participants per Pocket Dimension: 10,000 Lords]
[Participation is voluntary]
--
The chain dropped against Carlos’s arm when his concentration broke.
"Pocket Dimension? I have heard of this from the professors but... I don’t remember" He regretted not being attentive in class for the first time.
He opened the event information.
--
[A Pocket Dimension is a world separated from the primary World of Lords]
[Its classification does not represent its physical size]
[The connected world may contain native creatures, settlements, natural resources, ruins and unknown system structures]
[Participating Lords may explore, gather resources and interact with other participants]
[Each Lord may register up to four territory members]
[Lords may create an Expedition Group containing up to five Lords]
[Every Lord inside an Expedition Group retains an independent party and territory authority]
[Members of the same Expedition Group will share an arrival point]
[Unlinked participants may arrive in different locations]
[Death inside the Pocket Dimension is permanent]
[Conflict between participants is possible]
[The Lord System will not prevent participants from attacking one another]
--
Carlos stopped at the warning about other participants.
The Pocket Dimension was not another conquest with predictable waves and a completion requirement. Ten thousand Lords could enter, each bringing troops or residents.
Kaia read the panel beside him.
"Ten thousand Lords could bring tens of thousands of troops."
"It also means ten thousand possible customers," Carlos answered.
Mira had already produced enough preserved meals for an expedition. Other Lords might bring powerful troops but discover that strength did not remove hunger.
The event could contain resources Ironroot could not produce, people Carlos could trade with and dangers the system had not explained.
He wanted to enter but that did not mean he could leave immediately.
Ironroot had only recently recovered from the Warden attack. The Eye remained suppressed on the northern platform. The Bellvine had not been trained, and the walls were still unfinished.
Carlos looked around his territory before making the decision.
The Burstpod guarded the southern entrance. Garr and the third Bearkin remained available. Four Veteran Guards, four Militia, another Archer and Two could continue defending the walls.
The Territory Barrier also remained ready for one emergency activation.
Ironroot no longer depended entirely on Carlos standing in front of every danger.
Cosmic sent him a private message before registration opened.
--
[Cosmic Merchant]- Bro, please tell me you saw the exploration event.
[Carlos Goldwin]- I saw the death warning too.
[Cosmic Merchant]- I saw unexplored resources. And TEAM WORK!
[Carlos Goldwin]- Of course you did.
[Cosmic Merchant]- I am registering. There is an Expedition Group function. Send me an invitation. Or I will.
--
Carlos checked the new function. Linking their registrations would place them at the same arrival point without combining their parties or giving either Lord authority over the other’s troops.
--
[Carlos Goldwin]- Accept the invitation when I send it. Do not add anyone else, I know we should take as many allies as we can but still, I don’t want to reveal my power to others.
[Cosmic Merchant]- Obviously. This is the first chance to trade face-to-face with Lords outside our territories. I don’t want bystanders while we do that.
[Carlos Goldwin]- Bring food too, or should I bring some for you xD
[Cosmic Merchant]- I was going to buy it from you....
--
Carlos smiled and offered Cosmic a fixed expedition package at a fair price. Friendship did not mean teaching a future merchant to expect free supplies.
Once the trade was completed, Carlos created the group.
--
[Expedition Group created by Carlos Goldwin]
[Maximum Lords: 5]
[Cosmic Merchant has joined]
[Current Lords: 2/5]
--
Carlos closed further invitations and called everyone together.
"I am entering the Pocket Dimension."
Kaia nodded as if she had expected nothing else.
"Then we should decide who accompanies you and who protects Ironroot."
Rowan remained with Elias and Boro. The Bellvine and fields required actual Farmers, not instructions shouted before Carlos disappeared.
Mira stayed to control food production, Cold Storage and the Hearthkeepers. Blue remained because the Mana Spring and irrigation depended heavily on its water control.
Garr and the third Bearkin would protect Ironroot with the Veteran Guards, Militia, Archer, Two and the defensive crops.
Bloo protested a lot on its own annoying and cute way but nothing could get Carlos to make the sprite leave his territory.
Carlos selected Kaia, Brann, Nessa and One.
Kaia provided command and close combat. Brann could survive attacks that would kill most troops. Nessa provided range, and One had already survived two Hell conquests beside Carlos, one that had literally invaded his land.
He packed cooked meals, the remaining High-grade Recovery Potion, five Medium Recovery Potions and five Troop Recovery Potions after making a list, nothing important needed to be left in the hut.
An Iron Pickaxe, Iron Axe, rope and empty containers followed. Entering an unexplored world without gathering equipment would waste half the opportunity.
Carlos equipped the Ironweave Battle Coat and Reinforced Long Spear. One Warden Chain remained wrapped around his arm, while the other two stayed inside his inventory.
Kaia appointed one Veteran Guard to control patrol changes while she was absent. The northern platform would remain watched at all times.
Carlos gave Mira authority over food and Rowan authority over every farming decision.
He looked at Garr.
"You hold Ironroot until Brann returns."
Garr struck one fist against his chest.
"I guard."
Brann copied the gesture.
"Brann return."
Mira gave each traveller another wrapped meal while Rowan came toward Carlos.
"Maybe this time you could come less wounded, my lord. You have more people beside you now." For the first time, Carlos saw Rowan give him a slight smile.
"I will take care of me and everyone, you do the same here"
When registration opened, Carlos confirmed his participation and selected all four companions.
--
[Registration successful]
[Selected Party: 4/4]
[Registered Lords: 10,000/10,000 [Pocket number 25]]
[Registered Expedition Group: 2/5 Lords]
[Registration closed]
[Pocket Dimension access will open in ten minutes]
--
A silver portal appeared beside the Conquest Portal exactly when the timer ended.
The Bellvine followed the light with its buds but produced no alarm. The portal was not attacking Ironroot. It was simply an open road.
--
[Registered participants may now enter]
[Party members will enter with their Lord]
[Expedition Group members will share an arrival point]
[Would you like to enter?]
--
Carlos looked back once.
Ironroot continued working without him. Farmers tended the fields, guards watched from the towers and smoke rose peacefully from Mira’s kitchen.
That was the only reason he could leave.
"Enter."
Silver light swallowed all five of them. Carlos expected wilderness, ruins or monsters when the light disappeared.
Instead, he stood on an enormous stone road beneath a green sky.
Kaia, Brann, Nessa and One appeared around him. Another flash of silver light formed several steps away, and Cosmic emerged with his own registered party.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter