Luke, after accepting the first task given by the system, immediately set into motion. Time was the most valuable resource here as well. When he opened the map tab, he carefully examined the surrounding geography: a dense forest to the west, a small pond to the northeast, and a rocky hill extending to the east. The resources were clear. And the task was...
"100 wood, 50 stone, and 3 qualified villagers," he muttered. "Without builders, the Lord's House can't be constructed."
He took a deep breath, then raised his voice clearly and resolutely.
"Eron, Mira, Tyven. Come to me immediately."
With the system's summon, two new NPCs had joined him that morning, Tyven (the woodcutter) and Lora (the stone mason), forming a small but capable five-person team. Their loyalty levels varied, but at this moment, functionality was what mattered.
Luke fixed his eyes on them.
"Eron, Tyven – go to the northwest forest. We need 100 wood.Lora, Mira – go to the rocky area. We need 50 stones.Return here once the task is completed."
Without avoiding eye contact, he issued these orders, which were recognized by the system as a "Lord Command." The NPCs nodded without hesitation and set off. Luke's calmness instinctively gave confidence to those around him. The effect of Zenith Calm was evident.
As time passed, Luke did not remain idle. He scrolled through the map again and checked the information the system had given about the other lords. He was able to click on a few of the 12 nearby symbols. Each symbol only provided brief information about the distance and the general status of the lord: "Active," "Passive," or "Unknown." There was no detailed information about the other lords, but communication with some of them was possible through the system's chat channel.
Meanwhile, a few new messages caught his attention in the chat window:
[Lord Eviran]: "Be careful with the wood gatherers, creature sightings reported."[Lord Selian]: "Anyone without builders? I can trade."
Luke chuckled to himself. Information was the only power that made a difference. And he was analyzing that information carefully.
About two hours later, the NPCs returned. They were exhausted, but their hands were full. The required resources had been gathered. Luke watched them return, then the system window appeared once again.
[System Message]Task: Lord's House Construction - Completed
Congratulations! The necessary resources have been gathered.The Lord's House is being constructed...
Construction time: 10 minutes
The basic outline made of wood and stone began to be constructed by the system within a few minutes. As the foundation of the house rose, Luke focused on the new window that appeared from the system.
The Lord's House construction was completed in 10 minutes. First, the earth was leveled, and then, through the system's magical processes, stones and wood were stacked on top of each other. The construction process was mesmerizing: every material seemed to be placed skillfully by an invisible hand.
Finally, the structure fully materialized in front of him.
Lord's House - Level 1
Rooms:
Command Room
Storage
Meeting Room
Lord's Room
Required Materials (To Upgrade to Level 2):
200 Wood
100 Stone
1000 EXP
Luke stood still in front of the stone door for a moment. His eyes scanned the building's architecture as a smile crossed his face. When he stepped inside, the system terminal was automatically activated, and the Lord's House symbol appeared on the system map.
Now, he was truly a lord.
But this was just the foundation.
[System Reward]Task Completed: Lord's House Built
Rewards:
1x Development Chest (added to inventory)
Title: [Novice Lord]
+5 Loyalty Points to starting villagers
System Access Unlocked: Map, Marketplace, Quest Board activated
"This is just the beginning," Luke thought to himself. Before opening the glowing chest in his inventory, he paused for a moment. He wouldn't rush. First, he needed to explore these new system tabs.
The Marketplace tab would allow him to trade resources. The Quest Board displayed tasks regularly assigned by the system. Everything was just starting, but Luke's plans had already begun to take shape.
Zenith Calm was still active. While the other lords were struggling to establish their villages in a panic, he had already taken a step ahead.
And this was only the first step.