The late morning sun scorched the parched earth of Verdant Territory. The rhythmic striking of hoes and spades against rock harmonized with the heavy panting of the construction crew.
On the eastern outskirts of the village, near a small stream, the land was being leveled in preparation for digging an irrigation canal.
Lloyd sat resting on a wooden crate beneath the shade of a large oak tree. He raised a clay cup filled with lukewarm water to his lips to quench his thirst. A faint throbbing still lingered in his temples. In his field of vision, the status bar showed his mana slowly recovering, touching the 18/100 mark.
"My Lord... it's the man in the straw hat digging at the back of the line,"
Frank, standing guard with his arms crossed behind Lloyd, whispered in a low but tense voice. The giant youth's grayish-blue eyes were locked relentlessly onto his target.
"Last night, when all the workers were asleep, I saw him sneaking around to inspect our food storage. He even wrote something down on a scrap of paper... Shall I go break his legs and drag him here to force the truth out of him?" Frank offered the most straightforward solution, true to his former peasant nature.
Lloyd shook his head gently. A faint smile appeared on his pale lips.
"Calm down, Frank. In the world of warfare... if we encounter a 'Scout'—an enemy spy—rushing to kill them isn't always the best option."
"A scout? You mean a spy?" Frank frowned. "But if we leave him alone, he'll take the secret that we have no provisions left straight to the enemy."
Lloyd swirled the clay cup in his hand, a cunning glint sparkling in the former World Champion's eyes.
"That is exactly the point. If we strike the scout down, the enemy will immediately know that we are onto them and preparing to fight back. Isn't it better to let him live... and orchestrate a scene so he only sees 'what we want him to see'?" Lloyd explained a tactic known as 'Misdirection', a fundamental strategy in [RTS] games.
"You mean... we're going to trick him?"
"Exactly," Lloyd nodded, before waving over a messenger boy who was resting nearby. "Tim! Come here for a second."
Tim immediately trotted over to the young Lord. "How may I serve you, Lord Lloyd?"
Lloyd reached into his cloak and pulled out a parchment scroll heavily sealed with red wax. It looked like a highly classified official document, but in reality, it was just a blank piece of paper Lloyd had stamped with the family crest for fun that morning.
The young Baron purposely raised his voice slightly higher than usual... just loud enough for the wind to carry his words to the ears of the straw-hatted man working over ten meters away.
"Tim, listen to me carefully," Lloyd said in a stern, clear voice. "Keep this secret document safe in your bag. Tomorrow at dawn, you must ride a fast horse to the southern border... The secret envoy from the 'Caraventia Federation' is waiting for our answer."
Tim took the scroll with trembling hands, looking utterly confused. There wasn't a single horse left in Verdant Territory. But seeing Lloyd wink at him, the boy quickly caught on and played along.
"U-Understood, My Lord! I will deliver it to the secret envoy of the Caraventia Federation!"
"Yes. Tell them that Verdant Territory accepts their conditions," Lloyd deliberately continued, his voice brimming with confidence. "If they send 'three hundred mercenaries' to protect our territory within three days, I will sign the contract granting them full monopoly over the processed magic lumber trade route!"
Frank, standing behind him, had to discreetly swallow hard. He finally understood his Lord's plan. Spreading a rumor about three hundred mercenaries would force the invading enemy to hesitate and completely restructure their attack plans.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd glanced at the man in the straw hat.
The man's hoe paused for a split second. Though he pretended to wipe his sweat and continue digging, his posture had noticeably stiffened. He was clearly straining his ears to listen to the rest of the conversation.
"Keep the document safe in your satchel. Sleep with it tonight, and do not let it out of your sight," Lloyd emphasized heavily, before waving Tim off to rest.
"A perfect illusion, My Lord," Frank whispered in admiration. "If he steals that paper tonight, we can track him and catch him..."
"No need to catch him," Lloyd cut in. "Let him steal it and run away. We will just tail him from a safe distance. If he flees north to deliver the letter to the main city, it means he's Baron Reinhardt's spy... But if he flees east, heading toward the Capital..."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes, the atmosphere around him suddenly turning icy.
"That means the 'Imperial Shadow Unit' is watching us... which would be a hundred times bigger of a problem."
A Master at Work
As the afternoon rolled in, Lloyd's attention returned to the territory's restoration project.
The roaring commands of 'Notch', the Orc who was now the Chief Master Builder, echoed across the construction site. His formerly sluggish and cowardly demeanor had completely vanished. Standing before the blueprints and the active site, Notch was like a general commanding a battlefield.
"The angle on that bamboo is off! I told you to adjust the incline to fifteen degrees! If the water flows too fast, the banks will collapse!" Notch shouted at the human laborers in frustration.
Surprisingly, the workers who had previously cursed and bullied Notch were now obediently following the plump Orc's orders. Part of it was out of fear of Lord Lloyd's authority, but another part... was that they couldn't deny Notch's methods worked.
Lloyd walked closer to inspect the progress, accompanied by Elder Aura, who was being supported by Tim.
"A drip irrigation system and terraced canals..." Lloyd muttered in sheer awe, looking at the intricately connected bamboo structures designed to draw water from the stream up to the higher agricultural lands.
"My Lord!" Notch immediately sprinted over upon seeing Lloyd. His grayish-green face was smeared with mud, but his eyes sparkled with pride. "The foundation system is over seventy percent complete! By drilling holes in the bamboo to let water seep directly into the earth, we reduce evaporation from the sun. Sandy loam soil like this will retain the moisture perfectly!"
Lloyd glanced at the [Tech Tree] window, which was glowing a vibrant yellow, indicating that the conditions were rapidly being fulfilled.
"I can see the progress, Notch. Your talent, [Genius Architect SR] , is the real deal," Lloyd praised genuinely. "You managed to repurpose highly limited resources into a maximally efficient structure without relying on a single expensive magical tool."
"Talent... SR? What does that mean, My Lord?" Notch scratched his head, a simple, innocent smile appearing on his face.
"It means you are the ultimate master builder," Lloyd chuckled softly. "Hurry it up. Before the sun sets, I want to see the first drop of water flow into our village's wheat fields this evening."
"Understood, My Lord! By dusk, everything will be perfect!" Notch accepted the order vigorously, before turning back to shout commands at his crew with overflowing energy.
Elder Aura, who had been listening quietly, offered a faint smile. "The winds of change have truly arrived... Before, this land knew only despair. But now, I can feel the vitality of people building something together."
Lloyd watched the villagers and laborers working side by side, digging earth and laying bamboo pipes. This was the first time Verdant Territory had seen concrete infrastructural development. It was no longer just about surviving day by day; it was about 'building' the foundation of a kingdom, guided by the [RTS Master System] .
Shadows in the Night
When the darkness of night blanketed the land, Verdant Village returned to a peaceful silence.
Crickets chirped loudly in the grass, and the crescent moon's light reflected off the surface of the newly constructed irrigation canal.
In a dark corner of the workers' tent, a black silhouette quietly rose. The man in the straw hat scanned his surroundings. Seeing everyone fast asleep, he slipped out of the tent, making a beeline for Tim's shelter near the manor.
The man's rough but nimble hands slipped into the sleeping boy's satchel. He easily pulled out the parchment scroll sealed with red wax.
The suspected spy smirked. He quickly shoved the secret document into his cloak before spinning around and darting through the bushes, vanishing into the darkness of the deep eastern woods as swiftly as a phantom.
However... perched on a thick branch of the oak tree right above Tim's shelter.
Frank and Lloyd had been silently observing his every move.
"He took the fake document, My Lord," Frank whispered, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. "And he's heading east... the route to the Capital."
Lloyd let out a long sigh. A sharp headache flared up again, but this time, it wasn't due to low mana... It was from the heavy weight of the impending problems.
"East..." Lloyd muttered, his eyes turning cold. "It's clear now. This spy isn't working for Baron Reinhardt. He's one of the 'Imperial Shadow Unit'. They're making their move much faster than I anticipated."
"The Imperial Shadow Unit..." Frank repeated, his voice full of confusion. "Who are they, My Lord? Why are they scarier than Baron Reinhardt's army?"
Lloyd watched the spy's back disappear into the shadows, his brain pulling information from his original body's memories to piece together the situation.
"Baron Reinhardt is just a local noble who wants our land..." Lloyd explained in a chilling whisper. "But the Imperial Shadow Unit are the eyes and ears of 'Emperor Gregor', the supreme ruler of this continent. They are an assassination and espionage division that answers only to the Veltine Throne."
"T-The Emperor?" Frank's eyes widened in horror. "But our Verdant Territory is just the poorest borderland! Why would the Emperor himself send a spy to keep an eye on a low-ranking noble like you?"
"That is exactly what I am wondering." Lloyd furrowed his brows. "Monsters controlled by mind-manipulation magic... and a central spy infiltrating us at the exact same time. It's too coincidental. It's almost as if someone is testing the waters to see what secrets Verdant Territory is hiding."
The former World Champion rubbed his chin in thought. "If this were a game, it's like a Late Game boss suddenly wandering around the starter village... But luckily, that document will buy us some time."
"Will that document really fool them, My Lord?"
"It will." Lloyd smirked. "The contents claim we are about to sign a contract with the 'Caraventia Federation', a neutral economic superpower with the strongest naval fleet. The Veltine Empire wouldn't want to fight a two-front war or unnecessarily provoke the Free Merchants. The Shadow Unit will have to waste at least one or two weeks verifying this intel at the capital... By the time they realize they've been played, we'll already be established."
But Lloyd knew very well that playing alchemy with fake intel was only a temporary fix.
"We urgently need an expert in economics and diplomacy..." Lloyd muttered to himself. "Someone who knows the trade routes and can turn my lie into reality."
The First Harvest of Hope
The dawn of a new day arrived sooner than expected.
Golden sunlight bathed the lands of Verdant Territory. But this morning was unlike any other. The sound that woke the villagers wasn't the tolling of the alarm bell... It was the splash and rush of flowing water.
"My Lord! Lord Lloyd! It's a success!"
Tim's excited shout echoed from the manor's front door. Lloyd, who had only managed a two-hour nap, rubbed his eyes and stepped out onto the second-floor balcony. Frank, who had been guarding his door, immediately followed his Lord downstairs.
The sight laid out before Lloyd was a masterpiece crafted overnight.
An orderly irrigation canal stretched from the small stream, cutting across the village's parched agricultural plots. The bamboo pipes, precisely drilled according to Notch's calculations, steadily dripped water into the soil. The sandy loam, once dry and cracked, was now soaked in moisture, turning into a rich, dark brown.
Notch stood in the middle of the field. The plump Orc was covered in mud from head to toe, but he was roaring with happy laughter, surrounded by several villagers thanking him profusely.
"Thank you so much, Master Notch! With the soil this moist, the remaining wheat seeds will definitely grow in time for winter!" Uncle Ben patted the Orc's shoulder warmly.
"Not just wheat, Uncle Ben!" Notch wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I designed the left trench to have extra high moisture. You can plant 'Wild Herbs' over there—they're Verdant Territory's specialty, right? They'll grow twice as fast now!"
Lloyd walked closer to the fields, a proud smile blooming on his face.
Ding!
The [RTS Master System] window flashed brightly in Lloyd's vision without him prompting it. This time, it wasn't a red warning message; it was the golden glow of an achieved milestone.
[Tech Tree Unlocked Successfully: Basic Irrigation System]
[Conditions Met: Population 30+ / Wood Resources 10 units / Overseen by SR-tier Builder]
[Development Results:]
Territory Agricultural Yield +200%
Unlocked Cultivation Area: Wild Herbs (Tier 1 Export Good)
Morale of 'Villager' units increased by +50
"Plus two hundred percent..." Lloyd read the system message in sheer excitement. "This isn't just about surviving anymore. This is the starting point for creating our territory's 'export goods'."
The former World Champion looked at the green dots on his [Mini-Map] . The dots that had once scurried around aimlessly, riddled with the 'Fearful' status, were now moving systematically. Their statuses had changed to 'Hopeful' and 'Enthusiastic'.
His resource management gaming mindset... could truly revive the lives of the people in this world.
"My Lord..." Notch walked over to Lloyd and dropped to one knee in the mud, bowing respectfully. "The water delivery system is complete. For the next phase, I will begin drafting the blueprints for the 'Sawmill' and 'Workshop' as you ordered. We'll use red pine from the forest edge for the main structures. Within two days, I stake my head on it—it will be finished right on time for the tax deadline!"
"Stand up, Notch. You did excellently." Lloyd pulled the Orc up by his arm. "Give everyone half a day of rest. This afternoon, we start chopping wood... Our economic war has only just begun."
The Truth of the Board
That night, a chilly wind blew through a village sleeping peacefully for the first time in months.
Lloyd was sitting in his study, reviewing the [Tech Tree] window to plan his next building research. Suddenly, a soft knock echoed from the door.
"Lord Lloyd..." Tim's small voice slipped through. "Elder Aura sent me to fetch you, My Lord. She said there is something extremely important... She needs to speak with you privately at the Forest God's Temple behind the village."
Lloyd frowned. "The Forest God's Temple? At this time of night?"
Though suspicious, Lloyd didn't decline. He knew Elder Aura wasn't one to speak nonsense. The blind old woman's sixth sense was uncannily accurate. Grabbing his cloak, he ordered Frank to guard the manor and followed Tim to the western forest's edge alone.
The Forest God's Temple was nothing more than ancient stone ruins, heavily overgrown with vines and thick moss. In the center of the stone courtyard, a small magical torch was lit. Elder Aura sat meditating with her eyes closed in front of the fire.
"You may go rest, Tim. Thank you," the old woman spoke without opening her eyes.
Once the boy ran back toward the village and disappeared from sight, Elder Aura opened her clouded eyes. Even though she was blind, Lloyd felt as if her gaze was piercing straight into the very depths of his soul.
"Why did you call for me, Elder Aura?" Lloyd asked, his tone polite and guarded.
The old woman let out a long sigh. She raised a trembling hand and pointed straight at Lloyd's forehead.
"I have felt it... ever since the day you returned from the dead." Elder Aura began speaking in a raspy, reverent whisper. "At first, I thought it was merely a miracle of the God of Light. But when I saw the way you look at the world... the way you controlled Frank's overwhelming power, and the way you awakened Notch's intellect... I knew it wasn't magic."
Lloyd crossed his arms tightly. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"The power you possess..." The old woman lowered her hand. The flame in the torch flickered bizarrely. "You do not see a tree as just a tree. You do not see a human as just a human... Your eyes view this world as a 'Board', and you see us as 'Pieces' designated by numbers... is that not so?"
Lloyd froze. His heart skipped a beat.
She knew! This blind old woman could sense the existence of the [RTS Master System] !
"You need not fear that I will leak this secret. I am but an old woman waiting to return to the earth." Elder Aura smiled faintly. "But I must warn you... the power you are using is not something new to this world."
"Not something new?" Lloyd frowned deeply. "What do you mean? Are there others who have a system... I mean... a power like mine?"
"In the ancient legends of the Forest God Cult, which the Empire burned and purged hundreds of years ago..." Elder Aura explained, her voice as soft as the whispering wind. "There are tales of the 'Creator Gods', who did not shape the world with spells and magic, but built it using 'Rules' and 'Management'..."
The old woman raised her blind eyes to look at the night sky.
"The thing you hold... is a fragment of the 'Original World Management System' left behind by the Creator Gods before they vanished millennia ago."
Lloyd took a sharp breath. The massive influx of information made the system window in his head vibrate slightly. The RTS game interface he was so familiar with was actually the fundamental truth of this world! This world was built in the format of a base-building game from the very beginning!
"If it's the power of the Creator Gods, then why is this world so decaying and riddled with war?" Lloyd asked the most logical question a gamer could ask. "If there's a management system, the world should be flourishing."
Elder Aura remained silent for a long moment. A profound sorrow etched itself onto her wrinkled face.
"Because you... are 'not the first' to possess a fragment of this system."
The answer hit Lloyd like a sledgehammer squarely to the face!
"The system holders of the past... they lost themselves in the power of seeing and manipulating all creation as mere numbers." Elder Aura spoke with a trembling voice. "They did not use it to 'build' like you are doing with Verdant Territory... They used it to 'destroy' and devour the power of others, until the world shattered into the four great factions you see today."
Lloyd stood perfectly still, his breath turning ice-cold.
If what Elder Aura said was true... that meant among the continent's ruling powers—whether it be the Emperor of Veltine, the Doge Council of Caraventia, or even the person who sent the Shadow Unit spy to watch him... there could be someone else possessing a [System] just like his!
"Lord Lloyd..." Elder Aura reached out a shaking hand and grasped the hem of the young Baron's cloak. "The war you are about to face is not just a battle over this rural backwater territory... It is a war between 'System Holders', with the fate of the entire world at stake!"
The torch flame snuffed out the moment she finished speaking, leaving Lloyd standing engulfed in darkness, facing a terrifying truth that had just completely flipped the board of this game forever!
(End of Chapter 7)