The window in midair was still waiting for an answer.
The system demanded that I bestow a name. The newly Awakened Orc lay prostrate before me.
I already had a name in mind.
Dawn of the Races. Whenever I played on Extinction difficulty, one named berserker had slaughtered more Primitive Human tribes than any other.
Half of my 3,000 playthroughs had ended at that monster's hands. Whenever he appeared, an entire tribe vanished overnight.
His name was Valkas.
The name that had once belonged to the scourge of the Primitive Humans would now be inherited by our ally. Nothing could suit him better.
Panterun watched curiously from beside us.
"Valkas."
I pronounced it clearly.
"Your name is Valkas."
The Orc raised his head. An unfamiliar light entered his newly restored eyes.
GRRRR!
He thumped his fist against his chest and roared.
[Translation]
*"Valkas. This body's name is Valkas."*
He repeated his name again and again, then pressed his forehead to the ground. The watching Orcs all prostrated themselves with him.
DING!
[Soul Link Formed]
The Ruler has bestowed a name upon the second Awakened.
'Valkas.'
A deep Soul Link will form between the Ruler and the Awakened.
Effects:
▸ Bond limit surpassed
▸ The Awakened's latent talent will bloom.
FLARE!
Dark red light erupted from Valkas's body. It was a distinctly Orcish radiance, unlike the golden light that had surrounded Panterun.
DING!
[Talent Bloom]
The latent potential of the Awakened 'Valkas' has bloomed by one stage.
Trait Evolved:
▸ [Unstoppable Berserker] — Acquired complete control over the innate skill 'Berserk'
― Can activate and deactivate Berserk at will.
― Retains sense of self while Berserk is active.
As the light faded, Valkas rose.
He wrapped himself in dark red energy, then dismissed it. He could turn it on and off freely, and his eyes remained clear even while it surrounded him.
A berserker who retained his reason was practically cheating. In terms of pure combat power, it meant we had gained another warrior who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Panterun.
Grrrr.
The surrounding Orcs all prostrated themselves.
WOOOOOO!
The Primitive Human tribespeople cheered as well.
Panterun approached and patted Valkas on the shoulder.
"Now there are two of us. Two of the Ruler's Awakened."
His face shone with delight at gaining a comrade. Then he held out his hand to Valkas.
"I look forward to fighting beside you, Valkas."
Grr.
Valkas grasped his hand. It was the first time a Primitive Human Awakened and an Orc Awakened had clasped hands.
At that moment, I made my decision.
'I'm spending all of it.'
I opened my status window.
[Current Points: 672P]
There was no reason to save them. I knew now that everything I invested here returned several times its value.
I selected Race Development first.
[Race Development — Orc]
50P will be consumed.
The Orc race's combat power, intelligence, and adaptability will increase.
Balance: 622P
HUM!
The change in the Orcs' eyes was immediately apparent. A clear spark of intelligence appeared in their once-dull pupils.
DING!
[10 minutes remain in Descent.]
My time was running out.
"Panterun. Valkas. Take care of the tribe. I'll keep watching from outside."
"Leave it to us."
Grr!
The two Awakened thumped their chests side by side.
Light covered my vision.
***
Even after I returned home, my hands itched. I still had 622 points.
When I opened the shop, an unfamiliar entry caught my eye.
[Point Shop — Newly Unlocked]
▸ Race Elite Upgrade (Orc): 400P
― Unlock Condition: Possess an Awakened of the corresponding race
― Effect: Permanently strengthens all ordinary adults into elite warriors
※ Ordinary individual enhancement limit: Below Awakened individuals
'Race Elite Upgrade?'
The entry had unlocked thanks to Valkas. Permanently strengthening every ordinary adult was practically a race-wide transformation.
Four hundred points was a great deal, but the value was even greater.
The final line seemed to impose a limit, but depending on how I interpreted it, that could be beneficial too.
No matter how strong they became, they could not surpass Valkas. In other words, it was a safeguard that preserved the hierarchy.
'Purchase.'
[Race Elite Upgrade — Orc]
400P will be consumed.
Balance: 222P
I immediately opened the Observe screen.
Red light was descending over the Orcs. The six adults other than Valkas were enveloped in it.
But the light did not stop with the Orcs.
RUMBLE!
The ground on one side of the camp shook. Logs and boulders floated into the air and began fitting themselves together.
"What is that?"
Three buildings rose in an instant.
A broad log barracks covered in hide. An arena encircled by stone. An armory lined with racks for greatspears.
DING!
[Race Elite Upgrade — Additional Effect]
Buildings exclusive to the elite race have been constructed automatically.
▸ Orc Warrior Barracks
▸ Arena
▸ Armory
My mouth fell open as the buildings constructed themselves.
'Even Dawn of the Races didn't have anything like this. This is full-on territory building.'
My tribespeople were just as astonished.
WOOOOOO!
Primitive Humans and Orcs alike swarmed the new buildings, touching the pillars and rapping on the walls. An elite Orc looked inside the barracks and roared, while the young ones raced excitedly around the arena.
Once the commotion subsided, the changes in the Orcs became apparent. Their arms were thicker, and every step carried power.
ROOOAR!
The Orcs roared as they thumped each other's bodies.
One elite Orc lifted a boulder and hurled it into the distance. Previously, two of them would have needed to roll something that large.
Emboldened, he challenged Valkas and clasped his hand. A contest of strength.
It ended in 3 seconds. Valkas forced him to his knees with one arm.
'The upper limit is clear.'
I had 222 points left. I had no intention of stopping there.
But the system moved first.
DING!
[Special Offer]
A discounted package commemorating the union of two races has been prepared.
[Allied Tribe Package] Regular Price 240P → 192P
▸ Knowledge Imprinting: Palisade Construction
▸ Knowledge Imprinting: Storehouse Construction
▸ Knowledge Imprinting: Signaling System
※ These foundational technologies are operated jointly by two races.
'It's putting a discount in front of me too. The system is practically telling me to buy it.'
The system's sales tactics were becoming more blatant.
Still, the contents were exactly what we needed. A tribe with a growing population needed a wall, a storehouse, and a means of communication.
There was no reason to hesitate.
[Purchase Complete]
192P has been consumed.
Balance: 30P
Energy flowed out from deep within my chest and into the planet.
Thirty points remained. Exactly enough for one Injury Recovery Blessing, making it a suitable emergency reserve.
I had spent nearly everything, yet strangely, I did not regret it. All of it would become the tribe's flesh and blood.
I could not tear my eyes from the Observe screen that night.
The Orcs' handiwork was the first thing that made me doubt my eyes.
They picked up the Primitive Humans' spears, then shook their heads. Between their thick fingers, the shafts looked far too slender.
But what happened next made me zoom in on the screen.
They were carving entire logs. They ground boulders into spearheads and bound them in place with hide cords. These were not the hands of the Orcs from yesterday.
'Wait. They're designing those before they build them?'
No matter how much Race Development I invested in during the game, an Orc never wielded anything beyond a club.
I laughed when I saw the completed greatspears. An Orc swung one in a single hand, though two humans together could not have lifted it.
WHOOOM!
The trial swing snapped a massive tree in one blow.
ROOOAR!
The Orcs roared and placed the completed greatspears side by side in the armory racks.
When Valkas summoned the elites to the arena, I unconsciously straightened in my seat.
With a roar, the Orcs faced off in pairs. The earth shook every time their greatspears collided.
But the instant one dropped to a knee and pressed a fist to his chest, the fight stopped dead.
The victor helped the loser up, and Valkas nodded before calling the next pair.
A duel that ended in submission rather than death. I had seen that scene somewhere before.
'It's exactly what I did to Valkas.'
Goosebumps rose across my skin. Before I knew it, that method had become an Orc custom.
When the duels ended, the Orcs united under Valkas as a single warrior band.
The next day, I opened the screen as soon as I woke.
I burst out laughing when a Primitive Human warrior tried to lift a greatspear and fell backward. The Orcs were clutching their stomachs and laughing too.
'They're laughing together. Those guys.'
One side of my chest grew strangely warm.
The Orcs squatted before the firepit and learned to sew. Their clumsy hands made me chuckle, but one day later they left me speechless by wearing hide clothes tailored to their bodies.
A Primitive Human child rode on a young Orc's back as they raced between the palisades. The adults did not stop them. They merely laughed.
'That generation will grow up as one tribe from the beginning.'
The palisade work was fascinating too. When the Orcs carried over logs, the Primitive Humans erected and lashed them in place. The division of labor aligned without anyone giving orders. Smoked meat accumulated in the storehouse.
THUMP. THUMP.
When the log drum atop the hill sounded, every scattered tribesman assembled in an instant.
'Everyone assembles from a single signal. This isn't a tribe—it's an army.'
Panterun was the funniest of all. He glared at the Orc warrior band, then doubled the Primitive Humans' training volume and halved the size of the javelin targets.
'Look at how competitive he is.'
The two races were driving each other forward. Inside the palisades, cooking smoke from both races rose side by side.
DING!
[Achievement Accomplished!]
★ First Multiracial Empire ★
Humanity has laid the foundation for history's first multiracial empire.
Two races have been integrated under a single order.
'An empire?'
I was momentarily taken aback by the word empire rather than tribe. An empire of 109 people.
But no matter how long I stared at the system window, the words did not change. It seemed the convenience-store worker was about to be called an emperor.
Another window appeared.
[Empire Quest Issued: Foundation of the Empire]
Growth rewards will be awarded through quests.
Objectives:
▸ Subjugate Races: 3 (Current: 2)
▸ Reach a tribe population of 300 (Current: 109)
▸ Possess 5 Awakened (Current: 2)
Completion Reward: Unlock Imperial Authority
Until now, the system had only granted achievements and rewards. It had never given me objectives in advance.
I examined the objectives. Population and Awakened were problems that time and investment would solve. Ultimately, the key was the third race.
The words Imperial Authority gave me no idea what it would be, but one thing was certain. My path had been set.
The races from the game passed through my mind.
'Elves of bow and magic. Dwarves of the forge. Lizardmen of the water. Goblins found everywhere.'
If Elves or Dwarves joined us, our civilization would leap forward by several stages. But they were proud races, and subjugating them would not be easy.
'First, I'll send out scouts during my next Descent.'
And so, the emperor of a 109-person empire began weighing the target of his next conquest.