Meanwhile, people in the territory also began to see the notifications one after another.
"Ahhh! I got picked!"
"Picked for what? The Guard Team?"
"Yeah, they sent me a notification!"
"Why'd the notification come out of nowhere? Shouldn't there be some sort of selection?"
"Who said there's no selection? The territory definitely has its own way of picking people."
"Well, no more chance for me. Thought I'd get chosen, too!"
"So jealous."
"I also got a notification! There's a big starter pack included!"
"Starter pack? What's in it?"
"Just clothes and weapons."
"..."
As they talked, someone took out their clothes and weapon to show off.
[Item: Leather Armor Three-piece Set (Green)]
[Introduction: Increases defensive power by 20%]
[Defense: Can block 50 damage]
[Durability: 100/100 (Please take to tailor shop for repairs if below 20%)]
*
[Item: Long Spear]
[Level: Bronze]
[Introduction: Can deal with level 1–9 regular Demon Beasts, attack bonus of 10%]
[Damage: 60]
[Durability: 120/120 (Please take to Blacksmith Shop for repairs if below 20%)]
Looking at the item stats, the crowd erupted in waves of amazement.
"This treatment is way too good!"
"An Iron Axe costs 50 silver coins, stats are a bit lower than this."
"But the Long Spear is just way more practical! Much better than an Iron Axe."
"Will the Guard Team recruit again later? I really want in!"
"If you want one, just buy it—they've put Guard Team uniforms and weapons on sale at the tailor shop and Blacksmith Shop!"
"Really?"
"I just came back from there! Thought I'd let everyone know, didn't expect it's only because of the Guard Team. Checked the price—20 silver coins for the armor, 60 for the spear. The territory is so generous!"
"..."
As everyone discussed, their envy toward the chosen guards got even stronger.
Actually, most people can afford 80 silver coins, but is something you get for free ever the same as what you buy yourself?
Originally, they'd just tried their luck for the Guard Team, but now they felt a bit regretful.
Though, deep down, a new thought was starting to take shape.
That was to level up, so next time the territory picks guards, they might get chosen.
But how do you get picked?
Thinking this, everyone's eyes flickered over the chosen guards, checking what "charm" they had to win over the territory. Could they ask for their stats?
The guards being stared at noticed the intense gaze on them, feeling a little uncomfortable.
They felt like a piece of meat getting eyed by a hungry dog!
Zhou Zhengping appeared in their line of sight at that moment.
In the territory, people's display names are obvious. The guards who just received the notification already memorized one key line: [Please report to your captain Zhou Zhengping as soon as possible.]
The [Hope Village Resident · Zhou Zhengping] in front of them—isn't he their Guard Team captain?
Several people instantly rushed over to Zhou Zhengping, their eyes shining.
They still hadn't gotten over the excitement of being picked!
"Captain! I'm Feng Lezhi."
"Captain! I'm Quan Zhiqiang."
"..."
Meanwhile, a few others nearby couldn't help but speak up, "My captain's name is Li Xingteng, I think?"
"There are two captains?"
"Yeah, there should be two captains. My team list only has nine people." Zhou Zhengping heard someone muttering and replied with a smile, "But it doesn't matter which team you're on, we're all Guard Team members from now on. Let's all get to know each other."
And just like that, the selected guards gathered around Zhou Zhengping.
After a short while, Zhou Zhengping got familiar with everyone, guessed most of their personalities, and matched them to the stats Zhou Bai gave him yesterday.
Watching how lively they were, the other residents couldn't help but step up and ask about their situation.
Many started thinking, now it's only the second day of the Doomsday Game; there shouldn't be a big difference in levels. The territory probably isn't picking by level. That leaves only one thing—attributes.
Personal attributes are usually a secret. Seeing the eager looks in everyone's eyes, Zhou Zhengping thought for a moment and took the lead in announcing his own stats.
Since Zhou Zhengping said his stats, the others followed without hiding a thing.
Personal attributes will change in the future anyway, so it doesn't matter if people find out now.
After everyone finished, the way people looked at Zhou Zhengping completely changed.
In fact, many compared the Guard Team members who reported their stats—their overall attributes aren't below 5.
But Zhou Zhengping's stats really stunned them. No wonder he became Guard Team captain.
They accepted the outcome, and now had a clearer idea about their own paths. Their eyes gleamed as they glanced toward the territory's edge, itching for action.
Attribute points, huh—they heard you can drop those by killing Demon Beasts.
Just then, a team showed up outside the territory.
All the residents' eyes lit up subconsciously.
Someone's back!
The returning team was Li Xingteng's.
He'd originally planned to come back later, but after suddenly finding out he'd been recruited as Guard Team captain while outside, his mind was a mess.
He never expected, though, the moment they stepped back into the territory, they got surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.
Li Xingteng's thoughts went wild—was everyone welcoming him specifically because he's Guard Team captain?
"How's things outside? Is it dangerous?"
"Are there more Demon Beasts now? What about their levels?"
"Did you see any other teams?"
"..."
Listening to their questions, Li Xingteng immediately realized their intentions, quickly and politely informed everyone: "There are more Demon Beasts now and their levels have gone up a bit, but it's not a big problem. Actually, it's easier to get loot now. Just remember, when heading out, bring more people in your team."
Hearing Li Xingteng's response, everyone finally felt at ease. After a quick thank you, they started forming teams to head out.
Looking at their excited faces as if they were about to go do something big, Li Xingteng wondered silently, what's happened here?
But the next moment, Li Xingteng couldn't think about it any longer. He spotted Zhou Zhengping and his group not far away—in them, he saw several familiar names.
Those must be the Guard Team!
His gaze lingered a bit longer on Zhou Zhengping in the center before withdrawing.
"I'll go deal with Guard Team business first. I'll contact you all later—take a break for now."
After setting up his old teammates, Li Xingteng led two members toward Zhou Zhengping.
With their three, the Guard Team's full 20 members were assembled.
Li Xingteng's members looked at him and hurried to report.
As Li Xingteng confirmed reporting to his teammates on the panel, every Guard Team member's panel pinged with a new notification.
[Guard Team identity confirmed.]
The next moment, the names above their heads changed.
[Hope Village · Guard Team]
Everyone noticed right away. Looking at the names over each other's heads, a strong sense of belonging welled up in their hearts.
As their identities were confirmed, Zhou Bai's side also received the message.
[Dear Host, your territory Hope Village has officially established the Guard Team. Please assign tasks to your Guard Team!]
[Task (+)]
[Available targets: Guard Team 1 (Zhou Zhengping); Guard Team 2 (Li Xingteng)]
Seeing the proper task system, Zhou Bai didn't hesitate to add the plan she'd already decided on.
[Task 1: Defend the territory, maintain order in the territory.]
[Type: Daily Task]
[Reward: Salary bonus 20%]
[Assigned: Captain's decision]
*
[Task 2: Assist the territory in killing Demon Beasts within the territory's borders and rescue refugees.]
[Type: Daily Task]
[Reward: Loot distributed individually]
[Assigned: Guard Team 1, Guard Team 2]
These two tasks are the main jobs for now. The first task is fairly easy, Zhou Bai lets them decide how to handle it.
The second task is what Zhou Bai cares about most.
First, killing Demon Beasts boosts the territory's safety and levels up the Guard Team.
Second, with a good amount of funds, she doesn't mind having more people in the territory. More people means more resources, more labor, and stronger fighting power.
She didn't know how strong other territories were. The only thing that mattered was leveling up her own territory as much as possible in a month.
Also, if she has the ability, it's good to rescue more compatriots; the earlier the rescue, the more survivors.
The next moment, the mission was issued directly.
Right away, all Guard Team members received the message.
Seeing the notification, Li Xingteng's eyes sparkled even brighter. This territory really means business!
The urge to do things soared. He looked straight at Zhou Zhengping: "Since we're all Guard Team members now, let's figure things out together—whoever makes sense, we listen to them."
He does want to be team leader one day, but he needs to earn it fairly. He'll compete openly with Zhou Zhengping, let his skills speak for themselves.
Zhou Zhengping understood Li Xingteng's meaning at this moment. From the first meeting yesterday, he knew Li Xingteng was ambitious. He'd worried Li Xingteng might play dirty, but now he realized something.
As long as you manage them well, ambitious people are a huge asset for the territory.
"Alright."
A short while later, all Guard Team members donned their exclusive Leather Armor Three-piece Set, armed themselves with Long Spears, and headed out of the territory full of spirit.
Watching their departing figures, some residents who stayed behind felt a strong sense of security for no reason.
Thinking of their territory's name, they smiled a bit.
Hope Village! It really does feel like a place with hope.