"Did... did you hear all of that?" Ray asked, his gaze fixed on Clara, who was still cautiously observing the shimmering, protective wall.
Clara nodded slowly, her brow furrowed in thought. "Every word. It felt... like it was inside my head, not just in the air." She shivered slightly, despite the gentle warmth of the sunlight filtering through the leaves. "Lords and helpers... successors... what does it all mean?"
Ray took another step closer, his strategic mind already trying to parse the limited information they had. "It sounds like some kind of... competition," he said slowly, the word feeling inadequate to describe the gravity of their situation. "A way to choose leaders, maybe? The 'successors'… they're the ultimate prize, it seems."
Clara's eyes widened. "And we... one of us is a Lord, and the other a Helper?" She looked at Ray, then back at the surrounding forest, a hint of unease in her voice. "How do we know who is who?"
A thought struck Ray. The booming voice had addressed "beings of a thousand worlds." Perhaps there was a way to identify their designated roles. He focused his attention inward, a habit honed from countless hours navigating complex game menus. Almost instantly, a translucent screen shimmered into existence before his eyes, filled with text and icons.
"I... I think I have something," Ray murmured, his attention fixed on the interface. "It looks like... a system? A profile, skills, inventory..."
Clara gasped softly, stepping closer to peer at the glowing screen. "I see it too! It just... appeared in my mind." Her own interface hovered before her, displaying similar information. "It says... 'Clara,' then my race... human, I think? And then... 'Helper.'" Her voice dropped slightly on the last word.
Ray scanned his own interface. "Ray Aethelred," it read, followed by his race and then, starkly, "Lord." The weight of the title settled upon him, a sudden responsibility he hadn't asked for. He looked at Clara, a new understanding passing between them.
"So," Clara said slowly, her initial surprise giving way to a thoughtful expression. "You're a Lord. And I'm your Helper." There was no resentment in her tone, only a quiet acceptance of the presented roles. "What do we do now?"
Ray's strategic mind was already racing. "The announcement mentioned conquering, building kingdoms. This 'system'… it probably has tools to help us do that. Look at your interface, Clara. Do you see anything related to… resources? Building?"
Clara focused on her screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I see an inventory... it's empty. A skills tab... also empty. A chat community... it looks like it's separated by region and continent, but it says no connections yet. And... a profile with my level and some points."
Ray nodded, his own interface displaying similar basic information. "Mine too. But I also have another tab… it just appeared. It says 'Kingdom Interface.'" He tapped at the mental icon, and a new screen unfolded before him, filled with different categories: Kingdom Overview, Management, Military, Reports…
Clara leaned closer, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What does it show?"
Ray began to explore the various sections, his fingers moving through the mental menus with an intuitive ease that surprised him. "It seems to be a way to manage… a territory, I guess. It shows 'Territory: Unclaimed,' 'Population: 1'… that must be me. And 'Resources: None.'" He navigated to the 'Management' section. "Assignments… Policies… Diplomacy… it's all locked for now."
"Maybe we need to claim some land first?" Clara suggested, her voice thoughtful. "The announcement said 'carve kingdoms from the raw fabric of this land.'"
Ray nodded, his gaze drifting beyond the shimmering shield to the dense forest surrounding them. "That seems likely. This 5km square… that must be our initial territory. But how do we 'claim' it?" He returned to the Kingdom Interface, searching for any clues.
"Maybe it's tied to your role as Lord?" Clara mused. "Perhaps you have an action or a skill that allows you to establish your claim."
Ray focused again on his main profile, examining the skills tab. It was empty, except for one entry: "Lord Aura (Locked - Requires Level 100)." And then, beneath it, a single active skill: "Strategic Echo (A-Tier)." He tapped on it, and a brief description appeared: "An innate ability to perceive and briefly 'echo' successful strategies you have witnessed or analyzed. Provides clearer, more detailed, and longer-lasting intuitive insights into optimal tactical deployments, resource management, or even social maneuvering."
He frowned. While potentially useful, it didn't seem to be a kingdom-founding skill. "This is my Lord skill," he explained to Clara. "It helps me… think strategically. Useful, maybe, but not for planting a flag."
Clara pondered for a moment. "Maybe it's automatic? When you established yourself as the 'Lord' in this territory?"
Ray considered this. It was possible. He navigated back to the Kingdom Overview. The "Territory" still read "Unclaimed," but now, beneath it, a new option had appeared: "Claim Territory (Requires Initial Population)."
"Initial Population?" Ray murmured, looking at Clara. "That must mean… us. Maybe we need to acknowledge each other, establish a… a connection within this territory?"
He looked at Clara, a new thought forming. They were the only two here, designated Lord and Helper. Perhaps their presence together was the trigger. "Clara," he said, his voice more decisive now. "According to this, we need to be the 'initial population' to claim this territory. What do you think we should do?"