Golan studied the savage beast before him, then shifted his gaze to the description below.
"So this place is called the Frozen Northern Plateau… or somewhere close to it?"
"Its power level matches Suleiman's current strength, but it definitely won't be equal. Monsters naturally hold an advantage over humans with their massive, rugged bodies."
Thoughts raced and tangled within Golan's mind as he analyzed his next move.
He knew this wasn't a game where a single button press launched an attack—here, caution, planning, and logical use of his forces were vital.
"But with the protective barrier, this is possible…"
He raised his voice calmly:
"Stay composed. As you can see, our territory is shielded by the Lords' Protective Barrier."
The nervous expressions of the people around him softened, and they waited for Golan's next command.
"Suleiman, since you're currently the only armed warrior in the territory, the responsibility of the main assault falls on you. Advance toward the beast and make sure you remain inside the barrier's circle. Wait until it opens its mouth, then thrust your spear inside. Remember—don't follow my orders blindly. Act according to your understanding of the battle and the opportunities before you."
For the first time, Golan gave commands that felt natural and logical.
"Yes, my Lord!"
Suleiman responded submissively, then stepped forward to face the raging beast.
"All remaining members—quickly! Your task is to gather stones or anything usable as a weapon and support Suleiman from both flanks!"
"Yes, my Lord!" ×4
Everyone moved into action, digging through the snow to search for sharp stones or anything that might be useful in the current situation.
Golan did not remain idle either. As a Lord, he had to set an example for his forces and lift their morale. He dug through the snow with his own hands—this was their first battle, and instead of fear, he felt excitement.
His fingers touched something heavy beneath the snow—a stone weighing five to eight kilograms, its edge slightly sharp. Straightening up, he noticed that most of his forces had already armed themselves with similar stones and moved to position themselves at Suleiman's sides.
The beast, upon seeing the tiny humans refuse to flee—even approaching it instead—was confused. To such a colossal creature, whose instincts revolved only around hunting, eating, sleeping, and defecating, it had yet to realize there was a barrier between them. Its instinctive reaction was to drop to all fours and open its massive jaws to devour the nearest human…
At that very moment, Suleiman's eyes flashed fiercely. Unfazed by the gaping maw before him, he seized the perfect opening and drove his spear forward with all the strength his long arms could muster.
"Whoosh! Rip!"
"Roaaarghhh!!!"
The enormous bear failed to close its mouth in time. The sharp spear tip pierced into its gaping maw, stabbing upward deep inside. Blood sprayed in a crimson fountain, staining a large section of the barrier as though it were a blood-red screen.
Because of his military experience, Suleiman had anticipated the beast's violent struggle. The instant his spear struck, he braced himself firmly, driving his feet deep into the snow to resist being dragged off balance.
Golan and the others reacted swiftly to this opening. After Suleiman's successful strike, a hail of stones rained down on the wounded bear's head in a relentless barrage.
Moments later—after countless pelting strikes and Suleiman's decisive spear thrust—the beast's roars weakened, and its massive body finally collapsed lifeless before them.
Golden notifications instantly appeared before Golan:
[Reminder: Your soldier, Spearman Suleiman, has slain the White-Tier Peak Frost Bear with Metallic Limbs.]
[Reminder: Your forces gain Promotion Energy with every kill based on individual contributions. As Lord of the territory, you will also gain a small portion of Promotion Energy for each kill made by your forces.]
[Reminder: You or any unit with the Gathering specialization can touch the beast and think "Gather" to obtain various materials from the slain creature.]
Golan read the prompts carefully, his eyes glinting with understanding.
As for Promotion Energy, he only felt a faint current flowing inside him. Without the prompt, he might have overlooked such a subtle sensation.
"Haah… Everyone, drag the beast's corpse inside the protective barrier at once!"
He panted heavily, the strain of his first real battle weighing on him. After all, this was his first time facing blood—it was both a physical and mental burden.
"Yes, my Lord!" ×5
His soldiers responded in unison, not nearly as fatigued as he was. Their faces carried only the joy of victory. Naturally, these natives were far more accustomed to such battles than him—the chaos of this continent had hardened them.
Together, the seamstress, the three villagers, and Spearman Suleiman hauled the beast's massive body back into Golan's protected territory.
---
"Pull… pull… yes, stop here. Push it toward the purification grave!"
Though Golan could have simply touched the beast and thought 'Gather' to see what he might obtain, he suppressed that urge. A stronger curiosity consumed him—the mysterious function of the Purification Grave and what it would yield from such a corpse.
Under his watchful eyes, the forces dragged the massive body toward the eerie grave.
[The corpse has been placed into the Ancient Purification Grave. Begin purification? Yes/No.]
A prompt appeared before Golan. He chose Yes, which triggered another message.
[Purification in progress. Estimated time to completion: 30 minutes.]
[Note: Purification speed depends on the slain creature's strength before death. As the Lord's territory levels up, purification speed will increase and more graves will unlock.]
"Oh…"
Golan scratched his head. He had assumed the corpse would instantly yield results, but in hindsight, this made sense. Even in a world filled with savage beasts, summoned soldiers, cheat-like talents, and fantastical rules—there were still systems and restrictions governing everything. Of course purification would require time.
---
Now that his immediate tasks were complete, Golan quickly planned his next steps. He called out to his most reliable soldier:
"Suleiman."
"Your subordinate awaits your orders, my Lord."
"Take everyone with you. Patrol the edges of the protective barrier and kill any beast that attempts to enter. Guard your safety and that of your team."
"Everyone, follow Suleiman's instructions. I'll await good news."
"Rest assured, my Lord."
Suleiman and the others departed on their patrol.
Golan now understood that the growth of his power and territory depended entirely on the graves, which required corpses to function. He needed to make full use of the precious seven golden days granted to new Lords.
He didn't linger by the grave—not out of superstition, but simply because of the bitter cold. Instead, he retreated to the nearby Lord's Hut for shelter.
The moment he stepped inside, several golden prompts appeared before him, stunning him completely.
[Lord's Personal Information Unlocked.]
[Planet Blue's Global Channel Unlocked.]
[Planet Blue's Lord Marketplace Unlocked.]
[Friends List Unlocked.]
Surprised by this sudden development, Golan first opened his personal information panel:
[Lord Title: Awaiting Designation…]
[Power Level: White Beginner]
[Territory Name: Awaiting Designation…]
[Territory Level: White Beginner]
[Territory Size: 200m × 200m × 200m]
[Regional Talent: Primal Chaos Graves (Legendary) (Talent grows alongside Lord's Territory)]
[Buildings: Lord's Hut (White Beginner), Summoning Gate (White Beginner), Unique!! Talent Building: Ancient Purification Grave (White Beginner)]
[Racial Talents: None]
[Equipment: None]
[Skills: None]
He pondered for a while before naming himself Lord of the Cold North. At first, he considered titles like Gravekeeper or Lord of Corpses, but wisely avoided anything that would expose his regional talent. Besides, the land beneath his feet was known as the Frozen Northern Plateau.
The truth was that, in his previous life, Golan had dreamed of one day standing tall with his hands behind his back, declaring phrases like: "The North Remembers" or "Winter is Coming."
With that childish dream fulfilled, he named his territory simply: Frozen Plateau City.
After settling those matters and indulging his old fantasies, Golan's gaze turned toward the Global Channel.
---
End of Chapter Two.