The massive deer was roasted over a newly constructed fire pit, its savory aroma filling the entire village.
Even the goblins, who were initially wary of the humans' boisterous cheering, were won over by the promise of their first real feast, chattering excitedly and dancing in a strange, shuffling circle.
Ryan, however, was in his own world. He stood slightly apart from the festivities, his entire focus on the two shimmering gift box icons hovering in his vision.
He opened the first one, the standard 'Village Foundation Pack'.
It dissolved into a shower of light, depositing three items into his mental inventory: a blueprint for a 'Basic Workshop', a blueprint for a 'Community Well', and a bag of 'High-Yield Wheat Seeds'.
They were practical, vital rewards that would form the backbone of their new village.
He was pleased.
But his heart was pounding for the second reward. The bonus. 'The Wheel of Fate'.
He took a deep breath and selected it.
His vision was instantly consumed. The world around him faded into a grey haze, and a colossal, ethereal wheel materialized before him, spinning with dizzying speed. It was divided into hundreds of multicolored segments, each one a different potential future.
As it spun, words of power flashed by:
[Legendary Sword Blueprint], [1000 Development Points], [Dragon's Egg], [Slightly Better Shovel], [Blessing of Strength], [A Single, Delicious Apple].
The sheer range of possibilities, from world-changing to utterly mundane, made his head spin.
This was a lottery of the Lords, and his entire future could be decided by a single spin.
"Come on… something good," he whispered, his hands clenched into fists.
The wheel began to slow, the flashing words becoming clearer.
It passed [Minor Stamina Potion], then [Blueprint: Wooden Bucket].
Click… click… click… each sound was a hammer blow against his nerves. It was slowing on a dull, brown segment labeled [A Well-Worn Sock]. Ryan's heart plummeted.
No, no, no, not the sock!
With one final, agonizingly slow CLICK! it ticked past the sock and landed on the very next segment, a vibrant, life-giving green.
[Congratulations! You have received the Territory Blessing: 'Blessing of Growth'!]
[Blessing of Growth (Territory Buff)]
[Effect: The fertility of your land is greatly increased. All staple crops, such as wheat and corn, will grow 50% faster and yield 50% more produce. This effect is permanent.]
Ryan let out the breath he was holding in a huge, relieved sigh. It wasn't a dragon's egg or a legendary sword, but as he thought about it, it was so much better. A weapon could protect him.
Points could buy buildings. But this… this blessing secured their future.
With a steady, abundant food source, his village wouldn't just survive; it would thrive. It was a quiet, unassuming reward, but its long-term strategic value was immeasurable.
As his vision returned to normal, the silver announcements continued to cascade through the sky, a leaderboard of the successful.
[Congratulations to Lord 'Iron Fist' for being the fourth to complete the 'Rise of the Villages' challenge!]
[Congratulations to Lord 'Artemis' for being the fifth…]
The names flew by. He saw Kael's name pop up at a respectable number 11. He kept watching, his eyes scanning the list until, finally, he saw it.
[Congratulations to Lord 'Human' for being the nineteenth to complete the 'Rise of the Villages' challenge!]
Ryan smiled. Robin, the magical scholar, had succeeded. He clearly wasn't interested in a race, but his power was undeniable.
Curious, Ryan opened the Global Chat. It was a madhouse.
[Iron Fist]: "YES! I got the 'Blueprint: Sturdy Iron Shield'! My defenses will be impenetrable!"
[Artemis]: "The Wheel blessed me with an A-Rank talent: 'Eagle Eye'! My archery skill has doubled!"
[RandomLord123]: "I got… a really comfortable pillow. It's… nice?"
[SomeSadGuy]: "A SINGLE, DELICIOUS APPLE?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I WORKED FOR SIX DAYS STRAIGHT, I FOUGHT OFF GIANT SPIDERS, I SPENT ALL MY POINTS, AND MY GRAND REWARD IS A SNACK?! I HATE THIS GAME!"
Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the sheer, brutal unfairness of it all.
The Wheel of Fate was as cruel as it was generous. While some Lords were laying the foundation for their future dominance, others were left with nothing but a piece of fruit and a broken heart.
The celebrations in Ryan's village lasted late into the night.
For the first time, everyone, human and goblin alike, slept soundly within the safety of their new walls.
The next day passed peacefully. The final 24 hours of the event ticked down, a silent, ominous clock hanging over the entire planet.
Ryan put his people to work, using the new blueprints to begin construction on the workshop and the well.
Then, the timer hit zero.
A silence fell over the world. The Global Chat, which had been a constant stream of messages, went completely still.
Then, a new announcement came. It was not silver or gold, but a stark, blood-red.
[EVENT CONCLUSION ANNOUNCEMENT!]
[The 'Rise of the Villages' challenge has ended.]
[All Lords who failed to meet the requirements have been deemed unfit for the challenges ahead.]
[They have been eliminated.]
[Current Lord Count on Novice Planet #734: 3,951]
The message was cold, simple, and utterly brutal.
Over one thousand Lords, one thousand living, breathing people, had just been erased from existence.
Their territories, their citizens, their struggles—all gone in an instant. This wasn't a game where you got to try again. This was survival of the fittest on a planetary scale.
The Global Chat slowly came back to life, not with a bang, but with a horrified whisper.
[LuckyLucy]: "They're… gone? Just like that?"
[DataScout]: "The Great Filter. The system has just culled the bottom 20%. The competition from here on out will be exponentially harder."
[Kaiser]: "As it should be. The weak have no place in this new world."
Before the grim reality could fully set in, a new announcement appeared, this one a brilliant, hopeful gold, sent to every single surviving Lord.
[PLANETARY ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: 'FOUNDATION OF CIVILIZATION']
[For successfully establishing a critical mass of stable villages, Novice Planet #734 has proven its potential. As a reward for your collective success, every surviving Lord has been granted a special boon to prepare for the dangers to come.]
[Please check your inventory.]
Ryan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly opened his interface. There, in a newly created inventory slot, was a single, shimmering object. It was a token, forged from what looked like solidified light, with a single, heroic figure etched onto its surface.
[You have received: The Hero's Summon Token!]
[Hero's Summon Token (Legendary)]
[Description: Crush this token within your territory to summon a unique Hero from the annals of history and legend. Heroes possess powerful, unique talents and will serve their Lord with unwavering loyalty. The Hero summoned is random.]
Ryan's breath caught in his throat. He had his workers, his soldiers, and his allies. But this… this was something else entirely. Who would he get? A master swordsman? A wise general? A powerful mage?
The possibilities were infinite.....