The storm had ended, but Elder Vale still smelled of thunder.
Ash and rain mixed in the air, and the faint shimmer of lightning still crawled across Aris's skin like living veins of silver fire.
Around him, the Beastfolk worked quietly, rebuilding their broken homes.
Every hammer strike, every wooden beam raised, echoed with determination — and in their eyes was something Aris hadn't seen before.
Hope.
The Birth of Ambition
The System's translucent interface appeared before him, its golden runes twisting into words:
[Hidden Quest Completed: Liberation of the Shackled]
[Rewards: 15,000 XP | Title Earned: Liberator of Beasts]
[New Questline: The Path of Sovereignty]
Objective: Establish a recognized territory under your name.
Stage 1: Form a Village.
Stage 2: Develop into a Town.
Stage 3: Found a Kingdom.
Stage 4: Ascend into an Empire.
Requirements (For Kingdom Status):
Residents: 3,000,000 minimum
Treasury: 50,000,000 Gold
Army: 40,000 Soldiers
Knights: 5,000 minimum
Capital Level: Top Tier City
Empire Advancement:
All requirements ×15 multiplier.
Additional Condition:
Must be recognized by 3 existing world powers or divine entities.
Aris's eyes widened. "Three million residents? Fifty million gold? Forty thousand soldiers?"
He laughed softly. "Guess I won't be getting an empire overnight."
But deep inside, the challenge lit a spark.
The same spark that had pushed him through every defeat, every lost match, every collapse of his real-life business.
The spark of building from nothing.
The Beginning of Elysion
The Beastfolk chief approached him, leaning on a carved wooden cane. "You have freed us, Thunder Child. What will you do now?"
Aris gazed at the valley. "This place needs more than freedom. It needs purpose."
He opened the Guild Creation interface — not to found an empire, but a foundation.
[Create Guild / Territory: Active]
Enter Name:
He thought for a long moment, then typed one word.
Elysion.
Meaning: A sanctuary where beasts, men, and gods may stand as equals.
The System hummed:
[Territory Registered: Elysion Village (Low Tier)]
[Population: 212]
[Resources: 380 Gold, 210 Lumber, 42 Iron]
[Rank: Lowest Tier Settlement]
[Upgrade Path Unlocked: Village → Town → City → Capital → Kingdom → Empire]
Aris smiled faintly. "From a village then. Fine by me."
The elder chuckled. "Then you are no fool. Even gods began as sparks before they burned as suns."
-------
System of Sovereignty
That night, while the villagers slept, Aris sat before the fire and studied the System Sovereignty Board.
It was intricate, almost bureaucratic — listing hundreds of sub-categories:
Infrastructure, Economy, Agriculture, Military, Trade Routes, Population Happiness, Faith Index, Magical Density, Divine Recognition.
The higher each rose, the more his "Influence Value" increased. At 100,000, a territory became a town. At 1,000,000, a city.
And to become a Kingdom, the conditions were nearly impossible.
He exhaled. "So that's how they scale power here…"
No wonder only the top guilds ruled the servers. Every rank was a war of logistics and loyalty — not brute strength.
But he wasn't a normal player.
He had divine resonance, ancient favor, and the will to unite those forgotten by the System.
The Reality of Building Power
For the next few weeks, Aris helped shape Elysion into a functioning village.
He established hunting zones, training fields, and a communal forge. The Blacksmith — a grumpy dwarf named Gorrin — swore loyalty after Aris saved his son from a rogue beast.
Each action added Influence Points and raised the settlement's stats.
[Elysion Village Progress Report]
Population: 481
Treasury: 1,320 Gold
Army: 32 Militia
Territory Tier: Low → Advancing to Low-Mid
Still, the distance to kingdomhood felt like a mountain.
But Aris never saw a mountain as impossible — only as a challenge that needed steps.
"Three million residents? Then I'll need alliances."
He marked it down mentally.
"Fifty million gold? Then I'll need trade routes, dungeons, and a guild treasury."
"Forty thousand soldiers? I'll start with one army that refuses to fall."
His plan was forming — slowly, like an empire rising from blueprints.
The System Watches
Far above, in the data-spire of the Church Capital, the System Core analyzed new variables.
"Designation: Aris Kaien."
"Threat Level: Ascending rapidly."
"Empire Potential: Detected."
"Countermeasure Required."
The golden light pulsed ominously.
"Deploy Demon Protocol One. Send the first Shadow."
The Oath of the Ruler
Days later, as the sun sank behind the mountains, Aris climbed the ruined chapel tower. From there, he saw his village lit by torchlight — small, fragile, but alive.
He clenched his fist.
"I don't need to be crowned to rule. I'll earn it. Brick by brick, life by life."
Lightning arced across the horizon, painting his silhouette against the storm.
"When this world remembers my name, it won't be because I seized a throne…"
"…It'll be because I built one."
And as the storm rolled across the valley, the faint outlines of the four constellations shimmered once again — a silent acknowledgment from the heavens.
Far to the west, deep beneath the obsidian earth, a pair of demonic eyes opened.
"So… the Ruler begins to gather his beasts. Then let the first hunt begin."