# **Chapter 6 – The Iron Vein Fortress**
Morning mist clung to the fields as hammers rang through camp. The sound was no longer chaotic—it had rhythm, the heartbeat of a growing settlement. The smell of freshly cut pine and burning coal mixed in the air.
A week had passed since the bandit raid. We had not seen another attack, but no one believed the quiet would last. Everyone worked with renewed urgency.
> [Construction Progress: Outpost 65% — Estimated Completion in 6 hours]
> [Resource Balance — Wood 72 | Stone 43 | Iron 18 | Food 310]
The numbers blinked red. We were bleeding materials faster than we could gather them. Still, I refused to stop.
Lü Bu stood beside the unfinished walls, his crimson armor streaked with dust. "You build fast," he said, admiration flickering behind the usual arrogance. "But your men need rest. Even the best blade dulls when overused."
"I know," I replied, scanning the forest line. "Once the outpost stands, we rotate shifts."
He folded his arms. "And after that?"
I smiled faintly. "We turn the iron mine into a fortress."
His brows rose. "You plan to fortify a resource node?"
"Exactly. If the world wants to fight for metal, we'll already own the mountain."
---
Evan arrived carrying a bundle of new scrolls—our first drafted blueprints. "Lord Kino, the survey team finished mapping the riverbank. There's fertile land downstream—perfect for a secondary village once we have more population."
"Good," I said. "Prioritize defense first, expansion second."
He hesitated. "The villagers are whispering again. They think the enemy will retaliate soon."
"They're right," I muttered. "Which is why fear must become discipline."
Lü Bu nodded approvingly. "You speak like a warlord now."
---
At noon the **system interface** shimmered before me.
> [Major Update: Regional Ranking System Activated]
> Lords can now compare Territory Levels, Military Strength, and Development Rates within their region.
> Top three lords each week receive a random blueprint or resource package.
Curiosity won. I opened the leaderboard.
**Region 73 Ranking:**
1️⃣ ??? (Name Hidden) — Village Lv. 2 | Power 12,300 | Territory 3.5 km²
2️⃣ Lord Ling_CN — Village Lv. 2 | Power 11,900
3️⃣ Lord Ethan_US — Village Lv. 1 | Power 8,400
I exhaled quietly. Still first. Hidden, unseen, and one step ahead.
The **world chat** exploded almost instantly.
> *Ling_CN:* Whoever the hidden lord is, reveal yourself!
> *Ethan_US:* Nah, man's a ghost. Maybe AI.
> *Marcus_BR:* Rumor says it's an Asian lord with a mythic commander.
> *IronWolf:* My scouts swear they saw Lü Bu on the battlefield last week!
I closed the chat with a smirk. Let the rumors spread; fear was better than fame.
---
The afternoon sun burned high when the final wall beam locked into place.
> [Outpost Construction Complete]
> [Function Unlocked: Early Warning Network Tier I]
> [New Territory Radius +2 km | Morale +5%]
A roar of cheers swept through camp. I raised my hand, letting them celebrate for a few minutes before speaking.
"Listen!" My voice carried over the crowd. "This outpost is not the end—it's the first step. We will build a fortress on the iron vein. A place no enemy can touch. Every nail you drive, every stone you lift, builds the foundation of our empire!"
> [Morale Increased → 103% (Overlimit Bonus +5% Efficiency)]
Lü Bu's lips curved into a feral grin. "You've learned how to move hearts, Lord Kino."
"Commanders handle war," I said. "Lords handle people."
He laughed. "Then together, we will handle the world."
---
That night, I walked the new perimeter. Lanterns hung from the walls, their light catching the crimson banner fluttering above the keep. Below, workers hauled iron from the mine under torchlight. The rhythmic clang was strangely soothing.
Evan joined me. "Lord Kino, if we turn the mine into a fortress, we'll need stone—lots of it. There's a quarry northeast, but it's marked as *shared territory*."
"Meaning another lord is nearby."
"Yes. A smaller one, likely weak. Reports say their commander is a common-rank spearman from Korea."
"Then we negotiate first," I said. "If they refuse—"
Lü Bu's voice drifted from the shadows behind us. "—we make them submit."
---
At dawn we marched. Ten infantrymen, two cavalry, and Lü Bu at the head. I rode beside him on a gray stallion. The air was crisp; dew glittered on the grass like silver dust.
Within an hour we reached the quarry—stone cliffs descending into a shallow pit where a dozen workers toiled under a blue banner.
A young lord stepped forward, nervous but defiant. His name floated above him in faint text: **Lord Han_KR – Village Lv. 1.**
He bowed stiffly. "State your purpose."
I dismounted. "We want to trade or lease access to your quarry. You'll receive food and iron in exchange."
He hesitated. "I can't risk angering others. My people are few."
Lü Bu's presence loomed like a storm. "Then surrender your land and they will become *many* under us."
Han swallowed hard. "And if I refuse?"
The crimson-armored general spun his halberd lazily. "Then I test my weapon's edge."
I raised a hand, stopping him. "We don't conquer for sport." Then to Han: "Decide. Trade or submit. Either way, your people will live."
After a long pause, Han lowered his head. "I… submit. Please, protect us."
> [Territory "Stone Quarry" Subjugated Peacefully]
> [Population +12 | Resource Node Added: Stone Tier I]
Relief washed through me. Our first vassal.
Han knelt fully. "Then I, Han of the Blue Banner, swear loyalty to Lord Kino of the Crimson Banner."
Lü Bu gave a satisfied nod. "A wise man."
---
Back at camp, new messages flooded my interface.
> [Regional Announcement: Lord Kino has annexed a neighbor territory through submission.]
**[World Chat]**
> *Ethan_US:* Again?! Who is this guy?
> *Ling_CN:* If he's Chinese blood, he honors our ancestors!
> *Marcus_BR:* He's building an empire faster than anyone!
> *IronWolf:* Mark my words—"???" will dominate Region 73.
I sighed. Fame, even hidden, carried weight. Still, the benefits outweighed the risks.
With the quarry secured, construction began immediately. I renamed it **Iron Vein Fortress**.
> [New Project: Iron Vein Fortress (Tier I)]
> Requirements: Wood 300 | Stone 500 | Iron 250
> Estimated Build Time: 36 Hours
> Effects: +25% Resource Production | +10% Defense for Nearby Territory
It would drain nearly everything we had—but the payoff was monumental.
---
Night fell again. I stood outside my tent, watching workers hammer frames into the earth. Sparks flew with every strike, and in the distance, Lü Bu trained soldiers under torchlight, his halberd carving streaks of red through the dark.
Evan approached quietly. "Lord Kino, I've calculated the expansion curve. Once the fortress is complete, we'll meet every requirement to upgrade to **Town Rank**."
A new system window opened:
> [Territory Upgrade Goal – From Village → Town]
> Population ≥ 50 | Two Resource Nodes Secured | Military Power > 12,000
> Progress: 82%
We were close. Very close.
I looked up at the stars. "The world started this as a competition," I murmured. "But I'll end it as conquest."
Lü Bu's shadow appeared beside me. "Then you must keep winning, my lord."
"I plan to."
> [Hidden Quest Unlocked: 'Rise of the Crimson Empire I']
> Objective: Upgrade to Town Rank and Establish Two Vassal Territories
> Reward: Commander Summon Ticket (Mythic Guaranteed)]
A mythic summon ticket. My pulse quickened. Another legend could stand beside Lü Bu—another pillar for the empire.
I clenched my fists. "Then let's finish building our fortress. The empire waits for no one."
The wind caught the crimson banner above the mine, unfurling it fully under the moonlight. Its golden halberd symbol glimmered like fire—a promise to the world.
And beneath that banner, the Crimson Village worked without rest, hammering destiny into stone.
---
**End of Chapter 6**
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