The atmosphere inside the hunting lodge remained heavy even after the avatar disappeared. The crackling fire warmed the room, yet no one truly felt relaxed anymore. Humanity had survived its first trial, but instead of relief, they had been handed terrifying truths about the universe, the system, and their fragile position within it. The playful smile of the avatar still lingered in everyone's minds, and somehow that grin was far more unsettling than the battlefield filled with goblins had ever been.
"Well," Karl finally muttered while rubbing his temples with visible exhaustion, "that was certainly an experience I never wish to repeat." His voice carried a tired resignation that immediately drew several nods from around the room. "That thing enjoyed our suffering far too much for my liking."
Dennis let out a long sigh from his chair near the fireplace before speaking up. "I honestly don't think we have much choice in the matter," he admitted while crossing his arms. "That avatar is literally part of the Trial System itself, and apparently we are one of the few groups actually willing to answer him instead of sitting there frozen in terror." He frowned deeply as he recalled the avatar's exaggerated expressions and theatrical tone. "Which means we probably became interesting to him."
"That is somehow even worse," Bertho groaned while leaning back against the couch. "Out of all the things in the universe that could take interest in us, we had to catch the attention of a lunatic with godlike powers and a taste for drama." Several people quietly laughed at that, though the humor was strained. No one truly found the situation funny. The avatar had casually discussed the extinction and enslavement of humanity as if narrating a comedy performance.
Dennis nodded slowly before continuing. "We occasionally had patients like that at the hospital," he explained with a bitter expression. "People who became obsessed with certain things to unhealthy levels. Once they fixated on something, it became impossible to redirect their attention without causing even bigger problems." He pointed vaguely toward the ceiling as if indicating the absent avatar. "Now imagine that mindset attached to a cosmic entity that can manipulate reality."
"Wonderful," Bill muttered dramatically from the floor where he still sat recovering from his earlier punishment. "So humanity survived billions of goblins only to gain an immortal stalker." His comment earned him several irritated looks from the older generation, though a few younger members struggled to keep from laughing.
Karl released a weary sigh before shaking his head. "Unless anyone here has a brilliant solution for avoiding the attention of a theatrical cosmic horror, I suggest we stop worrying about it." Predictably, no one responded. The silence itself became the answer. Even Karl looked unsurprised by that outcome.
"Right then," he declared while straightening his posture. "If we can't change the situation, we may as well focus on the things we can influence. Let's establish the faction before the rest of humanity starts fighting over every useful opportunity." His expression twitched slightly as he opened the System Shop. Even now, the enormous cost clearly pained him.
The others quickly gathered around Karl as glowing blue screens unfolded before him. Unlike the simple translucent windows people normally saw, Karl had enabled the shared viewing function so everyone in the room could observe the system interface together. The glowing menus illuminated the hunting lodge in soft blue light, giving the room an almost surreal atmosphere.
Arin stared at the number of points Karl possessed and nearly clicked his tongue. "You know," he muttered quietly, "most soldiers would probably try to strangle you if they heard you complain about only having two thousand four hundred points." He shook his head with disbelief. "The average frontline soldier barely earned one or two."
"That is because the average soldier wasn't camping on walls shooting goblins for eleven months straight," Karl replied immediately without shame. "Archers had excellent point income." His completely serious tone made several people groan.
"If normal soldiers heard that sentence, they would drag you behind a building and beat you unconscious," Bertho stated flatly.
"Probably," Karl admitted.
The System Shop expanded further before their eyes before neatly organizing itself into categories. The first option appeared with large silver letters floating in the air.
COUNTRY.
The description beneath it was massive, detailing requirements, governance systems, citizenship structures, and authority over subordinate factions. Several people immediately frowned as they read further. Even Arin felt slightly overwhelmed by the number of conditions required. such as at least a million willing subjects. absolute control over enough land to let them live comfortably and to be officially recognized as a country by at least half of the other nations on earth.
"Well," Karl muttered after finishing the description, "I think we can safely conclude that becoming our own nation is not happening anytime soon." He pointed toward the requirement list with visible annoyance. "One million willing subjects alone already eliminates most people on Earth."
Teun nodded thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. "Honestly, several smaller countries are probably panicking right now," he remarked. "Some nations already struggled to field even a single legion during the trial." A faint grin slowly spread across his face. "Can you imagine the expressions on certain politicians when they realize they no longer qualify as a nation?"
Several people chuckled at the image before a new line suddenly appeared beneath the requirements.
All existing countries that meet at least two requirements are grandfathered into the system.
Teun's smile vanished instantly.
"…There goes the entertainment," he sighed in disappointment.
The next faction option appeared shortly afterward.
CONGLOMERATE.
Tom visibly recoiled the moment he read the title. "Eugh. Capitalists," he muttered with exaggerated disgust while earning a few amused glances from the others. The faction specialized heavily in trade and allowed the establishment of 5-10 sub-factions, with a maximum of 5,000 employees per sub-faction and 15,000 for the main faction. Compared to the complicated requirements of a country, the conglomerate option looked surprisingly flexible.
Arin tilted his head slightly while reading through the information. "Wait," he said slowly. "Why are there basically no requirements for this one?" His confusion was obvious. "Compared to the country option, this looks almost free."
Johny immediately nodded as if he had already figured it out. "That actually makes sense," he explained calmly. "Countries are responsible for governing civilians, subordinate factions, infrastructure, and law. A conglomerate only manages its employees and profits." He pointed toward the screen thoughtfully. "The system probably doesn't care nearly as much about economic organizations because they affect far fewer people directly."
"That… actually sounds reasonable," Bertho admitted reluctantly.
Karl waved his hand impatiently before the next category could appear. "Interesting, yes. Relevant to us? No." His tone carried growing impatience now that thoughts of home had resurfaced in everyone's minds. "The forest only has one month before the planetary integration begins changing everything. I would prefer seeing home again before the world turns upside down."