Chapter 3: Getting Ready
MC POV:
I pushed my worries to the back of my mind and forced myself to concentrate on the glowing table in front of me.
Despite its magical nature, the table gave off a distinct sci-fi vibe. On its surface, a 3D holographic map displayed my surroundings, with the Town Hall at the center. Nearby were a single Builder Hut, a level 1 Gold Mine, and an empty level 1 Fire Camp and many obstacles in the clearing around the buildings.
Menu icons floated around the edges of the table, reminiscent of mobile game interfaces. Some menus I recognized, but others were completely new, waiting to be tapped and explored.
At the top of the table, a resource indicator hovered in a holographic screen, just like the system's. There were symbols for Gold (a gold coin), Elixir (a pink drop), Wood (a log), and Gems (a sparkling gem), each with horizontal bars showing their storage limits and the current amount available.
"System! Come out! Why is there a Wood resource? That's not even part of Clash of Clans!"
[Host, who said we're playing Clash of Clans? This is just a game-like world. In the end, it's a real world with COC as the main theme! There are many changes you'll have to discover for yourself. Enjoy Eldgonet, Host!]
Currently, two-thirds of the bars were filled with resources:
Gold: 750
Elixir: 750
Wood: 0
Gems: 500
By tapping on Gold and Elixir, I got more details:
Gold Max Storage: 1000 | Production per hour: 200
Elixir Max Storage: 1000 | Production per hour: 0
After checking my resources, I opened the Shop menu at the bottom of the table. A menu screen slid up, displaying various buildings under categories like Army, Resources, Defenses, and Traps.
"Wow! My hands are really itching to buy and upgrade all these buildings."
[Host! At least dream within your means! With only 750 gold, you can barely afford the cannon-which is intentionally cheap for beginners like you.]
"What? Now you have a problem with me dreaming, too?!"
[Host! I advise you to finish building the cannon quickly for your village's defense. Who knows what could happen in the next second?]
"Are you seriously giving me advice now? Because up until now, all I've heard is you laughing your ass off and making fun of me."
[Are you serious, Host?! I think even the dear readers would agree that you were the first to call me a useless system, even when I said I'd help you survive in this world. I am totally innocent, Host! Don't you believe me?!]
"Who the fuck would believe y-" Just as I was about to finish, I suddenly heard a familiar sound...
Zap... Zap...
Like lightning!
"No, no, of course! I believe you-I believe you!" I quickly changed my tune, shouting the words to avoid getting electrocuted again by this sadistic system.
[See, Host! What did I say about being innocent and helping you survive in this brutal world? Hehe hehe...]
Help me survive in this world? My ass! I'll probably die from electrocution by this bastard system before anything else gets me! I thought angrily, careful not to let it show on my face.
I decided to focus back on the task at hand instead of giving more of my attention to this useless system.
The system advised me to build the level 1 cannon quickly, but honestly, what else could I build with a level 1 Town Hall and such limited resources?
Current Resources:
Gold: 750
Elixir: 750
Gems: 500
Available Buildings:
Villagers Hut (Cost: 5 Gems; Build Time: 5 seconds) | Building limit: None
Barracks (Cost: 100 Elixir; Build Time: 10 seconds) | Building limit: 1/1
Builder Hut (Cost: 250 Gems; Build Time: None) | Building limit: 4/5
Elixir Collector (Cost: 150 Gold; Build Time: 5 seconds) | Building limit: 1/1
Elixir Storage (Cost: 300 Gold; Build Time: 10 seconds) | Building limit: 1/1
Gold Storage (Cost: 300 Elixir; Build Time: 10 seconds) | Building limit: 1/1
Gold Mine (Cost: 150 Elixir; Build Time: 5 seconds) | Building limit: 0/1
Cannon (Cost: 250 Gold; Build Time: 5 seconds) | Building limit: 1/1
"Hey, system! What's the deal with this Villagers Hut?"
[Host! It's one of the cornerstones of the village in this world. One level 1 Villagers Hut allows you to summon at least two villagers as residents for your village. It's also where they'll live from now on. So, one level 1 Villagers Hut can only accommodate two villagers. To increase the population limit, you can simply build more huts or upgrade the existing ones, if allowed.]
"And what's the use of these villagers? As far as I remember, in the game they mostly just move around the village and are all female with no specific uses."
[Did you forget again, Host? This is a real world, not just a game. Here, your village population is incredibly valuable due to their many uses-collecting and storing resources, alerting you of enemy attacks while roaming the village, and serving as the main recruits for barracks training to become new troops for upcoming battles. And no, villagers are both male and female in this world, each with their own individuality and uniqueness, Host!]
"That's a pretty hardcore change for the game in this world... Forget it. First, I'll build the cannon, then I'll bother with the other things."
I tapped on the cannon to start building. The shop menu closed automatically, and a 3D model of the cannon appeared on the map above the table, ready for me to position.
I dragged it so it would cover my Town Hall first, maximizing its attack range to protect against intruders, and pressed the OK button.
–250 Gold; Current Gold: 500
As soon as I confirmed the cannon's placement on the glowing table, the Builder Hut's tiny wooden door creaked open. Out stepped the Builder-a stout, bearded man in overalls, carrying his trusty hammer over one shoulder and whistling a cheerful tune. He glanced around, then made a beeline for the marked construction spot, boots crunching on the packed earth.
Without hesitation, he set down his toolbox and got to work. First, he measured out the foundation, marking the ground with swift, practiced strokes. Then, with a few swings of his hammer, wooden planks and metal parts seemed to materialize from thin air, assembling piece by piece into the base of the cannon. Sparks flew as he tightened bolts and hammered joints, the whole process unfolding with magical efficiency.
The Builder wiped his brow, stepped back to inspect his handiwork, and gave a satisfied nod. With a final tap of his hammer, the cannon gleamed in the sunlight-fully constructed and ready to defend the village. A faint golden glow shimmered around it for a moment, signaling the build was complete.
His job done, the Builder packed up his tools, slung the hammer over his shoulder, and strolled back toward the Builder Hut while giving a glance towards the town hall with a waving hand. He disappeared inside, the door swinging shut behind him, ready to rest until the next project called him out again.
"Fuck! So cool!!!"
All of it happened in less than five seconds. I couldn't help but marvel-if only contractors back home worked this fast.
After that, I built a level 1 Elixir Collector for producing Elixir, a level 1 Barracks for training troops, a level 1 Elixir Storage for storing more Elixir, a level 1 Gold Storage for storing more Gold, twenty level 1 Villagers Hut, along with another level 1 Builder Hut first to increase the number of constructions possible and speed up my progress toward creating the world's strongest village.
–450 Gold; Current Resources: 50 Gold
–400 Elixir; Current Resources: 350 Elixir
–350 Gems; Current Resources: 150 Gems
With the time taken only under two minutes to complete all the buildings with the help of two building.
I also got new village population indicator which shows me the limit and the existing population along with the builders.
Villagers: 0/40
Builders: 2/2
Wait… zero? I just built twenty huts! Where are my villagers?
I tapped the table. Nothing. I waved my hand over the map. Still nothing.
"System! I built all these huts-where are my villagers?"
[Host, did you think they'd just pop out of thin air? This isn't a gacha game. You'll have to attract them, or maybe… summon them. But how? That's for you to figure out. Good luck, Host!]
I stared at the empty village on the map, a sinking feeling in my gut. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this world, it threw me another curveball.