The system's cold, mechanical notification echoed in Ling Ye's mind:
[Centaurean Cavalry Nest: Capable of producing Tier-2 Centaur Cavalry.]
Just as he remembered from his previous life, the first troop type was completely random—race, class, even their tier—all determined by fate. There were no guarantees, no rerolls. Tier-2 was decent, certainly not bad, but far from the strongest start one could hope for.
Ling Ye's gaze swept over his newly claimed land. His "territory" was nothing more than a square island, roughly a kilometer by a kilometer, surrounded by endless blue ocean. At the very center stood a pathetic thatched hut, barely holding together against the sea breeze—the so-called Level 1 Lord's Hall. Behind it, a small and equally worn-down warehouse leaned as if it might collapse at any moment.
It wasn't much, but Ling Ye didn't care. With his Infinite Golden Traits and a lifetime of memories, this crumbling hut would one day be replaced by a glorious palace towering above all others. That much, he swore.
For now, it was time to construct his third building. Selecting a patch of open ground behind the Lord's Hall, he mentally confirmed the construction order. The system responded instantly.
[Construction started: Centaurean Cavalry Nest. Build time: 5 minutes.]
While the nest was being built, Ling Ye opened his Immortal City interface.
[Immortal City]
[Level: 1]
[Area: 1000m x 1000m]
[Population Capacity: 1/200]
[Resources: Food 100, Mana Crystals 100]
[Food Production: 0]
[Buildings (2/5): Lord's Hall (Lv1), Warehouse (Lv1)]
[Nest (1/1): Centaurean Cavalry Nest (Under Construction)]
[Durability: 100,000]
[Upgrade Requirements: Wood 100, Stone 100]
Population capacity dictated how many inhabitants he could sustain: Lords, heroes, soldiers—all counted toward the cap. With only 200 slots, expansion was critical. Resources were even more vital. A hundred mana crystals and a hundred food units were the barest of starting allocations, identical for every Lord in the world. Beyond this starter pack, everything would need to be fought for and won.
Mana crystals were essential for training troops, obtainable through monster hunts, treasure chests, events, mining, trade, or outright warfare. Food was even more unforgiving. Soldiers without food didn't just lose morale—they could abandon you altogether. In his previous life, he had seen entire armies dissolve overnight because their Lords failed to feed them.
He remembered the rule clearly:
Daily food production ≥ daily consumption = stable territory.
Production < consumption = draw from reserves.
No reserves = soldiers starve, lose morale, and desert.
This time, Ling Ye vowed never to repeat those mistakes. Farms and pastures would be high on his priority list soon enough. But first… power. Power came from soldiers, and soldiers came from the nest that was nearly complete.
He closed the territory panel and opened the chat, where unread messages had already climbed past 999+. As expected, chaos reigned.
"What the hell is happening? Is this still Earth, or did we get thrown into a game world?!"
"Lords? Troops? Did we… get isekai'd into a strategy game?"
"My wife just gave birth, she can barely walk… God, where are you, honey?"
"Chill, man! I used to be blind as a bat, now I can see a damn mosquito's wings at ten meters. Our bodies are all fixed!"
"Same here. I feel like I could wrestle a bear and win."
"Anyone else from Seaside City? I'm Zhang from Harbor Heights Apartments!"
"Me too! Mom, Dad, sis—if you see this, ping me fast!"
"Son, it's Dad. Tell me what the hell is going on in this game…"
Most messages were desperate calls for loved ones. Ling Ye remembered his past self doing the same—spamming Sophia's and Sarah's names in hopes of finding them. But betrayal had been the only thing waiting for him then.
This time, he wouldn't waste another second on sentimentality. He had one goal: grow stronger, faster than anyone else.
A bright flash signaled the completion of his third building. The Centaurean Cavalry Nest materialized into reality—a large, sturdy stable smelling faintly of hay and fresh timber. A new prompt appeared.
[Centaurean Cavalry Nest]
[Output: Tier-2 Centaur Cavalry]
[Training Time: 1 minute per unit]
[Cost: 5 Mana Crystals per unit]
With Infinite Golden Traits already providing Instant Training, time wasn't even a factor. Mana crystals were his only limitation, and he had exactly 100 units of them. Enough for twenty soldiers.
Without hesitation, he funneled every last crystal into production. The ground rumbled. One after another, centaur warriors emerged from the stable, their powerful equine lower bodies clad in crude leather barding, human torsos armored with steel plates, each gripping a heavy double-bladed axe. Their presence was raw, primal strength incarnate.
Ling Ye quickly pulled up their status window.
[Centaur Cavalry]
[Tier: 2 (Common)]
[Level: 1/10]
[Daily Food Consumption: 2]
[HP: 300 | Physical Defense: 20 | Magic Defense: 20 | Attack: 20 | Speed: 16]
[Skills: Wild Charge, Cleaving Strike]
Average stats, nothing extraordinary, but they would serve well in the early game. Twenty of them were more than enough to clear his tiny island of threats and secure resources.
His eyes drifted toward the dense fog that hugged the edges of his territory—the war fog, hiding monsters, treasures, and potential danger. He needed to sweep it clean.
Striding toward one particularly fierce-looking centaur mare, he vaulted onto her back in a single fluid motion. Her muscles tensed beneath him, ready to spring into battle. A grin tugged at his lips. A Lord deserved a proper mount, didn't he?
He raised his arm high, voice cutting through the salty air, "All units, with me! Let's claim what's ours!"
Hooves thundered in unison as twenty centaurs formed up, their axes gleaming under the sunlight. Together, they surged toward the misty edge of the island, ready to carve out the first bloody step of Dark Night's path to absolute dominance.