The rest of the day passed in a blur of productive, back-breaking labor.
The crimson haze in the sky slowly faded back to a normal, brilliant blue, as if the world itself was taking a deep, cleansing breath.
The immediate threat was gone.
Leo and Sam, empowered by their survival, chopped wood with a relentless, furious energy.
Elias, his calm demeanor a steadying presence for everyone, began stripping the logs and planning the construction of a simple, defensible log palisade around their camp.
Even Mara and Elara, once they were sure the danger was truly over, pitched in, gathering smaller branches and clearing the ground.
Ryan completed his patrol, finding no more immediate threats, his mind buzzing with the possibilities of his talent.
Evolving a person.
What would it do to them? Would it be painful? Would it change who they were?
He had no answers...
One step at a time, he told himself, rejoining his people. Let's get through today.
Tomorrow, we experiment.
As he stood watch, his hand resting on the smooth, dark shaft of the Blood Hunter, a thought occurred to him.
He had been so caught up in the whirlwind of survival that he'd barely checked his system notifications beyond the basic prompts.
He mentally opened his interface and saw a small, blinking mail icon.
[Your 'Territory Core Fragment' has been sold!]
[150 Development Points have been added to your account.]
A wide grin split Ryan's face. Kael had been right.
The sale was almost instantaneous. He checked his balance.
With the 50 points from killing the Chieftain, he now had a staggering 200 Development Points.
He could buy blueprints for a sturdy log cabin, better farming tools, maybe even some basic armor for his people. The feeling of security it brought was immense.
With their immediate future looking much brighter, his mind turned back to the Global Chat.
He had been a ghost, a silent observer, his presence only known through the world-shaking global announcements.
No one had ever actually heard from him.
He had survived the first Calamity, made a powerful friend, and secured a small fortune.
Maybe it was time to finally speak.
He opened his profile page. The system had automatically assigned him the name 'Ryan' after the second announcement.
But Kael's laugh echoed in his mind.
The 'Nameless Lord'. It did sound cool. It was a title born from his unique, difficult start, a symbol of his perseverance.
His finger hovered over the input box.
With a decisive mental command, he deleted 'Ryan' and typed in his new identity.
[Lord Name successfully changed to: Nameless.]
A sense of satisfaction washed over him. It felt right. Now, for his grand debut. He navigated to the Global Chat tab.
[MonsterSlayer_69]: "Killed 23 frenzied goblins and a Level 3 Wolf. The Berserker talent is OP!"
[DesertFlower]: "My sand walls held, but just barely. I lost two of my starting people to giant scorpions. This is horrible."
[Kaiser]: "Weaklings. I fortified my castle and didn't suffer a single casualty. My S-Rank talent ensures my dominance. Anyone who wants to swear fealty to me, I might consider offering protection."
Ryan rolled his eyes at Kaiser's predictable arrogance. He thought for a moment about what his first message should be.
A simple 'hello'? A boast about killing the Chieftain? No, that wasn't his style.
He needed to do something that would have an impact, something that would gather information and announce his arrival on the world stage all at once.
He typed out a single, simple question, and sent it.
[Nameless]: "Is there anyone here with an SS-Rank skill?"
For a full ten seconds, the chat, which had been scrolling at a frantic pace, came to a dead stop.
It was as if five thousand people had all held their breath at the exact same moment.
Then, it exploded.
[David Chen]: "WHOA! IT'S HIM! NAMELESS!"
[LuckyLucy]: "HE FINALLY SPOKE!"
[FishyFrank]: "An SS-Rank skill? What's that? Is that even a thing? I thought S-Rank was the max!"
[DataScout]: "This is huge. The fact that he's asking this question implies he either has one or knows it's possible."
[Kaiser]: "SS-Rank? Don't be ridiculous. This is clearly a pathetic attempt at seeking attention. There is nothing beyond S-Rank. I would know."
The chat became a firestorm of speculation, disbelief, and awe.
Ryan's simple question had completely derailed the entire global conversation, confirming his legendary status in an instant.
He watched the chaos unfold with a small, satisfied smile.
He had wanted to make a splash, and he had just caused a tsunami.
Amidst the chaos, a single message, posted in a calm, clear font that stood out from the rest, cut through the noise.
It was from a Lord he had never seen before.
[Robin]: "I have one."
"..."
[Robin]: "It's called 'Truth's Blessing'. Nameless, DM me."
The aftershock was even more powerful than the initial blast.
[MonsterSlayer_69]: "NO WAY! ANOTHER ONE?!"
[Navigator]: "TWO OF THEM?! There are people with talents beyond S-Rank walking among us?!"
[Kaiser]: "Lies! This is a coordinated hoax! You are all fools for believing this! Show me proof! I demand proof!"
Kaiser's frantic, almost hysterical denial was drowned out by the sheer, world-shattering implications of the reveal.
For all the proud, arrogant S-Rank Lords who thought they were the chosen ones, the kings of this new world, this was a devastating blow.
They weren't the top of the food chain. They weren't even close. There was a whole other level of power they hadn't even known existed, and two of its members had just revealed themselves in the span of thirty seconds.
Ryan stared at the message from Robin, his heart pounding.
He wasn't alone. The system hadn't just chosen him for this strange, incredible power.
There was at least one other. 'Truth's Blessing'. It sounded like a perception or support-type skill, a fascinating contrast to his own world-building talent.
A new icon blinked on his interface. It was a direct message request from 'Robin'.
He had survived his first battle, forged an alliance, and established his territory.
Now, a new door was opening....
With a steady hand, he accepted the request.