The gates of the manor creaked open as the Lunar Lizard Knights marched back through, silver armor gleaming faintly in the shield's glow. Their spears dripped with blood, sacks slung across their backs heavy with trophies. From the shadows beneath them, the Shade Assassins emerged, red eyes burning as they carried bundles of cores harvested from slain beasts.
Sam stood waiting in the courtyard, Sun Blade at his side. The knights knelt, presenting their spoils.
"Overlord," hissed the lead knight, his voice deep and reptilian. "We bring the essence of the hunt."
The sacks spilled open, revealing dozens of glowing stones — beast cores, each pulsing faintly with captured energy. Wolves, serpents, goblins — the forest had paid dearly for its aggression. Sam felt a surge of pride. His strategy had worked. The assassins had shielded the knights from harm, striking unseen, while the knights gained strength through battle.
Then, among the cores, Sam noticed three tokens shimmering with System light.
---
[Loot Acquired: 3 Troop Tokens.]
---
One Shade Assassin stepped forward, kneeling in silence. Its voice was a whisper of smoke.
"A tribe," it said. "Two hundred goblins. Eight of Tier Four. One shaman of Tier Five. They gather in the forest, not far from here."
Sam's jaw tightened. A tribe that size was no mere nuisance. Two hundred goblins could swarm his walls, and a Tier Five shaman could break his defenses with blood magic. If left unchecked, they would become a threat the moment his shield fell.
---
He turned to the System Hub, exchanging beast cores for resources.
[Transaction complete: 500 wood, 300 stone, 200 metal acquired.]
The manor walls shimmered as new stone fused into place, the shield pulsing brighter. Citizens began to arrive — humans, elves, beastkin — drawn by the System's call. Sam felt his domain growing, the heartbeat of power thrumming beneath his feet.
Then the System's voice cut through his triumph.
---
[Domain Upgrade halted.]
[Requirement: Beast Lord Core.]
---
Sam froze. "What?"
The message repeated, cold and absolute. Regular beast cores were not enough. To advance his Domain Core, he needed the crystallized essence of a Beast Lord.
Frustration burned in his chest. He had the resources, the troops, the Phoenix. But without a Beast Lord Core, his domain would remain Tier One. And when the shield fell, Tier One would not be enough.
He clenched his fists. The goblin tribe. The shaman. That was the answer.
---
Sam did not march that night. Instead, he waited. The System's free summon refreshed at dawn, and he would need every soldier he could muster.
Morning came, sunlight piercing the gloom of the Forest of Torment. The shield shimmered, golden and purple, as Sam stood in the courtyard.
[Daily Summon available.]
Sam raised his hand. Light flared, and ten more Lunar Lizard Knights appeared, hissing as they knelt before him.
Then he lifted the three troop tokens. Each dissolved into radiance, summoning warriors unlike any he had seen before.
Thirty humans stepped forth, clad in rose‑gold armor that gleamed beneath the morning sun. Each stood 1.8 meters tall, shields polished, sabers sharp. Their discipline was palpable, their aura stronger than the Tier 1 knights.
---
[Troop Summoned: 30 Solar Warriors, Tier 2.]
---
Sam's army now stood at sixty strong: twenty Lunar Lizard Knights, thirty Solar Warriors, and ten Shade Assassins hidden in shadow. Above them, Helios circled, wings blazing like a second sun.
Before marching, Sam remembered his Daily Gift Roulette. He activated it, the wheel spinning with a cascade of symbols — potions, scrolls, weapons, tokens. It slowed, teasing rare prizes, before clicking into place.
---
[Congratulations, Overlord. You have acquired: Survival Bag.]
---
A backpack materialized at his feet. Inside were neatly packed supplies: a week's worth of dry rations, an endless water flask, a compact tent, and a container of healing paste for small injuries.
Sam chuckled softly. "Not bad."
He slung the pack over his shoulder, relief washing through him. His throat was dry, his stomach empty. He drank deeply from the flask, cool water flowing endlessly, and tore into the rations. For the first time since arriving, he felt human again.
---
Sam climbed onto Helios's back, the heat of its feathers searing but not burning. The Phoenix shrieked, flames trailing across the shield as if eager for battle.
The gates opened. The army marched into the Forest of Torment, silver and rose‑gold armor gleaming, shadows stretching, fire blazing above.
The forest grew darker as they advanced, drums echoing faintly in the distance. Goblin voices carried on the wind, shrill and guttural. Torches flickered ahead, casting twisted shadows across the trees.
Sam's heart pounded. This was no hunt. This was war.
He raised the Sun Blade, its light cutting through the gloom.
"Today," he whispered, "we take what is ours."
Helios shrieked, the knights hissed, the Solar Warriors raised their shields, and the assassins melted into shadow.
The goblin tribe awaited.