The golden chest shimmered in the center of the manor hall, its glow filling every corner with radiant light. Sam approached slowly, heart pounding, and placed his hand on the lid. The chest opened with a resonant hum, revealing treasures that pulsed with power.
Inside lay three items:
• [Overlord Tier Token] — a crystalline shard glowing with pure System energy, capable of raising his tier by one.
• [Sun Fruit] — a golden fruit radiating warmth, its aura resonating with Helios. The System whispered: "Feeding this fruit to your Phoenix will raise it to Tier 6."
• [Blueprint: Small Town] — a scroll etched with glowing lines, depicting structures and streets.
Sam exhaled, stunned. These were not mere rewards. They were foundations for empire.
---
He set the treasures aside carefully, then slung his Survival Bag over his shoulder. Hunger gnawed at him, thirst burned his throat. He tore into the dry rations, drank deeply from the endless flask, and felt strength return to his body. Afterward, he bathed in the manor's stone chamber, steam rising as he washed away the grime of battle.
Refreshed, he summoned his troops. "Patrol. Hunt. Keep the forest clear."
The Lunar Lizard Knights hissed in acknowledgment, Solar Warriors saluted, and Shade Assassins melted into shadow. The courtyard emptied, leaving Sam alone in the quiet manor.
---
He wandered the halls, marveling at the medium‑sized manor the System had given him. Stone walls gleamed, banners hung in the corridors, and the shield shimmered faintly beyond the windows. It felt alive, growing with him.
Then, from the shadows, a Shade Assassin appeared, kneeling.
"Overlord," it whispered. "A group approaches."
Sam's eyes narrowed. He climbed the wall, Sun Blade at his side, and gazed into the distance.
Through the trees, he saw them: fifty to sixty figures trudging toward the manor. Humans and dwarves, weary and wounded, carrying what little they had left.
---
At the gate, a dwarf with a scarred face stepped forward, flanked by a human woman with tired eyes.
"Lord," the dwarf said, bowing his head. "We beg sanctuary. Our village was destroyed. Goblins and riders came in the night, looted everything, burned our homes. We have nowhere else to go."
The woman added softly, "We will work. We will fight. Just… give us a place to live."
Sam's chest tightened. He thought of the blueprint in his possession. Slowly, he nodded.
---
He ordered the group to move back, clearing space beyond the manor walls. Then he opened the System Hub, trading beast cores for stone, wood, and metal. The blueprint unfurled in his hands, glowing lines spreading across the ground.
Light erupted.
Before their eyes, a small town materialized:
• Thirty homes, sturdy and warm.
• A small town hall, its doors wide and welcoming.
• An inn, its sign already swinging in the breeze.
• Twenty small buildings for business, lining streets with room for growth.
Gasps filled the air. The humans and dwarves stared in disbelief, tears streaming down their faces.
Sam bought food from the System Hub — bread, meat, vegetables — and handed it out. He also purchased five endless flasks, distributing them among the townsfolk so no one would thirst again. Children laughed, elders wept, and families embraced. For the first time since their village's destruction, hope returned.
As Sam turned to leave, he saw it: a shimmer of light spreading across the new town. A magic shield enveloped the settlement, humming with protective energy.
The System whispered: "Town integrated into Domain. Growth potential unlocked."
Sam smiled faintly. His manor was no longer alone. His domain was becoming a kingdom.
---
The Third Day
Morning came, sunlight piercing the gloom of the Forest of Torment. Sam woke, stretched, ate from his Survival Bag, drank deeply from his endless flask, and tended to his morning business. The routine grounded him, reminding him that even Overlords needed simple human rituals.
He stepped into the courtyard, the shield shimmering faintly overhead.
[Daily Summon available.]
Sam raised his hand. Ten Lunar Lizard Knights appeared in a flash of light, their scales gleaming brighter than before.
[Troop Summoned: 10 Lunar Lizard Knights, Tier 2.]
Then he lifted the four troop tokens he had earned from the goblin war. Each dissolved into radiance, summoning disciplined warriors.
[Troop Summoned: 30 Solar Warriors, Tier 2.]
[Troop Summoned: 10 Lunar Lizard Knights, Tier 2.]
Sam blinked. None of them were Tier 1 anymore. He frowned, wondering if it was his own progression to Tier 2, or the domain's upgrade, that had changed the baseline. Either way, his army was growing stronger by default.
---
He recalled all hunting and patrol troops. The villagers gasped as soldiers poured back into the courtyard — Lunar Lizard Knights hissing, Solar Warriors gleaming in rose‑gold armor, Shade Assassins melting into shadow.
Sam counted. Over a hundred troops now stood before him. His army was no longer a handful of fighters. It was a force.
The loot from their hunts was piled high: beast cores, weapons, scraps of armor. Sam organized them into teams of five.
"Patrol. Hunt. Do not return until every member of your team reaches Tier 3."
The soldiers saluted, shadows stretching as they marched into the forest.
---
Sam turned, calling softly. "Helios."
The Phoenix descended from the sky, wings blazing, landing in the courtyard with a shriek that shook the walls. Sam held up the golden fruit, its aura radiating warmth.
"This is for you," he whispered.
Helios tilted its head, then snapped the fruit into its beak. Light erupted, flames spiraling upward as the Phoenix let out a cry that echoed across the domain. The sound was so powerful that villagers clutched their ears, staring in awe.
Then, suddenly, Helios collapsed. The Phoenix lay down in the courtyard, wings folding, flames dimming.
Sam rushed forward, panic rising.
The System's voice cut through his fear.
---
[Alert: Helios has consumed the Sun Fruit.]
[Absorption required: 5 days.]
[Upon completion, Helios will ascend to Tier 6.]
---
Sam froze, shock coursing through him. Five days. Helios would be vulnerable, asleep, unable to fight. His greatest weapon was gone — for now.
He stared at the Phoenix's slumbering form, flames flickering faintly across its feathers. The courtyard felt emptier without its blazing presence.
Sam clenched his fists. His army was strong, his domain shielded, but without Helios, the world suddenly felt more dangerous.
Five days. He would have to endure.