Ronin never expected to end up back in last night's bedroom after such a busy day.
Just after midnight, familiar text floated into his field of vision.
[Sign-in successful. Attribute Points +1]
Combined with the "King of Slaughter" achievement he'd completed during the day, Ronin now had 11 Attribute Points. He put every single one of them into his Knight Level.
His Knight Level progress was now 33/100. Compared to the previous night, his Physical Ability had improved by a huge margin.
'The third day's login reward is ready to be claimed.'
Ronin looked at the seven-day login interface:
[Day 3: Reward: one Space Ring with 10 cubic meters of storage space]
This time, it wasn't a Character Card, Attribute Points, or an Energy Essence, but an actual item.
As he claimed the reward, a flash of light appeared before Ronin. A moment later, a ring interwoven with shades of cyan and blue hovered in mid-air.
'How exquisite!'
Ronin took the ring in his hand, admiring it.
He couldn't tell what material it was made from. It felt light in his hand, yet it was incredibly cold, like holding an ice cube in the middle of summer.
'How do I use this?'
Ronin examined it several times but couldn't figure it out. He recalled a common trope in novels. 'Don't tell me I need to do a blood bond?'
But as he focused his gaze, a line of text materialized beside the ring:
[Bind by infusing with Fighting Qi or Spiritual Power]
'So it's not a blood bond after all...'
Ronin put down his sword.
He was still just a Basic Level Knight. His Fighting Qi hadn't yet broken free from its Fighting Qi Spirit Seed, so he couldn't release it.
Therefore, to bind the Space Ring, his only option was to infuse it with Spiritual Power.
But with no Mages around, and having never been exposed to any knowledge about Magic, he had no idea how to use it, let alone how to use Spiritual Power.
'Well, nothing to lose. I'll just have to try it myself.'
Ronin slipped the ring onto the ring finger of his right hand, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on it.
At first, nothing strange happened. But gradually, he felt as if a tendril was extending from his mind, traveling through his body and down to his finger.
'Is this Spiritual Power?'
The sensation was bizarre. Ronin had entered a state of introspection, able to clearly see the inner workings of his body—far more clearly than when he had sensed his Fighting Qi Spirit Seed.
'There it is, the ring!'
The outline of the ring appeared in Ronin's perception. With a mental command, his Spiritual Power seemed to find an opening and slipped directly into the ring.
In that instant, a profound, black Magic Array materialized on the ring. The light it emanated connected Ronin to it.
WHOOSH~
It was like the sound of a craft soaring through the sky. The space Ronin perceived suddenly expanded.
'This must be the world inside the ring—a ten-cubic-meter storage space.'
The gray space was fairly spacious, but completely empty.
Ronin opened his eyes and found the exquisite little ring was gone from his finger. Only when he observed it with his Spiritual Power could he see that it had merged with his finger, hidden between skin and bone. It was truly magical.
Next, he began experimenting with how to store items inside the Space Ring.
He quickly mastered the method. He just needed to touch an item to the spot where the ring was, then extend his Spiritual Power through the ring to envelop the item, and it would be drawn into the Space Ring.
Storing and retrieving items consumed a bit of Spiritual Power, with larger objects draining even more.
'It takes some energy, but this thing is incredibly convenient.'
Ronin didn't know the exact value of a Space Ring, but if he were to sell it, it would undoubtedly be the kind of item that was in high demand but practically priceless.
If he wanted to get rich overnight, all he had to do was sell the ring.
But who would ever think of selling something like this? Besides, selling it would only bring trouble.
After admiring it for a moment, Ronin glanced at the seven-day login interface again, eagerly anticipating the next four items.
He closed the interface and lay back on the bed, hands clasped behind his head in excitement.
'Coming back this time was a massive win!'
He was extremely glad he had chosen to return to Wushan City instead of going to Pasture City to buy slaves.
'Thirty Guards, 100 Gold Coins, and all those supplies...'
Ronin's current assets were quite substantial.
If he didn't make any other major investments, these supplies and money would be enough for him to live without a care for several years.
The only downside was that Mountain Forest Town's population was too small. According to Lurans, it was less than a thousand people.
It made Ronin feel less like the Lord of a town and more like a bandit chieftain.
'If I want to grow bigger and stronger, it looks like I'll have to focus on the population issue for a long time to come.'
It was now his third day in this world. As he became more familiar with his surroundings, Ronin was also starting to form a clearer picture of his future.
Originally, he had planned to rely on his Golden Finger to lie low and develop his strength in some remote backwater. But after learning that Mountain Forest Town was no peaceful haven, he knew that simply hiding wouldn't work.
As a Baron and a member of the nobility, there were things he wanted to avoid. But his enemies had already targeted him. It was just like the old saying: with great power comes great responsibility.
So, he needed to increase his own strength while also building a force of his own.
His Golden Finger gave him both a shortcut and a clear direction.
'Make money, develop the town, expand the population...'
Information about Mountain Forest Town flashed through Ronin's mind. A Wilderness Tribe lived in the Forest Land north of the town.
'Lurans said Mountain Forest Town has fewer than a thousand people. If a population that small can hold off the Wilderness Tribe, it must mean the tribe isn't all that formidable. Maybe I should consider absorbing them first.'
Buying slaves cost money, and so did hiring workers. But if he conquered the Wilderness Tribe, he could gain more people without spending a cent.
The only thing to consider was the potential losses from such a conquest. He had to minimize his own casualties to maximize the profit.
'Improving the Guards' combat effectiveness is the key.'
Ronin thought of Knight Gaman Stout, with whom he'd had a brief exchange that afternoon. If he had a Knight Squad like that, wouldn't conquering the Wilderness Tribe be a cinch?
'When will I ever be able to form a Knight Squad like that...'
For a standard Knight Squad, Ronin would need at least 12 Basic Level Knights, 36 Attendant Knights, 10 Archers, and 60 Infantry—a total of 118 men, plus at least 48 horses.
He was still a long, long way from that goal.
'Being a Lord is a lot more complicated than being a student.'
Ronin yawned. After a full day of rushing around and putting on an act, he felt a wave of exhaustion and sank into a deep sleep.
The next day, his manservant Chahar was waiting outside the door early as usual. After a quick breakfast, Ronin led Macken and Chahar to the area outside Wushan Castle.
The thirty newly selected Guards were already standing outside Wushan Castle, awaiting Ronin's arrival.
In the distance, a crowd of commoners could be seen watching; they were likely the Guards' families. However, the castle's own guards were preventing them from getting too close.
In addition to the men, eleven horse-drawn carriages and two fine steeds were lined up, making for an imposing sight.
Ronin looked at the Guards, ready to depart, then glanced over the supplies on the carriages. A joyful smile spread across his face.
Compared to the day before, his assets had nearly doubled.
"Chahar, have a few men redistribute the supplies on the wagons. Try to get the weight on each one as even as possible."
"Yes, Master."
Ronin walked over to the second warhorse he had been given, reaching out to pat its head. The black horse blinked cooperately, showing no signs of resistance.
"We wish you a safe journey to Mountain Forest Town, Lord Baron!" The ones seeing him off were, once again, the old and new stewards.
"Thank you for your well wishes."
Ronin laughed heartily. He looked at his well-prepared retinue and, full of spirit, bellowed, "Move out!"
Meanwhile, outside Wushan Fortress, an idle Earl Wiggin took advantage of the high ground to watch Ronin's column depart. He couldn't help but spit in disgust.
'That guy's finally gone. Let's hope he never comes back!'