Night fell, and Blackstone Territory sank into silence.
In the small kitchen of the lord's manor, the crackling of burning firewood echoed.
Anna was preparing dinner—a simple pot of vegetable soup, a few pieces of black bread, and a small chunk of cured meat. This was already the best food the territory had to offer.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned to pick up the wooden tray, not noticing the puddle of water on the floor.
"Ah—!"
Anna's foot slipped, her body losing balance as she pitched forward.
Just then, a pair of strong arms caught her firmly.
"Careful!" Allen's voice sounded in her ear.
Anna opened her eyes to find herself in Allen's embrace. Their faces were mere inches apart, close enough that she could feel his warm breath.
Worse still—because of the heat from cooking, she'd unbuttoned the top two buttons of her knight's tunic. In this position, her neckline gaped open, revealing pale skin and a deep valley.
"M-My lord..." Anna's face instantly turned red as a ripe apple.
Allen froze as well.
Looking down, he could see that tempting view—full curves, delicate skin, and her chest rising and falling with nervous breaths.
The air seemed to freeze.
The two remained in this ambiguous position, neither moving.
"Ahem..." Allen was the first to recover, clearing his throat softly as he helped Anna stand steady. "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine..." Anna hurriedly straightened her clothes, head lowered, not daring to look at him. "I'm sorry, I was too careless..."
"I should have kept the kitchen tidier." Allen said, trying to make his voice sound normal. "Is dinner ready?"
"Yes..." Anna's voice was barely above a whisper.
She picked up the wooden tray and hurried toward the room, her heart pounding so hard it felt ready to leap from her chest.
Just now, the lord... he must have seen, right?
Oh god, how embarrassing!
Anna set the dinner on the table, still not daring to raise her head to look at Allen.
"Let's eat together." Allen gestured to the chair across from him.
"Eh? But... I'm your guard..."
"Sit." Allen's tone was gentle but brooked no refusal. "There are only two of us now. No need for so many formalities."
Anna hesitated, then finally sat down.
The two sat facing each other with the simple dinner between them.
The atmosphere felt somewhat delicate.
Allen picked up a piece of black bread and took a bite, trying to break the silence. "It tastes pretty good."
Anna kept her head lowered, sipping her soup in small mouthfuls. She stole a glance at Allen, only to find him looking at her too, and immediately lowered her head again.
Candlelight danced across her face, making her blush even more pronounced.
Allen couldn't help but look a few more times.
Only now did he truly notice—Anna was actually quite beautiful.
Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, gleaming with a soft luster in the candlelight. A few strands had come loose from her earlier panic, falling beside her cheeks and adding a touch of disheveled beauty.
Her azure eyes were clear as lake water, long lashes trembling slightly, revealing a maiden's unique shyness. Her delicate features were well-defined—a high-bridged nose, full lips pressed together, and pale cheeks still bearing a faint blush.
Though years of martial training had given her a more athletic build than ordinary girls, she lacked none of the curves she should have—a slender waist, long legs, and a full figure tightly wrapped in her knight's tunic. Especially that scene from earlier, that pale skin and deep valley...
Anna possessed a unique quality—both the heroic bearing of a knight and the soft charm of a maiden. This contrast made her particularly captivating.
Allen shook his head, pushing those alluring images from his mind.
"Anna." He spoke.
"Yes!" Anna sat bolt upright like a startled rabbit.
"Relax." Allen smiled. "I just wanted to ask—what are your thoughts on Blackstone Territory's future?"
Anna froze. She hadn't expected Allen to ask her this question.
"I... I don't know." She answered honestly. "I'm just a guard, these matters..."
"You're the only Tier 2 Knight here, and the person I trust most." Allen looked at her seriously. "Your thoughts are important to me."
Anna's face flushed again.
"The person I trust most"—those four words sent warmth flooding through her heart.
She fell silent for a moment, then slowly began: "My lord, to be honest... I didn't have much hope for Blackstone Territory at first."
"Mm." Allen nodded, indicating she should continue.
"This place is too poor, resources are scarce, the population is small, and there are magical beast threats all around." Anna said quietly. "I thought... I thought we could only barely survive at best."
"But what about now?" Allen asked.
Anna raised her head, her azure eyes sparkling with light. "But now, I see hope."
"You've changed, my lord." She said earnestly. "You're no longer that wastrel who only knew how to eat, drink, and make merry. You have power, wisdom, and..."
She paused, her voice becoming somewhat shy. "And a charisma that makes people want to follow you."
After saying this, Anna's face grew even redder.
Allen smiled. "You flatter me."
"No, it's true." Anna shook her head. "Today you went to Shadow Forest alone and brought back so many materials. The residents all saw it. They're starting to believe in you."
She took a deep breath, her voice becoming firm. "I believe that as long as we follow you, Blackstone Territory will definitely get better."
Allen looked into Anna's sincere eyes, warmth rising in his chest.
In this strange world, having someone willing to believe in and support him—this feeling... was good.
And this girl was not only loyal and reliable, but also quite beautiful...
"Thank you, Anna." He said softly.
The two exchanged smiles, the atmosphere becoming warm and ambiguous.
Candlelight flickered, casting their shadows on the wall, seeming to nestle close together.
...
After finishing dinner, Anna gathered the dishes and prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment." Allen suddenly called out to her.
"What is it, my lord?" Anna turned around.
"Your hair..." Allen pointed to the ends of her hair.
Anna looked down to see a strand of golden hair with a bit of soup on it, probably from when she'd been clearing the dishes.
"Ah..." She hurriedly tried to wipe it off.
"Don't move." Allen walked up to her, reaching out to gently grasp that strand of hair and carefully wipe it with his handkerchief.
The distance between them was impossibly close.
Anna could smell Allen's faint scent—a mix of forest freshness and masculine pheromones that made her heart race.
She stood rigidly in place, not daring to breathe.
Allen focused on cleaning her hair, completely unaware that the girl was so nervous she was about to faint.
"There." He released her hand, nodding with satisfaction.
"Th-thank you..." Anna's voice trembled.
The two locked eyes for a second before Anna fled the room as if escaping.
"Good night, my lord!"
The door slammed shut with a bang.
Allen stood there for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
This girl... was really quite adorable.
...
Allen sat alone in his room, gazing out at the night sky.
Moonlight spilled over the dilapidated territory, creating an especially tranquil scene.
He opened the system panel and began planning future development.
[Current Status]
- Level: LV.1 (850/1000)
- Fate Points: 1950
- Territory Population: 43
- Territory Loyalty: 35%
- Resources: Wood 20, Stone 10, Food 140 (3 days), Gold 750
"First, solve the food problem." Allen calculated mentally. "The farmland should yield its first harvest tomorrow, which should ease the immediate crisis."
"Second, raise resident loyalty. The most direct method is to let them eat their fill and improve living conditions."
"Third, continue hunting magical beasts to gain resources and Fate Points. Once I've saved up 3000 points, I'll do a ten-pull and see if I can get stronger skills or equipment."
"Fourth..." Allen's gaze grew profound. "I need to start considering recruiting more population. 43 people is too few. To develop the territory, I need at least several hundred."
He recalled some locations from the game—
[Blackstone Town]: The nearest town, three hours from Blackstone Territory. He could sell materials there, purchase supplies, and perhaps recruit some refugees.
[Dwarf Mine]: Located deep in Shadow Forest, rich in mithril ore and magic crystals, but occupied by a group of goblins. If he could reclaim the mine, the territory's resource problems would be completely solved.
[Elf Village]: In the northern forest, elves skilled at crafting potions and magical items. If he could establish trade relations with them, it would greatly benefit the territory's development.
[Shadow Wolf King]: The overlord of Shadow Forest, powerful, but defeating it would yield rich rewards. And if he could contract it...
Allen's eyes lit up.
"Right, the contract system!"
He opened the contract system interface.
[Contract System]
[Current Contract Slots]: 0/Unlimited
[Contract Explanation]: After forming a contract with a creature, it becomes your permanent summon. If the target is powerful enough, you can even gain some of its abilities.
"The Shadow Wolf King is a late Tier 1 BOSS, with strength equivalent to early Tier 2. If I can contract it, my combat power will increase dramatically."
A cold glint flashed in Allen's eyes.
"Eliya... Roger... and the Gray family..."
He recalled that humiliation—
Before the Grand Cathedral of Light, hundreds of nobles laughing in mockery.
Eliya's cold gaze and contemptuous words.
Roger's superior attitude and merciless judgment.
"Just wait." Allen murmured. "One day, I'll make you all kneel before me, begging for forgiveness."
But soon, he shook his head.
"No... revenge is just incidental."
Allen stood and walked to the window, gazing at the stars twinkling in the night sky.
As a transmigrator, he knew a terrible truth—
This world would be destroyed.
In the final chapter of the game *Age of Gods*, that terrifying existence—[Abyssal Demon God: Azathoth]—would awaken in the near future.
When that time came, the entire Valen Continent would plunge into eternal darkness.
Undead armies would sweep across the world, and all living things would become the dead.
Whether it was the powerful Saintess Eliya, his arrogant brother Roger, or those high and mighty nobles, kings, and legendary powerhouses...
Before Azathoth, they would all be like ants.
He looked toward the distant territory, where residents slept in dilapidated houses.
"I cannot let this world be destroyed." Allen's gaze grew resolute. "Since I've transmigrated here, since I know what the future holds, then I have a responsibility to change it."
"Revenge? That's just a small matter."
"My true goal is to become the strongest existence in this world before the eternal night falls."
"And then... prevent Azathoth's resurrection, or... defeat him!"
Allen took a deep breath and picked up paper and pen, writing a new line below "Ultimate Goals":
[True Ultimate Goal]
Reach Tier 10 Immortal, prevent the Eternal Night Sovereign's resurrection, and save this world.
After writing this line, Allen felt unprecedented pressure.
Tier 10 Immortal—that was the realm of gods.
Across the entire Valen Continent, there were no more than five known Tier 9 powerhouses, and Tier 10 was an even deeper secret.
According to Allen's memories from his past life in the game, he'd only ever seen one Tier 10 powerhouse—Azathoth himself.
And he was currently only Tier 1 Initiate.
From Tier 1 to Tier 10, nine major realms separated them, each one an insurmountable chasm.
Allen smiled bitterly. "This is practically an impossible task."
But he quickly rallied.
"No, I have the system, gacha, contracts, and ten years of gaming experience from my past life."
"I know the locations of all hidden quests, all BOSS weaknesses, and where all the divine artifacts are."
"As long as I use these advantages properly, reaching Tier 10 and defeating Azathoth... isn't completely impossible!"
Allen's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.
"And even if I ultimately can't prevent the eternal night's arrival, I must ensure that I and those around me can survive."
He looked out the window, moonlight spilling over Blackstone Territory.
"Anna... and these residents... I will protect you all."
Allen put away the paper and lay down on the bed.
Though his body was exhausted, his heart was filled with determination.
"Tomorrow, go to Blackstone Town."
"And then... continue growing stronger!"
He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
In his dreams, Blackstone Territory had become a prosperous city—
Towering walls, orderly streets, bustling crowds.
And he stood at the highest point of the lord's manor, overlooking it all.
Around him, countless powerful summons surrounded him—
Skeleton warriors, the Shadow Wolf King, dragons, liches...
"This is my future..." Allen smiled in his dream.