Harold had spent his last days on Earth memorizing lists. The stagnant air of his small area in the warehouse, filled with the scent of worn paper and ink, was a stark contrast to the new reality he was about to face. The constant low hum of Earth's distant traffic was a backdrop to his thoughts, soon to be replaced by the sounds of fresh construction.Not lists of stories or theories, but records of what had gone right the first time humanity had been taken. Who earned the first perks? What actions quietly closed doors forever when no one noticed? First harvests. First kills. First structures. First mistakes.He hadn't known everything. People had been careless on the forums last time, bragging without realizing what they were giving away. This time wouldn't be any different. The system didn't reward effort or intention. It rewarded decisive success, and only once. Harold remembered one Lord who got the World first clear on a Den then spent the next years bragging about his rewards. The perk he got from it was something he wanted ASAP.Standing in the middle of the clearing, Harold watched the village breathe for the first time. Smoke rose from the hall. Caldwell was probably in there, cataloging everything. He had seen the man escort his family off. Tools struck wood. Voices overlapped in low, nervous tones. The shape of a settlement was forming, but it needed a lot of work."Everyone hold," he said, raising one hand.The motion was small. The effect wasn't.Noise softened, then stopped. People turned toward him, waiting.Harold's voice cut through the air with the clarity of a well-honed blade. "The first perks are available," he declared. "Seize them now or never; you will never see these windows again." As his words settled over the crowd, their significance resonated deeply."I planned for this before we arrived," he continued, though a fleeting doubt brushed his mind. What if his preparations were not enough? Harold pushed the thought away, his assertions unwavering. "Assignments were already made. If you're on my list, you already know where you're going."He turned his head slightly."Beth."She stepped forward immediately, slate in hand. She must have gotten with Margret."Crafting firsts," Beth said, voice clear and practical. "Timber processing, leather curing, basic tool shaping. No refinement. No perfection. Speed and completion only!"She glanced around the group."Rare-tier and above windows last a little longer. If our summoned recruits are better positioned to grab those, let them. I don't care who gets the perk as long as someone here does. Make it competitive."A few crafters nodded, expressions sharpening. Some competitive edge was showing on people's faces. A whispered comment about whose craft was faster slipped through the group, met by a subtle glare. Rivalries brewed quietly, hinting at future tensions even as they focused on the task at hand."Josh." Harold said.Josh grinned, but his posture straightened. "Support buildings first. The hall extension on the Lord's residence. You need to push that structure up fast. I want that perk.""You'll have it," Josh said."Sarah." Harold commanded.She was already adjusting the grip on her sharpened stick. "First monster kill, and first fifty monster kills," she said. "Commons up through uncommon only. Small targets and solo credit."She rolled her eyes. "Which does not mean going alone. I know, brother."Harold nodded once. "No chasing glory."She smirked. "I know."He looked back at the rest of the village."If you weren't assigned, you support someone who was," Harold said. "No freelancing. No inventing new goals. First windows close fast, and mistakes here don't get a second chance."He paused."We stack advantages now, or we bleed for them later."No one argued. That worried him less than it should have."Move," Harold commanded.And the village snapped into motion.Harold spotted Martin Hale near the edge of the clearing, already watching the village move with the quiet intensity of a man who measured chaos by how quickly it could be shaped.He walked over and jerked his chin to the side. "Walk with me."Hale didn't ask why. The former history teacher turned soldier fell in beside him, hands clasped behind his back as they moved away from the noise. He wasn't the only one who made the choice, either; he was just the only one he talked to about it.Harold had spent hours with the man talking about the consequences of his choice. There was a fourth option that wasnt officially listed on the role choices.
Soldiers stood apart from everyone else. Crafters could choose to become soldiers if they gave up all their perks. They lost their respawn protection, too; soldiers didn't get the opportunity to respawn. In exchange, soldiers got access to a different perk and mana system. It was a powerful trade-off, and Harold was thankful that Hale had made the choice. Soldiers could also retire into a crafter, again losing all of their soldier perks and regaining their crafter ones.For a few moments, they walked in silence, boots pressing fresh tracks into grass that hadn't known feet before today."I keep thinking there's a first I never saw," Harold said at last. "Something like a first successful military action. First secured perimeter. Just because it didn't show up on the forums last time doesn't mean it didn't exist."Hale gave a low hum. "If the system favors outcomes, not titles, then soldiers acting like soldiers and succeeding should matter.""That's my thinking," Harold said. "So let's test it."He glanced over. "How many actual armed soldiers do we have right now. Not adventurers with sticks. Soldiers."Hale didn't hesitate. "Eight. Not including the ones that came from Earth, but they don't have any equipment. Shields, discipline, basic formation training. Enough for a squad. Not enough for anything prolonged.""That's enough," Harold said.Hale raised an eyebrow. "For what?"Harold listened intently to the stillness, noticing the irregular pauses between the chorus of nature. A distant roar disrupted the usual rhythm. Sarah was already out there hunting the goblins he knew would be there. The occasional crack of branches, louder than the usual sounds of wildlife, hinted at something large moving through the forest."A perimeter patrol," Harold replied. "Short range around us. Just get some eyes on the ground and a sense of what's close. A few kilometers at most."Hale nodded slowly. "We can sketch terrain as we go.""In a few minutes, I'm generating the quest board," Harold said. "One of the first tasks will be scouting monster dens. Locations only. No engagements unless it's trivial.""And if they find something weak," Hale said, already ahead of him."I want to hit it fast," Harold replied.Hale stopped walking and turned to face him. "You're trying to stack firsts without bleeding people.""Yes," Harold said, smiling faintly."That's... gonna be hard," Hale said flatly."I know," Harold replied. "But every advantage we miss today costs lives later. Some of these perks can be powerful." Harold said, thinking about the Mana body he had gained. It wasnt something he was familiar with from his past life.Hale studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. "Then here's my recommendation. Patrol goes out now—tight formation. No chasing. If they meet resistance, they disengage immediately. Their job is to come back alive with information."He paused. "We keep them fresh. You told us back on Earth that a lot of people were taken at night during the first weeks, before protections were established. I won't risk that.""You're right," Harold said. "And the den.""If it's weak," Hale continued, "we anchor the line with soldiers and let the adventurers strike the flanks. Control the timing of the attack. I don't relish any kind of cave fighting. It's ugly work."Harold let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yes, it is, good thing I have you," he said with a smile.Hale's mouth twitched, almost a smile. "You're pushing hard for a man who says he doesn't want to risk lives.""I know we are going to lose people; it's inevitable. I don't want senseless deaths." Harold said.Hale looked at him and nodded slowly, a decision settled. "I'll form the patrol. But Harold, after talking to these soldiers a little. These are real people. Not fake ones sent to populate the world. I know you warned us already, but it's just so hard to believe. I won't risk them for nothing."Harold watched him go. He turned toward the soldiers gathering nearby, then muttered just loud enough to be heard, "Some retirement this is."Harold just chuckled, satisfied with the man. "Adventurers! To me!"The ones without assignments hurried over, boots scuffing dirt that hadn't yet decided whether it was road or field. Most carried little more than sharpened sticks or clubs wrapped in bark and cord. A few had stones stuffed into pockets. One man was knotting a strip of cloth into a crude sling, testing the weight of a pebble with a thoughtful look.Harold noticed."That's smart," he said, pointing at the sling. "Keep doing that."The man blinked, surprised, then nodded quickly and went back to work. Harold filed the face away. Ingenuity mattered more than muscle this early."Alright," Harold said, raising his voice just enough. "We're going to make this official."He turned and walked toward the front of the lord's hall. The building still smelled like fresh-cut wood and sap, the great doors standing open to the clearing beyond. He stopped just outside, lifted a hand, and focused.The interface slid into place.VILLAGE STRUCTURE AVAILABLEQUEST BOARDDAILY CREATION LIMIT: ACTIVEREWARD AVAILABLE: MINIMAL"Figures," he muttered.He confirmed the selection.The ground in front of the hall shifted. Wood rose smoothly from the soil, thick planks locking together as iron bands formed along the edges. Pegs hammered themselves into place. A wide board settled upright, already scarred with use that hadn't happened yet.The quest board stood solid and unmistakable.Adventurers drifted closer instinctively, curiosity pulling them in. One young adventurer hesitated, eyes wide and hands trembling slightly as he reached for a quest. As his fingers brushed the parchment, a wave of relief washed over his face, mingling with determination. He whispered a quiet affirmation to himself, a reminder of new beginnings and a chance to make a mark.Harold stepped aside so they could see as parchment unfurled across the surface, lines of text burning themselves into existence one by one.He kept it simple by design.• Scout the immediate perimeter (common)• Map nearby water sources(common)• Gather edible plants (Common)• Hunt animals for food (Common)• Deliver verified monster sightings(Common)No heroic language and definitely not promises of glory.The rewards were modest. Some food from the Lord's Hall. Minor recognition. Enough to trigger a first completion for some people without baiting anyone into dying for it. There was a limit to the number of quests he could make a day, and all the rewards had to come from the one making it. Which was him...and he had nothing. But they needed quests, and he wasn't gonna send them out without a quest. It was the only way they had respawn protection."This isn't about getting rich," Harold said, turning back to the group. "It's about momentum. First completed quests matter. First successful actions matter. If it looks easy, that's on purpose."A few people exchanged glances. One laughed nervously."You'll notice there aren't many quests," Harold continued. "That's not a mistake. I can only generate so many a day, and the rewards are honestly crap. So we rotate, get with your section head to set up the schedule. Everyone gets a shot."Someone raised a hand. "What about monster kills?""They'll come, and there's already a group out there hunting the weakest now. If you find some, feel free to fight them. You should all have studied the bestiary I made." Harold said. "You bring back information first, we need to secure this area as best we can."That settled them more than any reassurance could have.Harold watched as names began to glow faintly on the parchment, adventurers stepping forward to claim tasks. The first ones always went fastest. The cautious waited, watching how it worked before committing.He stepped back, eyes flicking once more to the man with the sling, now joined by two others asking questions.The system hummed softly around him, acknowledging progress without fanfare.And he intended to pry every advantage out of them before they closed, now the hard part. It was time to open the village to more people coming from Earth.Margret!