After briefly discussing plans with Alcatraz and after I constantly nagged him to go to sleep and get some rest for tomorrow’s upcoming battle, he finally agreed and headed to the resting area. The resting area was set up beside the campfire at a certain distance from the town hall. All the women and children were made to sleep in the town hall, while the men slept near the campfire with a few keeping watch.
I sat on a log and recounted the crazy events that had transpired in the past few hours, trying to make sense of it all. The faint sounds of the forest around me echoed in the background as I tried to calm my racing mind and heart. What had happened to me was nothing short of a miracle.
From dying in my previous life to waking up in the body of a dead barbarian, severely injured, and then agreeing to the absurd demand of the system to kill an emperor—even thinking about it now sounded absurd. But if it was for the sake of my survival, then whoever the emperor turned out to be, they had better prepare themselves.
What gave me a little bit of confidence was my system and the summons I had called forth, particularly Rave. She seemed extremely talented and was confident in her ability to reach the last stage of the first cultivation realm in a single night. I wasn't sure if this was considered a mind-breaking feat, but for me, who was in deep waters, her ability to reach the last stage of the first cultivation realm seemed like a towering mountain that I would have a hard time climbing.
I looked up at the dark and daunting sky. It wasn’t filled with ashes and screams like in my previous world; rather, there was a certain serenity and beauty to it. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the negative thoughts creeping into my mind. I remembered that I still had three mystery boxes that I hadn't opened. I decided to open them one by one.
The drama and spectacle of these mystery boxes were the same as before: exaggerated animations with over-the-top sound effects. Talk about being dramatic.
The first uncommon mystery box opened, and I looked at the items I obtained.
Uncommon Mystery Box Reward
* Red Salaman Wood [10]
* 20 CP
CP was understandable, but what was Red Salaman Wood? I didn’t know, so I clicked on it, hoping for a description, and there it was:
Red Salaman Wood: Used in the construction of an Army Camp.
“So, it’s a construction material,” I thought. This made me realize that there would be buildings that couldn’t be built directly, like the Willow of Arc; these buildings would need materials. I made assumptions based on the material I obtained, but I was somewhat certain, as we had built the town hall with the materials required.
I then proceeded to open the other mystery box.
Uncommon Mystery Box Reward
* Healing Apple [2] (Uncommon)
* Iron Whip (Common)
The names themselves gave away what they were, but I still clicked on the Healing Apple to see the details:
Healing Apple: Uncommon. Heals 20% HP of the user.
This was something that would come in handy in tomorrow’s battle. Thinking that, I opened the last mystery box.
Uncommon Mystery Box Reward
* Willow Shard (Uncommon)
* Iron Brick [5]
Seeing the Iron Brick, I understood it was another construction material, and I checked for which building. It was used for the construction of a Construction Camp. Seeing the Willow Shard, my hands twitched with the urge to summon another creature.
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However, before I did that, I turned around and noticed the individual gazing at me from a distance, her head bowed, expectant of my call. She was one of my summon. I looked at her, gestured for her to come over, and said, “What’s on your mind? If there’s something to say, just say it. Don’t hold back and make yourself sick.”
Rave came forward and without any further hesitation spoke, “Master, there is no Army Camp or Construction Camp. You should try to build them first; it will allow us summons to stay in our designated areas, get buffed, and stay in top condition too.”
I raised an eyebrow. She knew about the functions unlocked with a level 1 town hall. However, why wouldn’t she? After all, she was summoned by the system. After a moment’s thought, I didn’t find it surprising, but I wondered—what else did she know? So, I inquired further.
Rave replied, “Master, summons of epic rank and above know about certain things and can assist you in specific areas. I know about the types of buildings and what should be prioritized for construction.”
“That will be helpful,” I said, relieved that summons could help in this area too. But there were still a few questions in my mind, so I asked, “Where do you guys come from?”
Rave nodded, then pointed with her fingers toward the Willow of Arc and replied, “Master, we come from the Willow Temple, and the Willow of Arc is the gateway that leads us to you.”
Her answer raised another question, “And what is this temple?”
“It’s the place where we live,” she replied.
“That’s it?”
“Master, I do not know more than that, but what I know for sure is that all the summons, including myself, are sent here as your servants, and we are to help you to the fullest.”
Her answer didn’t quell my thirst for all the information, but it gave me a vague understanding. Perhaps the higher the rank of the summon, the more likely I would learn new things. “So, you’re saying that building the Army Camp and Construction Camp will be beneficial. Tell me how.”
“Yes, Master,” she said. “The Army Camp gives us summons a place to live and also provides buffs. The same goes for the Construction Camp. The bald man you summoned earlier belongs to the Construction Camp, and if it’s built, his work efficiency will increase, and he’ll be able to work faster. As for me, if there’s an Army Camp, I’ll be able to cultivate faster. That’s why I wanted to request, Master, that you build an Army Camp and, if possible, a Construction Camp too.”
Hearing her words, I fell into deep thought, considering all she said and what the system was at its core. Building structures seemed to be central to the system, granting summons buffs, protection, and a place to live. That meant building all the things unlocked with the level 1 town hall was a must. I knew that, but I was still neglecting all the benefits it would bring.
I had been careless and hadn’t even checked what the Army Camp, Construction Camp, and other functions, except the ones I had used, were. I had been too engrossed in summoning and opening gifts, but before this, I also didn’t have time to think about it all.
I sighed, thinking about all the work that was coming and that I had to do now. It felt like a headache, but in the hope of a tomorrow where my defenses would be strong and I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to get my work done, living a life full of bliss, I had to do the work today to achieve the life I dreamed of tomorrow.
And above all that, the biggest looming task—or maybe threat—was my main quest: killing an emperor. The moment I remembered that my body bolted up, standing straight. “Alright, let’s build the Army Camp first.”
I decided to build the Army Camp first since there was definitely going to be a battle against the bandits tomorrow. If my strongest summon was at the highest level, maybe defeating them would be easy. But I could only hope the bandits tomorrow would be as weak as today’s. If not—well, a man can always hope, right?
There was one more thing I hadn’t checked, and that was the ‘Interface’ system panel for the tribe.
“Interface,” I said.
Tribe Interface
Tribe Name: Yet to be decided
Tribe Banner: Yet to be decided
Tribe Member: 22
Summons: 02/10
Townhall [Level 1] [1000/1000]
CP: [820]
Townhall Functions:
* Army Camp: [None]
* Buildings: [None]
* Construction Camp: [None]
* Defense: [None]
* Farming Field: [None]
* Qi Infuser: [None]
Layer Cryptor [Level 1]
Willow of Arc
System Shop [Level 1]
I clicked on the Army Camp, and the Layer Cryptor opened, showing a hologram of the area. New spots had opened for building as Cary was constantly cutting down trees. The hologram of the Army Camp was initially placed behind the Willow of Arc, but I moved it to the left side of the town hall and chose a location. I was ready to build it, but I wasn’t particularly planning the locations of the other buildings as well as I had for the town hall. I knew I could change the location of the buildings for 500 CP, so right now, planning the other buildings didn’t seem necessary.
I clicked on the build option, but I received a different prompt than I had seen before.
Ding! Insufficient material to build the Army Camp [Level 1].
Materials required:
* Red Salaman Wood [10/100]
* Blackrock Plywood [0/20]
* Feren Steel [0/100]
* Dye [0/5 different types]
* Hardened Glass [0/10]