Randy sat on the edge of his small, cozy mattress inside the stone hut, taking in a deep breath. For the first time in years, he wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t thirsty. His new life as a lord had come with food and water—automatically supplied by the fortress system without any special requirements. It was simple, yet more than he ever had in his old life.

He leaned back, feeling the soft bedding beneath him. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was his. “This… this is better than anything I’ve ever known.” Randy closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the mattress. The feeling of a roof over his head, even one as simple as a stone hut, brought a peace he had never experienced.

The first day in his new life had passed, and despite the looming danger, Randy felt a quiet satisfaction. His fortress, though small, was his sanctuary. It spanned about 20 meters in every direction, surrounded by a modest stone wall, standing about 10 feet high. A lookout tower, only slightly taller at 12 feet, offered a vantage point of the barren, rocky land that stretched out beyond his walls.

Randy climbed up the lookout tower, gazing out into the distance. The land was flat and unyielding—no trees, no life, just a desolate expanse seemingly designed for war. He shuddered at the thought. This world was built for conflict, but for now, he had food, water, and shelter. It was enough.

“That’s more than I ever had,” he muttered to himself, smiling at the small victories he had achieved in just one day.

But his eyes couldn’t avoid the imposing structure about 100 meters away—his neighbor’s Level 2 fortress. It towered over his modest fort, standing 30 feet high with walls that looked impenetrable. From time to time, Randy would hear the unmistakable sound of swords clashing from within the fortress walls.

Stolen story; please report.

“They’re already training their troops,” Randy said through gritted teeth. His envy was hard to suppress. “Damn it… that guy must have been rich before all of this. He probably has Tier 2 troops by now, and I don’t even have one.”

He turned away from the sight of the towering fortress and looked back at his own small camp. He was far from ready to face a threat like that, but at least he had one more day. His resource production had increased, and he would soon have enough to build his barracks and summon his first troops.

Randy leaned on the stone wall of his fortress, staring out into the horizon. “Just one more day…” he whispered to himself. Tomorrow, he’d finally start summoning troops—his first real step toward defending himself in this war-torn world. But that wasn’t all he was thinking about.

A strange mix of excitement and nerves filled him. “I’ve never had any friends before… never even been close to anyone,” he muttered. “Still a virgin too.” He smirked, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Before I die in this world, I need to experience it at least once. Just one time.”

The thoughts of revenge, power, and desire swirled in his mind as he turned back toward his stone hut. He jumped onto the mattress, eager for the day to end. “Just sleep, Randy. The faster you sleep, the faster tomorrow comes,” he told himself, hoping to speed up the clock.

As he lay in bed, staring at the stone ceiling, Randy couldn’t help but think about what was next. His mind was racing, imagining what his troops would be like, how he would finally rise to power in this new world.

“Tomorrow’s the day,” he whispered. “I’m going to change everything. And I’ll make them all pay for what they did to me. One by one.”

With those thoughts lingering, Randy closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, waiting for the dawn of a new day.