Li En remembered that during his last playthrough, the newbie protection period ensured that monsters around the territory were only around Lv. 1–3, with Lv. 5 creatures appearing further away.
But this time, just a short distance from camp, there was already a Lv. 12 Elite monster.
This is unusual.
Why are there such high-level monsters here?
At that moment, the wolf-girl stared into the sky, watching Shir's owl form flap its wings.
With a fierce snarl, she leaped—her powerful kick sending snow scattering.
Her body shot upward like an arrow—
But Shir was already flying too high.
The wolf-girl missed by a wide margin and began falling.
Then—
Thud!
She slipped on landing and face-planted into the snow.
"Oww~"
Li En: "..."
The wolf-girl slowly stood up, her face dusted with snow, her nose red from the impact.
Seeing the owl had flown away, she could only shake herself off and return to the cave.
Witnessing this, Li En felt a headache coming on.
Are the wild monsters near my territory really this strong?
Well… at least she doesn't seem too smart.
She must have just evolved, so she hasn't fully adapted to her new strength.
"Lord…" Shir circled back, landing beside Li En to avoid exposing his position.
She reverted to her human form and leaned against him.
"Good job, Shir." Li En patted her head.
Sending her to scout first was the right call. Still, he couldn't figure out why such a high-level monster had appeared.
We'll need a long-term plan.
The sun was setting, with only 30 minutes left before nightfall. Further exploration would have to wait.
"Shir, it's almost night. Let's return to camp."
"Yes, Lord Li En."
Arm in arm, they made their way back.
---
Before they even reached the campfire, Li En heard Aminos' boisterous laughter.
"Hohoho~ Chop faster! Carry more stones! I'm out of materials to build!"
He barked orders at his companions while admiring the structures he'd erected in record time.
This should've taken several people…
But I did it alone!
Now, he had the luxury of watching the others work.
Lord Li En really gave me the best job.
The other yak-men exchanged confused glances.
"What's gotten into him today? Since when could he build so fast?"
"Ahem!"
Aminos spun around at the sound of a cough—only to see Li En and Shir returning.
"Lord! You're back!" He hurried over, bowing respectfully.
Back by the campfire, warmth embraced Li En once more.
Checking Aminos' stats, he noticed his Loyalty had risen.
[Loyalty: 70]
Then, he glanced at the territory panel—new notifications awaited.
[1st-Level Cafeteria construction complete.]
[1st-Level Hunter's Cabin construction complete.]
[1st-Level Dormitory construction complete.]
Not bad.
During his first playthrough, it had taken him two days to reach this stage.
Now, he'd done it in half a day.
Entering the newly built Cafeteria, Li En placed the system-rewarded stove, dining table, and benches.
Then, he retrieved an iron pot from the storage chest and set it on the stove.
Without a kitchen, they'd have had to cook over the campfire tonight.
But now, they could enjoy a proper meal indoors.
Next, he handed Shir three portions of wolf meat from his inventory.
"For dinner, I want grilled wolf meat and wolf stew. Handle it."
Thanks to Shir's B-Rank [Maid] talent, she could prepare a perfect meal.
"Understood, Lord!"
With the pot and meat in hand, Shir got to work.
Since only half a day had passed, each person only needed one meal. A full day (including lunch) would require two meals per person.
This was the minimum food requirement. Later, if supplies allowed, they could even have multiple meals a day.
Turning to Aminos, Li En asked, "Find anything noteworthy?"
Aminos reported, "Lord, I've scouted the surroundings."
"To the left of the lord's hut are forests and a quarry. I found a cave, but sensed monsters inside. Following your orders to prioritize safety, I didn't enter."
"To the right is a frozen lake. Perhaps we could fish there if you assign us to it."
Li En's eyes gleamed.
A fishing spot?
If they built a fishery, they'd have another food source besides hunting.
Aminos continued, "Ahead is open plains, and behind us are mountains with many beasts. But you've already been there, Lord."
Li En nodded.
The mountain area he and Shir had explored did seem rich in wildlife—and monsters.
The wolf-girl had left the deepest impression.
They'd likely explore that direction later, but first, they should check the left-side cave.
Perhaps, besides the wolf-guarded resource node, there was another one.
"Good work. Dismissed."
Aminos, seeing his companions had gathered more materials, eagerly rushed off to build the Infirmary.
He was addicted to the thrill of accelerated construction.
---
Now seated by the campfire, Li En opened the [Chat Channel].
This was the feature he'd been most curious about.
Last time he'd entered Era of Divine Revelation, this function didn't exist.
But earlier, survival had taken priority, so he hadn't checked it.
Back then, it seemed like I was the only one transported here.
But this time, the system said billions from Blue Star were brought over.
Is the game world big enough for so many lords?
The interface displayed several channels:
[World Channel: 1 message per day per person.]
[Regional Channel (Area 80701): No message limit.]
[Team Channel: For members of the same territory. No limit.]
[Friends Channel: Private messaging.]
Clicking World Chat, Li En was bombarded by a flood of messages, the scrollbar rapidly descending.
How is anyone supposed to read this?
He dragged the scrollbar to a random spot, finally catching a glimpse of the chaos:
Zhang San: "What the hell is going on?!"
Paimon's Snacks: "I was gaming at home, then a beam of light teleported me here!"
Cheese Snow Leopard: "HELP! I'm freezing to death! Someone save me!"
Little Star for You: "Is this an alien invasion? The Trisolarans?!"
He Qiang: "Found a frozen lake behind my territory. Time for winter fishing, woohoo~"
Wang Duoyu: "I'm a CEO. Get me home, and I'll pay you 100 million!"
Da Mi: "It's me, Da Mi! Please help! I'll do anything!"
Winter Soldier: "You think this is cold? Hah! It's warmer than my hometown."
Jesus Coconut: "This is divine punishment! The apocalypse is here! Pray with me: 'Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, Amitabha, Amen.'"
Li En rubbed his temples.
This is going to be a long night.