Author here! From now on the chapter will be a lot longer, if you guys like this format let me know :>
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I woke up groggily. I didn't remember beer hitting this hard. As I tried to get up, I felt a heavy weight pressing down on me—and froze. Slowly, I looked down and saw long brown hair and an angelic face.
With my slight movement, the woman stirred and woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at me in confusion.
"Good morning, Master. What are you doing in my bed?" she mumbled sleepily.
As her clarity returned, she glanced around and then at herself. Her eyes widened. "Why am I naked? Wait…"
A flash of understanding crossed her face, and she shot up, clutching the blanket as a makeshift cover.
"MASTER, you perv! I knew you were after this little one!"
"What the hell are you talking about? Actually, I should be the one asking why YOU are in MY bed!"
"Isn't it obvious?" she teased, a mischievous grin forming. "This little one was too conspicuous, and you, the big bad wolf, attacked me."
"Elizabeth, you damn—"
Before I could finish, she dashed to the bathroom giggling, shutting the door behind her.
I groaned, my head pounding. I couldn't remember anything from last night. Trying to focus, I pulled up the System notifications and saw the rewards. Oh, sweet rewards.
You have received:
6,280 Festival Points (FP)
Diamond Random Reward
Golden Chest
I inhaled sharply. A Diamond Reward? Without hesitation, I opened it. In my hands appeared a large red book with intricate golden details. The cover bore strange writing that emitted a powerful aura, so overwhelming it nearly forced me to kneel.
Struggling to control myself, I quickly stored the book away. That power wasn't something I could handle right now. Composing myself, I opened the Golden Chest, revealing:
500 Population Summons
A Small Forge Building
Village Token
Before I could dive further into the System messages, the bathroom door swung open. Elizabeth emerged, wearing my clothes.
"Master, your bathroom is huge!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with exaggerated awe.
I turned to look at her. She was truly beautiful, with her long brown hair cascading down her back and her green eyes sparkling like emeralds.
"Elizabeth," I said, trying to sound serious, "you don't need to call me Master. When we're alone, just call me by my name."
"We…" she muttered softly, her face turning crimson.
"Wow," I teased, "where's that confident girl who was calling me a big bad wolf? You're not shy about saying my name, right?"
Her face went even redder as she glared at me. "Master, you idiot!" she yelled, then bolted out of the room.
Watching her run off, I chuckled. She's so shy—and so damn fun and cute.
Returning to the main topic, I focused on the next System notification, and it made me uneasy.
[The Human System will receive an update and gain new guidelines. Lords, prepare for the future.]
Some time later, Xiao arrived in my office with a small grin on his face.
"What are you so damn happy about?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Nothing, my lord," Xiao replied, his grin widening further.
I glared at him, irritated. "Alright, alright, Xiao. I'll remember this."
After the playful exchange, we moved on to official matters. The current population had already moved into their new homes, but construction of more houses continued.
I also inquired about Yue Fei's condition. Though he hadn't woken up yet, the medics reported that his physical body was fully healed.
We discussed plans for constructing the police station and establishing the forges. After all, relying on the System for weapons wasn't sustainable—the points were too valuable.
Next, I handed Xiao the shipbuilding talent I had received as a reward and instructed him to find someone suitable for it. I also gave him the population summons to manage as usual.
With routine matters settled, we planned the city's next development phase.
"My lord," Xiao began, "the population increase will strain our food reserves. I suggest expanding the farms. In the meantime, we can increase fishing, but overexploitation of the river could deplete it in the long run."
"I agree. Allocate the necessary manpower to these projects. Once our food sources stabilize, we'll limit the river's use."
"Yes, my lord. One more thing," Xiao added, his tone growing serious. "The city is becoming too large for just us to manage. The people are growing complacent. It doesn't matter how much work they do; at the end of the day, they know they'll receive food and shelter. If this continues, it will surely cause trouble."
Wei Long leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. You're right. If this continues, we'll stagnate. People need purpose—to live, not just survive."
Standing, I turned to Xiao with resolve. "Xiao, prosperity isn't something one person creates alone. If the people only rely on us, they'll remain weak. But if they chase their dreams, if they strive for more, this city will truly flourish."
Xiao raised an eyebrow. "So we should just let them do as they please?"
"No," I replied firmly. "Pure freedom leads to chaos. We'll guide them. Let the ambitious ones rise and follow their greed."
Xiao frowned. "But my lord, greed has destroyed countless empires. The greedy always want more—it's dangerous."
"True," I admitted. "No one can stop greed outright. But when guided properly, it becomes a force for innovation and growth. Earth's greatest civilizations thrived because their people had opportunities to grow."
I paused, turning back to him. "Those who work harder and contribute more will be rewarded accordingly. Effort and ambition will lead to greater rewards."
Xiao nodded slowly, deep in thought. "This could work, but we must act soon—before an elite forms and stifles the common people's growth."
"You are right, let these ideas ferment in your mind, Xiao. We'll revisit this later."
After that, we also planned the construction of a village to support the surrounding mines in the dense forest to finally resolve the problem of the lack of basic resources in the city.
Finishing our meeting, Xiao went away to start managing his new tasks, leaving me alone in my office. I turned my attention back to the strange book that lay dormant on the table. As I picked it up, the overwhelming force surged again, compelling me to kneel. My body screamed in protest as I summoned all my inner energy to resist.
Sweat drenched my face, and the little energy I mustered evaporated like water on a hot pan. My legs buckled, and I was about to fall when something extraordinary happened. The city token I carried activated, unleashing the combined power of every citizen's fate. Like a tidal wave, it surged into the book.
The oppressive force vanished, leaving me drenched and trembling. As I struggled to breathe, I glanced at the book, now glowing faintly. Before I could react, it began to shrink, becoming as small as a needlepoint. It shot forward with comet-like speed, embedding itself in my brow.
Darkness overtook me as I fainted on the spot.