Focusing on the white orb first, he opened its panel:
[Domain Name: Unnamed
Master: Ethan
Rank : common
Perks: +1% chance of special items appearing
Level: 0
Size: 10x10
Facility: Thatched Cottage (Level 1)
Population: 0]
"Huh, not bad," Ethan mused. +1% chance for special items was a decent perks. Special items were rare, powerful, and often priceless. Even a 1% boost could make a huge difference.
Satisfied, he turned his attention to the rainbow-colored Domain. When he tried to access it, however, he hit a roadblock. "An auxiliary-type space?" he muttered. It seemed he needed to enter his Domain physically to unlock its full potential.
Ethan's grin widened. "No problem. I've got plenty of time to figure this out. With a cheat like this, the sky's the limit."
Ethan wasn't in a rush to dive into the mysterious domain. Priorities, reader! He had to prep—stocking up on food and water to avoid the ultimate embarrassment of starving to death in an interdimensional starter pack. Entering the domain sounded easy enough, though: just a bit of mental mojo, and poof, you're there. But, like life itself, where you landed was a complete roll of the dice. Each new domain popped up in a random spot, with no guarantees of a scenic view or prime real estate. Who knows what kind of danger he will face
Lucky for rookies like Ethan, there was a tutorial period. This 30-day grace period plopped every newbie's territory into a secure "training zone." It came with a catch, of course—daily monster attacks to test their mettle. The difficulty? Totally tied to the quality of your Domain. Fancy spaces attracted stronger monsters, while humbler setups kept it low-key.
The stakes? Survive the attacks, protect your domain core, and reap rewards based on your performance. Lose the crystal, and you'd still have your land, but kiss those sweet bonus rewards goodbye. A harsh system, sure, but Ethan had read enough online forums to know that even failure wasn't game over. The pros called it 'survival of the financially fittest.'
Speaking of pros, rich kids had it down to a science. Some of them skipped the entire grind, intentionally letting monsters crush their crystals on Day One to jump straight to the main continent. There, they'd flex their family's resources to build their territories like spoiled medieval billionaires. Ethan? Not so much. His rise to glory would be all grit, a bit of luck, and a lot of snacks. With his bags packed, Ethan finally decided to make the leap. "Alright, Domain, here we go!" he muttered, mentally locking onto it like a gamer launching into a new MMORPG.
A flash of light later, he was standing in his very own domain. His first impression? Flat. Not metaphorically, but literally—a plain 100 square meters in size with a quaint thatched hut smack in the middle. Outside the hut was a glowing domain core, radiating a mysterious light like it was showing off.
"Okay, so this is it. Not bad... The air's nice at least," Ethan quipped, taking a deep breath and pretending he wasn't just stalling.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he ducked inside the thatched hut. Minimalist was an understatement. A single stone bed sat in the corner, and that was it. He tapped the wall, half-expecting something to happen, but nope.
Checking out the property stats didn't boost morale either:
[Thatched Cottage
Level: 1 (0/100)
Health: 10/10
A simple thatched cottage that offers the bare minimum of living conditions.]
"Bare minimum's right," he muttered, scratching his head. Before he could spiral into disappointment, a virtual prompt popped up.
[Welcome to your domain! You've received starter pack: a barracks, an Shop, a set of beginner equipment, and 100 soul coins.]
[Newbie Trial Activated: Monsters will attack daily during the trial period. Protect your domain core to earn rewards. If it's shattered, the trial ends early, and you forfeit bonuses.]
A few glowing items materialized before him—starter pack essentials for every newbie. The barracks and Shop were the big-ticket items here. Ethan followed the system's instructions to plop them into his territory, marveling as the new buildings appeared in strategic spots.
[Barracks
Level: 1 (0/100)
Summon soldiers (10 soul coins for basic summons, 50 for intermediate, 100 for advanced)]
[Shop
Level: 1 (0/100)
Use soul coins or spirit coins to potentially receive rare rewards. Warning: the Shop may scam you. Proceed at your own risk.]
He chuckled at the blatant disclaimer. "So, basically a glorified loot box. Got it."
Soul coins, he learned, were the lifeblood of this world. You earned them by defeating monsters, and they couldn't be traded. They were essential for upgrades, summoning heroes, and the infamous Shop sacrifices. Spirit coins? Your everyday cash. Buy stuff, pay bills, whatever. But soul coins? Priceless.
Just as Ethan was plotting his first soldier summon, another notification popped up:
[Do you want to activate the auxiliary Domain?]
His heart skipped a beat. The auxiliary Domain was rainbow colored. He exepect it's at least Legendary rank. Without hesitation, Ethan shouted, "Activate!"
A kaleidoscope of colors engulfed his territory as the system transformed everything around him.
[Domain core evolved into legendary rank.]
[Thatched Cottage evolved into Spiritual Bamboo House.]
[Barracks evolved into Bronze Sparrow Terrace.]
[Shop evolved into Mysterious Store.]
Ethan blinked as his drab little patch of land leveled up into something straight out of a fantasy novel. Even the air smelled better, like a fresh mountain breeze. He opened his territory stats, barely containing his excitement:
[Domain Name: Unnamed
Master: Ethan
Rank : Legendary
Perks: +1% chance of special items appearing
Level: 0
Size: 20x20
Facility: King Crystal, Spiritual Bamboo House, Bronze Sparrow Terrace, Mysterious Store
Population: 0]
He scrolled to his personal stats and nearly dropped his jaw:
[Strength: 1.5 | Vitality: 1.5 | Agility: 3 | Intelligence: 6| Charisma: 1 |Luck: 1]
"Wait… I'm stacked!" Ethan shouted. Normal newbie stats were a flat 1 across the board, but his auxiliary space had turned him into a super novice. For a moment, he stood there, stunned into silence. Then, with a goofy grin spreading across his face, he whispered, "This is gonna be awesome."
Ethan stood in front of the new buildings, staring at the transformed structures with wide eyes. He couldn't help but marvel at the changes. Taking a deep breath, he began examining the first one.
[King Crystal
Level: 1
Health : 200/200
Shield: 1000/1000
Perks: Thunder Attack
The core hub of the domain. This upgraded crystal integrates offense and defense, actively attacking all creatures with malicious intent within a ten-meter radius.]
Ethan's jaw practically hit the ground. "Wait, what?! there's a freaking shield now?!" He blinked and rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "A thousand defense points!? I feel like I just got upgraded to vip without paying for it."
His gaze shifted to the crystal itself, now pulsating with purple lightning. The occasional crackle of thunder made the air buzz with electricity, and a faint hum resonated around it. The entire thing was wrapped in a transparent, glass-like shield that practically screamed, 'Don't mess with me.'
"This is... beautiful," he muttered, hands on his hips, nodding approvingly. "Also terrifying. But mostly beautiful."