Adam groaned as he rose from the cold, rocky ground, his head spinning and his muscles aching. He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar sky—a deep purple hue, with two suns shining low on the horizon. The air smelled of damp earth and wildflowers, but the faint sound of distant screams strained his nerves. 

"What happened?" Adam muttered, looking around. The sprawling landscape stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction—dense forests, rugged mountains, and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. He was alone. Completely, completely alone. 

The last thing he remembered was sitting at his desk at work. Now here he was, in this strange world, with nothing but the clothes on his back. 

Then, a bright, bold, and sharp advertisement floated in the air before him. 

> **SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...** 

> **GLOBAL TRANSMIGRATION COMPLETE. WELCOME TO KAELITH.** 

> **PLAYER STATUS: ACTIVE. SAFETY ZONE ESTABLISHED.**

Adam blinked as he read the message, unsure whether to laugh or panic. "Is this some kind of twisted game?" 

Another notification is displayed. 

> **PLAYER SYSTEM ENABLED.** 

> **NAME:** Adam 

> **ABILITY:** MERCHANT LORD (**Rank: SSS**) 

> **POWER RANK:** Unclass 

> **STATISTICS:** 

> - **HP:** 100/100 

> - **Strength:** 10 

> - **Mana:** 50 

> - **Luck:** 20 

He gasped. **SSS Rank?** He had barely understood the concept of "skills" when the description was given to him. 

> **MERCHANT LORD:** 

> - All transactions give a **50% refund** in resources, gold, or items. 

> - **Level Rewards**: Selling or buying levels unlocks extra power. 

> - **Transaction Log**: Copies abilities of those who are 100% loyal. 

> - **Purchase Levels**: Copies stats of those who are 100% loyal. 

"Loyalty?" Adam whispered, his mind in turmoil. This could mean NPCs, people, or factions. The potential was limitless. 

As if reading his mind, another message appeared. 

> **SAFE ZONE DETAILS:** 

> You have been assigned a small cabin. It is located in a 10-meter safe zone where no hostile entities can enter for the **next seven days**. 

An arrow flashed in his vision, pointing towards a wooden structure perched on a hill in the distance. 

Adam followed the arrow, scanning the horizon carefully as he moved. Although the terrain seemed peaceful, the distant cries of creatures hinted at hidden dangers. Arriving at the cabin, he carefully entered. 

It was basic: a camp bed, a storage crate, and a small table. 

"It's not exactly luxurious, but it'll do," Adam said to himself as he closed the door behind him. 

Another warning popped up while inspecting the storage box. 

> **STORAGE INVENTORY:** 

> - 10 Wood 

> - 5 Stone 

> - 2 Basic Rations 

"You expect me to survive on this?" The system responded with a new notification. 

> **NPC SYSTEM ENABLED.** 

> - **NPC CREATION ENABLED:** 

> - **Model Available:** Basic Worker 

> - **Cost:** Free (first use) 

Adam shrugged. "NPC? That's closer to it." 

He selected the option and the light turned before him. The glow transformed into a humanoid figure: a strong-looking man in simple clothes, with a calm, expressionless face. 

> **NPC CREATED:** 

> - **Name:** NPC Worker #001 

> - **HP:** 50/50 

> - **Strength:** 8 

> - **Mana:** 0 

> - **Luck:** 5 

> - **Power Rank:** F 

The NPC bowed. "At your service, my lord." 

Adam smiled. "Finally someone calls me 'sir'. Alright, first task: gather wood and stones around the safe zone. Let's see how useful you are." 

The NPC nodded and quickly left the hut, moving with almost mechanical efficiency. 

While the NPC worked, Adam opened the **Global Chat** tab. Messages from other players drifted by, frantic and disconnected. 

**PLAYER 101:** "Is there anyone near the rocks? I need help!" 

**PLAYER 78:** "How do I make a weapon? All I have is a stick!" 

**PLAYER 3:** "Avoid the forest! There's something big out there!" 

Adam frowned. From what he'd heard, no one had figured out how to make weapons—or if they had, they weren't sharing. Another piece of the system puzzle fell into place. 

> **SYSTEM NOTE:** 

> - Players cannot make weapons. Weapons can only be picked up: 

> 1. Dropped by monsters. 

> 2. Created by NPCs. 

> 3. Traded with other factions. 

Your NPC returned with his first loot, depositing some logs and rocks near the hut. 

> **RESOURCES UPDATE:** 

> - Wood: +15 

> - Stone: +10 

Adam smiled. "Not bad. Let's see how far we go." 

He pressed the **NPC Creation** menu again. 

> **NEW NPC MODEL UNLOCKED:** 

> - **Basic Artisan** (Cost: 5 Wood, 5 Stone) 

He selected the master and another figure materialized: a large man with a hammer on his shoulder. 

> **NPC CREATED:** 

> - **Name:** Artisan NPC #001 

> - **HP:** 60/60 

> - **Strength:** 12 

> - **Mana:** 5 

> - **Luck:** 8 

> - **Power Rank:** F 

"My lord," the artisan said, bowing. 

"Make me a weapon," Adam ordered. "Something simple." 

The master made a deposit wood and stone piled up towards a small workbench that loomed near the hut. A few minutes later, he returned with a crude spear. 

> **NEW ITEM CREATED:** 

> - Fierce Spear (Damage: 10, Durability: 50/50) 

Adam picked up the spear, his faith growing. "Perfect. Let's see how it works." 

Just outside the safe zone, Adam noticed a wolf-like creature standing nearby.