In the distance, the ruins of a once-great civilization loomed like a ghostly monument to a forgotten age. The massive dome, now shattered and crumbling, stretched across the horizon, its glass panels fractured and its metallic skeleton exposed. Inside, the remnants of a bustling metropolis lay in ruins, overtaken by mutated beasts and undead corpses that roamed aimlessly. The dome's sheer size was staggering—ten times that of a normal city—and at its heart stood a towering black pyramid, its alien design and intricate patterns reaching toward the shattered roof.
Within the pyramid, a grand hall stretched endlessly, its walls lined with massive black square pillars engraved with strange, otherworldly symbols. Winged, dark red humanoid creatures knelt in rows, their terrifying armor glinting faintly in the dim light of torches. At the far end of the hall, a massive diamond-shaped black crystal sat inert, its surface reflecting the faint glow of the torches. Seated within the crystal's outline was a winged figure, his form shadowed but his presence undeniable.
The hall's oppressive silence was shattered as a female figure stormed in, her many eyes blazing with fury. Her presence sent a ripple of fear through the kneeling creatures, their trembling forms barely holding their positions. She was Serallia, the Spider Princess, her rage palpable as she approached the figure in the crystal.
"Did you kill my babies?" she shouted, her voice echoing through the hall like a thunderclap.
The figure in the crystal tilted his head slightly, his yellow, demonic eyes glowing faintly as he regarded her. "What do you mean by that, Serallia? Or should I call you… Spider Princess?" His voice was cold and low, each word carrying an aura of power that made the air itself seem heavier.
Serallia's claws extended, sharp and deadly, as she stepped closer. "Some of my babies died," she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. "They were just hatchlings. Who killed them?"
The figure leaned back, his expression unreadable. "How should I know that?"
Serallia's rage boiled over. "I swear, if you did this—" Her claws gleamed in the dim light as she raised them threateningly.
Before she could finish, the figure leaned forward, his aura intensifying. "You will what?" he interrupted, his voice cutting through her anger like a blade. "Don't forget, Princess, you have just joined our ranks. Know your place… trash."
Serallia gritted her teeth, her body suddenly restrained by an invisible force. She struggled against it, her aura flaring as her anger grew. "I will find out who did this," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom. "And when I do, they will know chaos. They will know what it feels like to anger an Arachne bloodline. They will know death."
Her fury broke the invisible shackles, her aura rising like a storm. But before she could act, the figure moved. In an instant, he was upon her, his hand slamming her face into the floor with a force that sent shockwaves through the hall. The kneeling creatures were thrown back, their forms crashing against the pillars as the ground trembled.
The figure loomed over her, his yellow eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. "Use your head for once, Princess," he said, his voice cold and mocking. "Tell me what you see other than your dead hatchlings."
He released her, stepping back as Serallia slowly sat up, her expression a mix of rage and confusion. She glanced at the floor, her mind racing. "I see machines," she said finally, her voice low. "Similar to the debris around the dome, but… mediocre and ugly."
The figure nodded, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Then there's only one who could have done that." He turned and walked back to his seat within the crystal. "Prove to us you are worthy and not just some brute-brained maniac. The ones you seek are the humans—or the weaklings from outside the Dark Region. Typically, you cannot force your way out. But there is one way… to the east. The weaklings built a small wall there. Though we haven't tested it yet, because we simply don't care to. See if you can destroy that wall."
Serallia's eyes narrowed, her rage simmering as she processed his words. "The humans?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "These primitive weaklings killed my babies?"
The figure leaned back, his expression indifferent. "Hmm… humans. Always careless as ever." He sighed, his tone almost pitying. "Well, there's no saving you now."
Serallia's aura erupted like a storm, her form shifting and expanding as she transformed into her true, monstrous self—a giant broodmother, her massive body wreaking havoc as she stormed out of the hall. The creatures in her path scrambled to get out of the way, their fear palpable as she tore through the ruins, her many eyes blazing with fury.
The figure watched her go, his expression unreadable. "Humans," he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with amusement. "Always so predictable."
---
Ryan crouched over his farm, his hands carefully picking the now-ripe tomatoes. The vibrant red fruits were a welcome sight after days of bland meals. As he placed the last tomato into his basket, a familiar chime rang out, and a holographic screen appeared in his vision.
[Achievement Completed: Farmer, Farmest
Harvest your first crop.
Rewards: 20 Customization Points]
Ryan swiped the screen away without a second thought. "Hahaha, no more bland meals. Finally!" he said, grinning as he admired his harvest. He gathered the basket and made his way to the small wooden warehouse he had built near his cabin.
The warehouse was a modest structure, its interior lined with wooden storage chests and stacks of planks and logs. Ryan set the basket of tomatoes down and scratched his head. "Hmm… where should I put the food? I built these storage chests for other materials I'll find in the future. Maybe I'll build one in the kitchen."
He sighed, leaning against the wall as his mind began to race with plans. "Even though I've already researched electronics, I can't build a fridge yet. I need copper, iron, and steel ingots for the components. I can build a blast furnace, but I'd have to swim for clay down at the river. What I really need is iron. I've unlocked basic vehicles, but those are just wooden carts and wagons. They're helpful for hauling large amounts of materials, but they won't shorten the distance to the mountain."
Ryan walked outside, his eyes scanning the path he had been clearing for days. The mountain loomed in the distance, its peak barely visible through the trees. "I've been cutting trees toward the mountain for days now, and I can't spin that plank cutter manually forever. I really need electricity at this point."
He crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "Well, there's only one solution, and it's going to take days. Now that I have a cart, I can do camping trips to the mountain. For that, I'll need a huge amount of food and a mobile cooking station—or just a simple campfire, really. I also need guns. Not bows and arrows—guns. I can't be an American if I don't have guns. Who needs bows and swords? I need guns. But that also requires iron to craft, and bullet cartridges. There's always a process."
Ryan sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "But I can bypass a lot of that if I get my basic automated manufacturing set up. The problem is, I need a lot of components for it. Thankfully, the building requirements are just components and iron, pretty much like in the game. For that, I need a lot of space, and the best place to build it is in a cave."
He chuckled to himself, imagining the reactions of game experts. "I know a lot of them would say to build in open ground, but I'm all about privacy and security. Besides, this is real life—well, kind of a game, but still. At least I don't have to worry about insectoids digging under the floors anymore."
Ryan stepped into his cabin, the cozy interior a stark contrast to the wild outdoors. He made his way to the bedroom, where his bow and quiver of arrows leaned against the wall. He slung the quiver over his shoulder and grabbed the bow, testing its string with a practiced flick of his fingers.
Next, he opened the closet, revealing an assortment of clothes he had crafted from animal fur and leather. After building his tailoring station, Ryan had taken full advantage of his stockpile of leather and furs from hunting. He ran his hand over the garments, his fingers brushing against the soft fur of a wolf pelt.
"Well, I guess just this," he muttered, pulling out a camouflage robe made from wolf fur. He had designed it specifically for blending into the forest, layering it with bits of foliage to mimic the natural surroundings. As he slipped the robe on, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I still remember my near-death experience with that wolf. Missed my shot, and it charged straight at me. Thank goodness for the stone knife and the combat skills kicking in."
Ryan adjusted the robe, making sure the layered bushes were secure. He paused for a moment, reflecting on his combat experiences. "I know now that the Combat (Melee) attribute kicks in after turning on combat mode. Until I can familiarize myself with some moves, I can't turn off the AI-assisted combat mode yet. It's helpful, though—makes me move faster and react to attacks. But it's not the same as doing it on my own."
He sighed, slinging the bow over his shoulder. "Well, no use overthinking it. Let's just get to hunting."