Nonetheless, his story was about to unfold.
"No, no, no, no, please no..."
[Congratulations!]
[You have become a Sovereign! Please visit your Ruler tab for more information.]
Luke looked down upon his territory as fear slowly flooded every inch of him
"This can't be it," he whispered, and with this simple sentence, every fantasy, dream, and hope shattered.
Beneath his feet lay a small golden square, radiating luxury and magical prowess.
Instinctively, Luke knew nothing could destroy, threaten, or penetrate it for a minimum of 30 days. Yet the reassurance fell short of his expectations.
"But why... why is it so small?"
Inside the square was a rundown wooden shack, surrounded by nothing but wasteland. In his despair, the voice sounded once more.
[Please visit your Ruler tab.]
As if led by some mysterious power, Luke slowly consulted his interface. Various pieces of information filled his head, each detail more crushing than the last.
"It's worse than I thought," Luke muttered.
Territory
Size: 2x2 meters (2 square meters or 2.4 square yards)
Population: 2
Structures: Wooden Shack (Dwelling)
Current Kingdom Ranking: Dead last (Top 100%)
With exasperated breaths, Luke slowly forced himself to relax.
"At least the initial power struggle should be easy."
A self-deprecating laugh escaped him, growing louder and more manic by the second.
Luke was screwed, and he knew it.
[Detected: User has obtained the tiniest territory in history.]
[Administrator mockery detected. The Administrator penalized.]
['The Lottery' has taken pity upon him.]
[Congratulations, User! Minimum requirement has been reached.]
[Reward: Civ System.]
"What the fuck?"
His mind swirled with confusion as he read the notifications.
"Who is the Administrator?"
"Is 'The Lottery' a real being and not just superstition?"
[Note Recieved: Do not question 'The Lottery.']
A sudden splitting headache overcame him. Luke dropped to one knee, clutching his head as veins bulged across his forehead. Just as the pain lessened, it surged once more, this time more painful than ever. His legs trembled, threatening to give out underneath him and before he knew it, Luke had passed out.
***
Luke awoke slowly, the voices of strangers breaking the stale air and pulling him back to reality.
"Be careful not to hurt him!"
The voice was meek yet firm, a beautiful symphony as a shadowy, hazy figure appeared in Luke's vision. For a short moment, he thought an angel had taken pity upon him.
Her long, wavy hair brushed past him, carrying the faint scent of lavender, roses, and... coconut? Luke found himself embraced in what he imagined to be the soft arms of an angel. Yet...
A gruff, angry voice, filled with hunger and desperation, shattered the illusion.
"Sarah! He's a stranger! We should gut him and offer his remains to the wolves! Maybe they'll leave us alone for another week!"
Luke's hazy mind cleared. The threat of death jolted him from his stupor, sharpening his focus.
Luke tightened his posture instinctively as he had done countless times before. Poised to strike, Luke silently observed, like a lion in their midst.
"Wait, two?"
Hit by a sudden surge of inspiration, Luke hurriedly opened his interface, praying silently.
Population: 2
"I knew it! These are my people!"
"But what are they talking about? There were no wolves..."
Luke was thrown into confusion once more.
Ding.
[Host Has Awoken.]
[Your two subjects are suffering from an illusion. Forced to endure great injustice, they have convinced themselves that the crimes committed by neighboring villages are the work of wolves. This illusion protects their minds]
[Preparing host's first tasks. Please wait]
"What? Who was that?"
"But these people... my people? Forced to endure unspeakable crimes, which left them broken..."
Luke's fists clenched, nails biting into his palms as anger surged through him. His face twisted with rage. He had just met these people, yet the pain they had been forced to endure lit a fire in him.
"Look at his face! He is clearly in pain! We can't just leave him to die!"
The voice, no longer carrying its imagined luster, now bore the rasp of a sore, dry throat.
Luke's anger simmered as he glanced at the woman, Sarah. Her fragile frame and hoarse voice betrayed her silent suffering, yet she still begged for his safety.
She couldn't abandon him. She refused to abandon anyone ever again. Haven't we suffered enough?
The lack of water and nutrition had long since destroyed both her body and mind, but her spirit endured.
"They're not just my people," Luke muttered, determination hardening his voice. "They're my responsibility."
If he couldn't protect them, who could?
[Tasks Received]
The unmistakable voice once more broke its silence, forcing Luke to contemplate the existence of the so called "Civ System."
He wasn't sure if it was something he imagined, but earlier it seemed to carry a faint sense of mockery at the mention of his two inhabitants.
Nonetheless, time passed, and the tasks were listed:
[Task 1 - Make an impression on your subordinates - Reward: 2x Constitution Potion]
[Task 2 - Gain their trust - Reward: Subordinate Genetic Enhancement]
[Task 3 - Improve the current wooden shack - Reward: Basic Barracks (Houses up to 10 inhabitants)]
[Task 4 - Ensure food and water sustainability - Reward: Starter Pack (New inhabitants and additional resources)]
[Task 5 - Defend your territory - Reward: Industrial Blueprints]
Whilst Luke carefully read through each and every task, an increasingly intense conversation was happening around him.
Standing and frantically pacing around the room while gesturing wildly, the gruff man spoke in a state of hysteria.
"We don't know what they will do! We have to throw him out, even if only to ensure our own survival! Please, Sarah!"
"Alex, we can't just abandon him too! We've already lost so much," Sarah's voice cracked, trembling with both exhaustion and resolve. "I will not let them take our humanity too!"
Luke's gaze lingered on the second task. Noting its irony, how could he inspire loyalty whilst one of them wished for his death? His fingers tightened into a fist, but he soon forced himself to calm down.
They were scared.
"I would be too," he muttered.
"You don't understand! We can't fight! They're monsters! We've seen what they do! Rip apart our friends, take away our families, eat our neighbors! Not again!"
Alex's words carried weight, and Sarah was clearly influenced by his resolve, forcing Luke to prepare himself.
His resolve hardened once more. He had to act swiftly to take control of the situation. Normally, citizens would be aware of the arrival of a sovereign, either in terms of legacy or prophecy.
His case was clearly different.
Luke steeled his mind in preparation for the challenge ahead. Subduing them would be one thing, but earning their trust? That would be the true test.
**********
Writing is hard. Motivation is crucial, planning is crucial, yet as I said I struggle with planning. Not to say I have not mapped out major events, but the flow to get there will depend on me, and you! Let me know how you feel about it!
Oh! First fight scene next chapter! Hope to see you there