Sota selected [Insect] without hesitation.
It wasn't that the other races were bad. In fact, each had its own advantages.
However Sota chose Insect again. Not because they were the strongest.
But because he knew them best.
In Lord's Online, knowledge was power. Strength alone wouldn't get you far without the awareness to use it wisely.
Sota had already played as an Insect Lord before. He understood their mechanics, their strengths, their weaknesses.
Rather than gamble on an unfamiliar race, it was smarter to stick with what he knew.
Sota blinked as he was suddenly engulfed by darkness. For a moment, he couldn't see anything, but then the world around him started to take shape.
Slowly, he found himself standing in a wide, open space.
Looking around, he noticed that the area was surrounded by thick trees.
'Looks like I've started in a Forest Domain again.'
It wasn't the first time he had been in this type of environment.
This would be his territor. His starting point. The size? About the same as before. Just around the size of a football field.
In front of him, a screen hovered in the air.
[Enter your territory name to claim this land.]
"Badlands."
[Territory name confirmed. The land is now officially claimed under your rule.]
Once the process was complete, another screen popped up.
Player: Sota LV1
Altar's Race: Insect
Territory: Badlands City LV1
Stats: Strength: 2, Agility: 2, Intelligence: 2, Constitution: 2, Luck: 2
Abilities: –
Inventory: x1 E-Grade Magic Shard, x1 Silver, x1 Summoning Altar
Sota's eyes narrowed at the Summoning Altar in his inventory. He tapped the "Place" option.
A holographic green outline appeared, showing the exact position where the altar would manifest.
He dragged the holographic altar to the center of his territory. The area around it was still untouched, waiting for something to emerge.
He pressed "Confirm."
Immediately, a deep rumbling echoed through the ground as the Summoning Altar began to materialize. Stone bricks emerged, forming a tall, hollow structure.
The altar looked like a gate, towering three meters tall. The stone was dark and weathered, giving it an ancient look, like something out of an old temple.
This was the core of every players territory. The foundation of their power. Without it, players wouldn't be able to summon anything.
[Would you like to draw your first summon type?]
"Draw."
A set of cards appeared in front of him, shuffling left and right.
For a moment, they blurred together. Then, they slowed and stopped, leaving the center card to flip over.
[You've received the summon type: 'Grubs.']
'Grubs?'
Sota stared at the card in his hand. The other cards had already disappeared.
He tried to recall what he knew about them.
Grubs were creatures known for their ability to dig underground, waiting for the perfect time to launch a surprise attack.
Their true potential was unlocked when they evolved, but even in their base form, they had their value.
However, what they would evolve into was always a mystery. It could be a beetle, a moth, or any number of different creatures.
The unpredictability made it an interesting choice.
His previous first summon had been ants, but this time was different.
Sota flicked the card toward the Summoning Altar.
The hollow, gate-like structure began to glow. A vortex of swirling light formed in its center, pulling the card inside.
['Grubs' has been added to your summon pool.]
[Summoning available! Tap to begin.]
[Cost: x1 E-Grade Magic Shard, x1 Silver.]
Sota initiated the summon. The first summon was free. All materials had already been covered.
The vortex within the altar surged, spinning faster and faster.
[Creatures has answered your call…]
['Warrior Grub' (★) has joined your ranks.]
['Parasitic Grub' (★★★) has joined your ranks.]
Two grubs crawled out of the portal, their plump, segmented bodies wriggling as they emerged.
Both had the same pale, creamy-white bodies covered in a thin, translucent skin.
Prolegs lined their sides, helping them move, while six small but sturdy true legs near their heads twitched as they adjusted to their new surroundings.
The only difference between the two lay in their heads.
The larger grub, standing at around three feet tall, had a reddish head with short but fierce mandibles, built for biting and tearing.
The smaller grub, only half the size of the larger one, had a dark purple head with thinner, sharper mandibles, designed more for piercing than brute force.
The grubs crawled forward, halting as they neared Sota. They raised their upper bodies and dipped their heads low in respect.
A strange, faint growls sounded. It was far from human speech, yet Sota understood every word clearly.
"Greetings, Master. I stand ready to fight for you."
"Greetings, Master. I shall learn and adapt to serve you best."
Sota smiled. This was one of the many reasons why Lord's Online had risen to fame. Its advanced AI was unlike anything players had seen before.
Each summon had its own distinct personality, far from the lifeless NPCs in other games. They weren't mere tools.
They were beings with traits, quirks, and even emotions that made them feel like real companions.
[Parasitic Grub] (★★★)
Name: Unnamed (M) LV1
Bond: 85/100
Traits: Adaptive, Genius, Tactical
Abilities:
[Microform Collapse] (Active) LV1
: Temporarily compresses its body, reducing its size up to 1% of its original form, allowing it to slip through small spaces, evade attacks, or infiltrate hosts. Speed increases, but durability decreases. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
[Neural Hijack] (Active) LV1
: Take control of a target's body by entering their brain, manipulating their movements and actions. This ability is limited to creatures of equal or lower level and rarity. Cooldown: 1 day.
…
[Warrior Grub] (★)
Name: Unnamed (M) LV1
Bond: 85/100
Traits: Brave, Fierce, Ruthless
Abilities:
[Stone Fort] (Active) LV1
: Coats the body with stone, creating a natural armor that boosts defense and absorbs impacts. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Sota scanned the status screen of his summons.
'I could work with this.'
Much better than when he started. Back then, Sota only had a single 1-star summon and a 2-star summon.
The stars in their status represented rarity and potential. The more stars, the higher the potential for growth, and the more powerful the summon could become.
Suddenly, Sota's demeanor changed. His chest puffed out, and his posture got more straighter.
Confidence replacing any trace of hesitation.
"Greetings, my summons."
"Welcome to your new home, the Badlands City."