**Chapter 2: God-Level Talent: Goldfinger**
"The only talent? Goldfinger?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Lei Xiao's face lit up with surprise and joy. As an avid reader of web novels, he was well aware of what a "golden finger" meant.
"Could this be my ticket to success?"
Excited, Lei Xiao immediately opened the talent description.
**[1. Touch a specific item to upgrade it.]**
**[2. Upgraded items will undergo random qualitative or quantitative changes.]**
**[3. Each item can only be upgraded once.]**
"My goodness, this is like turning stone into gold!"
Closing the description, Lei Xiao eagerly turned his attention to the two first-order recruitment orders in his hand. Beside them, the words "Upgradable" appeared in small text.
"Upgrade!"
Without hesitation, Lei Xiao focused his mind and selected one of the recruitment orders.
**[Due to the first use of this talent, the newcomer's lucky crit effect is triggered! Congratulations, your "First-Order Recruitment Order" has been upgraded to a "Fifth-Order Recruitment Order"!]**
"Straight to the fifth order?!"
Lei Xiao's eyes widened as the wooden token in his hand transformed into a dazzling golden color. He was so excited he felt like he was floating.
From the initial flood of information about this world, he knew that first-order subordinates were no stronger than ordinary humans. In contrast, fifth-order subordinates were already considered powerhouses, capable of making a name for themselves.
The difference between the two was like comparing a sheep to Godzilla!
With such overwhelming strength, dealing with the monsters in the surrounding area would be a breeze. In fact, a fifth-order subordinate could single-handedly take on an entire low-level army!
"It seems my talent is off the charts..."
Overwhelmed with joy, Lei Xiao immediately pressed the "Use" button on the recruitment order.
In an instant, a golden gate of light materialized in front of him. From it, a towering figure emerged—a bearded man standing at least 2.3 meters tall. With each step he took, the lord's mansion trembled slightly.
Lei Xiao looked up at the man's mountain-like physique and bulging muscles, thinking to himself, "Before coming to this world, only the Hulk from the movies could compare to this guy!"
"The Berserker Knotweed greets the lord," the man said in a deep, resonant voice as he bowed respectfully. Despite his imposing presence, his tone was sincere, though a faint air of arrogance surrounded him.
"This guy... is seriously strong!"
Though Lei Xiao maintained a calm exterior, his heart was racing. He nodded in acknowledgment and then checked the man's attributes.
**[Name: Knotweed]**
**[Occupation: Berserker]**
**[Rank: Fifth-Order, Two Stars (The higher the star, the greater the strength)]**
**[Loyalty: 50]**
**[Skill 1: Madness "Active" (Temporarily boosts strength but leaves the user weakened afterward)]**
**[Other skills cannot be viewed due to insufficient loyalty.]**
"As expected of a Berserker. His strength after activating Madness must be close to the sixth order!"
Closing the attribute window, Lei Xiao couldn't help but marvel.
"What are your orders, my lord?" Knotweed asked, prompting a series of options to appear beside him: "Standby," "Territory Patrol," "Free Movement," "Peripheral Investigation," and more.
Suppressing his excitement, Lei Xiao considered his next move. With Knotweed's arrival, his situation had drastically improved. Survival was no longer a concern. Now, the challenge was how to develop his territory more efficiently.
The first step was to understand the land around him.
"Investigate the surrounding area, but don't go too far," Lei Xiao instructed.
Though Knotweed's loyalty was only 50, Lei Xiao wasn't worried. The recruitment order had bound the Berserker to him with a master-servant contract. Unless loyalty dropped below 20, Knotweed would remain loyal.
"As you command. I'll conduct a reconnaissance within a 1-kilometer radius," Knotweed replied, clasping his fists before turning and striding away.
After Knotweed left, Lei Xiao wasted no time and used his golden finger on the second "First-Order Recruitment Order."
**[Congratulations, your "First-Order Recruitment Order" has been upgraded to 98 "First-Order Recruitment Orders"!]**
"My goodness, this is a quantitative change! It's like wholesale!"
Seeing the pile of recruitment orders on the ground, Lei Xiao was momentarily speechless.
Currently, his territory's population limit was only 10, so he couldn't use all the orders at once. Still, the sheer number of recruitment orders at his disposal was overwhelming. While others could only summon two subordinates a day, he now had nearly 100 orders—far more than he could use.
Lei Xiao decided not to rush into expanding his population. Instead, he focused on confirming the availability of survival resources within the safe zone. After all, if food and water were insufficient, increasing the population would only backfire.
After a thorough inspection of his territory, Lei Xiao discovered that the safe zone extended about 30 meters in all directions from the log cabin. It was surrounded by a translucent energy wall, similar to a protective barrier in a strategy game.
Standing at the edge of the barrier, Lei Xiao observed the jungle outside. Strange shadows darted past at high speeds, and distant roars echoed through the air. It was clear that danger lurked beyond the safe zone.
Inside the safe zone, however, there were plenty of trees and a crystal-clear stream. A spring bubbled up in the middle of the stream, and small fish and shrimp swam by, confirming it as a clean water source.
"So, there's only water..."
Lei Xiao returned to the wooden steps at the cabin's entrance and sat down. He opened the chat channel to check on the status of other lords.
By now, most people had come to terms with their situation and were discussing their challenges. The main topic, however, was still food.
"Ugh, while cutting trees for wood, I stepped on something and my foot swelled up. Now I'm sore and hungry—I feel like crying!"
"At least you're better off than me! My peasants are starving and can't work. Outside the safe zone, there are goblins with sharp teeth and claws. I can't find anything to eat!"
"Let's commiserate! My territory is in the mountains, and all I have is a pile of rocks. There's a black tiger blocking the entrance. All I can do is chisel stones with my two peasants..."
"You think you have it bad? The two peasants I summoned are lazy and refuse to work without food! I had to climb a tree to pick fruit. I'm starting to think they're the lords, and I'm the peasant!"
"Same here! I tried to catch fish in the river, but instead of catching any, my peasant got swept away by the current!"
"Can anyone spare some food? Anything will do! I've been trying to lose weight and haven't eaten for days. Please help!"
After spending some time scrolling through the chat, Lei Xiao closed the channel, deep in thought.
"It seems I'll need to send Knotweed out to gather food later. If we have enough food, everything else will fall into place."
Just as he was thinking this, Knotweed returned. The towering Berserker carried two massive monster carcasses, one in each hand. The creatures were clearly lifeless.
Seeing this, Lei Xiao's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Well, looks like dinner is served!"