All of my original minions had evolved—
and with them, I’d gained several new monsters.
Another Goblin, Kobold, Skeleton, and Hobgoblin had joined my ranks.
In addition to them were two new faces.
The first was a Standard-tier monster known as a Lesser Demon.
Kareth, as he called himself, was a tall, ash-skinned humanoid with long white hair and eyes like molten lava.
He was lithe, favoring the twin daggers I’d given him over anything else—even forgoing armor entirely.
The second was far rarer: an Elite-class creature, a Basilisk.
Similar to the beast of ancient myth, though closer in form to the ones from modern video games, it had deep green scales and bright yellow eyes, moving with an unnerving serpentine grace.
I made a point to avoid looking it directly in the eye—just in case—but he seemed almost friendly otherwise, always keeping close to me wherever I went.
In addition to them, I had tamed a few monsters while out fighting—
and learned that taming wasn’t always easy.
There was a Duskmaw Boar, named for the dark coloring around its maw—and for the way it caught fire when it charged, looking like a fragment of the fading sun. I had nearly been gored trying to subdue the herd before one finally decided I was worth following.
The Ashplume Hawk had feathers as gray as soot, even its beak the color of ash, and when it fought, it unleashed clouds of smoke to blind its prey. Thankfully, that one had been an easy tame; I’d simply cleared a few monsters from its hunting ground, and it chose to join me.
The last of the trio was the Thornback Stag.
Like the panther creatures I’d seen before, it looked like a stag crossed with a porcupine—its back bristling with barbed vines.
I’d found it locked in combat with a group of wild goblins. When I stepped in to help, the fight ended quickly—and the Stag followed me home afterward.
Home itself had changed.
I’d cleared more trees and boulders, building hut after hut until it finally resembled a proper village instead of a scattering of hovels.
The trenches I’d been tasked with digging had to be done manually—though that wasn’t exactly a problem when you had a troll the size of a wagon doing most of the work.
[Quest: Strategic Assets]
[Type: Side Quest]
[Objective:] With the coming of a mysterious guild, it’s time for the Herald to use everything he has to his advantage — including making new minions, building defenses, and training.
[Goal:] Prepare yourself to defend your home.
- Summon Ten new monsters - 6/10
- Dig the Trenches - 5/5
- Tame new monsters - 3/??
[Time Limit:] 2.5 Days
[Rewards:] +500 Soul Essence | Large Armor Box | Large Weapon Box | ????
I glanced at the Quest screen, focusing on the side quest I’d gained, and frowned.
I still had to summon four more monsters in less than six hours.
As of now, I was sitting on a solid thousand Soul Essence—even after summoning an Elite—thanks to all the hunting I’d been doing.
Summoning four more monsters would be easy within the time limit — but what I really wanted was another Elite.
Which meant I’d need to earn another four hundred Soul Essence in four hours.
The forest seemed to replenish monsters as fast as I killed them, but over the last couple of days, we hadn’t encountered any more adventurers.
I wondered, briefly, if the loss of that last guild party had caused a warning to go out—telling others to stay out of my woods until it could be properly investigated.
No sense in worrying about it right now. There was only so much I could control.
“Elyndra,” I called, finding the Coreborn speaking with Analth. “I want you to take some of the monsters hunting out east. I’ll take a group north. We’ll meet back here in three hours—understood?”
Elyndra nodded sharply. “Herald.”
She saluted before marching off to gather the squad she wanted.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, then went to find my own team.
Once more, it was time to hunt.
The northern woods weren’t nearly as high-level as the western stretch I’d scouted before.
I wondered if that had something to do with how I’d expanded my territory, but I couldn’t be sure—and there wasn’t exactly anyone I could ask.
“On your left!” I warned. Rastan brought his mace down on the skull of a wolven creature—its fur black as midnight, its body seeming to blur like living shadow—with a satisfying crunch.
With me were Tisandros—the Basilisk—Rastan, the new Hobgoblin; Kareth, the Lesser Demon; and Johann, the new Skeleton.
Kareth darted around like some kind of speed demon, cutting down monsters left and right.
Johann, my other mace-and-shield wielder, fought like a zealous priest, bashing skulls and rattling with every swing.
It was almost unsettling, considering how quiet Dominic had been before he evolved.
The Basilisk was a complete overkill for monsters out here. One flash of his eyes and several creatures would turn to stone within moments. He didn’t even need to finish them off—though most times, he shattered the statues himself with a swipe of his tail.
I was already excited for Rastan and Johann’s evolutions. I couldn’t see either of their paths yet—they were still too low level—but the way they used their skills made me think I was getting healers.
Rastan would chant, and the moisture in the air would gather into small orbs that mended wounds on contact.
Johann, on the other hand, used radiant light to heal—a strange thing to see from an undead monster, but who was I to judge?
Kareth cut down the last of the monsters, and we paused to catch our breath.
[The Herald has slain Shadehound (Lv. 3)! — +58 Soul Essence]
[Skill Level Up! — Swordsmanship has reached Level 7!]
[Rastan has slain Shadehound (Lv. 5)! — +76 Soul Essence]
[Tisandros has slain Shadehound (Lv.4)! — +66 Soul Essence]
[Tisandros has slain Shadehound (Lv. 5!) — +76 Soul Essence]
[Johann has slain Shadehound (Lv.3)! — +58 Soul Essence]
[Johann has slain Shadehound (Lv.2)! — +91 Soul Essence]
[Kareth has slain Shadehound (Lv. 6)! — +87 Soul Essence]
[Kareth has slain Shadehound (Lv. 3)! — +58 Soul Essence]
I whistled. Just that fight alone had been enough to get me almost all the extra Soul Essence I needed—on top of what I’d seen earlier from Elyndra’s group.
I was sitting pretty at almost two thousand Soul Essence now, and we were only a little over an hour into the exploration.
“Come on, let’s go see what else we can find,” I ordered, leading the way forward.
If I was right about our pace, we were nearing the border of my domain—which meant I’d soon have to worry about hitting that invisible wall again.
We didn’t get far before we reached it. A faint shimmer marked the boundary, beyond which the forest continued, untouched and inviting.
I sighed and turned to the group.
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“Alright, guess this is as far as we go this way,” I grumbled. “We’ll head west, skirt the new territory, and then turn back.”
The monsters grunted their agreement, and we marched west.
More notifications flickered across my vision—Elyndra’s group still busy hunting—but I ignored them. By now, I’d learned not to panic over every message.
About twenty minutes into our westward walk, I heard it: the sharp snap of a branch.
I raised a hand, motioning for the group to halt.
“Herald?” Tisandros’s voice slid into my mind, heavy with concern.
“Shh.” I made a quieting sound—then froze as the branch snapped again.
This time, it was followed by the faint twang of a bowstring.
“Shields!” I shouted, and those of us who had them raised them just in time.
The arrow struck my buckler with a solid thunk, and to my left Rastan grunted—he’d been hit too.
Another volley followed the first, accompanied by the distant sound of chanting, though I couldn’t yet see who was firing.
“Cover! Find where the shots are coming from!” I ordered, diving behind a fallen log as another arrow hissed past, close enough to tug at my sleeve.
I peeked over the log and finally saw them.
About a dozen feet ahead, seven figures moved between the trees.
I couldn’t make out every race—aside from the shorter one who was definitely a dwarf—but I could see one thing clearly.
Each of them wore a tabard marked with a single letter: “M,” encircled by a rosary.
“They’re here early,” I breathed, panic clawing at my chest.
We were outnumbered this time. Even with Tisandros beside me, it felt one-sided.
“We have to fall back!” I called, earning looks of confusion from the others. I growled, snapping at them. “It’s a fight we can’t win—we need to—”
A crack of thunder cut me off.
Lightning split the sky, slamming into the forest around us. Bolts tore through the trees like spears of light — and one found me.
Pain exploded through my body as the world turned white. I screamed, muscles seizing as the current ripped through me.
When the spell faded, I was somehow still alive—smoke rising off me like I’d been cooked. The smell of ozone and burnt flesh hung heavy in the air.
Fire licked at nearby trees, and through the haze I saw Johann bent over Rastan, radiant light spilling from his hands as he healed fresh wounds. Blood ran freely down the hobgoblin’s side.
The chanting started again, followed by the sharp hiss of more arrows striking bark.
Smoke thickened around us, and I forced myself upright, breath ragged.
“Fall... back,” I hissed between clenched teeth, purple blood — my blood — dripping down my chin to the grass. “Use the smoke… as cover.”
As Johann finished his healing, we got up and ran.
I cursed, my body screaming in protest with every step.
Arrows pinged off shields, but we couldn’t block them all—one caught me in the upper leg, another struck Rastan in the shoulder where his armor didn’t cover.
I was regretting letting Roderik go with Elyndra now; his bow would’ve made a difference.
Behind us, I heard the heavy footfalls of our pursuers—but they weren’t charging recklessly.
I guessed they’d seen the Basilisk in our midst and were wary of its petrifying gaze.
We ran and ran. For a time, the footsteps stayed close, but eventually they faded.
Still, we didn’t stop. I led us on a winding route back toward the base, blood dripping freely from my wounds.
Whatever magic that caster had used, it had outpaced even my supernatural healing.
When I finally felt confident we’d shaken and confused them, I stopped, dropping onto a fallen log and gasping for breath.
“We… lost them, I think,” I managed, coughing as the last tremors wracked my body.
The forest was quiet—only the sound of the monsters’ heavy breathing filled the silence—and I had to hold back a groan as Johann approached and began to heal me.
I was almost shocked it even worked on me… but it did.
“Lord… Herald, are you… alright?” Tisandros’s voice carried deep concern, and I felt his nose bump lightly against my knee.
“I’ll live,” I grunted, watching as the skeletal healer worked his magic. It was strange, being surrounded by so much silence after spending days among evolved monsters—but at least they still understood my orders.
I looked southward, toward home, and forced myself to stand.
“Come… we have to get back and warn the others. And hope those adventurers gave up pursuit after they lost us.”
Nursing our wounds—and our first real defeat since coming to this world—we headed home.
I needed to move faster if we wanted to beat that guild.
This fight had taught me that much.
We made it back home just as Elyndra’s group arrived, and I was immediately surrounded by both her and Analth.
“What happened?” Analth demanded, and I sighed, explaining the fight — if you could call it that — and everything that went down in the woods.
Elyndra growled, a sound I didn’t expect from her, and started marching in the direction I’d come from.
“Hold up, Elyndra. No sense in getting yourself killed.” I stepped in front of her.
“I’ll rip them to shreds for hurting you, Herald,” she snarled, and I actually took a hesitant step back. The rage coming off her was intense.
Analth’s hand came down on Elyndra’s shoulder, tightening — a quiet reminder that killing guild members would invite more trouble than it solved.
“We have to plan for this,” I said calmly. “We need to evolve whoever else we can, summon more minions, and prepare for a defensive battle.”
Elyndra looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment she nodded. “Right,” she breathed. “You’re right, Herald. Apologies.”
I nodded and gave a small smile before turning to the rest of my monsters.
“Alright, everyone — be prepared for a fight sooner rather than later,” I called, my voice carrying through the little village. “This mysterious guild is moving on us sooner than expected, but we’ll be ready regardless. I suspect by this time tomorrow we’ll be in the thick of the hardest fight yet.”
Some of the monsters looked almost eager — battle junkies, maybe.
“We’ll use the terrain to our advantage, and what I hope will be a serious numbers edge,” I added, grinning and receiving vicious grins from the veterans. “Whatever happens, as long as we work together, we’ll come out on top.”
A roar went up as the monsters called out in agreement.
After my little pep talk, I left them to their devices and headed for the cave to summon more monsters.
The first thing on my list was that third Elite monster. I wasn’t sure what I’d get, but I needed something strong — something that could help with defense more than offense.
When the light cleared, I gasped audibly, eyes widening.
Standing before me was a man — about six feet tall, with pale skin and bright green eyes.
But that was where the human similarities ended.
His vitals were covered by scales — draconic, green, and gleaming in the cave’s light — and a long, muscular tail swished behind him.
Each foot ended in claws instead of toes, and his hands matched.
His eyes were slit-pupiled, unmistakably draconic, and even more than any monster I’d summoned so far, there was something powerful about him.
He brought his fist to his chest and bowed his head.
“Herald,” he said — his voice deep and commanding.
[Andre — Demi-Dragon Level 8]
[Average Stats: 7]
[Average Skill Level: 5]
[Number of Skills: 6]
That was… really good. More skills than the Basilisk had, and a higher starting level, too. All in all, I was impressed.
I handed him the Iron Rapier and a set of beginner leather armor before sending him out to meet the others.
With the points I had left, I summoned another Standard monster and four Minion-class monsters.
For the Standard, I got another zombie — a woman this time.
For the Minions, I gained two Kobolds, another Skeleton, and an Imp.
I didn’t really have any spare equipment to give them — not that they would take it anyway — so I let them remain weaponless for now.
If all went well in the upcoming battle, I’d have plenty of new gear soon enough.
With the summoning done, I was about to rejoin my monsters in the village when a ping from the system drew my attention.
[Quest Complete!]
[Quest: Strategic Assets]
[Type: Side Quest]
[Objective:] With the coming of a mysterious guild, it’s time for the Herald to use everything he has to his advantage — including making new minions, building defenses, and training.
[Goal:] Prepare yourself to defend your home.
- Summon Ten new monsters - 11/10
- Dig the Trenches - 5/5
- Tame new monsters - 3/Any
[Rewards:] +500 Soul Essence | Large Armor Box | Large Weapon Box | Blueprint: Watch Tower
I smiled at what I saw. There was no way I was getting a Watch Tower built now, but for the future…
The two gear boxes would be good as well, and I opened them right away.
[Weapons Gained — 1x Steel Longsword | 1x Iron Battle Axe | 1x Steel Halberd | 1x Iron Dagger | 1x Ashwood Shortbow | 1x Iron Flail]
[Armor Gained — 1x Boarhide Leather Armor | 1x Iron Scale Armor | 1x Steel Tower Shield | 1x Padded Armor | 1x Bronze Scale Armor]
Well then… that was quite the haul. I traded my Iron Longsword out for the Steel one and stowed the rest in my inventory.
Just as I was about to leave the cave, I heard it — a shout, followed by a loud boom.
Panic gripped me, and I ran outside.
[Current Day: 6]
[Soul Essence: 570]
[Kingdom Core: Level 2]
[Domain Size: 2 Sectors]
[Active Quest: The First Challenge (3 Days Remain)]