{DING!}
{BS: Congratulations, Host has acquired 10,500,000 Wood and 5,780,000 Metals.}
{DING!}
{BS: Congratulations, Host has acquired 1,000,000 Cotton and 500,000 Herbs.}
{DING!}
{BS: Congratulations, Host has acquired 5,878,006 Stones and 1,101,023 Coal, 100,056 gold coins. 589,599 Jewels.}
{DING!}
{BS: Congratulations, Host has acquired 3,780,033 Fruits. 100,000 crops.}
Kyle surveyed the notifications before him, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"Hmm... With all these, I'm clearly the richest king alive," he mused aloud.
The sheer volume of resources painting a ludicrous picture of sudden, overwhelming wealth. He was standing in what remained of the forest, a place that had moments ago been a vibrant ecosystem and was now a ravaged clearing, the source of his improbable gains.
The act of claiming the forest's resources had been swift, almost abstract, yet the consequences were already being laid bare by the Building System.
{BS: With Host's current action, famine will affect the three kingdoms... The forest is related to the kingdoms' food production, and by wiping a whole 70% of the forest, the famine was inescapable... And with the beast now open... They'll surely spread to the villages and towns, which will result in more destruction.}
The System's stark warning sobered him instantly. He glanced at the edge of the clearing where movement stirred. Hundreds of wild animals, displaced and agitated by the sudden disappearance of their habitat, milled about, their eyes reflecting confusion and a growing desperation. Among them, he could already make out the predatory glint of several large felines.
"You don't have to tell me twice," he muttered, his gaze hardening.
The ease with which he had acquired the resources now felt like a dangerous gamble.
"Start the production...!" he commanded internally. He needed to process the materials into soldiers, that could help.
{MS: Host has a total of 10,000 MS coins.}
{MS: So can only create 10 soldiers.}
The Military System's response was a frustrating counterpoint to his material wealth.
"How ironic," Kyle sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Now, I have the required amount of cotton, which could create a million soldiers, but I don't have the coins to proceed."
The limitations of the systems, the way they gatekept power, was a constant source of both strategic challenge and annoyance.
GRRAAAAAA!!!!
Kyle's head snapped up as a chorus of ferocious roars echoed through the clearing. More than ten blood tigers, their striped fur bristling, emerged from the remaining patches of undergrowth, their amber eyes fixed on him with predatory hunger. These weren't ordinary beasts; they exuded an aura of wild magic, their presence a testament to the forest's unique nature.
"Ok... This isn't the place for all that!" Kyle muttered, recognizing the immediate danger. He turned and sprinted towards Gabriela, who stood a short distance away, still visibly shaken by the forest's abrupt vanishing act.
GRRAAAAAA!
The blood tigers, their powerful muscles bunching, let out another volley of deafening roars and shot forward, a blur of red and black intent on tearing apart the humans and the few rudimentary soldiers Kyle had managed to summon earlier.
'Systems, now!'
Kyle yelled inwardly, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he couldn't fight these creatures in his current state.
{Door initiated.}
Whoosh!
Gabriela, startled by the sudden commotion and Kyle's frantic retreat, turned to see a shimmering golden door materialize in the air directly in front of her. With a soft click, it swung inward, revealing a swirling vortex of light.
"Go!!" Kyle shouted, his voice strained.
"Uh?"
Gabriela stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked from the magical portal to the approaching, snarling beasts.
She then saw Kyle running towards her, not alone. Behind him were the five soldiers he had created.
"Go back!"
Kyle repeated, his command laced with urgency.
Before Gabriela could fully process the impossible scene, the five soldiers, obeying Kyle's silent command, instantly vanished. In the next instant, Kyle reached her, his momentum causing him to collide with her. The two tumbled backward, falling through the open door just as the lead blood tiger lunged. The golden portal closed shut with a soft hum and disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence.
The ten blood tigers skidded to a halt at the empty space where their prey had vanished. Confused and frustrated, they turned their attention to the remaining wildlife in the clearing, their predatory instincts overriding their initial focus.
A low growl escalated into a savage snarl, and the battle of the wild began, a brutal display of tooth and claw as the displaced animals turned on each other in a desperate struggle for survival.
__
[Celestia.]
Whoosh!
The golden door shimmered into existence in a place utterly unlike the ravaged clearing. Kyle and Gabriela tumbled out, landing unceremoniously on soft, mossy ground. Gabriela found herself beneath Kyle, his weight pressing down on her.
"This?"
She gasped, her face instantly flushing a deep crimson as she felt his breath warm against her cheek. The sudden, intimate proximity was jarring after the chaos they had just escaped.
"Sorry,"
Kyle mumbled, quickly pushing himself up. His face remained impassive, betraying none of the awkwardness Gabriela felt. He was already scanning their surroundings, his mind focused on their new location.
'I'm back.'
He turned to Gabriela:
"Come on," he said, extending a hand towards her, his expression businesslike.
Gabriela took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure. The events of the past few minutes had been surreal, defying any logic she knew.
"You need my help?" He kept his hand extended.
Gabriela, her cheeks still tinged with red, reached out and took his hand. His grip was firm and surprisingly warm. With his assistance, she managed to get to her feet, brushing off stray leaves and moss.
"Thank you?"
S9he said meekly, still trying to process everything.
Kyle nodded curtly, his gaze already sweeping over their surroundings. They were in his Kingdom.
Towering trees with silver leaves shimmered in the soft light filtering through the canopy. The air hummed with a gentle energy, and in the distance, she could see the spires of a magnificent silver castle piercing the sky. It looked ancient and powerful, radiating an aura of serene grandeur.
"Come on," he repeated, turning towards the door.
"Huh? Are you going back there?" she asked, her voice filled with mild confusion. The memory of the terrifying beasts was still fresh in her mind.
"Not the exact location," Kyle clarified, his tone suggesting a level of knowledge she couldn't comprehend. He stopped and turned to face her, his expression thoughtful.
"What about the clothing?" he asked, referring to the large amount of raw cotton she had helped him locate.
"I couldn't carry it all, so I hid it near the entrance of the forest... But now that there's no forest..." Her voice trailed off, the implications of the forest's disappearance still sinking in.
"Come on, let's go get the cotton. We have a mission," Kyle stated, his gaze determined. He paused, observing her bewildered expression.
He got an idea:
"What do you think about being my... first General?" he asked, the title sounding somewhat foreign on his tongue.
"Me...?!"
Gabriela's eyes widened in utter surprise, her finger pointing at her own chest in disbelief.
"No, the woman behind you," Kyle said with a hint of dry amusement, gesturing vaguely.
"Uh?"
Gabriela instinctively turned around, expecting to see someone else. Instead, her breath hitched in her throat as her gaze fell upon the majestic silver castle in the distance. It seemed closer now, its intricate details shimmering in the ethereal light. She stood frozen, awestruck by its sheer scale and beauty.
KNOCK!
"Ouch!" Gabriela yelped, clutching her head. She turned back to Kyle, who was rubbing his knuckles.
"Of course, I'm referring to you!" he muttered, a hint of a annoyance.
"Oh... Yes. Yes... I accept," she quickly replied, a genuine smile spreading across her face despite her confusion. The idea of being Kyle's "General," whatever that entailed, was undeniably exciting, a stark contrast to the mundane life she had known.
"But... Who owns that Castle? And where exactly are we? Who were those five soldiers I saw before they surprisingly disappeared?"
The questions tumbled out, her curiosity finally overcoming her initial shock.
"You asked a lot of questions," Kyle muttered, already turning and walking towards the shimmering golden door that still stood on its spot.
{DING!}
{MS: Host has employed a General.}
{MS: General's payment... 1,000 gold coins per month.}
'Uh? I got to pay her?' Kyle was momentarily stunned by the unexpected notification. The Military System seemed to have its own set of rules and expenses.
{MS: Yes Host.}
'Thank goodness I don't have to pay my soldiers... yet.'
{MS: Host will have to pay stage two soldiers and above... Failure to pay will result in a reduction in Fighting spirit.}
"That means I need gold coins... and a lot of it," Kyle realized, the initial thrill of acquiring resources now overshadowed by the practicalities of managing his burgeoning power.
"Gold coins? Do you want to rob a bank?" Gabriela asked, her head tilted in genuine confusion. The concept of needing so much gold seemed outlandish in their current surroundings.
'Wow... That isn't a bad idea,' Kyle thought, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. 'If I can convert the whole bank using the Building System, I can also take everything in the vault... Wow... What a good idea!'
The sheer audacity of the thought made him smirk.
"Come on... Let's go get the cotton, and all your questions will be answered on the way," he said, his tone now more engaging. He stepped through the golden door and vanished.
Gabriela looked at the magnificent silver castle one last time, a sense of wonder and trepidation swirling within her. Taking a deep breath, she followed Kyle through the shimmering portal. The golden door closed shut behind her and disappeared, leaving the open space silent and empty once more.