Twilight Town's gates had barely closed behind the weary caravan when Sam raised his hand to the System. The refugees — one hundred and fifty souls — looked half‑starved, their clothes torn, their eyes hollow. Children clung to their parents, and the wounded leaned heavily on makeshift crutches.
Sam's voice was steady. "System. Purchase food supplies. Ten Endless Flasks."
Light shimmered in the courtyard. Crates of bread, dried meat, and fruit appeared, along with ten gleaming flasks that pulsed faintly with magic. Villagers gasped, rushing forward to distribute the bounty. Children laughed as they drank from the flasks, marveling at the endless water.
Sam walked among them, Indra cradled in his arms. The cub purred softly, its stripes glowing faintly, calming those who reached out to touch it. Soldiers helped carry the wounded, Shade Assassins watched silently from the shadows, and Moon Mages murmured quiet blessings.
The fear in the refugees' eyes began to fade. Relief replaced despair. For the first time in days, they felt safe.
Sam climbed the manor wall, Indra perched against his chest, and looked out over the domain. His gaze swept across the hills, the forests, the horizon. Twilight Town was strong, but it was not enough.
Sam opened the System interface, reviewing his Beast Lord Cores. He exchanged them for materials — stone, timber, iron — and issued the command.
[Construction Initiated: Small Town.]
To the east of Twilight Town, light flared. Stone walls rose, timber beams locked into place, iron gates gleamed. Houses appeared, streets formed, wells shimmered into existence. Within minutes, a new settlement stood: Dawn Town.
To the west, the same process repeated. Another town rose, its walls sturdy, its homes warm, its streets wide. This was Eclipse Town.
The System's voice whispered:
[System Message: Five towns can combine to form a small city.]
Sam's jaw tightened. He looked at his remaining cores. He couldn't afford a City Wall, let alone build more towns. For now, Dawn and Eclipse would have to suffice.
He moved the refugees into the new towns, distributing food and flasks. Villagers guided them to homes, soldiers patrolled the streets, children laughed as they explored. Dawn and Eclipse were alive, breathing, growing.
Sam stood at the center, Indra perched on his shoulder, watching. "Twilight Town. Dawn. Eclipse. Three towns. Soon, a city."
Back at the manor, Sam gathered his commanders. The army stood ready, their armor gleaming, their weapons sharp.
"Listen," Sam said. "We've expanded. But expansion means vulnerability. We must hunt, farm cores, and gather loot. We must patrol the towns. We must prepare."
He issued orders:
• 150 troops marched out to hunt and farm cores. Solar Warriors, Lunar Knights, and Moon Mages formed disciplined lines.
• 50 troops remained to patrol Twilight, Dawn, and Eclipse.• Of these, 10 Moon Mages were assigned to the Mage Tower for spell research and as manor guards.
• Shade Assassins:• 8 accompanied the 150 troops in secret, their shadows blending into the forest.
• 1 remained in the domain to relay information between the troops and Sam.
• 1 guarded Sam from the shadows, unseen but ever‑present.
The army dispersed, their discipline unbroken. Twilight Town's walls echoed with the sound of marching boots, clinking armor, and whispered incantations.
Sam stood at the manor gates, Indra bounding beside him, watching them go. His army was bigger than before and stronger. Every soldier was Tier 3 or higher. The Shade Assassins remained his elite strike force, silent and lethal.
He exhaled sharply. "We're ready," he murmured. "Ready for what comes next."
Indra purred, tail flicking, eyes glowing faintly.
Sam returned to the manor, intending to spin his Daily Gift Roulette. But before he could, the System's voice whispered directly to him:
[Personal Message: Congratulations, Twilight Lord. You are the first to reach Tier 3 Domain. Reward: Silver Chest.]
No grand announcement. No global fanfare. Just a quiet recognition, a private gift.
Sam summoned the chest. It shimmered silver, runes glowing faintly. He opened it, light spilling across the courtyard. Inside lay two items:
• Storage Ring — its inner space vast, as large as the training yard.
• Phoenix Battle Robes — Hanfu Martial Style Swordsman robes, sleek and practical.
Sam lifted the robes. Black fabric gleamed, red and purple accents traced the seams, and a phoenix embroidered in red and purple spread its wings across the chest. The robe top was martial, sleeves cut for combat, not ceremony.
The System whispered:
[Instruction: Drop blood to soul bind.]
Sam pricked his finger, letting blood fall onto the robes and ring. Light flared. The ring slid onto his hand, the robes wrapped around his body.
[Phoenix Battle Robes Bound.]
[Effect: Battle Robes rise in tier alongside the Twilight Lord.]
[Synergy: Phoenix Battle Robes resonate with both Sun Blade and Lunar Blade, amplifying their power.]
Sam summoned his Sun Sword. The blade hummed, light brighter than before. He swung, the robes flowing with his movements, amplifying his strikes. He felt faster, stronger, sharper.
Elated, he laughed, taking practice swings in the courtyard. Soldiers watched in awe.
Indra sat nearby, staring at the embroidered phoenix. The cub's stripes glowed faintly, stormlight flickering. Its eyes narrowed, tail flicking. Sam chuckled. "Feeling wronged, are you? Don't worry. You'll have your place."
Sam turned back to the System. "Daily Gift Roulette."
The wheel appeared, glowing with runes. He spun it. Light flashed, symbols whirled, and finally the wheel stopped.
[Reward: Blueprint — Monster Ranch.]
Sam's eyes widened. A Monster Ranch. A place to raise beasts, to train mounts, to build cavalry.
He exhaled sharply, excitement burning in his chest. "Finally. Cavalry."
Indra purred, pressing against his leg. Sam scratched behind his ears. "You'll have companions soon."
Far away, others received their own System messages.
Heavens Reach:
The Older Woman with Angels
frowned at her interface. Her domain had ascended to Tier 3, but her reward was meager — a silver chest, a quiet congratulations for being second. No grand message, no fanfare. She clenched her fists. "The Twilight Lord… always ahead." Resentment burned in her chest.
The Forest:
Tier 6 goblin scouts moved silently, dispatched to tribes and wolf dens. Their mission: unite the scattered forces. Soon, an army of 3,000 goblins and wolves would march, intent on wiping out the human overlord.
The Endless Graveyard:
A young man laughed maniacally, his voice echoing across tombstones. His Divine Skill, Death's Chosen, had finally paid off. Two formations of Death Knights — 40 in total, all Tier 6 — knelt before him, armor black, eyes glowing with necrotic fire. He raised his arms, reveling in their loyalty.
The Great Gaia Forest:
A young man lounged among elf girls, his troops kneeling with spoils of war. He sneered, voice dripping with arrogance. "Now that Twilight bastard isn't the only one progressing." His eyes gleamed with ambition, his smile sharp.
Back in Twilight Town, Sam stood in the courtyard, Phoenix Battle Robes gleaming, Sun Sword humming, Indra bounding at his side. Shadows watched, stormlight flickered, and the world trembled with promise.
The courtyard was quiet now, the soldiers dispersed to their duties, the villagers settling into Dawn and Eclipse Town. Sam stood with Indra bounding at his feet, the cub chasing shadows cast by the torches.
One of the Shade Assassins materialized beside him, silent as ever. Sam watched Indra leap at the assassin's cloak, claws batting harmlessly. The assassin dodged with fluid grace, indulging the cub's game.
Sam chuckled. "You're loyal, but nameless. That ends tonight."
He raised his voice, addressing the shadows. "From this day, you'll be numbered. The one with me now — you are One. The relay assassin in the domain — Two. The others, Three through Ten."
The shadows stirred, faint whispers of acknowledgment. The Shade Assassins accepted their names without question.
Sam turned to One. "You'll watch over me directly. Two will relay messages. Three through Ten will remain with the hunting force."
One bowed silently, red eyes glowing faintly.
Sam continued. "First order: distribute the low‑tier weapons we recovered to the townsfolk. They're not soldiers, but they deserve a last line of defense."
One vanished into shadow, carrying the command.
Indra bounded back to Sam, tail flicking, eyes bright. The cub pounced at his boots, growling playfully. Sam knelt, scooping him into his arms.
"Enough for tonight," he murmured. "You'll tire yourself out."
He carried Indra through the manor halls, the Phoenix Battle Robes gleaming faintly in the torchlight. The embroidered phoenix shimmered, wings spread across his chest. Indra stared at it, eyes narrowing, stormlight flickering. Sam chuckled. "Don't be jealous. You'll have your own symbol soon."
In his chamber, Sam laid Indra on the bed. The cub curled against him, purring softly, stripes glowing faintly.
One materialized in the corner, silent, watchful. Sam nodded. "Guard me. Tomorrow, we rise again."
He lay back, exhaustion pressing down, but resolve burning in his chest. Twilight Town had grown. Dawn and Eclipse stood strong. His army hunted, his mages studied, his assassins watched.
The world trembled with threats — goblin armies, death knights, rival lords. But Sam was ready.
Storm cub purring. Phoenix robes gleaming. Shadows guarding.
The Twilight Lord slept.