The night passed.
The village survived.
Morning light spread across the land.
Smoke rose from small fires.
People moved again.
Alive.
Working.
Breathing.
And at the center of it—
The Li ancestor.
No longer a dying man.
Now—
A hunter.
Li Chen stood in front of the screen, arms crossed.
Watching everything.
Silently.
"This is stability…"
"But stability is not enough."
The system pulsed softly.
[Daily Settlement Income Generated]
+¥12,000
Li Chen's phone vibrated.
He glanced at it.
Balance increased again.
This time—
He didn't even blink.
"…Too slow."
His voice was calm.
But decisive.
"I need scale."
The interface reacted instantly.
[Authority Points Available: 12]
New options appeared.
[Village Development Panel]
Expand Hunting Efficiency (Cost: 5 AP)
Improve Shelter Structures (Cost: 5 AP)
Train Villagers (Cost: 8 AP)
Explore Surroundings (Cost: 6 AP)
Li Chen analyzed quickly.
"Hunting gives food…"
"Food gives stability…"
"But scale comes from people."
His eyes sharpened.
"Train them."
Confirm.
The screen shifted.
Villagers gathered.
Weapons in hand.
Nervous.
Untrained.
The ancestor stood before them.
Still weak—
But different now.
More stable.
More respected.
Under Li Chen's command—
Training began.
Movements repeated.
Mistakes corrected.
Patterns formed.
Slowly—
The villagers changed.
Stronger.
Faster.
More coordinated.
The system reacted.
[Village Military Strength Increased]
[Efficiency +15%]
Another notification followed.
[Income Multiplier Activated]
Li Chen's eyes lit up.
"…Good."
His phone buzzed again.
+¥18,000 received
The increase was immediate.
Noticeable.
"This is it."
His lips curved slightly.
"Compounding."
Meanwhile—
On the screen—
The ancestor wiped sweat from his forehead.
Looking toward the forest.
Not with fear.
But intent.
Li Chen noticed it instantly.
"…Ambition."
The system updated.
[New Opportunity Detected]
👉 Nearby Resource Zone
👉 Unclaimed Territory
👉 Potential Threats Unknown
Li Chen leaned forward.
Interest rising.
"Expansion point."
More details appeared.
[Forest Region – Status]
Wild Resources: High
Danger Level: Medium
Control: None
Li Chen's eyes turned cold.
"Perfect."
His voice dropped.
"This is how it starts."
He opened the command panel.
[Strategic Command Available]
Send Scouts
Expand Territory
Establish Outpost
Li Chen didn't hesitate.
"Scouts first."
Confirm.
The ancestor selected two hunters.
Gave orders.
Clear.
Precise.
They moved into the forest.
Disappearing into the unknown.
Minutes passed.
Then—
The system flashed.
[Scout Report Received]
Li Chen focused.
[Discovery]
Small river (clean water source)
Abundant wildlife
No human presence
A pause.
Then—
[Hidden Threat Detected]
👉 Unknown armed group spotted (distance: far)
Li Chen's eyes narrowed.
"…Not alone."
For a brief moment—
Silence filled the room.
Then—
He smiled.
Not worried.
Excited.
"Good."
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Certain.
"More prey."
He leaned forward.
Eyes locked onto the screen.
"This village…"
A pause.
"…is just the beginning."
His finger hovered over the next command.
Expand Territory
And this time—
He didn't hesitate.
Confirm.
The system trembled slightly.
As if something bigger had just been triggered.
[Territory Expansion Initiated]
[New Era Unlocked: Early Clan Development]
Li Chen stood there.
Looking at the screen.
Looking at his ancestor.
Looking at the future.
Then—
He spoke.
Quietly.
But with absolute certainty.
"The Li Clan…"
"…will rise."