Super Game System-Otherworld King: Rise to Power

After Liu Long led his troops away, Ronald called for the village elder, his eyes gleaming with a smile. "Old man, you know the situation. If the elves come after us for revenge, we'll pack up and leave. But you and the villagers will probably be the ones to suffer."

The elder wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "What does the King mean?"

Ronald sneered. "We have a base in the mountains not far from here. Why don't you take the villagers and join us there?"

The elder hesitated, his face filled with uncertainty. "King, as you may not know, our people have lived in this village for generations. Moving... I fear no one will agree to it."

"No one agrees?" Ronald's eyes narrowed with a mocking laugh. "Old man, stop making excuses. Today, you'll move, whether you like it or not. If anyone dares to speak another word against it, I'll have you all slaughtered."

It was a blatant threat. The villagers, under Ronald's overwhelming force, had no choice but to pack up their families and follow the guards back to the base.

The style was ruthlessly domineering, much like a bandit chief.

By the time they returned to the base, all the soldiers were settled in the barracks, but the empty wooden huts were not enough for the thousand-odd villagers. Ronald immediately ordered the construction of two hundred more houses to ease the housing shortage.

In the evening, the camp was abuzz with activity. The villagers, grouped in twos and threes, discussed the events of the day and their hearty meal. With no current food source at the base, Ronald had been forced to use the soldiers' rations to feed the hungry villagers, though these were top-tier meals made by the renowned chefs of the Ringworld. The flavor and nutrition were exceptional. To the villagers, who had grown used to only occasional meals, this felt like the height of luxury.

They had expected to be enslaved, but if every meal was like this, what was enslavement to them? They'd gladly die for it.

Suddenly, the sound of urgent gongs echoed across the camp, gathering the villagers. Standing atop a raised platform, Ronald's voice rang out, "Listen up, everyone. From now on, you're all part of my mountain stronghold. I've got a few rules, and you'd better pay attention. Anyone who breaks them will face my wrath."

The crowd, which had been noisy just moments before, instantly quieted.

Ronald continued, "Rule number one: No one leaves the camp without my permission."

Since the base was still in a confidential state, he wouldn't allow anyone to come and go freely.

"Rule two: Starting tomorrow, I'll assign work, and each of you will receive one silver coin per month for your efforts. But if anyone slacks off, you'll get nothing."

"Rule three..." He continued, listing off more than a dozen regulations to keep the villagers in line.

Unfortunately, with no administrative talent in the camp, there was no one to help draft formal laws.

Later that night, Liu Long returned to the camp with a large group of captured goblins. In the meeting room of the barracks, Liu Long reported, "I launched a surprise attack on the village while the goblins were asleep. I had our men block off seven escape routes and caught them all. We've captured 1,300 goblins, and they're already under guard. I also learned that the news about the elf princess hasn't spread yet. The nearby villages are still unaware."

"Well done!" Ronald exclaimed with delight. If the elves launched a large-scale attack, their current strength wouldn't be able to defend, but if they remained unaware of what had happened, that would work in their favor.

After thinking for a moment, Ronald addressed his core officers. "Tomorrow, each of you will lead your team to separate the civilians from the prisoners and speed up the construction of the camp."

"Yes, my lord!" They all responded. Though they called him "lord" in public, in private, they referred to him as "Your Majesty."

Later, Fan Qingyue spoke up. "Your Majesty, with all these new people, we're running low on food."

"If it's just for the soldiers and the villagers, how much longer can we last?"

"Five days, at most," she replied.

Ronald nodded. "Liu Long, take A Shou and head into the mountains to hunt tomorrow. That should solve our immediate food shortage."

"Qinghua, after you've assigned the people, start planting."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The next morning, construction in the camp progressed rapidly, especially with the addition of so many civilians and prisoners. The villagers adapted quickly. They were simple folk who would work for food, and it wouldn't be long before they considered the camp their true home.

As for the elf princess, Ronald had her and the elf soldier confined in two separate storerooms within the barracks, with guards posted to keep them under watch. He planned to let them stew for a while, breaking their pride before he dealt with them further.

Two days later, Ronald entered the cave and found himself inside the Ringworld system. Immediately, a series of notifications rang out.

Ding dong! Host has completed the first mission, earning 2 follower cards.

Ding dong! Because the host exceeded the mission requirements, the population of the base is now five times above the task standard. You will receive five random additional rewards.

Ding dong! You have received a random reward: Shipbuilding Technology.

Ding dong! You have received a random reward: Water Cultivation Technology.

Ding dong! You have received a random reward: 2 Follower Cards.

Ding dong! You have received a random reward: 2 Item Cards.

Ding dong! You have received a random reward: 20,000 Silver.

Ding dong! Please assign colonists to accept the technology.

The barrage of notifications took Ronald by surprise, but once he recovered, he was ecstatic.