Upon returning to Aethel, Myron did not experience the same awe as Luke and Evan, as he had been using the VR cabinet since the beginning of the game. However, he chuckled to himself, wishing he had been there to witness their reactions.
At that moment, Fenris exited the Alpha’s Hut and froze, stunned to see their Alpha standing there. His surprise quickly turned to anger.
“Where have you been? Do you think this territory can run itself?” Fenris growled.
Myron turned at the angry remark, his smile fading. “You will address me as Alpha when speaking to me, Fenris. This is the first and last time I will remind you,” he said coldly, his eyes narrowing.
Fenris’s shocked expression brought a smirk back to Myron’s face. “Now, where are the others?” he asked while striding past Fenris into the Alpha’s Hut, their council hall.
He didn’t have to wonder long; eight pairs of eyes stared back at him. He joked, “Why is everyone acting so strange today? What happened?”
Kaela stood quickly, her face alight with joy. “You’re here, my lord!”
Myron nodded, walking to his throne and settling into it. He then turned his attention to the notifications he’d received upon logging in.
The first notification read:
World Notification: The territory of Malefic Vale, under the Lordship of Luke, has upgraded its Town Center to Level 2. The first to achieve this milestone, the Vale ushers in an age of Family Integration. Shadows grow deeper, and ambition soars higher.
The second notification followed:
World Notification: The territory of Harmonious Enclave, under the Lordship of Evan, has upgraded its Town Center to Level 2. Harmony grows, and light spreads.
The third notification stated:
*Congratulations on completing your main quest. Territory Level will automatically be upgraded. Have fun learning the other mechanisms.
He frowned slightly and turned to his council members. “Why haven’t we upgraded the town center to Level 2?”
Ragnar stepped forward. “It’s on today’s to-do list, Alpha.”
Myron raised an eyebrow. “And who has been running the territory while I’ve been gone?”
“That would be me, my lord,” Ragnar replied, straightening his posture.
“Did the system recognize you as a steward of my territory?” Myron asked sharply.
“Yes, my lord. I was able to access the system panel. With that, I ensured the daily quests were completed. On the first day, we acquired 20 meat, 10 gold, and a minor morale boost. On the second day, we earned 30 meat and 20 gold,” Ragnar explained.
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Myron nodded thoughtfully before commanding, “Go and upgrade the town center immediately.”
Ragnar hesitated. “The reason it hasn’t been upgraded yet is due to a lack of gold, my lord.”
Myron quickly checked the territory panel and saw the following:
Meat: 800
Wood: 600
Stone: 500
Gold: 30
He grimaced and opened the chat system, adding Luke and Evan as friends.
“I’m short on gold,” he typed.
“Same here,” Luke replied.
Evan echoed, “Same for me.”
Myron gnashed his teeth. “How can I gain more gold?” he asked aloud.
Luke responded in the chat, “Check the optional quests. They should reward gold.”
“Thanks. I’ll check in later—I need to upgrade my town center as soon as possible,” Myron replied.
Evan volunteered, “Luke and I will work on optional quests to assist you.”
Luke sent another message, “…..”
Followed by, “Did I volunteer for this?”
Evan replied, “We’re partners in crime now, remember?”
Luke sent a string of laughing emojis. “What happened to the shy Evan?”
Evan didn’t respond, and Myron grinned. “I’m out. Thanks, Evan, for volunteering. Luke, I expect you to hold up your end of the deal.”
Myron exited the chat and turned back to Ragnar. “What else do you have to report? Be quick; we have a lot of work to do.”
Ragnar continued, “We unlocked the Training Grounds, Herbal Garden, and Water Well. From the town center, we recruited three new units: a builder, a herbalist, and a scout. Additionally, we noticed the structures that came with the Town Center at Level 1: Foundational Stage—the marketplace, administration tent, and single-unit housing are already operational. The Moonlit Den was upgraded to Level 2, but it had reverted to its original state and only offers Tier 1 units for recruitment. Tier 1 units cost 10 meat and 10 gold, Tier 2 costs 25 meat and 20 gold, and Tier 3 costs 50 meat and 50 gold. The den itself costs 50 meat and 50 gold to upgrade. We recruited a Tier 1 Feral Claw, Wolf Scout, and Tanner. It takes an hour to complete a den upgrade. Finally, we scouted and conquered a southern territory, which is why we can now upgrade the town center. That concludes my report, Alpha.”
Myron nodded approvingly. “You’ve done well. Could have been better, but it’s a start.”
He turned to the rest of the council and declared, “Today’s objective is to complete optional quests that reward gold. We need to upgrade the town center before anyone else. Don’t you want to see our territory recognized worldwide?”
The council howled in agreement, energized and ready to act. Myron added, “The only quest we can complete right now is this one:
Quest Name: Pelts for Profit
Objective: Organize a large-scale hunt in the Hunting Grounds to gather additional leather and food, then trade the surplus pelts for gold.
Reward: +25 Gold, +20 Leather
Development Impact: Increases resource output and builds trade networks with nearby factions or nomadic traders.
“Ensure this quest is completed. Fenris,” Myron continued, “take the scout we recruited and find other territories, whether otherworldly or native. Bring back all the information you can.”
Fenris nodded, silently thinking, The Alpha is finally behaving like an Alpha.
As the other council members dispersed, Ragnar stayed behind. “Head to the town center and recruit yesterday’s batch of units and today’s batch. Hopefully, we’ll get a crafter. The Bloodstone Forge has been left idle for too long.”
Ragnar nodded and left to fulfill the Alpha’s commands. Myron leaned back in his throne, wondering if Luke and Evan had already started working on optional quests to help him.
