Just as Zhou Bai was familiarizing herself with the territory management system, the first batch of survivors finally arrived at Hope Village.
These people had been fleeing from magical beast attacks and were exhausted, hungry, and desperate when they saw the territory notification appear on their maps.
“Look! There’s really a village here!” A middle-aged man pointed excitedly at the wooden fence surrounding the small settlement.
“Hope Village… what a good name,” a woman carrying a child whispered.
There were about fifteen people in this group – men, women, the elderly, and children. They had banded together for safety after the world changed, but they had been struggling to survive in the wilderness.
As they approached the territory entrance, the same notification appeared before each of them:
【Dear refugees, welcome to Hope Village! Currently, available statuses: Visitor (10 copper coins/day), Resident (10 silver coins/permanent)】
“Ten silver coins to become a resident?” a young man frowned. “That’s expensive.”
“But look at the note,” an elderly woman pointed out. “It says territories can resist magical beasts based on their defensive power. We’ve seen what those creatures can do out there.”
The group huddled together, discussing their options. Most had managed to accumulate some game currency by defeating weaker magical beasts or finding small caches of resources that had appeared after the world’s transformation.
“I say we pool our money,” the middle-aged man who had first spotted the village suggested. “Those who can afford to become residents should do so. The rest can start as visitors and work toward residency.”
After some debate, eight people chose to become residents, while the remaining seven opted for visitor status, planning to earn enough currency to upgrade later.
Inside the Lord’s Manor, Zhou Bai received multiple notifications:
【Hope Village has gained 8 new residents】
【Hope Village has gained 7 new visitors】
【Current population: 11/100 (including lord’s family)】
“Dad, Mom, we have our first residents!” Zhou Bai announced excitedly.
Zhou Zhengping looked pleased but cautious. “We should go meet them, but remember to maintain your disguise as just another resident.”
The family emerged from the Lord’s Manor to find the newcomers exploring the small territory. The visitors and new residents were examining the Blacksmith Shop and Restaurant with great interest.
“Excuse me,” the middle-aged man approached them. “Are you residents here too? Do you know how this place works?”
Zhou Bai exchanged a quick glance with her parents before answering. “We had just arrived recently ourselves. It seems like the territory operates automatically – the shops produce goods, and we can purchase what we need.”
“The prices seem reasonable,” a woman noted, looking at the steamed buns in the restaurant. “Much better than trying to forage in the wilderness.”
“And those iron axes,” a younger man added, “we could really use proper weapons against the magical beasts.”
As the newcomers settled in, Zhou Bai discreetly checked her lord panel. The territory’s daily income has increased with the new residents and visitors. More importantly, she could see basic information about each person – their health, skills, and general disposition.
Most seemed to be ordinary people who had been caught off guard by the world’s transformation, but a few showed promising attributes. One man had “Basic Carpentry” skills, while a woman showed “Cooking” abilities.
“We should assign people to work in the shops,” Zhou Bai whispered to her parents. “The system is running them automatically now, but having actual workers would be more efficient.”
Zhou Zhengping nodded. “Good thinking. But be careful how you suggest it. You’re supposed to be just another resident, remember?”
As evening approached, the new residents and visitors gathered in the small central area of the territory. The magical beasts could be heard howling in the distance, but within the territory’s boundaries, everyone felt safe.
“I can’t believe we found this place,” one of the visitors said gratefully. “I thought we were going to die out there.”
“The question is,” another resident mused, “who built this territory? And how do we help it grow?”
Zhou Bai listened to their conversations, learning about their experiences in the outside world. The magical beasts were indeed becoming more numerous and aggressive. Several other groups of survivors were still out there, struggling to find safety.
As night fell, the territory’s defenses activated automatically. A faint shimmer appeared around the wooden fence, and the howls of the magical beasts seemed to grow more distant.
“Tomorrow,” Zhou Bai thought to herself, “we need to start expanding. More buildings, more residents, and better defenses.”
But for tonight, Hope Village had successfully sheltered its first group of survivors from the dangers of the new world.
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