Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

On a lazy weekend morning when you don't have to go to work.

Lin Miao, who collapsed onto the bed as if she had fainted last night, sat back down in front of the computer as soon as she opened her eyes.

While I often did this during my obsession with secondhand games, things are a bit different now. After all, this isn't an ordinary game.

Yesterday, the second phase of the game was unlocked, allowing villagers to use Minecraft freely.

Although it has been confirmed that they can also gain in-game abilities through a system called traits, the game is still full of various dangers such as terrain obstacles and monsters.

As soon as the screen lit up, Lin Miao hurriedly checked the desktop.

"Did something happen to them while I was sleeping?"

Lin Miao muttered to himself as he moved the mouse. In a corner of the screen, against the backdrop of a vast grassland, a small villager was busy at work.

With the increase in the number of villagers, it is difficult to count them all, but you can tell whether something has happened from their expressions and the atmosphere.

Fortunately, the atmosphere among them was good while they were working, so it seems that no major accident occurred.

Most people were preparing building materials for the newlyweds and working together to build the tent house.

Perhaps because of the frequent dangerous incidents, Lin Miao originally thought that instead of making do with a house or a crudely made fence, it would be better to use better materials to build a decent building. But after thinking about it carefully, the problem was not resources.

Even with the best materials, you can't make it without the technology.

For the villagers, technology seems to be more important than resources.

[Current online resident count: 8/8]

Lin Miao then turned her gaze elsewhere to the game that was still running.

Including food, which is currently an important resource for the residents, there are still 8 residents working hard online.

In particular, Allen and the others, who had awakened their miner traits, seemed to be greatly impressed by the iron armor set that Lin Miao had created yesterday, and were spontaneously heading to the mine to explore for iron ore.

The monsters that approached, seeking to awaken their miner traits like them, were now being held off by the fully armed Lillie, while they focused intently on mining the ore.

"This treatment... is making me a little uneasy."

Lin Miao, who was controlling her character to log into the game, couldn't help but smile wryly.

Upon seeing Lin Miao appear, the workers immediately bowed their heads in alarm and respectfully greeted her.

Even Lillie, like everyone else, kept her head down, carefully observing and interpreting their expressions.

Compared to the treatment she received when they first met, being surrounded and attacked as if she were a monster, it was a world of difference. Yet, this excessive courtesy made Lin Miao feel immense pressure.

"My intention was simply to help them, not to be served. Never mind, let's get back to work."

Lin Miao picked up a pickaxe and, like the others, began collecting minerals around the mine.

Seeing Lin Miao take the lead in starting work, the residents also resumed their work.

However, only Allen currently possesses the miner's ability; the others can't even finish mining a single piece of ore before they are out of breath and need to rest.

"Today's goal is to collect as much iron ore as possible."

Upon catching a glimpse of this scene, Lin Miao secretly set a goal.

In the game's setting, iron ore is the most common and important resource for crafting all items, including mid-level weapons, tools, and armor, but it is an extremely precious resource for residents without the relevant skills.

At the very least, those who play the role of soldiers should be fully armed.

However, considering the need to properly equip dozens of people, it's hard to imagine how many layers of earth would need to be dug through.

"Oh no!"

Just as everyone was gradually going deeper underground, the figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

This is a boss-level monster that only spawns at a specific depth—the Necromancer.

Its appearance was merely that of a skeleton draped in a tattered leather cloak and wielding a wooden staff, yet it was a formidable enemy that even Lin Miao found difficult to confront head-on. Moreover, he himself was already insufficiently prepared in order to distribute equipment to the residents.

Lin Miao sighed softly, stepped forward to stop Lillie, who was about to engage in battle, and then quickly took out materials from her inventory, which was filled with stones, instantly blocking the passage that the monster was closing in.

Lillie's eyes widened, and she looked confident that she could fight back, ready to start arguing on the spot.

Her current combat prowess is indeed formidable, but necromancers can not only summon a large number of minions, but also cast curse-type debuffs. Lin Miao didn't want them to take such a pointless risk.

"Do you understand?"

Seeing Lin Miao gently shake her head with a resolute attitude, Lillie was taken aback at first, and then silently lowered her head.

Although she looked somewhat dejected, Lin Miao still insisted that safety come first.

◆◆◆

"Another iron ore mine! Over here!"

Amidst his companions' urgent shouts, Allen, wielding a pickaxe, rushed over and began digging into the newly discovered iron ore.

As the pickaxe rose and fell, cracks gradually appeared on the iron ore block.

When the sharp-edged block shattered completely, iron ore scattered all over the ground.

They transported these heavy minerals back to the central area of ​​the base.

Unbeknownst to them, a small mountain of iron ore had already been piled up in the central area.

"I need to acquire the ability quickly too; it's too much for just the two of us."

"There's nothing we can do about it; it's not something you can just get by wanting it."

Beside Allen, who was busy running around, his companion sighed and complained that no matter how hard they swung their pickaxes, they could hardly gain any special abilities.

Besides Allen and Lillie, there were three other people who came to the mine today. Only one of them acquired the same miner traits as Allen through mining all day.

"Are you going home?"

"It's time. It's time to eat, and everyone is exhausted."

Before long, Lin Miao collected the iron ore and put it into his inventory, while pointing to the entrance of the mine.

The villagers understood the intention, packed up their tools, and left the mine. It was time to go back to the village and rest.

"But if we repeat this process several times, we should be able to obtain more iron ore."

"It's better than nothing."

Although their bodies ached so much they could barely move, their whispers were filled with hope.

That was a hope that could never be compared to when I was forced to leave my hometown and wander in this unfamiliar land.

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Inside the walled city, they were greeted by Attila, the tribal chief, who, together with the people who remained, developed vast farmlands and herded livestock into wooden enclosures.

"Dark, who recently joined our tribe, has also gained the same power as me. It seems that mining with a pickaxe is indeed the trigger condition."

"Uso, who had been harvesting ripe crops and tilling the land, also gained magical powers. When he turned the soil with a hoe, the surrounding land would be completely turned over in an instant."

The people gathered inside the barrier shared their spoils.

Miners are not the only ones who acquire traits; Uso, who works in agriculture, also acquired the farmer trait.

They thus realized that acquiring a feature required meeting certain conditions, but even if the same conditions were met, not everyone could acquire the feature.

"It seems... everyone has their own area of ​​expertise," Attila said, glancing at the figure in the distance.

Resources collected in the game cannot be used directly; they must all be processed by Lin Miao at the crafting table to become usable items.

In fact, Lin Miao spent the entire day synthesizing various collected materials.

"Is the clan leader saying...we all lack talent?"

"Me too. Since the number of people who can come is limited, it would be better for everyone than to leave people who are not gaining anything here. It would be better to send other people who might be talented."

Attila believed that those who had not acquired special talents should return to their villages so that those who might possess such talents could come and try.

Although these words are somewhat harsh, for them who have no time to spare right now, this is a choice that must be made for the sake of efficiency.

"The problem is how to say it tactfully."

Attila looked at Lin Miao, who was still standing in front of the synthesis platform, his heart filled with distress.

They are already grateful to receive any help; do they really have the right to make any further demands?

If you anger the other party and get kicked out, your future will be completely ruined.

"Please take a look at this, Chieftain. This equipment is made from the iron ore we mine."

"It can arm at least twenty people."

The unsuspecting tribesmen were too busy marveling at the gleaming iron weapons Attila had forged.

When they returned to the village with this equipment, it naturally caused an uproar.

These weapons, which the tribe never possessed even during its heyday, are now appearing in an endless stream, like rain.

"I can't contain my curiosity any longer! Tell me, how did you get all this?"

"Please calm down. Although this was indeed the iron ore we mined ourselves..."

The villagers naturally surrounded them, asking what had happened on the other side of the rift that only the chosen ones could cross.

Having no intention of hiding it, they recounted their adventure to the villagers.

As for the parts that were gradually embellished, consider them as extra bonuses.

◆◆◆

"W-What's going on here...?"

Lin Miao had just finished a pile of housework and hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of rice. The moment she saw the screen, she almost spat out the food in her mouth.

The villagers participating in the game were seen using sticks to draw crooked and irregular shapes of game characters on the muddy ground, excitedly gesturing to the onlookers to indicate their names.

[Achievement Completed: Primitive Belief]

[Original Belief: 500P]

"Faith? That's all?"

But the most outrageous part was yet to come. As his story spread among the villagers through word of mouth, a new notification suddenly popped up in the system.

[Level 2 fault occurred]

"Oh no!"

Unexpectedly, this achievement became a trigger condition.

As if it had been planned in advance, the atmosphere suddenly changed drastically the moment the system alarm sounded.

The village, which had been filled with laughter and joy as dusk settled, was now suddenly filled with dark, deformed creatures emerging from the void and approaching the village.

"They're here again! It's those black monsters!"

"Everyone grab your weapons! Prepare for battle!"

As the sirens wailed, the villagers hurriedly donned their newly acquired weapons and equipment and rushed towards the village entrance.

Although they were still panicked, the situation was completely different. Compared to their previous unarmed predicament, they now had gained new power.

"What kind of monsters are those? I've never seen—no, I've never even heard of—monsters in my life!"

"We don't know either, we can only speculate that it's something that has lived here since ancient times."

The newly arrived residents were seeing the malfunctions for the first time; in fact, many of the original villagers had never seen them before.

Unlike ordinary monsters, which are completely different in appearance, and unlike ordinary monsters, which can at least be called living beings, these malfunctioning creatures, made of black carapaces and tentacles, exude a creepy, inanimate aura.

"Aren't the arrows useful?!"

They raised their longbows and fired in unison, but even when the arrows hit, the creatures paid no heed to the arrows stuck in their armor and continued to wriggle forward.

While the other villagers panicked, Lillie bit her lip.

Because the battle is developing in the exact same direction as last time, in order to completely eliminate them, it will ultimately be necessary to crush those bodies at close range.

"It's possible, so let's all work together!"

Ultimately, she took the lead, sword and shield in hand, charging forward. Since battle was unavoidable, she intended to end the fight from a distance before the village was damaged.

This was not a reckless act. She had been wounded in the last battle by taking a direct hit from an enemy, but this time she was equipped with reliable armor.

The others followed Lillie with less hesitation, the sturdy weapons and armor giving them immense confidence.

"Well……"

Lillie, who was at the forefront, soon clashed head-on with the leading malfunctioning entity.

Faced with the wildly flailing tentacles that lashed out at her, she gritted her teeth, swung her sword to sever the tentacles, and at the same time raised her shield to block them steadily.

The chaotic and dense tentacle attacks were extremely troublesome, but Lillie had experience in dealing with them and her movements were skillful and efficient.

Moreover, in the past few days, she has been fighting monsters in the game almost every day, and her combat skills have become increasingly refined.

"Concentrate! Concentrate your attack!"

The real problem lies with the other residents.

Nearly ten people were crowded in front of each faulty device.

Some people couldn't withstand the force of the tentacles and were violently knocked back, while others were entangled at the ankles and flung away.

This was their first time facing such an enemy, and they had no idea how to deal with it effectively.

If they hadn't been wearing shields and protective gear, they would have already been pierced through the body and broken bones.

"Gather together to block the tentacles! Then attack the main body!"

Lillie gave a loud command, and with a swift swing of her magic-infused longsword, she cleaved the head of the malfunctioning creature in two.

The numerical advantage gradually took effect, and the others steadied themselves, working together to block the tentacles emerging from the gaps in the carapace, before launching a fierce attack on the monster's main body.

"Is it over!? Is there nothing more?!"

Neither side showed any intention of backing down, and the battle ended quickly.

Although several people were injured, all three monsters that were attacking the village were destroyed and disappeared into black dust, with no one dying.

While the villagers, still brimming with the excitement of battle and slaughter, were looking around with their weapons in hand, Lillie, having calmed herself, was staring down at the ground where only black ash remained after the malfunctioning creature had died.

"Well done, Lillie, you have saved the tribe once again."

Attila joined his tribesmen in welcoming the victorious warriors. But even as she heard her father's praise, Lillie's expression remained somber.

"What... exactly are those things?"

She stood in stark contrast to the high-spirited soldiers around her.

"Just facing those monsters is terrifying enough. Nobody knows when they'll come back, or how many will come. There isn't even a proper wall around here. What if they reappear when we go out..."

"That lord will notice when the village is in crisis and urge us to return. That shouldn't happen." Attila sensed the fear in his daughter's heart, sighed softly, and shook his head.

This unease was not unfounded. The malfunctioning creature was unlike any monster they knew, and was inherently eerie and dangerous.

"That's precisely why we must become stronger."

After hearing Lillie's words, Attila's resolve became even stronger.

The biggest contributor to repelling the three attacking enemies was undoubtedly the newly acquired weapons and armor.

As the tribal chief, he could not afford to give these up.

Now that things have come to this, we must do everything we can to strengthen the village and the tribe.

Attila firmly believed that this was the right path for everyone.