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

On the other side of the grassland, in the territory of the raiders.

"It seems we can't go any further. Let's rest here."

"Let's do it this way, even though the empty surroundings are a bit unsettling."

"There's no need to worry about that."

Hearing his companion's words as he looked around, the male mage grinned and raised his withered wooden staff. As the staff, imbued with magic, slammed heavily onto the ground, a faint magical fluctuation spread out, dispersing unknown power throughout the area.

"What exactly is that?"

"Sensory magic; it can detect whether a magical beast or an enemy is approaching."

"...That's convenient, you mage. You've made a great contribution to this expedition; the chieftain will surely reward you handsomely."

The other party looked at his smug smile and sighed softly, after all, the power he had shown was far more than that.

His name was Galon, and he was said to have learned magic from a sage of unknown origin.

Witnessing raiders attacking the tribe, he showed no fear and instead declared he would demonstrate his power. After becoming a companion, he indeed assisted the expedition with various wondrous magic spells.

This power is genuine, and he is now being treated as an elite warrior, using it to rapidly rise in rank.

"Rest here! Everyone, get ready!"

The raider leader, who was talking to Galon, ordered his men, who were escorting hundreds of prisoners, to set up camp here that night.

In the blink of an eye, a campfire was lit, and a campsite quickly took shape. With the night sky as their roof and the earth as their bed, this kind of camping was already commonplace for them.

"Ah, no! Let go!"

"elder sister!"

"While we will be more lenient, don't forget to keep your limits. These are all the clan chief's property."

Several veteran soldiers among the leader's confidants began to lay hands on the prisoners as if it were perfectly normal.

Although the leader verbally warned them to stop, he didn't actually stop this almost customary behavior. After all, for warriors who live on the edge, the opportunity to release their desires is always necessary.

He even gave Galon a look that seemed to say, "Aren't you going to have one?"

"I don't have the energy to do such boring things... but I happen to have a spell I want to experiment with, so I'll give it a try."

Galon chuckled and agreed, then randomly pointed to a prisoner. The unfortunate one chosen was a middle-aged woman who was trembling with fear.

"The power I gained from that lord is not just limited to summoning mist, setting up surveillance networks, or breathing fire."

As Galon spoke, he pointed his staff at the woman, and then a chilling scene unfolded.

"Galon, what did you do to her?"

"Some kind of curse."

The raider leader and everyone around were terrified when they saw this.

The cursed woman's eyes rolled back, her body twisted and trembled, and she eventually became a puppet that completely obeyed his commands.

"Even powerful warriors with magical abilities can only surrender. The grassland warriors may be physically strong, but they don't know how to strengthen their spirit. Just like we can't defeat them because of magic, who are hiding behind the city walls."

Galon was full of confidence; he believed that with his own strength, he could suppress even the most valiant warriors.

"Damn demon!"

Of course, this confidence only aroused intense hatred and deeper fear in the eyes of others—especially those who had been hurt by Galon's power.

The trembling girl among the captives was no exception. Watching the villagers she knew being killed or violated by the raiders, witnessing them cursed and their selves destroyed, turned into puppets, the girl could only bite her lip and weep silently.

But reality is cruel; ultimately, everything operates according to the will of the strong. No matter how much they beg for mercy or plead for help, no one will aid the defeated. Even if they defeat the raiders, they will only become the new raiders themselves.

It is this despair that is most deadly. When the mind is completely broken, people can no longer conceive of resistance and will only become their slaves.

By the next generation, these people will have merged with the raiders into a single tribe, and will be able to utilize that powerful force.

◆◆◆

"Mmm..."

Thank goodness, this morning was no different from usual.

Without the eerie tentacles acting as an alarm clock, Lin Miao opened her eyes on the living room floor and naturally got up to walk towards the room where the computer was.

The fluffy beds, temporarily unused, and the computer screens still lit up. Once the monitors were turned on, the residents indeed began to move around.

Now, Lin Miao and the people moving around on the screen have become inseparable. Checking that nothing has happened before going to work every morning has become her new routine.

Thanks to this, Lin Miao gradually remembered their daily routine. For example, going to nearby rivers and forests to collect drinking water and food, or preparing for construction projects needed by the village.

"What's going on?"

But today they showed a slightly different side of themselves than usual.

Instead of using tools to make items or carrying farm implements to gather resources, he unsealed his stored iron armor and began to arm himself, gripping his carefully maintained sharp weapons.

"They only decided to launch an attack yesterday, and now they're acting on it immediately?"

The troubles of the tribal chief Attila that I saw before going to bed last night suddenly popped into my mind, and Lin Miao froze halfway through putting on her pants.

Although they had mentioned taking the initiative to attack the enemy near the village, they never expected it to be carried out just a few hours later.

From the armor on their warhorses and the silver-white armor they wore to all sorts of weapons—everything was equipment that Lin Miao had made for them in the game.

Although their awakened abilities allowed them to gather resources, it was Lin Miao who ultimately combined these materials into items they couldn't manufacture, and they were planning to use these items to fight.

This choice is not hard to understand; just as Attila struggled with his decision, it was something they had to go through as they grew up.

Lillie, wearing a helmet and riding a warhorse, also appeared; it seemed all the warriors capable of fighting were ready to unleash their full force.

It was immediately obvious that they intended to move west—that is, to the left of the monitor—and the battlefield would unfold in the area outside the current monitor wallpaper.

Half worried and half excited, Lin Miao sat back down in her chair without even getting dressed properly. This was a great time to witness the results of her hard work.

[Explored areas can be skipped]

"what?"

As they rode off together, Lin Miao inexplicably moved the mouse to the left and clicked, and something suddenly popped up.

[Western Plains (1)]

Double-clicking the icon that appeared changed the screen. In a literal sense, Lin Miao's desktop was replaced.

Although the original programs and icons on the desktop were still there, the unfamiliar scenery that appeared before Lin Miao left him speechless.

It was the plains west of the grassland where the village was located. To the far north, forests and mountains could be seen, while to the south, as Lin Miao gazed, stretched an endless plain. Currently, it was completely empty. This was probably the area the village's scouts patrolled daily.

"It's coming."

When the scene shifts back to the village, a cavalry unit is seen galloping towards them.

If the image is not actually enlarged, the cavalrymen, who are the size of ants and are stuck on the screen, will soon appear faintly on the right side of the screen as they enter this western plain (1).

Could it be?

Now that things have come to this, it's time to look at other places. Lin Miao moved the mouse, this time pointing to the left side of the monitor.

[Western Plains (2)]

Then the scene switched again, showing a new grassland landscape.

Found it.

What did Lin Miao discover there? A bustling crowd gathered in the center of the plain.

By scrolling the mouse wheel to zoom in, Lin Miao saw a large group of fully armed soldiers and trembling prisoners. These were the raiders Attila had decided to hunt down, and the people they had captured.

[A special program is required.]

On a whim, Lin Miao clicked on one of the soldiers wielding a weapon with her mouse. Although information about the raider and his special martial arts skills was displayed, she was unable to grab or move him.

"What the hell is this 'specialized program'?"

Upon hearing that certain conditions needed to be met, Lin Miao couldn't help but sigh. It was still unclear whether the issue was with the location or the people involved.

[A hostile guardian has been detected. We recommend using the desktop destruction feature.]

[Desktop damage: 10000P]

"...?"

What's most frustrating is that the program recommended by the system is Desktop Destroyer—a nostalgic name that Lin Miao had forgotten since graduating from elementary school.

What's even more outrageous is why this program was installed on a computer I bought just a year ago; its mere existence is enough to shock anyone.

To put it bluntly, it's just a crude game or program that uses various tools to scratch and damage the computer desktop. It's something only children would like, but now Lin Miao's desktop is inhabited by living people, and even enemies.

According to Lin Miao's speculation, this means that she can not only intervene from within the game, but also more proactively.

Not enough points?

However, unlocking and activating this feature is still quite difficult. Activating the game requires points to upgrade, and maintaining its operation also consumes points. Currently, I've barely accumulated around 2000 points.

Furthermore, using functions such as healing will continuously consume points.

"Looks like I'll have to take the day off today."

Lin Miao picked up her phone and applied for annual leave from the company.

Judging from the speed at which the residents are riding their horses, a battle will break out no later than noon today.

This was also an important battle for Lin Miao. Although she couldn't offer immediate help, she at least wanted to witness it firsthand.

"We're almost there."

Upon zooming in, it appears that the residents, led by Attila, have pinpointed the enemy's location.

They first sent out scouts to investigate the undetected enemy forces, and now they are following behind the enemy ranks that have begun to move.

It's hard to predict how they'll fight. Lin Miao doesn't know much about it, especially since it's a world where monsters and superpowered individuals actually exist.

But Lin Miao believed his men would win. All the support he had provided in the game world so far had been perfectly absorbed by them, making them appear stronger than the enemy.

Their weaponry and equipment are also superior, so there's no reason for them to lose.