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

Looking at the scene on the screen, Lin Miao couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "This...this is..."

The tribe's population has now swelled to nearly a thousand. The people are solemnly holding a sacrificial ceremony, and the object of this ceremony is Lin Miao, who is behind the screen.

Just as Lin Miao was staring blankly at all of this, the file transfer device was suddenly triggered. He was stunned as he watched the items pop up one after another on the monitor.

The spoils that the residents presented to Lin Miao were mostly precious metals that had flowed in from outside the grasslands.

To these nomads, these things were nothing more than useless decorations, but to Lin Miao, they were highly valuable hard currency.

The problem is that, unlike the previous situation where there was only one gold ring, this time a large number of items are pouring out of the screen.

Lin Miao had no time to observe the residents' actions on the screen; she was only focused on bending down to pick up the offerings that kept falling onto the table and floor.

As Lin Miao bent down to pick it up, she was hit hard on the head by the golden scabbard and couldn't help but cough.

In the end, he collected so many spoils that they filled more than half of his backpack.

Lin Miao, who was well aware of the plight of the nomadic people on the grasslands, knew very well that these precious metals, which even he himself did not know how much they could be converted into, were treasures that were difficult for the resource-poor tribesmen to access.

[Achievement Completed: Beginner Faith (2)]

The moment the system notification popped up, Lin Miao looked at it and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I've even achieved the achievement."

The residents' sincere efforts for him were ultimately recognized by the system.

Although being genuinely trusted and followed by these ordinary people put Lin Miao under some psychological burden, his heart still couldn't help but pound when he saw thousands of people devoutly worshipping on the screen.

Lin Miao silently thought to herself: I really want to repay them.

The residents expressed their gratitude to him through a sacrificial ceremony, and Lin Miao wanted to give them the most direct response.

He immediately thought of the second stage of the document program he had activated previously. A few days ago, he had used the document program to write words in the sky and give names to newborns in the tribe, but the program's functions went far beyond that.

The exclusive blessing that can be triggered by entering specific keywords can also be performed through this program.

If desktop destruction is his main attack skill that allows him to interfere in the tribal world, then this blessing function is equivalent to a buff that can cover the entire party.

Lin Miao invested all the points she gained from this achievement into unlocking one of her buff skills – [Healing Wind].

According to the skill description, this is an ability that allows a wind containing healing power to blow across the entire area, instantly restoring the health and injuries of all units within the range.

As Lin Miao confirmed the skill was unlocked, golden light characters suddenly appeared in the sky above the tribe, and a refreshing breeze instantly swept through every corner of the village.

The residents stared at the strange phenomenon in the sky and exclaimed in surprise, their voices filled with shock and awe.

Those who had sustained minor injuries in the previous battle and had not yet received treatment stared wide-eyed as their wounds healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, their faces filled with disbelief.

After the sacrificial ceremony, the scattered residents returned to their posts and busied themselves with their tasks.

Considering everyone's condition, Lin Miao decided to end the game for today, but then he saw Lillie still wearing her armor, standing quietly in the village square.

Lin Miao had already outlined the basic process in her mind: once Lillie had become familiar with the complete process of hunting, gathering by-products, selling, and crafting in the third game that had just been released today, she would have her train other residents to take over these tasks.

After all, she had other matters to attend to in other games. Increasing the number of games was intended to allow more people to gain different growth and power, not to exploit Lillie alone.

Lin Miao looked at the screen and muttered to himself, "Put everything else aside for now. Let Lillie focus on monster hunting for the time being."

Immediately afterward, Lin Miao's gaze fell on the south wall of the village where the program error had just occurred, and she couldn't help but chuckle: "They're repairing the collapsed wall, huh?"

Many residents have applied the abilities they gained from the game world to the real-world development of their tribe.

The wall, made of cubic stone bricks, was full of cracks, and Maureen, a transport worker, was working there with her apprentices and Allen, who had mastered the characteristics of miners.

They made full use of their professional skills to efficiently repair the wall: miner Allen swung his pickaxe and precisely chiseled off the broken bricks, and the transport workers immediately filled the gaps with new bricks, working together seamlessly.

In the blink of an eye, they repaired the damaged section of the city wall, which was dozens of meters long.

Lin Miao thought to herself: This is too much of a cheating.

In his view, while it was absurd for warriors to be able to deal insane damage after learning game skills, the abilities related to resource gathering and construction were equally absurd.

This ability, which can be used in both the game world and real-world tribes, is a terrifying power that defies the laws of physics.

Lin Miao chuckled and raised her hand to save a screenshot of the village scenery in front of her.

For nomadic people who have lived on the grasslands for generations and are accustomed to setting up tents, building techniques are already quite scarce.

However, as more and more porters and miners learned the relevant abilities from the game world, the situation began to change dramatically.

Initially, the tribe only had simple buildings such as city walls and watchtowers. However, as time went on, the residents began to use blocks such as stones and wood collected from the game world to build houses, warehouses and other permanent facilities.

Although these block houses are more like rough shipping containers than proper houses, the amazing sight of tents coexisting with these square block houses is something you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't capture it in a photo.

Lin Miao stroked his chin, pondering in his mind: Should I show them the diverse construction methods?

Although his own building skills are terrible, he can still do it by following strategy videos and imitating the various building designs of veteran players. Perhaps he can become a reference material for these residents who are new to house building.

Although the workload has increased, this level of work is still a pleasant task.

As Lin Miao swiped the screen to survey the entire village, she muttered to herself: Surely not even malfunctions keep popping up one after another.

He swiped the screen to examine the other areas surrounding the village. Although those areas had been scouted and conquered by the villagers, they were still considered neutral zones because no Chinese personnel were stationed there.

The Oren tribal village, which was occupied by them and abandoned after the villagers moved out, is also included in this list.

The residents moved here, taking all their necessities with them; now it's practically a deserted garbage dump.

But when the camera zoomed in on the ruins, Lin Miao's face instantly darkened, and she cursed under her breath, "What the hell is that?"

A group of people appeared in the ruins, and what shocked him even more was that these people all had red outlines on their bodies, which meant that they were undeniably the enemy.

In the mounted column, the burly man who appeared to be the leader was speaking to his subordinates. The soldier being questioned immediately panicked, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence.

Lin Miao immediately opened the other party's information panel, and the words "[Theodore's Warrior: Kosei]" appeared clearly on the screen.

Lin Miao's brows furrowed instantly, and she thought to herself: Theodore, could it be...?

After reviewing the complete intelligence, he confirmed that the man was actually a reconnaissance soldier sent by Theodore, the chieftain of the grasslands.

The Oren tribe, which the villagers attacked earlier, was a subordinate tribe that was loyal to the great chieftain Theodor.

Lin Miao thought about it again and realized it was only natural.

It was expected that the other side would send an investigation team to investigate the attack.

If any survivors escaped from that battle, their tribe's intelligence would certainly have been leaked.

In this world where conquerors and plunderers roam, war is never-ending.

The more powerful their tribe becomes, the more challenges they will face.

Kesai dismounted and surveyed the ruins before him with a serious expression.

In the ruins cleared by the migrants, only broken debris remained, but traces of fierce fighting were everywhere: there were arrow marks deeply embedded in wooden pillars, and imprints of earth being torn apart and rocks shattered during the battle. These were undoubtedly strong corroborations of the refugees' testimonies.

One of his men gestured with his chin towards a survivor from the Oren tribe traveling with him, then pointed to a crater in the ground and said to Kersai, "Look here. The giant hammer that guy mentioned falling from the sky should be this mark."

Kesai walked over, looked at the deep crater in the ground, and couldn't help but sigh.

The crater was large enough for an adult to lie down in; its size was simply unbelievable, yet it undeniably proved the truth of the absurd testimony that "a giant iron hammer fell from the sky and killed the warrior."

The survivors of the Oren tribe, bearing obvious signs of being beaten, immediately cried out excitedly upon seeing this, almost frantic with grievance: "I...I told you! I absolutely didn't lie!"

Kesei's personal guards immediately shouted angrily, "Shut up! A deserter in the face of battle still has the nerve to yell here."

Although those around him were mocking him, no one could deny the irrefutable evidence before them.

Kesei stared at the distant horizon, lost in thought, and muttered to himself, "Those guys who call themselves Zhen Dan... there's such a powerful tribe in this area."

If the absurd words of that panicked deserter are all true, then this is not a trivial matter that can be easily handed over to subordinate tribes; it must be decided personally by the great patriarch Theodore.

After all, this is the first time that an opponent who can rival them has appeared on this land where they have no rivals for a long time.

Kesai snapped out of his daze and immediately gave a stern order to his men to retreat: "Withdraw all troops and report this matter to the chieftain as soon as possible."

He planned to report all the intelligence he had discovered here as soon as possible, without any delay.

Just as Kesei mounted his horse and was about to turn it around, a strong intuition made him subconsciously look up at the sky.

His eyes widened instantly, and he roared at the top of his lungs, "It's a hammer!"

A cold light suddenly flashed across the sky, and a semi-transparent giant warhammer, accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, was smashing down towards their location.

In a panic, Kesai leaped off his horse, barely managing to avoid the fatal blow.

Although his men were startled by the shouts, they were too slow to look up and had no time to dodge.

A series of screams rang out: "Aaaaaah!"

The giant hammer slammed into the ground, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that crushed the panicked soldiers and their horses into a bloody pulp.

Kersai, who was the first to sense the hammer blow, barely dodged the attack by leaping forward, but most of the people he brought with him had already been turned into mangled, bloody pieces of flesh.

The surviving guards scrambled to Xesei's side, their voices filled with utter terror: "Lord Xesei! What is this?!"

Kse gritted his teeth and roared, "It's not over yet!"

The hammer's attacks were not just repeated, as if it couldn't bear to see them leave alive, falling continuously from the sky and slamming heavily onto the ground where they were.

Despite being a top-tier warrior with exceptional strength, Kesai, who was gritting his teeth, was now like a mouse being chased by a cat, unable to put up any decent resistance and only able to rely on instinct to roll and dodge.

In the process, he lost all his warhorses and men, but the iron hammer that struck the ground still relentlessly came crashing down on his head.

As Kesei watched the massive hammer plummeting downwards, only one thought remained in his mind: there was no way to dodge it.

Convinced he would be crushed to death, he raised his longsword horizontally towards the falling hammer, concentrating all his magic power into the blade.

The next second, the massive impact completely engulfed his body.

Kosei let out a painful roar: "Ugh, ahhh!!"

The bones creaked and cracked under the immense force, and the muscles were shattered.

The impact of the hammer was enough to shatter the body of a powerful warrior. His legs, which were supporting him on the ground, twisted and broke instantly, and he was smashed into the mud by the immense force.

Koksa still didn't give up, letting out a deafening roar: "Ughhhhh!"

Lost in a state of self-forgetfulness, he exhausted all the strength in his body to resist the crushing force.

With an obsession strong enough to forget all pain, they fought against this terrifying sorcery that fell from the sky.

He was risking not only his own life, but also his dignity as a soldier; this was a resistance fought with everything he had.

Kse roared inwardly: How could I admit defeat so easily... How could the mighty warrior Kse be defeated by such sorcery!

As the hammer's force finally weakened and it slowly rose, Kse, covered in blood, looked at himself and couldn't help but grin, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He did survive the horrific attack, albeit briefly, and fought with all his might until the very last moment.

◆◆◆

The only sound in the room was the constant clicking of the mouse.

Now that he had discovered the enemy scouts, Lin Miao had no intention of letting them return alive. So he kept clicking the mouse and using the desktop destroyer to knock down the scouts one by one.

The five hammer blows were quickly exhausted, and all the scouts were eliminated. Lin Miao looked at the screen and suddenly raised an eyebrow: "Are they cockroaches? How could they survive?"

Upon closer inspection, he saw the last enemy who had been knocked down wriggling out of the deep crater created by the hammer.

That guy was none other than Kesai, the leader of the enemy reconnaissance team. Although he was covered in blood and wounds, he could still walk on his own two legs after being hit head-on by a hammer. His strong vitality was truly astonishing.

Lin Miao couldn't help but sigh. She knew in her heart that the hammer was, after all, the most basic weapon, and it must have its limits.

He watched as the warrior named Kesai climbed out of the pit, looked up at the sky, muttered to himself, and laughed uncontrollably. He couldn't help but sigh and mutter to himself, "It won't be a secret for long."

As Attila had predicted, a direct conflict with the existing powers of the steppe was to be expected.

Regardless of the outcome, a major battle is inevitable. Rather than manually plugging each emerging malfunction, it would be wiser to find a way to thoroughly repair the dam before it completely collapses.

Although the process is destined to be brutal, it is also the reason why the residents who are still working tirelessly must work even harder.

Lin Miao shook her head with a wry smile and muttered to herself, "Ah, I was just thinking of taking a break."

He had hoped to relax a little, but now it seems he was too naive.

Lin Miao smiled wryly and started the game. He opened Dark Souls, intending to complete the second chapter with Lillie.

He had already completed most of the side quests in Chapter Two that offered good rewards, all with Lillie.

The same applies to Chapter 1; as long as Lillie is exhausted from all the actions, the main quest can be completed quickly.

Lillie, who was standing quietly in the village square, was suddenly pulled into the game world by a familiar force. She looked at the familiar scene in front of her and seemed a little surprised.

After all, once the situation in the tribe stabilized, Lin Miao stopped letting her handle more than two tasks at the same time.

Even though she was wide-eyed with surprise, Lillie didn't show the slightest dissatisfaction. She remained the loyal knight who would carry out any order Lin Miao gave without complaint.

Looking at Lillie on the screen, who was ready, Lin Miao made up her mind: Let's finish this quickly and not drag it out.

All he could do for Lillie was to plan the most efficient and fastest route to help her advance the plot.

The game's plot is simple; the core of all chapters is to gradually stop and eliminate the conspiracy of the demons that are eroding the world.

Lillie, seeing the paladin party suddenly appear before her, couldn't help but exclaim, "W-what's going on?!"

The leading paladin shouted sternly, "We are carrying out the sacred duties of the Order! All bystanders, stand back immediately!"

Lin Miao controlled his character and led Lillie in a surprise attack on the team.

These paladins are escorting innocent prisoners to be used as living sacrifices for bishops who have fallen into darkness by colluding with demons.

Lin Miao knew very well that these so-called prisoners were all innocent people who had been wronged.

The problem is that the paladins who follow the bishop of this place are not only unaware of this fact, but also unwilling to believe any statements that are detrimental to the bishop.

The paladins, seeing the two attackers, immediately drew their swords and roared, "These...these guys! They're the enemy!"

Needless to say, this battle was unavoidable in order to advance the plot and trigger the boss battle.

Lin Miao, controlling the character wielding a staff, launched the first attack with her skills, and the paladins immediately raised their swords to counterattack.

Lillie glanced nervously at the character Lin Miao was controlling, but when the opposing paladin charged at her with his sword raised, her eyes instantly turned sharp.

She charged forward like an arrow released from a bow, her longsword flashing as she began to suppress the onrushing paladins with all her might.

Her innate exceptional strength has continuously improved with the accumulation of experience from countless battles. Coupled with the steadily absorbed magic power and acquired skills, she can now deal with paladins of the second chapter level with ease.

Watching Lillie's actions, Lin Miao couldn't help but think to himself: "It would be more accurate to say that the grassland warriors are stronger."

Although he hadn't seen much, the enemy tribal warriors he had fought before seemed to be stronger than these paladins.

Of course, he was also well aware that the enemies in the game would become increasingly ridiculously strong as the chapters progressed.

The battle ended quickly. Lin Miao gave Lillie, who was catching her breath, a thumbs up, and then walked over to a paladin who was rolling on the ground and groaning.

The paladin gritted his teeth and uttered lines almost identical to the game's default dialogue: "Ugh... The Order will never let you criminals get away with this..."

Lin Miao controlled the character, selecting lines that came to mind, and revealed the truth about the bishop's fall into corruption to them according to the plot.

When they learned that the people they were escorting were actually innocent, and that the bishop who ordered the arrest was a fallen man who colluded with the devil, the paladins were all shocked.

When Lin Miao presented the evidence fixed in their inventory, proving that the player was the chosen one, they were so shocked that they could no longer deny what Lin Miao had said.

For Lin Miao, this was just a necessary part of the game's plot, but the thought that all of this was a real event for these NPCs, and even their simple shocked reactions, made him feel exceptionally different.

Lin Miao looked at the screen and set a goal in her mind: she had to at least defeat the mid-boss today.

After the raid on the paladin party, he had obtained conclusive evidence of the bishop's corruption.

Having learned that the city's growing chaos and the demon's minions were all the work of the fallen bishop, all that remained was to punish that guy.

To do this, you also need to complete the so-called "clearing the map," which means breaking through areas guarded by a large number of enemies along the way. With a little extra effort, you should be able to advance smoothly to the mid-boss, the Fallen Priest.

Lin Miao thought to herself: This way, more people can enter hunting mode, farm more items, and buy skill enhancement vouchers and special equipment.

The benefits of achieving this are numerous.

Although this is a precious reality that must be changed for the residents of the game, in his eyes it is nothing more than a game where he can get rich rewards.

Without sufficient benefits, he wouldn't bother to lift a finger, so this reward was only fair.

Lillie followed him tirelessly, fighting battle after battle, perhaps for this very reason.

While Lillie's absolute loyalty to Lin Miao was one of the important reasons, she knew better than anyone that as long as she took the lead in paving the way, the other tribal residents could follow suit and receive corresponding rewards and growth.

Lin Miao looked at the tightly closed gate of the cult ahead and thought to himself: There seem to be at least several dozen people here.

Now they must storm the cult's headquarters and wipe out all the fallen ones and demons inside.

Even in the game where he had watched the strategy videos beforehand, there were still dozens of enemies constantly appearing here. Now, with so many variables, the number of enemies may be even greater.

But such a dangerous place must be entered by the two of them.

Lillie wasn't entirely safe either; there was a high probability she would be forced to log out midway. Therefore, Lin Miao repeatedly checked the shortcut key operation beforehand.

He watched Lillie calmly preparing for battle and thought to himself: I need to let her get a good rest tomorrow.

As originally planned, he intended for Lillie to continue participating in monster extermination and learning skills such as equipment crafting tomorrow, but now he felt that it would be too hard for her if things continued like this.

Lin Miao ultimately decided to change the plan and send other people to learn hunting-related skills instead.

Anyway, I was going to have Lillie teach them anyway, so it wouldn't make much difference for the newcomers to learn from scratch.

Although he would be slightly frustrated if he were to lead newbies through the wilderness, Lin Miao could still tolerate this level of situation.