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

As dusk fell, Attila, standing in the center of the village, saw Maureen returning from the repair work, along with a group of porters.

Using their newly acquired professional skills, they repaired all the damaged walls in just one day.

Attila stepped forward and spoke gently to the crowd: "It seems the repairs are all complete."

Maureen immediately bowed and replied, "Yes. Thanks to you, although the facilities under construction won't be finished until tomorrow, the wall repair work has finally been completed smoothly."

Attila nodded and said to everyone, "Thank you for your hard work."

Attila looked at Maureen, who had grown into a skilled architect, and suggested, "Once the large warehouses currently under construction are all completed, how about we try to renovate the village's grounds?"

Maureen paused, then asked with some confusion, "You mean the ground?"

Attila explained, "Unpaved areas turn into mud pits after rain, making them impossible to walk on. Thanks to that lord's kindness, when I went to another world, I saw that the roads there were paved with stones, which were very easy to walk on."

This proposal was an idea Attila had based on the paved roads he saw in the world of Dark Souls.

Everyone, including Maureen, who had never seen a properly paved road before, widened their eyes upon hearing this.

Maureen scratched her head, and hesitated before asking, "What should we do...?"

Another porter nearby suddenly remembered something, shook the sack of stones on his back, and said, "It doesn't seem too difficult, does it? Just have the miners dig up the ground and then fill it with stones."

Miners dig pits and then fill them with stones; it is indeed an extremely simple job.

Maureen immediately snapped out of her daze, nodded, and volunteered, "I'll give it a try."

Attila responded, "Please. Let's lay it out in this central square first. If it works well, then we'll consider expanding the area."

Maureen, understanding immediately, nodded in agreement. They truly had no reason to refuse; even though their bodies were already exhausted, all this work was to repay the guardian spirit who had bestowed power upon them and their tribe. In this village, no one would belittle or despise labor offered to the gods.

After all the porters had left, Allen, who was traveling with them, cautiously looked at Attila and asked, "By the way, were you waiting for Lady Lillie?"

Attila's gaze drifted towards the village entrance, his voice tinged with barely concealed worry: "The child hasn't returned yet. She rarely comes home this late, even though she's done so much work today..."

This should be the time when everyone who is out and about finishes work and goes home to rest, but Lillie still hasn't returned.

This girl, who always paid attention to regulating her daily routine, has suddenly gone missing for so long, which inevitably makes people uneasy.

Attila stood there, quietly waiting for Lillie's return. Whether as the head of his tribe or as a father, he couldn't rest easy. He murmured to himself, "I can't sleep until that child comes back."

Unbeknownst to Attila, Lillie was currently engaged in a fierce battle with her enemies in the game world.

"Intruder! Intruder!"

"Act quickly! Stop them!"

Just like the night sky over the real grasslands, the game world is also shrouded in a dark twilight.

The vast holy city of the cult, the heart of this city, the embodiment of secular order, is now being invaded by two figures.

The emergency martial law order was issued instantly, and priests and paladins from all directions poured in like a tide.

Lillie whispered, "That evil aura is growing stronger."

Lillie, who instantly became the center of attention, displayed the prowess of a melee fighter to the fullest. She met the enemy's offensive head-on, and while launching precise counterattacks, she advanced relentlessly into the heart of the Order.

The paladins within the order are fundamentally different from the common soldiers they encounter outside. They have long been corrupted by demons, and their once sacred power has become twisted and tainted.

Lillie gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, "...This must be corrected."

The blade in her hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light, and a powerful slash swept out, cutting down all the fallen paladins who were charging towards her.

As the other panicked paladins charged forward with their shields raised, she pressed on relentlessly, shattering their shields in an instant with her heavy steel sword and sending them flying.

Even Lin Miao, who was providing magical support for her from behind, was shocked by Lillie's astonishing growth rate.

Her strength has long surpassed that of ordinary players. But on second thought, she has not only experienced countless battles in the game, but has also slain various powerful enemies on the real grassland battlefield. Such growth is not surprising.

Lin Miao, on the other side of the screen, felt a chill run down her spine and muttered to herself: I feel like she's angry... Could it be because she's working overtime and is throwing a tantrum?

Lin Miao mistakenly took the fierce fighting spirit contained in Lillie's attacks as anger and dissatisfaction.

Lillie wasn't angry because Lin Miao was pushing the pace so relentlessly today; she was simply fully immersed in the task, as a hunter chosen by the gods, to eliminate the evil that caused division and conflict.

She recalled the words of the old paladin who had been expelled from the corrupt cult: "Evil resides within the heart."

According to this view, it is not only demons in the present world that are the evils she should eliminate.

In reality, she realized that the program glitch that attempted to harm her people, the enemies of the hostile tribe, and even the anger that kept churning within her, driven by the desire for revenge, were all enemies she had to face. Therefore, her achievements in the game world were the same as her achievements in reality.

These were teachings that members of a grassland tribe who couldn't even read properly couldn't comprehend, but the naive warrior who was once consumed by the rage of revenge truly understood them in this game world.

"Stop! How dare these evil heretics... Waaah!"

The Fallen Priest Shaliwan, who is the BOSS of this chapter and Lin Miao's target today, has finally made his appearance.

Without pausing, Lillie cut down all the paladins blocking her path and charged straight toward Salvador like an indestructible chariot.

Having gained immense power through a pact with a demon and now appearing in a majestic manner, Salivam panicked the moment he saw Lillie charging towards him with blue light emanating from her eyes. He hastily swung his arm and launched an attack.

◆◆◆

Looking at the scene on the screen, Lin Miao felt a surge of exhilaration: "This is so exhilarating! It's like I've been given a cheat code!"

He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Actually, I didn't do anything."

Throughout the battle, he mostly used magic to snipe enemies that Lillie couldn't handle, or provided ranged support from the sidelines.

When the BOSS Salvador appeared, seeing that Lillie's health was critically low, Lin Miao wanted to stop and force an end to the game, but ultimately failed.

Because Lillie rushed forward without hesitation, she seized the initiative and started the battle first.

The moment she saw her unleash that attack, Lin Miao stopped her hand from pressing the force quit button.

"This...this monster woman!"

The screaming Sharivan was clearly terrified by Lillie's imposing presence.

Forget about the fixed lines, he even threw his pre-set attack patterns to the winds and unleashed his ultimate move right from the start.

The dark, root-like tentacles that attacked from all directions instantly engulfed Lillie completely.

But the next second, Lillie swung her longsword repeatedly, severing all the tentacles. Then, she leaped up and chopped off the head of the wide-eyed Salvador with a single blow.

The mid-boss, which ignores the HP mechanics, is killed in five seconds. If this scene were recorded and posted online, netizens would definitely criticize it as cheating.

Lin Miao stared at the screen, her mind filled with questions: She hadn't even finished the side quests! Had anything during today's game been recognized by the system?

After executing the corrupt priest who betrayed the gods, sacrificed the people, and even used demonic power, Lillie stood before the priest's corpse and slowly looked up at the sky.

Lin Miao couldn't help but marvel at the sight before her.

Whether it was the system acknowledging her feat of instantly slaying the mid-boss or affirming her inner will, a divine blessing that shouldn't have appeared here actually descended once again.

[Secluded Sanctuary]

The holy blessing descended from the heavens and slowly flowed into Lillie's body. Lillie stared blankly at the holy light that entered her chest, then turned her head and looked in the direction where Lin Miao was.

She is gradually growing into a true paladin.

Seeing her expression, Lin Miao immediately said, "No, this ends here for today."

If this continues, she might just storm into the deepest part of the bishop's religious order.

Lin Miao muttered to himself as he escorted Lillie, who kept turning back with reluctance in her eyes, back to her village on the grassland amidst the battlefield strewn with corpses.

At this rate, she'll probably easily defeat the final boss of Chapter Two as well.

However, considering the possibility of unforeseen circumstances, it is advisable to let her, who is already exhausted, rest well before launching the final attack.

Lin Miao stared at the screen, at Attila catching the exhausted Lillie, and the villagers gradually falling into a deep sleep. A bitter smile crept onto his face as he thought to himself: Although I'll have to face this sooner or later, if only I hadn't let that guy escape back then...

He was referring to Xerxes, the enemy tribal warrior who had miraculously survived the attack from the giant desktop hammer.

Lin Miao originally intended to lead the villagers to deliver the final blow, but in the short time it took to switch scenes, the other party had already fled to an unknown neighboring place that he could not reach.

Although we don't know when the other party will make a comeback, until then, we should just do what we're supposed to do step by step.

Although the series of events left everyone physically and mentally exhausted, most of the newly joined villagers were energetic and full of enthusiasm.

With the addition of this fresh blood, the original inhabitants of the tribe have had their burdens lightened considerably. As a result, the residents neither feel the pressure of being overtaken nor are they overly exhausted, which allows the tribe to develop at a faster pace.

These are all benefits brought about by population growth, and Attila's foresight in firmly believing that he must expand his power has been perfectly proven at this moment.

After finishing her tasks in the game, Lin Miao took advantage of a free moment to contact Li Sushang and asked into the microphone, "Are you free right now?"

Li Sushang's response came quickly through the earpiece: "Of course."

Sure enough, she seemed to have been sitting in front of the computer the whole time, and hadn't rested even at this late hour.

The next day, Lin Miao, once again wearing a hermit's cloak, met with Li Sushang early in the morning.

The office she built is now taking shape, and the once dilapidated and abandoned commercial and residential building has been transformed.

Li Sushang led Lin Miao on a tour and said with a smile, "I called a repair company. Some parts needed repair, so it took a little time, but it will be officially put into use in two or three days."

Lin Miao looked at Li Sushang and said seriously, "Rather than officially starting business, I'd like to deal with some spoils of war and hope to get your help."

As Lin Miao spoke, she opened her backpack and showed off the gold jewelry inside.

Looking at those things, Li Sushang couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, these are..."

Those things were ancient gold coins that were obviously very old, all items from another world with no explanation of their origin.

Lin Miao was also worried. Even if Li Sushang was a rich girl, could she really get rid of this kind of thing smoothly?

To Lin Miao's surprise, Li Sushang simply nodded and calmly said, "Let's give it a try."

Lin Miao asked in surprise, "Really?"

Li Sushang responded with a smile: "Although I might get a few nagging words from my family, my older brother can handle it."

The scene was like something out of a TV drama, which surprised Lin Miao.

Li Sushang seemed to notice his gaze, and instead explained that because the source of these things was "clear," they could be entrusted to people with connections to handle them without any burden.

The literal meaning is that these things came out of the ground... no, they came out of the monitor, not stolen goods.

The topic quickly shifted to faulty components. Li Sushang looked at Lin Miao and asked with a hint of surprise, "So, there are already Level 5 faulty components?"

Lin Miao raised an eyebrow and asked her, "What happened on your end that made you so surprised?"

Li Sushang said helplessly, "I've only just entered the stage where a large number of LV3 individuals are appearing here."

Lin Miao smiled and replied, "After all, you joined later than me, so this situation is only natural."

Afterwards, the two continued to discuss matters related to the faulty device, based on their respective situations.

Lin Miao, who had recently encountered a Level 5 malfunction that had broken out of its larval stage, recounted this experience to Li Sushang in detail.

For Li Sushang, the LV5 malfunction was still something she had never seen before.

Li Sushang's expression gradually turned serious, and she muttered to herself, "So they really will get stronger and stronger? If the residents stop growing, one day they will..."

Lin Miao nodded and said in a deep voice, "Logically speaking, that's correct."

He specifically reminded Li Sushang to be extra careful of the flying corrosive entities and to take precautions in advance.

Hearing her serious mutterings, Li Sushang nodded in agreement.

Those faulty entities are indeed constantly getting stronger. Although the specific standards and speed of their evolution are still unclear, the fact that they are continuously growing stronger is undeniable.

◆◆◆

At dawn, as everyone in the tribe got up on their own and prepared to start their day's work, three newly joined warriors also woke up from their sleep and went outside.

Seeing the strange sight of porters and miners digging soil from early morning, filling square plots with stones, and laying roads in an orderly manner, the three couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

These three are the Oren tribe soldiers who recently joined the village. As a price for surrendering, they became the village's warriors and continue to operate within the tribe as warriors.

One of the warriors, named Thorfinn, scratched his head and looked around at the scene, muttering to himself: I'm still not quite used to this atmosphere.

This is a rather special village. First of all, there are almost no strict distinctions of identity here.

Generally speaking, regardless of which tribe they belong to or which chief they follow, warriors are the backbone of the tribe's fighting force and are highly valued.

But the Cinnabar tribe led by Attila was completely different.

Here, warriors participate in labor just like other tribal members. Ordinary members of the tribe will not bow to the warriors; instead, they will take on dangerous work more proactively.

But they couldn't feel the slightest dissatisfaction with this unique culture. Following the strong was an unspoken rule among the steppe warriors, especially since they had witnessed the real existence of their guardian deity. Now, they didn't even dare to entertain the slightest thought of betraying this place.

Thorfinn's companion, Dulin, watched Roche and Bruno, fully armed and easily traversing the spatial rift in the distance, and muttered to himself, "I also want to be recognized. If I could get some kind of mission and go 'there' to show off my skills, maybe I could gain special powers too."

Here, the true favors the soldiers receive are not the service and courtesy of others.

In this miraculous land where even those without magical aptitude can awaken magic, being merely an ordinary warrior is utterly meaningless. He yearns to shoulder greater responsibilities and gain greater power.

In fact, as the monster essence that Bruno and Rosie hunted from the dungeon gradually circulated within the tribe, the number of those with talent but unable to awaken it, regardless of age or gender, was steadily increasing. Simply awakening magic power here wouldn't earn them any special treatment.

Thorfinn sighed and shook his head, saying, "There's nothing we can do. Unless it's the chieftain's decision, the assignment of duties is entirely decided by the guardian deity."

To put it bluntly, even if they wanted to bribe Attila privately, it wouldn't work at all. After all, all authority was in the hands of that great being above Attila. They could only do what ordinary soldiers do: conduct reconnaissance and vigilance day after day, or engage in personal training, before that great being summoned.

In that instant, Thorfinn and Dulin's bodies suddenly floated into the air without warning.

The two of them widened their eyes instantly, waving their hands and feet frantically in the air, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.