Chapter 4: The System Menu and Its Secrets
That night, while the villagers slept and Ray stood silent watch under the stars, I sat alone by the dying campfire, staring at my hands.
It still felt surreal. This world. These people. This responsibility.
I had no sword. No magic. Just memories of strategy games, college lectures… and now this system.
I focused inward, just like before.
[Opening System Menu…]
[Welcome, Lord Ray. You are the Recognized Ruler of Blackhollow Fiefdom.]
Suddenly, a translucent interface opened before my eyes—blue-tinted, like glass reflecting moonlight. I could somehow feel the information as much as I read it.
System Overview
Territory: Blackhollow (Level 1 – Desolate)
Population: 6 (4 Peasants, 1 Skilled Worker, 1 Knight)
Resources:
Gold: 300
Food: Low
Wood: 31
Stone: 17
Morale: Cautiously Hopeful
Security: Ray (Captain Knight) – Active Patrol
Danger Proximity: Low (For now)
Main Menu Options:
Structure Build
Villager Management
Research & Knowledge Tree
Politics & Decrees
Map & Exploration
Legacy & Titles (Locked)
Military (Restricted – Insufficient manpower)
Magic Integration (Unavailable – No affinity detected)
My eyes flicked over each. I tapped into the Structure Build first.
Available Blueprints:
Shelter (Built)
Granary (Recommended)
Quarry (New)
Watchtower (Locked – Requires 10 Stone, 10 Wood)
Road (Requires adjacent territory)
Okay. Focus. We'll need food storage if we plan to expand.
I marked Granary for morning construction.
Next, Villager Management. Profiles appeared:
Villager Roles
Mike – Gatherer (Wood, Food) – Loyalty: 8/10
Toma – Unassigned – Skill Potential: Farming
Lena – Unassigned – Skill Potential: Healing (???)
Bran – Builder – Stamina: High
Ray – Captain Knight – Combat Rating: A
You – Ruler (Knowledge Affinity) – Intelligence: 14, Charisma: 10
I assigned Toma to farming, and something odd happened.
[Hidden Trait Discovered: Toma – "Soil Whisperer"]
[Farming Efficiency +15% | Weather Intuition Gained]
There were hidden traits… like buried treasure in people. Just like me.
I tapped into Research & Knowledge Tree. A branching diagram appeared, like something out of a game tech tree.
Knowledge Tree – Tier 1
Basic Agriculture (1 Day Research)
Local Diplomacy (2 Days)
Simple Engineering (Unlocks Roads, Water Channels)
History of Blackhollow (Unlocks Secrets – Locked)
Available Points: 2
I assigned one point to Basic Agriculture and hesitated on the second.
Then I saw the faint glow behind "History of Blackhollow."
[Locked – Requires Leadership Level 2 or Key Event Trigger]
A mystery… tied to this land.
Finally, I opened Politics & Decrees.
A small parchment-shaped window unfurled.
Decrees Available
"Work Rotations" – Boost productivity by 15%, lower morale
"Meal Rationing" – Save food, lower morale significantly
"Festival of Fire" – Requires resources, boosts morale and loyalty
No, not yet. I needed my people to trust me, not fear me. I closed the decree tab.
I leaned back, exhaling.
This system wasn't just a tool. It was a kingdom-in-a-box. A framework for building not just homes—but a future.
But what unsettled me most was a line in the corner of the screen.
[System Origin: Classified]
[Override Key Detected – Duke's Bloodline Confirmed]
[System Tracking: Active]
Tracking?
Who else could see this?
And what was this Legacy & Titles menu that was still locked?
I didn't sleep much that night.
Not because of fear—
—but because I realized something important.
This wasn't a game.
This was a test.
And somewhere, someone was watching.