"The core is established: Hunter (Defense), Carpenter (Infrastructure), and Farmer (Sustenance)," Cao Cao summarized, his finger tapping the projection of the nascent Pangea. "We have two slots remaining. We must select the talents that guarantee the fastest rate of growth and resilience. What is the greatest risk factor we have not yet accounted for?"
Bai Qi, the Lord Marshal, spoke immediately, his cold eyes fixed on the hostile environment of the new world. "Disease and injury. We cannot rely on randomized daily spawn to deliver a medic. A single untreated infection could wipe out our entire initial vanguard, halting our growth before it begins. We require a foundation of biological stability."
Gaia nodded, her expression softening. She had witnessed the great plagues that had devastated Earth's earliest settlements. "The Marshal speaks truth. A battlefield is one source of death; biological failure is another. We must secure the physical health of the village."
Her divine light settled upon another soul, one radiating a gentle but deep knowledge of the natural world.
"I choose the Herbalist," Gaia declared. "They possess the fundamental knowledge of medicinal flora, guaranteeing the healing of wounds, the treatment of infection, and the mitigation of Pangea's inevitable sicknesses. They are the essential foundation of our medical and chemical industry."
Cao Cao did not argue; he merely absorbed the data. "Four slots filled: Hunter, Carpenter, Farmer, Herbalist. We now have one singular choice left, Marshal, and it must dictate the initial identity of our emerging Kingdom."
"I propose we choose the Blacksmith," Cao Cao stated, his ambition surging. "We require tools, armor, and weapons. The Blacksmith is the root of our industry, the means by which we upgrade from stone to steel and rapidly equip any beneficial random spawns we may receive."
Bai Qi immediately countered the proposal with cold analysis. "The Blacksmith is a specialized profession, essential for later stages, but a great risk at the beginning. They require refined resources—iron and fuel—which we will not have on day one. Their utility is too low in the first few weeks, and their resource consumption is too high. If our initial random spawns do not include a miner or charcoal burner, the Blacksmith will be useless. We cannot afford to gamble our final slot on a specialized profession."
Cao Cao conceded the point. "Agreed. Necessity over ambition. But then what of defense?"
"Then we should secure the means of war with an experienced Soldier?" Gaia chimed.
The two generals exchanged a look. "Unnecessary," Bai Qi and Cao Cao stated in a near-perfect monotone chorus. "The Marshal and I are competent warriors. Our final slot must be focused on production and resource utility."
Gaia smiled upon hearing it for she know the reputation of the two when they are alive. The attention returned to the basic needs.
"We need clothing to survive the elements, and we need durable materials for defense," Bai Qi observed. "This leaves us with two foundational professions: the Weaver and the Tanner."
"The Weaver creates cloth for clothing and rudimentary trade," Cao Cao argued. "Essential for comfort and basic barter. But the Tanner..."
"The Tanner uses the by-product of the Hunter—animal hides—which would otherwise rot," Bai Qi finished. "They create leather, which provides immediate, durable armor for our soldiers and heavy-duty materials for the Carpenter. They close the production loop with our Hunter and increase our immediate survivability."
Gaia smiled. "The Tanner leverages the initial resources most efficiently. They are the backbone of both early defense and resource management."
"Then the choice is clear," Cao Cao stated, closing the projected map. "The Tanner provides the greatest return on investment and the highest increase in early-game survivability."
Gaia reached out into the Repository once more, drawing forth the gentle, knowledgeable soul of the Herbalist and the practical, resilient spirit of the Tanner. Two more flashes of divine light and life-force coalesced.
The Herbalist, she wore simple, linen robes, and her eyes held the quiet focus of one who seeks harmony with nature. The Tanner, a grim, powerfully built man and was clad in raw hide, his hands already thick and calloused.
The five members of the Vanguard—Cao Cao, Bai Qi, Siyue, and the five civilians with professions (Hunter, Carpenter, Farmer, Herbalist, Tanner)—stood ready, awaiting the final transport to Pangea.
As Gaia began to transmit the final survival instructions, a sharp, theatrical voice echoed through the vast, silent Repository.
"You have an interesting lineup there, Lady Gaia."
Gaia, Cao Cao, and Bai Qi instantly turned, their new forms snapping into postures of readiness.
Two figures, radiating the soft, warm light of ancient wisdom and compassion, and one radiates a wild unruly aura stood on the threshold of the void. It was the human race's unlikely assembly of advocates: Loki, Jesus, and the Buddha.
"We came to observe the final choices," The Buddha said, his voice a steady, clear bell tone. His gaze swept over the pragmatic, ruthless selection of Cao Cao and Bai Qi.
"Two generals, a hunter, a carpenter, a farmer, an herbalist, and a tanner. You aim for a ruthless survival, I see."