A thousand civilization points dropped into his empty account just like that. He almost swayed. For someone who had zero points a few minutes ago, this was like sudden wealth falling from the sky.
His heart beat faster as he stared at the frozen lake.
Natural wonder?
Like in the game?
Does this mean settling near it has bonuses? Extra effects? Advantages?
Hope surged in him—not the light, gentle kind, but the desperate burst of light that comes after days of darkness. He walked closer, nearly jogging, excitement overriding the cold.
As he approached the lake edge, a translucent panel appeared before his eyes:
*
Name: Mirror Lake
Type: Freshwater lake, Natural Wonder
Rank: (Two-Star)
Resources: Freshwater, Fish
Effects:
Settlements near Mirror Lake gain +100 civilization points per day
+20% bonus to fishing productivity
*
Alex sucked in a sharp breath.
Fresh water. Fish. Civilization points.
This place was a treasure chest.
"No question this is our new home," he said, voice firm.
The tribespeople looked at him, then at the lake—then a wave of relief washed over their faces. Five days of wandering through snow, hunger, and cold had crushed their spirits. Now, finding a place like this was like stepping back from the edge of death.
The elder stepped forward and began organizing everyone automatically. "Men, gather branches and stones! Women, clear the snow—"
Alex blinked. Right. In a game, he'd just click "Build Settlement." Here, they had to actually build one.
His title might be "patriarch," but standing around doing nothing while everyone else worked felt wrong. He scanned their surroundings, trying to find something he could handle. His gaze landed on the lake again.
Fresh water. Fish. Food.
He headed toward the frozen surface. Kneeling down, he tapped the ice. The loud, solid thud made it clear—this ice wasn't budging easily.
"Damn, we'll need a huge rock to crack this."
As he muttered to himself, the elder limped over with his wooden staff.
"Patriarch, what are you doing?"
"Oh, just in time." Alex stood and gestured. "Get the men to bring a big stone. I want to break the ice so we can catch some fish."
The elder blinked. "Patriarch, what is 'fish'? Can it be eaten?"
Alex froze mid-gesture. "What?"
He stared at the elder's utterly confused expression and suddenly remembered the warriors' weapons.
Not spears.
Not stone blades.
Just wooden sticks.
His lips twitched.
Don't tell me these guys don't even know what fish are?
And they don't know how to hunt with spears?
He rubbed his temples.
"This tribe is more primitive than I thought."
Surviving winter suddenly felt a lot harder.
But Alex clenched his jaw. "Fine."
If they didn't know, he would teach them.
If they lacked tools, he would make them.
If the world wanted to be hard, he would fight harder.
He straightened up and looked at the massive frozen lake—his first resource, his first challenge, his first step toward building a civilization.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, "let's start from the very beginning."
*
The moment Alex understood just how primitive this tribe truly was, his scalp tingled. No stone tools. No spears. No fishing. They weren't even at the Stone Age yet—more like the "we hit things with sticks and hope it works" age.
Which meant one thing:
Opening a hole in the frozen lake was already difficult, but actually catching the fish afterward? Nearly impossible with sticks.
Still, Alex was patient. He forced himself to stop panicking and think. After arranging the list of things he needed in his mind, he began issuing orders one by one.
"Alright. First, find a big stone—one huge enough to crack the ice. Then find smaller stones with sharp edges or sharp tips. And also vines. Strong ones. Thin ones. As many as you can."
His voice carried the authority of a patriarch, and the tribe responded immediately, spreading out to search. Alex watched them move and finally felt a tiny spark of confidence—at least his people listened.
He turned to the elder and the others still waiting. "If all goes well, you'll learn what 'fish' are today."
The elder frowned in confusion but didn't question it. Alex noted that even if they didn't understand him, his role as patriarch let him speak freely. That was good. He'd need that authority.
*
While the tribe worked, Alex remembered something important from Ryder's messages:
Check your stats. Develop according to your strengths.
Standing by the frozen lake, he focused his thoughts. A moment later, a panel flickered into existence in front of him—clear, shimmering, and visible only to him.
He glanced sideways at the old man. The elder stared at the lake and the forest, oblivious. Good. Only he could see the interface.
Alex shifted his eyes back to the panel.
Name, gender, age—none of that mattered.
What he needed were the attributes, and there they were:
Bravery: 2 star
Intelligence: 3 star
Spirit: 3 star
Endurance: 2 star
Command: 2 star (growth potential 5 star)
Talent: Ruler
Skills: None
Combat Skills: None
Population: 34
City-state: None (no settlement built)
He stared for a full moment, then stared again.
"No settlement right, of course." His gaze drifted back to his tribe clearing snow and carrying branches. "We won't count as having a home until we build one."
He pushed that aside for now and focused on his stats.
The star system was clear: black stars for current ability, white stars for future potential. Any seasoned strategy gamer could understand that at a glance.
And his eyes went straight to the five white stars on Command.
"Five-star growth? Seriously?" Alex felt a grin trying to break out. "So that's my hidden specialty?"
In real life, he never had a chance to prove leadership. As a student, the most "commanding" thing he ever did was tell groupmates to finish a project on time.
But now?
Here in this world?
He was basically an SSR-level commander waiting to mature.
His pulse sped up. His breath grew quicker. He forced himself to inhale deeply—twice—then muttered to calm himself:
"No excitement. No arrogance. Develop properly. No messing around."
His heartbeat slowed. His mind steadied. And once he regained that clarity, the development path became obvious.
"Bravery and endurance only grow to three stars—not enough for a frontline fighter. Command is the real strength, but it'll take time to grow so early on, I'll have to rely on intelligence and spirit. A thinker first, a commander later."
His strategy forming clearly in his mind, Alex finally scrolled down to the last section:
Talent: Ruler
He read it under his breath.
"Ruler."
He had a feeling this was linked to his insane five-star command potential.
Curious, he extended a finger and tapped the words. A new description expanded instantly.
*
Ruler:
As an exceptional leader, your civilization is unshakeable.
All citizens begin with +10 loyalty
Civilization development speed +20% (10% × 2)
Military strength of armies you lead +20% (10% × 2) (This talent is directly strengthened by your command stat.)
*
Alex stared at the description. Then he stared harder.
A slow grin crept up his face, impossible to suppress.
"This is broken."
A free 20% boost to development?
A 20% buff to soldiers?
A loyalty bonus that would prevent internal collapse?
He was built—genetically engineered—to run a kingdom.
In a world like this, that wasn't just strong. It was fate-changing.
Closing the panel, Alex exhaled slowly. "So that's it I'm meant to be a ruler."
And behind him, unaware of the potential their young patriarch carried, his people continued clearing the snow, gathering stones, and preparing to build their very first settlement.
*
Alex spent a few more seconds studying his talent. "So the bonuses doubled because my command stat is two stars," he murmured. "Originally 10%, now 20%. And that loyalty buff"
He still wasn't completely sure how to calculate everything, but one thing he did understand was this: Loyalty + Development Speed + Army Strength → This was a ridiculously good talent.
Just as he was appreciating his own stats, the group that had gone out searching for vines and stones finally returned. They carried piles of rough stones, thick branches, and long strands of vine over their shoulders. Alex walked over and patted the shoulder of the young barbarian who had been helping him earlier.
"Good job. Really. Thank you."
The young man's eyes brightened instantly. "N-Not hard! Not hard at all!" he stuttered, flushed with excitement.
Alex couldn't help smiling. Such simple praise made them this happy.
This must be the effect of that default +10 loyalty; these people trust me far more than they should.
But the warmth didn't last long. His stomach growled quietly, reminding him that no amount of loyalty would save them if they starved. Food was the top priority. Maybe some of the scattered groups gathering wood would find wild berries or a stray rabbit, but realistically, they couldn't depend on luck.
The lake was their only reliable food source.
Alex looked around and called over two young barbarian men—one of them the same excited youth from earlier. He pointed at a stone they had dragged back.
"You two—carry that stone. Follow me."