The first light of dawn broke over Farling Hollow, spilling pale gold across the dense, twisted forest. Luice stood at the edge of his newly claimed ruin, Territorial Claim Stone glowing faintly at his feet. For the first time, he allowed himself a small, deliberate stretch — shoulders relaxed, chest steady. The night had been tense, yes, but it had also been illuminating.
Corin emerged from the shadow of the ruins, carrying a small basket of foraged fruits and roots. "You slept…?" the boy asked cautiously, clearly impressed that Luice had gone without rest.
"I observed," Luice replied calmly, taking the basket. "And learned." He spoke as a strategist would, not as a frightened teenager. Every movement, every sound from the forest, every whisper of the wind was data. The Royal Pass had activated a part of him that his family could never understand: the ability to turn observation into strategy, patience into power.
Corin looked at him, confused, then shrugged and sat beside the fire pit. Luice examined the ruins carefully. Broken pillars, shattered altars, and faint runic carvings littered the ground. The heart sigil of the Territorial Claim Stone pulsed in sync with certain carvings, almost as if the ruins themselves recognized his authority.
DING!
[Royal Pass — New Hidden Objective Detected]
"Discover the secrets of the Heart Ruins."
Reward: Unknown
Luice's lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile. The Pass wasn't just giving him missions. It was guiding him toward ancient power, hidden even from the Grandheart Dynasty.
---
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
While Corin scouted for minor threats and water sources, Luice began marking the perimeter of his territory. Simple symbols etched into stone, lines drawn with the soil, and small wards designed to alert him to intruders. Each act was deliberate. Every line, every marker, every trap — calculated for maximum utility. The Hollow wasn't forgiving, and he wasn't going to be careless.
As the sun climbed, he began work on his first structure. Using the broken stones of the ruin, he reinforced walls, dug shallow defensive ditches, and constructed a rudimentary gate. Not much, but functional. Enough to give the illusion of fortification to anyone or anything that wandered too close.
DING!
[Tier 2 Mission Progress: 90%]
[Bonus Reward Unlocked: Survival Skills — Level 2]
---
FIRST TEST OF AUTHORITY
By midday, a pack of shadow wolves — faintly glowing in the forest's dim light — approached cautiously. Normally, fifteen-year-old exiles would have run screaming.
Not Luice.
He held the flare stick in one hand and extended the other slowly, commanding attention. The wolves paused. The Territorial Claim Stone pulsed, sending subtle energy through the ground, alerting the forest that the area had a new master.
The wolves didn't attack. Not yet. They circled, sniffing the air, growling quietly.
Luice noted their behavior, measured the wind, and tossed a handful of dried meat toward them. The largest wolf hesitated, then grabbed it and retreated a short distance.
DING!
[Territory Stabilized: Tier 2 Mission Complete]
Reward: Hunter's Insight — Basic Senses Enhancement
This reward wasn't a sword, a blade, or a spell. But it was something far more valuable: intuition sharpened beyond human limits, allowing him to read patterns in both beasts and humans.
Luice's mind cataloged everything: the forest's heartbeat, the wildlife patterns, the behavior of a predator when faced with subtle authority. Every detail was data. Every observation a stepping stone toward power.
---
FIRST ALLY TRAINING
Corin had proven useful, but Luice knew he needed more than a single follower. He began issuing small tasks: setting traps, scouting water sources, understanding which parts of the forest were safe or deadly.
Corin followed orders, sometimes clumsily, but always with willingness. The boy learned quickly — faster than anyone else who had been sent to this forsaken land.
Luice's approach was simple: he didn't just lead. He trained the mind. He cultivated loyalty through survival and opportunity, not empty words. If Corin survived here, he owed Luice. If he prospered, he owed Luice even more.
DING!
[Side Mission — Recruit Additional Allies Generated]
The Royal Pass never stopped. Even on the first day, it began laying the groundwork for a future far beyond the Hollow. Luice understood this clearly: the Pass rewarded growth, intelligence, and control, not brute strength. His family had missed this fundamental point, and that ignorance would cost them later.
---
THE FIRST NIGHT IN FARLING HOLLOW
As night fell, Luice and Corin retreated inside the partially fortified ruins. The Territorial Claim Stone's glow was dim now, but its presence was a constant reminder: this land answered to him.
The shadows moved differently tonight. The forest had acknowledged a new ruler. Creatures hesitated. Predators tested him but did not attack.
Luice studied the sky. In the distance, he glimpsed faint auroras — threads of ancient mana weaving through the Hollow. The Royal Pass pulsed lightly, hinting at secrets buried even deeper than the ruins themselves.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered to Corin, who was busy patching small holes in the temporary walls.
Corin looked up, unsure if Luice was speaking to him or to the forest. "The… beginning of what?"
Luice's gaze hardened. "Everything."
And under the dim moonlight, Luice Lanceheart, the so-called useless sixth son, claimed his first night as sovereign of Farling Hollow.
A kingdom in its infancy, hidden from the world, waiting for its ruler to grow strong.
He didn't sleep. Not fully.
But he observed, planned, and calculated. Every sound, every movement, every flicker of mana in the Hollow was noted, stored, and analyzed.
By morning, Luice would know this land better than any knight knew their own blade.
And the world outside? They had no idea what was coming.