Lord Of The World: I Become The Lord Of The Desert From The Start Chapter 2

[Ding~ The “Shining Era” has now officially launched. Transmigration target chosen: Blue Star… the process of transmigration commences.]

[Ding~ Transmigration finished. This round features 20 billion participants.]

[Welcome to the ‘Shining Era’.]

[Divine gods rule this world. They wield magic, alchemy, and all imaginable arts.]

[All can rise as lords and join the clashes between empires…]

[Each lord receives a random starting troop lair. Recruit soldiers and form armies using resources.]

[Resources, troops, lairs, heroes, and treasures stand as the top five essentials in this radiant universe. Discover them yourself.]

[Infinite possibilities await. Choose survival or perish. Stay poor or chase the throne. Follow the dark path or kindle divine flames. Even immortality lies within reach…]

Richard, fresh from his workday, caught the mechanical tone echoing in his mind. Dizziness struck before he could respond.

His eyes fluttered open to reveal a crude hall stretching out ahead.

Twelve stone pillars stood evenly spaced, upholding a lofty, indented ceiling. The gray stone walls bore the marks of centuries.

A long black table dominated the center, surrounded by over ten chairs blanketed in thick dust. One brush would leave a clear trail.

Large wooden windows flanked both sides, devoid of glass. Brilliant light poured in from beyond, illuminating the chamber fully.

An eerie vibe permeated the space beyond words.

Richard snapped back to reality. Recalling the earlier announcements, shock surged through him.

The “Shining Era” marked the debut virtual game crafted jointly by the world’s top ten developers!

“What in the world?! Has the game merged with reality?”

He had hurried home post-shift earlier. The game, hyped for years, was set for public beta that evening.

The global launch had arrived.

Yet this felt utterly absurd!

That familiar mechanical voice returned at this instant.

[Ding~ You’ve been assigned randomly to a desert lair and obtained the initial troop base — Mummy Pyramid (Normal 3 stars).]

[Ding~ You are now a Desert Lord. Your bloodline awakens. Special growth talent acquired — Desert Lord (Current Level: C).]

With the alerts came an attribute panel materializing in Richard’s thoughts.

[Richard]

[Level: 1(0/100)]

[Identity: Lord of Twilight City]

[Camp: Desert Camp (Neutral)]

[Territory: Twilight City (Level 1 Village)]

[Troop Lair: Mummy Pyramid (Normal 3-stars)]

[Talent: Desert Lord — Special Growth Talent (Current Level: C). You reign as the desert’s sovereign. Sense incoming sandstorms, and command the desertification power.]

[Desertification: C-rank — Transforms the body to sand, slashing 99% of incoming physical damage. Heals by consuming sand. Duration: 10 minutes. (Cooldown: 1 hour).]

[Impart your power to recruited troops. Effect: Subordinates gain D-rank Skill — Desertification.]

[Desertification: D-rank — Transforms the body to sand, slashing 99% of incoming physical damage. Heals by consuming sand. Duration: 5 minutes. (Cooldown: 2 hours).]

[Strategic Treasure: None]

[Description: A Desert Lord with unique powers. Beyond that, nothing special.]

Richard scanned his panel repeatedly, his face showing subtle surprise.

Wasn’t this the ultra-rare growth talent highlighted on the official site?

This setup looked quite promising too...

After several deep breaths, he calmed the turmoil within.

Complex emotions flickered in his gaze.

“Never thought half a year on the job would lead to this. Game and reality colliding—pure madness. Good thing I’m fed and family’s fine, no burdens here...”

A broad-minded youth steeped in wild tales, he swiftly adapted his mindset.

Playing here was no different from a hyper-real sim.

Excitement sparked in Richard’s eyes.

He had coveted “Shining Era” for ages. From announcement day, he devoured every public detail.

His dream realized at last... though the entry was spine-chilling.

What did his territory and troop lair hold?

Anticipation swelling, Richard stepped out of the hall.

He walked out through the door.

A courtyard lay just beyond the hall, its even ground covered in bluestone tiles.

The outer gray stone wall, towering over three meters, obstructed portions of his sight.

Richard gazed at the sky and saw boundless blue. It appeared pristine and sheer.

However, the air carried a hint of dryness. Each breath brought slight unease.

Richard surveyed the area, his attention rapidly captured by a three-meter-high pyramid situated in the front yard's corner.

This primeval, plain pyramid seemed coarse and weathered, like it had endured wind erosion for innumerable years.

Richard advanced and inspected it closely. Moments later, the structure's attributes surfaced in his thoughts.

[Mummy Pyramid]

[Level: Normal 3-stars]

[Recruit Type: Mummy (Normal 3-stars)]

[Recruit Quantity: 14]

[Weekly Output]: 7]

[Recruitment Requirements: 4 gold coins, 4 units of wood, 4 units of stone]

[Description: An ordinary desert troop’s lair.]

Was this the troop’s lair?

Richard's mood soared with excitement.

Exactly when he assumed that was all there was, a faint line of text materialized at the attribute panel's base.

[Black Gold System is activated...]

[The activation is successful.]

[Mummy Pyramid (Normal 3-stars) — 10 normal desert troop’s lair can upgrade it to Elite 3-stars.]

Shock widened Richard's eyes.

Black Gold System? Wasn’t this the system from that single-player game he’d played earlier?

His friend developed that game and had Richard test it. But the game’s harsh difficulty led to Richard’s complaints, prompting the friend to craft this system just for him.

The system’s purpose was straightforward. It enabled boundless enhancement of all sorts of items.

It had truly activated in this world?!

Powerful excitement welled up in Richard’s chest.

He had pored over ‘Shining Era’ game details endlessly on the official website.

The troop lair ranked as the game’s core element. Possessing unique traits, it resisted upgrades.

To secure a superior troop lair, Richard had to raid others’ wild gathering spots, allowing him to reconstruct them afterward.

Yet now, resources alone could elevate the troop lair’s level directly!

Was this reasonable? It was utterly, ridiculously reasonable...