CHAPTER 273: SEVEN DAYS

The following day, the camp was filled with the noise of hammering and sawing. Gabriel had previously given out a strict order that only those who worked hard for the camp would be rewarded. Ever since then, no one was slacking.

Everyone was actively participating in any available task, hoping to stay on Gabriel’s good side. It might have seemed like a tyrannical move from some people’s point of view, but thus far, it had ensured that everything moved smoothly.

Although the number of builders was limited—since the majority of players despised that class, feeling it was boring (after all, games were meant to be enjoyed, not to perform menial tasks)—some still ended up with it.

With this logic, the population of these players was rather few. However, not all of them completely escaped such fates.

This world was filled with hundreds of classes, and as known, no one had complete control over which class they received. During the class selection, there had been options far worse than even builders, so some unfortunate few had to settle for it.

Two days later, most of the houses had been built, and homeless refugees were packed into them, creating more space in the central area where they were usually crowded.

In the next three days, the Broken Dawn camp had completely transformed.

The once-empty clearing now looked like a small town—rows of wooden houses, open markets, training fields, and patrol routes.

Refugees who used to hide in corners now walked with purpose, carrying supplies or tending to workshops. Players helped reinforce walls or went out to hunt monsters in groups.

The guild was finally taking shape.

However, there was still more work to be done.

Furthermore, Gabriel wasn’t going all out with this, as it was only a temporary camp.

The Super Base Blueprint he had found in the ruins of King Alveron II was still safely tucked away in his inventory, pending when he had the necessary resources and manpower.

For now, this would be their camp.

Gabriel stood on the balcony, quietly observing the changes. A faint smirk crossed his face. "Progressing faster than I expected," he muttered.

Behind him, Anna stepped forward with a report in hand. "Master, we’ve run into a new problem."

He turned slightly. "Go on."

"Our food reserves are nearly depleted, and the lumber from the eastern forest won’t last another week. The builders also need mana crystals to reinforce the structures, but the fields where we used to hunt monsters are now occupied by a bunch of NPCs and hired players."

Gabriel’s gaze hardened. "Bandit group?"

"They referred to themselves as the Golden Sparrow," Anna said. "They’ve claimed the area and put up banners. They’re demanding a toll if we wish to continue mining there."

Gabriel was slightly confused. Was this bravery or stupidity? Or were these members simply newbies with no knowledge about him?

Bai Young was pretty famous around here—known for his overwhelming strength—yet these people still chose to mess with the same faction that had gotten rid of him.

Bunny entered the balcony from the side door, her tone sharp. "The players among this bandit group have been bragging about it on the forums too—calling themselves the ’true lords of the east.’ Apparently, they’re also trying to tax every player that passes through the area."

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. "Interesting."

"Send out a squad to get rid of them," he said flatly.

Bunny blinked. "Should we... negotiate first? Maybe recruit them to join us?"

He gave her a sideways glance, his tone calm but cold. "No. We don’t negotiate with fools who can’t recognize where they stand."

Bunny folded her arms, a faint smile curling on her lips. "Understood. I’ll handle the coordination."

She turned and left without another word.

---

The squad left before sunrise.

Ragnarok99, BrawlerX, and a few elite players rode out in armored trucks, each carrying Broken Dawn’s crimson banner.

Gabriel didn’t bother to go himself. It wasn’t worth his time.

By midday, the camp was quiet again—only the rhythmic pounding of hammers echoed through the air. The builders continued their work, oblivious to the storm about to descend elsewhere.

While they were gone, Gabriel pulled out his Lord Statue screen.

---

[Lord Title: Beginner Lord 4500/10,000]

Effects:

Grants authority to establish and govern a territory.

Unlocks [Lord’s Domain]: Claim and register land as your settlement.

Unlocks construction of [Lord’s Hall], the heart of your domain.

Passive aura [Lord’s Presence]: +5% Morale and +5% Combat Efficiency to all subordinates within 500m.

Followers gain +5% Strength when within territory.

For every 100 followers, the Lord gains +1 to all attributes (scales automatically as population increases).

---

Gabriel had recruited a total of one thousand players, but since he didn’t officially recognize them as members of his guild, they were automatically added to the camp instead.

From the 1,000 recruits, he had gained a total of 10 stat points distributed evenly.

---

[Stats]

Strength: +1 → 210

Agility: +5 → 201

Perception: +3 → 171

Intelligence: +1 → 259

---

Hours passed. Then, sometime around dusk, a group of dusty players returned from the horizon.

Anna, who was supervising supply distribution, was the first to spot them. "They’re back!" she shouted.

The returning squad moved in formation—calm and efficient. None of them were injured, but their armor was scratched and splattered with dried blood.

Ragnarok99 carried a single golden banner in his hand—the emblem of the Golden Sparrow bandit group, torn and burnt around the edges. He tossed it onto the dirt the moment he reached the gates.

"Handled," he said with a simple grin.

Behind him, BrawlerX yawned loudly. "Wasn’t even a fight. They folded the moment they realized who they were dealing with."

Gabriel, who had been watching from the balcony, didn’t react much. He simply nodded. "As expected."

"Do we bury the bodies?" Bunny asked half-jokingly when she arrived.

"Let the scavengers handle that," Gabriel replied indifferently. "Send word across the region—anyone who obstructs Broken Dawn’s progress will meet the same end."

Anna hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Should we take over their territory, Master?"

"Of course," he replied. "Move the builders to the eastern field tomorrow morning. Reinforce it. The sooner we start harvesting resources again, the better."

"Yes, Master."

Suddenly, right at that moment, a system message chimed.

The notification shook the entire game world. Every player—from beginner villages to high-tier capitals—froze as the announcement echoed three times in blinding red text.

[Countdown to The Blood Tower Descent event: 7 days!]

***