Morning arrived early over Base 101.
The celebration from the previous night had already faded.
The sounds of hammers echoed from the Advanced Forge.
Soldiers filled the Training Grounds before sunrise.
Workers pushed carts loaded with stone and lumber through the streets.
The entire base had become a hive of activity.
No one needed to be told.
Thirty days...
Would pass quickly.
Inside the Command Hall...
A large map covered the central table.
The borders surrounding Base 101 had been redrawn overnight.
New roads.
New resource sites.
New scout markers.
Sam stood at the head of the table.
One by one...
The leaders entered.
Ben.
Zora.
Leon.
George.
Kael.
Doran.
Dennis.
No one joked this morning.
Everyone knew why they were here.
Sam looked around the room.
"The Age of Kings has begun."
"The next thirty days will decide whether Base 101 continues to grow..."
"...or falls behind."
He looked toward Ben.
"Army report."
Ben stepped forward.
He placed several documents onto the table.
"The standing army has reached one hundred and sixty-two soldiers."
"Our twenty elite soldiers have fully recovered from the Necropolis expedition."
"Training has continued without interruption."
He pointed toward the map.
"I'd like permission to begin expanding the army."
"We'll need more captains."
"And more instructors."
Sam nodded.
"Approved."
Ben smiled.
"I already had a few people in mind."
Sam looked toward Leon.
"Scouting report."
Leon unrolled another map.
"During your expedition..."
"My scouts continued exploring the surrounding region."
He pointed toward several new markings.
"We discovered two abandoned villages."
"A large iron deposit."
"And..."
He paused.
"A mana-rich lake approximately three days northeast of Base 101."
Zora's eyes lit up.
"A mana lake?"
Leon nodded.
"My scouts confirmed it."
"No monsters approached the area."
"But..."
"The entire region is covered in thick mist."
Sam folded his arms.
"We'll investigate later."
Leon nodded.
"Zora."
She stepped forward.
"The Mage Corps now has twenty-seven active mages."
"Most have mastered basic combat spells."
"A few have already begun learning advanced elemental control."
She smiled.
"If we continue training..."
"We'll have one of the strongest magical forces in the region."
Dennis whistled softly.
"I'm jealous."
Zora laughed.
"You should be."
The room chuckled.
"George."
George practically bounced to the front.
"The Advanced Forge is amazing!"
"We've doubled weapon production."
"Armor quality has increased by nearly forty percent."
He looked toward Doran.
"Master Doran has already started experimenting with new alloys."
Doran crossed his arms.
"The forge still has untapped potential."
"I'll need better materials."
Sam nodded.
"We'll find them."
"Kael."
The Frost Spearman stepped forward.
"My elite unit has begun specialized training."
He rested his hand on his spear.
"I'd like to create humanity's first dedicated spear corps."
Ben grinned.
"I'll support that."
Sam smiled.
"Approved."
Kael bowed slightly.
"I won't disappoint you."
Finally...
Sam looked toward Dennis.
"Dennis."
Dennis folded his arms.
"My soldiers are ready to return to Base 202."
The room became quiet.
Dennis smiled.
"But before I leave..."
"I want to say something."
He looked around the Command Hall.
Then at every officer.
"When I first came here..."
"I expected another struggling base."
He laughed.
"I was wrong."
"This place..."
"...has become a kingdom."
Silence filled the room.
Dennis looked at Sam.
"You've built something worth protecting."
"And if Base 101 ever calls for help..."
"My army will answer."
Sam extended his hand.
"And if Base 202 is ever threatened..."
"We'll come."
Without hesitation...
Dennis clasped his forearm.
The two Commanders smiled.
No contract.
No System notification.
Just trust.
Inside Sam's mind...
Rex suddenly spoke.
Commander...
New Notification Received.
Sam looked up.
"What is it?"
The Kingdom Reputation System has finished calculating.
A blue screen appeared before Sam's eyes.
Kingdom Reputation
Base 101
Current Reputation:
Respected
Special Recognition:
Acknowledged by the Ancient Necropolis
New diplomatic options have been unlocked.
Sam's eyes narrowed.
"So..."
"The Age of Kings really has begun."