Chapter 6 — Exploration Begins
Morning sunlight spread across the Forgotten Creation Valley, illuminating the small settlement that had grown rapidly in just a few days.
Wooden houses stood near the river.
Farmland stretched across the plains.
Tall watchtowers overlooked the valley from different directions.
Militia soldiers patrolled the wooden walls while archers stood guard above the towers.
What had once been an empty wilderness had now become a functioning settlement.
Aren Valerian stood at the top of the main watchtower, looking over the valley.
The cool morning wind brushed against his face.
Below him, villagers had already begun their daily work.
Farmers tended crops.
Workers transported wood.
Soldiers trained near the wall.
Aren opened the system panel.
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HOST: Aren Valerian
Level: 4
EXP: 0 / 400
Territory: Forgotten Creation Valley
Territory Rank: E
Population: 300
Army: 80 Soldiers
50 Militia Soldiers
30 Archers
Skills
• Unknown Craft — F Rank
• Basic Swordsmanship — F Rank
Authority
• Power of Creation
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Beneath the status window was the active quest.
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QUEST
Expand Territory Influence
Objective
Explore the surrounding valley and secure resource points
Reward
Population +300
Elite Soldiers ×20
EXP +300
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Aren closed the panel.
"Exploration begins today."
Footsteps approached behind him.
Captain Roderic climbed the watchtower stairs.
"My lord."
"Scouts are ready."
Aren nodded.
"How many soldiers can we spare for exploration?"
Roderic thought for a moment.
"Twenty militia and ten archers."
"That should be enough for scouting."
Aren agreed.
They still needed soldiers to guard the settlement.
"Prepare the group."
"We leave immediately."
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Soon thirty soldiers gathered near the settlement gate.
Militia stood in front carrying spears and shields.
Archers followed behind them.
Captain Roderic stepped forward.
"My lord, the forest area is the most dangerous part of the valley."
"Most monsters come from there."
Aren nodded.
"Then that's where we start."
The wooden gate opened slowly.
For the first time since arriving in the valley, Aren stepped outside the settlement with an armed force behind him.
The forest entrance was only a few hundred meters away.
Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight, creating a dark atmosphere.
Bird sounds echoed through the branches.
But something else could be heard as well.
Low growls.
Monster territory.
Roderic raised his hand.
"Archers ready."
The soldiers moved cautiously into the forest.
After several minutes of walking, they discovered the first resource point.
A rocky hill filled with exposed stone.
Aren walked closer and touched the rock surface.
The Power of Creation reacted again.
Information appeared in his mind.
Stone quality.
Density.
Construction potential.
The system panel appeared.
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RESOURCE POINT DISCOVERED
Stone Quarry
Quality: Medium
Potential Construction Material
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Aren smiled.
"A quarry."
Perfect for building stronger structures later.
He marked the location mentally.
"We'll send workers here later."
But their exploration wasn't finished yet.
They continued deeper into the forest.
Suddenly—
A loud roar echoed through the trees.
The soldiers immediately formed defensive formation.
From the bushes emerged several massive wolves.
Larger than the Gray Fang Wolves they had seen before.
Their fur was darker.
Their claws sharper.
Roderic frowned.
"Dire Wolves."
"These are stronger monsters."
Three of them stepped forward.
Aren drew his sword.
"Archers."
Roderic raised his hand.
"Fire!"
Arrows shot through the air.
Two wolves were struck immediately.
But the third wolf charged forward.
It rushed toward the militia line.
Aren stepped forward.
His sword glowed faintly as he activated Basic Swordsmanship.
The wolf lunged.
Aren dodged and slashed.
The blade cut across its side.
But the monster was tougher than expected.
It attacked again.
Aren placed his hand on the ground.
"Creation."
Stone pillars erupted from the soil beneath the wolf.
The monster stumbled.
The militia soldiers finished it with their spears.
Silence returned to the forest.
The system appeared again.
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MONSTERS DEFEATED
Dire Wolves ×3
EXP +120
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The experience bar filled quickly.
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Level Up
Level 4 → Level 5
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Energy surged through Aren's body.
He felt stronger than before.
The soldiers looked impressed.
"My lord fights well," one whispered.
Aren ignored the praise and looked at the fallen wolves.
"These monsters must control part of the forest."
Which meant the area could become safer once the pack was eliminated.
They continued exploring.
After another hour, they discovered something unexpected.
Ruins.
But these ruins were different from the ones near the settlement.
These looked like the remains of a large ancient structure.
Broken pillars.
Collapsed stone walls.
And in the center—
A circular platform covered with strange symbols.
Aren stepped closer.
The moment he touched the platform…
The Power of Creation reacted violently.
Images flooded his mind.
Ancient construction techniques.
Advanced buildings.
Powerful structures.
The system panel appeared again.
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ANCIENT RUIN DISCOVERED
Type: Creation Workshop
Potential: High
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Aren's eyes widened.
"A creation workshop…"
That meant this valley had once been used by powerful builders.
Possibly even people who possessed abilities similar to his own.
Roderic looked around cautiously.
"My lord, this place feels dangerous."
Aren nodded.
"We won't explore it fully today."
But he knew one thing.
This ruin could become extremely valuable later.
The system flashed again.
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QUEST PROGRESS
Expand Territory Influence
Resource Points Secured: 1 / 3
Ancient Sites Discovered: 1
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Aren smiled.
They had already made progress.
He turned toward the soldiers.
"Let's head back."
The exploration had just begun.
But the Forgotten Creation Valley was revealing its secrets.
And those secrets might be the key to building something far greater than a simple settlement.
A kingdom.