The tropical breeze rustled the canopy overhead as Kaelen and his small group returned to Seabound Village. The ocean's scent mixed with the faint aroma of drying herbs, and the first defensive wall—crudely fashioned from driftwood and coral bricks—was taking shape.
But Kaelen wasn't admiring the view. His attention was fixed on the screen hovering in front of him.
[Command Core – Tier 1 Unlocked]Upgrades Available:
Construct: Watchtower (Cost: 15 Wood, 10 Stone)
Construct: Summoning Altar – Tier 1 (Cost: 1 Evolution Crystal, 20 Mana Crystals)
Open: Territory Map (New Functionality Added)
Unlock: Global Lord Ranking Board
"Finally," he murmured. "Now we can start playing the real game."
"Kael!" Lyra called, bounding ahead of the group. She knelt beside the Summoning Altar's foundation stone and tapped it with a grin. "This is mine now, right?"
"Yeah, go ahead. The altar's yours to manage."
[Summoning Altar Assigned: Lyra – Rare Beastcaller Class Confirmed]Beast Evolution Tree Synchronization in Progress…Bonus: Shared Evolution Tree System Activated (Linked to Kaelen's Troop Evolutions)**
Kaelen blinked in surprise.
New Feature Unlocked: Beast Soldier Hybrid SynchronizationEffect: When Lyra's summons evolve, cross-species affinity bonuses are shared with Kaelen's troops. (Synergy Bonus: +5% Stats to All Evolved Units)
"Well… that's overpowered," he muttered.
Lyra stuck her tongue out. "Guess it pays to be your little sister."
Reina, the silver-haired Beastcaller they'd rescued, approached shyly, holding her newly hatched Flame Lynx in her arms. The creature purred, small embers flickering from its fur.
"I started building the kennel area near the jungle edge," Reina said, eyes avoiding Kaelen's. "I… appreciate you letting me stay."
Kaelen gave her a small smile. "You're one of us now. Build your strength, and we'll all thrive together."
She nodded, but a faint blush spread across her cheeks as she stole a glance his way.
By midday, construction had started on two Watchtowers, one facing the jungle and the other the sea. Meanwhile, Kaelen brought up the Global Lord Ranking Board, which had just unlocked.
[Global Ranking – Lords]
Magnus Thorn – Lord of the Ember Highlands – Level 5
Seraphina Vale – Queen of the Glasslands – Level 4
Wukong Zhao – Monkey King of the Vine Reaches – Level 4
Kaelen Dorne – Ocean Lord – Level 4
Alaric Fen – Frozen Wastes Commander – Level 4…Total Lords Active: 12,933,402Status: 93% Territory Inactive / Unclaimed
Lyra gasped. "You're fourth already!?"
Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "Which means three others are either evolving faster or have better terrain bonuses. That means I'll need to start raiding or forming alliances."
Reina leaned closer. "You might get some attention from the top Lords soon… good or bad."
[Notification: New Visitor Detected – Approaching from Sea Route]Identity: Unknown Lord-Class EntityDistance: 700 metersHostility: Neutral
Kaelen tapped the mini-map and zoomed in.
A sleek canoe carved from bone and coral was gliding toward their shore. At its helm was a woman dressed in flowing white seaweave, with shoulder-length aquamarine hair and glowing green eyes. Behind her stood a massive blue-furred creature—part shark, part panther.
[Name: Selene Ishtar – Tidal Enchantress – Lord Rank Candidate]Class: Wavebinder – Summoner-Mage HybridCompanion: Abyss Hound – Rank C Beast
Lyra and Reina stood flanking Kaelen as he approached the dock.
Selene stepped off the canoe barefoot, her eyes scanning the village before resting on Kaelen.
"So… the Ocean Lord who caused the mana tide last night. I sensed it from across three sectors."
Kaelen gave a casual nod. "You're not here to pick a fight, I hope?"
Selene smiled. "Actually, the opposite. I came with an offer."
[Quest Offer: Tidal Accord – Form Pact with Selene Ishtar]Success: Share Evolution Tech Trees + Unlock Joint Raid OpportunitiesFailure: Dispute over Ocean Resource Node – 48h Cooldown on Diplomacy
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "You want to form a pact this early?"
Selene's lips curled in amusement. "Why not? Better allies than enemies in this realm. Plus…" —her eyes flicked to Lyra— "I'm curious about the little sister with dual evolution lines."
Lyra tensed.
Kaelen's instincts flared. He studied the details—Selene was a powerful support-Lord type with wide-area buffs and water terrain control. Not ideal for early combat, but devastating in group engagements.
"Alright," Kaelen finally said. "I accept. Pact it is."
Their system interfaces flared, and mana pulsed between them like a tide.
[Tidal Accord Formed – Territory Link Established]Shared Resource: Coral GroveShared Bonus: +10% Water Affinity GrowthUnlocked: Joint Beast Dungeon – 'Abyss Shell Grotto'**
Reina stared in awe. "A beast dungeon already? That's a joint evolution farm."
Lyra grinned. "Then let's dive in!"
The ocean cave glowed with bioluminescent corals and seaweed. The party of four—Kaelen, Lyra, Reina, and Selene—walked into the first chamber, where crab-like creatures with armored backs and spiral shells scuttled toward them.
[Beast Dungeon – Tier 1 – Floor 1: Spiral Crustaceans]Weakness: Electric / ImpactEvolution Drops: Hardened Shell Shard, Glow Coral Essence
Kaelen's Coral Grenadier launched a barrage of bombs, cracking open shells and stunning clusters. Lyra's Mist Serpent struck from the side, coiling around one of the creatures and constricting.
Selene chanted, calling upon Waveform Pulse, launching ripples that knocked enemies into Kaelen's melee troops.
After the last creature fell, the rewards dropped.
Hardened Shell Shard x8
Glow Coral Essence x3
Evolution Crystal x1
Beast Egg: Mini Spiral Snapper (B-Rank Growth Potential)
Reina scooped up the egg. "That's mine!"
Kaelen checked his troop panel. One of his Abyss Crawlers was ready for its next evolution.
[Abyss Crawler → Shadow Trident Assassin]New Skills: Phantom Step, Coral Spike Burst
He glanced at the group. Selene smiled softly. Reina was glowing with energy. Lyra looked up at him, her gaze filled with pride.
Kaelen felt it.
The village was no longer just a starting point. It was becoming a kingdom.
And these women—his allies, his future heroines—would shape it with him.