Golan inspected the Lord's Cabin from the outside. Though still a "wooden hut," it looked noticeably larger. Pushing open the same wooden door, he stepped inside.
The changes were obvious. The table had been replaced with a longer one, the chairs had multiplied, and the wooden walls were now tightly sealed together. With his heightened sense of smell, Golan even noticed that the wood used for the furniture and walls was of higher quality than before.
He walked toward the bed he had yet to use. The ragged old blankets were gone, replaced with new bedding—softer, cleaner, far more elegant.
But the thing that caught his eye the most was a crude stone fireplace, something that hadn't been there before. With a satisfied nod, he moved into the kitchen, where he found additional cookware and tableware neatly arranged.
Just as he was finishing his inspection, his sharpened senses picked up the scent of a beast approaching the territory—from the opposite direction of where the expedition team had gone. Without hesitation, he grabbed his sword and strode out.
---
It was just a Frost Hound, a beast at the White Peak level, about the size of a lion in his previous world. Small by this world's standards. Without wasting time, Golan unleashed his Savage Roar and, in one clean stroke, severed its head.
He called the logistics team to drag the corpse to the Summoning Grave. It wasn't that he didn't want the strength himself, but with so many new fighters arriving, more corpses would come his way soon enough. Summoning opportunities were limited—Golan always played for the long game.
---
A new figure rose from the grave.
"Undead Warrior Kasper pledges his soul to the Lord!"
The soldier carried a battle axe at the Blue Intermediate grade. Since the loyalty was already at maximum, Golan didn't bother with pleasantries.
"Patrol the territory. If anything attacks the barrier, kill it."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Kasper marched off, and Golan collected the loot.
[You have obtained: ×30 Frost Hound Meat, ×2 Frost Hound Fangs, ×4 Chaos Gems, ×1 Bag of Pure Water]
With no use for the meat, Golan listed it all on the Global Market and retrieved his earlier exchanges—350 units of wood, 350 stone, and 20 metal.
Holding the building blueprints, a translucent framework materialized before his eyes, awaiting his mental command. Golan began.
Two Residential Cottages were constructed first—one on the right, one on the left—to separate males and females. Cost: 100 wood, 100 stone, 4 metal, 2 Chaos Gems. With a flash of white light, the humble cottages solidified into reality.
Next came the Tailor's Workshop, built beside the women's cottage. Within three seconds, a medium-sized building stood in place. Cost: 150 wood, 150 stone, 8 metal, 3 Chaos Gems.
"Leave a craftsman's work to the craftsmen," Golan muttered, glancing at the workshop before moving on.
He then erected three Public Latrines—one for each cottage, and one by the workshop. Cost: 60 wood, 60 stone, 3 metal.
The Lord's domain was expanding rapidly.
---
Meanwhile, four kilometers away, chaos erupted.
"ROOOAR!"
The expedition team faced a towering giant ape, at least nine meters tall, its bulging muscles hidden beneath snow-white fur. Its ugly face twisted in rage, blood-red eyes burning with killing intent.
The beast hefted a boulder weighing hundreds of kilograms and hurled it like a baseball. The sheer speed tore the air apart.
Leonard, seasoned in the ways of the forest, had ordered the team to scatter the moment he saw the ape searching the ground. That precaution saved their lives.
"WHOOOSH! BOOOM!"
The stone crashed into the snow, exploding into fragments. Jag, the young swordsman, barely dodged death, his body pelted by shards of ice and stone.
The counterattack began.
Art, the hulking hammer warrior, was the closest. Charging forward, he leapt with impossible force, his massive body and war hammer soaring high. As gravity pulled him down, he swung for the ape's ugly face.
But the giant wasn't a helpless maiden—it swatted at him with frightening speed. Art roared, twisting his strike mid-air, and smashed his hammer against its fingers instead.
CRACK!
Two massive fingers shattered. The ape screamed, the pain shooting straight to its core. Art was sent flying fifty meters, rolling across the snow in a mess. Anyone else would've been pulp. But Art was no ordinary warrior—he was Undead. Tough. Relentless.
Leonard and Suleiman seized the chance. Leonard's arrow pierced the beast's right eye, while Suleiman charged in, plunging his trident deep into its mouth. Blood poured as the ape thrashed in madness. Suleiman barely escaped with his weapon intact.
At that moment, Vladimir emerged like a phantom. His twin daggers gleamed with a chilling light as he climbed onto the ape's back. With surgical precision, he slashed its throat, painting himself crimson. Without pause, he leapt off, vanishing into the snow.
"ROOOAR!"
The giant ape rolled on the ground in agony, its strength waning under the relentless assault. Art rejoined the fray despite his injuries, his hammer pounding the beast's skull again and again.
Ten minutes later, with a final roar of rage, the monster collapsed.
Level-ups surged across the party—Leonard, Vladimir, Art, and even Suleiman again, pushing his growth to rocket speed.
Only Jag remained unchanged. From the first attack to the end, he had done nothing but flee. His pale face trembled with shame. "I failed my Lord's trust…"
Despair gripped him.
"Don't despair. Everyone's been through it."
A heavy, calloused hand rested on his shoulder. It was Suleiman, the veteran.
"B-but… I betrayed my Lord's faith!" Jag stammered, eyes red.
"No, you didn't. The Lord isn't like those nobles we once served—he doesn't scorn us commoners. But if you give in to despair and fail to rise again, then you'll betray his trust."
Jag's eyes lit up, despair melting into steel resolve. He clenched his fists. "I'll grow stronger. I won't freeze again!"
Suleiman smiled warmly. "Good. You have more talent than I ever did. Work hard, and your future will shine brighter than mine."
He patted the boy's shoulder again. To Suleiman, every resident was family—even the Undead warriors.
---
While the veteran encouraged his comrade, Leonard gazed northward, his face grim. If one looked closely, there was something else in those ancient eyes.
A flicker of fear.
---
End of Chapter 11