The night passed quietly.
Too quietly.
Derrick stood alone on the watchtower, the cold wind brushing against his face as he looked out toward the dark forest. The usual sounds of the night—rustling leaves, distant calls of creatures—felt muted, as if something had pressed down on the entire region.
Or maybe that was just him.
His mind hadn't stopped moving since yesterday.
They weren't alone.
That single realization had changed everything.
It wasn't just about building anymore. It wasn't just about survival.
It was about competition.
Derrick exhaled slowly, resting his arms against the railing.
"Alright," he murmured. "So the game begins."
A faint rumble came from below.
Tor.
The giant had positioned himself near the base of the tower, unmoving, like a guardian statue. Whether it was intentional or not… Derrick didn't question it anymore.
"You're awake?" Derrick called down.
Tor tilted his head slightly.
"Always."
Derrick smirked.
"Yeah… figures."
He straightened up, stretching his shoulders before turning his gaze back toward the horizon. The faint light of dawn was beginning to creep over the mountains, painting the sky in pale gold.
Time to move.
By sunrise, the settlement was already active.
Fires were being reignited. Workers resumed their tasks. The rhythm of Titan Hollow was beginning to stabilize.
But today—
There was a shift.
Derrick stood in the center of the settlement, arms crossed as people gathered around him.
Not hesitantly this time.
Not fearfully.
They came because they expected direction.
That alone told Derrick everything he needed to know.
"Listen up," he began, his voice calm but carrying.
"We confirmed something yesterday."
He paused briefly, letting the silence pull their attention tighter.
"We're not alone in this region."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Ragor's expression hardened.
The villagers looked uneasy.
Derrick raised a hand slightly.
"Relax. They didn't attack. That means one thing—they're cautious."
His gaze sharpened.
"And cautious enemies are predictable."
That line settled differently.
More confidence. Less fear.
Derrick turned slightly, pointing toward the forest.
"We're not waiting for them to make a move."
He let that sink in.
"We take control first."
A villager frowned.
"…control how?"
Derrick smiled faintly.
"By claiming what matters."
He turned fully toward the forest now.
"Food zones. Water access. Movement routes."
Then he looked back at them.
"If we don't take it, someone else will."
Silence.
Then Ragor stepped forward.
"We take forest."
Derrick nodded.
"Exactly."
An hour later, the operation began.
This time, it wasn't just a scouting trip.
It was a controlled advance.
Derrick walked at the front again, but his movements were different now. More confident. More deliberate.
Behind him, a larger group followed.
Humans armed with basic tools.
Ogres carrying heavy weapons.
And four giants this time—
Tor, Grom, Luga… and Varka.
The spear-wielding giant walked slightly ahead, his sharp gaze scanning the terrain like a predator.
"Good choice," Derrick muttered under his breath.
They moved deeper into the forest, following the marked paths from yesterday.
Each mark they had carved into trees now felt like stepping stones.
Proof of presence.
Proof of intent.
Derrick stopped after a while, raising his hand.
"Here."
The group halted.
He stepped forward, looking around carefully.
The terrain here was different.
More open.
Less dense.
Signs of movement everywhere.
Tracks.
Broken vegetation.
Scattered bones.
Derrick crouched slightly, examining the ground.
"…frequent activity."
Tor spoke from behind him.
"Beasts hunt here."
Derrick nodded.
"Which means food."
He stood up, turning to face the group.
"This area," he said slowly, "becomes ours."
The words felt heavier than they sounded.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But definitive.
A claim.
The villagers exchanged glances.
Ragor grinned.
"Good hunting ground."
Derrick nodded once.
"Exactly."
And just as he said that—
DING.
The sound echoed clearly in his mind.
Derrick blinked.
"…there it is again."
A blue screen appeared in front of him.
---
[System Notification]
New Territory Detected
Unclaimed Resource Zone Identified
Condition: Secure Area for Ownership Recognition
Progress: 0%
Reward: Authority Increase + Resource Stability Bonus
---
Derrick stared at it for a few seconds.
Then slowly smiled.
"…now that's useful."
Tor looked at him.
Derrick pointed vaguely at the air.
"System agrees with me."
Tor didn't question it.
He never did.
Derrick turned back to the group, his expression sharper now.
"Alright. New objective."
He pointed around the clearing.
"We secure this zone."
Ragor cracked his knuckles.
"How?"
Derrick raised three fingers.
"Three steps."
He lowered one.
"First—eliminate threats."
Another.
"Second—establish presence."
Final.
"Third—maintain control."
The simplicity made it effective.
The clarity made it actionable.
Ragor nodded immediately.
"Good plan."
Derrick smirked.
"Of course it is."
The first threat appeared sooner than expected.
A low growl echoed through the trees.
Then another.
Derrick didn't even turn this time.
"…incoming."
The group tightened formation.
From the shadows, a pack of wolf-like beasts emerged—larger than before.
More aggressive.
More territorial.
Varka stepped forward immediately, spear lowering into position.
Grom cracked his knuckles.
Tor shifted his stance slightly.
Derrick didn't shout.
Didn't panic.
He simply said—
"Hold formation."
The wolves circled, testing.
One lunged.
And that was the mistake.
Varka moved like lightning.
His spear shot forward—
A clean, precise strike.
The wolf dropped instantly.
Not crushed.
Not destroyed.
Killed.
Efficiently.
Derrick's eyes flickered.
"…precision."
Good.
Very good.
The rest of the giants moved next.
Not wild.
Not chaotic.
Controlled.
Each movement had purpose.
Each strike ended something.
Within moments, the clearing was silent again.
Derrick looked around slowly.
No injuries.
No panic.
Just results.
"…progress," he murmured.
Hours passed.
The group worked efficiently.
Beasts were cleared.
Markers were placed.
Paths were established.
By midday—
The area had changed.
Not physically.
But conceptually.
It was no longer wild.
It was no longer unknown.
It was—
Claimed.
DING.
---
[System Notification]
Zone Control Progress: 45%
Threat Level Reduced
Authority Influence Expanding
---
Derrick exhaled slowly.
"Feels good."
Ragor nodded.
"Forest listens now."
Derrick smirked.
"Yeah… something like that."
He turned back toward Titan Hollow's direction.
"This is just the start."
Because now—
He wasn't reacting anymore.
He was expanding.
As the group returned to the settlement, the sun hung high in the sky.
Work continued.
Walls rose.
Food was managed.
Life moved forward.
But Derrick—
He had crossed a line.
Not physically.
But mentally.
He looked back one last time toward the forest.
Toward the claimed land.
Toward the invisible boundary he had just drawn.
A faint smile appeared.
"First claim secured."
And somewhere deep within the system—
Something acknowledged him.