Chapter 22
【022】 Sudden Wealth Overnight? Not Possible!
【Territory: Qingyun Village.】
It was only a simple geographical location, but it caused a huge stir among the Earth survivors.
What exactly was this territory that suddenly appeared on the map? Why was it on their map, and what did the system’s location marker mean? Was it suggesting that they should go there?
Some Earth survivors, wandering outside, checked their distance from the survivor zones. Those who were nearby immediately began considering heading to this territory. According to the system’s prompt, it couldn’t be wrong. Those who were farther away calculated the distance to this territory and compared it to other known territories, then gave up. The world was too dangerous, and by the time they arrived, they were likely to die along the way. They decided to find a nearby territory to survive instead.
As for those who had already found a place to settle, they looked at the “Village” tag behind Qingyun Village and then at their own “City,” most of them gave up. However, a few were intrigued. This sudden appearance of Qingyun Village was definitely related to them.
Different places, different thoughts, but the same thing: the Earth survivors all deeply engraved the same location in their minds.
Qingyun Village.
At this moment, Gu Qing looked at the location displayed on her screen and couldn’t help but twitch her lips.
This special reward was really special, so special that she wasn’t the least bit surprised.
The Lord’s Token—sure enough, it wasn’t easy to obtain.
Now, she was certain! This territory was clearly the one prepared by the Doomsday Game for Earth survivors.
Having already prepared for this, Gu Qing wasn’t too shaken upon realizing this fact. It was merely confirming her previous thoughts little by little.
She then closed the notification.
At the same time, several Earth survivors on-site were staring blankly at the contents in front of them.
Had the location of this territory appeared on their screens? Was it just them who received it? Or…
Soon, the group exchanged information, and in the blink of an eye, they realized that all of them had received it.
What was going on?
All eyes turned to Tang Ruiming.
Earlier, when they had parted ways, they did feel a bit uneasy about Tang Ruiming. However, thinking back to the help he gave them on the battlefield during the beast tide, they found themselves feeling a bit braver.
“Brother Tang, did the location of Qingyun Village appear on your screen too?”
“Mm.” Tang Ruiming glanced at them before answering.
He could tell that their thoughts had changed quickly, but he understood that these changes weren’t due to their true nature, rather, it was the helplessness of their current situation.
So, he didn’t plan to get too close to them. A cordial, distant relationship was enough.
“Then, what do you think is going on? Did all the Earth survivors receive this message?”
“Unless I’m wrong, all Earth survivors received it. But I’m not sure if there’s any limitation on the range. The total number of Earth survivors is still unknown, but at least it’s still in the billions. If everyone receives it and heads here, the current situation in this place can’t support that. There’s also a possibility that the message wasn’t sent to get everyone to come here but rather to let them know that such a place exists. In the future, if conditions allow, Earth survivors might choose to come here. This place might become the ‘home field’ for Earth survivors.” Tang Ruiming analyzed directly.
Listening to his words, the others fell into thought.
Finally, one person spoke up, “Anyway, we’ve received it, we’re here, and we’ve gotten the so-called hidden mission. Let’s take it step by step! This place is definitely closely related to the Doomsday Game. If we work hard to level up and meet the system’s requirements, maybe we’ll learn more about the reasons behind the Doomsday Game and see if we can find a way back to… Earth.”
When the words “Earth” were mentioned, everyone’s expression showed a hint of longing and loss.
That was their homeland!
The homeland they constantly missed.
After realizing they had entered another world and the existence of the Doomsday Game system, they had inquired about Earth’s situation from the game system.
But what was the result?
Not a single response.
This left them feeling anxious.
They could almost predict one thing—that Earth… was likely in grave danger.
They could only hold onto a faint hope in their hearts, that this Doomsday Game was truly just a game, and once the game was completed or cleared, they would be able to return.
Even if that hope… was slim.
While the Earth survivors were immersed in their silence, Gu Qing had already shifted her focus back to the present.
“Today, everyone is a hero for fighting against the beast tide. Thank you all for your contributions to the territory. Now, it’s time for the rewards. Please check what you’ve earned and go redeem your deserved rewards. Also, there will be a celebration feast. All the residents and their families who participated in the battle can enjoy free meals at the canteen today.” Gu Qing looked at the excited residents around her, paused for a moment, then continued, “In addition, injured residents can go to the clinic for treatment, and the territory will cover the costs.”
Injuries during battle were inevitable. Among the residents who fought, only a few were uninjured, and the only fortunate thing was that, so far, no one had died.
Given the current state of the territory, this was all she could do for now.
Of course, what she needed to do went far beyond that.
After the beast tide, the total amount of copper coins in her possession had surpassed 100,000. This would be more than enough to support the territory’s current development.
What she needed to do now was to quickly expand the territory, improve both the number of soldiers and the territory’s level.
Listening to Gu Qing’s words, everyone on-site, including the goblins, cheered loudly.
They were now residents of the territory, part of the group Gu Qing referred to as residents. Most of the goblins had participated in the battle, and now they too could enjoy the rewards!
Goblins’ leader, Morgan, was in the crowd observing. Watching the goblins cheer alongside the humans for the rewards they had earned, he couldn’t help but recall the quiet scene from a month ago, after the beast tide, when his clan had been in silence.
The contrast was stark.
Because of this, the goblin leader was truly grateful at this moment, thankful that he had joined this territory.
It was indeed the right choice.
Knowing that his presence might affect the mood of the residents, Gu Qing left after giving her instructions to Bart and the others.
Once Gu Qing and the other “leaders” left, the scene erupted into another round of excitement.
The residents were now sorting through the rewards with their family and friends.
Afterward, the only thought that filled their minds was that they had truly become wealthy overnight! For a long time to come, they wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink in the territory.
The beast tide, in the end, had its benefits!
At this moment, Gu Qing had a similar thought in mind.
Because she had just seen the latest territory data.
【Territory: Qingyun Village】
【Reputation: 4 (Unknown)】
【Population: 13,535,000】
【Tax Rate: 10 (Adjustable by the Lord in real time)】
【Resources: Rabbit Meat… Rabbit Skin… Beef… Cowhide… Pork… Pigskin… etc.】
【Buildings: Village Management Center, Walls, Residential Houses, Trading Hall, Primary Tailor Shop, Primary General Store, Primary Warehouse, Farmlands, Primary Watchtower, Primary Barracks, Primary Blacksmith Shop, Primary Lumberyard, Primary Quarry】
【Buildings required for next upgrade: Level 1 Walls (1 reinforcement), Primary Breeding Farm (already owned), Primary Inn, Primary Hospital (already owned), Primary Mine, Primary Carpenter’s Workshop】
The resources in the territory were almost overwhelming on the panel. To reflect the overall situation, the system had directly used “etc.” to describe the resources, clearly indicating that the beast tide had caused a massive increase in resources. The warehouse might soon be unable to contain it all.
As Gu Qing was thinking about this, she suddenly received a notification from the system.
【Host, your warehouse is about to reach its capacity. Please upgrade it to an Intermediate Warehouse as soon as possible.】
Gu Qing fell silent. The warehouse had a capacity limit?
【Host, the Primary Warehouse can store up to 30,000 units, while the Ultimate Warehouse can store up to 150,000 units, increasing storage by five times. After upgrading, it can serve the territory for a long time. The upgrade is worth the cost.】
Gu Qing: 【Then upgrade it!】
It was unavoidable.
After all, there was just too much stuff.
It was truly a “sweet burden!”
【Host, would you like to spend 5,000 units of stone, 5,000 units of wood, and 10,000 copper coins to upgrade the Primary Warehouse to an Intermediate Warehouse?】
Upon hearing the first set of numbers, Gu Qing was okay with it, but when she heard 10,000 copper coins, her heart tightened.
Gu Qing: 【Upgrading to an Intermediate Warehouse costs 10,000 copper coins? Is it really that expensive?】
【Yes, storing more supplies naturally requires more materials and funds.】
Gu Qing couldn’t help but think of the buildings in her base.
【Does this mean that all upgrades for Primary Buildings will require such a large amount of funds in the future?】
【No, the cost of upgrading varies depending on the function of the building. The warehouse is relatively simple in terms of materials, so the funds required are among the lower costs of all buildings.】
10,000 copper coins = a “lower cost”???
Would all other buildings cost more than 10,000 copper coins?
Gu Qing looked at her 100,000 copper coins in silence.
She thought she had become rich overnight, but in reality, she was still poor!!!
【Host, would you like to upgrade?】
Gu Qing: 【…Upgrade.】
【Congratulations, Host, your Primary Warehouse has been upgraded to an Intermediate Warehouse, consuming 5,000 units of stone, 5,000 units of wood, and 10,000 copper coins.】
Hearing this again, Gu Qing felt a slight pang in her heart, especially when she saw that the number of Primary Buildings in her territory had exceeded ten, which meant that in the future, if any buildings needed to be upgraded, the 100,000 copper coins she had would not be nearly enough.
“Lord?” As if sensing the low pressure around Gu Qing, Ulysses asked.
Gu Qing quickly snapped back to reality, meeting the concerned gazes of Ulysses and the others. She then said, “I was just handling some affairs in the territory.”
Hearing this, Ulysses and the others were relieved.
Gu Qing didn’t want to think about how many copper coins future building upgrades would require and refocused on the present.
“I called you here because there are a few things I need to assign.”
“First, Ulysses, we might face an influx of refugees in the near future. You need to make arrangements for them. Also, a few buildings need to be constructed…”
“Bart, Alex, after this beast tide, the number of soldiers needs to be increased. You two need to recruit 200 soldiers for the territory…”
“These are the things we need to focus on for now. Alright, you can rest for now. You must be exhausted from today.”
The reason Gu Qing addressed these matters now was that they were becoming increasingly urgent.
With the recent development of the territory, the original number of soldiers was no longer sufficient. After training the first batch of soldiers, she had a rough idea of the costs involved in training them, so she planned to gradually increase the number of soldiers based on the situation in the base.
Next was the arrival of the refugees. After every beast tide, the number of refugees in this world would increase, and since the Earth survivors now knew the location of Qingyun Village, those closer to it, at the very least, would likely choose Qingyun Village as their destination. This meant there would be no way to guarantee their numbers.
Moreover, the personalities of the Earth survivors and the refugees were inherently different.
So, these two points had to be addressed beforehand.
“Understood.” Ulysses, Bart, and Alex all felt it was a bit odd that Gu Qing chose this time to discuss these matters, but since Gu Qing had given instructions, they would do their best to carry them out.
Bart and Alex thought less about it, but Ulysses was different. He naturally thought more than others. With the wisdom skill card given by Gu Qing, his thoughts became even quicker and more comprehensive.
As soon as he felt something was off, he started pondering, combining what happened yesterday when some refugees were personally received by Gu Qing. He soon reached a conclusion.
The refugees that Gu Qing was concerned about, perhaps, were the ones from the same group or category.
Yes, he noticed that these refugees seemed a little out of place compared to the others.
Their eyes, their state… something was different.
Ulysses silently made a note of this.
Thinking back to what Bart had mentioned about the refugees’ attitude towards Gu Qing, Ulysses’ gaze deepened.
If these refugees came from the same group, he would “entertain” them properly.
No one would stir up trouble in this territory.