Chapter 24: Level 2 Territory and Future Enemy

As the countdown came to an end, the Territory Core began to glow even brighter, pulsing with a blinding intensity that left Gray awestruck. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy flowing through him, as if the core was transferring its power directly into his body.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the core broke apart into dust, releasing an aura that covered his entire territory. Gray watched in amazement as the land around him began to transform, becoming more fertile and abundant than he had ever seen before.

As the dust settled, a series of text notifications appeared before Gray's eyes, congratulating him on his achievement.

[ Congratulations! Your territory has been upgraded to level 2! ]

[ Ding! Your territory has now grown to twice its previous size and its land has become more fertile. ]

[ Ding! All of your summoned creatures have shown increased loyalty by 2 points. ]

[ Congratulations! You're the first player to upgrade a territory to level 2 in World Cluster 7! ]

[ Do you want to reveal your name in World Cluster 7? ]

"I didn't expect to be the first player to upgrade my territory," Gray exclaimed as he received the notifications.

He paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to reveal his name. "It seems that other players haven't started exploring and conquering other territories in their area yet," he thought to himself.

"Hmm.. revealing my name would just attract unnecessary attention to myself, and my territory is still growing," Gray muttered under his breath. "I'll choose not to reveal my name."

[ Are you sure about your choice? ]

"Yes, I am sure about my choice," Gray replied firmly. "Besides, who the hell wants trouble coming into their territory?"

[ Your choice has been confirmed! ]

Suddenly, a loud bell rang across the sky, followed by a booming announcement.

[ Ding! Congratulations to player xxxxxx from the Earth server for being the first to upgrade a territory to level 2 in World Cluster 7! ]

The announcement echoed three times, shaking all of the players in World Cluster 7.

Gray couldn't help but chuckle to himself as the announcement repeated multiple times. "Looks like my decision to keep my name hidden was a smart one," he thought to himself with a smug grin. "I'll let my territory do the talking, and let them all wonder who the mastermind behind it is."

As Gray was lost in his thoughts, the word "World Cluster 7" caught his attention. He couldn't help but wonder, "If this is World Cluster 7, how many other clusters are out there? How many other players are battling it out for dominance?"

The sheer number of worlds and players competing for sovereignty sent shivers down Gray's spine. He couldn't help but recall Gibru's ominous warning that only 10 planet representatives would emerge victorious.

Gray was struck with a sense of dread as he pondered about the number of casualties that would inevitably occur. He wondered how many lives would be sacrificed in the pursuit of victory, and if the price of success was truly worth it.

As Gray contemplated the competition and the potential sacrifices, he knew he needed to remind himself of a harsh truth: he would need to be ruthless to survive. In a world where only ten planet representatives would be chosen, Gray couldn't afford to hesitate or show mercy.

Gray let out a wry smile as he realized the true nature of the game. "It's survival of the fittest, and only the strong will survive," he muttered to himself.

Gray took a deep breath and reminded himself that if he wanted to emerge victorious, he needed to become stronger and better. He knew that he couldn't rely on luck or chance alone, but that he needed to work hard and constantly improve his skills.

"It's not enough to just be good, I need to be great," Gray said determinedly. "I need to keep pushing myself to the limit and never settle for mediocrity. That's the only way I'll survive in this game."

While Gray was deep in his musings, a notification suddenly popped up on his screen, interrupting his train of thought.

[ Ding! You have received a reward for your achievement. ]

[ Please select a reward from the following options:

- Structure Blueprint Reward Box ( Randomized )

- Skill Reward Box ( Randomized )

- Item Reward Box ( Randomized )

Note: You may only select one reward, so choose carefully. ]

Gray couldn't help but break into a smile at the text notification. "And here I was thinking I'd receive nothing more than a loud announcement across the sky," he laughed to himself with a smirk.

Gray weighed his options carefully, considering the benefits of each reward.

"Structure, item, or skill..." he mused to himself. "Well, structures are useful, but they can be destroyed or stolen. Items can also be lost or used up. But skills? Skills are something that can never be taken away from you. They are an investment in yourself and your abilities."

With this realization, Gray made his decision. "I think skill is the way to go."

With a decisive nod, Gray clicked on the Skill Reward Box and confirmed his selection.

[ Ding! You have selected Skill Reward Box ( Randomized ) ]

[ Ding! You have received Skill Reward Box ( Randomized ) ( x1 ) ]

As soon as Gray received the notification about his reward, he quickly accessed his inventory and opened up the box.

[ Congratulations! You have received the skill "Ether Jump" ]

Gray clicked on the skill to check its description.

=====

[ Ether Jump ] ( Active ) ( LVL: 1-star )

: Enables the user to teleport to their summon's current location and teleport their summon to their own location. This skill can only be used five times per day.

Gray's eyes widened as he read the skill's description. "F*ck, this is definitely going to be a useful skill," he yelled with a grin of excitement.

"Should I test out the skill now or wait? I think I'll try it later with Gobusuke when they're well-rested. I don't want to disturb them," Gray thought to himself. He couldn't help but feel delighted about the potential of this new skill. "This is going to be a valuable addition to my arsenal," he said with a smile.

While Gray was pleased about receiving the new skill, he remained unaware that his achievement had caused a stir among the players in World Cluster 7. The Earth server chat was abuzz with messages regarding the announcement.

[ Server Messages ] ( Server: Earth )

HaremLord24: "If I were the one who achieved that, I wouldn't hide my name!"

KingGream: "Message me if you're the player in the announcement. Come join my alliance, I have a three-star talent and a three-star summoning altar."

VirtuesLife: "Please contact me if you're the player in the announcement. I have a proposal for you."

BlueDreamer11: "D*mn! The player who was announced is actually from Earth."

ZenDestroyer: "Hmph, what's so amazing about that achievement? He's just lucky."

IQOverStrength: "How did that player upgrade their territory? I can only guess one reason, and that's by conquering other territories."

....

The messages flooded in every second, and Gray had no idea that he had become famous. Some players wanted to recruit him to their teams, while others were amazed by his achievement. However, not everyone was happy for him, some were even jealous of him.

In the midst of a vast and arid sandy biome, where the scorching sun was beating down mercilessly, a figure sat upon a throne of gleaming metal, almost blending in with the stark, sandy surroundings.

The man seating in the thrown is Jethro, a player from the same planet as Gray - Earth. Despite his thin frail build, Jethro possessed an impressive three-star talent and a formidable four-star summoning altar.

Jethro's summons were none other than undead skeletons. Though each individual skeleton was formidable in its own right, the true strength of Jethro's army lay in its sheer numbers. Every day, Jethro could summon up to thirty undead skeletons to do his bidding.

Furthermore, Jethro's skill complemented his summoning altar perfectly. He had the ability to summon any creature he had slain, albeit only for a limited time.

There were also some restrictions to his skill. He could only summon up to 20 creatures, and they were limited to 2-star monsters. Nonetheless, with his powerful summoning altar and undead skeletons, Jethro had established a strong foothold in the sandy territory. He was even able to achieve second place in the monster wave ranking by using his undead summons.

Jethro threw the glass of wine he was drinking from and cursed, "Sh*t! That player is lucky. I had just conquered another territory and upgraded mine a few moments ago. I'm only late by a few moments."

He glared at no one in particular and declared, "If I ever encounter you, I'll f*cking kill you and absorb your territory for stealing the achievement from me, you unknown player."