The Tribulation of All Races

Chapter 2: Settlements

As Luo Ji walked, he chatted with the old barbarian man. This elder seemed to know the most about this era, and Luo Ji wanted to learn as much as he could. However, he was frustrated by the limited useful information. There were only two main points of interest.

Firstly, their original settlement was surrounded by other small tribes. These tribes had more warriors and, during winter, due to scarce food, would frequently raid their supplies, causing many deaths in Luo Ji's tribe from starvation.

Secondly, there was the issue of wild animals. Despite most animals hibernating, wolves still roamed, searching for food. Encountering these wolves in the wild would be a nightmare.

Undoubtedly, both the wolves and the nearby tribes posed significant threats to Luo Ji.

In this era, there were no means of transportation, meaning they had walked for five days from their destroyed settlement. This suggested they weren’t far from their original home. Considering the storm’s reach, other nearby tribes likely suffered as well. If those tribes also left their homes, Luo Ji doubted they would peacefully submit to him. More likely, they would fight for resources and new territory.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating..." Luo Ji sighed, his recently eased mood now filled with anxiety again. Being a tribe leader wasn’t easy!

While Luo Ji was lost in thought about the future of his tribe, a young barbarian ahead of him called out excitedly, "Chief, we’re here!"

Luo Ji looked up instinctively. Beyond the small forest, a vast lake appeared before him. Before he could react, a system notification sounded in his mind...

System Notification: Congratulations, player 'Luo Ji', for discovering the two-star natural wonder 'Mirror Lake'. You have gained 1,000 civilization points.

"Huh?!" Luo Ji was shocked. He was a penniless novice with zero civilization points, but now he had 1,000 points just for walking around?

This unexpected surprise lifted Luo Ji's spirits. Thoughts raced through his mind, "A natural wonder? This exists in this game too? If I establish a new settlement by Mirror Lake, will there be some kind of bonus?"

With nervous anticipation, Luo Ji jogged closer to the natural wonder. Despite the lake being frozen due to winter, its sheer size was awe-inspiring. As he approached, a panel appeared before him...

Name: Mirror Lake

Type: Freshwater Lake, Natural Wonder

Level: Two-star

Resources: Freshwater, Fish

Effect: Settling near Mirror Lake grants 100 fixed civilization points per day, plus a 20% bonus to fishing yields.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Ji felt his pulse quicken. The freshwater and fish resources alone were enough to convince him to establish their new settlement here, not to mention the daily 100 civilization points.

"We'll settle here!"

With the chief's decision made, the rest of the tribe had no objections, their faces showing relief. The past five days had been exhausting and disheartening. Now that they had a new place to call home, everyone seemed to relax.

"Alright, men, gather some branches and stones. Women, clear the snow from the ground," the old barbarian man began directing everyone to work.

Luo Ji felt a bit embarrassed. In a game, he could just click a button to establish a settlement, but here, in this alternate world, they had to build it by hand.

Reflecting on his mistake, Luo Ji watched his busy tribespeople. As their chief, he couldn't just stand around. His gaze landed on the frozen lake, clearly aiming for the freshwater and fish as potential food sources.

Approaching the lake again, Luo Ji knocked on the ice. The sound was like hitting a wall, indicating the ice was thick. "We'll need a big stone to break through this," he muttered.

As he spoke, the old barbarian man approached, curious. "Chief, what are you doing?"

"Perfect timing. Have someone find a big stone," Luo Ji gestured the size with his hands. "We're going to break the ice and see if we can get some fish."

"Fish? What's that? Is it edible?" The old man asked, confused by Luo Ji's words.

Luo Ji was stunned. "They don’t know what fish are?"

Then he remembered the wooden clubs the warriors carried—no stone spears. This world was still in a very primitive stage. Catching fish would indeed be a problem without proper tools.

Luo Ji sighed internally, realizing the challenges ahead. "First, find a stone to break the ice. Also, gather some pointed stones and sturdy vines."

The tribe followed his orders obediently. Watching the young men set off, Luo Ji turned to the old man, "If this works, you'll see what fish are soon enough."

Despite his confusion, the old man didn’t ask further, showing respect for Luo Ji's authority.

While waiting for his people to return, Luo Ji remembered the advice from Gao Su to check his attribute panel and develop according to his strengths.

Standing by the lake, Luo Ji tried to open his attribute panel with his mind. Sure enough, the panel appeared before him. He glanced at the old man next to him, confirming he couldn’t see it.

Satisfied, Luo Ji focused on the panel:

Name, Gender, Age... Not interested. His eyes moved down to the crucial stats...

Bravery: ★★☆

Intelligence: ★★★☆

Spirit: ★★★☆

Endurance: ★★☆

Leadership: ★★☆☆☆ (Recommended)

Talent: Ruler

Skills: None

Battle Techniques: None

Followers: 34

Cities: None (Nomadic)

Important information needed a second look. Luo Ji noted their nomadic status would change once the settlement was established.

Focusing on his attributes and talent, Luo Ji saw the star ratings indicating current strength (black stars) and potential (white stars). His leadership potential was the most notable, with a five-star growth cap. This hidden talent surprised him; perhaps his love for strategy games was influenced by this talent.

He took a few deep breaths, calming himself. "Steady growth, no rushing," he reminded himself, feeling more confident.

Next, he checked the 'Ruler' talent description:

Ruler: As an excellent ruler, your civilization is steadfast. All followers have a default loyalty +10, civilization development speed +20% (10%×2), and military strength +20% (10%×2)! (This talent is directly influenced by 'Leadership').

"It is influenced by leadership!" Luo Ji thought. With his current two-star leadership, the bonuses doubled. The loyalty and development speed were particularly crucial.

Just then, the young men returned with the requested stones and vines. Luo Ji patted one on the shoulder, "Good job. Thank you."

"No problem!" The young man beamed with pride.

Seeing his joy, Luo Ji smiled too, though he knew the priority was to secure food. He was more hopeful about the lake’s fish than finding wild fruits or game.

He called over two young men and instructed them to use the large stone to break the ice about ten meters from the shore. "One of you keep watch while the other breaks the ice. Be careful not to fall in."

Their eager obedience reassured Luo Ji. "This must be the loyalty bonus at work."

Leaving them to their task, Luo Ji gathered some women to weave a simple fishing net from the vines. He sketched a basic design on the ground, knowing it wasn’t perfect but better than nothing.

He also tasked some children with finding worms for bait, figuring any fish would be more likely to bite with proper bait.

With everyone busy, Luo Ji sat down to start making tools. He realized they were still in a very primitive state, not even using stone tools yet.

Luo Ji decided to make a stone spear. He found a sharp, flat stone and a sturdy stick. Using thin strips of animal hide, he bound the stone to the stick.

System Notification: Congratulations, player 'Luo Ji', for successfully crafting a 'Crude Stone Spear'. You have gained 5 civilization points and 3 military points.

System Notification: Congratulations, player 'Luo Ji's civilization has entered the 'Stone Age'. You have gained 500 civilization points.

Holding the spear, Luo Ji felt a surge of pride. "This feels so different from just clicking a button in a game!"

His joy was palpable, his excitement infectious. The tribespeople watched their chief with admiration.

Emboldened by his success, Luo Ji quickly made a stone axe, gaining more points and feeling more accomplished with each tool.

He was interrupted by the young scout who had a knack for reconnaissance, running back in panic, "Chief! We ran into people from another tribe. They tried to take our game. They're fighting now!"