When I saw the projected image, I couldn't help myself.

  "DarkClaw."

  I spoke softly.

  But not softly enough.

  The woman operating the control panel turned toward me immediately. A slow smile formed on her lips.

  "That's right, rookie."

  She tilted her head. "What's your name? I doubt it's… Helena?"

  A chill ran down my spine.

  The badge was small. The letters even smaller.

  Yet she read it.

  I noticed something no one beside me seemed to catch.

  She wasn't ordinary.

  "Leonidas Aquiles… that's my name."

  A few chuckles rippled through the hall.

  My name always drew attention.

  "Eccentric." She raised an eyebrow. "Still better than Helena."

  She lifted the device.

  My sister's image appeared on the screen.

  "You know… it takes someone very brave — or very stupid — to trade places with someone."

  The hall fell silent.

  "But in your case…"

  Her eyes scanned the data as they moved across the screen.

  "It seems it was just love."

  My jaw tightened.

  "Curious," she continued. "Helena's file states she has no siblings. Yet you claimed otherwise to justify taking her place. Would you care to explain?"

  Then I remembered.

  We weren't blood siblings.

  To me, that never mattered.

  To the system… it did.

  "We were orphans. She was adopted. I ran away from the orphanage. She convinced her family to keep me close."

  Josefina watched me for a few seconds.

  "A beautiful story."

  She shrugged. "Probably false. But fuck it."

  The matter died there.

  "Your name is too long. I'll call you Albino."

  I crossed my arms.

  I'd been called that before.

  And it never made sense.

  "Albino, how do you know about DarkClaw? The book was delivered yesterday. And that creature isn't exactly in the first few pages."

  I took a deep breath.

  "Miss, albinos have red eyes and white eyelashes. Mine—"

  "Albino."

  Her voice turned cold.

  "That's not what I asked. Answer. This is an order."

  A few people laughed.

  But her eyes were impatient.

  I had made a mistake.

  Unnecessary pride.

  "I read it, ma'am."

  "You read it?" She narrowed her eyes. "More than seven hundred pages in a single day?"

  "I finished the book."

  The hall erupted in laughter.

  She didn't.

  She grabbed the physical copy and opened it at random.

  "Page 423. Tell me what the beast is and what its strength is. Let's see if you—"

  I interrupted.

  "Page 423. Equine Centaurs. Quadrupedal race, dominant in the northern quadrant. The only intelligent species in the mapped region. Does not associate with humans. Superior technology. Origin, leadership, number of habitable planets, and cultural structure: unknown. Recommendation: extreme caution."

  Silence.

  I continued, calm:

  "That is the essential summary. I can recite the full content if you wish."

  She stared at me.

  For a second, her face tightened.

  Then it relaxed.

  "Very interesting, Albino."

  She closed the book. "I hope your strength is as reliable as your memory."

  She turned back to the panel.

  "DarkClaw was supposed to be restricted to coastal areas. It is an amphibious species. The risk in the central plains was low simply because encounters were rare."

  She zoomed in on the image.

  "That has changed."

  The quadrupedal creature, with protruding black mandibles, appeared larger than a massive horse.

  "The most recent teams have confirmed territorial expansion. DarkClaw has been reclassified as dangerous. Unfortunately, we still do not know the reason for this behavioral shift, but I recommend an in-depth study of the species. After all, it is now a real enemy."

  A murmur spread through the room.

  "The updates have already been sent to the tablets in your rooms."

  She paused.

  "And since I mentioned the tablets… many of you still have family."

  Her gaze briefly passed over me.

  "This may be your last opportunity to speak with them. Goodbye."

  Without waiting for a reaction, she gathered her devices and left.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The hall exploded into whispers.

  When I returned to my room, four cards were under my door.

  Invitations.

  Interest.

  Problems.

  "I need to learn to keep my mouth shut."

  I didn't regret it.

  But I knew one thing:

  The nail that sticks out… gets hammered down.

  Inside the room, a small tablet rested on the bed.

  Updates would be sent there.

  Orders.

  Data.

  And for now…

  Calls.

  I took a deep breath and activated the channel.

  "Hey, sis. You okay?"

  Her face appeared immediately.

  "Okay?"

  Her voice trembled. "Why don't you go fuck yourself, you irrational son of a bitch? Do you know what you've done?"

  I listened.

  In silence.

  Every word.

  Every accusation.

  I hurt her.

  I knew that.

  And I knew she would carry that pain for a while.

  But I did not regret it.

  After nearly ten minutes, she finally stopped.

  "You didn't have the right."

  "I'm sorry."

  My voice came out steady. "But just like you saved me… I'm going to save you. I don't regret it."

  Her eyes shimmered.

  "I know…"

  She took a deep breath. "How are things over there?"

  "I can't say much. You know that."

  "Yes. I know."

  All calls were recorded.

  Every word, archived.

  Silence.

  Then she gave a faint smile.

  "If there's anyone capable of surviving this… it's you."

  She hesitated.

  "And… thank you."

  My chest tightened.

  Not from fear.

  But from responsibility.

  Now it wasn't just about surviving.

  It was about coming back.

  "You don't need to thank me. How are the babies?"

  The moment I finished the sentence, the screen was overtaken by barking.

  Three small Shih Tzus burst into the camera frame, licking the lens and fighting for space. I laughed for the first time since I had arrived there.

  After a few minutes of playing with them, I spoke to my sister again.

  "Did anyone see when they delivered the tablet to you?"

  "No. They came in the middle of the night. But there are rumors they made two more deliveries in the area."

  "Two…"

  I frowned. "I don't remember seeing anyone familiar."

  "Leo, this place has the population of a big city. I doubt you'd know them."

  We fell silent.

  There were too many things we couldn't say.

  Just as I was about to end the call, she spoke:

  "Don't die."

  I didn't hesitate.

  "I won't."

  The call ended.

  And the responsibility remained.

  ________________________________________________________________________

  The night was anything but peaceful.

  Doors opening.

  Hurried footsteps.

  Whispers.

  And then…

  A symphony of noises that would make it impossible for anyone with a clear conscience to sleep.

  Even so, close to nine in the morning, silence finally settled.

  And I had finished the book on constructions.

  I admit it:

  I was fascinated.

  The technology described there was inexplicable.

  Even if no one explicitly said it was alien… it was impossible not to reach that conclusion. It wasn't merely advanced engineering or mathematics.

  It was something beyond that.

  The structures weren't built — they materialized.

  Support and attack summons employed semi-dead creatures, bound to a logic that rendered them incapable of acting without the absolute will of the Lord.

  It was brutal.

  And efficient.

  Another intriguing aspect was the heroes.

  Beings from other dimensions and planets. Sentient. Intelligent. But never of the same race as the summoner.

  That was almost ironic.

  Either the creator desired interspecies exchange…

  Or considered all of this an amusing experiment.

  In the end, despite complex equations, subatomic interactions, and quantum chains impossible to fully comprehend, the book reduced everything to a single word:

  Magic.

  Simple.

  Offensively simple.

  That was what allowed a Lord to ascend.

  Or fall.

  "The Three Initial Paths"

  Every Lord had to make an initial choice.

  Three paths.

  Different at the beginning.

  Convergent in the long term.

  But make the wrong choice… and you were dead.

  ?? Castle

  The Castle was where labor summons originated.

  It was the most efficient way to gather resources quickly.

  In stable territory, it allowed slow and steady growth.

  Tempting.

  But…

  The mortality rate was 82%.

  Too high to be coincidence.

  The Castle's summons were inanimate. They did not react to attacks. They possessed no defensive intelligence.

  If they were destroyed in the first few days, it was over.

  And after the protection period, all defense rested exclusively on the Lord.

  No weapons.

  No allies.

  It was stable growth… under extreme risk.

  Small profit.

  Enormous risk.

  ?? Hero's Temple

  The option with the highest survival rate.

  Nearly 98%.

  The number was impressive.

  The Temple allowed the summoning of a hero — an intelligent being from another dimension.

  The probabilities were brutal:

  ? 90% common

  ? 8% rare

  ? 1.9% epic

  ? 0.99% legendary

  ? 0.001% unique

  A roulette wheel.

  A rare hero could protect the territory in those first days.

  That meant time.

  Time to gather.

  Time to expand.

  Time to live.

  And still, many died.

  Because you still needed the luck to obtain at least a rare hero.

  That wasn't strategy.

  But statistically…

  It was the best path.

  ? House of Iron and Steel

  The least chosen.

  And the least documented.

  In practice, it was a forge and a foundry.

  It meant weapons. Tools. Defenses.

  It unlocked the palisade and the defense tower.

  On paper, it looked powerful.

  In reality…

  It was useless without resources.

  It generated no materials.

  It offered no immediate protection.

  It summoned no one.

  It meant the Lord himself would have to act as both hero and gatherer at the same time.

  It was taking everything on alone.

  An almost suicidal gamble.

  I closed the book.

  "Now I understand."

  The mortality rate wasn't high because the territory was impossible.

  It was high because the initial choice was cruel.

  One wrong decision.

  Three poorly used days.

  And the days that followed would be nothing but a countdown.

  I took a deep breath.

  If I chose the Hero's Temple…

  I would be gambling on luck.

  If I chose the Castle…

  I would be vulnerable.

  If I chose the House of Iron and Steel…

  I would be alone.

  I smiled faintly.

  "Interesting."

  Because, for the first time…

  I was being intellectually challenged.

  As I reflected on what I had read, something became clear:

  The primary reason so many died wasn't ignorance.

  It was the brutality of the beginning.

  The early phase was animalistic.

  Survival required an almost impossible combination of the correct decision and absolute luck. You had to choose the right construction… and hope nothing went wrong while you accumulated power.

  And even if everything went right…

  A single battle could tear everything away from you.

  When I realized it, it was already lunchtime on the second day.

  I sat in my usual seat.

  But something was different.

  The women were watching me.

  It wasn't curiosity.

  It was assessment.

  A sentence crossed my mind, almost involuntarily:

  "I suppose every piece of meat has already been tasted… except mine."

  Their gazes were searching for something.

  Permission.

  Even if the chance of being transported together was below 1%, any possibility was considered.

  I didn't blame them.

  They just wanted to survive.

  In the end, the method didn't matter.

  What mattered was returning alive.

  I finished lunch and went back to my room.

  Training wasn't mandatory, despite the persistent announcements over the intercom and the tablet. I understood the intention — but three days wouldn't change anything fundamental.

  My plan was simple:Eat.Study.Sleep.Repeat.

  I already knew I wouldn't be able to memorize the third book completely.But I didn't regret it.

  Food wasn't the scarcest resource in that territory.

  According to my calculations, after the transport, the average life expectancy of the summoned was five days.

  Or, more precisely…Two days after the protective barrier fell.

  After that, the odds improved drastically.It made sense.

  If someone survived the beginning — chose correctly and didn't die in the process — stability increased.Deaths still happened.But they were less frequent.

  The problem was surviving the beginning.

  I only realized how much time had passed when I looked up and found a dinner tray in front of me.

  "Hey, handsome… how about we get to know each other better after dinner? In a foursome."

  The voice appeared close to my ear.

  I had been so absorbed in my calculations that I only realized where I was when three women sat down around me.

  I looked up.

  They were confident.

  Determined.

  "Unfortunately, I don't have time. I need to study the last book."

  I answered directly.

  Too bluntly.

  The woman to my left grabbed my glass and threw water in my face before standing abruptly. The other two followed her.

  I remained still.

  "Damn it… where did I go wrong, sis?"

  I hadn't been rude.

  Or at least, not intentionally.

  I had simply told the truth.

  Under normal circumstances…

  I wouldn't have refused.

  But this wasn't normal.

  It was strategy.

  And to me, inefficient.

  I finished eating quickly, practically swallowing the food without tasting it.

  "Tonight is the last night. I need to absorb as much as possible."

  When I reached the hallway, I saw the girl from the previous day sitting near my door.

  This time, her tone was softer.

  But the intention was obvious.

  I ignored her.

  Opened the door.

  Went in.

  Her face turned red — from anger or frustration.

  It didn't move me.

  By my calculations, she had already approached at least twenty men considered promising.

  Including the boy who had confronted me.

  I had seen him crying in the hallway outside her door while she shouted another name inside the room.

  Cold.

  But efficient.

  Thinking rationally…

  She was intelligent.

  The first to understand the strategy.

  Others merely copied her.

  If I had finished the last book…

  Maybe I would consider it.

  I was still a man.

  But not now.

  "Okay. Let's finish this."

  I picked up the last book.

  Unlike the creature compendium, this one was straightforward.

  Filled with detailed images.

  The creature book had been abstract — only the most dangerous ones had full illustrations. It made sense to save pages for what truly mattered.

  The flora, however…

  Was simple.

  Food.

  Nothing more.

  No plant granted power.

  None accelerated evolution.

  Only nutrition.

  It was curious.

  Creatures energized, quantified, and fueled expansion.

  Flora… sustained.

  "Very different from the creatures that feed growth."

  I closed my eyes for a moment.

  Then something occurred to me.

  If creatures provided energy…

  And flora merely sustained…

  Then perhaps…

  The real dispute wasn't over plants and vegetables,

  but over sustainable and constant sources of energy.

  That would explain why the creatures could afford to wait for humans and their protection periods: they were easy prey, fragile, and provided enough energy for them to grow.

  "There probably aren't even any 100% herbivorous creatures."

  A terrifying world.

  It was anything but an oasis.