Golden statue

Lord Hammond was in shock. The pain of having his spine broken was so intense it sent him into a daze. Unable to think clearly, all he could do was await his fate. Robert ordered the men to bring the molten gold closer. The villagers' eyes widened as they realized what was about to happen, and many parents covered their children's eyes in horror. 

Robert looked at Lord Hammond one last time before giving the final order. "Pour it."

The molten gold flowed slowly through the container, burning any flesh it touched. Hammond's terrified screams echoed through the village, a sound that would haunt the villagers for years to come. The men hesitated, unsure if Robert truly intended to go through with such a brutal act. 

"Pour the rest," Robert commanded without flinching.

The sizzling of burning flesh filled the air, accompanied by a nauseating stench that made Robert cover his nose. He glanced at the mold, now filled with solidifying gold, knowing he had just taken a life in one of the cruelest ways imaginable. The fear in the villagers' eyes was unmistakable. Most had hated Lord Hammond, but witnessing such a horrifying act made them afraid. Who wouldn't be?

A man deep in the center of the crowd began clapping, drawing everyone's attention. Was he crazy? Is there a lunatic among us? These were the thoughts that spiraled through the villagers' minds. But, almost like a domino effect, others started clapping as well. 

Robert, initially shocked by the reaction, took a moment to consider. These people owed nothing to Lord Hammond. He had been the source of their misery.

The gold was still molten in some areas, faint sizzling sounds echoing occasionally. Based on Robert's knowledge, such a large amount of gold would take two to three hours to fully solidify and cool. 

"Dismiss the crowd," Robert ordered.

The villagers dispersed, returning to their daily tasks, but the lesson of the day lingered in their minds: life is precious, but the choices one makes will eventually catch up to them. Assigning a couple of guards to ensure no one got any ideas, Robert knew the large amount of gold could tempt even the most honest person.

As he walked toward Sabas and the others, Robert expected an awkward mood, but with a man like Thronton around, nothing ever stayed serious for long.

"You really did it, you sick son of a bitch," Thronton said, almost proud. "And here I thought you didn't have the balls like the rest of them." He glanced at Eugene, who shifted uncomfortably.

Robert, still processing what had just happened, replied, "I'd rather this not become a regular occurrence."

Thronton laughed heartily. "Of course not! We don't have enough gold for that!"

The crew chuckled, and despite the tension, Thronton had a way of lightening the mood.

"Anyway," Robert said, becoming serious again, "I was thinking of sparing Lord Hammond's wife. She wasn't the one making decisions."

Sabas chimed in with a suggestion. "We could use a cleaner in the barracks. The soldiers are pretty sloppy."

Robert smiled. "Seems like a fitting punishment. It matches the crime."

As for the statue of Lord Hammond, Robert hadn't planned much ahead for what to do with it. "What do you guys think we should do with the statue?" Robert asked.

Thabis, who had been quiet for a while, was the first to answer. "We could put it up as a monument. Use it as a symbol for future residents."

The idea appealed to Robert. Making it a monument could serve as a reminder and would be better than letting the gold go to waste. The others agreed, and James even offered to start working on a base for it right away.

After James left, the group decided to split up, and Robert realized he hadn't checked in on the other lords in a while. As he walked toward the main hall, he noticed how the villagers truly had gone on with their day. It made him reflect on how fleeting life was—if forgotten by the end of the day, what did it all mean?

Finally reaching his quarters, Robert took a deep breath, enjoying the soothing atmosphere. He opened the lord system and saw a flood of messages:

[Have you seen the rankings? Who are these top 100 guys? They're monsters! My village is still at level 1.]

[Yeah, I'm struggling to find food. They must've gotten lucky with their talents. I only have a C-grade talent.]

[Hey, I'm in the top 100, and the post above is wrong. It's not about luck, it's about being smart and trading with others.]

[What rank are you, big brother?]

[I'm rank 99. Praise me a little and I might give you some tips.]

[Rank 99? Always the bottom feeder talking big.]

[Who's the bottom feeder? Last time I checked, you weren't even on the rankings.]

Robert closed the chat, curious about the lord rankings. Opening the list, he scanned the top 100:

HiddenFigures ,CrouchingTigers,Animelover45,TeaTime, Raj Bias ,Robert Williams ,YellowJacket ,HumbleCanadian, BigBully39 ,RussianBear

Robert wasn't surprised to see himself in the top ten. From what he had seen, most lords hadn't reached village level two yet. Seeing the top names widened his perspective; these lords must have had S-rank talents with powerful traits. He knew he was one of the lucky ones too, though his abilities weren't as useful early on. Still, his gut told him they would come in handy later.

Closing the system, Robert remembered he hadn't looted Lord Hammond's body yet. As a former knight, Hammond might have something valuable on him. Before heading back to check on the statue, Robert summoned the totem. He began meditating next to it, feeling his energy flow into the totem like a circuit. It started levitating from his telekinesis. 

Robert could feel it—he was close to unlocking its secrets. It was only a matter of time.

When he finally stood up, he was sweating and breathing heavily, almost as if he had run a marathon. Every step down the stairs felt like a challenge, his body aching as if it belonged to an old man. When he reached the front door, a cool breeze hit him, and he felt a wave of relief.

The sun was beginning to set as Robert made his way back toward the barracks, his strength gradually returning with each breath. Upon arrival, he saw James directing his sons and a couple of other workers to build the statue's base.

"Fast worker, aren't you?" Robert called out.

James smiled. "I try to make myself useful," he said, preparing to chastise one of the workers.

Robert laughed, walking over to the statue. It had finally solidified. Holding his hand just above the gold, he was surprised to find it completely cool. Without hesitation, he looted Hammond's body.

**[Received: Cascadian Knight Manual (Gold Tier), Cascadian Longsword (Bronze Tier)]**

Robert grinned at the result. A training manual was exactly what he needed—he lacked close combat skills. Opening his inventory, he pulled out the longsword and gave it a few swings. It felt just right, not too heavy or too light.

He approached one of the guards. "Go bring Sabas and the other officials."

The guard left without question. Robert felt as if he could handle anything thrown at him. About fifteen minutes later, Sabas and the others arrived.

"It's time to place the statue," Robert said. "Figured you wouldn't want to miss it."

They watched as James inspected the base, which was made of stone blocks held together with what looked like mud. Tying ropes around the statue, James, his sons, and the workers struggled to drag it to the base. 

Seeing their struggle, Thronton stepped in, and, with his help, they managed to move it. Breaking the statue out of the mold and lifting it onto the base, James secured it with a concrete-like material at the bottom of its feet.

"And done," James said, wiping his hands. "It's kind of ugly, don't you think? Doesn't look much like him."

He wasn't wrong. The statue was bald, its mouth opened as if it were screaming. Robert approached with a wooden plaque, carving the words with his sword: "Here lies Lord Hammond, he who ascended above us humans."

The statue would be studied by historians many years later, changing the context of this day forever.