Chapter 002: Establishing Territory - Hope Village_2

"What is this place?" Zhou Zhengping asked subconsciously. Although he trusted his daughter, the matter of the territory was too important, and he still needed to be cautious.

"We're in the same area as the villa district we were in before, Dad. Didn't you notice? Even though the buildings have disappeared, the environment still looks the same," Zhou Bai reminded him.

Listening to Zhou Bai, Zhou Zhengping and Ding Qiurou started looking around, and after observing for a while, they suddenly realized that the arrangement of the trees around them did seem to be the same as before.

If that's the case, their original villa district must be there too.

That place is indeed a suitable location for establishing a territory.

"Okay, let's go back!" Zhou Zhengping quickly agreed.

With Zhou Zhengping leading the way, the family of three headed toward the villa district.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few people. Facing the sudden onset of the Doomsday Game, many people hadn't yet reacted, showing confusion on their faces. Facing the changing world, they didn't know where to go and could only drift along.

Zhou Bai didn't say another word about this.

Before the territory was established, it was risky to take these people with them; she couldn't risk any accidents.

The family of three steeled their hearts as if they hadn't seen them, but still kindly reminded everyone that demon beasts had appeared outside and to be extra cautious.

They didn't know how long they walked before they finally saw the familiar surroundings.

After seeing the landscape, their guess was confirmed.

"Dad, Mom, shall I choose this place as our territory?" Zhou Bai asked.

The two nodded.

Quickly, Zhou Bai clicked and took out the Lord Token from her backpack. In the next moment, the Token appeared in her hand.

[Do you wish to use the Lord Token?]

"Yes."

As her voice faded, the Token in her hand shone brightly and flew out.

A map appeared in front of Zhou Bai as the Token hovered in mid-air, displaying a small-scale model of the territory.

[Please select a location for your territory on the map.]

Zhou Bai observed for a moment and then made her choice.

Once she confirmed her choice, a small-scale territory appeared on the empty ground in front of her, exactly like the territory model on the map—a small wooden fence surrounding a central hut.

As the territory materialized, the family watched in disbelief.

Is this... the territory? It's too rudimentary, isn't it?

[Please name your village. The name will appear on the character map.]

"Hope?" Might as well be cliché, as long as it's easy to pronounce, and let's hope it really brings hope.

[Congratulations to the Host for establishing Hope Village. A reward of Building*2.]

Zhou Bai's screen now had an option for the territory. After clicking it, the details of the territory were fully revealed on the screen.

[Territory: Hope Village]

[Level: 0 Level Village (Upgrade)]

[Population: 0/100]

[Tax Rate: 10% (Adjustable)]

[Wealth: 88 gold, 34 silver, 72 copper]

[Buildings: Lord Mansion (Level 1), Fence, Other Buildings to be Unlocked (Choice*2)]

[Mall: Exclusive to the territory, only provides materials]

[Current Ranking: ***]

[Note: The territory can only be occupied by a Lord, Newbie Protection Period of 1 month]

This was followed by settings for visitors and residents. Since these could be adjusted at any time, Zhou Bai defaulted to the system's initial setup.

After confirmation, she turned to Zhou Zhengping and Ding Qiurou, "Dad, Mom, do you see any changes in your map?"

The range of the map was limited. Initially, they could only see an area of ten thousand square meters centered on their landing point, but the places they visited could broaden the range. Previously, the villa district was outside their initial maps, but having come here, the map had now included it.

"Yes, there's a Hope Village on our map now."

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Zhou Bai suggested.

"Hmm."

Zhou Bai stepped into the territory smoothly, but Zhou Zhengping and Ding Qiurou were stopped outside. A notification appeared on their screen.

[Dear refugees, welcome to Hope Village! Currently available identities include: Visitor (10 copper coins/day), Resident (10 silver coins/permanent).]

Zhou Zhengping and Ding Qiurou looked at each other and directly chose "Resident."

[Congratulations on becoming a resident of Hope Village. Please proceed to the Lord Mansion to collect your Identity Token.]

At this moment, Zhou Bai, the Lord, received a message.

[Hope Village has gained 2 residents. Within the territory, the Lord can view personal information of the residents and has the right to expel them.]

Seeing this, Zhou Bai's eyes brightened a bit. This would make it easier for her to manage the territory as a Lord. In the future, she could completely expel unreliable residents.

Zhou Bai mentioned it to her parents right away, and the two were pleased, at least their daughter's safety was ensured.

Afterward, the family of three discussed and made their way toward the Lord Mansion, aiming to explore the numerous functions of the territory while no one else was around to grasp all the rules as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, not far from there, many people were fleeing in all directions after being chased by demon beasts and suddenly received a notification.

[You have entered the jurisdiction of Hope Village and may proceed to Hope Village.]

[Note: Villages, towns, cities, and other territories can withstand demon beasts of various levels depending on their defensive power.]

Looking at the notification, then at the edge of the map where Hope Village suddenly appeared, many were excited.

Especially with the note mentioned: the territory can withstand demon beasts.

When they encountered creatures outside, likely demon beasts, they varied in strength. The weaker ones were manageable; they could defeat them and even obtain some supplies. But when they encountered stronger ones, they were out of options and even faced mortal danger, not to mention they couldn't stay in the wilderness forever!

They didn't know where this territory came from, but they could go there and check it out.