The First Guardian

The aftermath of the battle lingers in the air—dried blood on the grass, the scent of fear and sweat clinging to my skin. My grip tightens on my spear as I pace near the corpses of the fallen hounds. Even with the extra resources looted from them, I can't shake the unease creeping down my spine.

The last hound had run.

It might be cowardly, but it also knows where to go—back to wherever it came from. And if these creatures hunt in packs, there's a chance it returns with reinforcements.

I don't plan to be caught unprepared.

I check my system.

Current Gold: 276

Still not enough for a Guard Unit. I need 400.

The goblin worker, who had spent the past few minutes stripping the hound bodies of usable materials, steps back and wipes its hands on its ragged clothing. It grumbles something, giving me a side-eyed glance before tossing the last of the bones into the supply pile.

I watch it for a moment, then turn back to my system screen.

I need to speed up my resource gain.

My passive income is sitting at 11 gold per minute, which means I need just over eleven more minutes to reach my goal. That's too long if another attack happens before then.

I gesture toward my goblin worker and the stone-skinned laborer. "More. Faster."

The goblin grunts but moves. The stone worker doesn't react—it just continues its methodical gathering, stacking Etherwood with mechanical precision.

The minutes drag. I keep scanning the treeline, my nerves tight, expecting another attack at any second. My grip never loosens on my spear.

Then, finally—

[Gold Accumulated: 400]

I exhale sharply.

It's time.

I mentally confirm the Guard Unit Recruitment.

The system reacts instantly.

[Recruiting Guard Unit…]

A pulse of energy radiates through my territory, stronger than before. The air crackles, and the ground in front of me glows with shifting golden patterns, expanding outward like veins of raw power carving into the dirt.

A shape begins to form from the light.

I step back as the glowing mass rises, its outline shifting from a formless blur into something solid—tall, broad, imposing.

Then the light shatters, and a massive armored figure steps forward.

[Guardian Unit Summoned]

It stands at nearly eight feet tall, encased in dark, metallic armor that seems to pulse with a faint, internal glow. Unlike my worker unit, this one isn't smooth stone—it looks forged, crafted for combat. A massive greatsword is strapped across its back, and its helmet—featureless except for two burning white slits where its eyes should be—turns slowly, scanning the area.

The sheer presence of it makes my goblin step back, eyes wide. Even I feel the weight of it—like something ancient and powerful just awakened at my command.

A system prompt appears.

[Unit Designation: Guardian]

Role: Defensive Fighter

Combat Rating: C-Rank

Abilities: Defensive Stance, Taunt, Unyielding Endurance

Loyalty: Absolute

I stare at the stats.

C-Rank.

That's huge. My goblin is barely F-Rank, and even the wild hounds were probably E-Rank at best. This thing is on another level.

I swallow and take a step forward. "Guardian."

Its head turns toward me instantly, those glowing slits locking onto mine.

"Defend this territory," I order. "Kill anything that enters uninvited."

The Guardian doesn't speak. It simply nods once, then moves.

It takes a stance at the edge of my land, positioning itself between my growing base and the darkened forest beyond. Its greatsword remains sheathed, but I don't doubt for a second that it can end anything that tries to attack.

For the first time since arriving in this world, I feel a sense of security.

A real defense. A real protector.

A real foundation to build upon.

I check my system.

Current Gold: 8

I burned through everything to get this Guardian. My next goal should be expanding my territory and improving gold generation so I can afford more upgrades and possibly another combat unit.

Before I can focus on that, another notification pops up.

[Territory Influence Increased]

Due to the recruitment of a Guard Unit, your claim over this land has strengthened. Your territory radius has expanded by 50 meters.

Resource Output: +3 Gold per Minute.

My passive income just jumped to 14 per minute.

I let out a low chuckle.

This is how it begins.

The Idle System was built for exponential growth. The stronger I get, the faster I get stronger. One investment leads to another, each one accelerating my progress.

I'm no longer some weak newcomer in this world.

I'm building something real.

The night settles in. The glowing plants pulse with soft, rhythmic light. My Guardian remains motionless at the edge of my land, an unyielding sentinel against the dangers beyond.

I don't know what else lurks in this world.

I don't know how strong the creatures beyond my current zone are.

But I do know one thing.

My Idle System is working.

And soon, I'll have more than just one Guardian.

I'll have an army.