Expanding the Empire
The steady hum of my Idle System lingers in my mind as I stand at the edge of my expanding territory. My Guardian Unit remains still, its massive greatsword resting against its armored back, an unyielding wall against the unknown threats lurking beyond. Its presence reassures me, but I know that defense alone won't secure my survival in this world. I need growth.
I check my system interface.
Current Gold: 74
Passive Income: 14 Gold per Minute
It's not bad, but still too slow. If I want to keep up my momentum, I need to expand territory or recruit another worker to boost my gold income. Right now, my goblin worker and stone laborer are my only resource gatherers, but if I can add another unit, my gold generation will accelerate.
I pull up my upgrade options and assess my choices.
[Upgrade Paths]
Territory Expansion (100 Gold) – Increases land size and resource output.
Worker Recruitment (250 Gold) – Unlocks another unit to assist in passive resource collection.
Upgrade Guardian Unit (500 Gold) – Increases its rank and combat effectiveness.
The Guardian upgrade is out of reach for now, and while expanding my land is appealing, it won't immediately increase my income. A new worker is the smarter investment, but I need 250 gold, and I'm still 176 gold short. At my passive rate of 14 gold per minute, that would take over twelve minutes. That's too long.
I tighten my grip on my spear. Waiting isn't an option.
I need a way to generate gold faster.
I glance at my goblin worker, who is stacking gathered Etherwood, and my stone laborer, who continues stripping bark with slow, efficient motions. They'll keep working on their own, but I can't afford to stand idle.
I take a step toward a cluster of thicker trees beyond my usual gathering area. I've collected resources before, and every time I do, the system rewards me with gold. If I want to speed this up, manual gathering is my best bet.
I press my hand against the rough bark of an Etherwood tree. A familiar chime echoes in my mind.
[Resource Collected: Etherwood Bark]
+10 Gold
Encouraged, I strip more bark, snap off smaller branches, and gather Glowpetals from the forest floor. Each collection adds small but steady amounts of gold.
[New Resource Collected: Spirit Stone (Low-Grade)]
+25 Gold
I pause, turning over the small, glowing blue stone in my palm. This is new. If low-grade Spirit Stones are worth that much, I need to find more.
I search the ground near the stream and spot another one, partially buried in the soil. I pry it loose.
[New Resource Collected: Spirit Stone (Low-Grade)]
+25 Gold
A system notification pings.
[Gold Accumulated: 119]
In just a few minutes of active gathering, I've nearly doubled my gold. That's the advantage of working alongside my units—I can drastically cut down waiting times.
I continue collecting materials, breaking apart fallen logs and picking up Sharp Stones near the water's edge. The system keeps adding up the gold with each new material.
[Resource Collected: Sharp Stone]
+5 Gold
[Resource Collected: Glowpetals]
+7 Gold
[Gold Accumulated: 142]
I exhale sharply, wiping sweat from my brow. This is working, but I'm still 108 gold short. At my passive rate of 14 gold per minute, that would take about eight more minutes. Not fast enough.
I glance at my goblin worker, who has been observing me between its own tasks. The system doesn't restrict me from issuing commands—maybe I can push it to work faster.
"You." I point at the goblin. "Gather more. Faster."
It grumbles but obeys, moving at a slightly quicker pace. Within moments, another notification pings.
[Goblin Worker Collecting at Increased Efficiency: +2 Gold per Minute]
I smirk. That pushes my total passive income to 16 gold per minute. It's not a massive boost, but every bit counts.
With the extra passive gain working in the background, I return to manual gathering, focusing on high-value materials like Spirit Stones and Glowpetals. Over the next few minutes, my gold rises steadily.
[Gold Accumulated: 184]
Still not quite enough.
I check my surroundings, looking for any unharvested spots. I find another patch of Etherwood saplings, snap a few smaller branches, and strip a larger log of its bark.
[Resource Collected: Etherwood Bark]
+10 Gold
[Resource Collected: Spirit Stone (Low-Grade)]
+25 Gold
A system notification pings again.
[Gold Accumulated: 219]
Almost there. I take one last sweep of the area and collect a few remaining materials.
[Resource Collected: Glowpetals]
+5 Gold
[Gold Accumulated: 250]
Finally.
I straighten, exhaling as the manual effort combined with passive income pushed me to my goal much faster than waiting would have.
I open my system menu and immediately select Worker Recruitment.
[250 Gold Deducted – Summoning Worker Unit…]
The air vibrates as the ground beneath me glows, energy swirling as a new stone-skinned worker takes shape. The figure emerges quickly, broad-shouldered and sturdy, its smooth stone body pulsing faintly with etheric energy.
[New Worker Unit Acquired]
I check my updated stats.
Current Gold: 0
Passive Income: 18 Gold per Minute
The new worker doesn't hesitate. It immediately moves toward a nearby tree and begins stripping Etherwood, contributing to the gold flow.
A chime echoes in my mind.
[Worker Unit Collecting Resources]
+4 Gold per Minute Added to Passive Income
This is exactly what I needed. By actively gathering materials, pushing my goblin worker to perform better, and stacking my system's passive gold, I was able to afford a new worker in nearly half the time.
I glance back toward my settlement. The Guardians remain stationed, the goblin worker continues its tasks, and the goblin scout watches me closely.
Its yellow eyes flicker with something new—not fear, but curiosity. It just saw me create another worker from nothing. That's not something a normal leader can do.
I meet its gaze, letting the silence linger before I speak. "Stay, and you'll grow stronger."
The goblin doesn't answer immediately. Its fingers tighten around the bow slung across its back, but it doesn't run. That's a start.
A notification pings.
[Goblin Scout's Interest Increased]
Recruitment Discount: -25 Gold
I smirk. Now we're making progress.
With my new worker increasing my gold income, future upgrades will come faster. Expansion is no longer a slow process—I'm accelerating now.
And soon, I'll recruit my first goblin fighter.
One way or another, this world will recognize my rise.