Chapter 3: The Slave Lord's Core

The Lord Core?

Pino's pupils dilated as he stared at the fragmented core in his hand.

This wasn't something entirely mysterious—many kingdoms possessed their own "lord cores," powerful relics that governed every aspect of a kingdom. However, he never imagined that he, too, would be caught in the trap of the deaf god and end up with such a core.

Though broken, if it could still be used, wasn't that enough?

[Slave Lord's Lord Core]

[This lord core originates from a terrifying hellish Slave Lord. Known for its cruelty, power, greed, and stinginess, it once held dominion over an empire, but now, it has been reduced to nothing but desolate wasteland. If planted in the earth, it will activate the lord's domain. Whether its destiny continues depends on you.]

Pino clenched the core tightly, anger rising in his chest, and pressed the lord core into the soil with force. "This place is picturesque, with rich soil—haven't I suffered enough already? Let's activate it!"

[This land belongs to Lord Richard. Activating the domain here is an act of war. Do you wish to continue?]

"Mountains and rivers are a lonely place, it seems this land isn't for me..." Pino sighed dramatically, his grand ambition deflating. He tucked the core away and began walking to the next spot.

Luckily, after years of traveling, Pino had once spent a silver coin learning from a herbalist, gaining enough knowledge to identify basic plants. His Identification skill had even been honed to recognize certain herbs.

As he walked, he found some Hemostatic Grass, chewed it up, and applied it to his wounds, gradually recovering his health.

[Chewed Hemostatic Grass]

[Quality: Inferior]

[Effect: Restores 5 HP per hour.]

[Evaluation: You're not sure whether the healing comes from the herbs or your saliva…]

With his natural healing speed and the herb's effects combined, it only took half a day for him to fully recover.

After traveling a little further, Pino came upon a small, babbling stream, clear and cool, with fish and shrimp swimming in its waters.

"Since ancient times, humans have settled along rivers. This land is so scenic, perfect for the start of my world-conquering reign! Let's open up my domain!"

[This is Lord Richard's river... Do you wish to declare war?]

Forget it, let me keep looking…

[This is Lord Richard's mountain…]

[This is Lord Richard's cemetery…]

[This is Lord Richard's…]

Pino walked for miles, passing through forests, crossing rivers, and climbing mountains... He walked from dawn until dusk. By the time he reached the edge of a hidden forest, he stopped, gazing at the lush, dark woods ahead, finally hesitating.

The forest was full of dangerous creatures—greedy goblins, vicious forest trolls, man-eating beasts—and even mercenaries didn't dare venture in. Lord Richard's domain extended all the way to the outskirts of this forest.

Pino stood on a small hill, observing the land. After a moment of thought, he realized this land was lacking in almost every way: no mountains, no rivers, no special resources, and no natural wonders. The only advantage was its proximity to the forest, so there would be no shortage of wood.

The four essential factors for founding a civilization—none of them were present. This place was utter garbage! Yet, it was also the only land he could extract from Lord Richard's grasp without facing immediate consequences. Any further, and he would be up against the forest's monstrous creatures; retreating would be a declaration of war on the current lord.

With no choice left, Pino finally decided to activate the lord core in the narrow gap between these two dangers. When he implanted the Slave Lord's Core into the soil, a beam of light descended from the sky, infusing both Pino and the core with its power.

At that moment, a soft, ethereal sound filled the air.

"From the first stirrings of life beneath the water, to the great beasts of the Stone Age, to the first steps of mankind, you have witnessed much. Now, begin your greatest exploration, from the cradle of early civilization to the vast expanse of the stars..."

"You have just released a domain core. Please name your domain..."

Pino, suppressing his excitement, looked around at the verdant forest and the endless grasslands stretching before him.

"Emerald Dominion!"

"Confirm domain: Emerald Dominion"

"Current domain level: 1"

"Initial territory: 1000 square meters. Buildings within this area will receive bonuses from the domain core. Please recite 'Domain Mode' to survey your land."

Pino closed his eyes and muttered, "Domain Mode."

Immediately, it felt as though his soul had left his body. His vision ascended, and he gazed down from above, seeing his territory spread out before him. It was nestled between Lord Richard's Sheepwell Duchy and the Hidden Forest—tight and constricted, as if it were a coffin-sized plot of land, as small and powerless as the "little King".

He didn't complain. Having a place to rest was already a good beginning.

"You have inherited the profession of the previous lord—the Hell Slave Lord. Do you accept this inheritance?"

"Accept!" Pino did not hesitate. Any profession was better than being a wandering bard, tarnishing the names of other kings while peddling gossip.

"Your profession: Commoner → Slave Lord"

"Profession rarity: Legendary"

"Level: LV.1"

"Attribute bonuses: As a brutal slave lord, how could you not have the strength to wield a whip? With each level-up, you gain 2 points of Strength, 3 points of Constitution, and 5 points of free attribute points."

(Commoner profession: 1 point of Strength, 1 point of Constitution, 1 point of free attribute)

"You have gained the initial lord's talent: Brutal Exploitation (Passive)"

"The Hell Slave Lord has come into this world, blood and filth dripping from every pore. As a slave lord, you can exploit your subjects' blood and sweat to gain exploitation points, which can be used to upgrade your domain, construct special buildings, enhance items, or extract special items."

"You have gained the war talent: Forceful Plunder (Passive)"

"The Hell Slave Lord's greed and brutality extend not only to his subjects but to his enemies as well. When you and your forces kill enemies, there is a chance to obtain their Soul Balls. When destroying buildings, there is a chance to acquire building blueprints."

Excited, Pino rubbed his hands together. He could already imagine capturing two succubi and whipping them into submission, forgetting entirely that he was still a lonely soul.

"You have acquired a Slave Lord relic: Slave Shackles (Basic) 6"

"One-time consumable, can be crafted."

"Required materials: Workbench, Stone 1, Basic Soul Crystal 1"

"Note: Can only be used on targets that are heavily wounded or mentally subdued. The success rate of forcible enslavement is 0%."

Pino gazed at the six obsidian-colored slave collars that had suddenly appeared in his hands. Each collar was etched with cryptic and arcane magical runes. According to the instructions, as long as they were thrown at a heavily wounded target, there was a chance to enslave them… He grinned, his imagination running wild. Pino, who couldn't even defeat a single goblin, was already fantasizing about the Holy Maiden, his mouth nearly watering in anticipation.

But now, the legacy of the previous Hell Slave Lord had been fully transferred. It could be said that he had died impoverished and destitute. All the fruits of a lifetime of hardship had been stripped away. Pino couldn't afford to follow in his footsteps. Even if he were to exploit others, it couldn't be through overt violence, or else the hypocritical champions of justice would have the perfect excuse to bring him down. True exploitation was subtle, almost imperceptible. By the time the flesh and blood of the subjects were drained, they would still feel like they were moving towards happiness.

Next, Pino summoned his domain panel once more to review what he could build.

However, the core was so severely damaged that it had lost 99% of its building blueprints. The only things he could construct were painfully basic.

[Wooden Hut]

Physical Defense: 2

Materials: Wood x10, Hemp Rope x5

Construction Time: 5h

A rickety shelter barely capable of warding off the wind and rain. It's better than sleeping outdoors, but don't expect it to last through the winter.

[Grass Bed]

Materials: Wood x4, Dry Grass x4

Use: Restores energy

Construction Time: 1h

Typically found on farms, used for hatching eggs.

[Basic Workbench]

Materials: Wood x4, Stone x2, Iron x1

Construction Time: 2h

Use: Craft various tools and items.

Beyond these painfully rudimentary structures, the only other thing that caught his eye was the [Altar].

[Basic Altar]

Materials: Stone x10, Divine Statue x1

Construction Time: 5h

Use: Offer sacrifices to the gods to receive lordship tasks.

At the sight of this building, Pino immediately thought of the Dragon God Statue that had cursed him. However, just as quickly, he slapped himself across the face. That was the Deaf God; who knew what kind of misfortune it could bring him next?

Better to worship another statue, he decided. After all, this continent had been at war for thousands of years, and countless treasures were buried beneath the soil. Divine statues were not uncommon; nearly every village had one.

Now, with the domain system checked, it was time to begin construction. But then, a thought struck him.

"Damn it! I don't even have a single subordinate?"

Was he really expected to do everything himself as the so-called Slave Lord?