Build the Kingdom

Chapter 3: No, You're Fine (1)

What is a spirit?

In God Hand, a spirit referred to "a soul dwelling in something."

The most common spirits on this continent were the Four Great Spirits.

They represented the typical fantasy elements—fire, wind, water, and earth.

Among them, Hu was currently trying to commune with the Earth Spirit.

The thread of communion, which had felt as thin as a shallow string, now felt doubled, even tripled in strength.

So this is spirit power.

It was a force known as affinity or spirit power.

A power that appeared only in the world of God Hand, and one of the Four Great Forces obtainable through a spirit contract!

Hu had just managed to acquire one of them.

Of course, for now, forget the Four Great Forces—there was only one immediate use for it.

[Please name the spirit.]

Right. A spirit belonged to its master.

A four-legged beast timidly lifted its head from the ground, looking at Hu. Its lumpy, earthen form made its nose appear flat.

"A name, yeah. I need to give you a name."

Back in his first playthrough, how much had he regretted choosing the ID "Praise Whale"?

A name had to be intuitive and easy to remember.

It was said that a spirit's name symbolized the bond with its master.

For a four-legged beast, Hu had only one name in mind—one that evoked a sense of nostalgia from his hometown!

The spirit before him wasn't exactly a beast, but to Hu, it looked just like a puppy.

In that case, the name had to be that one. There was no other choice.

"Fluffy."

Remembering the pet dog he left behind on Earth, Hu was briefly lost in nostalgia before quickly returning to focus.

This time, I’ll crush those bastards who stabbed me in the back before I return.

[Please name the spirit.]

Huh? He had just said it.

"Fluffy. Your name is Fluffy."

Hu repeated himself.

The spirit tilted its head to the side.

The soil stirred slightly, scattering weakly to the side, and the dog-like form grew faint.

Could it be that he was feeling this because of their bond?

Displeased?

It felt like the dissatisfaction that arose when someone was given a task unfit for their status. Accepting the spirit's feelings deep in his heart, Hu spoke.

Is it because my spirit power is lacking?

"Don’t worry, Fluffy. I might seem weak now, but I’ll grow stronger soon."

Thus, Hu comforted the spirit.

After sealing the contract and naming the spirit, night had already fallen.

He wanted to test the Earth Spirit immediately, but there was little he could do in the dark.

Time to sleep.

It had been an exhausting day, but his heart felt at ease. From tomorrow on, there would be no more digging the ground with bare hands.

"Have you arrived, Lord Landowner?"

As the sun set and Hu stepped into the hut, his advisor, Marcus Rader, greeted him.

This bastard should at least wipe off his drool if he has any manners, shouldn't he?

Hu didn’t get angry. A landowner shouldn't lose their temper easily with a serf.

Otherwise, loyalty would wane.

The foundation wasn’t solid yet. If this were construction, it was like firmly stamping down the earth before building anything.

"Alright. Get some rest."

The Old Serf eyed Hu cautiously.

Hu waved his hand, signaling him to rest as well.

As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep quickly overwhelmed him. As he drifted off, Hu felt the sensation of several threads tied around his left thigh.

Through those threads, Fluffy's lingering dissatisfaction was still evident.

You’re just as impatient as I am, huh?

It seemed the spirit, too, wanted to grow quickly.

Thinking of Joo Hee-yeon and the other so-called heroes, imagining himself destroying their homeland before returning home, Hu fell asleep.

"Rader."

"Yes, Lord Landowner."

Before the morning sun had even risen, Hu had splashed his face with some water. As he called out, Rader wiped the sleep from his eyes and took a step forward.

A poorly tilled field stretched before them. It was a mess.

As Hu stared at the field, his advisor fulfilled his duty.

"If you plant the seeds, you can harvest wheat after ten days."

God Hand was a reality rooted in the mechanics of a game—a harsh reality where people trapped inside had to survive.

Thus, it didn’t require real farming experience. Plant the wheat, meet the system’s requirements, and the harvest would follow.

Even milling and grinding could be done as long as the system’s items were available.

If you had the items, that is.

"First, plow the field, then sow the seeds…"

"Enough."

Hu cut Rader off and turned his head. There was a faster way to save time at the start.

Normally, it would take three people—two serfs and Hu included—using a single hoe for several days to plow the field.

And since they could only work during the day, it would take even longer. That wouldn’t do.

"Rader, you’ve rested enough by now, right?"

"Uh, yes?"

"It’s time to work, Rader."

The Old Serf’s limbs were thin and frail. He could scatter seeds, but forcing him to do heavy labor wouldn’t be right.

Hu strode over and kicked open the hut door.

The poorly attached wooden door creaked loudly as it tore off.

"Lord Landowner!"

Rader cried out in shock and continued.

"If you destroy our only refuge…"

"Then there won’t be anywhere to rest. It’s fine. I’m only breaking the door."

One door would be enough. And if the wind blew through? Well, what about the windows? The hut already had plenty of drafts.

He grabbed the beginner’s hoe given to new players and slammed it into the door.

Breaking the board, he quickly carved out a rough, jagged shape. Having crafted things by hand in his first playthrough, this felt familiar.

The durability will probably suck though…

Just as his arms started to burn from striking with the hoe—

[You have acquired a ‘Crude Plow.’]

Exactly. Who else would think of breaking a hut to craft tools?

That’s what experience was for.

Hu ripped off his shirt.

Rrrip!

He tied the torn fabric to the plow.

Then, Hu looked straight at Rader.

"Yes, Lord Landowner?"

Even without much sense, it was clear that Hu had something in mind for him.

Rader answered instinctively.

Hu gestured for him to come closer, tying the cloth strap around Rader’s shoulders.

"Lord?"

Without a word, Hu placed the plow on the field. Naturally, Rader followed behind.

After pushing the sharp tip of the plow into the ground, Hu spoke.

"Move forward."

"…What?"

The confusion in Rader’s voice was obvious. Hu remembered the drool stain by his mouth.

It wasn’t out of resentment or anything like that. Hu simply needed an ox right now.

"Go."

The landowner’s command was absolute. And from a purely practical standpoint?

How efficient was this?

It was faster and more effective than having three people dig with hoes.

"Pull it, Rader."

Hu needed an ox. And if using the Old Serf as one meant finishing this field and sending him straight to the express train to hell—so be it.

It’s luck.

But what about Rader?

Those broad shoulders and thick thighs.

He might not be smart, but his body was incredibly sturdy.

While Hu had been digging the ground with his bare hands, Rader had rested enough to look clear-eyed and healthy.

He had rested very well.

Rader, his face pale, began to move his feet.

Drdrdr.

The plow embedded in the ground scraped forward.

Watching this, Hu nodded, and Rader started pulling with renewed strength.

"Uh, uh..."

The Old Serf approached but couldn’t finish his sentence.

Why? A man could pull a plow. Oxen were rare in the beginning.

If you couldn’t get an ox—

"Go, Rader."

You just needed something that could take its place.

Good. What should’ve taken two days of relentless plowing could be finished today with Rader Cow.

"Hurry."

You’re my ox now.

"Sow the seeds."

Rader Cow ripped through the field, and behind him, the Old Serf began scattering seeds.

Other players were probably out there hitting the ground with hoes.

Maybe they were struggling to figure out how to plant seeds on top of the stones they had just dug up.

Even Hu had wondered during his first playthrough if he needed to farm like in real life.

But God Hand was just a game, after all.

He had heard it was inspired by an old game called Black and White.

A game where the goal was to grow a kingdom like a god.

For whatever reason, players ended up inside this cursed game.

It wasn’t some fantasy novel.

Either way, that was the advantage.

There was no need to spread manure or actually farm.

Just meet the requirements—plow the field and sow the seeds, and that was it.

"Aaaargh!"

Rader strained his neck as if a stone had blocked the plow.

Clang!

Soon, the stone dislodged, and the field flattened out.

Behind him, the Old Serf rolled the stone aside and continued scattering seeds.

The sunlight was warm.

It was a peaceful sight.

The first plan—the first step—was going smoothly.

With the farming process working out well in this game world, Hu left the two of them to their work and focused on his own task.

Fluffy, Fluffy.

As he called the Earth Spirit in his mind, the thread of communion tied to his left thigh tightened.

Summoning a spirit didn’t trigger some grand spectacle before his eyes.

Instead, the spirit's soul was probably embedded deep within the earth.

Fluffy, Fluffy.

The spirit was still full of dissatisfaction.

Hu ignored it and continued working.

Using fertilizer would make the soil fertile, of course.

But there was no way to obtain fertilizer right now for seeds that would sprout in ten days.

That’s why I need a shortcut.

The reason FisherKing had earned the title of Farming King was simple.

The input-to-output ratio was pure genius.

And what made that possible? Fluffy.

"Hey, what’s the basic strategy of this game? You invest just a little, and you get huge returns, right?"

Exactly—that was the answer.

The essence of strategy came down to that one truth.

Recalling FisherKing’s words, Hu asked the spirit.

Make the land fertile.

Through the thread, the spirit’s will was conveyed.

It was as if it asked him to state his desire.

There were no spoken words, but just like people could understand each other with gestures or looks, the thread of communion delivered the spirit’s meaning.

There was only one thing Hu wanted.

Everyone might start with the same resources, but as soon as they began, differences emerged.

Bountiful harvest, bountiful harvest, bountiful harvest.

Like praying while scooping up water, Hu wished and wished again.

Soon, the spirit power flowing through the thread began to fade.

Hu quietly caught his breath as he felt the energy dissipate.

Just a little, but he was out of breath.

A spirit manifested its power in reality at the cost of its master’s spirit power.

So, bearing Hu’s wish for a prosperous harvest, the spirit must have done its work.

"Aaaargh!"

Rader was still dragging the plow, with the Old Serf scattering seeds behind him.

The sun, once high in the sky, had now started to tilt westward.

"It’s lunchtime."

Hu spoke.

Rader collapsed onto the ground, falling to his knees before pressing his forehead against the soil and groaning.

"Ughhh..."

Tired, my dear Rader?

Then you need to eat well.

Though the food wasn’t sweet, and there wasn’t even any fruit juice—just dried fruit and flour.

Hu was hungry too, but the blandness of the meal made it easy to forget his hunger.

This is ridiculous.

How much had he suffered during his first playthrough?

More than half his struggles had been about getting enough food.

Crunch.

Hu ground his teeth.

Eat. Eat and store energy.

The Old Serf quickly brought some food.

First, they had to deal with the surrounding black mist before they could even think about gathering supplies.

Of course, Hu had another way to solve the food problem first.

"Rader, eat."

"…Because I have to pull the plow?"

That was true… but Hu didn’t say that.

"No, you’re my precious companion."

Words didn’t cost anything.

He lavished Rader with free praise.

In a management simulation game like this, increasing an ally’s loyalty early on could be done with just words.

Hu knew this from experience, so he talked.

Exhausted from overwork, Rader lowered his head as his loyalty waned.

"Ox—no, Rader. Hang in there."

"I feel like mooing right now…"

"It’s okay. You’re an excellent advisor."

Though none of Rader’s advice had ever been useful, his role was still that of an advisor.

"Ah."

Suddenly remembering his duty after the excessive labor, the advisor let out a sigh and spoke.

"If you overwork a serf too much..."

"No, you’re fine."

Had Hu ever pushed someone to work for just a day or two?

Even if the talent management window wasn’t visible yet, he knew how much work would kill someone and how much would simply exhaust them.

From what Hu could see, Rader still had plenty of stamina left.

He was remarkably healthy.

As proof of his hard work, his face, once marked by drool stains, was now covered in dried sweat, leaving behind salty streaks.

It was a satisfying sight.

"…Is that so?"

"Yeah. That’s right."

At Hu’s firm words, Rader reluctantly nodded.