A Village Appeared on My Desktop

---

Chapter 40 – Miracle of the Outskirts (10)

“Today seems sufficient. Let’s head back slowly.”

“Ah, yes, Chief.”

As the late afternoon approached, Chieftain Balun took a moment to catch his breath after expending both mana and stamina, and decided to retreat with Shura to the safety zone in the Secret Space.

The hunting mode monsters, which respawn no matter how many times they’re killed, were still too much for just the two of them; even cleaning out the castle was proving difficult. He had already realized that managing his stamina and taking calculated risks were essential.

‘Still, our skills are increasing quickly.’

Balun gently stroked the staff in his hand. Though still lacking, the growth was rapid.

According to the common sense of existing warriors, increasing one’s mana was a long and grueling task, yet they could increase their mana and combat power simply by fighting monsters and gaining experience points, just as players did.

“Our primary goal is to take down that huge skeleton without Riena’s assistance.”

As they returned to the village through the portal, Balun stated that catching the Soul Devourer, an elite monster appearing inside the castle, would be their goal.

If they could defeat the creature that Riena had previously helped him take down, it would be a testament to their growth.

“I see others have returned as well.”

At that moment, Shura pointed out other people returning to the village around the same time, including Kun and Russo, who had also wrapped up their resource gathering in the sandbox game and were returning with the necessary items. Riena and Balun were still in the midst of Chapter 2.

‘They’ve really improved.’

Preparations for dinner began soon after. The sight of grains being poured generously and meat being cooked was almost becoming second nature.

Balun chuckled softly as he watched them, along with the other villagers.

From a small group of barely thirty when they first escaped, they had now transformed into a sizable crowd of over a hundred, living more abundantly than before they fled to this nameless land.

Moreover, it had all been achieved in a short span of time. While awakening their mana was miraculous, Balun valued this entire scene even more.

“You’re back. You’ve worked hard.”

“You’ve worked harder, my friend.”

Then, Morin, looking utterly exhausted, approached Balun and spoke.

To build the castle, Morin had started by surrounding it with stone walls, putting all his energy into stacking a few meters of stone fencing today.

Though his body was worn out, his expression was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

“I feel like I’m getting better at this as I go along. Like Kun mentioned, by swinging the pickaxe repeatedly, he was able to do it a bit faster. I guess I’ll improve too if I keep it up.”

“That’s good news. However, once you successfully stack the walls around the village, I’ll have to ask you for more help. Isn’t that something you’d rather avoid?”

Balun chuckled ruefully at Morin’s proud declaration about increasing his stamina as he worked hard to lay down blocks, hinting at the immense potential of Morin’s skills.

“I’ve seen what it’s like to lose everything in front of me. Just being able to do something is a blessing in itself.”

However, Morin shook his head joyfully. Others echoed similar sentiments; those carrying scars from their own helplessness found comfort in simply being able to act.

‘I’m in the same boat.’

And this sentiment was mirrored in Balun with the staff in his hand. As long as he could protect this scenery, he believed he could do anything.

*

“Ugh, ughhh…”

After sitting in front of the computer all day, my body had stiffened.

Unconsciously stretching, a groan escaped my lips. The villagers were having dinner, and after finishing the quest to hunt monsters for special equipment and bringing Riena back, it was about time I ate too.

‘Not much has changed.’

Sighing as I rummaged through the fridge. Unless there was a rare promise to meet with the residents, my everyday life consisted of being holed up at home playing games. That aspect hadn’t changed since the old days when I knew nothing.

“…”

As I headed back to the computer with my meal, the early evening scenery outside the window caught my eye. The familiar sight looked strikingly different upon reflection.

Though I was merely sitting in front of a computer, I was working to fend off monsters capable of plunging the world into horror.

Of course, I had no desire for others to recognize me or treat me like a hero. That kind of attention was repugnant.

‘Everyone is growing steadily.’

As I resumed my seat, I mindlessly chewed while watching the villagers. Eating together with them during their meal time had become a recent habit of mine.

I even captured a few people using a capture app to monitor changes in their stats.

While I was genuinely helping the villagers through various games, to me, the entire process felt like a singular game.

Placing villagers in strategic positions and occasionally manipulating game characters to assist them.

As a result, those who previously appeared destitute were now enjoying a bountiful meal, and their numbers had certainly grown. Just witnessing that gave me a sense of achievement.

After all, they weren’t just simple game data; they were real individuals. But if this were truly a game, it surely had to have a purpose.

[Bug Nest]

The bug nest that the villagers failed to conquer was still intact. How many more of those would emerge in the future, no one knew.

‘So it’s only more unsettling.’

Stronger and tougher creatures could spawn. No, they surely would. While the villagers were developing steadily, doubts lingered in my mind about whether it would be enough.

Not only for my own safety but also due to a strange attachment I felt toward the villagers, this thought grew stronger.

‘In the end, do I have to make them fight?’

No matter how I thought about it, it felt imperative to increase their numbers.

I found a way to bloom their talents using the items Essence of Monster and Dark Blood from the sandbox crafting system, but unless I found a more efficient method to turn each of them into Shura-level superhumans, even just over a hundred would be insufficient.

That meant I couldn’t just sit idly. Being a tribe of the grassland, they’d need to fight and conquer others to grow their population.

Although it didn’t sit well with me to force those who had fled here to battle their kin, we wouldn’t survive if we didn’t grow stronger.

“—. —-.”

Balun, the chief who couldn’t gauge my feelings, was earnestly speaking to the villagers with a serious expression.

While Balun was a decisive and cold leader, he genuinely cared for the tribe. When I saw him fighting against raiders last time, he appeared strong enough, yet for some reason, it didn’t seem like he would proactively start a war to increase their population.

“What’s this?”

While deep in thought, I mindlessly scrolled through the screen and checked the terrains around the village explored by the villagers—what I saw felt like a twist of fate.

[Southwest Grassland 1-6], quite literally, it was one of the farthest places the villagers had explored, requiring six screen flips southwest of the village. There was movement in the once empty, shadowy grassland.

I zoomed in on them, who appeared as mere specks in the corner of the monitor.

[Immigrant Scout Rakum]

[Trait: Martial Arts]

Upon checking the info on one of them, it dawned on me they were immigrants. Their horse-mounted silhouettes, with light gear and holding torches, resembled the village scouts.

They were scouts of a tribe that had immigrated to the area.

Left alone, they’d likely wander off, but I felt a tug on my hand, reaching for the mouse. Since I couldn’t scroll any further west, surveying their territory was impossible.

‘Should I let them know?’

It would have been one thing if they were completely oblivious, but since I had seen them, it felt wrong to just let it go. If they continued heading east, they could run into the village.

I spun back to the screen, using my mouse control to actively utilize Riena, who had just finished her meal.

I positioned her slightly away from where the others were, among the bushes. Ideally, I would’ve wanted to place her closer to them, but my mouse control was restricted in areas with non-allied entities.

“—?”

Confused, Riena looked skyward, scanning the empty surroundings. Each time she seemed lost, I had to guide her back towards the village using the mouse.

It was almost exasperating, but luckily, she seemed to catch on this time, moving westward, spotting their torch and quickly dropping low.

“–.”

With determination, Riena muttered something while keeping her body low to avoid detection, inching closer toward the opponent.

As the scouts finished their reconnaissance and turned back toward their stronghold, Riena followed closely behind.

In the darkness of night, they were the only ones illuminating the surroundings with their torches, making it easy for Riena to track them without much trouble.

“Just as I thought…”

Finally, Riena stepped into an unexplored area that even the scouts hadn’t mapped. As the screen flipped, I minimized the view and spotted a village glowing with many lights in the top left corner of the monitor. The torches of the scouting party moved toward the village at a snail’s pace.

Riena was watching the scene from the right edge of the monitor as well.

[Unnamed Village (1)]

‘Looks like an ordinary village.’

I couldn’t tell whether it had been there from the start or if the inhabitants had immigrated recently, but they didn’t seem drastically different from Balun’s tribe.

Unlike previous raiders or vagabonds, these were individuals who had decided to settle and live there. It appeared there were about a hundred of them, and my immediate thought was whether Balun could absorb them into the village.

Could Riena comprehend my intent in showing her this information?

As the scouts concluded their observations, I was now able to control the mouse again and promptly withdrew Riena back to the village.

Naturally, Riena reported this to the surprised Balun, and the villagers, including Balun, began to converse seriously with grave expressions.