Volume One, Chapter One: The Global Fortress Siege

On the usual blue planet, a massive rift in space-time suddenly appeared in the sky. Countless beams of white light burst forth from it, instantly enveloping the entire planet...

Ding! “Welcome to the Global Castle Defense Game!”

“Starting today, you will live within the castle game! There is a three-day protection period during which you may explore within a 100-meter radius of your castle; beyond that, there is no protection.”

“Here, you are the king of your castle, with the authority to govern all. But as a game, you will face occasional attacks from various monsters.”

“Your only means of defense are defensive buildings, barracks, and potions. You can upgrade your castle, which in turn allows upgrades to your buildings.”

“Buildings fall into categories: defensive, resource-producing, technological, and barracks. Upgrading and construction require resources and manpower.”

“In this realm, only by managing your castle well will you attract NPCs to settle here. Settled NPCs are your vital manpower. But if your castle is mismanaged, NPCs will steadily desert until you stand utterly alone.”

“This is a game starting from zero, where everyone begins at level one. Strive to upgrade your castle, fend off enemies, and ensure a better life for your people!”

“You currently have only a level one castle, your sole relatively safe refuge. When the castle falls, the king perishes; when the king perishes, the castle falls.”

A cold, emotionless voice echoed in Lin Yi’s mind.

Castle defense? Upgrade? Castle?

Upon waking, Lin Yi found himself lying inside a shabby, drafty castle.

Looking around, apart from a wall about ten meters away, the place was empty. The promised NPCs were nowhere to be seen.

Shock overwhelmed Lin Yi, leaving him speechless.

He had been napping at home moments ago and now suddenly found himself here.

As Lin Yi stood helplessly before the castle, the cold voice sounded again.

“Weak humans, put away your pitiful looks!”

“Here, each of you is a king, and a king must act like one.”

“To survive without being torn apart by monsters, remember these points:”

“First, manage your kingdom well to attract NPCs, as they are your manpower for upgrades.”

“Also, upgrade buildings; higher-level buildings effectively defend against monster invasions.”

“Second, during your development phase, quickly strengthen yourself to avoid being too weak.”

“Third, when monsters attack, protect yourselves well. If spotted by monsters, they will change targets and relentlessly pursue you.”

“Fourth, treasures often appear after monsters retreat; kings may seek these out.”

“Fifth, stay vigilant— you never know who you might be facing.”

“Sixth, always wear the wristwatch guide. Upgrading, trading, and information are all managed through it.”

“Losing it will result in inability to upgrade, trade, or access information.”

“Wise kings, take good care of your kingdoms. A word of advice: ‘You may know the face but not the heart—beware of deception!’”

The voice faded away, but Lin Yi frowned deeply. After a while, he murmured, “If all humanity is here, then there are over seven billion kings.”

He glanced at the wristwatch, shaped like a smart device. Opening it revealed a 3D holographic screen with tabs for upgrades, information, trading, messages, and a shop.

Seeing 99+ messages, Lin Yi tapped into the message tab.

At that moment, the virtual screen ignited with countless fervent thoughts; messages exploded like dazzling fireworks. Thousands of incoming messages flooded in a second, each line shimmering with excitement and confusion. Their content varied wildly, yet all shared a common core: shock and complex emotions.

The flood of messages mostly read: “No way, it’s real.” “Damn, just a broken stone castle, nothing at all.” “A massive family reunion scene…” The messages were mostly complaints and jokes.

Lin Yi exited and opened the information tab, which prompted: “Please name your castle.”

Without hesitation, the words “Skywing” appeared in his mind, a phrase that felt familiar yet elusive.

He instinctively typed “Skywing” and confirmed. The interface now displayed “Kingdom of Skywing” at the upper left corner.

He then saw the Skywing Castle: Level 1, Defense 0, HP 1000.

Resource storage showed Gold 2000, Water 2000, Food 2000. Currently: 2000 gold coins, 2000 units of divine water.

NPC capacity: 10, currently 0. For upgrade materials, refer to the upgrade tab.

Lin Yi promptly opened the upgrade tab, seeing unbuilt buildings: Level 1 Gold Mine, requiring 0 manpower, 1 minute construction time, consuming 200 units of divine water.

Effect: Defense 0, produces 1 gold coin per second. Upon reaching max capacity, production halts until the king collects it. Max capacity: 1500.

He roughly surveyed the resource buildings: two types— a gold mine producing gold and a divine water pool producing divine water.

He noticed each resource type corresponded to a building category. Divine water was associated with gold mines and barracks, while gold related to the divine water pool and most other buildings.

Without hesitation, he spent 200 gold and 200 divine water each to build these, placing them on the castle’s left and right sides.

Then he spent 500 gold coins to construct a turret— only one was possible because a level one castle can hold only a single turret. If possible, Lin Yi would have built more to defend himself.

Watching his resources dwindle, Lin Yi felt a pang of regret. Still, he decided to spend 1000 divine water to build a level one barracks: HP 200, capacity 10.

Calculating all his buildable resources, he realized they matched the system’s initial endowment of 2000 gold and divine water.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Lin Yi muttered, “Am I the only fool still dithering over these damn buildings?” He chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head.

But soon, as if resolute, Lin Yi clenched his teeth and decided to stop hesitating, beginning to build everything he could.

As time passed, the once empty space gradually changed. Around the lone stone castle, seven brand-new buildings sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, each unique but all level one.

Seeing this, Lin Yi’s anxiety eased somewhat. The previous emptiness and insecurity faded, replaced by a sense of steadiness and satisfaction.

He carefully examined the seven new buildings, pondering their optimal arrangement. After deliberation, Lin Yi chose to centralize resource buildings near the castle’s core for easier management and protection.

Barracks and training grounds were placed on the outskirts, ready to respond to threats. Important turrets were surrounded by other buildings, forming a sturdy defensive line.

Looking at his handiwork, Lin Yi’s lips curled into a faint, pleased smile. He nodded gently, acknowledging and appreciating his own progress.

Feeling a twinge of boredom, Lin Yi casually picked up his phone to check messages. Fortunately, the system enforced strict rules: each person could send only one message per day, preventing overwhelming spam and preserving some peace for Lin Yi.

After browsing messages for a while, he glanced at the clock on the wall and saw there was still plenty of time before the day ended. A thought struck him—perhaps he should explore the surroundings!

Maybe, during his wanderings, he could stumble upon the treasures the system mentioned.

With that in mind, Lin Yi rose without hesitation, stepping out briskly to begin exploring the area.