Seated in the lofty court, bearing the black banner upon his shoulders!
After three months of steady development, marking exactly one year since entering the game world, the labor force population of the Andes Wild Ratmen’s town finally surpassed the milestone of ten thousand.
“Congratulations, Lord. The town’s population has exceeded ten thousand. Please name your town.”
“Highcourt!”
Yang Jie silently repeated the name in his heart, entering “Highcourt” into the system interface. This was the name he had cherished for so long, and now it finally appeared on the map.
“Town name: Highcourt.”
“Confirm?”
“Confirm.”
“Town name set successfully. It will now appear within the visible map range of all lord players.”
...
After an entire year of development, the town atop Horseshoe Mountain finally had a name of its own.
The labor force population crossed the ten-thousand threshold. The number of newborn pups was similarly vast: according to Wendy’s latest statistics, there were four thousand pups less than two months old, and the number of juvenile ratmen exceeded ten thousand.
The number of troops likewise surpassed a thousand.
After unlocking “town naming,” if the stationed troops in a town exceeded one thousand, another achievement was unlocked: the “military designation.”
“Respected Lord, please give your troops a resounding name!”
“Black Banner Army!”
Yang Jie didn’t hesitate; he blurted out the name. It would forever be linked to the ratmen’s glory.
Because the ratmen’s fur and skin were both gray-black, Yang Jie immediately thought of this name.
“Army designation: Black Banner Army. Confirm?”
“Confirm!”
Yang Jie then appointed One-Eye as Commander-in-Chief of the Black Banner Army, and One-Eye’s deputy, Hank, as Chief of Staff.
“Designation set. The system will issue one battle flag, which can be collected from your mailbox.”
As an experienced player, Yang Jie knew well the importance of this battle flag. It was the emblem of the army’s designation; wherever the battle flag was present, nearby troops would receive certain buffs.
The battle flag could also be upgraded, though this required exchanging military merits.
Opening the mailbox, a battle flag with a black background and striking white patterns appeared on the system panel.
“The lord may freely edit the flag’s design. Please let your imagination soar.”
Yang Jie didn’t struggle with this; he began editing according to his ideas from the beta test.
After about ten minutes...
Yang Jie wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Done!”
He saved and confirmed the design.
Very soon, a simple yet solemn battle flag appeared in Yang Jie’s hands.
He summoned his secretary.
“Chief, what can I do for you?”
“Go to the main camp and tell General One-Eye personally that tomorrow at exactly ten o’clock in the morning, there will be a flag presentation ceremony!”
“A flag ceremony?”
“Yes, just relay my words directly. He’ll understand.”
Without further explanation, Yang Jie sent his secretary away and gazed affectionately at the black flag with its colored patterns, cradled in his hands. Only Yang Jie understood the profound significance this flag held for all Andes Wild Ratmen.
The new day dawned. Crowds packed the military training grounds outside Highcourt, awaiting the solemn flag presentation ceremony.
Yang Jie stood on the podium, holding the black flag, facing a group of fierce ratmen warriors. Even the walls surrounding the training ground were crowded with onlookers.
“Today!”
“We officially establish the designation: Black Banner Army!”
Under the blazing sun, as the crowd fell silent, Yang Jie’s words rang out to the more than one thousand ratmen warriors assembled before him.
“Great warriors of the Andes Wild Ratmen!”
“From this day forth, you are officially members of the Black Banner Army!”
“This pride and honor will follow you for life!”
It was close to noon, with the heat nearly unbearable, yet the soldiers stood tall and resolute. Over the past six months, Yang Jie had led his people in vigorous economic development.
At the same time, he fiercely focused on military strengthening. Two months earlier, the “Revised Military Personnel Benefits Act” passed unanimously at the officers’ meeting.
Since then, those serving in the most dangerous profession—soldiers—became the highest-paid in the tribe. Under the influence of military propaganda, respect for soldiers within the ratmen community grew, and every family took pride in having a soldier among them.
As the tribe’s ideology was gradually shaped, the criteria for selecting soldiers rose ever higher.
Through repeated selection, the first group of Black Banner Army soldiers reached Yang Jie’s expectations for military quality.
Besides one thousand elite Black Banner soldiers, there were two thousand reserves and two hundred ratmen in the Mechanized Battalion led by Shuke. At last, Yang Jie possessed the strength to defend his land.
“As soldiers, you must always be ready to sacrifice for your tribe. Are you prepared?”
Yang Jie scanned the crowd, his words ringing out.
“Rest assured, Chief!”
Their voices were loud and unified.
“As soldiers, you are the backbone of the tribe!”
“You are the pride of the clan!”
“You are the blade thrust at the enemy!”
“You are heroes in the hearts of the people!”
“You are the steel fortress of the Andes Wild Ratmen!”
“Tell me loudly! What is your creed?”
“Fearless in the face of adversity!”
“Unbowed by hardship!”
“Loyal to the Chief!”
“Serve the people!”
More than a thousand elite Black Banner Army soldiers swore in unison, their voices echoing across the Horseshoe Mountain heights.
“Commander of the Black Banner Army!”
“Present!”
One-Eye stepped forward from the front row, answering in a clear, strong voice.
“Receive the flag!”
One-Eye strode up to the podium, his remaining eye resolute, his expression solemn.
Standing before Yang Jie, he pounded his chest with a fist, his other hand behind his back, executing a crisp military salute. Then, with hands calloused from years of training, he took from Yang Jie the flag that would embody the empire’s glory for generations.
Turning to face the assembled ratmen warriors, One-Eye grasped the corners of the black flag and slowly unfurled it before them.
Swish!
All one thousand Black Banner soldiers snapped to attention, gazing up at the flag they would defend with their lives.
On the black background were three abstract ratmen, each with distinct markings.
If you’re unsure what they look like, imagine the cover of a soft currency note, arranged much like the portrait of Chairman Mao. The difference was that the ratmen heads on the Black Banner Army flag weren’t as finely detailed—extremely abstract, barely recognizable as ratmen.
The main design featured the profiles of three ratmen.
The first, closest to the viewer, was rendered in vivid red.
The ratman in the middle was dark green, partly obscured by the red one ahead.
The last was a gray-furred ratman, the only other fur color found in the tribe besides black.
The three differently colored ratmen represented the three classes among ratmen warriors. Yet, at this stage, the grand blueprint could not be fully realized.
After the warriors below had admired the flag, Yang Jie beside One-Eye began to clap, and soon the applause swept the crowd.
Yang Jie’s expression was grave, his gaze unwavering.
Noticing a hint of confusion in the eyes of the ratmen soldiers below, Yang Jie couldn’t help but wonder to himself:
“Could there be something wrong with my artistic sense? Surely no rat would question my talent, right?”
“No, certainly not...”
“Hmm...”