Lord of the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 190: The Pioneering Mission

"My lord — breakfast is ready!"

Xiao Ning's voice drifted up from the first floor, clear and cheerful.

From the second-floor bedroom, George heard it and felt a small, involuntary smile pull at the corner of his mouth. He had a soft spot for that kind of simple, uncomplicated happiness — because he was, at heart, a very ordinary person himself.

He dressed and came downstairs, but didn't go straight to the table. He headed first to the back garden. November had arrived. Temperatures were dropping. Overnight lows were now dipping below zero.

Which meant the winter wheat needed checking.

The seedlings were holding up well. One-Star wheat seeds were evidently more hardy than standard varieties — every seedling in the small garden was vigorous and green, no signs of frost damage. That said, a protective covering of planks or branches would be wise before the first snow arrived. This wasn't a cold-resistant strain.

By the time he'd sorted that out, the wind had picked up — shaking loose the last of the leaves from the avenue trees, scattering them across the ground. The brilliant, layered autumn was ending.

"My lord, are we continuing the recovery training today? My father came home last night — he's a Three-Star Mercenary. If you'd like, I could ask him to spar with you?"

Xiao Ning had an eager, hopeful look about her.

"Of course — I'll cover the sparring fee. But I also wanted to ask: where in Weir City can I train with a bow?"Sword training was currently just rehabilitation work. Archery was a different matter — that he couldn't afford to let slide.

He was also thinking about dropping by Internal Affairs once he'd fully recovered — to see if there were any small tasks he could pick up. Even working as hired muscle would be fine. Sitting and spending was burning through his reserves. He needed to be ready for the Chaotic Killing Battlefield in four months.

"Archery ranges? There are several, but they all charge fees. My lord, why not use the Internal Affairs training grounds? Those are free for you. And my father would be happy to spar with you there at no charge — he'd just need you to bring him in with you. I'm told the training grounds are at a superior standard. I'm not even eligible to enter."

The Internal Affairs benefits package was quite good, it turned out.

The only friction was the carriage fare — eight Silver Coins each round trip. Unless he jogged there himself. Under twenty kilometers, after all.

He considered it, then shook his head. His body still felt like it was at around ninety percent of its peak. The stats window showed no remaining issues, but some things didn't show up in stats windows. His body was telling him differently.

The right call was still moderate, progressive rehabilitation. He was a person, not a machine. Rest and recover properly — that mattered.

"Xiao Ning, are there any places to buy supplies nearby?"

"Yes, several, my lord. For a lord of your rank, the options are quite broad. You could visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs' own market, or the Logistics Department's direct-supply warehouse. Both are the best sources for supplies above One-Star quality — they also carry all kinds of item cards, hunting pets, weapons, and equipment. The most comprehensive options available."

"For those of us at a lower level, the first choice is the second-hand market in Nook Alley. It's a mixed crowd, with something of a grey-market character, but you can also set up your own stall. Lively, and occasionally you find a genuine deal."

"And then there are the Weir City Farmstead retail shops — scattered all across the city, one near every residential district. They sell basic grains, vegetables, and seasonal fruits at very low prices. Practically given away. Of course, food waste in Weir City carries serious consequences — we're all raised from childhood to take only what you need. Wastefulness is treated as a real offense."

The Internal Affairs market it was. His status might even come with a discount.

He called a carriage and brought Xiao Ning along. Half an hour later, they arrived at the main gate of the Internal Affairs compound once again. George looked around at the surrounding residential buildings. None of them looked like a market facing outward.

He looked at Xiao Ning. Xiao Ning looked back at him, completely honest — she'd never been here either.

Fortunately, he immediately spotted a familiar face. Old John — not the one from the family split, but the Old John from the Stone Quarry battle, who had been forced to severe his own circulation pathways and leave.

This version looked considerably younger than the mission-world iteration. Sharp-eyed, energetic, carrying himself with easy confidence.

"Wait — Li Wei? You're still here? You haven't gone for your Title Task yet?"

Straight to the point with a three-question combo.

George raised an eyebrow. Am I really that well-known? I don't even know your name.

The man laughed, extended his right hand, and shook George's warmly. "I'm Duncan. Congratulations on the Rookie King, brother — first one in a century. Right now, you're not just famous in Internal Affairs, you're known throughout Weir City. But I've been curious — you're not trying to get your code name? Hasn't anyone from Internal Affairs set something up for you? You've already missed the window."

"I was injured."

That was all George could offer. Some things couldn't be fully explained. He had been seriously hurt, and he was a cautious person with a low tolerance for rushing into unfamiliar situations. He'd deliberately avoided making any unnecessary moves until he understood the lay of the land.

And Night Owl herself hadn't sent anyone to hurry him along. No welcome ceremony, no fanfare. Just a quiet, low-key presence.

Did that signal a lack of interest in him?

Impossible. He was the Rookie King, and she was effectively the one who had cultivated and selected him — the instructor who could put her name first on the paper, so to speak.

Which meant the subdued handling was deliberate. Either Night Owl was genuinely occupied and couldn't attend to a minor new arrival — or there were internal disagreements about his next steps, and moving carefully meant sidestepping some competing interest.

A Rookie King mattered enough to generate those kinds of disagreements. He'd just have to read the room and stay composed.

'I'm not a competitive child. I can wait.'

"Ah, injuries — nothing to be done about that. You're here for supplies and item cards, aren't you? Once you're inside the compound, turn left — first room. Look for the old man who looks like a security guard. That's Number Three in our Ministry."

Duncan's expression when he heard "injured" was a curious mix of genuine warmth and undisguised amusement. He pointed the way helpfully, gave Xiao Ning an appreciative look, and hurried off.

He clearly couldn't afford, or more accurately didn't have the funds to hire, a young maid of that caliber. He walked a fair distance before looking back one more time, with an expression that said a great deal.

"My lord — you can't join the mission anymore?" Xiao Ning asked quietly, sounding worried.

"That's right. I was injured."

George felt no particular regret about it. He knew the truth clearly: Title Tasks weren't simple. He had four months. Even fully healed and at peak condition, he'd likely still find himself thrown off-pace by fresher participants — and critically, he had no intention of spending his gold on favors or influence. Every coin served a purpose.

First room on the left after entering the compound, old man who looks like a security guard, apparently the third most senior figure in Internal Affairs. That was a genuinely strange description.

He hadn't spotted this person during his earlier registration visit. This time, there he was — white-haired, face heavily lined, not a trace of the immortal-sage look that old martial arts heroes were supposed to have. He looked exactly like the guard-uncle in front of any ordinary apartment complex.

The old man saw George and immediately broke into a warm smile.

"Li Wei. I've been waiting a while for you. Settling in well at Wind Residence No. 53?"

"Very well, thank you for your concern."

George replied with genuine courtesy. Xiao Ning stayed at the compound gate — her call, made quietly on her own initiative.

"Ha. And the injuries — how are they healing? You look well."

"To be honest, I still feel I need some more time with rehabilitation training before I'm truly there."

"Good mindset, that. Worthy of a Rookie King. Now — what brings you in today? Is there something you need?"

"Yes — I'd like to purchase some item cards and supplies. And I also wanted to ask about small tasks within Internal Affairs. I think after this month, I could take on some work."

The old man nodded at that. "As it happens, I did have a question for you. You're now a Three-Star Lord. When do you intend to apply for a Territory Mission?"

"Can I apply right now? Is there a time limit after applying?"

"In principle, yes — though it depends which type. There are actually three distinct types."

"The first type of Three-Star Lord Mission requires first participating in the Chaotic Killing Battlefield three times and accumulating 1,000 Battlefield Contribution points. After that, you can join a Rookie Mission mid-course, and upon completion, receive a one-square-kilometer starting camp. Lowest difficulty. Total timeline: roughly four years."

"This type of territory carries heavy taxation, and you can't manage it directly — but it gives you a place to repair equipment cheaply and receive supply shipments at low cost, and you'll receive fifty gold per year in tax revenue without having to do anything at all. Victor Town is one such example. The lord on paper is Sir Tuck — but there's also a Three-Star Lord holding a nominal title on the Alliance's side."

"In a sense, this is still a benefit for dedicated veterans. For instance — if Hathaway had completed her Lord Mission in the mission you just came from, she wouldn't actually be running Kakh City directly. But she'd have access to better equipment at reduced cost, better resources at reduced cost, and a minimum of three hundred gold in annual profit from it."

"The second type of Three-Star Lord Mission requires purchasing territory that's been managed poorly. The difficulty here lies in requiring exceptional operational, production, and development capability — essentially running a hundred-person enterprise in real terms, full production-to-sales pipeline, with the ability to navigate both official and informal channels. Merchant-type players fall into this category."

"This kind of territory can't be purchased within an Orderly-and-Peaceful world. You can only acquire Pioneering territories that have lost their strategic value."

"The third type of Three-Star Lord Mission is to carve out a territory directly within the Chaotic Killing World — what's known as a Pioneering Territory. Highest difficulty. Highest risk. Also the highest return, because a Pioneering Territory essentially makes you a Lord with actual executive authority. I think you understand what that means."

"So, Li Wei — which type of Lord Mission are you inclined toward?"

The old man finished and looked at him with a placid, comfortable smile. Approachable on the surface, but behind it: a sharp and cold-eyed appraisal. Not friendly in the way the smile suggested.

George had no idea what he might have done to earn that underlying wariness. But it didn't particularly matter.

"In principle, I favor the third type. However, given that I apparently can no longer complete Title Tasks this cycle, it may be worth waiting a little."

"Waiting is reasonable. But Li Wei, understand this clearly: Rookie Missions come around every three years. Pioneering Missions come only every ten. Miss this one, and you're waiting ten years. During that time, you'd be dependent on waiting lists — standing by in line to fill spots when someone else dies in an ongoing Pioneering Mission. And even then, getting a spot isn't guaranteed."

"Four months from now, the great Six-Star Lord will launch a new round of Pioneering Missions — twenty Pioneering Cards in total. Internal Affairs received four. Four slots. Our Chief Internal Affairs Officer intends to give one of those slots to you. So — do you want it? Think it through carefully."

"Yes."

It came out almost before George had finished the thought.

Before he'd understood the full picture, of course he needed to think it over. If applications were open whenever, what was the rush — wasn't growing stronger first the obvious move?

But ten years. And during those ten years, the only entry point was a waitlist, hoping someone died to free up a spot. In ten years, the rent-free period on Wind Residence No. 53 would be long expired. He didn't even want to imagine where he'd be after a decade of that kind of stagnation.

Miss a beat at a critical moment, and you miss every beat after it. You get pressed down and held there.

If he took an injury somewhere along the way — developed some lingering physical problem — the setbacks would compound. A snowball rolling downhill. Ten years?

In ten years, who would even remember a Rookie King by the name of Li Wei?

And quietly, without making any show of it — Night Owl had arranged a Pioneering slot for him. Truly, a patron in the most loyal sense of the word.