Chen Han's face was covered in dark, twitching lines of exasperation.
Staring at Miu Keke in front of him, he sighed helplessly."Uh—Keke! We really don't have the building points to waste on something this unnecessary. As long as the place is livable, that's enough. Why go through all this trouble?"
But Miu Keke clearly wasn't buying it.
She puffed her cheeks, tugged on his hand, and gazed up at him with a sweet, coy expression."Shixiong, I want a prettier house… okay?"
"This—"
Chen Han hesitated for a heartbeat.
"Pleeeease~~ Shixiong~~ upgrade this shabby hut for me~~"
Miu Keke continued acting pitiful, her voice growing even softer and cuter—weaponized adorableness.
Some might ask: What man can resist a loli girl's sugary, spoiled pleading?
More importantly, this particular loli really was too cute… dangerously cute.
"'Cuteness is justice'," the saying goes—and in this moment, Chen Han had to admit it was true.
He exhaled in defeat and nodded."Fine. Just one upgrade—"
But before he even finished the sentence—
Miu Keke suddenly wrapped herself around his waist like a clingy little sloth.
Tilting her head up with big watery eyes, she continued her act."Nooo! Don't you have 100 building points? Just upgrade it five times!"
Chen Han's mouth twitched violently. He took a deep breath and tried to explain."No, Keke, I'm doing this for your sake. If we build another defense tower, you'll take less damage. I'll feel much safer."
But Miu Keke pretended not to hear a single word."Oh, I already said it's fine. Totally! Not! A! Problem!"
She emphasized each of the last three words with exaggerated seriousness.
Seeing her unshakeable determination, Chen Han could only sigh deeply.
After all, maintaining harmony between a Lord and their Hero unit was one of the core lessons repeated—almost nagged—into students by the Lord's Code textbooks. The importance was self-evident.
A Hero's survival was critical.
If a Lord's first summoned Hero died, even gathering another hundred Creation Crystals wouldn't guarantee the next summon yielded another Hero unit.
At that point, all one could do was pray for the less-than-one-percent chance of pulling even a mediocre Hero—otherwise, the trial was as good as failed.
Despite his concerns, Chen Han ultimately couldn't reject Miu Keke's request.
He also remembered what they were taught in high school:The Awakening Trial grows progressively harder.
The creatures attacking on Day One were usually very weak; some physically strong students with good combat skills could survive without Heroes or defensive structures at all.
Since Miu Keke said it would be fine… he would trust her this once.
Chen Han extended his index finger and tapped the "Upgrade Lord's Residence" button five times in a row.
Lord's Residence upgraded ×5 — Cost: 100 Building Points
The next second—
A dazzling white light wrapped around the small thatched hut.
The hut's ghostly silhouette expanded rapidly, swelling larger and larger as if growing against the wind.
Within moments, the humble shelter transformed into a sturdy wooden cabin—like a simple countryside house abruptly planted in the barren wasteland.
The moment she saw it, Miu Keke let out a delighted squeal and dashed toward the cabin like a child discovering a brand-new toy.
"How old is she really…? This tiny wooden house isn't even that impressive…"
Chen Han muttered under his breath as he followed her inside.
The moment she entered, Miu Keke jumped straight onto the bed."This bed is sooo soft! And a blanket! It's way comfier than that straw mat!"
After declaring this, she rolled around excitedly like a little fish, her expression full of mischief and pure childish joy.
Seeing how happy she was, Chen Han couldn't help but smile."Well? Are you satisfied now?"
Miu Keke nodded vigorously."Mm! Thank you, Shixio—"
But before she could finish, a piercing system alert resounded in Chen Han's mind.
"Warning: Void creatures are attacking the barrier! My Lord, please respond immediately!"
Chen Han's expression fell at once."Keke, the enemy's here. No more messing around!"
Miu Keke froze mid-roll, then sat up straight, eyes sparkling with excitement."Okay! Shixiong, watch closely—I'll show you how strong I really am!"
They stepped outside.
And immediately, five green-skinned humanoid monsters came into view.
Each one wielded a crude wooden mace covered in spikes, beating against the spatial barrier with manic fervor, snarling in guttural voices that sounded like curses.
Type: GoblinLevel: Tier 1, Stage 1Description: The lowest-class Void creature. Extremely low intelligence and combat capability.
Obviously, these goblins were the Day One enemies of the trial.
Structure: Isolation BarrierLevel: Tier 1, Stage 1Durability: 9,976 / 10,000Upgrade Cost: Scales with Lord levelEffect: Prevents enemies from entering. If broken, requires 72 hours to fully recover. Higher levels increase maximum durability.
"Looks like Day One really is simple.If this is all there is… I might even be able to win without help."
Chen Han analyzed calmly, watching the barrier durability decline at a snail's pace.
They learned in school that every hit equivalent to an average adult's bare-handed punch reduced durability by one point.
These five goblins had been clubbing away for half a minute, and they'd only shaved off twenty-four points—meaning their strength was pathetically weak.
"Well, well, Shixiong… you're quite brave, aren't you?"Miu Keke narrowed her eyes teasingly.
"I'm serious! I'm really brave!"
Chen Han wasn't the type to boast for fun, nor did he exaggerate his own abilities.
As a transmigrator, he knew very well that in this world, combat ability was indispensable.
Just like Heroes, Lords also became physically stronger with each level-up.
And with his combat experience—and the future skills he might learn—he might genuinely reach strength not inferior to a Hero unit.
Especially in the early-game stage, where Heroes, defensive towers, and population were scarce,a human Lord's personal combat power could be the deciding factor.
(Some early-game magical races were exceptions, of course.)
Chen Han had been passionate about martial arts since childhood; dealing with bullies his age had always been trivial.
So defeating one or two goblins—weak Void creatures with flimsy stats—should be no problem.
Hearing this, Miu Keke gave him a slow, deliberate once-over, her gaze lingering on his athletic frame. She licked her lips subconsciously.
"Hmm… not bad. Pretty sturdy.Alright, I'll believe you—temporarily. I'll leave one goblin for you to practice on. How about that?"
Chen Han nodded without hesitation."Sure. No problem."