["A buffet is nothing,"] Player C said, ["I dare guarantee that the residents of District Seven eat meat every day."]
["And what makes you say that?"], Player D shot back.
["Didn't you guys see?"]
Player C continued, ["In every resident's room, there's armor. I won't even mention the big choppers. But those trophies on the walls, like those ape-like skulls, there are at least a dozen of them, plus all kinds of other animal bones and claws."]
["What does that prove? It proves they all have strong hunting ability. So how could they possibly lack food?"]
["And look at the male residents' physiques. Every single one of them has bulging muscles. Back when I trained in bodybuilding, my coach said it clearly. If you want to build strong muscles, you have to eat more meat."]
["How much meat do you think they had to eat to get bodies like that?"]
["Have you ever considered that maybe they were just born strong?"], Player D countered, ["So even if they don't eat meat for a few days, or even for a period of time, would their muscles just disappear?"]
["Did you forget that these residents were players before?"], C sent three grinning death emojis, ["And they were all players ranked after the top hundred! If they were that strong from the start, would they have been eliminated?"]
["That actually… makes some sense!"]
As careful players (or bored players) kept digging, they discovered quite a lot of details from the video Ethan had posted.
For example, not only did the residents have meat to eat, and two-bedroom apartments to live in, but their houses even had heating.
But those weren't the most important points.
The most important thing was… there were quite a few beautiful women among Ethan's residents, and the lord allowed relationships. They could date pretty girls and live simple, happy lives.
Unlike certain lords, where all the female residents had become their private possessions.
Compared to those people… Quite a few female players suddenly felt that becoming a resident under the lord of District Seven wasn't such an unacceptable thing after all.
And while the players were still busy analyzing the video Ethan had recorded, Ethan, who had been tired all day, had already fallen into a deep sleep.
In his dreams…
[Resident +1]
[Resident +1]
[Resident…]
———
The next day, morning.
This was the first day after the extreme cold night.
Ethan woke up from his warm bed. The temperature from the heating was just right, and with the down-filled blanket, it gave a soft, sinking feeling that made it hard to get up.
The moment he woke up, he grabbed the magic book by his bedside and glanced at it.
Just like in the past.
Picking up his phone first thing after waking up had been a habit.
It was just that now, the phone had been replaced by a magic book.
"What! It's already eight o'clock?"
Ethan quickly got out of bed. With a casual wave toward the kerosene chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a large fireball immediately wobbled toward it.
The chandelier was instantly lit by the fireball.
Then, Ethan hurriedly jumped out of bed and ran to the large balcony, looking outside.
Normally, even without an alarm, he would wake up on time. Today, probably because the sun hadn't risen, he had actually slept until eight.
He stepped onto the balcony and looked out.
Whether it was inside the manor or beyond it, everything was pitch black.
At this hour yesterday, even if it wasn't exactly bright with sunshine, it definitely hadn't been like this, where everything looked like night with not a trace of light.
"So this is… polar night?"
Polar night, a term known on Earth as a period when the sun doesn't appear for a continuous stretch of time.
But this kind of extreme condition only occurred in special places like the North and South Poles.
So… this was Ethan's first time seeing so-called polar night in his life.
Dim and lightless.
The entire sky looked as if it had been covered by a curtain of darkness.
Because the sun never rose, the mist forest outside the manor constantly echoed with the shrieks of monsters. Calling these days of polar night, a carnival for monsters wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Awooo~"
The howls of beasts rang out from time to time.
Some monsters even fought each other, both sides letting out eerie cries. From a distance, it sent chills down one's spine.
Fortunately, there were still quite a few dim yellow lights glowing within Ethan's manor.
They were probably the only source of light in the entire darkness, at least giving off a sense of warmth, like humans huddling together against the cold. Ethan casually took a screenshot of this scene and posted it to the world channel.
Call it showing off, call it encouragement.
Anyway… he just wanted to earn some points.
At the moment he took the photo, Ethan suddenly noticed that the lights on the first floor of his villa were already on. But he hadn't even gotten up yet, so that didn't make sense.
Feeling puzzled, Ethan put away the magic book and headed downstairs.
There, he saw Attendant Lady leading a group of people dressed in various outfits, standing in the villa's main hall. The scene looked just like the first time he had met the residents, everything felt strangely familiar.
But this time, Ethan was no longer as flustered as he had been before. Instead, he carried a faint pressure of authority as he swept his gaze over the newly arrived residents.
Attendant Lady, who had been dozing off, was immediately awakened by the scarecrow's reminder and said, "Lord! You're up!"
"Mm, what's going on?"
"Reporting to the Lord, since last night, residents have been appearing in our manor one after another. I was afraid they might freeze to death in the snow, so I had Guard Three and the others bring them into the villa to wait for you to wake up," Attendant Lady reported, "From last night until now, a total of thirteen people have arrived, five men and seven women."
"Mm, well done! You've worked hard."
Ethan nodded in satisfaction.
Praised by Ethan, Attendant Lady's face immediately flushed red, "Thank you for your praise, Lord! It's what I should do."
["Ethan, what about this?"] The scarecrow's dissatisfied voice rang in Ethan's mind, ["Do you know my woman walked back and forth in that freezing garden several times! I'm freezing stiff myself, and you think a few casual words of praise are enough to brush her off? Shouldn't there be some real reward?"]
['Since when did Attendant Lady become your woman?'], Ethan shot it a disdainful look, ['Did you just appoint yourself?']
["Mind your own business. If I say she is, then she is! And don't just talk, you need to give my woman some proper rewards…"]
Muted.
Ethan couldn't be bothered to listen to the scarecrow ramble, so he simply blocked it out.
Still, the scarecrow wasn't entirely wrong. Merit should be rewarded. Attendant Lady had worked hard all night, and the reward she deserved should be given. Only then would the other residents not feel disheartened.
At the same time, it would also serve as an example for the newly arrived residents.
[T/N: For me the best part of bringing you chapters everyday is reading your comments. Be it anything witty or a simple "Tftc", they all keep me motivated to keep posting chapters. So, do comment and please give a REVIEW.]
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