I turned and began walking, using the map to guide me back toward the stream I had found earlier. The forest passed quietly around me this time, the earlier chaos gone, and within a few minutes, I reached the area again, the sound of flowing water steady in the background.
I stepped a little away from the stream, choosing a spot that felt right, then crouched down and started digging with my hands, pushing the soil aside until I had a small pit deep enough to hold the token. I placed it inside, covered it carefully, and stepped back, watching.
Nothing happened.
A few seconds passed.
Then more.
"Now what do I do, system?" I asked, frowning slightly.
A response came immediately.
[Would you like to establish your first safe zone here.]
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
The moment I confirmed it, light burst out from the ground where the token had been buried, thin at first before spreading outward, pushing through the soil in sharp lines. The glow expanded rapidly, tracing patterns across the land as if something was being drawn into place, the air around me shifting as the space itself began to change.
A structure began to form.
At the center, the ground lifted and shaped itself into a small circular platform, smooth and pale, and from its middle a fountain rose, carved from stone that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Clear water began to flow almost instantly, spilling from the top and cascading down in steady streams, the sound calm and constant, completely at odds with everything I had experienced so far.
Just behind it, a small hut formed next, simple in structure, the wood settling into place. It wasn’t large, but it felt... stable.
Then the air shifted.
From the base of the fountain, a faint glow expanded outward, rising slowly, forming a curved barrier that stretched further and further until it covered a wide area around me. The dome shimmered faintly, almost invisible unless I focused on it.
The system chimed.
[Safe Zone Established]
[Congratulation on establishing your first safe zone]
[Influence Points + 500]
[Objective:]
→ Defeat Believer: Great Ape - Completed
→ Convert territory into Defier Safe Zone - Completed
Another prompt appeared.
[Please assign a name to your Safe Zone]
"Billion Sanctuary." I replied instantly.
[Safe Zone Named: Billion Sanctuary]
New notifications followed immediately.
[Safe Zone Benefits:]
→ No entity may enter the Safe Zone without your permission
→ The barrier requires significant external force to be broken
→ Within the Safe Zone, the body sustains itself automatically (no need for food or water)
→ You may assign individuals to this Safe Zone. All assigned members are bound to your authority
→ A portion of experience gained by assigned members is transferred to you
→ Safe Zone to Safe Zone teleportation is available (linked zones only)
→ Accelerated recovery within the Safe Zone
→ Host receives enhanced awareness of all activity within the Safe Zone boundary
→ Safe Zone can be upgraded using Influence Points
I read through everything slowly.
"Wow... that’s a lot of benefits. Hey system, how do I check other sanctuaries in the area?" I asked, my gaze still moving across the dome as the faint shimmer settled into something almost invisible.
[You can access the Safe Zone panel in the system.]
I nodded and opened my interface, shifting my focus toward the newly unlocked section. The panel expanded smoothly, and a structured layout appeared in front of me.
Members || Upgrades || Teleportation || Safe Zones Registry
I scanned through them briefly before selecting the last option.
Safe Zones Registry.
The window refreshed, and for a moment I expected at least a few entries, but there was only one.
Billion Sanctuary.
I stared at it for a second longer, then let out a quiet breath.
"I guess I’m the first one to do this..." I muttered, a faint sense of satisfaction settling in as I closed the panel.
Then something clicked.
"Ohh... that reminds me."
The Deathboard.
I brought it up immediately, the familiar panel appearing once again as the rankings began to load in front of me.
My name was no longer in the middle.
It was at the top.
Billion → Defier → Level 25Aldric Voss → Believer → Level 18Viktor Voss → Believer → Level 16Kael Heavens → Defier → Level 16Marcus Thorne → Believer → Level 15Lucien → Believer → Level 13Quinton Tre → Believer → Level 15
"Looks like I pushed a little too hard..." I muttered, though there was no real complaint in my voice.
I was level twenty-five and the next closest was eighteen in terms of level.
"The gap will only increase from now," I muttered, but I didn’t close the panel immediately. My eyes kept moving down the list, scanning past the top ranks until I finally found the two names I had been looking for.
Rank 11 — Knight → Level 11
Rank 14 — Lyrate → Level 11
I paused there for a moment, taking that in.
"They’re alive..." I said quietly, a small sense of relief settling in.
"Hey system, is there a way I can communicate with people on the ranking?" I asked.
[Yes. Purchase the Communication System.]
"Oh come on... that thing is too costly."
[Then please earn faster.]
I clicked my tongue in irritation and dismissed the window.
"Yeah, yeah..."
My attention shifted back to my surroundings. A part of the stream now fell within the boundary of my safe zone, the water flowing calmly under the faint shimmer of the barrier. Without thinking much, I walked over, placed the axe nearby, and stepped into the stream. The cold water hit instantly, washing away the dried blood and dirt that had layered over my body after the fights.
I stayed there for a while, letting the tension ease out slowly.
When I stepped out, I picked up my axe again and put on the same torn pants, the only thing I had, before walking back toward the center. The fountain continued to flow steadily, and behind it, I pushed open the door to the hut.
Inside, it was simple.
One room.
A bed.
A mattress.
Nothing more.
"I guess sleep won’t be an issue then," I said, glancing around once before stepping back out. But I wasn’t tired enough to rest. Not yet.
I opened the map again, expanding it further this time, zooming out beyond the immediate surroundings. The forest spread out in all directions, but after a few adjustments, something caught my attention.
A large red-marked zone.
It stood out clearly, similar in size to my own safe zone, which was marked in gold.
"So that’s the next one..." I murmured.
Without hesitation, I closed the panel, adjusted the grip on my axe, and broke into a sprint, heading straight toward it.