Morning came slowly in the Frostlands. A pale sun peeked over the distant snow-covered peaks, casting long blue shadows across Ashpine. The village had changed overnight — three repaired houses now stood strong against the cold, smoke curling from their chimneys. The scent of cooked meat lingered in the air, mingling with pine and frost.
Ren stood near the fire pit, stretching his arms and watching the flames dance. Kye sat nearby with his younger sister, Lira — a shy girl of eight who hadn't spoken a word yet. She clung to her brother's side like a frightened rabbit, but Ren knew time and safety would heal those wounds.
> Objective Progress:
> Survivors: [2/5]
He needed more people. But before anything else, he had to understand the system that had brought him here.
Ren opened his **Lord Interface**.
> [Frostbound Core System - Active]
> Title: Frostbound Lord
> Unique Trait: *10x Collector*
> Territory: Ashpine Ruins (Base Level 0)
> Population: 2
> Base Resources:
> – Wood: 90 Logs
> – Stone: 70 Blocks
> – Food: 20 Meals
>
> **Skill Tree: 1 Skill Point Available**
He selected the **10x Collector** trait and brought up its expanded details.
> **Trait: 10x Collector**
> – All gathered resources are multiplied by 10.
> – Applies to materials, food, monster loot, and treasure.
> – Does not affect quest rewards or NPC drops unless specified.
> – Passive: *Resource Overflow Storage* enabled.
> – Warning: Trait scales difficulty dynamically. Stronger foes may appear.
Ren blinked. "Wait… stronger enemies?"
The system responded with a subtle tone and flashing warning.
> **Adaptive Balance Protocol Activated.**
> Enemy threat levels will rise proportionally to your collection efficiency.
> Recommendation: Upgrade defenses immediately.
So the world was aware of his advantage — and was preparing to challenge him accordingly. It made sense. A 10x advantage was massive. If unchecked, he could steamroll everything. But this "Adaptive Balance" meant enemies would become smarter, stronger, maybe even more coordinated.
He closed the panel with a sigh and glanced at Kye, who was using a stick to draw a crude map in the snow.
"We used to live by the western ridge," Kye said. "Before the raiders came. Before the Coldborn."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "Coldborn?"
"They're not human anymore. Skin like ice, black eyes, and teeth like knives. They come at night. If you're outside the firelight… they take you."
That sounded like the kind of threat the system had just warned him about.
"Have they been near the village?" Ren asked.
Kye nodded. "Not lately. They don't like the chapel fire. But they watch. Always watching."
Ren made a note to build more light sources — torches, fire pits, anything to push back the dark.
After breakfast, he took his axe and ventured toward the forest edge to gather more wood and herbs. The snowy evergreens stood tall and still, their needles glittering with frost. He found healing herbs under the snow, a few edible mushrooms, and plenty of timber. Every time he chopped a tree, he was rewarded tenfold.
> Collected: 10 Logs
> Multiply Bonus: x10
> Total: 100 Logs
It almost felt like cheating. But he wasn't complaining.
Halfway through chopping a new tree, the system chimed.
> New Entity Detected…
> Scanning…
>
> Alert: Hostile Presence Approaching
> Threat Level: Moderate
> Name: **Snowfang Wolf**
The hairs on Ren's neck stood up. He turned just in time to see the creature emerge from the trees — a massive white wolf, twice the size of any normal predator. Its fur was shaggy and matted, and its eyes glowed blue like frostfire.
It growled, low and guttural.
Ren pulled out his crude iron sword, bracing himself.
The wolf lunged.
Ren dodged, rolling into the snow as its jaws snapped inches from his neck. He slashed upward, catching it across the flank. Ice-blue blood sprayed into the snow.
The wolf howled in rage, spinning to strike again. This time Ren met it head-on, using his momentum to drive the blade into its side. The creature yelped and thrashed, but he held on. With a final twist, he plunged the sword deep into its heart.
The beast collapsed with a shudder.
> Enemy Defeated: Snowfang Wolf
> Loot:
> – 1x Snowfang Pelt
> – 1x Icefang Tooth
> – 1x Raw Meat
> – Bonus (10x Collector):
> — 10x Snowfang Pelts
> — 10x Icefang Teeth
> — 10x Raw Meat
Ren sat back, breathing hard.
His hands were shaking — partly from adrenaline, partly from the cold.
But the victory felt real. Earned.
He returned to Ashpine with the loot bundled on his back. Kye's eyes widened when he saw the pelts.
"That's enough to make blankets and coats for ten people," he said.
"Good," Ren replied. "We'll need them."
He placed the meat in the storage chest and queued it for roasting. Then he opened the Crafting Menu and selected the **Fur Coat** blueprint.
> Crafted: 2x Fur Coats (Auto-Multiplied to 20)
He gave the first two to Kye and Lira.
They slipped them on with wide-eyed wonder.
"You really are a lord," Kye whispered.
Ren looked around the village — still quiet, still broken, but no longer hopeless.
He smiled.
"I'll be more than that," he said. "I'll be the one who brings this place back from the snow."
> Quest Update: [2/5 Survivors, 1 Food Source, 3 Buildings Repaired]
> Base Status: Stabilizing
> Threat Increase: Predicted Enemy Raid within 72 hours
The countdown had begun.