Chapter 36: The King Arrives (Thanks to Cherry Blossom for the encouragement. Thank you! I will do my best!)

"Host, this is a children's game prop—'The King's Arrival!' cape. When you wear this cape in front of everyone and shout, 'The King has arrived!' all others will regard you as their king and prostrate themselves on the ground. This effect lasts for two minutes each time it is activated, with a cooldown period of twelve hours." 9538's explanation was clear, leaving Wang Keyue in awe.

What sort of advanced, fantastical world would treat such bizarre, high-tech items as children's toys?

"9538, you said this is... a children's toy, but... what if two people are locked in a life-or-death battle and one suddenly takes out this prop? What would the other do? Isn't this a murder weapon?" Wang Keyue just wanted to understand why this thing was categorized as a children's toy; such oddities surely hid something unusual.

"Host, that scenario is impossible because this item has no effect on those whose mental strength exceeds twenty. In this high-tech parallel dimension, anyone with mental strength below twenty could only be a five- or six-year-old child!" 9538 replied, then added, "On this backward planet, those with mental strength above twenty shouldn't number more than ten. So, Host, you can absolutely treat this children's toy as your trump card."

Wang Keyue couldn't decide whether to feel joy or sorrow. On one hand, she lamented humanity's backwardness; on the other, she was pleased to have gained another means of self-preservation.

Before she could recover, the system began to announce the completion of the temporary task.

"Host, the time for the temporary task has ended, and the main program has tallied the results. Your rank is third. Congratulations, Host, you have received a reward of one thousand gold coins, as well as a basic infrastructure gift package. Additionally, as one of the top three, you have two years' usage rights to the automatic Gratitude Collection Device." 9538's voice was filled with delight.

Wang Keyue was surprised to have made it into the top three. This... automatic Gratitude Collection Device—if her guess was correct, it meant she could use it to collect gratitude, and also discern people's intentions. Not a bad item.

"Host, in the future, I will be able to collect gratitude. Gratitude can be directly exchanged for gold coins at the marketplace, at a rate of one to ten." 9538 explained, "Only the top three can obtain this automatic Gratitude Collection Device. This must be the main program's mysterious reward."

This mysterious reward was indeed excellent. With a one-to-ten exchange rate, she would have plenty of gold coins to purchase various supplies, speeding up her task progress and increasing her chances of returning to her home planet and reuniting with her family.

Wang Keyue's gains tonight were so great that she was too excited to sleep. She wasn't the only one; the women sewing winter clothes by the bonfire were also awake, stitching as they chatted and laughed, as if they had returned to the comfort and peace of home.

The next morning, Wang Keyue woke up late, still affected by last night's excitement. The camp was as tranquil as ever, interrupted only by the occasional laughter of children and the cries of infants.

Seeing that everyone had already eaten breakfast, Wang Keyue announced the day's plans. Among the thirty people from Zhou Family Village, three men had decent stamina, around eight or nine points, and seven sturdy women reached seven points, making them fully capable of joining the guard unit for training.

"Today, before we set out, I'm holding this meeting mainly to clarify two points. First, from today onward, the thirty-three villagers from Zhou Family Village will directly join our Wang Family Village. Later, I will assign two team members to escort them to Wang Family Village. I hope Elder Zhou, as their senior, will oversee the Zhou family group and, upon arrival, follow the instructions of Madam Wang. Second, my current forces are still too weak; I need some manpower, regardless of gender, as long as they're physically strong. Do any of you volunteer to stay and assist me?"

Wang Keyue wanted to see if there were truly capable people among them.

As soon as she finished speaking, five figures stepped forward, with Zhou Mingkai's frail figure at the front. Behind him were three men from the group, all around thirty years old and rather gaunt. Unexpectedly, a woman in her thirties also stood at the edge beside the tallest man. The tall man frowned when he saw her step forward, but said nothing.

"We'll go too!" Two young men, about the same age as Zhou Mingkai, stepped up from the back of the group. "If Brother Kai can go, so can we!"

"Then... then I'll go with you!" A woman followed, standing behind the two young men.

Wang Keyue watched in silence, expecting only five volunteers, but one after another, twenty people stood up.

She was pleasantly surprised. "Very well, I'll choose ten of you. These ten will join the guard unit under my personal command, learning martial arts with me. You'll be provided with three hearty meals a day, clothes for all seasons, and every month I'll distribute extra food and clothing."

At her words, the crowd buzzed with excitement. They had expected to be sent to their deaths, but now found themselves with such benefits. All traces of worry vanished from their faces, replaced by joy and satisfaction.