Chapter 56: City Lord

After a long while, Lily Rhodes opened her eyes. She transmitted the information she had just heard to Shelly. Now, she simply needed to wait.

Lily went outside and settled onto her lounge chair. Ever since the temperature spiked, she had stopped lounging outdoors to avoid scorching her backside. Today, however, she made an exception. Reclining on the still-warm rocking chair, she gazed up at the azure seawater overhead. Occasionally, fish swam past, making her feel as though she were resting inside an aquarium.

She pulled a white, sponge-like object from her pocket. She had obtained it from a Treasure Chest a long time ago. The System Introduction hadn’t specified its use, only noting it was a Mutated Cloud and its abilities needed to be discovered independently. However, she had been far too busy lately to investigate it. The Mutated Cloud did have a fantastic texture, though, so she often took it out to knead like a stress ball when she had free time.

Lily absentmindedly squished the object in her hands. "What on earth is this thing actually good for?" she muttered.

Her eyes landed on a half-empty bottle of cola sitting nearby. On a sudden whim, she poured the remaining soda directly onto the Mutated Cloud. It was just a random experiment, but to her surprise, it actually reacted. The squishy white object suddenly began to expand, swelling larger and larger until it was a hundred times its original size. Once it completely shrouded the entire courtyard, a single raindrop fell, landing right on Lily’s lips.

She licked her lips. It didn’t taste like rain—it tasted like cola.

An instant later, a torrential downpour of cola crashed down. Lily was so stunned by the sticky deluge that it took her a long moment to react. She scrambled back into the house, but her clothes were already drenched.

Cola was famously packed with sugar, leaving her skin feeling gross and sticky. Ignoring the bizarre soda rain storming outside, she sprinted straight to the bathroom to shower.

When she finally emerged, the rain still hadn’t stopped. It had been over ten minutes since she first stepped into the shower. A new Treasure Chest now sat in the open clearing outside. It seemed Shelly had reached the first location while she was washing up.

Another twenty minutes passed before the cola rain finally ceased. The outdoor air now hung heavy with a cloying, sugary scent. The Mutated Cloud had reverted to its snowy-white, harmless appearance, but something about it had changed. It looked as though it had been activated. It felt... more like a real cloud, and it was now hovering in mid-air entirely on its own.

She had only poured half a bottle of cola onto it, yet the resulting rainfall vastly exceeded that volume. Could this be the Mutated Cloud’s true ability?

Several ideas instantly popped into her mind. She could use it as an offensive weapon or keep it for utility purposes. With Shelly around, she didn’t need to worry about offensive capabilities. But for her own use? Currently, watering the plantation area relied entirely on consuming Crystal Cores. While convenient, it was a hefty daily expense. With the Mutated Cloud, she could probably eliminate that cost entirely.

Eager to test her theory, Lily decided to have the Mutated Cloud shower the plantation. With a mere thought, the Mutated Cloud flew forward on its own and plunged headfirst into a nearby water vat. It slurped up half the vat’s contents before drifting off toward the distant plantation.

Moments later, she noticed that it was raining outside once again.

"Wait a minute, what was in that vat..." She suddenly remembered. It was a blended mixture of Healing Water, Purifying Water, and cooling water.

Lily took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Whatever. I’m the one using it anyway."

Just then, the System’s voice chimed in. It was a World Announcement—the same type that had broadcasted when Lily reached Level 10—ringing directly in the ears of every Survivor.

[Congratulations to Survivor Sean Shaw for unlocking a new path: Claiming the Mountain as King. You have obtained the title: First City Lord.

This title is a unique reward. Within the wearer’s territory, flora and fauna will experience accelerated growth, and the materials required for construction will be halved.

Rewards: One City Lord Treasure Chest, five Basic Construction Treasure Chests, three Advanced Custom Item Treasure Chests, and two Defensive Construction Treasure Chests.]

"City Lord? What’s going on?"

Lily immediately sat up and opened the regional chat channel to see what was happening. As it turned out, not everyone shared her preference for keeping a low profile to avoid unwanted attention. The moment she loaded the chat, she saw an image displaying four golden words: "First City Lord."

Sean Shaw: "The First City is recruiting Survivors. Anyone interested is welcome to join."

Since he had established a city, naturally, he needed residents. A city with only its City Lord would be completely pointless. His announcement immediately drew countless responses.

Before coming to this world, many of these people had been ordinary citizens. Although they had survived this long, a significant number still instinctively wanted to flock to a powerful figure who could shelter them from the storm. While Guilds did exist, joining one still largely meant fending for oneself. A Guild wouldn’t necessarily help solve personal crises, yet members were often forced to hand over any valuable loot they found.

Sean Shaw: "Easy now, take it easy. Everyone who wants to join, send me a private message. I’ll give you the coordinates. Once you arrive, as long as you voluntarily surrender your vehicles, you can join my territory."

The crowd, eager just moments prior, hesitated upon hearing they had to abandon their vehicles. After all, the System had explicitly stated upon their arrival in this world that their vehicles were their sole lifeline and of utmost importance.

A second later, Sean Shaw posted another photo in the regional channel. It depicted a small island encircled by fortified walls, with two cannons mounted on the ramparts. Beyond the walls stretched a boundless ocean, while neatly arranged buildings lined the interior. Though the surrounding flora looked hastily placed, there was no denying that this city was already taking shape.

"Is that it? It’s not even as nice as my place. Why didn’t I get the First City Lord title?"

Lily wasn’t the least bit swayed by the photo; in fact, she was highly skeptical. However, the System offered no answers to her doubts. Suddenly, a private message popped up.

Sean Shaw: "Ms. Rhodes, I am the City Lord of the First City. I sincerely invite you to join us. You can name your own terms."

Lily frowned at the message, finding the man utterly delusional. Lately, quite a few factions had tried to recruit her, both overtly and covertly, but she had rejected them all. She had made it abundantly clear that she was only interested in doing business and would never join any faction. Yet here this guy was, still trying to rope her in.