William... I'm glad you haven't lost track of your goal. Persistence is a virtue, and you have the willpower to use it. After enough time, I'll finally be able to see you again.

Then, we can start over.

We can live the life you never did.

***

I was browsing through the menu, searching for various styles of buildings to choose from. My current house was satisfactory, but as the ruler of the city, I desired a more grandiose residence. Upon opening the house menu, I was presented with a list of various types of homes, one of which included both an exterior and interior model. The list was extensive, featuring both ultra-modern houses with a plethora of amenities and old-fashioned cave houses. Although the house on the list was suitable for my current needs, I yearned for a large castle to relax in. However, constructing such a castle would be a monumental task, and I didn't want to distract my minions from their current task of building my city.

I called Chloe, who was still waiting outside for her house to be completed. "Why are you still waiting outside?" I inquired.

"My house isn't finished yet, so I'm sitting on the stairs waiting for it to be completed," she replied.

"You should have come inside," I suggested.

"I forgot~," she admitted.

I instructed her to sit down and inquire about my idea for a castle. She became extremely enthusiastic as if she was going to receive a castle of her own. I didn't reveal any more information and closed my eyes for a short while.

She sat at the table anxiously, eagerly anticipating the completion of her house. After a while, I opened the crafting menu to assess the progress. I saw that her house was now finished and waiting for her. I shared the good news with her and asked her to come outside with me. We walked to her house together, and it looked beautiful from the outside, but the interior was empty. I asked her about furniture and opened my crafting menu to create some for her. Now the house looked appealing. I stayed with her for a little while before departing. I took a tour of the buildings that my minions had created and saw that they had made some houses that looked extraordinary.

It was a dark and quiet night, but the houses in my city were aglow with the soft light emanating from the lamps my minions had crafted. Despite the late hour, they were still hard at work, building more houses, water systems, and other essential facilities. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction as I watched them labour, knowing that their tireless efforts would soon bring my city to completion.

The city lamps, strategically placed along the streets between the houses, added a warm and welcoming touch to the otherwise desolate landscape. I marvelled at the skill and dedication of my minions as I walked home, accompanied by the minion manager who had come to give me the daily report.

Upon reviewing the report, I was dismayed to learn that a few of my combat division minions had met their untimely demise.

<Founding Group E>

[25x] Minions (Combat Division – Various Types)

[15x] Minions (Magic Division - Various Types)

[5x] Builder Minions

All of the other groups of minions were present and accounted for, but five of the combat division minions from group E were missing. These combat minions were responsible for the protection of the builder minions and the magic minions, so it was possible that they had been involved in some sort of altercation. However, it was now late at night and venturing into the nearby forest, where the zombie population was known to be especially active, was not advisable. The only option was to wait until morning to find out more about the incident, as I was unwilling to risk sending any more minions into the forest at night or having them return.

I despatched the Minion Manager and made my way home. The house was well-constructed, but I realized that I had forgotten to add any light sources. Quickly accessing my crafting menu, I placed several lamps throughout the interior of the house. As I entered, I was initially unable to see much, but the lamps soon provided enough illumination to see my surroundings.

Sinking into my bed, I opened my crafting menu once more and studied the plans for the city. A wall encircling the city was included in the design, and at present, I was focused on constructing houses and other important buildings within its borders. Eventually, I had planned to begin work on the wall itself. However, as I examined the plans, I began to reconsider my priorities. It seemed imperative that the wall be built first and made as strong as possible.

The current design called for a stone wall, tall and thick, but I knew it would not be enough to withstand a determined assault. I wanted to create a wall that could repel even the most formidable armies, with a gate that was sturdy enough to withstand any enemy attack. The wooden door in the current plans would not suffice; it would have to be replaced with something stronger. I made a mental note to revise the plans and begin work on the wall and gate as soon as possible.

An idea occurred to me as I considered the defensive measures of my city. Perhaps a moat would be an effective addition to the design. I could dig a wide, deep ditch around the castle and fill it with water, creating an impassable barrier that would deter any would-be attackers. The front of the castle would have a single, heavily fortified door accessible only by a bridge spanning the moat. Satisfied with this plan, I closed my crafting menu and settled in for the night.

Ah, there was still much to go, but everything was beginning to fall together nicely.

This was the power of my system, after all.