The Unlikely Troops    

It was a bronze statue, exactly the same height and form as him.

Rain could carry it, but it was heavy, and he couldn't store it in his inventory.

"So this is the statue?" Rain muttered, examining it closely.

There was nothing remarkable about it except that it resembled him. When he touched it, a faint glow of magic emanated from it, but he didn't feel anything at all, not even a slight boost.

Rain's head bobbed to the side. "I'll have to make sure that this is always safe, or I'll definitely die. Good thing no beast has ever come this way and decided to trample over it."

Come to think of it, Rain looked over at the vast expanse of nothingness.

Was there even a beast here that could survive this weather?

Rain scratched his head and thought for a moment. He didn't know the full extent of his territory, and according to what he read, he still needed to map everything out.

Aside from that, he needed to build a house or at least a fence and some simple traps to make sure his statue was safe from beasts that roam this lands.

"Let's see . . . according to the library, barren lands are difficult to work with, but the amount of Evolution Points (EP) my troops would get from performing tasks here would double. Aside from shelter and defense, there's also food and water to worry about."

Though Rain was in a magical realm, his normal bodily functions remained the same, so he still needed to drink and eat. Not to mention that his troops also needed the basic necessities to survive.

Rain pressed his lips together, feeling at a loss about where to begin.

How do you even build something out of . . . nothingness?

A mud house?

I don't have a shovel or water, though.

Rain lamented. His name was Rain, but he was given a random territory in the dry lands. How ironic was that?

Don't lose hope. I still have my troops.

Rain got excited and checked the [Tokens x5] in his inventory.

According to the forum, the initial troops you get depend on your personality, ensuring good synchronization with them.

Rain wasn't particularly courageous, but he wasn't cowardly either. He wasn't exceptionally intelligent, but he wasn't dumb. He was more optimistic than pessimistic, which seemed like a good sign.

In the end, he was just a typical, average guy with average views and a very normal average character.

Rain was expecting something like an Elf or something cool like a Goliath. He really needed strong and able-bodied troops to help with defense and construction.

"Please let it be those two," Rain prayed, rubbing his hands together as he summoned all the Tokens.

"Let it be an Elf or a Goliath!" Rain fervently asked, his eyes shining as the five figures materialized before him.

"Oh!" Rain's smile widened when the light burst forth, only for his expression to slowly fade as the light converged into five little chicks.

~chirp!~

". . ."

[CONGRATULATIONS! You've summoned Aasimars x5!]

"Huh? This can't be right." Rain checked his surroundings for his troops, his eyes refusing to acknowledge that the five tiny, white chicks were indeed his troops.

They weren't troops! They were food! They didn't even have arms! How were they going to build a house much less a fence?!

~chirp!~

Oh . . . they're cute though.

Rain picked one up. Its eyes were big and its fur was so soft. He laughed a little when it rubbed its cheek against his.

"I like you too," Rain chuckled as he read their information.

|| Troop #1 ||

Race: Aasimar

Synchronization: ★★

Class: None

Skills:

● Heal

Heal small wounds (single target)

|| E N D ||

They had the same stats, but their names ranged from Troop #1 to Troop #5. They only had a healing ability, which wouldn't be much help in defending the territory.

Rain read the information about the Aasimar race.

|| A A S I M A R ||

Aasimars are plane-touched by higher beings. This provides them with an awe-inspiring appearance that is both memorable and potentially intimidating. They can unleash their powerful inner spirit to manifest unique abilities in battle.

|| E N D ||

". . ." Rain shifted from the information screen to the five little chicks hopping around him.

"They don't look awe-inspiring and intimidating," he muttered in a low voice.

There must be something wrong with the information, or he had gotten the wrong race.

Maybe he had to evolve them? Rain read about it in the [Library] that he could evolve his troops to a much powerful version of themselves. They would also learn new skills and spells.

It reminded him of the game Pkmon.

Rain couldn't evolve them without enough EP, though. He needed to give them tasks first to accumulate those points.

But what kind of task could they possibly do? They had no arms and were too tiny to even lift heavy things.

Wait . . . why was I even thinking about that?! Rain lamented.

With this territory coupled with these troops, it's like the game didn't want him to win!

It was game over for him!

Rain sighed. It looked like he would have to give up his title and territory after all and become an ordinary player, just like an ordinary human back in his world.

Rain felt dissatisfied and sad for some reason.

~chirp!~

The Aasimars all fluttered around his feet, waiting to be petted next.

The heaviness in Rain's heart dissolved at the sight of them. "They're so cute. But what am I going to do with five healers? Who's going to defend the territory?"

". . ." Rain suddenly grabbed his hair in realization. "Wait . . . ME?! I'm the one who's going to fight?!"

This must be a joke. He wasn't a fighter and definitely wasn't good at sports. He could barely jump one skip rope without tripping.

"T-this is bad . . ." Rain stared at the imploring eyes of the chicks. "Sorry, but . . . I have no choice but to surrender my title and territory tomorrow. I'm clueless about this whole thing, and I'm not really the type to be a Lord."

Troop #1 bobbed its head like it could understand him, and the weirdest thing happened when it flexed its tiny wings and tapped his head as if consoling him.

Rain's chin trembled, guilt eating at his heart. "At least, let's make some tent for you guys to stay the night, a resting place from this relentless heat. Don't worry, if I give up my title and territory, you guys will have a much better life. I'll make sure that you stay in a high level territory and are well taken care of."

That's right, it was better for them to be with a new owner than him. Tomorrow he would be back to being that average guy living an average life, both in the real world and the Spirit Realm.

Something protested within Rain's heart, but he ignored it.

It was better this way.