On the way back to the camp, Li En checked Amnos' attributes.
[Name: Amnos]
[Level: 1 (32/100)]
[Race: Demi-human / Yak]
[Strength: 4, Agility: 4, Intelligence: 2, Spirit: 3, Constitution: 5]
[Talent: Polar Physique (Cold Resistance)]
[Satiety: 67]
[Loyalty: 90]
Attributes would improve as the character leveled up, just like heroes. However, the growth was slower, and there were no special skills, making individual training less worthwhile.
Li En confirmed that this so-called official version of The Divine Epoch hadn't changed anything about individual character attributes.
He and Hill returned to the bonfire, waiting for Amnos to start transporting coal.
Once Amnos delivered the coal from the mine, Li En began upgrading the bonfire.
[Congratulations! The camp bonfire has been successfully upgraded.]
[Camp Bonfire: Level 4]
[Effect: Increases temperature by 10°C–20°C within a 40-meter radius.]
[Current Camp Population: 6/16]
[Consumption: 1 coal per 15 minutes.]
[Upgrade Requirements: Iron Mine. Materials Needed: Wood ×100, Stone ×40, Coal ×20, Iron ×20.]
[Would you like to attract nearby refugees? Attractable population: 4. Daily food consumption: 8. Cooldown: 24 hours.]
(Refugees will automatically enter the camp. You may choose to persuade, reject, expel, plunder, enslave, or kill them. Note: Your choices will affect the morale of your camp members.)
Li En knew that during the beginner protection period, the territory was shielded by a protective barrier. No hostile creatures could enter without the lord's permission—unless they were lured in through special means.
Now, Li En wanted to try something he hadn't done before. He handed over some wolf meat to Hill and instructed her to cook lunch in the kitchen while he stayed in the lord's cabin, crafting tools like fishing rods and bows for his planned expedition to the lake on the right side of the camp.
Before long, lunch was ready.
"Lord Li En, everyone, lunch is almost ready," Hill called from the kitchen doorway.
Hearing her voice, the group set aside their tasks, cleaned themselves up, and gathered in the dining hall.
At that moment, Li En activated the bonfire's refugee attraction function. Thick black smoke rose from the fire, leaving a stark trail against the clear blue sky.
After setting this in motion, Li En also entered the dining hall to wait for the meal.
---
"Look! Quick, look!" A refugee pointed at the sky and shouted.
Against the blue expanse, a plume of black smoke rose—evidence of a campfire.
The group of four had fled from Noen Town, only to encounter raiders, blizzards, and wild beasts. Lost on the frozen plains for days, they were exhausted, freezing, and on the verge of despair.
Now, the sight of smoke meant there was hope—people nearby.
They trudged wearily toward the source of the smoke. As they neared the camp, warmth radiated from the bonfire.
"Gods, it's so warm here..."
"Thank the Goddess for not abandoning us."
They searched for the camp's owner, passing by various structures but finding no one. Puzzled, they finally reached the dining hall and saw several people eating inside.
Peering through the doorway, they stared at the steaming bowls of soup and the aroma of roasted meat wafting through the air. Their mouths watered, but they hesitated to intrude, afraid of being mistaken for food thieves and driven away.
The yak-folk in the hall noticed the newcomers and glanced at Li En, but the lord remained silent. Exchanging looks, they continued eating without comment.
The sound of slurping soup tormented the starving refugees.
Unable to resist any longer, one of them stepped inside, his eyes locked on the remaining piece of roasted meat on Li En's plate. Weeks of surviving on dry rations had left him ravenous, and the sight of real food overwhelmed his restraint.
His companions outside called out, snapping him back to reality. Realizing the entire camp was staring at him, he swallowed hard and forced himself to speak.
"Apologies for disturbing you, honorable sirs. We fled from Noen Town and… we were hoping to rest in your camp for a while. May we?"
His remaining reason warned him not to provoke displeasure. If they were seen as threats, they'd be cast back into the frozen wasteland.
"Is that all you want? I can grant that," Li En said, skewering a piece of meat with a wooden pick and waving it slightly. "Or do you have other requests?"
"I… I…"
"Do you want this meat?"
At those words, the refugee's tears fell. He dropped to his knees.
"I… I want to eat. And… I beg you to take us in. We have nowhere left to go."
The others rushed in and knelt as well.
"Please, take us in!"
"Please!"
Li En stood and approached them.
"Rise. From today onward, you are members of this territory. But you must obey all orders. I promise you this—as long as I live, you will never go hungry or freeze again."
He pulled the kneeling refugee to his feet.
"Yes, Lord!" the man said, gripping Li En's hand in gratitude.
"Now, clean yourselves up and eat."
"Thank you, Lord! Thank you!" The refugees beamed with joy.
Hill served them bowls of meat soup and roasted meat. The first bite brought tears to their eyes—it had been so long since they'd tasted real food.
"Oh, heavens… This is the most delicious meat I've ever eaten," one refugee murmured to Hill.
"You must be an angel sent by the Goddess."
[Your camp member: Human – John Anderson's loyalty increased by 10, now at 70.]
[Your camp member: Human – Theodore Jones's loyalty increased by 10, now at 70.]
[Your camp member: Human – Jerry Cruise's loyalty increased by 10, now at 70.]
[Your camp member: Human – Liam Hanks's loyalty increased by 10, now at 70.]
[Your camp member: Yak-folk – Minotaur's loyalty increased by 5, now at 80.]
[Your camp member: Yak-folk – Minotauros's loyalty increased by 5, now at 80.]
[Your camp member: Yak-folk – Amnos's loyalty increased by 5, now at 95.]
...
With this move, Li En had not only raised the loyalty of the new refugees but also that of his original camp members.
What had started as a simple test had yielded excellent results, putting Li En in a good mood.
Had he chosen to enslave or kill the refugees, the camp would have taken a darker path.
After lunch, during a short break, Li En learned more from the refugees.
Noen Town, dozens of kilometers away, had been overrun by a beast tide. The town had fallen, scattering its residents. The refugees had originally planned to seek shelter in Dinwa Town but were ambushed by raiders, leaving only these few survivors, now completely lost.
Li En noted the mention of raiders—likely bandits who pillaged settlements. Their camps might hold kidnapped people, food, and other resources.
He began questioning the refugees for more information about this world.