Seeing their names, Cao Xing's mouth twitched again.
They were all flower names, and quite pretty ones.
But Cao Xing thought they were too elegant and didn't suit his style.
So he pointed directly at one of the women and said, "Starting today, your name is Big Flower."
"And she'll be Second Flower, and she'll be Third Flower."
The three human women knelt again and said respectfully, "Thank you for granting us names, kind Lord."
[You successfully named your resident: Big Flower. Her loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 75] [You successfully named your resident: Second Flower. Her loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 73]
Cao Xing glanced at their attributes.
[Resident: Big Flower] [Level: 1] [Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 2, Spirit 3, Constitution 3] [Talent: None] [Loyalty: 75] [Hunger: 41]
[Resident: Second Flower] [Level: 1] [Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 3, Spirit 2, Constitution 2] [Talent: None] [Loyalty: 73] [Hunger: 37]
All three had fairly high loyalty, but their hunger levels were a little low.
It was clear that they really hadn't eaten in a long time.
So Cao Xing said, "Go start a fire and cook something first. Get something to eat. We haven't built a cafeteria yet, so the stove is inside the Lord's Hut."
The three immediately nodded respectfully.
"Yes, Lord."
After they left, Cao Xing continued thinking beside the bonfire.
These newly recruited people needed [Small Shelters] built for them to rest in at night.
Then, he also needed to build a proper cafeteria where the residents could eat.
But whether he was constructing or upgrading buildings, it would take a lot of time.
Cao Xing watched the eight Polar Folk working busily and sighed. "We're still short on manpower..."
"If we had more people, we could divide up the work and greatly speed up the development of the territory."
"Is there any way I can recruit some people?"
Cao Xing couldn't help recalling his past experience playing games on his tablet.
In the game,
the characters faced the same problem of not having enough people.
There were several ways to solve it in the game.
First, once your territory reached a certain level, it would gain some prestige in the surrounding area. Then, some Tribal Residents living nearby, or some Refugees, would come and join you of their own accord.
Second, you could send out your troops to roam around like Asam, with a chance of bringing back some people from the wilderness.
Third, you could go to a tavern in one of this world's cities or towns and recruit NPCs with special abilities by paying a certain amount.
Fourth, you could start a war and conquer nearby Tribal Residents, forcing them to join you.
In short, there were many ways to do it, and they weren't limited to the ones above.
But clearly, none of these methods suited Cao Xing right now.
Just then, after the three new residents had eaten their fill, they brought Cao Xing some news.
When he heard it, Cao Xing immediately perked up.
He looked at Big Flower and asked, "You mean you escaped from a camp belonging to a group of Hunters?"
"And there are a lot of humans being held captive in that camp?"
Big Flower nodded. "Yes, Lord. Those Hunters are extremely vicious. They've lost all humanity!"
"Many of our companions have already fallen victim to them."
"If possible, I hope, Lord, that you can lend us a hand and rescue them!"
As she spoke, Big Flower knelt straight down on the ground, her voice full of pleading.
Cao Xing was in desperate need of manpower right now.
Hearing this information, he almost acted on impulse.
But he quickly reined in his excitement and helped Big Flower to her feet.
"How many Hunters are there, and do you know how strong they are?"
Big Flower had lived in the icy wilderness for years. Her pale, white-skinned Western face seemed to be recalling something.
Then she said respectfully, "Lord, there are probably around twenty to thirty Hunters."
"Most of the Hunters there feel about as strong as you, Lord."
Cao Xing thought it over, then nodded.
He was currently a Level 3 Frost Mage, which meant those Hunters were around Levels 3 to 5.
After Big Flower finished speaking, she added, "Besides the ordinary Hunters, they also have two Squad Leaders, who are a little stronger than this Snakefolk lady."
"On top of that, they have one strongest Captain, whose Frost Wolf aura is about the same as Mr. Asam's."
It was clear that Big Flower was clever and articulate.
From her description, Cao Xing already had a good idea of how strong the Hunters were.
One Level 10 Hunter, two Hunters above Level 5, and more than twenty Hunters below Level 5.
If Cao Xing had to face them with only his previous strength, he might not have been able to handle them.
But now Asam had advanced into a Tier 2 creature, and Cao Xing also had an "Icefield Druid" Recruitment Scroll. Dealing with these Hunters wouldn't be a problem at all.
Besides, those Hunters were said to have some treasures hidden away...
Clearly, Cao Xing was tempted.
Asam also saw what Cao Xing was thinking.
"Lord, the location Big Flower mentioned is about seven kilometers from the camp."
"At our speed, it'll take about an hour and a half to get there."
Cao Xing nodded.
Traveling through snow was slow to begin with, but an hour and a half was still acceptable. They could easily make it back before dark.
Liu Muxue was standing nearby too. She said softly, "A Xing, I'll go with you."
Cao Xing nodded. "All right."
After that, Cao Xing gave her the [Black Iron Plate Armor (Green)] and the [Aurora Blessing Skill Book].
Looking at the equipment and skill book in her hands,
Liu Muxue gave Cao Xing another grateful glance.
Of course, she knew how important this equipment and skill book were at this stage.
Liu Muxue didn't say much. She silently clicked to learn the skill, then put on the armor.
Cao Xing saw that
Liu Muxue was now wearing black armor on her upper body, while her long legs were bare below. A thick wolf-fur coat was draped over her as well.
The outfit had a rather alluring style.
Cao Xing also clicked to learn [Ice Spike], then took out the [Icefield Druid] Recruitment Scroll.
A system prompt appeared.
[Would you like to consume the Icefield Druid Recruitment Scroll to recruit a Druid with Level 15 elite strength?] [Icefield Druid population cost: 3]
Cao Xing immediately clicked "Yes."
At the same time,
a Hexagram Formation appeared in front of Cao Xing. It was five meters in diameter, even larger than the one before.
Intense light burst from the Hexagram Formation.
Then, a powerful and ancient aura emerged.
Through the curtain of light, Cao Xing could see a humanoid creature standing two and a half meters tall, with a muscular build.
It stood completely still, yet still gave everyone a terrifying sense of pressure!
After the light curtain faded, everyone finally saw its full appearance.
It was a creature with the form of a human, but covered in white fur, with sharp bear claws and thick limbs.
Yet the furry face revealed a look of devotion.
Then he placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "The power of nature will guide me forward."
"I, Guardian Andrew, am at your service."
Before you continue