The 'Extra' Lord - A Plundering Kingdom Building LitRPG

It was quiet at first. Most likely everyone was trying to come to terms as to what exactly was happening. A strange being had just spawned. He even had small horns. But a week had passed since the entire city had turned upside down, and they recovered a moment later.

The entire subway broke out in chaotic yelling and pointing, blaming the demon for everything that had happened. The death, the loss, the destruction. They were right, but their anger was wrongly placed. This entire thing was created by a god-like author. He was responsible. Not even the all powerful Administrator knew the full truth.

Was this real life? Or was Owen truly in the book?

As those thoughts tumbled through his mind, Marco spoke up, interrupting the people consumed with anger.

“I’m sure you have many questions,” he said, pointing to someone. It was a middle-aged man with a pudgy belly. “Let’s start with you.”

“I—” he stuttered, singled out. His flushed face washed pale.It appeared he didn’t have the same level of anger now that he was met with the strange demon. He said after a moment to recover, “Why are we here?”

“An excellent first question!” Marco clapped his hands. “You are here because your Earth has merged with the System. Because you have been selected as Lord Candidates—those tasked to enter a new world and compete against each other to become the greatest Lord of all!”

Callan stepped forwards, and asked, “For what reason?”

Even Owen didn’t know the answer to such a question. After almost 3000 chapters, he still hadn’t understood why. Ansel would die, go back in time, and he’d do everything better the next time. It was like reading about a speedrunner for games. It was fun to read how he’d do everything different the next time, how much more powerful he could get.

Most of the book was like that, so it was a little low on plot. Honestly, Owen just thought that the author wasn’t very good at plotting. So at some point, he just turned it into a regressor speedrunning story. Maybe he’d figure it out, maybe he wouldn’t.

“Now that would surely ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?” Marco replied with a devilish grin. “Okay, it seems you’re not satisfied with that answer. How about I keep it vague? It’s to save the world. Your world. Satisfied? Good. Next!”

Next, it was Caroline’s turn to step forward. Owen paid close attention to how Ansel would react. The main character frowned upon laying eyes on her. Owen tried his best to remain calm. The fact that Caroline was now on the stage meant that something had gone wrong in his regression. Caroline wasn’t meant to be here. She wasn’t in the book. Neither was Owen, but he was currently in the safety of a shadow’s embrace.

“Is this happening only here, or is it global?” Caroline asked.

“This is a global effort,” Marco said. “We don’t take half measures, that’s for certain.”

“Then,” Louis added. Ansel also looked at him. “Why are we here, as in, right here in this station? Why make this the assembly point?”

Marco waved his hand. “It’s the way the soul works. It’s a mysterious thing. Even for us. This is a designated spot by the Order.”

“The Order?”

The demon waved his hand more frantically this time, and said, “not something a lowly human needs to concern themselves with. The point is,” Marco paused, most likely for dramatic effect, “this is the place you need to be to enter the Land Between.”

“And before you ask, ‘oh, what’s the Land Between, that sounds really cool’. It will be your battleground. A vast planet many times bigger than this one. And I mean way bigger. It is a place void of any human life. Yep, only monsters roam. Big ones, too, so concern yourselves with that. Be on the lookout. Never know when a demi-god will roam right in front of you.”

“But we’ve just survived all of this,” Lai said in protest, hugging Jasp closer. “And now you’ll be putting us somewhere even more dangerous?”

“What can I say,” Marco said. “Life ain’t fair, sweetheart. But hey, look on the bright side. You have a chance at true power. What you’ve experienced so far was just the taste test. You feel that strength rippling in your body, that supernatural extra bounce in your step? Yep, just the beginning.”

When Marco stopped talking, Owen saw people glance at each other. Those who had survived the tunnels. They had seen more combat than everyone else here, and greed was evident in their eyes. They knew the power the System brought more than most. It filled their very being, and has given them magical abilities beyond their wildest imagination.

Few could resist that overwhelming temptation. Owen felt it himself; that desire to want more, to get more powerful. All so that he no longer had to ignore those in need of help.

“Now this next part is very important, so listen up. I don’t want my candidates dying as soon as they arrive,” the demon administrator said, face turning serious as he crossed his arms. “When you enter the Land Between, it will be in a random location. Biome random. First,” he said, putting up a single, claw pointed finger.

“Find protection against the elements. Snow, heat, rain—find somewhere safe. Then water. Lastly, food. Hunt monsters when you can, when it’s safe to do so. The more you Level up, the safer you’ll be; generally. Those that obtained a Lord Shard will be given one week protection. Not even a god can penetrate its defences, you can use it to hunt. Attack, duck back into the dome. Easy peasy—that’s what you humans say, right?”

Caroline and all the others looked at him, appreciation evident in their gaze at the mention of the Lord’s safety. Even if they didn’t intend to enter the ruler's war, it would provide them that one week of safety. Just that alone was invaluable.

Marco clicked his tongue, and continued, “The whole point of the System is to summon units, use these units to hunt and grow stronger. Collect an army and use it to fight your foes. Build your kingdom. Defeat other Lords, claim their lands for your own. Again, the stronger you are, the more likely it is you will survive. Become strong enough to reach god-hood. Yep, that is a possibility.”

People in the crowd gasped in shock, especially the religious types. Blasphemy, they said.

“Of course,” he explained, “you don’t have to be glued to your kingdom if you don’t want to. You can roam the lands, even lose your Lordship if you so desire. This is what we call Adventurers. How you become strong is up to you in the end. But there’s only so much you can do alone.”

Owen knew exactly what he meant. He remembered scenes vividly of some of the strongest Lords wading into battle. When a Lord arrived in war, everyone knew about it. It was difficult not to. Troops that blotted the skies, warriors with steps like thunder. Because of the Lord’s System, it wasn’t just the Lords becoming stronger—it was their troops, as well.

“To further evolve your Class,” he further added, “you must find what are called Outposts. These will also take you back to Earth. But be careful, most of them are guarded by terrible beings. Only the strongest of you will be able to claim an Outpost for yourselves.”

The introduction given by Marco was exactly as he remembered. Just enough information to get people by, to survive, and leaving enough so that they had to figure it out themselves. It was amusing, in its own way. It reminded Owen of the way his parents taught him; but that was bordering on neglect.

The survivors asked more questions, like what kind of monsters they would face in the new world. But Marco couldn’t answer that. It varied between what region one landed in.

Owen surmised that the questions would go on forever. Marco patiently answered each and every one. People wanted to know exactly what they were going into. But when the clock struck 12 o’clock, it was time to make a move.

Marco clapped his hands, a devilish grin spreading across his face as he fed off the tension in the air. "Now, it is time. Say your last goodbyes. In five minutes, you may never see each other again." And with that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a suffocating silence in his wake.

Ansel had been sitting against the wall, eyes closed, seemingly detached from the chaos around him since the beginning. Owen glanced at him briefly but focused on his friends gathering nearby. Lai was trying to comfort her son, Jasp, who clung to her, eyes wide with fear. The boy had already endured so much, and now, facing another nightmare—this one even more daunting—seemed impossibly cruel. Owen felt a knot tighten in his chest.

He had managed to secure a Lord Shard for both Lai and Jasp, but the thought of the boy venturing into the Land Between alone gnawed at him. "Please," Owen silently pleaded to whatever higher powers might listen, "let him get a powerful unit. Let him survive this... and let him find his way back to his mother."

Owen's heart sank further, watching Lai stroke her son's hair, whispering reassurances that even she probably didn’t believe. He hated feeling helpless, but in this world, everyone was one wrong turn away from being lost forever.

Louis broke the silence, fidgeting with his fingers, trying to mask his unease. "So, this is it. We may never see each other again."

"If God wills it," Caroline said, her voice cracking slightly, "we will meet again." Her eyes reddened as she held back tears, her usual resolve slipping in this final moment.

Owen forced a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. "You know, I've known you all for years, but in these last seven days... it feels like we’ve built something that could last a lifetime."

Louis bit his lip, glancing away for a second before replying with a smirk. "Let’s just hope it’s only one lifetime. My heart couldn’t take more than one with you."

Everyone chuckled, though their tears betrayed the fear and grief beneath the humour.

"Come here," Owen said, pulling Louis into a tight hug, arms around his friend’s shoulders. "I know you're soft and gooey on the inside. Don't try to hide it."

"Screw you," Louis sniffled, wiping his eyes as he squeezed Owen back.

"We will meet again," Caroline added, her voice firmer now as she joined the embrace.

"Yeah, soon," Callan said, stepping in and draping an arm around the group.

Lai hesitated for a moment, still holding Jasp close, but then she moved forward, joining the hug with a quiet "Be strong, everyone." She kissed the top of Jasp’s head, whispering reassurances, though her hands trembled as she held him. The boy nestled into her, visibly shaking, unsure of what lay ahead but trying to be brave for his mother.

Owen looked down at Jasp, feeling the weight of the boy’s fate press down on him. He crouched to meet the boy’s eyes, trying to offer some comfort. "You’re strong, Jasp. I know this is scary, but you’ve got something most people don’t—you’ve got her," he said, nodding to Lai. "You’re gonna fight like hell to see her again, okay?"

Jasp sniffled and nodded, tears brimming but refusing to fall. Lai smiled weakly, her eyes overflowing with gratitude and sorrow. "Thank you," she whispered to Owen, voice breaking. "For everything."

Owen stood, his heart heavy but determined. "We’ll get through this. All of us." He turned and met Hassan’s gaze across the room. The man stood apart, stoic as ever, but Owen nodded to him, feeling the silent strength between them. Hassan nodded back, a quiet promise.

A sudden idea sparked in Owen’s mind. His eyes widened as he said, "Everyone, listen up." The group turned to him, their expressions serious. "Once we enter, there’s something called the Lord Shop. You’ll need to register a name—something recognizable. That way, when we see it, we’ll know who’s still alive. Start thinking now.”

Callan responded first, without hesitation. "Iron Fortress."

Owen scoffed, feeling a bit of his anxiety ease. Of course, Callan would keep the same title.

"Lai," she said, then nudged Jasp with a grin. "What about you, Jasp? What’s your superhero name gonna be?"

Jasper's eyes lit up. "Deadpool—but cooler. Darkpool!"

"That’s a solid choice, Jasp," Caroline said, laughing as she gently pinched his cheek. Jasp quickly hid behind Lai, embarrassed as everyone chuckled.

Caroline smiled at them and said, "Mercy."

Owen nodded, grinning. "Good one." Caroline blushed slightly at the compliment.

"Hassan," came another quiet response.

Louis hesitated, biting his lip. "Man, I don’t know..." After a pause, he snapped his fingers. "Saeder."

"Saeder?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "Where’s that from?"

Louis scratched his head sheepishly. "It’s from a TV show I like." Louis turned to Owen. “Well, what about you?”

Owen grinned. “How about Talentless?”

5 minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Then, he and everyone else vanished from the spot, space tearing open.