The 'Extra' Lord - A Plundering Kingdom Building LitRPG

With the help of Louis and some of the other workmates, they pulled whatever they could in front of the door. Those that weren’t helping had their eyes glazed over, looking at the alien screen in front of them over at the other side of the office, waiting for the next message.

The beast that had howled never arrived. Most likely, it had found someone else to hunt.

Owen looked at Louis. At some point, he had received a gnarly wound on his cheek. Breath steadying, Owen said, “That was close.”

“You’re telling me,” Louis said, wiping at the blood on his cheek. He winced.

“I need to check on Callan.”

“That other guy?”

“Just stay here,” Owen said.

Ignoring Louis for now, and having moved whatever they could in front of the door, Owen limped over to where Callan was flung out of sight behind a cubicle. Please. Please don’t be dead, Owen thought as he neared. Rounding the corner, he saw the huge man already seated, tending to his wounds.

Owen sighed in relief seeing that he was mostly fine. But another worry appeared at the forefront. He said, “How are you holding up?”

“I think I’ll live,” he said, seething in pain.

“Good,” Owen said, changing the subject a moment later. “Please say you haven’t already selected your Class?”

“No?”

Owen crouched down in front of Callan, his expression serious. "You can't pick Warrior."

Callan frowned. "How did you know I was going to—?"

"This is going to sound strange, maybe even insane, but listen. Whatever you do, don't choose Warrior. You need to select Mage. I know it sounds odd, but trust me—I know you'll be exceptional at magic."

Callan studied him with a skeptical look, unsure whether to believe him. They had barely met, and yet Owen was speaking with a sense of urgency that was hard to ignore.

Owen’s mind flashed back to a memory from Ansel’s first life.

Callan, the Iron Fortress, sat by the crackling fire, his voice steady as the warmth pushed back the chill of the Cursed Lands. Ansel listened in silence, his thoughts heavy.

“If I could go back and change my Class,” Callan said, his smile tinged with regret, “I’d do it without hesitation. Even if it meant starting all over.”

Miranda, the Witch of Hallowed Sanctity, chuckled from across the fire. “Even now? The Lord who’s never lost a siege wants to start over?”

“Yes,” Callan replied firmly. “It took me years as a Warrior to realize I had a talent for magic. If I’d chosen Mage from the start, I’d be even stronger now. Maybe I could’ve protected more—maybe even the world.”

Miranda shook her head with a laugh. “There’s that confidence. You think you could’ve saved the world.”

Ansel stared into the fire, his voice low. “If we’d protected Sanctuary, maybe we would’ve. But it’s too late. If I could do it all again... I’d make different choices. No alliances. I’d take it all for myself.”

Owen returned to the present. He knew Callan—not this version of him, but the one from the stories. Loyal, trustworthy to a fault. Maybe someone else would push Owen away, curse at him for being insane. This was his future after all. But Callan wasn't normal.

“Look,” Owen said, his voice calm but firm. “I get it, we just met, but trust me on this. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Call it a favor."

Callan hesitated, but there was something in Owen’s gaze—something that spoke of more than just a wild guess. A quiet confidence, almost like he knew the future.

"You’re convincing, I’ll give you that." Callan finally said, shaking his head with a small smile. With a deep breath, he selected his Class.

His eyes widened as a strange energy surged through him. Owen smiled, knowing exactly what he was feeling.

Mana.

"Magic, huh?" Callan's eyes lit up, a newfound spark flickering within them. There was a sense of wonder there now—something more than curiosity, a glimpse of potential he hadn’t yet realized.

Owen placed his hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, for before, as well. I’d have died without your help.”

“We’d have all died if we couldn’t beat that thing.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Owen. “I need to see the others. Will you be okay?”

“I think so,” he replied, then stood up, groaning in pain in the process. Owen helped him up. “I didn’t get your name.”

“Owen.”

“Owen,” he said, looking around at the destruction and blood. Their own blood, mostly. “Can you believe this? Monsters? I don’t get it.”

“Me too,” Owen said. “But it’s best if we believe it quickly. Stay put, I’ll see if I can find you a first-aid kit.”

Callan nodded in agreement.

Done with that, Owen turned around and quickly made his way near the back of the office where everyone had congregated. He glanced down at his leg. It was still bleeding, but for now, he ignored it. He didn’t feel any pain.

Arriving in a limp, he hoped he wasn’t already too late, but Callan’s Class came first. He’d be a great help in the future.

Owen took in a breath as he glanced at all the others in the office that looked like they were staring off into space. They were looking at the Class upgrades, no doubt. Most of them would pick Mage or Archer. It was dumb, and he had to stop it.

“Stop,” Owen said and yanked Louis’s shoulders.

“What the hell man?” Louis asked, still visibly shaken from the monster. He was doing well not to lose himself. Owen was almost there himself. Louis had a deep gash on his cheek.

“What did you choose?”

“Nothing yet. The choice is hard. This is going to determine my future, right? I was about to choose Mage when you yanked me. Can you believe any of this? It’s fucking nuts. Magic? Monsters? Feels like I’m in some sort of twisted nightmare. Or on a trip. You know, drugs.” Louis rambled. He was in shock.

“I know,” he said, then Owen raised his voice as he scanned the group. "Everyone, stop. Don't pick Mage or Archer."

Several people glanced up, confused. A few had already selected Mage, evident from their calm reactions. The Warriors, though? They’d be feeling their newfound strength, marvelling at it.

“Do you see any bows around here? Anyone think they can summon a fireball on their first try?” Owen asked, his tone sharper now. “We don’t have the luxury to gamble on that. This isn’t a game. Picking Warrior will make you stronger now. Surviving without that will be difficult.”

Chris shoved his way to the front, arms crossed. “How do we know you're not gatekeeping Mage for yourself?” His voice oozed scepticism. “You said it yourself—fireballs could stop those monsters in their tracks. Why the hell would we choose anything else?”

A murmur spread through the group. Even Louis looked at Owen with raised eyebrows, his disbelief stinging more than Owen expected.

Owen bit his lip. He wasn’t about to let them walk into the same traps he’d read about, not when he knew what could happen. He leaned forward, voice low but firm. “This isn’t about me. If you pick Mage now, you won’t get stronger, and those things will tear you apart. We barely survived the last attack. I know we don’t know a lot about this System, but think about it—Warrior gives us strength. We need that if we’re going to stand a chance.”

Chris scoffed. “Right. And what have you picked?” He pointed a finger at Owen, challenging.

“Nothing yet—”

“If you're so sure, why not pick Warrior yourself? Sounds like you’re saving the best for yourself.”

The group began to nod, and Owen’s pulse quickened. They were slipping through his fingers. He wanted to tell them that he knew the future, that he knew exactly why they should all go Warrior. But, Owen knew Chris would twist that into making everyone believe that he was insane. Even if he claimed it as a Skill. Would they believe him?

“I—” Owen hesitated, not used to defending himself in front of a crowd. Chris latched onto his silence.

“See?” Chris said, his voice rising with confidence. “He’s not even sure. None of us are. Think about it—monsters, magic, this whole situation is insane.” He paused, letting the tension in the room build. “But whatever’s going on, it feels real enough. So the only way to survive is to cover all our bases—Mages, Archers, Warriors. We need a mix, to spread the risk.”

“Like a video game,” someone chirped from the back.

Owen clenched his fists, biting back his frustration. Chris had a point, in theory. But in reality, they were unarmed, and those creatures wouldn’t wait for them to learn magic.

But what could he do? He couldn’t force them to pick.

One by one, people started making their choices. Despite Chris’s influence, more than half chose Warrior—far better than Owen expected. But it could’ve gone smoother. He should’ve been more forceful, more certain.

“Louis?” He then turned to his friend.

“Don’t worry, I picked Warrior as well.”

“Okay.” Owen sighed in relief.

“You weren’t lying,” Louis said while checking out his new body, flexing his muscles. His lips curled into a smile; even the pain seemed to have washed away from his wounds. “This feels incredible.”

Owen smiled as he glanced at Chris and the others. As they watched the new Warriors effortlessly lift chairs and other objects as if they weighed nothing, a hint of jealousy flickered across their faces. They tried to do the same, but with only 1 point in Strength given by the Mage Class and the body of a lethargic office worker, the outcome was predictable. They strained and struggled, the single point made no noticeable difference to their overall strength.

Now, it was time to pick a Class for himself.

Displaying the basic list of Classes available for selection…

Owen was given the basic options between Rogue, Warrior, Archer, and Mage that everyone else received. It had been years since he had read chapter 1 of the story, but if he remembered correctly, then pretty much most of Earth chose the Mage and Archer Classes.

Owen knew the best choice. It was difficult not to; he had theorised what he’d have chosen in Ansel’s stead when he was reading along. Each Class brought with it an extra Lord addition.

For the Rogue, if one became a Lord, then the Class increased the efficacy of Scouting units.

Warrior made the frontline units stronger.

Mage made the spellcasters in their domain have increased mana generation and more potent magic. But with only gaining one point per Level because of his Talent, and with magic units being very rare, it was a tout choice.

Archers made their units more accurate and increased their fire rate.

Skills were earned based on actions, rewarded by combat. Warriors could learn Rogue abilities and vice versa. And it was the same for a Mage and a Warrior. What really mattered were the Lord additions, and the Stats given by the Classes themselves to survive the beginning. Warrior and Rogue were the best in that regard. Strength versus Speed.

But when having to navigate the Land Between, to survive, a Rogue Lord was an underrated necessity. They were the navigators in a dark and cruel world. And that was why—

You have selected — Rogue.

Rogue

| Description: Masters of stealth, agility, and deception, Rogues specialise in striking from the shadows and avoiding direct combat. Their swift movements and precision allow them to take down foes with deadly accuracy, often before the enemy even realises they're there.

| Lord Addition: Bonuses added to scouting units. Basic Hunter units now possess Scout attributes, improving vision range and stealth detection.

Added stats: Dexterity +5, Vitality +3, Strength +2

Taking on the Class brought with it a subtle warmth to his muscles. Not only that, but his vision was now… blurred? He squinted. Taking off his glasses, he noticed the world was a lot clearer now. Was it a result of his Vitality increasing, or because of Dexterity? Whatever it was, he couldn’t help but smile.

He truly was inside the novel. He could level up and get stronger. However, that child-like naivety was violently stripped away when he heard another wretched scream—a human scream—coming from the stairwell. There were a lot less of them now. Most of the office workers should be in hiding.

Just at that moment, with a resounding bang, the debris in front of the door leading to the stairwell lurched. Owen jumped and readied himself. Not only did he have to survive here, he had to get out of the building and into the subway tunnels in a single week. If that wasn’t bad enough, he had to get his hands on a Lord Shard without being brutally murdered.

Owen gave Callan and Louis a knowing look and reinforced the door further.