By the time Ling Ye and his forces returned to Immortal City, the night sky had fully swallowed the horizon. Darkness loomed over the territory, broken only by faint glimmers of moonlight. Without hesitation, Ling Ye ordered several makeshift bonfires and lantern posts built around the city, their orange glow quickly pushing back the gloom. Soon, Immortal City shimmered in warm light, its new life pulsing in the darkness.
Claria was sent to prepare dinner while Ling Ye turned his focus to the mountain of resources gathered during the day. He sorted through everything—the spoils from a D-grade Mana Crystal Mine, two E-grade stone quarries, two E-grade lumber camps, food from chests, and the loot stripped from slain monsters.
After careful tallying, his resources were as follows:
Food: 6519 units
Mana Crystals: 7052 units
Wood: 3236 units
Stone: 3298 units
Ling Ye mentally mapped out the next steps. The decision came fast and sharp: upgrade Immortal City to Level 3, level up all farms and the ranch, and establish a brand-new farm for the S-grade Star Dew Fruit seeds. One command after another was issued, draining resources and scrolls as golden beams of upgrade light descended upon his territory.
[Upgrade Log]
Immortal City upgraded to Level 3: -1000 Wood, -1000 Stone, 3h Time Scroll
Farm upgraded to Level 2: -200 Wood, -200 Stone, -1h Time Scroll.
Farm upgraded to Level 3: -500 Wood, -500 Stone, -2h Time Scroll.
Multiple upgrades follow…
Before long, every structure stood taller, sturdier, more efficient. The city's status window reflected the change:
[Immortal City – Level 3]
Area: 3000m × 3000m
Unit Capacity: 400/1000
Resources: Food 6519, Mana Crystals 7052, Wood 36, Stone 98
Food Output: 90,000/day
Buildings (5/15): Level 3 Lord's Hall, Level 1 Warehouse, 2× Level 3 Farms, 1× Level 3 Ranch
Troop Nests (2/3): Centaurean Cavalry Nest, Fire Elemental Nest
Durability: 500,000
Next Upgrade: 5000 Wood, 5000 Stone, 2000 Iron Ingots
The upgrade revealed a new choke point: iron ingots. Future upgrades for the city, farms, ranch, and even Centaur evolution into Heavy Knights demanded refined iron. Tomorrow, Ling Ye swore, he would secure an iron source no matter the cost.
Planting the Star Dew Fruit in the newly built farm sent a surge of energy through the land. Numbers skyrocketed as food production reached 90,000 units per day—a terrifying output for day one of this hellish world. Enough to sustain thousands of troops below Tier 6, yet Ling Ye's lips curled into a dissatisfied smirk.
Ninety thousand? That's pocket change. Let my rivals see this, and they'll think I'm starving. No, I'll stack millions, tens of millions of food reserves… and when the famine wave hits, I'll trade food for mana crystals, for everything I need. I'll snowball so hard they'll choke on my dust.
Footsteps echoed behind him, breaking his thoughts. Claria entered, hips swaying lightly, balancing a tray piled with sizzling roasted pork and steaming pumpkin soup.
"My lord, dinner is ready," she announced with a playful lilt.
Ling Ye turned, eyes catching the gleam of perfectly roasted Pine Resin Boar meat, its skin golden-brown and crisp. The soup, brewed from Ghost Pumpkins, sent waves of sweet aroma drifting through the hall. Everything was fresh, drawn straight from their farm and ranch. No magic enhancements, no artificial shortcuts—just raw, rich flavor.
He took a bite and let a rare smile spread across his face. "Well, well… who would've thought the Queen of Succubi was also a five-star chef?"
Claria giggled behind a delicate hand. "There was a time in my old castle when boredom was my greatest enemy. Studying human recipes kept me entertained. If you like it, my lord, I'll gladly cook for you every day."
Ling Ye nodded, entirely unopposed to the idea. A beautiful cook who can kill an army by herself? Yeah, I'd be a fool to refuse.
While they ate, Ling Ye opened the world chat feed, skimming through the chaos of despair flooding the channel.
"Damn this place, I wanna go home. This is torture."
"All my troops are dead, mana's gone, someone please save me…"
"Cooking rat meat over a campfire in pitch black. Can life get worse?"
"Meat?! You lucky bastard! I found mushrooms, ate them, now they're trying to eat me! I think they're monsters!"
"Bro, that's a Chomper Shroom. RIP."
"Lost five lives already, down to nine years left. One more death and I'm done for."
"This hellhole's gonna kill us all. Might as well have fun before I go. My Pigman Warrior's kinda cute…"
"Dude… no. Just no."
The death toll counter in the top corner had dropped from one million to 960,000 survivors. Four percent gone on day one. A grim reminder of how merciless this new world was… and how much bloodier it would get in the days to come.
Dinner finished, Ling Ye retreated to his quarters. The upgraded Lord's Hall spanned over a hundred square meters, now split into two bedrooms—one for him, one for Claria.
What, share a bed? Please. A true lord lives for ambition and conquest, not indulgence. There'd be time for other pursuits later, once favorability maxed out.
With all nearby monsters cleared, there'd be no attacks on Immortal City tonight. He doused the lanterns, lay back, and closed his eyes. Darkness swallowed the room as his mind scoured through memories of his past life, hunting for one thing above all: iron mines and volcanic islands.
Morning light broke across the sea, painting the waves in gold. Ling Ye rose early, armor strapped, weapons ready. With Claria at his side and their army assembled, he finalized today's plan. Several island coordinates floated vividly in his mind: the iron mine to the east, the volcanic island rich in flame essence, the site of a supreme beast nest, and finally, the holy sanctuary for job advancements he had to reach by day five.
The route set, he commanded Immortal City to move out at full speed, his mana reserves bleeding as he trained another 350 Fire Elementals, bringing his total to 550. Their power doubled overnight, their strength humming in the dawn air.
They skipped minor islands and ignored fledgling lords barely clinging to survival. Ling Ye didn't need scraps. He needed resources that mattered. He had no time for anything else.
Finally, after what felt like endless sailing through dense, creeping mist, a barren island loomed on the horizon, its surface littered with jagged stone and exposed rock faces.
Ling Ye's lips curled upward in anticipation. "There you are… the first iron mine of this new life."