After handing over the sweet potato seeds to Sarah, Golan left the farmers to their work and made his way back to the Ancient Purification Tomb.
…
Upon arriving, Golan waited a while until the purification process was complete.
> [Purification of corpse completed. Confirm extraction: Yes/No?]
[Refined promotion energy has been transferred to the Lord.]
[No special ability obtained from the target corpse.]
[You have acquired the racial talent "Keen Sight" from the target corpse.]
[The acquired racial talent has been adapted to suit the Lord's body.]
[Alert: Your strength has advanced. You have now reached Peak Green Rank.]
A surge of power erupted within Golan, breaking through the barrier that had held him back for a day. His body brimmed with energy. But right after his advancement, a sharp pain and searing heat spread through his eyes.
Resisting the urge to rub them, fearing he might cause damage, he endured the torment. Thankfully, the excruciating pain didn't last long. As it finally faded, Golan opened his eyes—only to witness a breathtaking new perspective.
For the first time, he could see everything within his territory with astonishing clarity—from the small details of Risha slicing meat for lunch, to the nail that Bruce was hammering into wood to craft a lock.
When he tried focusing on something farther away, his pupils adjusted, and the distant scene zoomed closer as if through a sniper's scope. However, after maintaining this far-sight for a short while, dizziness set in. With a mere thought, his vision returned to normal, and the lightheadedness subsided.
From this, Golan understood that he couldn't sustain long-range vision indefinitely, but the time he could maintain it was more than enough. Opening the interface, he examined the details of his new ability:
> [Keen Sight: A passive racial talent that drastically enhances vision. By focusing on a distant point, the scene will magnify in clarity. Current maximum range: 2,000 meters.]
"So now I'm basically like a cybernetic super-soldier?" Golan thought with amusement. He wasn't disappointed. Any useful racial talent was a priceless gift.
After storing away the loot from the purified corpse, he placed the second—and final—corpse inside the tomb.
This time his luck wasn't great. Aside from the usual materials, all he gained was five loaves of fine white bread. Checking the details, he saw it was made from premium wheat flour—perfect for lunch, at least to change the taste.
He kept about fifty units of vulture meat for himself and listed the remaining three hundred units on the market to trade for various resources.
…
Not long after, it was lunchtime. Golan sat to eat with his followers, strengthening their sense of belonging to the territory.
"Lord, this is the list of herbs I can work with using our current equipment," Lucas said, handing him a parchment.
Morninglight Grass… Rosemary… Green Turmeric… Jumping Mushroom…
Golan skimmed through more than thirty strange herb names.
"I'll do my best to secure them for you soon," Golan replied before turning to the young artist, Head.
"Head, do you have the resident registry of the territory?"
"Yes, my lord. It contains the details of all residents, categorized by profession and importance."
"Well done."
Praising him, Golan took the notebook. What was once Head's sketchbook had now become the official registry. He opened the first page:
> [Total Population: 60]
[Combat Professions: 17]
[Life Professions: 10]
[Unassigned Civilians: 33]
[Men: 35]
[Women: 15]
[Children: 0]
"So we've grown this much already?"
Golan was slightly surprised. He'd only had a rough estimate in mind before.
Flipping to the next section, he saw the background details of each resident:
> [Name: Suleiman]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 36]
[Joined the Territory: 00/1/1]
[Previous Background: Continent of Chaos, Assur Kingdom, Barony of the Bow, Iron Bamboo City]
Since Golan had asked Head to establish a new calendar for the territory, all records began from "00/1/1."
…
> [Name: Leonard]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 78]
[Joined the Territory: 00/1/1]
[Previous Background: Continent of Chaos, Assur Kingdom, Duchy of the Deer, Great Stone Mountain Village]
…
> [Name: Anara]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: (The Dead do not age)]
[Joined the Territory: 00/1/1]
[Previous Background: Underworld, Dark Continent, Magus City of Shura]
Golan wasn't surprised. He already knew the undead had no natural lifespan. As long as they continued devouring souls and avoided being destroyed, they could theoretically exist forever.
…
For nearly twenty minutes he read through the registry until something caught his attention. Almost all of his summoned residents originated from the Assur Kingdom. That likely meant the kingdom's territory was nearby.
He also noticed that Assur's hierarchy resembled the medieval feudal nobility system of his previous life.
"Head, tell me the history of the Assur Kingdom—from the beginning."
"Yes, my lord." Head nodded. "Originally, the lands of the Assur Kingdom were ruled by the Insect Race. Humanity was enslaved and treated as cattle and food. This era is now known as the 'Dark Age.'
It lasted until 620 years ago, when King Assur I ignited the flames of rebellion alongside his loyalists. Their relentless campaign slaughtered billions of insects.
Their advance continued without pause until they drove the insects back to their homeland in the Black Lands, freeing humanity from its grim fate. This ended the long 'Dark Age.'
The uprising of King Assur I became known as the 'Uprising of Blood' for the immense slaughter on both sides. It is remembered as the moment humanity seized its destiny back from oppression. In the aftermath, the Assur Kingdom was founded, and the royal Assur bloodline has ruled ever since."
"The Insect Race… and a kingdom with more than six centuries of history?"
Golan's mind raced. He suppressed his growing curiosity about the mysterious Insect Race and focused on absorbing the wealth of information.
"What about the current strength of the Assur Kingdom?" he asked.
Head took a breath before answering:
"My lord, I don't know the exact numbers, but according to what I've heard:
The reigning monarch, King Ariks Assur XXIV, commands hundreds of Diamond-ranked warriors and thousands of Gold-ranked warriors. The standing royal army numbers around one hundred million fully equipped soldiers.
Beneath the king are the Four Ducal Houses, each controlling vast territories. Every duke commands dozens of Diamond-ranked warriors, hundreds of Gold-ranked warriors, and at least twenty million soldiers.
Next come the Nine Marquises. Each commands several Diamond-ranked warriors and an army of up to five million soldiers.
Then there are dozens of Count families, each with at least one Diamond-ranked warrior, several Gold-ranked warriors, and armies smaller than the marquises.
Hundreds of Viscount families follow, usually with only Gold-ranked warriors and smaller forces numbering in the tens of thousands.
Below them are thousands of Barons. They hold the smallest fiefs—usually just a single city and surrounding villages. Each has at least one Gold-ranked warrior.
Finally, there are countless Knights. This is more of an honorary title than a position of power, given to those who reach Silver rank or to those who render great service to the kingdom."
Head finished speaking, then downed a wooden cup of steaming water to soothe his throat.
Golan, meanwhile, was utterly shaken. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined the terrifying might of the Assur Kingdom. For the first time since arriving in this new world, he truly realized how small and insignificant he was before such overwhelming power.
Still, he didn't press further about the Insect Race. He would find answers in due time. For now, a system alert informed him that the Ancient Purification Tomb was ready once again… and he had just enough resources to upgrade the Lord's Hall.
--- End of Chapter.