The falling snow in Hye-na's territory caught the Purple glow of the moons, but she sat so still and regal that the white flakes seemed to curve away rather than touch her. She was the epitome of cold beauty, her gaze lingering on the auction logs. The reality check was sobering.
'A single lord is moving dozens of artifacts as if they were common stones,' she mused, opening the private channel to the man who had the region in a stranglehold.
"Let us complete the trade," she sent.
"Okay," Leo responded, his reply as clipped and professional as ever.
The Solaris Flare spear materialized in her hands. She ran her fingers over the intricate runic etchings, feeling the raw power thrumming against her palms. 'Possessing a rare artifact in the trial stage is a feat, but having the audacity to sell it... that is something else entirely,' she thought. Her reflection on his nature was interrupted by a new prompt.
"Are you able to supply death essence to me?" the Crimson Lord asked.
"How much do you need?" she questioned, curious about his appetite for such a specific resource.
"I will buy whatever you can sell. There is no limit."
"Sure," she replied, accepting the lucrative arrangement.
She closed the screen and looked up at the twin purple moons hanging in the void. 'An anomaly.'
***
Back in Leo's territory, the resources from the auction had been piled into a small mountain. Timber, stone, glass, and dark essence formed a silhouette against the night sky. The human subjects watched in awe and confusion, while Luna stood at the center of the storm.
''Luna, it is time,'' Leo said, his voice steady as he turned to her.
Luna gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly. ''Are you sure about this? The more variables we introduce, the harder it is to secure a positive outcome.''
''Trust the process. Let us test our luck,'' Leo smiled. The moonlight played across his pale skin, highlighting a charm that felt almost dangerous in its perfection.
Luna swallowed hard, momentarily lost in his gaze. 'Too perfect,' she thought.
''My Lady,'' Ren interrupted, giving her a small shake.
Luna stepped before the pile and closed her eyes as she raised her hands, and a brilliant silver light began to radiate from her palms.
The onlookers stood paralyzed by the display. Luna opened her eyes, which now burned with silver arches, as two ethereal dice materialized in the air. While one held fate, the other held luck, and only a matching pair would grant the blessing.
Leo gave a sharp nod. Luna commanded the dice to roll. They ascended, spinning in a vortex of silver wisps that hummed with power. Even Malphas and Akul watched with focused intensity. The dice struck the ground with the force of a thunderclap.
[OUTCOME: F1, L1 - DOUBLE]
''Leo!'' Luna cried out, rushing toward him. ''It worked! It actually worked!''
Leo watched in stunned silence as the mountain of materials surged, physically doubling in size before his eyes. 'Incredible,' he thought, his mind racing through the possibilities. 'This talent is truly game-breaking.'
[10,000x Wood, 7500x Stone, 200x Glass, 220x Death Essence, 8000x Gold]
The ground trembled faintly beneath the doubled mountain of supplies. Timber stacked higher than watchtowers. Stone formed crude ridges like a quarry. Glass crates chimed softly as they settled. The Death Essence, thick and black, pooled like liquid shadow at the base, so dense it seemed to swallow moonlight.
Others backed away instinctively, as they couldn't believe the miracle happening in front of them.
Malphas narrowed his eyes, not at the resources, but at Luna. ' Now I understand why the lord deliberately ordered me to kill that spirit lord, all of that to corner this woman for her talent,' he thought.
Luna's breathing was shallow. The silver glow faded from her eyes as she staggered, barely keeping her balance. Ren caught her before she fell.
"I'm fine," Luna muttered, though her hands trembled. "Just… dizzy."
"Ren, let her rest," Leo ordered as the resources finally stopped piling up.
Next, Leo spent hours leading up to midnight at the workshop, smelting iron scraps into heavy brackets and processing hides into the lime mortar required for stonework.
By the time the moons reached their zenith, the piles of refined materials were ready.
Lord's Hall Level 3 Requirements: Stone x1000 Wood x500 Iron Brackets x80 Lime Mortar x120 Refined Glass x20
Required laborer: 10x Common workers
Construction Time: 2 hours
"Finally," Leo said, his dark red eyes scanning the checklist. He tapped the confirmation.
Immediately, a dense gray mist swallowed the wooden structure of the hall. The rhythmic sounds of stone being ground and iron being hammered vibrated through the earth. Leo stood back, his lean, athletic frame draped in his long black coat as he watched the evolution.
The undead workers moved like silent shadows through the yard, organizing the excess debris and clearing the path for the new foundation.
Two hours later, the mist that had shrouded the center of the territory began to thin, pulled away by a cold wind that carried the scent of wet stone and iron. As the last of the gray clouds dissolved, the new Lord's Hall was revealed to the silent camp.
The wooden walls were gone. In their place stood a sturdy structure of gray stone, reinforced with the iron brackets Leo had crafted. The roof was now made of dark, heavy tiles instead of thatch, and the front featured a set of double doors bound in iron. Most importantly, the light from the interior reflected off the refined glass windows, making the building look alive in the middle of the night.
Leo walked toward the entrance. The undead workers stepped aside, their hollow eyes watching their master pass. He pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside.
The hall was much larger now. The ceiling was high, supported by thick pillars. At the far end, a stone dais held a proper throne, not the wooden block he had been using, but a seat carved from dark rock. To the left, a long table was set up for planning, and a set of stairs led to a second-floor loft that served as a private bedroom and balcony.
''Now this looks like a place for a Lord,'' Leo muttered.
A system notification appeared in front of his eyes.
[Lord's Hall Level 3 Upgrade Complete] [New Functions Unlocked: Construction limit +1, Increased chance of profession recruit, population increased +50]
'Cool, now I can start two constructions at the same time,' Leo thought. This was the efficiency boost he had been waiting for. Without hesitation, he initiated the upgrades for the storage and the watchtower. With the construction limit now doubled, the camp was a hive of activity even in the dead of night.
Two hours before the first light of dawn broke the horizon, Leo walked toward the Undead Ossuary. It was the heart of his military power, a grim structure that seemed to drink the moonlight.
[Upgrade requirement: Wood x2000, Stone x2000, Death Essence x100]
It is about time I start building my army,' Leo thought, committing the resources. The death essence acted as a catalyst, creating a freezing vortex that reshaped the building into a spire of bone and iron.
Akul appeared behind him, his purple eye-fires dancing. ''Ghuu... this death energy... it tastes like home.''
''I am glad you like it,'' Leo replied. ''I have not found a blueprint for your laboratory yet, Akul.''
The alchemist bowed low. ''This servant can wait, my Lord. The power here is enough for now.''
[Undead Ossuary Level 2 Upgrade Complete] [New Units(uncommon): Skeletal Bone-Knights, Spectral Archers] [New Feature: 150 Unit Capacity, Passive Regeneration]
[Note: You have upgraded to the max limit.]
'So uncommon units are the most this barracks can offer,' Leo thought, opening the recruitment requirements. Each unit costs 50 bone fragments and 5 death essence. He looked at his inventory, which had 2200 bone fragments and 120 death essence. He selected ten death knights and ten spectral archers.
The Ossuary gates creaked open. A deep, rhythmic pounding echoed from within, like a giant heart beating in reverse. One by one, the undead emerged. The Bone-Knights were massive, reinforced with bone plating and iron ribs. Rusted greatshields were fused to their left arms, and bone-forged blades were in their right hands. Crimson sigils burned in their eye sockets.
The Spectral Archers followed silently. Their forms were semi-translucent, cloaked in pale blue mist. Long bows of condensed soul energy formed in their grasp. They did not kneel or breathe; they simply stood before their lord.
Luna watched from her doorway, shivering as the high-tier undead filed out. 'He really is a monster. He is building an army while the rest of us are fighting for scrap,' she thought.
Leo stationed the archers on the new stone tower. 'Do I build the altar, or do I gamble on a hero?' he wondered. He had 1225 SE left. He fought the urge to pull for a hero, deciding instead to arm himself and his elites.
He opened the 3-star Artifact Banner. "Let's see if Lady Luck can bless us today."