Mist Lord

After receiving the reward, Xia Yuan finally had time to dismantle the corpses of mist monsters such as scorpion-tailed flies and gray mist rats, obtaining another batch of materials and a total of 875 mist bud crystals.

This is the largest harvest of mist bud crystals since the territory was established.

They really are all money-bringing children.

However, Xia Yuan didn't keep these Mist Sprout Crystals for himself; instead, he distributed them on the spot to the various units that participated in the battle. Skeleton warriors, sword-and-shield dogs, half-elf archers, and bone-winged bats all received some.

Since the militia members have been discharged from the military, they can no longer improve their combat level by consuming Mist Sprout Crystals.

Fortunately, they also obtained a large amount of meat in this battle.

"A grand bonfire party will be held tonight! Everyone will have an extra feast, with plenty of meat and alcohol!"

Having won another victory and successfully upgraded his territory to level 4, Xia Yuan naturally did not forget the old tradition and rewarded his generals and soldiers with the most substantial wine and meat.

"My sword and shield!"

Upon hearing that there would be plenty of meat and wine, the sword-and-shield dogs' eyes lit up.

Especially Blade & Shield One, who secretly tasted its master's wine before, still can't forget it.

Now my wish is finally about to come true.

"Giggle~~~"

The skeleton warriors, however, showed little interest and turned back to the burial ground to rest. Some of them had awakened some memories of their past lives and simply couldn't bear the torment of being able to smell but not eat.

It's so tough!!!

They have more dry crops than oxen, but they only drink the northwest wind.

"Gurgle~~~"

The bone-winged bats flying in the air were already enjoying a gluttonous feast. The carcasses of scorpion flies that Xia Yuan looked down upon had become the most delicious delicacies in their mouths.

Forget about grilled meat; they prefer insects, especially scorpion flies.

.........

After cleaning up the battlefield and roughly distributing the spoils, all that remained were one bronze treasure chest and four wooden treasure chests dropped by the monster boss.

Apart from a blueprint for a general store, there wasn't much else of value.

After putting away the treasure chest, Xia Yuan finally had time to check the updated territory panel.

[Territory Name]: Brightlight Town

[Lord]: Xia Yuan (Third-Class Viscount)

[Territory Level]: Level 4

[Territory Population]: 627/2560

[Territory Hero]: Black Armor

[Near-Hero]: Satie, Sword and Shield No. 1, Elua, Celia

[Territory Troops]: 48 Wandering Swordsmen and Shieldmen, 103 Soldier Swordsmen and Shieldmen, 1 Heavy Swordsmen and Shieldmen, 2 Skeleton Knights, 39 Skeleton Warriors, 24 Half-Elf Archers, 27 Bone-Winged Bats

[Note: The size of a territory's military force cannot exceed 20% of the territory's population limit.]

[Territory Area]: 64 square kilometers

[Territory Funds]: 634 Silver Coins

[Special Buildings]: War Statue, Demon Sealing Tower

[Military Buildings]: Hall of Heroes, Burial Grounds, Sword and Shield Dog Training Camp, Simple Arrow Towers x6, Simple Watchtowers x1, Armory Workshop, Earthen Wall, Medium Fog Beacon, Clock Tower

[Other Buildings]: Omitted

[Upgradeable Buildings]:

[Lord's Manor]: An upgrade building for the lord's courtyard, serving as the core council chamber of the territory. Upgrade requirements: 500 units of wood, 300 units of stone. Upgrade time: 3 days.

[Blackstone Altar]: Level 4, the core structure for defending against the invasion of gray fog; if destroyed, the territory is destroyed. Consumes a fixed 6 Mist Sprout Crystals daily. Upgrade requirement: 192 Low-grade Black Crystals.

[Hint: A sacrificial fire can be separated to establish a site]

[Intermediate Slave Camp]: Used to hold prisoners of war, effectively reducing their resistance. Maximum capacity: 500 people. Construction requirements: 500 units of wood, 300 units of stone. Construction time: 3 days.

[Buildable Structures]:

【难民营】：1级，每日最多可招募10名难民。招募费用：100铜币/人。建造条件：木材200单位，石材200单位。建造时间：三天。

[Public Opinion Mailbox]: A mailbox for collecting public opinions and feedback. If handled properly, it can, to some extent, unite public sentiment. Construction Requirements: 50 units of wood. Construction Time: One day.

[Territory Upgrade Requirements]:

① Complete all basic construction

②The territory's population reached 2560

③ The lord's rank reaches the third viscount.

④ The territory covers an area of ​​256 square kilometers.

⑤ During the Level 4 territory management period, the player must act as the attacker and achieve victory in at least one Civilization Trial.

Although the recently concluded trial war was overwhelming, some casualties were inevitable.

Post-battle statistics show that a total of 23 wandering swordsmen, 5 cavalry swordsmen, 3 skeleton warriors, and 2 half-elf archers perished in the battle. Ten militiamen operating the ballistae also died.

Therefore, even after recruiting 15 more wandering swordsmen and shieldmen after the war, the territory's population still failed to reach the 640 cap.

Fortunately, after the territory was upgraded from level 3 to level 4, it achieved the leap from village to town, which quadrupled the maximum area and population of the territory.

However, the higher the territory level, the lower the proportion of troops. At level 3, the proportion is as high as 50%, but at level 4 it drops sharply to 20%, meaning the actual troop limit is less than doubled.

The era of universal conscription is gone forever.

This is not a deliberate limitation, but rather a natural consequence that as the size of the territory's military increases, the demands on logistical support also rise, requiring a sufficient number of non-military personnel to support it.

Otherwise, it would be like draining the pond to catch all the fish.

The good news is that in this battle, another soldier with a sword and shield broke through in the fight against the leader of the Gray Mist Wolves, becoming the second heavily armored sword and shield soldier after Sword and Shield No. 1.

Xia Yuan then casually named it Blade & Shield No. 2.

Once a territory reaches level 4, the lord's courtyard can be upgraded to the lord's manor, and the slave camp will also be expanded. However, the earthen city walls can no longer be upgraded.

For a level 4 territory, earthen walls are actually sufficient to deal with various war threats.

In addition, two new buildings can be constructed: a refugee camp and a public opinion mailbox.

Leaving aside the public opinion mailbox, the key point is that the emergence of refugee camps provided the conditions for a continuous and stable recruitment of refugees, eliminating the need to rely on purchasing slaves to increase the non-military population of the territory.

Moreover, there might be some talented people in domestic affairs among the refugees, so it's still worth looking forward to.

Just after receiving Nakamura Teppei's territory, there were still some timber and stone left. Xia Yuan generously ordered upgrades and new constructions to be built where necessary.

Finally, we no longer need to wait to gather all the building resources.

In addition to the new buildings, the requirements for territory advancement have increased from four to five. It now requires participating in at least one Civilization Trial attack during the operation of a level 4 territory.

Advancing solely by eradicating the camps of demonized creatures has become impossible.

The art of refining Gu poison is the eternal theme of the Misty Continent.

.........

After finishing the building upgrade, Xia Yuan finally arrived at the Hall of Heroes.

Congratulations on your territory reaching level 4! Please recruit your second hero.

1. The renowned King of Spearmen (Rare)

2. A mysterious being skilled in manipulating plants (legendary)

3. The renowned and unparalleled general (rare)

"Tsk tsk..."

Gray Fog is digging another hole. Not to mention the highly deceptive return of the King of Spearmen, this time they've added a seemingly impressive Peerless General, but it turns out to be just another rare hero.

Why does it sound so familiar?

Choose option 2!

When it comes to heroes, you should definitely choose the one with the higher quality without hesitation.

Just like the initial hero Black Armor, a legendary quality existence, although it was only at the peak of Tier 3 when it appeared, it broke through to Tier 4 in a short period of time, achieving a significant leap in strength.

[Select Confirm]

As the cyan vortex appeared, a strange aura, combining vitality and decay, swept over us.

A cool, aloof woman emerged from the crowd, dressed in a dark green robe and carrying a withered wooden staff. Her dark green eyes peeked out from beneath her hood; her face was delicate and cold, with a high, straight nose, exuding an air of detachment.

"Cerantis greets my lord!"

The new hero bowed to Xia Yuan with an extremely standard mage salute.

Name: Serandis

[Quality]: Legendary

[Occupation]: Root Mage

[Rank]: Fourth Rank

【Main Skills】: Plant Manipulation, Frenzied Spread, Plant Affinity, Spread Contract

[Combat Strength Assessment]: ★★★★★★

[Evaluation]: A unique inheritor of the lineage, existing between human cities and ancient forests, safeguarding the balance between decay and rebirth; a guardian of the power of nature; a nature mage possessing both defensive and sustained offensive capabilities.

"Wow, I've won the lottery!!!"