Chapter 2: Developing the Territory

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After reading the item’s attributes, Reid asked in confusion, “It’s a decent treasure, but not enough to get you this excited, is it?”

“You’re wrong. What I need isn’t the item’s attributes, but something else entirely,” Li Bin said with a mysterious smile.

“What could possibly be so useful that it gets you this worked up?” Though he did not really want to meddle, Reid was still deeply curious.

Li Bin smiled and took out a parchment, handing it to Reid. “See for yourself.”

Reid took a look and found that it was a mission sheet from the Alliance of the Seven Undead Lords. One line seemed to indicate that an undead player was looking for the Ghost God Enslavement Manual as a quest item, and as the price for an internal trade, he was willing to offer three squads of level-12 Dread Knights.

Seeing this, Reid casually handed the parchment back and said, “Maybe Ted would be thrilled. It would be even better if it were three squads of bone dragons.”

“Oh, spare me. Didn’t you see the note below? Those three squads of Dread Knights also come with three combat heroes,” Li Bin said with a laugh. “That means our army’s strength will improve yet again.”

“What you need most right now is an administrative hero, I think,” Reid casually shattered Li Bin’s fantasy.

The two of them laughed and talked all the way back to the surface. By then, the entrance on the underground side had completely changed. The city that once stood there had become a ruin now that its energy support was gone, and a narrow road had been laid from the abandoned city straight into the distance.

All along the road, skeleton soldiers, corpse soldiers, and ghost soldiers could be seen patrolling in every direction. Li Bin knew this must have been arranged by Ghost Butterfly City after it received the news.

Following the road back to Ghost Butterfly City, Li Bin received word that the campaign had been a resounding success. Of the thirty-five cities of all sizes, twenty-nine had been captured by his forces. Only eight had been kept, while the rest had been converted into fifteen level-1 city cores and six level-2 city cores.

Among the eight cities retained, three belonged to the undead faction: a mummy city built in a wasteland southeast of Ghost Butterfly City, a frozen corpse city built in a snowy region to the northwest of Ghost Butterfly City, and a water wraith city by a river northeast of Ghost Butterfly City.

For these three level-2 settlements, Li Bin assigned one administrative hero and one level-1 undead city core to support their development.

The other cities were a level-2 dark faction troglodyte city, a level-2 medusa city, a level-3 minotaur city, a level-2 infernal children-of-demons city, and a level-2 nature faction elf city.

In addition, the mines and production sites within these cities’ territories were all seized by Li Bin as well. Before this war had even ended, he already controlled six stone quarries, five metal mines, five lumber camps, four crystal mines, four gem mines, five mercury refineries, three sulfur mines, and three all-element energy pools.

Finally, Li Bin also sent a level-1 undead city core and a level-1 free city core to the Rot-Eater that had already reached the swamp.

These gains greatly accelerated the development of Li Bin’s territory. In particular, once Ghost Butterfly City obtained the support of a level-4 city core, it was transformed completely. Its area doubled, and the newly brought-back graveyard demon became the city’s second hidden research lab.

Unlike Li Bin’s first graveyard demon, this one specialized in magic. Li Bin therefore placed it beneath the magic tower, allowing the graveyard demon and the tower to establish a connection and develop together. In addition, the negative energy produced by the new level-4 city core was reserved specifically for the magic tower’s growth, greatly accelerating magical research.

After everything was settled, Li Bin recalled Ted, Grew, Little Carter, Jessika, and the others who were fighting outside, and explained that he would be heading to Desia’s territory to complete a task.

Everyone had their own thoughts on the matter. The kindly Jessika felt that since they had promised the god of kindness, they must see it through. Ted also agreed with Li Bin’s decision; after all, the reward of three squads of Dread Knights at the end was enough to make him grin just thinking about it.

Grew and Little Carter, however, would have preferred to take part in the final assaults and defenses of the last few cities. But since they were now effectively commanders of Li Bin’s direct forces, no matter how reluctant they were, they still had to accompany Li Bin to Desia’s territory.

After pressing down everyone’s objections, Li Bin quickly organized the troops, exchanged all the surplus city cores for administrative heroes, and ordered them to rapidly develop the territory’s economic infrastructure. Then he led his army onto the road toward Desia’s lands.

When Li Bin’s vampire fortress flew over the boundary line he had once drawn with Desia, two larger vampire fortresses suddenly appeared ahead, and one of Desia’s subordinates, Iris, sent him a message from afar, ordering him to stop.

Li Bin did not want any conflict with Desia’s people, so he landed his vampire fortress as requested.

The moment she saw Li Bin, Iris sharply demanded, “Why have you suddenly appeared here? Are you here to profit from our misfortune?”

Li Bin looked at Iris in puzzlement. “Miss Iris, I don’t understand what you mean. I’m here this time to complete a task. I have no intention of opposing your master’s territory.”

“If you have no intention of opposing our master’s territory, then why did you have to come at such a perfect time? Of all times, you had to show up when our master is at war with those people,” Iris said distrustfully.

“Those people?” Li Bin frowned. “Do you need help?”

“Would you be that kind?” Iris let out a cold snort.

“Of course. Please do not doubt my intentions. I only want to build a good relationship with you, and borrow passage through your lands to the Holy Land,” Li Bin said frankly.

But the moment Iris heard “the Holy Land,” she leaped up at once. “And you still say you’re not with those people? You came for the Holy Land!”

“No, that’s not it. Listen to my explanation,” Li Bin hurriedly said as he saw the situation about to turn ugly. But how could Iris listen? With a wave of her hand, she called out the troops hidden in the vampire fortress.

Just as Li Bin was at a loss for what to do, a golden bat flew between them. From the bat’s mouth came Desia’s voice. “Iris, do not act rashly.”

“But, Master, he...”

“I will handle this myself,” Desia said, slowly turning toward Li Bin.

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