Looking through the expansive territory panel, Thorian took some time to digest all the information presented before him. Most of the buildings that interest me require a large number of stone units for upgrades. It's good that we've already begun gathering rocks, but it's still not enough, he thought.

Lost in thought, Thorian reached a conclusion. After completing all the dungeon runs, we've realized our fighters are being utilized very inefficiently. We do not need 300 highly capable fighters just to guard our walls.

With an idea brewing in his mind, Thorian walked around the village before meeting Zogarth. "The village has been upgraded," Thorian announced.

Upon hearing these words, Zogarth, the orc commander, opened his eyes in surprise. "That is wonderful news! I guess the kobolds and kobloids Forlune brought with him were enough. Are you planning on upgrading some buildings soon?"

"Yes, I am. But that's also why I wanted to talk to you," Thorian sighed. "We're currently severely lacking in stones. We need more people on that duty."

"My lord, I do not understand," Zogarth frowned. "We only have two carts currently to transport the rocks. Even if we assign more people to the task, we're bottlenecked by the limited number of carts."

"They don't need to use carts," Thorian shook his head. "While it would certainly be more efficient to bring in stones with carts, it's even less efficient to have our strong men do nothing at all. They can carry the rocks on their backs."

Hearing this, Zogarth nodded. "In that case, I will see to it that it's done. However, we might not have too many people available. With the influx of orcs and kobolds, many of the older members have been tasked with taking care of the new recruits."

"Just bring in anyone who is free," Thorian responded. "They can meet me at the outer gate."

With those instructions, Thorian made his way to the outer gate and waited for the group to assemble. In just thirty minutes, Zogarth returned with a contingent of twenty high orcs, kobolds, and hobgoblins, among them a few goblin champions.

Champions, huh? It seems the goblins have been progressing rapidly. They're quickly catching up in power to their leaders, Thorian observed internally.

Before the group could set out from the village, Thorian decided to upgrade one structure that required only wood units.

Upgrade the Outer Wall.

With that thought, the earth trembled. The wooden wall that encircled them thickened and strengthened, and it soared high into the sky, becoming twice as tall as it had been.

In mere seconds, the outer wall had fully upgraded, transforming into a formidable defense capable of halting most monsters in their tracks.

Looking up at the watchtowers, Thorian could see the large mana crossbows mounted on them. With these defenses in place, even if a small army were to attack them, they would be secure.

Well, I guess in that scenario, it’s the army that would be relieved to be stopped by the automatic mana crossbows rather than facing a slash from Forlune or a Blizzard from Aqua.

Shaking off those thoughts, Thorian turned his attention back to his group, noting the astonished expressions on their faces.

"Even though I've seen it multiple times, it's still truly magical," Zogarth commented. "The power of the gods that govern this territory must be immense to enable such grand changes instantly."

"The power of the gods is beyond our understanding," Thorian replied before addressing his team. "Either way, we've dallied enough. Let's go."

With those words, Thorian led the way into the forest. Since everyone in the group, except Thorian, was a warrior with a high agility stat, they reached the quarry in just twenty minutes.

"Oh, my lord, you're here?" Caedar exclaimed, surprised as he filled up the cart with stones. He was joined by Inly, Crimen, and Bellafor, each of them loading up the two carts that were stationed there.

"We've come to speed up the process," Thorian announced.

Nodding in understanding, Caedar pointed to a large stack of neatly cut rocks, standing seven meters high. Furrowing his brows, Thorian looked around before finding the source of these materials. A large part of the cliff was cleaved off, appearing as if it had been slashed in two by a sword wielded by a god.

Chuckling at the sight, Thorian gestured to his team with a nod. "It seems most of the work has been done for us. Now, we just need to pick up these stone blocks."

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Taking the lead, Thorian began stacking one stone block after another on his back. Once it became too awkward for him to continue using his hands, one of the goblin champions stepped in to help stack some more. By the end of it, Thorian had a stack of stone blocks on his back that towered over him.

Seeing their lord exerting so much effort, the rest of the team was motivated to match his dedication. After they carried as much rock as they could manage, the group headed back to the village.

The return journey was, unsurprisingly, slower than before. The heavy load they carried significantly slowed their pace, and it took Thorian and his group an hour to finally reach the village. They arrived at the territory altar, where they could unload their burdens.

Thorian cracked his neck and stretched his back before turning to his team. "Well, it's time to go back again. The work doesn't stop."

A collective sigh emerged from the group as they headed back to the quarry. The hours swiftly passed as they trekked back and forth between the village. By the third trip, Thorian began to employ his bodily enhancement techniques with mana to increase their speed and carrying capacity.

As the two suns set, giving way to the dual moons' glow, Thorian and his group worked tirelessly into the night, completing two more runs before he finally called a halt.

"Good work, everyone," Thorian announced as they placed the heavy stone blocks down. "This was the last run for today."

At these words, all of the warriors collapsed on the ground, regardless of their race, panting as if they had participated in a grueling event. The only reason they refrained from voicing their exhaustion to the skies was the military discipline Zogarth had ingrained in them during their time in the village.

"Everyone, go and rest in your homes," Thorian instructed. "Tomorrow will be another long day, so make sure to get a good night's sleep."

As the group of warriors dispersed, Caedar chuckled and walked toward Thorian, "My lord, you truly put the concept of classes to shame. Despite being a magi, you still look fine even after carrying double their load."

"Our lord is truly deserving of his title," Bellafor laughed heartily.

"What kind of lord would I be if I complained in front of my subordinates?" Thorian shook his head. He then dismissed the group of kobold warriors, "You too have worked hard. You can go and rest now."

Realizing Thorian wanted some time alone, Caedar nodded before gesturing for the others to leave. "We still have guard duty for the first part of the night. Let's move before Forlune gets all cranky at us."

With those parting words, the group left, leaving Thorian alone in front of the pile of rocks that had accumulated.

Time to turn them into stone units.

Just as he had done with the logs, Thorian offered all of the stone blocks to the altar, then checked the territory's resources.

Resources Gathered Experience 141.7k Wood 65.2k Stone 5.5k

Looking at the number of stone units now in their possession, Thorian sighed. As I thought, this isn't a matter that can be resolved in a day or two. Gathering the materials necessary for upgrading buildings and the village requires a heavy investment in infrastructure. This becomes even more apparent as the territory progresses to higher realms and stages.

After releasing a thoughtful sigh, Thorian composed himself and let a smile grace his features. Still, this is more than enough for the most pressing building upgrade.

Feeling satisfied, Thorian made his way to the Village Hall. Noticing that the hall was empty except for Melina, he decided to proceed with his plan. Upgrade Village Hall.

In an instant, the Village Hall, which had previously been made entirely of wood, shimmered with a blue light before it expanded significantly in size. The walls were now constructed of grey stone, replacing the wooden exterior.

Upon entering the building, Thorian noticed that the interior had undergone a dramatic transformation. Rooms now flanked him on both sides, while the main hall remained centrally located. The tables, still crafted from wood, were more refined and suitable for such a crucial building within the territory. The floor was reinforced wood, and furniture adorned the building, adding to its elegance.

It seems the wood units I previously spent have not gone to waste. They are now integrated more seamlessly with the rest of the building.

"Congratulations on upgrading the village, my lord," Melina greeted Thorian with a smile from her desk.

"Thank you," Thorian replied. "From what I've observed, it appears there is a room that provides clear information about all of my citizens."

"Indeed, there is," Melina nodded, gesturing towards the second floor. "It's upstairs, linked to the meeting room. Would you like to check it out?"

"Not for now," Thorian shook his head. "I'll attend to that matter tomorrow when I'm well-rested and can strategize properly."

"That's understandable," Melina replied with a thoughtful look. "If you're not interested in that room for now, perhaps I could inform you about a feature that might not have been clearly outlined in your territory upgrade. You now have the ability to assign quests for anyone to take, if you wish."

"Interesting," Thorian feigned surprise. "Tell me more about it."

With a gentle expression, Melina explained, "You can use your arcane coins as well as the gathered experience points that have been accumulated as a reward for any quest you wish to create. This could be a hunting quest, a gathering one, or anything else you desire."

"That would certainly be useful to motivate my people," Thorian nodded. "But I think I'll leave that matter for tomorrow, after I talk with my council."

Understanding Thorian's decision, Melina pointed at the bulletin board, "Then the last thing of interest would be the new quests. Of course, the daily ones have been updated to offer better rewards. However..." Melina smiled as she took out a quest parchment. "This one is new, and I believe it would interest you.”