The system interface flickered before Ling Ye's eyes as he pulled up the information on his newest hero. The stats scrolling across the screen made even him pause for a moment.
[Claria]
Affiliation: Immortal City
Level: 1
HP: 20,000
Defense: 500
Magic Attack: 850
Movement Speed: 30
Command Value: 0/10,000
Lifespan: 235 years
Affinity: 60 (Friendly)
Class: Succubus Queen
Hero Buff: +200% to all troop attributes
Skills: Seductive Charm, Sonic Screech, Mind Domination, Burning Lust, Soul Lash…
Equipment: None
Commanded Legion: None
Innate Talent: SSS-Rank – Succubus Physique
Ling Ye let out a short, helpless laugh as he read the details. No wonder this woman had looked down on him earlier. At just Level 1, Claria was already capable of soloing an E-rank boss effortlessly. And this was only her base stats. With each level-up, those numbers would skyrocket beyond anything most lords could dream of in their early days.
Not to mention that SSS-class heroes were an entirely different breed. Her hero buff alone gave a 200% boost to every unit's attributes under his command. Combined with his own 10% boost as a lord, his Centaurean Cavalry would effectively be fighting at 210% of their normal strength. A force multiplier like that could tilt entire battles.
And then there was her talent. Ling Ye's lips twitched as he read it twice, just to be sure.
[Succubus Physique]: All damage dealt to male targets increased by 500%.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Talk about a walking nightmare for every guy out there. A real soul-reaper in high heels."
Even so, the overall verdict was clear: Claria wasn't just strong, she was game-breaking. With her on his side, his growth speed would crush almost every other lord in this region.
Claria must have noticed his prolonged staring, because she let out a low, melodious laugh that could have melted ice. "My lord," she teased, a playful glint in her eyes, "do you like what you see?"
Ling Ye coughed, straightening his posture as if caught doing something inappropriate. "Don't get the wrong idea. I was just… checking your stats."
"Oh?" Claria tilted her head, taking a deliberate step closer. Her smile turned positively wicked as she leaned forward ever so slightly, letting her charm wash over him like velvet smoke. "Stats or not, my lord, you're welcome to look all you like. I won't mind… whether it's my numbers or my body."
Ling Ye rubbed his temples. This damned succubus was going to give him a headache before the day was over. He needed to get her focused on something useful before her teasing killed him faster than any monster could.
"Alright," he said finally, adopting a more commanding tone. "We don't have time to waste. The territory needs resources if we're going to expand and survive. There's another island to the north—I want us to head there and explore it."
Truthfully, the so-called island was shrouded in fog, nothing visible to the naked eye. But Ling Ye had memories from his past life to rely on. If he remembered correctly, that northern island was crawling with monsters perfect for grinding experience, and it even had a treasure chest waiting to be claimed. With Golden Legend, he'd pull the best possible loot out of it.
Claria gave a graceful bow, a hint of mockery in her sultry tone. "As you command, my beloved lord."
At his signal, the ground beneath them rumbled as Immortal City began to shift. Controlling the movement of one's territory was a privilege reserved for lords who had cleared every monster from their domain. The speed, however, depended on the level of the city. Early territories like his moved slowly, escaping nearly impossible against higher-tier lords. Many weaker players in the Lord World had met their end because they simply couldn't outrun their hunters.
While the territory drifted northward, Ling Ye and Claria made their way back into the heart of Immortal City. The half-destroyed settlement still bore the scars of his early battles, but it would soon change.
He gathered up all the spoils from the boss fight and the coveted first-kill rewards, laying them out in neat piles:
Food: 4,236 units
Mana Crystals: 4,125 units
Wood: 1,352 units
Stone: 1,255 units
Tier-4 Fire Elemental Nest
Crops: S-rank Ghost Pumpkins x1, A-rank Pine Resin Pigs x1
Equipment: SSS-rank Equipment Chest, C-rank Mithril Armor
Time Scrolls: 110 hours total
The resources were self-explanatory, but what caught his attention immediately was the Fire Elemental Nest. A Tier-4 unit nest this early was unheard of. Fire Elementals were devastating magic units capable of incinerating entire waves of enemies. Combined with his cavalry, they'd give him a deadly mix of speed and raw magical firepower.
Next came the crops. In this world, crops weren't just plants—they were life sources for a territory. Planted in farms or bred in ranches, they became renewable food supplies, something Ling Ye desperately needed. Nearly two hundred Centaurean Cavalry were already eating through 400 units of food per day, and adding Fire Elementals would only make the drain worse.
He couldn't afford to delay.
First, he queued up an upgrade for Immortal City.
[Upgrade Requirement Met: 100 Wood, 100 Stone. Estimated Time: 1 Hour.]
Waiting around for an hour? Not an option. Ling Ye reached for a Time Scroll.
[Time Scroll – 1 Hour consumed. Immortal City upgraded to Level 2.]
A pillar of white light descended from the heavens, washing over the city. The shabby cluster of thatched huts transformed into sturdier wooden cabins. The walls expanded outward, doubling the territory's size from 1,000 x 1,000 meters to 2,000 x 2,000 meters, enough to house five hundred population and two military nests. The whole settlement looked sturdier, less like a refugee camp and more like the beginnings of a stronghold.
Next, he began construction of the Fire Elemental Nest to the west of the lord's hall. Unlike the starter nest, this one wasn't free. It burned through almost all of his wood and stone reserves in one go.
[Construction Started: Fire Elemental Nest]
Cost: 1,000 Wood, 1,000 Stone, 3 Hours (accelerated)
[Time Scroll – 3 Hours consumed.]
With a resounding BOOM, the ground split open, forming a massive magma pool nearly ten meters wide. Bubbling lava surged within, each pop sending waves of blistering heat across the construction site. Ling Ye wiped sweat from his brow, a savage grin tugging at his lips.
Immortal City was growing. His army was growing. And now, with Claria at his side, even the gods would think twice before challenging his rise.