Golan stood before the carcasses of two slain White Hyena Beasts, each the size of a cow from his previous world. One had a deep hole in its left eye socket—Leonard's crossbow bolt. The other bore multiple stab wounds, clear evidence of the struggle Suleiman endured to bring it down.
"Well done, men! Suleiman, congratulations on growing stronger. Here, take this spear. It's a trident, so you'll need time to get used to it, but the principle is the same. More importantly, it's far better than the one you're using—and fits your current strength perfectly."
"Thank you, my lord!"
Suleiman accepted the spear as though reuniting with a long-lost child. He ran his rough hands tenderly along its shaft. Seeing this, Golan realized once again: the greatest gift for an upright soldier is a worthy weapon.
Then, noticing the burning eyes of his other followers, Golan knew this was the perfect moment for a little "National Cultivation." He cleared his throat and began his speech.
"Suleiman was rewarded for his hard work and contributions to the territory. Like him, each of you came from different places and lived different lives. But since arriving here, you are all my people—without exception. I do not mistreat my people. When I see contributions made to this land, I will never withhold rewards!"
"Long live the Lord!" ×8
Golan nodded in satisfaction as loyalty points ticked upward. Of course, the fiery eyes and passionate shouts didn't include Leonard, whose poker face remained utterly unchanged. As always, Golan simply ignored him.
"Alright, there's a slight change in plans. Rest up while I prepare the next stage."
Once the expedition team dispersed, the logistics crew moved in to handle the bodies. Following Golan's instructions, they tossed the first carcass into the Summoning Grave.
[Alert: Sacrifice detected. Requirements fulfilled. Proceed with summoning? Yes/No]
Upon Golan's confirmation, another notification appeared.
[Chaos Will Alert: Normally, the dead cannot rise among the living. But under the influence of the Lord's Legendary Talent… nothing is impossible.]
[Alert: You may now retrieve the corpse via the Grave Marker.]
Immediately after, a humanoid figure slowly rose from the grave, stepped forward, and dropped to one knee before Golan.
With a serpent-like hiss, the voice sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Undead Assassin Vladimir pledges his soul to the Lord!"
"Rise."
Golan's eyes flickered as he read the notifications. For the first time, he fully realized the terrifying depth of his Legendary Talent. To think he could extract value from a corpse down to its very last speck of dust…
The figure before him was tall—towering over two meters, nearly 210 cm. Though humanoid, his skin bore no trace of human vitality; it was pale, bluish-white, a clear mark of death. He wore black leather armor, with twin bone daggers strapped to his sides. The stench of death radiated from him, pungent to Golan's heightened senses.
The others didn't panic at someone crawling out of a grave—after all, they themselves had come through the Summoning Gate. Yet when they saw the newcomer was not alive, instinctively they stepped back.
"Do not fear. He is one of us now—another resident of this territory."
[Name: Vladimir]
[Territory: Frozen Highlands City]
[Class: Assassin]
[Power Level: Green Novice]
[Skills: Twin Dagger Mastery (Green Intermediate), Phantom Stealth (Green Novice)]
[Loyalty: 100 (Max)]
[Potential: Silver Peak]
[Overview: If ordinary assassins send the living into the afterlife, this one has slain countless undead, consigning them to oblivion!]
'An assassin-class with Silver Peak potential!'
Golan's heart trembled. Seeing Vladimir's maxed loyalty, his smile deepened. A man like this required no brainwashing— cough, no "national cultivation."
He knew the worth of assassins. Even in his past life, during times of peace, influential figures and even heads of state kept assassin squads working in the shadows. In this war-torn world, the value of one such figure was immeasurable—especially one with Silver Peak potential.
[Phantom Stealth: Allows the user to suppress their aura, approaching enemies undetected.]
'Perfect skill for an assassin.'
After satisfying his curiosity, Golan turned back to the grave and retrieved the spoils.
[Corpse Collected: 30× Units of Frostfield Hyena Meat, 6× Chaos Crystals, 1× Tailor Workshop Blueprint (White Peak)]
"Finally, a real role for Lymira," he muttered, examining the blueprint.
[Building: Tailor Workshop]
[Grade: White Peak]
[Function: Provides facilities and materials for tailors.]
[Requirements: 150× Wood, 150× Stone, 8× Metal, 3× Chaos Crystals]
'Hmm. A hefty cost. But it's White Peak grade, which means the supplies produced will be higher quality and in greater volume.'
Satisfied, Golan tossed in the second corpse. A new figure emerged—a towering warrior with bulging muscles, wielding a colossal war hammer.
"Undead Warrior Art pledges his soul to the Lord!"
[Name: Art]
[Territory: Frozen Highlands City]
[Class: Warhammer Fighter]
[Power Level: White Peak]
[Skills: Hammer Mastery (White Peak), Hammer Whirlwind (Green Novice)]
[Loyalty: 100 (Max)]
[Potential: Blue Peak]
[Overview: Through relentless muscle training and devotion to his beloved war hammer, smashing enemy skulls became his greatest joy.]
Without realizing it, Golan's ranks of warriors were steadily growing.
…
After gathering everyone again, Golan addressed his expedition team.
"From now on, Sai, Rami, and Kanon—you'll be reassigned to internal work within the territory. Our borders have expanded, and we need manpower inside. Thank you for your hard work so far."
"Yes, my lord!" ×3
The three civilians showed no disappointment—only relief they struggled to hide. Golan paid it no mind. Their previous assignment to the expedition was only due to manpower shortage, and with two more warriors added, the team was more than sufficient. Especially since three more warriors were still on the way today.
"Now, meet your new comrades. This is Art, wielder of the Warhammer, and Vladimir, master of the daggers. They are your new expedition members. Do not dwell on their race or origins—treat them as your comrades in arms. These are the ones who will guard your back in battle. Understood?"
"Understood, my lord!" ×3
Even Leonard responded firmly this time, much to Golan's satisfaction.
"Good. With our combat power increased, your patrol range extends up to 5 kilometers outside the territory. Leonard, you remain commander. Remember two things: First, memorize the terrain. Second, return before nightfall no matter what."
"Yes, my lord," Leonard replied with newfound respect.
Golan smirked. At last, the old man was starting to trust him.
After sending them out, he placed 90 units of meat on the Global Market to trade for needed resources, keeping 10 units for Feather to prepare dinner later.
Then, with calm confidence, he made his way toward the upgraded Lord's Cabin…
—End of Chapter 10—