CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 131- AFTER A MONTH

"Hm~ hm~ hm~"

Lucien hummed as he strolled through Lootwell. His path soon brought him before a newly built facility.

Constella.

Short for Constellation Gate Seal.

It had only one purpose.

Without hesitation, Lucien entered and descended the stone staircase.

At the chamber’s heart lay a massive magic circle. It is wide enough to hold fifty people. In its center stood a lone pedestal.

He approached it. His eyes fell on what resembled a star map etched into the stone. Seven orbs were embedded on it.

Lucien’s lips curved into a smile. He pressed the middle orb.

A soft click echoed through the chamber. At the sound, Lucien began to channel divine energy into it.

The orb drank greedily. Lucien could see an indication that it was filling.

Then just as suddenly, it stopped. Lucien drew back his hand.

Light pulsed within the sphere before spilling outward. It surged into the magic circle beneath Lucien’s feet.

The entire circle came alive.

And then in a single breath... a brilliant light swallowed him whole.

In an instant, the scene shifted.

Lucien found himself standing in a chamber nearly identical to the one he had just left. The same pedestal. The same circle etched into the floor.

But the air, the walls and the very atmosphere were different.

A spark of excitement lit his face.

Much had changed in the past month.

The Coalheart territory had remained sealed. Everyone focused entirely on rebuilding and growth.

Now at last, the time had come for Lucien’s final inspection. One last look before opening his new territory to the world.

He glanced back at the star map. Each glowing orb represented a territory’s Constellation Gate Seal.

The system was refined to perfection. The orbs would draw only the exact amount of mana required. Nothing more, nothing less. It will automatically cut off once full.

His Crafting Division had labored tirelessly on the project. Even Maxim had joined in, using his Perfect Calculation to balance mana cost and distances with Waystone Fragments. With that kind of precision, the results spoke for themselves.

Now he stood in the main territory of Coalheart though under his rule it bore a new name.

Grandville.

Lucien climbed the stairs, stepping into open air. He paused at the surface and drew in a deep breath.

The view stretched wide before him. Unique structures rose proudly under the sky. The atmosphere also hummed with divine energy.

"Another great day."

A smile tugged at his lips as he took in the view of his new domain.

Lucien all but skipped as he walked.

Subjects greeted him warmly along the way and he returned each smile with one of his own.

Grandville stretched out before him.

The echo of his footsteps carried down the wide stone road. Empty stalls lined the avenues. Their polished frames are waiting for the splash of color merchants would soon bring.

At the plaza’s heart, a new fountain trickled softly. Its waters caught the light as the Guardian Gargoyle Statue stood at its center. Beyond, the great hall rose at the end of the street.

For now, Grandville was quiet but beneath that silence pulsed the promise of life soon to come.

This place was destined to be the beating heart of the border’s economy where goods from every territory would converge into one mighty current.

Lucien’s eyes lingered on the market district. Broad avenues had been designed to host both stalls and caravans. Spacious inns stood ready to offer shelter to weary merchants and travelers alike.

He’d even established a Merchant’s Guild. Its role is to protect fair trade and order. Naturally, Kael had been appointed as its first head.

Yes. Lucien saw it clearly. Grandville was fated to become the central hub through which all things would pass.

Turning away, he made his way toward the site of the old dungeon.

A massive building now stood there. Since the dungeon had not collapsed, Lucien repurposed it into a great storehouse. Both the structure above and the depths below were fortified with Anti-Decay enchantments and Preservation Gels.

With hands clasped behind his back, Lucien casually sang a song from the modern world.

But then—

Lucien froze mid-song.

Something ahead soured his mood instantly.

Suspended in the air by chains hung a woman. She was thrashing and screaming though no sound escaped her lips. Her eyes were hollow and her body was gaunt. She looks more like a zombie than a human.

Noctra.

"...Fuck. I completely forgot about this ugly bitch."

Lucien’s expression hardened. Silence stretched as he studied her.

’How the hell is she still alive?’

Her pitiful form swayed in the air but not a flicker of pity stirred in him. Only cold detachment.

He stepped closer. His voice cut through the silence.

"Quit squirming. Tell me. Have you learned anything this past month? This... is how a territory is built. Not that miserable excuse you called a barony."

Noctra’s eyes lifted to him. She had already surrendered to despair. She wanted death but it never came.

Every attempt she made to end her life was met with merciless magic circles, igniting unbearable pain while forcing her body to cling to existence.

Lucien exhaled slowly.

"The truth is, I spared you for one reason. I thought keeping you alive would lure Harold out. But... it seems even he doesn’t want an ugly wife like you."

He gave her a final look. He sighed in disappointment.

"Tch. You’re useless as bait and worse, you’ll only be an eyesore when visitors start coming through."

With a flick of his hand, the binding circles shattered.

Noctra dropped like a ragdoll, crashing onto the ground in a limp heap.

For the first time in weeks, she gasped for breath.

Suddenly, Lucien conjured flame in his palm and hurled it at her.

Noctra’s body ignited instantly as fire devoured her frail frame.

But then—

"GAHAHAHA! FINALLY! FINALLY! I’M GONNA DIE! I’M FREE! GAHAHAHA!"

Lucien froze.

’Great... She’s lost her mind after a month of torture.’

Her voice rang loud and manic, not in agony but in relief. Like chains had finally been broken.

She laughed and laughed until the sound cracked, broke apart and vanished into silence.

Her body crumbled and the fire reduced her to ash.

Another wretched soul gone from the world.

Lucien cast her remains one last look.

"Well... where was I? Oh, right..."

He turned on his heel and started singing again.

"’Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play~... And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate~"

The ashes lifted into the wind as he walked away.

"I shake it off, I shake it off~ whoo-hoo-hoo!"

And just like that, Noctra was nothing but dust scattered in the air.

•••

For the past month, Lucien had traveled back and forth to the capital. He hauled in high-quality materials for the reconstruction of his territories.

The Coalhearts’ treasury had yielded nearly 100,000 gold coins and he saw no better use for it than giving back to the people what they deserved. Every coin was an investment into their future and into making his lands the best.

Road construction demanded mountains of cement so Lucien purchased the highest grade available.

His prized Slime Cement was reserved only for key structures like facilities, walls and homes since the sheer volume required was too great. Even with continuous farming, the supply barely kept up.

His territories had grown so vast that even 100,000 sacks of slime cement wouldn’t have been enough if he tried to use them for every road.

Yet amid this grand expansion, Lucien never neglected his own Lootwell Territory.

Work had begun clearing the forest, paving the way for future development. Both Edric and Maxim had confirmed that the forest extended into his dominion, stretching well into the lands that once belonged to the Coalhearts.

The forest was filled with Witherwood trees. Despite their ominous name, they weren’t withering. Instead, they strangled all life around them, ensuring no other plants could grow.

Wherever Witherwood grew, nothing else could flourish. The result was a dead ecosystem. Endless trees, nothing else.

This was also why during the famine, the forest yielded nothing useful. Foraging there had been impossible. Even the leaves were bitter and unpleasant, offering nothing of value.

What surprised Lucien most was that even trees could yield drops.

But unlike monsters, they wouldn’t appear simply by cutting them down. He tested it himself. Splitting one trunk in half gave him nothing. The tree had to be uprooted entirely for drops to appear.

So Lucien joined the workers directly, helping to tear the Witherwoods out by their roots. When the first drops shimmered into existence before his eyes, he couldn’t help but grin.

The rewards were worth the effort.

***

Witherwood Tree Drops

Common:

• Witherwood Timber – sturdy rot-resistant wood. Excellent for building durable structures or tools.

• Fiber Bark Strips – flexible yet tough strips of bark. Usable for cordage, bindings, or reinforcing armor.

• Smokeleaf – when burned, repel pests and insects.

Uncommon:

• Resin of Endurance – sticky amber-like sap that can be brewed into potions or coatings.

• Witherwood Root Knots – enrich soil when powdered.

• Heartwood Chips – glowing inner chips prized by craftsmen. Tools or weapons carved with them resist dulling.

Rare:

• Core Splinter – a small sliver of the tree’s heart that steadily restores mana when carried.

• Everbranch Twig – a branch that refuses to die once cut, continually sprouting fresh shoots. Can be grafted to other plants, giving them resilience.

• Soulgrain Seed – rare seed that doesn’t drain life like the mother tree but instead adapts to its planter.

***

These drops soon became invaluable for the reconstruction of the surrounding territories.

A week into the construction, Edric finally departed reluctantly back to his own lands, taking with him the servants he had brought.

Lucien had allotted one medium-sized and one small-sized territory for his Uncles. As agreed, Edric took the medium while Maxim settled for the small.

Yet only a week later, Edric returned livelier than ever. This time, he came with a large retinue from his own domain. He was eager to contribute to Lucien’s territories.

With everyone working together, their progress accelerated. So much so that within a single month, the once-broken territories had begun to thrive again.