Swoosh!
When the light died down, a city made of stones and wood appeared in the vast plain. The workers and the soldiers stood aside, looking at the tall towers built into the stone wall and the spiral towers in the small outpost.
This seemingly small outpost housed over 5000 civilians who had been transported over the moment the upgrade was completed. The outpost had neat walls and the green clay made the walls smooth. Its smoothness couldn’t be compared with that of a brick wall.
In fact, those who had touched a wall covered in green clay would see a brick wall as very rough. The green clay made the wall slightly green and also hardened it. This made it impossible for people to scale the wall without siege towers or ladders.
The double gates of the outpost were wide open and he could see Desolate Wolf soldiers manning the gates and the walls, their imposing statures and fearsome discipline as striking as ever.
There were plants in the surroundings of almost all the buildings, commercial or residential. There was an Ashbourne auction house, a market, and finally, as his heart desired, a two-story restaurant.
The restaurant was built at the heart of the outpost, right before the town square. The entire outpost’s streets had cobblestones and the streets were quite spacious for the outpost’s size.
Several people were in the outpost, selling, buying, and living their lives like they had been living here for decades. This was a perk for which Asher was thankful or else he would have been up for lots of explanations, which would not only be exhausting but he might also receive a negative response from the people.
Sitting on Bezerk’s back, Asher rode into the outpost looking at the bustling town with a slight smile. His outpost was located in the part of the wasteland that had almost transformed into a desert but yet this outpost had vibrant plants here and there.
When he reached the outpost’s heart, there was a fountain. It had the sculpture of Lord Atticus Ashbourne with both hands raised up and water sprinkled out of the palm of his hand.
Atticus was clad in armor that had a gem in the middle of the chestplate and his face was toward the sky.
Asher looked at the swords before him and marvelled at how real they looked.
Turning to his right, he saw the restaurant. It was one of the most eye-catching buildings in the outpost because of its grandness and the Ashbourne black flag.
“I want Aquilia to build a teleportation channel connecting this outpost to other outside cities. And for the menu, call Cynthia.”
The people behind Asher nodded and some took notes. They followed him into the grand restaurant and took notes of what he loved and those he thought should be removed. In the end, the restaurant was reformed to be even better than it first looked.
When he was done touring the restaurant, Asher knew only one thing remained: the cooks, the waiters, and the waitresses.
“Your Lordship, building a teleportation channel will cut massively into our budget. The other channels had eaten a massive amount, forcing us to encroach into the funds for the upper year. We might have to…”
Asher shook his head, causing the man to close his mouth.
“Once we start selling the oil, we shall regain all that we have lost. This teleportation channel will greatly increase the appeal of this outpost, as people from cities several miles away would be able to teleport over in mere seconds. Don’t you think that’s better than travelling in a carriage for months just to visit this outpost?”
The man coughed softly.
“Deploy 100 elite cavaliers to garrison in this outpost. The Desolate Wolves will be good for defense and they would be for mobility.”
“I shall send a report to Commander Lambert.”
Asher gave a slight nod and walked out of the restaurant with brisk steps.
All of a sudden he paused and turned back. “What’s our progress with the professionals?”
………….
In a bustling city, several kilometers away from the outpost, Baron Claude Flameheart stood outside his manor looking at 100 Desolate Wolf Infantrymen and their captain marching into his courtyard.
Their uniform steps fell into his ears and his heart drummed with excitement at the sight of these elite soldiers who were to garrison in Hebron town. With them there, he had no fear of external attacks.
The walls would be impregnable as long as they manned them.
According to Kelvin, these men wore armor that weighed 166 catties and they could stand come rain or sun for hours straight and equally be vigilant; neither would their strength dwindle.
Claude couldn’t imagine how powerful a man who had thousands of such soldiers was. To him, Asher was on the level where he could contend with the count for ownership of the wasteland.
On his left and right sides were his subordinates, all of whom squinted at the sight of the Desolate Wolves.
“Your Lordship, are you certain that we don’t need them to guard the city?” One of them leaned and whispered to Claude.
Claude’s lips twitched at the man’s shamelessness. He would rather protect the city he lived in than the core of their wealth.
But it would be a lie if Claude said he didn’t yearn for another garrison of troops for Hebron City. With a thousand Desolate Wolves at his command, he could raise his shoulders anywhere he went.
These were silver-ranked warriors who could stand toe to toe with a gold rank due to the aid of their full set of silver-ranked armor and the experience the system instilled in them was more than some gold-ranked had.
At the front, the captain lifted up his right hand and clenched it, folding his fingers into his palm.
“Halt!”
The flag bearers, upon seeing his signal, bellowed with reverberating voices and the entire company came to a stilling halt. Like a machine that was shut down.
Their impressive discipline made Claude’s subordinates look at themselves. They were worried Asher would put his eyes on them after destroying the other northern baronies but with such forces, were they even worthy of resisting?
