The sed battle ended with… an almost ridiculous ease. Raze had torn through the eroops, flinging them off the isnd one by oheir bodies vanishing into the void below. It wasn’t even a sughter—it was more like a up.

  The sight was both amusing and a bit frustrating for Ats. While it was satisfying to watch Raze obliterate the opposition, the practical side of him couldn’t help but ment the loss of potential loot.

  If those troops had beeed” on solid ground instead of tossed into the bottom, their shiny armor—especially the impressive obsidia worn by the bzing drama king, Neron—could have been salvaged for his own troops.

  Still, the results were undeniable:

  [You have advao Seeker Division 2.]

  [The current list of challengers has been cleared due to division mismatch.]

  [You now have 3 challenger slots avaible.]

  [Gacha Haven has ehe Reinfort Phase. The fallback cooldown will st for 7 days.]

  The battle brought signifit ges, including the destru of Neron’s isnd. The bonus rank points from the Lord’s death pushed Ats further up the rankings, and his own isnd received an automatic size upgrade as a reward.

  Even more surprising was the number of survivors who jois from the destroyed isnd—35 people in total.

  Ats opened his status s, taking a moment to analyze his stats after leveling up from the ret battle. With 20 avaible status points to allocate, he carefully weighed his options.

  [Strength: 189 | Agility: 91 | Intelligence: 63 | stitution: 108 | Stamina: 109]

  His ret training had improved his Stamina, making his overall stats more banced and refihan before. Agility and Intelligence were still his lowest stats, but they each served their own purpose.

  Strength stayed his primary focus, as it formed the foundation of his fighting style. Agility, as his sedary stat, would enhance his speed and reflexes, crucial for fag faster foes. Intelligence wasn’t a major since he relied little on mana-based skills, though it could still tribute to his development ter on.

  After some thought, he made his decision:

  [+10 points tth]

  [+10 points to Agility]

  [s Bckthorn]

  [Level: 46]

  [Strength: 199 | Agility: 101 | Intelligence: 63 | stitution: 108 | Stamina: 109]

  [Avaible Stat Points: 0]

  [Job: The Lord]

  [Css: Warrior]

  [Unyielding Resolve (A) - Tactical Awareness (A) - Instinctual and (A) - Perfected Rhythm (A) - Immutable Discipline (S) - anding Presence (S) - Bloodbound Vigor (S)]

  Oh, and his talents were now even more dazzling, achieving ranks A and S. He truly felt like a pletely transformed person, all ihan a month.

  After finishing his review, he focused on the 35 individuals he had received as a reward for defeating Neron. Edrik’s report indicated the group included 25 batants and 10 workers. However, only 10 of them had levels above 40.

  This made it clear that their oppos were well-matched for someone just stepping into the role of a Lord—armed with a small but capable army, even if the numbers initially seemed overwhelming.

  But what about the other 25? Keeping all of them on his isnd wasn’t an option. The isnd simply wasn’t big enough to support so many people, especially those with unimpressive talents or lower levels.

  “I roops and workers ready to stay and pledge loyalty to me,” Ats decred, addressing the 35 people before him.

  “But there are standards for anyone who wants to join my team.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over them.

  “Yes, I know you’re prisoners of war. But I also know you have lives beyond this. You risked everything for the Lord you followed, and that’s not a choiyone makes lightly.”

  The group shifted uneasily, many bowing their heads in resignation as Ats gauged their reas.

  “So, I’ve made a list of those I’d like to stay here with me. As for the rest of you, you’re free to desd to the lower nds. But you should know—down there lies a desert, and it may take some time to reach the own.”

  The murmurs began immediately, a low tide of whispers passing through the group.

  One man finally stepped forward, falling to his knees. “My Lord,” he said. “I have a family in the lower nds. I’m just a merary. Please, grant us the ce to return to our families.”

  Others joined him, voig their own pleas, some with tears in their eyes.

  As for the 10 individuals Ats had selected to remain, he addressed them directly.

  “I’m giving you the ce to serve me. If you decide not to stay, you’re free to leave. With three gold s to help you start a new life elsewhere.”

  “What?” someone in the crowd blurted. “Three gold s?”

  “They’re letting us go with three gold s?”

  Though three gold s weren’t a fortuhey were enough to cover about two weeks’ wages for serving a Lord, and the offer clearly sparked surprise among the prisoners.

  Karian, who was standing close to Edrik, leaned in and muttered to him.

  “Isn’t Ats being a bit too soft here?”

  Edrik smirked and gave a soft snort. “That’s one of his strengths. He’s trying to build his team with respect, and without realizing it, that approach is earning him even more respe return.”

  “But finding troops is no easy task. Wouldn’t it be better to just force these prisoo work for the isnd?”

  “I don’t think that’s the kind of isnd Ats wants to build,” Edrik replied calmly.

  “I see that.”

  “Besides, his decision to release those 25 makes seheir talents are… well, g. It’s better to let them go than have them bee a burden.”

  “I uand that,” Karian agreed, then frowned. “But why give gold to the others?”

  “Those 10 have good levels and useful talents,” Edrik expined. “Even if they leave, they’ll probably end up needing to work for another Lord anyway. By them gold and treating them fairly, Ats is seg their loyalty in a way they might not otherwise feel.”

  “Just like that?”

  “No, it’s not that simple,” Edrik crified. “The oute would be different if someone else tried it. But Ats has a nothing-to-lose attitude, and at the same time, he manages his resources with precision. It’s a perfect bance. He’s aggressively gathering what’s useful and willingly letting go of what’s not. Holy, I’d say he has a sharp sense for this sort of thing.”

  Karian said, “I suppose he uands this strategy better than I do, even after hundreds of years of experience!”

  In the end, four individuals chose to stay, and Ats felt quite satisfied with the oute. Those four had talents and levels on par with the current team leaders, and he even believed that two of them could eventually take on the role of eam leaders. Well, a great result overall!

  He activated the teleportation pad, allowing the remaining prisoo leave. Their expressions were a mix of disbelief and cautious relief, as though they couldn’t fathom what was happening.

  Is this real? Aren’t we supposed to be prisoners? Sves even?

  Yet, no. They were truly bei free.

  Ats let out a relieved smile. Turning his gaze back to his isnd, he saw that its test expansion had been pleted.

  Perfect timing. He had a seven-day Reinfort Phase to focus on upgrades and enhas.

  on the list: iing the Gateway Altar to summon more workers—or perhaps even golems—to keep up with the isnd's increasing demands.