Lyra led the garrison to the lizardman territory.
It did not take long for Toji Hisami to receive the territory notification.
[Your territory has occupied Plot 07-01. You have obtained a Lizardman Lair and Lizardman Slaves ×54]
[Underground Lizardman Lair LV1: Produces Lizardman ×10 every week. 1% chance of producing a Lizardman Warrior]
"Not bad. Acceptable."
It was still early in the trial, so he had not expected the lizardman lair to be particularly advanced. Occupying their territory had also expanded his domain by five square kilometers.
All three conditions for promotion to a Level 4 territory had been completed.
Toji Hisami immediately clicked to upgrade.
----
[Congratulations on completing all the requirements for a Level 4 Territory]
[Void Ocean Territory No. 07 has officially been promoted to a Level 4 Territory]
[You are the 4th lord to be promoted to a Level 4 Territory]
[Those who enter the top ten will receive certain rewards based on their ranking]
----
Another series of joyful notifications appeared. Once again a cluster of treasure chests materialized in the open space beside the Lord’s Hall.
After opening them he found that most contained ordinary resource materials. The only special item was his golden token, which had been strengthened once more and now provided +5 Energy.
His ranking for the speed of promotion to Level 4 had risen by one place compared with before. Toji Hisami was very satisfied with his progress. As his personal level and the territory continued to grow, his speed would only increase further. Anyone who believed he had relied solely on early opportunities for explosive growth would eventually despair when they saw him in the later stages.
----
[Level 5 Territory Requirements 1: Population 500; 5,000 standard units each of ore, wood, grain, and meat]
[Level 5 Territory Requirement 2: Upgrade the Lord’s Hall to Level 5 and determine the development direction]
[Level 5 Territory Requirement 3: Average of all territory characteristics above 300 points]
[Level 5 Territory Requirement 4: Possess ten second-level professionals to lead the people]
----
The requirements for a Level 5 territory appeared in his mind. They matched exactly what he had learned at the academy. For him they were almost a matter of course, even simpler than the Level 4 requirements, there were no new enemy forces to conquer and no special events to wait for.
The only potential difficulty was the need for ten second-level professionals.
A professional was a human carrying a professional label. Kael, for example, was a mage apprentice, a profession that began at the second level. Ordinary civilians, even if they upgraded to farmers through hard work, remained only first-level professions.
A normal territory in the early stages could only recruit second-level professionals through the Population Hall. Things were different for Toji Hisami, with Heaven Rewards Diligence, his subjects possessed strong subjective initiative. As long as they continued to study or work, they could raise their corresponding professional abilities.
Therefore he did not need to rely on the Population Hall at all, by cultivating those with special talents in a targeted manner, he could achieve the goal himself.
He found Lyra and selected the talented individuals he had observed in the territory, ordering her to focus on their training. He believed he could obtain ten second-level professionals in less than three days.
As for the required supplies, he still had the black VIP card from Max. The 40% discount was enough for him to exchange for large quantities of resources. Combined with the top-ten ranking rewards, this stage would not be a problem.
Everything progressed so smoothly that Toji Hisami almost felt dazed.
When he was still at the Sacred Academy he had participated in several mock trials, the fastest he had ever reached a Level 5 territory was two full months. Now, with Heaven Rewards Diligence, less than a month had passed since the real trial began...
The destruction of the lizardman territory brought a strong sense of security to the residents. Everyone’s enthusiasm increased and work efficiency rose noticeably.
The next day was Sunday, Max arrived as scheduled.
This time Toji Hisami did not propose any special deal, and Max likewise did not suggest further cooperation, apparently certain taboos still restricted deeper contact for the moment. Using the 40% discount, Toji Hisami simply traded part of the territory’s output together with the lizardman slaves.
The remaining materials needed for the Level 5 upgrade were quickly supplemented and met.
As for the small tasks Max offered, Toji Hisami glanced at them and showed no interest. In the early stages Max was unlikely to provide any truly useful tasks. Most of them involved processing or cultivation that traded time for results.
The transaction ended amicably, Toji Hisami returned to the Lord’s Hall and continued integrating knowledge. Knowledge integration remained the fastest way to raise the territory’s characteristic scores.
Two days later he obtained his ten second-level professional leaders.
Among them was Li Xuan, the dual-wielding greatsword warrior. Lyra promoted him to captain of the defense team, allowing him to handle the daily work of the garrison on her behalf.
Kael also happily advanced from mage apprentice to alchemist.
In addition, three farmers upgraded into specialized farmers and foresters, one into a breeder, and four into builders, thanks to the territory wall project, those four had already possessed the passive Building Proficiency. After working day and night on the wall they all advanced to the second-level profession of Builder.
The evolution of these ten people immediately inspired the rest of the territory’s residents, at present everyone was shouting with enthusiasm and throwing themselves into work.
The appearance of second-level professionals in turn accelerated the growth of the territory’s characteristic scores, one day later Toji Hisami completed the requirements for all six major characteristics.
He decisively upgraded the Lord’s Hall.
A deep roar echoed, the Lord’s Hall expanded from its original foundation, becoming three stories high and covering an area of five hundred square meters. Finally it possessed a proper sense of grandeur, the office area where he worked transformed into a true hall, surrounded by pillars, with mysterious patterns emerging across the dome.
----
[Congratulations on upgrading the Lord’s Hall to Level 5]
[Please select a development direction]
Balance: All things in equilibrium, harmonious and natural.
Great Power: All authority concentrated in the lord himself; one is the whole, and the whole is one.
Order: Laws and rituals go hand in hand, the foundation of all things.
Sacred: All things eventually end, yet the divine never changes.
----
Four major development paths.
Toji Hisami could not help taking a deep breath.
This was an important decision that would determine the future direction of the territory, one of the most critical tests every lord faced. It concerned the lord’s heart, ability, and future camp alignment.
Among the current Ten Kings of humanity there were two who followed the Sacred path, one who followed Balance, four who followed Order, and three who followed Great Power. Once a direction was chosen, one would naturally lean toward the corresponding camp.
Ever since he had transmigrated and begun to remember things, Toji Hisami had already been contemplating his path.
The so-called Great Power was essentially the path of domination, order was the road of dynasty. The Sacred path resembled the religious structures of his previous life, placing gods at the highest position. Only Balance, which at first glance appeared mediocre and ordinary, aligned with a certain philosophy from his former country: moderation, non-action, and the way of Tai Chi.
Originally he had still been hesitating between Balance and Order. After receiving the talent Heaven Rewards Diligence, however, the decision had already been made in his heart.
"Balance."
[You have chosen the Balance route. Confirm?]
"Confirm."
[Development direction selection completed. Balance is now your core.]
Inside the Lord’s Hall the pattern on the dome twisted and transformed, eventually becoming a clear yin-yang diagram.
At this point every prerequisite for promotion to a Level 5 territory had been fulfilled.
Toji Hisami chose to upgrade immediately.
Only four days had passed since he had reached Level 4.
[Congratulations on completing all the requirements for a Level 5 Territory]
[Void Ocean Territory No. 07 has officially been promoted to a Level 5 Territory]
[You are the 3rd lord to be promoted to a Level 5 Territory]
[Congratulations on obtaining third place, you will receive a special treasure chest reward]
Third place!
Toji Hisami’s heart skipped a beat. He had not expected that even after promoting to Level 5 in such a short time he would only rank third.
"There is a high probability that the first two are Victor..." he murmured to himself.
As a royal prince, Victor must possess far more resources than ordinary candidates. There were currently only ten Kings in all of humanity, and the true scale of resources each King controlled was something even the textbooks only mentioned in the briefest terms, as though some taboo existed around the subject.
He quickly recovered his composure, because at that moment the entire territory was undergoing enormous changes.
The special effects brought by advancing to Level 5 were far more dazzling than any previous promotion. Rays of light descended from the sky, illuminating every corner of the domain and making everything sparkle. The appearance of all buildings underwent corresponding sublimation, every citizen felt their physical fitness being strengthened, even the natural resources of the territory improved in quality under the light. Wasteland decreased while fertile land increased, the fog at the edges of the territory thinned, and a coastline became faintly visible in the distance. High mountains rose from within the domain; as they climbed upward they also expanded the territory’s area.
All the people knelt on the ground, facing the direction of the Lord’s Hall and offering their most sincere respect to their lord, Toji Hisami.
Even Lyra knelt on one knee, palm pressed to her chest.
While the territory transformed, she also sensed the direction he had chosen.
"Balance...?"
"It is actually Balance..."
A thoughtful expression appeared on her face as certain deeply hidden secrets stirred in her mind. Before she could fully recall them, those memories fell silent again, as though she was not yet permitted to access them. Yet even the brief fragments she had glimpsed were enough to make her expression solemn.
"Balance is the origin... but it is also the most difficult path to walk..."
"Lord, are you prepared?"
Lyra murmured to herself.
The light gradually faded, replaced by a sky filled with stars. Every citizen felt their minds becoming clearer while subtle changes occurred within their bodies, soon afterward people began jumping up one after another.
Lyra looked up and discovered that those who had jumped had all upgraded their professions...
The scene surprised even her.
As far as she knew, upgrading to a Level 5 territory, the first major threshold for a lord, did bring certain improvements, but such a large-scale promotion of ordinary residents was definitely not something a normal Level 5 advancement could produce, there had to be Toji Hisami’s influence behind it.
The newly promoted citizens were so excited that they gathered outside the Lord’s Hall. As lower-class civilians they had completed the first true transformation of their lives under him, this was the grace of renewal.
....
Advancing to Level 5 was an important watershed on the path of lordship. After the upgrade, all basic functions of the territory were completely unlocked, construction systems, management systems, capability development, and more.
[Void Ocean Territory No. 07, Level LV5, Balance System]
[Territory Attributes: Area 40 square kilometers | Wasteland 25% | Mountainous Land 25% | Cultivated Land 30% | Water Source 20%]
[Territory Characteristics: Technology 200 | Culture 750 | Mystery 305 | Trade 135 | Industry 175 | Military 235]
[Territory Knowledge Branches: Magic 2% | Mystery 3% | Evolution 3% | Science 5%]
[Territory Construction: Industry 10 | Agriculture 15 | Life & Entertainment 8 | Military 6 | Special 4]
[Territory Gain: Knowledge Gain, Learning efficiency of all residents increased by 50%]
After glancing at the panel, Toji Hisami left the office of the Lord’s Hall and stepped outside.
What greeted him was the sincere cheering of the people toward their lord, he smiled and waved to everyone. Lyra came to his side and stood silently behind him.
He walked toward the treasure chest that shone with a strange light, this was the first time he had entered the top three and received a special reward chest from the highest-dimensional power.
With a soft click he opened the chest. A silver light emerged. A silver statue flew out and landed in his hand.
"A heroic soul statue..."
He was slightly surprised. He had not expected the reward to be this.
According to material and color, statues were divided into three ordinary ranks: bronze (C), silver (B), and gold (A). Statues of different colors such as Lyra’s belonged to special heroic souls, usually S-rank.
Having already experienced one such summoning, Toji Hisami activated the statue without hesitation.
The familiar connection to the soul world appeared once more, yet this time no special voice emerged. The statue transformed into silver light, condensed into human form, and landed in front of him.
Long black hair was neatly tied behind her head and secured with a hairpin, the red lips on her fair face drew the eye. She wore a professional black skirt and white blouse that gave off an air of shrewd competence.
[Heroic Soul, Lena]
[From the soul world, rated B-level]
[Occupation: Warlock, LV10]
[Loyalty: 80%]
[Attributes: Life 3000 | Physique 2000 | Attack 800 | Defense 500 | Mana 1500]
[Skills: Soul Thorns, Banishment]
[Specialties: Government Affairs Management, Magic Research]
"I have come in response to your call, Heroic Spirit Lena will serve you."
Lena’s eyes flickered as she fully descended from the soul world into the main world, she saluted Toji Hisami with elegant posture and extraordinary charm, countless people behind him could not help swallowing.
Lyra first examined Lena with a scrutinizing gaze, then remained silent.
Toji Hisami nodded and gestured for her to rise, after reading her information panel he found it far more detailed than Lyra’s. In fact, this was the standard information that should appear after a normal heroic soul summoning, Lyra was simply too special.
Lena was a magical professional and, surprisingly, was also skilled in government affairs. Looking at her appearance, she seemed perfectly suited to the role of an assistant secretary.
Thinking of this, Toji Hisami clapped his hands and called Kael and Li Xuan over.
"After being promoted to a Level 5 territory, official positions can now be appointed. I will make the arrangements today."
"By order of the Lord: Lyra is appointed Sword-Bearing Officer of the territory."
"By order of the Lord: Swordsman Li Xuan is appointed Captain of the Territorial Defense Team."
"By order of the Lord: Alchemist Kael is appointed Captain of the Production Team."
"Finally, Lena, you will serve as Territorial Affairs Officer and assist me in managing the territory’s daily affairs."
Li Xuan and Kael were overjoyed, they immediately knelt on one knee and saluted, ater a brief moment of surprise, Lena also bowed her head and accepted the appointment, Lyra remained her usual iceberg beauty.
As each of them accepted their positions, they received corresponding ability blessings. The Sword-Bearing Officer was the second-highest authority in the territory and possessed the power to mobilize the army; Lyra did not refuse. Although Lena still held a slightly challenging attitude toward Toji Hisami, she happily accepted the new role.
When she looked at the surrounding residents and prepared to examine their quality, however, an expression of pure astonishment appeared on her face.
As Affairs Officer she now possessed the authority to view the information of every territorial citizen. Every person she examined possessed attributes and talents that far exceeded their level and status, looking at their professional ranks, she was shocked once more.
How could more than sixty percent of them already be second-level professionals?!
Was this truly only a Level 5 territory? Had the main world developed to such a rapid state?
Still reeling internally, Lena turned and looked at Lyra standing beside Toji Hisami, as fellow heroic souls she had recognized Lyra’s identity at first glance and naturally wanted to gauge her level.
The moment Lyra released even a slight portion of her aura, Lena suddenly felt as though she had been frozen by ice. As a warlock she understood perfectly that this was an illusion caused by soul suppression. It meant Lyra’s evaluation rank was far higher than her own, definitely beyond what an ordinary A-level heroic soul could achieve.
S-level...
Lena’s entire body went numb.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Lyra’s mouth, yet she did not expose Lena’s small thoughts.
Be surprised, as long as you live in this territory for a while, you will no longer be able to maintain that boring pride.