Beside a lush green forest, a row of buildings stood scattered among the trees.
When the huge warehouse at the back finally had its doors closed, a look of joy finally appeared on Zhao Kai’s face.
Sure enough, a series of joyful notifications appeared in his mind.
The territory had finally upgraded by one level.
However, his expression quickly stiffened.
"Eleventh place!?"
"How is this possible? I used so many resources, the population is completely full, and I still can’t even make it into the top ten?"
Zhao Kai roared on the spot. The laborers in the distance trembled and quickly dropped to their knees.
Their lord only found them annoying, he pulled out a whip and lashed them fiercely.
At that moment, a long whistle sounded from afar as a patrol train appeared in Zhao Kai’s territory.
With a stern face, Zhao Kai tossed the whip aside. A man who looked like a steward quickly stepped forward and handed him a pair of gloves and a hat.
This steward had been specially prepared by the Zhao family for Zhao Kai. He was an incarnation of a heroic spirit from the spirit world.
While most candidates were still struggling to organize their basic territory affairs, Zhao Kai had already begun using a heroic spirit. A significant part of the credit for the rapid development of his territory came from this steward.
Yet even with that advantage, he was still slower than Toji Hisami.
After changing his clothes, Zhao Kai stood proudly in place, waiting for the train conductor to step down.
The person who got off this particular patrol train was a blond, tough-looking man.
"Hello, my respected Lord. I am the conductor of the patrol train. You may call me Max."
"Cut the nonsense and give me the list."
Zhao Kai could not be bothered to establish any emotional connection with a subordinate. In his eyes, Max was nothing more than a tool.
The expression of the steward behind him changed slightly, but Max’s smiling face remained unchanged.
Max handed over the list without comment.
Zhao Kai glanced through it and casually checked off a large number of supplies. Then he had the steward take out a money bag and throw it to Max.
The bag was bulging, it looked to contain dozens of gold coins.
Max’s smile grew even wider. He immediately arranged for the workers on the train to begin unloading the supplies.
At that moment, Zhao Kai suddenly remembered something. He took out two gold coins and tossed them to Max.
"Max, the all-capable merchant... intelligence is also a kind of commodity, isn’t it?"
"Yes, my respected Lord."
"Two gold coins. Give me a list of the top ten ranking individuals among the Level 1 territories. Also, give me information on a little scum named Toji Hisami."
A strange expression flashed across Max’s face, but he still took out a small notebook from his coat.
Names and territory information appeared on the previously blank pages. He tore out the page and handed it to Zhao Kai.
"Well then, pleasant transaction. Goodbye, my Lord."
Max waved his hand, returned to the train, and drove it away from the territory.
Meanwhile, Zhao Kai shook the paper and began examining it.
After a while, his angry voice nearly echoed throughout the entire territory.
"How is this possible!"
"Why can this damn commoner make it into the top ten!"
---
In another territory.
The terrain here was undulating, forming a natural valley in the central area. Dense forests covered both the inside and outside of the valley. Various buildings constructed from wood gave the place a distinctive appearance.
An elf woman with pointed ears sat on the highest treetop, watching the slowly approaching train in the distance.
The Max who appeared here also took the form of an elf.
After flipping through the list of goods, the elf woman chose not to buy anything. Instead, she had two wooden boxes brought forward.
When opened, the boxes were filled with colorful crystal ores.
"Respected Max, I request to make a trade with you in exchange for the opportunity to enter the Hall of Knowledge."
The elf woman smiled as she spoke.
As the second-ranked lord among the Level 1 territories, she came from the sacred territory of the Human Alliance. Almost everyone there was a mixed-blood descendant of various sacred races. Because their lifespan was much longer than that of pure-blood humans, they had far more time to study.
The information about Max’s special trade was a clue she had obtained from her grandfather.
Elf Max smiled at her.
"Dear Miss Elara, do you understand the consequences?"
"Of course. I believe I will not fail."
Max smiled and pointed a finger. A vortex entrance appeared among the treetops, identical to the one in Toji Hisami’s territory.
He then bowed and returned to the train, leaving the place.
"Lumi, while I am away, you are responsible for maintaining the territory’s development."
The elf woman, Elara, spoke. A small elf glowing with green light flew out from behind the treetops.
"Miss Elara, are you sure you want to enter the Hall of Knowledge right now?"
"Yes. The earlier I gain benefits from the Hall of Knowledge, the stronger my subsequent efforts will be. I am determined to take first place in this trial."
Elara picked up the small elf, gave a few more instructions, and then turned and jumped into the vortex entrance.
The small elf spun in place for a few moments. When it saw the vortex return to calm, it left the treetop and began arranging the work within the territory.
---
Two days later, Void Ocean Territory No. 07.
Toji Hisami looked at the laborers in his territory who had already entered a steady construction rhythm and clapped his hands.
"Everything has been arranged properly. It’s time to go to the Hall of Knowledge."
He had organized all the work in the territory. Thanks to the principle of Heaven Rewards Diligence, the progress of both the laborers and the militia was quite fast. A short absence would not affect the territory’s development.
Without bringing anything extra, Toji Hisami walked straight into the vortex entrance.