Leo returned to Blackwood Town carrying nearly a hundred gold coins in cash.
Word spread quickly, and the entire town seemed to grow restless and heated with excitement.
He didn’t hold any complicated mobilization meetings.
He simply called Alfred and several respected elders over.
A simple map, purchased from Silver Creek City, was spread out on the table.
Leo picked up a charcoal pencil and began drawing directly on the map.
“First, housing.”
With his charcoal pencil, he roughly circled the area representing the town’s residential district.
“All the thatched huts and dilapidated houses are to be demolished.”
“We will build uniformly standardized wooden and stone houses—warm in winter, cool in summer, sturdy and durable.”
“Next, defense.”
The tip of his pencil moved to the outskirts of the town.
“Along this boundary, construct a wooden wall at least three meters high.”
“There must be arrow towers and only a single entrance and exit.”
“Safety is the premise for all development.”
“Finally, production.”
His finger tapped the empty land beside the town.
“Here, a blacksmith’s shop, a carpentry workshop, and a mill.”
“We can’t keep buying everything from outside.”
Alfred and the elders held their breath.
They had lived their whole lives on this barren land, and such ideas seemed like a luxury even in dreams.
Building new houses?
Building walls?
Building workshops?
Wasn’t that something only the lords of big cities could afford?
“My lord… how much… how much would this cost?”
One elder’s voice trembled.
“Money isn’t the problem.”
Leo’s tone was casual, yet full of unquestionable confidence.
“The real issue is manpower and efficiency.”
Alfred immediately straightened his back.
“Don’t worry, my lord. I’ll immediately recruit experienced craftsmen from the surrounding villages and towns. We’ll pay well; we won’t lack workers!”
“Good.”
Leo nodded.
“You’ll be in charge of logistics and recruitment. As for construction… I have a more efficient team.”
With a group of curious yet nervous townsfolk following him, Leo headed to the first area of dilapidated houses scheduled for demolition.
This was the most run-down corner of the town, where several crooked thatched huts emitted a damp, moldy stench.
Under the awed gazes of everyone, Leo raised his hand.
“Time to work, my construction crew!”
On the ground, several magic circles suddenly lit up, glowing with eerie blue light.
“Roar!”
A deep growl came from beneath the earth.
A giant creature made of countless white bones slowly crawled out of the magic circles.
It stood over four meters tall, with thick and sturdy bones throughout its body, and empty eye sockets burning with twin azure flames of soul fire.
A bone golem.
“Oh my god! What kind of monster is that!”
The townsfolk turned pale, instinctively stepping back as a stir broke out among the crowd.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Leo’s voice was soft but clearly reached everyone’s ears, calming their panic.
“This is my friend and our future chief demolition officer.”
He turned to the bone golem and gave a command.
“See those few broken houses ahead? Tear them down, but be careful not to damage the surrounding land.”
The bone golem’s skull turned mechanically as its soul flames locked onto the target.
It took heavy steps that shook the ground.
It reached a thatched hut and raised its massive bony fist.
“Boom!”
One punch.
The entire hut exploded on impact; wooden beams and thatch scattered in all directions, instantly turning into a mess on the ground.
The townsfolk’s eyes went wide, mouths agape as if they could fit an egg inside.
This… this efficiency was insane.
But it wasn’t over.
Leo then summoned five earth elementals one after another.
These giants made of rock and soil immediately divided their tasks.
Some started clearing the debris created by the bone golem, while others approached the empty ground and plunged their arms deep into the earth.
They forcibly “pulled” up large chunks of rock and soil from beneath, beginning to level the foundation.
Dust billowed over the entire site, yet everything was orderly.
The bone golem handled the brute demolition, punching down one house after another.
The earth elementals took care of clearing the site and leveling the ground, working tirelessly.
The townsfolk were completely dumbfounded.
They had thought building houses was a long and grueling process, requiring countless people hammering and sawing for months.
But now, facing the lord’s “magical construction crew,” all of that seemed unbelievable.
Leo stood aside, arms crossed, looking every bit like a foreman.
His brows occasionally furrowed slightly over construction details.
“A little to the left, Bone Brother, you almost smashed the neighbor’s pickling jar.”
“Earth Elemental Number One, your foundation isn’t level. That really bothers me.”
He muttered quietly, directing these mindless workers, which was honestly more tiring than doing it himself.
This wasn’t a lord at all—it was a contractor.
Alfred soon returned with the recruited craftsmen.
When the carpenters and stonemasons from outside villages saw this magical construction scene, they nearly dropped their tools.
A giant skeleton monster was tearing down houses.
A group of stone giants were leveling the land.
And their employer, a refined blond youth, was waving his hands and giving orders to these monsters.
Was this world a little too crazy?
“Ahem.”
Alfred cleared his throat, pride beaming from his face.
“Everyone, this is our lord, Lord Leo.”
“As you can see, our lord values efficiency very highly.”
The craftsmen exchanged glances, then all nodded in understanding.
So he was a powerful mage!
No wonder he could afford such high wages!
With the addition of professional craftsmen, Blackwood Town’s construction speed jumped several levels.
Leo’s summoned army took on the heaviest physical labor.
Demolition, transportation, laying foundations.
The craftsmen handled the technical work.
Building house frames, laying walls, installing doors and windows.
Even the ordinary townsfolk stayed busy, under Hans and Tom’s leadership, assisting and cheering on the craftsmen and… summoned creatures.
The entire Blackwood Town became a bustling construction site.
Leo had fully become a construction fanatic.
During the day, he commanded the “magical construction team” to build in the town, watching new houses rise and the foundations of the walls being solidified, a strange sense of satisfaction welling up inside.
At night, he didn’t rest. Riding the cavern wyvern, he flew directly to the Black Forest to continue his monster hunting.
Building a territory required massive amounts of gold.
The savings he had before were not enough; he had to ensure a stable cash flow.
High-intensity leveling and efficient money-making made both his level and wealth soar.
Lv27… Lv28… Lv29…
His personal assets grew from one hundred gold coins to two hundred, then three hundred…
Most of it was reinvested into building the territory.
During this time, Blackwood Town underwent earth-shattering changes.
Rows of brand-new wooden and stone cottages replaced the old, dilapidated thatched huts—spacious and bright.
A sturdy wooden wall had taken shape, encircling the entire town and giving everyone an unprecedented sense of security.
At the town square, the frames of the blacksmith’s shop and carpentry workshop had already been erected.
The townsfolk’s spirits had been completely renewed.
They wore clothes made from new fabric Leo had purchased, faces glowing with hope.
Children chased and played on the newly built streets, munching on malt candy brought back by their lord.
Whenever Leo walked through the town, everyone stopped their work to offer him the highest respect.
【Your reputation in the ‘Blackwood Ridge’ area has reached: Worship】
【Resident happiness greatly increased, production efficiency +10%】
Standing atop the newly built wall, Leo looked down on the town he had built with his own hands.
The evening breeze blew through his golden hair.
He was busy and tired, living like a workaholic without a day off.
But for some reason, he felt that this life was incredibly satisfying.
“Only a little experience left to reach level 30.”
He clenched his fist, eyes cast toward the dark, deep black forest.
That legendary skill branch he had been waiting for so long was finally within reach.