Chapter 26: Toll Fees
Half an hour later, outside the north gate of Iron Fortress Territory.
Four hundred Tier 3 Skeleton Mages, along with their two Tier 4 Commanders, lined up in formation.
This was a magical force that would make any kingdom take notice.
And now, they were about to become an unprecedented undead construction crew.
Kaito stood at the very front, pointing to the rugged, overgrown wilderness ahead.
He issued a concise and clear order.
"Target: Valley Base."
"Build me a superhighway thirty meters wide, capable of accommodating the Fearless Vanguard Legion marching in parallel!"
"Yes!"
The Adjutant of the Arcane Legion, the newly promoted Tier 4 Skeleton Archmage, stepped forward.
He raised his bone staff high, his will echoing in the legion's soul network.
"Arcane Engineering Battalion, prepare to execute Project Genesis!"
"First Sequence: Firepower Obstacle Clearance Team, ready!"
One hundred Skeleton Mages stepped forward in unison, raising their staffs.
No chanting, no incantations.
Thanks to the link of the soul network, their casting process was simplified to the extreme.
"Fireball, coordinates (XXX, XXX), saturation coverage, three volleys! Fire!"
The next second, one hundred massive fireballs burning with ghostly blue Soul Fire roared into the sky.
Tracing uniform parabolas in the air, they accurately covered the area hundreds of meters ahead.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Violent explosions merged into a continuous roar. Firelight and shockwaves swept across the earth.
Trees blocking the way were blasted into charcoal; stubborn boulders were smashed into rubble.
Monsters hiding in the grass didn't even have time to let out a whimper before they were turned to ash by the scorching flames.
After three volleys, a scorched, barren open ground appeared ahead.
"Second Sequence: Terrain Shaping Team, ready!"
Another hundred Skeleton Mages stepped forward.
"Earth Manipulation! Raise! Compact! Shape!"
Their staffs pointed at the ground simultaneously.
HUM—
The earth emitted a muffled rumble.
The scorched soil and gravel began to tumble and squirm violently, as if an invisible giant hand were kneading the land.
The originally uneven ground was smoothed and raised at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Soft soil was compressed to the limit, excess stones pushed to the sides, automatically forming neat roadbeds.
In just a few minutes, a flat dirt road thirty meters wide and hundreds of meters long appeared out of thin air.
"Third Sequence: Road Hardening Team, ready!"
The third batch of Skeleton Mages stepped forward.
"Rock Hardening! Continuous Cast!"
They aimed their staffs at the newly formed dirt road.
A layer of grayish-white halo spread rapidly across the surface.
Wherever the halo passed, the soft soil petrified instantly, the surface becoming smooth and hard.
Kaito walked up and stomped on it with his bone foot.
Rock hard.
"Nice efficiency."
Kaito uttered a satisfied sigh of admiration.
From clearing obstacles to forming the road surface, the entire process took no more than ten minutes.
A brand new, high-quality road had extended forward by several hundred meters.
"You praise us too much, My Lord."
The Adjutant responded humbly.
"This is merely the standard procedure. Under your will, we can go even faster."
Saying this, he adjusted the command.
"All units, attention! Assembly line operation initiated! Three groups cycle forward, no errors allowed!"
"Yes!"
The next moment, the entire Arcane Legion moved.
While the first group's Fireballs were still flying in the air, the second group's Earth Manipulation was already preparing.
Just as the third group's Rock Hardening finished, the first group had already completed mana replenishment and started a new round of clearing.
Three hundred-man mage teams, like three precise gears, meshed perfectly together.
A wide, flat, dark gray avenue extended madly toward the distant mountains at a terrifying speed.
Kaito watched this spectacular scene, his Soul Fire almost blooming with laughter.
Is this the gold content of high-tier units?
Love it, love it.
Just then, Skele-Lust, who had been silent, slowly walked up to Kaito.
"My Lord, although this road is sturdy enough, it is too conspicuous."
"It will act like a torch in the dark night, attracting countless unnecessary troubles."
"Be it monsters, or... humans."
Kaito nodded.
"Since you put it that way, I'll leave the final step to you."
Lust bowed slightly.
"As you wish."
She walked to the center of the newly paved road and slowly spread her arms.
Majestic energy and death aura poured out from her body, turning into countless intricate runes that merged into the road beneath her feet.
"Realm of Death Illusion."
HUM—
The entire avenue vibrated slightly, then returned to calm.
On the surface, nothing seemed to have happened.
But through the soul network, Kaito could clearly see a different scene.
Shrouding this avenue was an invisible, massive illusion barrier.
In the eyes of any creature not under Kaito's command, this broad road didn't exist at all.
Replacing it was a death swamp emitting toxic miasma and filled with jagged bones.
Any creature below Tier 4 attempting to force their way in would fall into endless hallucinations.
Brilliant. Truly brilliant!
"Beautifully done, Lust!"
Kaito was not stingy with his praise.
"This way, our highway becomes a true Ghost Road, traversable only by our own people."
He rubbed his chin (jaw), and an idea popped up.
"However... completely forbidding others from using it seems a bit wasteful."
Kaito's will rapidly issued commands in the soul network.
"Pass my order! Draft two hundred Tier 3 Toxic Archers from the Extinction Legion."
"Draft one hundred Tier 3 Skeleton Cavalry from the Fearless Vanguard Legion!"
"Form small squads of three—two archers, one cavalry. Along the highway, set up a Security Outpost every two kilometers!"
Lust tilted her skull, seeming a bit puzzled.
"My Lord, you mean...?"
Kaito's Soul Fire danced happily.
"Simple. Collect fees."
"We worked hard to build this road; why should we let them use it for free?"
"From now on, any merchant caravan, mercenary, or adventurer wishing to pass through this road must pay a toll fee!"
"If anyone wants to evade the ticket, or has any funny ideas..."
Kaito's tone turned cold.
"Let the Sheriffs by the roadside have a nice little chat with them."
Lust's Soul Fire flickered for a moment, then she comprehended Kaito's intent.
"I understand, My Lord. You intend to control the economic lifeline surrounding Iron Fortress through this road."
"Worthy of the Lord Ruler. Such profound wisdom... Lust admires you immensely!"
"Hahaha, average, just average. Standard operation."
Kaito waved his bony hand proudly, his heart already calculating the future fiscal revenue.
Infrastructure, logistics, toll stations...
With this combo punch, wouldn't the money just roll in?