The wind of the Ninth Heaven bit at Ren's face as the Verdant Wing-Sentry descended toward the glowing heart of Aethelgard. From above, the island looked like a sapphire set in a bed of violet velvet. The Iron-Oak walls were taller now, and the silver trees of the grove pulsed with a rhythmic, healthy light.
But as Ren crossed the threshold of his domain, he saw something he didn't expect.
The thirty slaves he had "evicted" from Marcus's clutches weren't huddled in fear. They were standing in organized rows in the newly paved Market Square. At the front, Elara stood with her moonlight-silver hair tied back in a warrior's braid, her hand resting on the hilt of a rapier forged from Clockwork Brass.
"Identify yourselves!" Elara's voice rang out, cold and authoritative.
"We... we are just laborers, My Lady," a haggard man at the front stammered. "The Landlord... he brought us here."
Ren landed the Wing-Sentry in the center of the square, the mechanical beast's claws clicking against the stone. He slid off its back, his legs nearly buckling from mana exhaustion.
"He did more than bring you here," Ren said, his voice raspy. He stood tall, despite the dark circles under his eyes. "He gave you a choice. In the Iron-Anchor, you were fuel. In Aethelgard, you are Tenants."
He opened his system interface, broadcasting a golden holographic scroll into the air for all to see.
> The Aethelgard Compact:
> * Protection: The Landlord provides walls, weapons, and mana-stabilization.
> * Sustenance: The Landlord provides Star-Silver bread and clean water.
> * The Rent: 20% of all gathered materials. 4 hours of labor daily toward "Kingdom Works."
> * The Law: Harm a fellow tenant, and you face the Forced Eviction (The Void).
>
The thirty newcomers stared at the scroll. To them, 20% tax was a miracle. Marcus had taken 100% and their lives besides. One by one, they stepped forward, pressing their palms to the light.
[New Tenants Registered: 30.]
[Territory Level Up! Aethelgard is now a Tier 2 Settlement.]
[Bonus Unlocked: The Bureau of Construction.]
"Elara," Ren whispered as the crowd began to disperse under Kaelen's direction. "I brought back more than just people."
He opened his inventory and dumped the "Aether Dust" and "Soul-Binding Spikes" he'd siphoned from Marcus. The pile of glowing blue crystals and shimmering metal scraps illuminated the square.
Elara gasped, her emerald eyes reflecting the light. "Ren... this is enough to power the Great Anchor. We could move the entire island! We wouldn't be drifting aimlessly anymore."
"Exactly," Ren said, leaning against the Wing-Sentry for support. "But we're not moving to hide. We're moving to the Sector Hub. If we want to build a real army, we need the blueprints that only drop from the Trial Gates."
"You want to go to the center of the sector?" Elara asked, her voice tinged with worry. "That's where the 'Great Lords' are. The ones with S-Rank talents who have already formed Alliances."
"Let them have their Alliances," Ren said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'm going there to open a Real Estate Office. They're going to realize very quickly that in a world of floating rocks, the man who owns the air is the man who wins the war."
[System Announcement: The 48-Hour Warning.]
[The First 'Void Tide' approaches. All Tier 1 islands will face 500% monster density.]
Ren looked at his small, growing kingdom. He had forty people, three mechanical sentries, and one elven princess. Against a 500% monster wave, it wasn't enough.
"Elara, forget the housing," Ren commanded, his fatigue vanishing as the adrenaline of the 'System Timer' kicked in. "We have 48 hours. I want every scrap of that Aether-Steel converted. It's time to move beyond sentries."
He swiped his hand, opening the Mechanical Alchemy tab to a locked, glowing icon.
[Requirement Met: Tier 2 Settlement.]
[New Blueprint Unlocked: The Bronze Legionnaire (Mark I).]
"We're not just building a fence anymore," Ren declared. "We're building an army."