Seraphina unfolded the map.
At first, her expression was neutral. Then her brows slowly pulled together.
"...This map doesn’t add up with these two cities," she said, scanning it again. "It’s like—"
"One city is missing. Yes. I have another city that needs to be fused," Isaac said calmly.
"...."
"You look like you want to ask something."
"Aren’t you a new Lord?"
"I am."
"How do you already have this many cities?"
"I was lucky."
Seraphina stared at him.
Lucky?
Lucky, my foot!
Did he really think she couldn’t tell? This man clearly had something going on. Some abnormal ability, some hidden authority, something that made people willingly follow him and hand over entire cities. This wasn’t luck. This was the kind of thing that bent common sense.
She clicked her tongue softly and folded the map again.
"Fine. Get System confirmation from your other city. I’ll fuse all of them at once," she said.
"Okay."
Isaac immediately shifted his focus.
Far away, in Fortified City 89, his clone moved.
The System responded instantly.
[Do you want to fuse Fortified City 89 with your City?]
"Yes."
The answer had barely formed when the process began.
The people of Fortified City 89 froze in place. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Footsteps halted. Then, one by one, their bodies turned into flashes of light and vanished.
Back in the sky, Seraphina moved again.
Space folded once more. Fortified City 89 was pulled from its location as if plucked from the world itself.
Suspended in the air, it was separated into countless sections, buildings and districts breaking apart neatly like pieces of a massive construct.
"This part goes here," Seraphina muttered, glancing at the map. "And this connects to—hm."
She worked without hesitation.
The three cities began to merge.
At the very center of the new city stood Qlippoth. It would serve as the core defense, radar, and symbol. Everything else was built around it.
In one direction, the tree-fused housing district spread outward, forming a semi-circular residential zone. The structures blended naturally with the environment, leaving room for growth and expansion.
The City Hall was positioned close to Qlippoth, not directly beneath it, but near enough that administrative control and symbolic authority were clearly tied together.
The Nagas were given their own district, separated by water channels and wide roads. Ogres had their own space as well, built with reinforced structures and broader streets. The Crawling Serpent Tribe occupied another district, positioned so their movement patterns wouldn’t interfere with others.
Isaac had planned it carefully.
He even reserved a massive one-thousand-hectare area purely for farming. Compared to his previous two-hundred-hectare farmland, this was a huge leap. The warehouse was placed nearby, ensuring efficient storage and transport.
There was also a wide, open district left empty.
That space was reserved for the [Market] he planned to build through the System later.
Next to it, he designed a market district meant for everyday use by his people. Weapons, crops, potions, tools. Everything needed for daily life would pass through there. A large residential area surrounded it, making access easy.
The residential zones were divided cleanly.
One section was for tourists, traders, and buyers from other cities. Inns, rented housing, and short-term residences filled that area. The other section was meant for permanent residents, shop owners, and long-term renters.
Beyond that stood an expansive district dedicated to education.
Top universities, training institutions, and specialized academies were placed together. Three major universities anchored the district, with smaller institutions branching out around them. One could say this district could now be called the [Academy City] within his city.
There were countless more adjustments.
Road widths were altered. Defensive placements were refined. Open spaces were left along major streets for trees and shrubs. Not for decoration alone, but for long-term environmental stability.
When Seraphina finally stopped, the city was whole.
Isaac looked down at it in silence.
It was functional, structured, and beautiful.
"Thank you," Isaac said.
"Don’t mention it," Seraphina replied. "I’ll be taking my leave now."
She flicked her finger.
The world shifted again, and Isaac found himself standing atop the City Hall. It was positioned at the dead center of the city, close to Qlippoth, exactly as planned.
Above him, Seraphina ascended into the sky.
The frozen mana receded. Time resumed its flow.
Then, flashes of light erupted throughout the city.
Citizens reappeared.
People stumbled, looked around, and froze in confusion as they took in their surroundings. Streets were different. Buildings were unfamiliar. Entire districts had changed.
The System chimed.
[Your City’s rank has upgraded to Tier 2.]
[New Blueprints have been unlocked.]
[Special Blueprints have been unlocked.]
[Congratulations on reaching Tier 2 Lord City.]
[Temporary buff granted: All constructions will have double speed for the next 24 hours.]
Isaac read through the messages calmly.
He opened his Lord Panel.
Name: Isaac Hargraves
Lord Level: 2
Lord Talent: 200% Drop Rate, Kingdom of Ghosts
City Level: 1
City Rank: Tier 2
Citizens: 150,946 / 300,000
Troops: 20,867 / 50,000
Blueprints: Praying Altar, Divine Doctrine, Market
Buildings: Sky Dome Level 2, City Wall Level 3, Warehouse Level 1, City Hall Level 1, Summoning Altar Level 1, Standardized Battalion Level 1, Praying Altar Level 1
Sub Lords: 01
Subjects: 13 / 25
Isaac nodded and closed the panel.
He could feel it now.
The city’s mana level was rising rapidly. The air felt cleaner. The soil beneath his feet felt richer. Mana density surged across the entire area.
The increase was far greater than the last time, when he had first become a Lord.
Isaac turned slightly. "Ruby."
She appeared beside him instantly.
"Send out awakener teams. Stabilize the people and prevent chaos. Show them around the city and explain what happened," Isaac said.
"Understood, Lord Isaac," Ruby said with a nod.
After her upgrade, she could handle multiple tasks at once with remarkable efficiency.
Isaac shifted his focus again, controlling his clone at the Ashfang Tribe. He informed them they could begin moving to the city.
Before leaving, he handed Alice the legendary war hammer he had obtained earlier.
Her eyes lit up the moment she took it.
"Thank you. It’s a nice weapon," Alice said, gripping it tightly.