As Thorian completed his most urgent tasks, he descended the stairs to collect his daily quests. His next stop was the cultivation hall, a towering structure that held the promise of unlocking new levels of power. As he neared the entrance, Thorian's thoughts turned to the near future.

  Once I advance it to the second tier, the Hall Master will come. Then, everyone in the village can begin their own journey of cultivation, he mused.

  Considering the nascent stage of the apocalypse, with only a few territories yet claimed, his subordinates would be cultivating by the third day—remarkably early by any standard. A sense of accomplishment swelled within Thorian.

  Inside the hall, he chose his regular chamber. Setting aside his cane and robe at the doorway, he moved to the room's center. Taking a lotus position, Thorian began his session by focusing on his breathing technique.

  This session felt significantly smoother than his previous endeavors. Having already breached the first gate, known as the Ashen Ember, Thorian concentrated on accumulating Qi within his dantian—the energy center located in the lower abdomen. This Qi was then refined as it passed through the first gate. While he was aware of other meridian paths, Thorian knew he could not cultivate them until reaching the second realm. Undeterred by the limitations, he focused solely on increasing the volume of Qi he could accumulate and purify.

  Maintaining this disciplined approach, Thorian continued to cultivate for a full two and a half hours, committed to his steady progression.

  Completing his cultivation session, Thorian wasn't taken aback by the dark, viscous substance that had exuded from his pores. The surrounding muck emitted a familiar, acrid stench. This was not his first experience with such a phenomenon, so he skillfully employed the same old cleansing technique to expel the repugnant black goo from the room and into the exterior of the hall. Following that, he summoned a series of water orbs to cleanse himself, rendering his aroma somewhat tolerable.

  Gazing back at the Cultivation Hall, Thorian cracked a wry smile. Once everyone starts cultivating, this place will resemble a pigsty more than a sanctuary.

  He expelled a deep sigh, letting go of his concerns for the moment. Solutions would arise when needed; there was no use in fretting about them now. Instead, he opened his status panel, eager to assess the progress he had made in his cultivation journey.

  Display Panel

  Ding

  "I've actually broken through to the fifth stage?" Thorian whispered, his voice tinged with exhilaration. "This should be enough stat points to elevate my Constitution to one hundred."

  Without a moment's delay, Thorian allocated thirteen of his available points to his weakest stat.

  Constitution: 87 -> 100

  A satisfied smirk spread across Thorian's face. "It's fortunate I remembered this skill early on. That 10% acceleration in mastering skills will have a longer time to compound its benefits."

  Pleased with his progress, Thorian looked skyward. The village's twin suns had fully risen, and the sounds of bustling activity signaled the onset of a new day. Two and a half hours had elapsed since the end of the meeting, prompting him to check on the status of his two generals, Forlune and Zogthar.

  To his relief, they had efficiently executed the tasks he'd assigned. Most of the goblins had already been allocated their classes, filling each guild to its maximum capacity of one hundred members. Those goblins who hadn't yet received a class would be assigned one as soon as the village advanced a level, allowing for guild upgrades.

  The revamped military hierarchy was now fully operational, with squads, units, and companies meticulously organized. Per Thorian's directive, each squad was intentionally diverse, featuring a blend of all three species under his command. Goblins held the majority in each squad, a logical consequence of their numerical preeminence.

  Thorian's next set of orders focused on the expeditious completion of daily quests. He devised a rotating system wherein two units at a time would venture into the first layer of the Verdant Labyrinth, while the remaining forces maintained vigilance at home. Upon their return, each unit would submit the requisite hundred units of wood at the territory altar before resuming their guard posts at the outer wall. Here, they would swap duties with another pair of units, continuing this cycle until all daily quests were accomplished.

  The entire operation took a comprehensive four hours. Thorian, however, did not squander this time in idleness. He joined one of the dungeon runs to complete his own set of daily quests, subsequently dedicating the remaining hours to honing his mana manipulation skills. Alongside Harald, he sat cross-legged in their familiar training spot, each deeply engrossed in mastering the flow of mana within their bodies.

  Once he received confirmation that all daily quests had been fulfilled, Thorian knew the stage was set. Finally, he could commence his true agenda for the day.

  Territory Resources.

  Good, that should be more than enough, Thorian mused. Upgrade Village.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Yes, I wish."

  A now familiar sweep of blue light engulfed the village, pushing Thorian to protect his eyes.

  Display Territory.