Chapter 108: A mysterious altar

The lingering smoke and bloody scent had not yet dissipated, and the ruined orc camp was a mess.

The Storm Knights stood solemnly behind Roko Raymond.

Their obsidian gold armor was stained with dark green orc blood, and everyone's face carried a trace of post-battle fatigue, but their eyes were exceptionally bright.

Hart stepped forward, his voice steady.

"Master, all resistance within the tribe has been cleared."

"We have seven knights with minor injuries, no deaths; the protective capability of the obsidian gold armor is indeed outstanding."

Roko nodded, his gaze sweeping over this land that had just experienced a cruel slaughter.

Falco seemed somewhat excited; he wiped the blood from his cheek and grinned.

"Master, these orcs are a bit stronger than the ones we encountered before, but they still couldn't withstand the charge of our Storm Knights!"

"It was a satisfying slaughter!"

Mike stood at the edge of the team, his face somewhat pale.

He looked at the orc corpses all over the ground and the ruined crude tents, his throat feeling somewhat dry.

"They seem really poor."

Mike muttered in a low voice, his tone carrying a trace of complex emotion that was hard to detect.

"Except for these tattered beast hides and some rough bone tools, one can hardly find anything of value."

Fula stood quietly at Roko's side, her heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one gold—blinking gently, seemingly observing this land as well.

Roko spoke.

"Clean up the battlefield."

"Collect all useful beast hides and bones, and carefully check if there are any missed Magic Cores or other valuable items."

"Yes, Master!"

The knights immediately took action, beginning to clean up the battlefield in an orderly fashion.

Roko watched the knights' busy figures, his heart filled with a thousand thoughts.

The survival rule of the Orc Wasteland is simply naked survival of the fittest.

These orc tribes loot for survival, while they, for the safety and development of their territory, must clear them out.

There is no absolute right or wrong, only positions.

After a while, a knight responsible for searching the depths of the camp ran over quickly.

"Master, we found a strange place in the very back of the tribe!"

Roko raised an eyebrow.

"Take me to see it."

Led by that knight, Roko and Fula walked toward the depths of the camp.

Hart and Falco also followed; Mike hesitated for a moment, then gripped his sword and followed behind.

In the central area of the camp, on a relatively open flat ground, they saw a crude altar built with huge stones and beast bones.

The altar was already dilapidated, seemingly affected by the previous battle, or perhaps it had long been abandoned.

On the stones of the altar, some twisted and strange symbols were carved, emitting a cold aura.

Fula's silver-grey ears twitched slightly, and she gently tugged at Roko's sleeve.

"Meow!"

Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of unease.

"Here, it feels very bad; there is a kind of disgusting power remaining."

Roko stared at the altar, his brow furrowing slightly.

He could feel that there were indeed some unusual energy fluctuations remaining here.

【Probe】.

He muttered in his heart.

【Name: Abandoned Blood Altar (Damaged)】

【Description: An ancient altar used for sacrificing to an unknown existence, remaining with weak evil divine power fluctuations, seemingly related to some powerful orc force.】

"Powerful orc force..."

Roko remembered the previous report from the scout Buck; the unrest in the Orc Wasteland seemed to have more powerful forces manipulating it from behind.

It seems this guess was not groundless.

"Let's go, rest here for a day."

"Tomorrow, we shall return!"

The morning sun dispelled the chill of the Orc Wasteland.

Roko woke up amidst the soft "meow meow" sounds.

He opened his eyes and saw Fula's pretty face, as well as the pair of silver-grey cat ears slightly twitching on top of her head.

"Master, are you awake?"

"I'm fine, Fula."

Roko smiled slightly.

Afterward, he let Fula call Hart and the others in.

In the tent, Roko looked at Hart.

"Was the battlefield from last night cleaned up?"

Hart immediately replied: "Reporting to Master, all valuable supplies have been collected according to your instructions."

"There are over three thousand beast hides in total, mostly low-grade Magic Beast hides, but there are also a small amount of Bronze Rank Magic Beast furs."

"..."

"Beast bones, sharp claws, and fangs have also been collected in large numbers, which can be used to make weapons or other tools."

"As for Magic Cores, this tribe was truly too poor; we only found less than ten low-grade Magic Cores, and the quality is average."

Falco added: "We also found some dried meat they had hoarded and some unknown herbs,"

"but they don't look very fresh anymore."

Roko nodded.

"Every little bit helps."

"These things are all useful resources for our Vanguard Valley."

"What about the casualties?"

Hart replied: "There were no new casualties last night; the seven knights who were injured before only had superficial wounds, and after simple treatment, they are no longer a problem."

"Very good."

Roko expressed satisfaction with this result.

"The main purpose of this trip deep into the Orc Wasteland was twofold: first, to deter those restless orc tribes, and second, to hone our Storm Knights."

"From the current perspective, both goals have been basically achieved."

He looked at everyone, his tone carrying a trace of gratification.

"After these few battles, I believe everyone has a clearer understanding of their own strength and the overall combat power of our Storm Knights."

"Especially the power of the obsidian gold equipment, which has also been fully verified."

Pride appeared on the faces of Hart and Falco.

Mike also nodded forcefully, a trace of firmness appearing in his eyes that wasn't there before.

These few baptisms of blood and fire had allowed him to grow quite a bit.

"Then, it is time for us to return."

Roko announced.

"Pass the order down: the team will rest for one hour, check equipment and horses, and then, set off to return to Vanguard Valley!"

"Yes, Master!"

On the return journey, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than when they came.

Occasionally encountering some blind, stray Magic Beasts or small groups of bandits,

without waiting for Roko to give an order, Hart and Falco would take the initiative to lead the knights to charge, solving the battle in a few swift strokes.

The coordination of the Storm Knights became increasingly tacit, and their combat power improved visibly.

Mike also mustered his courage and participated in several small-scale battles.

Although still somewhat clumsy, under Falco's "careful guidance" and the protection of the knights, he managed to kill several low-grade Magic Beasts, which greatly boosted his confidence.

Roko spent most of his time on horseback with his eyes closed, recovering his consumed Battle Qi and mental energy.

At the same time, in his mind, he began to preliminarily plan the future development direction of Vanguard Valley.

This trip to the Orc Wasteland, although full of danger, also yielded a rich harvest.

Not only did it successfully deter the surrounding orc tribes, securing a relatively stable external environment for the territory.

More importantly, he obtained Tain, the S+ talent Ancient Bloodline Variant Orc.

Although Tain was currently only in the juvenile stage, the potential it displayed already filled Roko with anticipation.

"Fula, what do you think Vanguard Valley lacks the most right now?"

Roko suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Fula beside him.

Fula tilted her head and thought seriously.

"People?"

"That's right, people."

Roko nodded.

"The core of a territory's development is population."

"We have land and resources, but if there isn't enough population to cultivate and build, everything is just empty talk."

He paused and continued: "After we go back this time, Martina should have received quite a few refugees."

"How to settle these refugees and how to transform them into effective labor for our territory is the most important thing right now."

"Secondly, the continuous improvement of military strength."

"Although the Storm Knights are elite, their numbers are still too few."

"We need more soldiers to defend our home and deal with various threats that may appear in the future. Also, commercial trade, the upgrading of weapons and equipment, the improvement of agricultural production..."

Roko analyzed them one by one.

Fula listened quietly; although she didn't understand many things, she could feel that in her master's heart, there was already a clear blueprint.

Hart and Falco would occasionally participate in the discussion, offering their own views and suggestions.

Mike listened silently from the side, feeling more and more that this young Baron Roko seemed to have more ambition and ability than his father, Earl Adrian.

The sun set, stretching the knights' shadows long.

Vanguard Valley was already in sight.

When the figures of Roko and his party appeared at the watchtower on the outskirts of Vanguard Valley, the entire territory boiled over.

The news of the Lord's return from the expedition spread like it had wings, quickly reaching every corner.

Countless residents spontaneously flooded the streets, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Lord's demeanor.

Roko rode on his horse, looking at the lively scene before him, and couldn't help but feel a trace of warmth in his heart.

Compared to when he left, Vanguard Valley appeared more prosperous and full of vitality.

The shops on both sides of the street had many new faces.

The pedestrians coming and going, although dressed simply, all had stable and hopeful expressions on their faces.

"Master, look, the territory is much livelier than when we left!"

Falco said excitedly.

Soon, a fast horse galloped from the direction of the Lord's Mansion.

The person on the horse was none other than the Chief Administrative Officer, Martina. She was still in her capable attire, her snow-white long hair fluttering slightly in the wind, and those snow-white fox ears were particularly eye-catching.

Although, at this moment, her pretty face, which usually carried a hint of arrogance, was filled with undisguised fatigue.

But deep in her eyes, an excited light flickered.

"Roko!"

Martina reined in her horse before Roko, calling his name directly, her tone carrying a hint of relief.

"You've finally returned!"

Roko dismounted, a smile on his face.

"Martina, you've worked hard."

"During the time I was away, was everything in the territory alright?"

Martina took a deep breath, seemingly having a lot to say.

"Good, but also not so good."

She paused, organized her thoughts, and then said in a tone that was both excited and carrying a hint of distress: "Roko, you absolutely wouldn't believe what an astonishing change the population of Vanguard Valley has undergone during the time you were away!"

"Oh?"

Roko raised an eyebrow, showing interest.

"Tell me about it."

Martina cleared her throat, her voice rising a few notches.

"According to the latest statistics, as of yesterday, the registered permanent population of Vanguard Valley has officially exceeded three hundred thousand!"

"What?!"

Before Roko could speak, Falco and Mike beside him couldn't help but exclaim.

A population of three hundred thousand!

In a sparsely populated place like the New Wind Province, this definitely counted as a giant territory!

One must know that even for Mike's father, the permanent population within his territory was only around thirty thousand.

And Vanguard Valley, from initially receiving tens of thousands of refugees to now, how much time had passed?

This kind of population growth speed was simply inconceivable!

Roko was also somewhat surprised, but he quickly returned to calm.

This was certainly due to Vanguard Valley's superior policies, sufficient food, and low taxes, which attracted a large number of desperate refugees.

But more importantly, it was the immense effort put in behind the scenes by Martina, this administrative officer.

"Three hundred thousand..."

Roko pondered.

"This is indeed an astonishing number."

"But at the same time, it probably brought quite a bit of pressure, right?"

Martina smiled bitterly and nodded.

"More than just quite a bit of pressure; it's almost crushing me!"

She rubbed her somewhat swollen temples, her tone carrying a hint of complaint, but more of a sense of accomplishment.

"Roko, do you know? The refugees flooding into Vanguard Valley every day are still endless."

"Food! Our food reserves are being consumed at an astonishing speed!"

"Although Baron Zewen in Red Leaf Forest has been transporting quite a bit of food to us every month as agreed, it is still a drop in the bucket!"

"Housing! A batch of newly built residential areas was just finished, and in the blink of an eye, they were full."

"Now there are still a large number of refugees who can only temporarily live in shacks, and the sanitary conditions are worrying."

"Management! There is a severe shortage of grassroots management personnel!"

"Many new refugees have complex backgrounds; without effective management and constraints, it is very easy to breed chaos and crime."

"Also, with the sharp increase in population density, the risk of epidemic transmission is also increasing exponentially!"

"Once a large-scale epidemic breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Martina listed a whole bunch of problems in one breath, each one like a mountain, making it hard to breathe. Falco and Mike listened, dumbfounded.

They only saw the prosperous and lively appearance of Vanguard Valley, but didn't expect that behind this, there were so many crises and challenges hidden.

Roko's expression, however, remained calm throughout.

He listened carefully to Martina's report, nodding from time to time.

After Martina finished speaking, he said: "Martina, you've done very well."

"Being able to develop Vanguard Valley to its current scale in such a short time, and basically maintaining order, your contribution is beyond doubt." ===== CHAPTER 109 =====