Chapter 514: An Insatiable Desire

Dragon Ridge City, built atop the hilltops, has expanded severalfold compared to three years ago.

The wall that once encircled the foot of the mountain was long demolished; numerous new structures cling to the mountain, extending down the slope onto the plain below, continuing to expand outward.

Within the city, countless textile mills, steel furnaces, fertilizer plants, machinery factories, and processing workshops have sprung up, alongside innumerable shops, residences, hospitals, schools, and temples, densely packed; wide streets crisscross in a grid, all meticulously planned and built, marching swiftly toward an industrialized metropolis.

Outside the city lie vast tracts of open land, only leveled and marked at basic level, reserved for future urban planning.

Dragon Ridge City's train station is a dozen or so li from the mountaintop castle, and the area remains a relatively desolate suburb.

After the steam train arrived, Lei En waited a moment, letting the other passengers disembark first, then woke Aka Land, who had been feigning sleep at first and then truly fell asleep, and the two alighted together.

"Boss!"

"Duke!"

On the platform, a large detachment of troops was already waiting, led by Kro Nuan in blue armor.

During last year's Extreme Warrior reorganization, he was appointed by Lei En as the commander of the third company; now he leads two combat squads rotating guard over Dragon Ridge City, with twenty‑four Extreme Warriors standing behind him, saluting in unison, their towering, muscular bodies forming a human wall that inspires awe.

Lei En nodded at Kro Nuan, his gaze sweeping over each Extreme Warrior.

Now the number of Extreme Warriors under his command has reached two hundred and forty, far exceeding the original recruitment target.

The two hundred and forty Extreme Warriors have been reorganized into four companies, each led by a company commander.

Each company has sixty men, divided into five squads; each squad has twelve members, composed of ten Extreme Warriors, a squad leader, and a deputy squad leader, forming a complete combat unit—the smallest formation in the Extreme Corps.

The other three company commanders are Xikalius, Tailien, and Otto.

Xikalius's first company is Lei En's elite guard, the strongest, usually stationed at Glamorgan; the second and third companies are of comparable strength, rotating guard over the duchy's capital Dragon Ridge City, with their commanders also serving as supreme commanders of all Transcendent Armies in the duchy's seven cities; the fourth company is a recruit unit, typically training at Jin Gang Fort on the Saen Plateau.

Company commander Otto, the fourth company's leader, was one of the first thirteen Extreme Warriors to follow Lei En, the third to ascend to legend; his demeanor is resilient and low‑key, yet exceedingly patient, and he is the highest‑level instructor in the corps, best suited to train recruits.

After years of training and adaptation, the Extreme Corps' system has become increasingly mature.

In total there are twenty combat squads; when a squad's Extreme Warriors go on missions or patrols, they never act alone—most of the time, a Gunwing Knight company provides support.

Both sides fight together, with the Extreme Warriors holding the dominant position.

The Gunwing Knight Corps has likewise been reorganized into a company model: each squad has twelve cavalry, but a company totals one hundred twenty men, twice the number of Extreme Warriors.

Moreover, above the company level, a battalion is established.

Five companies, totaling six hundred men, form a battalion; Lei En already commands two battalions, and the Gunwing Knight Corps' total exceeds twelve hundred men, i. e., ten companies, and it grows each month.

Glamorgan Territory and Dragon Ridge City hold the highest status, so daily they host two squads of Extreme Warriors and one Gunwing Knight company on guard. The other six cities of the Augustus Duchy also station one squad of Extreme Warriors and one Gunwing Knight company, rotating each quarter.

In addition, there are roughly an equal number of Transcendents, about fifteen hundred.

Most of them are native to Kangjiatuo, and after selection were recruited by Lei En, forming a secondary tier of city magistrates and guards.

Now, the total strength of Lei En's Transcendent Army is approaching three thousand.

Not to mention in the Kangjiatuo Kingdom, even across the Empire, this is an extremely powerful Transcendent force; no one dares to underestimate it.

Aka Land follows Lei En off the train, a hidden alarm flickering in his eyes.

He has seen Extreme Warriors many times, so they are not unfamiliar, yet not exactly close, because every Extreme Warrior is fiercely loyal to Lei En and never interacts much with anyone else. Their loyalty rivals that of fanatics to a deity, yet Lei En is merely mortal, leaving people baffled as to what methods he used to forge such a powerful and loyal Transcendent corps.

Each time he encounters an Extreme Warrior, Aka Land is shocked by the raw might of these barbaric fighters.

A single legend is not frightening; a whole legion of legends is.

Even the weakest member among the Extreme Warriors equals a high‑tier peak Transcendent, capable of challenging legends at any moment. In the past two or three years, Aka Land has observed at least five Extreme Warriors abruptly ascend to legend, and the number of unseen legends remains unknown!

They don armor personally forged by Lei En and wield Lei En's "invented" Lambo Gun, boosting combat power by well over tenfold!

A few years ago, during the natural disaster spirit invasion of Weizelan, Aka Land personally witnessed the Extreme Warriors' might. At that time there were only thirteen; now numbers have surged, estimated at over two hundred, making the entire Extreme Corps' strength astonishing.

He watches Lei En's silhouette, still shrouded in that inscrutable aura, as if cloaked in a mysterious, dazzling halo, profoundly unfathomable.

Lei En looks toward a man beside Kro Nuan.

The man is just over thirty, a Transcendent but only a second‑rank ranger, of rather mediocre skill—no Gunwing Knight can surpass him. He wears a tidy gray uniform, straight gray trousers, exudes vigor and a gentle, wise demeanor.

"Mayor Bitzmok."

Lei En called his name, his brows barely furrowing, "Why did you run to the station? I've emphasized many times that if there's business, I'll send someone; no need for this perfunctory greeting."

The man is the mayor of Dragon Ridge City.

Three years ago, Lei En announced an open recruitment for administrators; Bitzmok, a commoner, scored highest on that bizarre exam and impressed Lei En in the interview, and was immediately appointed as Dragon Ridge City's inaugural mayor.

Later, Bitzmok's performance lived up to expectations.

His ability is indeed mediocre, yet he possesses wisdom and political skill beyond ordinary people, able to grasp Lei En's industrialization vision and execute Lei En's Willpower, carrying out the plan.

Dragon Ridge City's development speed exceeded Lei En's expectations, being the fastest and most effective among the duchy's seven cities.

Lei En assesses the mayor's achievements each year, as well as the performance of subordinate senior officials.

Other mayors have been replaced, and the bureau chiefs and other officials of the city hall have turned over countless times; only a handful have passed multiple evaluations and remained to this day.

Bitzmok is one of them.

After several years as mayor, Lei En is very satisfied with him.

The Soul Eye also confirmed his loyalty, granting him greater authority to coordinate development across the duchy's other cities. This commoner mayor is effectively Lei En's chief minister, wielding great power, full of vigor, becoming an inspirational model for the duchy's common folk.

To protect this rare talent, Lei En also assigned Extreme Warriors stationed at Dragon Ridge City to guarantee his safety, with two Extreme Warriors constantly at his side, a compensation not to be called low.

Moreover, Lei En plans to ennoble Bitzmok as a baron at year‑end, carving out a fief in Glamorgan as both a reward for his outstanding achievements and a model to attract more talent.

However, Bitzmok's appearance at the station made Lei En harbor doubts.

Extreme Warriors can always locate their origin, so their arrival at the station is normal, yet they would not inform any outsider, even the mayor.

His train ride this time was a spur‑of‑the‑moment decision, without notifying anyone.

Bitzmok, however, managed to arrive promptly to greet, evidently having learned his itinerary in advance—unsurprisingly, likely from a message from Stream City—showing his deep grasp of the duchy's control.

This is not a good sign.

"He's gotten a bit lofty."

Lei En felt displeased but did not show it overtly.

Yet Bitzmok keenly sensed his change of expression, instantly becoming humbled and fearful, realizing his goodwill had provoked Lei En's displeasure.

He hurriedly explained, "Title: Duke, this afternoon I was inspecting the construction progress of the new factory nearby, and the railway opened today, the first train arrived at Dragon Ridge City Station, so I came by the way to take a look, not intending to welcome you."

"Is that so?" Lei En gave no answer.

He glanced at Ke Luo Nu An beside him; the other responded in his mind through symbiotic resonance of the original body, confirming that Bi Zi Mo Ke indeed had official duties in the vicinity.

However, Lei En did not believe this excuse.

The Soul Eye saw clearly that at least Bi Zi Mo Ke had not told the whole truth; he likely arranged his itinerary deliberately near the station.

"It seems his baron title and fief will have to be postponed; we'll discuss it later."

Lei En did not want to pursue it further.

He stepped off the platform, boarded Bi Zi Mo Ke's official car; a Gunwing Knight of half a regiment rode a bronze Pegasus ahead, and Extreme Warriors flanked him on both sides.

"Title: Duke…"

"So it's Title: Duke traveling; no wonder even the Gunwing Knights were dispatched!" many people murmured, stopping to watch the car, as if they saw Lei En inside.

Under the awed gazes of passersby, the convoy moved along the avenue into the city, heading toward the Dragon Ridge Fortress atop the hill.

Along the way, Bi Zi Mo Ke rode along with the car.

He began in the car to report to Lei En on Dragon Ridge City's recent developments; without consulting documents, he recited various population and fiscal figures offhand, as well as the progress of numerous construction projects, all stored in his mind, and his briefing was orderly and the data perfectly accurate.

Lei En greatly admired Bi Zi Mo Ke in work mode—clean, decisive, with clear priorities, and his results were outstanding.

Bi Zi Mo Ke knew the entire overview of Dragon Ridge City like the back of his hand.

This shows his dedication to his work.

This can also be confirmed by the Extreme Warrior protecting Bi Zi Mo Ke; he is a workaholic, his daytime schedule packed, rushing constantly inside and outside Dragon Ridge City, and working late into the night. Sometimes he doesn't even return home, sleeping directly in the office, and rises the next day refreshed, diving back into work as if he had inexhaustible energy.

Dragon Ridge City's rapid development owes at least thirty percent of its credit to Bi Zi Mo Ke.

The car entered Dragon Ridge Fortress.

Lei En stepped out and entered the modest fortress; he rarely spends the night here, only teleporting over for a few hours when needed, so there are few servants, and he uses the fortress directly as the City Hall office.

Extreme Warriors and Gunwing Knights also garrisoned Dragon Ridge Fortress, guarding the teleportation array.

Inside the fortress there is Lei En's office; he continued to listen to Bi Zi Mo Ke's report, made decisions on several of his petitions, and only then concluded the day's work.

That evening, Lei En had a lavish banquet arranged, located in the great hall of Dragon Ridge Fortress.

Bi Zi Mo Ke, the main officials of Dragon Ridge City, and municipal officials two ranks lower—totaling dozens—were all invited. At the banquet, Lei En gave his subordinates a pep talk while covertly using the Soul Eye to screen for any abnormalities among them.

Periodically, he would convene officials to root out traitors and parasites in the ranks.

At first, he often uncovered some malcontents, judging and punishing them with thunderous methods, even imposing the death penalty outright.

Later, the officials gradually realized Title: Duke's methods.

Both ruthless and unpredictable, yet unfathomably mysterious.

They each trembled, no longer daring to be sly or exploit the power in their hands for personal gain; anyone who does so meets a bad end, without exception.

After several "purifications", Lei En could hardly find any parasites.

Tonight's banquet was the same.

Everything was normal; officials laughed and chatted, and although many felt uneasy, those who dared attend the banquet generally had no problem; being open and upright, they felt no guilt.

Lei En sat at the head of the table, nodding slightly with satisfaction.

The first person on his left, Bi Zi Mo Ke, noted Lei En's expression, breathed a silent sigh of relief, knowing that today's test had been passed.

He raised his cup, stood, and shouted, "Colleagues, let us toast Title: Duke with a drink, congratulations on the birth of the Duke's first son, Prince Rex! Also, may Her Majesty the Queen stay healthy, and Prince Rex be forever healthy!"

"Alright…"

"Congratulations, Title: Duke!"

Dozens of officials rose, cheering, holding their cups toward the head Lei En, each wearing a congratulatory smile, afraid to lag behind others.

"Thank you all for your blessings," Lei En replied with a smile, raising his cup and drinking it down in one gulp.

When everyone had finished their drinks, he announced, "It is all thanks to everyone's effort and outstanding performance that Dragon Ridge City is improving; I've seen it with my own eyes. I always reward merit, and the mid‑year is approaching, so all officials of Dragon Ridge City Hall will receive a bonus, according to performance evaluation, ranging from one month's salary to a Half-Year Award."

Lei En looked at Bi Zi Mo Ke, "Mayor, draft a list and budget as soon as possible; after I sign, I'll issue the bonuses."

"Yes, Title: Duke!" Bi Zi Mo Ke bowed, his eyes full of delight.

The officials in the hall were also overjoyed.

Lei En's rule is strict; his demands on officials are harsh, and he does not allow them to act arbitrarily. The only reason they are still willing to stay and work is that Lei En pays them too much!

Even the lowest‑rank clerks in City Hall earn a monthly salary more than five times that of an ordinary worker, plus various benefits—housing allocation, allowances, heating fees, overtime pay, free hospital treatment, and so on—enough for one salary to support a family of over a dozen.

Such positions cannot be found elsewhere; they are both respectable and lucrative, causing countless people to scramble for them.

With each promotion, an official's salary and benefits rise; the highest‑rank mayor's basic monthly salary alone exceeds a hundred Gold Shields, and with various bonuses, the annual salary surpasses two thousand Gold Shields!

Not to mention the power in officials' hands, which elevates their status above even titular nobles.

As mayor, Bi Zi Mo Ke is sure to receive the top‑tier Half-Year Award, at least six to seven hundred Gold Shields; being of common birth, he hasn't amassed much wealth, and plans to purchase the best villa for himself and his family, so how could he not be delighted?

Officials of other ranks also have, to varying degrees, a few dozen Gold Shields.

This unexpected windfall instantly lifted the hall's atmosphere to a climax, with officials cheering exuberantly, varying their flattery toward Lei En.

Lei En smiled faintly, accepting the officials' praise.

Frankly, this is "high salary to maintain integrity"; you can't rely solely on the Soul Eye's screening and oppression to make subordinates work, you must also provide the money, then they'll truly give their all. A purely high‑pressure policy may work well short‑term, but over time it will inevitably collapse.

Anyway, the money spent will be reclaimed from the fruits of their hard work.

Lei En did not intend to funnel all the Augustus Duchy's tax revenue into his own pocket; ultimately he invested it back into the duchy's construction, merely handling macro‑control, even front‑loading tens of millions of Gold Shields in capital, taking a loss‑making venture.

In this process, the duchy's citizens' living standards rose dramatically, people changed their faith and grew increasingly devout, providing the God of Magic with a great amount of belief power.

After the banquet, Lei En ascended to the top level of Dragon Ridge Fortress.

He looked down on the city; at night Dragon Ridge City glowed with countless lights, the result of the Mechanical Guild's widespread gas lamps, with every street equipped with identical gas streetlights, giving the distant view a near‑nightless city feel.

Under the night sky, a dozen or so temples of the God of Magic dotted each district.

Lei En's Soul Eye operated at full power, scanning the entire city.

The residents that came into view, whether at home or walking on the road, regardless of gender or age, the vast majority had a purple illusory flame emanating from the top of their heads, spreading upward, coalescing into a massive faith power that vanished into the void, leading to a distant unknown space.

Following the habit of the past three years, Lei En began a silent prayer, his gaze piercing through layers of void toward the heights, faintly seeing a magnificent and splendid Divine Kingdom.

Before his eyes a vague phantom of Wei Yisi Cui appeared, gradually becoming clear, and the incomparably beautiful face beneath the mysterious veil gave him an indescribable smile.

The illusion lasted a few minutes, disappearing only when the prayer ended.

Lei En was accustomed to such visions during prayer, but the goddess never responded, remaining only observable from afar and not approachable, perhaps because she felt the time was not yet right.

"The deity is truly insatiable; even this much faith power is not enough, and I don't know how to feed her," Lei En muttered to himself, turned and went downstairs to the teleport array in the castle, and returned to the Empire.

(End of chapter)