122: Donghai City

Linn stepped on the Void Realm, slowly descending before the generals of the Star Sea Territory. His footsteps were light as nothing, not even stirring a speck of dust as he landed. That posture of walking through the air had already surpassed everyone's understanding of the word "power."

Looking at the faces before him—stunned, ecstatic, and awestruck—Linn's lips curled slightly into a peaceful yet infinitely majestic smile. This smile diluted some of the suffocating aura of a powerhouse surrounding him, yet it made him seem even more unfathomable.

"All of you, rise." His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a strange power of soothing and command.

"Thank you, Lord!" The mountain-shaking cry rang out again. The crowd finally snapped out of their daze and rose one after another, but their eyes remained fixed on Linn, filled with burning adoration.

Linn's gaze first landed on Angus, and he nodded approvingly. "Angus, you commanded this battle with composure, achieving the greatest results at the smallest cost and completely dismantling a powerful enemy. You have done very well. It is a great blessing for the Star Sea Territory to have a talent like you."

Receiving praise directly from his Lord—especially affirmation from a Sky-level powerhouse and Dragon Rider—even Angus, whose will was as firm as iron, couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. He pressed his fist to his chest and bowed deeply. "It is all thanks to your prestige, Lord, and the dedication of the soldiers. I dare not take the credit!"

"Merit must be rewarded," Linn said plainly, setting the tone. He then asked, "What are the casualties?"

Angus immediately composed himself and reported, "Lord, in this campaign, approximately 2,100 of our soldiers were killed in action, and about 3,000 were wounded, with around 500 severely injured and losing their combat capability. We have essentially annihilated the main forces of the Boar King and Minotaur coalition, killed their leaders, and after capturing and... cleaning up, we have obtained nearly 20,000 usable Orc Slaves." His report was concise and clear, frankly presenting the cost behind the brilliant victory.

Linn listened quietly, his eyes deep. The loss of two thousand lives was no small number for a rising power, but to almost destroy the main forces of two large beastman tribes with tens of thousands of people and expand the territory by tens of thousands of square kilometers—this result was nothing short of brilliant. He nodded slowly. "The soldiers were brave. Their pensions must be generous, and the disabled must be properly settled. Their sacrifice will forge the indestructible foundation of the Star Sea Territory."

"Yes!" Angus responded solemnly.

Next, Linn's gaze swept over this vast valley, the distant jungle, and the vaguely visible coastline. A blueprint seemed to have already formed in his mind. He spoke, his voice steady and full of decisiveness, as he began to issue a series of orders that would profoundly change the fate of this land:

"First, all legions are to immediately tally their losses and prioritize replenishing their ranks. Shirei."

"I am here!" Shirei immediately stepped forward.

"I order you to lead all 10,000 members of the Star-Moon Legion, supported by 2,000 men from the Divine Arrow Army under Angus, to station here. This place," Linn raised his hand and pointed to the core area of the Wild Boar Kings Court, "will no longer be a tribal court. I want you to use this as the center to establish the first large-scale city of the Star Sea Territory on this continent! Its name shall be—'East Sea City'."

Establishing a city! Everyone's hearts jolted, but then a surge of infinite pride followed. This meant it was no longer a simple military outpost, but true rule and pioneering!

"Second," Linn continued, his gaze turning to the dark mass of terrified Slaves, "use these 20,000 Orc Slaves as the first batch of primary labor to quarry stone, fell timber for the Foundation Establishment, lay roads, and build walls and houses. They will be the first foundation stones for the construction of 'East Sea City'. Clay."

"I await your orders!" Clay bowed.

"You are responsible for coordination. As quickly as possible, transport enough craftsmen, scholars, management personnel, and construction materials from the Star Sea Territory headquarters and the controlled islands to this location. I want to see the blueprints for the port, roads, warehouses, and workshops become reality as soon as possible. The Wild Boar Kings Court is less than a hundred kilometers from the coastline; an excellent port must be built to connect the sea and land. Only then will this place have vitality and value."

"As you command! I will immediately arrange for the Griffin Knights to deliver the orders ahead of time and mobilize the transport fleet." Clay accepted the order without hesitation.

Linn nodded slightly, his voice suddenly rising with a majesty that declared sovereignty, reaching all directions. "Third, with this place as the center, radiating out to the surrounding tens of thousands of kilometers of mountains, forests, plains, and river valleys. Wherever the sunlight shines and footsteps reach, it shall all be the territory of my Star Sea Territory! This decree must be widely spread to settle the people's hearts and intimidate the disloyal."

"The Lord is wise!" The generals echoed in unison, their chests surging with the passion of expanding the borders.

"Fourth," Linn's tone turned cold, "for the remaining beastman tribes, scattered ethnic groups, or those remnants who fled into the deep forests on this new territory, I give them two paths: submit as Slaves and contribute labor to save their lives; or resist stubbornly and be completely annihilated, with their kin all relegated to slave labor. The construction of the Star Sea Territory needs more hands. Angus, Shirei, you two are responsible for this, to be carried out simultaneously during the Early Stage of construction."

"Understood!" A sharp light flashed in the eyes of Angus and Shirei; this was a necessary iron-blooded means to consolidate their rule.

"Finally," Linn looked at Karl, Ocean, Batu, Elise, and the others, "except for Shirei's unit and necessary garrison personnel, the rest of the legions will return with me to the Star Sea Territory headquarters. We need to digest the gains from this battle, heal our wounds, summarize our experience, and prepare for new challenges that may arise from our expansion here."

His gaze finally turned toward the distant horizon, as if he could pierce through space to see unknown threats and opportunities. "The matters here are concluded, but the journey has only just begun. 'East Sea City' will be the first nail we drive into this continent and the starting point for a broader world. Everyone, you have worked hard, but please continue to strive."

"To the death for the Lord! For the glory of the Star Sea Territory!" The earth-shaking oath rang out again, filled with infinite longing for the future and firm conviction.

Linn said no more and flew away through the air! Elise needed to lead the members of the Mage Corps and did not go with Linn.

A Sky-level Lord, a Dragon Rider... the future of the Star Sea Territory already possessed wings to soar through the Nine Heavens.

Angus took a deep breath, suppressing the waves in his heart, and turned to face the generals, his face returning to its usual coldness and pragmatism. "Immediately execute the Lord's orders! Shirei, you start mobilizing the army of the Star Sea Territory immediately, plan the city site, establish temporary camps, and organize the Slaves! Commander Clay, I leave the liaison matters to you!"

The massive war machine of the Star Sea Territory, after experiencing a bloody conquest, rapidly switched modes and roared onto a new track of construction and rule. On the blood-soaked land, a city named "East Sea" was about to rise under the sweat and blood of countless Slaves and the will of the Star Sea Territory. And its master had already turned his gaze toward the even more distant horizon.