Heart of the City

Feeling the vibrations beneath his feet, Landen couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Countless people had searched this place. Some had even guessed that there were treasures hidden inside these stalagmites. Yet no one could have imagined that the treasure was actually hidden in such an inconspicuous stalagmite—and that it would be activated in such a way.

Those highly intelligent beings were no less greedy for treasure than the Bear Hobgoblins. However, their behavior during the search was completely different.

The closer those highly intelligent beings got to the treasure, the more violent, cruel, and cunning they became, as though the treasure contained some strange aura. During the process, the treasure itself became secondary. Scheming and slaughter among the treasure hunters became the main theme. This didn't just happen between different races or different groups. Even people who had originally been allies treated betrayal as an everyday occurrence.

By contrast, these inherently savage Bear Hobgoblins became increasingly united while searching for the treasure. Normally hot-tempered, they grew calm and meticulous during the process. Even when they found the treasure, they distributed it with remarkable harmony. Their ferocity and brutality were reserved for outsiders; such behavior never appeared among their own kind.

It was precisely these stark differences that had led to the current situation.

No matter how clever or capable those highly intelligent beings were, the final result of their efforts was nothing more than digging three feet into the ground, destroying dozens of stalagmites, and eventually giving up.

Meanwhile, after living here for over a month, these Bear Hobgoblins had discovered the thing hidden within.

The vibrations were so obvious that it wasn't only the few people in the stalagmite area who felt them. Every living creature in the Yumaas Region sensed them as well. The tremors weren't strong enough to cause panic or alertness, but they still left everyone surprised and puzzled.

The Bear Hobgoblin naturally felt them too. It didn't stop to consider that even if the treasure appeared, it wouldn't belong to it. At that moment, it was already immersed in the excitement of the treasure's imminent appearance. Its two paws clapped loudly while it let out excited roars, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the stalagmite.

The vibrations originated from this stalagmite, and then the stalagmite itself began to change.

First, the clump of moss clinging to the stalagmite began to grow wildly under the influence of some unknown force. In nearly the blink of an eye, green had completely covered the entire stalagmite.

Next, that small handful of water suddenly spread out, forming a huge curtain of water that enveloped the green exterior.

Then, the clump of soil instantly became a layer of earthen wall mixed with the curtain of water.

Farther out was a web of fire formed from those few sparks.

At the very outside was a whirlwind formed by a breath blown out by Landen.

No one would ever believe what was happening before their eyes. Such tiny amounts of material had actually transformed into such a spectacular sight!

Yet an even more astonishing scene followed.

Amid the layers of strange light screens, the stalagmite suddenly grew taller!

No, it wasn't growing taller. It had actually broken free from the ground and floated in midair!

At that moment, the vibrations in the ground finally stopped.

Then the stalagmite suddenly began to shrink!

This time, it wasn't an illusion. The stalagmite truly began to shrink. In just seconds, it had shrunk by half, its original height of nearly meters shortening to meters. Its original width, which had required a person to wrap both arms around, became something two people could embrace.

And the shrinking continued.

After another full seconds, the change finally stopped, and the stalagmite...

"So the treasure wasn't inside it. It was the treasure itself?" Landen said in utter astonishment as he looked at the stone staff, meters long, in his hand.

Yes, the stone staff in his hand, meters long and resembling an extended rolling pin, was precisely that stalagmite. Its appearance had changed dramatically—not only in size. The outer layer formed from various elements that had originally enveloped the stalagmite had also completed its final transformation.

The elements had converged and fused with one another, ultimately merging with the stalagmite itself. This change had completely altered the stalagmite's material. It was no longer stone, but some kind of unknown metal. Although it retained stone's grayish-blue color, strange glimmers would occasionally flash across the stone staff. They weren't reflections of other light sources—they came from the stone staff itself!

Looking at the stone staff in Landen's hand, the Bear Hobgoblin, which had previously been excited to the extreme, suddenly calmed down. This was the nature of its race. They would unite as one while searching for treasure, but once the treasure appeared, they no longer valued it quite so much. Among the Bear Hobgoblins, the distribution of treasure had always been decided by the strongest. This had become instinctive. To this Bear Hobgoblin, Landen was the strongest one present, so everything happened naturally. There was no sudden attempt to seize the treasure, only calm and envious observation.

"So treasure hunters throughout the generations actually missed the most important treasure here?" Landen toyed with the stone staff in his hand. The moment he picked it up, he already knew what it was. Naturally, the system interface already contained detailed data.

[Heart of the City]

[Type: Territory Construction, Territory Unique]

[Quality: Epic - Purple]

[Effect: When placed in the Lord's Mansion, grants the territory magical power. Territory crop growth speed +, territory crop prosperity +, territory residents' luck +, enemies invading the territory's speed -, morale -]

[Attached Skill: All Things Grow]

[All Things Grow: Active use. Causes all crops in the territory to mature within hours. times per month]

[Description: This is a Heart of the City created by the Ancient Titan Race. The Ancient Titan Race invented this miraculous item. With its help, the Ancient Titan Race entered a period of rapid development and ultimately succeeded in ruling the world, until the gods appeared. With it, your territory will develop faster.]

[Special Note: This Heart of the City is a low-level Heart of the City. With the aid of Ancient Titan technology, it can evolve into a higher-level Heart of the City.]

[Special Note: This Heart of the City is the Heart of the City type responsible for production and defense among all types of Hearts of the City. If all types of Hearts of the City can be gathered, they can be combined into a Heart of the Kingdom through Ancient Titan technology.]

"Only now do I finally feel like a true lord!"

Landen gripped the stone staff and sighed toward the heavens.