Heart of the City

Feeling the tremor beneath his feet, Landen couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

Countless people had searched this place, and some had even speculated that these stalagmites held treasures. Yet, no one could have imagined that the treasure would be hidden within such an unremarkable stalagmite, and that it would be unlocked in this manner.

The greed of those higher intelligent beings for treasure was no less than that of the Bear Hobgoblins. However, their behavior during the treasure hunt was the complete opposite.

The closer those higher intelligent beings got to the treasure, the more violent, cruel, and cunning they became, as if the treasure exuded some strange aura. In this process, the treasure itself became secondary; the scheming and mutual slaughter among treasure hunters became the main event. This wasn't just happening between different races or different groups; even among those who were originally a team, betrayal became commonplace.

Conversely, these inherently brutal Bear Hobgoblins became increasingly united during their treasure hunt. Their usually short tempers also turned calm and meticulous. Even when they found treasure, the distribution was incredibly harmonious. Their ferocity and brutality were only directed towards outsiders; such things never occurred within their own kind.

It was precisely because of these starkly contrasting differences that the current situation arose.

No matter how intelligent or powerful those higher intelligent beings were, their ultimate result was to dig three feet into the ground, destroy dozens of stalagmites, and then give up.

These Bear Hobgoblins, after living here for over a month, discovered what was hidden within.

The tremor was so obvious that it wasn't just felt by the few people in the stalagmite area; all the creatures in the Yumaas Region felt it. The tremor wasn't strong enough to cause panic or alarm, but it did make them feel surprised and confused.

The Bear Hobgoblin naturally felt it too. It didn't stop to think that even if the treasure appeared, it wouldn't be its. Instead, it was already immersed in the excitement of the treasure's imminent appearance, clapping its paws together with a slap-slap sound and letting out excited roars. Its eyes, however, were fixed on that one stalagmite without blinking.

The tremor originated from this stalagmite, and immediately after, the stalagmite itself began to change.

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

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

Then, that clump of soil instantly transformed into a mud wall mixed with the water curtain.

Beyond that, the few sparks formed a net of fire.

On the very outside, a gust of wind formed by Landen's breath created a whirlwind.

No one could possibly believe what was happening before their eyes. Such tiny things could transform into such a magnificent spectacle!

However, an even more astonishing scene followed closely.

Within the shroud of these layers upon layers of strange light screens, the stalagmite suddenly grew taller!

No, it wasn't growing taller; it detached itself from the ground and floated in mid-air!

The tremor from the ground finally stopped at this moment.

Then, the stalagmite suddenly began to shrink!

This time, it wasn't an illusion. The stalagmite truly began to shrink. In just a few seconds, it halved in size, shrinking from its original height of nearly [meters] to [meters]. The width that previously required several people to embrace now only needed two.

The shrinking continued.

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

"So, the treasure wasn't inside it, but rather, it was the treasure itself?" Landen said, holding the meter-long stone rod in his hand, utterly astonished.

Yes, the meter-long stone rod in his hand, resembling an elongated rolling pin, was the stalagmite. Its appearance had changed drastically, not just in size. The outer layer formed by various elements that had previously enveloped the stalagmite had now completed its final transformation.

They intertwined and merged, eventually fusing with the stalagmite itself. This transformation caused an absolute change in the stalagmite's material. It was no longer stone but some unknown metal. Although it retained the grayish-blue color of stone, a strange light would occasionally flash across the rod. This wasn't light reflected from another source; it was the rod's own light!

Looking at the stone rod in Landen's hand, the Bear Hobgoblin, which had been extremely excited moments before, suddenly calmed down. This was the nature of its race. They would unite to find treasure, but once the treasure appeared, they would no longer attach as much importance to it. This was because, among the Bear Hobgoblins, the distribution of treasure had always been decided by the strongest, a trait that had become ingrained. For this Bear Hobgoblin, Landen was now the strongest, so everything proceeded naturally. There was no sudden attempt to snatch it; only calm and envious observation.

"So, generations of treasure hunters actually missed the most important treasure here?" Landen played with the stone rod in his hand. The moment he held it, he knew what it was. Of course, the system interface already had its detailed data.

[Heart of the City]

[Type: Territory Construction, Territory Unique]

[Quality: Epic - Purple]

[Effect: When placed in the Lord's Mansion, it grants the territory magical power. Territory crop growth speed +, Territory crop prosperity value +, Territory resident luck +, Enemy invasion speed -, Morale -]

[Attached Skill: All Things Grow]

[All Things Grow: Active use, allows all crops within the territory to mature in [hours]. Cooldown: [months]]

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

[Usage Condition: Territory Count = ]

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

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

"Only now do I truly feel like a proper lord!"

Landen held the stone rod and sighed to the heavens.