Current Situation of Gray Eagle Territory

Loren's impression of Gray Eagle Territory was still based on his predecessor's memories.

Gray Eagle Territory was in a prime geographical location, with a narrow lake about 500 meters wide and over 50 meters deep to its left, serving as a natural moat.

To its right stood towering mountains, their rocky cliffs over 2000 meters high, as sheer as if cut by a knife, making it impossible for even birds to fly over, and thus serving as the best defensive wall.

With a lake to the left and mountains to the right, Gray Eagle Territory lay in the middle of a pass about two hundred meters in diameter.

All it needed was a city wall built at the front to completely isolate it from the outside world.

However, if that were all, Gray Eagle Territory would only have sufficient defenses but insufficient development, not exactly a good place.

The most crucial point was that behind Gray Eagle Territory lay a vast plain, about thirty kilometers long and wide.

Furthermore, it was enclosed by mountains, and apart from the lake and the front, the plain was inaccessible from any other area.

In other words, as long as he defended the front and prevented enemies from attacking from the lake, he would have a secure rear.

If this land could be fully developed, it could support hundreds of thousands of people.

Its potential was extraordinary.

His predecessor had recognized this and spent over a million to buy the territory's information from an adventurer team that had peddled it to him.

But this was only information from memory. After Loren witnessed everything in the territory with his own eyes, he intuitively realized that this territory, which belonged entirely to him, was not as perfect as he had imagined. Desolation was his most direct impression.

Gray Eagle Territory once had owners, but it had since been abandoned.

Although his predecessor had made some repairs when he took over, the original territory was already dilapidated. No matter how much was repaired in just one month, it was like embroidering a flower on a rag – utterly useless.

Moreover, it had been breached by the Bloody Polluters once, making it even more dilapidated now.

The first thing that caught Loren's eye was the city wall of Gray Eagle Territory. A black flag embroidered with a redbud flower was planted on the battlements, fluttering in the wind.

The city wall was about four meters high and two hundred meters long.

The gray-black wood used to build the wall was already covered in moss, and some parts had even rotted, making one seriously doubt how long this wall could last.

Behind the city wall stood two wooden arrow towers, seven to eight meters high, but they were also on the verge of collapse and completely unusable.

The battlements in front of the city wall were sharpened wooden stakes, protruding outwards at a seventy-degree angle.

Although the city wall was two hundred meters long, the hundred-meter sections on both the left and right sides were sealed with wood.

No one could stand on them, and the sharpened wooden stakes resembled a row of thorns, sharper than a hedgehog's.

Numerous sharp iron barbs were placed in the middle, still stained with blood, clearly indicating they had seen battle.

This way, if foreign enemies invaded, they would only need to defend less than a hundred meters of the city wall's front, greatly reducing the defensive pressure.

"Lord is back!!"

The soldier on guard duty on the city wall looked into the distance and, upon seeing the convoy suddenly appear in his field of vision, shouted frantically.

The redbud flag!!

Loren hadn't been gone long, but this was the perilous Endless Wasteland, and the soldiers left behind were all on edge.

If it weren't for the fact that it was almost impossible to traverse the dangerous wasteland back to Decker City with individual strength alone, many of them would have probably deserted.

With the excited shouts of the soldiers on the city wall, the entire territory became lively.

The gate, already overgrown with white mushrooms, was pushed open, and several Human Soldiers looked at the long convoy with tears in their eyes.

"Lord, you've finally returned."

Loren, dismounting from the carriage, looked at the soldiers in front of him, their arms wrapped in bandages and their bodies covered in wounds, and raised an eyebrow.

After scanning the surroundings, his gaze fell upon the Human Warrior leading the group. A still-unhealed scar on his forehead looked somewhat ferocious.

"Kool, how has the territory been these past few days?"

Kool, the guard captain Loren had appointed before leaving, was the only Silver Grade Human Soldier in the territory.

Kool wore a pained expression. "Lord, the day after you left, seven wounded soldiers and thirteen civilians died."

"Didn't I take all the seriously wounded soldiers with me?" Loren's brow furrowed.

"They were hit by the Bloody Polluters in the chaos. We didn't notice at the time, and their injuries only worsened rapidly after you left."

Loren was very displeased.

These damned Bloody Polluters, they were truly persistent.

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, he said calmly.

"Gather all the troops in the square."

Without waiting for a response, he led the convoy through the low city gate and stepped into the territory that belonged to him, leaving only Kool's dejected figure behind.

Dilapidated, desolate – this was Loren's first impression of the territory.

The city wall was broken, and the territory was even more broken than the wall.

Passing through the city gate, they didn't immediately enter the residential area of the territory but crossed over a hundred meters of withered yellow grass before reaching the street.

Calling it a street, it looked even more miserable than a slum.

A road mixed with gravel and mud extended for two to three hundred meters, and then it was outside the territory.

The houses on both sides of the street were low-rise. Newly built houses were all made of wood, while those built with rubble exuded a sense of decay, a remnant of the previous lord.

This dilapidated street not only had low houses and uneven footing, but the air was also filled with a nauseating stench of rot.

Suppressing his discomfort, he scanned the alleys on both sides of the street. Seeing the garbage strewn everywhere and excrement visible at every turn, his brow furrowed.

The vast territory didn't even have a toilet. This living environment was probably worse than the slums of Decker City.

Under the notification of the guard army, all the residents of Gray Eagle Territory had now gathered on both sides of the street, looking at Loren and the group of burly Barbarian Berserkers behind him with fear.

When they saw the Kobolds, a commotion erupted. They instinctively retreated, their eyes filled with fear of the alien race.

Sim, a Bloodline Mage Kobold draped in a black cloak, looking quite flashy, was smug amidst the fearful gazes of the crowd.

He arrogantly lifted his head. These foolish humans. It is your good fortune to see the great Chieftain Xim.

The Barbarian Chieftain Yas, on the other hand, had a calm expression. He never bothered with insignificant lives like these.

Barbarians only liked to challenge the strong.

Most of the surrounding residents had ashen faces and vacant eyes. Many, like the soldiers, bore wounds.

Or perhaps they couldn't be called residents. These humans were all slaves bought by Loren, his personal property.

"Resident" was a title only free citizens could enjoy.

Their faces were pale, their morale low, and their hearts scattered.

A group of true remnants.

Loren couldn't even feel any vitality from these people; they were like puppets.

The impact of the last Bloody Day, when the territory was breached, was too great, too great.

Seeing the slaves immediately bow their heads and not dare to look him in the eye upon his arrival, he couldn't help but shake his head.

This situation had to change. In a stagnant territory like this, not to mention the residents, even a normal person would feel no hope.

How would the territory develop in the future?

As Loren remained silent, the convoy passed through the street.

They continued to drive across the desolate grassland for about a kilometer before arriving at the Lord's Manor.

The previous lord had built only two structures within Gray Eagle Territory: the city walls and the Lord's Manor.

As one of the only two buildings in the territory, although it wasn't as luxurious as the noble manors in Decker City, it was still passable.

The manor was surrounded by a stone wall, two meters high.

Inside the manor, there were spacious gardens both in the front and back, as well as a warehouse, a well, and stables. A dungeon had even been dug.

The main building in the center was a three-story structure built of massive stones. The first floor was the usual assembly hall, while the second and third floors were living quarters, totaling 12 rooms.

Although not large overall, in the Endless Wasteland, far from Decker City, it could be considered comfortable, even luxurious.

The convoy, escorted by Barbarians and Kobolds, slowly drove into the manor.

The manor's maids and the white-haired butler were already waiting there.

As Loren dismounted from the carriage, the white-haired butler immediately led about a dozen maids forward to pay their respects.

"Welcome home, Master Loren."

After the butler spoke, the maids followed suit.

"Welcome home, Master Loren."

This small gesture immediately clarified the hierarchy among the servants.

Loren nodded.

These well-behaved servants were specifically purchased from Decker City by his previous self, and they were quite good at serving people.

"Butler Bohr, there's no need for such formalities."

The white-haired old butler, Bohr, straightened up and said respectfully.

"Master, I've already had someone prepare hot water. You can go wash up first, and dinner will be ready shortly."

Loren nodded with satisfaction. After traveling for several days, all he wanted now was a hot bath and a good night's sleep.

Then, as if remembering something, he looked back at Fiana behind him and smiled.

"We're back now. The territory is safe. With Yas here, you don't need to provide close protection. Go and take a hot bath first."

Fiana, her expression indifferent, looked into Loren's deep eyes and was momentarily stunned.

She then glanced at Yas, who was as strong as a bull, and without saying much, nodded and turned to leave.