The journey back to Wolvendale territory was uneventful. Now that all the kobloids had reached a high level in both their species and class, most animals they could hunt simply did not have any experience to offer. As for the predators, they were not easy to find in large enough numbers to satisfy a full pack of fifteen monsters.

  Once they reached the territory, Thorian saw the fire magus kobloid still striking trees with his axe. In the few hours they had left him alone, he managed to cut down four large trees and remove their branches. Even now, he was tirelessly swinging his axe at the sixth giant tree.

  Crack.

  With one final swing, the tree fell with a deafening thud.

  “That’s enough,” Thorian walked forward toward the young kobloid. “You have fulfilled your punishment; you can now rest.”

  The fire magus looked at Thorian with relieved eyes and bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

  Thorian nodded and turned back toward the rest of the pack. “All of you, take the next few hours to rest. We will need all the energy you can muster for later in the night.”

  The kobloids cheered at Thorian’s order, but the kobold looked at him with furrowed eyes. “Hunt no more?”

  “You’ll get to hunt as much as you want after,” Thorian chuckled. “For now, just rest.”

  The kobold shrugged his shoulders and found a patch of grass to sleep on. Nox and the rest of the kobloids also settled down to rest.

  Thorian made his way to the territory altar to check the time until the apocalypse fully started.

  About three and a half hours, huh? That should be enough time to rest. My meditation earlier helped a lot with my fatigue already.

  With those thoughts, Thorian laid down next to the altar. He wasn't so picky as to ask for a bed in such a situation; a patch of grass was more than enough.

  Hours quickly passed before a slight shuffle awoke Thorian from his slumber. He instinctively looked to the right in search of a threat, only to find Nox snoring and rolling around on the ground.

  Thorian chuckled at his overreaction before looking around. While most of the pack was sleeping, some of the kobloids were playing with their skills. The warriors illuminated their axe blades with their abilities, while the magi threw their spells around. The fire magus, however, was sound asleep, his mouth open and tongue drooling after hours of exhausting work.

  Good… Rest as much as you can now because you won’t be able to catch a breath for the rest of the night.

  With that thought, Thorian touched the altar only to find that there were only two minutes left until the apocalypse truly began. A mixture of dread and anticipation brewed inside his heart. He had seen it all before: the monsters that would appear by the thousands, the heroes that would rise against them, and the lords that would protect their citizens and lead them to new heights.

  Glancing back in the direction of the city, he couldn't help but wonder how many would die. Five thousand? Ten thousand? Maybe even more.

  As the head of the Steelblade family, the duty to protect his citizens was ingrained in his bones. However, those living beyond Locksley's walls were not his own. The only people that mattered now were the fourteen kobloids and the kobold who had sworn their loyalty to him.

  I am no longer a human. I am simply the king of the white kobloids.

  “Wake up!” Thorian’s voice was low but powerful. The kobloids that were sleeping all around slowly opened their eyes while yawning and stretching.

  Some of the kobloids were heavy sleepers and did not wake up from Thorian’s shout; Nox was one of them. Seeing his most trusted follower snoring less than a minute away from the start of the apocalypse, Thorian shook his shoulders until the night kobloid jolted awake.

  He then turned around and ordered the kobloids that were already up on their feet, “Wake the rest of them up right now. We have a few seconds until the apocalypse starts.”

  While the kobloids shook and tapped those next to them, Thorian walked back to the altar to check the time once again.

  Display Territory.

  Thorian’s mind blanked before he looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were quickly forming, hiding behind the full bright moon. Lightning struck amidst the clouds, illuminating the darkness underneath.

  Wait… The time is over.

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  Seeing that the apocalypse was only starting to ramp up and hadn't fully begun, Thorian once again thought the words, Display Territory.

  As I thought, the Ether Line Nexus was this territory’s unique attribute.

  While Thorian’s eyes scanned through the territory screen, the storm brewing above him grew louder by the second, scaring some of the kobloids. Thunderclaps came in droves while lightning bathed the dark skies in blue and white light.

  While the monsters looked up in terror at the start of the apocalypse, Thorian laid his palm on the Territory Altar and issued a command: Absorb Wood.

  The massive cut trees positioned all around the altar shone with a dark blue light before disintegrating into specks of neon light. To the shock of all the kobloids, these specks formed a whirlwind before being absorbed by the demon’s face. The stone face shone with dark blue light for a few seconds before finally dimming.

  Territory Resources.

  Seeing the number before him, Thorian let out a sigh of relief; he had enough wood for what he needed.

  Build Wooden Wall and Village Hall.

  With that command issued in his mind, the earth rumbled. Timber wood grew out of the earth behind the Territory Altar faster than bamboo ever could, and after a few seconds, a full building appeared. Looking even further beyond; past the statues and the trees behind them, a circular wall was erected with watchtowers standing even above the tall trees.

  However, Thorian was not interested in the wooden walls right now; what he needed lay inside the building in front of him.

  “Don’t be dazzled and come inside,” Thorian took the lead and walked toward the Village Hall. It was a two-story wooden building with an unassuming door and barely any paint on its frame.

  After entering through the squeaking door, Thorian and the rest of the group found themselves in a spacious, yet modestly decorated room. In the center of the room, an elegant elven woman stood behind a plain wooden desk. However, her demeanor was immediately broken as she laid her eyes on Thorian and the rest of the kobloids.

  “Monsters? How?!”