Vlad, Jormungandr, and Freya made their way back to the Silent Wind Military Base, but they did not return through Radiance City. The trio bypassed the city that held the capital of the Azarin Empire and instead traveled through the city to the east, Pristine City.
Pristine City was a very narrow yet long city and was also packed with demons, which the trio made sure to take care of. Since Freya had already obtained the recognition of the Plane Will, there was no need for her to fight alone. Vlad and Jormungandr joined her during the attack, improving the speed at which they killed the horde.
The Depravitas and the viking princess made sure to kill every single demon they could find in their path and even took detours from time to time so no horde could hide from them. That way, they all obtained a great amount of Origin Force and also managed to capture more demon Champions, which Vlad used to improve the power of his mainstream soul-sealing runic formations.
It took them twenty-seven days to go through Pristine City, killing more than one hundred thousand demons along the way and sealing the souls of twenty-three demon Champions as well.
One of those demon souls was a massive crow, which the trio used to fly above the mountain range that divided the Azarin Empire from the Constantine Country, making their journey toward Silent Wind Military Base much smoother.
Vlad’s eyes widened as he saw Silent Wind Military Base in the distance, and pure shock gripped his heart as he took in the massive changes around it.
The transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. The base, once a military stronghold, now boasted several buildings that stood between five to eight meters tall. The most impressive were two colossal structures near the Xaos Tower, both bursting with energy at all times. Vlad immediately associated these buildings with the Rune Factory and Alchemy Factory that Overlord had planned before they departed for the Azarin Empire.
The wall surrounding Silent Wind Military Base had been extended and fortified. It now towered higher, with runic and magical formations intricately woven together, creating a formidable barrier. These enhancements made the wall much more powerful, and capable of withstanding significant attacks from both land and air.
A new, massive outer wall encircled the base of the mountain on which the military base was located. This wall, too, was formidable, embedded with magic matrices and dotted with small towers that glowed with latent energy, ready to unleash powerful spells at a moment’s notice.
The entire mountain had undergone a remarkable transformation. Large houses and well-paved roads now spiraled around it, forming a bustling metropolis. Dozens of thousands of people moved about in constant motion, a testament to the city’s vibrant growth and activity. The sight of so many structures and the sheer number of inhabitants left Vlad in awe.
Vlad could honestly not believe what he was seeing, and he was not alone since Freya and Jormungandr felt the same. They had left less than six months ago, and the Silent Wind Military Base had transformed into a bustling metropolis, seemingly holding more than one hundred thousand people.
The speed of its growth was simply too much and left the trio in shock. As for the reason for the growth, they only knew it was due to the moves of Overlord.
"Welcome to Xaos City, Prime Master."
Vlad was still reeling from the surprise when he heard the ancient and sage voice from the A.I. Chip Clone. He remained silent for a moment before finally asking, "Overlord, how did you manage to perform such massive growth in so little time?"
Vlad was truly surprised and curious. He felt confident in his abilities as a leader and in guiding the growth of civilization, but he had to admit that it would be impossible for him to have advanced so much in so little time.
"Answering, Prime Master. It involved a multi-focused approach. I prioritized increasing the number of Mages, focusing their training on Earth Spells. This allowed us to rapidly expand and reconstruct the city, using their abilities to reshape the terrain and lay the groundwork for new infrastructure.
Simultaneously, I expedited the growth of the Rune Factory and Alchemy Factory. These were operational one and a half months after your departure. They began producing tools and materials that significantly enhanced the fortifications of Xaos City and facilitated the construction of new buildings.
Four months after your departure, Grand Marshal Anglius’s forces returned with people they had rescued from Canvas City. This influx of refugees bolstered our population. The number of refugees further increased when the 19 Bloodline Soldiers brought back 13,000 individuals they found in an underground military silo in Triggun City. This significant boost in manpower allowed us to complete the second ring of Xaos City.
Throughout these stages, I coordinated efforts meticulously, ensuring that every new resource and person was utilized efficiently. The integration of refugees into our workforce was seamless, and the factories’ outputs were optimized to meet the growing city’s demands."
Overlord made it sound simple, but Vlad knew that the logistical maneuvers and granular management needed for those tasks were simply staggering. It required incredibly hard work and non-stop effort. It would have been impossible for a human or any other life form, but not for an A.I. Chip Clone.
"Good job," Vlad said, knowing that the A.I. Chip Clone did not care about recognition. Overlord would carry on with the tasks even if no one knew or appreciated it.
Vlad then led the demon summon into Xaos City, feeling the dozens of energy fields scanning his presence. If he were an enemy, they would have acted and shot him down from the sky.
People also noticed the presence of the massive dark crow, but no one was worried. It was not that the massive demon summon did not surprise them or that they understood its origin, but they had come to believe that nothing could harm them as long as they stood inside Xaos City under the watchful eye of Overlord.
As Vlad gazed at the Xaos Tower, he could not help but get another surprise as he saw a massive gold statue. It was of him with a small cat on his shoulder.