I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

Chapter 88 This ominous place, we'll take it!

Seeing that the guards had already carried the Moonstone inside, Graham turned around and politely arranged for the guards to take them to complete the formalities.

The ink on the parchment was not yet dry, and Graham's enormous family seal was a glaring red.

"Here you go, this is the land deed and the pass."

Graham shoved the rolled-up parchment into Lin Mo's arms, his smile ten times more genuine than before—the expression one would have when seeing a god of wealth.

"From today onwards, that piece of land at the East Gate is yours. The captain of the guard will take you there."

Lin Mo took the document, glanced at the terms, and nodded.

"Thank you, Mayor."

Without exchanging any pleasantries, Lin Mo handed the documents to Long Fei behind him and turned to leave.

Upon exiting the castle, the captain of the guard was already waiting at the door, his attitude as respectful as if he were a completely different person.

"Warriors, this way please."

The procession passed through the bustling central square and turned east.

The further east you go, the more desolate the surrounding scenery becomes.

The once compact stone houses have become sparse, and the gravel on the road has been left unattended, leaving it full of potholes.

There were no hawkers' cries from the city center, only a few taverns with tattered signs, and a few down-on-their-luck mercenaries sitting at the entrance polishing their weapons.

He watched the well-equipped team pass by with a blank stare.

"arrive."

The captain of the guards stopped in front of a huge iron gate, took out a brass key and handed it to Long Fei, pointing inside: "This is it, the old drill ground."

After saying this, he seemed to have some taboo about this place, so he bowed and left in a hurry.

Long Fei stepped forward and inserted the key into the rusty lock.

"Click."

The lock cylinder pops open.

Two soldiers wearing exoskeletons stepped forward and forcefully pushed open the heavy iron door.

"Squeak—"

The piercing metallic scraping sound startled a flock of crows.

Lin Mo stepped inside, and his view suddenly opened up.

This place is incredibly large.

It was as big as ten football fields. Although the ground was covered with weeds that were half a person tall, you could still see the flat soil underneath.

In the distance are rows of dilapidated but well-preserved stone barracks, and near the city wall are several watchtowers.

"Great place!"

Long Fei's eyes lit up instantly. He strode to the center of the field and stomped his foot hard.

The ground emitted a dull echo, indicating its extremely high hardness.

"The foundation has been specially treated; it's big enough to handle not only trucks, but also heavy helicopters."

Long Fei looked around and gestured with his hand in the air:

"That area can be used as a garage, and the barracks can be renovated and people can move in. The area near the city wall is perfect for setting up the command post."

Looking at the empty space, Lin Mo finally felt a weight lifted from his heart.

With this land, we have a place to settle down, whether it's for transiting supplies or for the subsequent arrival of large troops.

Lin Mo kicked aside a rotten wooden stake and frowned. "This place is so nice, how could it be abandoned?"

In Shiguzhen, where land is incredibly valuable, it's illogical to leave such a large, flat piece of land overgrown with weeds.

"Because too many people are dying."

Ryan, who had been silent all along, walked up. He stared blankly at the broken training stakes in the distance.

"Twenty years ago, this was the garrison of the Iron Guard."

Raine's voice was very soft, with an indescribable sense of suppressed emotion:

"At that time, there were 5,000 fully armored regular soldiers in the town, well-equipped, and the sound of their morning drills could be heard throughout half the town."

"And then?" Lin Mo asked.

"Later, the rift in the abyss opened."

Renn pointed to the continuous mountain range outside the eastern city wall:

"Not just small fry like goblins. They're a bunch of real monsters... dragons, cat demons, minotaurs."

"In that battle, the entire Iron Guard went to the front."

Renn took a deep breath:

"Less than fifty returned. The organization was decimated, the pensions couldn't be paid out, and the rest scattered."

A gust of wind blew by, swirling up the dry grass on the ground and making a rustling sound.

"From then on, the mayor stopped supporting the army. He couldn't afford to support it, and he couldn't afford to lose soldiers."

Renn gave a wry smile:

"He started offering bounties, encouraging risky adventurers to fight for money. A dead adventurer would only cost a small reward. A dead soldier... that would be a serious blow."

"This place has become an ominous spot, and no one wants to come here, because people say they can hear ghosts crying at night."

After listening, Lin Mo remained silent for a few seconds.

He turned around and looked at the Snow Wolf team members who were measuring data all over the field.

Those dark figures moved through the weeds, their instruments beeping, exuding the coldness and order of modern industry.

"Rain." Lin Mo patted Rain on the shoulder, interrupting his reminiscence.

"It won't happen again."

Raine paused for a moment, then looked up at Lin Mo.

"Now that we've taken over this land, we won't let it go to waste again."

Lin Mo pointed to Long Fei, who was directing his team to clear the weeds:

"Whether it's a cat demon or a flying dragon."

"As long as we put down roots here, wherever this flag is planted, that will be our safe zone."

"Team Leader Long!" Lin Mo called out.

Long Fei strode over, a preliminary terrain scan map already generated on his tablet.

"How is it?"

"Perfect."

Long Fei turned the screen towards Lin Mo and quickly swiped his finger across it:

"The terrain is flat and the view is wide open. As long as we clear away these weeds and reinforce the walls, it will be a standard field base."

"And look here."

Long Fei pointed to an area at the edge of the map:

"There's an underground entrance here. I just had Zhang Yi explore it, and it's a huge cellar down there, probably used to store grain and fodder in the past."

"With a few modifications, it becomes an excellent ammunition depot."

Lin Mo nodded, looking at the ruins, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Long Fei turned around, pressed the communicator, and spoke loudly:

"Attention! All personnel! Allegiance! Begin clearing the area in squads!"

"Tiger Team, inspect the barracks structure! Snow Wolf Team, clear away weeds and obstacles! Zhang Yi, open that cellar for me!"

"Get moving! I want to see this place transformed before nightfall!"

"boom--"

The roar of the exoskeleton engine instantly shattered the deathly silence.

Dozens of fully armed soldiers sprang into action.

The massive robotic arm easily uprooted the dead tree roots buried deep in the ground, and casually moved hundreds of kilograms of broken rocks.

Ryan stared blankly at the scene.

Watching those black steel warriors rapidly transform the face of this ruin with terrifying efficiency.