Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

Alfred's expression darkened.

His wrinkled face seemed to be weighed down by something, and all the light disappeared from his eyes. He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke, his voice much lower than before:

"I've done the count, sir. Including me, there are forty-three people in total."

He paused, then continued, "Most of them were ordinary people living in the shantytowns south of the city. When the spirits emerged from the ground, they hid in the cellars and narrowly escaped. There were also a few merchants and blacksmiths, who were locked in the underground warehouses of their shops."

He looked up at Liu Nian, his eyes slightly red.

"The guards... are all gone."

Liu Nian remained silent for a moment.

Graystone Castle originally had at least a thousand NPCs—guards, merchants, craftsmen, farmers, miners, blacksmiths, apothecaries… a diverse and bustling community. Now, only forty-three remain.

Those undead were really ruthless.

"Settle the survivors near the city lord's mansion first," Liu Nian said. "I'll give you temporary deputy city lord authority to conscript all those civilians into guards. Open the city lord's armory, have them put on armor, and go up the city walls."

Alfred's eyes widened slightly: "Sir, they...they have no combat experience!"

"I don't need them to have any fighting ability." Liu Nian looked at the old steward. "Just make sure the scene looks right. My men will be there soon. Have them stand on the city wall, dressed neatly, so that they look presentable from a distance."

Alfred paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said. "I'll take care of it right away."

"And another thing," Liu Nian added, "Which of the shops, workshops, and warehouses in the city are still usable, and which need repair? Please compile a list for me later."

"Yes."

Alfred turned and strode quickly toward the NPC servants to begin assigning tasks. His back was ramrod straight, and his steps were rapid, as if he had suddenly become ten years younger.

This former steward of the city lord's mansion is actually very useful. All the NPCs in the city have died, and we still need him to rebuild those old trade routes.

Liu Nian unfolded the city panel of [Graystone Fortress] in front of him.

[Owner: Liu Nian (Shenlong Guild)]

City Tier: Level 2

[City defense facilities: In good condition (city walls, gates, and arrow towers are undamaged; defensive magic arrays await activation)]

[Buildings within the city: Severely damaged (62% of buildings require repair, 23% are completely destroyed)]

NPC Population: 43/1500

[Resource reserves: Good]

Trade Status: Stagnant (The Chamber of Commerce has closed, and trade routes have been interrupted)

[Recommendation: Prioritize repairing the Merchant Guild and Workshops to restore the city's economy. Recruit NPC residents to increase the population. Repair the defensive magic array to improve the city's security.]

Liu Nian frowned as he looked at the interface.

62% of the buildings need repair, and 23% are completely destroyed—meaning the city is now almost entirely in ruins. Apart from the city walls and the lord's mansion, there's not much usable material.

With a population of 43 and a cap of 1500, it's not even a fraction of that. Even if you moved the entire Divine Dragon Guild here, it still wouldn't fill this city.

trouble.

He rubbed his temples.

Having captured Graystone Castle and then the Temple of Eternal Slumber, they now have four cities besides the Dragon Guild's strongholds in several system main cities—Floating City, Dragon City, Temple of Eternal Slumber, and Graystone Castle.

The four cities are scattered in various places, and each one needs to be guarded, managed, and operated by people.

With the current number of members in the guild, there are not enough people to defend the city, let alone develop it.

With their current numbers, they can't support such a large operation; four cities are already their limit.

Once these two cities are fully integrated, it's time to consider recruiting new members.

If that doesn't work, then we'll do what we did before and create a new secondary guild.

The Divine Dragon Guild serves as the main guild, with several branch guilds under it.

We need to discuss this matter in a meeting later, otherwise the guild's development will be severely restricted.

Liu Nian planned to hand things over to Wu Zhan and Wang Mian, and he would be a hands-off manager.

Kal'tsit arrived sooner than expected.

When she stepped out of the teleportation array, she was followed by a steady stream of players—Abebes, trolls, a few newly promoted dragonborn newcomers, and some vassal human players just there to fill the space.

The queue stretched out in a long line, from the teleportation array all the way to the entrance of the city lord's mansion, like a river flowing into this dilapidated city.

Mosh also came.

The troll king entered the city and immediately began looking around, his nostrils flaring like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of blood. His gaze swept across the ruins, searching for traces of the undead, muttering, "Where are the bones? Where are they? I haven't smashed a skeleton in ages, my hands are itching."

"Guild Master!" Kal'tsit ran up to Liu Nian, her eyes sparkling. Although her face was still flushed from the battle and she had a shallow scratch on her forehead, she was full of energy and exuded an excitement of "finally being able to stand on her own."

Liu Nian looked at her and nodded.

"This city is temporarily in your hands. Arrange the defenses, patrols, and repairs as needed. There's a necromantic lair underground; I need to deal with it. Be careful not to lose the city!"

Kal'tsit straightened her back, clenching her right fist and pounding it against her chest: "Don't worry! We'll stand as long as the city stands!"

Liu Nian's lips curled slightly upward, and he said nothing more. As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot—the light of the Boundary Breaker flashed and disappeared, leaving only a faint golden aftertaste in the air.

Floating City, Core Room.

When Liu Nian walked out of the teleportation array, Miya'er's avatar was standing in front of the control panel, her fingers tracing various data streams in the void, with blue arcs of light occasionally leaping from her fingertips.

"Master, you've arrived." Mia turned around, her voice clear and crisp. "Engine in good condition, warp array calibrated. Target coordinates—above Graystone Fortress, 500 meters above. Ready to start at any time."

Liu Nian walked to the control panel and placed his palm on the main control panel.

A deep blue light surged from his palm, establishing a connection with the floating city's control system. In that instant, he felt the heartbeat of the entire city—the deep roar of the engines, the steady pulse of the psionic core, the coordinated operation of hundreds of millions of rune plates, like a grand and intricate symphony playing in his consciousness.

Arachne.

A crack appeared in space, and long, slender legs emerged first, followed by a graceful figure. Arachne landed on the ground, her eyes scanning the data stream on the control panel, her pupils reflecting the rapidly changing numbers and runes.

"Working with Mia'er, we're preparing to initiate the leap," Liu Nian said.

"Yes, Master." Arachne raised her hands, and silver threads flowed from her fingertips, intertwining with the energy network of the floating city.