Wasteland Lord: Starting from Thirty Days to Live

"Glory to Vittorio! Glory to the Lord of the Reach!"

Everyone cheered and surrounded Vittorio, lifting him high into the air.

"No! No! Hahahaha!"

Vittorio struggled to no avail and, unable to resist them, had no choice but to be lifted up by them.

Feeling the power of countless people flowing from their hands, Vittorio looked up and could see the dawn sky.

After everyone had finished making a fuss, Vittorio was put down, and Edmund had been standing there waiting for a long time.

Edmund adopted a very serious expression, as if he had something to say.

Suddenly, in front of everyone, Edmund knelt down on one knee facing Vittorio, his right hand clasped to his heart.

"I, Edmund Ironrock, Ironrock Heir, the last defender of the Reach, offer you my loyalty."

"My sword and my life will protect you and the hope you brought to this land, until the very end!"

Edmund looked up.

"My lord, what is your next plan?"

Vittorio had a premonition about his actions, but he didn't expect them to come so suddenly and unexpectedly.

However, one can also sense Edmund's good intentions.

Edmund chose to publicly swear allegiance to Vittorio at the height of his prestige in order to show everyone Edmund's stance and to win over those who originally believed in Edmund to Vittorio.

The other survivors, seeing this, also lowered their heads.

"I pledge my allegiance to you."

Vittorio's mind raced for a moment.

He believed he had done a great deal to help the people of the Reach—improving farming methods, obtaining food, and even developing war plans to fend off wild beast tides.

But he had a gut feeling that what truly made these people bow their heads and submit willingly was not these external things.

It is sincerity and courage.

It was his unwavering decision to leap from the city wall.

So now he has decided to stop using his usual sweet talk and cunning when dealing with these people.

What he wanted to do was absolute openness and absolute sincerity—this was his response to the loyalty shown to these survivors.

Vittorio coughed lightly and began to announce the plan he had been brewing in his mind for a long time.

"Each of you is an extraordinary warrior, and each of you possesses unparalleled courage."

"I saw it, I saw you take up every weapon at your disposal. Facing the monsters, you held the gates, and some of you even used yourselves as bait to give your lives."

At this point, Lucas, standing in the crowd, thought of William and silently shed tears.

"Your extraordinary courage is the fundamental reason why you have held out in the Reach for thirteen years, and it is also the fundamental reason why you have been able to reclaim this land and take back your home!"

"We have driven away the beast tide on the south bank, proving that those monsters are not invincible!"

"I plan to clear the entire south bank of the river in the near future, perhaps this year, and reclaim those villages that have already fallen!"

"When the South Bank returns to our hands, we can reclaim the Reach's old business—trade—and serve as a trading hub between the Kingdom of New Augustus and the Iron Bay Federation, thereby attracting more people to this region!"

"By then, we will regroup, forge more powerful weapons, gather more talent, and then we will attack the North Shore and reclaim our homeland!"

"My friends, the day is here to rebuild our homeland! And I—the Earl of the River Reach—swear to stand with you and make this a reality!"

There was no immediate cheering from the crowd. Instead, a suppressed silence fell, and some people felt a lump in their throats and even burst into tears.

A look of reminiscence crossed old Moore's face.

River Bend, a once rich land where even the rivers flowed with gold, honey, and milk.

More than a decade ago, the largest commercial town was bustling with people every day. Adventurers, merchants, bards, and farmers traveling through the area came from all over the country, and every curious face was filled with curiosity and longing for this rich land.

When did old Moore stop having such scenes even in his dreams?

When did despair and heartbreak take over his entire being?

But today someone told him—this is not the end, but a new beginning.

They can have hope, they can reclaim their homes, they can return to their former rich, free, and warm life!

Reclaim our homes and rebuild the river bend.

"Taking over our homes..."

"Recreating the river bend..."

Someone in the crowd shouted the slogan first, and it gradually grew into a wave. Everyone shouted the slogan, raised their hands, and the excited voices converged into a river.

Vittorio stood before them, among them, as their leader and as one of them.

At this moment, he recalled what he had felt that afternoon in the South Hall: the lazy afternoon, the sounds of children playing, and the scent of grass in the air.

At this moment, he truly made up his mind to stop seeing himself as a time traveler or an outsider.

And he is—the sole lord of the Reach!

…………

……

Half a day later, Vittorio sat back in his private room in the castle.

But the situation is completely different from a few days ago.

First, there was his infection.

Vittorio examined his arm; the gray lines had disappeared.

Instead, what were once just tattoo patterns now flow with a strange color and light.

Vittorio had no idea what the underlying principle was.

He felt that the infection had become a source of power; the infection had not disappeared, but was being constantly absorbed by the power of the inscription.

In other words, it became a form of self-production and self-sales.

But is this really how one cultivates the body with the inscription?

Vittorio always felt that he had embarked on a strange path.

But at the moment, he had no one else to consult besides Edmund.

Edmund had long since taken this for granted.

So, there was no other way but to ask Leo to put the matter aside for the time being.

As long as things don't get worse, that's good for him; let's just consider it a good thing for now.

If I have time, I could consult Isolde.

It is said that Isolde's grandfather was a veteran of the former Empire, and the Imprinted Body was a technology developed by the former Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Therefore, asking Isolde might provide a new understanding of the inscribed body.

Of course, in contrast, Vittorio's power has increased significantly.

Previously, Vittorio's single-arm lifting capacity was 85kg, which was enough to lift an adult male with one arm.

He hasn't tested his strength yet, but he feels it has increased by at least a third.

You could say that he used to be just a beginner in the process of acquiring the Inscription Body, but now he has made some progress.

These are changes in terms of power, and there have also been some changes in the lord system.

Vittorio uttered "Open".

The long-lost parchment has reappeared before my eyes.

Furthermore, a great deal of new content has appeared in the [Territory and Construction] and [Characters] modules.