Fundamentally, Arteil’s territorial development follows a pretty standard route for territory-based content.

    Starting with the Lord’s castle as the base, after building all the basic production buildings, then the first-tier buildings are constructed.

    That is, until all the first-tier buildings are built and the territory is somewhat on track.

    However, after that, when you can start building second-tier buildings and define the territory’s actual direction, Arteil bes distinct from other web-based territory games.

    Unlike the usual territory content where you simply level up buildings, recruit many soldiers, and blindly battle to plunder resources or expand territory, Arteil has many forms of territories.

    Among them, there are three main types:mercial, production, andbat territories.

    Forbat territories, as the name suggests, it’s a type that uses PVPbat to plunder resources and seize castles for territorial development.

    Commercial territories, literally, involve operating arge tradingpany, buying territories with money, or investing funds for development.

    Lastly, production territories are a type that focuses on developing the territory by selling special resources that can only be produced through a production route, along with hero-equipped artifacts from Labyrinths.

    While there are many other forms of territories, users basically choose one of these three directions.

    Of course, as the territory level increases and develops, you can enjoy all content evenly, but Kim Hyunwoo also initially raised his territory level as amercial territory.

    If Arteil were amon territory game,bat territories would have been the most highlighted, but surprisingly, Arteil wasn’t well suited for indiscriminate fighting.

    The reason is due to the rtionship system based on the territory’s direction.

    For each,mercial territories have high rtionships with tradingpany NPCs, and production territories have high rtionships with production guilds, adventurers, and heroes based on actions, making it difficult forbat guilds, which must solely supply resources from outside, to interfere.

    Conversely,mercial and production territories must also consistently consume resources to maintain high rtionships to deterbat territories from plundering, making Arteil well-bnced and diverse in direction for a territory game.

    “Well, even that well-made bnce was blown away by a single BM.”

    With that thought, Kim Hyunwoo looked at the territory window.

    Territory: Lartania

    Territory Development: 58

    Territory Residents:

    [Humans: 1084]

    Owned Buildings: [Lord's Castle LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]

    [Wall LV1]

    [Residential District LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]

    [cksmith LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]

    [Barracks LV1 >>> Upgrading 22%]

    [Tavern LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]

    Owned Troops:

    -None-

    In about three weeks, many aspects of the territory had changed.

    Immediately, the residential area was densely popted with many people living together, a stark contrast to when Kim Hyunwoo first arrived, and small businesses were operating between the narrow paths.

    In front of them were a cksmith and a tavern, with barracks built to the east of the Lord’s castle and residents engaged in farming to the west of the residential area.

    In other words, positively speaking, Lartania had now finally taken the form of a proper territory.

    Of course, negatively, one could say it had only just reached the very beginning of the tutorial in Arteil, but ultimately, the important thing for Kim Hyunwoo was that the foundation for properly managing the territory had been established.

    “Lord, basic management is now possible.”

    “Then let’s start getting down to it.”

    Starting with Kim Hyunwoo responding to Loria’s words with a smile.

    “Well, shall we start with developing the territory first?”

    He murmured.

    “Lord, I’m sorry, but may I ask you something?”

    “What is it?”

    “I remember you mentioned making a Labyrinth cityst time, but what exactly do you mean by that type of territory?”

    Kim Hyunwoo nodded as if that was a reasonable question to Loria’s curious inquiry.

    She was basically an NPC that helped with the development of the territory, but a territory like thebyrinth city mentioned by Kim Hyunwoo did not exist in Arteil.

    Thus, contemting how to exin this territory, Kim Hyunwoo soon opened his mouth as if he had thought of a good exnation.

    “Simply put, think of it as doing business through the Labyrinth.”

    “Doing business through the Labyrinth, you say…?”

    “Yes, more precisely, it’s about doing business with Magic Stones thate from the Labyrinth.”

    Basically, there are monsters inside the Labyrinths of this world, and when these monsters are dealt with, Magic Stones are dropped.

    These Magic Stones are an energy source like oil and electricity in Kim Hyunwoo’s world and an essential resource for weapons and more in Arteil, hence the demand is high, but the supply is limited.

    The reason is the Lords’ monopoly on Magic Stones.

    Basically, in this world, the only way to obtain Magic Stones is to hunt monsters in the Labyrinths.

    However, Labyrinths exist only in territories with a Lord’s castle, and naturally, one cannot enter such Labyrinths without the Lord’s permission.

    Thus, at this point, only Lords with territories could produce Magic Stones, and hence, they strictly controlled the demand for Magic Stones.

    The important resource of Magic Stones gave the lord a strategic advantage over various guilds, adventurers, and mage towers.

    “Does that mean you intend to open Lartania’s Labyrinth?”

    “That’s right.”

    However, at Kim Hyunwoo’s deration to give up the strategic advantage a Lord could gain without hesitation, Loria seemed to pause for a moment before speaking.

    “…I hesitate to say this, but isn’t that too reckless?”

    “It might seem that way.”

    Kim Hyunwoo thought Loria’s concern was valid.

    The system he mentioned had never been attempted in any territory before, and more strictly speaking, it was a method that no one had even dared to consider initially-

    “I understand your thinking, Lord. You n to open the Labyrinth to the public, not just ordinary citizens but to gather adventurers, mercenaries, and guilds.”

    “That’s correct.”

    “Doing so will solve most of the problems you are currently facing, Lord. The territory’s development level will skyrocket, and the city will naturally be prosperous with just a sufficient number of troops for management. However, as you know, Lord, that requires-”

    “You mean to say that Magic Stones must continue toe out of the Labyrinth, right?”

    “That’s correct.”

    This method was, in fact, a form of territory that originally couldn’t exist.

    Monsters in the territory’s attached Labyrinth basically drop Magic Stones.

    That was an undeniable fact.

    However, one additional fact to be aware of is when the Labyrinth’s monsters respawn.

    The Labyrinth’s monsters typically respawn on a weekly basis.

    Thus, the amount of Magic Stones that can be obtained from each territory on a weekly basis is ultimately limited, even if one delves deeper into the Labyrinth.

    Even if one obtains high-quality Magic Stones, the quantity avable is still limited, and even that quantity is notrge, so it’s unlikely that adventurers or guilds would flock to it.

    However, the reason for Kim Hyunwoo’s confidence despite this is.

    “Don’t worry, there’s a way for everything.”

    “A method, you say?”

    Because he had a very good method for making this impossible Labyrinth city.

    “Loria, you said we have to start from the beginning with Labyrinth exploration, right?”

    “Yes, every time we fail to prevent a Labyrinth break, the exploration level is reset by oneyer, so at this point, you have to start from the very beginning.”

    Following Loria’s words, Kim Hyunwoo spoke with a confident expression.

    “Let’s go find a hero first.”

    Elena is a hero.

    …To be more precise, she was a hero who was unwee everywhere, just an ordinary hero.

    It was because, even by her own admission, Elena’s abilities were too ambiguous.

    Although she was abat hero, her abilities were oddly inferiorpared to other heroes.

    Of course, as a hero, she was stronger than ordinary soldiers, but that was all;pared to other heroes, her abilities were significantly lower, and thus, she continued an unwanted nomadic life without being able to settle in any territory.

    While it might have been different in the past when territories were barely emerging, at this point, no Lord wanted to hire a hero with such ambiguous abilities as hers.

    Of course, it wasn’t that Elena hadn’t tried.

    She was filled with the desire to be famous, to spread her name across the Continent, and to be stronger than others.

    …And at the same time, wanting to take revenge on the Lords and heroes who had scorned and ignored her, she had tried several times over the past few years to break free from this cycle.

    With the money she had painstakingly saved, she changed weapons, trained until dawn, and even tried to learn magic and archery, which she had never used before.

    But no matter how much Elena tried, that was all.

    It was as if her limits were set, and after struggling for five years, Elena gave up on bing stronger.

    She crushed her pride and simultaneously acknowledged it.

    That her limits were just that.

    Afterward, while wandering from territory to territory earning money through minor jobs, Elena heard a rumor.

    That the Lartania territory, which had beenpletely destroyed after its Lord disappeared ten years ago, was beginning to be rebuilt with the return of its Lord.

    Upon hearing that, Elena, as if enchanted, headed towards the Lartania territory.

    Perhaps because of the hope that she might be employed by the Lord.

    ording to the rumors she had heard, the Lartania territory seemed no different from the territories that had employed her ten years ago, just beginning to emerge.

    However, when Elena arrived at Lartania and entered a tavern, she was unwittingly disappointed.

    The reason was, of course, because there were quite a few heroes inside the tavern.

    At that moment, Elena was disappointed.

    Having realized that there were already more than five heroes in the tavern, she had an epiphany.

    Thus, she had been giving up.

    “…You want to hire me?”

    “Yes.”

    Until that answer came back without a moment’s hesitation.

    Elena looked around in surprise.

    Of course, the heroes sitting in this tavern didn’t seem very strong to Elena, but objectively speaking, they were stronger than her.

    Sadly, among all the heroes, she was the one with the lowest capability.

    “…Are you sure I’m okay for the job?”

    So much so, she stuttered these words out with a voice that seemed to crawl along the floor.

    It was a kind of cold self-deprecation automatically ingrained in her due to a series of unfortunate past events.

    “Yes. No, rather!”

    But.

    The answer came back instantly again, as if there was no need to even ponder.

    As if she was really needed.

    And then.

    Snap-!

    “If not you, then it won’t do!”

    At the Lord’s action of snatching her hand up and saying such words,

    Elena’s eyes widened in an instant.

    “This, this is…!”

    A confession?

    It couldn’t be, right?

    While Elena was startled by the sudden turn of events, Kim Hyunwoo, who was actually holding her hand,

    “This is amazing…!”

    Was smiling as he looked at Elena’s information window that appeared before his eyes.