"[Terrain Manipulation]"

As Verc muttered that—FWOOSH~!

He felt a lot of his energy get spent. He had just recovered some of them from drinking the monster blood in the storage room earlier, but he used most of them already by activating this skill. The sudden drain made his chest feel completely empty for a second, and he had to brace his legs against the ground to stay upright.

"..."

A small frown appeared on his face because of this, a small sense of fatigue was already settling in his body. His muscles felt heavy, and the tips of his fingers tensed up.

But ignoring this, he closed his eyes to focus more, then in his mind—he started imagining what he wants to do in the terrain in front of him.

Verc searched for all the granite, limestone, and sandstone underground; he’s going to use them as the main materials for the prison he was going to make. His mind traveled deep into the earth, mapping out the massive veins of solid rock that rested far beneath the village. He also scanned for iron ores. He needed the raw iron to create the bars and locks for the cells.

And once he felt like he had everything he needs to make the structure—Verc opened his eyes, then—FWIP!

"Rise."

He muttered that as he raised his right hand. He felt cringe saying it, but it helped him in using the skill, and just like that—

FWOOOOSH—TAK!

The ground began to shake with a deep, rumbling sound!

The dirt cracked open in wide lines, and massive blocks of rough granite started shooting out from the dark soil like giant teeth! Huge pieces of grey and white limestone followed right behind, breaking through the surface with immense force and throwing dust everywhere!

Crack! Crack! Clack!

The stones did not just pile up randomly on the grass. The rough edges of the rocks began to split and shatter, smoothing themselves out into neat, rectangular building blocks! It looked as if an invisible blade was carving them. The bricks then flew toward each other, stacking themselves row by row with loud, heavy thuds that made the earth vibrate!

The sandstone underground broke apart into fine grains, mixing together to form a solid, even floor that covered the entire plot of land. Thick stone walls rose rapidly, forming a long, sturdy building with heavy pillars and a reinforced roof. At the same time, the iron ore he had located melted down from the intense pressure, shaping itself into thick, black bars that slotted perfectly into the window frames and cell doors!

In just a few moments—Verc had build an entire prison that can hold all the prisoners they have!

There are even cells so they can separate them by groups! The structure was completely functional, featuring a long central hallway with rows of secure rooms on either side, each fitted with heavy iron gates and small, barred windows to let in a sliver of moonlight.

It was not as impressive when Verc used [Dungeon Genesis] to create his own castle; but he was faster this time.

"..."

Meanwhile—the prisoners that was watching all this happen in front of them were surprised. They couldn’t believe their eyes. They had been sitting in the mud under the watch of the orc guards, but now they were staring at a brand-new stone fortress that had literally grown out of the dirt in front of them!

Their mouths fell open in sheer disbelief as they watched the dust settle around the new building.

"Is the leader of this village a strong mage?"

One mercenary whispered to the man sitting next to him, his voice trembling.

"M—Maybe... I’m glad we didn’t have to fight him."

A knight replied, his eyes wide.

"I agree..."

Some of the prisoners whispered to themselves. They felt a deep chill run down their spines, realizing that the master of this village possessed a type of power that defied normal logic. If he had been present at the start of the battle, their entire expedition force would have been crushed instantly without any effort.

"..."

But Elianna, Kael, Stanford, Kelton, Harper, and Gibson—they know that Verc was a close-combat specialist. That he wasn’t a mage.

They remembered how he fought with sheer speed, raw physical strength, and martial skill in the past. So seeing him do that was much more confusing than them, they were the most surprised!

"Huff..."

Anyway, Verc looked at toward the prisoners when he finished building the prison—his eyes landed on Tatum. He signaled him to come with his head, giving a short, sharp nod toward his position, and without missing a beat—FWISH!

Tatum appeared in front of him. He had left his post by the captive line, moving so fast that he seemed to blur through the air before stopping perfectly in front of his lord. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"The prison is done. Keep the prisoners here and guard them... I’ll go back to my room to rest up for a bit."

Verc ordered.

"Yes, My Lord."

Tatum responded with a straight face. He gave a respectful nod, his expression serious as he prepared to execute the command.

Verc just casually waved his hand, and without a word after that—He started heading back inside the castle.

... ... ...

Well, he did visit Bong and checked on him on his way—he turned toward the large wooden barn before reaching the main castle gates. He walked inside the quiet structure, which smelled of fresh straw and clean water.

He patted the horse a few times that seems glad to had seen him after a long time, Bong was shifting its weight in its stall and pressing its nose against Verc’s shoulder with a soft, happy whinny.

Verc fed Bong a fruit he got from Grainne before continuing on his way to the castle. The horse crunched on the sweet snack happily, its tail swishing back and forth in contentment as Verc turned around to leave the barn.

*****

Verc got to his room as soon as he got inside the castle—there are gnolls walking all over the castle; but they were there to build rooms, craft furnitures, clean, and do maintenance. They carried wooden planks, heavy tool belts, and cleaning supplies through the wide stone corridors, working hard to improve the interior of the fortress.

Verc was already informed about this by Kuma and the kids during their earlier discussions. Anyway, the gnolls all bowed their heads in respect, seeing their lord walk past them.

Verc just waved at them casually and thanks them for their good work. His brief words made the small builders look incredibly pleased, and they bowed even deeper before returning to their hammers and brushes.

And now, Verc was finally alone in his room after a long time—

-ARF!

Well, Onyx was with him, as usual.

"I miss you too, Onyx."

Verc mumbled as he lied down on his bed with Onyx still in his arms.

The pup snuggled tightly against his chest, its small tail wagging. The bed was softer than the last time Verc remembered it. Not that he was complaining. The gnolls and dwarves must have upgraded the mattress and added thicker sheets while he was away, making the entire setup incredibly comfortable for resting.

"..."

Verc just looked up at the ceiling on his room, not moving or talking. It was still just past afternoon right now.

He remembered all that happened while he was away for a while... the cold depths of the massive cave, the brutal and exhausting clash with the Dark Lich, and the long, non-stop run through the forest. His entire body felt heavy with fatigue, and his eyes started to grow dry as the silence of the room wrapped around him.

"..."

Verc closed his eyes.

’A little rest wouldn’t hurt.’

He told that to himself. And just like, before he even knew it—

"..."

Verc fell asleep.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

*****

"..."

Verc opened his eyes, and seeing the moonlight entering his windows—he immediately realized that it was already night. The bright sun had completely disappeared, replaced by the pale, silver glow of the moon that poured through the glass and illuminated the dark room.

He then looked to his side, and it seems like Onyx squirmed out of his arms, and slept beside him. The little puppy still knocked out cold, sleeping.

"I slept longer than expected."

Verc quietly said as he got up, not wanting to wake up Onyx.

He slid his legs over the edge of the mattress with smooth, silent movements so he wouldn’t disturb the pup.

Verc went to his personal bathroom then cleaned himself, washing away the lingering dust, sweat, and dried spots from his long travels. And after changing into a new set of outfit he bought back from the city—he buckled his belt and straightened his collar, feeling completely refreshed and clear-headed.

"I need to check on the prisoners, and decide that I will do to them."

Verc muttered that to himself.

He needed to resolve the issue of the captured expedition force before the next day arrived, as leaving sixty-seven armed humans in his territory was a constant risk. He took one last look at Onyx, and after seeing him still sleeping soundly—

CREAK—

He carefully got out of the room.

... ... ...

As soon as he got out of his room, Verc immediately started heading down the castle. He walked down the winding stone staircases, his boots clicking faintly against the steps.

Being that it was night, he thought that it would be quiet—but to his surprise, some gnolls, different from before—are still working. These were night-shift workers, holding small lanterns as they quietly polished the wooden railings and fitted small shelves into the stone walls.

And by what he was seeing outside of the windows as he goes down—the village was still lively. Bright torches and small campfires were burning along the gravel paths, and he could see the silhouettes of orcs and beastmen moving resources and sharing food near the main square.

’I guess that’s the difference between monster and human villages.’

Verc thought.

He just realized this now because he was always in a trance every night before, training until the sun rises. He usually spent every single evening completely focused on his personal growth, ignoring the world around him until dawn broke, so seeing the natural nocturnal habits of his citizens was a fresh experience for him.

... ... ...

Verc got out of his castle not long, and he immediately went to the prison he just built earlier. The grey stone structure looked cold and imposing under the dark night sky, standing firmly.

"LORD VERC!"

One guard barked out, straightening his back instantly.

"W—WELCOME, LORD VERC!"

The other guard added quickly, raising his spear in a salute. Two orcs were stationed as guards at the entrance, keeping a strict watch over the heavy wooden doors that seems to be installed by the gnolls as well.

"I’m just here to look at the prisoners. Keep up the good work."

Verc said.

"YES, MY LORD!"

Then the two orcs answered in unison, saluting. They stepped back immediately, pulling open the large entrance doors to allow him full access to the building.

Tap-

Anyway, Verc got inside.

And Jed was there, keeping an eye at all the prisoners on his own. He was sitting on a simple wooden stool near the main hallway, his sharp eyes cutting through the dim torchlight to monitor the rows of cells.

Verc walked up to him, his boots making soft sounds on the sandstone floor.

"Lord Verc."

Jed stood up immediately, bowing his head respectfully toward his master.

"Thank you for your hard work, Jed. You can go back and rest now. I want to be alone with the prisoners for now to decide what I will do for them."

Verc stated, his voice low and calm.

Jed looked down the dark corridor, then looked back at Verc’s face. He knew that no prisoner in this facility could ever pose a threat to the lord.

"Understood. I will leave the watch to you then. Please call if you need anything, My Lord."

Jed then nodded his head and excused himself before leaving. He turned and walked out through the front doors, letting them click shut behind him.

After Jed left--

"Hmm...?"

Verc felt a lot of eyes on him. All the prisoners were looking at him, with anger, fear, curiosity... all kinds of mixed emotions.

Tap- Tap- Tap-

As he walked slowly down the central path, faces began to appear behind the thick iron bars of every cell. Some mercenaries glared at him with pure hatred, while other noble knights shrank back into the shadows of their cells, trembling as they felt his cold aura wash over them.

But he ignored them all; instead--

SWAAAAAAAAH~!!!

He scattered his mana all over the area, and he searched for the strongest presence.

Verc closed his eyes for a split second, letting his invisible energy ripple through the walls and bars, cataloging the strength of every single person contained within the facility. He found the strongest presence not long—and he looked at the place where he could feel it.

"..."

The strongest cluster of life force was located at the very end of the hallway.

And in a blink of an eye—SWISH!

Verc disappeared from where he stood.

FWISH~

And reappeared in front of one of the cells! The air stirred slightly as his figure materialized directly before the iron bars.

"..."

Verc looked inside of the cell. He kept his posture relaxed, his sharp red eyes scanning the small stone room.

And there...

"..."

Elianna, Kael, Stanford, Kelton, Harper, and Gibson all looked back at him. Their face calm, as if they were expecting him.