Chapter 238 - Level 15 Shelter, Imperial Capital

The source of the plagues had been eradicated, and reports from the frontlines grew increasingly optimistic. The Palace Master was elated. Among the nineteen royal palaces in the Wei Kingdom, his stood out as the safest, with the highest Approval Rating from the civilian population. In recognition of his accomplishments, the emperor issued a public commendation and sent a generous bounty of treasures as a reward.

Officials from the other palaces soon dispatched men to investigate how the Palace Master had managed to avert the crisis. They sought to learn from his methods and apply the knowledge to their own palaces.

Everyone credited the Palace Master for the swift recovery and prosperity, but he knew the truth. The real reason behind their rapid rebound was Han Wu. That was why he handed over every last reward from the emperor to Han Wu without hesitation.

The pile of treasures was immense, yet Han Wu’s attention quickly settled on a particular sword. In the Divine Civilization, it would rank as a 4-star God weapon—something a Demigod like him could wield immediately. Beyond its formidable offensive power, the sword granted effects unique to the Warring Kingdom Civilization. For example, equipping it boosted his Infantry caste’s strength by 10%. That sounded modest, but when applied to his army of over 100,000 skeletons, it was a significant advantage.

The pile contained other rare treasures as well. Han Wu gathered them all and tossed them into his storage. He planned to let Qin Shuang and Sun Qingnian choose from the leftovers he could not use.

The Palace Master glanced at Han Wu, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating repeatedly.

Han Wu could tell that the Palace Master wanted to ask a favor. “What do you need, Palace Master?”

The Palace Master finally spoke. “Several other royal palaces nearby have suffered attacks from mutated beasts and outbreaks of plague. I was hoping you could help save them as well. I’m sure the other Palace Masters would be grateful. Beyond that, our great Will will surely record your efforts to protect us. Could you do this for us?”

Han Wu had expected a different favor. Clearing the mutated beasts’ corpses from the other palaces was well within his ability. He welcomed the task, as handling the corpses brought him valuable benefits. “As long as the price is right, I can definitely help with removing the corpses.”

The Palace Master’s face lit up with relief and joy. “Is that true? That’s wonderful. You truly are the savior of the Wei Kingdom. I will contact the other palaces and send them to you soon.”

Han Wu’s respect for the Palace Master grew even deeper. The man served his people selflessly, dedicating his life to their welfare. Unlike some selfish officials who would have tried to keep Han Wu locked in place as the city’s protector, the Palace Master understood the broader vision. He was an excellent leader for the city’s administration.

Afterward, the Palace Master reached out to the others, sharing Han Wu’s price for aid. Many of the other Palace Masters, worn down by the relentless plagues, welcomed the chance to pay whatever it took for relief.

For the next few days, Han Wu sent swarms of Dark Cursed Bugs to each palace, clearing away the corpses. He also dispatched his skeleton army in waves toward the gathering mutated beasts, eradicating them before they could grow stronger.

After several large-scale battles, his skeleton army had swelled to one million strong and gained significant power. Whenever he wished, Han Wu could easily use this formidable force to seize control of any city—except for the Wei Kingdom’s Imperial City.

Yet he chose not to. Every city housed millions of civilians, and taking one over meant he would have to find ways to sustain their lives. That burden was too great for him to bear.

Thanks to his efforts, the conditions of many cities and palaces improved rapidly. In gratitude, other palaces sent him valuable gifts. Some offered vast forests for lumber, others granted mining rights to ore-rich deposits, and one even gave him thousands of acres of arable land to cultivate as he pleased.

Han Wu accepted every gift. With such abundant resources, his storage space soon filled to capacity, and he could finally upgrade his shelter again. He contacted Sun Qingnian to upgrade his shelter to Level 15.

Billions of resources vanished in an instant as his shelter advanced to Level 15 and turned into an Imperial Capital. The city walls thickened by ten meters and turned his region into an impregnable fortress

At the same time, the polluted sea surrounding his territory reverted to its pristine state. Everything within fifty kilometers of his shelter became part of the Imperial Capital, and the pollution receded under its protective grace. Now, he could raise Deeptide Whales and Deeptrench Frogmen in the surrounding ocean without fearing contamination.

Beyond his shelter, Han Wu noticed a change in himself. With the elevation of his shelter to an Imperial Capital, he had become an official emperor. Though his domain consisted of only one city and a small population, he still gained all the privileges of his new status.

First, he received a custom dragon robe designed exclusively for emperors. While wearing it, he could neutralize the imperial authority radiating from other emperors to preserve the clarity of his own judgment.

Second, he earned the right to build City Cores. Once established, a new city would spring up around each City Core, though its level would always remain below that of his shelter.

Third, he gained the imperial authority reserved for emperors alone. With this power, his words and actions could influence the weather within his shelter. The strength of this authority directly depended on his Approval Rating.

There were many other benefits, each underscoring how exceptional his status was.

Han Wu was carefully examining these advantages when something unexpected occurred. On the Warring Kingdom Continent, every emperor received a notification announcing the birth of a new emperor. The message also made clear that this new ruler possessed only a single Imperial Capital.

The ten emperors immediately started plotting. Their kingdoms remained intact not because they were friendly but because none had managed to overpower the others. Now, a new emperor with an Imperial City had appeared—and more importantly, this newcomer was weak. This presented a rare opportunity to claim new land. All they had to do was conquer it, and an Imperial Capital would be theirs for the taking.

For the kingdoms, gaining an Imperial City meant increasing their fate. This invisible force directly influenced the kingdom’s prosperity and strength.

Without hesitation, every emperor ordered their armies to seize the newly formed Imperial City. They dispatched their forces immediately to conquer it.

Three days later, Han Wu received news that his shelter was under attack. Panic surged as he realized that the armies from all ten kingdoms had launched a simultaneous assault without warning or explanation.

Han Wu was justifiably furious. He activated the trade function and sent his entire army back to Sun Qingnian to repel the invaders while he transformed into a Great Dragon. Qin Shuang climbed onto his back, and they soared swiftly back to the shelter.