Chapter 225: Prison of the Ashen Fortress
Ethan wasn’t surprised to hear the news, though he still felt a slight pang of sadness.
After all, war was never a good thing.
Fortunately, it also brought opportunities.
[You have received a new quest: War is Coming]
[Quest: War is Coming
Description: In the year since your arrival, you have carefully developed Goldenveil, transforming it into a prosperous city. However, an enemy from the north now threatens all of this.
Defeat Alistair Vaelor and defend what is yours.
Rewards: +10 premium gacha tickets, +50 common gacha tickets, the Golden Lord’s Ring ability: Skill Theft. +200% XP.
Extra rewards will be distributed to all participants based on their contribution.]
The moment that notification appeared, Ethan’s eyes lit up.
Not just for the gacha tickets, but mainly for the Golden Lord’s Ring ability promised as a reward.
He already possessed two: Instant Construction and the Lord’s Aura. But, of course, more was never a bad thing.
’Could this be that ability Ophelia told me about?’ Ethan wondered, his brow furrowing slightly.
Ophelia knew her son possessed a power capable of stealing the abilities of other Golden Lords, but its exact origin remained a mystery even to her.
Apparently, only Alistair and the captain of the Whitefall guard knew the secret, and both kept it under lock and key.
Whatever the true origin of that power might be, Ethan was satisfied.
After all, there were a total of one thousand Golden Lords scattered across the seven forbidden zones.
In the Eternal Forest alone, he estimated about one hundred and forty of these Lords, each potentially possessing at least one ability of the golden ring.
"They have four thousand men. A thousand trained guards and three thousand conscripted militiamen," Ophelia said, her sweet voice drawing Ethan’s attention back to her.
With a graceful wave of her delicate fingers, an item materialized in her palm: a map carefully rolled up in parchment.
"I used shadow magic to recreate it from my memories. It isn’t entirely accurate, but it shows the approximate route Alistair’s army intends to follow," she explained, unrolling the scroll in front of him.
The young lord remained silent, his gaze scanning the map attentively.
The distance between Whitefall and Goldenveil was approximately one hundred kilometers, and the dense, treacherous forest separating the two regions made the journey all the more complicated.
An army of four thousand men, even if every one of them were awakened, would struggle to advance more than a few kilometers a day.
Because of the high risk of being discovered along the way, Alistair had asked Ophelia to take charge of throwing Goldenveil off the scent, ensuring that no spies could infiltrate the region.
Considering that Alistair, despite being a cursed and repugnant son, still blindly trusted Ophelia’s maternal love, everything became much simpler.
"Thanks, love!" Ethan laughed heartily, leaning toward Ophelia and capturing her full lips in a slow, passionate kiss, savoring her sweet warmth for a long moment.
When he finally pulled away, still keeping his face close to hers, Ethan continued:
"Tell the girls what’s going on. Alice and Evelyn need to be ready to march with me soon. Veronica too. You stay here with Elena and ensure the settlement’s safety."
Upon hearing the instructions, Ophelia simply nodded silently, her lips still moist from the kiss curving into a small smile.
She had no interest whatsoever in watching Ethan take down Alistair with his own hands. If anything, she felt relieved to be able to remain in Goldenveil.
Ethan lingered with a few more tender caresses before finally grabbing the map and walking away.
His initial intention was to head straight to the barracks, but remembering the time remaining until his instant-build ability reset, he changed course.
He walked to an empty plot of land right next to the military building.
A few hours had passed since he’d ordered Doran to recruit prison guards from among Goldenveil’s retired veterans.
Knowing the captain’s impeccable diligence, Ethan was well aware that the request would already have been fulfilled.
With a satisfied smile on his lips, he opened the instant construction tab.
He already had a blueprint for an underground prison, but upon further reflection, he decided to ignore it.
If it had been an S-Rank blueprint, it would still have some value due to the construction discount, but it was only D-Rank.
His own instant construction skill already offered a multitude of superior options.
For Ethan, who was filthy rich, what really mattered was quality.
Focusing on the hundreds of available options, he quickly chose one that also featured an underground design.
After all, what could be better than a prison with just one door serving as both the entrance and exit?
[Name: Prison of the Ashen Fortress
Description: An ancient prison originating from the great Ashen Fortress, capable of holding even fourth-stage warriors.
Holds up to forty guards per shift and a total of fifty staff members, featuring a spacious office, one cell for fourth-stage beings, ten cells for third-stage beings, and five hundred cells for common prisoners.
Price: 13,000 gold coins
Base maintenance cost: 1 lower mana core per month (It has restrictions that suppress prisoners’ aura and mana.
The cost increases proportionally to the number of suppressed prisoners.)
Effects: +50% sense of security throughout the city of Goldenveil]
Faced with those specifications, Ethan didn’t hesitate for a single moment, confirming the purchase right away. Almost immediately, the ground trembled beneath his feet.
First, a white concrete structure slowly emerged from the earth with a deep, muffled roar. The soil parted and groaned as walls pushed their way upward, the air thickening with the dry scent of crushed stone.
The building covered a total area of two hundred square meters, rising four stories high.
Small clouds of dust danced around the newly formed structure, slowly dissipating in the breeze as the prison settled into place under the warm sunlight.
Seeing the finished structure, a spark of satisfaction lit Ethan’s eyes, and a smile tugged at his lips.
Of all the Golden Lords, he was certain that none had an ability more overpowered than his own.
In silence, he simply admired his new creation for a moment.
