So that’s how this thing came to be.

This was already one of the steps in the preparations, construction and improvements began a long time ago.

At the current stage, after an even more comprehensive overhaul of this kind of Floating Tower, there’s a high chance it will be投入 into the Abyss.

The Blood War Fortress would definitely be very happy to purchase this kind of construction unit.

Their gazes passed over the bustling scene of port construction and turned toward the coastline.

Out on the sea, the sight was even more breathtaking.

The anchorage areas and fairways were packed; the number of Night Watcher transport ships moored here was more than ten times that of the first fleet that arrived.

Huge hulls lined up one after another, their prows like moving steel tower-fortresses, as if the productive Power of the vast Night Watcher Alliance territory was being poured out along this stretch of coast.

The draft of the giant ships entering port was extremely deep; the holds were no doubt crammed with construction materials, troops, and ammunition.

And these supplies were loaded into spatial transport crates, which meant the cargo carried by a single giant ship could be several times greater than its actual volume.

One could well imagine what a price the Night Watchers were paying to develop the Tariel Continent.

It was precisely this kind of over-the-top flow of supplies and manpower that forced people all over the world to turn their eyes here.

The newspapers of the Night Watcher Adventurer’s House, spread across the entire world, were also constantly sending out information about the development of the Tariel Continent.

The ships leaving port were mostly those that had finished unloading, some carrying soldiers rotating back for rest, others returning empty.

Busy tugboats shuttled back and forth like worker ants, while in the air a few small Alchemy shuttles, used for aerial Patrol or communication, swept past.

This place had, without a doubt, already become the busiest and most spectacular port in the world, continuously sending out everything needed to conquer this Chaos Continent.

Everyone who came here would be shocked by the Night Watchers’ capabilities, and would start to firmly believe that the Night Watchers really could save the world.

If even the Night Watchers couldn’t do it, how could anyone else possibly manage?

This way of thinking was being reinforced again and again.

The docks were thronged with people, a hundred times busier than the liveliest market.

Night Watcher Engineer Soldiers in gray uniforms commanded roaring heavy engineering Golems, rapidly assembling prefabricated components into new warehouses or Defense works; their practiced operations made buildings take shape as quickly as piled-up blocks.

The Night Watchers’ Puppet Alchemy projects, previously developed by Kana, had already achieved an overwhelmingly leading level.

Truly overwhelmingly leading—so far ahead that all other forces could only look up in despair, without even the mood to try to catch up.

Alliance troops in the uniforms of different Kingdom flags lined up to receive equipment and supplies in designated areas, preparing to head for the front lines.

Looking at the scale of the port and the Night Watchers’ efficiency, their eyes held both shock and a faint hint of envy.

The expedition forces were not only Night Watchers and Adventurers; there were also many Members from other nations’ powers.

The Night Watchers had always welcomed all comers.

As the Adventurer’s House became more standardized, people from various guilds, equipped in all sorts of ways—humans, demi-humans, and even a few friendly Magical Beast Races—gathered in twos and threes to check the mission briefing boards or to resupply potions and Arrows at the logistics office.

The air was filled with a mixed scent of leather, gunpowder, sweat, and sea salt.

Transport beasts and vehicles wove through the crowd; massive pack beasts pulled flatbeds laden with supplies, rumbling along the newly laid, compacted roads toward the warehouse district deeper in the port or toward inland forward bases.

"Holy hell!" A young human Merchant’s assistant, who had just arrived with the supply convoy and set foot on the Tariel Continent for the first time, stared wide-eyed at everything before him.

"This... this is at least ten times bigger than the City of Freedom, right? So many ships? How much stuff are they shipping over?"

Beside him, an old Mercenary who had already been here two months, his skin tanned dark, snorted: "Kid, this is nothing yet! See those two new piers that just went into the water over there? Those are prepared as landing points for the Second Expedition Team.

"Back at the Ring Tower City, the second convoy has long since finished gathering. They’re carrying, they say, over ten thousand reinforcement troops and double the supplies, already on the way—and I heard they even brought a few ’Titan Cannons’ as big as mountains!"

The old Mercenary’s tone carried shock and a faint, lurking excitement.

Hogg hefted his vicious Giant Axe, almost as tall as he was, and jerked his chin inland: "See that? The new brief on the message tree says the ’actual control range’ has already pushed six hundred kilometers deep into this wasteland!

"Those scorpions and pangolins we took out? That kind of work counts as tail-cleaning in the ’safe zone’ now."

Wolf’s nostrils flared: "Six hundred kilometers? Hah, that’s within the territory covered by fortresses and Purification Towers.

"The real deadly parts are on that ’line’ they’ve still got to push forward under shellfire, like Victor and those iron-wolf brats of his!"

The "line" he spoke of was the ever seesawing, ever-extending expansion front, facing lethal counterattacks each day from unknown nests or powerful mutated individuals.

The Tariel Continent had too many strange things, truly impossible to guard against.

In the distance, the artillery from the east seemed to be growing more frequent, mixed with a few dull booms like thunder.

It reminded everyone busy in the "safe zone" of the port that beneath the foundations of the Dawn Fortress, there was not only the clamor of steel on steel and the ordered glow of Magic, but also blood and sweat constantly flowing in the darkness on the outskirts.

And what stirred people’s blood even more was this news—supposedly, an even larger and better-equipped "Second Expedition Fleet" had already weighed anchor and set sail, cutting through the waves toward this rapidly expanding Dawn Fortress.

At last, more brave souls were setting out for this place; soon they would secure more resources, and then the pace of frontier development would speed up considerably.

Hogg bared his fangs in a grin and slapped Wolf on the shoulder: "You hear that? More guns, more axes are coming! This rotten land’s got plenty of fighting left in it! C’mon, old dog, let’s see what fresh tough bones are waiting for us to gnaw on in today’s ’commission orders’."

The two of them, facing the rising sun and the unceasing rumble of artillery from the development front line, merged into the throng at the port and headed toward that ever-noisy, ever-boiling mission center.

Overhead, the Order Anchoring Tower continuously radiated a steady, reassuring light, covering this forward base that symbolized the Night Watchers’ supreme determination and Power, tenaciously taking root on the Chaos coastline of the Tariel Continent and constantly stretching its feelers deeper into the darkness.

And below the tower, farther out, the flashes of artillery were like unending shooting stars, repeatedly engraving the traces of conquest upon the scorched earth.

The top of the tower.

There seemed to be a figure there.

The expedition’s Leader, the Dwarf Sage—Lurik—was standing here.

Watching the expanding port fortress.

The face that had been serious for the better part of half a year finally relaxed a little.

"We’ve lived up to the trust, at least. After paying such a huge price, we’ve finally managed to gain a foothold here."

Bearing such a heavy responsibility, Lurik was actually under tremendous psychological pressure.

If, after spending so much manpower and resources, they still failed to achieve much, to be honest, Lurik would’ve felt like killing himself.

"With such a big commotion, the eyes of the whole world are on us now. That should be enough to cover up a lot of things, right?"

He muttered to himself, not entirely sure.

After all, his mission was to lead the expedition to open up the frontier—the bigger, the better; the more successful, the better.

Best if they could attract the eyes of the whole world.

For now, the Effect seemed pretty good.

Because aside from the second proper expedition team, many self-funded groups had already begun arriving during this period.

For these people, Lurik granted a certain degree of autonomy, but they still had to obey the Night Watchers’ rules.

Otherwise, they could just go develop land outside the Night Watchers’ control range on their own—if they had the ability.

Of course, there were idiots who tried that; not a single message came back.

Suddenly.

Lurik’s channel flashed.

It was a High Level internal Night Watcher channel.

[Bobo: Lurik, are you free right now? I’ve got something good here I want you to try out.]

[Lurik: ?]

[Bobo: It really is something good. I’ve already set it moving toward you; remember to receive it.]