Chapter 851: Territory Lord
Shane finally decided.
The best choice was Mana Barrier.
It was reliable, practical, and easy to use even by those with minimal energy control.
The other squads already had access to the Sentinel Tokens, which granted minor regeneration and a weak protective field. But this item would grant them something stronger.
A real defense.
"Let’s give everyone at least one more layer of survival..." Shane muttered.
He placed the first Spiritual Pebble on the table and activated his skill. Soft blue light flowed from his palm, forming a faint mark in the air before sinking into the stone. The pebble pulsed faintly as if acknowledging its new power.
[ Skill Stored: Mana Barrier (Lv.10) ]
[ Description: Generates a defensive barrier capable of absorbing fixed damage.
Duration: 15 seconds. ]
’Just 15 seconds?’ Shane wryly smiled since his Mana Barrier lasts 30 seconds. Nonetheless, it was still a Lv. 10 Skill, so there shouldn’t be a problem with it.
He repeated the process, embedding the same skill into each stone until a small pile of glowing pebbles rested before him.
Satisfied, Shane stored them carefully in his pouch before keeping them in his inventory for later distribution...
"That should be enough," he muttered.
"Now... let’s see how everyone’s doing."
He opened his system interface, selecting the [ Territorial Information ] tab.
Instantly, a complex panel filled his vision, listing every shelter under his command.
For now, he viewed the Springriver Manor Shelter with his access as Territory Lord.
[ Territorial Information ]
Name: Springriver Manor Shelter
Type: Agricultural & Medical Hub
Manager: Raze (Acting Commander)
Infrastructure: Manor House, Granary, Herbal Garden, Medical Bay, Temple of Renewal, Warehouse...
Population: 2,826 Survivors
Culture Points: 2,190
Defense Level: Medium. ( Local militia, Watchtowers, Flame Towers...
Medical Capacity: 120 beds
Food Reserves: 180 days ( Current Consumption Rate )
Water Reserves: River water, Deep well, Filtration ( 220 days supply for the current population )
Resources Available: Wood 8,400 | Stone 5,200 | Iron 1,100 | Herbal Units 2,150
Temporary Refuge Capacity: 600 ( bunkered spaces available )
Morale: Stable ( Boosted by Temple and Monuments )
Status: Stable. No immediate threat detected. Ongoing Infrastructure Expansion.
Notes: High population strain on medical staff during prolonged sieges. Recommend rotating Medic support and increasing automated defenses if possible. ]
Shane nodded after seeing this. Still, he wanted to know more about the infrastructure side, so he clicked on it to see the full details.
From here, he would be able to see the important buildings they had and whether they were operational, under construction, or whatever was happening to them, even without going to the Shelter itself.
[ Infrastructure ( Full View ):
Manor House: Command & administration (Operational)
Granary: Bulk storage (Operational; current stock 180 days)
Herbal Garden: Medicinal herb cultivation (Operational)
Medical Bay: Beds 120 (Operational)
Temple of Renewal: Morale and healing rituals (Operational)
Warehouse: General supplies & emergency stockpile (Operational)
Mill: Grain processing (Operational)
Smithy: Weapons/armor repair and basic forging (Operational)
Bakery: Daily fresh bread production (Operational)
Hydroponics Bay: Supplemental food production (Operational; +40 rations/day)
Stables: Riding mounts & transport (Operational)
Training Grounds: Militia training, flame-tower control (Operational)
Watchtowers (x12): Early warning and garrison posts (Operational)
Underground Bunker: Fallout Shelter / Quarantine facility (Operational)
Armory: Small arms & turret maintenance (Operational)
Workshops: Crafting: carpentry, leatherwork, basic electronics (Operational)
Evacuation Shelter / Shelter Access: Emergency evacuation routes (Operational)
Fermentation Hall: Produces wine, spirits, and herbal tonics (Operational)
"Nice... Looks good." Shane muttered as he confirmed the addition of Watchtower, turning from 9 to 12.
As for the Medical Bay, 120 was already a good number considering only 50 of them were available before.
Nonetheless, Shane turned to the New Construction on Queue below the details.
[ New Construction Queue:
Reinforced Perimeter Wall: 80% (adds +15% Fortification strength when Complete)
Automated Water Filtration Upgrade: 40% ( Reduces Disease risk; +20% water efficiency)
Smithy Expansion ( Advanced Forging ): 20% ( Will allow Limited Turret Fabrication) ] Shane then sent a quick message to Raze, the manager.
[ Shane: Raze. The population lessened by 200 or 300? Anyway, food numbers look solid, but don’t let consumption creep up. Reinforced wall is the priority. Can you finish it before the event? I’ll send my 12 Mute Slaves if needed. Keep me posted. ]
Shane then switched tabs to view another one of his territories, the Silver Mine Camp.
This camp served as the backbone of his resource production and mining operations. Unlike Springriver Manor, which focused on agriculture and medicine, this one thrived on extraction and trade.
[ Territorial Information ]
Name: Silver Mine Camp
Type: Mining & Refining Outpost
Manager: Diana (Camp Overseer)
Infrastructure: Command Post, Refinery, Barracks, Mining Pits, Spirit Stone Cavern, Foundry, Storage Depot...
Population: 3,140 Survivors
Culture Points: 1,870
Defense Level: Medium-High ( Fortified walls, Automated Turrets, Flame Towers...
Medical Capacity: 60 beds
Food Reserves: 25 days (Current Consumption Rate)
Water Reserves: Deep Well System (180 days supply for the current population)
Resources Available:
Silver Ore 12,600 | Refined Silver 2,150 | Spirit Stones 1,740 | Stone 4,500 | Iron 2,000 | Coal 1,200
Temporary Refuge Capacity: 400 (Subterranean shelters available)
Morale: Stable (Maintained by Supply Rations & High Wages)
Status: Stable. Productivity remains consistent. Moderate fatigue reported among miners due to long shifts. Recommend rotation schedule or rest cycle to prevent accidents. ]
"What? Twenty-five days of food reserves? What happened there?" Shane was shocked.
His brows furrowed as he double-checked the numbers to be sure he wasn’t seeing things wrong.
"Last report said sixty days minimum. Did they expand the workforce again without updating logistics?" he muttered, scrolling through the recent camp logs.
The consumption spike clearly correlated with a population increase. This includes miners, smelters, haulers, but the food supply hadn’t caught up.
This was most likely due to the Portals he created, allowing easy movements from shelter to shelter. Still, this was very concerning.
Twenty-five days might seem to be a lot of buffer, but for a huge population like this, it was definitely something that had to be carefully considered.
After all, if the granary was damaged during the Zombie Attack or the fields were completely destroyed, it could be a disaster for this shelter.
"Diana’s pushing production too hard. Silver’s good, but starving workers won’t mine anything." He sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Alright... I’ll have to send another batch of grain and dried meat from Springriver."
Shane leaned closer to the screen as he analyzed the rest of the data.
Diana doesn’t have Territory Lord Talent after all. She could only know the situation by gathering reports of the butlers and other workers.
’Or maybe she had plans about this... I should talk to her later.’ He mused.
He then turned to the limited refuge capacity.
To be honest, he thought that there would be a thousand already.
He initially planned to make the Silver Mine Camp one of his best escape routes. After all, it had a huge mining site, perfect for the construction of underground chambers...
"Temporary Refuge Capacity is still four hundred, huh..." He frowned deeper. "That’s barely enough for ten percent of the camp. If a horde hits or the caverns collapse, evacuation’s going to be a nightmare."
He took a note on his interface before continuing to read.
"Medical beds... sixty. That’s not bad, but with over three thousand people, even a mining accident could overwhelm that capacity." Shane sighed as he realized that the numbers weren’t good.
"And fatigue reports already appearing. Damn it, they’re burning out the workforce."
After a few seconds, Shane exhaled slowly as he knew that he had to calm down. There was no way Diana would be perfect on this, so he had to assist her with his Territory Lord Talent.
However, he got too busy and confident and failed to monitor this.
Still, the numbers were good in terms of raw production, but sustainability was slipping.
He brought up the internal communication line and began to sent a message.
[ Shane: Diana. I just reviewed Silver Mine Camp’s report. Food reserves at 25 days. It’s unacceptable. Pull back production by 10% and stabilize consumption. I’ll reroute supply shipments from Springriver within the day. Also, prioritize construction of additional Refuge Chambers. We can’t have 3,000 people relying on space for 400 in case of emergency. Finally, enforce rest rotations for miners. I’d rather slow down output than bury exhausted workers. ]
He stared at the message for a moment before sending it.
His eyes then turned toward the production section again.
"Silver and Spirit Stones are both high-grade commodities. The camp’s paying off, but it’s one step away from collapse if they push too far."
He nodded to himself as he could only do so much for her.
"Alright, Diana. Let’s see how you handle this without breaking the rhythm."
He then checked the [ Infrastructure ( Full View ) ] panel to check the operational structures.
[ Infrastructure ( Full View ) ]
Command Post: Administration & supervision (Operational)
Refinery: Silver ore processing & purification (Operational)
Foundry: Metal smelting and alloy production (Operational)
Hydro Generator: Water and power backup (Operational)
Watchtowers (x8): Early warning and defense posts (Operational)
...
Armory: Weapon storage and maintenance (Operational)
"Good..." Shane was satisfied as all the important structures were working well. Furthermore, even the ongoing construction was on the right track.