It is worth mentioning that the arrow tower had long been completed during the 5 hours grind, and Liam decided to upgrade the castle to replace the empty building slot.

During the upgrade, the movement of the process caused the maids to be alarmed due to the cocoon of energy that enveloped the whole place from the outside. 

And Liam reassured them that nothing was going to happen.

[Under Construction]

[Wall][Level 2][Timer]: 6 hour 12 minutes

[Castle][Level 2][Timer]: 14 hours 56 minutes.

Seeing this, Liam then shifted his eyes towards the speed-up cards within the lord panel and immediately used them to finish these two ongoing constructions. 

[Ding, deducted 21 [1 hour] speed-up cards from the lord inventory]

With a nod of confirmation, the timer within the construction panel immediately altered to 0, and simultaneously, the castle and the wall began to light up as a blinding light surged forth into Liam's sight. 

It didn't take long as moments later the blinding light receded like a tide as the cocoon of energy from the outside vanished alongside it. 

Leaving behind a brand new enlarged castle with a group of stupified maids in the kitchen, gazing around in panic and also excitement upon the new appearance of the room that they were in. 

Outside, the wall had been pushed back further from the castle entrance, now towering at ten meters with a broader width, crafted from a sturdy blend of stone and wood. This upgrade not only enhanced the castle's defenses but also provided ample space for patrols.

"My Lord! My Lord!"

One of the maids came in hurried steps, smiles etched on her face as she arrived in great strides before the entrance. 

"What is it?"

Liam asked with a knowing smile.

"My lord, the castle has gotten bigger! is this the miracle of the Lord?"

"Indeed, the castle is now a level 2 building"

Liam nodded back with a soft glance towards her and continued. 

"Now I ask you to gather the maids within the main hall for now. I will be continuing the upgrade of the castle a couple more times for today"

"Yes, my Lord"

Sending the maid away, Liam then summoned the panel with a wave of his hand, shuttled his fingers over it, and opened the building panel again to see the current requirement that the next-level castle needs. 

[Castle][Level 2]

Description: At the heart of the territory, upgrading this building will allow the Lord to unlock more features and buildings to be built.

Upgrade requirement: 9000 Woods, 9000 Stones, Level 2 Wall, Level 2 Barrack, Level 2 Stable. 

Discerning this, Liam didn't dwell much on the numbers and immediately opened the barrack and the stable panels to see the requirements of these two buildings. 

"Oh? They need a level 2 blacksmith. "

"Very well then... "

Confirming this, Liam then spent over 9 speed-up cards to upgrade the blacksmith to level 2. The changes were minimal, the exterior and the interior of the building expanded a little and that was it. 

After the blacksmith was upgraded, Liam then immediately began to construct the other two buildings. Thousand of resources being spent with the slide of his finger and thus. 

The familiar system prompt came again.

[Ding, 20 speed-up cards deducted from the lord inventory]

Hearing the prompt, Liam nodded decisively. 

Several minutes later, Liam sighed dejectedly at the amount of speed-up cards left within the lord panel. The hard work of over 5 hours went down to a single digit in a matter of seconds.

 However, this round of upgrades is urgently needed or else he will be left behind in terms of infrastructure levels compared to those Lords. 

Looking over the only speed-up card left within the lord panel, Liam then immediately decided to use it to speed up the process of the new recruits within the barracks. 

[Recruitable]

1.[Iron Guard footmen][Recruitable quantity]: 100

[Recruitment requirements]: 700 wood, 700 stones, 1200 foods.

2[Iron Guard horsemen][Recruitable quantity]: 100

[Recruitment requirements]: 800 wood, 900 stones, 1500 foods.

[Current recruitment]

[Iron Guard footmen][100][Timer]: 59 minutes 58 seconds
[Iron Guard Horsemen][100][Timer]: 1 hour 30 minutes 

"The amount of recruitable troops at a time has risen up to 100 which is a good sign. As for the resources required, it is naturally normal for it to increase this high, I won't comment on that"

"And the good news is that my biggest worries were also resolved regarding the already recruited troop levels. It seems they are bound to the barrack rules even though they were recruited earlier" 

After discerning the current panel with a proper overview of it, Liam then used the speed-up cards on the Iron Guard footmen. In an instant, they were instantly recruited and appeared in front of the barracks. 

Adhart had naturally taken notice of Liam's frequent recruitment for the last few hours. To deal with the surge of an increasing number of troops, he stationed some of the prior troops in front of the barrack to receive them and bring them to him for further instruction.

And now with the addition of over 100 Iron Guard footmen, Adhart immediately set them as an addition of the guard of the castle. It is unacceptable for him for the Lord to have no guards guarding the place where he resides. 

Even before, after several refusals from Liam, Adhart still sticks to his plan and Liam can't help but let him be just for the ceremonial feeling of being a true lord. 

Back in the throne room, Liam was currently in a dilemma. 

At first, with a total of over 52 speed-up cards, he had the confidence to upgrade the castle to level 4 directly. But it seems that his estimation was betrayed by the rough reality of true calculation. 

This can't be helped, the time and cost of upgrading for each Lord varied greatly from one to the other. This was discovered later on in the global chat after someone deliberately exposed the cost of his castle's upgrade to level 2. 

Some speculate it is solely dependable on the summoned troops' potential, while others speculate it is random. 

However, in the end, no one knows the truth of it and just accepts this fact with a bitter heart. Knowing that some Lords will have it easy upgrading their castle compared to the rest.

Left behind with no choices, Liam used it on the barracks instead of saving it for later uses. For now, he will continue hunting to increase the amount of speed-up cards again. 

And the level 2 monster camp might just be what he needed to resolve the issue partially. However, that doesn't mean a single level 2 monster camp will be able to provide enough for his current agenda, though it is indeed a good step up from the current number of zero. 

"Set off immediately"

Liam gave the order in a heavy tone, his voice commanding. 

Under the order, the giant slime knights slowly lifted their weapons from the side and took one step forward in momentum.

 Boom, the feet sank in into the earth, and within a split second. The slime burst forth at an incredible speed unbefitting of its size. The wind raged in a criss-crossed manner, as the trees fluttered all around. Running at full speed ahead akin to that of a bullet. 

As the giant slime knights surged forward, their massive forms cutting through the air like living battering rams.

But suddenly, an unexpected announcement echoed through the minds of every lord in the realm. 

Shattering the current poorly stitched tranquility of what peace should be about.

[World Announcement: To the Lords of the world. The alliance feature is finally unlocked today and will be officially used from now on. Gather up your friends and allies and form the strongest alliance in the world.]

[The teleportation function is officially opened]

[The killing point ranking is officially unlocked]

[Many more features and new changes will be unlocked, the lords are advised to explore them on their own accord]

The message reverberated through Liam's mind, causing him to pause for a moment in surprise. The timing couldn't have been more fortuitous, as he was preparing to confront the level 2 monster camp.

Liam's mind raced with possibilities. 

An alliance could provide numerous benefits, from pooling resources to coordinating attacks against common enemies. It was an opportunity he couldn't afford to ignore, especially considering the challenges that lay ahead. Though it is to be explored more thoroughly for the current him.

However, it also signifies an even more dangerous situation that all lords will be facing from now on. Chaos and war... especially alongside the following announcement of the system, the so-called teleportation, killing point ranking, and the myriad more features that are unlocked, Liam believed the land would no longer be as peaceful as the current one is.

This is inevitable, but Liam won't be an ignorant person seeking peace at all times. It is simply irrational given the current state of the Lords.

 Even in his past life, with just normal mortal weapons, countless wars raged across the earth and an incalculable amount of innocent lives were lost.

Now, in a world filled with magic and an even higher standard of what is power and strength, peace is simply a child's dream.

Quickly regaining his composure, Liam issued orders to his slime knights to continue their advance towards the level 2 monster camp. 

Despite the unexpected announcement, the mission remained unchanged. There was still a battle to be fought, and victory was paramount.

As they pressed forward, the knights maintained their relentless pace, their movements synchronized with the urgency of their mission. The landscape blurred past them as they traversed the terrain, drawing ever closer to their destination.

Meanwhile, the news of the alliance feature spread like wildfire among the lords, sparking a flurry of activity as they scrambled to form alliances and forge new bonds of cooperation. 

The prospect of joining forces with other powerful lords was enticing, offering strength in numbers and the potential for mutual benefit. 

And the more they explored the alliance feature, the more excited they became. And in a flash, countless alliances were established in the blink of an eye. And the number kept on increasing at a rapid pace with people shouting and promoting their alliances within the global chat. 

All over the world, the Lords are in a heated endeavor. Trying to gain as many members as they could within their alliance. 

However, everyone had always been paying attention to one particular Lord the whole time, Lord Liam. 

Liam is the biggest game changer for the current time, and if he were to create an alliance. Those top-ranked Lords that had already created one will undoubtedly leave theirs and choose to join without thinking twice.