Lord of the Sky City

Rocky never expected that there were ruins of a city from the Land Era near Backhill Village. This was truly a surprise to him—how could he not have known about this?

Of course, there was nothing strange about it. Rocky had taken over Backhill Village almost a year ago but had actually spent very little time there. Just after he took charge of the village, war broke out, and ever since, Rocky had been fighting in the Tulip Battle Zone. Although Backhill Village was also a battleground, only minor skirmishes occurred there throughout the war, so no one paid much attention to the surroundings.

If it weren't for Karina uncovering this secret, Rocky might not have discovered this treasure right under his nose for a long time to come.

So after listening to everything Karina had said, Rocky looked at her and asked, "Do you plan to explore these ruins?"

"Yes, the two of us will go together."

Karina nodded affirmatively. Ruins or relics left from the Land Era always held the potential of yielding treasures; anyone who found them would want to explore, and she was no exception.

However, she had no intention of exploring on her own but wanted to act together with Rocky.

For one thing, the ruins were discovered on Rocky's territory, and given their good relationship, it would seem somewhat underhanded for Karina to act alone without telling Rocky. Undoubtedly, it would damage the partnership they had built over time.

Secondly, Karina alone did not have the capabilities to explore the ruins. Since it was an entire city's ruins and there were a lot of demons inside, ground troops would be necessary to conduct an exploration. However, Karina didn't have many ground troops at her disposal, and those she did have were not strong enough. In contrast, Rocky had a powerful Guard Corps at his disposal and also possessed the White Demon Armor. Only by working with him could they hope to achieve the goal of exploring the ruins. Otherwise, Karina might end up falling at the ruins without reaping any benefits.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

After Karina finished speaking, Rocky simply nodded. He certainly had no reason to refuse such an invitation and immediately agreed.

Having made this decision, the two of them sprung into action, and after discussing their plans, Rocky returned to Thunderhawk City.

Back in Thunderhawk City, he gathered everyone and informed them of the situation.

"This time, I plan to take action with Carltos City, while Thunderhawk City will remain in Backhill Village for the time being."

Having shared the matter with everyone, Rocky immediately made a series of arrangements, first determining which Sky City would accompany him to the ruins.

Rocky was now the City Lord of two Sky Cities, but such an expedition clearly did not require taking both cities. Choosing just one would suffice, and he chose Carltos City.

At that time, Thunderhawk City was fully engaged in construction. The armory was being built, a leather manufacturing factory would soon be recruiting trainees, and furthermore, the newly increased population had not yet completely settled down, so it was not suitable to be taken on the expedition.

After making this decision, he turned to Aileen, "Aileen, how much Gold Coin do we have in the treasury now?"

"The treasury of Thunderhawk City has about one million Gold Coins left, while Carltos City's treasury has about five hundred thousand."

"Why so little?"

Upon hearing this, Rocky furrowed his brow slightly.

Of course, he wasn't referring to Thunderhawk City. In fact, for a small Sky City, having a reserve of one million Gold Coins was already quite affluent. The city's two major industries were not only self-sustaining, but also generated occasional surpluses. More importantly, after the war ended, the mining industry in Backhill Village had recovered, and its first quarter production had been sold to the Ruby Chamber of Commerce, resulting in substantial profits.

What truly made Rocky frown was the situation of Carltos City.

A medium-sized Sky City, yet it had only half the reserves of Thunderhawk City at five hundred thousand Gold Coins, which was simply unbelievable.

And Aileen, of course, understood what Rocky meant, so she hurriedly said, "My lord, there was no choice. Originally, the Mairente Family had to use all the treasuries of their cities to repay Alliance debts, including Carltos City's. Therefore, when the city was handed over to you, its treasury was almost empty."

"Furthermore, Grandpa Voss implemented a tax reduction policy and shut down many of the city's industries. Thus, after the first quarter's taxes were collected and all expenses deducted, only that much was left."

"However, my lord need not worry, as all sectors of Carltos City are gradually recovering, and it shouldn't be long before profits begin to be generated."

There were many reasons for Carltos City's empty treasury, from historical issues to current policies. In short, this city couldn't yet serve as Rocky's backyard paradise and might even require a transfer of funds from Thunderhawk City, reflecting the old saying that each size has its own challenges.

Fortunately, after hearing Aileen's explanation, Rocky nodded. He was already aware of what she mentioned, so he thought for a moment before asking, "How many Contribution Points do we have now?"

"A little over a thousand."

"Hmm... That's enough," Rocky said after some thought, then turned to Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, I will give you one thousand Contribution Points and allocate five hundred thousand Gold Coins from Thunderhawk City's treasury. Make a trip to Sirius City right away and use these funds and points to exchange for a batch of new Mana Equipment for the Guard Corps."

Since they were going to explore ruins, they needed to prepare for battle. After all, the ruins were filled with Demons, and combat with them was unavoidable.

Rocky and Karina had already agreed on their strategy: Karina would handle the skies with her larger fleet, while Rocky would take care of the ground. That was why he inquired about the amount of money left in both Sky Cities' treasuries.

Rocky had intended to use Gold Coins to buy Magic Energy Equipment for the Guard Corps in Sirius City, but the reserves in Carltos City were far below his expectations. Considering the financial demands for future development, Rocky had to use his not-so-abundant Contribution Points for the exchange.

In theory, given Rocky's accumulated Military Merit during the war, the Alliance should have awarded him tens of thousands of Contribution Points. Unfortunately, because the Sky Alliance ultimately handed over Carltos City directly to him, the rewards originally due to his Military Merit were forfeited. Thankfully, Backhill Village was there.

Backhill Village had resumed production, and Rocky had sold off his share from the very first batch of mined resources, with the rest dutifully turned over to the Alliance. Thus, he had gained a tidy sum of Contribution Points, which, along with a portion of Gold Coins, was enough to procure a new batch of equipment for the Guard Corps in Sirius City.