After a long pause, Zorn slowly began to speak.

"Duke Mu Huo and the others must have a way to access Split Mist Town."

"Trying to stop the enemy by closing off the Ancient Ruins of Split Mist Town is pointless."

"Second, I’m out in the open while the enemy is in the shadows. If they launch a surprise attack, our forces defending outside will suffer catastrophic losses."

"So, defending from the outside is also pointless."

He paused, then looked at Madam Mable and asked.

"Madam Mable, for the Ancient Ruins’ layer-locking ritual, how many layers have we mastered so far?"

"We’ve fully explored the first through seventh layers,"

Madam Mable said crisply.

Upon hearing this, Zorn raised an eyebrow, a flicker of pleasure on his face.

"Since they’re all explored, that’s excellent."

Normally, the rift-opening ritual allows direct entry into any of the currently unlocked World Layers.

You can choose freely from any of the 49 World Layers.

However, once the "layer-locking ritual" is unlocked and activated...

...you must enter from the first layer of that particular World.

Once all the Worlds have their layers locked...

...entry must be made from the very first layer of the Ancient Ruins.

The layer-locking ritual can effectively block the enemy’s advance.

If all the layer-locking rituals are unlocked, then for the enemy to fight their way from the first layer to the deepest World, it would take at least several days, or even longer.

Having outlined his strategy,

Zorn said slowly.

"My suggestion is to completely abandon the defense of Split Mist Town from the outside. All defensive forces should retreat into the first Gray Mist World Layer to set up defenses."

"And we need to be flexible. Don’t get locked into a death match with the enemy. Retreat when you can, and play for time when you can."

"Before dark, everyone who has entered should disperse to the safer zones within each World Layer."

"Then, activate the layer-locking for all the Worlds."

"If more nobles come later, they will all have to enter from the first layer."

Madam Mable’s slender eyebrows knitted slightly.

"This... Isn’t this a bit too hasty?"

Zorn gazed through the window at the heavy snow drifting down and the hazy gray mist outside.

After a moment, he drew his gaze back and said slowly.

"The enemy is watching from the shadows. Waiting until nightfall is already cutting it close."

"Mm, I will report to the Marquis as soon as possible, and then try to complete the layer-locking before nightfall."

Then Zorn looked at Madam Mable again and said.

"I’ve made gains in the various World Layers, but I still need some materials. If I use them to unlock certain functions of the layers, I can effectively help our defenders strike back against the invaders."

She was also aware of the methods Zorn spoke of, which involved using the ancient Magic Ritual Platforms.

In fact, they had already taken control of some of the Magic Ritual Platforms.

From what she knew, Zorn’s explorations were more covert. ’Perhaps the Magic Ritual Platforms he’s found are more powerful.’

"Give me the list of materials. You can come and pick them up before dark."

Madam Mable gave Zorn her firm assent.

After his discussion with Madam Mable,

Zorn, along with Vanessa and the old butler, walked towards the Gray Mist Rift.

"To the first layer of the Seventh Floor World,"

Zorn said to the operator of the Ritual Platform.

His Steam Magical Castle was located there.

「...」

Magic Ring Tree World, First Layer.

WHOOOO... WHOOOO...

The moment he stepped into the Magical Castle, the old butler, Glangk, heard the melodious yet powerful blasts of a steam whistle.

It was Glangk’s first time inside the Steam Castle, and the old butler surveyed his surroundings with apprehension.

A faint Steam Grey Mist filled the air, but thanks to the guidance of a Steam Lighthouse over two meters tall, he could still make out his surroundings.

Vanessa, at his side, was quite familiar with this place.

She introduced it as she walked.

"Over there are a few small wooden cabins. Young Master Zorn had me buy the planks to build them."

"They’re simple, but they’re stocked with everyday toiletries and supplies."

"The Monster Treasure Chests over there are also stocked with a lot of food, enough to last us for a long time."

"Those Monster Treasure Chests are amazing."

"A few of the Monster Treasure Chests naturally have a Frozen Attribute. They’re great for preserving food, just like an icehouse."

"There are also a few Monster Treasure Chests where, once closed, the flow of time inside becomes very, very slow. I did an experiment: I put a piping hot dish inside, and it was still scalding hot a week later."

"It’s just that those few Monster Treasure Chests are too gluttonous. There’s a certain chance they’ll eat the hot food, along with the tableware."

As Vanessa led the old butler Glangk towards the wooden cabins,

Zorn, meanwhile, approached a pitch-black rock wall.

Thick steam covered the entire wall, and the faint outline of a huge face, over three meters in diameter, could be seen slumbering deep within.

By now, the Steam Magical Cottage had completed the absorption and accumulation of Origin Power from three World Layers.

One could say it had taken its initial form and now possessed a certain degree of combat capability.

The "Gray Mist Origin" from the first layer complemented the power of the Steam Lighthouse and provided effective defense.

The "Mirror Image Origin" from the third layer.

Combined with the power of the Steam Grey Mist, the Mirror World could easily trap enemies or expel them.

And the most important of all, the "Magic Ring Tree Layer" from the seventh layer.

The Magic Ring Tree Origin Power would grant the Steam Magical Castle astonishing potential.

Others might not know the terrifying depths of this Magic Ring Tree.

But Zorn knew very well.

In the Players’ speedruns, the [Magic Ring Tree] would become the indispensable core of every future major power.

Never mind the future; even now, the power of the Magic Ring Tree’s origin would play a significant role.

Over this period, by constantly feeding it Calamity Black Mist, the Steam Magical Castle had become capable of achieving a rudimentary resonance with Zorn’s Spiritual Realm.

By using his [Spiritual Realm] to resonate with and channel the power of the Tree of the Magic Ring, Zorn could effortlessly travel between the worlds of each layer, or even leave the Ancient Ruins entirely.

And this was precisely why Zorn was willing to take refuge inside the Ancient Ruins.

The Steam Magical Castle, into which he had invested so much time, resources, and materials, could now be considered one of Zorn’s powerful trump cards.

Here, Zorn could both stall the enemy and leave quickly.

On the contrary, if too many enemies came in, Zorn could even trap them inside.

He opened his palm. The Spiritual Spider King Crystal Core he had acquired earlier was enveloped in a dense cloud of Calamity Black Mist.

When he approached the wall of thick mist,

The enormous facial outline suddenly opened its eyes and, in a single gulp, devoured the Spiritual Spider King Crystal Core and the Calamity Black Mist along with it.

’Once it digests this Boss-Level Spider King Crystal Core, it won’t be long before it can grow castle appendages. But before that, I’ll need to feed it enough metal materials.’

’Fortunately, Ogrande City isn’t short on metal products.’

Sensing the Steam Magical Castle that had already taken a rudimentary form,

A surge of dense Steam Grey Mist billowed over, submerging Zorn deep within the thick steam.