Chapter 31: Mage Tower Aetheris Spire.

"I still need ten thousand citizens to unlock my level to 400," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. His fingers tap against the armrest of his chair as he calculates.

Nyssara brought in around a hundred subordinates—intelligent, capable, and loyal. He assumes Thurn, Veltha, and Groth's subordinates will number the same. Even so, it won't be enough.

By dawn, the three former lords arrive with their subordinates.

Veltha brings the largest group—over two hundred of her kin, their serpentine bodies slithering through the streets in disciplined rows. Their sheer size demands vast spaces, so they claim one of the largest properties in the area, a fortress-like structure near the western district.

Thurn leads just over a hundred of his Arachne warriors, all efficient and orderly.

Groth, however, arrives with only around twenty.