Southern Capital of the Empire, Eighth Legion of the Imperial Guard's Garrison.
The former bandit camp had undergone a complete transformation, now sprawling over a vast area of approximately 70,000 square meters (about the size of 20 standard football fields). The closer one moved to the center of the garrison, the taller the surrounding buildings became. Countless figures clad in dark heavy armor moved about within the garrison.
At the very center stood an enormous fortress at least fifty meters tall, covering several thousand square meters. The fortress was equipped with broad platforms, upon which were mounted powerful cannons and ballistae. The structure was heavily guarded, with sentinels positioned every five steps and watch posts every ten steps.
Directly facing the imperial palace to the north, the brick-and-stone gate of the garrison bore the banner of the Eighth Legion of the Imperial Guard—a black and gold flag emblazoned with a double-headed eagle.
The area surrounding the garrison had also been drastically transformed. Over the past several months, the massive crater left by the explosion had gradually filled with groundwater, forming a lake. To expand the garrison's area, Selene had undertaken a month-long "mountain-moving and land-filling" project.
Floating in the sky above, Selene looked down at the long, narrow bridge spanning the lake, holding the Imperial Engineering Bureau's blueprint for the bridge. She couldn't help but feel a bit tearful inside.
"I swear, I'll never get carried away again! If I do, I'll eat my words!"
Setting off such a massive explosion right at her doorstep—wasn't this the epitome of "lifting a stone only to drop it on your own foot"? After all, in Selene's eyes, the future capital would be hers. She had to take care of her own property.
Taking a deep breath, Selene surveyed the results of her efforts and nodded in satisfaction.
The main southern highway connecting the capital to the southern border of the empire was finally almost fully restored! Most importantly, the garrison was now connected to the main highway, with a special elevated road leading directly to the imperial palace.
Selene's Eighth Legion was now the primary military force responsible for the southern defenses of the capital.
The remaining tasks were to further expand the traffic capacity and stabilize the foundation.
Recalling the chaos she faced months ago when she first took on this restoration project, Selene couldn't help but feel exasperated.
The explosion's epicenter was about fifty to sixty kilometers from the outermost city walls of the capital. Aside from the central crater, which had a diameter of several miles, the damage caused by the shockwave in the surrounding area was relatively light.
Some buildings and roads could be repaired with minor fixes and returned to use.
However, the real challenge was the deep crater, tens of meters deep, where only the hilltop protected by Selene remained intact. All other man-made structures had been obliterated.
With no usable foundation left, all construction had to start from scratch. The groundwater seeping into the crater made large-scale construction nearly impossible, rendering the restoration of the southern main highway seemingly unattainable.
With no other choice, Selene had to take matters into her own hands.
Day after day, she alternated between chiseling mountains and transporting them.
She began by smashing the mountains near the capital and transporting the debris to the broken section of the highway, gradually forming a stone road across the "lake" by piling up the fragments.
Then, using her powers, she fused and solidified this unstable foundation.
In this way, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, Selene spent months flying back and forth between the capital and the surrounding mountains.
With red light illuminating the sky and the sound of explosions echoing through the mountains, Selene could be seen carrying mountain peaks hundreds or even thousands of times her size through the air, continuously "moving mountains and filling seas."
This scene became a spectacular sight, attracting many imperial citizens to watch.
At the construction site, a foreman stepped out of a tent, looking up at Selene's figure high in the sky, unable to resist exclaiming, "What incredible power!"
Even though he had seen Selene's unparalleled display of strength many times during this period, it still amazed him every time.
Meanwhile, at the worksite, progress was encouraging. On the wide road, hundreds of large, domesticated danger beasts were busy leveling the ground.
The sounds of heavy hammers striking, bricks colliding, the patrolling of the guard, and the billowing smoke from temporary brick kilns created a scene of intense construction activity.
Thanks to Selene's continuous widening and reinforcement efforts, the road was now well on its way to being fully restored. The central highway, over a hundred meters wide, was already sufficient for regular traffic.
After surveying the scene for a while, the foreman checked a nearby sundial and then shouted loudly.
"Everyone, pick up the pace! We still have over a hundred meters of road to level before lunch!"
"No cutting corners! Anyone caught will be executed!"
...
As Selene gently descended to the ground, she stretched and sighed in relief after connecting the final section of the main highway.
"The Eighth Legion should start getting active..."
"General!" Selene had barely landed on the main building of the garrison when a yellow-faced man waved at her from a distance and quickly ran over.
"General, our Eighth Legion's garrison is nearly complete, but... isn't the area a bit too small? And it's on an 'island'? It's a bit cramped, isn't it?" As soon as he arrived, Gensa began to complain.
"This... it feels just like those useless navy folks down south... But we're the Imperial Guard!"
Selene sized up Gensa carefully, surprised that this seemingly honest and straightforward man had such a strong continental army mindset. He clearly looked down on the navy.
Are you also itching to shout, "The navy is full of idiots"?
"Don't worry. I'll expand the garrison in the future. There's no need to fret. But I hear the court has been quite lively while we've been busy with construction. Where's Sebas?"
Selene waved her hand, noticing that Sebas was nowhere to be seen.
"The steward didn't come to the barracks today... The court is indeed turbulent, and recently many merchants have been eager to place their assets under your name, General."
Gensa looked around cautiously before whispering, "The Empress has passed away, and His Majesty is nearing his end. Several princes have also died under mysterious circumstances. The succession crisis is approaching."
"And the newly appointed Minister Honest supports the young prince... What are your orders?"
"Stay vigilant. We are 'loyal' members of the Imperial Guard, and we have no business meddling in political affairs. Don't overthink it. I'll return to the Upper City. You keep a close watch on the garrison!"
"Yes, General!"