He thought back to the array used in the herb fields of the inheritance grounds.

The Circle Root Array.

It functioned as a complete agricultural system. In terms of automation, it far surpassed the current technological methods used for farming.

The array handled soil regulation, gathered cosmic energy to replenish nutrients, watered the fields at precise intervals, and collected herbs once they reached maturity. Its internal sensing runes could determine a herb's maturity level with near-perfect accuracy.

By comparison, the Federation's farms still relied heavily on manpower. Each field required multiple herb-maturity examiners who manually verified ripeness, and these positions were paid well due to the precision involved.

It was not that the Federation's AIs lacked the capability. They could easily perform these tasks. The problem was political and economic. Full automation had once caused massive unemployment, triggering large-scale protests across multiple cities. In response, the Federation stepped in and enforced strict regulations limiting AI usage to preserve jobs.

As a result, most farmlands continued to function under human farmers.

And that was where Grey's concern lay.

If he deployed the Circle Root Array here, thousands of farm workers could lose their jobs. He had no intention of causing starvation or pushing a large portion of the population into poverty.

Fortunately, he had already devised a solution.

The Circle Root Array could automate soil maintenance, irrigation, and harvesting. However, it could not evaluate herb grade, purity, or quality, nor could it manage storage logistics. Herb-quality examiners and warehouse management teams would therefore remain necessary.

Only the workers who manually tended the fields would be affected.

For them, Grey planned to provide alternative employment.

His mind interface flickered as multiple applications and data tabs opened. After cross-referencing labor demands, one option stood out clearly.

Mining.

While riskier than farming, mining offered significantly higher pay. With Grey's recommendations submitted in batches, these workers could enter the sector with little difficulty. Farmers already possessed the physical endurance required for such labor.

The real issue lay in the mining conditions themselves. Across the four cities, as well as the Tri-City Province in the southern region, mines were infamous for their poor safety standards. Tunnel collapses were frequent, and working efficiency remained low.

This was something Grey could address.

By deploying anti-collapse arrays and reinforcing tunnel structures, mining operations could become both safer and more efficient. Improved conditions would attract more workers and stabilize the sector overall.

Farmers also had other options. Warehouse logistics, herb drying, essence extraction, and other alchemical processing roles all had low entry barriers and paid wages equal to, if not higher than, basic farming.

In the end, both sides would benefit.

Automating the fields with the Circle Root Array would continuously restore cosmic soil, eliminating the need for replacement or manual management. Costs would drop sharply, while productivity would increase.

Once the Golden Ratio Cosmic Energy Diagram was integrated, the array would function as long as cosmic energy existed in the world. Due to Grey's sainthood ascension, cosmic energy density around the province was already higher than anywhere else.

Expenses would be reduced, efficiency would rise, and employment would remain stable.

Everything would move forward smoothly.

In a way, Grey wasn't completely neglecting city management. Although he had said that Eterna should be the one managing things, he had only been joking with her.

In the end, he cared about his land. After all, he was the de facto lord of nearly seven cities combined, and he would make sure nothing happened to them. Likewise, he would manage them.

Was he really a ruler if he didn't have a hand in everything?

"The herb field issue, I will handle it," Grey said after finishing his thoughts. "Not just the herb fields. I'll make sure the entire agricultural land is improved within a day or two."

Grey had already finished messaging Valeria about the details, and by this time, she should have been in her room, wearing her favorite night dress, drinking wine, and listening to calming music.

So, he didn't expect a reply from her.

But, surprisingly, she replied almost as soon as he sent the message.

[Valeria: Done. I'll come tomorrow.]

"Is she this free?" Grey muttered, stretching helplessly as he stood up.

Although there was a saying that one shouldn't stretch after eating and filling their stomach, it didn't concern a 2nd-ranking evolver.

Then, Lia asked a question.

"Is Alissa's metamorphosis done, Grey?" She had seen how much power Alissa had output when fighting Grey and was honestly shocked, though she hadn't been losing.

She herself hadn't shown her true power either. The hell portal was just the tip of the iceberg.

But before she could utilize the rest of her abilities, she definitely had to fix her issue with energy control. And so far, because Grey had been cooped up in his room doing research, she didn't have the heart to ask him.

Lia felt like it would be disturbing.

And disturbing or annoying Grey was the last thing she wanted.

"She has already undergone metamorphosis, but she's still at the pseudo level. If I'm not wrong, she should fully awaken in one or two days," Grey thought for a moment before explaining.

Having studied the dragon transformation technique, he naturally understood her condition better than anyone else. Not to mention, he possessed her complete structural engineering.

All it took was a single glance for him to know when she would be done.

"And I haven't forgotten about the training," Grey added.

He had been too absorbed in the mysteries of transformation and hadn't had time to guide Lia.

"Let's do it before bed," Grey said as he stood up. "Come, let's go to your room."

"Yes." Lia smiled and stood up as well.

…

Soon, Grey returned to his room. He shut the door behind him after helping Lia control her energy and guiding her cultivation.

Much to his surprise, Lia was actually close to reaching the 2nd level.

That meant she would need massive amounts of vital essence. Fortunately, vital essence was something he never lacked, so it wasn't an issue.

He had also received sufficient comprehension from her just now.

Now, it was finally time to observe the primordial human transformation technique.

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