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Night fell, silent and still.
In a relatively intact villa, several survivors sat together by firelight.
"Do you think those two really want to establish a Sanctuary here?"
"Don't be ridiculous, building a Sanctuary is no easy feat. Besides, it's just the two of them. No matter how strong they are, building a Sanctuary is not just about strength."
"Forget about those two, let's think about ourselves. What should we do? This place is no longer safe. How about we head to Lindong Sanctuary? It's a large Sanctuary with stationed troops. Once we get there, we won't need to worry about Demonized Beasts attacking us."
Someone suggested, but others were not optimistic.
"Lindong Sanctuary is indeed a good place, but how do we get there? It's sixty kilometers from here, as the crow flies. If we could easily reach Lindong Sanctuary, I wouldn't have chosen to stay in this small Sanctuary in the first place."
This statement left others looking dejected.
Originally hiding in the underground cold storage, thinking it was safe, they were almost killed by a Demonized Beast. If not for those two experts passing by...
Someone suddenly said, "It would be great if those two experts went to Lindong Sanctuary too, then we could follow them."
"Hmph, they're thinking of building a Sanctuary. Why would they go to Lindong? Even if they did, they might not take us with them. I think it's better to figure out if we can go to those smaller shelters nearby."
"But why can't we stay here? Those two experts clearly said that as long as we stay in this villa area, we can be assured of our safety."
However, few people believed this.
In their minds, Tang Yu only had two people, and they hadn't shown themselves yet. Not to mention, if danger really appeared, would those two experts come to the rescue? Even if they did, they might not make it in time. Their skepticism about the two building a Sanctuary was mainly because there were too few people. No matter how powerful, they couldn't cover all bases.
They understood deep down that there was no reason to ask strangers to protect them, yet rationally knowing this, emotionally, everyone hoped someone would save them when danger struck.
This was merely a human survival instinct.
In the end, Chen Haiping ended the topic. "Rather than thinking about this, it's better to practice shooting or wielding a sword. Even if you can't achieve an Awakening, you can still give yourself a better chance of survival."
On the table, a candle flickered weakly.
Chen Haiping was wiping his weapon, ready to say something else, when suddenly his expression changed.
"Be careful!"
Chen Haiping immediately grasped the handle of his machete, his gaze wary, looking outside the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows.
Two eerie green lights glowed in the night, incredibly chilling.
"It's a Demonized Beast!" someone screamed in terror.
"Didn't they say the Demonized Beasts in this area were cleared out?" someone expressed confusion.
"I knew it. They only have a few people; how could they possibly guard against Demonized Beasts? Demonized Beasts roam everywhere. Without sturdy city walls and complete defenses, there's no such thing as a safe resting place!"
Chen Haiping didn't speak, merely gestured for the others to retreat. He knew this thin floor-to-ceiling window couldn't possibly block a Demonized Beast.
Suddenly... boom!
The entire villa shook violently, and the candle fell to the ground with a clatter.
Some people were dumbfounded, others screamed in terror. Only Chen Haiping, who had been staring at the Demonized Beast, barely glimpsed a figure descending from the sky, crushing the Demonized Beast into the ground.
Chen Haiping finally saw clearly. It was the mysterious expert wearing armor from earlier in the afternoon, effortlessly stomping the Demonized Beast to death.
The others gasped. They hadn't seen what happened, but the result... such a terrifying Demonized Beast squashed like a mere insect.
Several people's expressions were complicated. Earlier, they hadn't trusted Tang Yu, talking behind his back, assuming he was just using them as labor, unconcerned for their survival. But now...
As soon as the Demonized Beast appeared, it was stomped to death by the Armored Expert with a single step. They couldn't see the expert's face, but his silhouette was forever etched in their pupils, unforgettable.
Puppet No. 2, responsible for guarding the Territory, did not leave. Instead, he drew a long spear from his back, thrusting it into the nearby bushes.
The spear shot like lightning!
Swift and fierce!
The people inside the villa hadn't reacted yet when they saw the spear's tip, like skewered meat, impale another small Demonized Beast.
Another Demonized Beast was hidden among them!
Many survivors were filled with lingering fear. They didn't know what kind of Demonized Beast it was, only feeling that the world was too dangerous.
But Chen Haiping took one look and couldn't move his eyes away!
It was the thorny insect!
Known as the night assassin!
Chen Haiping knew of them because the strongest Awakener at their former Sanctuary was killed by a surprise attack from a thorny insect. If not for that ability user erupting with power at the moment of death and perishing together with the thorny insect, just one of these creatures could have wreaked havoc on their defenses.
Yet this thorny insect had no chance to resist, hanging like skewered meat on the spear.
Chen Haiping's breath quickened, his eyes widened round, the day's shocks could last a month or more.
No. 2, dragging the thorny insect, disappeared straight into the night, leaving behind these survivors, eyes wide open, silent for a long time.
A few minutes later, these people finally came back to their senses from the shock.
"We... survived?"
"Yeah," someone replied, looking in the direction where No. 2 disappeared, remorseful. "Maybe... we shouldn't have doubted them. Remember, they said as long as we stayed here, worked for them, they'd assure our safety, and provide us with ample food. I'm thinking maybe we should stay here."
"Yeah, in this apocalypse, it's the same wherever we go. Staying here, at least we can eat our fill."
...
On the Territory map, two red dots gradually faded. Beside them, a few yellow dots, representing neutrality, flickered and finally turned into green dots representing allied forces.
The green dots didn't mean those people now fully trusted him. Trust between apocalypse survivors didn't come easily. Yet this shift already signified a certain level of recognition.
That was enough!
Tang Yu arrived in the open space behind the castle. At his feet, piles of scrap wood were stacked. This afternoon, he had survivors transport food, then move the wood to the villa area with the help of No. 1 and No. 2.
"Finally, we can build the first Territory structure."
The Lord's Castle wasn't considered a true Territory building but was connected to the Territory level as its Core. This was already the second day since obtaining the system, and only now did he have enough resources to establish the first structure, which felt painfully slow to Tang Yu. It was all thanks to these survivors; otherwise, sacrificing No. 1 and No. 2's time hunting Demonized Beasts for transport work would have delayed progress even more.
He opened the construction panel and selected the tavern.
Build!
"Ding-dong! Building the tavern will consume two hundred units of Source Crystal, one hundred units of wood."
Before him, as if drawn by an invisible force, the wood laid on the ground levitated, constructing the tavern's framework.
Subsequently, the Source Crystal in his pocket transformed into specks of light, merging into the framework. Just like when the City Lord Hall was built, the tavern's skeletal form changed drastically, morphing into an ancient-style tavern that appeared before Tang Yu.
Tang Yu eagerly walked into the tavern.
The tavern was small, only one story, covering no more than fifty to sixty square meters. Inside were a few tables and chairs, a counter, and Tang Yu even saw the shelves behind the counter lined with alcohol.
It resembled a genuine, ordinary tavern rather than the opulent Lord's Castle, but this was just a facade. The tavern's true function was recruiting adventurers.
This was exactly what Tang Yu needed—by paying a certain price, he could enter into Contracts with adventurers, gaining their loyalty.
No matter the goal of developing the Territory or achieving other plans, a sufficient workforce was essential. Among them, trustworthy people were especially crucial.
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