The Void was a realm without day or night, and yet the passage of time felt heavy and inevitable.
Lucian, along with Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing, found themselves balancing an intense rhythm of preparation and combat. Every passing day brought challenges and rewards in equal measure.
The Sixth Day
The monstrous horde numbered 828, with 400 elite creatures and 428 standard ones, all ranging between levels 5 and 10.
The enemies grew smarter, no longer throwing themselves mindlessly at the defenses. They tested weaknesses and probed for vulnerabilities, but ultimately fell beneath the withering fire of the upgraded towers.
This was also the day when Qin Keqing made her first significant contribution, using Frost Breath to freeze swaths of enemies in their tracks.
The Seventh Day
The wave surged to 1,130 monsters, including 780 standard creatures and 350 elites, with levels ranging between 5 and 12.
This wave was far more intense, pushing past the towers' defenses to reach the Withered Walls, which bore the brunt of the assault.
Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing fought side by side, using their abilities to devastating effect, and the invasion was eventually repelled.
Lucian reaped the spoils, upgrading his territory buildings and advancing his development.
The Eighth and Ninth Days
Each day brought larger, stronger, and smarter hordes. The fourth-level territory expanded to a spacious 2,000 square meters, with six additional towers bolstering the perimeter.
Every corner now boasted a trio of upgraded towers, delivering devastating coordinated strikes.
Key improvements included.
Withered Walls: Reinforced but strained from successive battles.
Fields: Five fields, enhanced into Blessed Farmlands, producing valuable crops.
Moon Wells: Three wells now enriched with extraordinary properties.
Bathhouse: Upgraded for more efficient use.
Both the Shrine and Barracks reached level 4. Heroes and units were strengthened, with Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing elevated to level 4 as well.
Lucian recruited 30 new armored boars, while leveling up 40 existing ones to level 3.
Despite substantial resource expenditure, Lucian had yet to summon a new hero, his draws yielding only mundane items like women's clothing and cosmetics.
The Tenth Day
The trio stood atop the Withered Walls, gazing into the ominous mists that encircled their territory.
The tension was palpable. After days of relentless waves, the monsters' cunning had reached dangerous new heights.
Only the combined might of Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing, bolstered by Lucian's strategic upgrades, had kept the defenses from crumbling.
Yet, there was no room for complacency.
"Today marks the tenth day," Lucian said grimly. "Brace yourselves. This will be the hardest wave yet."
Both women nodded, their faces serious but determined. Even Qin Keqing, once timid, now carried a quiet resolve and a faint aura of menace.
It was 2:20 PM, and the enemy forces had already begun to gather. Yet, instead of charging as they usually did, the creatures lingered in the fog, biding their time.
"What are they waiting for?" Lin Daiyu murmured, her delicate brows furrowed. "These monsters aren't known for their patience."
Lucian shook his head. "I don't know. All we can do is wait and remain vigilant."
Time dragged on, each passing minute stretching the tension to its breaking point.
5:00 PM: The Wave Breaks
Just as Lucian reached for a quick bite to eat, the monsters surged forward.
The ground trembled beneath their charge, their roars merging into a deafening cacophony.
From the mist emerged blood-red beasts, each over two meters tall with twisted horns and sinewy, gorilla-like frames. Their grotesque forms radiated an unnatural energy, their mouths frothing with rage.
"They're here," Lucian muttered, donning the True Sight Lens to appraise the horde.
Thunder Beasts (Level 9)
Skill: Lightning Breath.
Elite Thunder Beasts (Level 11)
Skills: Lightning Breath, Curse of Agony.
The horde seemed endless.
Hundreds, then thousands, surged forward, their red eyes glowing ominously in the encroaching twilight. The noise was overwhelming, a storm of snarls and bellows that reverberated through the walls.
Lucian's gaze sharpened as he counted. "There must be at least ten thousand of them…"
He glanced toward Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing. "It's time. Let's hold nothing back."
The two women nodded.
Lin Daiyu clenched her fists, her fiery resolve shining in her eyes. "Leave the west flank to me."
Qin Keqing stepped forward, summoning her ethereal Wind and Moon Sword. "I'll cover the south."
Lucian raised his newly enchanted Gauss Rifle and took a deep breath. "Then I'll handle the north. Let's do this!"
As the first wave of monsters reached the towers, the defensive structures roared to life. Flames, arrows, and frost cascaded into the horde, the coordinated attacks forming a deadly web of destruction.
The battle for the tenth day had begun.