A city.
No matter the circumstances, the presence of a city was evidence of civilization.
It might not necessarily belong to human civilization, but signs of any civilization could yield valuable rewards for a lord.
Standing at the gates of the dead city, Lucien activated his Heart of the Lord, revealing seven distinct beams of light radiating from within the ruins.
These lights represented the last remnants of a civilization that had been consumed by the Void.
Through the Heart of the Lord, these beams could be materialized into valuable items such as territory buildings.
"We're close now," Lucien murmured, his gaze fixed on a specific spot ahead.
"Let's go!"
With a shout, he led the group forward, all on high alert.
The Great Qin warriors, their bronze masks concealing any emotion, formed a protective formation around Lucien as they marched into the city.
The ancient cobblestone roads beneath their feet were cracked and uneven, their silence punctuated only by the echo of footsteps.
The city's walls were battered, its gothic-style architecture marked by time and blackened with bloodstains.
The ruins were eerily devoid of corpses or the monstrous creatures that often emerged from such places to ambush intruders.
"No enemies in a city of ruins? Am I this lucky?"
Lucien frowned slightly and activated his Hero Power, switching to Lin Daiyu's abilities.
He recalled that during Dream of the Red Chamber, he had experimented with Jia Yingchun's template, which had proven less effective in situations requiring direct confrontation.
After some time, one of the Great Qin warriors reported softly, "Your Majesty, there's an enemy ahead on the street."
"How many?" Lucien asked, his attention sharpening.
"Just one."
At the edge of a dilapidated street, Lucien spotted a figure.
Clad in a tattered black robe and wielding a massive scythe, the figure roamed leisurely at the street's entrance.
"That's..." Lucien muttered, recalling what he had read about creatures consumed by the Void.
When a civilization or world was destroyed, countless beings were swallowed by the Void and transformed into monsters.
Defeating these monsters would yield Slaughter Chests, valuable rewards for lords.
Lucien donned his True Sight Glasses and cast Identify on the figure.
Identification Results
[Night Watcher]
Race: Void/Nightstar Clan
Level: 7
Innate Talent: ???
Bloodline: ???
Physique: ???
Spirit: ???
Skills: ???
Description: Once a guardian of this city's nights.
"Level 7 and so much information is hidden? Does it have concealment abilities?"
Lucien frowned, realizing the limitations of his equipment. He would need better tools or infrastructure in his territory to enhance his reconnaissance capabilities.
"Let's deal with it carefully," Lucien ordered, motioning to the Great Qin warrior at the front.
One of the masked warriors stepped forward. Her expression was cold as she placed her left hand on her sword hilt and prepared her Qin Fury Bow with her right.
With a sharp twang, an arrow flew straight at the Night Watcher, piercing its torso in an instant.
The black-robed figure staggered, a hole forming in its chest.
Yet, no blood spilled from the wound.
Its body seemed to be made of dirt and stone.
Slowly, it turned to face them, revealing a gaunt, aged face beneath its hood.
The creature's features were disturbingly humanlike, except for the star-shaped marks on its chin that formed a mysterious symbol.
Its empty eye sockets were each marked by a bloody cavity, staring soullessly at the warrior.
The Night Watcher began to advance, its movements unnervingly deliberate.
The Great Qin warrior, unperturbed, nocked another arrow and continued her attack.
Arrows flew rapidly, each one creating new wounds on the Night Watcher.
Yet, the creature pressed forward, seemingly unfazed by the damage.
Finally, the warrior discarded her bow and drew her Qin Sword, unleashing a slash imbued with sharp sword energy.
The attack tore through the Night Watcher, splitting its body into a cloud of black mist.
However, the mist quickly reformed into the same humanoid shape, advancing relentlessly.
"Persistent," the warrior muttered, her cold demeanor unchanged.
She unleashed another sword strike, forcing the creature to revert briefly to its human form.
At close range, the Night Watcher swung its massive scythe, aiming directly at the warrior.
But she was faster.
Sidestepping the attack, she retaliated with a spinning slash, severing one of its legs.
As the creature fell, the warrior's long, whip-like leg lashed out, slamming the Night Watcher into the ground.
She followed with a precise thrust of her halberd, driving it through the creature's chest.
With a resounding boom, the ground trembled as the Night Watcher's body shattered into fragments.
Its remains dissipated into black ash, leaving behind a glowing Slaughter Chest.
The warrior cautiously retrieved the chest and returned to Lucien, bowing as she presented it.
"Your Majesty, the enemy has been eliminated," she reported.
"Well done."
Lucien smiled as he took the chest. "How was it?"
"Pathetic!"
The warrior's sharp tone and icy demeanor reflected her disdain. Her narrowed eyes gleamed with a hint of contempt.
Lucien chuckled, amused by her cold confidence.
"Good work," he said, patting her shoulder. "Let's continue forward."