'Pathetic?'
Lucien chuckled as he accepted the Slaughter Chest from the Great Qin warrior. "Return to your squad."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The warrior saluted and rejoined her team.
Lucien's thoughts lingered for a moment.
The warrior who had just fought was still relatively new. She was one of fifty elite troops summoned after upgrading the Qin Warrior Barracks to level 11.
Though only at level 5, her unit-exclusive equipment had been fully upgraded.
As for the Deer Spirit Maidens, Lucien had unintentionally neglected their equipment.
"Your Majesty, the battle seems to have ended quickly," Lin Daiyu said, smiling softly as she observed Lucien deep in thought.
"Oh? How so?"
Lucien raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her remark.
Lin Daiyu pursed her lips, her sparkling eyes filled with mischief as she explained, "Judging by the fight, that monster's main strategy was stealth and ambush.
"The scythe it wielded seemed capable of short-range teleportation, and its transformation into black mist allowed it to avoid physical attacks.
"But after being struck by two waves of sword energy, it lost its ability to sustain the mist form.
"It was then swiftly overwhelmed by the warrior's final strike. Had it been one of the Qin Warrior alone, the fight might have lasted longer, but with the Bright Moon disciples assisting, the outcome was inevitable."
Her analysis was both thorough and well-informed, surprising Lucien.
Spending time on the forums and exploring the territory with the three heroes had clearly enriched their understanding.
Ten days earlier, they had even begged him to buy books to pass the time, devouring the information like sponges.
"I see your point."
Lucien nodded and issued a few orders to the troops.
Switching his Hero Template to Jia Yingchun's, he opened the Slaughter Chest they had retrieved.
Rewards:
3 Void Crystals
1 Void Source Stone
1 Damaged Scythe
Lucien's face twitched as he shut the inventory in frustration.
"Rubbish."
Sighing, he reverted to Lin Daiyu's template and commanded the troops forward.
The First Objective: A Tower
Ahead stood a crumbling tower. Despite its dilapidated state, the Heart of the Lord revealed faint traces of civilization's brilliance radiating from it.
Lucien and his troops marched onward, encountering more Night Watchers.
These creatures took various forms—men, women, and children—but all bore the twisted corruption of the Void.
While their levels varied, none posed a real threat to the Great Qin warriors or the Bright Moon disciples.
Each encounter ended swiftly:
The Qin warriors launched precise, brutal assaults.
The Bright Moon disciples coordinated to strike efficiently.
Lucien frequently switched his Hero Template, opening dozens of chests along the way.
Most contained:
Void Crystals and Void Source Stones.
Occasionally, he found broken items:
Damaged scythes, broken lanterns, tattered robes—enough to make him question if this was a "City of Trash."
Finally, they reached the base of the tower.
The Great Qin warriors dealt with the last Night Watcher, leaving behind another Slaughter Chest.
Lucien opened it and was pleasantly surprised.
Rewards:
7 Void Crystals
1 Void Source Stone
Occupation Token: Night Watcher
"Finally, something good!"
Lucien's eyes brightened, almost tearing up from relief.
Holding the token, he inspected its properties.
Night Watcher Occupation Token
Type: Item
Quality: Rare (Blue)
Effect:
Summons a level-10 Night Watcher squad.
Alternatively, integrates into a specialized barracks to enable recruitment of Night Watchers.
"A blue-grade token? Not bad at all!"
Lucien smiled with satisfaction.
His time browsing forums had made him acutely aware of valuable items. For instance, cultivation manuals from sects like the Hehuan Sect were highly sought after but prohibitively expensive.
"This will fetch a good price!"
Entering the Tower
Qin Keqing's soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Your Majesty, we've cleared the entrance!"
Lucien nodded and directed his team to storm the tower.
The structure was missing about a third of its height but still loomed at least seven stories tall, hinting at a once-glorious past. Now, its dilapidation exuded a sense of sorrow and decay.
Inside, the density of Night Watchers increased, with the addition of Elite Night Watchers and even a Boss Night Watcher.
These enhanced foes had been empowered by the Void, making them far stronger than ordinary enemies.
Despite their power, they were no match for Lucien's forces.
The Great Qin warriors and their legendary weapons struck with precision.
The Bright Moon disciples overwhelmed with coordinated magic and martial arts.
Every enemy was annihilated, leaving no survivors.
After relentless combat, Lucien's team finally reached the tower's topmost floor.
A Bright Moon disciple approached him, her small, serious face betraying her earnestness.
Her delicate voice, however, shattered the atmosphere.
"Your Majesty, there's something unusual up ahead!"
Lucien chuckled, pinching her cheek affectionately. Wrapping an arm around her slender waist, he led her toward the area in question.
The platform at the tower's peak was open to the sky, its edges crumbled and exposed.
There, kneeling in the center, was a figure draped in white robes.
The White-Robed Figure
The figure appeared human, but its twisted features spoke of something unnatural. Its face was contorted in an expression of terror, as if witnessing an unimaginable horror.
"Your Majesty, there's an invisible barrier at the platform's edge," the disciple said softly, clinging to Lucien's arm.
She pouted slightly, clearly frustrated.
A Great Qin warrior stepped forward and saluted. "Your Majesty, the barrier isn't ordinary. It's proving very difficult to break."
Lucien frowned. "Did you try using the army formation?"
The warrior nodded. "We did, but it had no effect. The barrier remains unyielding."
"A barrier the army can't break?"
Lucien's expression grew serious. If even the Great Qin warriors and Lin Daiyu's abilities couldn't shatter it, the barrier was no trivial obstacle.
Still, he remained optimistic.
The Night Watchers encountered so far had been strong, but they weren't insurmountable. It was unlikely their leader would be overwhelmingly powerful.
"This must be connected to the civilization that once thrived here," Lucien mused.
He activated the Heart of the Lord, focusing on the platform.
"Let's see what secrets you hold."