The dawn broke through the darkness, paving the way forward.
Like the unyielding spears of the Great Qin warriors, the Celestial Qin Warrios shattered the tide of beasts and relentlessly crushed them underfoot.
Their precision and power turned the tide of battle, defeating many with few, as they annihilated the enemy with ease.
The monsters resembled wild beasts, devoid of strategy or cooperation.
Even with their overwhelming numbers, they charged forward mindlessly, showing no fear of death.
However, under the combined might of the Celestial Qin Soldiers and the disciples of the Bright Moon Palace, tens of thousands of monsters were reduced to fragmented remains.
As the battle concluded, Lucien surveyed the battlefield.
All the warriors of the Nightstar Clan, who had been struggling against the dark tide, were dead. Only his two hundred troops remained, standing tall amidst the carnage.
"It's done," Lucien murmured, his eyes shifting toward the towering Seven-Ring Tower in the distance.
Unlike the dilapidated surroundings, the tower stood untouched, emanating a sacred aura. Suspended outside it were seven rings, each brimming with elemental energy.
Before Lucien could order his troops to move, the surrounding black fog churned violently.
New waves of dark monsters emerged from all directions, their numbers doubling.
Amid the horde, a massive figure loomed—a towering creature over seven meters tall. Its dark, sludge-like body dripped with an inky substance.
[Mingwa Clan Saint]
Level: 31
Abilities: ???
"A Saint-level boss?" Lucien narrowed his eyes and prepared for a new assault.
His soldiers readied their weapons, forming defensive lines as the enemy encircled them.
Before the monsters could strike, the Seven-Ring Tower sprang to life.
With a deafening hum, the seven rings spun rapidly, releasing beams of blinding light that shot toward the massive boss and the surrounding horde.
The light engulfed the battlefield, vaporizing countless dark monsters and disintegrating the boss in an instant.
Lucien stood frozen in disbelief.
"What just happened?"
It was clear now that in the true past, the Nightstar Clan had used the tower's power to obliterate their foes.
These monsters weren't the cause of the city's downfall—they had been defeated by the tower itself.
As the radiant light subsided, the illusionary realm began to collapse.
In mere moments, Lucien and his troops were back in reality.
The invisible barrier surrounding the tower dissolved, and the kneeling white-robed figure on the platform twisted into an ethereal light before vanishing.
Before disappearing completely, the elder's gaze lingered on Lucien, filled with unspoken meaning.
The Seven-Ring Tower trembled, its stones crumbling and condensing into a miniature model that floated toward Lucien.
Lucien caught the model and examined it closely.
[Seven-Ring Tower]
Type: Defensive Structure
Functionality: Unknown
"A specialized defensive tower, huh?" Lucien smirked. "This will be useful for the territory. With a little enhancement, its power could be unparalleled."
He stored the model in his inventory, but a series of notifications interrupted him.
[Doom Counter: +1]
Lucien glanced at the notification, unfazed. "So the price is an increase in doom... fair enough."
From the top of the tower, he scanned the rest of the ruined city.
His gaze locked onto a faint gray light emanating from a seemingly ordinary house.
Leading his troops through the desolate streets, Lucien encountered several Night Watchers along the way. After eliminating hundreds of them, they finally reached the house.
Inside, a simple package awaited.
"Thankfully, no barriers this time," Lucien muttered. He switched his Hero Power template and opened the package.
Rewards:
Void Crystals: 756
Void Source Stones: 243
Weapon: [Sharp Scythe]
[Doom Counter: +1]
Lucien chuckled. "Not bad—a decent haul."
The weapon was an 18th-level rare-grade scythe, enchanted with a sharpness rune to enhance its cutting ability. While it wasn't remarkable, it was still valuable.
"On to the next."
Lucien continued to search the city for the seven luminous points of civilization.
The second, third, and fourth rewards were relatively ordinary. Each contained a combination of crystals, source stones, and low-level equipment. While the rewards weren't extraordinary, they steadily increased the Doom Counter with each collection.
But Lucien pressed on, unbothered by the mounting doom.
The fifth light led them to a decaying temple, adorned with an ancient clock atop its ruins.
"Could this be the Nightstar Clan's shrine?" Lucien murmured as he entered.
Within the temple, dark-robed priests emerged, their levels ranging between 12 and 20. Though their combat prowess was mediocre, their defensive abilities proved troublesome.
It took the Celestial Qin Soldiers several minutes to clear out the temple's inhabitants.
Afterward, Lucien approached the altar and collected the civilization's light of recognition.
Rewards:
Class Emblem: [Nightstar Priest]
Doom Counter: +1
Lucien studied the new emblem. Like the Night Watcher Emblem, it was of blue-grade quality.
"A decent find," he mused.
Sixth Light
The sixth light was located within a heavily damaged building.
When Lucien's troops arrived, seven resounding chimes echoed through the air.
The sound caused everyone to tense, their weapons drawn in preparation for an attack.
But after the seventh chime, nothing happened.
Instead, a miniature clock tower model materialized in front of Lucien.
[Clock Tower]
Type: Territorial Building
Functionality: Unknown
Lucien's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"This one's different—it's not a defensive structure like the Seven-Ring Tower. What exactly does it do?"
He pocketed the model and led his troops toward the final light.
The Final Civilization Light
The brightest light shone from the heart of the city: a towering palace that radiated majesty even in its ruined state.
Lucien ascended the grand staircase leading to the palace gates, marveling at the sight.
"Could this have been the Nightstar Clan's royal palace?"
The surrounding area bore the scars of fierce battles, with shattered stone and crumbled statues.
On either side of the entrance stood two colossal statues, silently guarding the palace ruins.