"Ah!"
Jia Yingchun's beautiful eyes widened as she broke into a sweet smile, turning to Lucian. "Young Master, look!"
"Hmm."
Lucian accepted the rewards, nodding and smiling.
"As expected of the territory's lucky charm. Excellent work!"
The praise was casual, yet Jia Yingchun's cheeks flushed lightly, and her guilt about not participating in the battles lessened slightly.
Watching Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing fight fiercely on the battlefield, she had felt a mix of helplessness and frustration, unable to contribute directly.
However, she was reassured knowing that her efforts in managing other aspects of the territory also brought significant rewards.
Most importantly, Lucian's words of encouragement filled her with joy.
Stealing a glance at him, Jia Yingchun contentedly took a seat beside Qin Keqing, engaging her in quiet conversation.
Meanwhile, Lucian reviewed their spoils and felt quite satisfied.
The BOSS loot chest rarely yielded a large number of Void Crystals or Essence Stones, but Jia Yingchun had proven herself lucky this time, netting a series of excellent items.
The appearance of the [Undead Protector] barracks also confirmed his earlier suspicions:
This was part of a set series, a chance to obtain something truly special.
For ordinary lords, even obtaining the first part of such a set was unlikely. Securing subsequent pieces would often be impossible without greater strength or luck.
But Lucian wasn't an ordinary lord.
He knew that the Cthulhu-related monsters had posed a grave threat—one that many new lords at his level would have struggled against, even if banding together.
Strength dictated outcomes in the Void. For those who lacked it, survival was the priority, not greed.
Tasks like this one rewarded endurance.
The stronger a lord's forces, the more time they could withstand the waves of attacks, and the greater their harvest.
For weaker lords, however, withdrawing early and taking what they could carry was often the best course of action.
"One more piece, and I'll unlock a purple-rarity unit and its barracks. A complete set feels so rewarding!"
Lucian's eyes shone with ambition.
He couldn't help but wonder if his Golden Finger, the [Mechanical Kidney], could further enhance the purple barracks into a golden one.
After all, this miraculous power had previously turned mundane structures into wonders.
Yet, it seemed to operate unpredictably.
For instance, his [Arrow Towers] had evolved inconsistently: some turned into extraordinary killing machines, while others became disappointingly average.
Even his [Toilet], seemingly mundane at first, had become the [Rose Garden Sanctuary], offering unparalleled benefits to cultivation.
"That blasted Rose Garden…"
Lucian sighed, recalling its unintended effects.
Though initially frustrated at its creation, its bonus of +200% cultivation speed had proven invaluable.
Even his heroes often used it, spending hours there to hone their techniques, emerging with evident improvements.
According to Lin Daiyu, if the Rose Garden Sanctuary reached higher levels, its effects might rival the [Tree of Destiny], a legendary wonder in the Gold Domain.
This unexpected boon made dismantling it unthinkable.
Lucian himself had also benefited from its cultivation effects and couldn't deny its allure.
Shaking off his musings, he turned his attention back to the new loot.
The [Bone Flute], a Level 25 purple-grade equipment, boasted impressive attributes.
However, its class restrictions rendered it useless to Lucian, so he stored it in the Microcosmic World.
The [Banshee's Head] was a material dropped from the Banshee Boss.
Meanwhile, the [Banshee's Liquor], a potion that temporarily boosted mental attributes by 50 points and provided resistance to soul attacks, intrigued him.
How ironic that the Banshee Boss had dropped a countermeasure against its own kind!
Lucian casually handed the potion to Lin Daiyu, whose mental attributes could benefit greatly from it.
Finally, the most notable item: the [Cage] building blueprint.
"This might prove useful in the future. Let's construct it for now."
Without hesitation, Lucian deployed the blueprint.
The model expanded in the wind, materializing into numerous suspended cages scattered across the ground.
[Cage] (+)
Lucian wasted no time. Directly activating the Mechanical Kidney, he enhanced the structure.
Multicolored light enveloped the cages, and within seconds, the transformation was complete.
The simple cages were now adorned with golden restraints, exuding an air of regal authority.
[Golden Cage]
Type: Confinement Structure.
Level: 1 (0/500).
Capacity: (None).
Basic Functions: Restriction, Suppression, Confinement.
Special Feature 1: Golden Rope (Lv.1).
Special Feature 2: Golden Charm (Lv.1).
Inventory: 10/10 (Consumes 1 per hour per prisoner).
Description: "Bind prisoners with golden ropes! They'll love it."
Golden Rope
Level: 1
Effect: Restrained prisoners become increasingly weak, losing their resistance over time.
Golden Charm
Level: 1
Effect: Bound prisoners have a higher recruitment success rate, reduced hostility, and lower resistance.
Introduction: "Who doesn't love gold?"
"Interesting…"
Lucian's expression turned peculiar.
While the cage seemed far superior to ordinary ones, he hadn't captured any prisoners so far, rendering it temporarily redundant.
That night passed quietly.
Following the demise of the Cthulhu lineage member, no more of its kind appeared.
Subsequent battles were straightforward: undead mages, dark beasts, and occasional bosses—all systematically dispatched.
The prolonged effort yielded bountiful rewards.
Through the night, morale remained high. The consistent victories bolstered the soldiers' spirits.
By 4:30 AM, something unusual occurred.
No new enemies arrived.
The battlefield remained eerily calm.
Lucian, puzzled, began scanning the surroundings for any sign of activity.
"Did the mission end early?"
He couldn't shake the thought.
Recalling the climactic final boss from his Newbie Trial, he wondered if Void Space intended to send a similar surprise.
But now that he was an official Lord, he doubted Void Space would humor him with such a "game."
Suddenly, a cry shattered his thoughts.
"Ah! Ah-Yu, what's wrong?!"
"Quickly! Notify the Qin warriors!"
A girl from the Bright Moon Palace collapsed to the ground, her face pale with anguish.