"Guys, there's no unit reward after reaching Tier 5!"
Just as Alex was checking the rankings, a message suddenly popped up in the Regional Chat.
The channel, which had been bustling with activity early in the morning, fell silent for a moment before exploding into chaos.
"No unit reward for Tier 5? What's going on?"
"Is this information reliable?"
"Who told you that?"
"No way! I've always gotten unit rewards with every upgrade. How come it stops at Tier 5?"
"Is this some kind of joke? There are only a handful of Tier 5 players right now."
"I don't think it's a joke. I've heard some of the Tier 5 big shots mention it."
"Well, this is…"
The chat was flooded with messages, everyone stunned by the news.
No new unit rewards after Tier 5.
It was like a brutal blow to their hopes of turning their fortunes around.
Many lords who had been stuck with weak units early on began to wail and curse, feeling that this was deeply unfair.
But no matter how much they ranted, it was all in vain. Nothing would change the outcome.
As for the others, their shock was mixed with relief.
After all, they had already been given four chances by fate. If they still hadn't managed to get a usable unit by now, it wasn't just bad luck anymore.
Besides, there was still the Tower of Units.
As long as they managed to get a decent unit, they could still level up by diligently gathering resources.
So, in the end, resources were what mattered most.
No matter how many units you had, without resources, it was all meaningless.
Alex understood this deeply, which was why he worked tirelessly, day and night, to accumulate resources.
Seeing the discussions in the Regional Chat, he simply smiled and didn't pay much attention, continuing his journey toward the other side of the forest.
By the time he crossed the forest and reached the Scorched Wasteland, the messages in the Regional Chat had cleared up, leaving only a few scattered posts, seemingly sent earlier that morning.
"Could there be others here already?"
Alex frowned, surprised that someone had already made it to this wasteland to explore.
It seemed he'd have to speed up his mining efforts. If someone discovered that mining area, it would undoubtedly lead to a fierce struggle.
Moreover, after one night, the number of Tier 5 players on the rankings had already surpassed twenty.
At this rate, Tier 5 players would only increase, and iron ore would surely become a hot commodity, fought over by countless people.
He had no intention of getting caught up in such trouble.
With that in mind, Alex quickened his pace, heading toward the mine.
Soon, he arrived at the mining cave where he had previously dug for ore and continued his work.
With his plants working diligently, the iron ore in his personal storage space quickly piled up, filling more than half of it in no time.
"Huh? What's this?"
Suddenly, Alex's gaze was drawn to a peculiar piece of ore in the pile.
Unlike the iron ore, this one had a slightly brighter hue.
He picked it up and examined it curiously.
[Name: Copper Ore]
[Description: One of the materials used for territory construction. Can be used for various types of building.]
"Copper ore!"
Alex's eyes lit up.
Wasn't this another material needed for territory upgrades?
To think it was hidden within the iron ore vein!
Excited, he immediately went to the pile of recently mined ore and began sifting through it.
Sure enough, it didn't take long before he found seven or eight more pieces of copper ore.
Though the quantity was smaller compared to the iron ore, it still made up a decent portion, which was a pleasant surprise.
Now, he finally had a source for copper ore.
After collecting the ore, Alex led his plants out of the mine and headed back toward his territory.
After two trips, his iron ore count had reached over four hundred units, and while the copper ore was still limited, it was slowly increasing. It wouldn't be long before he had enough materials to upgrade to Tier 6.
However.
On his third trip to the mining area, something unexpected happened.
An uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the mine, directly crossing paths with him.
It was a cold-faced young man about his age, accompanied by a group of fire-element units and a few earth-element units.
The young man seemed surprised to encounter someone else here. When he saw Alex, he paused for a moment before immediately becoming wary.
Alex was equally taken aback.
He stared at the other man, his heart sinking.
Because he noticed that two of the fire-element units by the young man's side had reached Tier 5!
Fire-element units, and more than two at Tier 5.
Even if Alex were a fool, he could guess the man's identity.
"You're Ryan Mitchell, aren't you?"
Alex spoke first, his tone confident.
The young man looked surprised but replied, "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Alex, the plant-based lord?"
Clearly, he had also deduced Alex's identity based on his units.
The two sized each other up for a moment.
Once their suspicions were confirmed, they suddenly exchanged a smile.
"There's plenty of ore in this mine, more than enough for both of us. How about we each take what we need?"
"Sounds good to me."
Ryan Mitchell smiled, his expression relaxing.
He had come here to mine ore, not to pick a fight with a formidable opponent like Alex.
Besides, they were both Tier 5, and their rankings weren't far apart. Even if one of them won a fight, the losses would be severe, making it not worth the effort.
Any sensible person would know what to choose.
Moreover, they didn't have any conflicting interests. Taking what they needed was a win-win situation.
After a brief exchange, the two split up, each mining their own section of the mine, keeping to themselves.
"You've been mining here for a while, haven't you?"
Ryan's voice came from the other side of the mine.
"Yeah, I've made a few trips already. The materials needed to upgrade to Tier 6 are quite substantial," Alex replied vaguely, not revealing too much.
After all, this was their first meeting. It was only natural to be cautious.
There was a moment of silence before Ryan spoke again, hesitantly this time. "I'd advise you not to rush to Tier 6."
"Not rush to Tier 6? Why?"
Alex was puzzled.
This was the first time he'd heard someone suggest not leveling up quickly.
Wasn't this world all about getting stronger? Why would someone advise against it?
"Trust me, something big will happen once you reach Tier 6, and it might not be a good thing for us."
Ryan's voice was more serious this time, even carrying a hint of apprehension.
Hearing this, Alex's expression turned grave.
If someone ranked third was this wary, it couldn't be a small matter.
Did Ryan know something he didn't?
Shocked, Alex quickly asked, "What kind of big event? Can you tell me more?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself. I just know that the area we're in now isn't the true Primordial Continent. Once you reach Tier 6, it'll attract something."
"There's such a thing?" Alex was even more surprised.
"I heard it from someone who came from another region," Ryan's voice grew lower.
"According to that person, there was a ruthless individual in their area who concentrated resources to reach Tier 6 first. But as soon as he hit Tier 6, he mysteriously disappeared—along with his entire territory!"