In the blink of an eye, a night passed.
It had been two days since the last ranking rewards were distributed, and today marked the third day. Based on previous experience, the rewards were usually handed out in the evening, so Alex wasn't particularly anxious. He got out of bed and opened the rankings to take a look.
1st Place: Ethan Carter [Tier 5: Demon-type]
2nd Place: Alex [Tier 5: Plant-type]
3rd Place: Lily Bennett [Tier 5: Angel-type]
4th Place: Dongfang [Tier 5: Humanoid-type]
5th Place: Ryan Mitchell [Tier 5: Elemental-type]
Aside from the fourth spot, the top five were all familiar faces, which didn't surprise Alex in the least. By now, the leading players had mostly filled their ranks with Tier 5 units, and their overall combat power had more or less stabilized. Making significant improvements was nearly impossible unless they acquired even stronger units or leveled their existing ones to Tier 6.
But reaching Tier 6 was no easy feat. It required killing a staggering 250 Tier 5 monsters, and that was without losing any units along the way. Even River, who had been the first to reach Tier 5, was only at 153 experience points despite the Ancient Tree of Knowledge's experience bonus and the monsters Alex had slain over the past few days.
[Name: Wood Sprite · River (Royal)]
[Race: Plant]
[Level: Tier 5 (153/250)]
[Strength: 170]
[Constitution: 170]
[Agility: 205]
[Spirit: 228]
[Skills: Nature's Dominion (Intermediate), Aura of Affinity, Thorny Vines]
[Description: A royal among plants, capable of commanding other plant-type units and proficient in natural magic.]
Thanks to the numerous monsters she had helped defeat, River's stats had seen a significant boost. However, reaching Tier 6 would require slaying at least another hundred Tier 5 monsters. Even with the Ancient Tree of Knowledge's hourly experience bonus, it would take four or five days to level up. And that didn't even account for the other units, which were lagging even further behind.
Fortunately, Alex still had half a month left. That was more than enough time to level all his units to Tier 6, as long as he didn't advance to Tier 6 himself and risk drawing unwanted attention. When the gray mist weakened on the final day, he could make his move and escape!
For now, his priority was to gather resources and accumulate Mana. The cost of using the [Migration Orb] depended on the level of his territory. A Tier 6 territory would require a whopping 60,000 Mana, not to mention the resources needed to upgrade to Tier 6 in the first place. It was a staggering amount, but understandable—after all, a Tier 6 territory was massive, and moving it would naturally consume a lot of resources.
"Looks like I'll need to prepare well in advance," Alex muttered to himself, glancing at the bustling Regional Chat. He couldn't help but sigh. Barring any miracles, most of these people were destined to perish in this realm. Even if he wanted to help, there was little he could do. He couldn't even guarantee his own survival.
A full ten million people! The thought of so many lives being trapped and ultimately lost here sent a shiver down Alex's spine. He knew that ten million was but a drop in the ocean compared to the myriad realms, but it still left him deeply unsettled. This, perhaps, was the fate of the weak. To truly control one's destiny, one needed overwhelming strength.
"One day, I'll stand above all, free from anyone's control!" Alex's expression darkened. After everything he'd been through, his mindset had begun to shift. He was no longer the same person who had first arrived in this world. If he wanted to master life and death, preparation was essential.
After storing the copper ore he'd collected the previous day in the territory's warehouse, Alex set out with half of his units toward the Rocky Caverns. He needed to gather more copper before others discovered the cave's secret.
The trip took the entire day. Due to the distance and the constant respawning of monsters in the caverns, each round trip consumed a significant amount of time. After just two trips, the sky began to darken, forcing Alex to halt his mining and hurry back to his territory.
He stored the newly collected ore in the warehouse, then sat down in an open area to start a fire and prepare a meal. As he ate, he kept an eye on the Regional Chat, which had grown even livelier as the time for ranking rewards approached. Everyone was speculating about who would receive what rewards or guessing the rankings of certain top players. Alex's name came up frequently in the discussions, but he simply smiled, unfazed.
He was confident in his strength. With two Tier 5 royal-blooded plant units, ten newly recruited rare Wood Drakes, and the rest of his units boasting three skills each, his lineup was formidable. Surpassing such a roster wouldn't be easy.
Sure enough, as soon as the clock struck the hour, a notification echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have secured 2nd place in the Regional Rankings. Reward: 5,000 Mana, 2x Tier 5 Territory Essence.]
Still in second place. By now, Alex was almost certain that the top-ranked player had a Tier 6 unit. Otherwise, it would be impossible to maintain such a consistent lead. He had personally experienced the terror of Tier 6 monsters—they had nearly wiped out his entire team. A Tier 6 unit would naturally be no less fearsome. Just one could easily outmatch ten, or even twenty, Tier 5 units. There was simply no comparison.
But that was fine. Alex wasn't lacking in Territory Essence at the moment. What he needed was Mana, and the top three rewards all offered the same amount. For him, the difference was negligible. With this reward, his Mana reserves finally surpassed 10,000, bringing him one step closer to the 60,000 he needed.
After a quick meal and a bit more time spent browsing the chat, Alex returned to his wooden cabin, bringing an end to another busy day.
Five days passed in a flash.
After days of back-and-forth trips and relentless effort, Alex finally gathered enough resources to upgrade to Tier 6, all stored safely in his territory's warehouse. Today marked the twentieth day since he had arrived in this world, meaning he only had ten days left.
But there was good news.
Early in the morning, he received a notification about River's advancement.
[Congratulations! Your unit, "Wood Sprite · River," has reached full experience and successfully advanced to Tier 6!]
The moment he heard the notification, Alex rushed out of his cabin and down to the territory grounds. There, he saw River enveloped in a radiant light, her body rapidly growing. In no time, she transformed into a slightly larger sprite, her crown and staff now adorned with a gleaming emerald orb. Even the butterflies fluttering around her had increased to four, adding to her ethereal presence.
Alex quickly approached, and River's updated stats appeared before his eyes.