11: Chapter 11 Heavy Armored Spearmen, Moon Shadow Archers

The Iron-Armored Spearman—who should now be called Lin Feng—knelt on one knee with his head lowered, his voice steady and full of power: "Thank you for the name, Lord! I am Lin Feng. I swear to defend your glory with my life; wherever my spear points, I shall clear the path for you!"

"Good! Stand up!" Lin Tian helped him up, a genuine smile appearing on his face for the first time tonight. "Now, I will grant you even greater power!"

He took out a heavy piece of Refined Iron that shimmered with a dark gold luster and activated his talent! A soft light containing a mysterious power enveloped Lin Feng. The Refined Iron melted like a living thing, flowing and penetrating into Lin Feng's armor and long spear.

As the light dissipated, a brand-new warrior stood tall before him!

The originally somewhat crude iron armor had become as smooth as a mirror, showing a deeper and more textured bright silver color. The plates were thicker and more tightly fitted, and the joint connections were more sophisticated.

The long spear in his hand had completely transformed into a one-piece silver-white steel spear. The blade glinted with a chilling light, and simple yet powerful spiral patterns appeared on the shaft. A dark red tassel hung down, adding a touch of grimness. Lin Feng's entire aura became more solid and sharp, like a sword about to be unsheathed.

Lin Tian couldn't wait to open the unit panel:

[Fusion successful! Iron-Armored Spearman → Heavy Armored Spearman, Lin Feng]

[Unit Quality: Rare (Low-Grade) → Excellent (High-Grade)]

[Growth Potential: Gold 9-star (Can advance to a Gold-rank unit in the future)]

Skills:

[Thrust: A short-distance dash; melee damage is doubled. Suitable for tearing through formations.]

[Spear Glow: Swing the spear to trigger an air blade, dealing ranged piercing damage to enemies within five meters.]

[Array-Breaking Thrust: Concentrate all strength to launch a strike that ignores 50% of the target's defense, dealing 150% attack damage. Long cooldown.]

[Current Level: black iron 2-star (Synchronized upgrade)]

"Excellent (High-Grade)! Gold potential! And even an armor-piercing skill!" Lin Tian was ecstatic. "This Refined Iron was worth every penny! So worth it!"

He then followed the same process, fusing the remaining 9 pieces of Refined Iron with the other 9 Iron-Armored Spearmen one by one. For a moment, silver light flashed within the territory as ten Heavy Armored Spearmen stood proudly in line, their aura imposing. Only the last Iron-Armored Spearman (who now looked exceptionally "ordinary") watched eagerly, not daring to make a sound.

Lin Tian patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll definitely get one for you! For now, work hard under Captain Lin Feng!" After comforting this "late bloomer," his gaze turned toward the Archer queue. He called out the first Archer he had fused, that same initial female warrior.

"You should have a name too. How about taking my surname Lin and being called 'Lin Yin'? A clear sound in the forest, an arrow breaking the wind."

The female Archer's face flushed slightly, but she straightened her back and said in a crisp voice, "Lin Yin thanks the Lord for the name! To share your surname is Lin Yin's honor. I will diligently practice my archery and become the most precise string-sound in your hand, piercing through all enemy obstacles!"

"Good! Then let me see what kind of movement you can play!" Lin Tian took out the piece of moon birch spirit wood, which felt cool to the touch and flowed with a moonlight-like soft glow.

The brilliance of Fusion lit up again, this time a blend of emerald green and silver-white, full of nature and spirituality. Within the light and shadow, Lin Yin's figure seemed to become more slender and agile, her skin increasingly fair and translucent, and her long hair moved without wind, faintly tinged with the color of moonlight.

The originally coarse wood-fiber armor became as smooth and flexible as silk, with naturally formed silver-white thorn patterns appearing on the surface, and a dark gold glow faintly circulating deep within the patterns. The rattan armor became more form-fitting and lightweight, with sophisticated designs at the joints that didn't hinder the movements of drawing the bow and firing arrows.

At the position of her heart, a flower-bud-shaped silver-white heart mirror condensed, symbolizing her connection with the power of moonlight. The wooden bow in her hand became more exquisite and fluid, with silver light filaments seemingly flowing through the natural wood grain of the bow's body.

When the light completely receded, the Lin Yin who appeared before Lin Tian made even him daze slightly.

Before, after fusing with the wood, she had changed from haggard to delicate. But now, she seemed to have undergone a baptism of moonlight; her features were refined by more than just a notch, her eyes were clear and sharp, and her calm temperament carried a hint of forest elf-like agility.

On a scale of one hundred, she was less than 50 when she first arrived, reached 65 as a wooden Archer, and now... she was easily over 80! That beauty was not fragile, but possessed a unique charm that was as flexible as a bowstring and as sharp as an arrow. Lin Yin's cheeks turned crimson under his gaze, but she tried her best to remain composed, only slightly lowering her eyelashes.

"Ahem..." Lin Tian snapped back to his senses, mentally cursing himself for being so pathetic, as if he hadn't seen a woman in ages, and quickly checked the panel:

[Fusion successful! Archer → Moon Shadow Archer, Lin Yin]

[Unit Quality: Rare (Low-Grade) → Excellent (High-Grade)]

[Growth Potential: Gold 9-star (Can advance to a Gold-rank unit in the future)]

Skills:

[Precision Shot: Never misses within a hundred meters]

[Eagle Eye: Vision increased by 50%, can perceive enemy weaknesses]

[Triple Shot: Fires three arrows in rapid succession, attacking the same target or multiple close-range targets separately.]

[Current Level: black iron 2-star (Synchronized upgrade)]

Unit Trait: [Moonlight Affinity: In moonlight environments, all attack power is increased by 50%.]

"A 50% attack power bonus under the moonlight! This trait is practically a god-tier skill for night combat! The Triple Shot also makes up for the lack of burst power!" Lin Tian was overjoyed, wishing he could immediately find Lord Su Wan to trade for a large amount of moon birch wood. But after glancing at the time, he suppressed the urge.

He quickly named the remaining Archers in order from Archer One to Archer Ten.

As for the Rock Armor Soldiers, he chose the most steady and highest-level warrior from the start and named him "Lin Yan," signifying being as solid as a rock. The rest were named stone One to stone Ten. With his military strength skyrocketing, the next issue was housing. Lin Tian glanced at the resource bar:

[wood × 133][stone × 19][iron ore × 9][boar meat × 40][leopard meat × 10]

"Enough!" Without hesitation, he walked to the front of the Barracks and selected the upgrade. wood -100. Those three drafty thatched huts underwent structural reorganization and material transformation within a soft light, turning into three rows of wooden Barracks that, while still simple, were sturdy, clean, and fully equipped with doors and windows! The area of each barrack had clearly expanded, more than enough to accommodate over ten people.

"Lin Feng, Lin Yin, Lin Yan!" Lin Tian commanded in a loud voice. "The three of you are respectively the squad captains for the Heavy Armored Spearmen, Moon Shadow Archers, and Rock Armor Soldiers! Lead your subordinates into the new Barracks and hurry to rest!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over all the soldiers and the three terrifying silhouettes looming in the darkness outside the territory, his voice resolute:

"Remember! For the first seven days, this protective shield is an absolute barrier! No matter how terrifying those guys outside are, they can't get in. Everyone, conserve your energy! Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, as soon as it's light, wake me up immediately!"

"Yes, Lord!" Thirty-three warriors responded in unison, their voices dispelling some of the night's chill. They entered the Barracks in an orderly fashion.

Lin Tian stood alone in front of the Lord's cottage, taking one last look at those three "meat mountains." The initial shock and fear had settled, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility and a more blazing fighting spirit.

"Three Giant Bears guarding the door, huh?" he whispered to himself, his lips curling into a fierce and expectant arc. "Fine, I'll take that pressure. For the next six days... let's see if you can keep my door shut, or if I'll sharpen my blade enough to use the three of you... as the sacrificial offering for the first beast tide!"

He turned and went back inside, slamming the door shut, isolating himself from the terrifying giant shadows and the noisy chat channel. This night was destined to be sleepless for many, but Lin Tian knew he had to force himself to rest. Because tomorrow would be the start of a frantic development, a race against time and death.

In his hands, he already held the first batch of evolved weapons and thirty-three warriors waiting to grow. Hope, like the glow of the Territory Core, was faint but stubbornly pierced through the heavy darkness.