23: Chapter 23 The Increased Number of Rotting Giant Bears

"Brothers of the Rock Armor Soldier, your good days are coming! Once the materials are sufficient, I will outfit all of you, and then let's see who can even scratch you!" Lin Tian was already imagining the majestic appearance of the Rock Armor Soldier after the Fusion with the black-yellow stone.

In a territory near a cliff face, piled with various ores and mining tools, Chen Hao—a man with dark skin, a sturdy build, and eyes that revealed shrewdness and caution—looked at the transaction completion notification and Lin Tian's promise to "take it all," his face revealing unbelievable surprise.

"black-yellow stone... this kind of stone that is so hard and heavy, and that usually few people even ask about—someone actually bought it all?"

Scratching his head, he looked at the few short, sturdy, and thick-armed Earth-Digging Miners resting beside him, "This brother 'Lin Tian' either truly has the ambition to build a super fortress, or... has some other special use for it."

He walked to the entrance of the mine, touched the rough rock wall, and calculated in his heart: "Regardless, this is a big deal! It's enough for me and my brothers to develop steadily for quite a while. Must do a good job; cannot ruin our reputation. I hope this Brother Lin is a man who keeps his word."

Regarding the future, Chen Hao was both full of anticipation and maintained his consistent caution. On this Eternal Continent, any large transaction could be accompanied by opportunities and unknown risks. But he still chose to seize this opportunity.

Meanwhile, Lin Tian had also found a stable channel for obtaining high-quality Earth-type Fusion materials for himself. Both sides got what they needed, and a collaboration with different underlying motives but a clear goal began.

Looking at the remaining Spirit Crystals and the warehouse full of materials, he prepared to rest with satisfaction, recharging his energy to welcome a tomorrow that was bound to be even busier.

However, having only been in dreamland for three hours, a dull, thunderous, and rhythmic "Boom! Boom! Boom!" loud noise, mixed with the teeth-aching friction of rocks and low beast roars, forcibly dragged Lin Tian out of his restless sleep.

"What's going on?" He sat up in a daze, rubbing his sleepy eyes. The sound felt like drums beating right by his ears, and even the hard wooden bed beneath him was trembling slightly.

"Could it be that those three 'blind bears' started their shift early? And they even brought their own BGM?"

He immediately threw on his coat and pushed open the creaking wooden door of the Lords Cabin. Under the cold moonlight, the area outside the territory protection shield where originally only three "meat mountains" were wandering—the scene now made his sleepiness vanish instantly, and his mouth opened slightly.

Five of them!

A full five Rotting Skeleton Giant Bears, as huge as hills, were tirelessly wandering and slapping around the invisible protection shield!

The two newly added ones were not inferior in size to the original three. Their dark brown fur glimmered with a greasy and eerie luster under the moonlight, and their murky, dark yellow eyes burned with the same endless hunger and mania.

Every time their giant paws struck down, although they still couldn't shake the protection shield in the slightest, the vibration felt from the ground when they walked was more than twice as strong as last night!

The five giant beasts were like five tireless battering rams, clumsily yet persistently trying to "knock open" this eyesore of a "transparent eggshell." Their heavy footsteps made the earth groan, and the foul-smelling breath they exhaled could even faintly drift into the protection shield.

The originally somewhat open perimeter of the territory was now circled by these five moving "hills," and the visual sense of oppression grew exponentially.

"Good grief..." Lin Tian gasped, subconsciously touching his cheek, "Last night it was a 'three-man patrol,' and today it's upgraded to a 'five-man work group'? Who's going to pay for this overtime?"

His first reaction was: "Could it be because I developed too fast during the day that I was 'specially cared for' by the system? Adding difficulty just for me?" A subtle sense of unease flashed through his heart.

He immediately opened the [Regional Chat Channel], wanting to see if he was the only one so "lucky." Sure enough, the channel had already exploded, and the speed of the message feed was astonishingly fast:

["Help! Last night there was only one Sandstorm Giant Scorpion wandering outside my territory, but tonight there are three! The sound of their tails hitting the ground is just like pile driving! I can't sleep at all!"]

["Same here! Yesterday there was only one Ghost-Faced Spider Mother spying on my territory, but tonight I see two! It even laid a big nest of little spiders outside my protection shield! It's so dense it makes my scalp tingle!"]

["Ice Howling Wolves! They went from five to eight! When they howl together, the icicles on my roof are all falling off!"]

["Giant Earth-Digging Worms! From two to four! The farmland on the edge of my territory has all been churned into a mess! (Though I haven't planted anything yet)"]

Looking around, it was almost entirely messages from lords wailing about the increase in the number of nocturnal monsters outside their territories; panic and anxiety were permeating the channel.

"Oh?" Seeing this, Lin Tian actually let out a long sigh of relief and patted his chest, "So it's not just me who 'won the prize'; it's a 'benefit' for everyone, shared equally! Now I feel much more balanced!"

That bit of worry about facing extra pressure alone instantly dissipated, and there was even a sense of humorous "misery loves company."

But after the relief came deeper consideration. He looked at the five wandering "meat mountains" outside, his brows slightly knitted: "Three last night, five tonight... If it follows this increasing pattern, tomorrow night might be seven, the day after nine... By the time the beast tide officially arrives on the seventh day, just these 'night watch' big guys alone might have a dozen or even twenty-plus appearing outside the territory simultaneously!"

This calculation made his heart shiver. These were just the "doormen" that appeared fixedly at night; the true main force of the beast tide was still unknown in scale and species. The severity of the situation far exceeded his previous estimates.

"No, I cannot be comfortable." Lin Tian's gaze became sharp, "I must accelerate the rhythm! Starting tomorrow, the exploration range must expand, hunting must be more efficient, and resource accumulation must be faster!"

"I must build up a sufficiently powerful defensive force and army before the danger accumulates to an unbearable level!"

However, watching those five Rotting Skeleton Giant Bears futilely slapping the air, occasionally roaring at each other in irritation, and grabbing nearby unlucky small monsters to stuff into their mouths whenever they were hungry, Lin Tian couldn't help but shake his head, a helpless wry smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"These guys are really 'dedicated'," he muttered, "Knowing they can't get in, they still 'clock in for work' on time every night, rain or shine, and come with their own 'intimidation package'."

"If this were a less courageous lord, forget about sleeping; they would probably be curled up in their room trembling all night, and how would they have any energy to develop the next day?"

He remembered that he had instructed Lin Feng, Lin Yin, and Lin Yan in advance to tell the soldiers not to panic regardless of any noises they heard at night and to rest with peace of mind.

Now it seemed that this decision was very wise. An army that is well-rested and has stable morale is far more combat-effective than a force tortured by fear and exhausted.

"Alright, I've seen it, and I understand the situation." Lin Tian yawned and rubbed his somewhat sore eyes, "The number of 'doormen' has increased, but the door is still the same door; they still can't get in."

"Instead of staying here keeping them company 'gazing across the shield' and wasting precious rest time, I might as well go back and recharge."

Shutting the unsettling loud noises and terrifying giant shadows outside the door, Lin Tian lay back down on that still-hard bed and covered his ears. This time, he quickly adjusted his breathing and entered a deep sleep.

The threat from the outside was real, and the pressure was immense, but fear and anxiety could not solve any problems.

One could only face the challenges with a clear head and decisive action.