59: Chapter 59 Second Night Battle

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Tian shook his head with a smile, interrupting her. "Prestige?" His tone was light, yet carried an unquestionable sincerity.

"I have never thought about putting on airs or acting mighty in front of you. Lin Yin, you have fought alongside me all the way here; you are my subordinates, but more than that, you are comrades to whom I can entrust my back, and... brothers and sisters like family. Between family, we take care of each other—do we need to quibble over such things?"

"Family..." These two words tapped gently against Lin Yin's heart, causing her heartbeat to skip a beat. A warm current, mixed with more complex emotions, surged into her heart. She was still struggling with thoughts like "This is against the rules" and "This is too presumptuous," her inner self at war, not knowing how to respond.

However, Lin Tian did not give her much time to hesitate. He dragged a small stool from somewhere, placed it behind Lin Yin, and then naturally reached out his hands, gently pressing them onto her slightly thin yet straight shoulders.

Lin Yin's body stiffened instantly, as if she had been immobilized by a spell. Through the thin holy robe, she could clearly feel the warmth and strength of those palms—palms that belonged to her Lord, to a man, and more importantly, to someone special in her heart.

"Good, be obedient, sit down." Lin Tian's voice sounded above her head, gentler than the moonlight and carrying a reassuring magic. "You've been busy all day; your shoulders must be sore. Relax."

Those words, "Good, be obedient," seemed to possess a magical effect, causing Lin Yin's tense body and heartstrings to relax strangely, bit by bit. The thoughts of resistance melted away like snow under the sun, replaced by an indescribable sense of obedience and... a secret joy.

Like a puppet being guided, she obediently sat on the stool, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "Then... then... thank you, Lord."

Lin Tian's massage technique could hardly be called professional, but his strength was moderate, carrying the warmth and steadiness unique to a man. His fingers pressed onto the Acupoints on her shoulders and neck, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, kneading slowly, attempting to dissolve the stiffness accumulated from long hours of drawing her bow and staying alert.

An unprecedented sense of comfort, accompanied by the warmth of being cherished, spread from the touched areas to every part of her body.

Lin Yin couldn't help but close her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering gently. Once her body and mind were completely relaxed, the fatigue from days of battle seemed to surge up, making her feel a wave of lethargy.

Unconsciously, her head tilted back slightly, and she actually leaned, gently and tentatively, against the lower part of the chest of the person behind her.

In an instant, warmth, solidity, and a masculine scent with a faint hint of soap enveloped her.

Lin Yin's mind went "boom," and her heartbeat, which had just calmed down, began to race uncontrollably again. "Oh my god! I... I'm leaning on the Lord!" This realization made her so shy she almost wanted to spring away immediately, but her body clung to that warmth and sense of stability, unable to move.

Her inner monologue played out wildly: "Will the Lord think I'm too frivolous? Do I still smell like sweat? I haven't had a proper bath since I got back today... But, it's so warm, so reassuring... It's like finding a harbor to rely on..."

Lin Tian naturally sensed the sudden increase in weight in his arms and the faint fragrance coming from the girl's hair.

His massaging movements paused slightly, then resumed as normal, becoming even a bit gentler.

He didn't speak, nor did he push her away; he simply continued the movements of his hands, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

The fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, the soft reliance in his arms, and the muscles gradually relaxing under his fingertips caused this corner under the moonlight to be filled with a quiet and subtle atmosphere.

Time flowed slowly in this silent tenderness; the crackling of the bonfire and the distant whispers of soldiers became a blurred background noise. After about ten minutes, Lin Yin finally struggled to recover the last shred of her reason from this indulgent "land of gentleness." The night battle was imminent, and as the lead general, she could not be so lax.

She opened her eyes abruptly, sat up straight, and detached herself from that warm support. Her cheeks were even redder than before, like ripe cherries. "L-Lord... I've rested enough!" She hardly dared to look at Lin Tian, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor. "I... I have to go organize the troops; we still have... the night battle later."

After saying this, she stood up like a startled rabbit and hurried to leave.

She walked a few steps, but then suddenly stopped. With her back to Lin Tian, she took a deep breath, as if summoning great courage, and then turned around.

Under the moonlight, her face was still crimson, but her clear eyes were bright, carrying a trace of lingering shyness and renewed determination, and even a hint of playfulness from having "turned the tables" after being "counter-attacked" just moments ago. She said softly, "Thank you for the 'concern,' Lord... Tonight, this subordinate certainly will not let you down."

Watching her appearance—clearly incredibly shy yet forcing herself to appear calm, and even a bit "provocative"—Lin Tian finally couldn't help but chuckle out loud.

He touched his nose, watching the moon-white figure merge into the light and shadow of the camp in a somewhat hurried yet upright manner, and shook his head with a smile: "Truly a... interesting girl."

After the brief, heartwarming interlude, Lin Tian restrained his smile and cast his gaze back toward the boundless darkness outside the protective barrier and the shadowy, terrifying figures within. The area that had been heavily cleared last night had already gathered many new corrupted monsters, their roars rising and falling, and their numbers did not seem to have decreased.

But Lin Tian no longer felt the slightest bit of the gravity he had felt yesterday; instead, a surge of heroism and anticipation welled up within him. "Come on, come ahead." He whispered to himself, his eyes flashing with confident light. "My strength will only grow stronger day by day, and my army will only grow larger day by day. Before the true threat arrives, all of you... are my best 'experience babies.'"

He focused his mind again, carefully sensing the situation outside the protective barrier. After confirming that there was no terrifying sense of being watched that had been so heart-palpitating last night, and finding no individuals whose strength was completely undetectable, he completely set his mind at ease.

He turned and walked to the front of the military formation that had already finished lining up and was filled with a murderous aura. The six thousand three hundred soldiers were silent, with only the slight sound of armor rubbing together and heavy breathing.

The new recruits' faces showed nervousness and eagerness, while the veterans' eyes were steady and sharp.

Lin Tian stood still, his gaze like torches, sweeping over every face. His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire field, carrying a convincing calmness and power:

"Brothers! Present here are veterans who experienced last night's bloody battle, and also new brothers who joined today! I won't say much more—veterans, guide the new recruits well and pass on your experience! Those with high Rank, hold the perimeter and protect the brothers inside!"