7: Chapter 7 First Address

"Awoo!!!"

"Roar!!!"

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!!!"

Countless shrill, manic, hungry, and violent howls and roars suddenly erupted from all directions, from deep within the jungle, and from even more distant lands of darkness. They rose and fell, converging into a hair-raising symphony of terror!

The sounds were so close they seemed to linger just dozens of meters outside the protective shield, yet so distant they echoed like they were from the depths of hell.

In the darkness, many crimson and eerie green points of light flickered and drifted. Those were the greedy, bloodthirsty eyes of demonic creatures. At night, ordinary beasts would be influenced by some unknown force, causing them all to go berserk and become extremely bloodthirsty.

Inside the territory, it formed an extremely oppressive contrast. Only the flickering, weak, yet stubborn campfire at the Barracks and the steady, cold blue-white light emitted by the Territory Core next to the Lords Cabin barely managed to dispel a small circle of the surrounding heavy darkness.

Beyond the light was a boundless darkness that seemed capable of swallowing everything, filled with the unsettling roars of demonic creatures.

When first entering this world, the Heavenly Dao System had issued an announcement: one must return to the territory before dark. Leaving the territory's protection at night carried an extremely high risk of death! Lin Tian, naturally, wasn't going to be stubborn; he canceled all nighttime recruitment and hunting expeditions.

There was a reason for not recruiting as well. Since they weren't going out to hunt at night and had the protection of the shield, recruiting more was useless. Besides, his common-quality Militia didn't even require recruitment time, unlike other high-level units that needed a significant amount of time.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Tian gathered all the soldiers into a formation. Facing this brand-new team he had created with his own hands, his gaze slowly swept across every face—from the Rock Armor Soldiers, covered in cold, hard rock armor with only their determined eyes visible, to the Iron-Armored Spearmen in full plate holding sharp spears, and the agile Archers with eyes like eagles.

The initial weakness and numbness had faded from them, replaced by a reshaped, burgeoning vitality.

Lin Tian took a deep breath, and his voice rang out clear and steady, echoing within the territory covered by the protective shield:

"Today, you have taken the first step of your transformation. This rock armor, these iron helmets, and these wooden bows are not just protective gear and weapons; they are the proof of your rebirth."

He paused, a sharp and certain light flashing in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "As for my ability, you have already experienced it firsthand. This is only the beginning."

"As long as you follow me and fight relentlessly, there will be no end to your power. Today you are clad in rock armor; tomorrow you might be able to channel the leylines. Today your spear light first blooms; in the future, it may pierce through mountains!"

His tone gradually rose, carrying a sense of unquestionable conviction, as if he were stating an inevitable fact: "The land beneath our feet is just the starting point."

"One day, our flag will be planted in every corner of this Eternal Continent! Your strength, along with the name of my territory, will resound through the heavens!"

As his voice fell, in the brief silence, a certain burning will seemed to be ignited in the eyes of the soldiers.

Immediately, seventeen voices—a mix of the low grinding of rock, the clanging of vibrating metal, and the sharp whistling of arrows through the wind—converged into a unified, resolute shout: "The Lord is mighty! We pledge our lives in loyalty to the Lord!"

The waves of sound surged, seemingly dispelling some of the fear brought by the night.

Looking at this group of warriors with burning gazes and soaring fighting spirit, a surge of hot pride welled up from the bottom of Lin Tian's heart. Intertwined with his budding ambition, it made him truly feel that a path to the peak had already unfolded beneath his feet. Life was truly becoming more and more promising.

After finishing his encouraging speech, he dismissed them to rest, with each type of unit entering their own specialized Barracks.

When arranging for seventeen soldiers to squeeze into those three thatched huts—which theoretically held fifteen people in total but now had to fit seventeen—the scene was somewhat "spectacular."

The Rock Armor Soldiers had to carefully adjust their positions to avoid bumping into things, the Iron-Armored Spearmen had to pile their removed armor in the corners, and the Archers had to make flexible use of the limited space.

Seeing every thatched hut packed so tightly that it was almost difficult to turn around, Lin Tian rubbed his nose, feeling both amused and a bit guilty.

"Brothers, bear with it for tonight. Squeezing together will keep you warmer!" he shouted toward the Barracks, then secretly made a resolution. "Tomorrow! No matter what, I have to upgrade the Barracks tomorrow! I can't let my precious warriors suffer!"

"With these living conditions, where would my dignity as Lord Lin Tian go if word got out?" As the soldiers gradually quieted down, only the crackling of the campfire, the never-ending terrifying howls outside, and the steady glow of the Territory Core remained in the territory.

Lin Tian returned to his Lords Cabin. Although it was simple, at least it was a private room. Leaning against the headboard, he didn't rest immediately but instead opened the Lord's chat channel, which was exceptionally "lively" regardless of whether it was day or night.

Sure enough, the fall of night and the roars of demonic creatures caused the information in the channel to refresh several times faster than during the day. Panic, pleas for help, boasting, trading, and even jokes made in the face of hardship formed a chaotic yet realistic nightly picture of the survivors on the Eternal Continent.

Lin Tian browsed the bustling Trading Platform, looking at the "wealth" newly credited to his Spirit Crystal and resource columns, rubbing his hands together. "To have money and not spend it is to be a miser! I need to turn this money... oh no, these resources, into actual combat power. Only then can I explore more land and hunt fatter monsters tomorrow!"

First, he used 50 units of wolf meat and the remaining 17 units of various furs to trade for 134 units of wood. Then, he traded 50 units of wolf meat for 20 units of common stone and 10 units of iron ore respectively. After the trades were completed, besides the meat consumed by the warriors today, only 40 units of boar meat and 10 units of leopard meat remained.

Next, he was drawn to a special trade message: "Selling Refined Iron. Private message for price. Only accepting Spirit Crystal trades."

"Refined Iron?" Lin Tian's eyes lit up. This was much higher level than ordinary iron ore. If used for Fusion... He immediately clicked to apply to add a friend. The other party's name was Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo, which sounded like a steady and reliable person.

The friend request was quickly approved, and Lin Tian asked directly.

[Lin Tian]: Hello, Brother Li. How much Refined Iron do you have in stock? What's the price?

[Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo]: Hello. 1 unit of Refined Iron for 1 Spirit Crystal. It takes five pieces of good iron ore to smelt one piece of qualified Refined Iron. Based on market rates, this price is already a loss, so no bargaining. I currently have 10 units in stock. How much do you need?

[Lin Tian]: I understand the price. If I may ask, Brother, where did you get this Refined Iron? Just curious, nothing else.

[Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo]: It's fine to tell you. My initial unit type is Dwarves. They are natural blacksmiths and can refine high-quality Refined Iron from an open-pit iron mine near my territory.

[Lin Tian]: Dwarf units? And an accompanying iron mine? You've got great luck, Brother! Starting with matching resources, your path as a Lord will surely be smooth!

[Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo]: (Sends an expression of honestly scratching his head) It's not that smooth. Dwarves aren't very strong in combat, and I'm currently lacking critical building blueprints. Having Refined Iron is useless if I can't build good weapons. I saw a [Basic Forging Room Blueprint] on the exchange, but the seller only takes Spirit Crystals, which is why I'm in a hurry to get some.

[Lin Tian]: Understood! You're a craftsman with high standards! Alright, I'll take all 10 units of Refined Iron. If I need more in the future, I'll come looking for you!

[Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo]: No problem at all! You're a straightforward guy! In the future, if you need Refined Iron, as long as I have it, I'll provide plenty!