95: Chapter 95 Then Take a Rest

What must come will eventually come; there is no hiding from it. Since the "experience babies" were taking a night off, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"That's fine," Lin Tian said to himself in a low voice, a slightly self-deprecating smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "It's a good time to let the brothers have a good night's rest. Between the continuous high-intensity combat, the impact of 'death' in the secret realm, and the Fusion Evolution tonight, everyone's mind and body have been stretched too tight. If a string is pulled too tight, it's easy to snap."

He turned around and was about to speak when he realized that Lin Yin had silently approached him at some point and was quietly watching him.

The moonlight was like water, spilling over her newly changed moon-white casual clothes and outlining her slender, graceful figure.

Her eyes were clear and filled with her usual focus, as if she had already taken in Lin Tian's earlier contemplation, his gaze into the distance, his checking of the channel, and even that final self-deprecating smile. Without needing to ask, she already understood the thoughts and worries in his heart.

"Brother Tian," she spoke softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the silent night. "Tonight... it is unusually quiet."

"Yeah, you noticed too." Lin Tian walked over to her and naturally gave her a brief overview of his observations and conjectures, concluding with:

"...So, I estimate there won't be any 'battles' outside tonight. It's just as well; let everyone have a good sleep. Especially the newly fused brothers; they need time to adapt to their new power. Pass down the order: the entire army is to rest tonight, and the night combat arrangements are canceled."

Lin Yin listened intently. When she heard Lin Tian mention the roar from last night and tomorrow's beast tide, a cold, sharp glint flashed deep in her eyes, but it quickly transformed into a state of calm obedience.

She nodded, her voice steady. "Yes, I understand. I will go and convey the order now."

She paused for a moment, her gaze falling on Lin Tian's face, which struggled to hide his exhaustion despite his efforts to stay spirited. After a moment's hesitation, her voice softened unconsciously. "Brother Tian, you should also rest early. Tomorrow... might not be easy."

Seeing the unmistakable concern in her eyes, Lin Tian felt a warmth in his heart, and some of the gloom brought on by the silence and the unknown was dispelled.

He smiled and habitually wanted to reach out and rub her hair, but then he remembered that she was now a general commanding tens of thousands of elites and that the soldiers were still present. He withdrew his hand halfway and simply said warmly, "Alright, I know. Don't stay busy too late either. Come back and rest once the order is delivered. Tomorrow, we might have to rely on you, the 'Moonlight Reaper,' to show your great power."

Hearing the occasionally playful title "Moonlight Reaper," Lin Yin's fair cheeks flushed slightly under the moonlight. However, instead of shyly lowering her head as usual, she slightly lifted her chin, a flash of determination appearing in her cool eyes.

"I definitely won't let Brother Tian down." With that, she didn't delay any longer. She gave Lin Tian a salute, then turned and disappeared before him with light and swift steps to carry out the order.

He took one last look at the heart-palpitatingly quiet darkness outside the city, as if trying to see through it, before resolutely turning back and returning to the warm, bright interior.

It was late at night, yet the warm light of a magic crystal lamp still glowed in the study of the Lords Mansion.

Lin Tian sat behind a large desk, with the virtual territory resource panel spread out before him. Thinking about his future plans, his brow was slightly furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously tapped rhythmically on the tabletop.

He carefully calculated the existing resource reserves and the developments and challenges that might be faced tomorrow, on the crucial seventh day.

The expansion of the city walls, the upgrading of the people's livelihood, and the Fusion of new troop types were certainly pleasing, but the consumption of resources was also like flowing water.

More importantly, the end of the novice protection period and the beast tide trial at midnight tomorrow weighed heavily on his heart like a heavy stone. He had to ensure that everything was foolproof.

Just as he was immersed in the complex data and deductions, with his thoughts wandering further and further away, the study door was pushed open softly, and a moon-white figure walked in silently.

It was Lin Yin. She had finished conveying the order for the entire army to rest tonight.

Her steps were still light, but there was an imperceptible trace of weariness between her brows. The continuous high-intensity combat, the impact of "death" in the secret realm, and the guarding and worrying during the Fusion Evolution in the evening had clearly drained a lot of her mental energy.

"Brother Tian," she said as she walked to the desk, her voice a few degrees softer than usual, as if afraid of disturbing his thoughts. "The orders have been arranged. All camps have turned off their lights and are resting."

Hearing her voice, Lin Tian snapped out of his contemplation and looked up at her, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Alright, thank you for your hard work. Having to run around so late."

He could see her exhaustion, and a hint of pity rose in his heart.

Lin Yin gently shook her head without responding. Her gaze fell on Lin Tian's slightly stiff shoulders and his furrowed brow, and a flash of heartache appeared in her clear eyes.

She walked behind the desk to the back of Lin Tian's chair, her voice becoming even softer, with a kind of undeniable tenderness. "It's no trouble. On the contrary, Brother Tian, your eyebrows are knitted together from thinking so much. I... I'll give you a massage to help you relax."

With that, without waiting for Lin Tian's response, those fair and slender hands were lightly placed on his tense shoulders.

Her fingertips carried a warm body temperature, and her movements were familiar and gentle as she began to knead the stiff muscles in his neck and shoulders.

Lin Tian was slightly taken aback, then his body relaxed.

Lin Yin's massage technique seemed to have improved since the last time; the pressure was just right, accurately finding the sore spots knotted from sitting for too long and overthinking.

A comfortable warm current spread from his neck and shoulders, making him let out a sigh of relief.

"Then I'll have to trouble you." He closed his eyes, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation as his tense nerves eased.

"It's no trouble," Lin Yin replied softly from behind him, her hands never stopping, while her gaze fell tenderly on the slightly messy top of Lin Tian's head and his relaxed profile.

Taking advantage of the gap during the massage, Lin Tian wasn't completely idle. He communicated with the system through his thoughts and contacted several "regular customers" again.

First was Qian Duoduo, with whom he finalized a trade for 10,000 units of wood and 10,000 units of iron ore. After expanding the territory and upgrading the people's livelihood today, the basic materials traded yesterday were mostly consumed, so he had to restock quickly. As for stone, there were still over 10,000 units left, which was enough for now.

Next was Chen Hao. This honest miner brother certainly didn't disappoint him, having mined another 5,000 units of black-yellow stone! This greatly relieved Lin Tian's anxiety about materials for the subsequent expansion of the Mystic Rock Spirit Guards, and he immediately bought them all up.

Then there was Master Blacksmith Li Zhenguo. The dwarven blacksmith's efficiency was still astonishing; today, he had actually forged 10,000 units of Refined Iron.