17: Chapter 17 Barracks Technology

"This Lin Xiao..."

Inside a vast territory filled with countless buildings, while trading with Lin Xiao, Jin Ruxuan also began to check the latter's information.

What shocked him was that Lin Xiao's territory had already reached Rank 2.

From this move, he could clearly feel the strong self-confidence overflowing from the other party.

Even knowing that after the Seven-Day Assessment, he would face the hunting parties of alien Second-Tier or even Third-Tier Lords, he still had the confidence to stand his ground.

"This Lin Xiao might just become the dark horse that suddenly emerges among this batch of lords." Jin Ruxuan's eyes flickered.

He hadn't cared much about this strange lord introduced by Gao Yue at first.

But Lin Xiao's performance made him increasingly value him.

In the Chaos Source Sea, no matter the race, there is never a lack of examples of people who were originally unremarkable but soared into the sky after entering the Chaos Source Sea.

At this moment, in Jin Ruxuan's eyes, Lin Xiao already showed such signs.

"I must increase my investment." Jin Ruxuan thought to himself.

After the Seven-Day Assessment, when these new lords could return to the Main World, Lin Xiao would have many more choices, and there was no need to hang himself from a single tree. Now was the best time for him to build a good relationship with the other party and invest.

Moreover...

Just as Jin Ruxuan was thinking this, the dialogue box flashed, and Lin Xiao sent a message.

"Hmm?"

"Ask me to come forward and contact other lords, and in exchange for a certain amount of resources, trade for a one-time vassal-level protection?"

Jin Ruxuan immediately saw through the essence of this proposal.

It was asking him to use his own, or even the reputation of the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce, as a guarantee to collect protection fees for Lin Xiao.

Of course, he wasn't doing it for free.

Lin Xiao promised that he could take a ten percent commission.

If it were when they had just met, Jin Ruxuan wouldn't even have to think about it; he would have flatly refused.

What a joke. How precious is the reputation of the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce? Does this Lin Xiao have the qualifications to have the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce guarantee for him?

But now, Jin Ruxuan began to ponder.

"Collecting protection fees?"

"This is indeed the best way for those lords who have no background but have amazing potential to rise."

He nodded in agreement, and quickly made a decision in his heart.

Undeniably, there were significant risks involved.

If he misjudged, and this Lin Xiao didn't actually have such strong potential and soon fell under the siege of alien lords, then the contracts he guaranteed would become bad debts. Not only would he lose his capital, but even the reputation of the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce would be affected.

However, if one didn't even dare to gamble, then Jin Ruxuan wouldn't be a businessman.

...

Jin Ruxuan: "Fine, I will contact ten lords to sign a contract with you."

Lin Xiao looked at Jin Ruxuan's reply.

"Ten lords, is this the first batch?" Lin Xiao understood in his heart.

Investment has risks. Even if Jin Ruxuan thought highly of him, he wouldn't invest too much all at once.

He would have to wait until he showed stronger strength before increasing the investment.

"By the way, does the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce have any loan services?" After thinking about it, Lin Xiao added.

"I can approve a low-interest loan of 10 million Source Crystals for you; just pay back the principal and interest within a year."

This time, Jin Ruxuan's reply was very fast.

A simple loan was much easier than a guarantee that had the probability of affecting the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce's reputation.

Of course, the loan amount also depended on how much Jin Ruxuan valued Lin Xiao.

The two sides quickly reached an agreement, including the repayment period, interest, etc., all at normal levels.

Once the contract was formed, the 10 million Source Crystals were immediately transferred by Jin Ruxuan. This pile of cold Source Crystals didn't stay in Lin Xiao's hands for long, immediately turning into various warm resources.

Not only that, but Jin Ruxuan also quickly found ten lords willing to sign the contract.

Among the ten million new lords, there were many who were not confident in their own strength. The protection provided by guilds was too little, and if they wanted to recommend themselves as vassals to top-tier lords, the other party wouldn't look at them...

Now that there was an opportunity to receive protection from a top-tier lord, even if it was a one-time thing, it made them flock to it.

Among this, the guarantee of the Jinshi Chamber of Commerce undoubtedly played a decisive role.

Otherwise, relying on Lin Xiao alone, it was very likely he would be considered a scammer...

After all, similar things had happened many times in history. There are all kinds of people among lords. Some clearly lack strength and potential but go on a spree of fraud, attempting to defy the heavens and change their fate, only to end up as a huge mess. Such crazy lords appear from time to time.

After returning to the territory, Lin Xiao immediately got busy.

He first upgraded the Frost Fortress to Rank 2.

The Rank 2 Frost Fortress became increasingly massive and majestic, and the number of recruitable Frost Giants increased to 20.

At the same time, Barracks Technology was unlocked.

There is a huge difference between barracks and Troop Talismans. The former, as long as resources are sufficient, can continuously summon troops, and at the same time, one can research Barracks Technology to strengthen the troops' power.

The troops summoned by Troop Talismans cannot be replenished, and there is no technology to strengthen the troops.

Of course, Troop Talismans are not without advantages. The number of barracks that can be built in a territory is limited, but Troop Talismans can be hoarded in large quantities, and when needed, the population can be maxed out at the fastest speed.

Lin Xiao opened the Barracks Technology panel of the Frost Fortress, and immediately, rows of tree-like reinforcement projects appeared before his eyes.

Each one was a strengthening for the Frost Giants, including Bloodline, skills, and other aspects.

Many projects were high up and appeared gray; they needed the lower reinforcement projects to be lit up first and the barracks Rank to meet the standard to be unlocked.

Barracks Technology requires consuming a certain amount of resources to be lit up.

Lin Xiao looked around at the reinforcement projects at the bottom.

There were three projects in total, used to strengthen the Frost Giants' attack, defense, and health, respectively.

He quickly completed the technology upgrade.

[ Frost Offensive (Seal) (Rank 2): When launching an attack, the Frost Giants' attack increases by 20% ]

"It's a pity that it is subject to a Seal in the First Source Sea, otherwise the bonus would be higher."

Lin Xiao felt a bit regretful.

The Frost Fortress is a Perfect-level barracks, naturally restricted in this First Source Sea, unable to maximize its own functions.

Lin Xiao did not click on the defense and health projects.

It was mainly because of the shortage of resources, and as an alien troop type, the Frost Giants were just transitional troops in his eyes and not worth investing too much in.

Moreover, for now, the Frost Giants just need to throw projectiles from the rear; they don't need to engage in close-quarters combat, so there's no need to strengthen their defense and health.

He maxed out the number of Frost Giants in one go.

As 10 Frost Giants walked out of the Frost Fortress, the number of Frost Giants in the territory reached 20.

The height of these new Frost Giants all reached five meters, much taller than Gunn and the others.

At the same time, their Rank was also Second-Tier.

Regarding this, Lin Xiao was not surprised.

This is the Perfect-level troop type; under normal recruitment circumstances, they are born as Second-Tier troops.

Gunn and the others were only suppressed by the territory's Rank.

After the territory upgraded to Rank 2, their Rank synchronously broke through to the Second-Tier, and their height also surged to five meters, no worse than the newly recruited Frost Giants.

Similarly, Tu Lie also automatically ascended in Rank.