58: Chapter 58 Prey in a Group

Tian Ming drifted to Xu Qin's side, his blue soul fire burning quietly.

Xu Qin noticed that whether it was Tian Ming or the Savage Bull, their responses were becoming more natural now.

"It looks like, once the Altar... er, the Hall of Heroes is upgraded a few more levels, you all will be able to speak."

Xu Qin analyzed, then he patted Tian Ming on the shoulder.

"You've worked hard today."

Sure enough, Tian Ming's magic crown tilted slightly, counting as a response.

After the resources were unloaded, Xu Qin didn't let the army rest.

He clicked on the command panel and split the two teams again.

"Tian Ming, go north; Savage Bull, go west. Bring back as much as you can."

"I only have one requirement right now, and that is to fill up the warehouse for me as quickly as possible."

The treasury limit is one million, and it's currently over four hundred thousand, still more than half short.

The consumption of this Floating City is too huge.

Drifting for a day consumes ninety-six thousand; flying for a day straight up doubles it.

If he doesn't stock up enough capital, his city will have to shut down.

"Only when you're in charge do you realize the cost of daily necessities."

Xu Qin rubbed his chin and sighed, "Before, I was dirt poor; now, I'm so rich it makes me anxious."

No choice, the expenses are also high.

The army spread out again and waded into the depths of the desert.

The Floating City remained at the edge of the Oasis, not moving.

Xu Qin wasn't idle either. Through the command panel, he continued to issue orders to the dozens of Skeleton Vultures that had gone out for reconnaissance.

"Continue scouting further out. Explore every corner thirty kilometers away clearly."

Five kilometers away, the flock of vultures flapped their bone wings and ascended into the sky, spreading out like a large net.

Xu Qin sat on the bone chair of the Watchtower, following the vultures' eyes, watching piece by piece.

Finally, half an hour later, a vulture flying to the northeast sent back a different scene.

"Huh?" Xu Qin sat up straight abruptly.

In his field of vision, a regular outline appeared at the end of the yellow sand.

Wooden stockade walls, a few low houses, flags inserted on the walls.

A small territory, curled between two sand dunes.

"Someone?" Xu Qin narrowed his eyes.

He was all too familiar with this.

In the world of All-People Lords, this color is neutral yellow.

The buildings are regular; it absolutely cannot be wild.

The one controlling it from behind must be an Earthling who was thrown in just like him.

Xu Qin pushed the view closer, carefully identifying the troop types in the territory.

Not tall, skinny, with grayish skin, holding various small tools in their hands.

"What... what race is this?"

He stroked his chin while observing, unable to recognize them for a long time. "Doesn't look like a Goblin, nor a Gnome..."

The troops' appearance is very mixed, a messy bunch together.

"Likely some obscure minor race."

However, Xu Qin did not underestimate the opponent.

Those who could survive the wave of attacks from the Erosion Beasts must have something unique.

Their combat power definitely cannot be underestimated.

Moreover, as the image gradually became clear, Xu Qin saw the resource points around this territory.

It could be said to be dense.

Iron mines, forests, several stone quarries, scattered around the territory.

Xu Qin made a rough count; it was more than all the desert he had cleared in the past few days combined.

"Good grief." He clicked his tongue and said, "They are living on a gold mine."

Case solved.

No wonder they survived the Erosion Beast attack; the resources are right at their doorstep.

Seeing this, his level of attention to this small territory increased a few notches.

With resources so dense around a territory, the development absolutely cannot be bad!

Xu Qin was not in a hurry to attack.

Because before making a move, he had to figure out the surrounding forces first.

"In any case, one must know oneself and the enemy. Otherwise... it's easy to stumble."

Xu Qin opened the command panel and issued orders to the few vultures nearby, "You all, scout the area within thirty... no, fifty kilometers around this place thoroughly for me!"

The vulture flock circled the yellow territory and spread outwards.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, the outline of a second territory appeared in his vision.

About ten-plus kilometers away from the yellow territory, hidden at the edge of a dry forest.

This territory was also marked with neutral yellow, and the troop types also had a different look, looking like some kind of half-human, half-beast.

Before Xu Qin could clearly see the layout inside the territory, a third neutral territory popped up.

The location of this territory was exactly stuck between the first two territories; the three territories connected together formed something like a triangle.

"Whoa." Xu Qin took the three red dots... no, yellow dots, and marked them on the map, starting to ponder slowly.

"Interesting."

The three territories were only ten-plus kilometers apart from each other.

Now that the protection period has ended, at this distance, it's impossible that they haven't met.

"Met, but didn't fight..." Xu Qin analyzed the situation with his hands behind his back, "Then there's only one possibility left."

These three have already formed an alliance.

The things that bunch of people in the chat channel are clamoring about all day, these three have quietly accomplished it.

Exchanging what they have, huddling together for warmth, connecting the three small territories into one, sharing resource points.

No wonder they could withstand the first wave of attacks from the Erosion Beasts.

"Anyway, eating one is the same as eating three." He rubbed his chin and said happily, "Since you've already bundled together, I certainly can't play favorites."

"Iron, wood, stone... I'm just short of these."

"It's like someone bringing a pillow just when I'm sleepy."

Cannot give them enough reaction time.

In war, it's seventy percent strategy and thirty percent execution.

Xu Qin put his attention back onto the first territory.

He observed for a long time and discovered that this lord's standing army is about three or four hundred, all that kind of skinny miscellaneous soldiers.

The second territory is slightly stronger, the half-beast troops are a bit tanky, about four hundred.

The third territory has the most troops, a little over five hundred, but they are very scattered, mostly out gathering.

Adding the three together, at most fifteen hundred.

This battle... can be fought!

The safest tactic is to defeat them one by one.

As for the time, let's set it in the middle of the night.

If I make a move during the day, the target is too big, the three could see the Floating City bearing down on them at a glance.

"Wait until they are sound asleep before making a move."

A plan gradually took shape in Xu Qin's mind.

The undead don't need to sleep and don't know fatigue.

This is his huge advantage.

Living races have low morale and slow reactions in the second half of the night.

Sneak over at that time, do it in one go, without even giving them time to react.

"Lower the Floating City's altitude to the minimum, ten meters."

Xu Qin ran through the process in his mind, "Drift over sticking to the sand surface, in the dark; by the time they discover something above their heads, the city will already be in their faces."

"At that time, directly use the descent platform to drop troops into their base, blooming from the center!"

"Fully charge the turrets. Eight cannons fire simultaneously, first blast the stockade walls and defensive Watchtowers to pieces."

"Once a gap is opened, flood the Skeleton Sea in."

The more Xu Qin thought about it, the more excited he became.

This feeling, it's so nostalgic.

Just like staying up late to play games back in the day, setting up formations and saving up ultimate moves, just waiting for this moment.

Only this time, the chessboard is real, and the pieces are real too.

But for now...

He opened the command panel and looked at the resource reserves.

After all the functional areas reach level five in a while, he will start pushing for level six.

Next, prepare for battle with full force!

-- Wishing the students taking the college entrance examination success!