87: Chapter 87 Troop Cap of 100,000

Xu Qin went straight to the Lords Hall.

The first Source Heart must go to the hall.

Ding!

[Lords Hall: Implantation complete!]

["Lords Protection" activated: Centered on the Floating City, within a radius of 800 meters, the Lord and their troops gain +50% to all attributes and immunity to one fatal blow, reset every 24 hours.]

"Good heavens, not even an activation sequence?" Xu Qin couldn't help but laugh.

Half an hour later, holding the Source Heart returned by the Troglodytes, Xu Qin arrived at the Combat Readiness Platform.

Ding!

[Combat Readiness Platform: Implantation complete!]

["Source Crystal Expansion" activated: Carrying capacity permanently increased to 25,000 units (per level).]

Three levels, 25,000 each, for a total cap of 75,000.

Including the current 15,000 troops, it immediately becomes 90,000, and once the platform reaches level 6, the total troop strength can break through 100,000.

"Finally, I don't have to be stingy with converting troops. I'll use up the bones in a bit and spawn troops!"

He didn't linger and quickly walked into the Energy Zone.

Energy Zone, Energy Acceleration, activated.

descent platform, Overload Delivery, activated!

Forging Area, Energy Catalysis, activated!

Watchtower, Penetrating Detection, activated!

Six gun turrets, Bone Wall...

Acti-acti-acti-activated!

The moment the fourteenth Source Heart was embedded into the defensive Bone Wall.

Hum!!!

A band of orange light spread out from the Bone Wall.

Eventually, it formed a circular orange shield on the periphery of the Floating City, firmly enclosing the entire city.

Although the shield wasn't thick, looking out through it revealed that the outside view appeared as if seen through an orange filter.

Xu Qin walked to the edge of the Floating City and poked the surface of the shield with his finger.

His fingertip penetrated the shield instantly without any sense of obstruction.

"Very good, it seems to be an energy-type shield that won't affect the normal entry and exit of troops."

He returned to the Lords Hall, opened the Floating City list, and confirmed each functional zone one by one.

To be honest.

Xu Qin didn't expect that after using up all his Source Hearts in one go, he wouldn't have much of an emotional fluctuation.

Perhaps it was because he had seen too many good things lately, which raised his perception threshold.

He wouldn't get so excited that his hands shook just from a sudden surge in strength.

He sat on the bone throne, opened the regional map, and prepared to choose the next location for the Floating City.

But just at this moment.

Beep!

A few lines of notification popped up.

[Skeleton Vulture: Reconnaissance Report]

[Abnormal creature group moving!]

[Location: Approximately 28 kilometers southwest of the Floating City.]

[Target Type: Erosion Beast (Mixed Normal/Elite)]

[Estimated Quantity: 1,400 to 1,800 units.]

[Movement Direction: Approaching the Floating City.]

[Estimated Arrival Time: Approximately 4.5 hours.]

Hm?

What is this?

Erosion Beast?

Xu Qin pulled up the Vulture's reconnaissance perspective and switched the screen.

Sure enough, a large, dark mass of Erosion Beasts was moving across the desert.

Xu Qin zoomed out the regional map and checked the area within thirty kilometers around the Floating City again.

So that's it.

There are currently no activity records of any other Lords in the south of the Wailing Desert.

In other words, this batch of Erosion Beasts is the one that appears after the novice period ends.

They were rushing here purely because they were attracted by the vibrations caused by the underground vein mining.

Xu Qin closed the perspective and put his legs on the armrest of the bone throne.

"Tian Ming."

"Present."

"There's a batch of Erosion Beasts coming from the southwest, arriving in about four hours. I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, Master. I will assemble the troops now and prepare for interception."

"No need to go to that trouble," Xu Qin waved his hand. "Wait for them to come."

He clicked on the command panel to check his talent level.

The progress for upgrading War Gift to level 14 was still a segment short.

The number of settlements brought by the Erosion Beasts would be just right to advance the upgrade progress.

He wasn't in a rush for these four hours; the Troglodytes were still busy mining underground.

Waiting for the Erosion Beasts to deliver themselves was more efficient than taking the initiative.

"Fight right under the city. Ranged Troops on the city walls, Bone Beasts and melee units arrayed under the city. Wait until they enter attack range before moving."

"Yes."

"Keep mining at the vein, don't stop."

Tian Ming acknowledged the order and retreated.

Xu Qin got up and headed to the Combat Readiness Platform to start spawning troops.

...

More than four hours later, the sky darkened.

In the Skeleton Vulture's perspective, the Erosion Beast group had already entered within ten kilometers of the Floating City.

Xu Qin yawned and stood on the edge of the city wall, looking down.

Although Tian Ming followed Xu Qin's order and did not send troops to intercept...

He still arranged the Bone Beast phalanx under the city in advance.

On the city walls, the Skeleton Elf Archer and Undead Dwarf Musketeer were lined up on the left and right, with Chuan Yun standing at the highest point.

Eight bone-made gun turrets slowly aimed at the direction of the incoming enemy.

Soon.

The Erosion Beast group appeared in view, their movement speed not slow, emitting low hisses as they charged.

The physique of the front row was a cut larger than ordinary Erosion Beasts; they must be elite individuals mixed in.

Tian Ming raised his bone staff.

"Chuan Yun."

"Precision Volley, break up their formation first."

Chuan Yun raised his right hand.

All the ranged undead raised their bows simultaneously.

"Fire!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Bang, bang, bang!

Dense arrows and bullets poured down from the city walls.

Within seconds, the front row of Erosion Beasts took several rounds of volleys.

-157, -161, -135...

Dense damage numbers floated up.

Several elite Erosion Beasts in the front row fell one after another.

But the ordinary Erosion Beasts in the rear didn't stop, stepping on their companions to continue surging forward.

Tian Ming ordered again: "Bone Beasts, push."

Boom, boom, boom!

The one thousand Bone Beasts in the front row pressed forward as a whole.

Both sides collided instantly.

Crack!

The bites and claw attacks of the Erosion Beasts hit the bone armor of the Bone Beasts.

Damage numbers of -4 and -6 floated out continuously.

But the Bone Beasts had high HP and high defense, ignoring it completely.

They raised their bone claws one after another and struck at the heads of the Erosion Beasts.

The +40 enhancement bonus made this claw strike take away more than half of the Erosion Beast's health bar on the spot.

Subsequently, they were overwhelmed by the swarming Sand Jackals and Minotaurs.

The front row of the Erosion Beast group collapsed instantly under the crushing of the Undead Army.

From start to finish, the battle took no more than ten minutes.

Ding!

[Battle Settlement!]

[Targets Killed: Erosion Beast × 1147, Elite Corrosion Beast × 341]

[Talent "War Gift Level 13" triggered! All loot quantity × 14!]

[Final Acquisition: ...]

[Battle Evaluation: B]

[Evaluation Details: Overwhelming annihilation, excessive troop advantage.]

"Damn it!"

After reading the evaluation, Xu Qin cursed with disdain.

Such a perfect record, and it doesn't give an S?

Forget it, there's no one to complain to anyway, so be it.

Xu Qin watched the Bone Transport Cart move more than twenty thousand remains into the treasury.

He opened the talent bar.

He saw that the upgrade progress of War Gift had jumped from 4240 to 5870.

It was just 130 points short of being full.

"Tian Ming."

"Present."

"Take two hundred Guardian remains from the treasury, divide them equally and throw them into ten large pits, let the army continue to grind."

Hearing Xu Qin's order, Tian Ming instantly understood his Master's intention.

It was a waste to let the army sit idle; they had to keep getting stronger.

"Yes. Should Chuan Yun and the Blade Guard accompany them?"

"Take everyone who can be taken."

Xu Qin waved his hand backward.

"Even pull the Minotaurs along, let them stand by the pit and roar for buffs to get assists."

"Yes!"