44: Blood Moon Chest! Overclocked Core!

The Blood Moon receded.

That suffocating, blood-thick crimson sky, like paint diluted by endless clear water, faded inch by inch under the stunned gaze of all survivors, finally returning to its eternal, dead, dull yellow.

The sunlight after the catastrophe was not warm.

It couldn't penetrate the heavy clouds, only casting some weak specks of light, carrying a corpse-like chill and dead silence.

Lin Feng stood alone on the ruined fortress.

The air was filled with the faint smell of gunpowder, rock dust, and residual arcane energy, mixing into a strange scent that symbolized a brutal war.

He calmly glanced at his resource panel.

The string of numbers, so long it almost overflowed the virtual screen, was the spoils he had snatched back from the system's certain death trap, using his cunning and madness.

He opened the regional channel.

The next second, the clamor, like a poked hornet's nest, instantly flooded his vision.

[Current War Zone Survivors: 1058 people]

This number, like a red-hot branding iron, seared into the eyes of every survivor.

Another halving.

The entire 8888 War Zone was left with only these last thousand-plus people.

They were like seaweed clinging precariously to rocks after an apocalyptic storm, trembling in the cold wind.

In the channel, there were no more desperate wails, no more hysterical curses.

Dead silence.

A post-catastrophe, chilling dead silence, as if one could hear the heart beating weakly in the chest.

Everyone seemed to have their throats gripped by an invisible hand, silently licking their wounds and repairing their dilapidated fortresses.

They waited with an almost numb gaze for the eight-hour ceasefire to end, waiting for the next judgment, whenever it might descend.

It was in this atmosphere, solidified to the point of near-stagnation, that a golden, dazzling SSS-grade badge, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, suddenly lit up!

It was the Phoenix Empress, who had maintained absolute mystery and silence since the server opened.

Her words carried no emotion, yet each word was like a hammer, imbued with an unquestionable authority and decisiveness, like a thunderclap from the nine heavens, tearing open this desperate silence.

"[All-Region Announcement] Everyone, rather than merely lingering on, it's better to fight back with all your might."

"The Blood Moon has passed, but the human calamity remains."

"That cancerous growth named 'Little Devil' must be eradicated."

"Eight hours later, I will form the Demon-Slaying Expeditionary Force. All Lords with a Level 5 Main Camp or higher can apply to join. I will lead the charge, launching a series of challenges against 'Little Devil,' locking him completely into a defensive state, so he can no longer threaten any of us!"

"This battle is for revenge, and even more so, for survival!"

"Those willing to join, report your ID and talent level!"

These words were like a huge rock thrown into stagnant water, instantly stirring up massive waves!

The silent channel, after a brief moment of stunned disbelief lasting less than a second, was completely ignited by an extremely suppressed flame, mixed with towering rage and a desperate will to survive!

"Phoenix Empress is mighty! Count me in! Swift Wind Swordsman (SS-grade), I've long been annoyed by that little bastard!"

"Me too! Holy Light Priest (S-grade), I can provide healing to the heroes of the Expeditionary Force, so everyone's charge won't be interrupted!"

"Damn it! We're going to die anyway, might as well die gloriously! Iron Wall (A-grade), I'm willing to be the vanguard!"

For a time, the crowd was agitated, and responders gathered like clouds.

It was as if the Phoenix Empress's call to arms had provided an outlet for these survivors, who had struggled in desperate darkness for too long, a common, irreconcilable enemy!

However, amidst this fervent tide, the obnoxious, playfully cruel ID, with a childlike innocence and brutality, reappeared.

Little Devil: "Oh dear, what's going on? Do we need to shout slogans before a battle? What a childish game of make-believe."

Little Devil: "How pitiful, a bunch of ants who can't even defeat an Ironclad Lord, want to challenge me?"

Little Devil: "You may never understand what kind of scenery a Level 9 Main Camp offers."

Little Devil: "But I like it, just keep coming one by one. Don't worry, I will crush your fortresses, along with your ridiculous courage, and turn them into my final stepping stone to a Level 10 Main Camp. Hehe, I'm really looking forward to it."

Blatant mockery.

Undisguised contempt.

The channel, which had just been as agitated as a volcanic eruption, instantly felt as if an entire iceberg had crashed into it, and the momentum of all responders faltered.

Level 9...

This number, like an unbreathable, insurmountable black mountain, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Lin Feng scanned these messages with an expressionless face, his eyes showing no ripples.

Alliance?

It was nothing more than a group of disorganized people huddling together for warmth in despair.

In the face of an absolute disparity in strength, numbers meant nothing.

He closed the noisy channel, completely shutting out the meaningless clamor.

His gaze fell on his inventory.

There, a magnificent treasure chest, quietly lying there after the Blood Moon ended, emanating a rainbow of flowing light, awaited his opening.

[Blood Moon Treasure Chest]

This was the only thing he cared about at the moment.

"Open."

Buzz—!

The moment he willed it, the treasure chest transformed into a sky full of dazzling flowing light.

Countless data streams, as if endowed with life, converged before him into a brilliant river of stars, swirling, intertwining, and reorganizing.

Finally, all the light collapsed inward, condensing into a fist-sized, multifaceted crystal with countless perfect facets.

Inside the crystal, a liquid, golden-red flame seemed to flow, pulsating rhythmically and powerfully, like a heart.

"Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the unique Legendary Gem – Overclocking Core!"

[Overclocking Core]

Quality: Legendary (Orange)

Type: Inlay Gem (Unique)

Effect: Can be inlaid into any defensive tower (removable at any time), granting it the [Overclock] active skill.

[Overclock] (Active): When activated, the attack speed of this defensive tower increases to 3 times within 1 second, lasting 10 seconds. After Overclocking ends, the defensive tower will enter a 60-second [Overheat] state, during which it cannot attack.

Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply at the terrifying attributes of this gem.

His brain worked at an unprecedented speed, instantly grasping the terrifying, battle-changing value contained within this item.

"Good stuff."

A cold yet satisfied curve appeared at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth.

This gem was equivalent to a tactical nuclear weapon-level trump card.

It exchanged one minute of paralysis for ten seconds of earth-shattering, extreme burst damage.

If it were inlaid into the Hell Tower, it would mean that the charged damage could be stacked to its maximum within a mere 3 seconds, instantly evaporating any high-HP elite unit or hero.

If inlaid into the Quad Rocket Mage Tower, it would unleash a staggering one hundred and twenty rockets within ten seconds, enough to completely wipe out any size of legion from the map!

This was the most perfect "point-kill" artifact, specifically designed to target high-HP, high-threat targets!

Lin Feng forcibly suppressed the excitement that surged within him from obtaining such a treasure, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp in an instant.

With this Overclocking Core, his plan against "Little Devil" gained an additional layer of certainty for a decisive kill.

Just then, a private message, without any warning, silently popped up.

The sender was precisely that golden, SSS-grade badge.