613: Chapter 616 The Lord's Ring

Just then.

An unusual movement ahead caught his attention.

About fifty yards away.

A strange beast was prowling through the dust, its head lowered, sniffing the air.

At first glance, it resembled a vicious wolf.

However, its body was semi-transparent, and the blood vessels flowing within shimmered with a mercury-like luster.

Its forelimbs had extra joints.

Its gait was eerie as it walked.

Like a giant spider.

[Species: Carrion Eater]

[Rank: Common (Level 3)]

[Status: Hungry. "Fragile Soul" detected (Player: You)]

The Carrion Eater suddenly lunged.

It pounced toward Lu Chen.

Its body flickered constantly as it moved.

The spatial instability of the forbidden zone made its figure appear erratic and elusive.

To an ordinary human.

Its movements were as fast as a ghost.

Only a blurred afterimage could be seen.

Carrying sharp claws and fangs, it aimed straight for his vitals.

Lu Chen's expression remained unchanged, showing not the slightest hint of retreat.

He did not use the kind of power that could erase the entire world.

To comprehend the final one percent of the dimensional origin.

He had already completely sealed all his supreme authorities.

He strictly adhered to the limits of a Mortal body.

But his mind was operating at high speed with terrifying clarity.

Geometric trajectories, motion vectors, force distribution...

The Carrion Eater's attack path.

In his perception.

Was as clear as an equation that had already been solved.

At the very moment the Carrion Eater leapt.

Lu Chen precisely shifted an inch to the left.

The strange beast streaked past, grazing his body.

Its sharp claws tore through the Void Realm where his neck had been just a moment ago.

Without waiting for it to adjust its posture.

Lu Chen reached out and accurately grabbed its tail.

The movement was extremely simple, almost casual, yet it perfectly utilized the beast's forward momentum.

He suddenly exerted force with his wrist.

With a twist and a pull, he forcefully altered the beast's trajectory.

Slamming it violently against a nearby obsidian pillar.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of bones shattering was clearly audible.

[Ding! You have killed a Level 3 strange beast: Carrion Eater!]

[Gained 15 Experience Points.]

[Gained 5 Life Points.]

"Can I also gain Life Points by killing strange beasts?"

He murmured to himself.

He looked down at the Carrion Eater's corpse.

[Target: Carrion Eater (Corpse)]

[Evolution Path: Shadow Lurker, Cost: 2 Life Points]

[Hidden Attribute: Origin Fragment. Can extract fragment to summon a loyal Soul Servant.]

"Extract."

Lu Chen commanded in a low voice.

The Carrion Eater's corpse dissolved into a flurry of grey specks of light.

Spiraling and condensing.

Eventually forming a marble-sized crystal in his palm.

He returned to the center of the camp.

And tossed the crystal into the empty campfire pit.

"Refine. Refine into a loyal subject."

[Consuming 2 Life Points...]

[Consuming Origin Fragment...]

[Refinement successful! You have summoned your first subordinate.]

The curling green smoke did not take on a human form.

Instead.

It was a tall, thin figure.

It was wrapped in tattered bandages and draped in rusted iron plates.

In its hand, it held a notched spear.

Where its face should have been.

There were only two points of cold blue fire burning quietly.

[Unit: Revenant Militia (Special Variant)]

[Rank: Iron (Level 1)]

[Loyalty: 10 (Soul Bound)]

[Note: Since you refined a beast corrupted by the Void Realm, this lifeform possesses the "Phase Shift" trait.]

"Master."

The Revenant Militia knelt on one knee.

Its voice was hoarse and grating, like dry leaves scraping against stone.

"Go."

Lu Chen raised his hand and pointed toward the distant obsidian peaks.

"Go and collect fuel."

"If nothing grows here, bring back the bones of the giant beasts buried in this place."

"We need fire."

The Revenant Militia's figure blurred.

Passing through solid rock walls like a ghost, it vanished into the night.

At the same time.

In the pleasant environment of the First Ray Valley, tens of thousands of miles away.

The fate of another lord.

Was slowly unfolding along a relatively smooth trajectory.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Colin stood on a tree stump and raised his arms, shouting.

Three farmers stood before him, dressed in coarse linen clothes, their eyes full of hopeful light.

"The System warns us that we are in danger. We must build a wall immediately!"

"Lynn, go and collect wood."

"Ding Jia, find some food."

"Luo Bing, come with me, we'll make spears together!"

Thanks to Colin's S-Rank talent, "Brave's Halo."

His farmers showed no fear.

A faint halo enveloped them.

The 2% strength bonus made them swing their stone axes with incredible vigor.

"Lord Colin!"

Ding Jia suddenly pointed to a bush and shouted.

"Look! It's covered in bright red berries. They look delicious!"

Colin stepped forward quickly, and the System panel popped up.

[Appraisal Result: Blood-drop Berries. Edible. Consuming them slightly increases stamina.]

"Pick all these berries!"

Colin's heart was filled with excitement, his chest heaving slightly.

This feeling was just like the strategy games he used to play.

But this time, everything was real.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of pine and earth.

For the first time in his life.

Colin felt a sense of mission, of being needed.

He was the Dominator here.

A rising king.

As the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon.

A low growl suddenly came from deep within the forest surrounding the valley.

The name "First Ray Valley."

Did not represent absolute safety.

Its true meaning was "a glimmer of hope for survival."

Meanwhile, in the distant Desolate Plains of Despair.

Night did not descend.

It was like a giant beast.

Opening its bloody maw and swallowing the land whole.

Within just a few minutes, the temperature plummeted by forty degrees.

Lu Chen sat by the campfire, the flames burning with an eerie pale blue light.

Not long ago.

The Revenant Militia had returned.

What it brought back was not wood.

But thick white bones covered with crystal veins.

[Resource Collection: Ancient Giant Beast Bones x4 (Can be used as fuel/Materials)]

The campfire blazed brightly.

The warm firelight dispelled some of the chill.

[Ding! Rank Up! Lord Lu Chen's Rank has increased to Level 2.]

Lu Chen examined a rusted iron ring half-buried next to the cabin.

[Target: Rusted Iron Ring]

[Hidden Attribute: Insignia of a Lost Noble.]

[Hidden Attribute: Low-level Magic Conductivity.]

[Evolution Path: Lord's Ring of Command, Cost: 8 Life Points]

"Refine."

The 8 Life Points were instantly depleted.

The rust on the iron ring faded away.

Turning into a shimmering black-gold color.