28: Defense is full, crazy upgrade

"My Lord, I'm here!" A middle-aged woman, dressed in a simple cotton-padded jacket, wearing an apron, and with a kind face, quickly walked out from behind the crowd.

It was Aunt Zhao, the territory's chef.

Her face was a mix of worry and lingering fear; she had clearly heard that distant yet terrifying roar earlier.

Mo Yan looked at Aunt Zhao, then at the Soldiers gathered around the bonfire, looking utterly exhausted.

Mo Yan spoke: "Aunt Zhao."

Aunt Zhao quickly responded: "Yes! Your orders, My Lord!"

"Prepare dinner." Mo Yan took out wolf meat from his talent space and handed it to Aunt Zhao, "Use this, the meat of that leader Ice Source Wolf."

Aunt Zhao's eyes immediately lit up; that was leader-level exotic beast meat, its contained energy far surpassing that of ordinary exotic beasts!

Mo Yan continued to instruct: "Stew the wolf meat into a soup, add plenty of meat chunks, the soup should be thick, and make all the remaining wolf meat into roasted meat."

He scanned the Soldiers, whose faces were pale from the cold and who were constantly rubbing their hands: "Everyone was startled today, and consumed a lot of energy, so make dinner hearty."

"Let the brothers eat well and replenish their strength; there's still a tough battle waiting for us."

Hearing 'tough battle,' the joy on Aunt Zhao's face was tinged with a few shades of solemnity, but she still nodded vigorously, patting her chest to assure him:

"Yes, alright, My Lord, rest assured, I'll go handle it right away!"

"I guarantee everyone will eat their fill and eat well!"

She took the heavy wolf meat and hurried off towards the temporary kitchen.

Her steps were quick, and her mind was already calculating how to maximize the effectiveness of this precious food.

Mo Yan looked at Aunt Zhao's busy back, then glanced at the Soldiers by the bonfire who were wolfing down food to replenish their strength, and his heart stirred slightly.

food is the foundation for restoring physical strength, especially high-quality food, which can accelerate recovery and even enhance potential.

The primeval stones brought back from the Ice Rift Valley were just enough to build that special building; this matter could no longer be delayed.

The people's livelihood depends on food; for a powerful territory, logistical support must keep up.

Mo Yan opened the Lord panel and quickly scanned the resource bar:

"Gold Coins: 3960"

"food: 5940"

"wood: 6020"

"Stone: 6130"

"iron ore: 6180"

"Dried Meat: 1540"

"Primeval Stones: 1527"

"Frost Spider Carcasses: 91"

...

He took out the Yu Shan Workshop blueprint from his talent space, selected an empty plot next to the territory's central plaza, and confirmed his intention.

"Tip: Construct Yu Shan Workshop"

"Consumes food x3800, wood x1600, Stone x1000, iron ore x200, Primeval Stones x25"

"(Remaining time: 49:59)"

A soft white light swirled and rose on that empty plot, faintly accompanied by illusions of steaming aroma.

The light outlined a phantom building with unique upturned eaves and a wide stove.

Then, it quickly solidified, and a simple yet grand Yu Shan Workshop rose from the ground, adding a trace of warmth and life to the cold air.

Immediately after, he began to allocate this batch of resources.

"Research Elementary Physical Training III"

Mo Yan opened the Technology Research Institute interface and quickly issued the command.

"Tip: Research Elementary Physical Training III - Consumes food x800, Gold Coins x400,"

"(Research Time: 2 hours)"

Elementary Physical Training III

Effect: All Soldiers' physical strength increased by 3%

"Confirm!" The Technology Research Institute lit up and began to operate.

Mo Yan's eyes narrowed slightly; there wasn't much time left until the evening's joint defense battle, and the appearance of that monstrous thing in the Ice Rift Valley had sounded an alarm.

It was imperative to prioritize improving the Soldiers' immediate combat power to deal with the beast tide.

As for the ethereal Cultivation System, while tempting, it had to be put aside for now; survival was the absolute priority.

Defense is offense!

He turned his gaze to the territory's walls and Arrow Towers.

"Upgrade Wooden Walls to Rank 2!"

"Tip: Wooden Wall Upgrade Lv1 -> Lv2"

"Consumes wood x4000, Stone x4000"

"(Remaining time: 39:59)"

Wooden Wall

Rank: Lv2

Description: Defense increased by 5%, Durability 1000, Prosperity +3

The icon representing the wooden wall on the territory panel flickered with light.

In reality, the wooden walls surrounding the territory emitted a low hum, and a thick, earthy yellow halo flowed across their surface.

The original log color quickly deepened, and the wooden structure visibly became thicker and sturdier, one could even hear the subtle creaking sound of wood fibers tightening and reorganizing.

"Upgrade 4 Arrow Towers to Rank 2!" These were the territory's main source of ranged firepower; they had to be upgraded.

"Tip: Basic Arrow Tower Upgrade Lv1 -> Lv2"

"Consumes wood x1200, Stone x800, iron ore x240, Gold Coins x200"

"(Remaining time: 39:59 / tower, simultaneous)"

Basic Arrow Tower

Rank: Lv2

Description: Attack range increased to 200 meters, automatically and continuously shoots arrows at hostile targets, providing ranged firepower support.

Prosperity +3

Immediately after, the Arrow Towers distributed at the territory's entrance began to change simultaneously.

The tower bodies rose slightly, the supporting structures became sturdier, the shooting platforms at the top also widened, and the crossbow arm material gleamed with a metallic luster, appearing even more robust.

The Lv2 Arrow Towers' range and power had clearly increased, allowing them to inflict more damage before the beast tide approached.

But the firepower was still not enough! The rear also needed defense; he couldn't just focus on the front.

He quickly opened the defensive building list, his gaze fixed on the Basic Arrow Tower, ready to add more firepower.

"Construct two Basic Arrow Towers!"

"Tip: Construct 2 Basic Arrow Towers"

"Consumes wood x600, Stone x400, iron ore x120, Gold Coins x100"

"(Remaining time: 19:59 / tower, simultaneous)"

Mo Yan's thoughts stirred slightly, placing the two new Arrow Tower phantoms on the wooden wall at the rear of the territory.

After a flash of light, two brand new Lv1 Arrow Towers began to materialize.

With this, the territory would have 4 Lv2 Arrow Towers and 2 Lv1 Arrow Towers, ensuring ample firepower.

A preliminary cross-fire network was established.

The territory's population cap was 50; currently, with Soldiers and other residents, there were 41 people in total, meaning 9 more could be recruited.

Military strength must not be wasted; one more person meant one more unit of power.

"Recruit Soldiers!"

"Confirm consumption of 90 Gold Coins, 90 food, to recruit 9 First-Rank Soldiers?"

"Confirm!"

The numbers for Gold Coins and food on the panel flickered and decreased again.

Nine soft lights lit up within the Barracks, and the figures of nine Soldiers, holding simple weapons and wearing basic leather armor, gradually solidified.

"Recruiting: 35:59"

After completing these important matters, Mo Yan's gaze returned to the Soldiers by the bonfire, who were gradually relaxing.

The construction of the Yu Shan Workshop, the research at the Technology Research Institute, the upgrade of defensive buildings, and the recruitment of new Soldiers—everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The crackling of burning wood, mixed with the clanging sounds from the distant kitchen and the gradually spreading rich aroma of meat, dispelled the dead silence and cold of the ice plain.

The familiar and stable atmosphere within the territory, the warmth of the bonfire, the aroma of food.

All of this formed a stark contrast with the unknown and terror of the Ice Rift Valley.

The sense of relief after surviving a disaster silently soothed everyone's taut nerves.

Mo Yan took a deep breath, feeling the unique tranquility within the territory.

He looked down at Gun Gun, who was still clinging to his calf.

He smiled helplessly, then simply found a clean spot near the bonfire and sat down, letting the little fellow cling to him like a pendant.

He took out a clean piece of fur from his talent space to sit on, and then took out some dried meat that Gun Gun used to like, offering it to its mouth.

Gun Gun twitched its nose, smelled the familiar scent, and its fear lessened slightly, hesitating for a moment.

Finally, it opened its small mouth and began to nibble little by little.

But its body remained tense, its eyes occasionally glancing warily in the direction of the Ice Rift Valley, as if that terrifying shadow could pursue it at any moment.

Mo Yan gently patted its back, but his gaze was fixed beyond the territory, on the ice plain shrouded in darkness and wind and snow.

The existence deep within the Ice Rift Valley was like a thorn, pricking his heart.

Escaping this time had an element of luck.

What about next time?