3: The trap worked, and the wolves were defeated.

“Confirm!”

Buzz—

A light blue progress bar appeared above the Barracks, showing the remaining recruitment time.

[Recruiting: 49:59]

While the Soldier recruitment was ongoing, Mo Yan didn't stay idle.

Considering the issue of storing spoils of war in the future, he decided to build a basic Warehouse as well, just in case.

It couldn't always be stored in his talent space.

[Basic Warehouse]

Requirements: wood × 50, Stone × 30.

Construction Time: 10 minutes

Description: Increases territory's basic storage capacity by 10,000, Prosperity + 5.

Ten minutes later, a simple Warehouse was completed, appearing on the other side of the Ice Crystal Cabin.

Mo Yan stood at the entrance of the Ice Crystal Cabin, the cold wind blowing his dark hair, silently feeling the chill.

He gazed at the end of the snowstorm, also keeping an eye on the remaining recruitment time for the Barracks.

At the same time, he closely monitored the slowly changing numbers on the resource panel.

Finally—

The moment the Barracks' recruitment progress bar completely finished.

Creak—

The heavy wooden door of the Barracks was pushed open.

Ten First-Tier Soldiers, clad in simple leather armor, one hand holding a long spear, the other a rough wooden shield, stepped out.

Each Soldier, with an ordinary face, stood tall, their eyes revealing Killing Intent.

Although they were only the lowest-tier cannon fodder Soldiers, their appearance brought Mo Yan a sense of relief.

“Attention, all! With the Ice Crystal Cabin as the core, relying on the trap area, prepare for defense!”

“Yes, My Lord!”

The Soldiers responded in unison, moving swiftly.

They quickly set up a simple defensive formation around the cabin and the trap area.

Spears outward, shields protecting their bodies.

A Severe Aura quietly permeated the air.

It was at this moment that the dazzling blood-red countdown reached its end!

[Beast Tide Countdown: 00:00:05]

[00:00:04]

...

[00:00:01]

[Warning! Beast Tide, incoming!]

They're here!

The ice beneath his feet began to tremble.

A low, dense roar came from the front of the territory, the sound growing closer, carrying a wild ferocity, rapidly approaching.

He felt the ground vibrate more intensely.

He could even hear the faint “crack” of the distant ice surface breaking due to the vibration.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the surging white wave in the distance.

Those were countless running and leaping figures, leaving blurred afterimages on the vast icefield.

The distance closed rapidly.

Finally, he could clearly see their appearance.

Wolves!

Their bodies were covered in snow-white fur, shimmering with a cold, ice-crystal-like luster.

Their size was at least a circle larger than wild wolves on Blue Star, and their leg muscles were exceptionally developed, full of explosive power.

Their limbs were agile, and their sharp claws made a grating “sizzle” sound on the solid ice, leaving trails.

Most unsettling were their eyes, with their eerie blue pupils flickering like ghost fire in the dim light.

There was no rationality in their pupils, only pure bloodlust.

Icefield Wolves!

Their target was clear: Mo Yan's territory!

Howl—!

An exceptionally robust Icefield Wolf charged at the forefront, letting out a furious howl towards the sky.

The entire wolf pack's speed surged again!

They crouched low, rushing across the ice, fiercely pouncing towards the defensive line formed by ten Soldiers!

Mo Yan's pupils constricted, but he didn't immediately give an order.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the optimal moment.

Waiting for them to step into the zone of death!

The first few Icefield Wolves at the front crashed into the range of Mo Yan's meticulously laid traps.

Pfft!

The leading Icefield Wolf's front paw suddenly stepped into empty space, and the ground, covered with a thin layer of camouflage ice, instantly collapsed downwards.

Beneath were sharpened hardwood stakes, whose sharp wooden spikes pierced through its front leg without obstruction!

Ow—!

A piercing shriek tore through the air.

The Icefield Wolf instantly lost its balance, rolling and twitching painfully on the ice, warm blood splattering out.

It stained the pristine white ice with a glaring crimson, emitting faint wisps of cold air.

The intense pain did not make it retreat; instead, it ignited its ferocity, dragging its injured body, pouncing even more madly towards the defensive line!

Like a chain reaction.

Pfft! Pfft!

There were a few more short, pained cries.

One after another, Icefield Wolves triggered the wooden spike traps.

The sharp wooden spikes not only caused direct damage, but more importantly, the traps came with a slowing effect.

This caused their speed to suddenly drop significantly!

The originally aggressive wolf pack's charging formation immediately fell into a state of confusion and stagnation.

Now!

“Fire!”

Mo Yan's command was concise and powerful, clearly reaching every Soldier's ear!

“Kill!”

The ten Soldiers roared in unison, stepping forward.

Their spears straightened, the spearheads glinting with cold light, piercing the air with a shriek, and thrusting out fiercely!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The Icefield Wolves at the very front, already slightly delayed by the traps, had no time to dodge!

Some were precisely impaled through the throat, whimpering as they fell.

Others were pierced through the eye sockets by sharp spearheads, straight into their brains.

And some were stabbed in vital areas of their chest and abdomen, blood gushing out!

They wailed as they fell, their bodies convulsing violently, and soon fell silent.

The Icefield Wolves from behind followed closely, crashing fiercely into the Soldiers' shields!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull thuds merged into a continuous sound, numbing the eardrums!

The ice beneath the Soldiers' feet emitted sounds of cracking under the strain; they gritted their teeth, veins bulging in their arms, desperately holding up their wooden shields.

The screeching sound of shields rubbing against wolf fangs and sharp claws was piercing; each impact made the Soldiers' arms numb, and their stamina rapidly depleted.

One Soldier's wooden shield was deeply scratched by the claws of an exceptionally strong Icefield Wolf, nearly slipping from his grasp.

Fortunately, a comrade quickly followed up with a spear thrust, forcing it back!

A few cunning Icefield Wolves attempted to attack from the flanks, but they were spotted by the alert Soldiers, who quickly thrust their spears, pinning them to the ice.

The sturdy walls of the Ice Crystal Cabin became their most reliable backing, preventing any possibility of being outflanked.

The roars of wolves, the shouts of Soldiers, the dull thuds of weapons entering flesh, the dying wails—all kinds of sounds mixed together…

The battle lasted for about twenty minutes.

When the last Icefield Wolf attempting to flank was pierced through the head by a spear, the remaining few Icefield Wolves seemed to realize the danger.

They nervously lingered for a moment, letting out a reluctant low growl.

Finally, with their tails between their legs, they quickly retreated into the distant snowstorm, disappearing from sight.

The battlefield finally quieted down.

Mo Yan's gaze swept across the chaotic scene; wolf corpses were intertwined on the ice, severed limbs and dark red bloodstains frozen together.

The brutal scene far surpassed the street brawls he had faced in the past while protecting children.

His stomach churned, and he forced himself to look away, suppressing the uncomfortable metallic taste in his throat.

“I must adapt to such scenes quickly,” he murmured to himself, his voice a little hoarse.

He activated his Value Insight talent on the nearest wolf corpse.

Information about the corpse's value flowed through his mind.

[Icefield Wolf Carcass (Tier 1, LV 1)

Common Quality Materials: Fur, Flesh, Wolf Fang, Wolf Bone

Special Materials: Contains trace amounts of frost energy, with a chance to extract ice crystal shards (requires a Disassembler)

Overall Value: Low]