34: Chapter 34 Magic Crystal Mine! Players collectively upgrade to divine gear!

The Abyssal Demon Lord turned into black mist and dissipated completely.

The Abyssal rift slowly closed, leaving behind a battlefield in shambles.

Foul-smelling black blood soaked the soil, and the remains of monsters were scattered everywhere.

Lin Chen gripped the brand-new Lord's Scepter, feeling a wave of warmth radiating from his fingertips.

After embedding the God-tier Abyssal Demon Lord's Core, the entire scepter exuded an overbearing aura capable of suppressing the Abyss.

[System Notification: The duration of the Abyssal Barrier has ended, and the barrier has dissipated.]

The golden light curtain evaporated like water.

The players rushed out of the city walls with a roar, pouncing on the loot scattered across the ground.

"Equipment! It's all equipment! Hurry and pick it up!"

"Tier 3 materials are everywhere, we're rich, we're rich!"

Strong Guy, the shield-warrior hunk, plopped onto the corpse of a Magic Bear, panting heavily.

"I'm exhausted from running after respawning; my legs are about to break."

Archer Xiao La Ji kicked him. "Stop playing dead. Do you think I didn't see that you looted three pieces of Purple equipment?"

Lin Chen scanned the battlefield, his gaze landing on a pitch-black crystal in the distance.

That was the Magic Crystal vein starter dropped after the Abyssal Demon Lord died.

"Skeleton Butler."

"At your service."

The Skeleton Butler ran over, hunched over, his joints clicking and clacking.

Lin Chen raised his hand and tossed out the Epic-grade building blueprint.

[Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine (Epic Grade)]

"Build it immediately on the south side of the East Gate. Highest priority."

"Understood, Lord!"

[System Notification: Lord Lin Chen has consumed an Epic-grade building blueprint + 10,000 units of stone + 5,000 units of iron ore to begin constructing the Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine.]

[Construction countdown: 10 minutes.]

The players instantly went wild.

"An Epic building? A Magic Crystal Mine?"

"We'll have Magic Crystals to use in our territory from now on? Isn't that just taking off?"

Mage Xiao Tiancai rubbed his hands and approached. "Lord Big Shot, can Magic Crystals be used to make staves?"

Lin Chen said indifferently, "Not only can they be used to craft weapons and armor, but they can also serve as energy for skill amplification."

As soon as he finished speaking, the territory channel flooded with messages.

"The Big Shot is generous! Following Dawn Territory means having meat to eat!"

"Other Lords are still chewing on tree bark, while we've already started mining Magic Crystals!"

Rookie Pecking King squatted on the ground, sorting through materials while muttering:

"Other Lords: struggling to survive. Our Lord: straight to godhood. How is this game even balanced?"

King of Hardcore Gamer 888 patted his chest. "Big Shot, call me for mining! I won't log off for 24 hours. I'll grind until the mine shuts down!"

Lin Chen ignored the commotion and opened the territory panel.

Having killed the Abyssal Demon Lord just now, he leveled up twice in a row.

[Lord: Lin Chen]

[Level: 6]

[HP: 70,000]

[Attack: 4,500]

[Defense: 3,800]

[Territory: Dawn Territory (Tier 1 Main City → Tier 2 Main City)]

[Subordinate Troops: Skeleton Legion (Tier 3, 1,000), Elf Archers (Tier 2, 200)]

[Special Buildings: Abyssal Barrier (God-tier), Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine (Under Construction)]

[Title: Abyssal Conqueror]

The light of leveling up exploded from within his body.

A terrifying pressure washed over everyone.

The surrounding players instantly felt a surge of power flowing into their bodies, and their stats increased by a small margin.

"Holy crap! The Lord leveled up again?"

"This leveling speed is faster than me drinking water!"

Lin Chen waved his hand.

[System Notification: Lord Lin Chen has used his authority to open the temporary territory warehouse. All players can submit monster materials in exchange for territory contribution.]

A pile of wooden crates appeared out of thin air in the plaza.

The players swarmed forward, stuffing materials from their backpacks into the crates like crazy.

[Player Archer Xiao La Ji submitted Abyssal Demon Wolf Fangs x50, gaining 500 territory contribution.]

[Player Mage Xiao Tiancai submitted Abyssal Demon Spider Silk x30, gaining 600 territory contribution.]

Strong Guy ran over carrying a bear hide and threw it into the crate.

"Big Shot, what can this bear hide get me?"

Lin Chen glanced at it. "It's worth 1,000 contribution, plus a Tier 1 defense enchantment."

Strong Guy's eyes widened. "Really? Isn't enchanting something only Big Shots can do?"

"It's possible now."

The players instantly erupted.

"Enchanting is open now? Dawn Territory is too OP!"

"Other guilds have to beg enchanters to enchant their gear, but we have the Lord handling it directly!"

Rookie Pecking King complained while handing in his materials:

"I suggest the game officials list Dawn Territory as a separate server dungeon; it's too strong and affects the balance!"

Ten minutes passed in a flash.

[System Notification: Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine construction complete!]

[Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine (Epic Grade): Produces 1 Magic Crystal per second. Higher mine levels yield higher output. Unlocks Magic Crystal forging, Magic Crystal amplification, and Abyssal equipment synthesis.]

[Current output: 1/sec, Stock: 0.]

The ground shook.

A pitch-black mine rose from the ground, with faint black mist swirling around the entrance.

Thumb-sized black Magic Crystals rolled out from the mine tunnel, piling up into a small hill.

Lin Chen walked to the mine and reached out to pick up a Magic Crystal.

It was ice-cold, yet contained violent energy.

[Magic Crystal (Rare): A crystallization of Abyssal energy. Can be used for forging, amplification, synthesis, and upgrading buildings.]

"Everyone listen up."

Lin Chen's voice spread throughout the territory channel.

"From now on, the Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine will operate 24 hours a day. Players can volunteer for shifts. For every 100 Magic Crystals mined, you will be rewarded with 200 territory contribution and 1 random piece of equipment."

The players instantly went wild.

"Mining gives equipment too? Who can resist these benefits!"

"I'm not fighting monsters anymore! I'm going to be the mining king!"

King of Hardcore Gamer 888 was the first to rush into the mine. "The mine is mine! Nobody fight me for it!"

Strong Guy grabbed him and pulled him back. "What's the rush? The Heavy Armor Squad will guard the mine first to prevent respawning wild monsters from attacking our base."

Lin Chen opened the forging interface.

He held a large amount of materials, Magic Crystals, and Epic-grade authority.

He could easily mass-produce Magic Crystal equipment.

"System, consume 1,000 Magic Crystals and 500 Tier 2 materials to forge a Tier 1 Magic Crystal set."

[System Notification: Beginning to forge Magic Crystal sets (Weapons x10, Armor x10, Shields x5, Staves x5, Longbows x5).]

[Forging time: 1 minute.]

Golden light rose from the forging table.

The players gathered around, watching without blinking.

"Magic Crystal sets! Just the name sounds badass!"

"I want a weapon! I want to chop everything to pieces!"

Mage Xiao Tiancai clasped his hands together. "Give me a staff! Give me a staff! I want to nuke everything!"

One minute later.

[System Notification: Magic Crystal sets forging complete!]

A pile of equipment with a pitch-black luster landed on the ground, exuding a steady and overbearing aura.

Lin Chen casually picked up a Magic Crystal Battle Axe.

[Magic Crystal Battle Axe (Rare): Attack +800, 5% chance to trigger Abyssal Rend on attack, dealing continuous damage.]

He picked up a piece of Magic Crystal Armor.

[Magic Crystal Heavy Armor (Rare): Defense +600, Magic Resist +30%, reduces damage from Abyssal monsters by 20%.]

The players were drooling.

"These stats! It's twice as strong as the Purple gear I'm wearing!"

"Lord Big Shot, save one for me! I'll be your servant!"

Lin Chen said indifferently, "The Heavy Armor Squad has priority for armor, the Archer Squad for bows, and the Mage Squad for staves. Those with higher contribution get first pick."

"Thank you, Lord!"

Strong Guy's voice trembled with excitement as he was the first to rush up and claim the heavy armor and battle axe.

After putting them on, his aura surged significantly.

"I feel like I can solo a Tier 3 Magic Bear!"

Archer Xiao La Ji slung the Magic Crystal Longbow on his back and drew it to test it; the arrow speed was so fast only a blur remained.

"This bow! Shooting monsters is like shooting paper!"

Rookie Pecking King touched his empty backpack and wailed:

"If I had known, I wouldn't have goofed off earlier. My contribution isn't enough, so I can only watch others wear god-tier gear."

A nearby player added insult to injury: "That's what you get for slacking off."

Lin Chen continued to issue orders: "Divide the Skeleton Soldiers into two squads. One squad guards the mine, and the other guards the East Gate rift to prevent a second Demon Tide."

"Understood!"

One thousand Skeleton Soldiers lined up neatly, their footsteps making the ground tremble.

He looked at the Elf Archers again.

"All of you, station yourselves in the wall watchtowers. Equip enchanted arrows and Magic Crystal arrows. Maintain 24-hour vigilance."

"As you command, Lord."

After arranging the defenses, Lin Chen opened the territory upgrade interface.

With the Demon Tide rewards and the completion of the mine, the territory experience bar was full.

[System Notification: Dawn Territory can be upgraded to a Tier 2 Main City. Consume: 2,000 Magic Crystals, 15,000 units of stone, 8,000 units of iron ore, and 5,000 gold coins?]

"Upgrade."

[System Notification: Beginning upgrade of Dawn Territory → Tier 2 Main City.]

[Countdown: 5 minutes.]

The entire territory began to shake.

The city walls automatically rose and thickened, with mysterious runes appearing on their surface.

The main city tower extended upwards, becoming even more majestic.

The roads widened, houses were renovated, and the territory area doubled.

The players stood where they were, feeling the changes in the territory, looking shocked.

"Our home... got bigger?"

"The walls even have runes now? The defense is maxed out!"

Lin Chen stood on top of the new tower, overlooking the entire territory.

Players were mining, forging, patrolling, and repairing the walls; it was a scene of bustling activity.

The Abyssal Magic Crystal Mine produced Magic Crystals continuously, and pieces of equipment were being forged one after another.

[System Notification: Territory upgrade complete!]

[Dawn Territory (Tier 2 Main City): All building effects +30%, player respawn speed +50%, territory HP +100,000. Unlocks features: Territory Teleportation Array, Abyssal Shop, Player Barracks.]

A series of notifications flooded the screen.

Lin Chen opened the Abyssal Shop.

It was full of good stuff: God-tier fragments, Abyssal skill books, high-tier troop summoning scrolls, and building upgrade cards.

His gaze landed on one item.

[Abyssal Summoning Token (Epic Grade): Can randomly summon one Epic-grade Abyssal unit to fight for you. Duration: 1 hour. Cooldown: 7 days.]

Exchange price: 3,000 Magic Crystals.

Lin Chen did not hesitate.

"Exchange."

[System Notification: Congratulations, Lord, you have obtained 1x Abyssal Summoning Token.]

A pitch-black token fell into his hand.

At this moment, he added another trump card to his hand.

The territory channel became lively again.

"A teleportation array! We can travel quickly across the map from now on!"

"What's an Abyssal Shop? Let me see... Holy crap, it's all good stuff!"

"Big Shot, can you open the shop permissions? I want to exchange for potions!"

Lin Chen said indifferently, "The Abyssal Shop will automatically unlock once you reach 1,000 contribution."

The players were instantly motivated.

"Grind for contribution! I want to exchange for potions! Equipment! Skills!"

"Get to mining and monster hunting! No sleeping today!"

King of Hardcore Gamer 888 rushed out of the mine, sweating profusely:

"Reporting to the Lord! I've mined 500 Magic Crystals! My contribution is almost at 1,000!"

Lin Chen glanced at his stats. "Keep it up. The top ten will be rewarded with Magic Crystal equipment."

"Understood! Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

Just then.

[System Notification: Detected that the nearby Tier 3 territory, [Black Rock Territory], has initiated territory reconnaissance. The opposing Lord is approaching the border of Dawn Territory.]

Lin Chen's eyes turned cold.

Trouble had arrived.

Strong Guy immediately gripped his Magic Crystal Battle Axe. "Big Shot, someone's here to cause trouble? I'll take the Heavy Armor Squad to take him out!"

Archer Xiao La Ji pulled back his longbow. "Daring to spy on us? I'll shoot him right through!"

Lin Chen raised his hand, pressing it against the city wall, and looked towards the north.

A dark shadow was sneaking in the woods, using a reconnaissance skill to spy on Dawn Territory.

[Player Alert: Hostile Lord reconnaissance detected!]

[Black Rock Lord (Level 5): Tier 3 Warrior, territory size of 300 people.]

The players immediately noticed.

"Daring to spy on our territory? Tired of living?"

"Lord Big Shot, are we going to fight? I'll be the first to go!"

Lin Chen said indifferently, "No need to rush."

He raised his hand and activated the Abyssal Summoning Token he had just exchanged for.

"Come forth."

Pitch-black light exploded.

A five-meter-tall Abyssal Demon General, holding a giant axe, knelt on one knee.

[Abyssal Demon General (Epic Grade): Loyal to Lin Chen, awaiting orders.]

A terrifying pressure washed over them.

The Black Rock Lord in the woods trembled in fear.

The reconnaissance skill was immediately interrupted.

Lin Chen's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable dominance.

"Tell your Lord that Dawn Territory is not a place just anyone can spy on."

"If you come again, it won't be as simple as a warning."

The Abyssal Demon General let out a roar towards the sky.

The sound wave swept through the entire forest.

The Black Rock Lord was scared out of his wits and turned to run.

"Holy crap! An Epic-grade guard! This territory is not to be messed with!"

The players watched in stunned silence.

A few seconds later.

The players instantly went wild.

"Hahahaha! Scared him off! He must have peed his pants!"

"An Epic-grade summoned beast! Big Shot, how many more trump cards do you have?"

"I suggest all Lords on the server come to pay homage to Dawn Territory, otherwise, we'll just steamroll them!"

Rookie Pecking King laughed so hard he slapped his thigh:

"Failed to spy and got scared into peeing their pants instead; I can laugh at this for a year!"

Lin Chen recalled the Abyssal Demon General.

"Back to work. Keep mining, keep forging equipment."

"If anyone comes to invade, I'll handle it."

"Understood, Lord!"

The players were even more motivated.

The sounds of mining, forging, and shouting merged into one.

The Magic Crystal Mine flashed with light, and pieces of equipment were produced one after another.

Dawn Territory was like a high-speed war machine, grinding and expanding crazily.

Lin Chen stood at the top of the tower, looking at the increasingly prosperous territory, his eyes determined.

Demon Tides, hostile Lords, Abyssal threats...

All of this was just a stepping stone on his path to godhood.

If he wanted to stand firm in the heavens, the only way was to keep grinding, keep getting stronger, and keep expanding.

His journey had only just begun.