The Plunder King stood before his stronghold as a golden surge of power washed over it. The crude wooden hall that once marked the heart of his domain now gleamed with a fierce, ominous aura—its walls thicker, edges sharper—not a simple shelter anymore, but a warlord's command center.
[Fortress Upgrade Complete: Black Iron-Tier Intermediate Grade!][Additional War Chamber Unlocked!][Territory Expanded to: 1000m × 1000m × 1000m!][All invasive beasts purged from your borders!][Scarlet Fog will no longer breach your lands!][Reward: Blueprint – Residential Complex (Black Iron-Tier Elementary)]
A sphere of golden light shimmered before him, fracturing to reveal a rolled parchment. The blueprint was valuable—the foundation for real settlements—but useless without an architect. For now, it joined his ever-growing vault of plunder.
He turned his gaze to the shimmering dome above his land. The protective barrier stretched wider than ever, a bubble of safety carved out in a continent that sought his destruction.
The Gate of Summoning pulsed with energy, fueled by conquest.[Gate of Summoning upgraded: Black Iron-Tier Intermediate Grade!][+3 Summons per day!][Guaranteed one Professional per day!]
Eight summons a day. One always a skilled professional. If luck smiled on him with an architect tomorrow, his soldiers could finally abandon their makeshift camps and settle into real homes.
Suddenly, a deep, primal roar split the air. The Plunder King's eyes sharpened. Desert Fog Lizards. But these weren't the sluggish creatures of daylight. Their eyes glowed crimson, muscles swollen with the corruption of the Scarlet Fog. Eight in total—seven at Black Iron Elementary Grade, one towering at Intermediate.
"Unrewarding prey for others," he muttered, "but for me… just more loot."
Bai Yi and forty-six soldiers stood ready at the barrier, shields locked, weapons raised. Her quiver was nearly empty—three arrows left. Without hesitation, Kael tore open the Market interface and traded lizard meat for a fresh bundle of a hundred iron-tipped shafts.
"These are yours," he said, tossing them to her. Her grin was sharp. "My Lord, you just doubled their deaths."
The battle erupted. Sword Shield Soldiers met the beasts head-on, holding the line at the barrier while Bai Yi's arrows sang through the fog, striking throats and eyes.
Kael's focus narrowed on the largest lizard. His mind sharpened into a weapon.[Mental Dominion Activated!]
The beast froze mid-lunge, its will shattered. Moments later, it turned on its own kin, tearing into scaled hides with savage frenzy.
The soldiers stared, stunned."That one's mine now," Kael declared. Bai Yi's eyes flared with renewed fire. The slaughter quickened.
A second wave of his mental power claimed another beast. Two lizards now fought under his banner, ripping through former allies until only cooling corpses remained.
Dawn broke. The Scarlet Fog thinned, retreating like a wounded animal. What remained was victory. Bai Yi reported the sweep complete—no enemies left in his territory.
Behind her stood 212 Sword Shield Soldiers, formation unbroken, armor scarred from the night's brutal battles. Bai Yi radiated new strength—Black Iron-Tier Advanced Grade. Zhang Cang and the others had risen too.
Kael's voice rang out sharp as steel in the morning air."Eat. Rest for six hours. Then we march."He raised his hand toward the horizon."The next sunrise will rise over a conquered foreign Lord's corpse."
The army's roar thundered into the sky.