AN: From this point on, I'll be using "—*—" to denote the end or break of long system messages.
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Night — Qin Feng
Qin Feng had just finished bathing, washing the filth and grime from his body.
He was now dressed—not in full armor, but in light armor.
"Shadow," he called.
Shadow appeared one meter behind him.
"Deploy twenty of the Stalkers within the fortress to the enemy camp. I want reports on any movements they make, as well as any potential exploits we can use.
"Also, pay more attention to General Feng's cavalry camp. After today's ambush, the enemy will definitely send scouts to search for it. Have some of the Stalkers defending his position move to the enemy camp and tag any scouting groups. Coordinate and eliminate them all."
Shadow responded, "It shall be done, my Lord," before dissolving and merging into Qin Feng's shadow once more.
Qin Feng then pulled up his status panel—and was surprised by what he saw.
[DIVINE CHECK-IN SYSTEM]
[Host]: Qin Feng
[Shop Points (SP)]: 163,342
[Special Physiques]: Innate Dragon Elephant Physique, Innate True Sight
[Skills]: Archery (Divine), Swordsmanship (Elite), Spearmanship (Elite), Blademanship (Elite), Horsemanship (Master)
[Summoned Forces]: Shadow Reaper (×3), Shadow Stalker (×200)
[Inventory]: Restoration Pills (×8), Fasting Pills (×1,000), Marrow Cleansing Pills (×1,700)
—*—
"163,342…" His face shifted from shock to understanding.
"I gain SP not only from myself and my summoned forces, but also from my subordinates. However, unlike my summoned forces—which are essentially extensions of myself—the SP gained from subordinates is halved," he analyzed.
"Good… very good. At this rate, the Beiguan army will become an invincible force in no time. This war is truly a blessing in disguise."
Without hesitation, he purchased 300 Restoration Pills, 40,000 Fasting Pills, and 40,000 Sevenfold Vital Essence Pills—spending 110,000 SP in one go.
[Sevenfold Vital Essence Pill (1 SP): A mid-grade elixir that provides one week's worth of vitality. The user's stamina remains full without needing to rest or sleep.]
He had noticed this pill two nights ago while reviewing the store for useful wartime resources.
The reason he chose these instead of building a force of fifteen thousand marrow-cleansed soldiers was simple—these were more urgently needed.
On paper, losing 24,000 out of three hundred fifty thousand might not seem catastrophic. In reality, however, it was a devastating blow to the Northern Khaganate.
They had lost 24,000 men in exchange for merely 2,000 Sheng soldiers—not to mention the thousands of scouts that had mysteriously vanished.
Thus, their next move would not be to persist with reckless frontal assaults.
Instead, they would shift to a war of attrition.
They would harass the fortress relentlessly, especially at night—eroding morale, draining stamina, and exploiting internal fatigue.
The fortress was already short on food and water. Targeting endurance would be a guaranteed path to the Northern Khaganate army's victory.
Thus, Qin Feng chose to solve both problems at once.
With the Sevenfold Vital Essence Pills, his soldiers could stand their ground for extended periods without fatigue. With the Fasting Pills, food shortages were no longer an issue.
As for the Restoration Pills, he had conducted tests.
By dissolving one pill, he could create 200 portions of what he has now termed Healing liquid—each portion equivalent to a standard Healing Pill in this world.
With one hundred Restoration Pills, he could produce twenty thousand of these healing liquids.
It was only after this experiment that he realized how extraordinary the Restoration Pill truly was.
In retrospect, the Healing Pill he used upon transmigrating had been excessive—like deploying a siege engine to swat a fly.
"Well, I didn't exactly have a choice back then. Who can blame me?" he muttered with a faint shrug.
He then spent another 11,000 SP on 100 Shadow Stalkers and one Shadow Reaper.
He named the new Reaper "Echo."
Echo would serve as Shadow's deputy. Due to the Reapers' long-distance communication ability, Qin Feng needed one permanently by his side for seamless coordination.
However, to bring this war to a swift conclusion, he also required a Reaper near the front lines. With a Reaper present, larger operations could be executed with near-zero risk of failure.
Hence, Echo.
With Echo and an additional one hundred Stalkers, he could rest assured that no matter how many scouts the Northern Khaganate sent, they would never locate the cavalry camp.
Qin Feng withdrew 40,000 Fasting Pills, 40,000 Sevenfold Vital Essence Pills, and 200 Restoration Pills, tasking Shadow with distributing them among the generals according to troop size.
By now, his generals were accustomed to the Shadow guards. Each carried a unique token issued by the system—one the generals had already gotten accustomed to.
In fact, Feng Luo's cavalry strike had been flawlessly coordinated thanks to the Shadow guards acting as messengers between Qin Feng and Feng Luo.
"Now… it's time to devise a plan to end this war within the week."
With that said, Qin Feng began organizing strategies in his mind.
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Northern Khaganate Camp — Command Tent
The generals stood rigidly as the Commander glared at them in fury.
"Eighty thousand! We committed eighty thousand men and still failed to take the fortress?! Useless—all of you!" he roared.
No one responded. They all knew he was venting.
He had witnessed the battle himself—the archers' range, the devastating siege defenses.
Even if he had personally led the assault, the outcome would have been the same.
After he calmed himself, General Batu stepped forward.
"Commander, given the current situation, a full-frontal assault is no longer viable. I suggest sustained harassment—continuous, measured attacks rather than committing our full strength. We drain their endurance and morale. And when they reach their limit… we strike decisively and seize the fortress in one overwhelming blow."
The other generals voiced their agreement. The Commander nodded slowly.
Another general added, "By then, we will have secured the secondary passes. If they hold out long enough, we may even execute a successful two-pronged attack."
Commander Kharun accepted the proposal.
The remainder of the night was spent devising detailed plans—dividing the three hundred thousand troops into thirty-thousand-man divisions and assigning rotating timetables.
However, none of these plans could be implemented immediately. Their damaged logistics required time to reorganize.
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AN: You might be wondering: "Why was he surprised by his SP? Shouldn't he have received system notifications?"
The answer is simple—he only receives SP notifications while actively viewing the panel. Otherwise, the system does not interrupt him.
As always, I welcome discussion—whether it's strategy, historical nuance, or corrections. I respond to every comment.
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Thank you.