Lin Feng gripped his Wildfire Spear and darted out from behind a giant rock. With a flick of his right hand, three streaks of Blazing Spear Light shot out!

But this time, the Troll Archer reacted!

It suddenly twisted its body sideways; its massive frame was surprisingly agile!

Two streaks of spear light grazed its shoulder and flew past, while the third was parried by its bow arm!

Clang!

-75!

The Troll grunted as its health bar dropped by a tenth. A fierce light flashed in its eyes as it abruptly raised its giant bow.

There was no arrow notched on the string, but a blood-red mark flew from the bow and landed precisely above Lin Feng's head!

【Volley Mark】

Ten nearby Orc Archers raised their bows simultaneously, and arrows poured down toward Lin Feng like rain!

Lin Feng shifted his footing, his body turning into an afterimage! Arrows flew past him; some thudded into the ground, while others hit the giant rock, kicking up clouds of stone fragments.

All ten arrows missed!

Dread flashed in the Troll Archer's eyes. It didn't have time to fire a second arrow!

Lin Feng had already closed the distance!

The Wildfire Spear lunged out!

The first strike! It pierced the Troll's left shoulder!

The second strike! It stabbed into the Troll's chest!

The third strike! The spear tip plunged into its throat!

The Troll Archer's body stiffened.

Its hands instinctively clutched its neck as black bloody foam welled from its mouth, and then it crashed to the ground.

【Killed Lv25 elite · Troll Archer, Gained Experience +2500】

【Level Up: 24 → 25】

【Gained Free Attribute Point: 1】

Lin Feng withdrew his spear, ignoring the remaining Orc Archers. With a blur of movement, he disappeared behind the giant rock.

Behind him, the ten Archers looked around blankly, having completely lost their target.

Beneath a hidden rock wall, Lin Feng sat down against a boulder and let out a long breath.

It was 5:30 AM. A faint light began to appear on the horizon, and the churning speed of the gray mist was slowing down.

He glanced at his experience bar and nodded with satisfaction.

He'd leveled up.

He pulled up his attribute panel and assigned the attribute point he'd gained to Strength.

【Base Strength: 23 → 24】

【Equipment Bonus: Wildfire Spear +4, yellow turban sacrificial officials headband +1】

【Class and Lord Bonus: 130%】

【Total Strength: 24 × 1.3 + 5 = 60.2】

The moment his Strength broke 60, a warm current surged from within his body, flowing through his veins to his limbs and bones.

His muscles bulged slightly, and his bones made faint cracking sounds; it felt as if his entire being had been reforged.

A notification appeared before his eyes.

【Main Attribute · Strength has broken the 60-point threshold】

【Unlocked Extra Attribute Effects】

Effect 1: Damage Amplification 50% — The final damage of all attacks is increased by 50%.

Effect 2: Shield Break — When an attack hits a shielded target, ignore the defense and all defensive effects provided by the shield.

Lin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

50% damage amplification. This meant that a spear strike that originally dealt over 300 damage would now deal over 500.

Yellow Turban Army Strongmen would be taken down in one hit; even the Blessing of All Living Beings wouldn't trigger because they would be killed instantly.

Shield Break. Those shield-bearing Orc Infantry and Shield-Warrior Awakened would be nothing more than sitting ducks before him.

A shield's defense, parry effects, and damage reflection effects would all be rendered useless.

"Too strong," Lin Feng whispered in awe.

He clenched his fist, feeling the newborn power within him, and a slow smile curved his lips.

If 60 Strength had this effect, what lay beyond? He hardly dared to imagine it.

The horizon grew brighter. The gray mist seemed to sense something; its churning slowed further, and its density began to drop.

Visibility gradually expanded from twenty meters to thirty, forty, fifty...

When the first true ray of morning light pierced the fog, the gray mist receded toward the depths of the Rift Valley like a retreating tide at an incredible speed.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the grayish-white mist that had shrouded the entire Rift Valley had completely vanished.

Lin Feng stood up, looking at the receding mist and then at the faint silhouette of the Orc Camp deep in the valley.

Then he turned and walked out of the Rift Valley.

It was dawn. Time to head back.

...

When Lin Feng entered Beacon Fire Town through the west gate, the day was fully bright.

Morning light spilled over the eastern ridge, casting long shadows of the city walls.

The guards at the west gate straightened their backs and held their halberds vertically upon seeing him.

Lin Feng nodded and strode inside.

Turning south after the gate brought him to the residential area. In this southwestern district, the houses were mostly wood and stone, staggered in height, and smoke was already rising from some roofs.

A woman came out of a house carrying a basin of water, which she splashed onto the ground by the door. Seeing Lin Feng, she paused, quickly wiped her hands on her apron, and bowed.

Lin Feng waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formalities.

A few steps further, an old man was squatting on a doorstep munching on a flatbread. Seeing Lin Feng, he grinned with a gap-toothed smile.

"The Lord is back?" Lin Feng responded with a smile.

Behind the old man, a little boy poked ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) his head out, clutching a small wooden carving that looked like a soldier holding a spear.

Further ahead, two middle-aged women sat at their doorway cleaning vegetables, chatting as they worked.

One mentioned how well the vegetable seedlings in the field were growing yesterday, while the other said her husband had received another half-peck of rice at the Quarry.

Seeing Lin Feng pass by, both stood up with simple, slightly bashful smiles.

Lin Feng nodded all the way as he walked.

Two months ago, this place had been an empty lot.

There were no houses, no cooking smoke, no old men munching bread on doorsteps, and no women cleaning vegetables and chatting.

He and Zhao Hu's group had been guarding a newly built village by the Black Water River.

Every day was spent in anxiety, wondering if the level of the next Nightmare Tide would abnormally spike.

And now?

Looking at those houses, the rising smoke, and the people coming and going, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

It wasn't pride or satisfaction, but something heavy pressing against his chest.

These things were what he, Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, and Jiang Yelan—everyone—had traded several months of their lives for, earned with every blade, spear, brick, and tile.

It hadn't been easy.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and walked north through the residential area, turning into the commercial district.

The northwestern part was much livelier than the southwest; though the sun had just risen, most of the shops were already open.

There were vendors selling salt, iron, cloth, medicinal herbs, and breakfast.

Several people were gathered around a flatbread stall. The owner bargained with customers while flipping the bread in the pan.

"Three copper coins for one? That's too expensive! It was only two yesterday!"

"Yesterday's were plain; today's have oil. Look at this dough, how soft it is! Three copper coins is no loss!"

"Fine, fine, give me two."

In the nearby cloth shop, a middle-aged woman was examining a bolt of blue cloth, muttering that the pattern wasn't bright enough.

The owner smiled apologetically, saying this batch had just arrived from Qingmu County and was already the best on the market.

Further on, the forge at the blacksmith shop was already lit, the clanging sounds carrying quite a distance.

A young man stood at the door, holding a newly forged sickle, checking the edge repeatedly with a satisfied smile.

Lin Feng stood at the street corner, watching all of this, and suddenly smiled.

This was his territory—not a circle on a map, not a line of numbers on a system panel.

It was these living people, this rising smoke, and these sounds of bargaining.

He had spent months going from nothing to this state; it had not been easy.

He had to protect all of this.

He turned and continued toward the Council Hall. His steps were much steadier and slower than when he had arrived.