But within the Nightmare World, Ningyuan County had not yet completely vanished.

After the Yellow Turban Army killed the last person, they suddenly came to a halt.

They stood on the streets, on the city walls, and amidst the piles of corpses, motionless, as if frozen by something.

Then, a beam of black light erupted from beneath Ningyuan County, swallowing everything.

The Yellow Turban Army, the corpses, the broken bricks, and the shattered wood were all consumed by the black light, as if a giant hand had crumpled the entire county town into a ball.

Once the black light dissipated, Ningyuan County was °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° gone. The walls, houses, streets, and wells had all disappeared.

In their place, only a patch of flat ground remained, with a dark, gaping hole in the center, like an eye opening in the earth.

At the edge of the hole, a translucent screen of light slowly emerged in the air, bearing a line of text—【Dungeon Entrance】.

From deep within the hole, a wind rushed out, carrying a damp, rotting scent, as if something were breathing down below.

Meanwhile, on Blue Star, in the Ningyuan County livestream room, the small text saying "Signal Lost" was still flashing.

No one knew what had happened in the Nightmare World; no one knew that Ningyuan County had become the entrance to a Dungeon.

Tonight's livestream ended here.

...

Lin Feng stood with his spear held steady as the last Yellow Turban soldier collapsed before him.

The spear tip was pulled from the man's chest, bringing with it a spray of blood mist. The Yellow Turban soldier's eyes widened, and a rattling sound escaped his throat.

His hands gripped the spear shaft as his body slid down inch by inch, finally hitting the ground with a thud, never to rise again.

Lin Feng took a breath, leaning his spear tip against the ground as he looked around.

There was no one left standing nearby. Of the five thousand Yellow Turban Army soldiers, some were dead, and the rest had fled.

For forty full minutes, he had fought his way from outside the city gates to the center of the formation, from the center to the rear, and then back again.

The Wildfire Spear thrust out, retracted, thrust out again, and retracted again, repeating the motion countless times.

His arms were sore, and the webbing of his thumb was numb from the impact, but the spear was still in his hand and he was still standing; that was enough.

A hundred Beacon Guards poured out from the city gates, beginning to count the battlefield and seize weapons.

Some held torches, some dragged corpses, and others piled the scattered weapons into heaps.

Everything was orderly, as if they had done this many times before.

Lin Feng watched for a moment before leaping onto the city wall. The blood moon was behind him, casting a long, straight shadow on the bricks.

The Wildfire Spear was slung across his back; the blood on the shaft hadn't dried yet, gleaming with a dark red luster under the moonlight.

He strode across the wall, down the stairs, through the bluestone paths of the inner city, pushed open the doors of the Council Hall, and went up to the second floor.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Upgrade requirements could change at any time; tonight's double Nightmare Tide was the best proof of that.

The rules were already changing; he just didn't know when they would affect him.

If he woke up tomorrow and found that upgrading the county required some bizarre condition, it would be too late for regrets.

Standing in the center of the room, he closed his eyes and connected with his Lords Authority. A ball of golden light condensed in the middle of the room, turning into a crystal the size of a human head.

The crystal floated in mid-air, rotating slowly, its surface flowing with golden patterns like a miniature sun.

Everything in the room was plated in a layer of gold; the walls, floor, bed, and desk all became warm and bright.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and reached his hand into the crystal.

A familiar light screen unfolded before his eyes, listing the territory's current status and available operations.

His gaze swept over the familiar options, finally landing on the bottom line.

【town-level Territory → county-level Territory】

【Checking upgrade requirements...】

【Basic Conditions】

Condition 1: Reclaimed and effectively managed farmland ≥ 1,000 mu, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Farmer professional—Met

Condition 2: Territory population ≥ 2,000—Met

Condition 3: Defend against one Tier 3 or higher Nightmare Tide—Met

【Industry Conditions】

Condition 4: Fully functional Blacksmith Shop, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Blacksmith professional—Met

Condition 5: Fully functional Tailor Shop, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Tailor professional—Met

Condition 6: Fully functional Medical Clinic, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Medical professional—Met

Condition 7: Fully functional Tavern, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Brewer professional—Met

Condition 8: Fully functional Carpentry Shed, and possessing at least one intermediate or higher Carpenter professional—Met

【Administrative Conditions】

Condition 9: Possessing at least one Internal Affairs Officer, and said officer must have at least a low-level or higher Logistics professional class—Met

【Military Conditions】

Condition 10: Professional soldiers under the lord's command ≥ 500—Met

【Defense Conditions】

Condition 11: Arrow Towers ≥ 8, City Wall height ≥ 9 meters, City Gate quality is Green or higher—Met

【All conditions met. Upgrade?】

【Yes/No】

Lin Feng did not hesitate and clicked "Yes" directly.

The crystal suddenly erupted with a blinding light. The entire Council Hall trembled, and a low rumble came from outside the window, like the earth itself was breathing.

The light grew brighter, penetrating the walls, the roof, and the entirety of Beacon Fire Town, illuminating the sky in a golden hue.

Then, the light receded.

The crystal returned to tranquility, still floating in mid-air and rotating slowly.

【Territory promotion to county-level detected.】

【Territory system must be confirmed before upgrading.】

【Calculating Lord's contribution...】

【Calculating...】

【Total Territory Contribution: 100%】

【Lord Lin Feng: 95%】

【Calculation complete.】

【Contribution exceeds 80%, requirements for autocracy met.】

Two options slowly unfolded on the light screen.

Left side—【autocracy】

【Lord Authority: 100%】

【System Description: All territory affairs are decided solely by the lord; there is no mandatory voting mechanism. subordinate lords are appointed by the lord at their discretion.】

【Applicable Conditions: Lord's contribution ≥ 80%】

Right side—【Triumvirate System】

【Lord Authority: 40%, two subordinate lords 30% each】

【System Description: Major territory matters must be decided by a vote of the Triumvirate, requiring a majority to take effect. The three Consuls are the three individuals with the highest contribution to the territory.】

【Applicable Conditions: Lord's contribution < 80%】

【Current Contribution: 95%, both systems are selectable.】

【Please select a territory system.】

Lin Feng stared at the screen, his eyebrows rising slightly.

The Triumvirate System, with only forty percent authority and requiring votes for major matters—it reminded him of posts he'd seen on the forums.

For those territories that accepted funding from major powers, their contribution was mostly diluted to fifty or sixty percent; those lords couldn't choose the autocracy at all.

He glanced down at his own contribution: ninety-five percent.

Without hesitation, he clicked the option on the left.

【Selected: autocracy】

【Lord Authority locked at 100%】

【Territory system confirmed.】

He withdrew his hand, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It was a good thing he had carried the burden himself from the start and hadn't accepted too much funding from the state.