As the goblins breached the Flame Tower's 200-meter range, the structure sprang to life. Its modern silhouette gleamed with flickering red flames, casting a glow even in darkness. A basketball-sized fireball erupted from its peak, streaking across the sky to slam into the invaders beyond the fence.
"Boom!"
The blast engulfed a ten-meter radius, swallowing at least five goblins in a fiery maw, their forms incinerated instantly. Zhou Yan gaped. "Denser packs would've meant more kills," he mused, thrilled. "That's the Flame Tower for you!"
Diao Chan nodded. "Solid power."
"Too few, though," he replied. One tower couldn't shield the whole territory—dozens would lock it down, freeing him from worry.
The scattered goblins evaded mass casualties, some closing within tens of meters. "Chan'er, let's move!" he called.
"Got it," she answered, gripping her blade.
Eager to test his S-tier Seven Star Sword Art, Zhou Yan joined her at the fence. The Flame Tower targeted only external threats—once inside, troops or heroes took over. His Barracks' evolution into Bronze Sparrow Terrace swapped soldiers for hero summons, a trade-off needing more barracks to balance.
"Boom!"
Goblins—most a meter tall, the tallest a 1.5-meter level 4 elite—hammered the Thorn Vine Fence. Its level 20 upgrades—five-meter height, arm-thick vines, toxic barbs—held firm. Assailants roared in pain, blackened by poison, and crumpled swiftly.
"This fence's venom is unreal!" Zhou Yan exclaimed. Before they could strike, goblins fell, futilely clawing at the barrier. Its self-repair countered their dents, rendering the duo spectators to a suicide show.
"Chan'er, should we just kill them?" he asked, bored by their plan to wait out climbers.
"Sure," she agreed.
They flung open the gate and charged. "Seven Star Sword Art, Tianshu Sword!" Zhou Yan lunged at a goblin, sword flashing. A clean slice halved it. "Sweet blade!" he crowed, S-tier precision shining.
Diao Chan felled two with swift strikes, her Spike Sword gleaming. The goblins pivoted, aggression now aimed at them. "Time for a real fight," Zhou Yan said.
"Bring it," she replied.
Back-to-back, they carved through dozens. Yesterday's combat plus sword art mastery catapulted Zhou Yan's skill—raw but earnest, experience piling fast. The level 4 elite met Diao Chan's blade and joined its kin in death.
[Second day of novice trial concluded!]
[Settlement rewards begin!]
[Defeated: 100 level 3 goblins, 3 level 3 elite goblins, 1 level 4 elite goblin.]
[Battle Evaluation: SSS]
[Rewards: Base—120 soul coins, 120 spirit coins, Farmland building. Bonus—240 soul coins, 240 spirit coins, Water Well building.]
"Two more buildings!" Zhou Yan beamed. Consecutive SSS ratings—yesterday and today—netted structures each time, a fair haul. "I brought seeds," he added. "Wonder what Farmland evolves into?"
Treasure chests littered the battlefield. "Chan'er, let's grab them," he said.
"On it!" she chirped.
Combat took under half an hour; collecting chests doubled that. "Back to build," Zhou Yan urged, eager to see the results. He picked a spot and deployed Farmland.
[Ding! Built Farmland. Evolved into Spiritual Field.]
[Ding! Built Water Well. Evolved into Spiritual Spring.]
A field shimmered into view, radiating aura akin to the Spiritual Bamboo House. Beside it, a small lake gleamed—Spiritual Spring, brimming with energy. "Didn't let me down," Zhou Yan said, inspecting their traits.
[Building: Spiritual Field]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Progress: 0/100]
[Quality: S (0/2)]
[Defense: 100/100]
[Special Attribute: Hastens maturity, infuses aura]
[Introduction: An aura-rich field accelerates crop growth and imbues them with energy. Requires 2 Spiritual Fields for further evolution.]