Over the next three days, Lin Feng's life fell into a tense yet orderly rhythm.
Setting out with Zhao Hu's hunting team before dawn, he traversed the edges of the eastern swamp, navigating through foul-slling mires and treacherous waters to hunt roaming nightmare creatures.
On the evening of the third day, as Lin Feng severed the pustule-covered tongue of the last Corrosive Poison Toad with a single slash, a familiar warm current surged through his body.
【Experience points full】
【Level Up: 2→3】
【Free Attribute Points Gained: 2】
Without hesitation, Lin Feng followed his plan and allocated both points to Agility.
His status panel updated instantly:
【Na: Lin Feng】
【Level: 3 (0/300)】
【Class: Military General (Novice)】
【HP: 170/175】 (Wounds recovering)
【Attributes:】
Constitution: 7.5 (Base 5 50% bonus from Generals Majesty)
Strength: 7.5 (Base 5 50% bonus from Generals Majesty)
Agility: 10.5 (Base 7 50% bonus from Generals Majesty)
【Free Attribute Points: 0】
【Skill: Generals Majesty (Passive)】
【Command: 0/100】
With an Agility of 10.5, he felt his body beco significantly lighter. His blade recovery was swifter, and his sense of balance while stepping and turning had noticeably improved.
"Kid, your movents are getting sharper," Tie Dun said, walking over with his iron hamr on his shoulder and a wide grin. "That last strike was at such a tricky angle; I didn't even see how you circled to that toad's flank."
"Just luck," Lin Feng replied modestly, sheathing his blade.
"It wasn't luck," Shadow Snake said, appearing behind him at so unknown mont, her voice cold. "You've improved too quickly over these three days. On the first day, you relied on brute force to kill Swamp Crocodiles, but today you've already learned to use the terrain and the monsters' attack intervals."
Lin Feng felt a chill. Shadow Snake's observation was indeed sharp.
Jian Yan slid down from a tree and brushed the leaves off himself. "Let's pack up the loot. Today's haul is decent: three Thorn-Spine Pigs, five Corrosive Poison Toads, and so Bone-Sting Dog materials."
Zhao Hu walked over and counted the prey on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed. "Still just these low-level goods. If this continues, our team's contribution points will be overtaken by the others."
"Brother Scarface, there's nothing we can do," Tie Dun lowered his voice. "The Boss's people are watching us every day."
Yesterday, A Wang and the others wanted to scout deeper into the Stone Forest, but they were stopped by 'Hei Zhua's' gang. They said sothing about 'high-level areas needing unified planning'."
Hei Zhua, one of the two Level 8 thugs under the Boss, was said to be ruthless and skilled with a pair of poisoned claw blades.
"I know," Zhao Hu lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Let's head back first. Don't give them any excuses to target us."
On the way back, the atmosphere was sowhat oppressive.
Lin Feng walked silently in the middle of the group, sensing the increasingly obvious rifts within the camp.
Three days was enough for him to see many things clearly.
On the surface, Black Wind Camp was a place for bandits to huddle together for warmth, but in reality, it was already deeply divided.
The core gang, led by the Bald Boss, controlled the camp's best equipnt, the most food, and—most importantly—the 'hunting rights' to the surrounding high-level monster zones.
They forbade others from entering the heart of the swamp, claiming it was to 'avoid disturbing powerful monsters and bringing disaster,' but in truth, it was to monopolize high-value resources and consolidate their own status.
Teams like Zhao Hu's were mostly 'decent people' who had fled after their territories were destroyed. They had combat experience, but their equipnt was diocre, and they were suppressed at every turn by the Boss's gang.
"Brother Zhao," Lin Feng approached Zhao Hu during a break and asked in a low voice, "Are we just going to keep being suppressed like this?"
Zhao Hu glanced at him but didn't speak.
Tie Dun couldn't help himself and said in a muffled voice, "What else can we do?"
"The Boss has two Level 8s and four Level 7s. If we really had a falling out, our small group wouldn't stand a chance."
"Then why not leave?" Lin Feng asked, voicing the doubt he'd had for a while. "Finding another place to set up a small outpost would be better than suffering here."
"We can't leave," Shadow Snake replied. She was wiping her short sword, not even looking up. "Within a hundred-mile radius, only this area is relatively safe."
"To the north is the Crying Rift Valley. At night, you can actually hear a woman's crying; those who go in never co out."
"To the south is Bone Eagle Cliff. Everything flying in the sky is a raptor over Level 10."
"To the west... is the depths of that Stone Forest. It's said to be ho to a pack of Fire Lizards over Level 7."
Jian Yan added, "The most important thing is the water source. Only the river near our camp is relatively clean. The river flows east, and all the good spots along the way are occupied by other bandit camps. Thirty miles downstream, the toxic miasma starts to settle in."
Lin Feng understood. It wasn't that they didn't want to leave, but that there was nowhere to go.
"Actually, a year ago, this place wasn't like this," Zhao Hu suddenly spoke, his voice sounding a bit distant.
Everyone looked at him.
"Back then, there was a county-level territory in this area called Qingshi County." Zhao Hu exhaled a puff of smoke, which slowly dispersed in the sunset.
"The walls were twenty ters high, with a permanent population of ten thousand. The lord was a Level 25 'Earth Warrior,' with ten lieutenants over Level 15 and an army of over two thousand."
Lin Feng was shocked. A county-level territory!
According to the standards he had learned in class, a county-level territory had to have a scale of at least five thousand people and walls over fifteen ters high.
With a complete defense system and a standing army, such a territory would already be considered a regional power in the Nightmare World.
"What happened then?" Tie Dun pressed. He had only drifted here six months ago and knew little of the past.
"A Level 4 Nightmare Tide." When Zhao Hu uttered those four words, his fingers gripping the cigarette turned slightly white.
Everyone fell silent.
A Level 4 Nightmare Tide ant it was enough to threaten a city-level territory!
"What exactly happened?" Lin Feng asked.
"I know a bit," the kitchen old man Uncle Wu's voice suddenly ca from behind.
He had co out with the team today to gather herbs. He was currently crouching by a cluster of herbs, speaking without looking up. "Back then, I was a physician in a town-level territory east of Qingshi County."
He slowly stood up and patted the dirt off his hands. "According to the description of a survivor from Qingshi County nad Old Zhang, that night, the moon was blood-red. First ca an earthquake, and the city walls cracked;"
Then ca a black mist, surging from the west, blotting out the sky and moon. There was the sound of hooves in the mist, so synchronized it sounded like a single person marching."
Uncle Wu's eyes beca hollow. "When the mist cleared, he saw an army. Black armor, black banners, and long halberds like a forest."
They didn't speak, they didn't shout; they just advanced in silence. When Qingshi County's crossbow bolts hit the black armor, it was like scratching ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) an itch."
"Great Qin Elite Soldiers," Lin Feng whispered.
Uncle Wu glanced at him and nodded. "Yes, that legendary legion."
They smashed the city gates in three hits with a battering ram. With one volley from their Archers, a whole section of the wall collapsed."
That Level 25 Earth Warrior charged out, intending to slay the enemy commander..."
He paused, his voice dry. "Then Old Zhang saw a black spear shadow descend from the sky."
With just one spear strike, the Earth Warrior—man and armor together—was pinned to the city wall. His personal guard charged up, and in less than ten minutes, they were completely wiped out."
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