Chapter 105 – The Western Passage

Cheng Yang closed the Heroes’ Conquest module, glanced at the final World Rankings, and downed the last of his beer in one gulp.

Stepping out of the tavern, Cheng Yang felt as if he had been reborn. At this moment, he was completely certain that there were no other lucky individuals like himself in this world.

*Next, I’ll become a mercenary,* Cheng Yang thought with anticipation.

The mercenary camp wasn’t far from the tavern, only about thirty meters away. When he arrived, he found it just as deserted as the tavern had been.

Only one person occupied the mercenary camp – the registrar responsible for enrolling combatants as mercenaries. Having been familiar with mercenary regulations in his previous life, Cheng Yang walked straight up to the registrar.

“Sir, please register me. I wish to become a mercenary,” Cheng Yang said.

The registrar had noticed Cheng Yang the moment he entered, as he was the first combatant to visit since the camp’s establishment. However, unlike other shopkeepers or building managers, the registrar showed no particular deference to Cheng Yang’s lord status.

“Very well, sir. Please pay five spirit energy points,” the registrar stated flatly.

After Cheng Yang made the payment, the registrar handed him a simple form requiring basic personal information and a declaration of voluntary enrollment as a mercenary.

“You are now officially a mercenary,” the registrar said indifferently. “When your mercenary points reach 500, you may return to upgrade your rank, allowing you to accept higher-level missions.”

Cheng Yang nodded and left the camp. Outside, he met up with Liu Xiyue, and together they ventured beyond the village boundaries.

After several days of working together, the initial awkwardness between Cheng Yang and Liu Xiyue had dissipated. Their partnership now felt natural and comfortable.

The current territory of Phoenix Village had expanded nearly to the passage leading into Xiangcheng City. Sometimes during night operations, Cheng Yang would venture deep into the city itself.

Tonight’s battles proved fruitful for both of them. Upon returning to Phoenix Village, Cheng Yang sent Liu Xiyue off to cultivate. For her, improving her strength was of utmost importance – though this was true for everyone, it held special significance for Liu Xiyue.

Cheng Yang took a tour of the village. Phoenix Village was beginning to take shape, with a dozen functional buildings surrounding the profession statues. About three hundred civilian houses radiated outward from the inner wall, forming concentric circles of streets.

The only disappointment was the absence of electricity. While Cheng Yang had witnessed lightning in his previous life, there was no usable electricity for humans now. At night, Phoenix Village plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the occasional torch at street corners.

Fortunately, in the ten days since the apocalypse began, the weather had been kind. With no rain and the light of moon and stars, people could still navigate the streets.

Despite the numerous houses, they couldn’t accommodate all combatants. The newly operational barracks, with a capacity of 1,500, alleviated some of the housing pressure. Now, roughly every five people could share a permanent residence.

For the Chinese people, a house represented more than just shelter – it was a spiritual anchor. Even though they only had occupancy rights, it was far better than sleeping rough.

While the current conditions couldn’t accommodate entire families, Phoenix Village’s rapid development suggested this would soon change.

Though Phoenix Village boasted nearly 3,000 combatants, few remained in the territory during the day. Everyone understood that the early days of the apocalypse were crucial for power advancement. To secure a foothold in this new world, one had to work harder than others.

Most combatants were either gathering resources or hunting monsters for spirit energy, leaving the inner village relatively quiet.

While patrolling the village, Cheng Yang encountered Li Wanshan returning with his hunting party. Spotting Cheng Yang, Li Wanshan dismissed his deputy to lead the team while he approached the lord.

“Lord, any success at East Mountain Village today?” Li Wanshan inquired.

Cheng Yang shook his head as they walked. “Bad luck. Searched all day but couldn’t find the portal. I’ll try again tomorrow. If we still can’t find it, that portal must be exceptionally well-hidden.”

Li Wanshan considered this. “Should we deploy more personnel? We could send all combatant battalions to search.”

Cheng Yang dismissed the idea. “No need. No one’s competing with us for dungeon first clears, so there’s no rush. Our combatants should focus on hunting more demonic beasts to boost their strength. In a few days, the demonic beasts will undergo another enhancement. Without a strong combatant force, we’ll be in trouble.”

“Another enhancement?” Li Wanshan exclaimed in surprise.

The previous enhancement ten days ago had significantly slowed Phoenix Village’s expansion. Without Cheng Yang clearing large groups of demonic beasts first, even the five main combatant teams struggled to advance. Though Liu Hao and Yu Kai had reached high-level apprentice rank, they were only two among many. The other three team leaders were still mid-level apprentices, making the numerous mid-tier demonic beast groups formidable opponents.

Cheng Yang nodded gravely. “This enhancement won’t affect late-tier demonic beasts, but the number of mid-tier ones will increase again. Time is running short.”

Li Wanshan reported, “Lord, by tonight or tomorrow, our first batch of combatants should reach mid-level apprentice rank. Another twenty to thirty enjoying quadruple cultivation speed will follow soon. However, the rest will take at least ten more days to advance.”

Cheng Yang calculated, “So each battalion will only have five to seven mid-level apprentices in three to four days?”

Li Wanshan confirmed, “That’s about right.”

“That’s insufficient,” Cheng Yang said. “I’ve accumulated about 30,000 spare spirit energy points. I’ll distribute them to ensure each team has forty members with quadruple cultivation speed. Your task is to guarantee these forty have enough spirit energy daily.”

Li Wanshan considered this. “That shouldn’t be too difficult. Even with quadruple speed, low-level apprentices only consume 120 points daily. By controlling expenses and increasing combat intensity, we can cover the deficit. We can also allocate resources within teams, prioritizing those with better talent to break through first and lead others.”

Cheng Yang approved, “Excellent. Tomorrow, we’ll establish a bank. Combatants can take loans, and I’ll keep interest rates minimal while controlling loan amounts. This will aid our early development.”

Li Wanshan agreed. Without sufficient spirit energy support, weaker combatants couldn’t advance quickly.

Xiangcheng City faced similar challenges. Though many had successfully changed professions, with numbers increasing daily, their advancement efficiency remained low. Maintaining even two hours of double cultivation speed proved difficult, let alone full-time quadruple speed.

This was inevitable. Xiangcheng City’s demonic beast populations were substantial, with mid-tier beasts posing significant threats. Without powerful fighters, the city remained on the defensive.

However, as time passed, this situation would improve. Leaders like Yuan Jianze would recognize the need for strong fighters and implement systems for combatants to contribute spirit energy to accelerate cultivation. Soon, they too would produce mid-level apprentices.

The two men continued discussing territory development, particularly contribution point permissions. However, they reached no final decision. Cheng Yang resolved to convene a meeting with senior leaders tomorrow to address this crucial matter.

After a while, Li Wanshan asked, “Lord, we’ve opened three of the four passages around Xiangcheng City. When do you plan to open the last one?”

Cheng Yang looked ahead. “Old Li, what do the three opened passages have in common?”

Li Wanshan paused, then answered, “Each has a territory altar within eight kilometers?”

Cheng Yang nodded. “That’s one point. All three passages have territory altars within eight kilometers, and none have particularly powerful demonic beasts or valuable treasures. We haven’t encountered any significant wild treasures. Don’t you find that suspicious?”

Li Wanshan looked puzzled. “Isn’t that normal? You’ve found several wild treasures, including the Guardian Hall blueprint. Aren’t those significant? Besides, the demonic beasts we’ve encountered are all similar in strength, with the strongest at late-tier. Most combatants still can’t defeat those.”

Cheng Yang understood Li Wanshan’s perspective but felt it necessary to issue a warning. “Old Li, do you know about nightmare-level dungeons?”

Li Wanshan shook his head. “Only you and the four territory guards have entered nightmare-level dungeons. You haven’t shared details, so we don’t know.”

Cheng Yang explained, “In nightmare-level dungeons, regular monsters aren’t special, but the final boss has a boss template. Even though they’re only early second-tier, their power far exceeds that of ordinary second-tier demonic beasts. Do you understand now?”

Li Wanshan’s eyes widened in realization. “You mean the Inferior Demon Leaders we’ve killed in dungeons weren’t true bosses? But what does this have to do with the western passage?”

PS: Seeking recommendations and collections. Special thanks to Chasing the Sun to See Stars, Fire? Dancing Stars, and Where’s My Integrity? for their support.