Chapter 108 – Demonic Birds

Chapter 108 – Demonic Birds

Yu Kai said with anticipation, “Heh, that’s not bad. It would be great if we could secure all the first clears of high-level dungeons, making players worldwide cry.”

Cheng Yang walked out of the tavern, ignoring the daydreaming guy behind him.

After fantasizing for a while, Yu Kai noticed Cheng Yang’s retreating figure and hurriedly ran after him, shouting, “Lord, wait for me!”

When Yu Kai caught up, he asked seriously, “Lord, since Yuan Jianze has started searching for dungeons, he’ll probably find the portal to the Ghost Vale soon. What should we do then?”

Cheng Yang smiled wryly, “What else can we do? We’ll deal with it as it comes. We can’t just hand over the dungeon, can we?”

Yu Kai chuckled, “I agree. We found it first, so we can’t let others take it. Besides, we can get several good pieces of equipment from it daily. Apart from the long distance, it’s a great place. Why don’t we station some people at the portal? If anyone tries to claim it, we’ll either kill them or drive them away. What do you think, Lord?”

Unconsciously, Yu Kai had transformed from a simple college student into a battle-hardened warrior who saw killing as routine. This was not just a change in ability but also in mentality.

Cheng Yang was quite pleased with this. He knew that in the apocalypse, being overly merciful would only lead to one’s demise. Sometimes, killing was a form of self-preservation.

Cheng Yang replied, “Not a good idea.”

Yu Kai argued, “Why not? If we don’t guard it, Yuan Jianze will monopolize the portal.”

Cheng Yang countered, “Then who do you suggest we send to guard it? You? Liu Hao? How many people should we send?”

The barrage of questions left Yu Kai momentarily speechless. After a while, he chuckled awkwardly, “Heh, I didn’t think that through. We just don’t have enough high-level warriors. If we had about a hundred mid-level apprentices, we could send half of them and make Yuan Jianze retreat immediately.”

Cheng Yang said, “That’s unrealistic. It will take at least ten more days for our territory to have a hundred mid-level apprentices. By then, Yuan Jianze would have found the portal several times over.”

After a moment of thought, he continued, “The only way to prevent Yuan Jianze from taking the dungeon is through deterrence. We can send a fast warrior to keep an eye on the portal. If any city forces approach, they can report back immediately. Given the portal’s value, Yuan Jianze will surely come as soon as he hears about it. Then, we can have a good talk with him.”

Yu Kai understood what Cheng Yang meant by “talk.” If negotiations failed, they would resort to force. The prospect of confronting the former military forces didn’t make Yu Kai nervous; instead, it excited him.

In his view, the rise of Luofeng Village was unstoppable, and the forces of Xiangcheng City couldn’t hinder it. This belief had been reinforced after browsing the world forum, where he noticed that other players’ progress paled in comparison to Luofeng Village’s.

Excited, Yu Kai whispered, “Lord, if Yuan Jianze gets too arrogant, we can eliminate him and send one of our own to manage the city.”

Cheng Yang glanced at Yu Kai but didn’t comment on his suggestion. Instead, he asked, “By the way, why are you back today? Have you cleared all the demonic beasts around Dongshan Village?”

Yu Kai laughed bitterly, “Lord, you overestimate me. If you’re talking about the demonic beasts within two or three kilometers of Dongshan Village, then yes, I’ve mostly cleared them. But beyond that, there are still many more. My team now has four mid-level apprentices, but if the demonic beast horde is too large, I still have to kite them alone, which takes a lot of time. However, I did come back for something important. The incident in Xiangcheng City almost made me forget.”

Cheng Yang asked, “What is it?”

Yu Kai grinned, “Last night, while clearing a demonic beast horde, I noticed they were guarding something. I think it must be a treasure.”

Cheng Yang was surprised, “A treasure? Why didn’t you clear the beasts yourself? With your high-level archer apprentice strength and equipment, even if there’s a late-stage Tier 1 demonic beast, it shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

Yu Kai sighed, “I wanted to, but those beasts are too tough. They’re all winged creatures. What could I do?”

Cheng Yang was shocked, “Winged? You mean demonic birds?”

Yu Kai replied, “I don’t know if they’re called demonic birds, but they’re all birds, and they’re huge. The raptors we see on TV are nothing compared to them.”

Cheng Yang’s expression darkened as he recalled his previous life’s encounter with demonic birds, which had led to his death.

“Lord, what’s wrong? Are those winged creatures really that tough?” Yu Kai asked, noticing Cheng Yang’s change in expression.

Cheng Yang composed himself, “It’s nothing. They’re strong, but not invincible. Compared to regular demonic beasts, demonic birds have their strengths and weaknesses. If we find the right strategy, they’re manageable.”

He paused, then added, “So far, we haven’t seen any demonic birds, which means they’re rare. Whatever they’re guarding must be valuable. Since they’re near Dongshan Village, we must eliminate them. Otherwise, they’ll be a major threat.”

Yu Kai asked, “Are you saying these demonic birds might attack Dongshan Village?”

Cheng Yang nodded, “It’s possible. Once their numbers grow, attacking human settlements is inevitable. It’s not just demonic birds; demonic beasts will do the same. Why do you think we built walls? Not just to keep out the nearby demonic beasts.”

Yu Kai agreed, “That makes sense.”

Cheng Yang then said, “Take your team back later, and bring some more people and lumber. Your territory should be ready to upgrade to Level 3 soon.”

Yu Kai replied, “It’s still early. The buildings and warriors aren’t an issue, but the spirit energy accumulation is too slow. The last two upgrades were only possible because of the spirit energy you transferred. This time, we need 20,000 points, which is no small amount.”

Cheng Yang looked at Yu Kai with disdain, “If you want me to transfer another 20,000 points, just say so. No need to beat around the bush. It’s not like I didn’t give you spirit energy for upgrading the Dongshan Village statue before.”

Yu Kai chuckled. He knew Cheng Yang was right. Over the past two days, most of the spirit energy used for upgrading Dongshan Village and Xianghe Village had come from Luofeng Village.

This was part of the rules. Within the same territory, whether it was the central village or a subsidiary settlement, spirit energy could be shared. Normally, the lord had control over all spirit energy allocations, while settlement managers could only contribute to the central village, not withdraw from it.

To support the two settlements’ upgrades, Cheng Yang had already transferred at least 10,000 points of spirit energy from Luofeng Village. Otherwise, Luofeng Village wouldn’t have only 12,000 points left.

This was unavoidable. Neither Dongshan Village nor Xianghe Village had the advantage Luofeng Village did, with a dungeon portal from the start. This advantage allowed Luofeng Village to upgrade rapidly.

From yesterday to today, they had gained another 10,000 points, bringing the total to about 25,000. This was enough for one subsidiary settlement to upgrade to Level 3. Xianghe Village was likely ready for the upgrade, but it still needed at least 18,000 points.

“Let’s upgrade your territory first. We’ll delay Xianghe Village’s upgrade for a few days,” Cheng Yang sighed. “I thought we had enough spirit energy, but adding two new settlements has drained our reserves.”

Cheng Yang’s decision made sense. Xianghe Village was closely connected to Luofeng Village, and its functional buildings weren’t urgently needed. In fact, Xianghe Village hadn’t even built a few shops yet. In contrast, Dongshan Village already had a pharmacy. With some more lumber, it would meet the conditions for a Level 3 upgrade.

Yu Kai was naturally pleased with this decision. He understood Dongshan Village’s situation. If they didn’t establish their own development system quickly, they would hold Luofeng Village back. Although he was only the nominal village head, with Liu Cheng’en handling most affairs, Liu Cheng’en was still his subordinate. If Dongshan Village didn’t develop well, Yu Kai would lose face and might even be mocked by Liu Hao.

PS: Seeking subscriptions, monthly tickets, and tips. For every 30 monthly tickets, an extra chapter will be released. For a red tip, two extra chapters will be released… (To be continued)