Narot and the two bandit friends who had followed him, carrying nearly thirty iron products, left Shen Mu's stronghold.
Just as they had arrived, they turned into phantoms within the wheat field's range, gradually vanishing completely.
"Lord Shen Mu, those three have left."
The Lake Rats Recruit returned to report.
"Mm." Shen Mu nodded, his tone calm. "I know. The next time they come, perhaps they'll truly be our friends."
Shen Mu waved his hand, signaling for the Lake Rats Recruit to return to the doorway connecting the stronghold main house and the wheat field and continue standing guard.
Two Swadian Footmen stood guard at the entrance to the connecting corridor.
Their duties were clearly divided.
As for the firing ports, the ten Mercenary Sentinels held light crossbows while standing guard or resting, arranging their own rotations.
This included the Swadian Footmen and recruits who had already laid bedding on the main house floor and gone to sleep.
Everything appeared orderly.
"I should go back to sleep too." Shen Mu glanced out the window. It was still pitch-black outside, gray fog flowing through the darkness as necromantic rules filled the night.
It was still as terrifying, dangerous, evil, and bizarre as ever.
But.
For Shen Mu, that absolute terror had quietly disappeared with the arrival of these Mount & Blade soldiers.
Shen Mu climbed the steep stairs to the second floor of the main house, opened his private bedroom, and walked inside.
There was a crude yet sturdy wooden bed, soft straw padding it, animal hide spread over it, and a thin hand-sewn wool blanket.
It was admittedly inferior to the mattress and down comforter he had slept with before.
But when it covered Shen Mu—
It brought him—
A sense of security, along with a warmth that seemed capable of protecting even his soul.
"This isn't an illusion. It's real." Shen Mu lay on the bed, lost in thought. "It should be the effect of the Mount & Blade Rules."
Before, even when sleeping beside a campfire, he could feel that chill penetrating from the depths of his soul.
That was probably the corrosion of the Necromantic Rules.
This warmth now—
Was the Mount & Blade Rules protecting him!
"Right, I still have a Bronze Chest I haven't opened."
Before going to sleep, Shen Mu recalled something.
His thoughts connected with the system again.
Ding! You have opened a 'Bronze Chest.' Congratulations! You have obtained 'Light Ballista' ×1.
A dialogue box immediately refreshed across his retina.
At the same time, a bronze-colored card bearing the image of a ballista appeared in Shen Mu's mind.
Then, a second page concerning the ballista unfolded.
Item Name: Light Ballista Item Description: This is a lightweight version of a powerful ballista. Once cocked using a winch, it can fire one-meter-long short spears and effectively kill enemies within a range of 150 meters. Item Details: Requires two people to operate and requires a 3m × 3m space when deployed.
"Light Ballista." Shen Mu raised an eyebrow slightly, a dazed delight appearing on his face.
He had truly struck gold this time.
Especially with the Demon Monster forces about to attack his stronghold, gaining such a formidable weapon now—
Was practically a premium version of timely help!
"Set it up on the second floor."
Shen Mu's thoughts shifted as he made his decision.
It would be in the room beside Shen Mu's bedroom, near the corridor, where the off-duty Mercenary Sentinels rested and prepared for battle.
Buzz!
An arcane force descended first, followed by a stream of data that flashed out from between Shen Mu's brows.
The two intertwined, turning into white light as they began to take shape.
When the white light gradually faded—
A brand-new ballista, as though freshly made, with two-meter arms and a three-meter body, appeared there.
The wooden groove gave off the faint stench of lubricating oil, while the iron components had been painted black and gleamed brightly.
Beside the ballista, the data stream coiled over once more.
White light flashed.
Thirty short spears were now planted inside three wooden barrels that had once held liquor.
They were packed together like enormous stuffed hedgehogs, giving any allied soldier standing nearby an absolute sense of security.
Though it had the word "light" in its name, a Light Ballista was still a ballista!
Forget ordinary soldiers.
Even Heavy Infantry clad from head to toe in heavy armor and carrying the thickest kite shields would feel fear when facing a ballista.
Even heavy cavalry with iron shields, plate armor on both rider and horse—
At a distance of fifty meters—
Would have to show this Light Ballista some respect.
"With this ballista, it's like having a Rhodok Sharpshooter." Shen Mu chuckled.
And when defending a city—
A Light Ballista could sometimes be even more effective than a Rhodok Sharpshooter!
For example...
The narrow corridor outside the second floor, which could be directly targeted, stretching from the Elevator Room of the Seventh Floor Apartment all the way to the stronghold main house!
Paired with those Mercenary Sentinels, Shen Mu knew just by imagining it that they would turn that corridor into a corridor of death!
"Not bad." Shen Mu fell asleep peacefully.
However, outside—
On the seventh floor of the apartment building—
At the opposite corner of the character-shaped layout—
Room 7040.
Thicker and thicker gray fog began seeping out through the crack beneath the door.
An increasingly strong stench of sulfur also spread through the floor along with the gray fog.
With careful observation—
One could even discover that within that crack, some kind of frenzied, chaotic, and violent aura seemed to be gathering.
Gathering little by little.
Like—
An egg about to hatch!
The next morning.
The instant the first ray of sunlight appeared, the seemingly eternal darkness and dense gray fog shrouding all of Blue Star vanished in an instant.
Only in certain corners and shadowy places untouched by sunlight did darkness and gray fog remain.
But across the vast land, cities, mountains, and rivers—
All kinds of buildings, factories, and distinctive structures—
Appeared one after another.
It was as if everything had returned to how it had been during Blue Star's glorious era.
"This feels great." Shen Mu threw off the thin wool blanket, sat up in bed, and narrowed his eyes as he looked outside.
The sky was still somewhat dim, but the sun had risen, and daylight was growing brighter.
Shen Mu lifted the wooden board serving as his window.
Outside the apartment, the distant skyscrapers stood in clusters. The city center, like a forest of steel, left him momentarily stunned.
"Long City." The name of that city surfaced in Shen Mu's mind.
It was also the collective name for this entire region.
The city where his predecessor had lived for seventeen or eighteen years.
And—
During the three years of darkness, a Demonic Lair he had not dared approach lightly, filled with danger, terror, and the threat of death.
The towering buildings were symbols of the former prosperity and splendor of Blue Star's cities.
But—
When the Necromantic Rules descended—
The vast Underground Mall, air-raid shelters, Underground Parking, and subway networks became breeding grounds for Undead Monsters.
Forget nighttime—even during the day, unless it was bright noon, a thin layer of gray fog would linger.
If the sky was overcast, even Undead Monsters would appear!
"And if a black tide comes, it'll be even more dangerous." Shen Mu pressed his lips together. At the thought of that term, deep wariness surfaced in his eyes.
According to his predecessor's memories, the black tide that appeared once every three months seemed to be approaching as well!
But just then, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
At the same time, the voice of a Swadian Footman came from outside. "Lord Shen Mu, neighbors claiming to be from the fifth floor are outside and wish to see you."
Before you continue