Cao Xing nodded to himself. Only by displaying great strength could he make his subordinates more loyal to him.
The same held true in any world.
He looked at Assam beside him, then took a crimson crystal from his inventory.
This was the Beginner Power Heart he had obtained from killing the dire bear.
Beginner Power Heart: Can only be obtained from certain powerful creatures.
Item Effect: Allows survivors or territory members who have reached Level 10 to advance. After advancing, all attributes increase by 100%.
In the Frozen Era, every advancement brought a terrifying increase.
It was at least a 100% boost to all attributes.
Without relying on other means, fighting enemies above one's rank was extremely difficult.
Assam was already a Level 10 creature and met the requirements for advancement.
So Cao Xing directly tossed the Power Heart to him.
Assam caught it reflexively. Holding the crystal brimming with power, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He asked in disbelief, "My Lord, can you really give such a precious Power Heart to me?"
Cao Xing nodded. "Assam, during this operation, you have proven your courage and quick wits. I believe you deserve even greater power."
"Then accept this Power Heart, and let us build a more prosperous territory together!"
Assam was so moved that tears welled in his eyes. He thumped his chest with one hand, stood straight, and said excitedly, "I am willing to give my life for my lord."
'Assam' has been moved by your actions. Loyalty has increased. Current Loyalty: 95 (Fearless unto death).
Seeing the prompt, Cao Xing was overjoyed.
Once loyalty exceeded 90, these soldiers entered a state of absolute devotion. Even if he ordered them to die, they would carry it out without hesitation.
This meant he no longer had to worry about Assam betraying him.
Under everyone's watchful eyes,
Assam crushed the Power Heart right in front of Cao Xing.
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass rang out as Assam absorbed a cloud of red mist.
Amid everyone's astonished gazes, Assam's aura rapidly rose, reaching a terrifying level in the blink of an eye.
A system prompt appeared.
Your territory member: Assam has completed his advancement. All attributes have increased by 100%.
Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction, then checked Assam's attributes after his advancement.
Frost Wolf Knight: Assam (Tier 2) Race: Human Level: 10 1722/10000 Health: 2040 Attack: 274–289 Armor: 24–27 Attributes: Strength 114, Agility 108, Spirit 96, Constitution 102 Hunger: 72 Loyalty: 95
"Good, good, good!"
Cao Xing looked at Assam's status panel with satisfaction.
Without a doubt, this improvement had brought a qualitative transformation to his strength.
Nearby, Ilena watched Assam's changes with a face full of envy.
Noticing her gaze, Cao Xing said, "Ilena, work hard. Once you reach Level 10, I'll find you a Power Heart too and let you break through to Tier 2."
Upon hearing this, Ilena's narrow snake eyes widened instantly. She looked at Cao Xing excitedly and said, "Thank you for your generosity, my lord!"
"I, Ilena, am willing to give everything for my lord!"
'Ilena' has been moved by your words. Loyalty has increased. Current Loyalty: 85.
Sure enough, her loyalty had risen again.
Cao Xing was delighted. A qualified lord needed to be good at dangling rewards.
Then, Cao Xing began examining the two rewards granted for the first kill of a Snowland Dire Bear.
Icefield Druid Recruitment Scroll (Purple): Use this scroll to summon a powerful Level 15 elite druid! (Note: Although an Icefield Druid is extremely powerful, his daily food consumption is also astonishing. Please make sure you have sufficient food~)
Seeing the prompt, Cao Xing's pupils constricted.
Holy shit!
A Level 15 elite!
That was insanely powerful!
The Snowland Dire Bear's terrifying combat strength alone showed just how frightening a Level 15 elite was!
If Cao Xing had not possessed a devastating weapon like the Barrett, the combined group would not have lasted half a minute against the Snowland Dire Bear.
However, the system had also warned him that this "Icefield Druid" had an astonishing appetite.
Ordinary survivors might not even be able to afford to feed him.
Cao Xing continued examining the other reward.
Beginner Elemental Arrow Tower Blueprint: Can construct a defensive arrow tower within the territory. Attack: 213–247 (20% chance to inflict an additional 45 elemental damage) Attack Interval: Once every 2.5 seconds Maximum Range: 600 meters Armor: 20 Durability: 2000/2000 Footprint: 12 square meters Building Height: 15 meters Required Materials: Wood*300, Stone*200, Iron*50, Beginner Elemental Crystal*10
After reading the Elemental Arrow Tower's attributes, Cao Xing was once again ecstatic.
Damn, it had more than two hundred attack power. One arrow could instantly kill a Level 5 creature like Ilena. This was another devastating weapon!
Even Assam before advancing would likely be shot dead before he could charge beneath the tower in a one-on-one fight.
After all, it had a range of 600 meters.
Furthermore, the materials required for this Elemental Arrow Tower were not complicated. It could be mass-produced entirely.
The only troublesome material was the Beginner Elemental Crystal. That thing could only drop from powerful creatures like Snowland Dire Bears or be found in treasure chests.
However, because the market existed, this was not much of a problem for Cao Xing.
Cao Xing believed that no matter how rare this material was, with such a massive survivor population, quite a few people would definitely obtain it.
After checking the rewards from this battle, Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction.
Although this battle had cost him five Barrett bullets, the returns were equally astonishing.
It was truly a bountiful harvest.
And that was not all. Aside from these spoils, there was still one reward before him that had not been dealt with.
Cao Xing looked at the enormous corpse before him.
Snowland Dire Bear Corpse (Blue): Can be dismantled.
Cao Xing immediately clicked dismantle.
Then, the Snowland Dire Bear's small-truck-sized body was enveloped in a burst of white light.
When the white light faded, a hill-sized pile of fresh bear meat appeared on the ground, along with a massive bear pelt, a pair of bear paws, and a pile of bones.
Fresh Bear Meat (Blue)*121 (Bear meat containing immense power. Upon first consumption, Strength +2, Constitution +2.)
One piece for everyone in the territory, and the rest could be traded for resources on the market. Plenty of people would definitely want it. Complete Snowland Dire Bear Pelt (Blue)
(A complete bear pelt with excellent cold resistance. Once made into clothing at a tailor shop, it can also provide a certain armor bonus.) Snowland Dire Bear Paws (Purple)*2 (A precious trophy. It is said that Avalon nobles specifically collect these bear paws as collectibles, and they can be sold for a considerable price.) Snowland Dire Bear Gallbladder (Blue)*1 (A bear gallbladder with powerful effects. After consuming it for the first time, Health permanently increases by 200. Remember to cook it before eating~) Snowland Dire Bear Bones*172 (Blue) (The exceptionally hard bones of a dire bear. They can be processed in a blacksmith shop to make spears or other weapons.)
"Holy shit! More than a thousand pieces of bear meat?"
Cao Xing was stunned. Converted into food, that was more than six thousand units!
And what was most important?
Most importantly, this bear meat could increase attributes!
A full 2-point increase to Strength and Constitution.
For warrior classes, that meant nearly 4 additional attack power, 40 Health, and 1 Armor.
Right now, food was what survivors lacked most, and this was meat that could increase attributes!
If he put it on the market, Cao Xing believed it would definitely trigger a frenzy among the survivors.
He could practically see an enormous fortune crashing toward him, making even Cao Xing's breathing quicken.
Before you continue