"Luna, I need you to keep working a little longer."
"These farmers need protection. Please patrol the area outside the courtyard where they're gathering resources."
Zong Shen instructed Luna.
"As you command, my lord!"
Luna had no complaints. She pressed a fist to her chest and bowed to Zong Shen.
Then she rode the Black Panther out of the courtyard at a leisurely pace.
Today's task was to build at least six Tier 1 Thatched Sheds before nightfall.
The sheds weren't just buildings for resting in; they were also basic structures that could restore health.
They were very useful.
As for the basic barracks, there was no need to rush.
Zong Shen didn't have many farmers.
With the Wolf Cavalry, the Night Huntress, and himself, they were more than enough to handle the demands of combat in the early stages of development.
Zong Shen wasn't planning to sit idle, either. With a flick of his hand, he took out an Iron Axe and strode out of the courtyard.
Outside, Gou Dan had already finished building his Tier 1 Thatched Shed.
There were still 10 units of wood left in the territory's supplies, so Zong Shen placed another Tier 1 Thatched Shed beside Gou Dan.
He patted him on the shoulder.
"Keep up the good work, Gou Dan. I believe in you!"
Gou Dan's face instantly fell, but he couldn't show his displeasure in front of Zong Shen, so he managed to force a smile.
He turned and went back to the shed's outline, hammering away again.
But the smile he left behind had "miserable" written all over it.
Zong Shen didn't mind. He simply nodded.
These buildings could be placed anywhere for now. Once the territory expanded and the City Wall was built, he would need to plan and reorganize everything properly.
The lord's authority allowed buildings to be relocated with a single command, without any additional resources, but workers would have to spend time rebuilding them.
There was no need to rush that for now.
The construction of several buildings had instantly filled the patch of empty ground beside the courtyard.
At last, it was starting to look like a territory.
Zong Shen nodded with satisfaction and headed for the nearest tree.
He hefted the axe and began chopping at the base of the tree with all his strength!
Perhaps because his Strength was so high, he didn't find it particularly strenuous. He only had to swing five or six times to completely chop through a tree as thick as a thigh.
Then he only had to drag it a short distance to haul it easily into the courtyard and convert it.
[Wood +4]
As soon as the tree entered the courtyard, it was converted into wood and automatically added to the Territory Storage Box.
The amount of resources converted from trees and other gathered materials also depended on how much was collected.
For example, the tree as thick as a thigh that Zong Shen had dragged back yielded 4 units of wood.
The trees as thick as an arm that the farmers dragged back usually only yielded 2 units.
Zong Shen's overall efficiency was equivalent to that of four farmers gathering resources in the same amount of time.
The Strength attribute really did make a noticeable difference.
At least Zong Shen didn't feel overburdened while working.
"Let's keep going!"
He rolled his neck and headed out of the territory again.
His target was the trees as thick as thighs!
He worked efficiently, without taking a single break or slacking off.
Seeing him lead by example, the farmers couldn't help but pick up their pace as well.
Amid the busy atmosphere, an hour and a half passed.
Night was approaching. The orange-red glow of the setting sun spread across the western sky.
"It's almost dark. Bring back whatever resources you have on hand, then call it a day!"
Zong Shen hauled back the last tree.
Standing outside the courtyard, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and called out to the farmers.
"Long live the lord!"
"The lord is mighty!"
The farmers cheered and returned to the courtyard with the wood they had gathered.
The group had harvested quite a lot.
Zong Shen had built two more Tier 1 Thatched Sheds during that time, and 33 units of wood remained in reserve.
In just an hour and a half, he and the farmers had gathered 53 units of wood.
His own efficiency was equal to that of four or five farmers.
Still, after working at full strength for so long, Zong Shen felt a little tired.
All the buildings had been completed.
The six sheds could accommodate twelve farmers.
As for Colby and Luna, along with Zong Shen himself, they were the territory's combat forces and would have to keep watch at night.
"It's time to cook."
"But why hasn't Colby come back yet?"
Zong Shen walked over to the Stove, feeling a faint sense of unease.
He began cooking.
Since he lacked seasonings and ingredients, he could only use what little food he had to make Roasted Wolf Meat.
[Roasted Wolf Meat]
[Requirements: Wood ×1, Wolf Meat ×1]
[Production Time: 3m]
He submitted ten units of wolf meat and ten units of wood at once and started production.
He decided to wait another half hour.
If the food was ready after half an hour but Colby still hadn't returned, he would send Luna out to look for him.
The last trace of sunset faded from the sky.
Nightfall came. Stars filled the heavens, and a crescent moon hung high overhead.
Night seemed to be Luna's domain.
All she had to do was stand still.
She could then enter a state that was almost like invisibility.
It was difficult to spot her with the naked eye.
This was the Night Elf clan's innate ability: Hide!
It was truly powerful!
"Awooo~"
Suddenly, a long wolf howl rang out.
"Awooo..."
"Aw...ooo..."
Then wolf howls rose one after another from every direction across the grasslands.
Beneath the night sky, the grasslands were pitch-black.
It was like an Abyssal Maw that could swallow everything.
"Roar!"
"Awoo!"
"Boom!"
After the howls came a series of furious beastly roars.
The howls and roars echoed beneath the night sky, making it impossible to tell where they came from.
All the farmers looked terrified and instinctively huddled together.
Zong Shen and Luna stared intently outside.
They could both sense many furtive gazes watching the territory from the darkness.
At that moment, a huge figure slowly emerged from the night.
Two eyes reflecting blue light in the darkness appeared before them.
Luna had already gripped her Moon Glaive tightly.
Zong Shen also drew his sharp Germanic Sword.
They readied themselves for battle!
The figure moved quickly, running at about the full speed of an Old Travel Horse, so it soon reached the edge of the territory.
In Zong Shen's vision, a name suddenly appeared above the Black Shadow's head.
[Wolf Cavalry Colby]
Zong Shen breathed a sigh of relief and waved to Luna.
"Relax. He's one of us."
The next moment, Colby, riding a Giant Wolf, reached the courtyard.
He gradually slowed down, then came before Zong Shen, dismounted, and knelt on one knee.
"My lord, Colby has returned!"
Zong Shen looked at Colby and the Giant Wolf, narrowing his eyes slightly.
An arrow was embedded in Colby's shoulder, and his right hand bore a slash from a blade. Blood ran down his arm!
Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, and the blood had clotted into a scab.
Colby had actually been wounded!
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