Chapter Summaries

Zong Shen tested the defensive Evil Grime he had gained, then prepared his territory as Winter’s second phase began. Supercooled freezing rain quickly coated people and vehicles in ice, leaving Maryl in danger until Zong Shen rescued her and Doris used fire magic and a thermal orb to return safely.

• Zong Shen tested how Evil Grime could form and move as a defensive barrier, then returned to the first-floor hall.
• Zong Shen ate with his companions and sent Maryl to deliver food and a Load-Bearer Mecha to the workshops for snowplow installations.
• At noon, the Winter Challenge’s first phase ended without territorial casualties, and the second phase began with 10,000 regional snow monsters announced.
• Supercooled freezing rain fell and froze on contact, rapidly coating the Load-Bearer Mechas, Maryl, and Doris in ice.
• Zong Shen used the Magic-Energy Thermal Orb and Scorching Shield to rescue Maryl, while Doris used her Scorching Barrier and thermal orb to reach shelter safely.
• Luna and Vereesa helped Maryl warm up inside the Lord’s Small Building, while the Mappel sisters prepared ginger brown sugar tea.

Zong Shen sheltered his people from the worsening supercooled ice rain and learned that Lord Jane Hedges had dispersed the clouds over her region, earning a Platinum Challenge Treasure Chest and a day of normal weather. The announcement prompted Zong Shen to reconsider his approach to the Winter Challenge as the freezing rain continued.

• Zong Shen lit the fireplace and had his people warm Maryl with ginger sugar water after the ice rain left her shaken and cold.
• Doris reported that she was safe, then contacted Howie as Zong Shen allowed residents to use the territory’s stored heating supplies.
• The ice rain intensified, encased buildings in thick ice, and killed a Legion member who had traveled away from their territory.
• A golden announcement revealed that Jane Hedges had dispersed the dark clouds, earning a Platinum Challenge Treasure Chest and temporarily restoring normal weather in her region.
• Zong Shen reflected that the Lord System rewarded disruptive feats and resolved to regain his initiative in the Winter Challenge.

Chen Rui recognized that the Winter Challenge had arrived early and feared the second act might also begin ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Prince Ayub used Jane Hedges to test whether the natives could interfere with the challenge, then secretly arranged to place contract-bound warriors near her.

• Chen Rui saw the Winter Challenge announcements and recalled that Jane Hedges had been a puppet of a powerful native figure in his previous life.
• Prince Ayub surrounded Jane Hedges's territory and had her use Pelor's Sun Scepter to cast Blazing Sunlight, clearing the winter clouds for twenty-four hours.
• Jane Hedges reported her success, and Prince Ayub promised her support, including a governor and squads of Scorpion Armored Warriors and Golden Scorpion Armored Warriors.
• Prince Ayub departed and watched a magical image of Jane Hedges celebrating, then ordered a contract army and the god-blessed Lunba Nuke placed near her to test whether the warriors would be influenced by the Chosen Ones.

Prince Ayub explained to Zewati why the Sarranid Sultanate was monitoring a foolish Chosen One and preparing for a coming era of upheaval. After Winter’s freezing rain ended, Zong Shen found his territory encased in thick ice and made his way outside using anti-slip spikes.

• Prince Ayub told Zewati that Chosen Ones brought chaos, but a foolish one would be easier to monitor as the continent approached a new era.
• Zewati questioned why the unfathomable existence allowed them to interfere, and Prince Ayub answered that everyone had advantages and sacrifices.
• Prince Ayub signaled his forces and flew off on a Golden Sand Owl while the narration noted that few rulers acted on surviving prophecies.
• After the freezing rain stopped, Zong Shen found the Lord's Small Building sealed in a thick shell of ice and opened a sheltered second-floor balcony instead.
• Zong Shen put on anti-slip spikes, jumped onto a nearby snow slope, and walked across the ice toward the building's front door.

Zong Shen broke through the ice sealing his Lord's Small Building and assembled a force to hunt the Commander-level snow monsters spawned in Winter's second phase. After aerial scouting failed to find any, he asked the Strategy Module to mark the nearest monsters.

• Zong Shen used the Wind-Fire-Thunder Trident to break the ice covering the building's door and led his companions outside into the frozen landscape.
• Zong Shen carried Maryl back inside and told her to rest while he prepared for battle.
• Zong Shen ordered Vereesa to summon Doris's Dragon-kin Spear and Shield Warrior squad, a Wolf Cavalry squad, Favid, Tasia, and Ashia.
• Zong Shen sent the Magic Energy Mechanical Falcon to scout but found no snow monsters, and the cold began to freeze the falcon.
• Zong Shen checked the upcoming weather with the Strategy Guide and concluded that the snow monsters could be concealed.
• Zong Shen asked the Strategy Module to mark the nearest snow monsters, and golden markers appeared in his field of vision.

Zong Shen prepared for a Winter Snow Monster approaching his territory and had Vereesa reveal it with a Binding Shot. The exposed monster was struck by the territory’s Giant Crossbow Towers, but its Ice Armor absorbed the bolts.

• Zong Shen ordered Madeline, Mappel, Vereesa, and Luna to prepare as the hidden monster neared the northern gate.
• Luna opened the northern gate, and Vereesa fired a Binding Shot that broke the monster’s Ice-Snow Stealth and briefly bound it.
• Zong Shen identified the revealed level 40 Winter Snow Monster as an enhanced Ice Ape with powerful frost abilities and heavy defenses.
• Vereesa and the Mappel sisters shot the monster, dealing damage before it raised Ice Armor.
• The Giant Crossbow Towers fired from four directions, but their bolts lodged in the monster’s Ice Armor and dealt limited damage.

Zong Shen watched his forces battle the Winter Snow Monster to learn its tactics, after shielding Vereesa from its Ice Arrows with Evil Grime. The wounded monster entered a frenzy and pursued a retreating Hellish Two-Headed Hound, leaving the fight unresolved.

• The Winter Snow Monster fired three Ice Arrows at Vereesa, but Zong Shen protected her with Evil Grime, which absorbed the attacks.
• Doris brought reinforcements through the South Gate, and Favid sent four Hellish Two-Headed Hounds to attack the monster alongside Colby's Wolf Cavalry and the Dragon-kin Spear and Shield Warriors.
• The forces battered the Winter Snow Monster until its ice armor broke and its Health fell below 30 percent, activating Snow's Favored.
• Favid ordered the most badly wounded Hellish Two-Headed Hound to withdraw, but the Winter Snow Monster went berserk and leaped after it with ice-coated fists.

Zong Shen’s forces killed a Winter Snow Monster, earning points and experience, and he decided to split his warriors into squads to hunt the scattered monsters. He assigned Doris and Favid to lead a mobile mage-heavy team and insisted that Doris bring everyone back alive.

• Zong Shen’s warriors and towers battered the Winter Snow Monster, and Favid finished it with an Explosive Fireball, earning 1,000 points for Zong Shen and 125 kill points for himself.
• After observing that the Winter Snow Monsters stayed scattered, Zong Shen decided to divide his forces and hunt them in separate squads while maintaining overwhelming numbers.
• Zong Shen assigned Doris and Favid to lead Wolf Cavalry Squad 2, two Necromancers, eight mages, and two Druids of the Claw, using the Load-Bearer Mecha for mobile attacks.
• Zong Shen privately warned Doris to bring every warrior back alive, and Doris solemnly swore to do so.

Zong Shen organized a large hunting force to pursue nearby Winter Snow Monsters while sending Doris’s rookie squad on a separate expedition. As the snow grew heavier, he ordered Colby to collect anti-slip spikes before the main force set out, and recalled the goblin merchant Boswell’s departure for Lentax Great City.

• Zong Shen gave Doris mana spring water and sent her east with Favid and the Two-headed Hellhounds to hunt three Winter Snow Monsters before nightfall.
• Zong Shen ordered Luna to gather the Night Huntress squad, ranged troops, and Water Elementalists for his main expedition.
• Zong Shen assembled a force of ranged attackers, mounted skirmishers, and melee warriors, leaving Howie to oversee the territory’s internal guards.
• Zong Shen recalled how Boswell had left the area after losing goods to him and being forced to compensate Safri, and noted that the goblin merchant was likely in Lentax Great City.
• Zong Shen sent Colby and Wolf Cavalry Squad 1 to the Blacksmith Shop to collect anti-slip earth spikes for the Dragon-kin spear and Shield Warriors.

Zong Shen prepared an expedition into the snow, outfitting his infantry with anti-slip chain spikes and gathering ranged troops for mobile combat. As Luna returned with the archers and crossbowmen, he inspected Rhodok Crossbowman Devitt’s abilities before the expedition began.

• Zong Shen considered the Winter Challenge’s point system and resolved to earn more points than the other lords.
• Zong Shen activated a Magic-Energy Thermal Orb to warm his waiting warriors and told them to move around.
• Colby delivered thirty-seven sets of anti-slip chain spikes, which Zong Shen ordered distributed to the infantry.
• Luna returned with twenty ranged warriors and four Water Elementalists aboard a Load-Bearer Mecha.
• Zong Shen inspected Rhodok Crossbowman Devitt and learned about his armor-piercing attacks and squad volley skill.

Zong Shen assembled his warriors and split them into mobile melee, ranged, and guerrilla groups to hunt a nearby Snow Monster, giving his heroes room to fight independently. After pursuing it across the snowy field, his group engaged the monster, and Zong Shen blocked its first volley of frost arrows with Scorching Shield.

• Zong Shen inspected the Rhodok Crossbowmen and decided their ranged damage could help his forces defeat Snow Monsters quickly.
• Luna reported that the warriors had assembled, and Zong Shen assigned them to two Load-Bearer Mechas and mobile attack groups.
• Zong Shen set out southwest toward a golden-circle marker, aiming to let his heroes and warriors gain experience fighting independently.
• Zong Shen and Vereesa pursued the Snow Monster in their snowplow-equipped Load-Bearer Mechas and caught up with it after twelve or thirteen minutes.
• The Snow Monster revealed itself and fired four frost arrows at Zong Shen's advancing mecha, but Zong Shen activated Scorching Shield and stopped them.

Zong Shen and his allies wore down a Winter Snow Monster with ranged attacks before engaging it in close combat once it formed Ice Armor. The Dragon-kin spear-and-shield warriors halted its charge, allowing Zong Shen to strike through its armor.

• Zong Shen charged the Winter Snow Monster while Vereesa led the ranged group in a running retreat, drawing its attention and interrupting its spells with arrows and bolts.
• Luna and three Huntresses harassed the pursuing monster with Moon Glaives while Zong Shen followed behind it and the Wolf Cavalry waited for a chance to use their Capture Net.
• After the monster's health fell below 2,000, it formed Ice Armor and slowed down, so Zong Shen overtook it and prepared to attack with his allies.
• The Dragon-kin spear-and-shield warriors formed a barricade and stopped the ice-armored monster's charge with their shields and grounded spears.
• The Wolf Cavalry dropped a Capture Net as arrows continued striking the monster, and Zong Shen plunged his Wind-Fire-Thunder Trident into its chest, blasting a large hole through its Ice Armor.

Zong Shen refined his hunting tactics and led his group to kill seven Winter Snow Monsters, improving their efficiency as they fought across the frozen wilderness. As the sky darkened and the group’s condition worsened from the cold, they stopped to rest beside their Load-Bearer Mechas and warm themselves with thermal orbs and food.

• Zong Shen and the Dragon-kin spear and shield warriors restrained a Winter Snow Monster while the ranged fighters and mages wore it down, and Zong Shen killed it after about twelve minutes of combat.
• Zong Shen reassigned Curtis to pilot the Load-Bearer Mecha and sent Vereesa to join the attackers, then led the party toward another Winter Snow Monster.
• Curtis evaded one frost arrow but the other damaged the Load-Bearer Mecha’s cargo panel, while the ranged group shattered the monster’s ice armor and Zong Shen’s party killed it.
• Zong Shen’s group continued hunting for more than two hours and killed seven Winter monsters, earning him 7,000 challenge points and 34,020 experience points.
• As the warriors grew cold and exhausted, Zong Shen parked the Load-Bearer Mechas as a windbreak, set out thermal orbs, and shared warm pickled meat and purified water with the group.

Zong Shen led the hunters back to the territory after clearing more Winter Snow Monsters in worsening weather, then praised Doris for safely leading her own team and growing into a reliable leader. The warriors settled in for the night as Zong Shen prepared for another hunt before the temporary Point Exchange opened.

• Zong Shen and his hunting party killed five more Winter Snow Monsters, while Doris's team killed two, bringing his total score to 19,650 points.
• As heavy snow and freezing winds intensified, Zong Shen ended the hunt and ordered everyone to rest before assembling at five the next morning.
• On their return, Zong Shen's party passed nearby territories where lords had fought off snow monsters, and Zong Shen's archers helped wear down a monster without taking credit for the kill.
• Doris returned with anti-slip chain spikes and tailored sheepskin coats, then reported that her squad had killed five Winter Snow Monsters and returned safely apart from one lightly injured Wolf Cavalry.
• Zong Shen praised Doris for keeping her promise and understanding teamwork, and Doris thanked him for the hope and sense of purpose she had found in the territory.
• Luna and Vereesa brought the warriors back to the residential area, while Doris, Maryl, Madeline, and Mappel prepared dinner in the Lord's Small Building.

On the second night of the Winter Challenge, Zong Shen reflected on the region’s troubles and the coming Legion rule changes while sharing dinner with his companions. After the meal, he discovered two forgotten treasure chests in his backpack and prepared to open them.

• Luna drew Vereesa into the kitchen, where Maryl helped Doris prepare dinner while Tasia and Ashia continued their training rivalry.
• Zong Shen considered reports of snow monster attacks and the Legion Version 1.1 countdown, speculating that the Lord System might change rules affecting territory expansion.
• Maryl served a hearty dinner, and Zong Shen praised the sausages from Xitano Village before asking her to arrange a meat-processing workshop and pasture there after winter.
• Zong Shen checked his storage and found a forgotten Bronze Treasure Chest and Silver Treasure Chest from the Bone-Burial Dark Fortress, then brought them out as an unexpected surprise.

Zong Shen opened two treasure chests, gaining a Tier 3 Blacksmith Shop blueprint and several rare items, including the Protector's Ring and an Advanced Heart of Strength. He gave Maryl the ring to support her logistics work and equipped the stronger attribute accessory himself.

• Zong Shen opened the Bronze Treasure Chest and obtained a Tier 3 Blacksmith Shop blueprint, an Elemental Arrow Tower blueprint, three Wolf Cavalry Recruitment Scrolls, and two pieces of equipment.
• Zong Shen opened the Silver Treasure Chest and found a Protector's Ring, an Advanced Heart of Strength, a stone road blueprint, Water Mage Recruitment Scrolls, a Bloodbath Potion, and a Group Stealth Rune.
• Zong Shen gave Maryl the Protector's Ring, which increased her attributes and granted her additional Farmer Command capacity.
• Zong Shen replaced his Primary Heart of Strength with the Advanced Heart of Strength.

Zong Shen inspected his new loot, upgraded his attributes and skills, and sold more cold-weather supplies as the second-stage climate shift increased demand. The chapter left him storing his earnings and considering the limits of his territory’s storage capacity.

• Zong Shen equipped the Advanced Heart of Strength, raising his Strength to 147 and his health to 1407, and examined a Bloodbath Potion and a Group Stealth Rune.
• Zong Shen spent two attribute points on Intelligence, raised Item Management to Level 8 and Persuasion to Level 4, and added 20 Weapon Proficiency points to Two-handed Weapon.
• Zong Shen replenished his Market listings with 212 Tailored Sheepskin Coats and reviewed strong sales of his lower-tier cold-weather clothing.
• Zong Shen deposited his Market earnings in the Territory Storage Box, which had 450 storage slots and was nearly full of basic resources.

Zong Shen led another Winter Snow Monster hunt through deep snow and gale-force winds, while Ashia revealed that she had learned a powerful defensive Holy Light skill. After returning with losses and two injured Dire Wolves, Zong Shen remembered a building that might help replace lost mounts and decided to accelerate its construction along with preparations for a long-distance teleportation array.

• Zong Shen checked the territory's large resource reserves and returned to the Lord's Small Building as the heavy snowfall continued.
• Zong Shen and Luna made breakfast, then Zong Shen sent Vereesa and Luna to bring the hunting team from the residential area and Magic Hall through the deep snow.
• Ashia told Zong Shen she had learned Holy Light Wall, a Fourth Order spell that protected a group and counterattacked attackers with Holy Light Arrows.
• Zong Shen's main force killed fourteen Winter Snow Monsters during three hunts, but three Legion members died and two Wolf Cavalry mounts were badly injured.
• Doris returned safely after her squad killed six Winter Snow Monsters, while Zong Shen treated the injured wolves and considered how to restore the strength of Wolf Cavalry soldiers without mounts.
• Zong Shen remembered a building he had not yet constructed and decided Maryl should prepare it, while he accelerated preparations for the 100km-Level Teleportation Array.

Zong Shen gathered supplies and planned construction with Maryl before the Winter Challenge’s first points exchange opened. He spent points on magical materials and Goblin Bombs, then examined the powerful Type V bomb.

• Zong Shen sent Vereesa and Luna back with the Warriors and injured dire wolves, then returned to the courtyard and found Maryl shopping in the Market.
• Maryl showed Zong Shen enough spatial materials to build a 100km-Level Spatial Magic Array, and he instructed her to keep collecting construction materials and search for souls.
• At noon, the Winter Challenge reached its forty-eight-hour mark, and the temporary Points Exchange Mall opened during Time Stop.
• Zong Shen exchanged 6,500 points for common elemental runes and magic gems, then spent 7,800 points on Goblin Bombs of several types.
• Zong Shen inspected the Type V Goblin Bomb, noting its 1,000 explosion damage, 60-meter radius, and increased damage to buildings.

Zong Shen spent points on explosives, excavation machines, anti-magic equipment, healing and attack scrolls, and patrol dogs to strengthen his plans and territory defenses. After replenishing medical supplies, he tried the new blind-box lottery and used the Strategy Module to reveal five possible rewards, leaving him to choose between a mysterious book and evidence involving Queen Sandina.

• Zong Shen exchanged points for Goblin Bombs and two Magic Energy Drills, intending to use the explosives soon and excavate the ruins beneath the nearby Bandit Camp after winter.
• Zong Shen bought a Magic Interferer, group Bloodlust and Holy Light Heal scrolls, a Lightning Storm scroll, patrol dogs, and additional high-order attack scrolls to prepare for combat and improve the territory's defenses.
• Zong Shen spent 1,900 points on Hemostatic Bandages and Alcohol, then reserved his remaining points for the blind-box lottery.
• Zong Shen opened the Points Blind Boxes menu and spent 500 points to generate five identical-looking boxes.
• Zong Shen used the Strategy Module to identify the rewards and focused on choosing between Grave Robbers' Chronicles and special evidence of Queen Sandina's adultery.