Burn the Mountain Instead

[Sunlight -50]

Sitting atop the slightly damaged battlement, Lincon watched as the panel conveniently popped up a deduction notice. The good mood brought by the new day instantly vanished without a trace.

Lincon gently rubbed his brow, feeling that everyone else was gradually getting better while his own pressure only grew.

His remaining Sunlight would not last much longer. The Seed of Life was practically a money pit. Even under apocalyptic conditions, it made Lincon feel the pressure of making regular loan payments.

"My lord, everyone has gathered." Zhang Rui's voice reached his ears.

Over this period, Zhang Rui's entire temperament had changed dramatically. The vigor in him stood in stark contrast to the gaunt and miserable appearance he had worn when he first joined the fortress.

He wore a brand-new suit he had found somewhere, standing tall and straight. The sharp glint in his eyes was steady and restrained, while every gesture carried the scholarly air of a prominent family.

It was as though this was how he had always been meant to look, and his former state had been entirely forced upon him by life.

Lincon slowly let out a breath and jumped down from the battlement.

"Then let's get ready to move out!"

According to today's plan, he would lead a team to the upper reaches of Longwind Lake and attempt to solve the water pollution issue.

At first, Zhang Rui had not recommended that Lincon go personally. As the Lord of a territory, he could simply leave such matters to his subordinates; there was no need to put himself in danger.

But Lincon quickly rejected that suggestion.

The water source was far too important. It concerned not only the fortress's drinking water, but also his future plans for Longwind Fortress.

Although his secondary class was Plant Cultivator, Lincon preferred combining that ability with the construction of the fortress.

The Giant Mushroom had given him that inspiration.

Who said building a fortress had to involve steel and concrete?

Steel and concrete could not withstand the corrosion of darkness. Before long, they would decay and collapse. Powerful advanced plants were far more reliable.

Besides, he could not keep wasting mental power to stimulate the growth of Sunlight Potatoes. He had to take a longer view—diverting water for irrigation so these people could become self-sufficient.

Therefore, no matter how he looked at it, he had to purify usable water and bring it near the fortress.

Once news of the expedition spread, a group of men personally selected by Lincon gathered at the city gate.

Most of them were young, strong men, and they were also citizens whose loyalty had reached 80 on the panel. At the very least, he would not need to worry about them abandoning Lincon and fleeing alone when danger arose.

As the captain of Longwind Fortress's combat readiness squad, Li Zhouhai stood at the very front with his hands behind his back, his spine ramrod straight and his eyes bright with spirit.

He stared at the small fortress before him, and for some reason, a feeling completely different from the one he had felt in Shangmai City rose in his heart.

Peace of mind, relaxation... and a sense of belonging that silently tethered his heart here.

Like a rising sun, it made people unable to stop themselves from turning their gaze toward it.

That was the meaning of a home!

"Rumble..."

Before the city gate, the Ancient Maple Guardian disguised as a tree transformed into a massive treant. It pulled its thick roots from the ground and lifted Lincon onto its palm.

"Let's go," Lincon said to Li Zhouhai ahead.

Li Zhouhai shouted, "Move out!!"

In an instant, over twenty carefully chosen men, fully armed and carrying packs on their backs, marched in orderly formation toward Longwind Lake.

Behind them, their families watched silently. Only after their figures had completely disappeared from sight did they turn back and resume their work.

As Lincon passed through the fields planted with Sunlight Potatoes, Liu Ying and her father were leading some people in planting a new batch of Sunlight Potatoes.

Without Lincon's Accelerated Growth ability, Sunlight Potato production had slowed considerably. They only grew a little faster than normal plants now.

Liu Ying's little face was smudged with dirt as she carefully buried a potato seed in the soil.

The moment she heard movement, she immediately raised her head and saw the enormous Ancient Maple Guardian walking at the front, followed by a line of fully equipped men.

She knew that Longwind Fortress's most important group of people was setting out.

"Before the old era, this mountain forest was a fairly large forest park. It had abundant vegetation, and a stream flowed out from within. Based on my observations, the source of Longwind Lake should be here."

Li Zhouhai took out an old-era map and handed it to Lincon. "However, I didn't go deep inside to investigate. It felt very dangerous in there. I suggest that, my lord, you focus on modifying and purifying this stream instead."

The day before setting out, Lincon had asked Li Zhouhai to take several men to locate the upper reaches of Longwind Lake. Their final target had been a mountainous forest region.

Lincon accepted the map and looked it over. It showed the size and terrain of the mountain region in great detail.

In ancient times, lofty mountains and dense forests were places where monsters proliferated. But after the corruption of darkness, most plants had been contaminated, either withering away or mutating into varieties adapted to an environment filled with Dark Energy.

The dense forest where he had previously drawn water was, in fact, largely filled with plants mutated during the Dark Age.

There were even more trees in this mountain region. Who knew how many dangers lay hidden within?

Li Zhouhai's suggestion was correct, but they would only know after seeing it for themselves.

Lincon had prepared thoroughly for today. He had brought a pile of Purification Stones and several Purification Shrines, and he had also conceived a plan for purifying flowing water.

As for whether it would succeed, they would only know after trying.

By the time the group reached the edge of the forest, half the daylight hours had already passed.

During the Dark Age, daytime lasted only five hours. Darkness retreated at ten in the morning when daylight arrived, then returned promptly at three in the afternoon.

In other words, it was now precisely when the noon sun was at its fiercest. Yet as the group approached the forest, an icy chill rushed toward them.

Lincon glanced at the stream flowing out from the mountain forest beside them. It was even grayer and blacker than the water in Longwind Lake, and its smell was even more unpleasant.

It was almost certain that Longwind Lake's water did indeed come from here.

"Looks like purifying it will be even harder than I imagined!"

Lincon frowned and had someone place a Shrine here before continuing deeper into the mountain forest along the stream.

The moment they entered, the surrounding light suddenly dimmed. The faint chill felt like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness, flicking their tongues as they watched the group.

No one behind him retreated. They all followed cautiously.

They held weapons Lincon had upgraded with Reinforcement Runes. They were sharper than before and gave everyone a strong sense of security.

If firearms had not become practically useless in the Dark Age, many of them would likely have carried pistols at their waists for self-defense.

"Why don't we just burn down the mountain?" Li Zhouhai suggested from beside him. "No one's going to stop us now anyway."

Lincon shook his head, closed his eyes, and spread out his mental power, carefully sensing the emotions conveyed by the surrounding trees.

Numbness, panic...

For the trees to convey such emotions, there had to be something inside that frightened even plants.

What could it be?

Animals or plants? Or perhaps dark creatures?

Lincon decisively chose to have the Ancient Maple Guardian lead the way.

Although they stood before a forest, the Ancient Maple Guardian did not hesitate. It swung its hard branch-like hands, crushing aside trees of its own kind and clearing a path for people to walk through.

There was not even the sound of insects or birds in the forest. It was deathly silent.

After following the stream for roughly half an hour, the Ancient Maple Guardian ahead suddenly stopped and did not dare proceed any farther.

Li Zhouhai stepped forward to inspect the area and was instantly shocked.

Before them lay a massive swamp shrouded in poisonous miasma. Large amounts of rotting plants and animals floated across its surface, while streams of foul gray-black water poured from it into the creek.

At the center of the swamp, an eerie and terrifying giant demonic tree sprawled there in an abnormally bloated, crawling posture.