Longwind Fortress

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Longwind Fortress
Original Name	长风要塞
Type	Neutral Character (AI)
Affiliation	Ruled by Lincon, the Longwind Lord; home to Longwind’s Subjects and Provisional Subjects 113 185
Occupation / Role	Old-world anti-Black Tide outpost rebuilt into a fortified refuge, territorial domain, and regional center of trade and civilization 74 150
Status	Active; officially renamed Longwind City 220
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dilapidated frontier fortress	1	An abandoned walled settlement reached by shrine-marked roads; Lincon remains as its lone guardian after three years of isolation.
Anchored territory	7	Completion of the Fine Shrine anchors the territory, improves shrine illumination and candle duration, and enables basic runes.
Developing survivor settlement	42	Hundreds of residents build the Rune Workshop, Light Office, Qingrang Academy, Letter Bureau, waterways, and agricultural projects.
Domain of the Longwind Lord	57	Lincon’s territory expands to include the fortress, Longwind Lake, abandoned villages, and forests connected by Shrines.
Life Sacred Court era	77 81	A living City Lord’s Manor is grown from banyan roots and Crystal Orchid Giant Trees, becoming the fortress’s symbolic and administrative center.
Regional power	137 141	Longwind defeats Flint City’s invasion with no casualties, prompting surrounding powers to treat it as a major threat and refuge.
City-scale settlement	148 183	More than 47,000 Black Iron City refugees are resettled; within half a year, the settlement exceeds 100,000 inhabitants.
Longwind City	219 220	The Governing Hall’s proposal is approved, and the fortress is formally renamed to reflect its population, territory, institutions, agriculture, and Rune Industry.

Background

Longwind Fortress was an old-world defensive installation near the Abyss Rift, originally built as an outpost against the Black Tide. When the Black Tide shifted toward denser population centers, Dark Erosion breached the fortress’s rear, leaving it isolated and nearly forgotten. 74 150

By the beginning of the story, it is a decayed but inhabited stronghold of walls, abandoned electrical lamps, candlelit buildings, and shrine-marked routes through the darkness. Lincon has spent three years guarding it alone after his commander and comrades disappeared, continuing to maintain shrines in the hope that they might guide survivors home. 1

The fortress begins recovering once Lincon’s Guardian and Plant Cultivator powers allow him to cultivate defensive plants, establish more durable Shrines, reclaim land, and attract survivors. Its development accelerates after it survives the Black Tide, establishes relations with Black Iron City, absorbs Twin Camp, defeats Flint City, and later accepts tens of thousands of refugees. 7 34 113 141 148

Appearance

Longwind Fortress evolves from a ruined military outpost into a living settlement where old stone, red soil, Runes, Spirit Plants, and cultivated farmland coexist. Its walls are increasingly covered by thorny vines, luminous flowers, and defensive plants rather than conventional fortifications alone. 1 82 147 194

• Long defensive walls covered in vines, thorns, and flowering Spirit Plants. 107 147
• Fields of Sunlight Sunflowers provide nighttime illumination around the walls. 7 107
• The Life Sacred Court, formerly the City Lord’s Manor, is grown from roots, vines, and crystalline orchid-like trees. 77 81 108
• The Rune Workshop is built around a giant transformed tree and serves as a major landmark. 44 105
• Glory Tower displays public Contribution Rankings and serves as a symbol of merit-based advancement. 145 190
• The outer city is protected by ten-meter walls woven from red stone, Spirit Plants, and Runes. 194
• After the Sacred Court’s destruction, its remains begin merging with the Crystal Ring Mother Tree and surrounding Spirit Plants. 218

Defenses and Territory

Shrine Network

Shrines form the foundation of Longwind’s territorial system. Ordinary Shrines require wax oil, while Lord’s Shrines are sustained by coexisting Spirit Trees and represent an extension of the Longwind Lord’s authority. Their light provides shelter and repels Dark Creatures to some degree. 57 147

• Fine Shrines anchor territory, sustain stronger light, prolong candles and incense, and can carry basic runes. 7
• Shrines connect distant locations—including Longwind Lake, forests, and abandoned villages—to the Lord’s territory. 57
• Lincon can use the territorial map to identify unauthorized intruders as red markers. 96
• A Lord’s Shrine can manifest overwhelming defensive power; when He Yan attacked one, its awakened will commanded roots to crush him. 110

Spirit Plant Defenses

Longwind’s defenses are built around cultivated and evolved Spirit Plants rather than static walls alone. These plants provide illumination, concealment, detection, direct firepower, and environmental control. 82 105 147

• Sunlight Sunflowers — absorb sunlight by day and release it at night, creating a protective sea of light around the fortress. 7
• Spore Shooter Mushrooms — guide travelers at night and fire corrosive spores capable of dissolving an E-Rank Weird Bird within seconds. 105
• Thorn Tentacles and Fallen Sun Thorncrown — reinforce the walls and act as visible deterrents against hostile Ability Users. 82 116
• Misty Forest — a hostile defensive zone capable of trapping or killing invading Ability Users. 132 134
• Fire God Tree — creates a Pure Fire Domain, melts Ash Snow, and helped form Longwind’s Red Soil defenses. 145 151 190
• Rift-Cleaving Dandelions, Reed Assassins, Explosive Berry Thickets, and Treant Guards — protect routes, waterways, forests, and frontier areas. 147 146

Rune Industry

The Rune Workshop produces defensive and survival tools that distinguish Longwind from most Dark Age shelters. 42 150

• Purifying Candles repel Dark Creatures, while Weird Candles attract them. 80
• Rune weapons, including reinforced daggers, are traded through the outer-city market. 150 151
• Purification, Enhancement, Reinforcement, Resonance, and Infusion Rune Stones support combat, construction, and Spirit Plant cultivation. 13 72
• Rune Awakening creates Rune Warriors, though the process is dangerous and risks Mental Pollution or Dark Creature corruption. 92 98

Administration and Society

Longwind Fortress is governed by Lincon as the Longwind Lord, with Zhang Rui overseeing internal administration and later Zhou Qing serving as Foreign Affairs Officer. 113 185

Longwind Code

The Longwind Code establishes the settlement’s legal structure and subject system. Its first three articles require residents to obey the Longwind Lord, follow his footsteps, and respect his choices. 113 180

• Residents may reject the Code and leave, but those who remain are bound by its laws and punishments. 113 147
• New arrivals are generally registered as Temporary Subjects or Provisional Subjects before earning Formal Subject status through contribution. 113 148 180
• Contribution Points determine access to resources, promotion, occupations, advancement opportunities, and public recognition. 82 115 190
• Former residents who abandoned the fortress before the Black Tide permanently lost their Subject status, though they may receive food in exchange for labor. 96 145
• The Glory Tower publicly records contributions, professions, and rankings to make advancement visible and competitive. 145 190

Institutions

• Governing Hall — coordinates major policies, resource allocation, construction, and subject administration. 115 219
• Rune Workshop — researches Runes, produces Rune equipment, and conducts Rune Awakening. 42 92
• Qingrang Academy — supports education, cultivation, research, and specialist training. 42 169
• Light Office — supports illumination, energy, and infrastructure development. 42 77
• Letter Bureau — manages communications and correspondence. 42 77
• Garrison Guard — the fortress’s military force, including Rune Warriors and reserves. 95 98
• Adventurer Guild — organizes independent adventurers through ranked missions, Contribution Points, intelligence exchange, and rewards. 219 220

Population and Economy

Longwind Fortress’s early population falls to 385 before the Black Tide as fearful residents leave, but those who remain form a more loyal core community. 57

Its growth later becomes rapid:

• Twin Camp’s survivors join as Provisional Subjects after formal screening and registration. 107 113
• More than 47,000 Black Iron City refugees arrive during the Harsh Winter and are organized into provisional camps, work teams, and reserve units. 148
• Within half a year, the settlement grows from a lone guardian’s fortress into a city of more than 100,000 people. 183
• By the later Harsh Winter, its subject population approaches 120,000, creating major pressure on food production, farmland, and market systems. 192

Its economy is built on agriculture, labor, Rune products, and controlled trade.

• Sunlight Potatoes grow in darkness-corrupted soil and serve as a major strategic crop. 42 53
• Frost Crystal Rice grows in temperatures as low as -50°C and may improve ordinary people’s physical attributes. 141
• The outer-city trade district exchanges food, supplies, Rune weapons, Purifying Candles, Weird Candles, Dark Matter Crystals, and wilderness materials. 150
• Longwind’s planned Adventurer Guild is intended to attract independent Ability Users without forcing them into direct service to the city. 151 219

Major Events

• First diplomatic contact with Black Iron City — Zhou Qing’s attempt to intimidate the fortress ends when Lincon intervenes, forcing Black Iron City to recognize Longwind as a serious independent power. 34
• C-Rank Black Tide — Longwind survives despite population losses, cementing Lincon’s authority and accelerating the settlement’s reconstruction. 60 69 77
• Flint City conflict — Flint City infiltrates and invades Longwind for its food and Rune technology; Longwind defeats the attackers and captures or subdues surviving forces. 96 131 137 138
• Refugee integration — Twin Camp and Black Iron City refugees are incorporated through screening, provisional status, labor assignments, and the Longwind Code. 113 148
• Black Tide deterrence — Longwind’s zero-casualty victory against Flint City and its later defenses against the Black Tide elevate its reputation across Jiangzhou. 141 172
• Renaming to Longwind City — After outgrowing its original role as a military outpost, the settlement officially adopts the name Longwind City while retaining its laws and Subject system. 219 220