Wild Resource Points

Chapter 10: Wild Resource Points

"The crystal tower... can also produce [black crystals]. What are those used for?"

Shen Xing was somewhat puzzled.

He took off his glasses, opened his phone, and entered the Huaguo Pioneers Forum.

After all, the forum brought together the experience of countless veterans. There was bound to be information on the subject.

He typed "black crystal" into the search bar, and after looking through the results, he quickly learned what it was for.

"I see. The entire Land of Mist is a ruin left behind by an ancient civilization."

"While exploring, pioneers come across buildings that have gone out or abandoned resource points."

"After using their [lanterns] to light these buildings, they can turn them into their own outposts."

"Besides that, these buildings also produce different resources."

"For example, the [black crystals] produced by a black crystal tower are essential materials for upgrading some territory buildings."

"And the [emeralds] produced by an emerald tower are essential materials for enhancing troops' equipment."

Shen Xing nodded in understanding, then carried his lantern over to the black crystal spire.

"Hum..."

A beam of holy white light suddenly burst from the spire and shot into the sky, illuminating the area within ten meters.

At the same time, a green marker appeared on the minimap, mirroring the distant white dot that marked the village.

"Nice. Besides producing resources, this crystal tower can also serve as a way station. I can take a short rest here whenever I explore this area."

"Still, lighting a building out in the wild has a chance of attracting monsters."

Those high-level players would leave some of their troops to guard their outposts and keep them from going out again.

But Shen Xing clearly couldn't do that. He was already short on troops in the early stages, let alone able to send any to guard the tower.

So as a new player, he didn't need to defend these buildings to the bitter end.

He could light them whenever he came across them while exploring. How many [black crystals] they produced would be up to luck.

Even if monsters put them out, he wouldn't lose anything.

After a short rest, Shen Xing relit the lantern and continued directing the group deeper into the mist.

Along the way, they encountered another two or three small-scale attacks by Lost Ones, in roughly the same numbers as before.

But with everyone on Shen Xing's side at level 2 and a three-star enhanced Hellscream among them, they crushed the attackers.

After those battles, they had accumulated 54 soul stones and 45 Vinar Silver Coins.

There were also 24 broken souls and one [Complete Dim Soul].

This expedition had been quite fruitful.

He checked the oil in the [lantern]. About a third remained, enough to burn for roughly half an hour.

"I need to head back. If I keep exploring, there won't be enough oil for the return trip."

Shen Xing made his decision without hesitation and led the group back toward camp by another route.

When they reached a pile of rocks, Hellscream stopped again.

"Boss... I smell a beast... and metal." His nostrils twitched as his brass-colored beast eyes gazed into the distance.

"There are beasts in this world too?" Shen Xing was puzzled for a moment, then remembered.

He did seem to have seen something about it on the forum. Besides the monsters in the mist, this world was also home to some magical beasts and creatures of other races.

The mist seemed to have a corrosive effect only on lords and the troops under their command.

"Boss... the smell's coming from that direction." Hellscream pointed toward a raised black earthen slope near the edge of the rocks.

Shen Xing pondered for a moment, then checked how much time the lantern had left. "Let's go take a look."

"Yes... boss."

Hellscream acknowledged the order and took the lead.

The other orcs followed cautiously behind him.

Before long, the group stopped in front of the black earthen slope.

A pitch-black cave entrance lay before them.

The entrance was about two or three meters wide. Besides a few faint claw marks, there were several rusty iron pickaxes and shovels beside it.

[Abandoned black iron vein]

[Size: small]

[Current status: cannot be occupied]

[Mineable black iron ore: 2751/6852]

[Note: An abandoned black iron vein. Many years ago, a group of dwarves mined here, but they left after an unforeseen incident.]

"Black iron ore? Looks like there are quite a few resource points near my territory."

This was one of the wild resource points mentioned in the forum guides.

The [black iron] produced by a vein could be used to forge weapons, armor, and so on.

Unlike a crystal tower, however, a vein wouldn't produce resources automatically after being occupied. Miners had to be sent to extract them.

Shen Xing didn't have any miner units in his territory yet.

But that was fine. Later, he could buy some low-level troop nests, such as orc laborers or goblin workers, and then he could start mining.

As for the threat of the mist, it apparently could be dealt with through certain special buildings.

Just as he was about to enter the mine and investigate, a gust of foul-smelling wind suddenly blew toward him.

"On guard!"

Shen Xing immediately moved his wheelchair, putting the orcs in front of him.

A massive figure emerged from deep inside the cave.

Glossy black fur, a sleek body, and sharp fangs.

It was a black wolf, nearly 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder and about two meters long, with an imposing presence.

[Black wolf]

[Level: 4]

[Potential: common ★★★]

[Attributes: strength 24, spirit 18, agility 27, constitution 22]

[Skills: Claw Sweep (sweeps its claws through a fan-shaped area in front, dealing laceration damage and applying 3 stacks of "bleeding")

Pounce and Bite (immediately pounces on a target, dealing heavy damage to a single target and knocking it down.)]

[Talent: none]

[Bond: none]

[Note: A solitary black wolf. It seems to have gone hungry for many days.]

"A level 4 three-star black wolf. That's a little tricky."

Shen Xing scanned its attribute panel. Its agility alone was as high as 27, nearly matching Hellscream after his [Life-Sacrifice Evolution].

His side had the advantage in numbers, but if they fought, they would probably suffer casualties.

He wanted to retreat, but the black wolf had already bared its fangs and was staring fixedly at them with its eerie green eyes. It clearly had no intention of letting them go.

"I'll have to use some tactics."

A thought flashed through Shen Xing's mind, and he quickly gave his orders. "Hellscream, circle around to the side. The rest of you orcs, hold it off from the front."

"Roar...!"

The black wolf lost all patience. Its four legs pushed off violently, and it lunged at them like a bolt of black lightning!

It knocked an orc infantryman to the ground on the spot. Its bloody maw opened, clamped onto his shoulder, and tore at him wildly.

The other three orcs hacked and smashed at its back, but it refused to let go.

The wolf's ferocity was on full display.

The orc infantryman it had bitten was no pushover either.

Pain roused his fighting spirit. With his still-mobile right hand, he swung his stone axe and smashed it frantically at the black wolf's head!

Amid his wild chopping, one blow struck the black wolf right in the eye.

"Awooo!"

The black wolf yelped in pain and finally let go.

Seeing this, the other orc infantrymen immediately closed in, three stone axes swinging at it from every direction.

The black wolf flew into a rage and swept out a forepaw in an arc.

-Claw Sweep!

An orc infantryman was sent flying, three bloody gashes deep enough to expose bone across his chest. He nearly rolled out of the lantern's light.

Still furious, the black wolf used Pounce and Bite again, knocking down another orc infantryman.

A level 4 three-star beast fighting level 2 one-star orcs was like a father beating his sons. The gap was simply too great.

Just as it opened its bloody maw, ready to bite through the orc's neck, it suddenly sensed a sharp rush of wind from behind and to its side.

An instinctive sense of danger prompted it to stop attacking and pull back to open up some distance.

Just then, a huge invisible hand appeared out of thin air above its head and slammed down.

"Bang!"

The blow drove the black wolf's head down, and its eyes lost focus.

Although the strike didn't cause much damage, it left the wolf briefly stunned.

In that instant, a green figure swept in like a gale.

The iron axe in his hand chopped down fiercely with a piercing shriek, striking the black wolf's neck!

"Squelch!"

The iron axe sank deep into flesh, cutting through the black mane and the muscle beneath, nearly chopping off its whole dog head—no, wolf head!