A different world game? A different world game!

The translucent energy shield hummed in the canyon's howling winds, repelling the sandstorms and some small flying monsters.

Victor stood on the command tower atop the ever-reinforcing metal fortress wall, his gaze sweeping like a hawk over the surging shadows below the Black Stone Pass.

Their fortress foundations were firmly driven into this steep rock.

The prefabricated metal wall panels provided by the Night Watchmen quickly covered the core area like steel scales, while several automatic magic turrets warily rotated their muzzles, emitting a ghostly blue light.

The energy core reliably supplies power to the shield.

This shows that not every team can obtain the Pioneer Order.

Finding a suitable location is one thing, but how do you build defenses? How do you quickly set them up? How do you defend the core base? These are questions that most adventurer teams wouldn't know.

In the first few days, thanks to their geographical advantage and superior equipment, the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group successfully repelled several waves of small and medium-sized monsters that came after hearing the news—raging fanged rock hounds and packs of "acid-eating beetles" that could spit corrosive slime.

The spoils and victories boosted the morale of the team members.

The Night's Watch's supply of resources is beyond question, but their demand for various raw materials is also extremely large.

They only need to break down the useful materials from these monsters, and the Night Watch's special transport teams will naturally carry them away.

All they need to do is fight and deal with the spoils of war.

I can say I've never felt so comfortable.

This also led them to focus their attention entirely on the pioneering area, thinking about how to gain a foothold.

"Hey Tommy! See that rockhound charging at the front? Aim for that dark spot on the back of its neck, that's a weak point in its joint."

A scruffy-bearded veteran named Hank set up a heavy crossbow behind the wall and shouted to the nervous young crossbowman beside him as he pulled the trigger.

hum!
A precise crossbow bolt pierced the neck of a rock hound attempting to climb the rock wall, and the monster howled as it tumbled to the ground.

Although the various monsters on the continent of Taril are slightly different from those in the outside world, for experienced hunters, it's just a matter of spending a little time getting used to them again.

Generally speaking, as long as the appearance doesn't change much, careful observation can reveal the opponent's weakness after several battles.

The intensity of Taliel's fighting is self-evident.

"Brother Hank, I've learned something!" Young Tommy responded excitedly, immediately following suit and also hitting one.

But the good times didn't last long.

The existence of the mercenary group and its ongoing construction activities are like a beacon in the darkness, attracting more, farther, and stronger "visions."

Their ferocity and territoriality were completely ignited.

The danger of this godforsaken place stems from the excessively aggressive nature of the creatures here.

Sometimes it can even outpace their biological instincts, outpace the part of a creature that seeks advantage and avoids harm.

On the third day at dusk, accompanied by deafening roars and footsteps that shook the rock face, the first truly massive creatures appeared.

Two towering five-meter-tall "Earthshaking Rock Armor Beasts" covered in irregular, thick rocky armor!
Ignoring the traps and attacks from small monsters, they charged straight at the main support pillars of the fortress like moving hills.

The energy beam from the magic cannon could only leave charred marks and scattered debris on its thick rock armor, hardly causing any decisive damage.

The magic of chaos was protecting him; this thing had very high magic resistance.

"Main guns! Concentrate! Shoot at its forelimb joints! Don't let it crash into the support pillars!"

Victor's roar echoed across the battlefield.

boom! boom!
Two thick beams of magical energy hit their targets precisely.

The armor on the left forelimb of a rock-armored beast finally shattered under the intense bombardment.

The giant beast let out a painful roar, its body staggering as it crashed into the rock wall.

But on the other side, bracing against the artillery fire, the massive rocky outcrop slammed violently against the metal outer wall of the fortress.

With a loud bang.

It felt like a sledgehammer hitting my heart.

The entire fortress shook violently, the alloy walls groaned in a way that made your teeth ache, and even showed slight deformation.

The energy shield flashed rapidly, and two unfortunate mercenaries standing on a nearby wall were thrown away by the massive tremor.

“Gerry! Jason—!” A heart-wrenching cry came from afar.

Jason crashed onto the platform inside the fortress, his fate unknown; Gerry, on the other hand, plummeted into the monster pile outside the fortress walls and was instantly torn to shreds.

"damn it!"

Hank roared and fired several arrows at the relatively vulnerable eyes of the rock-armored beast that had crashed into the wall, attempting to disrupt it.

Tommy, pale-faced and trembling, continued to shoot at the small monsters that surged towards him.

Victor gritted his teeth: "Spare guns! Bombard from the side! Construction crew! Reinforce the damaged area immediately! Use the expensive equipment we bought ourselves!"

The hastily deployed artillery fire, along with the rapidly repairable alchemical equipment they had prepared beforehand, finally forced back the second rock-armored beast.

But the shadow cast by the first major loss of personnel and the first damage to the wall weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

This is just the beginning.

In the days that followed, the attacks came like the tide, one wave after another.

An astonishing number of short-range flying "bone-winged hunters" descended like a dark cloud, swooping down from the air to attack gunners and shield node operators.

The highly stealthy "Shadow Panther" ambushed the patrol team from the shadows of the cliff under the cover of night.

The most troublesome are the "drilling acid worms" that can silently crawl out from under hard rocks and spray powerful acid to dissolve steel bases.

There are too many to count, and there are many strange creatures that I've never seen before and don't understand how dangerous they are.

They wanted to carve out a territory here, as if everything around them was against them.

Those monsters relentlessly attacked them, along with those damned plants, which would suddenly appear from time to time, causing sudden casualties among them.

The pressure on everyone in the entire development zone has increased dramatically.

The fighting was almost non-stop, and the team members were exhausted.

As Victor watched the ever-increasing damage reports on the communication panel and the depletion of various special ammunition, along with the meager supplies sent by the forces behind him, his heart sank to the bottom.

If things continue like this, they may end up with nothing after paying such a high price.

Although the Night's Watch offered very generous pioneering orders, they were not babysitters.

To gain something, you have to give something in return; to gain several times the profit, you have to take huge risks.

"No, Victor!"

Deputy Commander Eileen, a female warrior whose visor was stained with dirt, ran up to the command tower, panting, "Brothers, we've been fighting for thirty hours straight! The ammunition depot at the long-range firing positions is running low."

"We only have one last crate of 'City-Eroder' armor-piercing cones left. If we keep holding out like this, our men will be wiped out before the control period expires. The defense line will collapse from within!"

The Expansion Order clearly states that once the first phase of control is achieved, the Night's Watch will begin providing resources.

If someone is given a certain amount of resources but can't even hold out for the first phase of control time, then they are a useless person and not worth giving more resources to.

The Night Watch's role is to provide support in stages until the frontier is firmly under their control.

In the frontier that they subsequently conquered, the Night's Watch also wielded immense power.

What the Night's Watch gave in return was nothing more than some supplies that seemed extremely expensive to outsiders.

Victor looked at the mountains of monster corpses piled up outside the fortress, then at the terrifying shadows still lurking in the darkness below, and closed his eyes in anguish. He knew Eileen was right.

The Night Watchers' equipment gave them a foothold and powerful combat strength, but faced with the endless, violent counterattacks of this continent and increasingly powerful monsters, their own strength and the pitiful amount of external assistance were simply not enough to fill this bottomless pit.

Even if we get through the first phase, what about the rest?
Even if there are plenty of supplies, what about the people?

"...Issue a mission!" Victor suddenly opened his eyes, his voice filled with determination and exhaustion. "Post a recruitment notice for expansion mission assistants in the Night's Watch's Expedition mission section! No limit on the number of participants!"

"Content: Blackrock Pass Frontier Defense Co-op (High-Intensity Combat Zone). Rewards are calculated based on kill contribution points and Night Watch Frontier gold. Risks are mentioned. Additionally... a large reward is offered for experienced apothecaries and energy core maintenance technicians, as logistics are running out of steam."

Then, we'll request more funds and resources from Lord Trol. We need to purchase more logistical supplies; he'll provide them. He's already sacrificed so much, and he doesn't want us to fail.

Trol was also a member of the expedition, but he was neither an adventurer nor a night watchman; instead, he was the financial backer of some large mercenary groups.

Soon, the Night Watch's mission network lit up with this high-value, high-risk mission information.

Before long, like sharks smelling blood, or rather, dreamers drawn by the generous rewards and potential benefits of the pioneer zone—adventurers—arrived.

They didn't have uniforms, and their equipment was a motley collection, some high-quality and some worn out, but their eyes all carried a wildness and a thirst for profit.

Those who can come here are all ambitious and unwilling to be ordinary.

Some were elite teams like Hogg and Wolf, who had just completed their clearing missions and were heading straight to the front lines with their enchanted battle axes and claws.

Some were makeshift squads of mages who hid in the blind spots of the turrets and unleashed ice storms at the "Bonewing Hunters" in the air.

There were even a few well-dressed but skilled halfling technicians huddled around the overheated and paralyzed magic cannon, using their tools and the Night Watchman's maintenance manual to race against time to repair it amidst the hail of bullets.

These are actually the secondary professionals sponsored and nurtured by the Adventurers' House.

"Hey! Big Beard! A 'worm-like creature' is crawling out from under the left wall. Use a fireball."

"Don't you have 'Burning Tar' in your bag? Night's Watch merchandise."

Wolf's keen nose detected the commotion underground. While tearing apart a demonic wolf that pounced on him, he roared at a human veteran who was busy bandaging the wounded not far away.

"Pah! You stingy person! This tar is very valuable!"

The veteran grumbled and cursed, but quickly pulled a small can and a simple throwing device from his waist pouch.

"then!"

boom!
A lump of scalding, viscous, and violently burning tar was precisely smeared onto the mouthparts of the newly emerged putrid worm.

The worm let out a shrill hiss and retreated in agony, at least buying the defense a few minutes.

"Mage squad! Watch the three o'clock position! 'Shadowpanther' pack! Suppress them with flares! Don't let them get close to the shield's energy lines!"

A temporarily chosen commander-type adventurer from a large mercenary group shouted through a megaphone.

Several blinding flares shot into the air instantly, tearing through the shadows of the area and exposing several black panthers that were stealthily approaching. They were immediately subjected to concentrated fire.

A fierce battle unfolded on every inch of the fortress's steel. The shouts of adventurers mingled with the roar of heavy weapons provided by the Night Watch and the howls of monsters.

"Ammunition! Left turret number three! Quickly!"

"The wounded are being moved to the medical station! There are emergency medical pods there, supported by the Night Watch!"

"That ladder! Patch up the gap! Halfling, quick!"

This place has become a fierce battlefield.

Every word was a roar.

"Hold on! That rock-armored beast is about to ram us again! Get me the 'City-Eroders' ready! I'll open a hole for it!"

Hogg roared as he took the disposable heavy armor-piercing launcher, provided by the Night Watch, from a mercenary beside him.

His massive body leaned out from behind the wall, and before the monster could crash into him, he pulled the trigger hard.

A blinding stream of energy, carrying a devastating impact, pierced the relatively vulnerable crevice in the rock armor on the rock-armored beast's flank.

Boom!

An explosion far more powerful than before erupted. Half of the rock-armored beast's shoulder was blown off, and it staggered backward, howling in pain.

Day after day, the cannon barrels blazed until they were scorching hot, and the walls were covered with charred marks from the monsters' flesh and blood.

The corpses piled up beneath the fortress formed a new "slope," even blocking some of the monsters' charge.

Exhaustion was etched on the face of everyone who could still stand.

Losses continue to occur, and adventurers are constantly being injured or even falling.

But the defenses were ultimately not breached.

The adventurers who kept coming in, though of varying quality, were fearless in the face of death.

It greatly relieved the pressure on the main force and filled the gaps in key positions.

The powerful consumables provided by the Night's Watch turned the tide time and again at crucial moments.

The main structure of the fortress has stubbornly stood firm despite continuous repairs.

The darkest offensive before dawn was finally repelled.

Victor leaned wearily against the cold metal wall of the command tower, his bloodshot eyes scanning the interior of the fortress.

The surviving members and the brave adventurers who stayed behind were leaning against the ramparts, panting.

Inside the medical tent, figures moved about, and a weary pharmacist was still treating the wounded.

Hank was patting young Tommy on the shoulder, who was feeling down and had just lost his first teammate.

Hogg and Wolf slumped down beside the ammunition box, munching on unpalatable nutritional paste, but their eyes still sharply scanned the area below.

Although countless dangers still lurk around the fortress, the intense, almost continuous, frenzied attacks of the past few days have subsided.

A brief respite.

Eileen walked over and handed him a water bottle, her voice hoarse: "The Night Watch patrol's communications... they said that according to peripheral detection... the 'major' large threat source within a ten-kilometer radius of us... seems to have been wiped out."

Victor took the kettle and gulped down a mouthful of icy water, the coldness stimulating his numb nerves.

He looked down at the terrifying slope formed by the piles of monster corpses below the wall, then gazed into the depths of the inland still shrouded in a distorted halo, before finally focusing his gaze on the weary but resolute figures inside the fortress.

The cost was devastating? Far exceeding expectations.

Complete the mission? Not a long way off.

But at this moment, at the entrance to this Death Canyon, their steel fortress remains firmly planted in the ground.

The shield was still shimmering faintly, and the turret, though battered and bruised, could still turn.

Although we were so exhausted our bones were groaning, although the wounded were still groaning, although new and unknown threats could come at any moment...

"...Reporting to the Night's Watch Expedition headquarters."

Victor took a deep breath, and the air, thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, seemed less pungent: "Codename 'Anvil,' Location: Black Rock Pass F-7... Successfully consolidated defenses, initial control zone established. Requesting the next phase of supplies and... personnel support."

He paused, his voice low but carrying an unprecedented sense of firmness. This was not just a report to his superiors, but a declaration to everyone in the fortress who could still hear him: "Blackrock Pass Frontier...we...have stood firm."

This declaration, weary, heavy, and bloodstained, seemed to carry the resounding echo of clashing steel, lingering long within the crumbling steel walls.

The timer continued to tick, but the most turbulent tide of death seemed to have been forcefully crushed beneath the fortress by their combined efforts.

This foothold, ultimately stained with blood and sweat, was painstakingly defended. (End of Chapter)