Mist Lord

"Chen Wei, right? You just called Xia Yuan 'Boss'?"

Perhaps provoked by Xia Yuan's gaze before he left, Zhao Wu's tone was somewhat irritable when he asked the question.

"Yes."

Chen Wei's eyes flickered.

"If you want to live, tell me everything you know, in detail and in perfect order."

"…good."

Chen Wei's face turned bright red, as if he had been branded with a hot iron.

"And you all!"

Zhao Wu's gaze swept across the entire room. "Keep everything that just happened a secret to yourself. Don't utter a single word, or you'll face the consequences. Do you understand?"

"I understand..."

The newcomers were clearly still confused. Everything had been going so well just a moment ago, so how did the atmosphere suddenly change? Which one was real and which one was fake?

I don't know.

In the Misty Continent, where strength reigns supreme, the differences between people are only more blatantly apparent.

It's true that unity is important within an alliance, but wherever there are people, there are conflicts, and wherever there are conflicts, there will inevitably be struggles. It's not something that can be simply summarized by the word "unity."

.........

Yunyang City, City Lord's Mansion.

"My lord, a message just arrived from below, saying it concerns this year's new lord."

The butler hurriedly handed over a confidential letter.

"...This year's newcomers are quite interesting."

City Lord Tang Ce glanced at it briefly before handing the letter back to the steward.

"So, should we intervene?"

The butler's question was very insightful. The so-called intervention could be understood as dealing with Xia Yuan, this troublemaker, or as sending someone to warn Li Mingyu and protect Xia Yuan.

"Let's take a look first."

"Your Excellency is wise!"

The steward was undoubtedly very intelligent and could understand Tang Ce's unspoken meaning very well, no wonder he became a trusted confidant.

The initial nine-choice-three selection is merely an appetizer. New players will also draw an initial troop building upon returning to their territory, which is the key to determining the future potential of a territory.

Three days later, the novice trial will begin.

If Xia Yuan fails the trial, then there is absolutely no need to intervene.

"So, should this be classified as a private fight?"

By classifying it as a private fight, the unity within the Yanxia Alliance was maintained to the greatest extent possible, without damaging the authority of Yunyang City, and it also provided a perfunctory explanation to Li Mingyu.

If there is any further revenge against Xia Yuan, it can only be limited to personal grudges.

Strictly speaking, Yunyang City only has the power to impose public order and penalties on other lords within the alliance, not the power to punish criminals. Even if a deadly battle breaks out within the city, the primary approach is mediation.

Conflicts between lords were mostly resolved through factional mediation.

The reason why this matter is special today, and why it was reported to Tang Ce by his subordinates in such a grand manner, is mainly because the two sides in the private fight are two new lords who have not yet joined any faction.

"Can."

Tang Ce nodded in agreement. "Who recommended this year's new player guides?"

Zhao Wu, a mere level 3 lord, was clearly not qualified to have direct dealings with the alliance headquarters. Such assignments were usually recommended by level 7 or 8 lords.

"Reporting to your master, Zhao Wu was recommended by Lord Lei Hao."

"Useless."

Tang Ce spoke calmly, but his words carried immense weight: "His fawning behavior in front of newcomers, devoid of any principles or bottom line, not only disgraces himself but also the entire alliance."

"How will the newcomers view the league from now on, and how will they view us veterans?"

"These newcomers are weak now, but they are the living water and the foundation."

"Sir, you have great foresight!"

The steward understood immediately and bowed, saying, "I will convey Master's meaning clearly and accurately to Lord Lei Hao. I believe they will handle it properly internally."

"Um."

Tang Ce nodded slightly and let the matter drop, as he had too many things to do.

This was just a minor incident.

.........

Welcome to the Yunyang City Teleportation Array

[First visit free, subsequent visits cost 100 copper coins per person per visit, goods are charged separately...]

A flash of white light.

Xia Yuan, accompanied by a man and a dog, finally arrived at his territory.

Beneath my feet was a simple altar built of unknown black stones, less than half a meter high. A raging flame burned at the center of the altar, dispelling the surrounding mist and protecting the peace of the area.

The territory, covering only 1 square kilometer, is perfectly circular, with an endless gray fog at its edge, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

It looks exactly like a giant bowl turned upside down.

Looking around, there were piles of rocks and lush grass, with a few bare, crooked trees standing not far away. There were no farmlands or houses, no paths or roads; everything had to start from scratch.

"From now on, this will be our home."

Seeing that there was no danger, Xia Yuan put the puppy on the ground and let it roam freely. "Since you have ancient blood, I'll call you 'Silly Boy' from now on."

[Name]: Hanbao

[Race]: A native dog with a trace of ancient celestial dog blood.

[Rank]: First Rank

[Combat Level]: ☆

[Note]: Growth can be accelerated by consuming Mist Sprout Crystals, continuously awakening bloodlines and breaking through ranks.

"Woof??"

The dog looked puzzled, unable to see any connection between the two, but still accepted it gladly.

He really is a complete idiot.

Seeing the silly and adorable appearance of the boy, even Satir couldn't help but smile. She bowed and said, "Master, I'll go and patrol the area to see if there's any danger."

Even just being freed from the cage, in this small corner of the world, allowed her to appreciate the preciousness of freedom.

Of course, we must do everything in our power to protect it.

Go!

Xia Yuan was very pleased. It was all thanks to Satir's bravery and resourcefulness that she was marked as a required option.

Name: Satir

[Unit Type]: Elf Archer

[Rank]: Third Rank

Combat Level: ★★★★☆

[Evaluation]: A noble species possessing a trace of Elf King blood, with the potential to advance to Wind Whisperer in the future.

According to the Lord's Handbook, troops and troop buildings are divided into five tiers: Tier 1 cannon fodder, Tier 2 basic troops, Tier 3 mid-tier forces, Tier 4 high-end combat power, and Tier 5 ultimate existence.

Being able to get a skilled bodyguard like Satir at the start is already considered very lucky.

Just then, the gray fog text reappeared.

The beginner trial will begin in three days. Please select your initial troop type and building.

1. Militia Battalion (Recruit 10 militiamen daily)

2. Spearman Training Camp (Recruits 3 spearmen per day)

3. Sword and Shield Dog Training Camp (Recruit 10 sword and shield dogs with indomitable will every day. They have great growth potential and can continuously stimulate their ancient bloodline through battles to break through the rank limit.)

"Choose three!"

If it weren't for Satir as a support, Xia Yuan would have been in a real predicament.

No matter how much potential a sword-and-shield dog has, it's all in vain if it can't pass the newbie trial three days later. It's better to choose a spearman who can be used right away.

[Select Confirm]

As a huge white light flashed, a yellow camp appeared, resembling a giant toad lying on the ground, but with an entrance designed as a silly dog's head.

[Building]: Sword and Shield Dog Training Camp

[Rank]: First Rank

[Recruitment Limit]: 10 per day

[Recruitment Fee]: 250 copper coins/person

Recruiting Tier 1 units is relatively cheap, while recruiting higher-tier units is more expensive.

Furthermore, the more powerful the unit type, the smaller the recruitment limit. For example, you can recruit ten Tier 1 militiamen and sword-and-shield dogs per day, while you can only recruit three Tier 2 spearmen.

This is one of the few advantages of Tier 1 units.

As a novice lord, regardless of the tier of the initial troop building you draw, the first recruitment is free; otherwise, you wouldn't be able to play.

If someone is incredibly lucky enough to draw a Tier 4 unit at the start of the game, they're basically invincible in the early stages.

Even a super power like Yunyang City only had Tier 3 Xuanjia Cavalry as its initial troop type, yet it was already enough to dominate a region and become a pillar of the Yanxia Alliance.

"My sword and shield!"

Accompanied by slightly mesmerizing slogans, ten sword-and-shield dogs, each only half a meter tall, dressed in linen clothes, wielding a wooden shield in one hand and a rusty iron knife in the other, with dog faces and toad bodies, emerged from the training camp.

[Name]: Blade & Shield One

[Unit Type]: Wandering Blade & Shield

[Rank]: First Rank

[Combat Level]: ☆

[Skill]: Block with shield, slash

[Evaluation]: A tenacious being with an indomitable will, capable of breaking through rank limitations through combat.

Combat level can be understood as a baseline combat power assessment, which roughly corresponds to the troop rank: Tier 1 0-1 stars, Tier 2 2-3 stars, Tier 3 4-5 stars, Tier 4 6-7 stars, and Tier 5 8-9 stars.

A Tier 3 Elf archer like Satir can potentially reach a maximum of 5.5 stars in the future.

The Wandering Blade & Shield starts with only ☆, which is considered poor even among Tier 1 units. It sits at the same table as well-known trash units like Goblins, Skeletons, and Murlocs, all of them cannon fodder.

Fortunately, combat level can be increased by consuming Mist Sprout Crystals until it reaches the maximum level for its current rank. For example, the maximum combat level for a rank 1 unit is one and a half stars.

"Master, them?"

Satir, who was patrolling the area, also noticed the commotion. Although she was quite knowledgeable, she had never heard of such a strange type of soldier.

Is it a dog or a toad?

"These are sword and shield dogs. Hmm, they're a bit dumb, but they're somewhat useful. I'll train them more often in the future."

Xia Yuan became less and less confident as he spoke.

"good!"

Satir also felt a sudden increase in pressure. No matter how she looked at it, these sword-and-shield dogs were just cannon fodder.

They're even dumber than a simpleton.

"Any suggestions for the beginner's trial in three days?"

Before being captured, Satir had also lived in the Great Territory, so her perspective was definitely broader than that of Xia Yuan, a newcomer. Now that she had dealt with Li Aoyu, her inner demon, it was time to focus on developing the territory.

As for the threat from Li Mingyu, we'll deal with that after we get past this hurdle.