Mist Lord

Stepping into the misty area, the ground beneath my feet became soft and muddy, covered with a thick layer of withered branches and fallen leaves. Each step produced a crunching sound as the mist continued to spread outwards.

The dim fog lights could only illuminate a small area, but thankfully it was enough to cut down the trees.

Four sword-and-shield hounds were chopping down trees with axes, while the rest stood guard on the perimeter. Satir, holding an elven warbow, stood beside Xia Yuan, constantly watching for any movement around them.

"Squeak squeak~~~"

As the gray mist churned at the edge, before anyone could see what was coming, a piercing scream was heard, and a gray-furred rat, as big as a dog, rushed out.

[Name]: Gray Mist Rat

[Rank]: First Rank

[Combat Level]: ★

[Evaluation]: A low-level forager that inhabits the gray fog, relying on vibrations to sense prey, and known for its cunning.

"My sword and shield!"

Upon discovering the enemy attack, the guard on the outer perimeter, Sword and Shield No. 1, disregarded whether he could win or not, and charged forward with his short legs, shouting a mesmerizing slogan, carrying his rusty iron sword.

That was incredibly brave.

"Don't rush into action."

Xia Yuan stopped Satir; he wanted to see just how strong the indomitable will of the sword-and-shield dog really was.

Without advancing, you'll ultimately just be cannon fodder.

"Squeak squeak~~~"

Seeing that the Blade & Shield Hound was smaller than itself and looked so ridiculous, the Gray Mist Rat even showed a mocking expression on its face, swung its sharp claws, and lunged forward.

"bump!"

Blade & Shield One was immediately swatted away, rolling around on the ground in a comical manner.

"..."

As the owner of the sword and shield dog, Xia Yuan's expression was somewhat difficult to keep up. Fortunately, there were no outsiders around, otherwise he would definitely be in deep trouble.

"My sword and shield!"

The injured Blade & Shield No. 1 scrambled to his feet, his eyes still showing no fear. Sensing the enemy's strength, he immediately called for his companions to attack from both sides, creating a three-on-one situation.

It is clear that while he is brave, he is not entirely reckless.

The battle was fierce, with both sides evenly matched, fur flying everywhere and blood splattering all around.

"Pfft!"

At the critical moment, Blade & Shield No. 1 seized the opportunity and, the instant Gray Mist Rat knocked its companion away again, slashed its iron blade into Gray Mist Rat's neck.

"My sword and shield!"

Blade & Shield One jumped onto the corpse of the Gray Mist Rat, looking just like a victorious general returning home.

"Well done!"

Xia Yuan used his gathering technique on the corpse of the gray mist rat and obtained a tattered rat skin, 15 catties of edible rat meat, and 1 mist bud crystal.

"Eat it!"

Hand the Mist Bud Crystal to Blade & Shield No. 1.

"My sword and shield!"

Knife and Shield Number One knew this was a good thing, so he gladly took it, and his body was immediately surrounded by gray mist.

Ten minutes later, when the gray fog dissipated, Blade & Shield One not only recovered from its injuries, but its body also grew larger.

[Combat Level]: ☆→★

"My sword and shield!"

After leveling up, Sword and Shield No. 1, although still small, looks more imposing than its companions and finally has the air of a leader.

To upgrade to one and a half stars, you need two Mist Sprout Crystals, which is barely acceptable.

"Squeak squeak~~~"

Just as Xia Yuan was pondering whether to use the spare Mist Sprout Crystals to upgrade the other sword-and-shield dogs, a piercing scream came from the gray fog once again.

The gray fog rat's companions have arrived, and there's more than one.

"1, 2, 3, 4..."

Eight gray mist rats surrounded them from all directions, indicating that it was a premeditated encirclement.

That's incredibly cunning.

None of these monsters living in the misty zone are simple. On the surface, they act alone, but in reality, they have long since secretly summoned their companions and even know how to use tactics.

"My sword and shield!"

With Sword and Shield Number One demonstrating, the rest of the Sword and Shield dogs were fearless and charged forward. Even those responsible for chopping down trees dropped their axes, picked up iron swords, and, with their short legs, huffed and puffed as they joined the battle.

"Whoosh!!!"

Without Xia Yuan's prompting, Satir had already drawn her bow and arrow, providing ranged cover. Otherwise, given the current strength of the sword-and-shield dogs, they would be lucky to avoid total annihilation, let alone win.

"Whoosh!"

Xia Yuan also took out the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow and joined the battle, and soon received a notification from the gray fog.

[Participate in killing Gray Mist Rats, Basic Archery Proficiency +2]

While developing one's territory is indeed a lord's primary task, improving one's own strength is equally important. One cannot rely solely on others for protection; subordinates will inevitably be negligent at times. It's better to rely on oneself than on others.

Name: Xia Yuan

[Territory]: Unnamed (Level 1)

[Title]: Commoner (0/20)

【属性】：体质5+1，力量5+1，敏捷5+1

[General Skills]: Detection, Gathering, Common Language Proficiency

【战斗技能】：格斗术入门（0/100），基础刀法入门（0/100），基础箭术入门（2/100）

[Technique]: Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill (not yet practiced)

[Special Items]: Human skin mask, antidote, rag doll

[Combat Strength Assessment]: ★

Unlike troop types, lords follow a different path to power enhancement. There are no rank restrictions, and consequently, they cannot quickly increase their combat level by consuming Mist Sprout Crystals.

In the early stages, the main way to increase strength is through training in basic combat skills.

For example, basic combat skills grant +1 to Constitution, basic swordsmanship grants +1 to Strength, and basic archery grants +1 to Agility. Furthermore, each basic attribute can only be learned once per combat skill; it cannot be repeatedly upgraded.

Combat skill mastery +2 points, combat skill mastery +4 points.

Once all three basic attributes have exceeded 10 points, the physique is strong, the blood and qi are abundant, and the body tempering is perfected, one can learn the art of internal cultivation, cultivate a breath of true qi, and thus step into the realm of internal cultivation.

The Martial Arts Inner Refinement Realm is equivalent to a third-tier master.

.........

"Squeak squeak~~~"

The gray mist rats lived up to their cunning name; even an attack by eight of them wasn't their limit, as they had a reserve force following behind.

If it weren't for Satie, the Tier 3 sharpshooter, controlling the situation, we might have really lost.

The sword-and-shield dog has shown remarkable resilience throughout the battle. Regardless of whether it is injured or not, or whether it can win or not, it bravely faces the challenge, seemingly unaware of what fear is.

The more wounded they are, the braver they become.

For those who were seriously injured, Xia Yuan quickly gave them Mist Sprout Crystals, enabling them to advance in rank on the spot; otherwise, they would have surely perished on the spot.

"Squeak squeak~~~"

Seeing his brigades fall one after another, the leader of the Gray Mist Rats, who had been directing operations from the rear, finally couldn't sit still any longer. Accompanied by an even more piercing scream, the gray mist surged violently, and a much larger Gray Mist Rat emerged.

[Name]: Gray Mist Rat Leader

[Rank]: Second Rank

Combat Level: ★★☆

[Evaluation]: Leader of the Gray Mist Rat tribe, known for his cunning and fondness for collecting treasure.

"Has the main character finally appeared?"

Xia Yuan wasn't too surprised; a swarm of rats of this size couldn't possibly be without a leader.

Isn't this coming?

"Whoosh!"

Satie, who also had some spare strength, finally revealed her true prowess as a third-tier archer after the appearance of the Gray Mist Rat leader. Her sharp arrow whistled through the air and pierced the Gray Mist Rat leader's skin, blinding one of its eyes.

"Squeak squeak~~~"

The leader of the Gray Mist Rats, who had just made his appearance, was severely injured before he could even show off in front of his underlings. He turned around and fled in a panic under the cover of the gray mist, looking extremely disheveled.

"Master, should we give chase?"

"Chase!!!"

Remembering the comment that the Gray Mist Rat leader liked to collect treasure, Xia Yuan decided to give chase without much hesitation. Before leaving, he instructed Blade & Shield Number One to lead a team to escort their injured companions back to their territory to rest.

This place isn't far from the edge of the territory; with the Blade & Shield Hound's sense of smell, it shouldn't get lost even without fog lights.

"My sword and shield!"

Sword and Shield No. 1, however, was unwilling and struck his shield with his iron sword, indicating that he would also follow suit, which showed his true courage.

Those small, innocent eyes reveal a great deal of determination.

"Alright, alright, you come too, let the other companions go back."

Xia Yuan couldn't resist and had to agree. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but in the resolute expression of Blade & Shield No. 1, he vaguely saw the shadow of his own entrepreneurial days.

No, no, no, it must be a hallucination!!!

"My sword and shield!"

Blade & Shield One was thrilled. He chattered a few words to his companion and was the first to chase after them.

Startled, Xia Yuan quickly followed.