Chapter 148: Ice Dragon Horn, Eve of Battle

"Sylvia insisted that I bring this new thing over and give it to you…"

"New thing?"

Cao Xing became interested. "Let me see."

Aili stretched out her small hand, then handed over an ice sculpture shaped like a horn.

Cao Xing took it.

[Obtained: Ice Dragon Horn (Small) * 1]

…

"Oh? Is this the new material the system mentioned? What does it do?"

Cao Xing glanced at the item's attributes.

[Ice Dragon Horn (Small): After use, you can actively summon the power of the dragon. For the next six hours, all Ice Nests within 30 kilometers of your territory will descend near your territory.]

[Note: To reward the user's bravery, you can choose to increase the drop rate of the Ice Dragon Mark, or choose to increase the experience gained from killing Ice Nest Monster.]

[Option 1: You can choose to increase the drop rate of Ice Dragon Mark and glacier shard by 100%, and reduce kill experience by 80%.]

[Option 2: You can choose to increase the experience gained from killing Ice Nest Monster by 50%, and reduce the drop rate of Ice Dragon Mark and glacier shard by 80%]

…

After reading the notes on the material, Cao Xing was suddenly startled!

"Damn… this thing can actually actively summon Ice Nests within thirty kilometers to descend on my territory."

"And you can choose to increase the material drop rate or increase experience points; this is too user-friendly, isn't it?"

Cao Xing pondered for a moment and quickly understood the reason for this item's appearance.

"I see. Because after the official period begins, Survivors have to fight against the Ice Nest while gathering resources, leaving no time for development."

"If this continues, billions of Survivors are effectively dying a slow death, because their development speed simply cannot keep up with the upgrading of the Ice Nest."

"And in every major region, there should be one or two, or a few relatively powerful entities!"

"At this time, they can choose to attract all the Ice Nests near their territory."

"This way, other Survivors will have less pressure and can have more time to gather resources and develop their territory."

"And similarly, these powerhouses gain a large amount of experience and items by killing the Ice Nest, which is a win-win situation!"

Thinking of this, Cao Xing nodded to himself.

Then he pondered, "Should I use it and see?"

"Calculating by proportion, my territory has a radius of thirty kilometers, which is a diameter of sixty kilometers, covering about twenty or thirty territories."

"In other words, if I use this mark, for the next six hours, dozens of Ice Nests will crash near my territory every hour."

"The pressure is still quite high, equivalent to increasing the defense difficulty by twenty or thirty times."

Cao Xing weighed the situation and then calculated his own strength.

He finally reached a conclusion: he could completely fend off so many Ice Nest Monster.

Cao Xing nodded. "I can give it a try. Whether it's experience or Ice Dragon Mark, both are urgently needed for me."

"Of course, not now. Da Zhuang and the others are still out gathering resources."

"If I use this Ice Dragon Horn and a large number of Ice Nests fall, killing my Arctic People, that would be a huge disaster!"

Thinking of this, Cao Xing decided to wait until night to use it, when it would be dark.

Meanwhile, after a morning of fighting, Blot, Assam, and the others had already taken down all the resource points within a five-kilometer radius.

The resident Cao Yi had also laid down tracks, connecting all eight resource points to the [Ore Processing Plant] and [Lumber Mill] within the territory.

Cao Xing stood on the city wall, looking at the snow outside the territory, where several railway tracks had suddenly appeared, connecting to the territory.

Dozens of mine carts were running back and forth, loaded with various stones, coal, and metals like iron. Even lumber could be transported by mine carts.

Inside Cao Xing's territory, the Ore Processing Plant and Lumber Mill had also started working at full capacity.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" The sound of sawing wood and falling stones rang out constantly. Although it seemed a bit noisy, Cao Xing saw his territory's resources growing at a pleasing rate, and these feelings vanished instantly.

[Wood + 6] [Wood + 7] [Stone + 6] [Stone + 3] [Iron + 5] [Copper + 3] […]

"Very good. At this rate, not counting iron and coal, I can gather about 13 units of wood and 9 units of stone per minute."

"And going forward, I can mine for at least ten hours every day."

"In other words, I can gather thousands of units of wood and stone every day!"

This efficiency is something other Survivors can only look at with envy! And this is the benefit of mechanized mining.

Meanwhile, the Arctic People Du An walked over with a happy face and said, "Lord, the small communication devices you ordered are finished."

"Due to the time constraints, I only managed to craft 9 of them."

Cao Xing heard this, and a look of joy appeared on his face. Now, he could send Assam and the others out to clear all the monsters near the territory. Da Zhuang and the others could also gather resources more safely.

[Obtained: Small Communication Device * 9]

Cao Xing nodded. "Du An, well done."

"Now, go make more electronic components, and then install the Magic Energy Water Purification Device in our rooms."

"Understood! Respected Lord!" Then, Du An left immediately.

…

Assam and Andrew, who had finished the battle, also walked back from the snowy field. They came to Cao Xing's side and said respectfully, "Mission accomplished, Lord. The monsters and beasts at the several resource points have all been cleared."

"We brought back the corpses of those beasts." Cao Xing took a look. Behind Assam and Andrew were four corpses they had dragged back.

There were snow wolves nearly three meters long, and wild boars covered in steel-needle-like bristles.

Cao Xing nodded and clicked on disassemble.

[Disassembly successful.] [Obtained: Damaged Wolf Skin (Green) * 1] [Obtained: Fresh Wolf Meat * 64] [Obtained: Wolf Bone (Green) * 31] [Obtained: Wolf Fang (Green) * 8] … [Obtained: Damaged Boar Skin (Green) * 3] [Obtained: Fresh Boar Meat * 189] [Obtained: Boar Bone (Green) * 173] [Obtained: Boar Tusk (Green) * 6] …

Cao Xing said with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad. We've replenished our meat supply again. These bones and fangs can be used to craft light armor and arrows."

Assam continued to report, "We also left one Imperial Soldier or Centaur at each resource point to protect our companions while they gather resources."

Cao Xing nodded satisfactorily. "Well done, Assam."

"Now, you all rest for a while, and then go outside the territory to deal with those Ice Nests."

Assam and Andrew looked at each other, then nodded. "Understood, Lord."

Time flew by, and five hours passed. Just as Cao Xing had expected, the frequency of Ice Nests was now about one per hour.

Moreover, because of Cao Xing's orders, his subordinates did not destroy the Ice Nests immediately upon seeing them. Instead, they waited until all 500 monsters had hatched before destroying the Ice Nest. In this way, these Ice Nests became tools for Cao Xing to grind monsters, contributing a large amount of experience points to him.

Meanwhile, a white light appeared on Cao Xing's body again. The system prompt had appeared.

[Your level has increased. Current level: Level 15] [Attribute gains from this upgrade: Strength + 4, Agility + 2, Spirit + 7, Constitution + 5] …

He felt again that his body had become stronger. "This feeling of leveling up is really great. Most importantly, my Constitution has been enhanced!"

"This way, the situation from last night won't happen again." Cao Xing's eyes were filled with joy.

"Right, I still have a Gold-quality ring in my backpack. The required level is 15, so I can equip it now!"

The next moment, a gorgeous ring engraved with exquisite patterns appeared in Cao Xing's hand. He put it on immediately.

In that instant, Cao Xing's Constitution and Spirit were significantly boosted again! He glanced at his attributes.

[Name: Cao Xing] [Race: Blue Star Human] [Level: Level 15 144 / 50000 (Tier 2)] [Detailed Attributes: Click to view.]

"Geez, I didn't know until I looked, but it's shocking when I do!"

His Spirit attribute reached 177 points! If he wore the [Hunter Priest Mask] it would be 187 points of Spirit!

What does this mean? Ice Healing Art can restore 150 HP per second, plus the bonus from the [Kingdom Holy Ring].

Now, when he casts [Ice Healing Art], it is equivalent to 225 points of HP recovery per second! He can recover 13,500 HP in one minute!

Even for Sarah now, she can recover to full health in two minutes.

"It is truly terrifying!"

Not only that, as Cao Xing's attributes increased, Ice Armor could now provide an additional 112 points of armor!

With just these two skills, you could give them to any level 1 soldier, and they would be able to challenge enemies six or seven levels higher!

"Too overpowered! Hahaha!"

Cao Xing was incredibly excited.

"Next, I just need to wait for nightfall, call all the residents back, and then use the Ice Dragon Horn."

Cao Xing glanced at the countdown above his head.

[Time until nightfall: 0 hours 52 minutes.]

[Current temperature: -17℃]

…

Nightfall was approaching.

However, what worried Cao Xing was that Renice had been gone for so long and still hadn't returned.

You have to know, with Renice's current movement speed as a level 18 boss-tier creature, plus Hilda's Queens Will, her hourly movement speed could reach seventy or eighty kilometers.

Even if the place Cao Xing sent her to was quite far, logically, she should have returned by now.

Thinking of this, he felt a bit anxious.

However, the only thing that gave Cao Xing peace of mind was that there were no notifications in the combat log indicating that Renice was under attack.

As the sky grew darker, under Cao Xing's watchful gaze, a figure appeared in the snow, moving rapidly toward the territory.

After getting closer, Cao Xing clearly saw the figure and joy immediately appeared in his eyes. It was indeed Renice.

He quickly opened the city gate and went to her side.

To complete the task Cao Xing had entrusted to her, this woman had traveled nearly four hundred kilometers back and forth today. She finally made it back before nightfall.

Cao Xing said, "You've worked hard, Renice."

The slender archer shook her head, "It's nothing, this is what I should do."

Then, Renice began to report, "Today, I went to the area as you instructed, Lord, and observed it. I did indeed find a vast and deep forest."

"But I didn't enter, because I felt a threatening aura from within that forest."

"So, I searched the vicinity, and about a dozen kilometers away from the forest, I discovered a village."

"From the villagers, I learned that the forest is called the Witch Forest, and it is said that a powerful witch lives deep within the forest."

Hearing that last sentence, Cao Xing's eyes immediately lit up.

"A witch?"

Renice nodded, "Yes, they also told me a story."

"Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a witch living in seclusion in the royal capital. She had an extremely strong talent for alchemy, and the potions she concocted even saved a dying king."

"Her fame quickly spread across half of the Western Continent."

"When nobles suffering from hidden illnesses or difficult, incurable diseases heard news of this witch, they traveled thousands of miles to the Ice Crystal Kingdom, even willing to pay a huge price, just to have this witch concoct medicine for them."

"Gradually, they discovered that many people were going missing near the witch's residence."

"From commoners to merchants, from nobles to royalty…"

"In just a few years, the number of people who went missing near the witch's residence had reached over a thousand."

"This matter gradually attracted the King's attention."

"It wasn't until he ordered the army to search the witch's house that her secret was revealed."

"The soldiers found a large number of corpses in the basement—living corpses!"

"They were terrified to discover that the witch was actually using these people's bodies to conduct some kind of horrific experiment!"

Speaking up to this point, Renice paused for a moment.

Cao Xing asked, "And then what happened?"

"Later, the witch was surrounded and hunted by the army, and she fled into a forest."

"And along with the soldiers who were chasing her, they all disappeared and never came out again."

"That is the legend of that forest…"

"However, many villagers also told me that the legend is false; there is no witch in that forest at all, because they haven't seen any witch appear in that forest for hundreds of years."

"So, I am not really sure about the authenticity of this story…"

Cao Xing nodded, thinking it was expected.

For mortals, a few decades might be their entire lifetime. But the strong in this world have very long lifespans. Even if such a powerful witch truly existed, if she hadn't appeared for hundreds of years, she would gradually fade from view. And the original story, passed down through generations, had likely changed. So, the truth of the matter could only be asked of those who personally experienced that era. However, this piqued Cao Xing's interest.

He nodded and said, "I understand, Renice. Now, go back and rest."

Renice didn't speak, but instead looked at Cao Xing with a repressed gaze, appearing as if she had something to say but stopped herself. Cao Xing noticed her state and asked, "What's wrong, Renice?"

"I… I…" Renice tried to speak several times, but she didn't seem to muster the courage. Then, with a reproachful gaze, she shot Cao Xing a glance before turning and leaving. Cao Xing was a bit confused. He shook his head and cast these thoughts to the back of his mind.

At this moment, he looked at the sky. As night fell, everything outside his territory was completely shrouded in darkness. Although the residents could continue to mine resources at night, Cao Xing now had more important things to do.

So, he ordered, "Assam, Andrew, go and bring all our residents back!"

The two subordinates who had reached the level of die-hard loyalty followed all of Cao Xing's orders completely. They immediately headed outside the territory without hesitation. Before long, the residents returned to the territory like ants returning to their nest.

Cao Xing announced, "Everyone, go eat and recover your stamina."

"All combat personnel, pay attention: there might be a tough battle to fight tonight, so get ready for combat."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions tightened! They all knew how powerful Cao Xing was. If even he called it a tough battle, it meant that tonight's fight would indeed be very difficult.

Seeing their serious faces, Cao Xing said with a smile, "Everyone, don't worry. Trust in our strength; we can block all enemies outside the territory."

"Staying inside the territory, you are absolutely safe."

Assam responded first, "My blade will sever all who dare to violate this territory!"

Braum also raised his shield excitedly, "Aha! No matter what kind of enemy it is, let them come! Braum will swat them all away one by one!"

Including Andrew and other combat personnel, everyone responded, appearing full of confidence. Their strong confidence also infected the other residents, and smiles reappeared on their faces.

Cao Xing nodded, "Go ahead, and after you finish eating, gather here."

"Understood, Lord!"

Then, everyone entered the cafeteria. After the residents left, Liu Muxue came to Cao Xing's side. Her bright eyes carried a look of concern.

"Axing, what's happening tonight?"

Cao Xing smiled, "Don't worry, it's just dealing with some Ice Nest Monsters."

Then, he explained the effects of the Ice Dragon Horn. After hearing this, the worry in Liu Muxue's eyes gradually disappeared. She also realized the utility of this Ice Dragon Horn; if used well, it could bring them huge gains.

A gentle smile appeared on Liu Muxue's face as she raised her golden shield and said, "I'll go with you too!"

Cao Xing also nodded with a smile. "Okay."

…

Meanwhile, the residents heard there would be a battle tonight, so they all ate much faster.

As for Cao Xing himself, he took out a secret-recipe rabbit from his backpack and began eating it with Liu Muxue.

After the two were full, everyone gathered in the open space below the city wall.

Assam, Andrew, and the others were already prepared for battle. Elisa and the group of Imperial Soldiers were also checking their weapons and arrows. As for the group of residents, they stood to the side with serious expressions. Everyone was fully equipped and waiting for the battle to begin!

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