---
Lin Feng stood at the edge of his newly established village, a sprawling patch of land nestled in the shadow of the Imperial Capital's outer walls. His territory, humbly named **Dragon's Rise Village**, was a chaotic work-in-progress: wooden palisades half-built, a Hero Altar glowing faintly at the center, and a dozen dragon knights—Zhao Yun's elite troops—lazily sparring or napping under trees. The air hummed with the faint energy of the Void, a reminder that his first official rift battle was hours away. At level 5, with his Immortal Rank talent disguised as SSS-rank Celestial Warlord, Lin Feng was itching to test his powers—and troll some monsters while he was at it.
**[Host, you've got 12 hours until the Void rift opens. Your village is barely a step above a goblin's outhouse. Wanna prep, or are you planning to nap like your drunkard hero?]**
The [System]'s snarky voice echoed in Lin Feng's mind, as reliable as a morning alarm clock and twice as annoying. He glanced at Zhao Yun, who was lounging on a barrel, sipping from a flask and humming a tune about lost battles and lost loves. The dragon knight's armor gleamed, but his casual vibe screamed, *"I'll fight when I feel like it."*
"Oi, Zhao Yun, you gonna help fortify the village or just keep serenading that flask?" Lin Feng called.
Zhao Yun grinned, twirling his spear. "Kid, relax. My dragon knights can handle a few goblins. Save your energy for the ladies." He winked toward a group of villagers—mostly failed awakeners who'd pledged loyalty to Lin Feng—carrying lumber. Among them was Li Mei, the Frost Empress herself, who'd reluctantly agreed to train in Lin Feng's village after losing a bet during orientation. Her icy glare could've frozen a volcano.
"Don't drag me into your nonsense, Lin Feng," Li Mei snapped, her hands glowing with frost as she reinforced a wall with ice. "I'm only here to get stronger, not to babysit your ego."
Lin Feng smirked, leaning against the Hero Altar. "Sure, Mei-mei. Keep telling yourself that. I saw you blush when I summoned Zhao Yun shirtless yesterday."
Her face turned as red as a chili pepper, and she hurled an ice shard that narrowly missed his head. "Call me Mei-mei again, and I'll freeze your tongue off!"
**[Harem Candidate #1 is feisty today. Careful, Lazy Emperor, or she'll turn you into a popsicle. Quest update: Fortify Dragon's Rise Village to Level 2 before the rift opens. Reward: 200 EXP, Random Resource Cache. Penalty: I'll make your next summon a hero who sings opera. Badly.]**
Lin Feng shuddered. "Opera? You're a monster." He clapped his hands, rallying his villagers. "Alright, everyone! Double-time on those walls! We've got a Void rift coming, and I'm not letting goblins trash my VIP village!"
The villagers, a mix of F- and E-rank awakeners plus a few failed ones, scrambled to obey. Lin Feng's status as the Emperor's grandson gave him clout, but his easygoing charm and knack for turning grunt work into a game kept them motivated. He'd already earned their loyalty by sharing his family's resources—rare herbs, enchanted tools, and enough rice to feed an army. His grandfather, Emperor Lin Tianlong, had sent a care package via imperial courier: a crate of spirit stones and a note that read, *"Don't embarrass the family, Feng-er. Also, stop flirting with every girl you meet."*
"Grandpa's got no chill," Lin Feng muttered, tossing a spirit stone to a worker. "Build faster, and I'll throw in a bonus!"
As the village buzzed with activity, Fatty Zhang waddled over, his D-rank Stone Sentinel talent making him the unofficial construction foreman. His territory, a neighboring village called Boulder Haven, was already Level 2 thanks to his knack for stonework. "Feng-bro, your village looks like a kid's fort. Need my help? I can whip up a stone gate in an hour."
Lin Feng grinned. "Fatty, you're a lifesaver. But if you call my village a kid's fort again, I'll have Zhao Yun use you as a battering ram."
Fatty Zhang laughed, his belly jiggling. "Deal. Just don't summon another hero who drinks more than he fights."
Zhao Yun raised his flask in mock offense. "I heard that, chubby! My drinking fuels my fighting. Watch this!" He leaped to his feet, spun his spear, and accidentally knocked over a stack of logs. The villagers groaned, and Li Mei facepalmed.
Lin Feng cackled. "See, Fatty? My hero's a multitasker—destruction *and* entertainment."
**[Quest progress: Village fortification at 60%. Keep it up, or it's opera time.]**
---
By dusk, Dragon's Rise Village hit Level 2, its wooden palisades now reinforced with Fatty's stonework and Li Mei's ice barriers. The Hero Altar pulsed brighter, unlocking a new feature: **Troop Enhancement**. Lin Feng's dragon knights gained a 20% strength boost, their spears now crackling with faint draconic energy. He also used a spirit stone to upgrade his storage, earning a [System] ping.
**[Village Level 2 achieved! Reward: 200 EXP, Random Resource Cache (Iron Ore x500, Spirit Wood x200). New quest: Survive the Void rift. Reward: 300 EXP, Hero Summon Token. Penalty: Your village gets a goblin graffiti makeover.]**
"Goblin graffiti?" Lin Feng snorted. "What, they gonna tag my walls with 'Ogre Rulez'?"
**[Don't tempt fate, Lazy Emperor. The rift's opening in 10 minutes. Prep your troops and pick a strategy. Your Immortal Rank gives you an edge, but don't get cocky—goblins love swarming.]**
Lin Feng gathered his team: Zhao Yun and his 12 dragon knights, Li Mei with her ice summons (frost wolves, because of course), and Fatty Zhang, who'd brought two stone golems from his village. The villagers, armed with basic spears, would guard the walls. Lin Feng's Celestial Command skill boosted their morale, making even the F-rankers stand taller.
"Alright, listen up!" Lin Feng shouted, climbing onto a crate. "The Void rift's about to spit out some ugly goblins. We crush them, we get loot, and I'll throw a feast with imperial-grade dumplings. Who's with me?"
The villagers cheered, and Zhao Yun raised his flask. "To dumplings and dead goblins!"
Li Mei rolled her eyes but summoned a frost wolf, its fur glinting under the moonlight. "Don't screw this up, Lin Feng."
"Me? Screw up?" Lin Feng winked. "Watch and learn, Mei-mei."
The ground trembled, and a jagged tear in reality split open at the village's edge—a Void rift, swirling with purple mist. Goblins poured out, their beady eyes glinting with malice. There were at least 50, led by a hulking goblin chieftain wielding a rusty cleaver. At level 7, it was a threat to a newbie village.
**[Void Rift: Wave 1 – Goblin Swarm. Objective: Eliminate all enemies. Bonus: Capture the chieftain alive for extra loot. Good luck, Harem Hoarder.]**
Lin Feng grinned. "Capture? Nah, I'm gonna troll this guy." He activated his Celestial Warlord aura, boosting his troops' speed. "Zhao Yun, flank left! Mei, freeze the stragglers! Fatty, block the choke point!"
The battle was chaos with a side of comedy. Zhao Yun charged, his dragon knights mowing down goblins like a lawnmower through grass. One knight, inspired by his boss's flair, tied two goblins together and swung them like a flail, shouting, "Double kill!" Li Mei's frost wolves pinned stragglers, but she accidentally froze Fatty's golem, earning a "Mei, really?!" from the chubby foreman.
Lin Feng, meanwhile, had a plan. He'd noticed the goblin chieftain barking orders, so he grabbed a spare cloak from a villager, draped it over a scarecrow, and propped it near the rift. "Hey, ugly!" he yelled, waving. "Bet you can't hit this!"
The chieftain, not the brightest, charged the scarecrow, swinging its cleaver. Lin Feng darted behind it, tossing a net—crafted from spirit wood fibers—over the beast. It thrashed, roaring, but Zhao Yun pinned it with his spear's blunt end.
"Gotcha, big guy!" Lin Feng laughed. "You're my new lawn ornament."
The remaining goblins scattered, only to be picked off by Li Mei's wolves and Fatty's golems. The rift closed with a *pop*, leaving behind a chest glowing with Heavens' Will energy.
**[Wave 1 cleared! Bonus objective complete: Chieftain captured. Reward: 300 EXP, Hero Summon Token, Void Shard x3. Village morale +10%. Nice trolling, but don't expect every rift to be this easy.]**
Lin Feng leveled up to 6, his body tingling with energy. He opened the chest, finding a **Goblin King's Cleaver** (decent attack boost) and a **Void Shard**, which the [System] explained could upgrade his Hero Altar.
Li Mei approached, brushing frost off her sleeves. "Not bad, Lin Feng. But your scarecrow trick was childish."
"Says the girl who froze Fatty's golem," Lin Feng shot back. "Admit it, you're impressed."
She huffed, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Keep dreaming."
Zhao Yun staggered over, flask in hand. "Kid, that was fun. Got any more nets? I wanna catch an ogre next."
Fatty Zhang laughed, clapping Lin Feng's shoulder. "Feng-bro, you're crazy, but it works. What's next?"
Lin Feng looked at the Hero Summon Token in his hand, glowing faintly. "Next? We summon another hero, fortify this village, and prep for the 30-day Void descent. I'm thinking Abyss-level."
Li Mei's eyes widened. "Abyss? Are you insane?"
**[He's not insane, just reckless. Harem Candidate #1 is worried about you. How cute. Wanna summon that hero now?]**
Lin Feng grinned, activating the token. The Hero Altar flared, and a portal opened. A figure emerged—a woman in a flowing red robe, her hair tied with a jade pin, wielding a fan that shimmered with qi. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and her voice was like silk. "Diao Chan, Dancer of the Three Kingdoms, greets her Lord. Shall we conquer or charm our foes?"
The villagers gaped. Li Mei's glare could've melted steel. Zhao Yun whistled. "Kid, your harem's growing faster than my bar tab."
**[Hero Summoned: Diao Chan (Mythical Rank). Specialized Troops: Jade Fan Dancers (Speed-based, illusion skills). Warning: Harem tension rising. Good luck, Lazy Emperor.]**
Lin Feng laughed, ignoring Li Mei's death stare. With a snarky System, a drunk dragon knight, a tsundere ice queen, and now a flirty dancer, his journey to the God Kingdom was going to be one hilarious, chaotic ride.
---
**To be continued…**