The moment Ling Ye led his Centaurean Cavalry beyond the borders of his territory, the oppressive war fog ahead began to peel away like tattered curtains. What lay beyond was a wide, sprawling plain, bathed in sunlight yet eerily silent save for the distant rustling of wind over the grass. His memories from his previous life resurfaced vividly—this island had a simple layout: plains to the south, dense forest to the north, and scattered threats lurking within both.
Three types of wild monsters inhabited this place: Tier-1 Striped Hyenas, Tier-2 Goblin Warriors, and Tier-2 Emerald Vipers. The weakest, by far, were the Striped Hyenas. He remembered they prowled these southern plains in packs, making them the perfect targets to grind resources and early levels.
Sure enough, the moment his unit set hoof on the open grassland, guttural barks and snarls erupted from ahead. Ling Ye's sharp gaze caught movement—a pack of creatures hurtling toward them, low to the ground yet frighteningly fast. Each beast was nearly two meters long, its mangy fur covered in ragged black stripes, saliva dripping from jagged fangs as they charged.
The system window popped up instantly:
[Striped Hyena]
[Tier: 1]
[Level: 3]
[HP: 190 | Defense: 8 | Attack: 13 | Speed: 10]
[Skills: Pounce, Terrifying Howl]
Tier-1 trash mobs. Their stats were pitiful compared to his Tier-2 Centaurean Cavalry. This was why Ling Ye had come south first—to pick off the weakest enemies, harvest early resources, and minimize risk. A clean sweep with zero casualties was the ideal start.
Thirteen hyenas raced toward them, snarling and baring their teeth. Against twenty fully trained Centaurs, this wasn't even a fair fight. Any other Lord with only Tier-1 troops would have had to tread carefully, every death a crushing early-game loss. Ling Ye, however, had no reason to hesitate.
"Form up! Charge!" His command cracked like a whip.
Hooves thundered across the plain as twenty Centaurs lined up into two tight rows, their formation precise and unyielding. Dust and pebbles flew under the sheer force of their gallop. The clash came two breaths later—a wall of muscle, hooves, and axes slamming into the onrushing hyenas.
The cavalry's Wild Charge skill sent hyenas flying backward with bone-crunching impacts, scattering them like broken dolls. Before they could regain footing, twin-bladed axes descended in brutal arcs.
-13
-15
-14
Red numbers floated above snarling muzzles as pained yelps filled the air. In less than a minute, the first pack lay twitching on the blood-stained grass, bodies sprawled lifelessly. Streams of experience flooded into his Centaurs… and a portion flowed into Ling Ye himself.
As a Lord, he could gain experience whenever his army killed. It wasn't much, but every bit counted. Sadly, the first skirmish wasn't enough to push him to Level 2. No matter. From the mist, more feral barking rose—another pack, larger this time, charging straight for him.
He smirked, already seated comfortably on the back of his chosen mare. "You know the drill," he muttered. His Centaurs wheeled and set formation once more, shields ready, axes raised high.
Unlike hot-blooded amateurs who liked to rush into the fray alongside their soldiers, Ling Ye understood one iron rule of the Battlefield of Myriad Races: Lords who die, stay dead—or worse, lose a decade of their lifespan with every death. Soldiers could be replaced. A dead Lord was just another fool erased from the game.
The ground shook again as hooves met claws. The second pack died like the first. Then came a third, a fourth… six waves in total. Over a hundred hyenas fell beneath Centaur axes before silence returned to the plain. Ling Ye felt the sweet rush of energy fill his veins.
Ding!
"You have reached Level 2. You gain one draw from Infinite Golden Traits."
"Finally," he breathed, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. He triggered the draw instantly.
Ding!
"You have obtained the Golden Trait: Guaranteed Drop."
[Guaranteed Drop]
Effect: Any wild monster killed by your troops will always drop Mana Crystals and additional resources. Drop quantity scales with monster tier.
Ling Ye's lips curled into a triumphant grin. This was huge. Normally, farming monsters for crystals was frustratingly RNG-based—sometimes, killing dozens, even hundreds of creatures yielded nothing. With this trait, every kill meant loot in his hands. It was a license to print resources.
Eager to test it, he ordered his Centaurs to keep advancing eastward. They moved like a rolling tide of hooves and steel, cutting through the fog of war as more hyenas rushed them. Only this time, the battlefield glittered afterward—crystals, wood, and stone littered the ground like treasure.
"Mana Crystals x8."
"Stone x3."
"Wood x6."
He scooped everything up, eyes practically glowing. "Now this… this is how you build an empire," he muttered under his breath, exhilaration thrumming in his chest.
Pulling up his panel, he took stock of his current status.
[Dark Night]
[Lord of: Immortal City]
[Level: 2]
[HP: 1520 | Defense: 60 | Attack: 110 | Speed: 15]
[Command Value: 20/200 | Lifespan: 86 years]
[Class: None | Hero Bonus: 10%]
[Skills: None | Equipment: None]
[Commanding Units: Centaurean Cavalry x20]
[Innate Talent: Infinite Golden Traits]
Unlocked Traits: Instant Training, Guaranteed Drop
For now, his stats weren't impressive. Without a class, his boosts to troops were a mere 10%. But he knew what true power looked like: an SSS-ranked class could double every stat for every soldier under his banner. And one crucial memory burned in his mind—a Wild Transfer Shrine existed in this novice region, discovered only on the fifth day in his previous life. That shrine had triggered a massive war among over a hundred Lords, eventually won by a player named Tiger Wang, who claimed an S-rank class and soared ahead of everyone, even Ling Ye.
Not this time. This lifetime, that shrine would be his.
With that thought, he waved his Centaurs onward, each battle now leaving behind a glittering trail of guaranteed loot. Soon, the fog revealed something new—a cluster of strange monsters guarding the entrance to a dark, yawning cave. A mineral vein lay beyond its shadow, promising riches… and danger. Ling Ye's eyes hardened. This was the next step to dominance, and nothing on this island was going to stop him.