"Mana Crystal Mine?"
Ling Ye's eyes lit up with a spark of excitement the moment he spotted the rocky outcrop in the distance. He remembered this location vividly—it was the only Mana Crystal mine on his starting island. If he could seize it, he would gain a one-time harvest of a hundred Mana Crystals, a treasure trove of early resources. But the challenge wasn't small.
The mine was heavily guarded. Nearly two hundred Striped Hyenas roamed its perimeter, and mixed among them were close to a hundred Goblin Warriors. These Tier-2 monsters were far tougher than hyenas, their crude weapons and higher stats making them a genuine threat.
In his previous life, Ling Ye had spent several grueling hours slowly wearing down the defenses before finally claiming the mine. But this time, he had an edge—he had already slaughtered over a hundred hyenas on his way here, his Guaranteed Drop trait granting him enough loot to stockpile 102 Mana Crystals. That meant one thing: more troops. More power. More control.
He smirked to himself. "Let's ramp this up."
With a sharp order, he had nineteen Centaurs fan out to clear scattered mobs near the outer edge of the plains while he turned his mount and rode hard back toward Immortal City. Thanks to Instant Training, twenty fresh Centaurean Cavalry marched out of the stables moments later, armored and ready for war. When Ling Ye returned to the mine, his numbers had doubled to forty horse-warriors, their presence alone making the ground tremble.
This time, he adjusted his strategy. Rather than a direct, bloody charge, he divided his troops: nineteen on the left, nineteen on the right, and one lone Centaur designated as bait. The decoy would lure small waves of enemies away from the mine, allowing the main force to annihilate them with overwhelming numbers.
The first wave—thirty-eight monsters—came snarling into their trap. They didn't last long.
The second wave—twenty-nine. Gone.
The third—thirty-two. Nothing but blood and dust left behind.
Ling Ye went back and forth to Immortal City several times, pouring every crystal earned from kills into recruits. Each time he returned, his army grew, his dominance swelling like a rising tide. Less than twenty minutes later, the mine's defenders were dead to the last creature, and not a single Centaur had fallen. His forces had swelled to seventy-two.
The mine belonged to him now.
It was only an E-grade Mana Crystal Mine, a one-time resource deposit that would vanish after full extraction. But in the early game, one hundred extra crystals were a windfall that could snowball his growth to terrifying levels. He immediately ordered his Centaurs to start collecting, and before long, he had the promised bounty in his hands.
Without hesitation, he sank everything—those hundred crystals plus leftover spoils from hyenas—into yet more cavalry. When he rode back out, his Centaurean army had surpassed one hundred strong. This pace of development left his past life in the dust. He remembered how, last time, he hadn't even reached fifty troops by the time he cleared this island. Now, on this second run, he was untouchable.
He was about to give the order to rest his forces when several Goblin Warriors wandered out from the forest's edge, croaking their guttural war cries. They rushed straight into his army's axes, gifting him yet another wave of loot and experience.
Ding!
"You have reached Level 3. One draw from Infinite Golden Traits granted."
"Let's see what I get this time…" Ling Ye muttered eagerly.
Ding!
"You have obtained the Golden Trait: Deathless Rebirth."
[Deathless Rebirth]
Effect: After leaving combat for 10 seconds, your troops will recover 2% of their maximum HP per second until fully healed.
Ling Ye's grin widened until it nearly split his face. "Oh, now that's exactly what I needed."
During the fight for the mine, many of his Centaurs had been injured. Some were below 30% HP, too low to risk another large-scale battle without the possibility of casualties. Normally, healing in this world had three options: painfully slow natural recovery, returning to base for a faster rest, or using rare healing potions and support troops like Priests. But now?
This new trait changed everything. Even if a soldier was a breath away from death, ten seconds out of combat, and less than a minute later, they'd be back to full strength. It was absurdly efficient, practically game-breaking this early on.
As if to prove the point, green healing numbers began floating above his cavalry. In under a minute, one hundred armored centaurs stood ready, blood washed clean, their killing intent sharp as blades.
Ling Ye chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Last time, I sweated blood just to clear my island. This time… it feels like I'm playing with cheat codes."
With his forces restored, he gave a simple command: "Push north. Clear the forest."
The northern jungle was infested with Emerald Vipers, each as thick as a man's leg and three meters long, venomous fangs glinting in the dim light. Their poison was lethal—single target bites or wide sprays of toxic mist that lingered and ate through flesh. In his last life, this area had nearly broken him. But now, with sheer numbers and the promise of instant healing, he felt unstoppable.
Wave after wave of serpents fell beneath Centaur axes. Whenever health dipped too low, they disengaged, healed, and charged back in. Thirty relentless minutes later, the forest was silent. The last serpent's death hiss faded, and the system chimed softly.
Ling Ye clapped his hands together. "Done."
He opened his panel, checking his progress. Close—but not enough. He was just shy of Level 4. He'd need to hit the next island soon to keep grinding. But before he could give the retreat order, a mechanical voice rang out in his ears.
[Dark Night Lord has cleared his starting island in 58 minutes and 25 seconds. Your feat has drawn the gaze of a Demon King.]
[Do you wish to accept the Demon King's Trial?]
[If accepted, an E-grade Demon King Avatar will descend upon your territory in 3 minutes.]
[Victory yields rich rewards. Failure will result in the destruction of your Immortal City.]
Ling Ye froze, then a slow, dangerous smile tugged at his lips. The Demon King's Trial. A rare event. In his past life, he'd only triggered it once, and it had cost him dearly to scrape out a win. The rewards had been worth it, but the risk had been terrifying.
And now, here it was again, on the very first day.
There was no hesitation this time. "Accept," he said firmly.
This was the kind of gamble legends were built on. An E-grade Demon King? Against his hundred-strong Tier-2 cavalry and two golden traits? He was confident. Victory here could skyrocket him far ahead of every other Lord in this region.
The countdown began. Three minutes.
Ling Ye turned his mount toward home, raising his arm. "Everyone, back to Immortal City. Get ready for war. We're about to greet our first boss."
The Centaurean Cavalry thundered after him, hooves striking the ground like a war drum. The air around Dark Night itself seemed to pulse with the promise of battle and bloodshed yet to come.