Beyond the barrier lay only about fifty meters of navigable space—a narrow ring of safety that would widen gradually as the territory expanded.
Further out stretched an endless expanse of milky-white haze.
That haze was known as the Fog of War.
And from within that fog, the void-spawned creatures were born.
According to the Lords' Codex, that region was strictly forbidden.
Whether lord or hero, anyone who stepped into it would lose all sense of direction, doomed to wander the mist forever.
Yet to kill these void creatures, one had to leave the barrier.
Thus, ensuring that no one accidentally strayed into the fog during battle was a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, Miu Keke was a flying, magic-type hero unit.
The goblins barking and screeching on the ground below didn't even have the chance to brush against her!
The moment she crossed the barrier, Miu Keke beat her black wings and soared several dozen meters into the air.
She raised her slender, jade-like finger—smooth and luminous like mutton-fat jade—and pointed toward the sky.
The next second—
A transparent orb of light, about the size of a basketball and bright as a fallen star, appeared at her fingertips.
Arcane Missile!
In the blink of an eye, the glowing sphere shot forward with lightning speed, dragging a surge of air behind it as it streaked toward a goblin.
Bang—
The orb slammed into the creature like a cannonball, detonating in a burst of blinding radiance.
The goblin didn't even manage a final scream before it was reduced to ash—nothing left, not even dust.
"&%@!!!"
The remaining four goblins watched their companion's instant annihilation and erupted into panicked, guttural shrieks.
The ferocity on their faces melted into terror. Their eyes filled with despair.
Weapons clattered to the dirt as they turned tail without hesitation, sprinting straight toward the Fog of War in a blind attempt to escape the nightmare before them.
But Miu Keke had no intention of letting them go.
Yes, the mission would still count as complete even if those goblins escaped.
But doing so would drastically reduce both settlement EXP and the number of Creation Crystals earned.
Chen Han's territory was in a critical stage of development. Every single resource mattered—he couldn't afford to lose even the smallest reward!
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Three Arcane Missiles burst forth like bolts of lightning, streaking through the air with deadly precision.
Two and a half seconds later, only one goblin remained, stumbling as it fled for its life.
Its legs wobbled as though ready to collapse at any moment, but raw survival instinct kept it running forward.
"Master, the goblin you wanted!"
With a flap of her wings, Miu Keke darted behind the last fleeing creature just before it disappeared into the fog.
She grabbed it by the scruff, yanked it back, and flung it toward the barrier as if tossing out a piece of trash.
Seeing this, Chen Han cracked his knuckles, excitement flashing in his eyes as he strode toward the goblin.
"This is my first fight against a void creature," he said calmly. "Keke, if I mess up, don't make fun of me."
Miu Keke snorted lightly. "Hmph! We'll see. If you're too clumsy, I absolutely will."
The goblin on the ground shook its head, its blurry vision slowly sharpening onto the human before it.
Its intelligence was low, but it understood one thing: it had been sent to kill the lord of this territory.
"#¥@!!!"
With a feral roar, it lunged at Chen Han—too frantic even to retrieve the spiked club lying beside it.
It seemed to have completely forgotten the terror Miu Keke had instilled moments earlier.
"As expected, void creatures really are mindless—"
Chen Han crouched down with composure, a spark of excitement mixed with nerves flickering in his eyes.
He picked up the spiked wooden club the goblin had dropped and swung it with full force.
Crack—
A crisp, sickening sound rang through the air.
The club smashed into the goblin's skull, which gave way like tofu beneath a cleaver.
Its head ruptured instantly—blood, bone, and brain matter splattering in every direction.
One hit. Instant death.
"Whew—so that's it? Honestly, I feel like I could take on five of them!"
Chen Han lowered the spiked club, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Goblins weren't just ugly—they were barely stronger than an elementary or middle schooler.
Miu Keke fluttered to his side, her gaze landing on the mutilated corpse.
Her expression shifted to awe and delight.
"Master, you're amazing! I thought it'd take several exchanges before you won, but you finished it in one blow!"
Chen Han chuckled. "Of course. Didn't I say I'm very brave?"
Miu Keke giggled mischievously. She floated closer, brushing her fingers along his arm and abdomen, her eyes glimmering with an odd light.
With a playful, seductive smile, she whispered, "Wonderful, Shixiong."
Right then, a series of system chimes echoed through Chen Han's mind.
[Battle complete!][Congratulations, Lord! You have cleared Day One's Trial and eradicated all void creatures!][Calculating rewards—]
[Reward 1: 120 Creation Crystals][Reward 2: 150 Lord EXP, 300 Hero EXP]
[Congratulations! Lord Level advanced to Tier 1—Stage 2! New Lord Talent unlocked! Territory expanded!]
[Talent Effect 2: After intense training, there is a small chance of learning a new skill.]
At that moment, the surrounding battle fog began to retreat rapidly—pulling back dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.
Because the territory had expanded, the barrier spread outward, instantly enveloping Chen Han.
But he hardly noticed.
His attention was entirely fixed on the newly awakened talent.
Training is… difficult?
The chance of learning a new skill is… low?
Why did it feel—strangely exciting?
He didn't know how small the probability actually was.
But the odds of drawing a skill book from Creation Crystal lotteries were nearly as low as drawing a hero!
He had to admit—this talent could drastically increase his combat potential.
"Shixiong, what's wrong?"
Miu Keke tilted her head, blinking innocently. Her tail flicked playfully behind her, her sweet fragrance drifting faintly around him—the charms of a succubus, after all.
Chen Han swallowed hard, his voice cracking."N-nothing—now that we have more Creation Crystals… let's draw another reward!"