The torrential rain gradually subsided, leaving only the smell of scorched earth and the lingering scent of gunpowder in the wilderness.
Su Zhe donned an "Optical Camouflage Cloak" exchanged from the System, his figure flickering through the woods like a roaming ghost. According to the memory fragments extracted from the Knight Captain, deep within this forest—known by locals as the "Dreadwood Forest"—lay an ancient ruin that even the Church dared not tread lightly upon.
[Ding! High-concentration primordial mana fluctuations detected.]
[System Note: Biological field interference detected ahead. Suggest activating 『Thermal Imaging Scan』.]
Su Zhe calmly tapped a plugin on his retina. Instantly, the dim forest transformed into a series of vividly colored thermal blocks in his vision. Lifeforms hidden in the darkness now had nowhere to hide.
A few hundred meters ahead, a stone structure covered in moss and thick vines loomed. It wasn't the crude stonework typical of this era, but an obelisk-like structure with a mysterious geometric beauty, its walls carved with faint, ancient runes.
"Hiss—!"
A bone-chilling growl echoed from the shadows.
Three pitch-black "Shadow Wolves," their eyes glowing with a faint purple light, lay in wait at the entrance of the ruins. These were violent magical beasts corrupted by mana—fast as lightning and the recurring nightmare of border adventurers.
Su Zhe didn't draw a sword, nor did he pull out his heavy Barrett.
"Let's test the automated weaponry," he whispered.
[Exchange Item: 『Sentry-7 Lightweight Automated Sentry Turret』 x1]
[Points Consumed: 400 Points.]
Hum!
A silver-black metallic sphere appeared out of thin air at Su Zhe's feet. With the sound of precise gears interlocking, the sphere rapidly unfolded into a tripod turret mounting twin 7.62mm machine guns. The red laser scanner at the top swept left and right like a cold, electronic eye.
[Scan complete. Target: Non-human entities, Hostile.]
[Mode: Full Auto Clear. Fire!]
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
Tongues of fire spat frantically in the dim forest.
The three Shadow Wolves didn't even have time to launch their signature "Shadow Strike" before being shredded by a dense hail of lead. The dull thud of bullets piercing flesh mingled with the beasts' death wails. In just five seconds, only mangled meat and hot shell casings remained at the entrance.
Su Zhe walked over expressionlessly, his hand brushing over the shredded corpses of the wolves.
[Extraction Successful! Talent Obtained: 『Basic Dynamic Vision』.]
[Extraction Successful! Skill Obtained: 『Shadow Stealth』 (Basic).]
[Civilization Points Obtained: 300 Points.]
"Though the points are few, mosquito meat is still meat." Su Zhe looked at the carnage, a slight ripple in his heart. This was the power of technology—no tedious incantations, no long hours of meditation, just enough points.
He asked in his mind, "System, with my current armament, could I already sweep through this border town?"
[Ding! System has detected that the Host is suffering from severe 『Newbie Village Hallucinations』.]
[System Roast: If by 『sweep』 you mean bullying low-level magical beasts with automated turrets, then congratulations, you are now the 『Butcher King』 of this forest. However, a reminder: the average IQ of those Shadow Wolves was lower than the magazine in your hand.]
Su Zhe's mouth twitched. "...It was just a casual question."
[System Note: Host's body temperature rising; suspected indignation. Suggest the Host face reality—at your current level, in front of a true High-Tier Mage, you are merely a 『High-Class Refugee』 carrying a fire-spitting toy. Please occupy the ruins as soon as possible. Do not seek a sense of achievement in battles that the System doesn't even bother to log. It makes my civilization level look bad.]
Su Zhe shook his head and walked into the ruins, self-deprecatingly muttering, "Seems this system not only exchanges tech but also provides professional 『Psychological Decompression Services』."
The interior of the ruins was much vaster than it appeared from the outside. Pale blue soul particles floated in the air. He could feel the 『Holy Slash』 energy within him resonating strangely with the residual mana here.
He reached the center of the grand hall, where a fractured stone altar stood—likely once a control hub.
"System, mark this location as 『Outpost No. 1』. Exchange for 『Basic Industrial 3D Printer』 and 『Solar Collection Panels』."
[Command Confirmed. Points Consumed: 600 Points.]
[Base infrastructure under construction... Estimated points required to unlock the next clearance level: 5,000 Points.]
Watching the sparks fly from the 3D printer and seeing the ancient stone tower begin to fill with sci-fi equipment, Su Zhe frowned. "System, isn't this printer a bit slow?"
[System: That is because the 『Civilization Points』 provided by the Host are pathetic. This system supports the instantaneous generation of interstellar fortresses. If the Host provides one hundred billion points, I can turn this planet into a Dyson Sphere in three seconds.]
[System Follow-up: But based on your current progress of seeking a 'Like' for killing a few wolves, those one hundred billion points might take you from the Cretaceous extinction until the heat death of the universe.]
Su Zhe shut up completely. He sat cross-legged, feeling his strength steadily rising. He knew the Church's forces would soon discover the annihilation of the vanguard. When they sent a true "Paladin Commander" or a "High Mage," they would be met with more than just a grenade launcher.
"By then, I should have produced a 『Railgun』 or 『Genetic Enhancement Serums』, right?"
Su Zhe looked at the rising stats on his attribute panel, his eyes cold as ice. These ruins, regarded as a forbidden zone by this world, would become the starting point for his harvest of this entire continent's civilization.