System: Build My Own Territory

The words were spoken.

Lynn withdrew his gaze from Mike.

Striding forward, under the admiration and esteem of the soldiers, he stepped into a red brick house.

In the eyes of the soldiers, Lynn's armored figure seemed so majestic and tall at that moment.

When Lynn's silhouette disappeared from sight, the soldiers shifted their gaze back to Mike, who was standing rooted to the spot.

A tremendous oppression enveloped him instantly...

...

On the other side of the city wall.

On a clearing in a mountain forest.

Several large campfires made of massive logs were burning fiercely.

Because the logs had just been cut down, their moisture hadn't dried out, releasing thick smoke as they burned, shooting straight into the night sky like smoke columns.

By the most central campfire, Anthony and a few others sat on logs, their eyes fixed on the flames ahead.

The cracking and popping of the flames danced and swayed in their eyes...

A few minutes later.

Fan Ke, holding a lit stick, shook it a few times and reminded, "It's been three hours."

A deep voice sounded from Anthony's mouth.

"I know."

As the voice fell, quietness descended again beside the campfire.

Except for the crackling of the burning fire.

Fan Ke sighed, "Lord Anthony, I feel like this ambush plan is going to end up in vain."

Anthony said nothing, turning his gaze to Fan Ke.

Waiting for Fan Ke to continue explaining.

Fan Ke's face revealed a hint of doubt, "I've always been curious, why does that man believe that an ordinary merchant would be worth the Lord behind the wall sending troops to rescue?"

"Because of friendship with this merchant? A deceitful merchant having ties with a Lord that only exploits and oppresses?"

"Haha, it sounds like watching a herd of sows queueing to jump into the Acadia River!"

Anthony finally spoke, "What's your plan?"

Fan Ke raised his eyebrows and said, "Prepare for the worst possible outcome..."

"You and I both know what lies behind that wall, making it worth capturing at all costs."

Anthony nodded in agreement.

Indeed, as Fan Ke said, what's behind the wall stirred his desire.

Fan Ke turned his gaze to Hall, who sat a short distance away in a daze.

Sunken, pale cheeks, purple lips nearing black, eyes staring blankly at the burning flames.

Perhaps sitting too close, tiny red sparks from the crackling fire landed on Hall's body.

Hall still showed no sign of evasion, allowing the sparks to slowly extinguish on his abdomen.

Fan Ke curiously asked, "Lord Anthony, will that man descend again?"

Anthony instantly understood the meaning in Fan Ke's words and turned to glance at Hall.

"Perhaps..."

At the edge of the campfire.

Boer, tightly bound to a tree, looked at the distant campfire, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

He was positioned beyond the warmth of the bonfire, with cold covering his whole body.

His body instinctively wanted to move closer to the bonfire, but found he couldn't move an inch.

Boer gave up.

Looking at the fire and the bandits, Boer's mind raced.

How could he survive?

As the weather grew colder, it was unlikely for these bandits to linger long in this mountain forest.

Bandits always cared about Gold Pounds, food, and women!

Could he trade the Gold Pounds he earned from Master Lynn for fine salt to be released by these bandits?

In the next moment.

Boer discarded the thought from his mind.

The money he earned had long been spent on guard wagons and connections in Kakasong City.

He had very little savings left!

With so many members in the Iron Blood Brotherhood Bandit Corps, how could they be interested in such a trivial amount?

Their target is Master Lynn, is Master Lynn's ore vein!

That's the real treasure!

Boer's mind circled back.

His presence was merely bait to lure out Master Lynn.

Conveniently, he had let Mike escape to report his current situation to Master Lynn.

The bait condition has thus been fulfilled.

Regardless of whether Master Lynn comes to his aid, it no longer matters to these bandits...

Thinking of this.

A strong desire for survival emerged in Boer's mind.

Perhaps he could still live!

But how could he escape from these bandits?

Boer's mind began to contemplate again...

Time swiftly passed.

The entire camp was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

They hung their heads, their bodies exposed to the glow of the bonfire.

Now, only the bonfire could bring the slightest warmth.

Just as Boer was contemplating, a commotion suddenly erupted among the bandits ahead.

"What is that..."

"What kind of monstrosity is that?"

"A Demon from the Abyss?"

"..."

Boer's gaze quickly scanned the group of bandits until it settled on a skinny man sitting on a log.

He clearly remembered.

It was the man who had ordered his goods burned the last time he was intercepted by bandits!

Within a few short individuals, they had become bizarrely transformed?

Boer turned his gaze and saw a woman with a pitch-black body, walking from the far edge of darkness towards Hall.