Two hours later.

Twilight stained the jagged silhouette of Bone Eagle Cliff a dark red.

The drawbridge of Beacon Fire Village's west gate was slowly lowered. The Awakened guarding the gate spotted those three familiar figures from a distance and immediately shouted, "The Lord is back! The Lord is back!"

Lin Feng stepped into the west gate.

In the center of the camp, Tie Dun's squad was gathered around a campfire, sorting through their battle spoils with a lively chatter.

Arrow Eye sat alone on a wooden stump in the corner, his head lowered as he adjusted the string of his wind-chasing hunting bow.

Lin Feng walked straight up to him.

Arrow Eye looked up, but before he could speak, the ancient bronze booklet, still carrying the warmth of Lin Feng's palm, was placed in his hands.

"For you."

Arrow Eye froze.

His gaze slowly fell upon the ancient and vigorous seal script characters on the cover.

Windchaser Archer

His pupils constricted sharply.

"...Lord." His voice was a bit raspy, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times before he finally squeezed out a sentence, "This... this is..."

"Dropped by the Elite Bone Eagle," Lin Feng said flatly, as if he were just mentioning a common occurrence. "A wind-chasing hunting bow paired with a Windchaser Archer—it's a perfect fit."

He patted Arrow Eye on the shoulder, walked past him, and headed toward the Council Hall.

After taking two steps, he paused.

He did not look back.

"Don't let it go to waste."

Arrow Eye stood in place, his fingers clutching the Class Change Book so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The surroundings fell silent at some point. Tie Dun forgot to speak, Wang Wu stopped his hand that was wiping an arrow, and even the campfire seemed to burn more softly.

Then, a low, choked voice that had been suppressed for far too long squeezed out from the depths of Arrow Eye's throat:

"Lord... my life, Arrow Eye's life, belongs to Beacon Fire Village from now on."

Lin Feng did not look back.

With his back to the crowd, he gave a wave of his hand.

It was his acknowledgment.

In the center of the camp, Tie Dun suddenly slapped his thigh hard and roared in a muffled voice, "Damn it! The Lord is too cool! I'm going to change to a class that's worthy of my ironwall greatshield in the future too!"

The crowd burst into laughter, the sound dispelling the evening's silence.

Shadow Snake stood in the shadows at the very edge of the crowd, watching all of this quietly.

She didn't laugh, nor did she speak.

She only watched Lin Feng's back as he disappeared behind the Council Hall's door, then lowered her head to continue wiping her pair of mottled Green Claw Blades that had accompanied her for a long time.

...

That night, the candlelight on the second floor of Beacon Fire Village's Council Hall burned until very late.

Lin Feng stood by the window, looking at the scattered lights in the camp and the direction of the Great Qin Elite Camp, which was pitch black but emitted a faint, low rumble.

Tomorrow morning, the first batch of Great Qin Garrison Soldiers would walk out of that stone house disguised as an ordinary warehouse.

The next morning, the first rays of dark red dawn appeared on the horizon.

Lin Feng stood alone before the closed stone gate of the Great Qin Elite Camp.

The camp was still immersed in the final silence before dawn, with only the sound of the Black Water River flowing in the distance and the occasional cry of an unknown bird.

The lights in the Council Hall had not yet been lit, and the figures of patrolling sentries occasionally flickered across the wooden walls.

He had already been standing here for ten minutes. The stone gate was heavy and silent, like an eternal mystery.

But Lin Feng could feel ten heartbeats quickening behind the gate.

Those were ten "soldiers" who had been forcefully matured, reshaped, and armed by this special barracks after ten days of brutal tempering from Lv1 Refugees.

In the eleventh minute, the stone gate slid open silently, and ten figures filed out. Lin Feng's gaze swept from the first man to the last.

They were of similar height, about 1.75 to 1.8 meters, with lean, powerful builds, broad shoulders, and narrow waists.

Their skin was wheat-colored from long-term rigorous training. Their eyes didn't have the confusion of ordinary Refugees entering the barracks; instead, they held a suppressed, calm, and restrained light.

That was the gaze of a "soldier," even if only in its early stages.

Lin Feng didn't speak to them immediately. His gaze fell first on their attire.

Then, a nearly imperceptible smile flashed in his eyes.

This disguise was quite convincing.

【Wei Wu Soldiers Standard Leather Helmet (Disguise)】

Quality: White

Defense: +10

Part: Head

Durability: 60/60

Description: Appearance modeled after the Warring States Wei Wu Soldiers standard. The core structure is actually produced by the Great Qin Elite Camp. Basic protection, better than nothing. Made of dark brown leather with a simple bronze band on top, protecting the forehead, crown, and back of the neck.

【Wei Wu Soldiers Standard Leather Armor (Disguise)】

Quality: White

Defense: +10

Part: Torso

Durability: 80/80

Description: Appearance modeled after the Warring States Wei Wu Soldiers standard. Can deflect stray arrows and blunt impacts, but offers limited protection against piercing weapons.

【Wei Wu Soldiers Standard Leather Trousers (Disguise)】

Quality: White

Defense: +10

Part: Legs

Durability: 60/60

Description: Appearance modeled after the Warring States Wei Wu Soldiers standard. Lightweight, good breathability, average wear resistance. Also dark brown, with three rows of reinforced copper studs on the chest, simple pauldrons on the shoulders, and a leather belt at the waist.

【Wei Wu Soldiers Standard Belt (Disguise)】

Quality: White

Defense: +10

Health: +30

Part: Waist

Durability: 50/50

Description: Appearance modeled after the Warring States Wei Wu Soldiers standard. Multiple layers of tanned cowhide, with an antiqued bronze buckle. Besides tightening the battle robe, it also protects the waist and abdomen.

Weapon—bronze halberd.

The halberd blade is about thirty centimeters long. The edge isn't extremely sharp, but it's deadly enough. The shaft has a hardwood core wrapped in bamboo strips, bound with hemp and lacquered, providing a solid grip.

【Wei Wu Soldiers Standard Halberd (Disguise)】 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Quality: White

Attack: +15

Durability: 70/70

Description: Appearance modeled after the Warring States Wei Wu Soldiers standard. The blade is slightly curved, capable of pecking and hooking, suitable for formation combat.

Four pieces of armor, one weapon, all of White quality. Not stunning, not luxurious.

But—this is for ten people.

Organized, standardized equipment for ten men, ready for immediate combat.

Lin Feng quickly calculated in his head.

Helmet 10 defense, leather armor 10 defense, leather trousers 10 defense, # Nоvеlight # belt 10 defense. Adding the four together, the total armor value is 40 points.

But he knew the defense rules of the Nightmare World very well—this "40" was definitely not a simple addition to the stat panel.

Defense Mitigation Rules:

When an Awakened or soldier actively blocks with a weapon or shield, the defense check is 【Total Defense + Constitution Attribute】. Taking these ten garrison soldiers as an example, their Constitution is 8, so their total defense when blocking is approximately 48.

Extra Damage Reduction after a Successful Block:

If the weapon/shield used for blocking is not damaged, the damage is halved again after subtracting the defense.

If the shield/weapon has special damage reduction effects, the effect value is subtracted after the damage is halved.

However, if the block is bypassed and the weapon hits the torso—the defense check is only 【Leather Armor Defense + Base Constitution】.

That is 10 + 8 = 18. (PS: For area-of-effect attacks, the defense check is 【Total Defense + Constitution Attribute】)

Lin Feng quickly reached a conclusion: these ten garrison soldiers, when blocking in a frontal formation, were enough to withstand most conventional attacks.

But if the formation is breached and the flanks or rear are attacked, the casualty rate will skyrocket.

—It's enough.