3: Chapter 3: The Arrow Towers Show Their Power, Seize Treasures Amidst the Undead Tide and Level Up to Level 4!

Lin Chen carried the rust stone battle axe, leading Brick Mover King and ten melee players. Just as they rushed to the West Gate wall, the Undead Vanguard had already approached within a hundred meters.

Skeleton Soldiers marched with their joints clicking, green light flickering in the hollow eye sockets beneath their black robes. Their rusted swords and bone shields clashed with a piercing sound. Skeleton Knight Barton led the charge, the iron hooves of his skeletal horse making the ground tremble.

[System Notification: The Undead Vanguard has entered the arrow tower's range. Level 1 arrow tower auto-attack is now active.]

The two arrow tower turrets rotated, firing bolts that whistled through the air.

[-45] [-42]

Two bolts accurately struck the front-row Skeleton Soldiers, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible.

"The arrow tower damage is insane!" Brick Mover King's eyes lit up. "This wave will save us a lot of effort!"

"Don't celebrate too early, look at Barton!" Lin Chen raised his hand, pointing at the galloping Skeleton Knight.

Barton waved his hand, and a black Battle Qi enveloped his body. The arrow tower bolts struck the Battle Qi and were deflected instantly.

[Damage Immune]

"Holy crap! Is the BOSS invincible?" The player 'Boxing King Ali' widened his eyes. "How are we supposed to fight this?"

"It's not invincibility, it's a Battle Qi Shield!" Lin Chen's gaze turned cold. "Focus fire on the shield. Once it's broken, he'll be fragile!"

[System Notification: Lord's command detected. 'Squad Focus Fire' function unlocked. Target locked on Barton. Team damage increased by 15%.]

"Focus fire on Barton! Break the shield first!" Lin Chen roared.

Brick Mover King took the lead and charged, slamming a fist into Barton's Battle Qi Shield.

[-18]

"Only 18 points? This shield is harder than the concrete at my construction site!" Brick Mover King bared his teeth in a grimace.

"Let me!" The player 'Swordmaster Ajie' held an iron sword and slashed with all his might.

[-20]

The ten melee players took turns attacking, and the shield's health slowly dwindled.

[Barton's Battle Qi Shield: 850/1000]

Lin Chen did not rush to strike, his eyes scanning the battlefield.

Toward the East Gate, Iron Wang was leading the Militia and players in a struggle against thirty Skeleton Soldiers. arrow tower bolts provided constant support, and Skeleton Soldiers fell in droves.

At the Main Gate, Old Hei's shield formation held steady. Little Dumpling was operating an arrow tower, manually aiming and firing; her damage was significantly higher than the auto-attack mode.

[System Notification: Player Little Dumpling triggered an arrow tower critical hit, dealing [-60] damage to a Skeleton Soldier.]

"I hit! Manual mode is the GOAT!" Little Dumpling cheered from the wall.

"Don't get cocky! Barton is about to charge through!" Old Hei shouted.

Barton's skeletal horse accelerated, heading straight for the West Gate, with twenty elite Skeleton Soldiers following closely behind.

"Lords Deterrence!"

Lin Chen raised his hand, and a pale gold light shot toward Barton.

[System Notification: Lords Deterrence (Tier 2) in effect. Barton is stunned for 2 seconds. Battle Qi Shield defense reduced by 20%.]

"Now's the time! Give it everything you've got!"

Lin Chen leaped into the air, his rust stone battle axe carrying a powerful wind as it slammed into Barton's shield.

[Heavy Strike! -120]

Brick Mover King and the other players seized the opportunity, unleashing a frenzy of attacks.

[-30] [-32] [-28]

Barton's shield health plummeted.

[Barton's Battle Qi Shield: 480/1000]

The stun ended. Barton let out a roar and swept his knight sword across.

"Scatter!" Lin Chen shouted.

Everyone scrambled back. The knight sword grazed the edge of Brick Mover King's clothes, trailing a streak of black sword energy.

[-25]

Damage numbers floated above Brick Mover King's head as he stumbled backward.

"Healer! Heal me!" Brick Mover King yelled.

The healer on the wall immediately raised her hand, and a faint light descended.

[+30]

"Thanks! I almost bit the dust there!" Brick Mover King patted his chest.

Lin Chen looked at the territory panel and spent 200 Copper Coins to activate 'West Gate Reinforcement'.

[System Notification: West Gate Reinforcement complete. Defense increased by 20%, Durability +500.]

"Ali, take three people and guard the wall gap!" Lin Chen ordered quickly. "Ajie, take two people and flank them. Cut off the Skeleton Soldiers' rear!"

"Understood!" Ali and Ajie responded in unison.

The two took their team members and quickly split up.

Lin Chen turned back to Barton and swung his battle axe.

"One more time! Break his shield!"

He was the first to charge, his rust stone battle axe slashing repeatedly.

[-80] [-85]

Brick Mover King followed closely with the remaining players, punching and slashing.

[Barton's Battle Qi Shield: 120/1000]

"The final blow!" Lin Chen's eyes were sharp as he charged up a Heavy Strike.

"Heavy Strike!"

The battle axe slammed into the shield with a loud boom.

[-150]

[System Notification: Barton's Battle Qi Shield has shattered. Defense reduced by 30% for 10 seconds.]

The players instantly erupted.

"The shield is broken! The BOSS has no defense left!"

"Lord Big Shot is awesome! This rhythm is so steady!"

Having lost his shield, Barton roared and lunged at Lin Chen, his knight sword thrusting toward Lin Chen's chest.

Lin Chen sidestepped the attack and swung his axe horizontally, hacking into the leg of Barton's skeletal horse.

[-180]

The skeletal horse bucked in pain, its front hooves rearing up, and Barton was thrown off.

"My chance!"

Lin Chen jumped forward, his battle axe cleaving toward Barton's skull.

[Critical Hit! -250]

[System Notification: Lin Chen triggered a weak point attack. Damage doubled.]

Barton's skull cracked, and the green flames in his eye sockets flickered more violently.

He waved his hand, and the elite Skeleton Soldiers behind him immediately swarmed forward, surrounding Lin Chen.

"Lord Big Shot is surrounded!" Little Dumpling shouted from the wall.

"We're coming to save you!" Old Hei arrived from the Main Gate to support him, bringing two shield-bearers.

The elite Skeleton Soldiers held their bone swords, repeatedly stabbing at Lin Chen while their bone shields blocked all paths of retreat.

[-40] [-38] [-42]

Damage numbers floated above Lin Chen's head in succession, and his stamina was also dropping rapidly.

"Hah!"

Lin Chen pulled out a Stamina Potion and downed it in one gulp.

[System Notification: Stamina restored by 10 points. Current Stamina: 20/30.]

He raised his battle axe and unleashed Lords Deterrence, instantly stunning the elite Skeleton Soldiers.

"Cleave!"

The battle axe swung down with full force, and two elite Skeleton Soldiers shattered on the spot.

[-300] [-300]

[System Notification: Lin Chen killed Elite Skeleton Soldier x2. Gained 100 Experience Points and 20 Copper Coins.]

Old Hei arrived and knocked an elite Skeleton Soldier aside with a shield bash, shouting, "Lord Big Shot, I'm here to help!"

"No need! Guard the Main Gate. Leave this to me!" Lin Chen said.

He turned and charged at Barton again, his battle axe slashing repeatedly.

[-190] [-195]

Barton's health dropped quickly.

[Barton (Level 5), Health: 3500/5000]

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Chen. Total Experience reached 1200 points. Level increased to 4. Gained 5 Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point.]

Lin Chen put all 5 Attribute Points into Strength, and his combat power soared to 30.

He opened his skill panel and unlocked the new skill [Whirlwind Slash (Tier 1)].

[System Notification: Unlocked active skill: Whirlwind Slash (Tier 1). Consumes 5 Stamina. Deals 1.5x damage to enemy units within 5 meters, with a 5% chance to trigger a 'Knockback' effect.]

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Lin Chen spun in place, his battle axe carrying a fierce wind as it swept through the surroundings.

[-150] [-145] [-155]

Three of the elite Skeleton Soldiers surrounding him collapsed instantly.

"This skill is so satisfying! Area-of-effect attacks are invincible!" Brick Mover King shouted. "Lord Big Shot, carry us to victory!"

"Stop shouting and hit the monsters!" Lin Chen said.

He charged toward Barton and unleashed Whirlwind Slash again, catching Barton in the attack range.

[-180]

Barton was knocked back two steps, the green flames in his eye sockets burning even brighter.

He raised his knight sword and unleashed a skill.

[System Notification: Skeleton Knight Barton unleashed the skill 'Undead Summoning', summoning Skeleton Soldier x10, Level 3.]

Ten Skeleton Soldiers crawled out from the ground and lunged at Lin Chen.

"Summoning more lackeys? This BOSS has no sense of honor!" Ali shouted from the wall gap. "I'm about to lose my footing over here!"

"Reinforcements have arrived at the East Gate too!" Iron Wang's voice came from the East Gate. "At least twenty Skeleton Soldiers!"

Lin Chen looked at his territory panel and spent 300 Copper Coins to use 'Militia Reinforcement'.

[System Notification: The Militia Barracks has sent 5 Level 2 Militia to support the West Gate battlefield.]

Five Militia members holding iron halberds charged over, instantly intercepting five Skeleton Soldiers.

"Lord, we are here!" the Militia Captain shouted.

"Good! You guys hold them off, I'm going to finish Barton!" Lin Chen said.

He leaped up, his battle axe cleaving toward Barton's knight sword.

Clang!

The two weapons collided, sparks flying everywhere.

Lin Chen used the momentum to push back, while Barton was shaken and retreated several steps.

"Barton, your end is here!"

Lin Chen unleashed Lords Deterrence again, stunning Barton for 2 seconds.

He rushed forward, following up a Whirlwind Slash with a Heavy Strike, landing a full combo.

[Whirlwind Slash! -180]

[Heavy Strike! -350]

Barton's health instantly dropped to 2000 points.

[Barton (Level 5), Health: 1950/5000]

The stun ended, and Barton turned to run, attempting to flee back to the undead army.

"Thinking of running? No way!"

Lin Chen pushed off with his feet and gave chase, throwing his battle axe, which struck Barton squarely in the back.

[-200]

Barton fell to the ground. Lin Chen rushed up and drove the battle axe into his skeletal head.

[Critical Hit! -800]

[System Notification: Lin Chen killed Skeleton Knight Barton. Gained 2000 Experience Points, 1000 Copper Coins, and Undead Core (Tier 1) x1.]

[System Notification: The West Gate defense line of Ruststone Fortress has been held. The Undead Vanguard has been defeated. Remaining Skeleton Soldiers: 40.]

The players instantly went wild.

"The BOSS is dead! We've won half the battle!"

"Lord Big Shot is the GOAT! That solo BOSS kill was so cool!"

Barton's body transformed into a golden light, leaving a silver treasure chest, a black knight sword, and a set of skeletal armor on the ground.

Lin Chen walked over and opened the treasure chest first.

[System Notification: Opened the Skeleton Knight Treasure Chest. Obtained: bartons knight sword (Tier 4 · Lord Exclusive), undead cloak (Tier 4 · Fine), Territory Expansion Order x1, 2000 Copper Coins.]

[bartons knight sword (Tier 4 · Lord Exclusive): Attack +70, Strength +15, Damage to Undead race increased by 60%, 15% chance to trigger 'Armor Break' effect.]

[undead cloak (Tier 4 · Fine): Defense +40, Stamina +20, Immune to low-level undead magic.]

"Holy crap! Attack +70! This sword is even better than my previous battle axe!" Brick Mover King ran over, his eyes fixed on the knight sword.

"This cloak grants immunity to low-level undead magic. It's perfect for fighting the undead!" Ajie said.

Lin Chen picked up the bartons knight sword and undead cloak, and the equipment automatically bound to him.

He put on the cloak and gripped the knight sword, testing its feel; it was light yet sharp.

A terrifying pressure emanated from him.

Lin Chen said calmly, "Barton is dead. Clear out all the remaining Skeleton Soldiers!"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

The players' morale was greatly boosted as they charged at the remaining Skeleton Soldiers.

Toward the East Gate, Iron Wang was leading the Militia and players, having already cleared more than half of the Skeleton Soldiers with constant support from the arrow tower bolts.

At the Main Gate, Old Hei's shield formation combined with Little Dumpling's arrow tower ensured the Skeleton Soldiers couldn't even get close.

Over at the West Gate, Lin Chen led the players and Militia into 'mow-down mode'.

Lin Chen held the knight sword, and every strike could slay a Skeleton Soldier.

[-300] [-320]

Brick Mover King's fists, Ajie's iron sword, and the Militia's iron halberds worked in perfect coordination.

"These Skeleton Soldiers are like cutting vegetables!" Brick Mover King punched a Skeleton Soldier to death. "This is great!"

"I've already killed ten! This is more rewarding than moving bricks!" the player 'Little Carpenter' said.

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Chen. Total Experience reached 3500 points. Level increased to 5. Gained 5 Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point.]

Lin Chen added the 5 Attribute Points to Strength, and his combat power rose to 35.

He put his Skill Point into [Whirlwind Slash], leveling up the skill.

[System Notification: Whirlwind Slash upgraded to Tier 2. Consumes 5 Stamina. Deals 2x damage. Knockback probability increased to 10%. Range expanded to 6 meters.]

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Lin Chen unleashed the skill, and the Skeleton Soldiers within six meters instantly collapsed in a large area.

[-250] [-260] [-255]

[System Notification: Congratulations to Ruststone Fortress for successfully defending against the Undead Vanguard's siege. Rewards: 5000 Copper Coins, Militia Barracks Upgrade Card x1, Arrow Tower Upgrade Blueprint x2.]

[System Notification: Territory Reputation +100. Unlocked new function: Territory Recruitment (can recruit special NPCs).]

The players instantly erupted.

"All cleared! The Undead Tide has retreated!"

"Lord Big Shot is too powerful! Following you means getting meat to eat and equipment to take!"

Lin Chen stood in the center of the battlefield, the black energy on the knight sword slowly dissipating.

He looked at the territory panel: Territory Level 2, Durability 2000, garrison sufficient, and resources enough to last for a while.

"Iron Wang, tally the casualties and the loot!" Lin Chen ordered.

"Yes, Lord!" Iron Wang bowed.

Old Hei and Little Dumpling also walked over, smiles on their faces.

"Lord Big Shot, it's all thanks to you this time. Otherwise, we definitely wouldn't have held out!" Old Hei said.

"Yeah, Lord Big Shot, you're our stabilizing force!" Little Dumpling said.

Lin Chen waved his hand. "Everyone put in the effort. The credit belongs to all of us."

He looked toward the end of the gravel plain. The main force of the Undead Legion was still there; they had only retreated temporarily.

[System Notification: Warning! The Undead Legion main force is assembling. Leader: Undead Mage Morgana (Level 7). Quantity: 500. Countdown: 24 hours.]

The players' cheering came to an abrupt halt.

"A Level 7 BOSS? 500 undead? This is trying to drive us to our deaths!" Brick Mover King's face turned pale.

"I'm already tired from running back after respawning, and now we have to fight again in 24 hours? System, are you a demon?" Little Dumpling hugged her wooden staff, looking despairing.

Lin Chen raised bartons knight sword, pointing it toward the undead army, his gaze firm.

"24 hours is enough for us to upgrade the territory, strengthen our equipment, and recruit reinforcements."

"We must gain a firm foothold in the All Heavens. This battle, we must win!"

After speaking, Lin Chen turned and walked toward the castle hall. "Everyone, gather in the hall to distribute the loot and formulate a defense plan!"

The players immediately followed, their despair replaced by fighting spirit.

They knew that as long as they followed Lin Chen, there was hope!