Chapter 182
So even though the players were eyeing the BOSS with greed, no one dared to take a shot at it. After all, the odds of "trying it out and dying" were just too high.
The levels of the elite guards had risen to 26 and 27 when the town upgraded to a town-level territory. During the month that Ye Bai had been away, training and daily battles had pushed them to levels 33 and 34, putting them slightly ahead of the player crowd.
Over sixty warriors above level twenty participated in the battle against the King of Serpents.
With traps and well-coordinated tactics, the King of Serpents' health steadily dwindled.
In the heat of battle, Felix, who was on the battlefield for the first time, stood out. Having already leveled up to 22 during the first two skirmishes, he joined the other elite guards in a direct confrontation with the King of Serpents, growing bolder with each fight.
By the midway point, Felix had unknowingly become the main force in the frontline battle.
His agile figure and immense strength made every attack inflict pain on the King of Serpents, firmly holding the BOSS's aggro while the ranged crossbowmen continued their relentless assault.
As Blaze and the other elite guards gradually freed up their hands, they noticed the change on the battlefield and were taken aback to see Felix taking the lead.
Especially Blaze, who felt his perception of the young man shift once again. In his astonishment, it seemed as if a layer of illusion had appeared before his eyes.
He saw Felix radiating a scorching aura, as if enveloped in a phantom flame.
This illusory flame flickered around Felix, swelling with intensity, corresponding to the increasingly fierce battle with the King of Serpents. The icy breath spewed from the serpent's mouth had no effect on him; in the end, it was the King of Serpents who found itself at a disadvantage.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Energy arrows rained down in waves, leaving burning scars on the King of Serpents and steadily draining its health.
Finally, with a leap and a thrust, Felix drove his steel sword into a scale beneath the serpent's neck, one that was whiter than the others.
"Hiss—!"
The King of Serpents let out a piercing scream, suddenly losing its strength and crashing heavily to the ground.
Felix, still gripping his sword, fell alongside the serpent's massive body, his chest heaving violently.
After a brief silence, as the distant dawn light broke, the crowd erupted into cheers.
But Blaze's gaze remained fixed on Felix, whose red hair obscured his face as he panted with excitement. He didn’t join in the celebration; instead, he exerted himself to pull his sword free from the serpent's body.
"Shh!"
Blood splattered all over Felix, and in a daze, Blaze even saw that the illusory flames around Felix formed an indescribable shadow of a massive serpent, with countless heads entwined, each more terrifying than the King of Serpents itself.
At that moment, as if sensing the gaze, Felix's eyes swept over to Blaze.
The madness, cruelty, and coldness that leaked from that single glance made Blaze's steps falter, cold sweat breaking out on his back as he felt a primal fear from a higher tier of the biological chain.
"Not bad!"
At that moment, Blaze heard the familiar voice of the lord, and the next second, he saw the lord approaching the now unpredictable Felix without a care.
Blaze's pupils constricted, and he immediately hissed, "Lord—"
Before he could utter the words "be careful," he saw the indescribable multi-headed serpent illusion quiver as Ye Bai drew near, and then it melted away as if caught in a snowstorm.
Felix, seemingly jolted from an unknown danger, reverted to his original shy demeanor, standing stiffly before Ye Bai, almost trembling in fear. "L-Lord, hello!"
Blaze's eyes widened, as if everything that had just happened had become an illusion with the lord's arrival.
Ye Bai patted Felix on the shoulder. "I saw your performance. Well done. No need to be so tense."
Encouraged, Felix nodded, struggling to suppress the absolute terror that welled up from deep within him.
He didn’t understand why he felt this way. Just moments ago, he hadn’t felt this fear, but after growing stronger in battle, he found himself unable to control his fear in front of the lord. This fear didn’t seem subjective; it felt like it came from the depths of his very bloodline.
Seeing Felix so frightened, Ye Bai beckoned him to leave and then turned to Blaze, who had just called out to him. "What happened?"
Blaze shook his head decisively, his gaze toward Ye Bai filled with admiration. "Nothing, I just spaced out for a moment."
"Make sure to rest well after the battle," Ye Bai encouraged his diligent captain, then turned to face the rising sun, organizing the follow-up tasks.
Seeing Felix level up to 37 after this battle, Ye Bai was very pleased with his growth rate; soon, he would be able to stand on his own.
But… why did this kid look so afraid of him?
Suddenly, Ye Bai thought of something and opened his personal panel, his gaze landing on 【Godslayer】 and 【Fear of the Serpent Demon】.
The mystery was solved.
---
**Chapter 125**
As Bai Ye Town upgraded to a level five territory, both Ruilan Village and Luofei Village also completed their territory upgrades that night.
In the server-wide announcement, two messages appeared in every online player's consciousness:
【Congratulations to Ruilan Town for becoming the second territory to upgrade to a small town!】
【Congratulations to Luofei Town for becoming the third territory to upgrade to a small town!】
In the territories of these two cosmic-level civilizations, a night of fierce battles had passed. The difference was that the main forces in these two territories were primarily composed of players, a cohesion that no gaming guild could replicate.
Just after their upgrades, Zeta and Ximo both opened the lord leaderboard simultaneously—
First place: Bai Ye, Territory Score: 27,567
Second place: Zeta, Territory Score: 10,211
Third place: Ximo, Territory Score: 10,078
Fourth place...
Both knew that Bai Ye had appeared in the territory, and with the news of yesterday's upgrade, they looked at the gradually closing score gap with expressions of determination.
The various facilities already built in Bai Ye Town were no secret across the universe. After analysis by various civilizations' intelligence departments, it was clear that Bai Ye Town's high score was not only due to the energy crossbows revealing source energy crystals but also for reasons yet unknown.
Even though the current score gap was still significant, the rate at which Bai Ye Town's score was increasing indicated that the gap was narrowing. If this continued, they would eventually surpass this top territory.
Unaware of the ambitious thoughts of the two cosmic-level powerhouses, Ye Bai merely glanced at the leaderboard after receiving the server-wide announcement, then proceeded to arrange the follow-up work after the upgrade, eventually arriving at the Tree of Creation.
Upgrading to a level five territory naturally came with a wave of clicking.
Ye Bai first opened the 【Development Strategy】 page, where the conditions for upgrading to a level six territory had appeared:
Territory population must reach 600; general education coverage must reach 30%; and there must be five trade routes.
Additionally, three new strategy cards had emerged: 【Commercialization I】, which could enhance productivity from trade routes; 【Homework】, which improved the efficiency of general education; and 【Coordinated Armament】, which boosted weapon and equipment production efficiency.
From these new strategy cards and the conditions for a level six territory, it was clear that this phase of territory development was focused on economic and educational growth, with a slight emphasis on military enhancement.
However, after consideration, Ye Bai chose not to replace any of the three new strategy cards, opting instead to continue with the previous policies.
The productivity boost from commercialization would only yield maximum benefits if there were enough trade routes, making it more suitable for Zeta and Ximo's situation. As for general education, Ye Bai had already paid close attention to it since the upgrade to town level.
The cycle for general education wasn’t long; it varied based on the residents' potential, usually faster for younger individuals. Generally, it could be completed in about a game month.
Table of Contents
