Chapter 24: Elite Level at One Third Progress

"Tsk, this training ground is really impressive, with a sort of rule-based enhancement. If it weren't for the lack of corresponding knowledge, I would really like to study it," Qin Muye couldn't help but marvel.

If the training had a progress bar, then the one hundred Magic Energy Spirit Monsters would have completed one-third of their Elite training by now. Though their strength had not increased, Qin Muye could feel a trace of a subtle and intense aura emanating from them.

It's roughly equivalent to the transformation from fresh recruits to seasoned veterans.

Otherwise, do you really think that just because they dominated a one-sided fight, they could go from new recruits to old soldiers? In reality, today's fight was not only unfair due to the difference in size, but it was also a one-sided group beating without breaking the defense. Not to mention the Magic Energy Spirit Monsters, even Qin Muye with all his Attributes and Skills would have dared to rush in.

Therefore, not a single Magic Energy Spirit Monster was injured today, let alone losing any blood. If any had really gotten injured, Qin Muye would have had to seriously consider whether there was something wrong with that Magic Energy Spirit Monster's brain.

As it was, the training ground directly shortened this process, allowing a group of new recruits to transform into veterans. While they might not yet be seasoned fighters, they had begun to take shape.

After all, this was just the first day of training, and it was already bugged enough.

"Perhaps, it's because they are all products of the 'Lord Era'," Qin Muye speculated.

Soon, the training was complete, and it was probably around eight or nine o'clock in the evening. Qin Muye was not exactly sure about the specific time since he didn't have a standard to go by, so he could only guess based on his feeling.

"Master, today's training has been successfully completed," Demon Blood reported, leading the hundred Magic Energy Spirit Monsters out of the training ground.

Qin Muye didn't hesitate to cast Healing, which he had used five times during the period. Although all the Magic Energy Spirit Monsters were at full health, he cast it again anyway since he had plenty of Magic Value.

Although his Magic Power recovery was fixed at 10 Magic Value points at midnight, he could also meditate to recover, which made Magic Value not a scarce resource for him.

But it was different for Demon Blood. He could only recover 10 points a day, so unless necessary, he wouldn't use magic, not even the Magic Eye, as it cost 5 Magic Value points. After all, Demon Blood's total Magic Value was only 50 points, which couldn't withstand such consumption.

"Good job, go and rest. Tomorrow morning, a simple investigation of the situation of the Undead Clan will do. There's no need for a sweep," Qin Muye instructed.

Tomorrow at noon, there would be another monster siege, so it was better to conserve their energy. It seemed there was no longer much purpose in going out to sweep the area.

Qin Muye knew the limitations of their territory; without vehicles or mounts for rapid transportation, they could only cover so many miles in a day, a hundred kilometers at most, including the return trip.

Besides, you can't really spend the whole day walking, right? What's more, now, the chances of finding wild monsters to kill depended on luck, as the surroundings for dozens of miles had already been cleared out by Demon Blood and the Magic Energy Spirit Monsters. It would be more practical to check on the status of the Undead Clan.

One cannot tolerate others snoring beside their couch!

If the power of the Undead Force was weak, Qin Muye planned to annihilate them. What was the point of keeping them around?

But if they were strong, well... he would see about that.

After all, there's no point in knowingly seeking death if one cannot win the fight. Why waste the time when now would be a good time to just cut one's own throat?

"Yes, Master, you should rest early too," Demon Blood responded and took the Magic Energy Spirit Monsters back to rest.

There were Magic Energy Spirit Monsters on guard duty at night as well, with a shift change every two hours and ten monsters per shift, manned by those who hadn't gone to train.

Times had changed. Previously, there was an invincibility shield for beginners within the territory that warded off any threats. Now, it could barely fend off wild beasts, let alone the original inhabitants, which naturally meant someone had to stand watch.

Qin Muye returned to his room in the Mage Tower. Fumbling around in the pitch dark outside held no appeal for someone as life-loving as he was, it could be said that feeling came straight from his heart.

"A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall," why put himself in danger for no reason? Could it be that he was just bored?

"Sigh, I always feel like I'm going to start losing hair at this rate," Qin Muye sighed. Ever since he learned that meditation could replace sleep, he hadn't slept in a very long time. In fact, this was also a good thing, at least he could work for 23 hours and 45 minutes a day.

Especially after looking at the rankings today, his pressure had been mounting.

Therefore, at his age, he was absolutely unable to sleep, he could only give it his all.

"But losing hair might not be so bad, as long as it's not a Mediterranean bald pattern, I can accept going bald."

If you asked him before being pulled into "Lord Era," he certainly cared about his appearance, but now things were different. Speaking of losing hair, he wouldn't hesitate to exchange it for strength, even if it meant disfigurement.

He could lie down and accept it, but he reckoned the only outcome would be death.

He didn't know how large the Magic Continent was, but he was aware of the original inhabitants' aversion to the divinely-appointed lords.

He couldn't even guarantee that the other lords, supposedly natural allies, harbored no malice towards him. A proper game was bound to have not only PvE but also PvP aspects.

It's just that the game content hadn't unfolded yet.

So, if he wanted to survive and thrive, then he had to continually become stronger, whether it was the territory, troops, or heroes. As long as it secured his goals, he would change things in the most profitable way possible, including prioritizing heroes and troops over his own growth.

"The smith must be tough to forge iron," that's true, but the problem now was that he was too weak to even lift a hammer, so he had to let the iron forge itself or even transform it into Iron Man's armor to protect him and get through his vulnerable period.

And it seemed he also understood that the essence of "Lord Era" was not in personal strength, but the synergy of territory, heroes, and troops, letting them develop a force from scratch.

It wasn't necessary to single-handedly dominate the entire force; making the force strong enough to nourish oneself in return was also viable, and this was the path Qin Muye was taking.

If he had chosen Mage or Elemental Master at the beginning, perhaps he could have made the force worship him and achieve great power, but that would go against the core concept of "Lord Era," which fundamentally revolved around the term "lord."

Military power was important, but it wasn't necessary to display it on himself; displaying it through the loyal subordinates was just as effective, which is why he resolutely decided to develop the Spirit Monster, a type of troop with relatively modest strength.

Looking back now, this action had brought him a lot of benefits.

Spirit Monsters had the trait of never betraying, and heroes born from Spirit Monsters came with steadfast 100 Loyalty, akin to blind loyalty. Aside from being slightly weaker in strength, they were the perfect subordinates.

But the lack of strength was not a problem; the existence of Qin Muye as a lord was to compensate for this flaw.