Chapter 19: The Wall
????Chen Fan watched as Wang Mazi’s figure disappeared into the rain, then took the pouch Crippled Monkey handed him. Inside were all the Ghoststones the six n had just surrendered. Of all the Chen Clan’s station masters, Wang Mazi was the only one he truly recognized.
??In his mories, his predecessor had once felt genuine gratitude toward Wang Mazi. By chance, he’d overheard him say, “The Young Master’s pretty pitiful, when you think about it.” That single, offhand remark had left a deep impression—enough that he’d gone out of his way to learn more about Wang Mazi.
??Gratitude?
??He weighed the pouch in his hand, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips. He said nothing.
??These six n were hardly wealthy; together, they’d turned over 176 Ghoststones.
??Adding that to the 200 Ghoststones he already possessed, his total now ca to 376.
??More than enough for the wall. The blueprint required only 320 Ghoststones. If he worked quickly, he could have it finished before nightfall—a fresh layer of security for the coming night.
??But...
??Wang Kui alone had contributed 137 Ghoststones. These six, combined, had only managed 176. Was Wang Kui truly so much richer, or were these n holding sothing back?
??Chen Fan let the thought pass.
??Instead, his attention shifted to the Wall blueprint displayed on his System Panel.
??Construction required nothing but Ghoststones—no other materials needed.
??He took a deep breath, rain pounding down around him, and closed his eyes.
??Then—
??Hundreds of Ghoststones rose into the air, crackling and shattering in quick succession. Milky-white liquid stread from the fragnts, swirling in the sky like a river of stars.
??Centered on the Ghostfire, a ring of white lines traced itself across the ground—a spectral outline of a wall. As the milky liquid flowed into the outline, the image solidified, bit by bit, until the wall took shape in the real world.
??The wind still howled.
??The rain still lashed down.
??But now, a massive stone wall had materialized out of thin air, encircling the Ghostfire and shielding it completely. It was built from enormous blocks of stone.
??Five ters tall, three ters thick.
??Even at a glance, it radiated an ancient, immovable solidity.
??Sturdy. Imposing.
??This was the most resource-intensive structure he’d built so far—a stone wall.
??Its inner diater was ten ters, perfectly matching the safe zone of a Level 1 Ghostfire.
??No visible gate—seamless and unbroken.
??Or rather, the gate was hidden: with a single thought, Chen Fan could command any section of the wall to sink into the ground, opening a way in or out. No weak points, yet access remained under his control.
??And—
??On the inside of the wall, four sets of stone steps led up to the top.
??...
??Alone, Chen Fan climbed one of the stairways, the solid weight of each step beneath his feet filling him with a quiet satisfaction.
??The top of the wall was three ters wide.
??Wider at the base, narrower at the top.
??But the top wasn’t sharp; instead, a two-ter-wide walkway ran along its length, bordered by a parapet chest-high to an adult. Alcoves were carved into the inner side of the wall—places to rest, or to stash weapons.
??“Not bad.”
??After a while.
??Standing atop the wall, looking down at the entire Camp, Chen Fan found himself grinning. He rested his hands on the parapet and gazed out across the Farmland beyond. This was the first ti he’d ever seen the Camp from such a vantage point.
??The Ghostfire was now Level 2, its safe zone expanded to a twenty-ter diater.
??But he’d built the wall with only a ten-ter diater. At first, that was simply all he could afford. Now, though, what had seed a limitation looked more like a blessing in disguise.
??If he’d built the wall flush against the Camp’s edge, he’d have lost all line of sight beyond it.
??When Ghostbeasts attacked, they’d be right at the gates before anyone even saw them coming.
??But now?
??He had a clear field of vision. Ghostbeasts would have to cross ten ters of open ground after breaching the Camp’s periter before reaching the wall. That buffer gave everyone precious seconds to react.
??A forced compromise, born of limited resources—yet, in hindsight, the best possible decision.
??And—
??He turned his focus to the System Panel for the Wall.
??Upgrading it to Level 2 would require 1,600 Ghoststones—far beyond what he had.
??The wall was already taller than the Arrow Towers.
??Which ant the towers, as they were, couldn’t fire at anything outside the wall.
??But the Wall had several reserved slots—places where defensive structures could be installed. With a thought, he could move the two Arrow Towers from beside the Ghostfire and mount them atop the wall itself.
??No extra resources needed.
??Just a single command from his mind.
??In the next instant—
??The two Level 2 Arrow Towers beside the Ghostfire dissolved into milky light, then reappeared as ghostly outlines on the north and south sections of the wall, gradually solidifying into reality.
??In a blink, the Arrow Towers had been relocated to the top of the wall.
??For him, who could see the building’s System Panel directly, it was almost laughably simple. For native Builders, though, it would have been nothing short of a miracle—utterly impossible.
??Fifty-six Ghoststones left.
??Chen Fan glanced at the Farmland beyond the wall and sighed. The field was five ters on each side; with a bit of squeezing, he could maybe fit it inside the wall.
??But it wasn’t movable.
??All he could do was hope tonight’s Ghostbeasts wouldn’t co in force. Those crops still needed two more days to mature—he’d hate to see the field destroyed before harvest.
??...
??...
??Wang Mazi, busy dismantling a wooden hut, looked up at Chen Fan’s silhouette atop the wall. Even in the downpour, Chen Fan’s back was ramrod straight—silent, saying nothing. Yet, sohow, that figure radiated a storm of emotion.
??Swallowing hard, Wang Mazi turned his gaze to the towering stone wall, drawing a deep breath before shouting to his n, “Pack all the bedding into ceramic jars and seal them tight! Don’t let any water get in!”
??“Station Master Qi, hurry up on your side!”
??Station Master Qi.
??The last of the three station masters Wang Kui had brought back.
??This hut was nothing fancy—easy to tear down. The real challenge was keeping the bedding and other supplies from getting soaked.
??“Got it!”
??Qi replied crisply, rolling up his sleeves and getting to work in the rain. There was a fire in his eyes—a glimr of hope. The mont that wall rose, everyone’s spirits lifted.
??Hope—a real chance to survive.
??That was the power of a Builder.
??No wonder every faction was willing to pay any price for a Builder. With enough resources, a Builder could work miracles.
??Any force hoping to rise needed a Builder at its core. Without one, a faction was nothing but a rootless weed, destined to vanish with the wind.
??...
??anwhile—
??Chen Fan slipped outside the wall and set a Beast Trap beside the Farmland, determined to protect his crops as best he could.
??“Co on, little sprouts...”
??He crouched by the field, murmuring to the tender shoots poking through the soil, “You’d better fight to stay alive, you hear ? A little rain won’t break you. Right?”
??The seeds had sprouted.
??They looked sturdy enough—not battered to pieces by the storm.
??But he doubted they could withstand a Ghost Tide.
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