Chapter 7: Eternal Night Descends—Ti to Get to Work!
????"Understood."
??The bronze-skinned man considered for a mont. "So, Station Master, you’re saying Chen Fan’s mother might have left him sothing as a backup?"
??"Exactly. She was a Level 4 Builder, after all—resources weren’t an issue for her."
??"No doubt about it."
??Wang Kui nodded, already heading back toward his own waystation. He lowered his voice, instructing his subordinate, "That’s why it pays to maintain good relationships. I’ve served the Wang Clan long enough—five Ghoststones isn’t much to ."
??"If we lose them, it’s no big deal. But if it pays off and he rembers this favor, he’ll definitely return it soday."
??"And if not, well, no harm done."
??"When you’re out here, it’s always better to make more friends and fewer enemies."
??"Oh, and one more thing—"
??"When you deliver the supplies, mind your tone. Don’t make it sound like charity. We’re building goodwill, not showing off."
??"Don’t worry, Station Master. Leave it to !"
??...
??"Young Master."
??Waystation No. 37, Jiangbei Chen Clan.
??Crippled Monkey tucked his small knife back into his jacket, watching as Wang Kui and his subordinate disappeared into the distance. His voice was raspy as he spoke: "Those two probably think we’ll end up stealing their business. They might try sothing. Want
to act first?"
??"No need."
??Chen Fan shook his head, saying nothing more. He took the hemp rope from Crippled Monkey and tied it to the Beast Trap, preparing for nightfall.
??His plan was simple.
??Once Eternal Night descended, he’d wait for any movent from the Beast Trap. At the first sign, he’d haul it into the safe zone, kill the Ghostbeast with the small knife, then toss the trap back out into the darkness.
??Repeat as needed.
??Low-level Ghostbeasts could be dispatched with a regular knife.
??Anything stronger, and this little blade wouldn’t even scratch them.
??But any Ghostbeast caught by a Beast Trap would be low-level—no risk of being overpowered.
??After a quick test run, Chen Fan headed inside to catch so sleep, leaving Crippled Monkey on watch. They’d take turns through the night—one resting, one guarding.
??...
??"Young Master, Young Master."
??Chen Fan was roused by the call. Stepping outside, he saw a hulking, bronze-skinned man—built like a bull—standing at the camp’s edge, grinning and waving while hauling a handcart.
??It was the sa man who’d been with Wang Kui earlier.
??Before Chen Fan could speak, the big man began, "Station Master Chen, before your waystation was abandoned, Station Master Wang borrowed so food and water from your camp. After your Chen Clan withdrew, we never got the chance to return it."
??"But now that your clan’s reopened the waystation, he sent
over right away to bring it back."
??"Anyway..."
??"I won’t stay long. Still have things to take care of back at our place."
??Once the big man left, Crippled Monkey approached the cart, eyes wary. Inside were two large jars—one filled with clear water, the other packed with food: dozens of dried cakes, rice, vegetables, and... two steaming roast ducks.
??"Gulp."
??Crippled Monkey’s throat bobbed before he managed, "Young Master, it’s definitely poisoned!"
??"It’s not poisoned."
??Chen Fan shook his head. "The mont he revealed he knew who I was, he knew I wouldn’t last long. Poisoning
would only bring trouble—there’s no point."
??"No poison?"
??Crippled Monkey frowned, still suspicious. "So he’s really just returning what he borrowed? Is Wang Kui really that honorable?"
??"Of course not."
??Chen Fan fished five Ghoststones from the bottom of the jar, weighing them in his palm with a sudden grin. "It’s an investnt. He’s betting I might survive—gambling on my future."
??"So, it’s a gift for us?"
??"Exactly."
??"But then... what did he say...?"
??"He didn’t want to hurt my pride. He thought that through."
??"But if that’s the case, isn’t he worried we’ll just ignore the favor? He clearly said it was only returning what he borrowed."
??"..."
??Chen Fan gave Crippled Monkey a gentle pat on the head. "Go inside and get so sleep. I’ll take watch now."
??"Yes, sir!"
??...
??Once Crippled Monkey was inside, Chen Fan took stock of their supplies. He had to admit—this little angel investnt couldn’t have co at a better ti. Now, he wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while, and those five Ghoststones would be a huge help.
??There were still two Ghoststones burning in the Ghostfire, enough to keep it lit for two days.
??Those two stones couldn’t be touched—he needed at least a day’s buffer. No sense risking it.
??With the five Ghoststones from Wang Kui, that made six in total.
??Six Ghoststones...
??He glanced at the five basic buildings available through the Eternal Night Lord Panel.
??Currently Available Basic Buildings:
??- Level 1 Wall: Blocks low-level Ghostbeasts. Costs 10 Ghoststones per ter.
??- Level 1 Farmland: Greatly shortens crop growth cycles. Costs 2 Ghoststones per plot.
??- Level 1 Arrow Tower: Deals damage to low-level Ghostbeasts. Costs 10 Ghoststones to build.
??- Level 1 Wooden Cabin: Provides warmth and shelter. Costs 2 Ghoststones to build.
??- Level 1 Sacrificial Tower: Can harvest special resources. Costs 20 Ghoststones to build.
??Walls...
??Obscenely expensive.
??Ten Ghoststones per ter. His current Ghostfire safe zone was 10 ters across—that ant he’d need a 32-ter wall. That’s 320 Ghoststones. No way he could afford that right now.
??If a Ghost Tide really broke through the Ghostfire, well, he’d just have to accept his rotten luck.
??After a mont’s thought, he spent his remaining six Ghoststones to craft three more Level 1 Beast Traps.
??Now—
??He had four Beast Traps in total, and his pockets were completely empty—not a single Ghoststone left.
??All that remained was to wait for Eternal Night to fall and get to work.
??...
??"Ahh..."
??Chen Fan patted his full belly and gazed at the dense darkness surging up from the horizon, exhaling deeply.
??He was full.
??The roast duck was delicious—tender and juicy.
??Four sturdy Level 1 Beast Traps, each tied to a length of hemp rope, were set out in the wasteland just beyond the edge of the protective circle.
??The next instant—
??Darkness swallowed everything. The Ghostfire’s glow wrapped the two of them in a thin shell of light, like an eggshell. That familiar rustling sound crept in—the endless horde of Ghostbeasts had arrived with the Eternal Night!
??"Crippled Monkey."
??Chen Fan’s voice was low, a hint of tension in it. "I’ll pull the rope. You finish them off. Be careful!"
??"Got it."
??Crippled Monkey was nervous too—facing a Ghostbeast head-on for the first ti was no small thing, no matter how much he tried to hide it.
??Finally—
??After half an hour, one of the ropes twitched. It was a tiny movent, but Chen Fan noticed it imdiately. He took a deep breath, gripped the rope with both hands, and slowly pulled the Beast Trap back from the darkness.
??As soon as it crossed into the protective circle—
??A monkey-like Ghostbeast, its calf caught in the trap, was dragged into the light.
??It was a Monkey-Head Ghoul.
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