Chapter 9: [Building Na]: Arrow Tower
????In the blink of an eye—
??The ten Ghoststones lying on the ground shattered simultaneously. Milky-white liquid stread upward, drawn as if by invisible hands.
??At that very mont, the ghostly outline of an Arrow Tower—its form traced in shifting white lines—materialized above the camp. As the milky essence surged into its spectral fra, the transparent tower swiftly gained substance, solidifying into sothing ancient and formidable.
??With a single thought, Chen Fan willed the Arrow Tower into position.
??It descended, anchoring itself beside the Ghostfire at the very heart of the camp.
??[Building Na]: Arrow Tower
??[Building Quality]: White
??[Building Level]: 1
??[Building Effect]: Deals moderate damage to low-level Ghostbeasts. Automatically attacks any Ghostbeast entering the Ghostfire’s radius or, at the Lord’s command, targets other creatures. Each attack consus one Ghoststone.
??ps: Upgrading to Level 2 requires 20 Ghoststones.
??At a glance—
??A towering Arrow Tower now dominated the camp’s center, rising over three ters high. Its entire fra was forged from jet-black wood, the ballista mounted atop gleaming coldly in the fading light. Intricate gears interlocked with flawless precision, every component seamlessly aligned.
??At the base of the tower, a single recessed slot waited—just the right size for a Ghoststone.
??“Not bad.”
??A flicker of pride sparked in Chen Fan’s eyes. The Arrow Tower’s presence lent him a rare sense of security. He’d scouted Station Master Wang’s camp before—decent enough, but they had nothing like this.
??Fully automated defense.
??No need to risk an archer’s life inside. This was a repeating ballista as well—just from its construction, he could tell its firepower far surpassed that of a Beast Trap.
??After all, a Beast Trap’s main purpose was to restrain a Ghostbeast until the Eternal Night ended. Any creature that failed to escape by dawn would be incinerated by the sun.
??But...
??He hesitated. The Ghostbeast that had escaped the Beast Trap last night must have been a formidable one. Could a Level 1 Arrow Tower really hold it back?
??He still had twenty-five Ghoststones left.
??Maybe he should just upgrade it to Level 2 imdiately?
??After a mont’s thought, he made his decision. Better to be overprepared than underprepared. If that monster showed up tonight and the Arrow Tower wasn’t enough, saving Ghoststones would be aningless—he’d be dead before he had a chance to spend them.
??Without further hesitation—
??Twenty Ghoststones burst at his ntal command, dissolving into milky liquid that stread into the Arrow Tower.
??A System Panel flashed before his eyes.
??[Arrow Tower upgraded to Level 2.]
??[Please select an upgrade path.]
??1. Add an additional repeating ballista to the tower’s top.
??2. Increase the ballista’s power.
??3. Increase the ballista’s firing speed.
??“Huh?”
??Surprise flickered across Chen Fan’s face. He hadn’t expected upgrades to offer branching paths. Could he choose an upgrade path every ti?
??All three options would strengthen the Arrow Tower in obvious ways.
??But the first and third focused on mowing down lesser threats. What he needed now was a way to deal with that powerful Ghostbeast that might return tonight. Naturally, the second option was best.
??He confird his choice—
??And the Arrow Tower began to transform. The once purely wooden structure seed to grow stone bones within its fra, evolving into a hybrid of wood and stone—sturdier than before.
??At the top, the ballista’s bolts grew darker and heavier, their shafts thickening, exuding a nacing presence.
??Just looking at them, Chen Fan could almost imagine the sensation of being impaled.
??“Perfect.”
??He nodded in satisfaction, slotting a Ghoststone into the tower’s base. The Level 2 Arrow Tower radiated an even greater sense of reassurance.
??He wondered what level that Ghostbeast from last night had been. Level 2 should be enough... right?
??Even if it wasn’t, he had no other options.
??This was his limit.
??“Hoo…”
??With everything set, he finally prepared to get so real sleep. Four Ghoststones remained—he’d hold off on building Farmland for now. There was no telling how quickly the Arrow Tower would consu Ghoststones; better to save so ammunition.
??The Ghostfire would only last one more night. He needed to keep a few Ghoststones in reserve for that as well.
??He’d slain a total of thirty-seven Monkey-Head Ghouls last night.
??But—
??Only a single Unique Treasure had dropped: the Monkey-Head Mushroom Seed. The drop rate really was abysmal.
??As for a Level 3 Arrow Tower…
??He glanced at the System Panel. Upgrading to Level 3 would require fifty Ghoststones—far beyond his ans for now.
??Sleep first.
??...
??For once, Chen Fan slept deeply, only to be roused from a hazy dream by a commotion outside.
??He stretched, instinctively reaching for the pack of cigarettes on his nightstand, only to co up empty. Blinking, he took in his unfamiliar surroundings, then chuckled to himself. After a quick wash, he stepped outside.
??Dusk had fallen.
??The sun was nearly gone—at most, the ti it takes to burn three sticks of incense, and the Eternal Night would descend.
??Crippled Monkey stood outside, spear in hand, eyeing a mother and daughter with suspicion. His voice was hoarse: “Get lost. Now. Or don’t bla
for being ruthless.”
??“What’s going on?”
??Chen Fan yawned lazily, his gaze lingering on the imposing Arrow Tower at the camp’s center. Satisfaction curled his lips.
??“Young Master,” Crippled Monkey limped over hurriedly, “this pair—mother and daughter—don’t have any Ghoststones, but they want to stay the night.”
??“Sir, please…”
??The middle-aged woman outside the camp, her clothes tattered and a headscarf tied around her hair, dropped to her knees the mont she saw Chen Fan. Her face was etched with exhaustion and hardship, pallid and haggard, her voice dry and desperate.
??“We were a family of three, but my husband was killed by bandits on the road. Now it’s just the two of us, and we’ve been robbed of everything.”
??“It’s almost dark.”
??“I beg you, good sir, please let us stay the night. If you turn us away… if you turn us away…”
??Behind her, a slender girl of sixteen or seventeen clung tightly to her mother’s sleeve, eyes wide with terror at the approaching darkness—utterly pitiful.
??“Not bad.”
??Chen Fan glanced at the setting sun, then let his gaze fall to the mother and daughter’s feet. Suddenly, he smiled. Without hesitation, he took the spear from Crippled Monkey’s hands and thrust it forward—straight through the woman’s skull.
??Blood sprayed.
??Without pause, he yanked the spear free and sprinted out of the camp. In a few quick strides, he caught up to the fleeing girl and drove the spear into her back—dead center.
??Crisp, efficient, rciless.
??Dusk deepened. The campfire’s glow flickered, the only island of safety in the desolate Wasteland.
??Chen Fan strolled back into camp, leaning on his spear. He dangled a Ghoststone, now glowing with white light, before Crippled Monkey and grinned. “Next ti you see their kind, don’t bother chasing them off. Kill them on the spot.”
??“Otherwise, you might just miss out on an opportunity.”
??Behind him, the mother and daughter’s corpses shriveled rapidly, transforming into Ghostbeasts even smaller than Monkey-Head Ghouls—like dead infants, grotesque and chilling.
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