Because he was worried that demon beasts might attack the territory, Zhou Bai barely slept that night. He got up from time to time to check the Lord Map, since it was the most direct way to see what was happening outside.
After dozing off for a while, Zhou Bai opened his eyes and looked at the map in a daze.
This time, the sight instantly woke him up.
Demon beasts really were launching a night assault on the territory!
Getting up, Zhou Bai saw more and more small red dots clustering outside Hope Village. He immediately issued a mission to the Guard Team, and also notified the residents of the territory.
[Mission: Demon Beast Attack, Defend the Territory]
[Type: Temporary Mission]
[Reward: All spoils go to the individual]
[Participants: Guard Team, all residents]
As soon as the mission was sent, Zhou Zhengping and the Guard Team members he led saw it immediately—it was their turn on watch, after all.
"Go wake up Captain Li!" Zhou Zhengping ordered Feng Lezhi and Quan Ziqiang beside him—these two he'd selected after reviewing their files as potential subordinates.
"Yes." The two responded and hurried off to wake Li Xingteng and his group sleeping by the campfire.
They'd been on guard duty earlier in the night and were worn out.
Jolted awake, Li Xingteng and the others were groggy.
Li Xingteng, who was on watch earlier, was suddenly woken up, still a little dizzy. He asked, "What's going on?"
"Demon beasts are attacking!"
On hearing this, Li Xingteng was instantly alert. He quickly led his people to the main gate and, of course, saw the mission posted by the territory. His heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
"How many demon beasts are there?" If the territory was breached, what would they do?
Spit! Spit! No way the territory would fall that easily!
"Not sure, but there probably won't be just a few!" Zhou Zhengping said seriously, already thinking about when Xiao Bai would come over.
"Where are the others?" Li Xingteng asked, noticing the territory had also notified regular residents. Since everyone's safety was at stake, there was no way they'd back down.
Zhou Zhengping: "The territory's notified everyone; they should be coming soon."
Just as he finished speaking, a crowd rushed out of the residential area, everyone clutching weapons in panic.
"The demon beasts are here? Where?"
"We have to make sure they don't get out alive!"
"With the territory and its protective shield, as long as we try our best, we can hold them off."
"Exactly, didn't the territory remind us during the day?"
"The territory is pretty trustworthy."
"…"
On scene, everyone chimed in one after another, using their words to vent their nerves and boost their confidence. Sure enough, the crowd's expressions gradually grew determined.
The new survivors today were strangely reassured by all this talk.
Speaking of which, they'd really had it rough! Slaughtered by demon beasts, then made it to the territory for a brief rest, only to face another beast assault in the middle of the night.
If anything happened to the territory now, they didn't dare imagine the outcome.
As if sensing the worry on the newcomers' faces, people around quickly offered reassurance and advice.
"Right now, there are only a couple types of demon beasts. The Magic Rabbit hops around—attack while it's jumping, its weak points are the belly and ears, one hit, one kill."
"The Demonic Chicken attacks with sound waves. If you see it about to strike, cover your ears—and if you have rice, toss some down. They can't resist the temptation. That's your chance to attack."
"Demon Rats love to ambush. They dig tunnels and pop out of the ground suddenly, but you can spot them if you watch the dirt for movement and sense it in advance."
"As for weapons, the Blacksmith Shop sells Iron Axes and Long Spears now—choose whichever you're best at: Iron Axe for close combat, Long Spear for short-range attacks."
"If you're still worried, go to the tailor shop for the Leather Armor Three-piece Set. It really boosts your defense."
"Don't think the weapons and armor are too expensive to buy—after slaying demon beasts, you'll make it back in no time."
"It's not that easy, okay? At least give it a while."
"I'm just saying it's totally worth it!"
"…"
When Zhou Bai arrived, it was just in time to see this scene of everyone fussing and offering advice. The corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile—facing hardship, the light of humanity always warmed the heart!
"Why are the tailor shop and blacksmith shop closed?" Some newly arrived survivors anxiously asked. They'd gone to rest first, figuring they'd buy equipment in the morning, only to face a demon beast assault at midnight. Now, having no weapons was truly awkward.
"There are store hours—they close at night, so if you want anything, you have to buy it during the day," someone explained. "Just use what weapons you have for now!"
"All we have are wooden sticks—dropped while gathering wood—low durability, low damage," someone said with a wry smile.
After arriving at the territory, they realized just how outdated their equipment was. Not to mention weapons—their Levels were much lower, too.
That's because they'd spent most of their journey here dodging demon beasts.
Now, looking at those who arrived earlier, those people already had experience fighting demon beasts. In just a day, a gap had emerged between the groups. Tonight, using normal weapons, the difference would only grow.
Hearing this, Zhou Bai directly reminded them, "I checked just now—looks like both the tailor shop and blacksmith shop have reopened to deal with the night assault. If you need anything, go buy it quick!"
As soon as he finished, a group raced off toward the tailor and blacksmith shops.
Most people, armed and in formation, stood behind the territory fence, gazing warily into the dark night outside.
Zhou Bai brought Ding Qiurou to Zhou Zhengping's side.
Seeing the two of them, Zhou Zhengping's expression softened instantly. "Stick with me in a bit," he said directly—better to have them nearby for peace of mind.
"Okay," the two agreed in unison.
"Any idea when the demon beasts will reach the territory?" Zhou Zhengping glanced at Zhou Bai, sounding almost casual.
"Should be soon. The territory notified us when they were already close. Judging by their migration speed, we need to be ready at a moment's notice," Zhou Bai replied simply.
As he spoke, his gaze shifted forward.
On the Lord Map, the small red dots kept multiplying, densely packed, as if springing up from nowhere—and getting closer and closer to the territory.
At last, someone spotted something!
"Eyes! I see green glowing eyes! What kind of demon beast is that?"
Startled by the shout, everyone looked and saw, in the darkness ahead, pair after pair of gleaming green eyes emerging one after another.
Clearly, this wasn't any type of demon beast they'd encountered before.
It was a new one!
At that moment, a sense of pressure hit many hearts out of nowhere.
Soon, a demon beast walked into their field of view.
Everyone looked and was shocked.
[Demon Beast: Dark Demon Wolf]
[Level: **]
[Introduction: Highly sensitive hearing, fond of living in packs, chase down prey, bully the weak and fear the strong.]
[Attributes: **]
Li Xingteng blurted out in disbelief, "I can't even see its Level—that means it's above Level 4."
Others were clueless, but Zhou Bai saw clearly.
This Dark Demon Wolf was the same Level as her—Level 5.
For some reason, seeing the demon beast's Level, she had the feeling that this particular rank was no coincidence.
Putting that thought aside for now, Zhou Bai gripped her Iron Axe tighter—tonight would surely be a hard battle.
On scene, many hearts skipped a beat.
A demon beast higher than Level 4?
With most people still at Level 2 or 3, that felt especially high. They hadn't even caught up, and now beasts at an even higher Level had appeared—what would it be like in the future???
As many people's thoughts started to spiral, the Dark Demon Wolf let out a high-pitched howl.
After his call, packs of Shadow Demon Wolves gathered behind him, thick as ants, all staring at the territory with greedy eyes, as if ready to tear them to pieces at any moment.
In the dead of night, no one knew how many demon beasts were behind them—the psychological pressure on everyone present spiked.
Still, many stared back stubbornly, gripping their weapons tightly.
So what if it's a Level 5 demon beast? They had good weapons and so many people!
Either they died or the beasts did—there was no room for retreat!
An invisible battle had just begun.
Zhou Bai couldn't help but recall the beast's introduction.
Bully the weak, fear the strong!
The Dark Demon Wolf would evaluate its opponents' strength, targeting the weakest spots.
As Zhou Bai thought this, the Level 5 Dark Demon Wolf's gaze swung to the side, locking onto a group of people trembling in fear.
It was the newly arrived survivors who had just bought their weapons.
After being slaughtered by beasts in the day, facing a high-level demon beast now, it was hard for them not to panic.
And as soon as they grew afraid, their presence weakened.
In the next instant, the Level 5 Dark Demon Wolf howled again. The next moment, it surged toward that group, its massive form engulfing them.