"Understood!"
Zhou Mo tightened his grip on his blade, took a deep breath, jumped down from the tricycle, and advanced step by step toward the wooden hut before kicking the door open.
In just a few breaths, he rushed back to the tricycle and urgently reported, "Station Master, there is indeed a batch of Pseudo Human Ghosts infants. They can't even crawl, and there is something creepy about their eyes."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but shudder.
That scene was genuinely frightening.
The moment he entered, he saw a litter of infant Pseudo Human Ghosts staring fixedly at him in unison. He strongly suspected he might relive this moment in his dreams tonight.
"That's the only way it makes sense."
Chen Fan looked toward the Pseudo Human Ghosts caught in Animal Traps. Those Pseudo-Human Ghosts grew even more frenzied upon seeing Zhou Mo rush into the wooden hut. He roughly figured out what the Rainy Season might be.
The Rainy Season…
Perhaps it was the breeding season for Eerie Creatures.
If so, it made sense why Eerie Creatures were ill-tempered during the Rainy Season. No matter when and where, no creature remained calm during breeding. Their territorial instincts became extremely strong, forbidding any foreign beings from approaching.
That was also why Eerie Creatures usually avoided Eerie Fire but would madly charge into the Eerie Fire zone during the Rainy Season.
"Return to camp."
Chen Fan reached out and pulled Zhou Mo onto the vehicle. "Bring the brothers over and take all these Pseudo Human Ghosts back."
"Alive?"
Zhou Mo was slightly stunned and turned to look toward the Pseudo Human Ghosts trapped not far away. If they only wanted to extract Eerie Stones, they could do it right now without needing to return to camp for more men.
"Yes, alive."
Chen Fan nodded lightly.
When he first arrived, he saw a pair of Pseudo Human Ghosts mating. Humans had to go through nine months of pregnancy, yet the female Pseudo Human Ghost in that mating pair, right after mating, developed a swollen belly, already on the verge of giving birth.
Perhaps utilizing their rapid reproduction could bring them more Eerie Stones.
…
When there was still a stick of incense's time(half an hour) before the Perpetual Night descended.
Chen Fan returned to the camp with Zhou Mo, Crippled Monkey, and a few others. One Pseudo-Human Ghost after another, strung on a rope, was dragged along the ground and brought back to the camp.
At this point, the camp's safe zone had expanded to a diameter of fifty meters.
There was much more space.
He walked to an empty area outside the city wall and spent 200 Eerie Stones to construct a square enclosure, five meters long and wide, like a cage. He planned to raise "Pseudo Human Ghosts" here.
He had Crippled Monkey and the others dig a large pit inside this enclosure for vertical farming.
Their haul from this trip:
27 adult Pseudo Human Ghosts.
37 infant Pseudo Human Ghosts.
He named this place the "Eerie Creature Farm." For safety, he also built a Level 2 Archery Tower on the wall to prevent the Pseudo Human Ghosts from escaping. Given the Pseudo Human Ghosts' strength, a Level 2 Archery Tower was more than enough.
Moreover, the Pseudo Human Ghosts couldn't climb over this five-meter-high wall either.
Today, he had spent a lot of Eerie Stones.
Only 268 Eerie Stones remained.
Although they had killed a batch of Pseudo Human Ghosts, replenishing the stock, plus this inflow of Eerie Stones, it only totaled 301 Eerie Stones. These slaughtered Pseudo Human Ghosts hadn't dropped a single Extraordinary Treasure.
"A'le."
Chen Fan looked toward A'le standing behind Qi Chong. "From now on, besides tending the farmland with Qi Chong, this Eerie Creature Farm will also be entrusted to you. You need to make every effort to ensure these Pseudo Human Ghosts reproduce, so we can obtain more Eerie Stones."
"Yes!"
A'le shouted in response, casting his gaze at Crippled Monkey and the others, who were driving these Pseudo Human Ghosts into the Farm with sticks. His eyes were filled with excitement for this new challenge. Although he had raised pigs for many years, this was his first time raising Eerie Creatures.
It's all farming.
Working for different people, even what you raise can be so different.
…
After completing all this, Chen Fan walked back onto the wall, looked toward the gradually darkening sky, and patiently awaited the descent of the Perpetual Night.
That tricycle integrated with the "Level 4 Archery Fort" was also parked outside the city wall, as part of tonight's city defense measures.
The idea of combining Archery Towers with vehicles to create mobile Archery Towers wasn't that inventive. At least in the memory of the previous Chen Fan, the Chen Clan had researched it for a while but ultimately abandoned it, as it couldn't be applied on a large scale.
There were many reasons.
For example… cost.
Constructing a Level 4 Archery Fort only cost him 180 Eerie Stones. But most other Architects needed up to more than 1,000 Eerie Stones, let alone the crafting of an Eerie Fire.
The Eerie Fire had to be mounted on the vehicle.
When unused, they still needed to sustain the Eerie Fire with Eerie Stones. After all, the cost for others to create an Eerie Fire was much higher than his. It was hard for them to treat an Eerie Fire as a disposable structure, as he could.
On top of it all, horses pulling the cart would frantically flee upon encountering Eerie Creatures and lose control, and it was difficult to recoup the high costs.
This idea wasn't suitable for a large-scale application.
But—
These drawbacks were almost negligible for him.
Given enough time, he could even assemble a fleet of Archery Chariots that would overwhelm his enemies.
Right at this moment!
Darkness rapidly surged in from the horizon—the Perpetual Night was descending.
It was dark.
…
Chen Fan and the others were standing guard on the city wall.
Meanwhile, Zhou Mo had already burrowed into his bedding in the wooden hut, preparing to sleep. He looked toward the bedding beside him, in which someone slept last night but was empty tonight. After a long silence, he picked up a pen and wrote today's diary.
"Today is the fifth night since the Rainy Season began."
"There are still over half a month left until the Rainy Season ends."
"Er Gou, who had been following me, died at the hands of a Pseudo Human Ghost this evening."
"Can the camp… really survive the Rainy Season?"
"Heaven knows."
After doing all this, he hid the diary under his pillow and somewhat absently gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.
…
Rivernorth City.
Tonight was in great chaos.
"Quick, quick, quick!!!"
"Why hasn't the Chen Clan Guardian arrived yet? The wall here can't hold on much longer and urgently needs repairs!!!"
"Where is he?!"
Countless angry shouts reverberated over Rivernorth City's wall.
Perhaps out of anger, or perhaps to suppress their own inner fear.
The entire Rivernorth City, this natural Eerie Fire zone, even after the Perpetual Night descended, didn't lack illumination. A huge golden eggshell enveloped the whole city.
The city wall, coiling around the city like a long dragon, was currently facing a tremendous test.
Archery Towers on the wall shot continuous bolts at the Eerie Creatures in the darkness.
"…"
The Wild Wolf Gang leader stood on the city wall with his brothers, watching as the Flesh-Worm Ghosts fearlessly crashed from the pitch-black night into the wall. Then, drawing a deep breath with a pale face, he took out a token from his bosom and smashed it against the city wall.
Instantly—
The wall encircling Rivernorth City emitted a black glow, as a thick steel plate engraved with eerie runes grew out from within the wall as if alive.
The ugly situation immediately changed for the better.
The wall, which had been on the verge of collapse under the massive self-destruction of Flesh-Worm Ghosts, now held firm again.
Then, still white as a sheet, he roared hoarsely,
"Everyone, hold on!"
"The wind direction can't stay the same all night. Once the wind changes direction, these Flesh-Worm Ghosts will retreat!"
"Brothers, hold on a little longer!"
A Flesh-Worm Ghost Eerie Tide was arguably the most feared thing in the rainy season wilderness.
Wherever they passed, no living beings stayed alive.
And tonight, the Flesh-Worm Ghost Eerie Tide arrived at Rivernorth City, attempting to dye all before them green.