My Apocalypse Territory

Boom.

The phantom that had appeared behind the Mage Statue suddenly shattered.

Tang Yu understood what this meant.

Each special inheritance had its finite power; the Source Crystals he had infused during the inheritance and these professional statues merely ensured the smooth operation of the inheritance. The majority of the power still came from the Inheritance Crystal itself.

For special inheritances like that of Demon Swordsmen and Frost Mages, the power in each inheritance crystal was enough for about three uses. However, this time, the phantom of the Frost Mage's inheritance did not fade away slowly—but instead shattered directly.

It meant that the power of the inheritance was completely depleted.

"No wonder Eileen's strength soared after accepting the inheritance, and she even received a full set of advanced equipment."

He was extremely, profoundly, exceptionally envious.

Eileen, who had been floating above the ground, began to descend gently as the light from the Mage Statue faded. Her crystal shoes touched the wooden floor, and her floating hair gradually settled...

Tang Yu was about to approach when he suddenly paused.

In front of him,

Eileen's eyes were tightly shut, yet tears flowed from them.

The teardrops, lucid, slid down her cheeks, leaving trails behind, until they fell to her chin and, with gravity's pull, plopped... onto the wooden floor.

This was the first time he had seen Eileen like this.

He feared the moments when the air turned suddenly sad.

...

...

On the tavern rooftop.

The cool breeze wafted, barely revealing the flickering lights of the town below.

Looking at Eileen's continued downcast expression, Tang Yu felt worried.

"It's okay, Lord," she shook her head, her earrings jingling softly.

"You don't look okay."

"Just reminiscing about the past." She lifted her gaze, the wind scattering the hair from her forehead, her eyes clear as she quietly watched the distance.

It was picturesque.

"If you don't mind, let it out. It might make you feel better."

Tang Yu felt it was his duty as a Lord to care for the psychological health of his subordinates... which was, of course, nonsense. Just half a month ago, he was an ordinary survivor living day to day, a common single man from the Celestial Empire.

Even now, he was still merely mortal.

He harbored no grand dreams; his only desire was to bring his parents back and then to steward his own corner of land well.

When he had gotten the system, he had toyed with the idea of raising an army to conquer the world, of striving forward and overcoming all obstacles.

To make himself a true Great Lord.

To have the power to decide life and death in a single word.

To receive genuflection with a mere glance.

He thought it over and decided to forget it, what could he get from it? The thrill of conquering the world, or supreme authority? But inevitably, it would also bring loneliness and emptiness.

People always have to grow, their sharp edges smoothed out, their thorns plucked, learning to smile at those they dislike, making themselves amiable...

The apocalypse was even more ruthless, some people had to sell their bodies for a piece of bread, some watched helplessly as their friends and family died in front of them, yet still had to put on a brave face with a smile...

This was the helplessness of the weak.

He developed his territory, made himself stronger, not to conquer others, but to have sovereignty over himself.

Casting aside the jumble of thoughts in his mind, he couldn't help but speak out, breaking the tranquility before him... and the sadness.

After a moment of silence, Eileen's soft voice came from beside him.

"I was born in a small city, and my parents worked in the mines outside the city. Although they were often out of sight, I felt that life was fulfilling. The happiest moment of each day was squatting at the door, waiting for them to come back."

Eileen walked to the edge of the rooftop and crouched down, the crystal stones on her skirt tinkling like bells, "That evening, I sat at the door like that, staring into the sky, waiting and waiting until the light completely faded. The familiar figures of my parents... never appeared again."

"It wasn't until the next day that I learned the city outskirts had encountered the Black Tide, and the first to be attacked were the mines. That was when I also learned that the piercing sound of the alarm... signified death."

She sat down on the edge of the rooftop, her magic wand morphing into a stream of light that merged into her body.

Her feet dangled in the air, her bare calves outside her dress skirt, pale as white jade, gently swaying.

"...Several years have passed, and I've long forgotten that feeling of sorrow, but the memories were triggered this time, a bit... uncontrollable."

She wiped away the pearly tear at the corner of her eye, turned her head, and gave the Lord a soft smile, her voice chiming like a wind bell.

Tang Yu sat beside her, listening quietly as the cool breeze blew, his sky-blue hair brushing across his face, tickling him.

He saw,

Eileen's expression had returned to its usual serenity, but the sadness deep in her eyes was ineradicable.

Tang Yu couldn't help but lift his hand, hesitating in the air before finally resting it on Eileen's head, gently consoling her, "Don't push yourself too hard, after all, you still have... me, and others."

...

...

In the wilderness.

The Moustache Commander of the Storm Mercenary Group was holding a map, "Just a few more kilometers ahead, and we'll reach the Sanctuary known as Green Shadow. I've heard that this Sanctuary is quite powerful, so their purchasing power should be higher than the others, right?"

These three forces from Heng City had joined hands to sell goods to various small Sanctuaries.

Mr. Gao, the leader, nodded, "Along the way, we have already sold goods at five small Sanctuaries, and the situation has been much better than we expected. Although these small Sanctuaries don't have many Source Crystals, they do have plenty of miscellaneous items, some of which are highly valuable. Those guys lack discernment, which has been to our benefit."

"Yeah," another leader, surnamed Yang, agreed deeply, "If we were selling in Lindong, even if we managed to sell our goods, where could we get such a high value? Some special materials, once we bring them back to Heng City, whether we sell them or use them ourselves, we are sure to make a profit."

"After all, they are just small Sanctuaries; they might acquire some highly valuable materials out of sheer luck. We intimidated them with our presence, nearly scaring some silly, and others thought we were raiding them and turned tail to flee," Moustache laughed, "If I wasn't worried about displeasing those from Lindong, I'd even consider pressing down the purchase price of the materials further."

"There's no need," Mr. Gao said, "We've already made plenty, and the route is now open. As long as there aren't any new Abyssal Rifts appearing on the way, it won't be so difficult for us to come back to Lindong next time."

The journey was perilous, with countless casualties, but once they passed through it, they had mapped it out, knowing where the danger lay and which areas posed less of a threat.

The majority of the casualties occurred in high-risk areas. By avoiding those and navigating the less risky areas, they had arrived in Lindong.

It was akin to the ancient sea routes.

The first passage is always the most hazardous, but afterward, as long as one follows this already forged path, the danger is significantly reduced.

(There's one more chapter to go. I'm working on the writing... soon...)