"Family Hero" continued writing: "After the first wave of battle, we have to proactively explore the Fog. We can’t just hunker down in the village.
Otherwise, when the second wave of attacks comes, we’ll have no way to fight back.
Before that, I suggest everyone use the [Soul Stone]s they have to raise their soldiers’ levels.
Upgrading soldiers is pretty easy in the early game. It takes 1 [Soul Stone] to reach Level 2, and 2 more to reach Level 3, so it’s very cost-effective.
I recommend having at least three Level 2 or higher soldiers to have a decent chance while exploring near the village.
For those of you who only got a D-rank and 2 Soul Stones, you’re pretty much out of luck. Just have to see if you can make up for it with skill."
After reading the guide, Shen Xing closed the forum. He now had a general idea of what to do.
’So, in the early game, the main focus is on upgrading the starting soldiers. I’ll only consider upgrading buildings and recruiting new soldiers later when I have more resources.’
He checked the resources in his inventory, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. ’Compared to the other newcomers, my resources are quite abundant.’
’What if... I just upgrade all ten Beastman Infantry to Level 2?’
That would definitely be a luxurious setup. After all, very few new players managed to get an S-class rating in the first wave.
And he had 12 [Soul Stone]s. He could use ten for upgrades and still have two left over as a reserve.
Shen Xing pondered for a moment before finally making up his mind.
He summoned all ten Beastman Infantry and gave each of them a [Soul Stone].
"Praise... Boss!"
The mohawked Beastman cradled the Soul Stone in both hands, his large, yellow, bell-like eyes filled with excitement.
The other Beastmen also let out excited growls. They all knew this was a treasure that could make them stronger.
Shen Xing was amused. ’This mohawked Beastman really is a bit smarter than the other nine,’ he thought. ’He even knows how to suck up.’
"Not bad. From now on, your name is Hellish Roar."
"Hellish... Roar... I like... this name!" The mohawked Beastman was so happy he swung his Stone Axe, nearly hitting the Beastman next to him.
Shen Xing smiled, then waved his hand, signaling them to begin absorbing it.
The ten Beastmen immediately gripped the palm-sized, jet-black Soul Stones in their hands and closed their eyes.
Wisps of grayish-white energy seeped out and were absorbed into their bodies, their auras slowly strengthening.
The upgrade process for early-game soldiers was quite fast, but it still took some time.
It was worth mentioning that Lords could also absorb Soul Stones to increase their own Level.
However, the increase was minimal. A single level-up was barely perceptible, a far cry from the immediate results of upgrading a soldier.
Furthermore, Lords could not increase their star-rating, i.e., their Potential.
Therefore, the game was primarily focused on developing soldiers.
’I’ll wait. For now, I’ll focus my resources on maxing out the soldiers to make the most of my early-game advantage.’
Shen Xing pulled his thoughts back to the present and opened his inventory again, taking out another item.
With a flick of his right wrist, an Ancient brass Horse Lantern appeared in his palm. It had some heft to it.
This was the main tool Lords used to explore the Fog.
[Horse Lantern]
[Level: 1]
[Effect: The light can disperse the Fog within a 5-meter radius.]
[Duration of Continuous Burning: 1.5 hours (Once depleted, return to camp. The lantern will naturally recharge when brought near a Campfire.)]
[Upgrade Requirements: Level 2 Campfire, Soul Stone x2]
[Note: A relic from an ancient era, capable of dispersing the Fog.]
...
’A 5-meter radius, and it only burns for an hour and a half. That’s cutting it a bit close.’
Shen Xing mused that this meant he would have to keep an eye on the [Horse Lantern]’s remaining burn time while exploring.
Otherwise, if it went out in the middle of the Fog, it would be game over.
[Upgrade Successful! Your Beastman Infantry ’Hellish Roar ★★’ has reached Level 2. Power +3, Spirit +1, Agility +3, Constitution +2]
[Upgrade Successful! One of your ’Beastman Infantry ★’ has reached Level 2. Power +4, Spirit +1, Agility +1, Constitution +2]
[Upgrade Successful...]
...
While Shen Xing was studying the interface and the Horse Lantern, all ten Beastmen finished absorbing their Soul Stones.
Faint green smoke seeped from their skin, and the muscles in their arms bulged.
Their height, which was previously between 1.5 and 1.6 meters, uniformly shot up by five centimeters, and they now exuded a ferocious aura!
Although they were still green-skins, they had evolved from ’potatoes’ into ’large potatoes.’
As mentioned before, the improvement for a soldier from Level 1 to Level 2 was quite noticeable. Their Power increased by at least 3 points, and their other Attributes also saw a significant boost.
"ROAR!" Hellish Roar raised his Stone Axe high. "Beastman... full of... Power!"
The other Beastmen also clenched their fists, howling and bellowing to vent their excitement at their newfound strength.
Shen Xing chuckled and said to Hellish Roar, "Show me the strength you gained from the upgrade."
"Yes... Boss!"
Hellish Roar strode over, grabbed the armrests of the wheelchair with his two large, rough hands, and abruptly lifted it into the air.
"What are you doing?" Shen Xing asked, suspended in midair as he looked down at the fanatical green face.
"Reporting... to Boss... showing... Power..." Hellish Roar replied earnestly.
"..." Shen Xing was speechless. "I meant for you to show me in a different way, not by lifting me up."
"Oh." Hellish Roar finally put him down and gave a silly grin.
Then, the big green brute turned and walked over to a massive black boulder at the village entrance.
The boulder was half-buried in the ground and looked to be at least two or three hundred kilograms.
The creature wrapped his two thick arms around the boulder, put his back into it, and with a low roar, yanked the massive rock right out of the ground.
"RUMBLE..."
The boulder was thrown several meters, and the impact made his wheelchair tremble.
Shen Xing nodded repeatedly in approval. ’With that kind of power, if his axe hit someone, wouldn’t it leave them black and blue?’
"Very good. The increase in Power is definitely significant."
He then took 10 [Broken Soul]s from his inventory and began to synthesize them.
Ten grayish-white Soul Fragments floated up at the same time, rearranging and merging in midair to become an orb that emitted a dim white light.
[Dim Soul]
[Type: Advancement Item]
[Effect: Allows a Normal-grade Soldier Type to advance its Potential. Normal ★ → Normal ★★ (85% success chance), Normal ★★ → Normal ★★★ (70% success chance)]
...
’Hellish Roar is already a Two-Star soldier. The chance of evolving him again with this Soul is 70%, which is quite high.’
Shen Xing didn’t hesitate, directly gifting the complete Soul to Hellish Roar.
Since he had decided to properly develop his soldiers, it was only natural to pour all his resources into them.
Under Shen Xing’s expectant gaze, the white orb of light merged into Hellish Roar’s body, releasing a ferocious and primal aura.
He had a premonition that the increase in power from a higher star-rating was far more terrifying than the increase from a higher Level!