Free Web NovelChapter 96: Chapter 96: Ruined Watchtower Frontier
Floor 11 did not open like the first ten floors.
When Qin Yuheng’s team entered the Heavenly Gate Tower, the gate light did not immediately swallow them. Instead, a longer registration panel appeared.
[Post-First-Gate Floor Entry]
[Team: Qin Yuheng Team]
[Floor 11 adaptive mission selected.]
[Mission type: Frontier defense / scouting.]
[Estimated internal duration: 3 days.]
[External time passage: 1 day.]
[Warning: Supplies recommended.]
Qin Mo stared.
"Three days?"
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"We prepared supplies."
"I prepared emotionally for one day."
"Prepare faster."
Qin Mo sighed.
The team carried enhanced rations, water purification stones, defensive talismans, formation materials, poison and fire resistance pills, repair tools, spare clothes, and communication markers. After Floor 10, longer missions were expected.
Han Shuren gave one final instruction.
"Do not treat this as an early-floor sprint. Three-day floors test decision fatigue. Sleep rotations matter."
Yu Qingmei added, "Ruined Watchtower Frontier may contain NPC-like Tower remnants. They are not living people in the ordinary sense, but the Tower treats some as mission entities. Do not assume they are meaningless illusions."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
The gate opened.
[Entering Floor 11: Ruined Watchtower Frontier.]
Cold wind struck first.
Qin Yuheng opened his eyes beneath a gray sky.
Before them stood a ruined stone watchtower overlooking a wide frontier valley. Broken walls surrounded a small outpost. Beyond the valley stretched dark forests and distant hills. Smoke rose in several places. The air carried the smell of wet stone, old blood, and approaching rain.
A mission panel appeared.
[Floor 11: Ruined Watchtower Frontier]
[Main Mission]
Defend the Ruined Watchtower Outpost for 3 days and light the warning beacon before the final beast tide arrives.
[Sub-Missions]
1. Repair outpost defenses.
2. Scout three beast movement routes.
3. Protect surviving frontier remnants.
4. Prevent beacon tower destruction.
5. Defeat beast tide commander if it appears.
[Current Outpost Integrity: 46%]
[Beacon Tower Integrity: 62%]
[Frontier Remnants Alive: 12]
[Warning]
Mission outcome will affect final evaluation.
Qin Mo looked at the number.
"Outpost integrity forty-six percent. We arrived at a broken problem."
A horn sounded from the tower.
Several figures appeared from behind a collapsed wall.
They wore old leather armor and carried spears. Their bodies looked solid, but slightly faded at the edges, like people made from memory and Tower law.
The leader was a middle-aged man with a scar across his face.
"Climbers?" he asked.
Qin Yuheng stepped forward.
"Yes."
The man’s eyes showed relief.
"I am Captain Ren. If the Tower sent you, then the final tide is near."
Mission entity.
Qin Yuheng bowed slightly.
"We will assist."
Captain Ren pointed toward the valley.
"Three routes. East forest, north ridge, south marsh. Scouts saw movement from all. Our walls are broken, beacon fuel is low, and half my people are wounded."
Qin Yuheng absorbed the information quickly.
This was not a simple defense.
They had three days to repair, scout, prioritize, and prepare for a final tide.
Qin Yuheng turned to his team.
"Roles. Qin Mo, inspect defenses and beacon mechanisms. Qin Yuchen, organize wall repair with remnants. Qin Lian, scout nearby perimeter but do not enter deep routes yet. I will speak with Captain Ren and map priorities."
No one objected.
Captain Ren watched the team move.
"You command young."
"I have good teammates."
The captain looked at him for a moment and nodded.
"Good answer."
Qin Yuheng asked for all available information.
Outpost resources:
Usable arrows: low
Stone blocks: moderate
Oil jars: 6
Beacon fuel: insufficient
Wounded fighters: 5
Able fighters: 7
Old ballista: damaged
Outer wall: broken in two sections
Inner gate: unstable
Routes:
East forest: many small beasts, likely first wave.
North ridge: flying beasts possible, path to beacon tower.
South marsh: poison beasts, slower but dangerous.
Final tide commander unknown.
Qin Yuheng immediately saw the core problem.
They could not defend everything equally.
They needed to repair key points, scout enough to predict wave order, and preserve frontier remnants. Unlike previous floors, the mission counted NPC survival. If they ignored the remnants, evaluation would drop.
Qin Mo returned after inspecting the beacon.
"The beacon can work, but fuel is insufficient. We need resin or beast oil. Also, the ballista can be repaired if we find a replacement tension cable."
Qin Yuchen reported, "The remnants obey Captain Ren, but they are exhausted. Wall repair possible if we assign carefully." freewebnøvel.com
Qin Lian returned last.
"Fresh tracks east. Large wing marks north. Poison mud south."
Qin Yuheng made the first-day plan.
Morning to midday: repair inner gate and east wall.
Afternoon: scout east route fully.
Evening: collect resin from east forest if possible.
Night: rotating watch. freewebnoveℓ.com
They began.
Qin Mo repaired the inner gate mechanism with puppet-hall techniques, surprising Captain Ren’s people. Qin Yuchen carried stones and organized workers. Qin Lian marked weak wall approaches. Qin Yuheng used controlled strength to move heavier blocks without appearing monstrous.
By afternoon, outpost integrity rose.
[Outpost Integrity: 46% → 58%]
[Beacon Tower Integrity: 62%]
Then they scouted east forest.
The forest was wet and dark. Claw marks covered trees. Small red-eyed beasts moved between roots.
[Frontier Fang Beast]
[Level: 18]
They killed several quietly and found resin trees suitable for beacon fuel.
But deeper in the forest, Qin Lian discovered a den.
Dozens of Fang Beasts.
And behind them, a larger shadow.
Qin Yuheng did not engage.
They collected resin and withdrew.
Qin Mo looked pleased.
"We saw danger and left. Growth."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"For now."
Qin Mo’s smile faded.
That night, the first attack came from the east forest.
Thirty Fang Beasts rushed the repaired wall.
This time, the team did not fight alone.
Captain Ren’s remnants stood with them.
Qin Yuheng commanded from the wall.
"Archers wait. Oil after they group. Qin Mo, slow field at the breach. Yuchen, hold gate. Lian, kill climbers."
The attack was fierce, but controlled.
The repaired wall held.
The remnants survived.
The first night ended with the outpost still standing.
[Day 1 completed.]
[Outpost Integrity: 53%]
[Beacon Fuel: 40%]
[Frontier Remnants Alive: 12]
Qin Yuheng stood atop the watchtower as dawn approached.
Two days remained.
North ridge.
South marsh.
Final tide.
This floor was no longer testing whether they could win a fight.
It was testing whether they could hold a frontier.
