The World Announcement rang out once again, reigniting the chat channel.
"F***ing squid, who the hell is this Evernight? How did he summon a hero so fast?"
"Idiot, why is it Evernight again? Is he hacking?"
"Can someone big-brained explain—what exactly is a hero?"
"Didn't you watch the CG? Heroes are the commanders of troops. They're powerful assistants for us Lords."
"Evernight bro, please tell us how to get a hero!"
Voices filled the World Chat with all kinds of speculation.
If the first World Announcement for establishing a territory could be chalked up to luck—
Then this second World Announcement firmly engraved the name "Evernight" into the memory of players worldwide.
In the Xia Country Block, near Twin Peaks—
A tall, burly man was leading his troops out of his territory.
As he walked, he muttered to himself, "Evernight? Who could that be? Someone from the Wang or Ma family?"
His in-game name was [Thunderstrike], real name Lei Lie. He was the Xia Country military's supreme commander and representative within Era of Lords.
Era of Lords held extraordinary significance. Every nation had sent military personnel like Lei Lie into the game.
First, to figure out what kind of game Era of Lords really was.
Second, to ensure their country's armed forces secured a place within it.
After all, with a nation backing them, no matter what future this game might bring, they had to be on the front lines.
And now, Lin Chen's sudden emergence had drawn Lei Lie's attention.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Niu Zai Country Block—within the territory of Eden—
A blond-haired, blue-eyed man named Adam slammed his fist against a stone wall.
"Sh*t! Why did that damn Xia Country player steal first place again?!"
"Who is this guy, anyway?"
In the Y Country Block, within the Yaqi Territory—
Richuan Gangban...
At that moment, countless Lords across the server had started paying attention to the name "Evernight."
Of course, Lin Chen knew none of this.
Right now, he was looking at his first contracted hero, Ina, his expression a bit flushed.
From this top-down angle… ahem, the view was magnificent.
"No need to be so formal. You may rise," Lin Chen said.
Ina nodded and stood up.
Lin Chen began reviewing her stats:
[Ina]
Class: Dragon Huntress
Rank: S
Level: 1
HP: 10,000
Defense: 1,000
Attack: 1,200
Speed: 150
Skills:
Armor-Piercing Arrow — Charges for one second, then fires in a straight line. Deals damage that ignores 50% of enemy defense and applies Armor Break debuff (defense -30%) for 30 seconds.
Description: Ina, commander of the Elf Race's elite dragon-hunting unit. Possesses strong combat and leadership capabilities.
Ina's stats were decent—
But far from her full potential.
After all, she was only an S-rank hero.
The maximum rank for regular heroes was SSS.
If Lin Chen could upgrade Ina to SSS, her attributes would rise dramatically.
So, how could he do that?
Of course, with Hero Advancement Gems.
[Hero Advancement Gem]
Description: A magical gemstone imbued with mysterious power. Use it to upgrade a hero's rank. The higher the hero's current rank, the more gems are needed.
Lin Chen currently had five Hero Advancement Gems.
Two from the Weekly Gift Pack, and three from the World Announcement reward just now.
No doubt—they were going to Ina.
Hero ranks went from D, C, B, A, S, SS, to SSS.
To rank up from D to S, one gem per level was needed.
From S to SS: 2 gems.
From SS to SSS: 3 gems.
Lin Chen had exactly five. Just enough to max Ina out.
Perfect!
No hesitation—he started the upgrade.
"Your hero Ina has been promoted to SS-rank. Hero Advancement Gems used: 2."
"Your hero Ina has been promoted to SSS-rank. Hero Advancement Gems used: 3."
Swish, swish—two golden lights descended. Ina's rank soared by two levels.
She looked astonished.
"Lord, you…"
Lin Chen chuckled. "Consider it your welcome gift."
Ina's eyes welled up—nearly in tears.
Almost no one had ever treated her so kindly.
Especially not someone she'd just met.
"Thank you, Lord. Ina will follow you through fire and water, without hesitation or regret."
Lin Chen waved it off and checked her updated stats.
There was a major change.
Her HP had doubled—from 10,000 to 20,000.
Her attack and defense had also doubled.
Absolutely insane.
From the World Announcement reward, Lin Chen had also received three Orange Resource Packs.
He opened them all, gaining 300,000 basic resources.
Perfect timing—he had one Subject Refresh Card left.
He used it immediately to train another batch of Windrunner Archers.
While troops were training, Lin Chen opened the Gold-Grade Equipment Chest he just got.
"You opened a Gold-Grade Equipment Chest and received: [Fiery Bow]."
The system prompt rang, and Lin Chen's eyes lit up—hey, a weapon!
And it was a longbow. Perfect for Ina.
Lin Chen handed over the fiery red longbow, its limbs subtly wreathed in flame, to Ina.
"Here, your second gift."
After their first exchange, Ina's attitude toward Lin Chen had clearly shifted.
"A Gold-Grade weapon! Thank you, Lord!"
Ina thanked him repeatedly. Overjoyed, she even ran up and tiptoed for a quick hug.
What a feeling… tsk, tsk…
Unfortunately, the sweet moment didn't last.
Realizing it might be inappropriate, Ina quickly stepped back, leaving behind only a faint floral fragrance near Lin Chen's nose.
Meanwhile, the second batch of 500 Windrunner Archers had completed training.
Lin Chen cleared his throat. "Now then—come with me. Let's explore the surrounding area!"
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。