Chapter 194: Fortress
The next morning...
Shen Tian woke surprisingly early.
Not because of an alarm.
Not because Xu Ning bothered him.
Not because Shen Yan entered his room to check whether he was breathing.
And thankfully...
Not because Yin Suyi had decided he needed breakfast in bed again.
He simply...
Woke up.
For several seconds...
Shen Tian remained beneath the blankets.
His golden eyes stared toward the ceiling.
The mansion was quiet.
Sunlight passed through the curtains.
Then...
His phone vibrated.
Shen Tian reached toward it.
One message.
Chi Lingxi ❤️
A smile immediately appeared.
He opened it.
Chi Lingxi: Good morning, boyfriend.
A second message appeared.
Chi Lingxi: Grandpa is already annoying me.
Shen Tian laughed.
Then another.
Chi Lingxi: He told three customers that his future grandson in law resurrected him.
Shen Tian stared.
"..."
Xu Ning appeared beside the bed.
[Good morning.]
Shen Tian turned the phone around.
Xu Ning read the message.
Then...
She covered her mouth.
[He’s adapting well.]
"He’s creating rumors."
[Technically, you did resurrect him.]
"That’s not the part I’m worried about."
A fourth message arrived.
Chi Lingxi: Mom threatened to ban him from talking to customers.
Shen Tian typed.
Shen Tian: Won’t work.
The reply came almost immediately.
Chi Lingxi: I know 😭
He smiled.
Then sent...
Shen Tian: Morning. I’ll come by later if you’re free.
The typing indicator appeared.
Chi Lingxi: I’d like that ❤️
Shen Tian locked his phone.
For a moment...
He simply sat there.
Content.
Then Xu Ning cleared her throat.
He slowly looked toward her.
"What?"
[Work.]
"..."
A large golden screen appeared.
Target: Jiang Feng
Current Fate Value: 153,500
Current Destiny Event: Windfall’s First Territory
Location: Ashen Valley
Destined Asset: Blackstone Fortress
Associated Fate Value: 14,000
Shen Tian’s eyes became more awake.
Then...
Another notification appeared beneath it.
Destiny Collision Detected
Secondary Organization: Titan Esports
Shen Tian paused.
"Titan?"
Xu Ning nodded.
[They discovered the fortress quest chain overnight.]
Shen Tian sat straighter.
"Jiang Feng’s old team."
[Correct.]
A map appeared.
Ashen Valley stretched between several mountainous regions west of Silverbrook.
At the center...
An abandoned fortress sat on a cliff overlooking three major roads.
Xu Ning highlighted it.
[Blackstone Fortress.]
[One of the strongest early regional territories.]
"How strong?"
[Extremely.]
More information appeared.
Blackstone Fortress
Territory Type: Military Fortress
Regional Advantages:
Control of three trade routes
Access to Blackstone Mine
Nearby Level 30 to 45 hunting regions
Future raid access
Guild warehouse
Guild training grounds
Potential upgrade into fortified city
Shen Tian whistled.
"That’s not a beginner guild hall."
[No.]
"How does Jiang Feng get it originally?"
[Windfall discovers a hidden military quest.]
[He completes the defense trial.]
[Then claims the abandoned fortress before the major professional organizations reach Silverbrook.]
Shen Tian nodded.
"And now Titan knows."
[Yes.]
"Why?"
Xu Ning smiled.
[Because Eternal Realm’s progression is accelerating.]
[And Titan Esports has analysts.]
That made sense.
Professional organizations weren’t going to sit around waiting for Fate to spoon feed Jiang Feng.
They had researchers.
Data teams.
Hundreds of players.
Corporate backing.
Full time analysts.
They were actively searching for anything valuable.
Shen Tian looked toward the Territory Priority Token inside his virtual inventory.
Then smiled.
"So my token can override both?"
[Potentially.]
"Potentially?"
[The fortress requires completing the claim event.]
[The token gives you the right to challenge for ownership first.]
Shen Tian stood.
"Then let’s play."
Xu Ning tilted her head.
[Host.]
"Hm?"
[You have breakfast downstairs.]
He stopped.
"..."
[And your mother has already sent three maids looking for you.]
Shen Tian looked toward the bedroom door.
Almost immediately...
Knock.
"Young Master?"
He sighed.
"Of course."
Breakfast was less chaotic than usual.
Which meant...
Only mildly dangerous.
Yin Suyi sat at the head of the table.
Shen Yan had already claimed the chair beside Shen Tian.
Ling Shuangxue was reading financial news on a tablet.
Bai Xue was drinking coffee.
Qin Ruobing spoke quietly with Chu Luoshen.
Several others had apparently slept elsewhere.
Shen Tian sat.
A maid placed breakfast in front of him.
Yin Suyi looked toward him.
"You came home late."
"Date."
"I know."
The way she said it made Shen Tian cautious.
Shen Yan’s chopsticks stopped.
Her expression became slightly colder.
"How was it?"
Shen Tian calmly ate.
"Good."
Too honest.
Shen Yan stared.
Yin Suyi lifted her teacup.
"How good?"
Shen Tian looked between them.
"...Good?"
Bai Xue immediately started laughing.
Ling Shuangxue lowered her tablet slightly.
Even Qin Ruobing smiled.
Shen Tian sighed.
"Can we not interrogate me over breakfast?"
Yin Suyi looked offended.
"I’m your mother."
"Exactly."
Shen Yan leaned closer.
"Did she kiss you?"
Shen Tian almost choked.
Bai Xue laughed harder.
"Yan!"
"What?"
Shen Yan genuinely looked confused.
"I asked a question."
Yin Suyi stared at her daughter.
Then...
She turned toward Shen Tian.
"...Did she?"
Shen Tian placed his fork down.
"Why did that suddenly become acceptable?"
Yin Suyi calmly drank tea.
"I’m curious."
"You criticized her for asking."
"Her method was crude."
Bai Xue covered her face.
Shen Tian slowly stood.
"I’m going gaming."
Yin Suyi frowned.
"You haven’t finished breakfast."
"I’m taking it with me."
"No."
Shen Tian stared.
His mother stared back.
He sat.
Shen Yan smiled victoriously.
Shen Tian looked toward Xu Ning.
She floated near the ceiling.
[Family time.]
’I hate you.’
. . .
Meanwhile...
Inside Eternal Realm...
Jiang Feng had been awake for almost two hours.
Windfall’s temporary headquarters was nothing impressive.
A rented building in Silverbrook.
Two floors.
A guild meeting room.
A small storage chest.
Several beds players obviously didn’t need.
And...
Dozens of people packed inside.
Windfall had grown rapidly.
Guild Members: 126
Applications continued arriving.
Thousands waited.
Jiang Feng refused to simply accept everyone.
That surprised some people.
Most guilds wanted numbers.
Jiang Feng wanted quality.
Not necessarily mechanical skill.
Reliability.
Attitude.
Ability to work with others.
He had learned something from Titan.
Raw talent didn’t create loyalty.
And a team held together only by success...
Collapsed the moment success disappeared.
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!