When dawn arrived punctually the next day, and sunlight once again illuminated the boundless plains, Obsidian Town welcomed a new day.
The defenders on the South City Wall completed their shift with yawns.
At this moment, many parts of the South City Wall were still unrepaired; the pitted gaps and the bloody scent that even rain couldn't wash away still reminded people of the brutal war that had once erupted there.
The Magic Lizard corpses beneath the city wall had not yet been fully cleared, but at the request of several leaders, an open space had been cleared in advance to bury the warriors of various races who died in this battle.
Long Er slowly pushed open the city gate; he had been on guard all night and intended to go back to rest after opening the gate.
After all, he still had to attend a banquet at Cross Street tonight with the Magic Lizard Clan leader, so resting now was essential.
Just as Long Er opened the city gate and was about to turn back inside, his peripheral vision seemed to catch a black shadow flash behind him, but when he turned around again, he saw no one.
“Captain Long Er, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, maybe I’m too tired, a bit blurry-eyed.”
“Yes, Captain Long Er, we fought all day yesterday, and unexpectedly, it was our turn to guard the city wall, it’s truly exhausting.”
“Alright, alright, stop complaining. I’ll bring you some good wine tonight, okay?”
Long Er patted a Magic Lizard Clan soldier beside him; their little thoughts were practically written on their faces.
“Hehehe, thank you, Captain! There’s definitely good wine at the Cross Street banquet tonight, we’d be satisfied just to taste a sip.”
“Got it, got it.”
Long Er echoed, and the few of them slowly walked back towards the Magic Lizard Clan’s residence within the town.
As time passed, more and more Awakeneds woke from their sleep, and Obsidian Town gradually regained its vitality.
After the beast tide, the four city walls of Obsidian Town were severely damaged, and the survivors quickly threw themselves back into the reconstruction of their homes.
Although this battle resulted in heavy casualties, the Awakeneds who survived generally saw an increase in their strength.
Among them, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Alek, the leader of Cross Street; the news of him becoming the third Black Iron Nine-Star in Obsidian Town spread almost throughout the entire town that day.
Whether on the streets or in the taverns, survivors of various races were discussing it.
“Another Nine Star, the Human race truly grows fast.”
“Yes, many of the strong individuals who left town in the past few years were also Human.”
“What’s so strange about that? Every new race that appears in Zero Realm will have a period of glory, but after a few years, they will be just like other races.”
“Yes, have you noticed that there are also many more Human in town recently? Their race transfer period might have just begun, so it’s normal for them to be prosperous.”
“Besides, haven’t you noticed? Although the Human race appears to be thriving on the surface, within the small Obsidian Town, the Human race has split into two factions, prone to internal strife, which will likely prevent them from achieving great things.”
“You’re right, what was the last new race that appeared in Zero Realm? Oh, right, the Storm Clan, they were like this too, and now only a single Mayor can still uphold the Storm Clan’s reputation.”
In a tavern by the roadside, several foreign Awakeneds chewed on Magic Lizard meat while chatting quietly.
On the main street outside the tavern, the members of Cross Street were radiant, looking quite pleased with themselves.
If they encountered people from Unyielding Hall, they would enthusiastically go up to converse, even extending invitations for them to attend the banquet at Cross Street tonight to jointly witness the growth of the Human race.
The members of Unyielding Hall, however, did not respond, merely walking past quickly.
The basic members of the two factions previously had no shortage of conflicts and disputes. Cross Street had a large number of people, while Unyielding Hall had strong power, and neither had ever submitted to the other.
But with Alek joining the ranks of Nine Star, the gap in top-tier combat power between the two factions narrowed, making the members of Cross Street even more confident.
Liu Chengfeng issued an order early this morning that all Unyielding Hall members must participate in the post-war reconstruction of the southeast city walls; they were not as idle as Cross Street, so despite their dissatisfaction, they could only walk quickly.
At the same time, Elder Zhou once again waited for Chen Bugu in Unyielding Hall…
This day quickly passed amidst the extensive promotion by the members of Cross Street.
As evening approached, the courtyard of Cross Street was brightly lit and bustling with people.
Dongcheng Xiuwu and Tiancun Xinzhi stood at the entrance of the outer courtyard, dressed in kimonos made of various fabrics, their faces beaming with smiles as they welcomed guests of various races at the entrance.
“Hall Leader Liu!”
Dongcheng Xiuwu stood at the entrance, and the moment he saw Liu Chengfeng, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
“I almost thought you wouldn’t come.”
“Mr. Alek has been waiting for you in the inner courtyard for a long time.”
Dongcheng Xiuwu said, while beckoning to one side, calling over a Hua Kingdom Awakened.
Liu Chengfeng saw that this person was precisely one of the survivors of the Daredevil Squad.
“Mr. Liu, we meet again.”
The Hua Kingdom Awakened smiled apologetically at Liu Chengfeng; they hadn't had a chance to properly express their gratitude after returning to the East City Wall before being called away, which made him feel somewhat guilty.
“You, take Hall Leader Liu to the inner courtyard to see Mr. Alek.”
“I’m sorry, Hall Leader Liu, I still need to stay at the entrance to welcome guests and cannot leave, so I’ll trouble your compatriot to guide you,” Dongcheng Xiuwu turned around and said to Liu Chengfeng.
Liu Chengfeng nodded, and entered Cross Street with Hong Ziyu and Elder Zhou.
“Hmph, this devil is getting more and more arrogant.”
Elder Zhou’s dissatisfied words reached the ears of the leading Hua Kingdom Awakened, who lowered his head in shame.
At Liu Chengfeng’s level, even he could immediately see Dongcheng Xiuwu’s neglect.
“No matter, I believe he won’t be able to jump around for much Long Er.”
After Liu Chengfeng left, Dongcheng Xiuwu welcomed a Dwarf warrior at the main entrance.
He walked up to Dongcheng Xiuwu and pulled out a green-grade crossbow from his backpack.
“Mr. Dongcheng, Master Fran is still recovering from his injuries and regrettably cannot attend the banquet. I will represent the Dwarf race, please guide me.”
“Also, Master Fran asked me to return this Lianxin Crossbow to you.”
The Dwarf said, handing over the crossbow.
“Master Fran fought for Obsidian Town, which is admirable. We will certainly visit him afterwards. However, did Master only ask you to give me the crossbow? What about the arrows…”
Dongcheng Xiuwu took the Lianxin Crossbow, but seeing that the Dwarf had no further action, he couldn't help but feel confused.
“Master Fran asked me to convey his apologies, he is unable to craft arrows that match the Lianxin Crossbow.”
“How could that be? Master Fran is a high-level artisan.”
Dongcheng Xiuwu frowned, wondering if the Dwarf leader thought his compensation wasn't enough? Or was he worried that this weapon would pose a threat to them?
“Master Fran said that the Lianxin Crossbow is extremely strange in its construction, and he cannot see through it.”
“Moreover, he also said that the ‘Lianxin’ skill should not appear on a green-grade equipment; even blue-grade equipment would find it difficult to have such a powerful skill, unless…”
“Unless what?”
Dongcheng Xiuwu frowned, asking somewhat confusedly.
“Unless this equipment is incomplete…”