025 Beyond the Boundary

[All rewards have been distributed. The Ancient Ruins will descend and officially open one after another in six months!]

[Tower Defense and Civilization Version 1.0: Jurassic Park is now live. Dinosaur groups will randomly appear on the map. Killing elite-level and above dinosaurs has a chance to earn system points and drop equipment or items.]

As the system notification sounded, at the junction of the Chakalk Grasslands and the Horseshoe Highlands, a magnificent ancient city covering about a hundred square kilometers rose abruptly from the earth!

As an experienced player, Yang Jie was well aware of the importance of points. After reaching the Bronze Age, points became the currency circulating between players through the system platform.

As for the Ancient Ruins mentioned, they were akin to dungeon maps in other games. Not only did lord players have to defend against wave after wave of monster attacks, but they could also venture forth to conquer these ruins, within which were hidden all manner of precious treasures. These treasures were the key to withstanding the increasingly fierce monster sieges to come, making them the focal point of competition among all lords.

But Yang Jie had no intention of raiding any Ancient Ruins for now. Setting aside other factors, even the weakest ruins had at least ten thousand defenders.

And these were not ten thousand miscellaneous monsters, but ten thousand true warriors. Yang Jie’s tribe had a population of three thousand, but fewer than two hundred active soldiers.

Moreover, even the weakest ruins not only possessed formidable garrisons but also a mighty boss overseeing the defense, with a number of minor underlings in tow.

Beyond these factors, the defenders enjoyed absolute geographical advantages. Even seasoned players like Yang Jie had suffered innumerable setbacks during previous beta tests.

And these were merely ordinary ruins; as for the larger ones, they were veritable empires in their own right.

To conquer them single-handedly was utter folly; this was when cooperation and alliance between lords became essential.

...

At the junction of the Northson Plains and the Chakalk Grasslands, Xia Rong, leading her tribespeople on their journey, looked up at the illusory city rising from the horizon, standing dumbstruck for a full three minutes.

...

Southern Lox Continent

In the depths of an uncharted jungle

Jiang Yuan was leading a group of trolls in a wild dance around a roaring bonfire, the entire tribe engulfed in a sea of merriment and laughter.

The troll race was passionate and uninhibited by nature, bold and exuberant. Group activities of all kinds were nothing out of the ordinary for them; whenever the mood struck, they would gather and indulge themselves freely.

Tonight, in celebration of their victory in the dinosaur siege war, the trolls circled the towering bonfire, singing and reveling with abandon.

Jiang Yuan, their lord and a genius in military command, had just months ago been a reserved and scholarly youth, so shy and introverted that he would avoid eye contact with female classmates in college—a label he could never seem to shake.

But Jiang Yuan knew this was not his true self...

Finally, after the world became gamified, he descended into this unfamiliar land as the troll chieftain. In the daily company of his uninhibited tribespeople, Jiang Yuan gradually rediscovered his authentic self, wholeheartedly adapting and immersing himself in the tribe’s exuberant ways.

Now, he was dancing closely with a young female troll, occasionally caressing her shapely figure as they moved together.

At this moment, Jiang Yuan finally understood that this was the real him. These months of primal living had brought him unparalleled satisfaction and joy, a pleasure that far surpassed the twenty years he’d idled away. If he had to compare, it was more addictive than HLY.

Swaying to the drumbeat, Jiang Yuan soon found his rhythm, taking center stage in the “dance floor,” his exaggerated movements twisting with the music, hands forming a V-shape and slicing through the air in front of his eyes.

Anyone who had seen Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” would recognize this nameless dance—the very one John Travolta’s Vincent performed with Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace in the diner.

Several nearly naked young troll women clung to Jiang Yuan, who found his hands and arms almost too busy to keep up.

The trolls revered strength; it was embedded deep in their spirit. Now, their bravest warriors on the battlefield were thoroughly enjoying the feast and festivities.

Suddenly, Jiang Yuan seemed to recall something...

He took down the golden key hanging from his neck and raised it high above his head.

“Dear tribesmen, let us welcome the new hero of the troll race!”

Wow! Wow!

All the dancing trolls stopped instantly at the sight of the golden key in Jiang Yuan’s hand, raising their arms in unison and cheering with sounds that defied understanding.

In Jiang Yuan’s hand was the Golden Key, a system reward he had nearly forgotten in the heat of the festivities.

“Activate the Legendary Golden Key!”

Without further ado, he activated it directly. Jiang Yuan knew that the troll heroes ranked among the strongest in all of “Tower Defense and Civilization.” It mattered little to him who emerged from the Storm Altar...

He was confident enough, strong enough!

At that moment, a rather short troll emerged from the Storm Altar...

“Hmm... hmm...”

With long tusks, the signature troll mohawk, and nimble steps, the newcomer walked out, muttering something under his breath.

“Hey, brother, long time no see!”

The god-warrior Husk, also surrounded by troll women, brightened at the sight and greeted him warmly.

“Long time no see, Husk!”

The short troll showed no trace of shyness, greeting everyone familiarly.

Husk threw his arm around the short troll’s shoulders and led him toward Jiang Yuan for introductions.

“Let me formally introduce you. This is our great chieftain, Lord Jiang Yuan.”

“Pleased to meet you, my lord,” the short troll gave a graceful bow, making their acquaintance official.

“Chieftain, this is my brother.”

“The mightiest warrior of the trolls!”

“Jerakau!”

“Troll Warlord!”

...

Central Lox Plains

Within a basin surrounded by mountains on three sides

Amidst a sprawling complex of buildings, a group of rotund panda people were hosting their evening gathering.

The panda people were a race with an extraordinary love for cuisine and exceptional culinary skills.

Though night had fallen, the tribe square remained lively and bustling.

Much like great clans on Earth would host banquets, a broad clearing was selected and tables were set everywhere.

Just as it was now, more than a thousand plump pandas sat on wooden chairs, feasting without pause, their tables piled high with all manner of delicious food.

Large cuts of dinosaur meat were expertly sliced into evenly sized pieces by a panda wielding twin blades, skewered on wooden sticks and grilled to a perfect medium rare, then sprinkled with a variety of mysterious seasonings. The sizzling, aromatic juices alone were enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Compared to this, the ratfolk’s living conditions were utterly impoverished, as though they scarcely had enough to eat.

...

Zhao Qiuyue sat at the very center of the square, one massive paw cradling a wooden bowl of juice, the other paw grabbing roasted meat and stuffing it into her mouth.

She was not alone; her fellow officials around her joined in with hands and paws, devouring food as if starved for three days.

Zhao Qiuyan had taken first place in the recent dinosaur siege, earning not only the system’s fixed rewards but also a surplus of dinosaur meat.

“The meat from these raptor spines is so tender—it’s like eating tofu.”

“You’re not wrong, and there’s not a trace of fat.”

“The marbling, just listen to that sizzle—it’s perfect!”

Charlie, a panda official beside Zhao Qiuyue, picked up an empty wooden tub from the table and handed it to an attendant behind him.

“Tell the chef: another order of dragon tenderloin, medium rare.”

“Yes, Captain, just a moment.”

The attendant took the tub and vanished into the crowd of pandas.

In a corner of the square, the one handling the meat was none other than the legendary panda hero, Ashen Spirit—Xun!

Standing nearly three meters tall, bare-chested and wielding two long knives, he worked tirelessly through the dinosaur meat before him, slicing whole tenderloins into four perfectly even pieces.

With a deft flick, a whole slab of meat traced a perfect arc through the air and landed precisely in the basket behind him.

Surveying the peaceful, heartwarming scene, Zhao Qiuyue was all smiles. She was not like Yang Jie, who burdened herself with too many worries.

Live for today, drink for today,

Never let the golden goblet face the moon empty—

Those lines suited her state of mind perfectly.

The comfort level of the entire panda tribe was sky-high, almost reaching its peak.

This was largely due to the tribe’s location: three sides were encircled by mountains, making it secure.

Furthermore, the climate was tropical rainforest, with abundant rainfall yielding rich harvests and a great variety of plants and animals.

To the north of the camp, a vast orchard planted by Zhao Qiuyue herself flourished.

The valley was warm in winter and cool in summer, so there was never any worry about the environment. Here, the panda people lacked for nothing, and their comfort was only natural.

Halfway through the banquet, Zhao Qiuyue sensed the moment was right.

“Dear friends, let us welcome our new companion—ta-da!”

She leapt onto the platform, striking a pose reminiscent of an Olympic javelin thrower, and, amidst the cheers of her people, activated the golden key that could summon a legendary hero of their race.

On the altar, a flash of blue lightning erupted, and a panda wearing a conical hat, his body crackling with pale blue electricity, appeared before them.

Ashen Spirit—Xun, who was busy chopping meat nearby, stared wide-eyed at the blue glow, his hands pausing mid-motion.

“Oh! My heavens, it’s you—my brother!”