The group chat erupted with a flood of messages.
[What’s going on? I was happily grilling barbecue and singing in my shelter when the Will of the Warring Kingdom Civilization sent bandits to raid it! They’re trying to rob me, and my shelter is about to collapse. Can anyone help?]
[I had it worse. A massive dung beetle fell from the sky and crushed my shelter. The professor just told me I failed my major class.]
[This is a disaster! No one warned us. They just unleashed a huge wave of enemies without any notice. What a calamity!]
[I’m done for. My entire army is dead, and my storage is destroyed. All I have left is my shelter. Can someone anything to help me?]
Amid the chaos, many students managed to endure the calamity.
[Calamity? This is a reward! I found a Dark Stone from the Dark Emissary. It will help me nurture a Lord life form. Nice!]
[Those enemies have tons of treasure despite their strength. I just got three treasures. I’m going to be rich!]
[I found a recipe to form a Heavy Cavalry caste, and I already have the necessary altars!]
Han Wu scanned the group chat and noted the members remaining. Only two-thirds of the students were still in the chat. The calamity had just eliminated a third of them, a brutal reminder of how merciless it truly was.
He felt relief that Duan Meng had warned him earlier; without her, he would have likely been eliminated too. He needed to find a way to repay her. While considering how to do that, a notification popped up from the private group chat he had created with Sun Qingnian and Qin Shuang.
The new message was from Sun Qingnian.
[Sun Qingnian: I almost got eliminated. Luckily, Qin Shuang managed to send some Thunder Sparrows to rescue me. Their lightning fried all of those Demon Dolls attacking my shelter.]
Qin Shuang sent her thanks as well.
[Qin Shuang: Your Foxmen helped me a lot too. The Archer Ice Elementals invaded my shelter. They shot so many icicles, injuring many of my Thunder Sparrows. I would’ve been overwhelmed without your Foxmen healing them.]
Both had come out of the calamity with valuable treasures. Qin Shuang had acquired a Frost Soul, which she could merge with her altar, enabling her Thunder Sparrows to deal ice damage. She also found a recipe for the Light Cavalry Frost Metallion, a powerful asset for those skilled in the ice attribute.
Meanwhile, Sun Qingnian had obtained three treasures: a treasure-seeking compass, a telescope, and a recipe for the Infantry Demon Dolls.
The three of them were busy sharing their experiences when a voice interrupted them. “Outsiders, did you enjoy the party? Please look forward to the next one the Will of the Civilization is preparing for you! Also, we have unlocked the trade function. Good luck trading!”
“The trade function has been unlocked!” Han Wu echoed, still taken aback despite already knowing it was coming. Duan Meng’s information had been uncannily accurate. He started to suspect she hadn’t simply received it from her brother but had secretly accessed the files herself.
The remaining students buzzed with excitement now that they could trade freely.
[I need Wood. Can someone sell me 5 units for 1 Gold Coin each?]
[I need 1,000 Stone. I can exchange it for 1,500 Wood. Contact me if interested.]
[Does anyone know where to find Iron? I need it badly.]
[Anyone selling spare weapons? I’m willing to pay a high price.]
[Me too. I need weapons.]
[Same here. Anyone selling weapons?]
Han Wu scrolled through the chat, quietly pleased to see how few students had access to Technicians. Though a handful had drawn the Technician caste, they were rare, and not all could forge weapons. Some specialized in building large-scale siege tools; others were better suited to crafting wooden furniture. Any unit capable of producing physical items fell under the Technician category.
Many students sought to buy weapons, so Han Wu tested the waters by listing several Chainsaw Daggers for sale in the group chat. Within moments, he was flooded with messages from eager buyers. After brief negotiations, he settled on a price: 5 Gold Coins and a single material of any type per dagger.
He sold fifty in one round and promised to forge more for future sales. His success set off a ripple effect. Other students followed suit, with some offering materials and others peddling food. One even activated a Worker altar and started selling cooked meals through the group chat.
Han Wu could not resist the temptation and bought a set for 2 Gold Coins. The trade function immediately delivered the freshly cooked meal, still steaming, right into his lap. He took a bite, and his eyes lit up. The meal was delicious, prompting him to praise the chef. He even supported their efforts in hopes they could expand production.
With the trade function unlocked, the students’ fear eased. Only Han Wu remained vigilant. The voice had already warned them that the Will of the Warring Kingdom Civilization was preparing the next calamity. They needed to be ready.
Han Wu summoned a fresh batch of units from his altars, swelling the size of his army. He dispatched his Dark Cursed Bugs to scout the surrounding territory. As they fanned out across the land, the magic map lit up with the terrain they uncovered, highlighting forests, mountains, and even lakes. It also marked down various landmarks they discovered.
Small dots appeared scattered across the vicinity. Upon closer inspection, Han Wu realized they marked altars!
“I’m rich!” he exclaimed. Altars were crucial resources that boosted his army’s strength. No one in their right mind would ever think there were too many altars.
As he examined each altar’s details, a star-shaped mark suddenly appeared on the magic map. He quickly identified the stars as ruins—resources even more valuable than altars. Though the map offered no specifics about the ruins, each one promised great wealth.
Without hesitation, Han Wu resolved to lead his strongest units and march toward the ruins himself. He left four half-dragons, the Golden Skeleton, two Black Skeletons, and over one hundred Iron Skeletons to guard his shelter. Then he led the rest of his army toward the unknown ruins.
It took nearly an hour to locate the ruins and their entrance, nestled within the hollow of a massive ancient tree. Han Wu chose to enter. The moment he stepped forward, a powerful suction force pulled him and his army into the hole. When he looked around, he realized they were already inside the ruins.
At the same time, a strange voice echoed in his mind. “Welcome to the Treant Ruins. This place has five levels. You will earn treasure for clearing each level. If you complete all five, you will receive the treasure of the treants. Each challenge requires 1,000 Wood. Do you wish to start?”
He placed 1,000 Wood on the ground and watched as the ruins absorbed every last piece. Moments later, sprouts appeared before him, growing rapidly until they formed 1,000 treants, each about two meters tall. The treants marched slowly toward his army.