Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 232

Chapter 232 The Spoils of Justice

“Kill them all!!”

Having been bullied for hours, the survivors in the base finally found their second wind.

The main gate swung open with a heavy boom.

Though only six or seven men emerged with mismatched gear, their morale was through the roof.

“Charge! For Justin!”

“Put these vultures in the ground!”

NorthWind led the charge, brandishing a chipped but lethal two-handed greatsword.

The remaining WarWolf members, leaderless and terrified of the unseen bolts, broke completely.

“Don’t kill me! I surrender! My loot is in the bag!”

Someone threw themselves into the snow, begging for mercy.

But on this tundra, especially after a bloodbath, mercy was a rare commodity.

Squelch!

NorthWind, eyes red with rage, took the man’s head off with a single sweep.

“You weren’t talking about surrendering when you were butchering my men!”

Ten minutes later, the clearing went silent.

Dozens of bodies were scattered across the snow, the blood freezing into red crystals.

“Whew…”

NorthWind leaned on his sword, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His leather armor was shredded and his face was cut, but his eyes were bright with victory,

The remaining Drifters stood nearby, some shivering from the adrenaline, others vomiting in

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Chapter 234 The Vitality Shield

Passive: Eternal Life – Slow sign recovery and faster wound healing in the wastes. Constant H regen in instances.

Active: Vitality Shield (Instance Only) – While at full HP, generates a shield equal to 30% of max health. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Those stats were insane!

A +12 to Constitution brought her total to 61.

That was over ten times her starting value.

To quantify foundation

Combin

two da

An

und that took ten days to heal would now take one; her entire physical en rewritten.

ernal Life and the altar buffs, she could recover from anything non-lethal i

It was a godsend for dungeon runs, protecting her from any cheap shots.

draped the cloak over her shoulders.

xture and the surge of vitality made her feel like she was soaking in a hot spring.

ely, Epic gear had a “Hide” option; she kept the stats without looking like a weirdo a cloak over a parka and plate armor.

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Chapter 235 The Message

Chapter 235 The Message

With her gear upgraded, Riley didn’t slow down.

If WarWolf was across the canyon, their main force was definitely within striking distance.

The chasm was a good defense, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

She crafted a Large Storage Crate on the fly.

She filled it with refined iron bows, spears, and several bundles of quality arrows she had salvaged.

Riley hauled the weapons crate to the mine, bringing the treant along with her.

“My lady! What brings you back?”

Riley pulled the crate out and pointed. “These are weapons. Distribute them amongst yourselves.”

Joseph looked at the sharpened steel, his expression turning grave.

Was a war finally coming?

“The world is getting dangerous,” Riley said seriously. “I don’t want strangers raiding this site. Protect yourselves.”

“Also…”

Riley pointed toward the little treant.

“I’m leaving materials here. You and the treant will reinforce the outer walls. Build traps or a watchtower.”

The treant, a man of few words but absolute action, gestured for Joseph to follow.

“Go on. If you see anyone with red armbands, don’t engage. Notify me through the cameras immediately. Stay alive.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Joseph saluted and marched off with the treant and his new arsenal.

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15.93 bat, Jun 13

Chapter 232 The Spoils of Justice

A young man nearby blurted out. “Those dogs knew what we dug out of the ruins…

Chapter 235 The Message

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This created a perfect buffer zone. Any attacker would have to clear these while the turrets and Riley picked them off.

Done with the fortifications, Riley looked at the fallow land inside the walls.

“Right, NorthWind gave me those vegetable seeds today.”

Riley pulled out the pouch.

Lettuce, broccoli, carrots…

Common vegetables on Earth, but a rare luxury on the wastes.

With Neeko’s help, she cleared several small plots near the kitchen wing.

They turned the soil, sowed the seeds, and diverted some altar runoff.

Watching the seeds settle into the warm earth gave Riley a profound sense of satisfaction.

“Once these grow, we’re having hotpot.”

Exhaustion finally began to set in after the day’s work.

She went back inside, collapsed onto the sofa with hot milk from Neeko, and opened the Region Channel to check the news.

1

The moment it loaded, several high-definition photos pinned to the top caught her eye.

“WarWolf-BloodWolf (Master): @Everyone, some pathetic rats think grouping up can challenge WarWolf? Here is the result!”

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Chapter 263 Neighborly Relations

The materials for her Epic Cloak of Vitality were finally complete!

“My third purple gear is ready to craft!”

Riley happily tucked the crystal into her inventory.

She also grabbed some refined arrowheads, bolts, and other useful supplies.

Done with the looting, Riley looked at NorthWind and his crew.

“So… friend,” NorthWind began, rubbing his hands together.

“With your skills, you’re clearly an elite. Where do you live? If you’re willing to add me… if WarWolf comes back…”

He was clearly looking for a powerful ally to cling to.

Riley shook her head immediately.

“I’m not looking for friends. I work alone.

“As for my location…”

Riley pointed toward the great chasm. “I’m just across the canyon. This was a fluke. Watch backs and try not to broadcast your location.”

NorthWind froze when she mentioned living across the ràvine.

yo

The terrain was higher there; they’d seen smoke before but assumed it was a solo scrub, not a powerhouse of this level.

“Since we’re neighbors, we should definitely stay on good terms!”

NorthWind hurriedly pulled out a package. “You saved us. Tell me what you need-if we have it, it’s yours.”

The guy was surprisingly helpful, his attitude incredibly cooperative.

Riley didn’t expect them to have anything rare, but she asked for seeds just to avoid an awkward rejection.

She actually was quite low on agricultural supplies.

The group whispered amongst themselves before handing over a bundle.

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val

So, they had to keep the act going.

Even if their teeth were smashed, they’d swallow the blood and keep a “we’re still winning” fac for the public.

With acting skills like that, it was a shame they weren’t in movie industry.

“Truthseeker: If you’re so strong, did you take the base or what? No one has posted a victory shot, and the Drifters’ side is totally silent. What’s the deal?”

“WarWolf_Berserk: What do you think? Our Master is merciful! He gave them an ultimatum to surrender their loot! If they don’t open up, we’ll level the whole camp!”

“Random Lurker: But… I heard the fighting over there was a literal bloodbath yesterday? Can anyone confirm?”

The WarWolf shills immediately flooded the comments with threats, drowning out any questioning voices.

Meanwhile, the response from the Icefield Drifters Alliance was even more intriguing.

Riley specifically searched for the Vice-President, NorthWind, and the subordinates she met yesterday.

Total radio silence.

No rebuttals, no mockery of WarWolf’s “embarrassment,” and not even a distress signal.

It was as if the entire guild had collectively disconnected from the internet.

This left the lurkers on the channel baffled, assuming the Drifters had actually been crippled.

Of course, the most confused people were the WarWolf leadership.

“WarWolf WildBlade: Still no word on what happened? I gave them two of our only three bikes. Don’t tell me they can’t take down a lucky solo guild?”

“WarWolf_Pango: “No idea, Boss. StrongMan messaged at the start saying it was tricky, but then nothing. They had a dozen men-the Drifters aren’t strong and don’t have many portals. Six or seven guys max.”

“WarWolf_WildBlade: All their icons are greyed out now. Are they dead? That makes no sense. Did they enter a special instance? And the Drifters aren’t talking either-are they dead too? Why is everyone quiet?”

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Chapter 234 The Vitality Shield

Chapter 234 The Vitality Shield

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She decided to leave them; it was unlikely anyone else could cross like she did, and she need to head back eventually anyway.

The snow began to fall again, but Riley’s mood was excellent.

She pulled out the keys and focused, materializing a snowmobile on the powder.

mig

Back on Earth, her riding skills were mediocre, but these things didn’t require balance; after few practice laps, she hit the throttle toward home, keeping in mind she only had one canis of

gas.

Riley sped back on her new ride, making a beeline for the open-pit coal mine.

“My lady! You’ve returned!”

Joseph and his nephews emerged from the mine with a cart full of coal, faces covered in soo but looking energized.

They spotted the snowmobile immediately; though curious, they were too disciplined to ask about it.

Noticing their stares, Riley gave them a simple explanation they could understand.

“It’s a snowmobile. Think of it as… a carriage that eats special food to run really fast across the

snow.”

Joseph and the others nodded thoughtfully as Riley asked about their progress.

“By your grace! With those quality tools and Lady Neeko’s help, we’ve pulled three full carts today!” Joseph boasted.

Riley estimated the haul at around four hundred units.

“Not bad,” Riley said with a nod.

Riley nodded.

Her stamina was still high; with her gear bonuses, everyday tasks barely drained her anymore.

“Since I’m here, I’ll do a bit of digging myself.”

Riley g

and headed into the deeper shafts.

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Chapter 234 The Vitality Shield

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Her signature violent mining style echoed through the tunnels once again.

An hour later.

The last massive chunk of anthracite fell from the wall.

“Obtained: High-Quality Anthracite x 150”

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Riley wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling the satisfying exhaustion of a fully spent stamina bar.

Including the natives’ output, her coal production for the day had shattered the 600-unit mark.

This level of steady income ensured she would never want for supplies again.

After stashing the coal and doing a quick reset, Riley headed to her workshop.

She opened the crafting menu, and the Cloak of Vitality recipe finally lit up.

The Life Crystal she’d found in the WarWolf mage’s bag was the final piece of the puzzle.

“Craft!”

Riley slammed the button.

The workbench erupted in a brilliant purple radiance as rare materials melted and wove together in the air.

Thanks to her new turbines, the speed was impressive, and a deep green cloak soon emerged.

“Congratulations! Obtained: Cloak of Vitality (Epic)”

Riley hurriedly checked the stats.

Gear: Cloak of Vitality

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Stat Boosts: Constitution +12, Agility +2

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+20 Fres

the snow.

Death on the wastes was final; there were no respawns here.

“Stop staring and start gathering the loot!” NorthWind barked at his crew.

He then turned his gaze toward the rock pile where Riley was hiding.

“Friend! Thank you for the assist!”

NorthWind shouted at the top of his lungs. “Come out and talk? The Drifters Alliance owes you big time!”

Behind the rocks, Riley assessed the situation.

These guys were too battered to be a threat, so she brushed the snow off her gear. She stowed her arbalest and stepped out, holding her Storm Splitter axes loosely.