Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94 Night Grind

Chapter 94 Night Grind

In the list of available constructions, one defensive structure had caught her eye for some time now.

“Defensive Structure: Stone Watchtower

“Requirements: Considerable amount of stone bricks, Wood.

“Function: Provides elevated line of sight, extends range and improves accuracy of projectile weapons.”

“Let’s go.”

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A brief flash of light later, a 10–foot–tall tower of rough–hewn stone rose snug against the inner side of the perimeter wall. Its top featured a small, roofed platform, accessible by a simple wooden ladder.

Riley climbed up. An icy wind whipped around her, but the vantage point was worth it.

Peering over the wall by the glow of the campfires below, her expression tightened.

Out on the snowfield, dense clusters of shadows shifted and wandered.

The ghouls they’d faced before were mostly stiff, shambling things–mindless and slow. But tonight, she could clearly make out several larger figures among them, dragging rusted lengths of chain or clutching splintered wooden clubs.

Their eyes were different too. Gone was the vacant, milky gray–white. Now, a faint, unsettling red gleam flickered in their sockets.

“Trait: Enhanced strength, displays rudimentary destructive behavior.”

“They’ve evolved.”

It was the system’s twisted sense of balance: as survivors grew stronger, so did the monsters. If she didn’t keep pushing her level up now, even crazier things would show up later. The stone walls alone wouldn’t save them then.

Riley pulled up her experience bar.

“Level: Lv.5 (45/100)”

Fifty–five points stood between her and Level 6.

“Guess we’re pulling a late one tonight,” she muttered to herself.

She glanced back into the yard where Neeko was half–heartedly swatting at falling snowflakes.

“Neeko! Break’s over. We’ve got work to do.”

Neeko’s head snapped up, ears perking, a spark of alertness flashing in her eyes.

As she called out, Riley opened her character panel. With a sense of grim resolve, she re–equipped the title she had stashed away earlier.

“Title: Unlucky Fool

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Chapter 94 Night Grind

“Status: Equipped

“Effect: All attributes +5

“Drawback: While equipped, survival loot chests will not spawn in the wild (Cursed Luck).”

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When you were out there grinding in the deadly open, raw stats were what kept you alive. As for loot? Ghouls were hardly known for dropping anything worthwhile anyway. The experience points were the real prize.

“Opening the gate!”

Riley pulled the heavy stone door ajar just enough to slip through.

The moment her boots hit the outside snow, the wandering ghouls let out a collective, raspy shriek.

“Graaahhh!!”

Dozens of heads turned in unison, those faint red pinpricks of light zeroing in on her.

Riley,didn’t hesitate. She drew her twin axes and charged.

With 27 points in Strength, boosted further by the 30% stamina cost reduction from her “Strider’s Knee Pads“, she was a force to be reckoned with.

“Neeko, you take the left flank! I’ve got the right! Don’t wander off!”

Neeko, who once would tremble at the sight of ghouls, had grown accustomed–if not comfortable–with the ugly creatures over the past few days. With a deep growl, she shifted into her bear form, reared up, and brought a massive paw down on the nearest ghoul, crushing it into the snow. The body disintegrated into dark sludge almost immediately.

Riley went all in. The “Storm Splitter Dual Axes” in her hands became a blur, whirling like twin azure cyclones.

“Thwack!”

A single, powerful chop cleanly severed the arm and the crude wooden club of an enhanced ghoul trying to block.

“Enhanced Ghoul slain. Experience +4”

“Even the XP yield is better now!”

A thrill shot through her, and she swung with renewed ferocity.

It was less of a fight and more of a systematic cleanup.

Despite their increased strength and crude weapons, against Riley’s rock–splitting force, their defenses might as well have been tissue paper.

The effect of the “Strider’s Knee Pads” was particularly noticeable. Before, after a few dozen intense swings, her arms would burn and her breath would grow ragged. Now, she felt a steady, relentless stamina, as if she could keep going and going.

“That’s fifty!”

“Sixty!”

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Chapter 94 Night Grind

Corpses piled up in heaps on the stained snow, dissolving almost too slowly to keep pace with her slaughter.

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