The moment Yunyan's gentle voice floated through the night air, her alluring gaze shimmering beneath the soft veil of moonlight, it created a feeling—an unmistakable sense that something… might just happen tonight.
But Lin Feng knew the truth.
At Level 1, these newly born mist banshees weren't so different from elemental spirits. They had form—yes—but it was far from human in essence. Any real "intimacy" was out of the question for now.
They needed to level up.
Take Mengmeng for example—now Level 2. Her body looked, even felt, nearly human. But Lin Feng knew she was still an elemental at her core. As they grew stronger, however, things would begin to change. Eventually, their forms could evolve to become indistinguishable from humans—or even better, something fluid, shifting between forms at will.
Then… something might really happen.
But for now, he had to endure. Yunyan, ever the playful one, seemed bent on teasing him at every opportunity. If anything, that made it worse.
After all, Lin Feng wasn't some bashful teenager. As the master of the floating farm, and having lived two lives, his mind was far more mature than his youthful face would suggest. He needed to maintain some authority.
And so, with a calm yet dangerous smile, he turned to her.
> "Yunyan," he said slowly. "Teasing your Master… comes with a price."
She blinked, wide-eyed and mischievous—curious, daring. Compared to the composed and elegant Chuxi, Yunyan was a chameleon. Pure one moment, sultry the next. She could be graceful as a noble lady, or seductive as a temptress.
> "Master~ Yunyan just wants you to stay with me a little while…"
she said sweetly, feigning innocence.
"But… what price are you talking about?"
Without a word, Lin Feng stepped forward and gently lifted her chin with a finger. Yunyan froze.
The next moment, his lips brushed softly against hers.
Her eyes widened—stunned, speechless.
After a few seconds, Lin Feng pulled back with a smirk.
> "That… is the cost of teasing your Master."
> "Wuwu… Master's bullying me~"
Yunyan pouted, her expression dripping with exaggerated grievance, eyes brimming like she might cry.
Before the mood could shift further, a voice interrupted.
> "Master, you're here."
Chuxi.
The instant she appeared, Yunyan's crocodile tears vanished. She straightened up a bit—nervous. Chuxi, being the firstborn mist banshee, naturally held the status of their "big sister." Even Yunyan had to behave around her.
> "I just came to check on things," Lin Feng said casually.
Chuxi nodded, her tone calm and composed.
> "The mist here is thick and damp. Not suitable for Master to stay long. If you wish to accompany him, Yunyan, perhaps use the treehouse instead. I'll watch over the forest."
> "Okay~"
Yunyan replied meekly, like a well-behaved child.
---
Later that evening, Lin Feng took the two of them to inspect the bramble forest.
Ever since the farm had upgraded to 1-star, the brambles had grown significantly—already over a meter tall. They wouldn't get much taller, maybe two or three meters at most, but that wasn't their purpose. Their strength would lie in sharper, more durable thorns.
If any enemy dared to step into this place, they'd regret it. The brambles would actively attack intruders, and with Lin Feng's control, they could become a deadly natural defense.
By the time the newcomer protection period ended, this living wall of thorns would serve as a powerful barrier.
They also checked the mistgrass. It too was thriving.
Everything… was progressing beautifully.
---
Satisfied, Lin Feng prepared to return for the night.
Chuxi and Yunyan saw him off. As he passed by Yunyan, she pouted again, cheeks puffed up like a child's. Lin Feng winked at her.
She turned away with a little "hmph," still feigning annoyance—but if one looked closely, there was a flicker of smug satisfaction in her eyes.
Yes, Yunyan hadn't changed.
And sure enough, the very next morning, when Lin Feng returned to witness the birth of the next mist banshee…
Yunyan was already at it again—teasing, flirting, stealing glances.
Some habits, it seemed, were impossible to break.
---
Mist Banshee: Gia
Level: 1
Skills: Fear Projection, Arrow of Dawn"
With her birth complete, the newest mist banshee chose her name—Gia.
These banshees didn't follow any naming conventions rooted in Eastern traditions. Instead, during their awakening, they often picked pleasant-sounding syllables overheard in conversations between Lin Feng, Chuxi, or the others. Their names were a personal patchwork of inspiration, born in the mist.
> "Master, Gia's blade shall fight for you."
Standing before Lin Feng, Gia's declaration resembled that of a knight making a solemn oath. Her demeanor was markedly different from both Chuxi and Yunyan—cool and composed, like a calm fog that concealed danger.
She gave off the air of an assassin cloaked in mist, her presence ever so subtle, always wreathed in a faint haze. Her skills reflected that nature too.
Fear Projection.
Each banshee's abilities, when examined closely, fell into two primary categories. The first centered on psychic and spiritual attacks:
Chuxi's Charm,
Yunyan's Mind Disruption,
And now, Gia's Fear Projection.
All were unique manifestations of mental warfare.
The second category was a shared signature move: Arrow of Dawn—a powerful ranged ability common to all mist banshees.
Gia's distinct edge, however, lay in her close-combat potential. She could manipulate mist itself in melee, weaving stealth and strikes in perfect tandem.
Indeed, though all mist banshees were born of the same essence, they each bore differences in personality, temperament, and combat specialty.
Especially Yunyan—no one teased Lin Feng quite like she did.
---
By the time Gia was born, Day 25 had arrived.
Only five days remained before the newcomer protection period ended.
The forums and chatrooms for new island lords were buzzing with tension and activity. Fewer people were selling their goods now—most had already found buyers and stuck with one, no longer eager to hustle for better deals.
During the day, island lords were too busy harvesting to chat idly.
But once night fell, the online spaces lit up.
At this point, discussions had shifted from "how much money I made today" to the far more nerve-wracking question:
> "What do we do after protection ends?"
Some had managed to turn a profit and had a little wealth stashed away. They were now wondering whether they should hire mercenaries for protection. But the dilemma was clear: hire too few, and they might not hold the line—lose the island and waste the money.
Hiring mercs wasn't cheap. Far costlier than hiring workers—after all, mercenaries were literally putting their lives on the line.
And that wasn't the only concern.
Once the protection phase ended, not only would periodic monster waves attack, but random small-scale invasions could occur at any time.
That uncertainty was what unnerved people the most.
The rules for elimination were simple:
> Don't let the monsters drive the island lord off their floating island.
Even if every plant was devoured, as long as the lord could stay holed up in a building, they wouldn't be disqualified.
But—what if the island lord had to return to Earth?
By system rules, the moment a lord left their island, a glowing orb would appear at the center of the island. No one else could take it, but it could be destroyed—by monsters or misfortune. If that happened, the island would be lost.
Thus, even experienced lords rarely left their islands. Most constructed fortresses or bunkers near the island's core, leaving loyal guardians behind when they had to step away.
---
At this stage, most new island lords were building defenses centered around their island cores. Few had the resources to wall off the whole island—those who did were usually gunning for the title of "Newcomer King" by protecting their crops and gaining high efficiency ratings.
For most, the goal was simpler:
> Survive.
If monsters ate the plants, so be it—just don't get eliminated.
Many were mining stone from their islands and using it to construct sealed bunkers near the core. Some even dug underground shelters to hide in.
But that wasn't a foolproof plan.
The monsters targeting newcomers weren't all weak. Some had mental abilities that could penetrate hiding places. Survival by evasion was risky.
You might hide for a while—but scattered monster waves would eventually contain enemies with the right skills to sniff you out.
Even if you weren't found, lingering monsters would likely remain on the island after an attack. You couldn't hide forever.
The only real solution?
> Face them. Fight. Push them back.
---
And so, the forums and chat groups filled with panic, planning, and anxiety as the final countdown began.
The age of true survival was about to begin.
---
While most new island lords were panicking under the looming pressure of the protection period's end, Lin Feng was calmly preparing for battle.
With Lansha and the others reaching Level 3, and the addition of the new Mist Banshee Gia, Lin Feng had already decided not to hire any mercenaries.
Besides, even if he wanted to, hiring one now was nearly impossible—demand had skyrocketed, and the mercenaries were already stretched thin. Prices had also hit absurd levels.
But Lin Feng had confidence. With two layers of outer defenses—the Thornwood Ring and the Mist Forest—he believed in the strength at his command.
---
> "Lord Lin, here's the latest model of the electric repeating crossbow you asked for.
The special bolts are heavier and will arrive tomorrow or the day after."
Inside the dedicated trading treehouse, Shen Mengxue was pushing a cart with a sleek, metallic crossbow mounted on top.
Crossbows had slightly longer range than regular bows, but their reload speed was a huge drawback. On top of that, proper training was required to use them effectively.
For the mist banshees, bows were far more natural.
They could summon the mist of the forest to enhance their draw speed and accuracy—almost as if born to shoot arrows.
---
Lin Feng had prepared two types of bows for them:
1. Light Bows – 100-pound draw weight.
These allowed the banshees to shoot up to three arrows per second, perfect for dealing with weak or average monsters.
2. Heavy Bows – 200-pound draw weight.
These were for stronger enemies. If push came to shove, the banshees could also unleash their Arrow of Dawn ultimate skill.
He had also provided two types of arrows:
Alloy-Tipped Arrows – More expensive, but ideal for enemies with tough armor or thick hides.
Refined Iron Arrows – Standard and cost-effective for routine battles.
Even though Lin Feng was now pulling in hundreds of thousands per day, he still opted for smart budgeting. After all, arrows were consumables.
---
The crossbow?
That was for Lin Feng himself.
But this wasn't just any crossbow—it was a high-end electric repeating model, leagues beyond a standard one.
Priced at nearly 200,000, it used custom bolts and featured an automated reloading mechanism with a 100-bolt magazine.
Once loaded, it could fire at a rate of one bolt per second, automatically drawing and reloading each time the trigger was pulled.
When the magazine ran dry, it could be swapped out for a fresh one in seconds.
The only caveat? Power.
The weapon required a large external battery pack—hardly convenient, but worth it for the firepower.
For the banshees, the electric crossbow would've been a waste. Their bow skills were more natural and efficient.
But for Lin Feng, it was perfect.
Even with his physique—three times stronger than a normal human—drawing a heavy bow repeatedly would eventually tire him out.
This crossbow let him maintain consistent firepower without overexertion.
---
Still, the main fighting force remained the banshees and elemental spirits.
Lin Feng was merely a supporting role in the battle lineup.
The Thunder Elemental Spirit, Lansha, was Lin Feng's greatest hope. Her attacks covered wide areas, and after reaching Level 3, her control over lightning had grown tremendously—she had even gained a new skill: Lightning Orb.
Bailing, the Water Spirit, also had decent offensive capabilities.
As for Miaomiao and Mengmeng, their strength didn't lie in direct combat.
Still, Miaomiao had recently begun digging a deep trench just outside the Thornwood barrier. At over three meters deep, it served as a trap—and would later double as a foundation for a fortress wall Lin Feng planned to build.
Mengmeng, on the other hand, focused on recovery magic, capable of restoring the strength and stamina of Lin Feng, the banshees, or any elemental allies.
---
Everyone had their role to play.
And Lin Feng's forces were shaping up into a well-rounded, formidable defense team.