Thanks to Green KiTea for the kofis, enjoy the bonus chapters!

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Upon stepping outside, Jian Xingyi spotted several zombies wreaking havoc near his fence, attempting to break in. One of them knocked over the axe and shovel he’d placed by the door.

Jian Xingyi thought for a moment, then pulled out his bow and arrows to practice.

After shooting all three zombies dead, Jian Xingyi stepped forward to inspect the damage to his fence.

Since the guild walls had been dismantled, the fence had reverted to being a health-bar item similar to the old barriers. Jian Xingyi would have to spend money to repair it.

Ugh…

Jian Xingyi sighed helplessly.

Everything revolves around dawn coins now, right?

Jian Xingyi considered it. Having Baizhou and Heiye lead patrols within the guild was indeed essential. Without this protection, they were essentially exposed to the wilderness.

After breakfast, Jian Xingyi decided to discuss this with Baizhou.

“Hire them?”

“Exactly.” Jian Xingyi nodded. “I have extra axes and shovels here. So after everyone heads out, maybe your patrol squad could help build some manual fences and defenses?”

“That’s actually a great idea!” Baizhou chuckled. “Don’t call it hiring. You don’t need to pay any wages. Helping you is helping ourselves. I think everyone would be more than happy to assist.”

Jian Xingyi smiled shyly. “Well, it’s not quite like that… After all, my home probably needs more protection than others.”

Jian Xingyi briefly explained his situation to Baizhou.

After his expedition, he managed his fields, livestock, and trade remotely, meaning he was rarely home.

But he feared zombies invading his home might infect his precious cattle and sheep, so his residence required extra protection.

“Understood. We’ll keep a closer eye after you leave. We’ll look after your home—go with peace of mind. But…” Baizhou paused, then spoke softly, “Your home is quite remote… Actually, there’s a better solution if you’re willing.”

Jian Xingyi froze.

Oh, right.

Jian Xingyi’s home was the most isolated in the entire guild. Everyone else had settled around the Golden Circle, concentrated in the city center, while he alone remained at the back gate.

Previously, everyone had invited Jian Xingyi to relocate to the Golden Circle, but he had refused. Therefore, Baizhou didn’t press the matter now, merely informing him of the option.

Jian Xingyi thought to himself, it was true. Because his home was so remote, the patrol teams would have to make a special detour to check on him. Not only was it inconvenient for them, but it also inevitably led to oversights.

Moreover, his home was closest to the main gate and the outer perimeter. That meant if zombies, beasts, or intruders came, his house would be the first target—and it happened to hold the most resources.

But if he lived within the Golden Circle, surrounded by other houses, not only would he be safer, but everyone would keep an eye out for him. It could be called the safest place in the guild.

So…

Jian Xingyi asked, “Earlier, you mentioned there’s still an empty plot in the Golden Circle you wanted me to move to… Is it still possible now?”

Initially, Jian Xingyi found the idea of living surrounded by people in the city center terrifying, but now he’d grown familiar with everyone.

If his neighbors were Heiye, Baizhou, Lone Wolf, and the others, that wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“Absolutely! We’ve been saving it for you!” Baizhou beamed with delight.

Jian Xingyi had kept his distance before, but now he was willing to move downtown. This showed he’d accepted them halfway, no longer so resistant.

Jian Xingyi said, “Then I’ll go find Chacha now.”

After moving to the Golden Circle, Jian Xingyi found himself somewhat surprised.

He’d known the Golden Circle’s land would offer players more farmland and breeding areas—after all, the plots were larger here. But for the Jian Xingyi of the past, that difference hadn’t mattered much. Now, however… it was a completely different story.

Jian Xingyi had already maxed out his farmland capacity. Moving to the Golden Circle suddenly unlocked vast new expansion potential.

Jian Xingyi: “…!”

He’d nearly forgotten this layer existed!

Thank goodness he moved!

He now owns 50 plots of land. Thanks to the Golden Circle, he could expand even further.

Jian Xingyi directly expanded by a full… 10 B-grade fields! This process consumed a significant amount of his synthesized magic potion. Not only that, but he also spent 500,000 to purchase a C-grade livestock farm, bringing his total to three livestock farms.

With three now, Jian Xingyi reorganized them: one for dairy cows, one for sheep, and one for beef cattle.

After completing all this, Jian Xingyi’s balance stood at 39.66 million.

He planted crops on the remaining ten fields. For instance, feed increased from 2 to 5 units per field, as he now had more animals.

Afterward, Jian Xingyi sat in the courtyard, admiring his homestead.

The Golden Circle house sat beside an artificial lake. Outside lay the beautiful lake and woodlands, while inside, Jian Xingyi’s home—considered luxurious in the game—was equally impressive. The vast yard featured wisteria trees, beneath which lay densely planted fields of crops. Adjacent was a sizable breeding area.

Jian Xingyi’s home was no longer just a house—it was an estate.

He had become a small landowner, for his holdings… were truly vast, stretching beyond sight.

After Jian Xingyi moved to the city center, everyone witnessed a towering mansion rise from the guild’s central plot. Compared to the system’s default wooden houses surrounding it, those structures looked like… shacks.

The mansion was filled with birdsong and blooming flowers, lush and verdant, with fertile fields and a variety of livestock.

Passersby couldn’t help but glance sideways at Jian Xingyi’s house.

Woo-woo…

It just goes to show, people really are different!

Jian Xingyi happily finished tending to one corner of the backyard, then packed up and prepared to head to Flag-Raising Mountain.

But then something occurred to him.

He could remotely control his fields, but the Synthesis Station… that was impossible!

How would he shop while away?

Jian Xingyi scoured the marketplace but found no solution. Finally, he concluded he had no choice but to… use up his last remaining Wish Bottle.

Jian Xingyi tried writing down his wish.

【Want an extra crafting station】

It didn’t light up.

Seems crafting stations are precious to the system—the biggest game-changer for business players—and can’t be handed out freely.

Alright then…

Jian Xingyi tried again.

【Hope to use crafting stations in the wild too. Crafting stations aren’t tied to homesteads but assigned to account names】

This time it lit up, but Jian Xingyi began pondering whether spending a wish bottle this way was worth it.

If he hadn’t used this wish bottle, he wouldn’t be able to leave home, or if he did, he wouldn’t be able to buy or sell. But by using it, he could not only go on expeditions but also freely craft food outdoors.

This meant that even if he found himself without a guild or home again, he could still make food in the wild.

In other words, even in the worst-case scenario—if their guild got wiped by zombies and their home destroyed—he could still cook outdoors!

Thinking about it this way, it suddenly seemed worthwhile. At least one less thing to worry about going forward!

Jian Xingyi made his wish.

【Player 【Xinghe】 successfully made a wish! Player 【Xinghe】 has unlocked the ability to use synthesis machines in the wild!】

With everything prepared, Jian Xingyi informed everyone in the guild channel before patting the heads of his livestock.

“Goodbye, sheep. Goodbye, cows. Goodbye, dairy cows.”

Then he… left his home behind.

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Flag-Raising Mountain was the location with the most man-made structures outside Dawn Town, including player PVP arenas, hospitals, and abandoned military bases.

While no NPCs operated here, the area was rich in diverse resources. Such abundance naturally came with geographical constraints.

If the Lava Volcano Zone was scorching and the Thousand Bells Snow Mountain was bitterly cold, then Flag-Raising Mountain was… windy.

Jian Xingyi spent a day crossing from Peace Mountain over the Lava Volcano. By the time he reached the base of Flag-Raising Mountain, night had fallen, and he was utterly exhausted.

Panting heavily, Jian Xingyi first felt relieved he’d saved a slice of watermelon to eat, then realized he should probably start saving up for a new motorcycle.

Without a ride, getting anywhere meant relying on his own two legs—frugal and eco-friendly, but… it was brutal on the legs!

But motorcycles were ridiculously expensive. He’d seen Haihai and Heiye’s bikes—basic models, nothing fancy, yet still costing at least a million. Lone Wolf’s was heavily modified and upgraded, faster but pricier.

Shuixi’s bike was probably the coolest he’d seen—like a massive beast that could “tackle mountains of blades and seas of fire.” But that was an NPC’s ride, system-issued, so who knew how much it cost.

If a player bought one and modified it to that level, it’d likely run into the millions.

Jian Xingyi could afford a basic model now, but…

Jian Xingyi had spent too much recently. Though he still had considerable funds left, he feared his finances wouldn’t hold up if he kept splurging like this.

He still needed to buy land.

Jian Xingyi felt conflicted.

Ah, well, he’d explore first. After all, he’d made it to Flag-Raising Mountain under his own steam.

If Lava Volcano was barren, with only a few withered trees at best, then Flag-Raising Mountain’s forests were as lush and verdant as Peace Mountain’s. The difference lay in the trees themselves: taller, with thick, straight trunks devoid of branches, and large, slender leaves. Most were resilient evergreen trees like palm trees, built to withstand fierce winds.

Jian Xingyi looked around with some curiosity.

The first thing that caught his eye was the landmark at the entrance to Flag-Raising Mountain—a towering flagpole piercing the clouds. A flag fluttered atop it, swaying back and forth in the wind, bearing the emblem of Flag-Raising Mountain.

Whoosh—

No sooner had Jian Xingyi arrived and begun admiring the flag than a sudden gust of wind knocked him backward.

Jian Xingyi: “??”

Struggling to his feet, he lay sprawled on the ground, utterly stunned.

He never imagined he’d be the one “weak as a reed” one day.

And…

Jian Xingyi touched his face. It felt like he’d been slapped—it stung.

The wind here… was ridiculously strong!

And apparently, tornadoes struck from time to time.

In that instant, Jian Xingyi realized watermelons would definitely sell faster than lava volcanoes in the Flag-Raising Mountain area. He’d only heard about it before, but experiencing it firsthand made him realize just how physically draining it was.

What was even more ironic was that just as he thought about it, it happened.

Jian Xingyi looked up to see a tornado sweeping in from the distance.

“…”

???