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Sending workers to procure materials is out of the question. Not only has the Endless Night begun, making the walkers active, but sending cultivators to mine is impossible. So, I sent in my puppets, which got robbed on multiple occasions.

The strange part is, whoever was able to attack and survive my small squad of puppets that went to mine was far higher in cultivation level than them and had little need for the materials they had. It wasn\'t simply to rob but to sabotage, and that pisses me off.

However, there was a simple way to handle this. I placed a few poisons known only to me in the ammunition of the puppets I\'m now sending to harvest more natural resources. Since the Zodiac Mystic Apothecary is open and known to all, one of the assailants, if affected by the poisons, is bound to come to my own clinic. Only then will I figure out who the fucker messing with me is.

The Blue Sun had sent me a jade detailing her progress in the creation of Soulsteel, and how little success she found in using the souls of beasts. She must be wracking her brain trying to figure out a new way to solve that issue, but I can\'t help her nor am I expected to. For someone of her caliber, helping her is akin to slapping her in the face.

She would rather struggle and brainstorm for a thousand years than ask for help.

For my growth and expansion project, I needed to make roads. Not in the literal sense, because cultivators can simply do low flight to move along the Sea of Demons. Maintaining a road in a wandering dune area is a waste of resources as the entire road could get covered in a single night if a powerful sandstorm happens.

But figurative roads, protected and organized by puppets alongside them standing as guards to help both navigate cultivators and protect any caravans or merchants moving through the darkness of the night. Which had just begun… Explore hidden tales at M V L

The winds howled ominously as the sun slowly but surely darkened, dipping below the horizon and casting long shadows over the Sea of Demons. The anticipation in the air was palpable, a thick blanket of tension that clung to every breath.

I stood at the highest tower of the imperial palace, overlooking the bustling city below. The preparation for the Endless Night was in full swing, but there was still much to do.

"We need to expedite the fortifications," I muttered to myself, my eyes scanning the horizon. The walkers were becoming more frequent, their numbers swelling as if sensing the impending doom.

A sudden gust of wind brought Old Man Fu, who I had finally gotten the chance to meet after the tournament.

"Yo," I said.

The old man snickered. "You ditched me back there."

"I mean, you saw with your own eyes what happened. So, what brought you here?" I asked.

"The Red Sun agreed to your suggestion of open trade between the two regions. He also asked you to seek shelter in his territory if things get ugly."

"You\'ll go back?" I asked.

"Nah, all the fun is here," Old Man Fu said.

"Good, I can use a helping hand. Also, congratulations on reaching the Origin Shattering Realm."

"I actually was about to come and help you fight against the emperor, but I received news that you already cleared up the entire area in a single hour. Quite impressive, enough to almost have a certain sun receive a stroke," Old Fu laughed.

He probably meant the Cryptic Sun. Though I have no idea why he\'s being such a dick to me, but screw him regardless.

"So, what are your plans?" he asked.

"Plans... well, right now, the entire cities are undergoing a shitload of maintenance and fortifications. I\'ll show you," I said as I jumped down and Old Fu followed me.

The moment we got down, he saw with his own eyes the absurd number of puppets moving about, carrying heavy materials and frameworks all over the city.

"What is this?" Old Fu asked, astonished.

"We need to create a network of barriers and fortifications around the major cities," I explained. "These barriers will need to be manned by my puppets and reinforced with powerful talismans and inscriptions to hold off the Rakshasa, albeit for a little bit of time. Although I\'ll need to mobilize cultivators, no one will willingly follow a newly appointed emperor when the real threat begins.

After all, no one knows that the Rakshasa are coming."

"I see. Then we can ask the Red Sun for a few of his troops," Old Fu suggested.

"Not now. I need to see how much of this mess I can handle. Also, remember, more troops don\'t mean a better chance at victory. These fuckers can simply consume them and make new members of their own race from the extracted souls of the dead cultivators. We need to tread carefully."

"What about those, uh, towers? Remember the tower defense towers you built back in the Cryptic Sun\'s game?" Old Fu asked.

I smiled. "Look at the walls," I said, directing Old Fu\'s gaze.

The long bleached walls of the city were tall, and right above them were several octagonal pillars that rose high up.

"What are those?" Old Fu asked.

"Those are the defense towers. There is heavy artillery inside those pillars that will only open up when the real threat of the Rakshasa arrives. As for the walls, there are puppets acting as guards and will help subdue anything that approaches. I need to familiarize the people with the sound of explosives too, so I\'ll be doing a test round tonight," I said.

I then turned to the automaton who was following me and asked it to relay my commands.

The automaton nodded, immediately sending out a flurry of commands to the puppet army. The mechanical beings moved with precision and efficiency, their singular purpose driving them forward. They began installing several cannons and lined up along the high walls of the city, preparing for the upcoming danger.

When the people see the emperor sending reinforcement orders, they tend to panic. Some, who are foolish, would rather tread the dark Endless Night that just begun and run away from what seems to be a danger zone. Others, who cannot leave, will do their own thing—a way of survival, fortification.

People hurried about, gathering supplies, reinforcing their homes, and preparing for the unknown. Fear mingled in their eyes, casting endless shades of doubt and uncertainty. Yet the weakness of their selves, unable to leave, forced them to take a resolute stance, staying in their own homes.

This was happening all over the twelve cities. Everyone felt the urge, panic, and fear of the Endless Night. So far, I\'m thankful that the real horror hasn\'t been revealed yet. Because if they were to know how terrifying the Rakshasa are, riots would ensue and break out everywhere.

The walkers were roaming about, groggy and unable to move at first. During this time, the sun should be high up in the skies. But it had already darkened to the point that everything turned black.

Lights lit up along the walls of the city, and bonfires were slowly being erected all over the city. Though far away, you could still see a few lights here and there, from cultivators who got trapped during the darkening of the night, or from faraway cities of the Sea of Demons. Visibility was thankfully clear.

The only issue is, the rapid cooling of the atmosphere due to the absence of the sun was bound to create fog sooner or later, which will make things more annoying. Not only will it be dark, but it will also have monsters in it. Quite the horror scene, if I may say so.

"Automaton," I said.

The automaton immediately appeared at my side. "Yes, master."

"How is the situation outside?" I asked.

"From the reports, nothing but walkers. They\'re too confused to realize that a city is near them. Should we begin the elimination process?" it asked.

"No, leave them be. They may have their own use," I said.

"As you command," the automaton replied.

"What about the scouts?" I asked.

"Deployed and are sending in information every now and then. As for the workers and miners, nothing to report so far. Everything is working fine right now."

"Good, good..." I said to myself. It looks like it\'s going to be a quiet night for now.

But I knew better than to trust a fleeting calm. The Endless Night had just begun, and the real challenges were yet to come.

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Hello, biako here, just saying a lot of thieving websites have been plagiarizing my work. If you, a reader is reading this and you\'re not on Webnovel platform, please refrain from reading stolen work that I\'m not receiving anything on, especially if you\'re being asked to pay or watch any ads on any other platform. For those thieving websites I hope y\'all burn in hell :)

anyway, if you wish to support me directly if you cannot afford the fees, this is my Paypal,

thx for the support and to hell with thieves. Have some shame