The idea of ancient-style armor forged with modern techniques... Su Chen had to admit, there was something to it.
As things stood, for Essences and Runes to adhere to an item—an inorganic object—the object itself needed a certain degree of durability. Something like cardboard was out of the question.
Armor, being heavy and solid, was an excellent vessel for Runes.
Rune Armor. ’It has potential.’
However...
It was all too soon.
For one, it was still unclear if the shop owner’s brother was even alive.
"We’ll see."
Su Chen didn’t give it much thought. After finishing his shopping, he slung a brand-new hiking backpack over his shoulder and left the store.
When Xing Jingsong learned that Su Chen’s RV was parked far away, he offered to give him a ride. After Su Chen declined, Xing Jingsong enthusiastically informed him that there were several four-wheeled sightseeing carts parked on the side of the commercial street that he could take and leave as he pleased.
Outside, the men eating barbecue remained silent. Only after Su Chen drove the small cart and vanished at the end of the commercial street did they walk into the shop, letting out a collective sigh of relief.
"There was something really creepy about that guy. Was it some kind of Rune effect? The air doesn’t feel so oppressive now that he’s gone. Is it just me?" one of them said, the lingering fear still palpable as he recalled the feeling.
Every time he had tried to stare at the young man’s back, a chill had run down his spine, forcing him to quickly look away.
"Could he have some kind of invisible guard next to him?"
This seemed highly likely. Many suspected it was some kind of Dark Element Rune effect—perhaps a phantom bodyguard or a summoned creature.
Xing Jingsong gave a bitter smile. He admitted he’d been tempted to take a peek himself, but in the end, he hadn’t raised his thermal imaging goggles.
He didn’t know if it would cause offense.
"Let’s not get sidetracked. We need to prepare to guard the ramp entrance."
Xing Jingsong was certain of one thing: with that young man gone, monsters were likely to attack in the second half of the night. They couldn’t afford to relax.
The four-wheeled sightseeing cart was basically a glorified golf cart with its frame removed.
Before long, Su Chen drove the small vehicle back to the core area of the public campground.
The round trip had taken about three hours.
Looking up at the starry sky, he saw that the number of large birds circling overhead had dwindled significantly. The few that remained were either too stubborn to leave or had only recently arrived.
The panic and turmoil caused by the stealthy Dark Element monsters had long since subsided.
Technology had not failed humanity; the thermal imaging goggles had been a game-changer.
While some shops in the Qingye Collection campground sold them, the tactical gear enthusiasts in the RV alliance had no shortage of them.
Humans had turned the tables on the creatures. Some arrogant Night Tigers, unaware that their invisibility was now useless, had been lured to their deaths.
Regarding this, Su Chen used his newly acquired thermal goggles to look at Xiaoye and found that it stood out clearly. However, once he had it enter its Shadow Shifting state and phase out of reality, the thermal imaging was completely useless against it.
’I see.’
’This thing is the top-tier counter, the absolute bane of stealthy Dark Element creatures.’
’And they’re available in large quantities. No wonder things in the campground have gotten more relaxed.’
After the simple experiment, having returned to the safe zone, Su Chen recalled Xiaoye. There was no need to continuously consume Rune Energy.
He first went back to his RV to unload the heavy hiking backpack but kept the smaller canvas bag.
The former was suitable for heading deep into the Mysterious Forest tomorrow morning, while the latter was lightweight and better for moving around the immediate area.
The trading was about to begin...
Earlier in the evening, a base-wide announcement had informed everyone that a conference hall would be made available for private trading of Essences. Now that the situation had stabilized somewhat, people were starting to make their moves.
The need for such a market stemmed from personal Elemental affinities. Everyone had discovered early on that they couldn’t absorb every Essence or Rune that dropped.
These surplus Essences were earned by risking life and limb; no one was about to just give them away.
Because of this limitation, and to avoid any moral pressure or disputes, a peaceful, open marketplace had naturally emerged.
Just then, the base’s broadcast crackled to life again.
It was General Manager Shao.
"The security situation at the campground is currently stable. Thank you all for your hard work. Conference Halls One and Two in the public service area are now open as trading halls. Additionally, our staff will begin distributing a late-night snack for tonight."
"The medical room currently has three beds available. The base is also offering a high price to purchase Wood Element Essences. Anyone interested is welcome to come and discuss the details."
The broadcast concluded with a brief mention of the night watch rotation, but in truth, there was little need to formally assign people to the watch.
Everyone’s motivation was already quite high.
Take the Longitudinal Line Club, for instance. The massive convoy of RVs had already mobilized. Led by an Armadillo T-model off-road RV that was comparable in size to a heavy-duty truck, the entire group had moved into the northern food court area ahead of schedule.
Using the surrounding buildings and a nearby river for cover, the group actively participated in defending the northern sector of the base.
Two professional-grade thermal imaging drones provided air support, constantly scanning the resort area to the north.
With a well-equipped and tightly organized convoy of over a hundred people, it was difficult for lone wolves and small groups to compete.
The club’s leader, Lv Taihong, was a highly capable man. He had years of experience in the French Foreign Legion, had run a shooting range, and had organized mountaineering expeditions. Now, he was the founder of the Longitudinal Line RV Club and, on top of that, the owner of an MCN agency that cultivated numerous outdoor-focused content creators.
It had to be said, social skills were a true art form.
He had even managed to easily win over the Archers who’d had a falling out with Feng Zhiyuan, the archery range owner, effectively absorbing them into his own organization.
With him shaking things up on the northern defense line, it looked like the area would become the Longitudinal Line Club’s exclusive hunting ground during the second half of the night.
Meanwhile, on the west side of the base, the undisputed MVPs were Feng Zhiyuan and his people. However, the defensive line was long, with a large and disorganized mix of participants. They were still debating who would take the watch for the second half of the night.
It was a clear display of the gap in leadership and organizational ability.
At that moment, across the vast campground, charcoal fires in numerous barbecue grills were being lit once again.
Beside a bonfire, Su Chen had just finished grilling a thick-cut tomahawk steak. Both sides were golden-brown and the fat had rendered perfectly, releasing an enticing aroma from the Maillard reaction.
As his knife sliced through the meat, pink juices slowly seeped out. The steak was perfect.
Two years of living in an RV had honed his cooking skills.
The aroma drew sighs of admiration from Yan Ziqian and the others under a large canopy tent. The group of eight from the Jingcheng University Archery Club had just arrived. Those who knew how to cook were grilling together, as a staff member had just delivered several more packs of steak, lamb skewers, and vegetables.
Those who couldn’t cook helped clean up the messy area and dragged a nearby bird carcass away.
Besides them, a young couple, a small family, and a group of three also arrived, forming a makeshift dinner party for the late-night meal.

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