Chapter 44: A Duel of Destiny
On the second day after bidding farewell to Diderot, Yang Jie summoned Tuqi to his office.
“Chief, what do you need from me?”
“Here’s the thing: put leveling on hold for now, and help me scout for copper mines in the Northen Plains.”
“That might take some time, Chief. The Northen Plains are nothing like the Horseshoe Highlands.”
“Just do as I say; you don’t need to worry about anything else.”
“Understood, Chief. I’ll get ready and set out immediately. I probably won’t return within a month.”
“Stay safe, my brother!”
After sending Tuqi off, Yang Jie put the matter of the copper mines out of his mind.
The transition from the Age of Darkness to the Bronze Age was a long and arduous journey.
But once the Bronze Age was reached, every race would unlock special units and large-scale units.
Later, ancient units and lord units would become available as well.
First, the copper mine had to be found, then a way to extract it, then widespread application and mastery of the craft—a process that would span a considerable period.
If entering the Age of Darkness from the Stone Age was a process of enlightenment, then entering the Bronze Age from the Age of Darkness was the ascension of civilization.
As a beta tester, Yang Jie understood the importance of each step; it was fine to progress slowly in the early stages, but the foundation had to be solid, or societal problems would soon arise.
...
Along the banks of the Tam River, Old Sha was directing hundreds of ratfolk as they pushed wheelbarrows back and forth between the river and Highcourt.
Stones were hauled from the Northen Plains and dumped into the river by the ratfolk.
Old Sha’s method was simple: lay the foundation with large stones, raising the riverbed by two meters.
Once the large stones were in place, medium-sized stones, about the size of a washbasin, were layered on top, adding another two meters.
At this stage, there was no steel reinforcement—only massive stones forming the riverbed foundation, layer upon layer, gradually extending toward the opposite bank.
Fortunately, the Tam River's current was calm, ideal for construction.
Once the earthen and stone cofferdam was completed, water could only flow over the top of the dam, thus raising the upstream water level and increasing the artificial lake’s depth.
Old Sha was known for his dedication, always at the forefront of the worksite, and now he was personally directing the ratfolk in moving stone.
“Line up the timber!”
“That one’s about to break—replace it with a new one.”
“Today's goal is to sink ten more giant stones before sunset—then we’re done.”
“Get ready, everyone, let’s put our backs into it!”
“One, two, three, lift!”
“One, two, three, lift!”
Through the ratfolk’s coordinated efforts, one giant stone after another rolled into the water.
...
Three hundred kilometers upstream from Highcourt, along the Tam River.
A group of humans labored at the riverside shipyard, while Wu Fan supervised the progress.
With the help of their guild allies, timber was no longer a concern; warships capable of carrying nearly two hundred men could be launched within three days.
Wu Fan belonged to the Human Alliance “Valiant Rangers.” After unifying the northern Tam River’s Parando Plains, their gaze shifted to the opposite bank.
First, it was worth mentioning that the north of Parando was a continuous escarpment, perfectly isolating the Parando Highlands.
To the south lay Scorpion Ridge, inhabited by powerful neutral races; not lord players, but a natural barrier formed by neutral creatures.
To the west was the formidable Tiger Ant Tribe, ranked thirteenth among the dark civilizations. The entire transverse mountain range belonged to the Tiger Ants, who had tunneled the mountains into a four-by-four underground kingdom.
These Tiger Ants frequently raided human settlements in the Parando Highlands at night, never staying to fight, snatching what they could before retreating into their labyrinthine tunnels, using the terrain as a natural shield. Human armies could not penetrate.
The “Valiant Rangers” guild president Xue Hui had tried negotiating, seeking peace, but was bluntly refused by the ant lord.
To this day, they were helpless against those elusive Tiger Ants; crude estimates put the livestock stolen at over two thousand head, but there was nothing to be done. Invading their pitch-black underground lair? That would be suicide.
Thus, the seven lord players of the Rangers banded together to invest in developing the opposite bank of the Tam River, appointing Wu Fan, the lord nearest the river, to oversee the project.
Due to the swift upstream current and the river’s breadth, bridging was impossible; shipbuilding was the only option.
A human officer approached Wu Fan.
“Chief, it won’t be long before our first batch of warships is ready for launch.”
“Naval training is intensifying as well. Before winter comes, we’ll have a fleet of two thousand sailors!”
“Hurry up, keep pace, and report the construction progress to our allied dwarf chief Xue Hui.”
“Understood, I’ll see to it right away.”
After delivering his instructions, the officer departed. Wu Fan gazed at the imposing human warships before him, his heart filled with confidence for the journey ahead.
...
Three thousand kilometers upstream along the Tam River.
At the foot of the Saintis Snow Mountains.
Goblin King Gu Xuan was inspecting the human captives he had just seized in his cave. Though he’d been in the otherworld for a year, his taste as a former human remained unchanged.
Suddenly, a goblin guard burst into Gu Xuan’s chamber.
“Bad news, Your Majesty!”
The guard stopped short, startled by the sight before him: the diminutive Goblin King Gu Xuan was riding atop the back of a human woman, lost in debauchery.
Gu Xuan, a notorious lecher, was utterly unperturbed, unceremoniously shoving the woman aside and calmly arranging his clothes.
“What are you yelling about? Out with it!”
He barked at the guard while tidying his hair.
“A lot of humans have come outside... They say we took their people...”
The guard spoke hesitantly, glancing at the naked woman and hinting at the matter delicately.
“Hmph, those losers! Fetch Holkin, I’ll meet him myself.”
...
“They’ve brought reinforcements, Your Majesty!”
“What reinforcements? Is it those loudmouths from Parrot Valley?”
“No, it’s a dragon—a juvenile thunder dragon...”
“Haha! A thunder dragon? And still a juvenile? So eager to throw themselves away—I won’t hold back, then.”
“To the cave mouth!”
Soon, a horde of goblins poured out from the mountain cave, large enough to serve as a tunnel, among them a nearly four-meter tall, burly ogre.
Opposite the goblins...
Lu Haomin, wielding a giant axe, rode atop Bael, flanked by over a thousand clansmen, all poised for battle.
Seeing Gu Xuan and his party emerge from the cave, Lu Haomin bellowed at the enemy:
“Gu Xuan, you’ve gone too far!”
“Raiding our farms again, sneaking about like a thief! Release my people at once!”
“Oho! You speak boldly, miss! Which eye saw us take your people? Tell me! Was it those two eyes on your head? Or the one below your waist? Hmm?”
Gu Xuan’s swaggering bravado was a stark contrast to his stature, and the surrounding goblins erupted in shrill laughter.
Gu Xuan seldom acted human even when he was one; now, he’d abandoned all pretense.
ROAR!!!
Bael, incensed by the goblins’ arrogance, unleashed a furious roar, silencing their laughter instantly.
“Oho! Where’d this little dinosaur come from? A fresh face, eh? Looks fierce—off milk yet?”
The goblins burst into fresh peals of laughter.
“Gu Xuan, this is your last chance, or else...”
“Or else what? Gonna kill me? Go ahead! Come on!”
Lu Haomin’s words were cut short as Gu Xuan interrupted, his face begging for a beating, pointing at his stretched neck.
Not only Gu Xuan, but the goblins behind him cursed incessantly, hurling taunts with wild abandon.
Lu Haomin was furious, feeling Gu Xuan was an utter fool; you couldn’t exchange more than three sentences before losing patience.
Abandoning any hope of negotiation, she raised her stone axe and shouted:
“Everyone, charge with me! I won’t leave this mountain until these dwarfs are beaten flat!”
ROAR!!!
Gu Xuan sneered, showing no fear, and shouted in his raspy voice, “Boys! Bury them all today—don’t let a single one go!”
“Roar!”
No more pointless words—the goblins and humans crashed together, battle erupting in full fury...