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Chapter 800: The Revived Harbor

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

A flat yet spacious concrete ship slowly made its way into Clearwater Bay and berthed in front of Simbady.

Its size was much larger than that of the small boats which occasionally appeared in the Silver Stream, and its weight made it practically impossible to be rowed by manpower. On its top stood two long metal cylinders that puffed out billows of black smoke. Its sides were painted an eye-catching tangerine color, which together with the smooth gray deck made the ship look like a belly-up rainbow trout at first glance.

Like most of his brethren, Simbady had never left the desert, and rarely if ever saw the ocean. Thus, when he saw that this ship was not made of wood, he could not help but exclaim in marvel.

There was a stir of excitement among the ranks.

"Pah!"

Osha's supervisor immediately snapped a whip towards their heads. "Keep your mouths shut! Line up and get on the ship, faster!"

Simbady felt the crowd begin to stream forward. With the people behind him jostling, it was impossible not to move. As he was carried by the momentum of the crowd on to the ship, a slight fear arose in his heart.

Perhaps, he should never have left Silver Stream Oasis to come to this foreign land. Though there was an endless supply of water here, there was a chance that the Three Gods could not watch over such a remote place, and therefore would not hear their cries for help if the ship carried them into the abyss of Styx's River.

"Hold on to me and watch your step!" Molly's voice caused him to regain consciousness.

A delicate hand wrapped around his palm and led him on to the gangway. Every now and then, someone from beside him would fall into the water with a splashing sound.

Though the people on the pier would quickly pull them ashore, to fall into the river in this sort of weather essentially meant that they lost the qualification to work.

When they pleaded to be reallowed onto the ship, the standard reply they received was a lash from a whip.

Simbady remained close to Molly and followed the flow onto the concrete ship. As his foot met the deck, he did not feel the wobble he had expected. The ship was completely still, and it felt no different from walking on land.

When the gangway was withdrawn, the honcho of Osha clan, Thuram, appeared on the high platform in the middle of the large ship and drew everyone's attention. "Do y'all still remember what I said? The chief values order and discipline above all else! Take a look at your clansmen who fell into the water. The original plan was for everyone to board smoothly and receive a work opportunity, so that you may obtain ample food even in the Months of Demons. But now, they'll have to starve until the next opportunity comes about! This was all caused by your stupidity!"

"It was nothing but a fall. All they need is a change of clothes...," an Ironsand citizen retorted, but before he could finish his sentence, two supervisors had pressed him down on the floor and subsequently tossed him into the water.

"Discipline is everything! There's no collective that accommodates the individual, only individuals who submit to the collective!" Thuram rebuked angrily. "Unlike the clan wars of the past, it's no longer lurking enemies who are being eliminated, but rather your own kin! Take this as my first lesson to all of you and remember it!" He paused before continuing, "Of course, those who lost their jobs today will only go hungry for a while. However, in the future, anyone from the Sand Nation or tribe who doesn't observe order shall be banished from this evergreen land!"

As his voice fell, a booming noise erupted from the metal cylinders and rolled across the sky above Port of Clearwater.

The giant metal wheels on both sides of the hull gradually began to rotate. After a violent shake, the concrete ship slowly sailed out towards the mouth of the river.

" Thank you. If it wasn't for you..." Simbady glanced at Molly.

The latter laughed and narrowed her eyes to slits. "It's nothing. It just happened that I was ahead of you in the order."

"Really..." He lowered his head with some embarrassment.

He and Molly were both members of the Fishbone clan, and they had conversed with each other on occasion. He had always been fond of this hazel-eyed, black-braided-hair girl, but having heard that she already had a sweetheart, he had thought it wiser not to reveal his feelings to her.

After some silence, he gazed at her while she leaned over the side of the ship, curiously observing the scenery on both sides of the river. He could not help asking, "Are you not the least bit worried about where we're going?"

She turned her head back. "Blackwater Valley?"

"Indeed. I've heard from the other clansmen that it's close to the Choke Swamp and Rotten Wasteland, and has been cursed by the Three Gods. Anyone who enters without permission will never be able to come back alive."

"So, did they apply for permission?"

"Eh, about this..."

Molly laughed involuntarily. "Don't they hope that as little people as possible get this job, so that their own clansmen may receive more money? You've also heard from Lady Drow Silvermoon that so long as you do things according to the chief's instructions, you'll never have to worry about the material needs of your family, while your tribe will also receive resource subsidies." She puffed out a mouthful of white air. "Besides, do we have a choice?"

The last sentence truly shut Simbady up. Indeed, the first clans to willingly follow Osha to the Southern Territory of Graycastle were predominantly small tribes which found it hard to continue in the Silver Stream Oasis. Fishbone was one of them. The oasis which they had occupied was currently being devoured by the desert, while the increasingly dry tributary of the Silver Stream made it impossible to guarantee the survival of the clan. In order to survive, they either had to join another big clan, or venture towards the Southern Territory.

"Thinking positively, at least the chief has fulfilled his first promise. We no longer have to worry about starving to death in the desert, right?"

Simbady could not refute this point. According to Lady Silvermoon's explanation, even those who were not able to attain a job out at sea would be able to receive a basic ration. As long as they could perform odd jobs for the reconstruction of the Southern Territory, they would not starve to death.

"Besides, there are Osha people following us to Blackwater Valley. You don't have to worry too much." Molly laughed and pointed at a ruined port in the distance. "Look there... the land allotted to our clan should be near to that black tower, right? It'll be great if we can stay here forever."

Simbady looked towards the direction she pointed at. The Port of Clearwater appeared to have been divided into two. Half of it was a burnt-down wasteland which seemed to have been forgotten and deserted, with damaged houses and scorched wooden frames everywhere, and the courtyards were filled with weed. Conversely, the other half already possessed a budding vitality. Here, the Ironsand people had set up a series of tents, and people could be seen moving within the camp area. The damaged houses were being knocked down one after another, while freshly whittled wood was continuously being transported into the area.

Molly's smile caused a surge of anticipation to rise in his heart.

"Perhaps, after I'm done with the next three months of work and return here, near to the tower will be a line of brand-new wooden houses?"

The being-reconstructed town slowly disappeared in the distance, until the ship began to bobble up and down on the waves. The only scenery at present was the clear and boundless skyline.

They had entered into the ocean.

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Chapter 801: Endless City

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

"Is this... really OK?" Through the commanding post's window, Echo saw those Sand Nation civilians being whipped and tumbling on the ground. She could not help but feel sorry for them.

"They never knew what discipline was. They lived by the rule that 'the Weak are Prey to the Strong'. If we're to put these people into use sooner, other than sending them to war, this is the only way." Iron Axe replied in respect. "You hadn't been in the Southernmost Region for long and during that period, the chief was very concerned about you, so you might not be familiar with the small clans' natures. Such a kind of discipline isn't severe. One can even say it's necessary, otherwise they would consider Osha a clan with no authority, weak and easy to bully."

At this, he showed a rare hint of hesitation. "I think the reason that you're not used to it is probably that... His Majesty is sometimes too benevolent."

"Completely agreed." Andrea, resting her upper body on the window sill, shrugged. "There is a saying among the nobles 'carrots combined with sticks make the best way of ruling the subjects'. The bigger the carrots are, the more benevolent the Lord will be."

"What are carrots?" Hummingbird asked in curiosity.

"They're kind of food, similar to His Majesty's corn, a sort of specialty of the Kingdom of Dawn," Andrea explained. "But no matter how big the carrots are, they should always be much smaller than the sticks, which indicates that punishment should be more severe than awards so that the subjects would appreciate the favor. A Lord such as Roland would be considered a black sheep in the City of Glow."

"Rare as it is, truthfully, I agree with you," Ashes said while pouting.

"His Majesty is especially eloquent?" With her chin resting on her hands, Hummingbird thought for a while and said, "The words he taught Thuram to speak sound very reasonable... The collective power is definitely stronger than an individual's power."

"But Thuram merely repeated what Roland told him to say." Iron Axe shook his head, smiling. "Without seeing Neverwinter personally, one can never imagine what an inconceivable new order His Majesty has established. I believe that one day in the future, Graycastle will become another Neverwinter, but that day is definitely not today... To make them remember the rules in the Soutern Territory, whips are more powerful than words."

Echo slightly sighed without saying a word.

"Commander-in-chief." A soldier suddenly walked into the commanding post and said, "There is a riot breaking out in the Fallingstone Clan and the Spring Clan. Some people are confronting the Defending Army."

"For boarding the ship?" Iron Axe asked solemnly.

"Yes. Those who were squeezed into the water called for their families. They asked for the same amount of food and reward. They argued that it's not that they didn't want to go to the Blackwater Valley, but that the Osha had turned them down."

"Alright. Who is guarding the camp?"

"The Second Battalion of Flintlock."

"Call up two squads and those young Osha lads who wanted to join the First Army. Tell them to gather at the riot spot. I'll be there right away."

"Yes, Sir!"

Seeing that Iron Axe was about to leave, Echo could not help but call him and said, "Please don't be too harsh on them."

Iron Axe stood in the doorway quietly for a moment, bowed to her and then said, "I understand, Miss Silvermoon. I'll do it in moderation."

After Iron Axe left, Echo returned to the desk, feeling melancholy. The process of the Sand Nation's relocation at the north did not go as smoothly as she expected. Although they could lead a well-off life as long as they follow His Majesty's instructions, some people still took the message that Roland asked her to deliver as a lie. Even those who had gained a piece of fertile land did not completely trust her nor His Majesty.

Now she was sort of missing her life in Neverwinter.

Compared with leading the strongest clan, she preferred the time when she stood on the top of the castle, overlooked the mountains and the city, and sung the songs composed by His Majesty. When the melody that she had never heard of sounded, she could feel genuine freedom and happiness.

She had not sung for a long time since coming here... She wondered whether Roland had written any new songs.

"When can I sing out aloud again?"

...

"Oh!" Simbady felt as though everything in his stomach was overturned. Along with the rise and fall of the Concrete Boat, some gastric acid welled up from his stomach again. Regardless of the vomit along the side of the boat from other people, he directly bent over the handrail and began to throw up.

"Hi, are you okay?" Molly patted him on his back. His face was slightly pale. The Concrete Boat, steady as the ground while in the bay, became a swaying leaf when upon the sea. Bobbing in waves, it nearly hit the offshore beach several times. The horizontal waving never stopped. It was a total torture for the Sand Nation civilians that were experiencing the sea for the first time.

"Ahem... Almost fine." After throwing up, he laid on the deck lifelessly. "Do you know how long we've been on the sea?"

"Today is the fifth day."

"This isn't right..." Simbady gasped and said in a low voice, "Do you remember what the Clearspring Clan said? They... live in the oasis by the sea. We passed the Iron Sand City at first dusk, which means the Concrete Boat travels really fast. Yet why haven't we arrived at the Blackwater Valley?"

"You mean…" Molly asked.

"The destination of Osha isn't the Blackwater Valley. Thuram lied. The place he's taking us is further south than the Choke Swamp!"

"Further south?" Molly started to worry. "But there is nothing there. Could they be lost?"

"The boat has been travelling along the coastline, which means it is highly unlikely for them to get lost." Simbady pressed at his forehead. "If we're going somewhere closer to the south point than the Choke Swamp, it'll only be..."

"Everybody, cheer up!" Before Simbady finished talking, Thuram suddenly appeared on the center of the deck and his words interrupted Simbady's, "I've some good news. We're arriving at our destination. Pack your luggage, line up, and prepare to disembark. Remember, be careful not to fall into the sea anymore, because no one will rescue you this time!"

Simbady propped up his upper body and peered beyond the shore. On shore it was still barren, no oasis to be seen. His speculation was confirmed by the rolling water vapor and gusted smoke columns on the sea in distance.

There was only one place that could give such an inconceivable view,

the Endless Cape. The exile place of the Mojins.

More and more Sand Nation people civilians noticed the anomaly and became quite on edge on the deck.

"This is not the Blackwater Valley! You lied to us!"

"Why did you bring us to the Endless Cape? Do you want to abandon us here?"

"I want to go back. Please, let us leave!"

"Shut up!" At this moment, Thuram felt there was no need to conceal anything anymore. "Have I said that we were going to the middle area of the Blackwater Valley? The valley tributaries run through the entire southern region, of course it includes the cape area. Any underground Styx's River is extended from the valley, am I right?"

"This is sophistry!" Simbady thought angrily. If they had been told to work in the exile place, he was afraid that not many would apply for it.

"Nobody is going to be abandoned here. People from Osha and Graycastle will join you in developing this area!" Thuram raised his arm and spoke loudly, "Listen carefully. From now on, Endless Cape is no longer an exile area. It'll be a newly born town! This is the order from the chief!"

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Chapter 802: Ironwhip Discipline

Translator:Transn

Editor:Transn

"To build a new city... in this place?"

Simbady found it hard to believe his own ears. The Silver Stream got slimmer as it went south, finally it was entirely devoured by sand until it reached the Blackwater Valley. Hence came the name "the Land of Exile".

Without water and an oasis, how could they survive in the vast desert?

All the Sand Nation civilians on board were shocked by Thuram's speech, several of them stated their doubts like the one that Simbady had.

"We can create water by ourselves." Thuram spoke loudly. "But before that, the vanguard troop has found a usable water source. You'll see it when you get off the boat."

This aroused even more severe discussion.

"Create?" some people shouted. "How do we do that?"

"Silver Stream is a gift from Mother Earth. How could we create it?"

"By the name of Three Gods, only deities' emissaries could turn the desert into an oasis..."

"If we can't succeed, can we return the Southern Territory?"

"Right, you won't leave us here and go back alone, will you?"

Confronted by these questions, Thuram hesitated for the first time. Simbady noticed that Thuram peeked at the Graycastle civilians before he thundered, "The chief is capable of anything. As as he said we can, we can definitely create water. What you need to do however, is to follow instructions. Besides, Lady Silvermoon has promised, if we can't succeed, you'll be sent back to the Port of Clearwater in advance and paid with three months salary!" At this, he patted at the whip upon his waist. "Of course, I won't return without you. If anyone loafs on the job, be prepared to taste my Ironwhip!"

"That explains it..." Simbady realized that the leader of the team was not Thuram, but those poker-faced people from Graycastle who were standing behind Thuram.

During the holy duel, he had heard of the mightiness of these people more than once. Different from the Queen of Clearwater, they did not appear short of strength even when confronted by the warriors of big clans. But at this Endless Cape, even though they could defeat the watchdogs overnight, they still meant nothing in front of this endless sea of sand.

Both the northerners and the chief might have far underestimated the power of the desert.

Unfortunately, for them, there were not many options left.

About an hour later, the Concrete Boat slowly pulled in to shore. Dragging his sore and exhausted body, Simbady slowly walked off the boat. The moment when his feet touched the soft beach, he felt a long-lost relaxation.

Finally, his world stopped shaking.

"Look, what's that?" Molly pointed somewhere remote on the inland. "A Watch Tower?"

Simbady looked in the direction that Molly was pointing at and saw a black iron tower standing in the sand not far from the beach. At the top of the tower were two flags, one of which was scarlet, the other was with a complex embroidery pattern.

Ordinarily, Simbady would wonder why the girl who he only had an occasional conversation with would stay with him all the time, but now he was too weak to consider things in this aspect. "Has someone... arrived ahead of us?"

"Let's go and take a look."

"Later." He shook his head. "We'd better wait for Sir Thuram's instructions."

Those Sand Nation civilians who had fallen into the water previously left a vivid memory in Simbady's mind. He did not wish for the girl that he had a crush on to be whipped in front of everybody.

"Molly, finally I've found you!" Molly's clansmen gradually came to her. "Simbady, what a surprise to see you here."

"I thought you had passed out on the boat from seasickness."

"Haha..." The crowd smirked.

Simbady lowered his head in embarrassment. Indeed, he was the weakest among his clansmen, be it in strength or guts. Usually, he would not mind being ridiculed, but today, in Molly's presence, he felt especially shameful. In fact, his performance in this voyage was even poorer than Molly's.

"Look, there is an iron tower!"

"How did people transport something so heavy to this place?"

"Probably by boat? I heard there is a direct shipping lane from Graycastle to the Endless Cape."

"Will we camp there tonight?"

"I guess so. Endless Cape is way more dangerous than an oasis. It must be guarded at night."

There were only just over 20 men were from the Fishbone Clan, which made them a fairly small group, but they were all of the young and strong members of the clan. One of them was called Carlone. Carlone was a strong performer among his peers, he was tall, handsome and skillful, which won him the favor of his clan chief. The moment he opened his mouth, he drew everybody's attention, "I once escorted the exiled for Iron Sand City. According to my observation, the sizes of sandworms and scorpions in this area are much larger than those in an oasis. There's even a rumor that a Giant Scorpion with Armor that dominates Earth also moves around here. We must stay alert at all times and set our tents as close to those from Graycastle as possible."

"Do you think Sir Thuram is telling the truth? Can the chief really create an oasis out of this desert?" somebody asked.

"Most unlikely," Carlone smacked his lips and said. "If he were really capable of that, he could have been the ruler of the desert without going through the holy duel. Why bother developing this area then?"

"What should we do next?" The crowd began to stir.

"Relax. The chief didn't have to go through all of this trouble, only to exile us here." Carlone's voice was full of calmness and confidence. "The chief might have decided on this action on the spur of the moment. When the people from Graycastle find that their goals can't be realized, our work will end. As to three months of salary, Osha can't get away with it!"

"That's right, or no one will ever trust them again!"

"That's reassuring. I'm Ok as long as we can go back."

The clansmen nodded, indicating their agreement, except for Simbady. He did not entirely agree with what Carlone had said. It was true that Graycastle had undervalued the desert and their plan of turning Endless Cape into a town was destined to fail. But looking at those soldiers in uniforms whose facial expression was nothing but solemn, he faintly felt the chief did not decide on this action on the spur of the moment.

By then, the crowd began scattering and some people began to move toward the iron tower. Thuram was still talking with the people from Graycastle, totally indifferent to what was happening around him.

"Shall we go there too?" some clansmen proposed.

"I think so," Carlone said, nodding. "If we're really going to camp around the iron tower, we can get a better place if we go earlier. Everybody, follow me." He took a look at Molly especially and asked, "Do you want my help with your luggage?"

Molly hesitated, shook her head and then said, "Simbady said we'd better wait for Sir Thuram's instruction... Didn't he always emphasize the importance of following the discipline?"

"It's not like we refused to get off the boat. Why does he care about this?"

"Simbady, you're not intimidated by the Endless Cape, are you?"

"Perhaps he's still sick." The clansman who ridiculed him previously, did so again.

"I'm just worried." Simbady raised his head. Just when he was about to justify himself, a burst of a hasty whistle interrupted him.

"Everybody, gather now!" Thuram, who previously ignored those who left, quietly walked in front of the clansmen, stuck out three fingers and grimly said, "I give you three breaths of time, after that, every breath means one whip. This is the second lesson I'm teaching you. Do remember that!"

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Chapter 803: "Festivity"

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Simbady had thought it was just a bluff. He had never expected Osha clan was serious.

When the warriors from Osha clan were about to execute the order, a clash broke out between the two groups. Over 50 people, who regarded the punishment as unreasonable and attempted to escape the discipline, started to tussle with the ones who tried to catch them.

Unarmed, the wrongdoers soon lost their battle to Osha clan equipped with clubs and shields. They were, as a result, stripped naked and prostrated to the sandy ground.

Thuram whipped them himself.

The whipping scene inflamed some of the spectators, who were on the verge of starting a virulent altercation but were eventually deterred by the flintlocks carried by Graycastle men.

Everybody had learned the miserable defeat of the watchdog in the oasis that night.

Even cavalrymen swift like winds had failed to penetrate Graycastle's defensive line.

What had crushed them was exactly the same shiny iron weapons in those soldiers' hands.

In a second, screams and shrieks filled the bank.

Osha did not plan to flog those clansmen to death. After he showed their bleeding backs to the whole group, he instructed them to treat the wounds with herbs and bandage them with gauze. Normally, there was rarely any plague in the freezing Months of Demons. As long as they were physically strong, they should survive the whipping.

Carlone and most of the clansmen were outraged, except Molly, who rejoiced over the punishment.

After the fearsome whipping was over, the group formed two lines and headed to the depth of the desert under the guidance of the whistle.

Thuram did not utter a word, but everybody became automatically self-disciplined. The procession was in an exceptional order.

When they were close to an iron tower, Simbady discovered a drying oasis, or rather a pond. This was probably what Thuram referred to as the water fountain for the vanguard. No shades of trees overhung the pond, except a few dying bushes around it. The pond was very shallow, the depth of which was no more than a man's height. Perhaps, it had been a verdant oasis a few decades ago. However, as the water vein of Silver Stream gradually diminished, the oasis, in the end, reduced to a cup of sand.

The pond would not even suffice to provide drinking water for the few hundred labors working here, let alone to nurture a tribe. That water could still be seen was because of the remnant of underground streams. Once summer came, those meager water would soon evaporate under the scorching sun. Even if no one drank the water, the pond would become completely dry in no time.

Simbady had seen a lot of ruins of oasis like this.

In other words, if those Graycastle men failed to find a new water source within two or three months, they would have no choice but to leave this land, not to mention establishing a new town.

Thuram did not pretend that he was not aware of the scarcity of the water. He hollered at the team, "Do you see this pond here? This is going to be the only drinking water for us in the next couple of months. So, make your water elsewhere. Are you all clear?"

"What about... food?" someone asked.

"Somebody will deliver food to us. If there isn't enough, we can go fishing," Thuram replied.

Hearing they would at least have food and water, all the clans relieved a little bit. The group thus dispersed and pitched their tents based on the instructions of the supervisor from Osha clan.

How to quickly set up and take down a tent was a must-have life skill for every sand nation. A tent made of sheepskin could shelter three to six people, and usually, one person was responsible to carry all the required tools and equipment. There were only four women from Fishbone clan who had applied for the job, so they erected three tents which arrayed in a triangle shape, each of which was fastened by a rope. The door of each tent was flung open facing outward, as a way to alert each other in case of danger. This was the simplest tent arrangement among all.

In the afternoon, Thuram whistled again and summoned everybody. He then took them to a place close to the beach.

Simbady was surprised to find out that northerners had conducted a thorough search here.

On the flat sandy ground stood numerous short wooden poles, each pole tied to a white rope. Like dividing domains, these ropes and poles segmented the land into many huge rectangles. Each rectangle was 60 meters in length at least.

The most incredible thing was that all the rectangles were of the same size, every edge and corner of which was precisely marked and measured. Simbady wondered how they did that within a distance of 60 meters.

There were 50 or 60 rectangles marked out by white ropes by a rough count. Simbady also saw some Graycastle men keep marking the land with wooden poles, with strange tools in their hands. It seemed they planned to continue to do so until all the land in their sights was covered.

"You're finally here." A tall man came up to Thuram. "My name is Kencury. I'm a former member of the Mason Guild in the old king's city... Well, you've probably never heard of this organization. Even in Graycastle, few people remember the Mason Guild these days. Thanks to the benevolent king who's willing to hire us, we're able to settle down. Otherwise, we probably don't know where we'll end up ... Um, that's not quite right. Let's leave this matter at a later date." The man coughed and patted Thuram on his shoulder. "Anyway, I'll be responsible for the construction of Endless Cape. I assume you're the supervisor appointed by Miss Echo, right?"

Echo? Isn't it Lady Drow Silvermoon's nickname? Simbady was shocked by the fact that the Graycastle men named Kencury sat as equal with the chief at the same table!

Not custom to the small talks and Kencury's overelaborate formalities, Thuram made a stiff smile. He stepped back and bowed. "Please call me Thuram. As to those lads, just let me know what they should do. If anyone slacks off, I'll punish them severely."

Apparently, Thuram had received instructions from the chief of Osha clan, for he paid great respects to Kencury. But Simbady knew it was those Graycastle soldiers guarding this area that Thuram was truly afraid of.

Kencury stretched out his arms. "Very well. Guys, there's no tavern or woman here. Ahem, I mean that kind of woman. So, concentrate on the construction! The first task for you is very simple, which is digging holes. See those white rectangles? Dig a hole in each rectangle until the sand has reached your knees!"

For a moment, nobody responded. There was an embarrassing silence.

Thuram's brows went up. He bellowed, "Are you guys all deaf? Get your ass moving!" He sounded quite ill-tempered, but a hint of triumph in his eyes betrayed his complacency.

But Kencury raised his hand and stopped Thuram. "Hang on... No need to rush. I haven't explained to them why we have to dig those holes."

"Sir, you don't have to explain to them..."

"No, no, no. His Majesty once said something that I can't agree more. He calls it pro... proactivity. Right, that's the word!" Kencury clapped his hand. "It roughly means that once a person knows the reason behind his labor, he'll become more productive. So, listen carefully... These holes will determine whether we can live here in the future! These holes..." He paused for a second and then continued, "are the key to converting seawater to drinking water!"

The group immediately stirred up at these words.

"The mechanism behind this is very simple, but only King Roland thought of it. It's just like boiling water—we are going to first feed these holes with seawater. Once the water is heated up by the sun and turns into water vapor, we collect them to get pure drinking water." Kencury even used his hands to further explain the matter, "It's OK you don't understand. You just view the ocean as a giant pool of bitter water saturated with salt. If we can separate the salt from the water, the whole Swirl Sea will become our drinking water source!"

Simbady was rooted to the ground. He doubted if this project was realistic. Put aside the validity of the theory in the latter half of his speech. He wondered how they were going to collect such intangible things as water vapor.

Kencury clenched his fist. "The production will naturally be very limited. One rectangle can only provide water for a dozen people. Therefore, we have to build a large number of conversion sheds to supply water for hundreds of workers here! You should all feel lucky, for His Majesty pays special attention to the construction plan of Endless Cape. This is also the second town named by the king other than Neverwinter. To celebrate the unification of the Southernmost Region, His Majesty endowed the town with the name 'Festivity', and you guys are not only the builders of Festive Harbor but also the first residents who settled down here!"

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Chapter 804: An Accident at the Snow Mountain

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

As soon as Lightning returned to her tent at the campsite, she took off her goggles, peeled off her gloves, and put her frozen, numb hands above the brazier.

Her fingers soon started to tingle.

Although it had been almost half a month since winter had ended, flurries of snow persisted without any sign of turning lighter. On the contrary, it grew increasingly heavy. Every time Lightning returned from an investigation, her hair was drenched with melted snow, and it always took a while before sensations came back into her skins.

After her hands were a bit warmer, Lightning placed a stool next to the brazier, took off her soggy leather boots, and cocked her feet above the blazes. She could clearly see a wisp of white steam stream out of the tip of her socks. A tinge of warmth went through her cold toes. She was a little abashed by the smell of her feet. Having worn the same boots for such a long time, it was natural that the feet gave off some odor.

Now she understood why her father always stressed that a great explorer should be supported by a great team. Had the First Army not set up the brazier or made hot water aforetime, she would not have been able to fully dedicate herself to the exploration. Her burning enthusiasm for exploration would definitely be quenched by the frustrating thought that she had to lit a fire and boil water herself after returning to the campground, all soaked and exhausted.

Lightning thought perhaps, only King Roland's team had the capability to supply hot water 24 hours a day. Her father had once told her in one of his adventure stories that it was indeed very difficult to have a hot water bath in midwinter. The obstacles lay in dampened wood, rotted leaves covered by snows, and the time and effort to collect those materials. As such, most of the time his crew members would thoroughly cleanse their bodies only after they fulfilled their undertaking.

But the machines invented by His Majesty completely solved these problems. As the campsite was not far away from the riverbank, the boilers on the three concrete boats, which had been in operation since the first day of their arrival, were able to continuously provide the camp with hot water. If she required hot water, she just needed to take a bucket to fetch some.

The same applied to food.

A peculiar concrete boat was responsible for food supplies for the whole team. The upper floor of the boat constituted a mobile kitchen, where a large amount of oatmeal was cooked every day with the steam produced by the boiler. They ate the oatmeal with some dried meat and salted fish, so much better than tasteless solid food.

It was probably the best logistics team in the world by her father's standard.

After her hands and feet became warm again, Lightning took out her notebook and began to write journal entries.

"Spring, 16th, we were still digging. The mountain greatly impeded Sylvie's and Margie's abilities, especially Margie's. They had to consume a lot of magic power in order to penetrate thick rocks. Out of safety concerns, we must reserve sufficient magic power to head back to the camp for each operation. As a result, we didn't gain much progress."

"Due to a limitation in the distance, Sylvie could just roughly pick a few directions for Miss Fran to dig. By the way, Miss Fran is a very nice lady despite her misshapen figure. She looks even scarier than Maggie when eating. I really hope that I can, one day, see what she originally looked like."

It had been 13 days since they had arrived at the foot of the snow mountain. The only thing they were positive for now was the existence of a big hollow space, which appeared to be connected by multiple caves, in the mountain. It was hard to successfully find the main cave where the ruin was located, let alone to open a tunnel wide enough for the First Army.

Both she and Maggie could not help much in this respect. They could only put sentries outside the mountain or sneak into those strange caves to investigate the ruptures and crevices that the Magic Ark failed to reach.

Compared with the exploration of the ruin itself, finding a correct path leading to the destination was always the most time-consuming part that often required the most efforts and work.

Just as what her father frequently said, an explorer was always on his way.

Lightning cupped her mouth and exhaled a breath which soon turned into a cluster of white steam in the cold air. She continued to write the followings:

"Last came the latest finding of Lightning, the greatest explorer in Graycastle."

"We spied a long, dark figure underneath the ice at the peak of the Great Snow Mountain. It looked like a huge fish. I had no idea how long it took the creature to grow so big, but it must taste good. It was a pity that Anna didn't come with us. We couldn't break the ice to catch it. Maggie could only leave some scratching marks on the ice with her claws, for it was forbidden to employ explosives at the top of the mountain. We probably have to wait until summer when the snow melts."

At these words, Lightning licked her lips. Because of the exploration, she had not tasted barbequed fish for a long time. Perchance she could fly to Misty Forest with Maggie to get some food before nightfall. She probably also needed to get food for Wendy so that she would not blame her for her roguishness.

Lightning continued to write, "Further, there was another significant finding. We had noticed some demonic beasts group up to the east of Misty Forest, but His Majesty's city wall should be able to block them."

After writing all these down, Lightning put the sheepskin notebook into a watertight bag and slipped it back into her knapsack. As an explorer, she must record everything she saw on a daily basis. Like a captain's logbook, the journal was not only an explorer's badge of honor but also important references for future explorers. When the owner of the logbook was unfortunately killed in an accident, other explorers would be able to analyze his journal and avoid trodding the same path.

Just at that moment, Lightning heard running footsteps outside the door.

It was Wendy outside her tent.

"Agatha and the others are back." Wendy sounded a little anxious. "We've had an accident. Fran's missing!"

"What?" Lightning rose in surprise. "Missing?"

...

By the time the witches stationed at the campground arrived at the end of the tunnel created by the devouring worm, the soldiers from the First Army had lit a fire and put sentries. They found Agatha and the Taquila witches arguing over something.

Lightning poked her head and gasped. She saw a fathomless hole in front of her, its ceiling and bottom indiscernible. She could only hear the sound of running water coming from above.

A part of the tunnel's edge had collapsed. Lightning took out the Stone of Lighting and bent over. The crack was covered with slimy liquid.

"Did Miss Fran fall from here?"

Edith answered, "Looks like so for now... Sylvie picked the right direction, but Fran was just unlucky. She opened the path leading to the big cave but did not notice the precipice at the front. Then she fell to the bottom."

"Looks like?" Lightning noticed her particular wording.

Edith shrugged. "At that time Sylvie and Margie were searching on the other side, a location where they could exactly see what Fran was doing. According to Sylvie, Fran's magic reaction suddenly disappeared from her sight. I don't really know how your magic power works, but Miss Sylvie's Eye of Magic should be able to see very distant objects, right? Yet when they got here, they couldn't see anything at the bottom."

"Couldn't... see?" The little girl was stunned.

Edith spread out her hands. "They couldn't see the bottom or the devouring worm. There're two possible explanations: one is that the hole is so deep that it goes beyond the visual field of the Eye of Magic. The other is that something has blocked her vision. Either of them omens ill." Edith paused for a moment and looked at the arguing Ice Witch and the others. "What they're arguing about is whether they should dive into the hole to rescue Fran immediately."

test test

Chapter 805: Down the Abyss

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Lightning was silent.

She knew Edith was right. If the hole was indeed extremely deep as Edith had described, she could almost predicate the fatality of the fall. If it was because of some intervention of Fran's magic power, the situation would then be even more complicated. There could be a gigantic God's Stone of Retaliation at the bottom, in which case, she foresaw no great treachery. If there was, however, a trap set up by some unknown enemies, it would then be too dangerous for the rescue team.

There was a big chance that those swift sickle monsters and the worm carrier that had once devoured the demon's Blackstone Pagoda were still lurking around the Great Snow Mountain. Without any alerts from Nightingale and Sylvie or the protection of the First Army, even the God's Punishment Witches found it hard to bring Fran back safe and sound.

The little girl took a deep breath.

Exploration was essentially a risky business.

A good explorer should save his companion no matter under what circumstances.

She thus came up to the arguing witches and said, "Let me take a look down there. However we're going to do that, we have to first know what's going on before taking the next step."

A blond man turned around and asked, "Your ability is..." Lightning remembered he was called Elena. Although she looked like a man by her appearance, the soul beneath the shell was literally an ancient witch from Taquila.

Lightning tapped her goggles on the head. "Flying. Judging from the current situation, I believe I'm better at scouting than you."

Agatha frowned. "This isn't a matter of convenience. How are you going to head back if you can't apply your ability at the bottom of the cave? His Majesty said nobody should act alone in this operation, whether she's a witch from the Witch Union or Taquila. Everybody should work together and cooperate with the First Army."

"Tie a rope around my waist then." Lightning disclosed all her plan. "Even if there's really an anti-magic zone created by a God's Stone of Retaliation, as long as you pull me up after I reach the bottom, there shouldn't be a problem."

To save a companion did not mean acting recklessly. Her father had told her numerous stories regarding horrible emergencies when she had been little. Lightning believed that most accidents would end up well as long as they took proper measures.

Because she was the greatest explorer even without her magic power!

Nightingale intercepted, "Let me go with her. I can walk along the precipice easily, for there's no upside or downside in the misty world. Even if an enemy does emerge, I can come to her aid immediately."

Wendy shook her head vigorously. "That would be as dangerous as acting alone. If there's a trap down there, you two guys won't be able to save yourselves. Don't forget that there're formidable enemies like Senior Demons in this world."

"We'll never abandon Fran. If you don't go, I'll go myself!" Elena blurted out in a low voice.

"Have you forgotten to obey orders after 400 years?" There's a faint starchiness in Agatha's voice. "In the name of the Taquila senior witches, I forbid you to act alone!"

"..." Hearing this, all the God's Punishment Witches fell silent. Elena bit her lip. At length, she stepped a few paces back and made an apology by placing her hand on the chest.

"You don't need to argue about it." Edith ventured. "His Majesty instructed that we three parties must work together. Therefore, we just need to send the First Army down there, don't we?"

"Did you find the way there?" Brian, the superintendent of the First Army, asked in surprise.

"No, but I found this." Edith pointed to the cliff closed to the entrance. In the torchlight, the reflective light specks on the river splintered up into flickering glimmers as the water ran. "There should be some lifting equipment on the concrete boat used to make oatmeal, for I often see the soldiers transport food from the supply boat through a crane. They don't do it manually."

"Ah... that's the gondola." Brian nodded. "It can transport a lot of goods at a time, but it requires a steam engine."

"So, we just need to move the machine here from the boat and send two machine gun squads down there along with the witches," Edith stressed each syllable with a stroke. "The length of the rope can be adjusted through a connector; the God's Punishment Witches shall have no problem in handling heavy machines. The water here can guarantee a constant operation as well as a retreat route required by His Majesty. The only question is how to take it down. I believe the First Army shall know how to do it, right?"

Brian replied hesitatively, "We definitely can take it down, but it's hard to put it back..."

Edith raised her brows. "Then you'll only lose a boat and a steam engine, which totals no more than 500 or 600 gold royals. What choice do you think His Majesty would make if he were you?"

Lightning twitched her lips. 500 or 600 gold royals was absolutely not a small number.

It did not take long for Brian to make his decision. He soon gave a nod of approval and said, "I see. You'll soon find a steam engine ready to go."

...

An hour later, a roaring machine appeared at the entrance to the hole. As they found it hard to fix the arm of the gondola to the rocks, they abandoned this part of the device in the end but only used a capstan as the lifting apparatus. The capstan rotated swiftly as the flywheel of the steam engine moved. It thus dropped the rope down the hole little by little. In order to prevent chafe, Agatha summoned her power and wrapped the mouth of the hole with solid ice so that the rope could move up and down without rubbing against the cliff.

A huge iron basket, which could at least carry six to eight people and two Mark I type HMGs, was attached to the end of the rope. In that case, the witches would be still well protected by the powerful machine gun squads even if they lost fighting capacities.

Agatha, Elena, and six soldiers from the First Army crawled into the basket first, followed by Lightning and Nightingale.

After testing out the lifting equipment, everybody slowly sank into the deep hole. The torchlight above became increasingly dismal.

Lightning hovered somewhere a little below the center of the hole to lead the way, with a rope around her waist. She felt a little uneasy without Maggie flying beside her, but she knew someone must be stationed outside the snow mountain. In comparison to monitoring demonic beasts, she preferred to uncover the mystery of the underground ruin.

Every time she dropped 10 meters lower, she would turn around to see if everybody was still there.

Darkness swallowed up the meager light of fires lit by the sentries. The only source of light now was the two Stones of Lighting in the basket. In the steady, soft light of the stones, Lightning detected two pale golden "ribbons" running along the cliff. They were the ice created by Agatha. The solid ice smoothed out the protruding rocks, making them as reflective as a mirror, and thus ensured them a safe ride down to the bottom.

Lightning's heart gradually sank after she flew for a few hundred meters.

An ordinary man would hardly survive such a long drop. She now only hoped that the devouring worm could be stronger than that.

Just at that moment, Lighting noticed a strange reflection underneath.

The light was hardly perceptible. It was merely a thin thread of flickers like an eye that suddenly opened in the darkness. Lightning signaled the rest of the party with the Stone of Lighting. She plunged into the hole while holding her breath, after which, she stepped on a solid, smooth rock.

Lighting bent over and gently touched the "ground". The gleamy black rock was as polished and glassy as a crystal. Its dark reflection was mixed with a thick cluster of a bright red color...

She had seen this.

It was the giant Blackstone Pagoda in the Devil's Town.