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96Chapter 96 BanquetAI Model: gemini-2.0-flash-001"Let's pay tribute to our hero!"
The dwarves were always the first to make a fuss, especially Dain. In some less formal and serious occasions, this lord was quite a troublemaker.
Following closely behind the dwarves were the people of Lake-town. Bard, who had been frowning for days, finally relaxed his brow for once, revealing a hint of a smile.
But before he could speak, someone else jumped out and shouted:
"Welcome back our great hero!"
"Everyone, I could tell from the first time I met this gentleman that he was noble and extraordinary!"
"Listen to me, let's all shout: Long live Li Wei! Long live the great hero!"
Bard's eyebrows, which had finally relaxed, furrowed again.
"Alfred, you…"
Bang!
A townsman couldn't bear it any longer and kicked him over.
"What are you doing? I'm celebrating the hero!"
Alfred shouted indignantly from the ground.
Bang, slap!
A group of townsfolk immediately surrounded him, punching and kicking him. Some even took the opportunity to slap him a couple of times. Before long, he fainted from the pain and was dragged away by the townsfolk.
Li Wei shook his head helplessly.
He couldn't bear to watch this person anymore.
The little episode quickly passed.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the elves, who had been silent from beginning to end, turned in unison and saluted Li Wei.
Thranduil even took the initiative to walk up to Li Wei and greet him:
"Welcome back, Li Wei."
"We have all been waiting for you."
Thorin glanced at Thranduil, then at the elven army, and was silent for a second.
Then he went up to Li Wei and said:
"There will be a banquet tonight to celebrate this victory, and I hope you can join us."
"As I promised before in Burg Road, if you ever come to the dwarves' territory, we will respond with enthusiasm."
"Now, please allow me to formally say: Welcome to Erebor."
As the two spoke, everyone wisely quieted down, including Gandalf and his party and the various lords, who simply looked over with smiles.
Under the gaze of the assembled crowd, Li Wei straightened his attire and formally replied:
"Li Wei, at your service."
"Oh——!"
The crowd began to cheer.
After this battle, the factions of the Lonely Mountain, the Iron Hills, the Woodland Realm, and Dale all regarded Li Wei as an ally, with a status equivalent to a lord, second only to the king.
Of course, it wasn't just these places where his reputation rose. In the days to come, this influence would grow larger and spread wider.
Until it radiated throughout Middle-earth.
Including Mordor.
[Mordor: -5000 (Great Enemy)]
Third Age 2941, November.
On this day, the gate of the Lonely Mountain was wide open, with dwarves, elves, and humans coming and going.
Inside the hall, the furnace fire was high, and the tables were full of roast meat and strong wine.
A grand banquet was held in this way.
For the first time, the dwarves, as the organizers, took care of the elves' tastes, providing many fruits, vegetables, and light foods.
"It's really not easy to get them to stand together harmoniously."
Gandalf said, picking up a grape from the table and throwing it into his mouth.
Not bad, very sweet.
"Actually, it's not very harmonious."
Li Wei pointed to a large table.
At that table, a dwarf and an elf were competing in drinking.
A large circle of people stood around them, cheering them on.
The dwarves preferred ale, which had a relatively low alcohol content, but they drank a lot of it.
The elves preferred strong spirits such as wine. They might not drink as much as the dwarves, but the alcohol content was considerable.
It was hard to say who could drink more.
It was an evenly matched contest.
But when it came to drinking… Legolas definitely had talent.
But Li Wei looked left and right and couldn't see him anywhere.
After the great battle, Legolas and Tauriel didn't go back with them. Instead, they left directly. No one knew where they were now.
It was obvious that this stubborn child didn't want to meet his old father, who had come to find him.
After eating a few pieces of fruit and saying hello to Li Wei, Gandalf left temporarily, not knowing where he was going.
Seeing that there was nothing to do, Li Wei found a table and sat down, gnawing on a few pieces of dwarf-made roast meat to fill his satiety.
However, in the time it took to gnaw on these few pieces of meat, several dwarves suddenly came up and sat down opposite Li Wei with a thud.
"Glóin, Óin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur… and Balin?"
Li Wei recognized these dwarves as members of the expedition.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I heard that you once drank a very good dwarf under the table, and you weren't even drunk?"
"Oh, there was such a thing."
Li Wei looked at these menacing dwarves, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
"What, do you want to get your revenge?"
"I allow you to use a tag team."
"You underestimate us too much, Li Wei."
Glóin glared and said, "I admit that in many other ways you are stronger than all of us combined, but when it comes to drinking, you dare to say such a thing in front of the dwarves. You are too arrogant."
"Then do you want to compete with me?"
"No…"
Glóin shook his head and pushed the widest dwarf behind him forward.
"Bombur, it's your turn!"
"Aha!" Bombur patted his wide body and let out a battle cry.
Balin smiled and brought two large barrels of strong wine, filling one cup after another.
The other dwarves watched from behind, witnessing this contest.
While the banquet was being held in the hall of the Lonely Mountain.
Before the throne, Thorin held the Arkenstone, staring ahead for a long time, silent.
Scenes from his youth flashed before his eyes.
At that time, his grandfather sat on the throne, and he and his father stood on either side.
He watched his grandfather swallow the white gem belonging to the elves, his eyes full of surprise and doubt.
"I am not you, grandfather."
Thorin said softly, putting down the Arkenstone, his eyes never lingering on it for more than a second.
"Thorin."
As he walked to the entrance of the hall, a warm voice suddenly came.
Someone had been waiting here for a while.
"Gandalf."
"Looks like you're in good shape."
Gandalf walked over cheerfully, and rarely showed a smile in front of Thorin.
"There has never been a better time than now."
Thorin replied:
"I feel like a wanderer who has been trekking in the wilderness for hundreds of years, and hatred and obsession have been oppressing me all the time."
"Today, they have finally disappeared, and I finally have a home again."
"Good, very good."
Gandalf nodded repeatedly.
He suddenly said:
"Thorin, there is something I have never told you."
"What?"
"That was your father, Thráin, who asked me to convey to you, he said——"
"He has always loved you, Thorin."
Thorin's breathing stagnated, and his throat moved laboriously.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"I know."
"Thank you, Gandalf."
5 ore 31 minDie Knieschmerzen und Gelenkschmerzen werden verschwinden, wenn du das jeden Morgen machst!Mai mult
263158289Ch. 96 / 40723.6%Ch. 96 / 40723.6%ContentsAbout this bookAbout UsContact UsChangelogDMCACookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseStatsCopyright © 2022 - wtr-lab.com v1.9.4Bringing the MC system to Middle-earth Chapter 96 - WTR-LAB
Chapter 97 Return HomeAI Model: gemini-2.5-flashWhen Thorin and Gandalf returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere was already quite lively.
A large number of Dwarves and Elves were staggering, some unconscious on the tables, others asleep on the ground, still holding their wine glasses.
But it wasn't over yet.
The two groups had been at odds from the beginning, and anyone who could still stand continued to drink.
The Humans of River Valley were also infected by the atmosphere, gathering around to cheer, and some who could play instruments started playing unknown tunes on the spot. Perhaps finding the music a bit monotonous, some people rhythmically tapped on tables or clapped their hands and stomped their feet, adding to the liveliness of the music.
It was a scene of bustling activity.
However, what first caught their attention was a large table nearby.
"Burp."
"This cup... is to our victory!"
"This is the fifth time you've toasted to our victory, Gloin."
Li Wei clinked his cup with him and gulped down a large glass of wine in one go.
Gloin raised his cup several times, inhaled, but couldn't open his mouth.
However, Li Wei was merciless:
"Uncle Gloin, do you have fish to raise in your cup?"
"If you leave that much, I'm afraid the fish will drown in a moment."
"You... you... you're insulting me!"
Gloin was furious and, with a determined resolve, tilted his head back and guzzled down the wine.
The next moment.
Thud.
The Dwarf could no longer sit up, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed under the table, with wine seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"You're next, Balin."
Li Wei refilled a glass of wine and pointed at old Balin, the only one still standing.
As for the others, they had long since fallen like Gloin, snoring loudly, completely forgetting their initial boast of 'no relay battles'.
"No, no, no, I'll pass, I have things to do, I'm leaving first!"
Balin quickly waved his hand.
He now understood how the Orcs felt when facing Li Wei.
It was an unshakeable, bottomless despair.
"Haha, it looks like you're having a good time drinking."
Gandalf sat down, picked up a glass of wine, clinked it with Li Wei, and drank it all.
Thorin also plopped down, picked up another glass of wine, and clinked it with Li Wei:
"It seems the rumors are true; your drinking capacity is as limitless as your strength."
After speaking, he also drank all the wine in his hand.
Li Wei naturally reciprocated with a drink.
"It's fine, I don't feel anything, but they look a bit sleepy."
Listening to Li Wei's words, Thorin turned his head to look at Balin, who was smiling awkwardly.
"Yes, yes, very good."
While responding, Balin secretly decided that these words must not reach the ears of those lying on the ground, otherwise, they might be dispirited for quite some time.
After drinking these most valiant Dwarves under the table, a prompt appeared:
Durin Dwarves Reputation +100.
Li Wei didn't pay much attention to this prompt.
At his current reputation level, these hundred points were already negligible.
If he wanted to, even if he directly asked Thorin for a lord's position now, no one present would have any objection.
Including the Elves.
As for Long Lake Town, or rather, River Valley...
Li Wei was now the Lord of that territory, so his reputation was naturally beyond question; those singing there had already incorporated him into their songs.
The hall was bustling, but outside the door, it was somewhat deserted.
Due to their size, the Great Eagles were not convenient for moving around in the hall, so they simply gathered outside, eating meat.
Radagast and Beorn also joined them outside, eating.
The former was not picky about food; anything edible was fine. The latter had similar eating habits to Elves; although he could transform into a giant bear, Beorn did not like to eat meat. In fact, his house only had berries, honey, bread, and various vegetables, with no meat to be seen at all.
Originally, after the great battle, the Eagle King intended to return immediately, but Thorin stopped him, hoping that he and the Great Eagles who came to help could wait a few more days.
Anyway, there was nothing to do, and food was provided, so the Great Eagles decided to stay.
Similarly, Beorn was also persuaded to stay.
"I guess he wants to express his gratitude to you."
Radagast speculated.
"Peace is our greatest gratitude."
Beorn said, and in fact, many people thought the same way.
River Valley.
At this moment, everyone was feasting in the hall; it was deserted here, without any sound.
Legolas stood alone on the city wall, gazing blankly at the battlefield, wondering what he was thinking.
Just as he was about to descend the stairs, a figure blocked him.
Thranduil.
Upon finding Legolas safe and sound, the King's eyes seemed to brighten considerably.
The father and son looked at each other for two seconds.
"I can't go back."
Legolas spoke first, having already voluntarily exiled himself.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know."
"Cross the Misty Mountains, continue west, there is a city there, Li Wei's territory."
Thranduil said in a somewhat ethereal tone: "Many changes will happen there, perhaps you should go and see."
The ability of prophecy quietly activated, Thranduil continued:
"After that, you can go and interact with the Dúnedain in the North, and learn more about them."
"Until their chieftain returns."
Legolas listened to these words, nodded silently, turned around, and prepared to leave.
Just as he had walked several steps away, Thranduil suddenly called out, somewhat awkwardly:
"Legolas."
Legolas stopped.
Thranduil looked at his back and said:
"Your mother always loved you..."
"More than anyone."
"More than life."
—I do too.
The last sentence was not spoken, but the emotional fluctuation no longer needed to be expressed in words.
Legolas lowered his head, turned sideways, bowed, placed his hand on his chest, and then extended it towards Thranduil.
Thranduil also quickly placed his hand on his chest in response.
That gesture represented 'embrace' among Elves.
Legolas gradually walked away, out of sight.
Thranduil closed his eyes, took a long moment to compose himself, and then turned to leave.
For so many years, he had been too concerned with his wife's relic, which had been taken by the Dwarves, to the point that he had forgotten the truly precious thing his wife had left him.
As he walked, Thranduil suddenly saw a Dwarf and an Elf nestled together on the other side of the city wall, looking up at the stars.
His face instantly fell.
So he quickly changed direction, moving away from this place.
A night, either quiet or boisterous, passed just like that.
The next day, the Dwarves put on their armor, took up their weapons, and gathered together in the massive meeting hall.
Thorin, wearing his crown and solemn royal robes, stood on the high platform in front of all the Dwarves.
The coronation ceremony of the King Under the Mountain began.
Li Wei and the members of the expedition, plus the leaders of various factions, along with two Wizards and a Skin-changer, stood in the special viewing area to observe the ceremony.
Thorin quietly glanced over, nodding.
Seeing that the time was right, Balin raised the sword in his hand and shouted: "Long live the King!"
"Long live the King!"
All the Dwarves present also raised their weapons and shouted in unison.
Thorin slowly bowed.
The coronation was quickly completed.
After the ceremony, Thorin personally presented a golden crown to the Eagle King and swore that the Dwarves and Great Eagles would be allies for generations.
Beorn, who also came to help, received considerable rewards, including the goodwill and friendship of the Dwarves, which significantly changed his stereotype of Dwarves.
Wizards did not require rewards; except for Saruman, other Wizards simply didn't care about these worldly things. As the saying goes, the peace of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth was their best reward.
After this, Thorin and Thranduil held a meeting in front of the King's throne.
He had Kili bring a box from the treasury and presented it before Thranduil; the contents sparkled, brilliant as stars.
This time, the Dwarves did not retract it.
After many years, Thranduil finally retrieved his wife's relic, the starlight-shimmering white gem, as he had wished.
The grievances between Dwarves and Elves also temporarily came to an end.
On the other side, in the cellar.
Li Wei was stretching and wandering around.
Just now, he had helped the Dwarves repair the damaged terrain and, incidentally, re-excavated the blocked paths, restoring the Lonely Mountain to its original appearance.
As he walked, Li Wei suddenly saw a figure sitting on the steps, staring blankly at the pile of treasure.
"So much treasure, to be honest, I have no idea how to use it."
Bilbo was fretting over the mountain of gold in the treasury.
"If someone heard you had this kind of trouble, they'd be so jealous they couldn't sleep."
Li Wei walked over and stood beside Bilbo, also beginning to ponder how to use this treasure.
One-fifteenth.
Even if it was only this much, the quantity was so vast that if it were all melted into gold ingots, a single backpack wouldn't be able to hold it all.
It could be considered achieving gold freedom—for now.
"This could fill ten of my house, and I don't want my house to be full of gold."
Bilbo shook his head.
"Oh, Li Wei!"
He suddenly said: "You must have a use for this gold, right? I saw it, your golden apple is made of gold, you must be able to use it."
"You're right, the more gold I have, the better; many things I need to do cannot be done without it."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Bilbo said nonchalantly: "I'll just take enough for my future use, and the rest I'll leave to you, after all, you need it more than I do, and it will be more useful in your hands."
This Hobbit casually decided to give away such a vast fortune, which could buy countless Shires.
Li Wei smiled.
"Then I'll accept it, Bilbo."
"If you have time, come visit Roadside Fort often; its doors are always open for you."
"By the way, take these; bite into one if you feel unwell."
Li Wei immediately synthesized a batch of golden apples, piled them in a sack, and gave them to Bilbo.
Bilbo opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
So these things could be mass-produced?
Since it was truly inconvenient for Bilbo to carry so many golden apples with him, they were eventually temporarily placed in Li Wei's backpack, for him to hold on to for Bilbo.
At this point, everything that needed to be done had been completed.
After saying goodbye.
Thranduil and the Elven army returned to Black Forest, the Eagle King flew back with Radagast and Beorn, while Gandalf and Bilbo temporarily stayed, waiting for Li Wei.
However, Li Wei's mood was not very relaxed at the moment.
River Valley ruins.
Li Wei stood on the city wall, looking at the place, feeling a bit of a headache.
Below the city wall, a large number of Residents were looking up at him, waiting for him to speak.
Bard also stepped forward from the side and said, "The Residents are waiting for your instructions."
"After all, you are the actual Lord here."
"I may be the actual Lord, but they are not my actual people."
"No."
Bard shook his head, "They are all truly willing to acknowledge and call you Lord."
Li Wei looked down, and everyone was silent, only their serious eyes confirming this statement.
A prompt appeared:
"Resident count has met the standard, faction establishment conditions are met."
The faction system confirmed Bard's words.
Li Wei opened the faction map.
It showed his two territories: Roadside Fort and River Valley.
It's just that these two territories are one east and one west, with an entire mountain range separating them. The journey is long and the roads are rugged; even if the road conditions were safe, it would take ordinary people several months to travel from one territory to the other.
As a faction, the coherence of Li Wei's territory was too poor.
But...
Perhaps a road could be built—a very long road.
However, these were all matters for later.
The most urgent issue now was that of River Valley.
Whether in name or in substance, this place had become Li Wei's territory, and the Residents and Bard were willing to let him lead.
Logically, even if Li Wei were to be crowned King of River Valley now, it is estimated that no one would have any objections.
But it was just no objection.
At this moment, there were two people generally recognized as qualified to lead the people: Li Wei and Bard.
Compared to the two, Li Wei was more like a sky-dropped god-like figure; he killed the Dragon, resisted the Orcs, saved people's lives, made everyone survive, and was respected by everyone.
Bard, on the other hand, was a true human just like everyone else; his life was difficult, and he lived day by day through his hard work like the Residents, and he also had a family to support.
Even in such a life of toil where he could barely make ends meet, he could still squeeze out strength to help the Residents improve their lives, fill their stomachs, and resist the oppression of the corrupt mayor.
Reputation never came easily.
If a god were to rule, the people who were saved would naturally have no objection. Even if Li Wei did nothing, people would feel awe and proactively do what they should.
Li Wei was certainly qualified to be king, and in fact, his kingship, in many senses, was a bargain for the Residents.
But...
"Bard, are you sure you want me to be the Lord?"
Bard immediately said, "All of us have no objection, this is what we unanimously wish."
"And, have you forgotten? This place has long been your territory, it's not us making you, but you are the Lord now."
"Alright."
Li Wei nodded.
"Then—I, the Lord of River Valley, shall now issue the first command here."
The Residents listened attentively below the city wall.
"I appoint Bard as the Assistant of River Valley. All future affairs will be handed over to him for handling, and he will have all authority to manage River Valley."
After announcing the first directive, Li Wei said to Bard:
"And, I now hand over one-fifteenth of the treasure within the Lonely Mountain to your management, to be used for the reconstruction of River Valley and its subsequent development."
"Following your instructions."
Bard bowed.
"Territory Assistant appointed: Bard"
The Residents cheered, for their Lord, and for the Lord's Assistant.
"Oh, by the way, Lord, what about Long Lake Town..."
Bard immediately got into character, starting to consider future matters for Li Wei.
Li Wei couldn't help but crack a smile, "No, don't call me Lord, I'm not used to it. Just keep calling me Li Wei, there's no need for such class titles between us."
"Alright, Master Li Wei."
"What did you say?"
"Master Li Wei."
"Hmm?"
"Li Wei."
"That's right."
Li Wei nodded, then continued to answer Bard's previous question, "Long Lake Town isn't my territory, why are you asking me about it?"
"But..."
"There's no 'but'. I heard the mayor of Long Lake Town ran away, and the Assistant also disappeared..."
"I'm here!" someone suddenly shouted from below.
Thump!
He fainted.
Ignoring the commotion below, Li Wei continued, "Long Lake Town needs a new mayor. You grew up there, you know it best, and the Residents also hope you will lead."
"And—"
"To be honest, worldly power or wealth are not of much use to me."
"These matters should be left to those who are better at them."
"...Alright."
Bard accepted the task with a slight unease.
It was too strange.
Li Wei gave off too strange a feeling.
This legend cared neither about power nor wealth, neither about great losses nor great gains.
But to say he cared about nothing would not be accurate.
He would also feel happy or sad about some things, but that emotion always felt somewhat ethereal, as if—as if he were playing a game.
It was like a king disguising himself as a merchant to sell things; what mattered was not whether he could make money, but that he experienced the act of selling.
But if the king were truly asked to sell things for a lifetime, he would certainly refuse.
After the matters were initially discussed.
Bard, the Assistant of River Valley and mayor of Long Lake Town, quickly began his work, methodically organizing people to rebuild the ruins of River Valley, and relocating a portion of the people back to Long Lake Town to continue living.
As for Li Wei, on his first day as Lord, he became a hands-off manager, only wanting to quickly go home to harvest vegetables and, by the way, build a Hellgate between Roadside Fort and River Valley.
Walking one meter in the Nether is equivalent to walking eight meters in the real world. Utilizing this characteristic, Li Wei could greatly shorten the time for his future travels between the two places.
Although this passage was for his own use only, it still provided great convenience.
Hellgates can only be established within one's own territory, but Li Wei still had a lot of territory quota.
"Perhaps I can use this point to establish fixed territories specifically for travel..."
With various thoughts, Li Wei, Gandalf, and Bilbo set off together, heading west. Along the way, they visited Black Forest and passed by Beorn's home, where they were all well-received.
When they reached the Misty Mountains, the three almost swaggered their way up the most dangerous Aigou, yet not a single Orc or Warg dared to show its head.
It was quite quiet.
"Is anyone there?"
At the front hall of Orc Town, Li Wei shouted, but there was no response.
"They are not enthusiastic at all."
Li Wei said so.
Gandalf nodded, his gaze looking to the side.
"You are right."
Bilbo didn't speak for a moment behind them, just looking at the stone door, which now had a two-meter-high pit, falling into memory. A moment later, he unconsciously reached into his pocket and felt the item inside.
It was still there.
The Goblins of Orc Town were not very hospitable.
Before leaving, Li Wei took out stones and thoughtfully helped them block this large door.
This way, the road would temporarily be safe, and they would no longer be able to come out through the front hall to attack passersby.
After successfully crossing the mountains, the three also stayed for a while at the Ogre Forest's treasure hoard. When they left, Bilbo had a large box, smelling slightly unpleasant, tucked under each arm, filled with treasures.
In fact, even with just this portion of the Ogre's treasure, Bilbo's gains could be considered immense.
So much so that in the days to come, a riddle always circulated in the Shire: Why did the Baggins family's money never run out?
But these were all matters for later.
Due to the large amount of items Bilbo was carrying, he postponed his experiment with Li Wei, planning to return to the Shire first, tidy up his home, and then come back.
Thus, at the crossroads leading to Bree and Roadside Fort, the three temporarily parted ways.
Li Wei walked towards Roadside Fort, while Gandalf continued with Bilbo.
All the way to the Shire's border.
Gandalf suddenly stopped.
"We must part here."
"That's a shame."
Bilbo said, "I quite enjoyed traveling with you two. Both you and Li Wei always bring me good luck."
"Do you really think so?"
Gandalf moved a few steps closer and slowly said, "Do you really think all your adventures and escapes along this journey were due to mere luck?"
"That magical ring should not be used carelessly, Bilbo."
Bilbo looked up at Gandalf, instinctively wanting to say something in rebuttal, but was quickly cut off by Gandalf:
"Don't take me for a fool, I know you found one in the Orc Town tunnel."
"No... I didn't..."
"I have always been watching you."
"Alright." Bilbo chose to admit.
Arguing with a Wizard was not a good idea.
"I understand, I will be careful."
"You are a very good person, Mr. Baggins, and I also enjoyed traveling with you."
Gandalf said meaningfully, "In this vast world, you and I may both be small figures."
"But sometimes small figures can change the world, because they have no other choice."
Bilbo didn't quite understand the meaning of these words, but that didn't stop him from listening attentively.
After another farewell, he shook Gandalf's hand, then turned around and returned to the Shire under the latter's gaze.
And while Gandalf was seeing Bilbo home.
Li Wei had already returned to Roadside Fort early.
"Eh?"
Returning after more than half a year, Li Wei found that some things had appeared near his territory.
On an open space not too far from the city wall, a small number of simple tents had been set up, and people seemed to be living inside.
This aroused his curiosity.
"Hey, you people over there, what are you doing?"
Li Wei went over to ask immediately.
The people in the tents were immediately startled, stopping what they were doing and coming out.
When they clearly saw Li Wei's appearance, the expressions on their faces gradually changed from numbness to surprise.
"It's the Lord, the Lord who saved us has returned!"
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9 ore 51 minDie Menschen in Dieburg: Alle mit Knie- und Hüftschmerzen sollten das lesen!Mai mult
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8Chapter 98 Camp EstablishmentAI Model: gemini-2.5-flashAround the Lonely Mountain lay a vast wasteland, devoid of life, filled with charred tree stumps and parched earth.
According to records, this place was once a lush green field, vibrant with life, until the Dragon arrived. It incinerated the entire green field with its flames, permanently altering the landscape.
From then on, this area was known as 'Smaug's Wasteland'.
"Help, help… Is anyone there…?"
At this moment, on this wasteland, a corpulent man lay on the ground, gasping for breath, slowly crawling forward.
That was the former Village Chief of Long Lake Town.
"Please, anyone, just give me some water or food. I can give you all the treasures on me… I can give you half…"
"Is anyone there—?"
The Village Chief kept shouting, but only the occasional cool breeze answered him.
"Ah—!!"
He let out a tragic roar with his last ounce of strength.
The former Village Chief and his treasures remained forever in this desolate wilderness.
He died in agony from hunger, silently and unknown.
When he decided to abandon the Residents, wasn't he also deciding to abandon himself?
No one cared about the former Village Chief; he had already gradually been forgotten.
At this moment.
In front of the Roadside Fort walls, Li Wei looked at the group of refugees before him and scratched his head.
"I went on a long journey, and it's been a while since I returned."
"It looks like you've been here for some time."
"Yes, Sir, we arrived at the beginning of autumn this year."
An old man stepped forward and said, "The Misty Mountains are too dangerous; we dared not climb the Aigou, so we had to take a long detour to get here."
"I have some impression of you all."
"If I remember correctly, you are their Village Chief?"
"Yes," the old Village Chief replied.
Li Wei looked behind him.
"I remember there should be more people from your village than this. Where are the others?"
"They left."
The Village Chief replied, "We passed many relatively stable villages and towns. Some people were unwilling to travel this far, so they left the group to live in those places."
"The rest of us here are those who would rather give up the comfortable life in those places to come and seek refuge with you."
"Alright."
Li Wei nodded, acknowledging these people.
"Since I pointed the way for you, and you have found this place according to my instructions—then welcome to join, uh, to join Roadside Fort."
The crowd immediately cheered, shouting the name of the Roadside Fort Lord.
"Follow me, everyone."
The group followed Li Wei towards the city gate.
The old Village Chief really wanted to remind Li Wei that there seemed to be no one inside and that the city gate didn't seem to be designed to open, but he thought that this was someone else's territory, and perhaps it was just his own limited knowledge, so he ultimately kept quiet.
Click.
Li Wei pulled down the lever and opened the iron gate beside it.
"Come in from here."
Mechanism…?
Hmm, this is still within the scope of understanding; many town gates have mechanisms.
However, as the refugees gradually poured into the city, someone quickly couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"I've never seen such a beautiful place in my life."
The Village Chief, walking at the front, shook his head, unable to help but sigh.
He had lived his entire life in the River Valley, never traveling too far, and the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen was the river reflecting the rosy glow of the sunset.
How could he have ever witnessed such a complex landscape?
Outside the city, there were only cold, smooth walls, and the solid rampart, so long that one couldn't see its end, blocked everything inside, preventing outsiders from observing.
But once inside, one would discover its inner warmth and dreamlike quality.
Yes, dreamlike.
Neat paths, unextinguishable lights, vibrant flowers and clear ponds, beautiful houses visible everywhere, and the grand castle in the center…
Livestock walked in enclosures, but they didn't need tending. Crops, plump and abundant, grew in patches, as if they would never wither.
It was clearly a massive city, yet there was not a single person inside, only some tall, friendly Iron Golems, offering flowers in their hands as people approached.
A little girl in a woman's arms reached out and took a flower, happily holding it up and saying, "Mommy, is this the castle from the story you told me?"
"No, child."
She kissed the girl on the forehead and said, "Mommy can't tell such a good story."
"What, what should we do, Sir…?"
The old Village Chief seemed a bit flustered; the environment here was too good, almost unreal.
He cautiously asked:
"Can we really live here?"
"Houses are built for people to live in, aren't they?"
Li Wei turned around and said, "This is where you will live from now on."
However, as soon as these words were spoken, the refugees felt even more uneasy.
Finally, the Village Chief stepped forward again and asked, "Sir, I want to know what we can do?"
Most of these people were farmers; they only knew how to farm.
But looking at this territory, it seemed they didn't need to work at all. Just look at those Iron Golems; they seemed to have more strength than ten people combined and would surely be better than them at harvesting wheat or carrying things.
The old Village Chief truly couldn't understand what they could do if they stayed here. Were they just going to eat for free every day?
People always need to show their worth.
"This—"
Li Wei also realized the crux of the problem.
Yes, what can the Residents do?
He lacked nothing here at all. Was he going to let them be idle for their entire lives?
[Resident count has reached the standard. Faction establishment conditions met.]
Li Wei opened the Faction system, and all he saw was this single prompt.
It seemed that some functions would only be unlocked after establishing a faction.
However, regarding the establishment of a faction, one point had always troubled Li Wei, so much so that he had put off this matter until now.
That was the name of the faction.
His naming difficulty syndrome had flared up.
The first territory was called Roadside Fort because it was built by the roadside, and the second territory, River Valley City, already had a name. Now, he had to come up with a new faction name himself…
Should it be called Roadside Faction?
Naming is a profound art.
Looking across the entire Middle-earth, not a single faction name was chosen casually.
For example, Rivendell—the word, when broken down, means 'torn valley,' which perfectly matches the terrain there.
Another example is Lothlórien—in the Elvish language, it means 'dreamland where flowers bloom,' which also perfectly matches the terrain characteristics.
So, the question arises.
Li Wei opened the faction map and took a look.
One Roadside Fort, on the plains west of the Misty Mountains, with blooming flowers and beautiful scenery.
And another River Valley City, in the mountainous area east of the Black Forest, built against the mountains.
According to the terrain of these two territories, should his faction be called Rivendell-Lothlórien, or Lothlórien-Rivendell?
If he really chose either of those two names, he feared two Elven Lords would come to visit the very next day.
Li Wei shook his head and finally typed a few words.
"Free City States."
[Faction: 'Free City States' successfully established]
Let's just go with this for now. Anyway, the faction name isn't unchangeable.
Having one is good enough to start with.
['Free City States' Faction Reputation unlocked]
[Free City States Reputation: ∞]
[Resident System unlocked]
[Resident Reputation activated]
[Permission Management System unlocked]
As soon as the faction was established, lines of prompts appeared one after another, dazzling Li Wei.
"You all rest for a bit. I have something to do and will be back shortly."
After telling the refugees, Li Wei found a quiet place and began to read the various descriptions.
First, Faction Reputation.
Just as Li Wei could see his reputation in other factions, he could now also see others' reputation in his own faction.
For example, the refugees currently resting at the city gate all had 0 reputation points, which meant they had neither done anything harmful nor beneficial to his faction.
This was an extremely powerful oversight system. Anyone who made a contribution would have their deeds accurately reflected in the faction reputation, never buried.
Similarly, if someone did something harmful to the faction, it would absolutely not be overlooked.
After the Reputation System was activated, Permission Management followed immediately.
Permission Management involved some fundamental aspects of the MC system.
Here, Li Wei can establish a 'class,' set the conditions for joining this 'class,' and grant certain permissions to this 'class.' The number of permissions is tied to the prestige value; the more prestige, the more permissions can be unlocked.
For example, Li Wei can now set up a 'Resident' class, with the joining condition being 10 prestige points. After becoming a Resident, one can use tools with MC characteristics and simultaneously unlock the permission to craft certain tools on the workbench.
Very useful.
If this system is utilized well, the territory's development can even achieve a certain degree of automation.
These are the main functions of the Faction System.
Besides these, there are data statistics, such as the total of 203 people currently waiting at the city gate, which saves Li Wei the time of counting himself.
After some thought, Li Wei set the first initial position.
[Tourist]
Prestige Required: 0.
'Tourists' can use wooden tools to labor within the territory to gain Faction Prestige.
This is the maximum permission that can be unlocked with 0 prestige. Li Wei couldn't open more even if he wanted to.
Only when the conditions of 'prestige reaching ten points' and 'swearing allegiance to the faction' are met can [Tourists] be promoted further.
The next rank for a Tourist is [Resident], which can be taken up with ten prestige points. [Residents] can unlock the use of the workbench to craft higher-grade stone tools.
Additionally, after becoming a Resident, one can also craft and use chests – excluding Li Wei's; the territory lord's chests are locked by default to others, and only he can permit them to be opened.
"For now, this will do."
After setting up two preliminary prestige levels, Li Wei temporarily closed the Faction interface and went to the city gate to organize the refugees.
As Li Wei approached, the resting refugees immediately stood up, their gazes fixed on him.
Li Wei looked at the group of people and said loudly:
"Don't worry, there are many things you can do here. The development of the territory needs your help."
"But for now, I think the most important thing should be to fill your stomachs and have a place to live."
The current state of these refugees was truly not good. A quick glance showed no one looked particularly healthy; everyone looked like they had been hungry for a long time.
In such a state, they certainly couldn't concentrate on production; they needed to rest well first.
After some thought, Li Wei placed a large table in the square and brought several stacks of bread to pile on it.
Then, he issued his first command:
"Take food here, take as much as you can eat, and then choose a house as a family unit."
After speaking, Li Wei sought out the old Village Chief among the crowd.
"Does the Lord have any instructions?"
Seeing Li Wei approach, the old Village Chief immediately stopped and waited earnestly for Li Wei's next words.
"You heard my instructions just now, right? Leave these matters to you first. There's a lot of bread, you can take as much as you want, and those houses are all empty, you can choose freely."
"After you finish these things, come to the castle to find me. I still need some help."
"As you command."
The old Village Chief bowed and began to organize the crowd.
Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, having someone with good organizational skills helping out made things much easier.
Seeing the refugees begin to orderly collect bread and find shelter, Li Wei also returned to the castle to tidy his backpack.
Now, Li Wei's backpack had no empty slots; it was full of various drops and precious materials, such as Dragon hearts, Dragon blood, and Dragon scales.
Smaug's size was simply too immense, resulting in a considerable amount of drops.
Li Wei only brought back a small portion of the more important materials; more were stored in chests in the River Valley territory, waiting to be retrieved once the Nether passage was built.
Just as Li Wei finished organizing his backpack and spent a good deal of time tidying the chests, the old Village Chief came looking for him.
"My Lord, the task is complete. Do you have any further instructions?"
"Follow me."
Li Wei crafted a set of wooden tools and put them in his backpack, then led the old Village Chief to the vegetable patch.
"Take this."
He handed the wooden hoe to the Village Chief.
"Try using this to harvest vegetables."
The Village Chief held the wooden hoe, looking left and right, feeling that this thing didn't seem like a useful tool, but since it was the Lord's command, he could only comply.
Although old, the Village Chief, having traveled so far, was not a freeloader; at least he still had the strength to swing a hoe.
Thump.
With one swing of the hoe, the old Village Chief stared at the few carrots on the ground, his eyes wide, somewhat doubting life.
"Did I see wrong? It, it just dropped out by itself?"
Yes, it just dropped out.
"You didn't see wrong; the vegetables here are just like that."
"Just consider this place to be enchanted. All items within the territory possess magic."
"Magic? I understand, My Lord."
Though outwardly calm, at this moment, the old Village Chief's heart had actually exploded.
'Our Lord is a wizard who wields powerful magic!'
Life suddenly had hope.
This group of people had traversed swamps and barren lands, overcoming numerous obstacles and temptations to steadfastly arrive here, precisely to seek refuge with a reliable Lord.
Clearly, it seemed this choice was the right one.
In this world, there were quite a few powerful Lords who could use magic, but most of them were Elves.
The other few were either related to Elves or had been buried in history.
For example—the Ringwraiths, former holders of the Nine Rings of mankind, gained immense power through the rings, and one of them specialized in various magics, becoming a renowned wizard who ruled a region.
However, even if there were historical precedents, that was ancient history.
Currently, there was only one human Lord who could use magic.
"Now pick up the carrots and plant them."
The old Village Chief complied, and soon a patch of green sprouts grew on the moist cultivated land, leaving him utterly astonished.
"Hmm, it seems planting can proceed normally."
After testing the vegetable patch, Li Wei then took the old Village Chief to the pasture to try feeding, then to cut wood, dig stone…
Unlike Li Wei's mode, the stones struck down by the old Village Chief did not directly become drops but were dug from their original locations, severed from their connections, and became easily movable.
Only when the old Village Chief threw the stone onto a funnel, or when Li Wei touched the stone, would it become a normal drop and be absorbed.
And if it wasn't thrown into a funnel, but instead 'placed,' that stone would revert to its original state, as if it had always grown from the ground, requiring a pickaxe to dig it again before its connection could be severed.
This characteristic might be a bit complex to understand, but it can actually be summarized in one sentence—
That is, an additional non-stackable inventory slot.
This characteristic also only takes effect within the territory.
At this moment, after following Li Wei on a round of testing, the old Village Chief was already numb.
The experiences before him were too bizarre, so much so that he even doubted if he was still sleeping in the dilapidated tent outside the city walls, just not yet awake.
The problem is that even dreams need material. Surprisingly, his imagination was quite rich for his age.
'It's best if I never wake up…'
The old Village Chief thought so.
Meanwhile, Li Wei began to summarize.
Planting vegetables, raising animals, digging stone, cutting wood.
Producing food and basic building materials.
These are what [Tourists] can currently do, and also their path to becoming official Residents.
Thanks to Moon Candy Pie for the 7200 points reward, thanks to Croissant Bread for the 100 points reward, thanks to JimLiu2000 for the 100 points reward, thanks to all who voted, thank you for your support!
——
(The design of the Residents here refers to some MC Villager animations)
Also, help, I really can't come up with names. Are there any experts who can help me think of a faction name?
2 st 36 minEin Löffel davon auf leeren Magen verbrennt 32 kg pro Woche!Noch
400151271Ch. 98 / 40724.1%Ch. 98 / 40724.1%ContentsAbout this bookAbout UsContact UsChangelogDMCACookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseStatsCopyright © 2022 - wtr-lab.com v1.9.4Bringing the MC system to Middle-earth Chapter 98 - WTR-LAB
99Chapter 99 LaborAI Model: gemini-2.5-flashAfter teaching the Village Chief how to work in the territory, Li Wei then took him to conduct some property experiments.
For example, diving; the properties of water also apply to the Residents, who are considered 'biological entities' within the territory and will, to a certain extent, follow MC's properties.
Or rather, it's not that they follow MC's properties, but that MC's properties affect them.
Temporarily ending the small property experiments and labor teaching guidance, Li Wei said to the Old Village Chief:
"If you want to stay here, you must reach the [Resident] class within one year. When you become a Resident, you can synthesize this tool yourselves."
The Village Chief's expression immediately turned serious.
"You mean, as long as we become Residents, we can also use this magic to create tools?"
He directly localized Li Wei's words according to his own understanding.
"You could say that."
Li Wei was too lazy to correct him; as long as he understood, it was fine.
"By the way, as my Residents, although you will never lack food and shelter, you must perform a certain amount of labor every day."
"Except for children, ranks of Resident and below need to work at least six hours a day. Oh, you might not know how long six hours is; in most cases, it's roughly equivalent to half a daytime."
"This, this short?"
The Old Village Chief frowned slightly, not because he had an opinion, but because he found it a bit hard to believe.
"You are too generous..."
This Lord not only took in his group, provided shelter and food, but also was willing to share his magic.
And the only cost was working—
And it was all such easy work!
This sudden happiness made people's heads spin.
Six hours, which according to the Lord was half a daytime. In the past, let alone half a daytime, most villagers spent their entire day working, from sunrise to sunset, and even eating and resting were basically tied to the workplace. There was no concept of 'getting off work after working a certain amount of time each day.'
Such a territory management method was truly unprecedented.
"I know this might be a bit monotonous and boring, but if you want to stay, then this is necessary."
"Once you are promoted to a rank above [Resident], you can reduce this time."
Li Wei continued, "If anyone is unwilling to accept, he can leave at any time. However, it should be noted that once he leaves, he will no longer be a [Resident] here, nor will he be able to use anything here."
"No, I won't leave even if I die."
The Old Village Chief immediately swore, "I am willing to join the Free City States and contribute to the development of the territory with all my might until the end of my life."
"Listen to me first."
Li Wei pressed his hand down.
"I don't force the type of work; you can choose tasks you are more interested in for your daily labor."
"As your prestige level increases, the professions you can engage in and the things you can do will also increase, and you will also unlock the crafting of more things, just like me."
Li Wei demonstrated by crafting a wooden hoe on the spot.
"I think I understand."
The Old Village Chief quickly summarized, his mind racing:
"You mean, as long as we perform some simple labor every day, we can gradually learn more magic, and be able to do more things with magic?"
"And, we can even use these magic spells to do things we are interested in?"
"You... Yes, that's right, that's roughly what it means."
This Old Village Chief was good at extracting key points, and he was also a master of localizing vocabulary.
After thinking about it, Li Wei still didn't use those specialized terms that only he understood to correct him; as long as they understood, it was fine.
After explaining the key points of the territory again and confirming that the Old Village Chief understood everything, Li Wei continued to instruct:
"I've taught you the basics; now it's up to you to tell the villagers how to do it."
"This also counts as a contribution to the territory and can earn you some prestige."
"I understand, Lord."
The Old Village Chief accepted the order and left in a hurry. According to Li Wei's instructions, he gathered the villagers—no, they should be called Residents now. He gathered the Residents according to Li Wei's instructions and explained and demonstrated to them how to work in the territory, how to throw things into hoppers, and how to breed animals, plant trees, collect apples, and so on.
After the demonstration, he then explained the promotion rules within the territory to this group of Residents.
"Lord has a magical ability that allows him to see how much contribution we have made to the territory."
"As long as we make enough contributions, we can even use the magic shared by Lord."
"Oh—!"
The Residents gasped, taking a while to digest the news.
Once they understood what the Old Village Chief was saying, some immediately rolled up their sleeves, intending to find tools and work hard.
Every contribution they made would be genuinely seen, which meant there would absolutely be no situation where their efforts were falsely claimed, or where they did good deeds and no one knew.
The Lord's eyes were the measure; he would see everything.
As long as they worked hard to contribute, they could genuinely and steadily rise, even learning magic and using it to do what they wanted—this was not some false promise, but something truly and tangibly present.
As long as the specified conditions were met, it could be obtained immediately.
A few more ambitious individuals began to stir, while most others breathed a sigh of relief.
For most Residents who had experienced wandering and hunger, having a long-term, stable, habitable place was better than anything. As long as they could get by and they and their families could eat their fill, that was already immense satisfaction; everything else was secondary.
At least, it was secondary for now.
This group of Residents just wanted to live a peaceful life for now, and then think about other things.
Half a daytime of labor was not much, especially compared to their previous lives; it was incredibly easy. Many Residents even felt that this life was a bit luxurious, and they could live like this forever.
But such thoughts would eventually change with the immense satisfaction of material life.
When people no longer lacked material needs, they would begin to seek spiritual satisfaction.
When life is threatened, people crave to live; when extremely hungry, people crave coarse bread or rotten vegetable leaves. But when they have endless coarse bread and rotten vegetable leaves, people will begin to crave better things.
Needs will progress in layers.
As they stay longer in the territory, once the Residents have somewhat recovered, they will gradually begin to pursue higher goals.
At that time, even without mandatory labor requirements, large numbers of people will eagerly compete to actively engage in labor and create the value they desire.
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450165177Ch. 99 / 40724.3%Ch. 99 / 40724.3%ContentsAbout this bookAbout UsContact UsChangelogDMCACookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseStatsCopyright © 2022 - wtr-lab.com v1.9.4Bringing the MC system to Middle-earth Chapter 99 - WTR-LAB