Chapter 386 - 360: Timber Development Plan
While Da Fei was pacing impatiently back and forth in the passageway, a commotion finally erupted from the opposite side, as a large group of raggedly dressed Habbit wielding crossbow arrows, slingshots, and flying forks appeared, numbering no less than 500!
Da Fei, surprised, couldn’t help feeling delighted inside; so many people and they’re poor! If he could recruit them all, he’d hit the jackpot!
The barrier gate was opened, and dozens of Habbit Warriors clad in slightly more decent leather armor and wielding unusual short swords escorted an elder Habbit holding a magic wand before Da Fei. This elder Habbit was actually standing on an unknown white halo, clearly a hero! And beside him was a small, young fellow, also with a wooden shield, standing on a dim white halo - another hero! Damn it, dual heroes from the start!
The fantasy of recruitment burst like a soap bubble, and Da Fei was utterly deflated on the spot.
As everyone knows, it’s extremely difficult for player lords to recruit heroes’ forces. The reason is simple; even if a player wants to recruit an ordinary hero in the tavern, they have to fuss over one or two quests, not to mention those epic heroes with story backgrounds, for which the difficulty is so high that few players worldwide have recruited epic heroes. As for legendary heroes, who hold high office and military power within a kingdom, that’s even more unthinkable.
And these two Habbit Heroes, with their own soldiers, lands, and populations, could be considered overlords of their domain; even if they’re not legendary heroes, they are the ironclad equivalents of village chiefs and should not be underestimated. To think of recruiting them, along with all their property and people? The twisted difficulty of that is even more troublesome than directly declaring war and fighting them head-on.
However, with the other side having "walls" and ranged warfare, the strength of their main hero, who seemed to be a mage, was unknown, and the strength of their troops with peculiar weapons was unclear, it seemed that war was not something Da Fei’s mediocre woodcutters could handle.
After all, the best approach in such a situation is cooperation. Even if the other party is just a small village chief, they still stand on equal footing with a player, and they deserve presidential-level treatment. In fact, in the Beastman swamps of orcish territory, there are quite a few indigenous forces that can tame Petrified Giant Lizards, Death Barbaric Bulls, and even Two-legged Flying Dragons as formidable troops, and even the NPC Beastman Kingdom engages with them in a relationship of equals, affording them the status of a state within a state.
In any case, harmony is valuable! Even if they can’t be recruited, developing a trade partner or even a military alliance is not a bad idea. At the very least, hero forces have decent combat capabilities.
No, I can’t resign to this! They’re so weak and poor, possibly the weakest hero force since the beginning of the game’s open beta, I must aim to achieve the grand goal of recruitment on the foundation of cooperation and alliance!
Da Fei, having made up his mind, politely greeted the advancing village chief with a chuckle, "Hello, elder sir, I am Lord Da Fei of the Elf Kingdom, from the Radiant City of the World Tree. My mission is to prevent the Hell Army from invading the different spaces of the World Tree. While exploring, I stumbled upon this place by chance, and only then did I realize there was a Habbit village here. My mission compels me to save any residents of the World Tree Space, but, I’m very sorry to say, I have encountered some big trouble myself and don’t even know how to get out. Thus, I must seek help from the elder sir!"
I’m sincere, right? I’ve given away all the favors, isn’t that enough face for you?
At this moment, the elder, wearing a dim and old mage robe, stroked his long beard and quietly listened to Da Fei’s speech, then nodded with a faint smile, "For 1000 years, you are the first person to appear here, and moreover, a hero from the Light Camp. You could very well be the hero prophesied to save us; however, we still can’t fully trust you. Our exile here is also because we were abandoned by a former ally."
Damn it! With a formidable enemy at your doorstep and death imminent, what other option besides trust in me do you have? Could it be trust in the Hell Race? Damn it, not impossible, they could just surrender to them!
Da Fei hastily said, "Although I don’t know your story, I will prove myself through my actions."
The elder nodded, "Good, let me introduce myself. I am Pangbo Oak Shield, the last leader of the Habbits. Lord, are there only two people left with you?"
Crap! Turns out he’s the ultimate leader of a race! Damn, the stakes are raised again!
Da Fei hastily said, "My transport team— is still in the Black Forest." Originally wanting to say ’troops,’ but feeling that the term was inappropriate, as it might agitate the other party, it’s better to call it a transport team—after all, it was indeed a team with a certain combat capability.
Pangbo, the elder, was shocked, "This is bad, get your team to hide here quickly. Every day, the fire from the Abyss Furnace will cause the Mercury Lake in the Black Forest to boil and steam, at that time, the entire forest will be filled with mercury fog, and no living spirit can survive in such fog!"
Da Fei was startled, "Abyss Furnace?"
Pangbo shook his head, "It’s a long story. I suppose, sir, you have spent considerable time discovering this place, you don’t have much time left. Quickly go and arrange your team."
So there was such a lethal aspect to the Mercury Lake! Da Fei exclaimed, "My regular workers can come here, but my Tree Spirits are blocked by the trees and cannot make it through!"
Pangbo sighed, "Then there’s nothing to be done, but Tree Spirits have strong vitality; they should be able to hold out for a day, right? Wait until the mercury fog settles, and then, Lord, think of a way to go and rescue."