Chapter 167: Day Thirty-Three Settlement |
But Du Yu’s mission also served as a wake-up call for them.
It meant that from now on, they had to consciously learn how to forge weapons, including making some pieces of equipment.
This was where the importance of buildings became clear.
With special buildings, the production cycle for weapons and tools could be shortened, and some constructions could even grant special effects. For example, metal refined in a furnace bunker becomes tougher and acquires extra special properties.
After everyone else left, Li Tieshan handed over two improved sets of lamellar armor.
The two sets had been tailored to fit both his and Cao Biansheng’s body types, adjusted to be more form-fitting.
“Brother, I don’t have one.” Qin Ziwu sounded a little wronged.
Qin Ziwen glanced at him, then said, “Tomorrow when we hunt, stay with the main force. Don’t rush forward on your own. The ones wearing armor should be the ones charging ahead.”
Qin Ziwu fell quiet at that, and finally muttered softly, “Actually, I want to be at the very front too.”
“All right, give this set to Cao Biansheng.” Qin Ziwen handed the lamellar armor to his younger brother.
Qin Ziwu took the armor upstairs. When Cao Biansheng accepted it, he looked a bit shocked, “This is really for me?”
“You just take it, don’t be picky. I haven’t even got one yet.” Qin Ziwu said sourly.
Hearing that, Cao Biansheng felt that the item in his hands was suddenly too hot to hold.
“Shall I—give it to you?” Cao Biansheng probed.
Qin Ziwu’s eyes brightened, “Really?”
“Just kidding, haha.” Cao Biansheng quickly took it back.
You have successfully survived safely in the wilderness for the thirty-third day and received one card. Captured Mononykus group... Comprehensive Score: 100 points
Reward received: [Level 2 Rare Treasure] Sharp Blade Stone *1
He was a little curious; this was the first time he received a rare treasure reward.
Qin Ziwen murmured inwardly and took it out.
A brick-sized, crimson, circular stone appeared in his palm.
[Level 2 Rare Treasure] Sharp Blade Stone (can be inlaid into buildings such as Blacksmith, Workbench)
He thought inwardly and used Insight on it.
Sharp Blade Stone: After being inlaid into the corresponding building, when blades are sharpened within that building, the blades become much sharper and are more likely to tear through armor.
Interesting. It was just right—enemies were getting tougher, especially some larger opponents with thick hide. If weapons weren’t sharp enough, they couldn’t cause deep wounds.
He approached the Level 3 Blacksmith. The blacksmith building turned ethereal, and a phantom card flew out from the structure, condensing into a transparent building card.
The card flipped automatically, revealing a socket on its back. He placed the Sharp Blade Stone into the slot.
The two instantly fused into one.
When Li Tieshan and Du Yu arrived, Qin Ziwen informed them of the Blacksmith’s new effect, warning them to avoid accidentally getting cut by blades while working.
Then Du Yu took the newly forged spearhead and began polishing it on the whetstone. Under the dousing of cold spring water, the spearhead flashed a chilling, cold light.
Qin Ziwen went to the Leather Armor Workshop and asked Chen Pi, “How’s the leather coming along? How long until we can make leather armor?”
Chen Pi replied, “Master, it will take about three to five more days. Leather production is time-consuming. Fortunately, one batch of leather was roughly processed and can be considered semi-finished, like tanned hide. That saves a lot of time. We only need to cut, punch, assemble, and then sun-dry to set the shape. But because the processing was rough, this batch of leather armor might not perform very well.”
Qin Ziwen nodded thoughtfully, “Fine.”
Jia Liangcai, standing behind him, said, “Master, making armor isn’t easy. Compared to weapons, armor is more strictly regulated. In Daye’s private possession of weapons, one piece equals a flogging, five pieces equal the death penalty. But anyone privately holding armor—even a single piece—is treated as treason and executed on the spot. If one privately holds more than five pieces of tanned hide, that is also treated as privately hoarding armor. The common folk are even forbidden from possessing 'conical knives thicker than two fen' because they can pierce holes for lacing armor.”
Qin Ziwen’s eyelids twitched at that—this was extreme. “I thought only iron armor was prohibited. Leather armor counts too?”
Jia Liangcai explained, “Master, you may not know. Leather armor, though weaker than iron armor, has three dangerous features: ease of manufacture, ease of concealment, and ease of mass production. In Great Yong’s early days, the nomadic Rouran on the northern grasslands once claimed thirty thousand leather-armed archers; the whole tribe wore armor. Because leather armor is easy to make—even though it costs time, it doesn’t require a workshop—ordinary people can produce it.”
Qin Ziwen nodded and looked at Chen Pi, “Okay, after five days, how many sets can you deliver in the first batch?”
Chen Pi bit his lip, “Master, I can make ten sets!”
“All right, ten sets it is.”
Before departure, Qin Ziwen took everyone’s spears to the Blacksmith to have the spearheads sharpened. After polishing, the spear tips glittered with an ever more frigid gleam.
...
Wind and sand filled the air.
Outside the residential complex’s east gate, large groups had gathered.
At a glance, there were no fewer than two hundred people, all strong youths.
Heads crowded together, split into several teams.
They were all fully armed—some wore armor fashioned from pots and pans, others wore self-made bark or animal-skin armor. Weapons were a wild variety, organized into categories by function, born of all manner of imagination.
One team near the north side stood out. Du Yu wore Mountain Pattern Armor; Qin Ziwen and Cao Biansheng wore lamellar armor. The others in that team, though not in armor, all held standardized spears, making them very conspicuous.
A trace of envy flashed in Huang Tao’s eyes. Although they had dismantled some metals from other facilities in the complex, modern metals had very high melting points. Once formed, they were hard to rework, and the weapons made from them were unstable in performance.
After everyone gathered, they set off silently along a wide plain toward the eastern mountain ridge.
The heat was intense, and the marching column was quiet.
After nearly half an hour, they finally reached the foot of the ridge.
Qin Ziwen took out the stainless-steel water cup at his waist and gulped several mouthfuls of water.
The view showed scattered sand and stone and stacked rock faces.
The cliff walls were bare, and the ground path was sprinkled with gravel.
A narrow sky-slit led inward, sunlight above blocked by the cliffs on both sides.
Passing through the narrow slit brought them into the canyon interior. Compared to the tight sky-slit, this passage was noticeably wider.
After turning through several paths, the front suddenly halted.
“Something up ahead.”
Qin Ziwen threaded through the crowd and led the team forward.
At the front of the group, a brown-gray beast roughly similar in length to the Giant-Toothed Beast King but noticeably taller at the shoulder watched them from a distance.
This beast weighed no less than a ton, shoulder height over two meters, body length over four meters. Its skin was somewhat slack, its head square like a sun dog yet also bear-like, staring steadily at the group.
“They don’t come in peace,” Zou Jianghe murmured.
“We’re the ones coming!” Cao Biansheng said confidently, eyeing the beast. “Looks like a Sarkastodon from the hunting ladder?”
Luo Gang looked to Qin Ziwen, who nodded, “Leave it to us to deal with.”
The team raised their spears and formed a spear formation, advancing slowly.
At the same time, Qin Ziwen held a cloth bag in his hand, weighing it lightly to feel the amount of lime and sand inside, then advanced with the team.
Behind them, people from the Alliance and the Student Council watched the Qin Alliance members approach the Sarkastodon, faces grave, holding their breath.
The canyon path wasn’t very wide—only seven or eight meters across.
Seeing humans approaching, the Sarkastodon shifted its weight uneasily and let out a low warning growl from its throat.