Isabelle single-handedly wiped out the Sand Worms occupying the Oasis and restored the only transit point in the desert. Unfortunately, the Oasis foundation the Bedou Tribe had cultivated for generations was still completely destroyed.
The former Oasis was now nothing but several sunken, collapsed sand pits. Everything else had become ruined rubble.
A white light lit up around Isabelle.
Wisps of Black Mist rose from the ground ahead, gathering into a blurry shadow. A Dialogue Box appeared above the Black Shadow's head, but it contained nothing but garbled text.
Garbled text also appeared above Isabelle's head as she engaged the other side in encrypted communication.
Before long, the Black Shadow dispersed.
Facing the computer screen, Isabelle knelt on one knee. "My lord, I used Lingering Prayer to question the dead here. They told me that the Sand Worms attacked this place to seize the Copper Ore beneath the Oasis."
"Sand Worms like ore. They swallow it, turning the Metal Element into part of their bodies to strengthen themselves."
"Most mining areas in the desert are occupied by Sand Worm groups from different regions. Only this place was protected by a God's power, keeping them from approaching."
"Not long ago, they discovered that this place was no longer covered by a God's power, so the Sand Worms swiftly attacked the Oasis. They even broke out into a small internal war over the Copper Ore. The twelve Sand Worms I dealt with were the original victors here."
Lu Yao was delighted to hear that.
There was actually Copper.
He had been worried that the Garlic Tribe had yet to unlock the Metal Smelting skill tree. He had not expected the opportunity to be in the desert.
But Isabelle's next words immediately poured cold water over him.
"There was not much Copper Ore here to begin with, and the Sand Worms have already eaten it all. Sand Worms are Monsters that can go without food for long periods. When they encounter Copper Ore or Iron Ore, they feed frantically until they have digested every last bit of ore."
The Copper Ore had already been eaten...
Lu Yao looked at the worm corpses on the ground, and an idea suddenly came to mind.
Since the ore had been eaten by the Sand Worms to strengthen their bodies, could that mean the Copper Ore was still part of their corpses?
Lu Yao gave the order.
--Check the corpses. See if there's any Copper inside.
Before long, Isabelle had the results of her inspection.
"Just as you said, my lord, there are sheets of Copper beneath the Sand Worms' outer hide. These Copper sheets are extremely sturdy."
Lu Yao thought so.
Without an Apostle, it would probably have been impossible to discover the Sand Worms' secret.
No.
Without an Apostle, they would never have been able to enter the desert and fight the Sand Worms in the first place.
If the Garlic Tribe relied solely on its own strength to enter the desert and confront the Sand Worms, it would undoubtedly be seeking death.
Only because Isabelle existed could they enter these dangerous high-level regions.
Next, the Garlic Tribe's Hunters followed Isabelle into the desert and arrived at the Oasis. When they saw the Sand Worm corpses sprawled across the ground like giant snakes, the Pixelated Villagers grew extremely excited.
"What sturdy Monsters. They must have been terrifying while alive."
"Their hides are thicker than a Sea Monster's, and their bodies are even bigger."
"Monster meat! Leather! And sturdy bones!"
"A huge harvest!"
A Pixelated Villager suddenly had an exclamation mark appear above their head.
"There's something inside the Sand Worm hide. This is Copper! It's Copper!"
A line of text appeared on the screen.
[The Garlic Tribe discovered Copper.]
A new resource was also added to the resource bar at the top of the game interface: Metal.
[Metal] currently contained only Copper, and it was marked red as scarce.
Then the little people busied themselves cutting apart the Sand Worm corpses and transporting them all the way back to the Garlic Tribe by camel. Because the journey was long and there were many Sand Worm corpses, the tribe mobilized every camel it had, while the Shaman personally directed the transport here.
During this desert expedition, Isabelle cleared out the Sand Worms along the way, reopening the route between the plains near the Garlic Tribe and the Oasis.
Leaving the desert was only a matter of time.
At that moment, Lu Yao suddenly saw a notification.
[To thank you for reclaiming the former site of the Bedou Tribe, Astrologer Shahan has taught the Garlic Tribe the Mining Technique.] [The Garlic Tribe has learned the Mining Technique.] [The Garlic Tribe has gained Reputation among other tribes for mastering a new technology.] [The Garlic Tribe discovered Iron.] [The Garlic Tribe discovered Gems.] [The Garlic Tribe discovered Gold.] [The Garlic Tribe discovered Silver.] [The Garlic Tribe discovered Crystal.]
The string of notifications drew Lu Yao's gaze toward the tent beside the Temple.
The former leader of the Bedou Tribe, now the Garlic Tribe's weather forecaster, was kneeling outside the Temple with his forehead pressed devoutly to the ground, expressing his gratitude to Lu Yao.
He had actually kept something in reserve.
Lu Yao could not help thinking.
Since Shahan had hidden knowledge, could others do the same?
Perhaps only by achieving what mattered most to these people, fulfilling their obsessions and hopes, would they be willing to share all their skills and experience.
After learning the Mining Technique, the tribe gradually assigned some people to dig and chisel around rocks. The use of stone also became more widespread, with the most obvious change being the low stone walls piled up outside the houses.
In addition, the Garlic Tribe gradually learned the most primitive Smelting methods. The little people dug large pits in the ground, piled in firewood, lit it, and burned Copper, Iron, Silver, and Gold out of ore.
Not long after, another message appeared on the screen: [The Blessing has been fully completed. Fishing Net has merged into the world.]
He could send over new tools again.
Lu Yao stretched, got up, and worked his fingers, waist, and back.
Every step forward in tribal civilization came at the cost of a God's aching back and sore waist.
That winter, Isabelle cut down Sand Worms all along the way and emerged from the vast Southern Desert into a brand-new world.
It was a city called Sanilo, whose civilization far surpassed that of the Garlic Tribe.
Sanilo was built beside the sea and controlled the sea route. The city had not only neatly arranged houses and straight, intersecting stone roads, but also every kind of shop.
It had a population of more than ten thousand, while several Fishing Boats and Sailboats were moored at the coastal harbor.
The only problem was that Sanilo's residents were not human.
It was a city inhabited by Ghosts.
At first, the Ghosts of Sanilo had a minor misunderstanding with Isabelle. After Isabelle slaughtered nearly half the city's Ghost Soldiers, the Ghosts changed their attitude and gave her an enthusiastic welcome.
The people of Sanilo treated Isabelle as an honored guest and introduced her to the city's long history. The locals said they were willing to worship God Yao and offer faith in exchange for God Yao's protection and forgiveness.
The situation stabilized.
"Sanilo City has always been hospitable, and we especially respect and worship powerful Gods. It is our honor to receive such a noble Apostle as yourself," said Sanilo's mayor, Chapman.
"I will not conceal it from you, Lady Isabelle. Sanilo is actually a cursed city."
"This place was once immensely prosperous. The city excelled at maritime trade and farming, and its population far exceeded what it is now. But after the Forest God we worshipped fell, this place was cursed by another God."
"All of us were executed and became Ghosts."
"And the God bestowed a Totem that prevented Sanilo's Ghosts from ever taking a single step beyond this place, punishing us for our heretical behavior. Other than the Bedou Tribe in ancient times, no one has visited here for many years."
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