Four Neighbors, the "Wealthy" Lowland! (Two-in-One)

Of the supplies that were loaded onto the ship earlier, about 40% were used up during the time it took to set sail and head to the New Continent.

What was originally the most abundant food supplies have now become the most severely depleted items.

Based on the estimated meal volume, it can only support the consumption of 1,405 people for a little over five months.

If we include the consumption by animals such as lizards, yaks, and sheep, the time will be even shorter, lasting only about four and a half months.

Of course, this data takes into account the assumption that everyone can eat their fill at each of the Tian San.

If each person's number of meals is reduced to two, and the amount of food is reduced to 60%, then these supplies could last for almost a year.

"Let's keep the supply open. Everyone needs to be well-fed to have energy. Let's not wait until there's no food left and people are all gone."

"As for planting, there's no rush. Let's wait until the Heavy Snowfall is over and the soil is rich in nutrients before making any preparations."

Standing by the railing, looking down at the villagers who were moving like ants, Su Mo's words did not contain much worry.

Naturally, the management team members present had no objections and all nodded in approval for the allocation of food supplies.

Next, Pei Shao, who was second from the left, stepped forward and began to report from his notebook:

"Chief, according to the intelligence from the Dwarf Polly, there are currently four different alien races surrounding our territory."

"They are the dwarves in the northwest, the treants in the northeast, the Demon Soul Race in the south, and the..."

"Humans!"

The Dwarf Polly played a crucial role in gathering intelligence on the enemy.

Even though they were limited by their territory and couldn't explore further, the depression still managed to gather ample information about the enemy.

"Humans? Not us Earthlings, are they?"

Pei Shao nodded. "Yes, according to Polly, these humans are not from Earth; they come from a country called the Radiant Empire."

"These guys have nice-sounding country names, and they sound upright, but the things they do are utterly inhuman."

"Look!"

Pei Shao turned to the next page of the notebook and handed it to him.

After reviewing the document with a frown, Su Mo handed it back to all the management personnel for review.

"Wow, these people have modified their bodies? What kind of style are they going for? Beastmen or cyberpunk?"

"There are winged birdmen? That's pretty impressive, they have natural air superiority!"

"Replacing one of your arms with a shield—that's a brilliant idea. I wonder which genius came up with it."

"Cut off the legs and attach two wheels, is this some kind of cosplay of Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels?"

The ten "humans" in different forms, once circulated, immediately sparked a great deal of discussion among everyone.

These pictures are extremely lifelike; apart from the blurred facial expressions, every crucial detail is captured.

"These humans from the Radiant Empire number around 60,000, and they seem to be expanding recently, so they are quite powerful."

According to Polly, in this strange human community, hierarchy is determined by the level of modification one has undergone.

"Those who modify their limbs are the lowest-ranking members of the group. Their bodies are extremely fragile, and once they are hit by external force, they are almost indistinguishable from normal humans."

Pointing to the first two types of people who had modified their arms and legs, Pei Shao explained, shaking his head.

Then, pointing again at the person who had modified their body and internal organs, Pei Shao said:

"These people are a level higher than the previous humans. Their bodies have basically transcended the fragility of humans, becoming as hard as steel. Their limbs also have extremely high potential for modification. And apart from the head, which remains a weak point, these people are practically slaughtering any alien race without special abilities. Their speed, strength, and reaction time are terrifyingly fast."

In addition to images, on the next page, Pei Shao also provides three key metrics.

In the 100-meter sprint, he ran in 8.9 seconds.

Bench press, 210 kg.

High jump: 2.9 meters.

The modified humans easily surpassed the speed that had taken thousands of years for humans on Earth.

Moreover, this transformation is a comprehensive development without any shortcomings, turning humanity into a sophisticated instrument focused on killing.

"Of course, such people are still only effective on individual battlefields. Once the scale increases, their fragile minds still cannot support their fearless charges."

"Only the third type of people are the enemies we truly need to take seriously!"

Pointing to the person who had been modified with wings and whose lower body had been transformed into tank tracks, Pei Shao's tone became somewhat serious.

"These people have extensively modified their bodies, and to a certain extent, they have transcended the realm of humanity. Bird-like beings, for example, can fly at speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour, covering a round trip of about 200 kilometers. Tracked beings are tireless; as long as they have enough energy, they can move indefinitely."

"Their heads have been reinforced to a certain extent, so they can at least withstand our pistol bullets without any problem!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Long eagerly asked, "What about the rest of them? I don't see any significant modifications on them. Could they be the strongest?"

Pei Shao nodded. "Yes, from the outside, they are basically no different from us, but in reality, these people are the highest-ranking and strongest in their group."

"Except for their heads, which cannot be replaced, all other parts of their bodies can be freely modified and replaced, just like the cutting head on a machine tool, which can be replaced with any type."

"They can be given wings to soar freely in the sky, their arms can be replaced with missile launchers to bombard the ground, they can be fitted with wheels to run incredibly fast, and they can even be equipped with various detectors. Calling them humanoid weapons wouldn't be an exaggeration!"

They look like humans straight out of a science fiction novel.

Pei Shao became more and more excited as he spoke, expressing a strong desire to transform himself and join the army of "cyborgs".

But as he continued speaking, noticing the equally fervent gazes of those around him, he could only shrug.

"The good news is that these Modified Human are very friendly towards us Earthlings. If we go to trade, there shouldn't be any barriers. Even if we want to modify our bodies, as long as we pay the right price, they can add their most advanced technology to us."

"But the bad news is that they are very greedy. They can only trade high-value items, such as grain or ordinary minerals. They don't even look at these things!"

Upon hearing that the other party was even selling the most advanced technology, Su Mo, who had been leaning against the fence without saying a word, suddenly became interested.

This technology for modifying the body is not unfamiliar to humans.

Modified Human are often cameo characters in various AAA games on Earth.

There are also many figures like this in movies.

Unfortunately, despite numerous discussions about this topic, its practical application has progressed slowly due to ethical constraints.

Now that some organisms have already taken the lead, they are willing to sell this technology.

Considering the system's protection, after a moment's thought, Su Mo coughed twice, interrupting the whispers.

"Since they are so friendly to us Earthlings, we can try to go and make contact with them after the Heavy Snowfall."

"If they are really willing to sell the modification rights, we can pay a price and try to decipher and study them!"

Chen Shen nodded as he noted down Su Mo's arrangements.

"What about the remaining two races? Besides the dwarves, do you have any information on the Demon Soul Race and the Treants?"

Pei Shao: "These also exist, mostly Tree People, and less so Demon Soul Race members."

"Most of the alien races that descended last time were animal-like humanoids, still bound by their physical forms. And even the Five Great Royal Clans, according to Polly, only have true gods behind them, whose strength isn't particularly great."

"But among these alien races now, the ancestor of these tree people was a high-ranking true god, and the ancestor of this Demon Soul Race was even Main God!"

After talking with the Ocean God Jiang Chu, Su Mo also gained a certain understanding of the hierarchical classification of these gods living in other regions.

Overall, this system still follows the hierarchy of Western deities.

The total is divided into:

Quasi-god, demigod, low-level true god, mid-level true god, high-level true god, Main God

The previously appearing Tengu Pseudo-God was somewhere between a demigod and a true god, and had never had any access to it.

His strength is only effective within his own territory; once he goes elsewhere, he's completely helpless.

Those who have reached the level of True God or above are beings who have initially acquired authority.

However, this permission is not for the wasteland, but for other "small compartments".

Like immortals and gods who once appeared on Earth and then quickly vanished.

Because it's not the closest place to the exit, the game can instantly use production reduction measures to reclaim the privileges of the small compartment, even if there are consequences.

This resulted in the deities in these small cubicles feeling very insecure, and they were forced to work for the game.

Only after ascending to the Main God will this situation change to some extent.

The Main God represents that this creature has more than 20% of the authority over a compartment, and they can freely protect and develop their followers.

Like a strong and powerful ant, it can still exert a certain aura even when entering other compartments.

Because of their protection, their race is far stronger than the followers of ordinary true gods, and their abilities are more diverse and unique.

"Based on the number of permissions granted, I would be considered a high-ranking true god if I went to Small World now."

"Furthermore, since I possess the authority of the main world, my strength is not inferior to that of the Main God of these Small World."

"And most importantly, I am not controlled by the game; the game has no say in my life or death!"

The game update explicitly states that it is impossible for gods of other races to enter the wasteland world.

Therefore, Su Mo, who knew the inside story, was not worried.

The other managers, unaware of the inside story, were completely bewildered, having no idea what the so-called "Main God" represented.

"The Treants are a relatively friendly race. Their current strength is unknown, but based on their personality, there is a good chance that they can establish trade through communication."

"They are very interested in high-grade plants. If we can cultivate some unique plants, perhaps we can trade them for the laborers they sell."

"These laborers are incredibly strong and don't need food; they're practically natural tools!"

"But the abilities of the Demon Soul Race are very strange!"

After being stationed at Black Stone Camp, the Dwarf Polly was not without ways to learn about the outside world.

Polly was quite ambitious, so much so that he could glean valuable information from his fellow clansmen during each Coal Mine handover.

Unlike other creatures, this mysterious tribe, protected by Main God, is shrouded in mystery, and very little information is available about them.

Even the hundreds of thousands of dwarves dared not approach them rashly.

This clearly demonstrates their immense strength! "The Demon Soul Race possesses not only human technology, but also the bizarre magic of other races, and strange and wondrous innate abilities."

Specific details are still unknown.

"There's still some good news: the Demon Soul Race and the People of the Radiant Empire are mortal enemies, so we don't need to worry about the Demon Soul Race coming to cause trouble for now."

"Furthermore, they are very afraid of the cold, so there shouldn't be any fighting this winter that would affect our area."

Intelligence work.

It must be meticulous and it must be truthful.

Pei Shao didn't voice his guesses, but instead wrote them down in a notebook and handed it to Su Mo.

"Are the Demon Soul Race similar to the ghosts and monsters in horror movies on Earth?"

"They are physical entities during the day, but turn into spirits at night, making their attacks impossible to defend against?"

"Can it pass through walls, go underground, fly, generate electricity with its body, and summon water?"

After reading only three Dwarf Polly's guesses, Su Mo couldn't help but laugh and close the notebook.

Like humans, dwarves also tend to interpret the unknown in a terrifying way.

This has led to ghosts becoming a "synonym" for something that is difficult to escape.

"Alright, don't take these speculations to heart."

"If they were really that strong, they would have already conquered this New Continent. How could they be trapped by a mere Modified Human?"

"However, since their adversaries are Modified Human, we don't need to rush. We can try to make contact with the tree people first and try to trade for their laborers to help us complete the infrastructure work!"

Choosing a location near a large territory has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that the thousand or so people in the low-lying area are insignificant compared to the tens of thousands of people on the other side.

There's absolutely no need to worry about bumping into each other early on and getting entangled.

Moreover, by leveraging the scale of the other party, the low-lying area will also receive a certain degree of chain support, and its development will be much faster than that of the smaller area.

The downside is that if you really make an enemy of the other party, it will be very troublesome if you actually run into them.

It's better against dwarves who spread out their forces too far and have a scattered formation, at least because of the depth of the formation, they have a lot of buffer time.

However, if a conflict were to break out with tough opponents like the Demon Soul Race or the humans of the Radiant Empire, and if the other side went berserk, it would be a devastating blow to the current lowland.

Breaking this awkward situation is both simple and difficult.

"It seems I must think of a way to personally talk to these treants and establish an alliance."

While listening to the management continue to report on other aspects, Su Mo pondered the future development path.

For the high-quality plants that the Tree People want.

Pei Shao and the others were clueless and didn't know where to start looking.

But in the Underground Shelter, Su Mo knew that there were two things that, if taken out, would definitely be successfully traded.

First, Psionic Water.

This is an absolute trump card; no living being can resist Psionic Water.

This substance, which can fundamentally alter the nature of organisms, is absolutely irresistible to ordinary organisms without true authority over it.

Second, the Yuan Energy Fruit.

This fruit, grown with Psionic Water, possesses a certain power. It can increase the space of a shelter and also increase the chances of organisms evolving.

It's almost certain that it will be sold.

Unfortunately, given the current weakness of the region, bringing out these two things could easily lead to the awkward situation of "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

The weak military force of the low-lying area cannot guarantee that the tree people will not be blinded by greed and rush up to seize and plunder.

"It seems we must quickly use the Culture Medium and Psionic Water to accelerate the maturation of a batch of high-quality crop seeds."

"There are plenty of good things in this low-lying area, but absolutely nothing that can be traded."

"But thinking about it this way, the low-lying area isn't so barren after all. If you really want to compare, it's actually quite rich!"

Just thinking about the good stuff in the Storage Space and the storage in the Underground Shelter.

Upon hearing Zhang Long's long-winded complaints, explaining that the low-lying area was now lacking in materials and could not support infrastructure construction at all, Su Mo couldn't help but laugh.

If basic materials represent strength, speed, and physical fitness...

So, foundational knowledge represents skills, experience, and unparalleled secrets.

Having the former skill, one can at best be considered a second-rate expert in the martial arts world, and will likely never see the true peak in their lifetime.

Possessing the latter means that even a skilled but young master can only unleash nine-tenths of their full strength, making them a beggar version of the "sweeping monk."

The depression we see today is the latter.

However, one thing is certain.

For a beggar-like Sweeper Monk to regain his youth, restore his vitality, and return to the top level of master is extremely difficult, almost an impossible challenge.

A low-lying area, wanting to make up for its shortcomings, relies on its foundation to enter the top-tier realm.

It's just a matter of time!