Building Step by Step (Part 1)

The others clearly didn't believe the little girl's words.

These Slave had never heard of a Slave so generously granting freedom to his Slave, let alone a group of them. Most of the Slave wore expressions of doubt, some even Taunt, believing it was a trick to fool them into working so hard. However, the two North Slave Vivian had saved looked overjoyed, seemingly believing the words of this Angel young girl were true.

Whether these Slave believed it or not was completely irrelevant.

Because the supervisors were those fierce and cruel pirates, if these Slave didn't work hard, these pirates, accustomed to Bloodhand, would have plenty of ways to make them obey. That's the advantage of being a pirate; having such a group of subordinates allows them to circumvent many rules. Their cruelty Blood Frenzy can help Soren solve many problems; some shady things don't even require his intervention, as the pirate leaders below have already taken care of them for him.

Anyway, Soren wasn't exactly a kind or noble person, so let him Cruelty Cruelty.

Only Cruelty methods can make them obey!

The criminal law is still in effect over there.

The two escaped natives were nearly dead after a morning of scorching sun. Soren hesitated, deciding against driving nails into their foreheads. Instead, he had them die on the stakes and then handed over to the Scavenger Birds that had been attracted. Driving nails into their foreheads could indeed create Undead, and while Soren wasn't afraid of that, he hated troublesome things. The two native Slave didn't last long; their Hit Points wasn't strong enough, and they died on the first day. However, their bodies remained standing where the Slave had worked.

Raven, vultures, and seabirds should appear by tomorrow at the latest.

Around noon.

The Half-Elf first mate, his face not looking too good, approached and whispered, "Your Excellency! Another escaped Slave has disappeared. We couldn't track him down! I'm incompetent!"

Three escaped, and two were caught.

Upon hearing the other's words, Soren frowned slightly, then waved his hand and said, "Never mind him. Order the others to prepare the foundation. Then you take some men to the City of Wealth. I need some Dwarf craftsmen. Preferably those who know how to make bricks and build Smelting Furnace. Try to recruit other people with construction skills."

"Don't worry about the price. There's still some money on Serpent Island that you can withdraw and call for at any time!"

The Half-Elf first mate nodded quickly and said, "No problem."

"These kinds of construction craftsmen are easy to find. There are also some Dwarf in the City of Wealth. I will definitely find a way to bring them over."

At this point, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He had already messed things up once, and he couldn't afford to mess it up again. This time, even if it meant kidnapping, he had to bring those guys over. After all, they were pirates; pirates didn't need to reason with people. If he tried to recruit through normal channels, there would likely be all sorts of unreasonable demands and requests. He'd just bring his men, knives in hand, and see who dared not come. Now, it was clear to everyone that Throat Cutter was planning to establish his empire here; how well they performed would determine their future status.

"Go down."

Soren nodded slightly and instructed, "Go and call Adele in, and then call One-Eyed over as well."

The Half-Elf first mate acknowledged and withdrew.

After a while...

The Red-Haired Female Pirate appeared outside the tent. She bowed slightly upon entering and asked, "What are your orders, Your Excellency?"

Soren glanced up at her, then handed her a white stone, ordering, "This is Guano. It's a valuable fertilizer; with a little refining, it can be used on crops to significantly increase yields. Take this stone to the Alchemy Guild of the Wizard Union; I believe they will be interested."

"Just send the goods over. If they're interested, have them send someone over to talk to me!"

Guano?

The Red-Haired Female Pirate looked somewhat puzzled. Although she possessed a considerable amount of knowledge, she knew little about farming. However, this didn't prevent her from understanding the meaning of fertilizer, so she immediately nodded and said, "I'll set off right now and make sure it's delivered!"

"Very good." Soren nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "I have already had three boxes of samples prepared. Send them over directly by fast ship, and then help me purchase the items on the order."

At this point, Soren took out a list and instructed, "There's still some money in Port Tyler. You can go and withdraw it. The goods must be delivered, and the things I need must be brought back next month."

Adele Isabella nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, Your Excellency! I guarantee I will complete the mission."

Soren waved his hand gently.

Before leaving, the Red-Haired Female Pirate glanced back at him. Outside, she encountered a menacing one-eyed One-Eyed and a bald, hook-nosed pirate. The two men gave the Red-Haired Female Pirate a brief look, their expressions seemingly lacking in respect. However, once inside the tent, they became much more obedient, quickly bowing respectfully and saying, "Your Excellency!"

The first to speak was the hook-nosed pirate, who leaned slightly forward and said, "Three more of our men have been bitten today. There are too many poisonous insects and snakes here, and the men below are quite terrified. Sir, should we scatter the Medicinal Powder we brought?"

Upon hearing this, Soren stood up.

He walked outside the tent and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly today. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Wait until after noon to spread it out. Spread it around the campsite, and have someone clean up the surrounding area first."

The environment here is very harsh.

There are many venomous insects and snakes overseas; a bite can be a serious problem, ranging from mild oozing of pus and blood to fatal poisoning. Even mosquito bites here can lead to infection and worsening of the wound. Soren had considered all aspects before coming; he was a man of careful planning. He did bring a considerable amount of insect repellent Medicinal Powder, but not for these venomous insects; it was for dealing with something much more troublesome. However, with nearly ten non-combat casualties already, it was best to distribute the Medicinal Powder as soon as possible.

"Ah!"

A scream suddenly came from outside, and a pirate captain ran in. He said a few words outside, and then someone came in to report, "Sir, a Slave dug up a hibernating venomous snake and was bitten. The Monkey bled him to expel the venom, but the snake seems to be very venomous, and the Slave is beyond saving."

Damn it!

Is this guy really that stupid? Even hibernating venomous snakes could bite him?

The Overseas Islands have a Tropical Rainforest climate, where winters are actually very short, and many venomous snakes do not hibernate. The temperature here is much higher, and snow and ice are practically nonexistent. In any climate like this, mosquitoes and snakes easily breed. Sometimes, these environmental factors are completely unavoidable, and one can only passively cope with them. This is something that people who have been to primeval forests or other wild areas understand most deeply.

Soren frowned, rubbed his forehead, and then said in a deep voice, "Clean this area up first!"

"Set fire!"

"Have someone prepare a fire to fumigate the area, and then scatter the Medicinal Powder."

It shouldn't rain today.

As long as it doesn't rain, it's fine, because if it rains, all the Medicinal Powder that's been applied will be wasted.

Soren's men immediately obeyed and went to carry out the order. Then they saw Slave and pirates clearing the grass around the camp, cutting down and digging up all the weeds and shrubs, and then setting the surrounding grassland on fire. A thick plume of smoke rose into the sky, and as the fire spread and the Medicinal Powder was scattered, swarms of insects emerged from the grass and ground. The sheer number of them was enough to make one's scalp crawl just by looking at them, and many of the fierce and cruel pirates got goosebumps all over their bodies at the sight.

"Damn it!"

A burly Northland Pirate cursed, shuddering involuntarily, and muttered, "So many bugs down there! I even slept there last night!"

How many insects are there exactly?

It's not that easy to count, but there must be tens of thousands.

Wherever fires were set or Medicinal Powder were sprinkled, one or two insects would inevitably emerge. Soren frowned slightly, watching the thick smoke rising from the fires. He glanced at his men beside him, then ordered a squad to set up perimeter guard. If there were any indigenous tribes nearby, they might spot them because of the smoke; it was best to establish sentry posts. The indigenous people were very xenophobic, and the likelihood of them attacking Soren and his group was quite high.

An entire afternoon!

All the pirates and Slave worked together to clear away all the weeds and bushes around the camp. Within a radius of 300 meters from the camp, Soren ordered all the grass and bushes to be burned, dug up, and cleared. Outside the camp, all that could be seen was freshly turned soil, with scattered Medicinal Powder on it. There were no Dodge places within this area, and the view was very open, so there was basically nothing to hide behind. At the same time, a lot of logs were piled up in one corner of the camp.

The first step in development and construction obviously requires wood.

Soren's plan was to first build a simple fence, then construct houses out of logs, and only then expand further.

As for food and other supplies, he can have them shipped over by sea, since as one of the Three Great Pirate Kings, Soren has considerable resources at his disposal. There's no need to worry about timber; the surrounding area is full of primeval forests. His men are currently cutting down trees, so progress is slow. The real progress will be when Soren himself starts chopping wood and honing his swordsmanship.

He was a real jack-of-all-trades back in the day.

Logging is a job that can hone a lot of Combat Skill, especially violent Sword Momentum attacks.

...(To be continued~^~)