Jangolode Mine

The Shredder was indeed easier to repair than the Harvest Golem, with a simpler structure. Old Saldean soon finished fixing it, while Shawn assisted him and learned how the Shredder was built. He even got a chance to try it out.

Having driven tricycles, cars, tractors, electric scooters, and motorcycles since he was a child in his previous life—and even earned a Class C driver's license—Shawn found operating the Shredder easy. Old Saldean and Fablon couldn't stop praising him as a genius.

Fablon even announced in front of everyone that Shawn could borrow the Shredder. He could return it once he was done using it. Fablon wasn't in any hurry to get it back.

Shawn still had his original reason for coming in mind, so he shamelessly asked, "Uncle Fablon, well... I'm studying Harvest Golems and want to find a few scrapped Golem Hearts to examine. Do you happen to have any here? Don't worry. If I really figure them out, you'll be the first person I build a few Harvest Golems for!"

Fablon paused, then patted Shawn on the head and laughed. "Shawn, I never expected you to have such big ambitions! Good, good! I'll look forward to hearing your good news. I've still got five scrapped Harvest Golems here. They're no use to me, so you can have them all!"

Shawn had never expected there to be five. He cheered at once.

With the two Golem Hearts he'd gotten from Saldean Farm, that gave Shawn seven in total. He only needed three more to meet the quest requirement of ten.

Perhaps another farm would have enough to make up the difference.

And so, Shawn drove the Shredder home with Old Saldean riding beside him on horseback.

By the time they reached Saldean Farm, it was already evening.

The Shredder stood over three meters tall and looked incredibly imposing, drawing plenty of attention. Everyone noticed that Shawn, who used to be so timid and insecure, seemed like a different person now—confident, cheerful, and possessed of a unique charm.

"Our little Shawn has grown up! He can repair Harvest Golems and even drive a Shredder now? Wonderful, just wonderful!" The farm's mistress, Thelma Saldean, beamed.

Shawn scratched his head sheepishly.

Westfall's countryside was dangerous at night, making it a bad time to travel. After dinner, Shawn lay in bed and closed his eyes.

In his previous life on Earth, Shawn had worked in industries related to plumbing and construction, so he knew a thing or two about building. Drawing on what he remembered about architecture, he began sketching out a blueprint in his mind.

He hadn't been joking earlier.

There were two reasons Shawn had borrowed the Shredder. One was to gather lumber and other supplies. The other was that he truly wanted to build a home of his own.

After all, Shawn had plenty of secrets he couldn't let anyone discover, and staying at Old Saldean's home was too inconvenient. Besides, his soul was already that of an adult. Being around a bunch of little kids all the time made him feel awkward.

The trees of Azeroth were different from those on Earth.

Because of Azeroth's unique environment, trees absorbed the Arcane Energy drifting through the air every day. Over time, their wood became unusual, and they developed varying degrees of magical resistance.

Some trees, for instance, had exceptionally high resistance to fire. Houses built from their wood wouldn't burn, even after being caught in a major blaze.

Westfall bordered Elwynn Forest, Duskwood, and Stranglethorn Vale, all places rich in plant life. Westfall itself, however, was desolate and short on trees. Shawn would have to put in quite a bit of effort to find enough lumber.

But Shawn had another idea, one he couldn't put into action just yet. If it worked out, his life would be very comfortable from then on.

The next day, Shawn drove the Shredder northwest, far from Saldean Farm, to the famous Jangolode Mine.

In recent years, a group of Kobolds under the command of a foreman had taken over Jangolode Mine. They worked with the Defias Brotherhood, selling the ore they dug up to them so they could build Golems and warships.

To the people of Westfall, Jangolode Mine was a den of danger. Shawn had come here because he wanted to try something out, and he wanted to try it because he had received a valuable item as a reward for clearing the [Kobold Den].

"[Kobold War Horn (Westfall)], green quality, an excellent piece of equipment."

"Effect 1: Kobold racial affinity +1, Westfall Kobold affinity +5, Spirit +1."

"Effect 2: Blowing the Kobold War Horn allows you to command the Kobolds of Westfall."

"Use time: 10 minutes/10 minutes. Effect duration: 30 minutes. This ancient war horn is extremely fragile and will crumble to dust after 10 minutes of use. Use with caution."

"The token of the ancient Kobolds, the symbol of the great Kobold Warbringer. Blow it, and we will heed your command!"

You didn't know until you looked—and then it was a shock.

Shawn knew that, if used properly, this Kobold War Horn would be a powerful weapon. At a crucial moment, it could prove extremely useful.

Shawn had come here to test whether the horn really worked.

Kobolds liked the dark and feared sunlight. In the bright light of day, they mostly stayed inside the mine, with only two or three standing guard outside. They were Shawn's targets.

Shawn crept closer. When he was less than twenty meters from Jangolode Mine, he deliberately made a noise, then hid behind a large boulder.

"@￥%%**(*%￥#￥@!"

The noise clearly caught the attention of the three Kobolds. Their low intelligence kept none of them behind to stand guard; instead, all three came toward Shawn, candles perched on their heads.

Shawn waited until they were close, then suddenly blew the Kobold War Horn and stepped out from behind the rock.

He blew softly, producing a low sound.

The low note couldn't travel even twenty meters into the depths of Jangolode Mine. Only the three nearby Kobolds could hear it.

Shawn didn't know what kind of magic the horn held. Perhaps it was a matter of sound-wave frequency, or perhaps there was something unusual about the sound itself. Either way, the moment it rang out, the three Kobolds were hoodwinked by Shawn—or rather, by the Kobold War Horn.

In a daze, the three Kobolds seemed to see their great leader, their great sage, standing before them. The great Warbringer, a legendary figure passed down through ancient tales, a mighty being and an immortal legend, now stood before their eyes.

Don't ask them how they knew this was the great Warbringer. It simply was.

They felt the blood in their veins boil, like water heated to 120 degrees in a pressure cooker. An impassioned, surging force filled them, stirring an urge to fight.

The Kobolds shouted an ancient war song in their own language.

They were fired up, their hearts ablaze, their bodies trembling, their throats burning.