Resource Collection

Chapter 21: Resource Collection

The soles of his thick leather boots crunched against the deep layer of fallen leaves, producing a distinct "rustle." Yet, this sound was quickly swallowed by the vast forest. Li Wei gazed at the towering trees surrounding him and summoned his "Yellow Paper."

Display plot map!

A massive strategic map, shrouded in the fog of war, appeared on the paper. Dozens of kilometers away, the icon representing Dawn City was now marked with the distinct banner of the Undead faction, indicating that Dawn City had been completely occupied by those evil undead.

Zheng Yutong and Wang Kai had already taken half of the militiamen and rushed ahead to the Knight Training Ground, while he was tasked with securing the scattered resource nodes in the forest alongside Bai Jie.

In the world of Heroes of Might and Magic, resources were a crucial element, an indispensable material for supporting town operations and recruiting troops. To secure enough capital to counter the undead within seven days, sufficient resources of all types were essential.

However, resource nodes in the wild were all occupied by various factions and neutral creatures. Obtaining one often required a brutal battle, making the necessary tactical knowledge and proficiency in troop management an essential skill.

Li Wei carefully analyzed the troops currently at his disposal.

Militiamen were the cheapest low-level units; they were essentially a group of farmers who had picked up hoes to fight. Expecting them to stand against and defeat those formidable wild creatures was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Still, something was better than nothing. No matter how incompetent these guys were, they could at least serve as cannon fodder.

Beyond the militiamen, the crossbowmen were currently Li Wei's strongest combat force. Five crossbowmen, combined with his own USP Pistol and Bai Jie's Slow Spell, could barely handle small numbers of enemies. They had managed to resolve the few lone wild creatures they encountered along the way.

But if they were to encounter a large group of monsters, they would have no choice but to detour.

In the game, the joy of exploring an unknown world, collecting treasures, learning magic, and recruiting massive armies to crusade against enemies were things that could make any player's blood boil. But now, finding himself in such a world, it wasn't quite as fun.

Just over ten minutes ago, while battling a few Centaur Warriors that had suddenly charged out from the forest, one of his militiamen had his skull pierced by a sharp javelin. As bright red blood mixed with milky-white brain matter splattered onto the ground, Li Wei realized profoundly that this was not a game, but a real battlefield where life and death hung in the balance.

"If only I had mastered advanced Diplomacy, I could not only avoid some pointless battles but also recruit some wild troops!" Li Wei shook his head, casting this unrealistic thought out of his mind.

Bai Jie walked quietly behind him, lost in her own thoughts. She had been like this ever since Zheng Yutong and Wang Kai left, and this abnormal behavior made Li Wei wary.

After marching for a while longer, Li Wei hurriedly signaled for a halt, as a wooden structure had appeared just a few dozen meters away.

"Lumber Mill, neutral, wild structure. Once occupied, it provides 20 wood per day. Hidden attribute: This structure is guarded by 15 Dwarf Warriors and 10 Centaur Warriors!"

It was a resource node!

However, occupying it didn't seem easy.

After a moment of consideration, Li Wei directed the militiamen to form a semi-circular formation at the front, while the crossbowmen were protected in the center. He stood with Bai Jie and the crossbowmen.

As they continued forward, the creatures entrenched at the Lumber Mill discovered Li Wei and his group. These savage creatures charged out, howling. At the forefront were 10 Centaur Warriors, led by one with long white hair—unlike the gray fur of the common centaurs—and a robust physique. The wooden spear in his hand was also exceptionally large. Li Wei swept his eyes over it, and the creature's data appeared before him.

"Tier 2 creature: Centaur Leader, Attack: 14, Defense: 11, Damage: 15-21, Speed: 12; Hidden attribute: Piercing attack, 50% chance to drop [Barbarian Spear] upon death, overall rating D2!"

This Centaur Leader charged at the very front, his thick arms gripping his spear as if to pierce everything that dared to offend him.

"Crossbowmen, focus fire! Attack!"

Li Wei's order was executed perfectly. The five crossbowmen, along with Li Wei's pistol, unleashed a single volley that killed the two-meter-tall Centaur Leader. Li Wei's bullet entered through the centaur's eye socket and exited the back of his head. With a loud boom, the Centaur Leader's massive body crashed to the ground, and a long halberd dropped from his corpse.

"Crossbowmen, keep firing! Do not disperse your fire! Militiamen, step forward to block their first wave of impact!" Although the Centaur Leader was dead, Li Wei knew the battle had only just begun.

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining Centaur Warriors charged over, followed by 15 Dwarf Warriors. The momentum of their combined charge was terrifying, but Li Wei's defensive perimeter held the charging Centaur Warriors back effectively.

Following Li Wei's orders, the militiamen stood shoulder to shoulder, gripping their spears to hold back the enemy's assault.

"Injured men, step back one pace! Others, fill the gaps! Bai Jie, use Slow Spell on any enemies that break through the line!"

The sound of crossbow bolts snapping and the roar of the pistol, combined with the auxiliary support of the First Aid Tent, saw the 10 Centaur Warriors wiped out in just over ten seconds.

With these highly mobile units eliminated, the remaining dwarves were easy to handle. For these slow-moving creatures, they only needed to keep retreating, firing in volleys, retreating, and firing again to finish them off with ease.

In less than three minutes, the battle was over. Aside from two militiamen being heavily injured, Li Wei had not lost a single soldier. The battle could be called perfect.

After picking up the items dropped by the creatures, Li Wei walked slowly into the Lumber Mill. In this Heroes of Might and Magic world, occupying a resource node was simple; one only needed to touch the magic orb inside the mill to gain control.

"You have occupied a Lumber Mill. It will provide 20 wood per day!"

All resource quantities were displayed in the Yellow Skin Book. Li Wei checked the resource bar; only the wood count had increased by 20, while the rest remained at 0.

He looked at the strategic map again. There was a Gold Mine and a Quarry nearby, not far away—only a few kilometers. Li Wei began to hesitate: should he continue collecting resources, or head to the Knight Training Ground to replenish his troops?

Currently, apart from the five crossbowmen who were uninjured, the rest of the militiamen were all wounded. They could handle a small number of enemies, but if the count exceeded twice that of his ranged units, it would be dangerous.

"I wonder how she is doing!" Thinking of Zheng Yutong, Li Wei wasn't particularly worried. That woman's strength was unfathomable; even alone, as long as she didn't encounter creatures stronger than vampires, there was almost no danger. He had witnessed her Wind Walk skill.

In an instant, she could move over a hundred meters; basically, nothing could threaten her.

He immediately felt a bit ridiculous. He wasn't even close to that woman, so why worry about her? This was a world where the strong were respected; instead of wasting time on that, he should focus on finding ways to improve his own strength.

With that thought, Li Wei made up his mind to continue collecting resource nodes. If he were lucky enough to encounter a Creature Dwelling, it would be a huge loss if he didn't have the resources to recruit from it!

His next target was a Quarry about two kilometers away.

The strategic map only displayed the area within two kilometers. As he continued to approach the Quarry, Li Wei, who had been keeping a close eye on the map, felt his brow twitch.

He had discovered a Creature Dwelling.

It was right next to the Quarry. This was a rare opportunity. Li Wei hurried toward the dwelling, and ten minutes later, he saw it.

It was a massive tree stump, hollowed out to form a unique structure. Just looking at it, one could imagine how enormous the tree must have been if it were still standing.

"Li Wei, what is this place?" Bai Jie looked at the wooden stump structure with a face full of shock and disbelief.

"A Creature Dwelling. You can trade resources here for specific creatures!"

Li Wei thought for a moment before telling Bai Jie. In truth, only he, with his Eye of Perception, could identify resource nodes and dwellings on the strategic map. Just like Bai Jie—on her strategic map, aside from their own structures, there were no markers for anything else.

He believed Zheng Yutong and Wang Kai felt the same way, which was precisely why Li Wei had insisted on taking on the task of gathering resources himself.

However, as Li Wei drew closer, he discovered that this Creature Dwelling was actually a recruitment point for the Tier 4 unit, the "Withered Wood Warrior."

Withered Wood Warriors, also known as Treants, were a unit Li Wei remembered as being quite interesting. Their speed was ridiculously slow, but their health ranked second among similar units. Furthermore, their formidable defensive capabilities were their specialty, making them absolute meat-shield-tier characters. Most importantly, their special ability allowed them to sprout roots from the ground while attacking, entangling the enemy. Unless the Treant moved voluntarily or was completely wiped out, the enemy would remain trapped in place for the duration of the battle.

With a surge of excitement, Li Wei prepared to enter the structure, but the Yellow Paper suddenly popped up.

"This place is guarded by several Withered Wood Warriors. To gain control, you must defeat these guards. Do you wish to enter?"

Li Wei slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten this? Resource points had guards, and these Creature Dwellings were no different; it was impossible to recruit creatures without defeating the guards stationed there.

Yet, this did not change his mind. Although the units currently under Li Wei's command couldn't stand against even two Withered Wood Warriors, he still had himself and Bai Jie.

Throughout the journey, they had relied on Militiamen and Crossbowmen for combat, but Li Wei knew clearly that he and Bai Jie were the core of the squad. While it required taking a certain risk, it was a risk worth taking compared to the chance of recruiting a Tier 4 unit.

Thinking of this, Li Wei pulled out his USP Pistol, loaded it, and turned to Bai Jie behind him. "There's a tough fight ahead. How many more times can you cast your Slow Spell?"

"My mana has fully recovered; I can cast it twice!" Bai Jie looked at the Militiamen and Crossbowmen retreating to the side, looking somewhat stunned. "Why not let them hold the front?"

"This is a recruitment point for the Tier 5 unit, the Withered Wood Guardian. Against Tier 5 creature guards, these Militiamen and Crossbowmen are no match at all. There's no need to let them be wasted for nothing!"

In truth, Li Wei felt a bit of trepidation. He recalled the Tier 4 creature he had encountered before: the Vampire Count!

Knowing that the Withered Wood Warrior was of a higher tier than the Vampire, its combat power would definitely be stronger than the Vampire, which had a B1 combat rating. If that were the case, there was simply no need to fight; relying on the low-tier units he had, plus himself and Bai Jie, they would absolutely be unable to win.

A cold sweat broke out on Li Wei's forehead. He had been far too reckless in his considerations this time!

If he risked a battle, it was highly likely that everyone would die here, but giving up just like that felt like a pity!

After much deliberation, Li Wei took a step back. He still couldn't take such a risk. The possibility that the Tier 5 Withered Wood Guardian's rating would exceed that of the Vampire Count was far too high. Conversely, on his side, aside from his Cloud Piercing Palm which still possessed some damage potential, the others' attacks would be like tickling the Withered Wood Guardian, which was renowned for its defense. They wouldn't be able to do much of anything.

At this moment, Li Wei felt deeply frustrated. It was like a starving man being presented with a roast suckling pig, only to be told he had to fight a life-and-death battle against an impossible opponent to get it.

He believed anyone with a brain would choose to remain hungry. After all, food could be found again, but one only had one life. Sighing, Li Wei left the recruitment point.

He would just have to accumulate more strength before coming back! Or perhaps wait until his own rating reached B-rank; maybe then there would be a possibility of victory. For now, he had to choose to retreat. Li Wei remembered very clearly that for a wild Creature Dwelling like this, the number of guards reached three. Fighting three creatures with ratings above B-rank meant there was absolutely no possibility of winning.

By the time Li Wei reached his next destination, the Quarry, the afternoon sun had already filtered through the woods and spilled onto the ground. After a brief rest, Li Wei began to check the status of the Quarry.

"Quarry, Neutral, Wild Structure. Once occupied, it provides 20 units of stone material daily. 'Hidden Attribute: This structure is guarded by 15 Gargoyles!'"

Gargoyles were constructed from stone statues resembling demons. Although they possessed inanimate bodies like iron-skinned men, their defense was not as powerful, and they were susceptible to magic. They were considered low-tier units of average strength.

The only problem was that Gargoyles were a flying unit, which meant the formation would have to be adjusted.

"Bai Jie, stay behind me in a moment and cast Slow on any Gargoyles attacking the Crossbowmen. No problem, right?" Seeing Bai Jie nod, Li Wei ordered a Militiaman to walk toward the Quarry.

Soon, the Gargoyles guarding the Quarry swarmed out.

Once again, thanks to 'Transparent Shadow' and 'Three Thousand Worlds, One Step to Heaven' for their tips. Shadow will definitely continue to work hard! Finally, please continue to support this book!