Pejite City.
For the past two weeks, the Pejite City has been the scene of much turmoil.
Originally, these shantytowns, formed by residents who fled the city to escape the war, were lawless places without any protection.
The city guards, mercenary groups, and exploration teams are all locked in fierce fighting within the city; who has the time to concern themselves with these trivial matters outside?
So, a group of guys with a few broken guns gathered together and became local tyrants outside the city.
They robbed the refugees of their meager food supplies, barged into their shacks and dragged away women, demanding "protection money" from them and taking their last copper coin.
As for how to squeeze money out of refugees who have almost nothing?
Refugees have hands and feet, and the Sea of Corruption is never short of resources. That's enough.
Yes, even during the civil war, Pejite's unofficial exploration of the Sea of Corruption never truly ceased.
Under the threat of the local tyrants, the refugees were forced to wear tattered and crude protective gear and venture into the toxic fog-filled, insect-infested Sea of Corruption Decay to collect fungi, minerals, or insect shells.
If we don't go, these people have monopolized all the food supplies leading to the shantytowns. If we don't use the supplies we risked our lives to exchange for that pitiful amount of food, we'll starve to death.
However, just over ten days ago, things changed; people began to seek justice for them in this land of despair.
Stealing grain? Kill them!
Rape a woman? Kill her!
Extorting protection money? Kill them!
A group of warriors claiming to be followers of the " Erdtree " launched a ruthless cleanup operation, starting from the area near the northern city gate.
They specifically targeted the leaders and key members of various gangs, aiming to dismantle their ability to resist as quickly as possible.
Most importantly, they are not the kind of "righteous messengers" who only know how to destroy and not how to build.
While promoting the doctrines of the Golden Sect, they would also leave people behind in the cleared areas to maintain basic order, use magical spells to cure diseases, and save those on the verge of death.
Moreover, these people also arranged jobs for refugees who were able to take care of themselves, allowing them to exchange their labor for precious food.
The local tyrants had considered rebelling.
They sent spies to try and infiltrate this newly emerging force.
No one knew what the selection criteria of the " Golden Sect " were, and all those sent there disappeared without a trace.
They tried to band together for self-protection, pooling the manpower of several gangs in an attempt to create a defensive line.
But this actually speeds up the opponent's clearing speed, as all the targets are clustered together, making the fight easier.
They even tried to win over merchants from Tolmekia, seeking support or at least a blockade of supplies.
But merchants only care about profit. Members of the Golden Sect pay the full price when buying things and have excellent credit. So what difference does it make who they do business with?
Compared to the precarious and greedy local tyrants, it's obvious who the more reliable partner is.
In just over ten days, order has changed hands in a shantytown covering tens of square kilometers.
The group grew like a snowball, yet no one knew which country or force was behind them.
Some recognized the leader as Wawar, the leader of the " Mercenary Corps of the Wind." But how could a mercenary group that was only considered mid-tier have such efficient organization and a constant stream of skilled fighters?
All of this is actually thanks to Kamlin and Meila.
With Meila, a local who climbed her way up from the bottom, they had a thorough understanding of Pejite's deeply entrenched power and the people's most pressing needs.
Under Kamlin's coordination, the relief team transformed into an expedition team. With the powerful skills of the Blessed Warrior, they were able to easily bring back large quantities of materials from the Sea of Corruption and exchange them for food and supplies with merchants.
Wawar also made a significant contribution. It's unclear where he learned his strict management methods, but the Mercenary Corps of the Wind members, despite their somewhat roguish appearance, possessed a higher level of training intensity and discipline than the Pejite City. All of them were able to obey orders without question.
In Wawar's words, during a large-scale exploration of the Sea of Corruption, a fool who disobeys orders will at best lose his own life, and at worst attract a swarm of insects that will wipe out the entire team. He would never risk the annihilation of the entire army for the sake of a few individuals.
Therefore, the Mercenary Corps of the Wind became an excellent source of recruits.
All of the hundreds of people in the group who genuinely agreed with the Erdtree philosophy and developed a stable faith received blessings and became Blessed.
This is the fundamental reason why they were able to Cleansweep the shantytowns so quickly.
As for why Mu En was so "generous" in bestowing blessings upon these new believers—it's simply because blessings are becoming increasingly "worthless."
The more believers and those Blessed there are, the greater the total amount of Rune that are gathered daily, and the lower the cost of blessing per individual will be.
Mu En has made a decision that, in the near future, the most basic single blessing will be distributed as "citizen Fawley " to all those who are willing to come under the banner of the Erdtree.
Moreover, he was not worried about this extraordinary power being abused. Not to mention that he had absolute control over it, even if he became Blessed and gained power beyond that of ordinary people, it did not mean that he could directly confront Blessed Warrior had undergone rigorous training.
The "special training" system designed by Mu En and Yupa, which comprehensively enhances combat skills and combines them with the application of Incantations, is far beyond what an ordinary person could figure out on their own.
The fact that members of the Mercenary Corps of the Wind, also Blessed, were easily overwhelmed by the Kamlin Squad is the best proof of this.
At this moment, the entire shantytown was bustling with activity.
The haphazard shacks and tents were systematically demolished, and neat rows of wooden houses were erected, gradually revealing the outline of the streets.
The "refugees" working on the job may still have stains on their clothes, but their faces are rosy and their eyes are filled with long-lost smiles.
Humans are easily satisfied. With faith, reliance, and food to fill their stomachs, hope can be rekindled.
The Golden Sect's philosophy of "all men are created equal and labor will surely bring rewards," along with the tangible order and life changes brought about by figures like Kamlin, became the greatest pillar in the hearts of these survivors of the turmoil.
The current renovations are part of Kamlin's next plan: to transform this vast shantytown into the "outer city" of Pejite City.
A clean dwelling and unobstructed roads, even if it's just a wooden house, are a hundred times better than the rickety tents of the past.
Only when these people develop a sense of belonging to the land beneath their feet, and stop endlessly hoping that the chaotic Pejite City will give them something, can they truly become a force, and only then will they have the foundation to gradually influence and even control Pejite City in the future.
However, the pace of all this needs to be slowed down for now.
The command from the Erdtree has been clearly transmitted into the minds of the Blessed Warrior, urging them to gather all of Blessed Warrior.
War is about to begin.