Winter has passed and spring has arrived. The scars left by the war on the land have not yet faded, but people's lives have resumed as usual.
The melting snow, cleared roads, and the outbreak of civil war within the kingdom created the best opportunity for the tribes and slaves under Ulster's control to migrate and escape.
At night, looking down at the forest from high above, you can see the twinkling lights of torches everywhere.
More and more barbarians, under the cover of night, fled their homes and came to Froststone, drawn by its reputation. Many of them had only heard of the "legend of the demigods" and came seeking refuge, yearning for freedom and peace.
However, with the explosive growth of the population, the originally narrow basin could no longer accommodate all the residents.
With ample labor, the camp began large-scale construction, with large areas of forest being cut down and fertile land being reclaimed.
Equipment from Holy Guard City was continuously transported into the camp, and group after group of barbarian warriors began to practice military formations and cooperative combat techniques under the tutelage of the "Death Knight".
Everything is on track, except for one problem.
Yes, that's the problem...
"You've destroyed the walls in the room again!" Rachel looked at the large hole in the wall, on the verge of tears.
Todd shook his head with a wry smile: "I don't know why, but lately whenever I fall asleep, I inexplicably trigger an evolution state."
Deirdre gestured with her hand to indicate the size of the hole and nodded, saying, "This hole is even bigger than the last one."
Todd looked at his body and tried to evolve. As his monster form unfolded, his body gradually took over the entire first floor, but the transformation was not yet over.
Hearing the floorboards groaning, Rachel shouted, "Stop! Stop! If you keep growing, you'll collapse this building!"
Helpless, Todd halted the Tyrant evolution and reverted to human form.
Looking at the solid wood floor covered in fine cracks, Rachel said to Todd with concern, "What have you been doing lately? Why is your evolved form getting bigger and bigger?!"
Todd thought about it carefully and then remembered something: "Ever since that battle ended, I've been researching the Tyrant Virus. When I was in the lab, I inhaled some of it, more or less. Could it be related to this?"
“Then reduce the number of times you go to the lab and minimize your contact with the Tyrant Virus!” Rachel pressed her temples, her head aching. “You’ve said it yourself, that kind of virus is an unstable substance for living organisms and may lead to unpredictable consequences!”
Todd hesitated, "My experiment has now reached a crucial stage. During last winter's battle, I discovered a new parasite—'Spores.' It grows inside the bellies of war beasts, appearing as a thick-skinned sphere containing a substance similar to nitroglycerin. When stimulated by external stimuli, it will..."
Rachel, completely disregarding Deirdre's presence, emphasized, "Your Majesty! This is not the Kingdom of Muxi! You must restrain your personal interests! Look at those people outside the gate; they come from many different tribes with different interests. They are incapable of handling and coordinating affairs spontaneously like in Muxi City. This camp may seem to be growing, but it is actually a disorganized mess! The only one who can unite and lead them is you!"
“You gave these people hope and a home, but the methods of kingdom self-governance used in Muxi City simply won’t work here! If you don’t manage these people, in the end, this place will only end in internal strife.” Perhaps sensing that his tone was too harsh, Rachel took a deep breath and slowed his speech, saying, “These people are gathered around you because they value your power and reputation. To govern them, you need to find a more suitable path.”
Todd sighed softly: "I understand. I did become a little... lax after the victory."
Rachel glanced at Deirdre beside her, whose expression was stiff, and said with feigned ferocity, "Sometimes I worry that if our conversation gets leaked..."
Seeing that Deirdre looked like she was about to cry, Todd said helplessly, "Didn't we already discuss this? Doing this won't do Deirdre any good."
Rachel gave Lyudli a meaningful look before continuing to Todd: "Agatha's fleet has arrived at the temporary port, and the latest batch of food supplies is being unloaded. But the camp's population is growing, and the amount of food being transported is almost not keeping up with the consumption."
Todd nodded: "I've thought about this. The transport costs of grain from Muxi City are too high, and it can only be used for emergency relief in the early stages, not as a long-term solution."
"You're not thinking of targeting the neighboring tribes, are you?" Rachel looked a little nervous. "Let me warn you beforehand, while raiding neighboring tribes might temporarily solve our food problem, this approach will completely destroy the good reputation we've built up over the years, quickly alienate other tribes, and even affect our internal stability!"
Todd smiled and gave her a reassuring look: "I do intend to target the surrounding tribes and neighboring countries, but not through war, but through... trade."
"trading?!"
Rachel and Deirdre shouted at the same time.
“You should know that Froststone Camp doesn’t have any decent local products, so how can we talk about trade…” Rachel suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “Wait a minute, with so many other sites available for establishing a camp, why did you choose this one?”
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