Caravan

Mason walked out the door, and the view in front of him suddenly brightened.

He was the last person to come out. The nobles in the hall looked at him, wondering what kind of seal he had chosen.

Ofili gave him a friendly smile. Eamonn didn't look too happy about his great bargain, and Mason was a little surprised not to see Abbot beside him.

How could he not be the first one outside to greet his brother?

The Luo family was waiting for him, and the red-haired young man strode towards them, putting this confusion behind him.

When everyone calmed down, the puppet reappeared in front.

"The second and third trials will be held at the same time. The former is a comprehensive test of the strength of each family, and a messenger will contact the head of the family later; the latter will be held at the Black Mist Border. We have received accurate information that the people in charge of border patrols have discovered the movement of monsters. Please find out the truth and assist the local guards in maintaining the [Nail Town]."

Some people who had never been to the border looked confused. Arnold whispered, "This is the common name for border towns. These towns are the first line of defense, like nails inserted into the black fog, so they are called [Nail Towns]."

More puppets flew down from the sky, holding tokens in their hands, and delivered them to each family one by one.

"This is a command order. The holder of the order has the right to control all powers corresponding to the [Nail Control]. The more each family explores the black mist, the higher their ranking will be. Once the [Nail Control] is destroyed, both the controller and the attacker will be punished."

Mason quickly gathered his thoughts.

In short, this is a game of siege and conquest.

Each family controls a base and needs to balance development and exploration. Only by exploring the Black Mist Anomaly to the greatest extent can they achieve victory.

But the rule is only limited to [Nail] not to destroy, but it does not limit the competition between bloodlines. Each family has limited resources, and if they want to strengthen their strength, the best choice is to form an alliance with other families or seize their commander-in-chief orders.

The nobles had naturally figured this out. Compared to the first trial, this was a more naked struggle. The air was filled with a thick atmosphere of tension. Everyone left the central building in a hurry, thinking about who to ally with or set a trap for.

Arnold didn't sigh with regret until he got into the carriage.

"I actually want to go and see it, but unfortunately the association is running both trials together, and I need to be in charge of the other side."

This is exactly what the association intended. The high-level bloodline people would not act rashly because of this matter. These people who have been exposed to the family business since childhood are the real masters of fighting without bloodshed. This time, they were all dealt an out card.

Seeing Mason's thoughtful expression, Arnold said, "Don't worry too much. The family will prepare enough resources, and Dan will go with you."

The Luo family had already developed a complete response system in the past, and everything was arranged very well. Mason sighed in his heart, and went back to start preparing for the trip to Black Mist.

According to the Luo family's respect for their ancestors, it is not excessive to take anything they want. Mason did not overdo it, but focused his main attention on the family's book collection.

Knowledge is of inestimable value in this world.

The knowledge gained from the black mist, the summary of the bloodline's survival, the experience left by the family... He read these books eagerly and put them all into his mind.

Time passed very quickly while reading, and when Dan reminded him that it was time to leave, Mason suddenly realized that so much time had passed.

And he only even looked at one bookshelf.

"It won't be too late to read it when I get back." Dan was a little surprised. "Except for brainworms and those scholars, this is the first time I have seen someone who loves reading so much."

"Knowledge is the weapon of mankind. It is not a bad thing to use it well." The red-haired young man closed the book in his hand, and rarely restrained his usual anger. The blond noble shrugged: "Okay, you are right, but we really can't talk while walking?"

The other person stood up and walked over to him: "Of course."

There seemed to be fewer people in the family's settlement today. Dan walked beside him and said, "The people who were going to the second trial left yesterday. They have to go back to the territory to patrol."

The comprehensive strength of the family covers a wide range, enough to keep these people busy. Fortunately, the children who are going out are not kindergarten children preparing to go to school, and all the supplies are ready. The convoy waited quietly at the door, and several family bloodlines who were going with them stood at the door waiting for them to arrive.

Mason saw Ron standing in the front. The head of the family had been very busy recently, but he still took time out to see them off. Compared to him, Oleus still looked younger.

The serious Lion King raised his hands and gave each of them a hug, saying in a low voice: "Have a safe journey."

Shaken stood beside his father, smiling and sending his blessings one by one. When hugging the red-haired young man, he patted him on the back and said, "I know this trial is not difficult for you. Remember to come back early. I will help you clean up the 'special items' in the room first."

The young man looked confused for a moment. The library had a small room attached to it, and he had not been back to the room in the past few days. "What special items?"

Dan blurted out: "Nothing special, just a little gift from the young people at home-hiss! Why are you stepping on me!?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to try if your shoes are soft enough."

Shaken smiled and retracted his foot. Both sides glared at each other. Ron couldn't stand it any longer and stopped them: "That's enough. It's time to set off."

Dan could only hug the man as hard as he could and said in a low voice, "I will definitely take revenge when I come back."

Shaken patted his shoulder with a brilliant smile and whispered in the same voice: "Dream on, I'm going to throw away all the dice in your room."

For a moment, there were flashes of swords and sabers everywhere, all hidden in false smiles. Mason silently took a step back, feeling like a treacherous minister in the middle, the kind of person who could cause two royal families to fight with just one word.

"If you don't leave now, you don't have to leave."

Seeing this, Ron narrowed his eyes and showed a dangerous expression. The two who were still "close to each other" shuddered at the same time and separated very obediently.

The blond nobles waiting by the car laughed quietly, and the two brothers were embarrassed. Dan got into the car dejectedly, muttering, "He was the first to attack my baby."

Mason followed helplessly: "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, let's go to the teleportation array quickly, it will be dark if we don't go now."

Dan said angrily, "You are talking nonsense! It's only morning now!"

...What else can I say in this situation? Mason gave her a sympathetic look.

Just treat this as your own good son.

If you open the map, you can see that the human territory as a whole appears as an irregular polygon, surrounded by black mist, like an isolated island deep in the ocean.

But if you're looking for the longest defense, it's undoubtedly the West.

The top and right are not bad, at least there is help from the church and the central region. Down below is directly adjacent to a large coastline, with countless sea monsters; to the left is a thin triangle, narrowly piercing into the depths of the black fog; the most amazing thing is that the soil here is poor and the terrain is uneven. It takes five transfer arrays to get here from Partington City. The reason why we can fight to this point is the continuous supply from other regions.

It was such a place that nurtured countless brave and warlike bloodlines, and even five families in the Twelve Round Table Council. When Mason stepped out of the teleportation array, he saw the misty sky in the distance, and the wind blowing in his face had a sweet smell of rust.

Dan, who walked out of the teleportation array together, couldn't help but complain: "This place is still the same as when I left. Even if another hundred years pass, it won't change."

The one who came to greet them was the host of this place, the Bertram family, which ranked tenth among the twelve round tables. The man was in his forties, serious, with deep features and a fierce scar on his right eye.

"I'm afraid this place doesn't want to welcome you back, crazy boy."

"Come on, Sally, you guys obviously love me to death." Dan snorted shamelessly, and then introduced the people around him, "This is Sally Bertram, a very powerful bloodline. Their family has a good relationship with ours, and he was in charge of me when I first came here."

"It's a nightmare, these cocky little brats running around all day, yelling about wanting to be heroes."

Sally unexpectedly had a sharp tongue, and Dan was obviously very familiar with him. After the two of them joked for a while, Sally nodded to Mason in a friendly manner: "If you need anything, you can come to me. The [Nailing Town] you are going to this time is the place that our family is responsible for."

If we talk about strength, the Western bloodline is the strongest except for the Irving family, but their ranking is generally not high.

The reason is that these bloodline people must face brutal battles and are replaced very quickly, but this also gives them a unique advantage in this trial: the townspeople are naturally close to their guardians.

Under Sally's leadership, they integrated into their own "Nail Town" very smoothly.

Rather than calling it a town, it is more like a gathering place with only about 20 people. Most of the houses are semi-earth kilns, deep underground, forming an underground space that is connected like an ant nest. There are walls and observation towers outside, and animal meat and skins are drying in the open space.

Most of the people living here are militia or local bloodline people, and they are very obedient. They elected two representatives, who are also the only F-level bloodline people in the village. Vera, who just merged with the Phantom Spider bloodline, is at this level.

He saluted and said, "I am Mayor Tom. Lord Sally has already given instructions, and we will obey all your orders."

Mason thought of a cartoon for a moment, then quickly dismissed the thought and nodded to him: "Don't worry about us, just continue doing what you should do."

Tom responded. With his help, Mason and the others quickly understood the situation of this "Nail Town".

The bloodline of the family who came with them shook his head: "This kind of wall will collapse at the first blow, and the house is not strong enough. Their main source of food is animals, and their medical methods are also very simple and crude, and they are of no great use."

To put it bluntly, [Nail] is a disposable consumable. It will be completely swallowed up when encountering strong winds and waves. But the families participating in the trial will never allow their bases to be destroyed. Mason sighed in his heart and clapped his hands to attract the attention of others.

"Let's just follow our previous plan and transform this town first."

The members of the Luo family responded and started working quickly. Sally watched silently until everyone else left before speaking: "You want to build a fortress here?"

The red-haired young man shrugged: "At least we can't let this place look dilapidated."

The middle-aged man's attitude softened. "Since you really want things to get better here, I can give you a little reminder. The battle has already begun since you entered the West, and many families are planning to seize your fruits. In my opinion, there is no commander of sufficient weight among you."

"Thanks for the heads up. It's okay, he'll be here soon."

His tone was full of confidence, and Sally couldn't help but feel curious: "Who else from your family is coming?"

"Um...."

The other party smiled at him: "Maybe it's a foreign aid?"

......

The black-robed businessman was packing things in the room.

This is a wooden house built for him by the townspeople. It is not big, but clean and comfortable. The morning sun shines through the window just right on the head of the bed. No one would refuse such a refreshing view.

He stuffed the last gadget into his sleeve, turned around and walked out of the house. When he walked across the square, he saw the townspeople working together to build a building that was far different from other houses. Someone saw him coming out and shouted, "Good morning, Mr. Profiteer, where are you going?"

"I have some things to do," the profiteer greeted cheerfully. "Morning, everyone. What are you building? It looks magnificent."

Another town resident said: "This is built for Master Mason. Uh... you know, that master works very hard, and we think we should repay him."

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

The remaining townspeople were talking at once, afraid of letting the cat out of the bag, and were busy sending the profiteer out. The black-robed merchant admired their expressions with a smile, then waved and continued on his way.

He walked to the town entrance and saw a fat woman walking back with a basket. Seeing the profiteer, she smiled and greeted him: "Mr. Profiteer, are you going out to buy goods again?"

The black-robed merchant smiled and replied, "No, this time there is a big sale."

"Oh! That sounds great. I wish you all the best. Take this with you. It will quench your thirst on the way."

The fat woman enthusiastically stuffed a bunch of red fruits from the basket into his hand, and kept chattering, "You must come back before the river is repaired. We have already agreed that we will go to see it together."

"Really? Thanks for your reminder. I guess I'll have to go back soon."

The merchant accepted the bunch of sweet fruits, said goodbye to the woman and walked out of the town. As he walked, a teleportation black hole suddenly appeared and swallowed him up in an instant.

At the same time, in a corner of a certain "Nail Town" far to the west, a black hole appeared on the ground.

The black-robed businessman walked out, looked around, and easily found his target. No one in the crowd noticed him, just like a floating ghost, easily approaching the two people who were communicating in the middle of the square.

"Good morning, my dear friends. It's a long way to get here. I hope I'm not late."

A cheerful voice came into the ears of the two, as friendly and gentle as if they were close friends who had not seen each other for a long time. The middle-aged man with a stern face turned his head in surprise. The strange man in black robe bowed to him with a smile, and then threw a bunch of fruits to the red-haired young man in front of them.

The bunch of juicy red fruits were so juicy and even covered with morning dew. Sally was sure that there were no similar plants growing around.

He couldn't help but cast a surprised and wary look, but the visitor just showed a brilliant smile - well, if it could be called a smile. The scarlet paint flowed, outlining a rough and funny arc, but Sally would never underestimate the danger behind it.

"Take this, dear Aureus, for it is the freshest fruit of the South. Tell me, what is it that you wish to buy this time? Money, victory, treasure, or attractive advantage? I will be glad to serve you."

"No matter how much you try to seduce me, I won't spend an extra penny on this, you profiteer."

The red-haired young man refused coldly: "I just want to cooperate with you to make some money."

"My best friend, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Sally's suspicious look was as real as the truth. The black-robed merchant ignored him and strode forward, shaking Orelius' hand enthusiastically: "I knew that no one could get along better than us!"

The latter's brows twitched, he pulled his hand away calmly, and replied politely: "That's unfortunate."

Sally finally decided to intervene in this suspicious conversation: "Wait - who is this?"

Before he could finish his words, the profiteer turned around and shook his hand warmly. The feeling of the white bandage covering his fingers made Sally frown, and he became more wary of this businessman who came from nowhere.

"Don't be so wary of me. I'm just an ordinary businessman. If you need to trade anything, I'm happy to serve you."

The profiteer didn't consider himself an outsider at all and kept talking endlessly. Sally had seen the bloodiness of the battlefield, but had never met a businessman who talked so much nonsense, and he didn't even interrupt him in the first place.

Just as the profiteer was about to finish introducing his thirty-second product, Oreius wordlessly reached out and grabbed the other's hood, dragging him behind him.

"I'm sorry that he has caused you trouble. Anyway, if you need to buy anything, you can always go to him."

Although he didn't know where the other party came from, he was undoubtedly an excellent businessman from his words. Sally said goodbye to them with a little subtlety and left.

Dan had met him during the first trial, and he greeted him without hesitation: "Mr. Swindler, are you here to sell something this time?"

"After all, wherever there are people pursuing profits, there should be businessmen." The profiteer nodded to him and said, "Orelius, is it time for you to let go of my hat?"

The red-haired young man loosened his grip, and the profiteer adjusted his hood. He took out a handful of beans and sprinkled them on the ground. The small beans flew up in the wind and turned into lively and cute little people.

They had festive red balls painted on their faces, bald heads, and smiles that looked exactly like the masks of the profiteers. They stood behind the merchants one by one.

"These are my guys."

The profiteer took out a lot of messy goods from his sleeves, and the Xiaodou people began to sort and pack them. Soon, the merchant's back was piled high with goods.

“This is my product.”

He tapped the ground again, and the earth split open, and out jumped two tiny mud horses, which grew rapidly as they landed. The Xiaodou people tied the reins to the horses, and in a flash they had built a cart.

Now that he had all the men, horses, and goods, the merchant looked around and said with a smile, "Okay, this is my caravan."