Chapter 50 The Shock of Home: The Industrial Revolution Meets Genetic Mutation...
The journey home is an epic poem written amidst mud and fog, filled with weariness and resilience.
The team was struggling on the verge of exhaustion. The roasted potato jerky that was hard enough to be used as a brick in Lin Yue's backpack had long been used up, and there were only a few strips of dried meat left. He broke them into small pieces and gave them priority to the able-bodied young men who were carrying stretchers and whose physical strength was the greatest, as well as a few patients who were still running a fever.
Although the continuous rain had stopped, the fog surrounding the Valley of Tears remained thick, like an endless gray ocean, swallowing direction and eroding people's will.
The only solace was the carefully distributed guide ferns. These magical plants emitted a soft, steady silvery-white light in the dim mist, like twinkling stars in the night. Each person holding a guide fern seemed to be carrying an inextinguishable lantern, illuminating a small area around them and the dying hope in each other's eyes.
"Everyone... hang in there!" Lin Yue's voice was already hoarse like a broken bellows, but he kept encouraging the team, "I smell... I smell cooking, the smell of home! We're almost there!"
He didn't actually smell anything; his nostrils still smelled that cloyingly sweet odor. But at times like these, a white lie can be more empowering than any truth.
Just when everyone felt they were nearing the end of their lives, and even lifting their feet had become a luxury, Xiao Fen, who had been running at the very front of the group, suddenly stopped. It sniffed the air hard, then abruptly raised its head and, facing a certain direction, let out a joyful and urgent "Awoo!" unlike any warning it had ever given before. It even excitedly jumped around a few times, its tail wagging like a rapidly spinning propeller!
Immediately afterward, Gray, who had been silently leading the way, also stopped abruptly and excitedly pointed ahead: "Look, it's the direction of the restaurant! I recognize that mountain over there! We're back!"
Looking in the direction he pointed, through the gradually thinning mist, the outline of a familiar mountain ridge vaguely appeared in everyone's view. They could even see a thin, but unusually firm, black column of smoke rising straight into the gray sky on the other side of the ridge.
That's smoke from the brick kiln! It's smoke from the first-generation traditional brick kiln they built themselves, a symbol of the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
Hope is just around the corner.
"Home, we're almost home." Lin Yue's eyes instantly reddened, and a huge surge of joy and excitement erupted from the bottom of his heart like a volcano, dispelling all the fatigue and despair of the past few days.
Those who had been numb and silent all raised their heads, straining to look in that direction. Gray and Little Finn's overflowing excitement, and Lin Yue's infectious cheers, told them that the finish line was truly near.
“Oh my god…it’s really…we’ve really arrived…” A silent woman could no longer hold on, her legs gave way, and she knelt down in the mud, bursting into tears.
Her cries were like a signal, instantly igniting the pent-up emotions of the entire team. Suppressed sobs, joyful cheers, and sighs of relief rose and fell in waves.
"Gray!" Lin Yue made a quick decision, grabbing the equally excited Gray. "You're the fastest, so go ahead and report back. Tell Uncle Stonefist and the others that we're back, and tell them to be ready to meet us. With so many of us suddenly appearing, please don't mistake us for enemies and attack us."
Gray nodded heavily, handed the animal skin bag containing the sacred tree sapling to Elder Farador, and then vanished into the mist ahead in a flash.
"Everyone else, rest where you are," Lin Yue directed. "Amu, Uncle Barton, take out the last of our dried wild vegetables and minced meat, start a fire, and boil a pot of soup. Let everyone replenish their strength, treat their wounds, and be in good spirits so we can go home in style."
Meanwhile, Hope Town is on high alert.
"Get your weapons ready, all of you, and open your eyes wide!" Uncle Stone Fist stood on the foundation of the half-meter-high wall, which had just been built with red bricks and cement. He held a newly forged, gleaming iron hammer in his hand and roared, spitting as he spoke. "Lia, what are your patrol team doing? They only fired when such a large group of people got close!"
Aunt Leah looked aggrieved, clutching a sharp iron scythe tightly in her hand: "Lord Stonefist, those people were like ghosts, emerging from that poisonous fog in the east. By the time our people found them, they were already almost at the mouth of the ravine."
Behind the wall, Ali and all the mobilized young men gripped their weapons nervously—iron spears, iron hoes, and some even held hot red bricks just pulled from the kiln, ready to join the battle at any moment. Several oddly shaped but exceptionally sturdy wheelbarrows were pushed to the gap in the fence, loaded with stones and bricks, forming a makeshift barricade.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats. They had finally managed to have a few days of peace, were they going to have them destroyed again by those damned bandits or some other shady forces?
Just as tensions were about to escalate and a fight was about to break out, a familiar figure rushed out of the dense forest in the distance like lightning!
"Don't lay a hand on me, it's me!"
It's Gray.
When Stone Fist saw the figure, he was stunned at first, a hint of surprise flashing in his bloodshot eyes, but it was quickly replaced by overwhelming rage. He raised his large iron hammer, pointed it at Gray, and cursed, "You little brat! You still know how to come back?! I thought you were dead out there! What are those hordes of things behind you? Are you trying to ransack our house?"
Gray, panting heavily, wiped the sweat from his face and explained quickly in a tone more fluent and composed than ever before: "Uncle Stonefist, don't misunderstand, those behind are Lin Yue and my people. We've come back for help and... to go home."
He briefly explained their experiences in the Valley of Tears, the Silent Ones' predicament, and the purpose of their journey.
Shi Quan was stunned, and slowly lowered the iron hammer in his hand. The people behind him also looked at each other, their faces filled with shock.
Lord Lin... not only did he return safely, but he also... brought back a tribe?!
“…Damn it! That kid… he’s a real troublemaker…” Stone Fist finally just muttered under his breath, then waved his hand, “What are you all standing there for? Open the door, prepare hot water and food, and save them!”
With the misunderstanding cleared up, Hope Town's state of emergency preparedness instantly switched to Level 1 rescue mode.
When Lin Yue led the large, exhausted team of Silent Warriors out of the dense forest and saw the scene before them, everyone was stunned into silence.
Is this... is this still the same simple, fledgling outpost they left behind?
The impact on the Silent Ones was unparalleled.
What they saw was no longer the Hope Town that Lin Yue described, which needed to be beautified through imagination, but a real, bustling construction base!
Although not yet fully joined, the foundation of the wall has been completely replaced with sturdy red bricks and gray "glue," standing there steadily and exuding a reassuring sense of solidity!
Inside the walled compound, rows of brand-new, luxurious sheds with half-walls made of red bricks stood neatly arranged.
Most striking were the tall brick kiln in the distance, still emitting wisps of black smoke, and the thousands upon thousands of uniformly colored red bricks piled up like a small mountain beside it! On the other side, there were several large piles of ground, gray, mysterious powder, emitting a peculiar odor.
Several oddly shaped but seemingly practical wheelbarrows were parked by the roadside, loaded with tools and materials.
In the distance, the fields were neatly planned, and the lush green crops were growing vigorously. The entire outpost, though still simple, was brimming with vitality, order, and a vibrant, upward-striving energy!
This vibrant scene stands in stark and tragic contrast to their desolate, dilapidated homes, filled with an atmosphere of despair!
At that moment, many of the silent participants couldn't help but shed tears.
Lin Yue was no less shocked than the Silent Ones.
He was stunned!
When he left, this place was just a makeshift operation. The first batch of red bricks had just been fired, the cement was still experimental, and the fence was just rickety wooden posts.
How long has it been? Ten days? Twenty days?
These people who stayed behind have actually developed productivity to this extent!
With so many red bricks, they'd probably have to hollow out that nearby red clay mountain! And those huge piles of cement! How did they manage to grind so much clinker into powder?
The most outrageous thing was those wheelbarrows! Although they were all ugly in their own way and the wheels weren't very round, their structure and principles were clearly made according to the blueprints he left behind.
That old guy Shi Quan, he's not just a blacksmith, he's practically a hidden infrastructure maniac, a born project manager.
Just as Lin Yue was still in shock and hadn't recovered, Stone Fist, along with Old Bard, Aunt Leah, and others, strode up to greet him.
He saw that although Lin Yue and the others looked like they had been pulled out of a mud pit, at least they were still alive and had their arms and legs intact. He first gave a heavy snort as usual and cursed, "I knew you bunch of troublemakers wouldn't die!"
"Long time no see, I've missed you so much, Uncle Shi Quan. Thank you for your hard work while I was away. But don't worry, look how many new workers and future technical talents we brought back this time," Lin Yue hugged Shi Quan tightly. "By the way, Uncle Shi Quan, there's something I need to apologize for. Without consulting you, I changed the name of our little restaurant to..."
Shi Quan shoved him aside, grabbed his arm, and his expression was more serious and agitated than ever before.
"Stop your damn nonsense, I don't have time for your reminiscing. Come with me, something terrible has happened!"
"Huh? What happened? Did someone attack us? Or did the stove explode?" Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat.
“It’s even weirder than that,” Shi Quan said, pulling Lin Yue along as they rushed toward the neatly planned farmland. “If you don’t come back soon, our potatoes and wheat will become sentient.”
Confused, the others quickly followed.
When they arrived at the edge of the field, everyone was once again shocked by the sight before them!
In the second potato field, which they had just cultivated before leaving and on which they had placed high hopes, the potato vines grew exceptionally lush and robust. Several young men were carefully turning over some potatoes from the ground. These potatoes were a full size larger than the first crop. Most remarkably, their skin was no longer the ordinary yellowish-brown, but covered with a thin, rock-like gray cuticle, making them look like round, gray stone eggs.
"This...this is a potato?" Lin Yue stared in disbelief. He picked one up casually, and it felt heavy in his hand, even heavier than a stone of the same size. He tapped it with his finger, and it made a dull "bang" sound.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the wheat field planted earlier was fully ripe. Golden waves of wheat rippled in the wind, the heavy ears bending low. But strangely, as the setting sun cast its glow upon the wheat field, the tips of some ears emitted soft, faint, starlike fluorescence! The entire wheat field looked like a dream.
"My God... my God..." Old Patton squatted by the field, trembling with excitement. His hands shook as he picked up a stone-skinned potato, then looked at the shimmering, starlight-like wheat, muttering to himself, "I've farmed all my life, traveled all over the country, and never seen crops like this. This... this is a miracle, a gift from the god of the land, or... or another form of curse?"
His cloudy old eyes were filled with awe, confusion, and... a hint of barely concealed fear.
Lin Yue was completely bewildered by this surreal scene before him, and his first instinct was to call the system.
He immediately chanted in his mind, "System, scan, scan me quickly."
[System scanning in progress... Data analysis in progress...]
[Mutant crop detected: Stone-skin potato (primary mutation)]
Cause: Long-term absorption of special minerals rich in the soil of the cursed land, and slight radiation from the energy dissipated by the Earth's Sorrow, caused keratinization and mineralization mutations in the epidermal cells.
Characteristics: The outer skin is extremely hard, providing excellent resistance to pests and diseases, rot, and long shelf life. The internal potato flesh has a 15% higher starch content and is rich in various trace minerals beneficial to living organisms.
Texture: More delicate and sandy, with a unique mineral flavor.
Disadvantages: The outer skin is difficult to process, and eating it directly may cause indigestion.
[Mutant crop detected: Starlight Wheat (Primary Mutation). Cause: A benign genetic mutation resulting from the influence of the faint, pure natural energy emanating from the Valley of Tears and the dissemination of Tranquil Mushroom spores, combined with the unique soil environment of the Cursed Lands.]
Characteristics: The wheat grains are plump and rich in trace amounts of calming and mood-stabilizing elements. The flour produced has a natural fragrance and a slight fluorescent effect. Consuming it can help improve sleep quality and relieve mental stress.
Disadvantages: Yield is slightly lower than ordinary wheat (about 5%), and it has slightly higher requirements for light and humidity in its growing environment.
Lin Yue was overjoyed as he looked at the system's appraisal report!
The disease- and pest-resistant stone-skinned potatoes and the starlight wheat that helps you sleep well after eating them—these are simply super crops tailor-made for their wasteland outpost, where medical care and food preservation are difficult.
This is no curse, it's a gift! This land is repaying their hard work in its own unique way.
"Never mind that," Lin Yue immediately issued an emergency mobilization order. "These are all valuable supplies, life-saving grain! Now! Immediately! Right now! Everyone who can still move, get to the fields and bring the grain back first!"
His bright eyes then swept over the Silent Youths, who, though weak, already had a fire burning in their eyes:
"Elder Farador, do you want to eat your fill?! Do you want to truly survive in this place?"
"Yes!" came a series of hoarse but firm responses from the crowd!
"Lin Yue, we'll follow your arrangements and fully cooperate with you."
"Alright!" Lin Yue waved his hand. "Then use your labor to earn your first dignity in this new home. Everyone, after a short rest and to replenish your food, immediately join the harvesting team."
Then he turned to Aunt Leah and Mia and quickly instructed them: "Aunt Leah, Mia, immediately organize people and clear out the three largest work sheds to settle the elderly and children among the Silent Ones. Then use the iron pot that Uncle Stonefist just made... yes, that big, dark iron pot, to cook a big pot of meat broth and potato porridge so that everyone can have a hot meal first."
"Old Bard, Li Ge! You take all the able-bodied men, including those Silent Ones who can still move, and start harvesting immediately. If you don't have enough tools, take turns using them. Try to harvest all the mature crops before nightfall."
"Uncle Stone Fist! You're in charge of the operation! And while you're at it... figure out the fastest way to peel off the skin of those rock lumps!"
His words were like a battle horn.
In an instant, the entire Hope Town sprang into action.
The exhausted harvesters, having just completed a long journey, hadn't even had time to properly look around their new home or grieve for leaving their homeland before they were swept up in the bustling, urgent atmosphere of the harvest.
When bowls of steaming hot meat porridge, cooked in real iron pots and with an aroma richer than any they had ever tasted before, were served to them, and when they saw refugees who, like them, had once been displaced, now working energetically in the fields, sweating profusely…
The last vestiges of confusion and unease in their hearts were gradually replaced by a sense of new reality.
Perhaps... this place truly is where their hope lies?
So, after a short rest and replenishment of food, the young Silent Ones who still had the strength quietly picked up their tools and joined the harvesting army.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire field in a warm golden hue. The first large-scale integration and construction of Hope Town officially began amidst this atmosphere of wonder and bustling activity.
"Ah, I feel like I want to say something but haven't said it... Never mind, let's get to work!"
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