Chapter Forty-Three: Journeying South Once More

“We’re going to build a new forward camp here.”
Standing before the shimmering light screen, Sun Licheng pointed to a spot on the map with a branch as he addressed the group. The geographic data collected by Dogmeat had already been received by Mr. Skillful, who had turned it into a 3D map for display. Sun Licheng was now explaining the next steps in their plan.
To seek out the shards of the Earth God’s divinity, they had to press deeper into this world, and each forward camp served as a vital foothold for Sun Licheng.
Having witnessed the terrifying beings inhabiting this land, he had abandoned all fantasies of wandering the world with sword in hand, determined instead to settle down, gather strength, and proceed with measured caution.
“I wonder where those two Majesties have run off to. Ah, how did I end up saddled with such deities…”
He tossed aside the branch, sighing in frustration.
That night, Mr. Skillful began making preparations with Dogmeat, and by dawn, Sun Licheng and the Wolf King joined in.
With so few people to begin with, everyone took part, including the three little wolf-rabbits, as they set off for their new camp.
“We’re still too short on people.”
Watching his subordinates busily moving about, Sun Licheng let out a sigh.
He had originally planned to leave some manpower behind to guard the fort, but the truth was he had no one to spare—not even a dog could be left behind.
Over the past few days, Mr. Skillful had found quite a few animal carcasses in the tunnels and had hunted some beasts as well. Before their departure, he took charge of turning the meat into jerky and salting it for preservation.
“Boss, there are fewer and fewer animals in the tunnels these days.”
While working, Mr. Skillful reported this unwelcome news to Sun Licheng.
“We’ll leave it at that for now. Since we’re about to depart, we can investigate the cause next time we pass through.”
Sun Licheng thought it over and decided to set the matter aside for now—they could hunt as they traveled south, so food wouldn’t be a problem.
He gathered up his belongings and discovered, to his surprise, that he still had quite a lot of possessions.
To transport everything, Sun Licheng resolved to build a four-wheeled wagon, and naturally, the Wolf King would pull it. The creature was immensely strong—though its voracious appetite gave Sun Licheng some heartache.
His mech, however, had a damaged part and couldn’t travel long distances, so it was locked away in the hangar until he could find a replacement.
On the fourth day, with the last sack of food loaded onto the cart, Sun Licheng gave the order to depart.
Across the plains, Dogmeat ran ahead, scouting the way. The three little wolf-rabbits lounged with Sun Licheng atop the wagon, playing and resting. Mr. Skillful would often leave the cart and fly off into the distance, always chasing after something that caught his attention.
“You carry the load, I lead the horse,
Greeting the sunrise, bidding the sunset farewell,
Flattening the rough paths to make a broad road,
Braving hardships and dangers, we set out once more, we set out once more. La la la…”
Across the wilderness, Sun Licheng’s song echoed.
With the four-wheeled wagon, their pace quickened. Along the way, with the Wolf King’s help, Sun Licheng managed to hunt a massive black fish, treating everyone to a feast of roasted fish.
Three days later, beneath the evening glow, Sun Licheng found himself once again at the site of the great battle with the goblins.
The corpses had long since been devoured by wild beasts, leaving only bones scattered across the ground.
As a modern man, Sun Licheng found this scene hard to stomach. He instructed Mr. Skillful and Dogmeat to bury the remains, granting the dead some measure of peace.
As a military control unit of the Goblin Empire, Mr. Skillful’s professionalism was beyond question. He quickly surveyed the area and selected a small hill as the site for their new forward camp.
“Our manpower is limited. I suggest we use wood as the main building material for the camp, reinforcing important sections with earth where necessary.”
After a thorough inspection, Mr. Skillful began outlining his plan to Sun Licheng.
“Here and here, we can build several watchtowers, each equipped with ballistae and heavy crossbows to secure the exits. From here, we construct a wooden wall, wide enough for three people to stand abreast, to fend off attacks from low-level magical beasts. In front of the gate, we’ll set up antler barricades and caltrops to defend against heavy cavalry charges.”
As Mr. Skillful spoke, the light screen depicted a mighty fortress rising from the ground.
“Well, Mr. Skillful, I really like your design, but isn’t the scale a bit ambitious? There are only a handful of us, and the mech isn’t even here.”
Sun Licheng couldn’t help but feel exasperated; Mr. Skillful’s plan was simply unrealistic.
After a moment’s thought, Mr. Skillful suggested, “Let’s build a simple camp first, then gradually construct the full fortress.”
…
Far away, in a valley, a sprawling cluster of crude huts huddled behind a wooden palisade, with goblins armed with bows occasionally visible atop the wall.
At the main gate, Yve Silvermoon, the elder chieftain of the Silvermoon Tribe, was bidding farewell to Wol and his party.
Since Wol’s return, a shadow had hung over the Silvermoon Tribe. Goblins—their ancient nemesis—had broken through the defenses and attacked a hunting party, leaving the entire tribe shrouded in fear.
Once the oldest goblin tribe of the Moon Alliance, the Silvermoon Tribe had fallen into decline, bullied by rival clans and stripped of their hunting grounds. The goblin incursion only worsened their plight.
Thanks to Wol’s persistent pleas, his mother, Chieftain Yve, decided to send a trading party to seek out Sun Licheng’s tribe in hopes of gaining assistance.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll lead everyone to that hero’s tribe and bring the trading party safely home.”
As the new leader, Wol understood the tribe’s predicament all too well. He reassured his mother and the others gathered to see them off.
“My child, the road is perilous. Listen to Elder Isidor—he is the wisest among us.”
Yve, though, remained uneasy as a mother.
“Rest assured, Chieftain. I will help Wol accomplish this mission.”
Isidor Silvermoon, the last remaining elder of the tribe, hastened to offer his support.
And so, under the hopeful gaze of their people, the trading party of sixty-three goblins set out on their northward journey.
Their destination: Sun Licheng.
…
By midday, under the bright sun, three earth lodges had sprung up atop the hill.
These shelters resembled those Sun Licheng had built before, though they were considerably larger.
“Ah, no matter where I go, I can’t escape living in earth lodges!”
Sun Licheng couldn’t help but sigh.
According to Mr. Skillful’s plan, the palisade and watchtowers took priority, so their accommodations would have to suffice for now.
Besides Sun Licheng, no one was particular about their living conditions, so they constructed three earth lodges—one for Sun Licheng, one for the Wolf King and the three wolf-rabbits, and one for Mr. Skillful. As for Dogmeat, they banished him outside under the excuse that he was a sentry.
Though Mr. Skillful’s plans often seemed impractical, his abilities were second to none.
He flitted back and forth between the forest and the camp, swiftly hauling in timber, while Sun Licheng and the Wolf King also returned with impressive hauls.
By the afternoon of the next day, a wooden palisade encircled the hilltop, with a tall watchtower standing proudly at the gate.
From the top of the tower, the entire forest spread out below, offering a commanding view.
To reward themselves and the Wolf King, Sun Licheng decided to prepare a whole roast lamb.
The goat, freshly hunted by Dogmeat, was plump and succulent.
As the meat roasted over the campfire, turning golden and dripping fat into the flames, the aroma made the Wolf King and the three wolf-rabbits drool as they circled the spit restlessly.
Just as Sun Licheng reached for the seasoning, Mr. Skillful suddenly flew up beside him.
“Boss, we have a situation. Dogmeat reports a large number of goblins in the woods ahead.”
Mr. Skillful relayed the report…