CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64 THE SCENIC DUAN’ER_1

The town-level government office was certified through the system.

Next was the Archer Camp and the Archer Training Ground.

As night enshrouded the domain, Yan Xing checked the time. It was approaching midnight. Past midnight would mark the start of a new week, and he had to quickly certify these two recruitment structures.

[A building meeting the standards for an Archer Camp has been found. Would you like to designate it as Archer Camp? Note! Once designated, the Archer Camp cannot be changed.]

"Confirm setting as Archer Camp."

[Archer Camp established.]

[The Archer Camp can provide 6 archers for recruitment each week. The recruitment cost for archers is 50 Gold Coins per person.]

[Heroes with training skills can upgrade eligible militia to archers at the Archer Camp. The upgrade cost is 25 Gold per person.]

Is this...is this robbery?

The recruitment cost for just a Third Order soldier was 50 Gold. What exorbitant prices will higher-order soldiers command in the future!

But the archers were indispensable.

Although the area around the domain seemed peaceful, there was no strictly safe zone on the Wildwind Highlands. No one knew what might appear around the domain in the next second. Certainly, bows would be more lethal than slingshots. With the Eternal Domain expanding so much, he had to establish a defensive system using formidable, ranged attack units. Therefore, no matter how expensive archers were, they had to be recruited as long as he had God-given gold coins.

Six archers amounted to 300 God-given gold coins.

He gritted his teeth and paid the price.

The newly recruited archers walked out of the Archer Camp and lined up before Yan Xing.

Archer (Human Third Order unit, a basic ranged support troop in human forces. Can be upgraded to Fourth Order combat unit Crossbowman, or to Fourth Order elite unit Marksman.)

Attack: 4

Defense: 3

Damage: 4

Stamina: 7

Talent: Scatter Shot (Fire rate increases by 30%, accuracy decreases by 20%.)

As the basic ranged support troops in the human army, archers were equipped with a bow, a suit of chainmail, an iron helmet, and an iron sword for self-defense. Of course, these were all things Yan Xing disdained. The archers’ attributes were merely their initial stats upon recruitment. Just like the militia of the Eternal Domain, if they put on steel plate armor, took up steel spears, and added a variety of minor equipment, their combat power definitely could not be measured by their stats on paper.

Exchange them! Replace all that rubbish!

The fish scale armor I’ve specially tailored for the archers is far better than chainmail! And with modern technology, they’ll get traditional recurve bows made of composite materials.

Their combat power will surely skyrocket.

Seeing that the archers’ talent was Scatter Shot, Yan Xing felt he had shown foresight.

The bow was definitely the right choice.

Human archers rely on their firing rate to be effective.

As long as my firing rate is high, I’ll eventually hit something.

With the Archer Camp certified, next was the Archer Training Ground. The Archer Training Ground was simply a hundred-meter range. It qualified by having purchased targets placed inside and being equipped with a certain number of bows and arrows.

The Archer Training Ground successfully gained certification.

Yan Xing could select militiamen to enter the Archer Training Ground for archery training. Once they met the archery standards, they could advance in the Archer Camp by paying an additional 25 Gold to become Third Order Archers. Of course, forcing militiamen to use bows and arrows as makeshift archers was also possible. Since archers were an advancement from militiamen, they could also use spears. How to employ them still required flexible adaptation to the ever-changing conditions of the battlefield.

After completing the certification of the Archer Training Ground, the time had just passed midnight. All the recruitment buildings within the domain refreshed. After recruiting all the newly available farmers, militia, Werewolves, and archers, Yan Xing’s God-given gold coins finally hit zero.

Money really doesn’t last long when you’re spending! He needed to sleep.

Tomorrow, the Werewolf Clan Leader Conference is set to begin in the southern border region of Thunderous Swamp—the Southern Thunderous Regional Werewolf Conference, for short. Once the meeting is over, I’ll head to Nuta City to make a killing. I wonder how well Eden has advertised the Ice Jade Porcelain.

The next morning, hundreds of Werewolves had gathered at Red Mud Wetland. They were various Werewolf Tribe Leaders and their accompanying guards, ready to head to the Eternal Domain for the meeting. Red Mud Wetland was selected as a meeting point primarily because the Eternal Domain was very unfamiliar to most Werewolf Tribes. Werewolves were naturally wary of unfamiliar things. As the distance from each tribe to the Eternal Domain varied, none wished to leave the protection of the swamp alone to venture into a human domain they had only heard of. Hence, the Werewolf Tribe Leaders unanimously chose to head to Red Mud Wetland first, intending for Duan’er, the Clan Leader of the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe, to accompany them to the Eternal Domain.

After all, the messenger had been a Werewolf Warrior from Red Mud Wetland. Duan’er was the Werewolf who maintained the closest relationship with the human Lord, Yan Xing. Therefore, one by one, Werewolf Clan Leaders arrived at Red Mud Wetland with their guards.

Red Mud Wetland had never been so lively. This made Duan’er feel immensely honored, as it was the first time his tribe was in the limelight. Especially when Clan Leaders from Werewolf Tribes more powerful than his own formally greeted him, Duan’er felt even more delighted.

Of course, Duan’er was well aware that not only had Red Mud Wetland avoided being annexed, but it had, in fact, become the center for the Werewolf Tribes in the southern border region of Thunderous Swamp. This was all thanks to Lord Yan Xing. Duan’er also roughly understood what Lord Yan Xing meant by unifying the Werewolf Tribes of Thunderous Swamp’s southern border.

Is this not a good start?

To better showcase the brotherly relationship between Red Mud Wetland and the Eternal Domain, Duan’er hosted a slingshot shooting competition at Red Mud Wetland, showing off his tribe’s prized hunting tools to the visiting Werewolves. He even brought out the nutritional instant rations sent from the Eternal Domain, sharing them with the visiting Werewolves.

"Help yourselves!"

Although a simple phrase, it was not something any Werewolf Tribe could afford to say casually. It was a symbol of power.

The Werewolf Clan Leaders preparing for the conference had yet to reach the Eternal Domain, but while at Red Mud Wetland, they already sensed the strength and wealth of this human domain. The desire to exchange the agarwood in their hands for food became even more urgent.

One kilogram of agarwood could be exchanged for two hundred kilograms of food! It wasn’t just a dream!

Meanwhile, the Werewolf Clan Leaders also took notice of the slingshots equipped by the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Warriors. These slingshots were very different from the toys they made for their cubs. Small animals like snakes, birds, and squirrels would almost certainly die if hit by these slingshots within twenty steps. Even mid-sized animals could have their mobility greatly reduced if hit continuously in the limbs at close range.

Was there a shortage of food in the swamp?

The swamp wasn’t short of food!

The reason Werewolves often went hungry was that the complex environment limited their range of movement, meaning most animals could be seen but not caught. Even if prey was within reach, if they couldn’t catch it, they simply couldn’t catch it. But with these slingshots, an extended attack range meant more hunting opportunities.

The Werewolf Clan Leaders expressed their desire to try out the slingshots. Duan’er generously allowed his warriors to bring out their slingshots for the Clan Leaders to try.