IMC Chapter 75

Around noon, the upgrade of the wood processing factory was completed. Even though there was no notification sound, people immediately noticed the change—after all, the wood processing factory had suddenly grown much taller and could be seen from anywhere within the base.

Curious onlookers gathered around the newly towering structure, chattering excitedly. The workers at the wood processing factory were both thrilled and nervous, sensing that something significant had changed for the better.

With nothing else to do, the tribe members followed Shu Bao in a large group to the wood processing factory.

After the upgrade, the mill had transformed into a four-story building, standing prominently next to the forest. Not only had its height increased, but its appearance had also undergone a noticeable transformation, with many intricate iron fixtures and sturdy stone elements added to its design.

The overall architectural style was reminiscent of traditional Chinese buildings, with a heavy wooden door that underscored its uniqueness. Upon entering, the interior space was noticeably larger, with more workstations on the first floor. These workstations were now divided into sections, each equipped with additional tools, and the virtual teaching models had become more refined, offering a variety of instructors to choose from.

This meant that woodworking could now be more precisely categorized and specialized. Shu Bao approached the task menu in the center of the first floor and clicked to view it. Instantly, a massive virtual list unfolded before him, a stark contrast to the few blueprints available when the factory was first established.

Shu Bao recalled that when the wood processing factory first started, it could only produce simple furniture, tools, and basic wooden bows and arrows. But now, a quick glance revealed items like crossbows, wooden houses, and even carriages.

He hadn’t expected a single upgrade to bring such a pleasant surprise. The crossbow alone, if effective, would remain useful even if firearms were invented in the future, rather than being completely obsolete.

The craftsmen, too, were captivated by the extensive menu, their eyes lighting up with eagerness to immediately dive into learning and creating new things.

After inspecting the first floor, Shu Bao moved on to the other three floors, finding that they were quite similar to the first. The only differences were in the size of the workspaces, the internal layout, and the tools available—each floor seemed tailored to the specific requirements of different types of production.

The top fourth floor had no separate compartments; the entire space was open and interconnected. It appeared to be designated as the training area for large-scale constructions like wooden houses.

After exploring the building, Shu Bao finally selected tasks from the list under the expectant gazes of the tribe members. Naturally, he chose to craft one of each of the intriguing items: a crossbow, a wooden house, and a carriage. In addition, he selected a wooden ballista for defending the city, a trebuchet for sieging, and the newly added, more ornate designs for wardrobes, cabinets, and other furniture.

Since the tribe only had eight carpenters, completing these task lists wouldn’t be quick. Shu Bao instructed the high priest to select more tribe members with either talent or interest in woodworking to join the factory, thereby expanding the tribe’s skilled workforce.

The high priest followed through, and since it was winter and there wasn’t much work in the tribe, finding people wasn’t difficult. However, this situation made Shu Bao increasingly aware of the importance of population. In addition to the wood processing factory, both the magical plantation and the magical beast breeding ground required skilled workers.

Although managing the magical plantation and beast breeding ground wasn’t particularly complicated, tasks like planting and harvesting still required hands-on effort. The harvest rate was closely tied to the talent and proficiency of the workers, making it necessary to cultivate specialized personnel.

For now, the slow development of the base allowed these skilled workers to take on other tasks around the base when they weren’t busy with their primary duties. However, once development sped up, these workers would likely be needed full-time at their stations. After accounting for the hunting team, there would be very few laborers left.

Shu Bao double-checked with the high priest whether there would be people available for purchase at the upcoming market. The high priest wasn’t sure, as their tribe had never participated in the market.

This uncertainty made Shu Bao increasingly worried. Population was crucial for the base’s development, and with the market situated near the Long Tribe, any available people for purchase would likely have already been snatched up by them.

Another day passed without Shu Bao finding a perfect solution, and the weather took a sharp turn for the worse. When Shu Bao returned, it had been snowing; after a day’s pause, the skies grew even darker, followed by continuous blizzards.

Listening to the howling wind outside, Shu Bao realized that the snowstorm on the day of his return was nothing compared to this. All outdoor work in the base had been halted, except for the workers in the magical plantation and the wood processing factory. The former were planting the new seeds brought back by the deity, while the latter were learning to create new products.

Even Yinzi, who had initially resisted the cold, could no longer endure the harsh conditions brought by the blizzard. After futile attempts to warm up by burrowing into a tent, Yinzi hesitated for a long time before ultimately seeking refuge in the magical plantation.

Although the space in the magical plantation was much smaller than in the bracelet, it was filled with plants and no snacks to tempt it. Yinzi had to tread lightly on the plantation, but it didn’t mind at all.

Shu Bao’s outdoor activities also shifted mostly to the magical plantation. After all, the plantation was a self-contained space, and it was divided into several areas with varying temperatures and humidity levels to accommodate the different growth environments needed for the plants.

If Shu Bao wanted to take a sauna, he could go to the area where the fire element was strong. If he wanted to cool off, there were also areas as refreshing as autumn.

It wasn’t just Yinzi who enjoyed spending time on the plantation; Shu Bao found himself spending more and more time there as well. However, this changed when the Magic Academy was completed. Shu Bao became deeply interested in the operation of the academy and even enrolled as one of its students.

When the Magic Academy was completed, the entire Xia Wang Tribe braved the wind and snow to gather and watch. Like other buildings, the academy’s interior space had been expanded, making it significantly larger than its actual footprint.

The completed academy stood about twenty meters tall, appearing exceptionally grand and immediately becoming the tallest structure in the base. The academy had a tower-like shape, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, but unlike the wood processing factory’s traditional Chinese style, it featured a cold, modern magical style.

Curious tribe members followed the deity and the high priest inside. The blizzard was instantly blocked outside, and the academy’s temperature-regulating properties made everyone sigh with comfort. They hadn’t even explored the building yet, but the tribe members already loved it.

However, anything built by the deity was something they were sure to love. The Magic Academy was currently the most spacious and warm area within the base.

Upon entering the first floor, they noticed a circular stone platform with an array carved into it near the entrance. Curious, Shu Bao climbed onto it. As soon as he stood on the platform, two glowing orbs, one gold and one white, appeared above, illuminating the entire floor.

At the same time, a virtual figure appeared next to the platform, resembling an elderly man with white hair dressed in a mage’s robe. “Oh, you have a talent for both Earth and Metal magic. Child, your talent is remarkable. Earth magic is studied on the third floor, and Metal magic on the fourth. You can choose your study time.”

The explanation made it clear that this platform was a tool for testing magical aptitude, and Shu Bao had an affinity for both Earth and Metal magic, allowing him to study both. Different floors corresponded to different teachings.

Just as Shu Bao was about to hop off the stone platform, the old man spoke again. “Special talent individuals, please proceed to the basement. Child, your beast-taming and alchemy talents are both high. I hope you can find your mentors on the underground first and third floors.”

Shu Bao: “…” So it turns out I can really tame beasts!

The Xia Wang Tribe members’ admiration for the deity grew even brighter. Indeed, the academy allowed for learning on four different levels! However, the academy seemed a bit too large, with even underground areas.

After Shu Bao jumped down from the stone platform, he signaled the high priest to give it a try. The high priest stepped onto the platform, and immediately, fiery red and cyan-green orbs appeared above, indicating fire and wood magic talents. The old man also explained that the high priest had the special talent of an alchemist and could study on the underground second floor.

Shu Bao and the high priest then organized tests for the tribe members one by one. They were pleasantly surprised to find that one-third of the base’s population had magical talents. Among them, the highest magical talents were naturally the high priest and Mu Bao, who had shown an aptitude for magic with wands from the beginning. Both had exceptional fire magic talents.

In addition to the common five-element talents, there was also a dark necromancer and an ice mage among the tribe members. Special talent mages would study underground, while other common talents were taught on the above-ground first to fifth floors. The sixth floor was a training arena used for practicing combat skills.

Those without magical talents were somewhat disappointed, but the deity reassured them.

They could become swordsmen or archers. In the future, besides the magical academy, there would also be a military academy in the tribe, where everyone would find their place.

After the completion of the magical academy, despite the harsh weather outside, the tribe members eagerly went there every morning to study. They had long admired the high priest and Mu Bao. Now that they knew they also had magical abilities, they were naturally excited.

Unlike the high priest and Mu Bao, whose talents were immediately apparent, the others needed time to develop their skills, and their spells required practice. However, this did not dampen their enthusiasm.

Shu Bao also frequently visited the magical academy. As a deity, he needed to keep up with spell learning and also study alchemy. Although he wasn’t very interested in beast-taming, having already inexplicably acquired two peak dragonlings and knowing that he would have a Jiaolong companion in the future, he didn’t need to focus on taming beasts.

Instead, the rare metals and resources scavenged from the Empire were too valuable not to use for crafting.

Despite the icy weather outside, the Xia Wang tribe members were busier than ever. Those with magical talents focused on learning magic, while those without talents worked at the processing factory or the magical plantation to acquire skills. The entire tribe was thriving.

At night, the Xia Wang people were well-prepared. Besides, the deity had brought back a peculiar shield that made the tribe’s defenses more robust. The night-time dragonling and the necromancer army that Feng Shou led also helped to push back the invading magical beasts, which began to flee rather than swarm.

In the midst of all this activity, Shu Bao still kept track of the days. However, the high priest thought the market might be canceled due to the weather. Just as Shu Bao was worrying about the population issue, a group of unfamiliar fugitives arrived outside the tribe.

Each of them wore thin, tattered clothing, with disheveled hair and gaunt faces. Most had visible frostbite from the cold.

The group knelt outside the tribe, calling out weakly and pleading, even though their voices were mostly swallowed by the wind and snow.

“Please, take us in! We don’t need much, just enough to keep from starving!”

“Even if you can’t take us in, please take in my child!”

“Just give us some food, please! We beg you!”

Outside the tribe’s gates, the people were frantically kneeling and bowing to the patrol team. The patrol was somewhat surprised and, given the harsh weather and the situation, they didn’t take it lightly. They quickly reported the matter to the high priest, who in turn went to find Shu Bao.

“What? Such good fortune?” Shu Bao exclaimed with delight, jumping up in excitement.

The high priest, seeing Shu Bao’s reaction, also smiled. “There’s a familiar face among them—Ru Su.”

At the high priest’s reminder, Shu Bao remembered that when he first arrived at the tribe, there had been a man who didn’t trust him and fled with his wife and child during the night. He hadn’t expected that, after all this time, the man had returned with a large group! Could it be that sowing one person in spring could yield a whole batch of people in winter?!

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