On the evening of the 9th, after discovering the territory of the two-headed ogre, Lear did not continue the search and returned to the city of Weilu.
At this moment, a group of swamp people are filling wooden barrels with water from the foul-smelling mud to allow it to settle and filter.
Their lips were dry, their complexion was pale, and they kept swallowing as they looked at the murky water in the bucket.
But they would rather endure it than drink the foul-smelling water that had been boiled after being filtered through silt.
On the other side, a large pot was set up on the grass, with water bubbling and boiling. On top of it was an iron pot filled with cold water, and the rising steam quickly condensed and dripped onto a wooden basin. Distillation.
This method does produce some clean water that doesn't smell as bad.
But even if this huge pot were to be used to feed hundreds of people until it was smoking, it wouldn't be enough.
"grown ups."
When Bain saw him return, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.
Lear looked at the crowd fetching water and said in a deep voice.
"Set up two more pots, and keep the water flowing."
Bain immediately agreed.
"I have already sent people to collect the timber."
Lear nodded. This was only a temporary solution; finding a suitable water source was the key.
Headache.
Not in the mood for much conversation, after having Bain make arrangements, he quietly went to the central area and watched the vine fairies cultivate the starry vines.
Every day, the building undergoes new changes, filling him with anticipation.
Sunset and moonrise, the starry sky shines.
The swamp people, who had been busy all day, had fallen into a deep sleep, while only the wetland lizardmen, who were still on night watch in the outer areas, remained awake.
Unable to sleep, Lear went to the central area and watched the vine fairy build a house, silently waiting until the early hours of the morning.
The time on the intelligence system quietly jumped from August 9th to August 10th.
The intelligence system immediately generated a new notification—
[The intelligence system has cooled down and can be refreshed. Refresh now?]
Lear's spirits lifted, and his emotions surged instantly!
refresh.
The moment the decision was made, five intelligence reports were quietly generated.
1. Five kilometers to the southwest, there is a grove of roses with as many as 12 varieties. (1 star)
[2. ↑ 10 kilometers to the north, a stenchy giant gorilla occupies an ancient ruin. The ruin appears on the 15th of each month and disappears automatically on the 20th. (2 stars)]
[3. The Corrupt Orcs discovered that drying Black Dragon Broadleaf Grass and mixing it with blood to create smoke would cause Swamp Wasps to fall into a coma. However, the smoke would only cause a ten-minute coma, and the Orcs' failure to time it properly resulted in heavy casualties. Adding Earth Dragon dung would greatly enhance the effect. (2 stars)]
4. 20 kilometers northeast, on a small hill covered with vines, lives a group of bubble beasts. The bubbles they exhale can filter out impurities from the silt, providing clean water. (3 stars)
5. ↓ Ten kilometers to the south, in a muddy pool, lives a group of dragon blood red fish with extremely delicious flesh, boneless and thornless. (3 stars)
One item is rated 1 star, two items are rated 2 stars, and two items are rated 3 stars!
The intelligence revealed in this update is of considerable value.
Lear was in a great mood.
Looking closely at the first piece of information, as mentioned in previous reports, Philena is searching for more varieties of roses in order to achieve a breakthrough.
There are actually 12 kinds in that area. I'll have a gift to give you next time I return to Loran City.
The other party shouldn't be stingy with a return gift, right?
That's the princess of Loran City, the flower of the North, tsk tsk tsk, her loan limit on Jiebei is ridiculously high.
The second piece of intelligence is about the Stinking Kraken. It has occupied a ruin and shows signs of itself on the 15th of each month, then disappears on the 20th. No wonder we haven't been able to find any trace of it these past few days.
Ancient ruins and structures are passed down from ancient sites, and these things may hide great treasures.
The Norn Prime has a long history, having experienced eight wars of the gods, with countless civilizations destroyed, cities buried, and planes shattered.
As time passed, some were covered by the earth, and some flowed into dimensional planes.
These ancient ruins may be revealed by chance.
It may contain treasures that would terrify a king, or buried artifacts of ancient gods. Of course, it may also contain extreme horrors.
The ruins occupied by the stinking giant monster must contain valuable items; otherwise, it wouldn't be able to live so comfortably.
I must go and take a look then.
The third piece of information greatly piqued Lear's interest.
No wonder those rotting orcs dared to target the swamp wasps; it turns out there was such a secret.
The hint that follows is also quite interesting: using earthworm dung can greatly increase its power.
Isn't that a coincidence?
He still had some genuine dragon dung left, which was far superior to earth dragon dung.
He's determined to have the Mud Bee Queen, a treasure that can activate talents.
Item 4 - Value of 3 stars.
Bubble Beast can filter out mud and sand to obtain clean water.
Lear took a deep breath, and most of the pressure from the past few days dissipated.
The intelligence system was indeed triggered by what he had recently come into contact with.
This intelligence could solve a major problem.
I've made no progress on the water issue these past few days, and it's almost driving me crazy.
Without food, they could rely on hunting; without clean water, they simply couldn't survive a single day.
Living on distilled water is not a sustainable solution.
As expected of intelligence worth 3 stars, it lives up to its value!
Upon seeing the fifth point, Lear's eyes flickered slightly.
Dragon Blood Red Fish – you can tell it's extraordinary just by its name.
Farmland is already being cultivated, but we can't just eat wheat bread, can we?
Meat, eggs, and dairy products are essential for protein intake, even without dairy.
Although the swamp lacks drinkable water, it is not short of water. If we catch some, we might be able to try aquaculture.
With an intelligence value of 3 stars, these Dragon Blood Red Fish are clearly not ordinary goods.
This time, it was a huge success! I feel so relieved.
Satisfied, Lear returned to his tent and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he summoned his troops and began searching in the northeast direction.
Today's target is Bubble Beast.
Everything else can be postponed, but water is essential.
Distillation can quench thirst, but there are too many people and not enough wood around to serve as fuel.
According to intelligence, Bubble Beast lives in a small hill covered with vines, and just in case, he brought along 5 Vine Fairies.
It's a perfect match for my major.
Stepping onto the swamp, the morning air was humid and filled with a light mist, making it feel very comfortable.
Five vine fairies fluttered around Lear, their green wings, which looked like they were woven from vines, twittering as they flew.
She would nuzzle against him from time to time, or rest on his shoulder.
His giggles were constant.
With him around, even when they were separated from the vines, these little guys still felt safe and secure.
Even the ferocious swamp lizardmen softened their gaze upon seeing this heartwarming scene.
About ten minutes after leaving the city of Weilu, the wetland lizardmen searching ahead let out a shrill scream.
Enemy attack!
Lear's gaze sharpened, and he immediately led his men forward.
After walking about two hundred meters forward, in a sparse grove of trees, a small squad of wetland lizardmen stared menacingly ahead.
Lear stared intently and saw a dozen or so burly figures appear in his line of sight.
His skin was grayish-brown, and his hair was as thick as a dense forest.
Human face, but with a fierce and savage look in its eyes.
He was over 1.8 meters tall, dressed in clothes made of leaves, and carried a hardwood spear and a stone warhammer.
These figures give off a wild and striking feeling.
It's as if they came out of a primitive, wild place.
They had the two unconscious lizardmen under control.
The wetland lizardmen also had a captive whose face was obscured.
barbarian
[Rank]: Mid-Rank Knight (Level 7)
[Potential]: 2 stars
[Racial Talent]: Savage Physique, possessing a strong body, endurance far exceeding that of ordinary people, and strength increased by an additional 35%.
[Skill]: War Cry (2 stars) Before attacking, emits a powerful war cry, increasing own strength by 20%. If 10 people emit the war cry, the strength is increased by an additional 20%.
Beast Instinct (2 stars): Possesses innate intuition, enabling it to keenly sense approaching danger.
[Evaluation]: They are hunters in the wilderness.
2-star potential, 7th tier mid-level knight —
barbarian.
The barbarians are not the same as the savages, another common race in the wilderness.
The barbarian civilization was more advanced, possessing numerous wilderness territories and towns.
The savages wandered the wilderness like wild men.
Barbarians are generally few in number; a group of three to five hundred is rare.
More often, these are small groups consisting of a dozen or twenty people.
However, judging from the other party's appearance, they had obviously just entered the swamp.
Upon seeing Lear and his party arrive, the barbarians' expressions visibly changed.
But seeing his unconscious companion in the hands of the wetland lizardman, he suddenly became restless again.
They spoke in a barbarian language that outsiders couldn't understand.
"A wetland lizardman whispered."
"My Lord, we have just arrived here and discovered traces of these barbarians. They have launched a direct attack on us."
"Fortunately, our companions hadn't scattered yet, and we managed to capture the unconscious barbarian they were protecting."
"This barbarian seems to be of high status. After we captured him, he dared not attack us anymore."
Lear glanced at the unconscious barbarian, but couldn't see anything different; his attributes were also the same.
Hearing their conversation, the strongest barbarian leader stepped forward and spoke in a somewhat stiff Common tongue.
"Humans, please release our companions! I am willing to exchange them for yours!"
The level 7 hero beside him, Haggs, turned cold.
"Master, barbarians never keep their word."
Upon hearing this, the barbarian leader angrily rebuked him.
"Lizardmen, don't equate the Hisham clan with other barbarians!"
"The chief taught us that keeping one's word is an essential virtue for barbarians!"
"I swear to you in the name of the Hisham clan!"
"Moreover, our purpose this time is to find surrounding territories and open up trade routes, not to make enemies!"
Chief? Hisham clan? And...opening up trade?
This guy wasn't lying.
After merging with the divine essence, Lear gained an extraordinary sensitivity to the emotions of others.
Whether someone is lying or has malicious intent is immediately apparent.
I glanced at these guys with a bit of curiosity.
A barbarian dressed in leaves wants to open up trade?
He had a strange sense of absurdity.