Chapter 583

Chapter 583: Beneath the Flying Snow

Early January, on the Guafia Grassland.

It should have been a season of continuous snowfall and desolate wilderness, but this year, the grassland was particularly different. Taking advantage of the winter when grazing was impossible, many people were idle, and grand construction projects began across the grassland.

Fine gravel transported from the cold rock county in the south paved the roads. Broad main thoroughfares began to extend within the grassland, gradually connecting its major areas.

Building roads was the foundation for all development. After extensive construction last year, besides continuing road work, various regions also started constructing sturdy green brick houses this year.

Tents could provide shelter, but they were not good at retaining heat; in winter, much firewood was needed to stay warm. In contrast, thick green brick houses had excellent insulation, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer, and were sturdy and durable for daily living. Moreover, with the new Crimson Alfalfa cultivation, herders no longer needed to migrate frequently for pastures, allowing them to settle down.

Under the guidance of officials from Clancia, the beastmen began to gather by tribes to establish cities and embark on a new round of construction.

The gathering place of the Lion Mane clan now had a colorful circle on the frost-covered grassland, with a heat-emitting basin at its center.

After exploration by the beastman shamans, there was a nearby underground lava river. With the combined efforts of nearly a hundred high-ranking shamans, the earth was split open, revealing a scorching hot basin. Following this unique high-temperature lava river, various metallurgical workshops were constructed around it, forging tools, armor, and weaponry.

Today, the Lion Mane clan was bustling with activity. Warriors of various races, tall and strong, gathered here, forming long lines to receive armor and weapons.

“Now that the Black Rock Duchy has openly invaded our borders, according to the covenant of Flame and Starlight, we beastmen will summon warriors from all tribes to support the fight. Selected warriors will be equipped with suitable weapons at designated gathering points, then led by roving knights, marching southward a thousand miles to assault the Black Rock Duchy and crush the enemy.”

High-ranking beastman propagandists stood on platforms, repeating these words, informing them of the current situation and why they were fighting.

“Honor!”

One beastman after another raised their robust arms, their expressions filled with fervor, as if they were about to face not a life-and-death battlefield but a stage of unparalleled glory.

They were naturally unwilling to remain silent and weak. Scenes of internal strife over food, resources, and racial conflicts no longer existed; this battle was the best opportunity to vent the depression accumulated over a thousand years.

They would once again unite under the same banner of the beastmen, follow the divine edict of the Daughter of Flame, march southward a thousand miles, and prove their former glory and dignity through a grand holy war.

With hammer strikes and sparks flying, quenching and shaping, attaching handles, new giant battle axes and long spears were manufactured on the assembly line.

Impatient quartermasters directed soldiers to move boxes of weapons to outdoor distribution points, allowing each beastman warrior to take their preferred weapon.

“One per person, don’t crowd, everyone gets one!”

Seeing the beastmen below excitedly caress the smooth and sharp carbon steel weapons, the quartermaster with horns on his head also smiled.

How many years had it been since the beastmen had such new and fine weapons? Was it the ‘Battle of Broken Bows’? Or the glorious era of the Rampant Fang Empire thousands of years ago? It had been too long, so distant that this generation only imagined that great era through the stories of the elders.

Bang—

With a loud thud, the forge hammer fell heavily onto a large piece of iron below, forming resilient metal plates, which were then further processed by armorers. Finally, heavy plate armor suitable for beastmen appeared at the end of the assembly line.

After technical inspection and approval, these specially crafted black-gold plate armors would be distributed to those awaiting departure.

[Black Gold Plate Armor · Rapid Formation] (Exquisite Silver Grade): A rapid formation armor combining extraordinary craftsmanship with ancient armor-making techniques. Although the material is ordinary, it can be mass-produced quickly.

This was something Lolan Hill modified based on the technology left behind from the Twilight Era last year. Originally, this technology was used in the early Twilight Era to make protective shells for airships.

If using the later techniques of the Twilight Era, it could produce high-strength coral-grade armor, the standard configuration during wartime back then. Unfortunately, due to limited materials, equipment, and talent, mass production of this armor was the best they could manage.

Fortunately, even early products, with the advantage of advanced civilization technology, still surpassed this era’s standards, with significantly higher quality than the same-level products of the Frost Alliance.

Equipping these already strong beastmen was like adding wings to a tiger, giving them good resistance against ordinary muskets.

In the forging hall, a leader carrying a massive sword walked in. He wore heavy black armor with gold edges, and judging by the sound of the heavy armor clashing, it weighed several hundred pounds.

“Is my helmet not ready yet?” His voice rumbled like thunder.

The Lion Mane chief’s expression was angry, and coupled with his terrifying strength, it made the craftsmen working on the armor feel a chill. Even knowing that under Clancia’s rule, this beastman chief would not kill recklessly, the pressure from his soul and core still made everyone’s hearts race and sweat break out.

“Lord Leighton, please wait. Your helmet is mostly finished, just the riveting needs to be completed. We also need to adjust it to fit your head shape,” a human craftsman came forward, holding an iron hammer.

“Can you do it faster?” Hearing this answer, Leighton’s expression softened slightly.

“Let me show you.”

Compared to ordinary silver-grade plate armor, this magnificent and exquisite helmet was roughly rare golden grade, though the wheat ear star pattern around it hadn’t been reinforced yet.

“How can we finish it the fastest? Our troops are about to set out,” Leighton put on the helmet, which felt a bit loose in some places.

“These edges need reinforcement,” he said, looking at the craftsman in front of him.

“You can directly hammer it onto my head; this will speed things up and make sizing easier.”

“Are you sure about this?” The craftsman hesitated; such a heavy blow could shatter a normal person’s skull, let alone an Extraordinary Being.

“Yes, exactly like that,” seeing the craftsman didn’t object, Leighton knew it was feasible, feeling joy and affirming confidently.

“Alright,” the head craftsman took a deep breath, asking other craftsmen to help.

They first had the nearly three-meter-tall Lion Mane chief sit in an iron chair, fixing his head and body, then hammered the rivets together with an iron hammer and a red-hot branding iron.

Bang—Dong—

The muffled sounds echoed in the forge room, where craftsmen and beastman warriors watched the chief endure the hammer blows, clenching his teeth, his expression resolute, silent until the helmet finally formed like steel on his body.

After finishing the work, the valiant Lion Mane chief stood up, picked up the huge sword beside him, and walked out the door, escorted by a dozen warriors, to the high platform already built.

“Our target, Black Rock.”

He raised the heavy sword, shouting loudly, “For flame and honor, advance!”

“Honor!”

Heavy battle axes gleamed with cold light, countless beastman warriors shouted in unison. On this cold afternoon with light snow falling, dark columns of beastman troops marched southward, heading toward the fierce battlefield.

(End of Chapter)