I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 281 New Strategic Objectives
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【Tidal Body (Blue): Your Frost Resistance is increased by 20%, and your Elemental Affinity is increased by 20%;】

Citizens who frequently live by the sea will have their swimming skills greatly improved. Additionally, citizens who follow you will have their frost resistance increased by 10% and a small chance (less than 1%) to awaken frost magic.

"Is this a blue entry?"

Rod looked at the effect of the entry in surprise, and couldn't help but think to himself.

If it weren't for the subsequent restrictions, this skill's effect would rival that of the purple skill.

It seems that while the marine-related terms are a bit difficult, the results are quite good.

Rod immediately looked at the next entry.
[Next entry: Hunt at least seven large marine monsters (such as giant sharks, demonic whales, sea snakes, giant crabs, etc.), obtain more than 100,000 jin of marine creature flesh and blood, and craft at least five kinds of potions or magical items using marine monster carcasses as materials to unlock the entry: Deep Sea Bloodline (Purple)]

"Yes, purple entry. We're one step closer to becoming the Lord of the Tides."

The last two conditions for this deep-sea bloodline are not difficult, and there are plenty of materials from Cancer that you can use freely.

The only difficulty is hunting down the seven large sea monsters.

Two giant crabs have already been killed, and five more are needed, but where can we find them?

Hopefully, there will be such magical beasts on other coastlines.

Rod shut down the system and continued dealing with the food on his plate.

At the same time, he began to make plans in his mind.

The territory's development is on track. The next goal is to recruit more people, develop the northern frontier, utilize all resources, and exchange them for more people, thus creating a snowball effect.

While developing new lands, the military strength of the territory must be improved simultaneously.

As the saying goes, hoarding grain but not soldiers will enrich the granaries but cost lives.

However, if we develop military power in the traditional way, we will certainly not be able to compete with those old aristocrats.

The best way is to take the extraordinary shortcut, quickly develop the extraordinary resources in the territory, and cultivate the Winter Knights.

Ordinary soldiers improve their skills through equipment...

Eating while thinking makes you unaware of what you're eating, and before you know it, Rod's plate is empty.

"Master, would you like to eat some crab?" Leah asked cautiously.

Rod waved his hand and casually wiped his mouth.
"You can eat the rest, don't waste it."

"Yes, sir, thank you for your reward."

Leah bowed in gratitude. Although leftover food usually ended up in their stomachs anyway, she naturally wanted to express her thanks for this act of kindness.

Rod didn't linger and got up to head straight for the blacksmith's shop.

Upon seeing Rhodes, Allese immediately knelt down in fear.
"I'm so sorry, my lord, for wasting so many of your materials..."

"Alright, let's not waste any more time on this spilled milk."

Rhodes pulled Allesel up abruptly. "What other results did you achieve while I was away, besides that magic-stabilizing cauldron?"

"We forged eight sets of enchanted plate armor made of sea-patterned magic steel, and fifteen sets of regular enchanted armor."

Allesse reported, "We now have thirty-nine armor-piercing swords."

"Four more members of our clan have successfully sensed the intense energy. Please grant them enchantment power to help them awaken."

"No problem, have them get ready."

Without any further ado, Rhodes immediately ordered, "Next, I need you to make me an alchemical cauldron made of magic steel. Prepare the materials."

"Yes, Lord Lord."

Allessel nodded, bowed, and began to prepare.

Rhodes immediately ordered Bane to summon the four yakmen and bestow upon them the enchantment of Fineforged Edge.

“Let’s select ten more young yak herders who are willing to accept the seed of nature.”

After it was over, Rhodes came out of the inner room and gave Bane a command.

"No problem, my lord."

Bain nodded. "Those new yak people are very grateful for the wonderful life you have brought them, and they hope to have the opportunity to serve you."

Rod smiled, showing no surprise.

Yak people have always preferred a stable and peaceful life.

Now I don't need to think about anything every day, I just need to smelt iron and forge iron, everything else is arranged by others.

Therefore, the yak people are the foreigners who adapt to life in Shuangye Town the fastest and fall in love with it.

"Judging from this trend, the blacksmith shop also needs renovation?"

Bain nodded repeatedly. "If you allow, it would be best to add a few more furnaces."

"Okay, I will arrange it."

Rod readily agreed.

Bain's request aligns with Rhodes' current strategic objectives.

After exchanging a few words with Bain, Rhodes got up and went to the stove.

Allessel had already prepared the materials, and upon seeing Rhodes arrive, he heated the iron again until it was red-hot.

Rhodes placed his hand on it and poured the remaining scorching energy in his body into it, creating a sea-patterned magic steel with fire-elemental properties.

"Finish forging the alchemy cauldron, and wait until the runes are engraved."

Rod patted Allese's arm. "I've found you a blacksmith's mentor. We'll continue after he arrives."

"A blacksmith?"

Arese's eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Is it the kind of blacksmith who, like our ancestors, could forge magical items using the properties of materials?"

"Hmm." Rhodes nodded slightly.

"Great!"

Allece bowed repeatedly to Rhodes, "You're so kind to us! This way we can learn real forging techniques!"

"Then you should prepare well."

Rod smiled and gave a word of advice before turning to leave.

At that moment, Bain suddenly ran over and stopped him, looking at Allece to the side.

Allece scratched his head and said cautiously, "My lord, we have a request."

"Well, tell me."

"Lord Lord."

Allece said in a low voice, "We want to erect a statue for you in the blacksmith's shop."

"Ok?"

Rhodes looked at the two yak-men with some confusion and asked, "That's not a problem... but why erect a statue?"

Rhodes doesn't like doing things that don't bring him any benefit.

At least now there aren't that many craftsmen to waste.

"My lord, according to the experience of our ancestral shamans, praying near the statue of the god can help us awaken more smoothly."

Bain explained, "If a shaman presides over the priestly ceremony, awakening will be much easier..."

"So magical?"

Rhodes was somewhat surprised.

But then I suddenly remembered what Avril Lavigne had said about the key to faith in gods—the spiritual anchor.

If statues are seen as spiritual anchors, then they can indeed strengthen the connection between gods and believers.

"Are all your statues carved from stone?"

Rod asked, puzzled.

Seeing the hesitant expressions on Bane and Allegri's faces, Rhodes added, "What I mean is, can a mere stone statue help you awaken quickly?"

Allessel glanced at Bain, scratched his head, and

"We don't know either..."

"Okay, I see."

Rhodes sighed slightly. "I'll make a decision after I've investigated this matter thoroughly."

Statues are essential in the spread of faith, although Rhodes is not yet clear about their specific role.

But if a statue with special effects can be created, then other savages can also benefit from cultivating it.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

Allessel and Bain responded in unison.

Rhodes did not linger and immediately returned to the manor.

……

……

late at night.

Rhodes lay on the bed, his chest rising and falling slightly, silently feeling the scorching energy slowly flowing through his body.

The energy that was exhausted during the day has now been mostly restored.

Avril had completely collapsed beside him, like a rag doll whose strength had been drained.

Her breathing was rapid and shallow, and sweat soaked her transparent nightgown, which clung tightly to her fair and delicate skin.

"Now I finally understand why Vivian always said she was too tired."

Avril spoke weakly, her voice as soft as a feather falling to the ground.

She propped herself up with trembling hands and nestled into Rod's arms.
"What's wrong, darling?"

Avril looked at Rod's furrowed brows and asked worriedly, "Did I do something wrong just now?"

Rod shook his head slightly and said, "Avril, could you check my body again to see if there are any marks?"

Avril didn't know what was happening, but she forced herself to get up despite her exhaustion.

Her gaze swept carefully over every inch of Rhodes' skin, and finally she shook her head.
"No, darling, we didn't find any marks or markings."

Avril asked again with concern, "What's wrong?"

"Do you remember the experiment I told you about?"

Rhodes slowly began to speak: "I noticed before that my body's energy would recover somewhat after each time I finished with Vivian, and Vivian would also be more tired than before."

"At first I thought it was just a coincidence while traveling."

Looking at Avril's weakened state, Rhodes said, "But now it seems that this is very likely an ability. "An ability very similar to that of a succubus."

Rhodes had information about demons in his mind, and knew that succubi had a kind of "absorption" ability, which was to absorb the life force or soul power of living beings through this contact.

This ability would damage the victim's body and soul, which worried Rhodes.

"Are the books that Susanna brought back in the bedroom?" Rhodes asked.

Avril nodded, immediately understanding Rod's meaning.
"I'll get it."

Avril immediately sat up, got off the bed, and started searching on the bookshelf.

Her sheer nightgown made her beautiful body appear and disappear in the candlelight.

But Rhodes had no time to think about these things. He got up, took the book, and began to search through it carefully.

Soon, Rhodes found some clues in the sorcerer's abilities.

The bond of desire—through physical pleasure, desire can be transformed into magic.

The mark of pleasure—the body is branded, and magic is restored by absorbing the desires of those around you, but at the cost of the soul being gradually eroded.

The Succubus Queen's Favor - Becoming the Queen's confidant will grant your body a comprehensive enhancement after pleasure, but you will also be unable to resist her call.

"These three look very similar."

Avril was a little confused. "But it seems like you have to sign a contract with a succubus, or even sacrifice yourself, right?"

"Darling, have you ever made a contract with a succubus?"

"The only succubus I've ever seen is Susanna."

Rhodes shook his head. "The only way to make contact is to plunge the sword into her body."

"As for that succubus queen, we only heard her voice."

Rhodes carefully recalled his memories again and confirmed once more, "Definitely not."

"That's very strange."

Avril pursed her lips and said thoughtfully, "Logically speaking, you shouldn't receive such a reward for killing Susanna, a follower of the Succubus Queen."

"Unless this is some kind of revenge or curse."

Rod looked into the shadows with some concern. "How have you been feeling these past couple of days? Are you still tired?"

"no."

Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I don't feel anything unusual anymore."

"I didn't feel that exaggerated fatigue of losing life force, but I did lose my magic."

Avril chimed in, "It can't be a curse, can it?"

Their words made Rhodes fall into deep thought.

If it doesn't harm Vivian and Avril, but only absorbs energy from their bodies, then it does indeed resemble a power.

But Rod felt uneasy—being associated with demons could never be a good thing.

"Perhaps, this is a curse that gradually leads one astray?"

Rhodes slowly explained, "When I start to get used to this way of easily gaining power, I might become addicted and fall into the abyss of desire?"

"Like those knights who fell for Susanna, my desires gradually intensified."

"That sounds reasonable..."

Avril took Rhodes' arm. "It sounds a bit too cautious, but it's the right thing to think about when facing evil creatures like demons."

"Looks like I need to restrain myself."

Rod said, frowning.

"Terrible."

Vivian looked at Rhodes, "A man even a succubus couldn't seduce."

Upon hearing this, Rod couldn't help but laugh.

Actually, it's not that I dislike this shortcut to restoring energy, it's just that I'm afraid there might be a pitfall in this ability.

Moreover, the allure isn't particularly strong.

After all, if you plant enough of your own Seeds of Nature, restoring energy is safer and more efficient.

"Try to restrain yourself a little."

Rhodes pinched Vivian's cheek.

"Alright, let's rest. We have more to deal with tomorrow."

……

……

The next morning.

Rhodes rode Thunder straight to the Blackrock Mountains in the west.

After passing through vast wheat fields and barren grasslands, Rhodes soon discovered the entrance to the tunnel leading into the mountains.

Various rocks and stones were scattered around, and the slaves were busy in the ravine, filling the ravine with these stones to pave a smooth road.

Thunder descended from the sky with Rhodes, and the slaves knelt down to pay their respects.

Rod waved them off to get up and continue working, then went inside the tunnel to carefully examine the masterpiece of the rock ridge.

The tunnel is over three meters high and five meters wide.

This size is more than enough to accommodate the largest caravans.

Even large four-wheeled vehicles loaded with heavy cargo can move freely in the tunnel.

The tunnel ceiling has a gentle arched structure, and Rhode can clearly sense traces of magic on it.

"Lord Lord!"

Kyle's small figure came running from behind, his ears twitching up and down with each rapid run.

"Good day, my lord!"

Kyle quickly bowed and said, "My lord, I'm in charge here now. You can ask me any questions you may have."

"No problem, you did a good job."

Rod nodded in approval and instructed, "The most important thing is to check carefully to make sure there are no landslides."

"We've already checked, my lord, everything is very secure!"

Kyle hurriedly reported, "We've reinforced all the parts that felt unsafe using our methods!"

"Yes, you've always done a good job with these."

Rhodes changed the subject and asked, "Where is the Rock Ridge?"

"In the west, over two mountains."

Kyle said somewhat embarrassedly, "You know, some boulders are difficult for us to move, but very easy for earth dragons."

“Okay, then you continue to supervise the work here. I’ll go take another look over there,” Rhodes said casually.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

Kyle bowed.

Without pausing, Rhodes mounted Thunder and flew forward.

Without needing Rhodes's call, Rock Ridge sensed Rhodes's presence as they drew near.

A heavy tremor came from the ground as the massive body of the rock ridge emerged from the depths of the tunnel and rushed rapidly toward Rhodes.

Thunder brought Rhodes down to Rock Ridge, and Rock Ridge quickly moved closer, rubbing against Rhodes, clearly very excited.

"You've worked hard, Rock Ridge, you did a great job."

Rod reached out and stroked the earth dragon's rough scales. "I will give you what I promised, but you still need to do some other work."

Rhodes wasn't just making empty promises.

Based on the previous performances of Thunder and Frost, it's unknown how long Rock Ridge bloodline will remain dormant after awakening.

This is causing delays.

Rhodes also wanted the earth dragon to expand the coastline and search for large marine monsters.

The rocky ridge emitted a low snoring sound, its head drooping limply, looking somewhat dejected.

"Don't worry, once the coastline is expanded, I'll help you evolve immediately."

Rod solemnly promised.

Rock Ridge nodded and nuzzled Rhodes, as if to say yes.

At that moment, something was moving on the hillside next to the tunnel.

Rhodes looked closely and saw that it was the same Earth Spirit Rabbit family from before.

They watched Rhodes from afar, clearly somewhat fearful.

"They look like they've fully recovered."

Rod smiled with satisfaction and asked Rock Ridge, "Did they help you with the work?"

Rock Ridge nodded, then turned around to look at the Earth Spirit Rabbits.

Only then did the Earth Spirit Rabbit continue forward, arriving in front of Rhodes, where it obediently lay down on the ground.

"You've all worked hard these past few days, let me show you around and help you relax."

Rhodes stroked the scales on the rocky ridge and said, "There are some magical beasts in this mountain range, let's go and clear them out."

Vivian immediately took out the map given to her by the hunting team and introduced it, saying, "Coincidentally, there is a pack of mutated giant wolves in the hills ten kilometers away from here."

"This should be left to White Wolf to handle."

Rhodes smiled. "But since we're already here, let's settle this ourselves."

Five hundred monster legions don't have that much time to wait.

Rhodes rode Thunder, leading the Earth Dragon and the Earth Spirit Rabbit straight towards the wolf pack.

The so-called monster legion is a monster force that has been systematically domesticated, trained and organized, and can fight like a regular army, rather than a scattered monster horde.

At the very least, orders must be obeyed without question, and coordinated operations are essential.

The wolf pack is the best target for the monsters, and Rhodes certainly cannot let it go.

Fortunately, these wolves weren't any powerful magical beasts; they were just magical beasts that had recently mutated.

Under Rhodes's imposing presence, and with the combined attack of several magical beasts, he was quickly subdued and transformed into a docile wolf.

Rhodes drove them outside the Blackrock Mountains, leaving the rest to the Wolfhooves tribe.

(End of this chapter)