Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 364 The Road Ahead is Uncertain (Bonus Chapter 610 for the Alliance Leader)

Well, we've run into someone who knows their stuff.

That's ridiculous.

Li Wei looked slightly embarrassed and glanced at Ron, who was standing to the side watching the commotion. Ron seemed quite content and in a good mood.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to follow the red-robed witch's instructions and each of them took out fifty units. This time, they were not scraps, but three-star quality materials. This was almost the majority of the magical materials he had collected along the way in the past few days, except for the level five mutated rats.

“That’s right. Collecting these materials would require at least ten level four mutated creatures. However, the most difficult part is not the quantity, but the preservation and interruption of magic power during the decomposition and processing. That requires some real skill. You’re a hunter? Your hunter’s fate must be at least level 60.”

The witch in red examined it carefully, and finally a hint of surprise appeared in her voice.

Li Wei smiled and nodded, inwardly overestimating the strength of this flippant red-clad witch.

“Sure, sure, I’ll take all these materials, including all the scraps. As for the price, I won’t rip you off. Killing ten level-four mutated creatures in the most brutal way will yield ten four-star universal gold cards, which would sell for ten thousand standard gold coins. But in reality, if you break down and dispose of the magical materials on them, the value would be far more than that.”

"The key to this process is the skill in breaking down and disposing of the items. So, if you take it to the purchasing office of the logistics department in Ver City, you can usually get 26,000 gold coins. But as you and I both know, this is subject to tax. We'll handle it according to the standard baronial system, with a 50% tax that you and I will split. So, if you intend to sell it, I will pay you 19,500 standard gold coins. Do you understand this process?"

“No, I completely agree.” Li Wei immediately replied. Of the 19,500 standard gold coins, he would need to pay 6500 gold coins in taxes later, which made perfect sense.

"That's settled, Ron, pay up!"

After the red-clad witch finished speaking, she quickly gathered all the materials and left in a hurry, no longer bothering to tease Li Wei. Building the novice mage tower might require these magical materials.

So, Li Wei looked at Ron, whose face had darkened slightly. Nineteen thousand five hundred gold coins, while not a small sum for Li Wei, were still something he could take out without batting an eye.

But all of this was based on his cumulative kills of four Neanderthal cross-borderers, during which time he also sold 106 four-star universal gold cards.

So he spends money like water and has no concept of its value.

But what about Ron?
He most likely did not choose to sell the universal gold card, never killed any Nepalese cross-border travelers, and did not push the difficulty to 180% last year. In short, he has no extravagant source of income.

But it's impossible for his territory to have developed to this point without spending money. The magic mine was given away for free, but should he give the mage who built it a little fire consumption bribe?
His magic mine has been upgraded to two stars. Does that also cost money?
Does hiring this second-tier spellcaster require payment?
Even if he's a second-generation rich kid, he can't handle this kind of trouble!
The key point is that we are now in the late stages of the mission, and it is no longer possible to ask his family for money through the monthly summary. So he is definitely not short of money, but it is certain that he is temporarily short of money.

So, before Ron could even frown, Li Wei immediately said, "Teacher Ron, do you have any local specialties? I'd like to buy some to take back with me."

Upon hearing this, one could sense a barely perceptible sigh of relief from Ron.

"Special products? What special products? Although our territories are two thousand miles apart, it's really not that different. What I have, you have too, and what you don't have, I don't have either."

"How could that be? For example, I'm short of components and modules for nuclear power plants, raw material modules, electric trucks, and all that. Anyway, you're not planning to expand here, so these things are obviously not needed anymore. Give me a 20-30% discount, and I'll treat it like I'm collecting junk," Li Wei said half-jokingly.

Ron laughed too, and the atmosphere became very harmonious for a moment.

Until his expression turned cold, "You actually still want to find Hathaway and persuade her to be your advisor, right? So you want to buy some supplies from me for the migration of free people. Li Wei, Li Wei, you are indeed a formidable character. I have to admit, I knew you were extraordinary back in the newbie missions."

"However, I don't think your plan will succeed this time. Do you think that just because you slept with Hathaway a few times, she will listen to you? Have you considered that although her territory seems to be the weakest right now, it actually has a magic mine, and she herself is a newly advanced second-tier spellcaster. Her conditions are more advantageous than mine. I have to spend a lot of money to hire a spellcaster to help me. So, what makes you think you can persuade her? With your silver tongue?"

"However, I was just saying all that. I really hope you succeed, because only when you pose a greater threat to Duke Frost will our territory become safer. Duke Frost cannot afford to be killed by you in the end. I would love to see you fight to the death, or even make peace in the end. It doesn't matter, as long as you don't provoke me."

At this point, Ron showed a helpless expression. They weren't bad, but they hadn't even had time to develop before being dragged into the late game. What could they do? Just try to break even first.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see what supplies you might need."

Ron said with a hint of sarcasm, his territory would be confined to this place from now on and could not be developed. So, the small nuclear power plant and everything else from the previous era would eventually be replaced by magic. In fact, his small nuclear power plant had already been shut down for the safety of the magic mines, since they were too close to each other and he did not plan to open a branch base.

Upon arriving at the warehouse on the fourth underground level, Ron pointed to a pile of items in front of him, "They're all here: modular nuclear power plants, raw material modules. Choose whatever you like. Anyway, I'm not giving you those 19,500 gold coins."

"Give me an electric truck."

“No problem, I have a surplus of these. But if you want to fully charge them, you’ll have to go to a post I built thirty miles away. There I had craftsmen assemble two steam generators. It will take you six hours to fully charge them, which is enough for you to travel seven hundred and fifty kilometers in this season. But I can’t guarantee you’ll find Hathaway before the power runs out.”

"Brother, do you really have no ambition at all? Such a good nuclear power plant module, you could build a fortress twenty miles away and use it as a power plant."

Li Wei was shocked.

Ron sneered, "What do I have to strive for? I have 500 acres of two-star farmland, two small mines, enough water, and decent trees. I have a population of over 700, and a level 3 city wall is enough for defense. If all else fails, I can retreat to the main fortress. I have enough weapons, enough arrows, a two-star magic mine, and a second-tier spellcaster. Even the Ice Duke would have to think twice. Fifty units of magic are enough to wipe out a thousand-strong army in an instant!"

"You ask me what I still aspire to? Now, because of you, the superhuman squads under the Ice Duke are roaming around like scattered flowers, and there are also those Neanderthals hiding among them. If you're not careful and get bitten, you'll be crippled even if you don't die. I'm not as bold as you, nor as lucky as you."

"Do you know? The Ice Duke's team of superhumans has been monitoring my territory, Socrates' territory, and even Hathaway's territory for a long time. If we don't move, they won't move either. But if we do move, they'll pounce on us like a pack of jackals. I'm asking you, how can we develop under these circumstances?"

"The magic mine is invincible, but only within a radius of twenty or thirty miles. So what then?"

"You're just being delusional, thinking you can convince Hathaway that while she may have big breasts, she's not brainless!"

“I even bet, man, if you dare to drive your electric truck out of my territory today, a legion of superhumans will be chasing you tomorrow. Those guys especially hate these old-fashioned resources now. Anyway, good luck to you.”

After saying that, Ron left on his own.

The dire situation was giving Li Wei a real headache.

After thinking it over, he examined the remaining slots on his resource cards and realized that he still needed an electric truck. However, he couldn't think about hauling away the small nuclear power plant. No matter how miniaturized it was, an electric truck couldn't move it. But hauling away a steam generator set would be no problem at all.

Of course, some important modules of the nuclear power plant still need to be packed up and taken away, as well as the power batteries!

Ron has a total of ten electric trucks and electric buses here, after all, they are from a merged territory. But in reality, they only use three to five a day. They are not developing or expanding anymore. With more than seven hundred people and abundant resources, this guy doesn't even hire mercenaries from the tavern anymore. The rest are parked in the underground parking lot.

Li Wei didn't stand on ceremony. He drove over, took thick wooden planks and a pulley hoisting device, and completed the loading work by himself. The rest of the time was spent disassembling the power battery.

These things could be put into the resource card, and they were all taken apart in one go. Anyway, Ron didn't care about them anymore; he really didn't need them.

In fact, three years later, when the city-building mission is completed and the pioneering card transforms into a magical shield, all of these things within the territory will be rendered useless.

After a busy night, Li Wei didn't dare to delay and drove straight to the outpost thirty miles away. There was no one stationed there, ha!

I understand, I completely understand!

Li Wei cut open the door lock, started the two steam generator sets here to charge the electric truck, and also assembled two voltage regulators and related charging devices, which can charge the power battery.

If the power runs out on the road and Hathaway hasn't been found yet, then these power batteries will be the only option.

But even if we find Hathaway, can we really convince her?
For the first time, Li Wei felt uncertain.

(End of this chapter)