Chapter 496 Ancient Ents, Level Five Alliance Agreement! (Two-In-One)
Almost all Earthlings striving for survival on Wasteland knew about the savagery of the Non-Human Clan.
Limited by the fixed impressions of living beings outside their purview, everyone chose not to be cooperative in the first place, but to…be cautious and be guarded!
Su Mo thought he had a lot of guts, even though he had not gotten a clearer picture of the circ.u.mstances.
He started making plans with the other races, to use conflicts between other parties to his advantage.
Little did he know that the Ents which he was planning to work with, possessed valor.
Perhaps it was about the complexity of the situation.
The rise in the number of dwarves, Light Empire, and Demons could form a great force. The Ents worked a step ahead by sending something over to their neighbors who just moved in as a gesture of goodwill. The fourth of April was the ninety-fourth day when humans arrived at the Deep Sea.
As soon as the clock in the living room struck five, Su Mo who was in deep slumber did a kip-up and sat upright with his eyes opened. A light green-colored panel appeared before his eyes and illuminated the pitch-black bedroom in the next second.
Oreo who was vigilant hurried downstairs upon hearing a slight movement.
Once he discovered Su Mo had woken up, he went down on all fours near the edge of the bed and closed his eyes. Su Mo heard the rain pattering outside from the second floor.
It was raining heavier than yesterday!
The moderate rain which was verified by the system was somewhat unconventional.
Based on the current rainfall intensity, it should be considered a rainstorm! “It’s a good thing you released the farm tools production center last night, or else with the current rainfall, it would be a catastrophe for the villagers living in tents!” His heart sank as he drank the psychic energy water that was placed on the bedside table.
Su Mo set his eyes on the game panel as he leaned against the headboard and not feeling sleepy anymore. With most of the functions locked, the presence of the game panel had shrunk to an unprecedented low. A green-colored letter appeared in the middle of the interface as well as a tree sapling stamp on the top right corner before sunrise. Su Mo wore a solemn expression on his face.
With a change of mind, he tapped on the screen lightly to open it.
After the game verified the ident.i.ty of the Lord, the sapling gradually disappeared from the screen while the letter was elongated and formed a different shape.
“Is this a video?”
Su Mo was a little surprised when he saw the familiar triangle cursor click icon in the middle of the screen. He clicked on it.
The s.p.a.ce around the edges of the screen disappeared in a split second, as though he just wore the VR headset and experienced immediate changing viewpoints and perspectives. “Wow…these…are these the Ents?”
Su Mo lifted his head instantaneously and looked around his surroundings as he stepped into the unfamiliar and strange s.p.a.ce.
He stood frozen.
Trees from tens of meters high on Earth were not something Su Mo had not seen before.
He was able to get a sight of trees that stood close to a hundred meters tall a few times and experienced that sensation of being a small speck in awe of nature.
Su Mo once thought if trees were any taller, humans would not experience awe and fear due to sight limitations.
However, he was proven wrong.
His heightened sense of alertness drove him to tense up as he looked up at the tree which stood more than three hundred meters high.
“Welcome, human king Su Mo from faraway Earth. I am the ancient Ents clan leader, Zhuling.” “It’s a pleasure to know you were able to claim your territory here! If you are willing to, we can be good friends!” Leaves, branches, and even dirt quivered when the Ents was speaking. It felt as though the ba.s.s voice was ringing in his ears.
He seemed to suddenly realize he had an extremely large body.
The Ents swiftly diminished in size in the next moment and stood tall at 10 meters.
“Zhuling? Ancient Ents clan?”
“Are you related to any one of us on Earth?”
He pondered what the Ents had conveyed. Although Su Mo had his doubts while looking at the human faces in tree trunks, he continued watching the video.
“You’re the eighth lord that claimed the territory on the eastern front.” “The Dwarves Clan, Non-Human Clan, and Demon Clan who are within our vicinity, are indeed strong and restless neighbors.”
“We, the Ents are born to advocate peace. We firmly believe that we come here not to make enemies and not to attack others. Our main purpose is to work hand in hand to survive disasters.”
He lifted a thick branch and waved it in the air.
A small map appeared in the void.
Su Mo found his position immediately which was indicated by a grayish-black marker, upon following Ents Zhuling’s instructions.
The green parts on the Ents lit up thereafter. Curved green-colored lines intertwined and eventually formed a line in the next moment.
[Record): Lord Su Mo, ancient Ents clan leader Zhuling has applied to form an alliance (Level Five). [Record): On New World, territories can set up alliances with each other once the level of its core shelter reaches above Level Five.
(Record): The current parties: Ancient Ents (Level Five), and Su Mo’s Marshland (Level Six), can initiate a Level Five Alliance.
[Record): Once the Level Five Alliance is established, it can last for thirty days. Within this time frame, both parties have to abide by the terms of the agreement. Any violation from either party would be subject to punishment set by the agreement. Please consider carefully the establishment of this relations.h.i.+p. The content of the agreement: One, Subordinate members of both territories under the agreement would be able to visit each other’s territory for expeditions, commercial trade, education, interaction, and other purposes with permission. They would not face any interference from the local territory and would be able to move about freely.
Two, Both parties were to instruct members not to intentionally inflict damage on each other’s territory, including and not limited to the attack of locals, destroying resources, stealing resources, and a plethora of other offenses, or else it would be regarded as a violation. Three, Both parties would be able to initiate private trading as well as trading which was witnessed by the game (Private trading is not protected by the agreement, witnessed trading shall be protected by the agreement provided a certain amount of disaster points was contributed.) Four, Immigration between territories can be performed by selling subordinate members to other territories, and said members would enjoy the property enhancements of the new territory. (Note: Members inducted via this article’s eligibility would not be restricted by the first two articles, please choose members wisely.)
[Record): Punishment for violation of terms (First offense would cost a million disaster points, or, the core shelter of the territory shall be permanently removed.) As the most basic alliance agreement, only four articles were drawn up for the Level Five Agreement.
In the first article, whatever pressure one could face would be eliminated when entering another territory.
In the second article, it would be guaranteed on some level after a member entered the other territory, they would not turn hostile all of a sudden and result in death. As for the third and fourth articles, they were listed to complement the trade deals.
“This Alliance Agreement is very well done! It feels as though someone sends a pillow over when one is about to fall asleep.”
“I hereby agree to work together with the Ents on the Level Five Alliance Agreement!”
After reading the front section of the Alliance Agreement, Su Mo gave his approval without hesitation after skimming the violation and punishment section behind.
It would be too unrealistic to rely on this simple Alliance Agreement for his self-protection.
Su Mo thought of numerous debug methods when he was contemplating the rules. This agreement could open up a ‘sea route’ and serve as a prerequisite for trading between both parties if there was no other choice.
Based on what Ents Zhuling said earlier, something about advocating peace and not getting involved in any conflicts. Su Mo did not believe a word of it.
Life was hard enough as it was, he could not burst his bubble.
Living in the New World and striving to stay alive would surely mean the need to band together to embezzle others’ interests.
Su Mo believed the Ents could take down other neighbors once the opportunity arose. The seemingly friendly clan of Ents would surely become war maniacs and attack their enemies’ territories. They were certainly self-taught in burning, pillaging, and killing others! “The changes in Marshland yesterday caught the attention of the surrounding neighbors.” “Before they can learn the ins and outs of my background, Zhuling who is very intelligent extends the olive branch by expressing his desire in forming an alliance. He plans to be the first with the courage to try out something new.”
“If I didn’t agree, or displayed any weaknesses, perhaps…”
After the signing of the Alliance Agreement and the video disappearing gradually, Su Mo gave a guarded look.
Su Mo was mentally prepared and ready to handle the compet.i.tion with these other ma.s.sive-sized foreign races when he chose to create and mark his territory there.
Under these circ.u.mstances, every step resembled walking a tightrope. Once a choice was made, it might trigger numerous chain reactions of events. Although everything was just an imagination, Su Mo still had a huge appet.i.te for power after he stood up! “Hmm…Su Mo! It’s only six o’clock, why did you wake up so early?” “I couldn’t sleep because of the noise from the rain outside. I’ll check out what’s going on outside later!
Lu Kuan was still busy carrying out his experiments in the garage. Due to the restricted use of limited resources, he was not able to operate the heavy machinery.
However, he was able to make use of this opportunity by having more time to do his research on the smaller divisions of different fields.
Su Mo returned to the third floor to wash up after wandering around.
He picked up today’s supply of psychic energy water for safekeeping. He poured the extra diesel fuel into the oil tanks of a few dormant machineries on the first floor.
It was just past six o’clock when he completed the work. Su Mo went down to the first floor, put on his raincoat, took out his winch, and started pulling up slowly.
Wow!
A gust of wind blew in from the northwest direction and hit his pant leg as the door was ajar. Su Mo could hear the pattering of the raindrops clearly without the soundproofing.
Su Mo continued to pull it open until it reached half his height before he bent down and bolted out. The soil in front of the shelter was already hardened and formed mud after the rainfall.
Su Mo stepped firmly on the ground and put down his winch.
Su Mo walked up the slope heading towards the shelter and let out a gasp as he looked at the view from afar.
Many cracks visibly appeared on the ground that was once soaked by seawater and sun-dried for many days.
After yesterday’s repair that caused a spike in potential value, most of the cracks had recovered despite the splash erosion.
However, there were more cracks on a few lower grounds. There were many spiderweb-like cracks and white salt encrustation on the soil surface.
If the terrain did not undergo treatment, the white salt crusts on the surface of the soil would enter the soil and cause secondary damage after the rainy season ended.
“This is going to be troublesome! If we’re going to work in this weather, we have to be mindful of the potential danger risks we may encounter.”
“No. Today’s score must be added to the weather once the clock struck eight!”
“If we can’t stop the rain, we still have to quickly find ways to prevent it from getting heavier, or else the foundation may collapse!” He walked through the mud while walking down the steep slope, leaving a trail of footprints behind. Su Mo who was covered in mud reached the entrance of the farming tools center fifteen minutes later.
The group of yaks that were taking a leisurely walk the day before were brought to the surrounding of the center and resting under the eaves.
Ten sheep laid down comfortably at the entrance. Rainy days provided more comfort to these mammals.
Su Mo nodded at the two soldiers who were guarding the entrance before he tip-toed into the center.
Everyone was lying all over the place along with the divided part.i.tions in the center.
Some were snuggled in the covers while some had only two pieces of used clothes as a cover.
Most chose to huddle together to reduce the heat loss and keep warm.
The coldest time of the night was when the body lost its heat faster.
Chen Shen, Pei Shao, Shen Ke, Zhang Long, and other members of the management team woke up feeling exhausted.
“Chief, you came!”
“How’s everything?”
“They’re doing fine. Twenty or more people have contracted mild fever after getting caught in the rain. Most of them had a mild cold and sore throat. They should feel better after the rain stops and everyone can move around!”
Chen Shen pointed at the feverish bunch who were s.h.i.+vering in the corner and made a nonchalant remark, “humans are incredibly adaptable but weak.” The group of twenty or more people was mostly ladies. They looked thin and feeble.
Everyone barely raised their heads and mustered a smile when they saw Su Mo.
Many were having a cold and sounds of coughing could be heard from another corner. “What about breakfast? Is it ready?” “It’ll be ready soon, we can start eating in half an hour. Once the porridge is boiled, there are steamed buns and salted vegetables as well!”
Shen Ke led the way and was followed by a group of people to the end of the center where the shabby-looking kitchen sheltered by an awning was situated.
The interior of the center looked bleak.
The smell of cooking from the kitchen on the other hand aroused one’s appet.i.te. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky with the use of a manual blower from the burning of the damp firewood. The smell of the porridge in the pot released a hunger-inducing aroma that made people’s mouths water. The head chef immediately set the table under the canopy and served breakfast upon seeing Su Mo and the others coming over. There were crisp and fresh pickled cabbage, grayish-black salty pickled shredded radish, three steamed buns, and a bowl of white porridge. The head chef served everyone equal food portions as he knew Su Mo did not like formalism or special privileges. “Everyone here, please have a sip. The rest of the drink will be poured into the pot of porridge.” “We shall let those with cold and fever drink more.”
Su Mo was handed a 5-liter bottle before eating
The plastic bottle looked nothing out of the ordinary
It was filled with psychic energy water which was upgraded twice. Charming blue-colored light spots were seen floating above once the lid was removed.
Everyone followed Su Mo’s orders and poured a mouthful of the drink into their bowls respectively. The psychic energic water was a stimulus to the white porridge which made it smell and taste richer.
It was so fragrant that the other chefs who were at a distance glanced over with their eyes widened, completely lost in thought. “That’s enough. Eat up, the food will turn cold soon in this kind of weather!”
Su Mo chowed down on the big steamed white bun, a mouthful of salted vegetables, and a spoonful of the white porridge that was about to spill out from the bowl with much satisfaction. Everyone else followed suit.
Chopsticks were raised in unison while the porridge was gobbled down in an instant. The comforting warmth emanating from the stomach was spread to every inch of the body. When the pot of porridge which was filled with psychic energy water was brought into the compound, it acted as a good wake-up call for the others immediately.
Those who were in deep slumber woke up immediately upon smelling the rich aroma of the porridge and reached for their bowls without hesitation.
The power of the second-generation psychic energy water was not ineligible despite it having been diluted a hundred times.
There was a drop in the body temperature of those who were feverish and having gulped down their porridge, they were in good spirits.
The others who were having a cold also recovered swiftly after having their porridge as though they never fell sick. It turned out the psychic energy water was a better remedy compared to ginger soup in getting rid of a cold! “It’s a pity that once we perform trading with the parties outside, the usage of the psychic energy water will be increased and the reserves available will need to be consumed carefully!” Su Mo who was standing at the door for a while, gave a nod before he turned and left. Although there was a heavy downpour, the villagers would commence their work after they completed their meal.
As a territory lord, the only thing he could do was…to do everything in his power to manifest better circ.u.mstances for them! He brought the extra breakfast back to the shelter.
He was thrilled to see Su Chan, Moore, and Oreo enjoying their meal as well. Su Mo sat on the couch in the living room, beaming from ear to ear.
He kept staring at the clock until it struck eight and the system panel was switched on.
A white envelope appeared after one click.
Without noticing the changes above, Su Mo scrolled down and entered the score acquisition interface.
“Very well, once the territory’s level undergoes an upgrade, we will receive 1.1 of the territory’s earnings. “This d.a.m.ned rainy season is finally coming to an end!”