Chapter 50: Base Planning

Jia Zhengjin brought Tina’s parents and Amber’s entire family back to the base.

Venturing deep into the Monster Forest made these honest country folk from another world tremble with fear, worrying that a ferocious beast might appear and devour them at any moment. When they encountered the kobolds, their faces turned ashen and they huddled together, shivering. Only after Tina explained that these kobold miners and soldiers were all subordinates of Jia Zhengjin did they relax somewhat. Still, it seemed unbelievable that anyone could tame so many kobolds and make them work for him.

It wasn’t until they saw every kobold obeying Jia Zhengjin’s every command without hesitation that they finally believed he truly possessed some extraordinary power.

Before nightfall, Jia Zhengjin produced a large quantity of stone bricks and, using the dimensions of his and Tina’s house as a model, built new homes for his parents-in-law and for Amber’s family, his followers.

Witnessing such magical ability with their own eyes, Amber’s family all fell to their knees, bowing repeatedly to express their deep respect for this great magician. They also swore to follow him for life and never betray him.

Jia Zhengjin, unable to understand them anyway, paid little mind to their oaths and simply let Tina arrange accommodations for her parents and Amber’s family.

With more people than before, Jia Zhengjin realized he needed to reconsider the base’s layout for the sake of safety. Using coal, he drew on the signboard, outlining his vision for a small base. The interior would be a broad, flat area left behind by the kobolds’ lumbering and mining; any uneven patches would be leveled with earth and stone. He planned a huge rectangular space, with the left side dedicated to residential buildings for future population growth, and the right reserved for warehouses and functional structures such as a blacksmith’s shop, stables, and animal pens.

Outside, he intended to build four double-layered stone walls, with arrow towers at the corners serving as the main defensive structures. Beyond the walls, he would dig trenches filled with traps, and further out, set up rows of wooden spikes. Each wall would have a gate, providing entry, exit, and emergency escape routes. Future expansion would be easy—just build outward bit by bit, and eventually, this small settlement would become a great city.

Of course, drawing was one thing; actually building it would require considerable time and effort. The biggest challenge was gathering materials. Fortunately, with fifty kobold miners working hard, resource accumulation was fairly rapid.

However, communication with Tina’s parents and Amber’s family was a major problem—Jia Zhengjin couldn’t understand their language, nor could they understand his. To change this situation, he needed to speed up Tina’s lessons in the common tongue.

As the sun was setting, while Jia Zhengjin was engrossed in studying his base plans, he heard a commotion outside. When he stepped out, he found Amber’s father, Old Harlan, pointing at a patch of open ground and speaking animatedly, with his wife Eve and son nodding in agreement. His father-in-law, Borint, and mother-in-law, Landis, joined the discussion with warm smiles.

Their spirited conversation left Jia Zhengjin utterly confused, so he called Tina over. “What are they talking about?” he asked.

Tina struggled to explain in words, then suddenly had an idea. She took his hand and led him upstairs to the classroom. There, she quickly sketched a vivid depiction of farmland on the signboard.

Jia Zhengjin immediately understood—they were discussing turning that patch of open ground into farmland for planting crops.

It was an excellent idea! With farmland, Tina’s and Amber’s parents could all farm; the fields lay close to the river, ensuring abundant water, and the forest soil was rich and fertile—perfect for providing the base with more food. Not to mention, Jia Zhengjin could connect all the latrine pipes to the soil beneath the farmland to accelerate crop growth.

“Tina, tell your parents and Amber’s family that I think this idea is wonderful! I’ll try to recruit more kobold soldiers and patrols to protect the area around the base. But remind them—they must not wander outside at night, not until I finish building the walls and defensive structures. It’s too dangerous otherwise!” Jia Zhengjin said, holding Tina’s hand.

Tina understood only part of his words, but from his expression and gestures, she guessed he fully supported the farmland plan and wanted her to warn her parents and Amber’s family to be cautious.

She immediately went to her parents. “Keen thinks Uncle Harlan’s idea to clear farmland is excellent and hopes you’ll work hard on it. He’ll give you full support. But this forest is very dangerous, so everyone must be careful, especially at night—it’s best to stay indoors and not go out!”

“That’s wonderful!” Borint said to Old Harlan with a grin. “Old friend, with so much land here, we'll all become great landowners!”

“I’m a little worried, though,” Old Harlan replied, casting a glance at the surrounding dense woods. “The Monster Forest is a dangerous place. Even if Lord Keen is powerful, it’s still frightening to build a town here…especially on the night of the Blood Moon. Even villagers far from the forest don’t dare go out after dark.”

“Dad, what are you worried about? Didn’t Tina just say it? Lord Keen survived the last Blood Moon unscathed against the undead army, and Tina is perfectly safe here, isn’t she?” said Amber. “Besides, I’ll protect you!”

“You? With your pitiful skills?” Old Harlan laughed. “If anything, I’ll be protecting you!”

“Just watch! I’m determined to become Master Wolf’s apprentice and learn combat techniques from him!” Amber said, turning to Tina. “You have to help me ask him. He’s Lord Keen’s bodyguard and will surely listen to you!”

“I’ll do my best,” Tina replied, nodding. “Wolf and Keen come from the same country, but I can’t speak their language fluently yet. Once I’ve learned Lord Keen’s native tongue, everything will be easier! But let me warn you—Master Wolf’s identity is special, so don’t do anything to offend him!”

“Special identity? What do you mean?” Old Harlan asked with curiosity.

“I’ll tell you,” Tina said solemnly. “Master Wolf is actually a powerful warrior from the Werewolf Fortress of the Beastman Empire!”

“How do you know that?” Borint and Landis looked at their daughter in surprise.

“I saw him transform with my own eyes during the Blood Moon night! He’s incredibly strong—just like the legendary werewolves from the Fortress.”