The morning was cold and cloudy, faintly signaling that freezing rain was coming.

Imerson pushed open the wooden door of the hut and exhaled a breath of snow-white mist, and then his lungs were filled with a cold, damp cold mist, and he couldn't help but shiver. He frowned, wrapped his black sheepskin cloak tightly, and stepped down the wooden ladder towards the slaughterhouse on the west side of the camp.

"What a big guy...... I said, "It's not dawn yet, are you up and working again......?" Surely, yes! Every day......" Imerson put his hand in front of the brazier, the flame of the oilwood dispelling the sticky, cold and ubiquitous mist, and the butchers ignored the sorcerer's accosting as they busied themselves to dismantle their prey.

A swamp six-legged crocodile more than 4 meters long is hung on a dark red wooden frame. Several purple-gold horn-tipped knives swam along the folds of the belly, and in a moment, the gray-white belly skin was peeled off, revealing bright red flesh, and a butcher raised his knife and slashed everything, and the internal organs mixed with blood slid out of the cross-shaped cut, and fell right into the wooden barrel below, and the pungent bloody stench exploded, and the butchers continued their work unconsciously. Their expressions were attentive and cooperative, and their every move was full of flowing beauty, and it didn't take long for the behemoth to break down into a pile of flesh, bones, and a complete sheet of plate-like scales.

Emerson rubbed his hands together and asked in a rambling voice, "Guys, is this the 27th six-legged crocodile you've killed?" or the 28th...... Or 31? I think about it, we spent 51 days in this camp and caught 27 six-legged crocodiles, 6 giant cockroaches, 76 capybaras, 11 shadow spiders, and maybe more...... You always get up and work when I'm not up...... I said, what do you want the sap of the shadow spider for? I annoy this brainless insect the most, and it's not obedient at all. ”

"It's going to rain...... Let me tell you, the rainy season in the Everglades is the hardest, the lake is swollen, the big islands are smaller, the small islands are flooded, and the air is cold and wet...... If the fire is extinguished, it will be miserable...... In the first year of Water Season, Bell and I ate raw food for a whole month. ”

"By the way, when will the adults come?"

The only thing that answered him was the sound of a throbbing tongue of fire and a sharp knife cutting through flesh, which Imerson was unimpressed, and he had become accustomed to talking to himself since he had parted ways with Bale.

There were more than a hundred people in the camp, more than twenty ferocious wolves, and three domesticated dragon lizards. These people can go all day without talking, except for work is work, if they are not able to eat, drink, sleep, Imerson even suspects that it is a group of circus puppets. It's not that Emerson hasn't seen stupid fools who only know how to work, but living with so many fools still makes him feel lonely and depressed. Although he has lived in the deserted swamp for more than ten years, he has at least a lively and lovely daughter by his side. Imerson misses Bell very much now, but instead of resenting the man who took him, he is grateful.

No matter what, I'm going to let Bell live a normal life!" Imerson swore secretly.

Several ferocious wolves suddenly lifted their blood-stained heads from the barrels, turned their ears, and ran towards the camp gates. Imoson's heart moved, and in the blink of an eye, he saw a dragon lizard pass through the gate, and the fierce wolves in the camp were shaking their heads and tails at it.

"Stupid dog, don't come here! sit down, your face is covered with blood and you're going to ...... me."

Several figures jumped off the dragon's back. Emerson rubbed his eyes and shouted in disbelief, "Bel, Bertina?" The smallest figure was none other than Bertina, who jumped up and ran over when she heard her father's shout. Emerson hugged his baby daughter, who he missed every day, and tears couldn't help but fall.

"Father, don't cry, it's rude. With great difficulty, Bertina broke free from Emerson's arms and said solemnly.

Still so heartless......

Emerson looked at the fat little face and was full of joy. As long as there is something to eat and someone to play, Bell will never cry. Then his eyes widened at the boss, and he opened his mouth and asked, "Treasure...... Baby, you...... Can you speak?"

"yes. Bale touched Emerson's chin, "Daddy's beard is gone." Tilting his head, he thought about it, and said, "It's still not as smooth as the master." Imerson was still concerned with this, and in ecstasy, he said in a loud voice: "Praise be to the Most High! Praise be to the Most High! My Bell can speak!

"Baby, how did you speak?"

"Hmm...... It was Grandpa Miller who made me speak, and he was a servant of the Most High Lord. After speaking, Bertina said mysteriously: "Dad, Father and Grandpa also said that Bell can grow up, but it is a little slow...... Eat more delicious things to grow faster. ”

Imerson's heart tightened, and he lowered his voice and asked, "Mi...... What else did Father Miller say?"

"Father Miller said Bell was lovely...... You don't have to worry about implicating Bell in your identity. Victor walked over silently, looked the wizard up and down a few times, and smiled, "Imoson, you have become younger. ”

The lord was dressed in a sleek, delicately shaped armor with a hazy silver-gray sheen, as if blending into the cold mist of the swamp. Imerson was startled, hurriedly put down Bell, and said dryly: "Good day, my lord." I shaved my beard. No, it's all your favor, I eat well here, sleep well, and naturally become young. ”

Victor smiled faintly, touched Bell's little head, and said, "It's cold outside, you and Bell haven't seen each other for a long time, take her into the house to talk first, roast the fire, and we'll talk about it later." ”

"Thank you, sir!" Imerson bowed deeply and took Bell's small hand as he walked to the cabin. Bell asked as he walked, "Daddy, is there anything good to eat in the house?"

"There is snake meat and mushroom soup, grilled six-legged crocodile loin, slate mud shrimp. ”

"Add salt!"

"Salt guaranteed!"

Breaking up the Evensen father and daughter, Victor turned to Jack and said, "Take me around, and by the way, tell me about your achievements."

Elite militia Jack bowed his jaw and said, "My lord, please come with me." ”

"The camp has 50 auxiliaries, 80 spirit monkey militia, 40 barberry militia, 25 war mastiffs, and 3 alchemy dragon lizards. We built 20 wooden buildings and 6 arrow towers, and the ground here is so high that even if the lake rises during the rainy season, the camp will not be flooded. ”

The lower floor of the wooden building built by the alchemy auxiliaries is open on all sides, and the upper floor is inhabited with storage, similar to the bamboo building in the south of China, which is very suitable for the humid swamp environment, but the load-bearing capacity is poor, and there is not much material to store. Victor looked around at the buildings in the camp and thought to himself that if the lizardmen trade went well, he could rebuild the camp with rock bricks.

Jack continues, "These days, we capture 34 six-legged crocodiles, 11 giant dragons, and the resulting scales can be used to make 41 sets of three-type leather armor. Capture 14 shadow spiders, collect 119 pounds of various medicinal materials, and prepare 3.3 pounds of color-changing dye. ”

"We also collected 62 purification crystals, 17 pounds of blue taro, and more than 3,600 pounds of chiqu reed seeds. ”

The three types of rattan skin armor made of six-legged crocodile skin and giant snake skin are comparable in defensive performance to fine iron scale armor, but its weight and flexibility are comparable to ordinary leather armor. Once equipped with this leather armor, the Swiftbird Light Cavalry will have its melee combat ability effectively improved. As for the color-changing dye, Victor has already experienced its effects firsthand, and the Thorium leather armor on his body can now be integrated into the environment thanks to the color-changing dye, although it is not as good as the perfect concealment of the shadow spider, but at least it has gotten rid of the disadvantages of the reflection of the Thorsilver armor. However, the color-changing dye works the most on leather, and Victor plans to craft some color-changing capes, which will greatly increase the stealth abilities of Scouts and Marksmen. In addition to being used to make snow sugar, purification crystals are also a good thing for purifying water sources. Blue taro, a highly prized ingredient for alchemists, Victor tasted it once in a mountain fortress, and it tasted so strange that he didn't even like Bertina as a snacker.

These natural resources are precious, but Victor values the mundane reeds even more.

The millenophyte is a common zephyte whose rhizome and seeds are the main food for capybaras and fish. The seeds of the reed are similar to the sorghum on the earth, with an average yield of about 240 pounds per mu, and although its yield is not high, it is widely distributed, with two crops a year, and the heaviest is that it can be stored for up to three years.

Food reserves are related to the basis of domination, and food has a strategic value once it is conducive to storage. Although Randall has vigorously developed water conservancy projects and implemented new agriculture and animal husbandry, dried potatoes can only be stored for six to eight months, and the shelf life of kidney beans is similar to vegetables, and the yield of wheat per mu is also very limited.

The vast lizard swamp is a natural treasure trove, and the proven area of alchemical creatures is 24,000 square kilometers, of which 15 million acres of wetlands are estimated to grow thousand curved reeds. Victor only needs to occupy a small part of it, and he can optimize the industrial structure of Randall's collar.

In layman's terms, it is good for Qianqu reed to feed pigs.

Now, the obstacle to Victor's expansion into the Swamp is the problem of manpower. Ordinary people can't count on it for the time being, although there is an endless stream of alchemy creatures, they only have more than two thousand pairs of hands at most, and the only labor force that Victor can think of at the moment is the swamp natives-half-dragon people.

Whether it is trade or enslavement, Victor must take down a half-dragon tribe, and the wizard Emerson is the key to it! In fact, as long as he firmly grasps Imerson, Victor can even enslave a group of goblins to assist the half-dragons in mining swamp resources.

After a general tour of the outpost, Victor walked into the largest wooden building and instructed Jack, "Go and call Emerson." ”

It didn't take long for Emerson to appear in front of Victor with Bertina.

"Your Excellency, you summoned me?" said Imerson with a smile on his face. Victor nodded, beckoning Bell to come closer, "Bertina, I've got something to talk about with Emerson, you go out and play with Jack and them first." Wiping off the oil stains on Bell's little face, Victor put down the towel and said with a pleasant face. Seeing this, Emerson was completely relieved, Bell had just told him that the master was good to her, the lady was good to her, the little squire was very good to her, and Father Miller was very good to her. However, hearing it with his ears and seeing it with his own eyes were completely different feelings, and at this moment the last big stone in Eimerson's heart was put down.

"The hosts, the people outside aren't fun at all, they won't play with Bell. The little girl blinked, looking very aggrieved, she was born with the idea that those creatures could be approached, and those creatures needed to be kept away, but these people and animals in the camp were like flowers and trees in Bell's eyes, just look at them, and don't talk to them.

"These guys are really boring. Victor nodded, and Emerson had a bitter look on his face. Victor said again: "Imoson, as long as you are loyal to me and do your best, I will arrange for you to live in Pinghu Town." ”

"Thank you, my lord! I swear I will never betray you!" Imerson was overjoyed, and he was going to go insane every day with these workaholics. Bell raised his little face and asked happily, "Master, can I live with my father?"

"No!" Imerson said in a fierce voice, "Bertina, how can I tell you? You are an orphan and have no parents!"

"Nothing can't be done. Victor said lightly: "I promoted you to be the head of the Randall family's hunting, you can not only adopt Bell, but also marry and have children." ”

"My lord, can I really be your hunting master......? I'm a ......" Imerson was agitated, his lips quivering, and he was reluctant to say the word "wizard" after all.

Isn't it just a mutant with superpowers?" Victor pursed his lips disapprovingly, and said: "I'm not the first nobleman to raise wizards, and I won't be the last, as long as you keep to yourself and don't use witchcraft, you can naturally live well, but ......" Victor chuckled lightly, and said: "I might as well tell you that once your relationship with me is revealed, I will be exiled to the Eastern Alliance at most, and you can't escape the fate of being purified, and Bell may also be implicated." ”

Imerson felt a chill in his heart, and hurriedly said: "I will never dare to drag down the adults...... I only hope that the adults will shelter Bell. ”

"I will do my best to shelter Bertina. Victor solemnly agreed to Imerson's request and said, "Now, let's talk about your work." ”

"Bell, you go out first. Emerson winked at his daughter, but Bertina would not sell his account, and pouted, "I don't! You are not my master, and only the master can command the maid." ”

Victor laughed and said, "Forget it, Bell doesn't know anything? Even if she accidentally says something, who can believe the child's words? As long as you don't use witchcraft in front of people." ”

"Again, Bell also has a lot of lizardfolk friends. Imerson smiled dumbly, he suddenly realized that he and the young lord had a secret in common, and his tone became more cordial at the thought of this, as if he had thought of himself as Victor's confidant. "Honorable master, five days ago, Lord Jack found a group of half-dragons. I will negotiate with them as you ask. These half-dragons have a lot of respect for me......"

"Done?" asked Victor delightedly.

"Uh...... Something went wrong. Imerson said in fear: "I found out that this group of lizardmen is from three tribes, and their original tribe has been ......" Imerson gritted his teeth and said truthfully: "Attacked by Philip, it has collapsed." Philip was an alienated dragon lizard that I used to control, and the lizardmen worshipped it as a totemic beast, calling it Itugos. Last year, I was knocked unconscious by Master Jack while casting a spell, and since then I have lost control of Philip, and it is now a true alien monster, bloodthirsty and ruthless, the lizardmen tribe has been attacked by it, with heavy casualties, and the surviving members have formed a new clan that is ready to leave Philip's territory. ”

Victor frowned and asked, "You're going to let them go?"

"No, no. Imerson waved his hand and said, "The lizardmen know that Philip is my pet, and they beg me not to let Philip eat them." They are willing to follow the tradition of the Half-Dragon tribe and provide blood food for the totem beasts. I pretended to say yes and held them steady for the time being. ”

"The half-dragon man believes you?"

"These filthy orcs don't have a choice. Imerson said disdainfully: "The freezing rain is coming, and they have lost their territory and can only migrate westward and fight with other half-dragon tribes, otherwise they will starve to death." But this group of half-dragons was originally weak, and they were no match for other tribes at all. To go is to die, not to go is to die, and to be able to stay now is their only life. ”

Victor asked Jack, "How many people are these half-dragons there, and how strong are they?"

"To the northwest, 274 kilometers, 897 half-drakes, 39 snake demons, 27 ferocious half-drakes, and most of the rest of the ordinary members are females and cubs. Jack replied.

Victor thought for a while, and said in a deep voice: "Jack, you go to the mountain fortress immediately, mobilize 150 elite archers, 60 elite warriors, 50 fierce wolves, equip heavy crossbows, and bring all the dragon lizards over." ”

"Let's go meet these half-dragons for a while!"