Above the mage!

Chapter 545 The Great Revitalization of the Northwest (Part Two)

Looking at the name "Valar Bay" on the communication card, Gaode expertly pressed the green button in the lower right corner of the screen to answer the call.

The green ripples illuminate the entire card.

"My king."

Claude's calm voice followed, accompanied by the sound of waves in the background.

This fourth-circle mage of the Zhenbing tribe was a follower of the former Grand Elder Donald.

After Goddard killed Donald, he quickly realized the truth, chose to put aside his prejudices, and obeyed the new king and the War Mother.

After that, he witnessed firsthand the tremendous changes that Gao De brought to Phoenix. Although he was technically a "remnant of the previous dynasty," he was actually extremely loyal.

Ultimately, his support for Donald stemmed from his belief that Donald could bring a better future to the tribe.

Now that a truly bright future has arrived, he is naturally even more loyal.

Sunefa didn't have much prejudice against Claude because of his background.

When the construction of Vallar Bay began, every aspect, from wharf expansion and fleet formation to route planning, required capable people to coordinate.

The first person Sunafa thought of was this experienced, capable, and extremely powerful fourth-ring mage.

After all, the importance of Vallar Bay is no less than that of Phoenix:

This is the only port connecting the North to the outside world, and it is also adjacent to Flora Forest. In Gaode's "two-wing development" plan, Valar Bay is the other wing that is far opposite Phoenix, and its future development potential may even surpass that of the main city.

Phoenix has Sunefa to protect them and the sixth-tier Ice Jade Phoenix Tree as their guardian, while Valar Bay has nothing.

Sending Claude to oversee the operation was both an act of trust and a sign of the importance placed on Vallar Bay.

"Is there something you need?" Gao De asked.

The fact that Claude could send a telepathic message directly to his office via Ethernet suggests that there must be something important to say.

"The first ships from the Blue Flame Islands have arrived." Claude's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement, even a hint of urgency.

Gao De's relaxed posture instantly tensed up, and a sharp glint suddenly appeared in his eyes.

This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time.

Although before leaving Black Sails City, God had already established a long-term cooperation agreement with Sarah between the North and the Gold Coin Hunters.

However, setting an agreement is one thing, but putting it into practice is another.

Sarah was never one to say one thing to someone's face and another behind their back. After finalizing the cooperation agreement, she actively promoted subsequent cooperation matters, set up a special fleet to be responsible for trade in the North, and even set and released procurement needs in advance.

The North is definitely more enthusiastic, since this cooperation is entirely beneficial to Phoenix, as it is the key to breaking through resource limitations without exposing itself.

With both parties actively and wholeheartedly promoting the cooperation, five cargo ships, fully loaded with northern specialties, departed from Valar Bay and landed in Black Sails City a month ago.

In addition to the cargo, the ship also carried ten staff members rigorously selected by the government to assist Lanwen, who was already stationed in Black Sails City.

To prevent him from being left all alone in Black Sails City as a "lone commander".

Sarah purchased all the cargo on this ship at a high price, as agreed.

The proceeds were used to purchase the most urgently needed supplies in the North, according to a list prepared in advance by Sunefa.

Claude fully understood the importance of this batch of supplies, so he immediately reported the details to God via telepathy:

Among the purchased supplies, the most expensive items were materials for magic potions, which accounted for about 70% of the total cost.

It sounds painful and exaggerated, but there's nothing we can do about it.

The extraordinary resources of the North are so geographically specific that most of the materials needed for spells and potions cannot be found there.

Putting aside everything else, Phoenix has a huge shortage of [Quickly Mined] spell potions alone.

The Vallar Mountains, which lie between Phoenix and Vallar Bay, have always been a major challenge.

It greatly extended the travel time and the transportation of goods between the two places.

Once the Valar Tunnel, which runs through the Valar Mountains, is completed, travel time between the two places will be reduced many times over.

The cost of transporting goods will also decrease by ten or even dozens of times, and the convenience will be greatly improved.

In conclusion, only with the completion of the Valar Tunnel can the two wings truly be linked.

The excavation of the Kovalar Tunnel required traversing thick layers of permafrost and rock.

There are no large machines like tunnel boring machines or excavators like in the previous life here.

To speed up the project, we must provide the Ministry of Construction with a large quantity of [Rapid Excavation] spell potions. We will rely on [Rapid Excavation] to carry out magical construction and maintain efficient operations.

The materials needed for the [Quick Mining] spell potion are not available in the North, so they can only be purchased from outside sources.

The materials for the magic potion "Turning Mud into Stone," which was also designated by the Ministry of Construction, also had to be purchased from outside sources. This is basically the same principle for many other magic potions.

The cargo that arrived on this shipment consisted primarily of materials for magical potions and spells, while the majority of the cargo space was occupied by various tools that the Northern Territory was not yet capable of manufacturing but which were extremely necessary for its production and development.

What impressed Claude most was a complete set of mining equipment and tools.

Transportation equipment including pulley blocks, winches, tracks and mine cars; large iron supports as supporting materials; and advanced tools such as picks and shovels made of high-quality steel.

Most importantly, Sarah also helped Gaode procure a large-scale alchemical engineering machine: a crystal-driven drilling rig.

Unfortunately, the Northern Territory also lacks magic crystals, which are essential for energy, and these need to be purchased separately.

In addition to these important tools, a large amount of raw materials scarce in the North were also purchased, such as fine logs and forged iron blocks.

Even though most houses can be built with stone, and so can furniture, there are always many things that require wood and cannot be replaced by other materials.

Before Flora Forest is fully established, the North will still have to rely on imports for its timber.

Just when Gao De thought that was all, Claude brought him the real and greatest surprise: "My King, among the returning ships, one was carrying people, not supplies."

"A person?!" Gao De was slightly taken aback, but immediately realized what was going on.

The cooperation agreement that was initially finalized also included a specific clause on the "technology and talent introduction".

Gaode just didn't expect Sarah to be so efficient.

Yes, in addition to supplies, Sarah also, as agreed, cooperated with the powerful intelligence network of the Raven Cage Gang to select a group of talents from Black Sails City and transport them to the North.

"Immediately prepare the best food and lodging for them, and let them get a good rest for the night. Long sea voyages are very tiring. After they have rested, the next day, we should organize people as soon as possible to do the registration work and record detailed information such as each person's expertise and past experience."

"Then send me the detailed information you've registered as soon as possible via spirit message. I want to review it personally." Gao De's tone became much more serious.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will make all the arrangements," Claude immediately agreed. The sea breeze from Valar Bay carried a salty, cool chill, brushing against the edges of the stone pier and fluttering the flags on the masts of the nine sailboats that had just arrived in port.

The nine ships vary in size and model.

Five of the two-masted sailing ships flew the flag of the Plantagenet dynasty.

These are Harland bimast sailing ships manufactured by the Harland shipyard, and naturally, they fly the Plantagenet dynasty flag as their main flag.

The very banner of the Plantagenet dynasty was enough to protect them from most man-made disasters at sea.

This is the deterrent power of the Plantagenet dynasty.

The remaining four ships, each with a distinct style, came from Black Sails City and belonged to the Gold Coin Hunters. They were spoils that Sarah had seized from the Bloodsail Pirates.

As a former pirate ship, it has now had some weapons removed and been converted into a cargo ship, but it still retains the advantages of pirate ships such as "resistance to wind and waves and impact resistance", making it suitable for sailing in dangerous waters.

The downside is that its cargo capacity is relatively limited.

Nine ships were steadily docked at the pier, and the decks of eight cargo ships were piled high with supplies wrapped in tarpaulins, with ropes securing the cargo containers tightly.

The crew is busy lowering the gangplank in preparation for unloading;
Only the outermost black sailboat stood out: its deck was crowded with people, men and women, young and old, dressed in all sorts of clothes, each with a tired yet undisguised excitement on their face.

They had been sailing at sea for more than a month, and their patience in all aspects had reached its limit. They had been looking forward to reaching the shore for a long time.

Upon discovering that they had reached their destination, they were naturally extremely excited.

Even though the destination was the extremely harsh and cold North, as I had imagined it.

These people were the technical talents from various industries that Sarah had selected in Black Sails City.

None of them were truly vicious, but they all had harrowing pasts. For various reasons, they had nowhere else to turn, and were either ostracized or framed, leaving them no choice but to seek refuge in the City of Black Sails.

But Black Sails City is not a safe haven.

This place is a gathering place for many exiles who couldn't make a living on the mainland, most of whom are vicious criminals: pirates, assassins, and wanted criminals.
This has led to frequent brawls, robberies, and murders in Black Sails, leaving its inhabitants constantly living in fear.

Many people were even forced to serve the city's gangs.

Because they had seen those who refused to conform die tragically in the streets the next day.

So-called refuge is nothing more than a precarious existence.

In this situation, when Sarah found them, invited them to the North, and guaranteed their safety, stability, food, and lodging there, many people agreed without much hesitation.

Compared to the Black Sails City, which caused sleepless nights and offered no guarantee of life, this was a stark contrast.

Although the North may sound poor and harsh, at least it guarantees safety!

For these tech talents who have reached a dead end, the North is actually a better option.

More importantly, it was Sarah who extended the invitation.

If someone else had extended such an invitation, they certainly wouldn't have believed it; they would have thought it was a grand conspiracy.

But the invitation came from Sarah, from the Black Sails, the only person they might be willing to trust.

—Compared to David Jones's infamy, Sarah's reputation is far, far better.

She was a legendary bounty hunter with no history of persecuting others, and she even personally killed Pirate King David.

At this moment, these people crowded on the deck, holding onto the gunwale and gazing at the scene on the shore.

Someone took a deep breath of the chilly air of Vallar Bay, relieving the stuffiness of being at sea for more than a month.

It's both a chance to get some fresh air and a chance to observe what the place where I'll be living in the future will be like.

In fact, on the ship they had come from, they had imagined the North more than once: frozen wastelands, makeshift tents, barely edible food, and emaciated Northerners.
It can be said that they have taken precautions and made full mental preparations for themselves.

After all, in the minds of outsiders, the North is a backward, primitive, and barbaric land.

This place is extremely cold and unsuitable for survival. The people here suffer from hunger and cold, and are very hostile and unfriendly to outsiders.

But before their feet had even truly set foot on this snowy plain, their understanding of the North was already being completely refreshed.

The first thing that catches the eye is a dock with a distinctly northern character.

It was not the simple pier they had imagined, but rather a structure built from huge bluish-gray rocks and transparent solid ice.

The dock has a flat and wide surface that can accommodate dozens of people walking at the same time;
The edges were lined with sturdy mooring posts made of frozen ice, smooth on the surface yet exceptionally hard. Several neatly dressed Northerners were methodically guiding the boats to their docks.

Their movements were efficient and orderly, and their faces showed no signs of hunger or cold, but rather a busy vitality.

Looking out from the pier, you can see a large "camp" built mainly of stone and ice.

The camp was enormous, and the buildings were arranged in an incredibly orderly fashion, like chess pieces on a chessboard.

Spacious passageways are left between each building, with smooth bluestone slabs on the ground. Tiny ice particles are embedded in the gaps between the slabs, shimmering in the sunlight.

It facilitates the passage of pedestrians and wooden vehicles, and can also quickly clear snow accumulation to avoid congestion.

"Is this the North?" an elderly man with white hair asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Compared to the various big cities they had seen in the outside world, this campsite was certainly nothing special.

The problem is, this is the North, a "wild wasteland where even weeds can't grow," a blank area on the map covered in ice and snow.

How could there be such a well-organized dock and such a neat and uniform campsite?
The atmosphere of civilization here is even stronger than in many small towns outside the city.

The discussions on deck grew heated; some gestured to indicate the size of the camp, while others exchanged glances with their companions.
As they watched the busy Northerners on the shore and the orderly camp in the distance, their initial unease was replaced by doubt and anticipation.

Just then, a steady sound of footsteps came from the dock.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of neatly dressed people walking over.

The leader was over two meters tall, more than half a head taller than the strongest blacksmith on the deck, with broad shoulders and a thick back.

Just by standing there, he exudes a fierce and untamed aura unique to people from the wilderness.

He led his men steadily onto the ship along the sloping gangplank. Although he had a gentle smile on his face, his imposing figure still gave everyone a certain sense of pressure.

“Gentlemen,” his voice was deep and resonant, “I am Claude, the governor of the Phoenix City Hall stationed at Valar Bay. Today, on behalf of King God and Mother Sunefah, I welcome you to the North.”

"I hope we can join hands and work together to revitalize Northwest China."

“I have prepared temporary accommodations and hot meals for you. Please follow me.”

(End of this chapter)