Chapter 593 – Volcano
Although deaths have appeared among them, the Diamond Apes that have survived still pushed on. Some people might die, but their pride as the Royal tribe of the Beastmen gave them the motivation to not back down. They just buried their loved ones before resuming on their death march.
This scene jolted Zhao Hai, the Diamond Apes were truly worthy of being the Kings of the Beastmen. With such determinations, it wasn't a wonder why their status was too great.
Laura and the others were similarly shocked, they cannot believe how an entire race would share the same obsession. They clearly knew that they would die, but they also knew that they were duty-bound to not come back, the Beast God's Spear was just too valuable.
Zhao Hai calmed himself before having the Blood Ghost Staff proceed forward. With the number of corpses that he received getting more and more, he didn't have the time to try turning them into Undead. He wanted to bring these corpses to the Prairie and give them a proper burial. They belonged to the Prairie, and it was proper for them to be buried there. In Zhao Hai's mind, they already had the qualifications to do so.
Ten days after discovering the first Diamond Ape corpse, Zhao Hai had already stored about 10 thousand Diamond Ape corpses. The majority of these corpses were the elderly and children.
Zhao Hai didn't explore other places right now, the trail of corpses were already his guide. As long as he follows them, then he would surely reach a destination.
After a month of flying around, the Diamond Ape corpses had already numbered to about five hundred thousand. This wasn't a small number.
Most large tribes in the Prairie had about 1 million members. And for a huge warring tribe like the Tiger race, it might even be less. The more powerful the race, the more difficult it would be for them to multiply. Less powerful tribes, on the other hand, had great fertility.
Since the Diamond Apes were the strongest at their time, then it would be impossible for them to have very large numbers. By the time he reached 500 thousand corpses, Zhao Hai can no longer see elderly and children among them. Most of what he acquired at this point, were young and able men.
One must know that although Zhao Hai took a long time to collect these corpses, he was someone who was flying in the Icefield. Now imagine the state of these Diamond Apes, how long did they have to walk this way without stopping, how long did they kept their resolve? Zhao Hai doesn't dare to imagine it.
It was very difficult for Zhao Hai to think about how these Diamond Apes were able to survive in such a climate. Their ability to penetrate this far into the Icefield was a monument to the tyrannical strength of their race.
After three days of flying, Zhao Hai discovered from the monitor that some black spots were spotted at a distance. He immediately enlarged the image and couldn't help but get shaken. This was because he had discovered a mountain, but what's most surprising in this mountain were the trees that were present. How could fully grown green trees be present here?
This might not be strange in the continent, but what shocked Zhao Hai was the fact that it was here, in the Northern Icefield. There was almost nothing here aside from snow and ice. Who would’ve thought that a mountain would be present here, and with a tree growing on it.
Zhao Hai immediately commanded the staff to fly to the mountain, while simultaneously collecting the corpses along the way. The number of corpses that he had received has now numbered to about seven hundred thousand.
Because he was still storing the corpses, Zhao Hai took a little over two days before he arrived at the mountain. At the same time, Zhao Hai discovered that the area close to the mountain was devoid of any Diamond Ape corpses.
This fact made Zhao Hai excited, it was just like what he had thought, the Diamond Apes didn't die out. The tree in the mountain represented the fact that there was warmth present there, which would in turn allow a person to survive. It was possible for the Diamond Apes to thrive on this mountain. The absence of corpses in the surroundings meant that the surviving Diamond Apes had already retrieved them.
Zhao Hai was elated, he immediately had the monitor focus on the mountain. He wanted to know what this mountain was and see if there were people present.
Upon further investigation, Zhao Hai discovered something that made him excited. There were roads paved in the mountain! It was artificial, moreover, there were evidence that some people had walked on them.
With his excitement still present, Zhao Hai immediately came out of the Space and turned the Ghost Staff into a shuttle before flying towards the mountain.
After he came out, he had discovered that the temperature near the mountain was quite high. It had the same temperature as the middle of the day in the continent, no wonder a tree can survive here for so long, it was actually very warm.
The higher one gets to the summit, the temperature get warmer. Moreover, traces of activity can be seen, the roads looked to be constantly maintained, but Zhao Hai cannot see a single person yet.
When Zhao Hai was halfway up the mountain, he couldn't help but stare. What he saw looked like a city. A stone wall was present, although it wasn't very high, it was certainly something that a person had built.
Then Zhao Hai saw something move, it was a person. He immediately opened the monitor to look, and there he saw a leather-clad Diamond Ape Beastman.
Zhao Hai flashed into the Space and carefully looked at the city using the large screen. The city was not very big, it can probably house about 100 thousand people. The outer walls was made of large stone, it had a height of 20 meters, and a thickness of 10. On the walls, Diamond Apes can be seen on sentry duty while wearing their leather armor. Every Diamond Ape were next to their diamond ape partner, a beast 10 meters in height. These diamond apes were either sitting or lying down. They looked very docile, but Zhao Hai didn't doubt their fighting prowess.
Another thing that made Zhao Hai surprised were their weapons. The weapons that the Diamond Apes were using were actually made of wood, they seem to have no ironware.
Their weapon looked like a thick wooden club, this club was no thinner that Zhao Hai's arm. Moreover, it looked pitch black, but its appearance looked very sturdy.
Zhao Hai also noticed that the Diamond Apes seemed to be quite anxious. They were constantly looking for something in the distance. This made Zhao Hai feel strange, he didn't understand why the Diamond Apes were anxious. Are there any enemies on this mountain? Even if there were, with the fighting strength of the Diamond Apes, what were they afraid of?
Zhao Hai also noticed that there were no gates on this wall. The whole stretch was made as solid as possible, there was no way out.
He was confused with such an arrangement. Even if the Diamond Apes had their giant partners to carry them, wouldn't leaving the city be very inconvenient? Why would they do this?
While he was inspecting the walls, he discovered that there were traces of fighting present on it. The traces were very strange as well, some of it looked like it was caused by wild beasts, some looked like traces that a blade or a sword might make.
Then Zhao Hai shifted his gaze towards the city. The houses on this city were made of stone, and were of two stories, the lower one probably housed the diamond ape beasts. On the upper floor, there were some hay mats on the ground, each one occupied by a person. Anything else that was inside the houses were either made of stone or wood.
The city was quite lively, there were small Diamond Apes frolicking around the streets. Women of the Diamond Ape tribe were making leather armor, the elderly were making wooden clubs. These clubs looked just the same as the weapons that they were using. Some of the children used these clubs while learning how to fight.
Zhao Hai looked to another part of the mountain and discovered some magic beasts that were being raised. The beasts looked just like the blue eyed rabbit, but they were evidently bigger, about as big as a pig. There were a lot of these beasts, and they were partitioned by wooden fences.
After further inspection of the mountain, Zhao Hai finally discovered how these people were able to live in this place, and why trees were growing here. It was because the mountain was actually a volcano, an active volcano. The crater on it summit was constantly spewing steam.
Because the thermal energy of the volcano was negated by the cold environment, it had allowed the Diamond Apes to survive in it. It seems like this place was where the Diamond Apes had ended up in.
But Zhao Hai can also see that the overall strength of the Diamond Ape tribe had been damaged severely. Their entire race was now reduced to about 100 thousand people, and that was including the old and weak. Moreover, they seem to have met an enemy here, otherwise the guards on the walls wouldn't be looking so anxious.
Zhao Hai took a closer look at the mountain. The area of this volcano was very huge. There were also places where traces of people can be seen. At the same time, he also found out that there wasn't only only mountain, there were actually 13 peaks. The outer parts of this group of mountains was the only one with traces of activity.
Zhao Hai turned to the other peaks and discovered why they were virtually unexplored. The place was too hot, the only lifeforms that were able to survive here were fire element plants. Most importantly, the volcano seems to be unstable, like it could erupt at any time.
However, there weren't a lot of lifeforms that could be seen on the other peaks. There were some fire element magic beasts, but Zhao Hai can see that their levels weren't very high. So naturally, these beasts weren't the enemies of the Diamond Ape tribe.
After looking through the huge mountain, Zhao Hai decided to meet the Diamond Apes in order to acquire some information. If they had found the Beast God's spear, then it was good, but if they haven't, a heading would still suffice.
Chapter 594 – Excitement
Zhao Hai flashed out of the Space and then released Alien. He watched from inside the undead's body as it slowly crawled towards the mountain.
Before long, Alien had arrived in front of the Diamond Ape tribe's city. While inside Alien, Zhao Hai looked at the city with his own eyes. Just as Alien was halfway up the mountain, the people on the walls started to spot him. The Beastmen immediately took into action, the giant apes stood up, seemingly ready for combat.
Zhao Hai couldn't help but stare when he saw what just happened, he immediately had Alien stop and then loudly introduced himself, "Beastman brothers, don't panic. I'm not an enemy, I didn't come to attack you."
Zhao Hai's words took the attention of the people on the walls. When his voice was heard, the Beastmen were shocked. Then they looked at each other in utter disbelief.
Zhao Hai understood the reactions of these Diamond Apes. They were in this place for over 5000 years. 5000 years wasn't a short period of time, and in those years, they didn't have any contact with the outside world. Otherwise, the Beastmen wouldn't be clueless about their situation. Now that they heard someone else talking to them, they couldn't help but doubt their ears.
However, Zhao Hai didn't say anything else. He wanted to see what the reaction of the people on the wall would be and judge whether the enemy of the Diamond Apes were beasts or people.
While thinking about these, Zhao Hai walked out of Alien's body. He appeared in his Magic Robes and staff. After going out, he stored Alien back into his body.
Upon seeing Zhao Hai come out, the Beastmen couldn't help but see the excitement. Zhao Hai looked at the Beastmen on the walls and couldn’t help but smile. He could imagine what these people were feeling right now.
He had no worries as he walked up to about only 12 meters away from the wall. Making the people see him clearly.
Zhao Hai looked at the wall and the Diamond Ape beastmen that were present, The Diamond Apes stood still at the walls while looking at Zhao Hai, their bodies seem to be trembling.
Then Zhao Hai gave a salute to the Diamond Apes and said, "Beastman Brothers, I'm called Zhao Hai. I came from the Beastman Prairie."
An elderly Diamond Ape's face looked emotional as he suddenly shouted in grief, "It's been 5000 years! My Diamond Ape tribe…" Then he turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, please wait a bit, I'll immediately have someone come over and get you."
Then he gave an order to a Diamond Ape, who then brought his diamond ape down the wall and appeared in front of Zhao Hai.
The Diamond Ape beastman was more than 2 meters tall, from Zhao Hai's eyes, they seem to be 3 meters. Zhao Hai looked at the Beastman and smiled, "Zhao Hai has seen Beastman brother."
The Diamond Ape returned the courtesy and said, "Human Brother, did you really come from the Prairie?"
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "I did."
Then the Diamond Ape asked, "Can sir please tell me what the Prairie looks like?"
Zhao Hai stared, but he immediately thought that since the Diamond Apes have survived for 5000 years here, the current generation were people who hadn't been to the Prairie before. So in their minds, the Prairie was a foreign place. To them, the Prairie was a place of legend, a beautiful place, their origin.
When Zhao Hai was about to answer the Diamond Ape, the elderly Diamond Ape shouted loudly, "Little Six, what is taking you long? Don't ask mister any questions yet, quickly take him here."
When this Little Six heard the old man, he embarrassingly scratched his head and said, "I've been unfair to mister. I actually forgot about my taks. Mister, please sit down on my Liwa's shoulders. We'll be taking you to the city."
The Liwa that the Diamond Ape mentioned was naturally the gigantic ape right beside him. Zhao Hai looked at the diamond ape that was standing there like a human. It towered at a height of ten meters, it was a true colossus. For it to be called Liwa was actually very intriguing.
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Alright." Then Little Six beckoned to the diamond ape as it squatted and extended its hand towards Zhao Hai.
The hand opened up as Zhao Hai stood directly on it.
Then the ape placed Zhao Hai on one of its shoulders before placing Little Six on the other. Then it stood up and crawled up the wall.
It didn't take a long time before the ape had climbed up the wall and placed Zhao Hai back down. The old Diamond Ape then arrived in front of Zhao Hai and said, "Human friend, I am Patriarch Tess of the Diamond Ape tribe.What is your purpose in coming here?"
Zhao Hai gave respects to the Patriarch before he smiled faintly and said, "Patriarch, I've received a task from the current Beast King to retrieve the Beast God's Spear inside the Northern Icefield. I didn't expect the Diamond Apes to still be living here, if I bring this news back, I'm sure the entire Beastman Race would be very shaken."
When Tess heard Zhao Hai, his face couldn't help but turn gloomy as he said, "My tribe is deemed to be criminals. If we return to the Prairie, we would certainly not be popular. Mister, please come with me and discuss this matter some more."
Zhao Hai complied and then walked together with Tess towards his house. The people of the Diamond Ape tribe came over and surrounded Zhao Hai. He seemed to be regarded as an attraction, Zhao Hai couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Before long, Zhao Hai and Tess finally arrived at a house. This house was quite ordinary. It didn't have much of a difference compared to the other Diamond Ape houses.
Below the house were seven diamond apes, four big and three small. The three small apes followed Zhao Hai and Tess inside the house, the others were driven out.
Tess welcomed Zhao Hai to the second floor to see his family. Tess' family was quite simple, he and his wife were a couple, and then he had a son and a daughter in law as well as three grandchildren.
Zhao Hai exchanged greetings with the family before they sat down. Then Tess turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, did you just say that you were sent to the Icefield by the Beast King in order to search for the Beast God's Spear?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Yes. My relationship with the Beastmen is quite good. In the entire continent, it was impossible for this matter to be revealed. Because of this, the Beast King gave me an order to retrieve the Beast God's Spear inside the Icefield."
Tess then sighed and said, "In the past, my tribe has lost the Divine Artifact in this Northern Icefield, which was a serious offense that we had committed. In the end, the tribe was sent into exile here. It has been 5000 years since the first Diamond Apes were recorded to have penetrated the Northern Icefields, with a resolve to die here if they couldn't retrieve the Beast God's Spear. In the end, only 5000 members were able to reach the volcano and had settled here. We still haven't given up in looking for the Divine Artifact. But it has not been very easy these past thousand years. We don't know when it started, but ice beasts had started to desperately attack us. Because of them, we were forced to bunker up and defend, causing the retrieval of the Divine Artifact to be delayed."
The only thing that Zhao Hai knew was how serious the losses of the Diamond Apes were. Stored in his Space, there were about 700 thousand Diamond Ape corpses. Surviving with 5000 people was just short of being extinct as a tribe. Only after 5000 years of development did they had manage to recover and become 100 thousand. One could clearly see how severe the price they had paid just because of the Divine Artifact.
But Zhao Hai didn't think about these now, from what he heard from Tess, the Beast God's Spear was still lost. It was still somewhere inside the Northern Icefield.
Zhao Hai quickly responded, "Patriarch, what were these ice beasts and ice people that you were talking about? I've seen some traces of attack on your walls, were they the cause of it?"
Tess sighed again and replied, "That's right. According to the records of my tribe, these people appeared more than 1000 years ago. I don't know what they are, but their bodies were all made up of ice, may they be in the shape of a person or a beast. Despite the composition of their bodies, they can still move freely. They didn't seem to be intelligent, but they were very difficult to deal with. If you don’t break their heads, they would not die. Fortunately, the volcano had somewhat weakened them. Otherwise, our tribe would have already been exterminated a long time ago."
Zhao Hai stared, it was the first time that he had heard of such a life form. He looked at Tess ands aid, "Patriarch, did you say that their bodies are all made of ice?"
Tess nodded and said, "Right, their entire bodies are comprised of ice, we're sure of it because their bodies were somewhat transparent. When they are killed, they would immediately turn into water. They don't look like a lifeform, but their fighting strength wasn't very weak."
Zhao Hai knit his brows, this was the first time that he had heard of this detail about the Northern Icefield. It was indeed worthy of being called one of the Five Forbidden Areas.
Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, has come at a tricky time. I estimate that in the coming days, those ice beings would attack. At that time, I think mister would understand after seeing them with your own eyes."
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Alright. I have also been travelling for a long time, I really need a good rest. I apologize to the Patriarch for disturbing your city."
Tess smiled and said, "Mister is too polite. You're our first visitor for more that 5000 years. Naturally, we would need to entertain you well."
Zhao Hai nodded, then he looked at Tess and said, "Patriarch, while on the way here, I've discovered a lot of Diamond Ape corpses. I have brought those corpses with me, how would you want those to be processed?"
Tess stared, then he stood up as his expression changed, "Did Mister really bring those corpses?"
Zhao Hai also stood up as he nodded, "I did. To be honest, I'm very astonished by it. There were about 700 thousand corpses in total. If I didn't have a Space equipment, then I simply couldn't bring them with me. Patriarch, I really admire your tribe. For your tribe to still strive up to this point, I believe that you have already been redeemed."
When Tess heard Zhao Hai, he couldn't help but stare for a moment before he suddenly cried and said, "Ancestors, can you hear this? Someone said that our crime has been redeemed, you can now rest in peace." Tess' wife, son, and daughter-in-law stood up as well.
Zhao Hai knew that the Beast God's Spear was a huge thorn in the hearts of the Diamond Apes. He said that in order to somewhat appease their hearts. But him saying this was not without foundation. He truly thinks that the Diamond Apes have already paid enough for their crime.
After some time, Tess' mood slowly calmed down, then he turned his head to Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, may I be able to see my ancestors' remains?"
Zhao Hai nodded, then he walked outside as Tess' family immediately followed him behind. Upon arriving outside, Zhao Hai discovered that the place was full of Diamond Apes, they were all looking at him curiously. Zhao Hai smiled faintly, he felt like a monkey in a zoo, being gazed upon by onlookers.
Tess looked at the faces of these people and said, "Everyone, come to the city's wall with me. Mister Zhao Hai just told me that he had brought the remains of our ancestors. Join me in bringing respects to them!"
Upon hearing Tess, the surrounding Diamond Apes turned silent for a moment before an uproar came about. They immediately passed the news around, and before long, every person in the city came to know about it.
Zhao Hai knew how the Beastmen regarded their ancestors. For Zhao Hai to bring their ancestors' bodies with him was already a huge gesture of kindness towards the Diamond Apes.
Zhao Hai didn't waste time. As he got on the wall with Tess, and then down again to the area outside, he immediately released the petrified corpses.
Tess looked at the corpses on the ground as tears came flowing out of his eyes. He gently walked towards on of the corpses, and then as he was sobbing he said, "This is indeed my ancestors' remains. At that time, because they were afraid that the corpses would disintegrate in the harsh environment of the Icefield, they decided to place the bodies inside their companions. The skin of a diamond ape would slowly petrify as soon as it dies, allowing it to protect what was inside its body. Since they were hurrying along, they can only resort to this method of burial."
Zhao Hai only released about a hundred corpses before he stopped. The area outside the wall was too small, it was impossible to release every single corpse. Therefore, he just released a hundred before turning to Tess and said, "Patriarch, the corpses are just too many. I cannot place them all down here, what do we do?"
Tess looked at the remains and sighed, "I'll have to trouble mister to bring the remains down the mountain and then release them into the Icefield. After we give our respects, then we would be cremating them."
Zhao Hai then asked, "Cremate? How come I couldn't remember any ritual of cremation among the Beastmen?"
Tess nodded and said, "That's true, there wasn't a ceremony of cremation among the Beastmen. But our Diamond Ape clan decided to do it as a form of gratitude to the life that was given to use by this volcano. Since the time we settled here, we had changed our death ceremonies into cremation."
Chapter 595 – Cremation
Zhao Hai nodded, he can understand their decision. They thought that they were about to be eliminated and then suddenly a place like this appeared that can allow them to live. In this case, it wouldn't be strange for them to grab the opportunity. Not wonder, even for the Beastmen to have not done cremation before, they decided to do so right now.
But Zhao Hai thought about it and decided to remind Tess, he opened his mouth and said, "Patriarch Tess, my Space is very big. If I can find the Beast God's Spear, I can bring these remains back to the Prairie. How about burying them back there?"
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, Tess couldn't help but stare, he turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Is mister telling the truth? Is it possible for you to take these remains back to the Prairie?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "It's true."
Tess looked at the remains, and then he looked back at the mountain. He sighed lightly and then shook his head, "Forget it, we'll go through with the cremation. My tribe would still look for the Beast God's Spear. But I think we don't have a place to return to anymore."
Zhao Hai looked at Tess and said, "Patriarch, I came this time to seek the Beast God's Spear, and I'm confident in being able to find it. If I retrieve the Divine Artifact, then can't you return to the Prairie by then?"
Tess looked at Zhao Hai and then smiled bitterly, "Mister, to tell you the truth, what's the point of our tribe returning to the Prairie? Our Diamond Ape tribe has a magnificent past, we were once the Royal Clan of the Beastman Race. But our entire tribe has been exiled here, and was now reduced to 100 thousand members. Even if we return to the Prairie, what can we obtain? Can our small tribe of 100 thousand people survive there? Won't the present Royal Tribe see us as a threat? Mister, to be honest, we do long for the Prairie, but at the same time, we are also afraid to return."
Zhao Hai was shaken, he didn't think that Tess would have thought this far. Are they really the Beastman tribe that was known to be straightforward? This was a wise old man who had already seen the world.
Zhao Hai knew that what Tess said was true. The status of the Diamond Apes was too awkward. They were the previous Royal tribe, and was now reduced to a small tribe of 100 thousand members. Even if they have formidable fighting strength, what would they bring when they go back to the Prairie? The other Beastmen were already used to being under the rule of the Lion and Tiger races. If another Royal tribe returns, then things would get complicated.
Because one couldn't exist along with the other, it was inevitable that a war would happen. Once their status was be placed on the line, the Lion and Tiger races wouldn't give the Diamond Apes any opportunity, Therefore, being suppressed and eventually withering away was a possible outcome for them.
Zhao Hai sighed, he didn't say anything more, he turned around and then stored the remains back into the Space. He then led the people of the Diamond Ape tribe down the mountain, When they reached the flat icefield, Zhao Hai immediately released all of the corpses before silently going off to the side.
Tess and the other members of the Diamond Ape tribe carried on with their rituals. Their ceremony was very simple, they killed some magic beasts and then made some rituals on bended knees. There weren't a lot going on. However, the Diamond Apes wept upon seeing their people who have died. These were their ancestors.
After some time, Tess went to Zhao Hai as he bowed and said, "We thank mister Zhao Hai. We'll have to ask mister to please take these remains to the summit."
Zhao Hai nodded and then received the corpses again. Then together with Tess and the others, they began to walk towards the summit. The higher they went up, the higher the temperature became, but that didn't matter. When Zhao Hai arrived at the summit, he saw a huge crater. It was round, and was spewing white gas into the air, one could even see faint signs of fire here and there.
Zhao Hai looked carefully and saw that under this crater was a magma pool. The magma inside was tumbling around, but it doesn't look like it was about to erupt.[1]
Under the request of Tess, Zhao Hai dropped the bodies into the crater as the Diamond Apes resumed their ceremony Then they returned to the city, Zhao Hai was led by Tess back to his home.
When they arrived back home, Tess' wife and daughter-in-law went to prepare for dinner while Tess, his son, and Zhao Hai sat on the living room. Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, can you tell us briefly about the current state of the Prairie?"
Zhao Hai didn't decline, he nodded and then spoke up. He had a complete understanding of the Prairie at this point, so it wasn't a problem for him to tell them.
Actually, even after 5000 years has passed by, there weren't a lot of developments in the continent. Even the magic system remained virtually unchanged, the same was true for the Beastmen. The only thing fairly new was the fact that the Beastmen can now use the soul of their beasts in order to cultivate. They had also learned how to look for appropriate beast souls as well as appropriate mounts.
But one shouldn't look down on this achievement, the Beastmen had done a lot of tests in order to achieve this point. In turn, it managed to increase their overall strength. Just imagine the difference between beastmen riding common bulls versus beastmen that were riding their exclusive mounts.
Five thousand years was quite a long time, even some of the Beastmen had changed their weapons in this period. But all of these 5000 years of change wasn't recorded on the Diamond Ape tribe's books.
Tess' wife and daughter-in-law were already done making their meal, but Tess was still not willing to move. He was too deeply focused on Zhao Hai's narration.
Only after his wife had called him several times did Tess woke up from his stupor, he looked at Zhao Hai embarrassingly and said, "I've been unfair to mister, let's go have a meal first."
Zhao Hai nodded with a smile, then he went along with Tess' family to the dining room. The place wasn't very big, and the inside only had ordinary wooden furniture. All of the things inside were either made of wood or made of stone. It was nearly impossible to see any ironware. If there were 1 or 2, those ironware were still heavily damaged due to prolonged use.
Zhao Hai didn't laugh at them, after all, Beastmen weren't good in handling iron. Moreover, from the looks of it, there weren't any iron deposits that can be seen in the vicinity. And even ironware was already considered to be a miracle if the Diamond Apes were able to bring them along in the first place.
However, one couldn't just devalue these people, they still had some sort of talent in them. From what Zhao Hai can see, the things in Tess' house that used wood or stone were made very well. They were very smooth to the touch and even the stone knife looked very sharp.
They used a stone pot and a stone slab in order to cook the food. They didn't have much of a flavor, but it still tasted very good. And most importantly, they also had their own wine here. When Zhao Hai asked, the wine was made from a fruit that can be found in the mountain. The fruit had a sweet taste, it was very good.
After having eaten their meal, the group returned to the living room. Then Zhao Hai resumed talking to them about the matters of the continent. The Beastmen, the Humans, all of those things were told to Tess.
Although Zhao Hai's narration wasn't comprehensive, he still finished talking deep into the night. Only after Zhao Hai was done did Tess and the others noted that it was already very late. They immediately prepared a room for Zhao Hai, asking him to rest.
After Zhao Hai entered his room, he immediately flashed to the Space. Even if it was late, Laura and the others were still not asleep, they were currently in the living room, chatting.
Seeing that Zhao Hai has arrived, Laura immediately smiled and said, "Brother Hai, you finally came back. You look very tired, Haha."
Zhao Hai smiled bitterly, he was far more than tired. He felt that his throat was about to emit smoke, moreover it was also very painful. If he didn't treat it, then he might not be able to talk tomorrow.
Zhao Hai immediately drank a cup of Spatial Water. After feeling well, he turned to Laura and said, "I can't help it. Tess is too enthusiastic. Why haven't you gone to rest, did something happen?"
Zhao Hai already told Laura and the others that he had something to do outside, so they can just rest ahead of time. But it appeared to be useless, the women didn't listen to him.
Laura smiled and said, "Something did came up. Brother Hai, you seem to have forgotten since you've been focused on the Icefield for one month. We think it should be time for the Buddha Empire to get the first batch of magic beasts."
Zhao Hai stared, then he couldn't help but smack his own head, "I forgot. Good, please arranged for it. Right, did the fleet from Golden Island arrive?"
Laura smiled and said, "They're already on the coastlines of the Prairie. I'll have them stop for a couple of days before going back. After all, 4000 beasts aren't that much. If we make them stop there for too long, people might get suspicious."
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Alright, I'll hand this matter off to you. It would be best if the beasts get as minimal contact with the Space as possible. If they get promoted inside, then it would be very troublesome."
Laura and the others couldn't help but chuckle. Others were afraid that their magic beasts wouldn't be able to improve. Only their group were an exception, they were actually afraid of their magic beasts levelling up too quickly. If this was revealed to the outside world, people would kill them.
After some time, Lizzy turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Big Brother Hai, does the Diamond Apes really not want to return to the Prairie?"
Zhao Hai nodded, then he told them about the worries of Tess. After listening to Zhao Hai, Laura and the others couldn't help but nod. They understood Tess' worries. This matter was quite common, after all, no race wanted to give up their authority.
If it was the past Diamond Ape tribe, then it wouldn't be a problem since they possess tyrannical strength. But now they were reduced into a small tribe, they don't have the ability to rule anymore.
But I'm pretty sure dumping 700 thousand bodies in one go would cause a reaction xDChapter 596 – Hiring Oneself
The political struggles of the Beastmen were much more worse than the Humans, and Laura and the others had experienced these things. Therefore, when they heard what Zhao Hai had said, they immediately knew what was going on.
Lizzy knit her brows for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up, "Big Brother Hai, so you're saying that it would be impossible for the Diamond Apes to return to the Prairie? If that's so, then how about inviting them over to the Black Wasteland?"
Zhao Hai stared, he had not thought about it until Lizzy reminded him. If Tess and the others don't want to return to the Prairie, then how about having them go to the Black Wasteland? The Black Wasteland was also very huge, he had also planted some grass on the still unoccupied lands. At this point those grasses should have healthily spread.
Wales was still in severe need of manpower right now, so the slaves still cannot be given to Zhao Hai. If the Diamond Apes were to settle in the Black Wasteland, then the current deficit would be solved.
Although they had lived for 5000 years on that mountain, Zhao Hai can see that the Diamond Apes haven't given up in their tradition of herding. They were mainly focused on herding, there doesn't seem to be much farming going on. Because of this, having them herd in the Black Wasteland would be quite feasible.
After thinking about it, Zhao Hai couldn't bear but nod repeatedly and said, "That is a good idea. If we can invite them, then we would have an additional 100 thousand people that can help us. Moreover, the fighting strength of the Diamond Apes are strong. Having them with us will give the family another trump card."
Megan nodded and said, "That would be very great. Moreover, Elder Brother Hai, I think Tess would ask you tomorrow about why you agreed to seek the Beast God's Spear. You can use that opportunity to tell him about the matter with the Divine Realm. Then you can see if they would like to come with us. If they don't want to, then that would not be a problem. But I think they would agree, after all, without our help, it would be impossible for them to go out of the Icefield."
Laura smiled and said, "I also think that they would agree. They have lived in this volcano while in constant worry about it erupting. We can help them go live in a new environment, there's no reason for them to oppose to it."
Zhao Hai smiled and said, "Who knows, maybe they have the ability to return, but they just chose not to. Alright, let's go take a rest. Tomorrow, all of these matters would be settled." Then he walked towards his room while pulling Laura. Laura's face couldn't help but turn red while Lizzy and the others were chuckling.
The next morning, Zhao Hai went out of Meg's room (this is not a mistake, he also went there. Hahaha) Then he went out of the space and returned to the room that was given to him by Tess.[1]
Although one could say that Zhao Hai had practically zero rest, it didn't affect him much since he was now a 9th rank expert. He didn't feel any tiredness at all.
When Zhao Hai returned to his room, he arranged his clothes before going out. He didn't see Tess anywhere, but he didn't care about it. He went out quite early today, this was because he wanted to see get some unique beasts and plants from this volcano. Even if they cannot increase it's level, it can still provide some experience.
Zhao Hai came out of the Tess' house and saw that there were already quite a few people outside. These people had just woke up and were preparing for their work. Most of these people were elderly. Their jobs were quite simple, and it was to sweep the streets of the city. The fighting strength of older people had waned, so they weren't suitable for defending the city. Therefore, the only thing that they could do was this.
Zhao Hai greeted these old people with a smile while the old people quickly returned the courtesy. They were very grateful to Zhao Hai because he brought the remains of their ancestors over, which was also one of their concerns.
After greeting the elderly people, Zhao Hai went to the wall. After seeing Zhao Hai, the guards immediately gave him a salute, of which Zhao Hai returned the gesture. After his salute, Zhao Hai informed them about his intentions before he summoned Alien and went out of the city.
He didn't want to fly here, since it would make the Diamond Apes know about his strength. Therefore, he summoned Alien to be his transport.
Outside of the city was a forest, so Zhao Hai had alien patrol it for a while. Whenever he saw any unique plants and so on, he would immediately absorb them into the Space. Although the prompts kept coming, there was no notification regarding a level up. Zhao Hai already expected this, so he didn't feel anything strange.
Alien was quick, and with the recent promotion of the Space, its might had also gone up. As long they weren't 8th rank, Alien can forcefully catch them and store them into the Space. Because of this, Zhao Hai was comfortable and just sat inside as he left all the work for Alien.
It didn't take a long time before Zhao Hai finished patrolling the mountain that the Diamond Apes were living in. The mountain did have some good plants and animals in it. It might be because it was a volcano, but most of them had the fire attribute. Although the Space didn't level up, it's fire attribute had been increase. This was a kind of success for Zhao Hai.
After touring the mountain, Zhao Hai felt that it was time, so he immediately headed towards the Diamond Apes' city. He figured that it was about the time where most people would wake up.
As expected, when Alien arrived at the city, most people have already got up. Tess was in the wall and had been waiting for his return. Upon seeing Zhao Hai come back, Tess couldn't help but feel relief.
After sharing a breakfast, Tess invited Zhao Hai to the living room. After sitting down, Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Mister, yesterday I asked you about the matters of the continent and discovered that the present relationship between the Humans and Beastmen wasn't very good. Moreover, they even had a recent war. I want to ask why did the Beast King trusted Mister with the task of retrieving the Beast God's Spear?"
Zhao Hai already expected this question yesterday, so he had thought of an excuse. He told Tess his status in the Prairie as well as him being a Foreign Elder of the Dwarves. At the same time, he also presented a token, it seemed to be made out of beast bone and it had a carving of the word King(王) on it."
Naturally, this wasn't the Beast King's command token, but instead, it was the Beastman Race's Foreign Prince token. The Beast King gave this token to Zhao Hai. In any case, if Zhao Hai can retrieve the Divine Artifact, he would become the Beastman Race's Foreign Prince. And if Zhao Hai failed, then it was probable that he would perish in the Icefield. Therefore, the Beast King giving this token in advance wasn't much of a big deal.
When Zhao Hai showed the Foreign Prince token, Tess immediately believed him. This was because this Foreign Prince token was illustrated in their tribe records. Moreover, this token originated with the Diamond Apes. But they gave this token to a Dwarf Master Artisan instead of a Human.
Tess gave the token back to Zhao Hai and then said, "Mister, you said that something was about to happen in the continent. And the help of the Beast God's Spear was required. May I ask what this matter is?"
Zhao Hai nodded, then he narrated the prophecy of the Dwarf Race as well as Iron Hammer's words. He told Tess about the latest movements of the Radiant Church. He didn't hide anything from Tess since, just like Megan said, if the Diamond Apes doesn’t have his aid, then it would be impossible for them to leave the Icefield. And if Tess agreed to his help, then it would be similar to the Diamond Apes being his people, so there was no need to be on guard.
Although Zhao Hai admired the Diamond Apes, he couldn't just have sympathy take the upper hand in this matter. If the Diamond Apes don't agree to move to the Black Wasteland, then Zhao Hai wouldn't reveal the existence of the Space to them. This was because it still wasn't time to reveal the Space.
While listening to Zhao Hai, Tess' brows couldn't help but wrinkle. He didn't think that while his tribe stayed in the Icefield for 5000 years, the events in the outside world had surprisingly developed to this point. Moreover, the Beast God's Spear was now needed more than before.
Zhao Hai looked at Tess' expression and decided to not disturb him. He just sat there quietly as he took a sip of water. Tess turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Is mister completely confident in retrieving the Beast God's Spear?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Almost completely. It shouldn't be a problem. You should know that since I was able to come here, I should have the ability to retrieve it."
Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "I heard from mister that you are a Human noble. So you should have your own fief. Mister, I need your help. I hope you can agree to it."
When Zhao Hai heard Tess, he couldn't help but gawk. This was because Tess' statement was equal to him telling Zhao Hai that he wishes for the Diamond Apes to hire themselves to him on their own initiative.
Zhao Hai nodded immediately and said, "Yes, I'm a Marquis of the Rosen Empire. My territory is very big."
Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "If my Diamond Ape tribe hires ourselves to mister, does mister have a way for us to exit the Icefield?"
Zhao Hao looked at Tess before he nodded and said, "I do, not only could I take you out of the Icefield, I can also provide you a place to herd on. I can make your children go to school, and also have your own tribe manage by yourselves. But after going to my fief, unless I give permission, you won't be able to go out."
Tess looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Can I ask where Mister's fief is?"
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "The Black Wasteland!"
Tess stared, he looked confused at Zhao Hai as he said, "Mister, did you just say Black Wasteland? That land has someone occupying it?"
Zhao Hai smiled and said, "I'm the one occupying it. And nobody in the continent except people my family trusted knew that I was able to put it to good use. That's why I said that you won't be able to leave my land without my permission."
Tess looked at Zhao Hai in shock, "Is mister really telling the truth? Are you really occupying the Black Wasteland? Right, can I ask mister how you're planning to take us out of the Icefield?"
Zhao Hai looked at Tess, he smiled faintly and then said, "I ask Patriarch to relax your body. I'll make you know in a moment. Regardless of what happens, Patriarch should not panic." Then with an intention, he moved the two of them to Black Wasteland's Iron Mountain Fort.
The parenthesis was the actual author putting in a comment