Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

“This…” Imralion spread his hands, momentarily at a loss for words.

The landscape and layout before him immediately reminded him of the coastal settlements of the Kingdom of Kosqui.

Along the long coastline of Kosquieu, there are countless small ports that adopt the excavation layout, and Asur in Kosquieu is unique in the world in terms of the design of the excavation layout.

The so-called "excavated type" means that the dock is arranged by excavating into the land on the shore. It is like building a door and then digging out three rooms and a living room with your feet. These rooms are used to moor ships, and these ships can also be used as warships when needed.

Closer to the water's surface are the ship berths, above which lie cities and fortresses. These structures are more practical and structurally robust than those of other elven kingdoms. After all, they were primarily designed to withstand the elements and defend against the harassment of the Duruchi ships following the Great Split, rather than as aesthetic models; their practical value outweighed any elven aesthetic preferences.

Thus, a brand new territory combining port, city, and fortress came into being.

What Imralion saw at that moment was almost a replica of this design concept.

The only difference is that the builders changed from elves to lizardmen, and the architectural style also changed from the sculpted beauty of the elves to a simple and heavy structure of giant stones and rough wood.

The lower levels of Twilight Keep are a prime example of this type of layout.

In actual combat, while such designs may occasionally pose a risk of blocking access, they rarely lead to a truly desperate situation. These port territories often have more than one sea gate, and frequently also have land gates leading inland. Even if sea routes are blocked, messengers can still send out requests for help through various means. As long as the sea gates are held, reinforcements can arrive from all directions.

What had just happened was almost a version of a "Korsquie-style defensive response" by an alien race: the land gate leading to the temple city was unexpectedly opened, and the guards, the spirit lizards hiding in the passage, clearly controlled other exits. When the core passage under the pyramid was unsealed by Master Hui's power, the spirit lizards guarding it immediately slipped into the jungle through the other exit, notifying their tribes scattered in the wild.

As is well known, the lizard people reproduce using hatching pools.

As is well known, apart from Itazar, the hatching pools of other temple cities are usually located in...

Opening the channel is tantamount to directly exposing the lifeline of the entire community.

How could the lizardmen not be anxious?

Thus, the giant lizards and spirit lizards roaming the jungle surged back to reinforce the city, charging towards the team that had suddenly appeared in the heart of the city, determined to completely annihilate these uninvited guests.

"Amazing!" Eldrasil exclaimed softly.

“Full of vitality, all things flourishing!” Renn opened his arms, making an almost embracing gesture.

He had reason to make such a assessment, for here he felt a scorching, almost savage, vitality. Although this vitality, like that of Huzuma, was filled with contradictions and dislocations, like a civilization that had lost its way, still beating wildly on instinct.

After the exchange, Renn entered the passageway.

The passageways are interconnected: one leads to the hatching pool, another to the seaside cave below Casabe, and the rest extend like a spider web into the depths of the jungle.

He first inspected the hatching pool, which was about the same size as Huzuma's. The luminous liquid in the pool was still flowing slowly, and the pulse of life had not ceased. Then, he went to the seaside cave.

Clearly, the lizardmen who dwell in Casabe have abandoned their temple cities on the surface and instead shifted their focus of life and defense here. Relying on caves and jungles, they have built a dual defense line on land and water, vowing to protect the hatchery, the lifeblood of their race, to the death.

As for why there were gunshots...

Renn saw a shipyard that was not large in scale but had all the necessary facilities.

Several lizards were struggling to swim in the shallow water, circling a huge piece of driftwood, resisting the tide, and working together to push it towards the shipyard. Just from this scene, he could imagine the complete work chain: the tribe in the jungle was responsible for logging, the monitor lizards dragged the log to the edge of the cliff and threw it into the sea, and then the skilled swimmers lizards took over, finally transporting it to the shipyard.

"What are those?" Renn asked, pointing to the four long, slender ships moored beside the shipyard.

“A bird-shaped ship, in the form of the Chinese ship.” The well-informed Eldrasil squinted and examined it closely before replying, “Nebon made a copy.”

Rein nodded, his gaze then falling on the incongruous vessel beside the bird ship. He recognized its design: an ocean-going merchant ship in the Elsin Alvin style, used for both cargo and passengers, capable of mounting cannons, and serving as a warship when necessary.

They discovered Chupacoco on a ship like this back then.

He and the others stood at the highest point of the cave, where they could see the entire layout of the seaside caves. He raised his binoculars and looked towards the sea gate.

What makes this place so vibrant, besides the shipyard, is these two meticulously arranged gun emplacements.

The forts were located on both sides of the sea gate, each equipped with two cannons. The sea gate did not lead directly to the open sea, but was hidden at the bend of an "L" or "U" shaped strait.

Renn didn't know which one it was, because he couldn't see it due to the terrain. Perhaps he would have to go to the top of the Casabe pyramid to see, but of course, that didn't matter.

Importantly, any foreign vessel attempting to force its way through must slow down and turn here, and the moment it passes the corner and exposes its maximum side, it will be facing the already calibrated gun barrels.

Yes, artillery, Sigma Empire-standard artillery.

Raine could even determine its origin: a product of the Nunn Gunsmith, belonging to the same batch as the artillery seen in the third wave of the offensive.

At that time, the lizardmen used ankylosaurs, but instead of carrying solar engines or ballistae, they carried a cannon. Even more surprisingly, the spirit lizards guarding the ankylosaurs were wielding muskets.

A spirit lizard that can use a musket...

The telescope's lens reflected the cold gleam of the metal on the gun emplacement, intertwining with the busy figures in the shipyard. Everything here seemed to be silently telling the story that the Kasabe lizardmen were not only protecting, but also absorbing, transforming, and integrating, using an almost savage pragmatism to forge all available resources and technologies into shields and spears to sustain their race.

The simultaneous presence of muskets, cannons, and ocean-going merchant ships clearly indicates the underlying clues.

Renn could even visualize the entire scene in his mind.

That Elsin Alvin-style ocean-going merchant ship may have come for adventure, or simply to carry out ocean transport, or to avoid a storm, or even to be chased by the Spinosaurus active around the archipelago... In any case, it eventually arrived in the waters near Casabe.

Subsequently, it was targeted by the reptilian people who lived in the area.

Will it be nighttime?

Based on Renn's understanding of the lizardmen, this was highly likely. The darkness provided excellent cover for the lizardmen, and dealing with such a ship would not be difficult for them. They could quietly climb onto the deck in the middle of the night, without even needing to launch a direct assault. If the gun ports or hatches were not tightly closed, the lizardmen's size would be enough to sneak directly into the cabins.

The most difficult step has now been overcome. What follows is…

If it were the lizardmen of the continent of Lustria, they might have regarded the ship and its firearms as useless "foreign objects" and abandoned them, but the survivors of the Dragon Islands were different.

And so, change occurred.

Did the shipyard exist before this, or was it created because of this ship?
Raine didn't know; that would require asking the local administrators. But he was certain that the ship had been towed back by the lizardmen. Some of the ship's cannons were mounted on the gun emplacements on either side of the sea gate, while the rest were loaded onto the backs of ankylosaurs.

This might indirectly explain why the ancient warrior in Huzuma has a Nebon-style banner on his back, and why there are wooden walls and waterwheels there.

The lizardmen currently living on the Dragon Islands are demonstrating astonishing learning and adaptability. And the Dragon Islands, located in the Sea of ​​Fear, have never lacked outsiders who "bring" in new technologies.

After lingering for a moment, the group descended the stone steps. Passing through several heavily guarded sentries, they finally arrived at a workshop. This place, which should have been the site for forging armor and weapons for the lizardmen, was now devoid of the sounds of hammering metal. Instead, there were the low rumbles of grinding, mixing, and compacting.

Gunpowder is being produced here.

Unlike Huzuma, ruled by ancient warriors and lizard priests, Kasabe operates under a different system, with two lizard priests and seven lizard leaders jointly in charge. One priest oversees everything in the seaside caves, while the other is responsible for the tribes in the jungle; the seven leaders assist in their respective roles, managing military affairs, production, and hunting. Over five thousand lizards and hundreds of giant lizards gather here, but there isn't a single lizardman.

If Huzuma is a chieftain-tribal system, then Kasabe might be called a parliamentary-tribal system.
The term "lizardmen" seems no longer accurate in this context, as the Kasabe faction only includes spirit lizards and giant lizards.

Raine had not yet had a chance to ask for details, but he had already roughly sketched out the outline in his mind.

In the chaos before the restoration of order, the spirit lizard had only one purpose in the eyes of the lizard people: food!

Rather than compatriots or subordinates in the past society.

Therefore, even after the order is restarted in another way, the Kasabe, dominated by the spirit lizards, and the Huzuma, ruled by the lizardmen, remain irreconcilably opposed.

This also explains it.

Why don't the Kasabe spirit lizards reside within the temple city, where they would be easily overrun by the Huzuma lizardmen? Their optimal survival strategy is to retreat into the jungle, utilize the complex terrain to wage guerrilla warfare, and thus weaken Huzuma's forces.

Why must the spirit lizards of Huzuma be closely monitored by the lizard people? If they aren't, they'll really run away. Not only are the spirit lizard slaves captured, but even the native spirit lizards hatched in Huzuma will seize the opportunity to escape, and they'll run away with their giant lizard brothers.

So... the lizard priest who was executed by Master Hui didn't seem to have died unjustly?
Conversely, the same applies: lizardmen born in Casabe, upon encountering ancient warriors or even ordinary lizardmen, are attracted and assimilated due to a resonance of biological instincts. Racial characteristics suppress any acquired sense of belonging, making lizardmen an unreliable variable.

This is why the Kasabe faction consists only of spirit lizards and giant lizards. Here, lizardmen are no longer pillars of order, but potential rebels.

So... are the lizard priests who manage Kasabe and tacitly approve or even lead the "lizardless" policy also guilty?
How can we prevent the birth of lizardmen and avoid them becoming an asset to Huzzuma or a powder keg that could ignite Casabe?
Start with the incubation pool!

There is no more fundamental option than to nip it in the bud. But shouldn't the responsibility not be entirely placed on the lizard priests?
Because the mechanism of the incubation pool is what it is.

Is this a difficult moral choice? Or perhaps it's closer to a cruel logic of survival?

After wandering around for a while, the lizard priest who managed the seaside caves and had just met with Master Hui returned. Raine understood that Master Hui had forgiven the priest; otherwise, he wouldn't still be standing there.

The priest was initially surprised by Renn, a hot-blooded being who could speak the Lizardman language, but the surprise only lasted a moment before the conversation quickly got down to business. Gunpowder, also known as black powder, is mainly made of charcoal, potassium nitrate, and sulfur mixed in a certain proportion.

The charcoal was made by the spirit lizards themselves; the potassium nitrate was obtained from an open-pit nitrate mine in the jungle; as for the sulfur…

The island of Asylum is low in the west and high in the east, with volcanoes and mountains rising on the east side, providing Casabe with natural barriers, defensive advantages and mineral resources. This also explains why the lizardmen of Huzuma only have bronze weapons.
The terrain then drops sharply from the mountains to the coast, where instead of forming beaches, the area around Casabe becomes a sheer cliff overlooking the deep sea. This sea cliff has now become a natural fortress for the Casabe lizard to survive, resist, and rebuild.

Led by the lizard priest, the team, led by Rein, ventured deep into the workshop. There, they witnessed an even more astonishing sight: the lizard artisans were crafting muskets, but not as complete units. Instead, they employed a division of labor similar to an assembly line, with each lizard specializing in producing a large component, such as the stock; or working together to mass-produce smaller parts.

Inside the workshop, the sounds of hammering, grinding, and assembly blended together to create a scene of orderly busyness.

"Where's the barrel?" Ryan noticed the crucial missing part. He looked around for a long time and found all kinds of accessories, but there was no sign of the barrel's production.

Upon hearing this, the lizard priest straightened up, proudly puffed out his chest, and gently swayed his slender tail.

Renn pursed his lips.

Though he said nothing, his gesture said it all.

Clearly, this priest possessed pious magic, and in addition to managing the operation of the seaside cave, he was also personally responsible for forging gun barrels.

"If we hadn't arrived, who do you think would have won?" Imralion, always eager for drama, asked in a low voice. Through his observations along the way and Renn's brief explanations, he had a general understanding of the conflict unfolding on the island.

"What do you think?" Eldrasil didn't answer directly, but instead threw the question back at him.

“Although I hate this smell of saltpeter and sulfur,” Imralion sniffed, “I’m betting on this!”

"Times have changed?" Eldrasil asked sarcastically.

Imralion gave a dry laugh.

“I also think so,” Eldrasil said seriously.

Imralion spread his hands out and waved them casually in the air, revealing a slightly disappointed expression.

The two Asurs agreed on this matter; in their view, the lizardmen here were clearly preparing for war. Gunpowder and muskets—were they preparing for fireworks?

"What do you think?" Eldrasil looked at Renn.

“Just like you,” Renn replied briefly.

Imralion rolled his eyes.

Renn said nothing more and fell into deep thought.

This issue deserves in-depth analysis, but unfortunately, the outcome seems to have been predetermined.

Once Kasabe completes its preparations, it can employ flexible guerrilla tactics. With its natural talent for jungle movement, the Spirit Lizard can easily infiltrate the outskirts of Huzuma.

As for the lizardmen on Huzuma's side? There, they were civilians, slaves, not supporting the lizardmen in battle under the leadership of lizardmen leaders like they did on the continent of Rustria. Instead, they were used by the lizardmen, like in the southern jungles.

This left the lizardmen entering the jungle like heavily armored infantrymen without cavalry, scouts, and ranged support, isolated and clumsy.

The attack doesn't need to be a direct assault; a few artillery shots are enough to break down the wooden fence, and then the harassment should be over before retreating. After repeated attempts, Huzuma's spirit lizards will realize the danger and try to escape.

As time goes on, chaos will inevitably ensue within Huzuma, the conflict between the Lizard Priests and the Lizards will intensify, and production will stagnate or even collapse. The Lizardmen will then have no choice but to turn their attention to the Lizards... or the giant beasts of the jungle.

While the spirit lizard is no match for the lizardman in close combat, once it wields a musket...

It will be consumed gradually.

Therefore, Kasabe will ultimately prevail and become the ruler of Asylum. Perhaps... it could even iterate further, and after consolidating its rule, reintroduce or cultivate its own lizardman warriors?

Raine looked up, the firelight in the workshop flickering in the focused eyes of the spirit lizards. There was no incense from the temple, only the smell of gunpowder and sweat; no ancient rituals, only the rhythm of files and hammers. He felt as if he had arrived in Spikazuma.

A new order is quietly taking shape amidst the sounds of gunpowder and assembly lines.

Led by the lizard priest, Renn and his group arrived at the cannon factory located deeper inside the cave. If Darkus were here, he would immediately recognize that the lizards here used the lost-wax casting method for casting cannons, and that all the cannons they cast were bronze.

During the smelting and casting process, two slender fire lizards with orange-red scales can be seen taking turns breathing hot air at the kiln opening to keep the temperature of the molten copper stable.

Unfortunately, Rein and the elves were not skilled in forging, but that did not stop them from stopping to observe and being drawn to a very incongruous 'toy' in the distance.

It's called a toy, but it's actually a human being.

He wore rough, stained trousers, but his upper body was bare, covered in dazzling gold ornaments. Layers of thin gold plates hung from his chest for easy movement, and a gold collar with snake patterns fastened to his collarbone. There was even a finely forged abdominal armor attached to his abdomen. His arms were adorned with heavy gold armbands, and his elbows and wrists were decorated with gold bands inlaid with dull gemstones.

This outfit, a mix of shabby attire and exaggerated luxury, stood out starkly in this primitive workshop.

“Monkey?” Imralion’s brows furrowed, his tone carrying the usual disdain and sarcasm of an elf.

“It is the King,” Raine corrected in a serious tone, but his face was full of mockery.

"Hahaha."

"king?"

The accompanying Sea Guards and Shadow Hunters couldn't help but chuckle softly.

When the human realized that the newcomers were not lizardmen, it was as if he had seen a god suddenly appear in the darkness. He staggered toward them and, before the shadow hunters could even stop him, he slid to his knees with a thud, his arms outstretched in a gesture that was almost pleading.

Through intermittent communication, Raine learned that this human was from Tyrell and was originally the gunnery officer on that ocean-going merchant ship, responsible for gunpowder management, weapon maintenance, ammunition preparation, and safety supervision. He was a true technical expert.

The ship was captured three months ago. It wasn't a merchant vessel, but an adventure ship, so...

During the raid, most of the sailors died in their sleep and in battle, while some were captured and sacrificed.

Yeah, that's very Lizardman-like.

Another small group managed to survive by demonstrating their skills, but they couldn't adapt to the harsh environment and died one after another. In the end, only the gunner remained.

The lizards clearly recognized his value and began to "take good care" of him.

"Please... take me away from here." The human raised his head, his eyes sunken, his voice hoarse. "I can work for you, I can build cannons, mix gunpowder, repair muskets... take me anywhere!"

Raine silently watched the humans, his gaze sweeping over the gold ornaments on their bodies that allowed them to live a life of luxury in the old world. He then looked around at the spirit lizards who were silently polishing the bronze cannon barrels and the spirit lizard priests who were tilting their heads and looking at him, unable to understand what he and the humans were saying.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty,” Renn’s tone still carried a hint of teasing, but his eyes had hardened. “We’re not going the same way!”

The human opened his mouth, as if to beg.

Raine raised a hand to stop the human from speaking, and continued calmly, "And here..." He looked around at the molten arsenal, the busy spirit lizards, the piles of copper ore and finished cannons, "...they need you, and you need them too!"

The humans stood frozen in place, their hopes shattering bit by bit, turning into deathly paleness.

"Your skills are preserved here, your knowledge is treasured, even gilded with gold." Renn leaned slightly forward, his voice low but his words clear. "Come with us? Back in the old world, you'd be nothing more than a down-on-his-luck adventurer, or a mere craftsman under some lord. But here..."

He straightened up and looked toward the strait and forts that were faintly visible outside the passage in the distance.

"You are the forger of a rising fortress, the gunpowder instructor of a nascent army. You taught them how to make fire and metal sing, which is more valuable than you imagined!"

The man slumped to the ground, his golden collar swaying in the firelight, reflecting in his dazed eyes.

However, it didn't end there. Renn had been by Darkus's side for a long time and had learned a lot from him...

“He wants us to take him away.” He looked at the lizard priest.

The lizard priest snapped his head back to normal and looked at the human slumped on the ground with a stern gaze.

After searching around without finding any hidden passages, Renn and his group returned to the surface, set up camp, and rested. It was already afternoon.

The next day, the group continued their journey via the Ancient Sacred Path. (End of Chapter)