The fisherman druid is in another world

Chapter 400 Faust's Advance

Faust returns to the Tidal Tower on his warhorse.

The tidal tower is located on the Great Atoll, which is the most famous natural landmark in the entire wetland.

As a son of nature, Faust likes such natural wonders, not to mention that the atoll is a strategic location.

To the north of the Great Atoll is the largest peninsula in the country, Samasia, which means the garden of the water god Sama.

Samasia is not a lowland submerged in water, but a normal island. Influenced by the warm and humid climate of the ocean, it has beautiful and pleasant scenery, with mountains, rivers, plains and forests. As far as the entire swampland is concerned, it is also a rare good place.

But the point is not this, but its strategic value.

Through Samasia, the Marshlanders were able to send large fleets at a relatively low cost, bypassing the snowy mountains in the north of the Marshland and reaching the kingdom's territory.

The territory of the kingdom was newly acquired. In recent years, the kingdom had been plagued by troubles all over the country, and the lords, both big and small, were so overwhelmed that they did not have enough power to rule the land that had been incorporated into the kingdom for no more than fifty years, and they could only let it run wild.

In this context, once the evil forces use Samasia as a springboard, it will be easy for them to establish a bridgehead there and start a new round of conquests.

Of course, Faust does not want the water demon to gain this benefit.

This was another reason why he insisted on establishing the northern refuges.

For example, the New 22 Fortress did not even have enough space for refugees, so four settlements were opened around the core castle, and the rest were stationed to guard the castle. It can be said to be a small town.

But it is the closest fortress to Samasia. Airships and aerospace ships can at least use it as a base for some deployment.

There is a saying that goes, even if you have air superiority, you still need infantry to occupy it before you can truly gain a foothold. This is not only symbolic, but also has practical significance in many aspects such as resource storage, transit and supply.

The simplest thing is that with this base, the aerospace ships and airships can be in a docking and replenishment state. Without it, they can only be in an air patrol state. The nature is different.

You may not be short of money, but whether the officers and soldiers can get proper rest and relax in moderation is important. You can't send a whole flower boat to accompany them, right?
It has to be said that every era has its limitations. In the era that Pastor Luo lived in, werewolves, including the White Wolf Legion, were able to maintain strict military discipline and a very high level of order.

But in the final analysis, it was not the people's army, but the lord's army, a feudal army.

Even if one is armed with the belief in the true God, it can only allow a part of them to become the top trend, with glory above all else.

Others, even the so-called fanatic legions, also need to take breaks. They can fight to the death, risking their lives and looking death in the face of danger, or they can live like ascetics, but these are only short-lived and they need special release afterwards.

Therefore, even a regular werewolf corps can only avoid bringing some bad habits into the barracks, such as drinking and sex. But during vacation, as long as they don't bully others, the officers and soldiers are free to play as they please.

In fact, only by giving this freedom can the purpose of vacation be achieved.

Human nature, customs, times, social environment... all combined together determine the upper limit.

Venture capital firms like the one Lena Sparks works for came here following the smell.

Faust charged ahead, while Lena opened up new markets behind.

The airships brought in not only food, drinks, and daily commodities from outside, but also culture and customs. The swamp clams were considered extraordinary creatures, so they were transported outside for more than just a taste of something new. Not to mention the golden pearls that were only produced in the swamps.

Moreover, the marshland has more than just clams as a commodity.

Let's take a simple example. There are so many mosquitoes in the marshland that they eat people. How do the locals solve the problem? Do they really turn themselves into mud sticks? The skin needs to breathe, so how can you keep it covered with mud?

So, in fact, people have a secret recipe for mosquito repellent that has been passed down from generation to generation. It can be applied externally or taken internally, and it is very effective. This is a good thing.

There are still some special products like this. The locals may not think so, but if you take them to other places, they will be special-effect or miraculous products and there will be no worries about not being able to sell them.

Venture companies can intervene early and sort out brand reputation and consumer habits, so the value here is naturally huge.

But Faust didn't expect that Lena Sparks would come to the Tidal Tower.

Modern people can immediately tell that the Great Atoll was formed by a meteorite impact. There is a circle of circular reefs around it, and a peak is formed in the center. The tidal tower is built on the peak.

The seamless natural foundation is like the tip of a bamboo shoot, rising from the ground.

This tower was not built by Faust, but an ancient building in Zeguo. It has been renovated several times and is said to have belonged to a Sama priest with great magical powers.

When Faust arrived, he did not see any priests, or even anyone.

The reason why there was no one here was not difficult to understand. The minions of the evil god occupied this place, and then they were all killed by him in one breath.

This is not the kind of wizard's tower that gathers extraordinary powers, at least not originally.

Now!
The spherical dome spire that once had a marshland feel now looks like a chess rook. Or, the top of a torch that looks solid on its base now looks like a brazier.

Its overall color is gray-blue, between stone and metal. It has the delicacy of marble but without its luster, and the texture of steel but without its coldness and hardness. Its surface is rippling with light, just like the irregular light net formed on the sand sea by sunlight shining into the bottom of the rippling sea.

And in the brazier, there was a blazing icy flame.

The power of the water element has reached an unimaginable concentration in this tower, which fully deserves its name, the Tidal Tower. This tower alone is enough to create huge tidal waves.

It is a seamless whole with no visible door and no regular way to enter.

It constructs a water barrier with the outer reef rocks of the large atoll as its border, and in the sea pool inside it, the water seems to be frozen, forming a solid and smooth floor.

It should be said that it is more like a glass panel, and the kind with floor lamps.

The water-blue luster roams underneath, and the soft water-blue light is projected upwards. It is not bright and numerous, but it creates a magnificent and elegant scene.

The reason for all this is naturally not that Faust is trying to create a down-to-earth and extraordinary stage.

Like Pastor Luo, he pays more attention to practical benefits than external appearance, but he does not reject beauty. If it can also be pleasing to the eye, he does not mind spending a little effort.

This tidal tower has become what it is today.

Lena Sparks was waiting for Faust outside the Pure Water Boundary. Seeing him approaching on horseback, she said with compliments, "You always create shocking legends."

Faust flicked the collar of his raincoat, and immediately countless snowflakes flew off the raincoat.

This is the cold-resistant equipment of the swamp people, which has been modified by Faust. Ordinary straw raincoats do not have such a cool and convenient water-removing effect.

"I have a good teacher." Faust responded to Lena's compliment.

Then he raised his hand and granted Lena Spark the power to enter and exit the pure water barrier.

As soon as Lena pulled the magic rope, the rope immediately pulled her back to the deck of the airship. Soon after, the airship successfully entered the pure water barrier.

The pure water barrier is transparent, but the scene inside is not necessarily real. It can also be an illusion that people outside want to see.

Lena's Flying Flame airship is a magic ship. When the buoyancy bladder is retracted, the sails and oars will shine with blue magic light of wind element, making it float to the ground.

But Lena still needed the magic rope to get off the boat. She didn't like walking along the stairs because it was too slow.

“It’s beautiful here, but it’s just too high-profile.”

Faust smiled noncommittally. Half a month had passed since Tahir reported the results of the rescue operation to him and decided to officially end the operation. The evil gods in the core area of ​​the marshland and the coastal area still hadn't made any major moves, so Faust started to wait for the opportunity.

Samasia Island and even the Tidal Tower are concrete results. In a sense, it is like using a sharp knife to hold the soft belly of the evil god's forces. Because flight reconnaissance confirmed that the evil god's faction did not develop a decent navy during the half year of conquering the marshland, and it seems that there is no strong coastal defense, such as fortresses or military camps suitable for garrisoning troops.

Winter in the marshland is colder than many people imagine. On the one hand, the humidity and sea breeze make the perceived temperature lower than the actual temperature. On the other hand, the special nature of the Silent Sea makes the environment here like a desert area, with a large temperature difference between winter and summer, and between day and night.

This is also why Faust himself followed the local customs and put on a straw raincoat to resist the invasion of the wet and cold sea breeze in winter.

In such cold weather, without facilities such as military camps, it is impossible for troops to be stationed for a long time and maintain good combat capabilities.

Even extraordinary armies are affected by the natural environment. Ice and cold can make metal brittle and lose its proper performance, and can also cause the puppet army to encounter various situations.

Some people may ask, isn't it cold? There is nothing that can't be solved by a bonfire, or two.

That's true, but the problem is that there are basically no decent trees in the areas where the marshes are flooded by seawater, and it is difficult to find enough fuel to make a fire.

How do people in the marsh use fire? This involves the industry chain related to the marsh, including cultivated algae and artificially produced peat.

Moreover, the people of the swamp use fire in a centralized manner, similar to a village with only one bakery, and try to minimize the use of fire. They only make baked goods such as fried noodles that can be stored for a long time at one time, and mix them with water when eating, making them into a paste or muddy food.

The situation is better in the deep part of the swamp, because it is a freshwater swamp, and the vegetation types and abundance are much higher than those in the area where seawater intrusion occurs, but habits have been formed, and the amount of fire used is also far less than that of humans living in other areas.

In short, warming yourself by a fire in winter is a luxury, and the cold has to be borne entirely by the body. The problem is that the sea breeze is not blocked and goes straight inland, and the humidity and strong winds will quickly take away people's body temperature. Therefore, without barracks facilities, people cannot stay for a long time and still maintain their condition.

This objective factor means that one can roughly estimate the defensive and combat capabilities of the evil gods in this area simply by looking at the layout of fortresses and military camps in the coastal area.

Moreover, from the sea side, they could directly reach the important towns in the marshland. However, if they marched from the various refuges, they would have to march for several days, and the supply lines of the two were completely different.

This is why the coastline is the soft belly of the water evil god's forces, and Faust is willing to show his knife here.

"Tell me the purpose of your visit. What is it that has you rushing to a place like this to see me?"

Lena, who knew Faust's character, said bluntly: "The company has set its sights on Samasia Island."

Faust frowned. "Have the top executives of your company become so arrogant that they are testing my bottom line? It's not enough to make money, but you also want to occupy strategic locations. What do you want to do?"

"Don't be angry. As far as I know, the company really only looks at things from a business perspective. According to what you said, the Lava Barrier is also the northern gateway to the entire Igneous Basin. You can just sell off such an important facility if you want."

"They are different in nature. The Marshlanders are a foreign country, while Samasia Island is a springboard between that country and the kingdom. It is also a springboard from the ocean. The area is not small, and it has basically everything an island should have, including a natural deep-water port. This is something that a lava barrier cannot compare to.

Not to mention that the evil gods are now entrenched in the Marshland, even if there are no evil gods, this place is very sensitive. The people of the Marshland have never developed it, but only regard it as a garden of gods. It is not simply that they do not have the technology and financial resources to develop it, there are political considerations here. "

Lena shrugged. "Well, I thought you didn't care about anything in this world."

"I really don't care much about worldly royal power, whether it's a kingdom, a marshland, or your company's ambitious business empire, none of them can withstand the erosion of time. I can stand by the river and watch you rise and fall.

But this doesn't mean I'm a fool, nor does it mean I'm happy to be your tool for expanding your territory.

After all, what you can offer me is not something indispensable. It is far from being worth the heavy burden I bear for your cause.

Although I learn from my teacher and don’t care about worldly reputation, my teacher and I both care about the actual impact of our actions. It’s not about meeting a certain secular standard, but about not crossing the line we have drawn in our hearts. ”

Lena curled her lips and said, "I don't quite understand. A powerful and progressive organization breaks down the barriers between countries and brings order and prosperity to the civilizations of the entire continent. Isn't this better than the current situation where bandits are rampant, wars are endless, and people are living in misery?

Moreover, we do not conquer by force as the main means, but through commerce, bringing wealth and opportunities, bringing technology and development. Freedom to buy and sell..."

Faust directly reached out his hand to stop Lena from continuing to preach: "I am not necessarily inferior to you in using commodities as weapons to capture cities and territories.

After all, the system my teacher established in the Dark Forest, from technology to production, I wouldn’t say it beats all the known civilizations in the world, but it is definitely one of the best.

The people of this isolated marshland were still captured without any problems of acclimatization.

Why didn't my teacher try his best to promote the Dark Forest model to this continent? Doesn't he want to see the mortals living well?
Obviously not. He was willing to give the Avoria werewolves a chance when they were extinct. He let the werewolves in the Dark Forest cooperate with my actions in the swamp to complete the great rescue. All of these show that he doesn't mind the system and technology he spreads to benefit more people.

One of the things that really made him make a cautious decision in this regard was his excessive interference in the civilizations of this world, which led to the destructive nature of civilizational characteristics.

My teacher once said something that I deeply agree with. He said that if there is only one kind of tree in a forest, it must not be a work of nature. "

In fact, in addition to the homogeneity of civilization and the fragility and susceptibility to extinction caused by unnatural forcing, Pastor Luo is also worried that the great unification will be exploited by those with ulterior motives.

The specific one being referred to is of course the evil god.

The evil god steals the royal power to gain the ability to rule civilization and create a distorted world. This is a very practical plan to confront the way of heaven.

In the middle and late stages of the evolution of the universe, life, especially intelligent spirits, are the variables of evolution. If we master these variables, we will control the direction of the evolution of the universe.

Therefore, at least before he is sure to kill all his peers, Pastor Luo will not allow a unified civilization to emerge, no matter how great and glorious this civilization may appear.

As for what happened afterwards, Pastor Luo had already thought about the future outcome of the main force to which he taught technology - the lost legendary civilization.

To put it bluntly, it is a tool force created by him to do things better. The members of this force enjoy the advantages of system, technology and results provided by him, and the price is to be used by him and return the principal when the time is right.

The extraordinary technology will be withdrawn, and the Moon God faith will be closed. Only the more basic parts will be left to enable it to maintain people's livelihood. And if this force wants to climb the peak of technology again, it is possible to restore the old view of the peak period.

This artificial, low-intensity technical recession is for Pastor Luo to fulfill his understanding of the concept of "professionalism".

It's like a thief who breaks into a house and steals things he thinks are valuable, but leaves the rest of the furnishings almost untouched, and doesn't forget to close the door or lock the window when leaving.

Of course, some things were not said to Faust. Even so, Faust still agreed with Father Luo's statement that "excessive interference in the growth of civilization is tantamount to erasing the uniqueness and future of civilization."

Looking at the Marshland refugees, he has tried his best to help them preserve their inherent industries, beliefs, and cultural customs. However, the Marshland refugees still inevitably regard the cognition and preferences of the werewolves as superior, worshiping and imitating them, as if the werewolves' farts are fragrant.

At the same time, the Marshland refugees quickly abandoned the culture and customs that had been passed down for thousands of years, and Faust even took the initiative to suppress some radical practices.

It is difficult to tell whether these radicals really believe that fully accepting foreign culture is the right choice, or whether they are just fawning in an alternative way.

In short, he couldn't stand their idea that "the inherent culture of the swamp people is all rubbish" and their radical approach of seeking recognition from others, but this thing has become morally correct in all the shelters, as if not recognizing it means not being grateful. In the end, he had to give orders as a savior to stop this trend in time.

He himself found it ironic and funny that he used the identity of a savior for the first time, and perhaps the only time, in order to curb the disguised excessive worship of him by the people he saved.

His own personal experience made him realize the "non-violent erosion" of civilization, so he not only recognized the ideas of Pastor Luo, but also began to be wary of the methods of the World Trade Venture Capital Company. It happened that the company sent Lena to test his bottom line this time, so he took the opportunity to hit him.

Lena actually didn't have such a grand and far-reaching vision. She was just a manager who thought about her own performance and how to make more money. If she had to say that she had an ideal, she thought that opening up trade routes and achieving commodity exchanges between different regions was a good thing that benefited both herself and others, and it could be done on a large scale.

But now that Faust had warned her, she would report it seriously. She didn't want to lose this important person. And from a personal perspective, although Faust was not particularly easy to get along with, he was definitely not difficult to get along with.

So the next step was to consolidate the friendship. Lena used her own company's channels to transport a batch of rare ingredients from a distant place to replenish Faust's severely depleted food warehouse.

Faust likes cooking and is willing to share delicious food. Since coming to the swamp, he has basically been eating with more or less local people, as well as werewolves, and the food is consumed quickly.

Lena had replenished his supplies several times before, but the abundance and scarcity of the supplies this time were the result of months of planning, mobilization, and transportation. The cost of keeping them fresh was very high.

It was originally used to curry favor with Faust, and now it is used to make amends, which is also a reasonable explanation.

For halflings, delicious food is the best panacea for relieving fatigue. Eating a feast of rich food helped Faust to get rid of the physical and mental fatigue of these days.

He thought excitedly that if the evil god still didn't make any move, he might as well step on his face and drill into his eyes. In short, he had to force a reaction out of him. Otherwise, he would feel uneasy, as he always felt that the other party was holding back some big move!
(End of this chapter)