reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

Chapter 131 The Devilish Muscle Man

"Oh..."

Although Bai Ye had anticipated that the old lord would deal with his son who had attempted a coup, he hadn't expected the man to be so ruthless. To demonstrate his stance, he actually personally escorted his son to his death right there in the council hall.

It truly is a case of a loving father and a filial son.

And it seems that Bai Ye also played a part in this, as he brought Druqi to the old lord in a grand manner, putting him in a dilemma and ultimately forcing him to deal with the situation personally. After all, in this almost feudal territory, it seemed that no one dared to have their own father do this job.

However, this guy couldn't lash out at Bai Ye. After all, Bai Ye had helped him thwart the unstable factors within his territory and resolved the rebellious son's coup, which was a great help to him. He even had to say "thank you."

Moreover, the old lord's policy has always been to treat the infected kindly, and he needs the medicine and medical assistance provided by Rhodes Island. The problem now is that Longspring Town is too small, with only one infected doctor, and Rhodes Island has only built a outpost there and provided some medicine, which is far from enough for the infected in this old mining town.

Therefore, he needed Rhodes Island's assistance and certainly couldn't afford to antagonize White Night.

However, he didn't seem to want to continue communicating with Bai Ye. Clearly, when he swung his sword to stab, his heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface. Even though Bai Ye was a rebellious son who had been kicked out of the family, he was still his own flesh and blood. How could he not have any feelings for him?

Having gone through so much, the old lord was exhausted, so he handed over the subsequent negotiations to his daughter.

In fact, he also wanted to give his daughter a chance to grow up.

After all, the eldest son has already been sent away and covered with a white cloth, so the only one who can take his place is the daughter.

……

So now, the person discussing the next steps with Bai Ye is the one standing before him... the old lord's daughter, Pigal.

This was an incredibly strong, even robust, female warrior, all muscle. Compared to the previous Druchi, it seemed this one was the old lord's biological daughter.

He exuded power at first glance, and Bai Ye could sense from his posture and aura that he was a highly skilled warrior.

Is it really okay to have this guy come and talk to me?

Pigal looked at White Night and said:

"My father was one of the strongest warriors of the royal chieftain, and Changquan Town was a reward for his military achievements. My father was strong, kind, and upright. From my childhood, he always said that the Tula family was built on the blood and flesh of miners. In those years, my father amassed great wealth by mining Originium underground. But with that came the spread of Oripathy. At first, it only affected the miners, but later the disease spread throughout the town."

"After the shallow Originium mining was completed, my father closed the Originium mine and prohibited deeper mining. He established an infected community and sent people to protect them. He couldn't sit on the corpses of Originium patients and count gold coins with a clear conscience. He always hoped that Drucci and I could do better."

“I don’t know what Druci was exposed to while he was studying at Columbia. I just watched him become more and more sinister. It wasn’t until my father kicked him out of the house that I realized that the man was no longer my brother.”

“My father kicked him out in the hope that he would repent. He’s still quite intelligent; if he hadn’t made a mistake, he should be the one talking to you now,” Pigal said frankly.

It seems this guy is quite self-aware.

"Unfortunately, he did something unforgivable: betrayal."

“That Columbia company behind him, what’s Wall…” Pigal scratched his head.

“Volvotkochinski,” Bai Ye added for her, “a Columbia Technologies company that’s eyeing the Originium mines beneath your town.”

“Yes, we’ve known about them for a while now.” Pigal was clearly not hearing the name for the first time. “These *Sargon-swearing* Colombians have been haunting our Longspring territory for ages. I never expected they’d actually come after Druci.”

“They only care about profit,” Bai Ye comforted him. “I’ve met many lords, nobles, and mayors, but very few rulers like you. You are remarkable.”

Hearing Bai Ye's praise, Pigal was clearly much happier. Bai Ye became even more certain that this girl was not actually suitable to be a lord. She was too expressive, her emotions were too readily apparent, and she was impulsive. This kind of personality would cause her great trouble.

"However, have you considered that no one can understand your good intentions? Local healthy people will discriminate against and hate those infected, and incidentally, they will also be dissatisfied with your way of ruling."

"The infected may not understand your actions. They will want more, and the guards sent to protect them will see them as jailers, and the infected community as a prison for them."

"As for the wealthy upper class, they cannot accept the allocation of resources to the infected, and they are also dissatisfied with your father's decision to close the mines."

"In the end, you can't even get the support of any of them."

After a pause, Bai Ye sighed:

“You are indeed good people, but you are also good people who have done good deeds but have not been recognized by anyone.”

Pigal was silent for a moment, then shook her head:

"We don't need anyone else's approval; we only do what we believe in."

“I hope you can persevere. After all, if things continue like this, there might be a second Druci. Hmm, actually, I have another question. Is it really true that no one knows about Druci's conspiracy? Are any of your father's subordinates also helping him?” Bai Ye smiled.

Pigar, however, fell into deep thought.

Clearly, Bai Ye's words were not without merit. When Pigal went out, she often heard the townspeople's dissatisfaction with the infected community and the infected themselves. Each time she tried to explain, she found that their reluctance stemmed from fear of her own power, yet their thoughts remained unchanged.

The old lord's father is still alive, and perhaps he can still suppress all dissent through his prestige. However, his health is declining day by day. When she succeeds him, will she be able to continue to implement her ideals as the old lord did?

Is it only through force that she can deal with those who oppose her?

"Sir, now that you've raised these points, what are your countermeasures?"

Chapter 132 Special Persuasion Techniques

“Your mining area will be very difficult to protect. Don’t underestimate the Colombians’ determination to get their hands on the Originium mine,” Bai Ye said.

Indeed, this is the case. In order to obtain mining rights, they would not hesitate to wage a protracted proxy war against Letania and would continue to send mercenaries into Sargon.

"Perhaps this time they just want to achieve their goals relatively 'gently' through your brother. However, if they find it difficult to infiltrate you, they might not mind resorting to more drastic measures. At least, based on my understanding of these Colombians, they will not give up this Originium mine."

“So you’re asking me to hand over the Originium mine to those Colombians? If so, what difference would there be between me and Drucci?” Pigal stood up.

"The old lord closed the Originium mine because he didn't want locals to go there to mine, since miners have a high probability of becoming infected after coming into contact with Originium."

Pigal nodded at Bai Ye's words.

“However, on the contrary, if the mine is reopened without using the residents of your territory for mining, and solid waste, mining wastewater, and exhaust gas are properly treated to render them harmless, then the townspeople will not become infected, and the mine will not harm the surrounding environment,” Bai Ye continued.

Pilgrim seemed to have a premonition:

"what do you want to say?"

“At first, I just wanted to help the infected people here, but now I have a new idea.” Bai Ye also stood up and looked into the eyes of the muscular man in front of him. “If you trust me, you can transfer the mining rights of the mine to us. We will mine the Originium mine while ensuring that the infected people in your territory do not spread, and gradually build and improve the infrastructure of your territory.”

"To be honest, this place is quite primitive, which is an inevitable consequence of stopping mining and industrialization."

"..." Pigal frowned upon hearing this. Clearly, he wanted the mine. If it were before, she would have attacked him immediately.

However, what Bai Ye said to her at the beginning did influence her, making her hesitate now.

For a martial artist who is stubborn, xenophobic, and naturally distrustful of outsiders, hesitation and wavering are themselves a breakthrough. After all, this guy is usually very sensitive to the word "mine," and anything related to that word is usually not worth considering. A complete rejection is all he needs to do.

“What’s the difference between you and those people in Colombia?” Pigal asked, frowning.

Bai Ye smiled and said:

“Colombians, I know them too well. They only want to extract as much ore as possible from the mines, using force or profit to drive the residents of their territory to mine ore for them. They will only let these residents become infected without taking any measures. In essence, they do not treat you as human beings, but only as tools to generate profits for them.”

“They would use money to win over a small number of people in the upper class, then use these people to oppress the vast majority of the residents, and then take away all the minerals and profits, leaving behind a desolate town that has been completely destroyed. This kind of thing is nothing new in the land of Sargon.”

After a pause, Bai Ye continued:

"As for me, firstly, we won't use your residents to mine. Secondly, we will help you develop your territory and share the profits from the minerals with you in a reasonable proportion. At the same time, I will also use my personal connections to persuade Rhodes Island to establish a professional clinic for infected individuals in your territory to treat those infected with Oripathy. This is a win-win situation. Moreover, the influx of miners will boost your territory's economy through consumption. In other words, more people will come to buy your products."

"Of course, the most important thing is that since we have acquired the mining rights, Columbia's covetousness for your mines will shift to us. Simply put, your family's past policies of ruling the territory led them to regard your family as their enemy, but now, because we have taken over the mines, we have become their enemy. They will target us first, and that way, you will be safe."

Originally, Bai Ye only wanted to build a research institute. However, after seeing that she was discussing things with someone like Pigal, Bai Ye felt that being secretive would only lead to misunderstandings. In fact, Bai Ye even doubted whether this person could distinguish between a research institute and mineral mining. She figured with her limited knowledge, she couldn't possibly understand.

Since that's the case, it's better to be straightforward. Bai Ye believed that his chances of winning were still quite high. Although the Colombians had been contacting them in the past, they hadn't been as blatant as they were now, and they hadn't realized the threat those guys posed.

But things are different now. They're even planning to instigate the old lord's son to stage a coup. The direct threat has made them realize the danger, and their reaction will obviously change.

Bai Ye believed that the conditions he offered were quite good, at least better than those of the Colombians, and he could also make another fortune through the Originium mine.

Don't underestimate the Origin Stone Mine; on this land, it's the best business opportunity. Ursus's army and nobles monopolized the mobile cities by controlling the mines through military means, while Columbia was willing to wage war for the mines.

Originium ingots, processed from Originium ore, are the most valuable currency and a hard currency that circulates everywhere on this land, even more valuable than red gold.

“The Colombians are no match for me, nor for my father’s lord’s guard.” Pigal clenched his fist.

Clearly, she has more faith in her own abilities.

Bai Ye shook his head, then led Pigal to the vicinity of his camp.

"This is……?"

Pigal stared at the enormous, bizarre machine before him.

“This is a toy that the Colombians gave to Drucci.” With that, Bai Ye activated the TSW-2 ultrasonic shock device.

After seizing the device, Bai Ye brought it back to his camp and assembled it. Originally, Bai Ye only intended to test the toy's power, but he never expected to be able to use it to persuade Pigal.

"Try it, can you handle it?"

Pigal stood in front of the device, shield in hand.

Bai Ye then activated the device.

"Bam—"

A shockwave was released by the machine, and Pigal could even see the ripples that formed in the air after it vibrated. The next moment, the shockwave slammed into her shield.

In an instant, she felt herself being violently struck by something; her head spun, her arms went numb, as if she had been hit by a boulder hurled from a catapult. The shield shattered, and she was thrown back…

Chapter 133 Civilization and Barbarism

"Wow, this woman is amazing!"

Blitz stared in disbelief at Pigal, who had chosen to directly withstand the ultrasonic shock device.

He had witnessed the power of this thing firsthand; it could destroy an entire house in one fell swoop. Blitz didn't think his body was harder than bricks.

However, this person actually dared to stand in front of the device with a shield, and even actually took a hit.

Even though she had been knocked away and was flying all over the place, after Bai Ye shut down the device, Blitz found that the guy actually stood up again, swaying unsteadily.

She simply shook her head, shook her numb hands, and picked up the broken shield. Although she did appear to be injured, it wasn't serious and she was fine.

Aside from Blitz, the other Rainbow Squad members were also astonished. Although White Night had told them beforehand that the natives of Terra were all demi-humans, they hadn't expected that, in addition to their different physical characteristics, their constitutions seemed to be incredibly unusual as well.

This is a level of physical ability that ordinary humans cannot achieve.

"This is the first lesson you need to learn, and the first thing you need to understand after arriving here: everyone here is a little superhuman. Even races like Felin and Pero, which are not known for their physical abilities, are not comparable to the physiques of Earthlings. What's more, races like the Vayvans are inherently characterized by their extremely strong physical abilities and vitality."

"They can throw a ten-kilogram javelin more than ten meters away, and the sorcerers among them can throw huge fireballs out of thin air. These are just the most basic things... I think you won't be able to go back anytime soon. Perhaps you need to adapt to these strange things and understand the limits of what you can do."

As he spoke, Bai Ye pointed to the R4-C assault rifle in Ash's hand:

"This thing has some use, but it's not lethal against certain monsters. Your grenade launcher might be more useful, though you probably don't have many rounds of ammunition, right?"

Ash nodded.

“You still have a lot to learn and adapt to. Once things are settled here, you really need to take a good rest and catch up on your studies.” Bai Ye said as he put away the large toy device that Volvotkoczynski had “kindly sponsored” for him.

He then walked toward Pigal, took a vial of medicine from his pocket, and handed it to her.

"What is this?" Pigal looked at the crystalline liquid swaying in the glass bottle in his hand.

"The medicine I've prepared can effectively heal wounds and make you feel a little better."

Upon hearing this, Pigal opened the cork and drank it all in one gulp.

This astute martial artist relied on his intuition to judge that Bai Ye meant no harm and that the medicine he handed over was also safe.

"How are you feeling?" Bai Ye asked with a smile after Pigal caught his breath slightly. "The Colombian device."

Pigal tossed the medicine bottle to White Night:

"Aside from its large size, making it difficult to conceal, and its relatively fixed location making it immobile, it has no other drawbacks..."

After a pause, she continued:

"Although I'm reluctant to admit it, if it's disguised and set up on our only route, we'll be swept away by this thing without any warning... It's an excellent ambush trap."

Bai Ye nodded:

"The Columbia Corporation will hire Sarkaz mercenaries to conduct 'special military operations' in Sargon. The individual combat skills of the Sarkaz mercenaries are no worse than your lord's guard. With stronger equipment and better protection, you are probably no match for them. This is inherently an asymmetrical battle. They are just a little hesitant and dare not act openly. Their first step was to rely on a coup, which is a plausible method. Otherwise, Longspring Town would have been destroyed long ago."

White Night's words and the impact device just now tore through Pigal's pride and her defenses, revealing Longspring Town and the world beyond Sargon to Pigal.

"I'll go back and discuss it with my father first. Although I'm wavering now, I don't know... whether doing this is the right choice."

Pigal left in a hurry.

Bai Ye smiled.

"It's basically settled." He stretched. Not only could they take over the mine where the device was located, but they could also further develop the Originium mine—a win-win situation.

As for who else besides the locals would be willing to come to this primitive and isolated place to mine? Of course, it's the gamers.