Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 1016: Chapter 144: Reclaiming the Frost Fang Mountain Range and Obtaining the Book of Hatred (3)

”Old friend, don’t get excited.” Su Li leisurely sipped his fruit tea, ”Just think about it, once you return, rebuild the fortress, reopen the mine, what a glorious sight it will be? The names of Redbeard and Gray Rock will be etched once more upon the rocks of the Frost Fang Mountain Range! The foundation of your descendants will be solid. This money is an investment in the future. Moreover...”

He shifted the tone, with a hint of cunning: ”If you find it difficult to pay the compensation all at once, we can also do it in installments, or... offset it with equivalent weapons, equipment, and engineering services? The Hesse Territory is very much in need of the Dwarf’s fine armaments and sturdy fortification equipment now.”

Dorok huffed and puffed angrily, while Gesen fell into a prolonged silence, only the subconscious twitching of his fingers twiddling his beard indicating his intense internal deliberation. The call of the Frost Fang Mountain Range was bone-deep, but Su Li’s conditions were like a mountain weighing on his mind.

Eventually, Gesen raised his head, his gray-blue eyes meeting Su Li’s, his voice heavy like stone grinding: ”Lord Su Li, we need time... to discuss with our clansmen. Your terms... are very harsh. But the Frost Fang Mountain Range, we must return.”

Su Li displayed the smile of a victor: ”Of course, old friend. I understand. Be my guest. Meanwhile, during your discussions, my patrols will continue to clear the controllable areas around the Frost Fang Mountain Range. After all, safety first.”

This was a subtle reminder that the longer they delayed, the less chance there was for the dwarves to ”pick ready-made benefits,” and the smaller the areas they could ”develop autonomously.”

The two Dwarf Lords left with expressions of heaviness and deep thought. But Su Li was quite certain that the deal would most likely go through eventually.

Indeed, the very next day, the two Dwarf Lords found Su Li together, announced their agreement, and decided to each send out 500 Dwarf warriors to form a 1000-strong Alliance Army to conquer the Frost Fang Mountain Range alongside Su Li’s forces!

These 1000 Dwarf warriors were just the vanguard; after they initially cleared the monsters in the Frost Fang Mountain Range, they would establish a fortress in the northwest and southeast directions of the mountain range.

The Redbeard Clan’s fortress would remain in the southeast, facilitating contact with the Flash Spear City Plain. The Gray Rock Clan’s fortress would be in the northwest, facilitating contact with the Blue Mirror Territory Plain.

Both Dwarf Clans were quite wealthy, and they promised to directly pay the initial immigration fee of 20,000 Golden Crowns.

After the two fortresses were established, they would continue to immigrate dwarf women and children here, and this money would no longer be settled directly with gold coins. Instead, it would be paid off in installments using the profits from the Frost Fang Mountain Range, that is, the armor and weapons crafted by the dwarves and the ancient treasures unearthed.

And the action of these two clans was very swift, taking less than half a month to assemble the army and arrive at Rapids Castle.

Then the two lords found Su Li together, with Gesen Greyrock’s voice rough and possessing an undeniable decisiveness: ”Lord Su Li, the battle axes of Redbeard and Gray Rock, have been sharpened. The 1000 most resilient warriors are ready to march at any time! This is our preliminary ’sincerity’!”

As he spoke, he heavily placed a hefty, gold-crown-filled leather bag on the table, making a dull sound.

Though Dorok Redbeard still carried a slightly pained expression on his face, his eyes burned with a fierce longing for his homeland, his beard twitching upwards: ”Indeed! Let those scum who occupy the ancestral mines taste the wrath of the dwarves! 20,000 Golden Crowns, not a penny less! The remainder, we’ll repay slowly with the treasures we dig up and the fine steel hammered out from our forges!”

Su Li’s smile was more sincere this time. The dwarves’ actions far exceeded his expectations, and this enormous sum greatly enriched his coffers.

He immediately got up, the map was spread out once again, this time clearly marking the designated fortress locations of the dwarves—the southeastern Redbeard Stronghold guarding the pass to the Flash Spear City Plain, and the northwestern Gray Rock Stronghold overlooking the Blue Mirror Territory Plain.

”Excellent! Welcome home, old friends!” Su Li forcefully patted the broad shoulders of the two Dwarf Lords, ”The Hesse Territory’s army will fully cooperate with you, clearing out the core threats of the Frost Fang Mountain Range, laying the foundations for your fortresses!”

As he pointed his sword at the map, thousands of troops set off for the perilous battlefield, fought bloodily on the battlegrounds at his sword’s designation, expanding territories and driving out evil.

The alliance army was incredibly strong, with the warriors of the Redbeard Clan clad in red-bronze-edged heavy plate armor, wielding massive war axes and shield warhammers, their steps heavy and resolute, resembling moving steel fortresses, excelling in the Mountain Shield Array. The warriors of the Gray Rock Clan, on the other hand, were equipped with darker-toned, rock-patterned armor, adept at using long-handled warhammers and heavy crossbows, with more meticulous formations. Their miners and engineers followed closely behind, carrying heavy tool bags, and this clan’s miners and warriors were renowned throughout the Dwarf Kingdom.

The Hesse Territory’s forces provided mobility and long-range firepower. The Imperial Knights were responsible for reconnaissance and dispersing small-scale harassments, while a considerable number of firearms soldiers provided strong suppressive fire. Su Li also dispatched a team of experienced Rangers and Butchers skilled in rugged terrain combat, tasked with guiding and coordinating with the dwarf vanguard.

The alliance army entered the Frost Fang Mountain Range, and the war quickly erupted. The first hard battle occurred in a perilous place named Stone Throat Pass. This was once an important checkpoint on an ancient Dwarf trading route, but now it was occupied by a large number of beastmen and fallen bandits. They utilized the natural caves above the pass and the collapsed Dwarf fortifications to their advantage, hurling boulders and incendiaries, with the narrow passages making it difficult for the Dwarves’ heavy phalanxes to fully deploy.