Chapter 141: The Value of Ant-Man

The mountainous region on the west side of Victor’s territory. The secret fortress was built on top of a hill over 500 meters high. The hill is surrounded by mountains on three sides and backed by a thousand-meter cliff, beneath which lies the mist-shrouded Lizard Swamp.

Victor was very satisfied with the location of the secret fortress. The three interlocking hills served as natural barriers, enclosing the hill where the fortress stood and leaving only two treacherous mountain passes connected to the outside world. At the foot of the fortress hill were two valleys, covering an area of nearly 3,000 mu. A mountain stream flowed through the valley floor, and brick kilns, blacksmith shops, farms, and hundreds of mu of farmland were distributed on both sides of the stream.

Dozens of sturdy militiamen pushed heavy carts, continuously delivering finished rock bricks to the summit. The tall and robust Ox-man militiamen transported several times more bricks in a single trip than the agile Monkey-man militiamen. With sufficient manpower, the construction speed of the fortress had increased many times over. So far, the fortress had reached a height of 16 meters, and Victor estimated that it would be completed in another 40 days.

By then, relying on the fortress, he could advance or retreat at will, which would truly mean controlling this mountainous area. However, although this secret base was well-hidden and easy to defend, it lacked an escape route, much like the hill camp. Thinking of this, Victor walked to the back of the construction site and looked down at the cliff. Seeing the 976-meter drop, he couldn't help but frown.

Victor turned to Busuo, who was following him, and asked, "Is there any way to build an escape route?"

"My Lord, we could build a hoist with iron cables, carving footholds into the cliff face and using them to construct the hoist system to reach the bottom of the cliff safely. To save iron, I suggest placing the hoist at the valley floor. This way, the cliff drop is only about 500 meters, and the length of the iron cables can be halved," Busuo replied.

Victor thought for a moment and nodded. "First, forge weapons and equipment for 1,200 men. Once we find new mineral veins, we will consider building the hoist."

Just as they were speaking, the militiaman Jack walked over and reported, "My Lord, the Ant-man leader's corpse has been brought back. It is well-preserved, and there is no sign of elemental dissipation."

Although he had expected it, Victor’s pupils still contracted slightly. Elemental dissipation was a phenomenon where the bodies of alchemical units, upon death, rapidly decomposed into void elements through decay. The process took no more than ten days, after which the corpse would vanish entirely. This was a key characteristic that distinguished alchemical creatures from natural ones.

Victor had noticed that Ant-men would devour the corpses of their own kind but would not touch those of war hounds. Combined with the Ant-man leader's 30 points of vitality, he suspected that the Ant-men might be a form of natural life—a type of natural life related to the Alchemy Tower. To verify this, Victor had planned and executed the mission to hunt the leader. By taking measures to mask their scent and preserve the body, the colony did not realize their leader had been killed. Later, Victor used the same method to dispose of three retreating Ant-man leaders.

"Take me to see it!" The Ant-man leader was a Silver-tier monster, and Victor was there today to confirm its value.

Upon arriving at the blacksmith shop, several alchemical militiamen were expertly dissecting the corpse with sharp Thulium knives. The pitch-black shell had already been stripped away, revealing the dark green flesh. A pungent, fishy odor filled the room, and after lingering for a moment, Victor retreated outside.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Victor asked, "Jack, does this Ant-man corpse have any value?"

"My Lord, the carapace and tendons are Grade 2 materials. The heart was also a Grade 2 material, but it is useless now due to blood loss," Jack replied quickly; collecting materials was his specialty.

"What is the use of an Ant-man leader's heart?" Victor knew the uses of the carapace and tendons, but he was curious why the heart was also considered a Grade 2 material.

"It can be used as a raw material for alchemical potions."

Jack’s answer caused Victor to lose interest. Alchemical potions were numerous and powerful; some could even directly increase a human's elemental attributes. Victor had coveted their power, but unfortunately, the alchemical militiamen could only identify materials and did not know how to brew potions. Moreover, according to Renault, potions had to be crafted by an alchemist. The Alchemical Empire had been gone for tens of thousands of years; one would be hard-pressed to find even the dust of an alchemist.

"Can the carapace and tendons be used to craft Thulium armor and heavy crossbows?" Victor asked with anticipation.

"Yes," Busuo answered firmly, and Victor breathed a sigh of relief.

The power of the Thulium heavy crossbow was unquestionable, but due to a lack of high-quality tendon material, Busuo had been unable to continue production. Victor had a sudden inspiration, casting his gaze upon the Silver-tier Ant-man leader. If the tendons of a Dire Bear could serve as bowstrings, the leader's tendons should work as well. Thus, Victor had added the step of processing the leader's corpse to his battle plan.

To prevent the colony from finding the body, Victor had ordered a 10-meter-deep pit to be dug, along with the use of antiseptic herbs and scent-masking leaves. After ten days of burial, confirming the colony could no longer track it, he had the militiamen dig it up for processing. The leader's value was indeed immense, and Victor was not disappointed.

"Busuo, how many Thulium heavy crossbows and sets of armor can this corpse produce?" Victor asked with a smile.

"Enough to make six heavy crossbows and one set of Thulium armor," Busuo replied.

"Are you sure it’s six, not three?" Beside himself with surprise, Victor was still skeptical. The Dire Bear’s tendons had only produced four crossbows, and the leader was significantly smaller than the bear.

"My Lord, the leader's tendons are very thick. After segmentation, they can absolutely produce six crossbows. However, Grade 2 tendons are very tough; we will need knives made of Adamantine and Thulium to finish the work," Busuo explained.

"I will solve the Adamantine issue." Adamantine was expensive and made weapons stronger and sharper, but unlike Mithril, it was not in such short supply; it could still be traded for on the market. Victor frowned and asked, "How does the armor made from the carapace compare to my current dual-silver leather armor?"

"My Lord, your dual-silver leather armor is Grade 3. The carapace is a Grade 2 material, which is a whole tier higher," Busuo said. "Armor made from the carapace will have 50% more defense, 30% less weight, and excellent breathability."

Taking a deep breath, Victor felt overwhelmed by his good fortune. There were over 5,000 Ant-men remaining in the territory. Based on the assumption that one leader controlled 400, there were at least 13 leaders left, plus those retreating from the Viscounty of Buriat and the Earldom of Chapman. Victor estimated he could intercept at least 50 leaders. If he killed them all, he could produce 300 Thulium heavy crossbows and 50 sets of top-tier armor. He hadn't intended to let a single one escape, and now he was even more determined.

"Prepare the dog cart. I am going to hunt Ant-man leaders," Victor said, his eyes gleaming with greed.

***

By evening, the banquet hall of Black Castle was illuminated as bright as day by hundreds of water-lizard oil candles. A dozen formidable warriors in armor stood motionless with halberds around the hall, while graceful maids moved lightly to serve delicacies onto the long dining table. The bright candlelight, the solemn warriors, the lithe maids, and the endless array of food wove a scene of a grand noble banquet.

"Viscount Tenis, you are a famous gourmet among the nobles of the Royal Capital. Please, give me your critique of this steamed white-bellied fin fish," the plump Duke York said with a beaming smile.

Viscount Tenis set down his silver cutlery, revealing an elegant smile, and said politely, "Duke, this is a delicacy I have never tasted before. I suspect you must have acquired several Halfling recipes, as the previous dishes were equally excellent."

Seeing the slightly stiff smile on Tenis's face, the gloom in Duke York's heart vanished. On the way back to the Centaur Hills, this envoy from the Royal Capital had been humble and polite, his demeanor beyond reproach. However, behind his elegant facade lay a deep sense of superiority—he fretted over whether to step into a carriage with his left or right foot first, and insisted on having a soft cushion placed on his seat. Duke York was angry, very angry. He had to show this arrogant, pretty-boy from the capital what a thousand-year-old family and true noble heritage meant. Back at the castle, he had treated the envoy to a lavish feast, and the two chefs, who were used to looking down on others, had certainly not shamed him. York decided to elevate them to vassals; their Goat Inn had been demolished anyway.

"To receive the recognition of a gourmet from the capital puts my mind at ease. Please, Viscount Tenis, enjoy the meal to your heart's content," Duke York urged, holding his chopsticks. He wanted to see Tenis look uncomfortable again.

Tenis's elegant smile grew stiffer; he wanted nothing more than to punch the Duke's fat face. As a court noble, Tenis was known for his grace and courtesy, maintaining his composure even when facing a powerful noble like Duke York. But this banquet made him feel like a complete bumpkin.

The Duke's banquet was unworthy of mention, and Tenis could find many faults—for instance, why were the guards wearing real armor? Did they think they were on a battlefield? And the beautiful maids—their high-slit skirts revealed long, white legs, which were attractive, but their gait was far too vigorous. They even had calluses on their palms from sword practice! These weren't maids; they were trained swordswomen. Using elite warriors as a guard of honor and swordswomen as maids was unprofessional and rude to guests.

Tenis sneered inwardly while chatting calmly with the Duke. But when the dishes were served, he was shocked to find he didn't recognize a single one. How was a Viscount to eat dishes he didn't know? Every dish had its own unique etiquette. So, he asked the Duke with great reserve how one was supposed to enjoy such food. The Duke had a maid bring everyone two short ivory sticks and demonstrated how to use these unique utensils—and that was when the Viscount made a fool of himself.

Tenis pressed his hands to the table and smiled at the Duke. "Thank you for your hospitality, I am full."

"What a pity, the main course hasn't even been served yet. Sir Romon, Lady Winnie, don't be shy. Please, enjoy," Duke York said with a smile to Tenis’s two attendant knights.

Tenis looked back to see his two companions using the sticks with ease, and he almost vomited blood. He coughed and said, "Ahem, Duke, after the investiture ceremony tomorrow, I must go to confer the title of Viscount upon Victor. However, the journey to Victor’s territory is long, and I hope you can send knights to escort my carriage."

"My knights are busy fighting the Ant-men; I fear they cannot escort you to Victor’s territory. I can only send a cavalry squadron to guide you. Furthermore, I suggest you abandon the carriage and travel on horseback," Duke York replied.

Tenis was startled and said in a low voice, "Duke, I heard that Viscount Victor’s castle was destroyed by Ant-men. How am I to find him in the wilderness? I fear we will be searching for days. Although I have my two companions, I hear there are many Ant-men in his territory. As you know, if we cannot find him, his title cannot be conferred."

"If you do not provoke the Ant-men, they will not attack you. As for finding Viscount Victor, it is quite simple. Once you enter his territory, he will find you," Duke York said significantly.

Tenis wisely chose not to ask how Victor would find them; if they couldn't find him, they would simply leave. He pondered for a moment and asked, "My Lord, I need to know the purpose of the small fief to the north of Viscount Victor."

"Baron Victor... oh, excuse me, Viscount Victor. He is a man of great vision; he intends to establish the first barrier there to resist the monsters of the North."

Viscount Tenis, "..."