Green Monster Epic

Chapter 342 Gray Industry

Half a month later, the second batch of reinforcements from Snowfield that Allen and the others had been anticipating finally arrived late.

When Allen saw the second army from Snowfield, with a scale of over three thousand, he was very happy for the Centaur tribes on the grassland.

In the past half month, Allen had also carefully inquired about the number of troops arriving in the wilderness, which was at least twice the size of the first reinforcements, which also meant that the alliance members in Mansa City had finally reached an agreement, and the support for the Centaur Grassland was even stronger.

Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Allen and the others.

As Nicksar, another commander of Snowfield, connected with Fisher and completed the handover, Allen's return journey was also put on the agenda.

When they came, Allen's team included 16 members, including himself, and Snowfield's forces attacked a scale of a thousand people; when they returned, the Green Lake Adventurer Team had only 9 people left.

Allen lost 7 excellent juniors, and the surviving population of Snowfield's forces was only over 160 people, half of whom were warriors from other affiliated tribes of Snowfield.

Calculating it this way, Allen and the Green Field tribe warriors were actually lucky, at least their casualty rate was much better than that of other tribes.

Of course, this was also due to the tacit cooperation and strong strength of Cole's team, as well as Tom's excellent command choices.

More than two years of experience has brought considerable gains to the young people like Cole and the others: now Cole, Shusheng, and Kerry have all reached the peak of level 12, and may break through to the high level at any time.

Others such as Tom, Barrington, and Bush have also increased their strength by at least one or two levels; and Linnaeus, the little brat, has now reached level 8 Druid.

As long as he transforms his research on dire wolves over the years into practical results and completes the dire wolf transformation, he will become the first advanced spellcaster in the Green Field Tribe - a Claw Druid.

Linnaeus has great confidence in this.

Although he had been stuck at level 6 Druid before, he spent a lot of money to buy Little White as a companion, and he had accumulated countless dire wolf knowledge from it.

Now that he has the support of level, mana, and mental power, he will soon be able to complete the dire wolf transformation.

"What are you doing? Aren't you afraid of trouble?"

On the way back, Allen spent some money to purchase a dozen pairs of ordinary horses and a lot of cattle and livestock from a temporary trading market opened by a Centaur.

At this time, Allen was leading Cole and the others in a flustered manner to drive these livestock, and Fisher, who was watching the excitement, couldn't help but jokingly ask.

"Isn't it because we are going back to the Green Field Plain? I thought about buying some livestock back from here, maybe it will be useful in the future."

Allen didn't hide the reason for buying these livestock, and there was no need to hide it.

Anyway, large tribes raise all kinds of livestock, and the scale is larger than that of Allen and the others.

Of course, if Fisher knew Allen's attitude towards such livestock in the beginning, he would probably be even more surprised.

How could Allen suddenly change his mind?

"Then why don't you go back to Mansa City to buy them? There are these livestock for sale there too, why bother spending so much money to bring this group of burdens on a long journey!"

Fisher looked at the cattle and sheep running around, and the restless ponies, and shook his head to offer his advice.

Fisher still remembered that on the way to the front line last time, their group had rescued a Centaur tribe, and he had temporarily asked for half of their livestock.

Afterwards, he really regretted it.

It seemed that Fisher had taken a big advantage, with thousands of livestock in hand without spending a penny, and their group had meat every day, but in reality, various problems emerged one after another, and they also had to send someone to take care of the livestock and graze them.

Thinking about those days now still makes Fisher feel a headache.

Allen didn't buy many livestock this time, but relative to his small team of only 9 people including himself, taking care of this group of livestock would also be busy.

Allen didn't answer Fisher's question, but glossed it over with a laugh, and then quickly chased after the pony that had jumped out of the team again, and brought it back to the livestock team.

Allen wasn't stupid.

The demon invasion on the Centaur Grassland forced many small and medium-sized tribes to relocate to concentrated areas, which restricted their grazing areas and couldn't support too many livestock.

In order to reduce losses and control the grazing pressure, many tribes began to consciously reduce the grazing scale of their livestock herds.

In the past, when the Centaur Grassland was peaceful, although many Centaur tribes also exchanged livestock for the daily necessities they needed, they never sold good mares, which were strategic materials, and even stallions would be castrated before being sold.

The Centaurs euphemistically said that this was to ensure that the warhorses were more obedient and would not cause riots during the mating season, but in reality, they were just worried that after selling these good breeds, they would be bred by other tribes in the wilderness.

Especially the Sunite tribe, which focused on breeding excellent warhorses and had its own unique bloodline of Mondo horses, was very heartbroken about the matter of stallions and mares, and there would never be an opportunity for stallions to be sold.

But now it was different.

Because the tribe's living space was compressed, and the war of survival with the demons still couldn't see the dawn of victory, many small and medium-sized tribes with not much reserves were forced to start selling their stallion resources in exchange for as many supplies as possible, so that their tribes could last longer until the war was won and they returned to their homeland.

Allen was counting on this.

The dozen or so pairs of good stallions that he carefully selected from the Centaur's trading market were even better than the Mondo warhorses that Allen and the others had obtained from the Sunite tribe.

If they were transported to Mansa City, it would be impossible to buy them for ten rubies like now.

As for the other cattle and sheep, Allen just bought them for Cole and the others to practice and experience the taste of grazing in advance.

Of course, this was also Allen's advance preparation to tame the dire wolves that had been roaming the grassland around the team, so that they would learn not to easily prey on herds of beasts that were being watched.

As a leader and patriarch, Allen needed to consider too many things, and many things had to be planned in advance, which Fisher, a tribal leader, couldn't fully understand.

"Yo, it's been almost a year since we last met, and you've switched careers to become a herdsman again~~"

Because of these livestock, Allen and the others did not enter the city to rest after arriving in Mansa City this time, but stopped in the slums outside the city.

In less than two days, Kaya, Richard, and the others learned of Allen's whereabouts and ran over to catch up.

Of course, catching up might be the purpose, but it was definitely not their most important purpose.

The real reason they came to Allen was that they missed Allen's outstanding cooking skills.

At this moment, Kaiya, who was delicately chewing on a large leg of lamb, completely devoid of any ladylike image, looked at the goblin youth leading a group of livestock grazing in the sparse grassland and bushes outside Mansha City, and couldn't help but tease Allen again.

Beside Kaiya, Alba, the big-bellied ogre, had already thrown himself entirely onto the roasted whole cow in front of him, and had no mood to care about Allen and the others.

Hey, didn't I just take in a group of gold-devouring beasts? That bunch of animals has to eat two or three cows a day. If I don't switch to being a herdsman, I might not be able to feed that gang.

Allen was referring to the small group of dire wolves, Little White and Little Grey. When Allen relayed to Lien-Death and the others that he agreed to let this group of dire wolves return to their pack, everyone was overjoyed. And in order not to make Allen feel that these guys were useless, the goblins had been teaching this group of dire wolves a lot these days, helping to herd livestock, and now they were managing them quite well.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, I really envy you guys for subduing this group of dire wolves, especially that wind-type magic wolf. If you're willing, I'd be willing to trade my natural healer crystal inheritance for this wind-type magic wolf.

Richard had been staring at the greyish-white dire wolf that was inseparable from Little White and followed by three little tails, his eyes revealing a sharp edge, as if he wanted to dissect Little Grey entirely with his gaze, causing Little Grey to feel this strange gaze from afar, and always turn back to snarl and threaten Richard.

The profession of a mage is generally either in the midst of experiments researching the truth, or on the road to seeking the truth. For Richard, a living wind-type magical beast is naturally a very worthy object for him to study, so it's normal to have such an idea.

Allen did want to trade with Richard. He had been coveting Richard's crystal for more than a day or two, but unfortunately, he was currently penniless and really couldn't come up with anything to exchange with Richard. Now that the other party suddenly brought up this matter, Allen's eyes first lit up, and then slowly dimmed down.

I don't have the final say in the matter of this magic wolf. If you want to ask, ask Linus!

Allen had his own code of conduct, and rarely deprived his tribesmen of their interests for personal gain. Although Allen's choice at this time was more for the tribe, seeing the harmonious coexistence of Chloe, Eileen, and Linus with the dire wolf pack, Allen couldn't make this cruel decision.

Allen knew that if he chose the crystal inheritance, although the youths might not necessarily object in the end, they would become estranged from him as a result, and their relationship with the tribe would also undergo subtle changes.

In terms of cultivating the tribe's sense of belonging and identity, Allen had spent a great deal of time and energy on his tribesmen over the years, so naturally he wouldn't make such a choice.

However, even if that kid Linus agrees to your deal, I'm afraid this matter won't succeed!

Hahaha, I was just mentioning it casually, don't take it seriously!

Richard smiled freely and didn't feel disappointed by Allen's tactful refusal. He also understood that Little White and his dire wolf partner were important to Allen's tribe.

Hey, you guys are really not nice, you came to freeload without calling me!!

Suddenly, a faint voice came from beside Allen and the others, startling Kaiya, Richard, and the others around them, who all became solemn and made defensive movements with their hands and feet.

Allen was also startled. Although he had been brushing seasonings on the barbecue over the campfire, his spirit hadn't relaxed. It had always covered the limit he could reach.

The breakthrough in strength was very important and also very unfamiliar to Allen. In order to familiarize himself with the changes in his spirit as soon as possible, Allen would release his spirit whenever he had the opportunity, in order to train himself.

It wasn't until a familiar, delicate face of an elven male appeared in front of everyone that Kaiya grabbed a freshly roasted lamb kebab from the grill unhappily and threw it over as an arrow, the target being the other party's face.

You're such a waste, you don't know the value of food at all!!

Albion, an elven high-level peak assassin, reached out and gently pinched the front end of the meat skewer, and then bit off a mouthful of hot and spicy lamb.

Hmm… the taste is really good, stimulating!!

Everyone had become familiar with the taste of chili peppers. Because everyone was restless adventurers, the chili peppers matched everyone's temperament, so after getting used to this taste, everyone became somewhat inseparable from this seasoning.

Allen had gone to the grasslands for more than a year, and after returning, he had only contacted Richard to inquire about his injuries. He hadn't contacted anyone else. But, no one had expected that not long after he returned to Mansha City, Richard, Kaiya, and the others would come to find him together, and now Albion had also come, which happened to be the complete adventurer team they had formed in the first place.

Are you interested in joining forces again? There happens to be a mission…

While eating, everyone chatted, and then not long after, Allen knew the reason why these guys came to visit together.

Forget it, I've been away from home with these youths for more than two years, and it's time to go back.

The mission reward was very tempting, and of course, the difficulty was also very high, otherwise these guys wouldn't have come to find him to team up, but in the end, Allen still shook his head and replied with an apologetic look.

If there's a chance in the future, let's cooperate again.

That's really a pity…

Yes, ah…

Oh, right, Allen, where exactly is your tribe located? If I have the chance, I'll pay a visit too.

The expressions of several people showed some disappointment. Everyone had cooperated tacitly in the last collaboration, and they were also very straightforward in distributing the benefits afterwards. Their temperaments were very compatible, so they would naturally think of each other when there were suitable missions.

After hearing Allen say that he was going back to his tribe, everyone couldn't help but be very curious about what kind of existence this tribe that Allen was so concerned about was. Everyone knew that Allen's strength was good, and as long as he was willing, it would be easy to make a name for himself among the adventurers, and he could also improve his strength through battle, which was a great thing.

In civilized society, many legendary and above powerhouses are alone, always walking on the path of pursuing their own strength.

According to everyone's understanding of Allen's personality after interacting with him, they more or less felt that he would be an ascetic who constantly sought strength. But the opposite was true. Apart from the daily unshakeable tempering of his strength, the only thing that could make Allen care was his tribe.

Therefore, it was normal logic for everyone to be interested in the tribe that Allen was so concerned about.

If you want to go to my tribe, it's actually very easy. As long as you get to the Elven Kingdom, there will naturally be rumors about the land of delicacies.

Allen didn't directly answer Kaiya and the others' inquiries, but proudly spoke of the traces his tribe had left in the civilized world.

As Alan's Noodle House gained fame in Thornsburg, and with the spread of word by traveling merchants and gluttonous customers from Green Lake Village, the rumors of Green Lake as a culinary haven gradually grew. With fame came many food enthusiasts seeking inspiration, staying and spending in Green Lake Village, gradually bringing an extra income to the village.

Of course, along with this came the fact that Green Lake Village's geographical location around Thornsburg wasn't exactly a secret. In fact, with some effort, people in Mansa City might also know the location of Green Lake Village, after all, trade caravans traveling to and from the wilderness, whether as transit points or destinations, couldn't avoid Mansa City, the heart of the wilderness.

“When you come to visit, I'll definitely cook you a table full of delicacies, so you can truly experience my skills. Mansa City still lacks many ingredients, and I can't make many of my signature dishes.”

If you were to ask about Alan's interests, perhaps besides honing his strength and managing the tribe, cooking was the only thing left. When he talked about cooking, his eyes would immediately become colorful, and he would have a lot to say.

“Great, it's settled then!”

Richard was traveling anyway, so he didn't mind where he stayed, plus his relationship with Alan was growing closer, so when he heard Alan's invitation, he readily agreed.

As for the other three, it seemed only Alba the ogre was interested, stuffing meat into his mouth while nodding repeatedly, too lazy to even speak.

After a satisfying meal, everyone left with various emotions, but just as Alan was cleaning up, a ghostly figure suddenly approached. A cold light flashed in Alan's hand, and the dagger he had been using to cut meat was thrust back directly.

“Hey, hey, hey, it's me, it's me!!”

It was Albion again, easily dodging Alan's stab, and then approaching Alan with a mysterious look.

“I've actually inquired, your tribe has always been buying goblin slaves from Thornsburg. What? Do you think your tribe's natural growth rate isn't meeting your requirements?”

Alan's eyes immediately turned ice-cold, and a hint of killing intent was revealed when he looked at Albion.

Alan would never allow others to pry into anything he cared about, especially someone like Albion who walked in the shadows.

“Don't misunderstand, I'm just planning to cooperate with you again, to see if you're a potential partner for another one of my deals.”

Albion felt Alan's gaze, and his eyes narrowed slightly imperceptibly. Compared to their encounter more than a year ago, Alan's gaze alone already made Albion feel a bit of pressure. It seemed that the other party's strength had improved significantly in the past year.

“What do you mean?”

Alan withdrew his killing intent, but his tone remained serious. If he detected the slightest malice, today would probably be the day the two of them broke off their relationship.

“Well, I won't hide it from you, I actually work as a broker in the dark, helping to connect buyers and sellers who need each other. Some things can't be done in the open, firstly because there are still many boring guys full of a sense of justice in this world, challenging under the banner of justice, and secondly to avoid cutting off leads, so as not to be tracked by people with ulterior motives.”

“I don't think I need to do anything unjust, do I?”

Alan frowned, really not understanding what Albion was getting at.

“But you hope to grow your tribe faster, don't you?”

Albion chuckled, looking at Alan with confidence, he was confident that the other party would accept his next proposal.

“I have connections with several slave-catching groups. If you want to buy goblins in large quantities, I can actually help you place an order with them. They can get you goblins of any bloodline, and even transport them to your tribe, how about it, are you interested?”

“……”

Alan was silent, and an inexplicable sense of disgust arose towards Albion.

The lives of the goblin race, except for a few large tribes, were mostly very difficult. Low goblins could reproduce but lacked strength. Earth goblins and bear goblins were strong individually, but their brains weren't very flexible, and they also had a lazy nature. It was impossible for them to live well.

Not every goblin tribe leader, like Alan, was willing to spend a lot of money, energy, and time to correct the bad habits of their people and help them develop their brains.

The goblin race, whose lives were already difficult, had now become a monetary transaction in Albion's mouth. As a goblin, Alan felt very sad for these compatriots, and was also full of contempt for vampires like Albion.

However, although he was mentally repulsed by Albion, reason was telling Alan that he agreed with this proposal.

“...What's the price? How do we discuss the contact method?”

After a struggle in his mind, Alan finally compromised in the face of reality. Even if he didn't end up contacting the slave-catching groups, there would be other far-sighted goblin chiefs who would connect with these illegal activities.

“Well, you don't need to contact them. As long as we agree on the price, and you can decide the delivery method, you just need to wait to receive the manpower.”

As soon as Albion heard Alan's question, he knew that this matter was mostly settled, and he responded to Alan with a hint of joy.

For the Mansa Wilderness, slave-catching groups were in a gray area between justice and evil. Large tribes would generally tolerate their existence, because sometimes they needed these guys to help them replenish fresh blood. But many small and medium-sized tribes would change color at the mention of them, because the targets of the slave-catching groups were mostly tribes that weren't strong enough.

Of course, as a territory backed by the Temple of Nature, slave-catching groups weren't good guys in the eyes of the members of the Temple of Nature. Generally, temple knight orders or temple powerhouses would attack and kill these guys when they encountered them in the wild. However, because the Temple of Nature wouldn't blatantly exclude such existences in order to maintain balance, the slave-catching groups had a chance to survive in the wilderness.

Albion's attention to Alan was actually more of an inspection of Alan, to see if he was a suitable trading partner. Don't think that Alan disappeared without a trace more than ten years ago, but in fact, in Albion's intelligence network, the location of Alan's Greenfield Tribe wasn't a secret at all.

“Okay, let's talk about the price. How does your price compare to the purchase price from the slave merchants in Thornsburg? Is it higher or lower?”

“That depends on how many you want to order...”

“……”

In the distance of the wilderness, Chloe and her group of teenagers were still happily grazing. Beside the embers of the campfire, Alan and Albion lowered their heads and whispered, talking about a cold-blooded and cruel transaction.