Grandmaster, Elf Nicole
"Earlier, the lord claimed that the Golden Oasis housed ancient treants and an Ancient War Tree… He warned us not to be surprised and to keep it a secret…"
"I thought he was joking."
"Turns out it's true!"
"This isn't something to joke about, so I had mentally prepared myself, but now I'm still utterly shocked… By the Elf Goddess! I can't believe I'm seeing a living Ancient War Tree!"
"You speak as if you've seen the remains of one before."
"…"
On the warship's deck, a group of beautiful natural elves were in a state of astonished chatter. Some couldn't contain themselves and screamed out loud. Flying in, they had already seen an army of ancient treants hunting outside. Now, seeing the towering Ancient War Tree, hundreds of meters tall, they were beyond shocked.
To reiterate, even the Elven Kingdom didn't have an Ancient War Tree. Yet, one appeared in a human's territory. If this news spread, it would shock not only the Elven Kingdom but the entire Sacred Continent.
"I wish we could bring this Ancient War Tree back to our kingdom!"
"You better not even think about it."
"The lord here has been blessed by the Elf Goddess and has the loyalty of ancient treants and even Eternal Treants."
"Do you want to start a war with those powerful treants?"
"Of course not, treants are friends of the natural elves!"
"Exactly!"
"Remember, once we enter the oasis, control yourself. We mustn't leave a bad impression on the human lord. As the blessed of the Elf Goddess, we owe him our respect!"
Grandmaster Nicole spoke up, leading the group. The warship picked up Amy and the unicorn Thalissa from the city wall, then flew towards the center of the Golden Oasis.
"Nicole, I've been calling you, but you didn't respond," Amy said, pretending to be upset.
Compared to Amy, Nicole was more mature and composed, like the difference between a mature woman and a young girl. She teased, "So, the beautiful Amy came to greet us. Have you become the mistress of this oasis?"
"No way!" Amy's face turned red. She hurriedly explained, "Most of the territory's people are out fighting the undead, so the lord asked me to welcome you. He's waiting in the main hall."
Hearing this, Nicole's expression turned serious. "The undead disaster in the Kalar Desert is indeed severe. We saw countless undead creatures on our way here."
"Even flying undead creatures tried to attack our warship," added another elf. "The worst-hit are the bounty hunter teams and merchant caravans from Forest City. They've also been attacked by the undead."
"We could only help them fend off the undead temporarily and advise them to return to Forest City."
"The appearance of the undead plague has practically severed the trade route between Forest City and the Kalar Desert."
"Oh no! That's not good news!" Amy knew that the lord had prepared to welcome merchant caravans, but now it seemed unlikely many would reach the Golden Oasis. Even those who managed to cross the desert would be few.
In the current situation, even flying mounts were of little use and might attract more significant disasters, as undead creatures also lurked in the sky. Professionals below the extraordinary level risked severe injury or death if they fell from the sky.
"Let's not dwell on that. We should head to the main hall!" Amy suggested.
"Alright!"
---
The warship quickly flew over dense forests and entered the heart of the Golden Oasis, finally hovering above a grassy area. The beautiful natural elves disembarked in an orderly fashion. Looking up at the towering Ancient War Tree, their expressions grew solemn, eyes filled with reverence.
At that moment, a figure emerged from the distant hall.
"It's the lord!" Amy quickly led the elves to greet him. After formal greetings, Nicole and the others introduced themselves.
Haotian smiled and said, "Welcome, beautiful elves! I trust you to create a protective shield for our territory."
"It is our duty!" Nicole responded with respect. "Rest assured, the magical shield crafted by us natural elves will not disappoint you!"
Being the blessed of the Elf Goddess, Haotian held a high status, and Nicole dared not show any negligence.
"That's good," Haotian nodded. The shield was worth 260 million gold coins. If it didn't meet his expectations or wasn't as promised by Aila, he would certainly demand compensation from the elves.
Then he glanced at the warship, an exquisite piece of art, feeling a hint of envy. It seemed even more impressive than his dragons.
Turning back to Nicole, he asked, "Grandmaster Nicole, I have a damaged dwarf warship. Can you repair it?"
Nicole replied, "We'd need to assess the extent of the damage first…"
Before she finished speaking, a massive, ancient warship appeared before them, covered in thick dust, clearly an old relic.
Nicole's lips twitched. "Honestly, lord, this warship isn't worth repairing. Its magical formations are completely degraded, and its facilities have been stripped away, leaving only a shell. Repairing it would cost nearly as much as building a new one."
"Really?" Haotian's eyes lit up. "Do your natural elves construct warships?"
Nicole shook her head. "Unfortunately, warships are war-grade weapons for each race, rarely sold or built for others."
"That's quite unfortunate," Haotian sighed, a bit disappointed. He said nothing more and stored the dwarf warship in the territory's warehouse.
The elven masters began installing the protective shield. The core device to control the shield was placed next to Haotian's residence, in the courtyard of the old butler, Hoden. In times of need, Hoden could activate or deactivate the shield immediately. Haotian didn't need to handle it personally.
---
Haotian returned to the city hall to organize the remaining spoils from the Grey Dwarf Kingdom. The magic cannons were already installed on the territory walls, and the troop count blueprints had been used. The rest were mainly special equipment and supplies.
During this process, the blacksmiths from the Grey Dwarf Kingdom, escorted by ancient treant warriors, were about to arrive at the Golden Oasis. There were over five thousand dwarf blacksmiths, with their families totaling over ten thousand people.
In a good mood, Haotian personally went to the outer city to arrange accommodations. Soon, his territory could start mass-producing equipment. Given the undead plague, he believed the Golden Oasis's equipment industry would thrive. The profits from selling Elven Spring Water couldn't keep up with his consumption. With his impending advancement to a demigod, his demand for gold coins increased. Therefore, he needed more lucrative industries.