Chapter 29: Island Visitor, Merchant

[Lumberyard]

[Scale: Miniature]

[Level: 1]

[Main production resource: Wood]

[By-product: None]

...

When Ji Chen arrived at the second new resource point, he was greeted by the attribute panel. 

As he looked around the dense forest, then to the lumberyard in front of him, he couldn't help but question his life choices. 

Why build a logging yard in such a densely forested area? 

It was almost like using a flashlight in the sun. 

It was yet another resource point with almost no value, and coming up empty-handed from two consecutive resource points left him feeling a little strange.

Perhaps all the good luck he had last week had been used up already. 

It was like going from a European king to an African one. 

He hoped that the third resource point would bring him some surprises, preferably a high-level resource point such as a mithril or crystal mine. 

However, the third resource point was in the opposite direction from the previous two, leaving Ji Chen and his army to return to their territory. 

As he arrived, he saw Wilus pacing anxiously around the clearing.

"What happened?"

"My Lord, someone is here!"

"Who is it? Did the Kobold discover their territory?"

Wilus shook his head frantically and pointed towards the northeast. "Someone is approaching from outside the island! There's a boat docked near the beach of the Bass Fishery!" 

Ji Chen looked at him incredulously. "Really?" 

"The residents who went to the Bass Fishery saw it..." 

Ji Chen wasted no time and immediately called all the troops, leading them towards the Bass Fish Farm. 

Upon confirming the arrival of the ship, he felt a burst of joy.

Finally, a ship had arrived! 

He had almost given up hope that this archipelago was isolated from the rest of the world. 

However, his joy was quickly replaced by pondering. 

He started thinking about the ship's origin, who was on board, and their purpose for coming. 

Were they hostile? 

Could he win with his current military strength if they were? 

Were they here to occupy the archipelago? 

Ji Chen's heart sank at the thought of it. 

Although the Kobolds and human aborigines lived here before him, he had already claimed the entire archipelago as his private territory.

In addition, whether the archipelago belonged to Ji Chen, the Kobolds, or the indigenous humans was irrelevant. 

It was not meant for this group of 'outsiders' to claim. 

Any attempt to invade this place would be considered an act of hostility towards him.

A wave of mixed emotions coursed through his heart. 

When he regained his composure, he realized that he was not far from the Bass Fishery. 

Ji Chen took cover in the forest and observed surreptitiously. 

In the distance, a two-masted sailboat was anchored peacefully on the sea. 

A few small boats were shuttling between the sailboat and the shore, carrying supplies. 

Some of them had already set up camp on the other side of the shore, indicating that they were planning to stay. 

Soon, he noticed several guards armed with weapons. 

[Merchant Ship Guard]

[Level: 4]

[Tier: 2, 1 star]

[Skill: Formation coordination (green skill, when there are many guards nearby, they can form a formation, increasing combat power)]

Weapon Proficiency (Green Skill, Proficient Weapon Use)

[Military characteristic: Loyalty (The guards of the merchant ship are loyal to the consul. They will not surrender, betray, or yield.)]

[This job is really difficult.]

Merchant guards?

It turned out to be a merchant ship, but why did they come to this island?

Was it possible that this boat, like the one belonging to his subjects, had also been wrecked?

He looked at the merchant ship that had already lowered its anchor and raised its sail. The draft was very deep, indicating that there was a lot of cargo inside. He could see that the deck was in a mess as if something had happened.

However, it looked intact on the outside, with only a small portion of it damaged.

Other than the caravan guards, there was also a type of combat unit called the armed sailors. However, they were only tier 1, 8-star, and their combat power was much lower than the guards.

There were about 20 to 30 guards and 50 to 60 armed sailors. Other than these armed forces, there were also some craftsmen, managers, and so on.

After observing for a while, Ji Chen had a rough idea of the strength of this caravan.

They were weak.

He could easily get rid of them and seize the ship without much effort.

If these people were not a caravan, he would have sent Alice and the army to attack without hesitation.

No matter what, he had to seize the ship first.

However, after seeing that it was a merchant ship, his thoughts changed.

The ship was already anchored in the coastal waters. With the high mobility of the Murlocs and Naga warriors in the water, these people would definitely not be able to return to the ship in time, nor would they be able to sail away in one piece.

Perhaps he could get in touch with them first?

Ji Chen nodded to himself.

Waving his hand, he ordered the Murlocs to dive into the sea from the other side of the beach and swim to the vicinity of the merchant ship to hide, ready to board the ship at any time.

He led the Naga Warriors and swaggered towards the caravan.

Seeing them, the caravan members were shocked. Even their hands stopped moving as if they had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world.

Their brains spun wildly, and there was only one thought left in their minds.

Where did this person come from?

In the tent, Raymond was leisurely eating breakfast and drinking fruit wine, celebrating his narrow escape.

The day before, they had been forced to navigate the treacherous Stormy Sea to evade their pursuers.

Just as the rumors said, the outer area of this sea area could be described as stormy. The terrifying waves almost smashed the ship into pieces on the sea surface.

However, after a difficult voyage, the sea suddenly became calm, and the sky became clear and sunny.

It was as if they had come to some resort.

After sailing for several tens of nautical miles, they were pleasantly surprised to discover an archipelago with multiple islands.

Although Raymond didn't understand why such a beautiful archipelago could exist in the stormy sea that scared people outside, he was not bothered by it. In fact, he was overjoyed by the discovery.

This was because having an island meant that they could temporarily rest on land, replenish their fresh water, and repair the damaged merchant ships.

Didn't he say that he could survive in this sea area?

Sebastian even mocked him!

Raymond was already imagining how he would share his clever decision with the rest of the group when they returned. 

He felt proud of himself and thought of how he could present it as the wise and correct choice he made at the critical moment. 

The idea of unveiling the mysterious veil of the Stormy Sea filled him with excitement. 

"Your Excellency, the Consul!"

Raymond's daydreams of a prosperous future were abruptly shattered by the panicked arrival of the merchant group's workers, causing him to frown and curse in frustration.

"Why are you yelling? Can't you see I'm having breakfast? If you keep this up, I'll throw you onto this island," Raymond scolded the panicked workers. 

The waiter from the merchant team arrived out of breath and with a dry throat, saying, "Your Excellency, someone has arrived!"

Raymond's face turned pale, and he sat up immediately. His mouth was trembling. "Did the pirates catch up to us? Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and pack up and leave."

"It wasn't the pirates. " The merchant was stunned.

"Then why the hell did you say someone has arrived? I'm going to beat you to death today!"

"It's someone from the island! The person said he's the lord of this archipelago."

Raymond, who was rolling up his sleeves, was stunned. There were people on this island?

Was this a joke?

This was the Stormy Sea!

Wasn't it said that no one has ever successfully reached here?

After a brief moment of shock, Raymond surprised the workers of the merchant group with his unexpected agility as he swiftly dashed out of the tent.

Outside the camp, Ji Chen stood solemnly with a line of Naga warriors behind him, emitting a terrifying aura. 

In front of them were guards and armed sailors who had already drawn their weapons. 

The two sides formed an opposing stance. 

However, it was evident that the guards and sailors of the merchant group were very guilty, and their eyes were filled with fear and apprehension.