Chapter 44

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Gathering resources and searching for scattered Kobolds required a considerable amount of time. Hence, Ji Chen decided to leave the pirates behind.

He instructed them to inventory the resources and keep watch over the Kobolds while he led the Murlocs, Naga warriors, and Sea Pixies to depart.

Their objective was to seek the allegiance of the native tribe.

The reason for bringing such a substantial force was simple. Although the system had assigned them a mission, there was no guarantee that the indigenous tribe’s submission was genuine. There was a possibility that they intended to exploit Ji Chen’s strength to severely weaken the Kobold tribe, effectively using him as a pawn in their own schemes.

Therefore, bringing such a substantial force along was also a precautionary measure.

Where intimidation was needed, they would intimidate; where killing was necessary, they would kill.

The indigenous tribesperson, who had been following Ji Chen closely, witnessed the entire process of him conquering the Kobold tribe.

…..

Seeing the Kobolds who had once pushed their tribe into retreat being rendered weak and insignificant in Ji Chen’s hands, to the point of trembling in fear and groveling at his feet, stirred up tumultuous waves of astonishment and reverence within them.

Not long after the battle concluded, the tribesperson spoke up voluntarily.

“Sir, allow me to guide you to our tribe.”

The group emerged from the damp, dark cave.

Leaving the mountainous region behind, they proceeded westward and entered the central valley area of the island.

A broad river flowed westward, creating a flat river valley plain on both sides.

Lush green grass covered the land, while trees were sparsely scattered.

Many animals found their habitat in this area.

Observing the fertile and level terrain, an idea quickly formed in Ji Chen’s mind.

Could they cultivate something here?

Although the territory currently had sufficient food, there were still many animals and wild beasts on the island, and there were also many wild fish in the sea.

However, all of these resources fell under the category of hunting.

Hunting inherently involved uncertainty and instability, as there was always the possibility of resources depleting one day.

If they could have cultivated lands similar to a sea bass fishery, where stable food production was possible, it would be ideal.

Ji Chen followed the native tribesperson through the river valley plain, taking a cursory glance at the surroundings before entering the northwest direction into the jungle.

For him, this jungle was an entirely unfamiliar territory.

The native tribesperson did not pause, leading the way confidently towards the northwest.

After approximately forty minutes of advancement…

The dense forest came to an abrupt stop, and the scene before his eyes suddenly became clear.

The dense jungle abruptly gave way, revealing a vast expanse in front of them.

What lay before their eyes was a forest of enormous trees that grew in several meters of deep seawater.

Like towering statues, these colossal trees reached hundreds of meters in height and required more than ten people to fully encircle them. Their grandeur was undeniable.

And it was beneath these gigantic trees that the indigenous tribe resided.

What astonished Ji Chen was the unique living environment of the indigenous people.

Between the giant trees, they had constructed floating thatched houses, secured to the trees with ropes made from vines.

Using wood, vines, and fibers, they created waterways that allowed them to freely navigate between the thatched houses and the land.

Due to the dense canopy of the enormous trees, rainwater couldn’t penetrate, providing a natural shelter from wind and rain.

This novel way of dwelling instantly captivated him.

As he observed, a large group of indigenous people emerged from various directions, led by an elderly woman adorned with shamanic decorations and gray hair. They approached Ji Chen.

The native called Panther followed beside him.

The old woman took a step forward and led the other natives to bow respectfully.

“Honorable lord, welcome to our tribe.”

“We have already learned from Panther that you have conquered the Kobold tribe. We will keep our promise and become your subjects.”

Ji Chen nodded slightly and got them to stand up.

“Ding ~ Quest: [Enemies of Generations] completed.”

‘Ding! The native tribe has chosen to pledge allegiance to you!’

A screen flashed before his eyes.

With a thought, the territory panel appeared in front of him.

In the column of subjects, the number of humans changed from “62” to “472”.

This meant that there was a total of 410 people in this native tribe.

Although their numbers couldn’t compare to the Kobolds, the fact that they were all humans gave them an advantage.

This influx of people multiplied the population of the territory several times over.

With their addition, the territory would enter a period of rapid development.

Just as Ji Chen felt delighted, he suddenly caught sight of a section in the panel displaying attributes.

[Hero]: Siren: Alice (blue superior rank), Human: Panther (aspiring hero)

Aspiring hero?

Panther?

Was it referring to the indigenous person named Panther?

Ji Chen was greatly surprised.

At first, he thought that he was just an ordinary warrior, but he did not expect him to be an aspiring hero.

The meaning of an aspiring hero was very simple. It was someone who had the qualifications to become a hero but had not yet become a hero.

Because he had not become a hero, the word “hero” did not appear on the interface.

Because he hadn’t become a hero, the word “hero” wouldn’t appear on the panel.

Only when a player gained their allegiance could they see the designation of “aspiring hero.”

This setup introduced a lot of uncertainty.

For example, among a group of refugees encountered by players in the early stages, there might be an aspiring hero, but they wouldn’t know. Perhaps due to insufficient food in the territory, the player would drive them away.

However, recruiting an aspiring hero was much easier compared to recruiting a full-fledged hero.

So, recruiting an aspiring hero depended on the players’ discerning eye.

But it was evident that Ji Chen was the type of player who lacked such discernment.

However, considering that the native person was captured without much effort in the first place and hadn’t demonstrated any outstanding abilities aside from exceptional agility and nimbleness, it was difficult to judge.

Ji Chen’s interest was piqued, and he discreetly opened the panel to view the information.

[Panther (Aspiring Hero)]

[Race]: Human

[Level]: 6

[Current Tier]: None

[Potential]: Green (Elite Tier)

[Skills]: Danger Intuition (Green skill, exhibits mystical sensing abilities towards danger)

Hunting Perception (Green skill, possesses keen perception towards prey, able to track relentlessly using various information)

Primitive Bloodline (Green skill, exceptional bloodline resulting in agile agility and decent combat prowess)

[Unit Characteristics]: Primitive Belief (Once loyal, will never betray and carry out orders 100%)

[This is an aspiring hero with green elite-tier potential]

At first glance, Ji Chen instantly determined that he had found the candidate to become the captain of the pirate ship.

…..

What did pirates do?

They sailed the vast seas in search of ships to plunder.

And didn’t the hunting perception skill come in handy for that?

What did pirates fear?

They feared being hunted down by official forces, such as the kingdom’s navy.

And didn’t the danger intuition have its role in such situations?

Both danger intuition and hunting perception were perfect skills for the pirate profession.

He was practically made to become a pirate.

From that moment on, Ji Chen would make this young man become a captain under the future Pirate King of the Middle Seas.

“If you work hard, I will find you ten wives,” Ji Chen said in his head.

Panther, who was standing at the side, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked left and right in bewilderment.

Wait, the Kobolds had been conquered. Could it be that there was still some danger?

Ji Chen asked with a smile. His attention was once again drawn to the thatched cottages floating on the water.

“Why do you live on the water? Isn’t it safer on land?”

The tribe leader explained.

“The giant tree can block the wind, rain, and sunlight so that we won’t be affected by the storm.”

“Besides providing a refuge from the dangers on land, Kobolds, and most beasts and monsters are greatly fearful of water.”

Ji Chen nodded in understanding. He then pointed to some water gardens floating on the surface, cultivating a certain type of crop.

“What are these water gardens cultivating?”

Ji Chen knew about water gardens, as it was a planting method that many civilizations had attempted. It involved using mud, soil, wood, fibers, and other materials to create a garden that could float on the water’s surface, utilizing the surrounding water sources for irrigation.

However, typically, water gardens were built on freshwater sources. But here, in this vast forest of giant trees, the shallow waters were directly connected to the ocean, and the water was salty.

Could crops be irrigated with seawater?

That was impossible, absolutely impossible..