Yang Ming lowered his head and scrutinized the group of Dwarves kneeling on the ground.
The Dwarves trembled, their faces drained of color with fright as they repeatedly kowtowed to Yang Ming and begged for mercy:
“Brave lord, please do not kill us. We are willing to become your slaves.”
The corners of Yang Ming’s mouth lifted slightly.
Dwarves were natural blacksmiths. If he could subdue them, Yang Ming would no longer need to worry about forging weapons in the future.
“Get up. As long as you submit to me, I can consider sparing your lives,” Yang Ming said.
Hearing this, the Dwarves revealed expressions of having narrowly escaped death. They crawled to their feet and repeatedly bowed to Yang Ming:
“Thank you for your mercy, kind and great lord.”
Yang Ming swept his gaze over them and slowly said:
“Who among you can forge an excellent-grade weapon?”
A commotion arose among the Dwarves. They glanced at one another, but not a single person stepped forward.
Seeing this, Yang Ming put on a vicious expression and threatened them:
“If you cannot even forge an excellent-grade weapon, what use are you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a weak voice came from the group:
“Um... I, I can...”
Yang Ming’s heart leaped with joy. He looked toward the voice and saw a small, thin, white-haired girl trembling as she raised her hand.
To be safe, Yang Ming scanned her information.
【Name】: Cocolite.
【Profession】: blacksmith.
【Combat power】: 3.
【Potential】: Four stars.
【Talent】: Craftsman’s Heart（B-Grade talent, granting a weapon-forging success rate ten times that of ordinary people.）
【Introduction】: A girl only fourteen years old who may be able to forge excellent-grade weapons on her own. In the future, she might grow into a grand blacksmith.
“Holy crap, I struck gold.” Yang Ming’s eyes lit up.
One had to know that even Chen Jian, who had used a Soldier Enhancement Talisman, possessed only two-star potential. Yet this white-haired little girl before him had four-star potential!
She was absolutely a treasure of a hero!
Yang Ming looked down at her, doing his best to make his voice gentle:
“If you and your clansmen are willing to follow me, I will provide you with comfortable lodging and ample food from now on. However, you must work for me.”
Hearing that there would be food to eat, Cocolite involuntarily swallowed and immediately nodded:
“Great lord, Cocolite is willing to follow you.”
After Cocolite finished speaking, Yang Ming saw her loyalty rise from 0 to 50.
Yang Ming was momentarily stunned. It seemed that these Dwarves had not had enough food to eat and had been living on an irregular diet for a long time.
Food held an incredibly powerful allure for them.
Taking a packet of biscuits from his robes, Yang Ming handed it to her and said loudly:
“Very good. This is your reward.”
Cocolite froze. There was really food?
Only one meter forty tall, Cocolite took the biscuits from Yang Ming’s hand. When she caught a whiff of their faintly sweet aroma, she became completely intoxicated.
Since being driven out of the dwarf tribe two months ago, she had not smelled anything so fragrant.
Cocolite grabbed a biscuit, stuffed it into her mouth, and bit down hard.
In an instant, her eyes widened.
What kind of heavenly flavor was this?
Sweet and crisp, leaving an endless aftertaste and striking directly at her taste buds!
“So... so delicious.” After taking one bite, Cocolite wolfed the biscuit down, then impatiently picked up a second and a third.
At that moment, Cocolite’s loyalty suddenly rose from 50 to 80!
Seeing how deliciously Cocolite was eating, the Dwarves behind her grew restless, because their stomachs were also terribly empty.
Several Dwarves had already impatiently reached out, wanting to snatch Cocolite’s biscuits.
Yang Ming stopped them and promised:
“Dwarves, I will say it again. As long as you are willing to follow me and live in my territory, you can eat free rice, eggs, pork...”
Hearing this, the Dwarves’ eyes immediately lit up, and they unconsciously began to drool.
Fragrant, snowy-white rice was one thing, but there were even eggs and pork? One had to know that even in the dwarf tribe, such food was a delicacy enjoyed only by nobles.
The excited Dwarves could not help kneeling on the ground again and shouting:
“Lord, we are willing to follow you to the death!”
At that moment, the only thought in the Dwarves’ minds was to reach Yang Ming’s territory as quickly as possible and have a hearty meal.
The dwarf race had been successfully recruited!
The authority to take over the mining area was now in Yang Ming’s hands. After some thought, Yang Ming decided to leave a thousand people behind to guard the place and mine ore.
A miner was not a specific profession, so the summoned warriors could mine as well.
A thousand people were more than enough to guard a mining area.
Moreover, the mining area was only twenty minutes from the territory. If it came under attack, troops could be dispatched to reinforce it at any time.
Transporting ore and food would also be convenient.
The summoned warriors were people too, and they needed to eat to fill their stomachs, so logistics had to be properly planned.
Yang Ming glanced at the sky. It was noon, and there was plenty of time. He could continue exploring for quite a while.
Thus, Yang Ming summoned five hundred warriors, transporting the mining area’s existing resources back to the territory while bringing the Dwarves along as well.
As for Cocolite, Yang Ming decided to keep her by his side for the time being.
There was no other reason—he was simply afraid something might happen to her on the way.
After all, she was a blacksmith with four-star potential, one in a hundred.
With her, Yang Ming could at least surpass 99% of the new lords in weapons.
“Next, we will continue eastward. Let us try to finish exploring everything within a ten-thousand-meter radius in three days.”
Yang Ming observed the terrain and found no danger, so he continued setting out with Cocolite and the remaining two thousand five hundred warriors.
Although Cocolite did not know why Yang Ming had chosen to bring only her along, she did not care and did not dare ask.
Before long, Yang Ming was on the road.
The wild grass on the ground became much sparser, and some stone blocks began to appear.
As the group continued exploring forward, the stone blocks grew more numerous and more orderly.
The originally chaotic and complicated wasteland became much flatter.
Yang Ming looked ahead and saw the vague shadow of what appeared to be a Building in the distance.
“Hmm? Could there be a treasure resource point ahead?”
Yang Ming grew excited.
On the Myriad Races Battlefield, some mysterious ancient buildings existed, and precious, rare treasures might be hidden inside them.
Among them were even Rare-Grade and perfect-grade items.
Of course, obtaining the treasures inside was not easy.
“Everyone, pay attention! Speed up!”
Yang Ming was somewhat impatient. He ordered the group to pick up the pace, wanting to see clearly what that vague Building in the distance actually was.
They walked for another ten minutes.
Suddenly, paths paved with rows of cyan paving stones appeared before Yang Ming.
“What is this?” Yang Ming’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Ahead stood a massive altar burning with cyan flame.
A strange black stone statue stood atop the altar.
Many guards clad in bronze armor also stood around the altar.
Yang Ming instinctively glanced at the guards wearing bronze armor.
【Name】: evil god altar guard.
【Combat power】: Unknown.
【Quality tier】: rare grade.
【Talent】: Strength too low; unable to detect.
【Martial technique】: Strength too low; unable to detect.
【Introduction】: guards created by the Evil God using the aberrant power. They will kill every living being that approaches the altar. Of course, they will not attack pilgrims offering sacrificial offerings.
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