https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-289-Controlling-the-Slave-Cities/13453815/
Chapter 288: The Beginning of Change
Chapter 288: The Beginning of Change
While Liam and Rose Crystal were busy, changes were also taking place in the outside world. Above the Supreme Shepherd Temple where Liam and his companions had settled, a strange phenomenon began to appear.
In the cloudless night sky, a purple light emerged, forming a beam of light that stood above the Temple, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth. At the same time, a gentle breeze blew across the Grass Sea. It was summer, and the town at the edge of the Lazaran Hills was usually filled with a humid heat. But this wind brought a coolness that made the townsfolk feel incredibly comfortable.
The startled townspeople ran out of their homes and gathered in front of the Temple. They found that the Temple was enclosed by a transparent, purple light barrier, shaped like an egg, isolating them from the inside.
What they didn't know was that similar phenomena were occurring in all the Temples dedicated to the Supreme Shepherd. Whether the statues were made of wood, stone, exquisitely crafted, or crudely fashioned, they all transformed. In the end, they all became a single image: a young girl dressed in a magnificent purple gown, holding an amethyst sword in her right hand and a shepherd's staff in her left. Unlike the staffs in the past, the staff in her hand was adorned with a purple Crystal Orb, making it look more like a magical staff.
"Is this what it feels like to be a deity? Fortunately, my soul isn't just mine. Otherwise, I might have been lost." Rose Crystal knelt before Liam, her eyes closed, feeling the changes within her.
In an hour, with Liam's help, Rose Crystal successfully ignited the divine flame. However, unlike normal deities who are fused with their divine flame, she merely controlled it without merging with it. This made her use of divine power less potent compared to a true faith deity. But in a world without deities, this wasn't a significant drawback.
Since she didn't merge with the divine flame, Rose Crystal couldn't use the world's power as freely as a normal deity. On the other hand, she wasn't bound to the world and could leave at any time. However, upon leaving, she would lose all her divine powers. Still, the modified body and the knowledge she possessed could be used in other worlds, and she could even release divine spells using pre-stored Heavenly Silver, though the effects would be much weaker, and in some worlds, they might not work at all.
During her ascension, Rose Crystal's appearance didn't change, but her aura became much more noble and authoritative. However, since her divine presence had no effect on Liam, he found her efforts to look serious while trying to maintain a stern expression quite adorable.
Apart from her aura, her attire also changed. Her original dress was reformed by divine power into a simple yet elegant purple gown. In her hands, she now held a Crystal sword and a staff, and on her head, she wore a crown made of purple Crystal, resembling a floral wreath.
"Big Brother, I succeeded. I think I can help you now." With that, Rose Crystal stood up and performed an elegant curtsy for Liam.
"Are you okay?" Liam asked, somewhat anxiously.
"Please believe in yourself, Big Brother." Rose Crystal gave him a slightly awkward smile.
After checking everything, the two of them returned from the Spirit Realm. As Liam's soul returned to his body, he was surprised to see countless flames shining outside the window. It seemed the commotion they had caused was quite significant.
"Ah, it looks like the divine spell I cast to summon them was successful. Now let's lay the foundation for our growth in this world", Rose Crystal's voice came from behind him.
A flash of purple light, and Rose Crystal transformed into her new deity form. She then opened the door and floated out.
What followed was a natural progression. Under the banner of the Supreme Shepherd, the Lazareen of the Lazaran Wilds united for the first time and gained their leader.
Since the deity was high above, Liam, the deity's brother, naturally became the king of the Lazareen. This was a far cry from being a general or one of several leaders; the hopes of an entire race now rested in his hands.
Liam arrived in this world in the sixth month of Aegon's Calendar, year 297. According to the information he had gathered, everything in Westeros was normal, except for King Robert's excessive debt, and the land remained peaceful.
However, Liam had no idea when this king would pass away, so knowing the date was of little use to him. What mattered most to him now was organizing the Lazareen of the Lazaran Wilds, cultivating the land to build their strength, and then pushing back their two hostile neighbors. Only with a secure base could he more easily navigate the future in this world.
The world's pure, naturally raised cattle and sheep are highly sought after in the Plants vs. Zombies World and the Radiation World. The former only has farmed beef and mutton, which differs in texture from natural beef. The latter's Dual-Headed Bull meat hardly tastes like beef at all. When beef from the A Song of Ice and Fire World first appeared on the table, the Knight Family's enthusiastic endorsement led to it being snapped up immediately. Additionally, the abundant flora of this world provided ample biological samples for the two worlds. Both worlds were also deeply intrigued by the dragons and other creatures Liam mentioned.
Of course, in such trade, reinforced concrete fortress cities began to rise in the Lazaran Wilds with the help of steam robots. Large-scale mechanized farms, power towers, difference engines, and other such innovations also appeared. As local mineral resources were developed and utilized, new machines were continuously produced.
The most valuable resource Liam acquired was over five thousand Synths. They voluntarily erased their previous memories to start a new life in this world. Although Liam warned them that erasing their memories would make them a different person, a different soul, they preferred death to living with false identities and memories.
Thanks to this, Liam was able to introduce so many skilled individuals at once. After all, any independent soul or intelligent life form passing through a portal requires Deviation Points, and Liam didn't have enough to allow so many people to pass through.
With the help of these people and the memory injection machines obtained from the House, Lazareen's cultural level rapidly improved, further boosting the region's productivity.
By the third month of Liam's arrival, with the assistance of numerous steam robots and transcendent plants, over twenty fortified cities with walls and fortresses were established in the Lazaran Wilds. They successfully repelled multiple attacks from mercenaries and small groups of Dothraki. According to the native officials, this was the first month in centuries where no Lazareen were abducted.
However, Liam knew that the Slave Cities to the west and the Dothraki to the north had likely learned of the changes in this land. Although information spread slowly in this era and they might not know the specifics, they certainly wouldn't want to see the previously easy-to-exploit Lazareen develop, so war was inevitable.
To avoid fighting on two fronts, Liam and his subordinates decided to strike one enemy first. Given that fighting the Dothraki would mean chasing nomadic cavalry across the vast Grass Sea, which would be time-consuming and might not solve the problem, they preferred to target the Slave Cities first.
Each Slave City was relatively small, and their tall walls were no match for steam cannons and explosive cherries. Most importantly, the Skahazadhan River in the Lazaran Wilds could accommodate vessels of up to 800 tons, and its lower reaches led to Meereen. The river's presence made troop movements and logistics much easier.
The order to march was quickly issued, and 8,000 soldiers and a large number of robots gradually boarded the steamships at the pier along the Skahazadhan River.
The fleet consisted of 65 river steamships of up to 550 tons and 15 steam gunboats of up to 600 tons. With the support of two industrial worlds, these ships were built in just over a month. When they first arrived in this world, they were considered a miracle, as no one had ever seen such large iron creations float on water, let alone navigate without wind or oars.
When Liam and a group of officers arrived at the pier after the departure ceremony, most of the people had already boarded. Lata, now the high priestess, was performing the final blessing for the expeditionary force.
When Liam and his group reached the pier, the blessing ceremony for the warriors had already ended. Liam saw Lata blessing the weapons, ringing a large copper bell and shouting, "—Ring the bell once! Move the lever, activate the pistons and pumps... Ring the bell twice! Pull the lever, ignite the boiler, light the furnace, and inject life... Ring the bell three times! Sing in unison, praising the supreme Crystal!—"
As she chanted, the bells on the ships rang, and white smoke billowed from the chimneys. Everyone except Liam placed their right hands over their chests and sang a solemn hymn.
Indeed, rapid technological advancement led to the emergence of something akin to a Mechanical Cult, partly due to Liam's penchant for bringing all sorts of eclectic knowledge to this world. After reading the pile of knowledge he left in the temple, the priests there compiled a scripture based on it.
Liam had received a copy, the first official edition. The cover bore the gold-embossed title, Third Revised Edition of the Crystal Holy Book. When he first saw the title, he almost spat out his juice, but seeing the priests' serious faces, he accepted the somewhat peculiar scripture. Fortunately, the book received high praise, boosting army morale. So, Liam let things develop naturally.
With the sound of the whistles, the fleet began to set sail. This would be Lazareen's first counterattack after centuries of oppression.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
