In a gnome camp, surrounded by dense jungle, the trees were tall and ancient, their thick trunks were covered with traces of age, and their branches and leaves were intertwined and densely packed, holding a natural umbrella for the camp. The sunlight through the layers of leaves sprinkled starry patches of light, like fine gold sprinkled on the ground.
There were four wooden huts in the campground. The three surrounding ones, large and rough, were built from unfinished logs, with bark remaining on the surface, making them a bit solid to the touch. Surprisingly, inside this wooden hut, there were some relatively precise instruments. Some gnomes were walking through them, holding small tools and carefully inspecting every part of the instruments.
The small, elaborate house in the center of the camp was the temporary council chamber.
Ethan was dressed in a simple dark colored robe, sitting quietly on the main seat, he was slim, his face was as sharp and angular as a knife, on his cheeks and chin, there was a layer of slightly thick and hard beard covering his face, carrying a wild charm. His brown hair was short and neat, matching his wheat-colored skin.
At this moment, his eyes were closed and his fingers were rhythmically tapping on the armrest.
“The map is here!”
Ethan leaned forward slightly and opened his eyes, a wise light flashing in his deep and sharp eyes.
Just moments ago, the six detectors that had been launched had successfully completed their mission, and he had already seen and recorded the map ahead of time through Lord's Eye.
With the help of the gnomes and technology, Ethan had worked a miracle. In a short period of time, he had explored an area of hundreds of kilometers. The densely packed data was pieced together in his mind to form a complete and detailed map.
Something Caelan had never done.
Ethan, the man hailed as a peerless genius in Northfield, has an almost obsessive love for gnomes. He is extremely adept at tapping into the potential of the gnome race and developing it. Ethan was fascinated by the technology and mechanics of the gnome race, and he did not hesitate to choose the gnome race for his challenge in the Trial of Lords.
In the early stages of the development of the gnome race, especially before the establishment of the Energy Refinery, the entire development process was very slow, and the accumulation of resource points was as slow as a snail's pace. What's worse, the Gnome's crucial building, the Gnomish Microtech Citadel, consumes a lot of resource points to build and upgrade.
The huge gap between this in and out makes development a struggle. Even for a person as amazing as Ethan, after choosing the Gnome race, he experienced a long dormant period, and only today has he brought the Gnome race to the eternal continent.
Of course, this so-called slowness was only relative to those equally astounding supreme geniuses. If we expand our view to all the lords who participated in the trial, Ethan is still one of the fastest.
============[Info]==========
Energy Refinery is a Gnome resource building used to refine oil, coal, geothermal, and hydroelectric energy, which can be used for both Gnome-made machinery and equipment and in exchange for resource points.
Gnomish Microtech Citadel, the core of the Gnome's territory, is also one of the main tech-based buildings, and as the level of this building rises, the Gnomish's tech level is further increased.
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Ethan, after quickly learning the information around him, suddenly, frowned slightly and realized something strange!
“Near a town more than 200 kilometers to the north, a portal engraved with black and red runes is actually placed directly there just like that, it's really interesting!”
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a glint in his eyes as he stroked his chin, his fingers gently running over the rough stubble, making a slight “rustling”sound.
This action was his habit when he was thinking.
Generally, after establishing a portal and teleporting his subordinates, the lord would choose to close it, and the closed portal would disappear (this disappearance was the disappearance of one end, at the other end, the portal still existed). This practice not only helps to conceal one's whereabouts and avoid being discovered by other lords or potential enemies but also protects the portal from being destroyed.
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The lord behind this black and red portal, who dared to place the portal on the eternal continent in such a grand manner, was either an idiot who didn't even understand the most basic way of survival, or he was emboldened!
“It's 80% that he's already reached an agreement with the natives of that town and established an alliance, these people move fast!”
“Whoa, with this overbearing style, it can't be that idiot Randall, can it?!”
Ethan made a judgment and the corner of his mouth rose slightly as he cursed and laughed.
“Ethan, do you have any plans? Hurry up please, my boots are still waiting for me to fix them!”
A brown curly-haired gnome sitting in the side seat grumbled impatiently at Ethan.
His name was Clauser, and he was a hero summoned by Ethan who was extremely good at mechanics and technology. He is small in stature, only the height of an average human child, and his hair is disheveled and curly, but his broad forehead and bright, twinkling eyes reveal remarkable intelligence. He often wears special leather overalls covered with pockets of various sizes, filled with various parts or tools.
His proudest invention is a pair of boots with jet devices that he is wearing on his feet at this moment. The outer shell of the boots was made of a hard and lightweight alloy with exquisite patterns on the surface, and the jets were cleverly hidden in the heel and sides of the boots. The boots allowed him to move quickly or fly at low altitudes for short periods of time.
But two hours ago, he'd accidentally crushed the boots during a test, much to Clauser's dismay.
Ethan gave Clauser a mild-eyed look, not angry at his rudeness, but smiling reassuringly.
“Relax, Clauser, there's no rush on the repairs!”
“How's the progress on the first batch of Mechanical Crossbow you spearheaded?”
Clauser glanced at the smiling Ethan and grunted softly, then clapped his hands together. There was a slight cacophony of noise from outside the council chamber, and several gnomes slowly walked in carrying a huge box. The crate looked very heavy, and the gnomes' small faces were covered in sweat.
Clauser opened the box, and ten Mechanical Crossbows lay quietly inside, like sleeping steel giants.
The Mechanical Crossbow's body is forged from blackened steel, and engraved with mysterious runes. The crossbow arm is a special alloy that presents a unique streamlined shape, full of power and explosive force. The crossbow mechanism is the core of the entire Mechanical Crossbow, with countless ingenious gears, springs and levers biting and nesting into each other, forming an incomparably complex and precise mechanical structure.
Clauser reaches out, pulls out one of the Mechanical Crossbows, and skillfully loads it with a crossbow bolt. He aims the Mechanical Crossbow at the wall of the council chamber, narrows his eyes slightly, and pulls the trigger.
In an instant, only a “whoosh”sound could be heard, and the crossbow arrow flew out like a bolt of lightning, carrying a powerful impact. The crossbow arrow ruthlessly hit the wall, issued a “boom”sound, and wood chips and stones splashed around.
The crossbow arrow actually pierced through the wall, leaving a hole in the wall.
“The power is really good!”
“How many can be made so far?”
Ethan shouted out in excitement, his eyes flashing with blazing heat, and he couldn't wait to ask after them.
“Based on the current resources in the territory and the level of Gnome Mechanical Workshop, 80 can be made!”
Clauser replied while lovingly caressing the Crossbow in his hand.
“Then finish it as soon as possible, Clauser!”
“I can go fix my boots now, can't I!”
Clauser raised his voice, and both eyes locked on Ethan. His feet shifted uneasily, itching to rush to his workbench to fix his beloved boots.
Ethan nodded and said nothing more to stop him.
After Clauser left the council chambers, Ethan kept his pen in hand and scratched on the map, his eyes focused.
Before long, the map was filled with small, densely packed circles!
All of these places would be his prey!