Mud Wasps
[Level]: 5
[Potential]: 1 star
[Racial Talent]: Poison Needle. The poison needles on the back are infused with deadly poison. When they strike an enemy, they deal massive poison damage and paralyze the enemy.
[Skill]: Rapid Flight (1 star) Increases flight speed by 40%.
Piercing (1-star) Tail Needle has powerful piercing ability and deals armor-piercing damage.
[Evaluation]: Wasps, which possess highly venomous venom, become extremely terrifying if led by a queen.
All of them are level 5, and there are tens of thousands of them flying outside. If you add those hidden inside the nest, the number is conservatively estimated to be over one hundred thousand.
This horrifying scene made a question pop into Lear's mind: What gave those corrupt orcs the audacity to spy on such a massive swamp wasp?
A single mud wasp is nothing, but a swarm of hundreds of thousands, the size of a fist, is a different story.
Once the attack is launched, it will be a death storm that blots out the sky.
Furthermore, mud wasps possess a queen bee that can control the swarm.
Lear racked his brains but couldn't figure out who gave those corrupt orcs the courage to target the swamp wasps.
After observing silently for a while, he did not approach any further and waved for everyone to leave.
After getting away from the area, Lear opened the magic map and marked it.
This is a high-level monster stronghold, and we can't clear it yet.
Let's regroup and build up our strength before coming back.
They immediately changed direction and headed towards the location of the stinking giant that the swamp treant had mentioned.
However, the information provided by the swamp treants was too limited, and after searching for several hours, no trace of the stinking giant was found.
Instead, they encountered a group of merfolk.
The presence of two full squadrons increased the potential enhancement rate of the Wetland Lizardmen to 83%.
A small profit.
As dusk fell, Lear watched the sun gradually sink into the swamp, and without lingering, began his return journey.
Bathed in the glow of the colorful sunset, we returned to our territory.
They immediately noticed that the vines, which were only two meters tall in the morning, had grown to three meters and were gradually closing in.
Progress is rapid.
Meanwhile, the round, plump vine fairy continues to radiate light, guiding the starry vines to grow.
These little guys are really treasures.
Lear smiled broadly.
After dinner, he summoned Bain.
This swamp hero is still in a state of excitement.
The vine fairy's performance gave him hope that his dream could come true.
These past two days, all the swamp people have been organized to discuss and debate in detail the planning and construction of the city of Weilu.
The swamp people are natural-born craftsmen, and each of them has different opinions on this matter. Through their collective wisdom and efforts, the original plan was gradually improved.
After listening to Bain's enthusiastic report, Lear praised him generously.
Bain's face was flushed.
"My lord, the construction of the territory is gradually getting on track. Next, we should cultivate the farmland and grow food."
"The Noya Rice we brought can last for five months, and even the fastest-maturing swamp wheat takes three months to mature, so we need to allow some time for a buffer."
Once deep in the wilderness, besides the constant dangers, the most important thing is that trade with the outside world becomes difficult.
Relying entirely on buying food from outside is too restrictive.
It's fine now that the population is small, but if the population continues to increase, transportation issues alone will make this option impractical.
Reclaiming farmland is a necessary option.
"I had people investigate the surrounding area. Downstream to the south, about 5 kilometers away, there is a large area of silt deposits that can be reclaimed into farmland."
"The soil in this area is very fertile, and with the continuous irrigation from the swampy water upstream, a bumper harvest is sure to follow!"
Bain spoke with great confidence.
They brought enough seeds—swamp wheat—with them this time.
With just a little land clearing, it can be planted.
Lear nodded and gave earnest instructions.
"Starting tomorrow, arrange for people to go and cultivate the farmland. Remember to bring wetland lizardmen as a precaution."
"Evacuate in time when danger arises; you are the most important asset of the territory."
Bain felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this.
My lord, you are truly considerate of your subordinates. Thinking back to the bewilderment and anxiety I felt when I was sent to Lear after my previous life of slavery, I am now filled with strong emotions.
Only through comparison can we realize the gap.
His gaze hardened.
He will do everything in his power to build the city of Weilu for the Lord!
After discussing the reclamation of farmland, Bain brought up another crucial issue—water resources.
"Although the swamp has no shortage of water, the water is full of germs and is not suitable for direct drinking."
"As you said before, although boiling the water before drinking it reduces the incidence of diarrhea and illness among the tribesmen, the swamp water tastes too fishy and foul, making it unsuitable for long-term living."
"What's more urgent than cultivating farmland is finding clean water sources."
Hearing Bain's serious words, Lear's gaze sharpened slightly.
Food can be obtained through hunting and fishing, but the lack of clean water can be deadly.
"During these few days of exploration, I will focus on searching for water sources."
"Are there any other issues that need to be addressed?"
"My lord, our manpower is barely enough for now, but if the territory expands, it will be far from sufficient."
The swamp people number only a few hundred, and the wetland lizardmen, as warriors, cannot participate in production.
With only a hundred or so laborers, such a large territory is simply not enough.
Lear nodded.
"I will take care of this."
With the divine power of the gods still present, there is a solution to the manpower problem.
But races like merfolk, covered in slimy, foul-smelling liquid, were truly disgusting, and he looked down on them.
After finishing their conversation, Lear took a deep breath as he watched Bain's departing figure.
The city of Weilu is a blank slate, lacking everything.
Comrade, you still need to work harder.
After calming myself down, I got up and stepped out of the tent. The starry sky was already twinkling.
Subconsciously, I turned my head to look at the center.
Each vine fairy now illuminates itself, becoming a light bulb, manipulating the power of starlight to accelerate the growth of the starry vines.
This has become a unique feature of the city of Leyte.
After instructing Hagus to arrange for guards, he returned to his private tent and fell into a deep sleep.
On August 8th, reclamation work began on the farmland to the south on the morning of the 8th.
A total of 50 people from the swamp are involved, and it is expected that farming will begin by the 20th.
Swamp wheat can be cultivated year-round as long as there is plenty of fertile swamp silt and water, regardless of the season, and can even grow in winter.
Moreover, it only takes three months to mature, making it the most common and best crop in swamps.
Once removed from the swamp, this wheat loses many of its characteristics, and its yield drops by more than half.
This is a crop unique to swamps, and it is rarely cultivated outside of them.
For two consecutive days, the 8th and 9th, Lear searched and hunted around the city of Weilu.
However, the stinking giant monster mentioned by the swamp treants was still nowhere to be found. But on the afternoon of the 9th, traces of a two-headed ogre were discovered 15 kilometers east of their territory.
This is a large group of over 70 individuals, with an average level of 10.
Their average height reached 2.5 meters, making them look like little giants.
Two hideous heads grow on the neck, giving people a chilling feeling.
He was dressed in animal skin clothing, his body was strong and powerful, and his muscles were like inflated balloons, bulging high.
The weapons around him were all thick trees.
On the site where the two-headed ogres gathered, a dozen or so rough wooden huts were erected.
Lear even discovered that the other party had fenced off a patch of grass and was keeping something inside.
However, due to the dense grass, it was impossible to see clearly.
After discovering the two-headed ogres, Lear did not rush to attack but slowly withdrew from the area.
The level difference is too great; conquering this monster-infested area will inevitably come at a huge cost.
We don't have enough strength at our disposal!
This made him feel a sense of urgency.
The two-headed ogre has built houses and settled down, and will inevitably continue to explore and conquer lands.
It's only a matter of time before Wei Lu City is discovered by the enemy.
He needs to resolve this danger as soon as possible.
Besides the threat of the two-headed ogres, Lear's water problem remains unresolved.
We searched a large area over the past two days but couldn't find a clean water source.
The water he had stored had run out by the night of the 8th, leaving only half a bucket in his tent.
Everyone started carrying buckets to collect water from the swamp to let it settle, then filtered it again with cloth the next day before boiling it for drinking.
However, the stench and bitterness of the swampy water remained strong, and simple treatments were far from enough to remove them, making it difficult to swallow.
Lear hadn't expected that the swamp monster threat he was most worried about wouldn't have had much of an impact; instead, it was the water, which was the least noticeable problem, that caused the issue first.