Chapter 94: Planning for Orc Town, Summoning Manid

Gold is one of the precious metals of Middle-earth. Ever since Eru Ilúvatar created Arda, it has existed within the earth as a non-renewable resource.

These shimmering, golden-hued metals did not always hold such a noble status. As early as the First Age, Dwarves preferred copper or iron over gold and silver, until a later period when the Dwarves bestowed a higher status upon gold.

Elves and Humans, however, preferred silver, especially the Noldor among the Elves and the Dunedain among the Humans.

During the First Age, the Noldor Elves, out of reverence for the stars, loved to plate their armor with silver. Under the sunlight, every warrior clad in silver-plated armor appeared like a shining star, dazzling and eye-catching.

The Dunedain preferred ornaments crafted from silver; the crowns of the kings of Gondor were generally made of silver, while the kings of Arnor wore silver or Mithril circlets inlaid with gemstones.

This tradition likely originated from their ancestor Earendil. This Half-elf, who personally slew Ancalagon, had a certain preference for silver, such as the white chainmail recorded in poetry, or the great white ship, Vingilot, the "Flower of the Foam."

It was not until the Second Age that the Noldor Elves formally developed a preference for gold, especially the Elven smiths of Eregion. Beyond forging gold into ornaments, they inlaid these shimmering metals onto their architecture, making their homes appear even more noble and dazzling.

The Dwarves of Durin's Folk shared this habit. It is said that in Khazad-dum, also known as Moria during the period of Dwarven rule, they relied on Mithril for boundless wealth, roofing their halls with gold and paving the floors with silver—a spectacle still recorded in the books of some.

It is just that the place has been mostly ransacked by Orcs, and most of the wealth has likely been piled up in the Tower of Barad-dûr under Sauron's rule, becoming an important means for the Dark Lord to win over the Easterlings and the tribes of Harad.

As a precious metal, gold can be used not only as currency for trade—such as the gold coins forged by Dwarves or simply a small piece of gold—but it also possesses decent Magic conductivity, and they hold significant purchasing power among all the races of Middle-earth.

For instance, the seventeen Rings of Power forged with Sauron's craft were mostly made of gold.

The tales of various races chasing after gold are countless, and most have had tragic endings.

Now, a bright gold mine appeared before Allen's eyes, leaving him with nothing but a deep sense of crisis alongside his relief.

Allen knew that this news must not be leaked. Even without considering the help the iron and gold mines would provide to the development of his forces, one only had to think of how many people would swarm in for gold once this news spread across Middle-earth; then Wilderness Town, being the closest to Orc Town, would inevitably become the target of everyone's ire.

Anyone could be seduced by gold, regardless of their race.

Moreover, this place has been occupied by Orcs for years and lacks any defensive measures. It can be said to be accessible from all directions; there are three main gates alone, not to mention the many passages connecting to other locations in the Misty Mountains.

If one wanted to guard this place now, it would be impossible even if all the soldiers of Wilderness Town were moved in, so this news must be sealed.

Allen also immediately demanded that Malherbe, who provided the information, swear the most severe oath of Arda, with Eru Ilúvatar as his witness, to avoid bringing a great deal of trouble upon himself.

Fortunately, Malherbe was extremely sensible and swore a vicious oath on the spot, which made Allen heave a sigh of relief; he truly did not want his Longsword stained with innocent blood because of the trouble brought by gold.

Furthermore, the mining of the iron and gold must be postponed until Orc Town is renovated; at the very least, it must be a fortress that Humans can barely inhabit.

This matter can only be handled by Fudin for the preliminary survey; Dwarves have a unique advantage in the modification of caves, and Allen has full confidence in these allies who love living underground.

At the same time, Allen was immensely grateful that he had been the first to extend a helping hand to the Dwarves, which allowed him to have suitable talent to solve most of the troubles he encountered.

This cause and effect, was it not destined? The orchid's cause and the flocculent fruit, there must be a reason for it.

While Allen arranged for personnel to seal off the vein, other soldiers discovered the place where the Orcs stored their supplies.

The more valuable items included a large quantity of iron ingots, a small amount of precious metals, and some gemstones; the rest were armor and weapons in the Dwarven style, piled in corners covered in cobwebs, clearly unsuitable for Orcs to use.

Allen arranged for soldiers to spend some time transporting these very useful items to Wilderness Town.

As for the rest, they were dried meats made of unknown substances, along with a lot of moldy grain and fruit. These items were vast in quantity and could only be accepted by Orcs, so Allen had them all burned in a large fire, which also served to extinguish the thoughts of other Orcs.

Another person was even sadder, and that was Gollum, who had been hiding in the depths of Orc Town all along. Attracted by the commotion, he watched the burning food and let out a series of wails in his heart; why not give it to him? He could have eaten it for a very, very long time.

Fortunately, this fellow did not see Bilbo Baggins, who had entered the cave again, otherwise Wilderness Town might have had a great deal of trouble.

After arranging everything, Allen took a portion of his soldiers and returned to Wilderness Town first; he needed to make some preparations to settle the hundreds of enslaved people who had just been rescued.

Bandak would lead half the soldiers to continue scavenging in Orc Town until it was picked clean, while Cress and Grim would lead the other half of the soldiers to slowly guide the rescued people to migrate near the Old Ferry.

Allen prepared to settle them there to form a new village. According to Malherbe, most of these hundreds of enslaved Humans possessed decent blacksmithing skills and had some experience in mining.

It was only because the Orcs were too harsh toward the Humans that they looked like ghosts; as long as they recuperated for a period of time, they would provide Allen with tremendous help.

Therefore, Allen thought of settling them near the Old Ferry. This place was closer to Orc Town, and whether it was for developing Orc Town later or growing into a village centered on blacksmiths, it had great convenience.

Now that the Orcs near the High Pass were either dead or had fled, there was no need to worry about safety for the time being.

Allen entrusted this matter to his Hand of the King. Yamila had rich experience and a large number of subordinates proficient in building a village from scratch, so Allen did not need to worry too much about it.

What Allen was concerned about now was when to launch trade between Wilderness Town and Eriador; after all, after this stop at the valley floor of the High Pass, it could be considered safe, and there were no more obstacles to stop Allen from doing this.

However, before that, he needed to summon Manid, the Minister of Finance he had his eye on, to have him organize a caravan to go to Bree, the Shire, and other regions to familiarize himself with the situation.

On the second day after his return, in the early morning, a refreshed Allen opened the Simulator. He hoped to obtain a Qi Technique suitable for his own cultivation in this simulation and, at the same time, summon Manid, who would follow him.

Allen had made extensive preparations in the previous two simulations. Manid had made a booming business with the bounty he earned from hunting water bandits, and the profits earned should be enough to purchase a decent Qi Technique.

【Simulator starting...】

【Welcome to the Magic Continent of Calradia, Dark Ages.】

【Identity of Zendar Bounty Hunter selected.】

【Time: Unknown】

【Location: A small dwelling in Zendar】

【Having just finished a sale of goods, you are in your house, calculating all the income from this past year with Manid.】

【After a long, detailed calculation, there are already tens of thousands of Dinar. This includes the bounties and spoils from your extermination of bandits, as well as the commercial income Manid earned under your leadership from traveling between the Vaegirs and the Nord Kingdom several times.】

【Even in Zendar, a city with a strong commercial atmosphere, tens of thousands of Dinar is already a massive fortune.】

【Originally, you intended to take this money to form a larger Bounty Hunter team to gain greater fame and more wealth by hunting bandits, but now you have other plans.】

【You visited the Physician who treated you with an expensive gift, and from his mouth, you gained a deeper understanding of Qi Techniques.】

【There are three types of these cultivation methods to enhance strength. The first type has no cultivation requirements; it is through squeezing the body's potential to quickly acquire powerful physical qualities, while also being able to greatly increase the sharpness of weapons in battle, causing more damage to enemies.】

【For example, the cultivation method that Manid sold was just like this. People who generally cultivate this kind of Qi Technique usually have black or red light flashing on their bodies, and they generally have shorter lifespans, rarely living past sixty.】

【The second type has a normal cultivation speed and has certain requirements for talent. They will slowly increase physical qualities during cultivation, and can also increase a certain amount of weapon lethality. Generally, those who perform this kind of Qi Technique have more golden or purple light on their bodies.】

【People who cultivate this kind of Qi Technique generally have very good physical qualities and fast physical recovery speeds, and they have longer lifespans. Even past the age of sixty, they can maintain extremely strong combat power. The top nobles of the major kingdoms all have cultivation methods for this type of Qi Technique. Kai, the recruit trainer in Zendar, and the Free Knight Rogue both cultivate the second type of Qi Technique.】

【The third type is the Qi Technique cultivated by this Physician. It has very high requirements for talent. In terms of increasing physical qualities and weapon lethality, it is far inferior to the first and second types, but its recovery ability is extremely strong. Moreover, this kind of Qi Technique, which has been passed down from ancient times, can effectively treat the injuries of others and also has the effect of restraining evil forces.】

【Your injury that pierced through your chest could not have recovered without the help of this kind of Qi Technique; of course, your formidable physical qualities and tenacious will to survive also played a big role.】

【Due to special circumstances, you have a strong interest in the third type of Qi Technique and ask the Physician if he can teach it.】

【The Physician does not object, because you have a good reputation in Zendar and have saved many innocent people in the process of suppressing bandits, including the Physician's own apprentice.】

【The old book friend I've known for ten years recommended a book-chasing app, Wild Fruit Reading! It's really damn good to use; I rely on this for reading and listening to books to pass the time while driving or before going to sleep. You can download it here: wildfruitreading】

【However, the Physician also tells you that the current continent of Calradia is in an era of turmoil, and all kinds of Qi Techniques are monopolized by the nobles. To learn them requires paying a huge price; this is the consensus of everyone, and no one can violate it.】

"Then the price you need to pay, besides 10,000 Dinar, is to help the Physician do one thing, and that is to take revenge."

"Of course, you can also become the Physician's apprentice and serve him for five years; then, at that time, you will likewise be able to obtain this Qi Technique called 'Holy Qi Technique'."

"To the Physician's surprise, you, who possess powerful combat strength, chose to serve him for five years, and after paying 10,000 Dinar, you began your life as a Physician's apprentice."

"In the following five years, you not only had to help the Physician complete specialized tasks such as gathering herbs, refining potions, and caring for the wounded, but you also became the Physician's Attendant, taking care of every aspect of his daily life, while simultaneously working as his number one enforcer, helping the town of Zendar resolve a great many troubles."

"Manid followed you throughout these five years, helping you complete a large amount of miscellaneous work, and at the same time, the Free Knight Rogue, at your request, taught Manid a basic Qi Technique that could increase his physical fitness to a certain extent."

"In the repetitive and monotonous life, time passed quickly, and your medical skills were greatly improved, which made you think of some ancient stories circulating in Middle-earth; in their records, there is a special setting, which is 'the hand of the king is the hand of the healer'."

"Now, you can probably barely qualify for this trait that only kings possess."

"Finally, you fulfilled the promise of serving the Physician for five years, and he handed you a pure white scroll with lingering reluctance, telling you the method of use."

"The moment you tore open the scroll, you felt a bit of holy power travel from your arm to the position of your heart, and at the same time, the writing on the scroll disappeared, and the meditation method for the 'Holy Qi Technique' appeared in your mind."

"Now, you have successfully learned this special Qi Technique."

"You thanked the Physician again for his instruction and his care and guidance during this time, then returned to your house with Manid to make some preparations for the next simulation."

"This simulation has ended, and it has been saved."

"Retain the status of a famous Bounty Hunter of Zendar; if you abandon this status, you can gain Manid's loyalty, increasing the Simulator cooldown time by 30 days."

"You possess a Two-handed Battle Sword."

"Please note that you have learned the special ability 'Holy Qi Technique' of the Magic Continent of Calradia; this ability can be used freely when obtaining a new identity."

"Tip: Please try to practice the 'Holy Qi Technique' in the Magic Continent of Calradia; the results of the practice can be brought into your body in the real world when abandoning the status, and at the same time, it will cause the Simulator to enter a short cooldown."

"No rewards were obtained in this simulation."

"Can continue the simulation, Yes/No?"

"No"

Allen, who was sitting on the bed after finishing the simulation briefing, began to sort through the memories of this simulation according to his usual practice, only this time the duration of his simulation was too long, and there was too much information.

Even under the protection of the Simulator, the massive amount of information that flooded in at once caused a feeling of severe pain in Allen's originally somewhat tired brain.

Facing this situation he had never experienced before, Allen immediately slowed down the process of reading the memories, and the feeling of pain in his brain finally eased.

In his simulations from previous years, few lasted for several years; most were a few months or half a year, which was not too much information, allowing Allen to slowly sort it out within a certain period of time, making it convenient for him to extract these memories when needed.

This way, unexpected situations would not occur, such as not recognizing the subordinates he summoned in reality, or suddenly feeling strange about everything in reality after a simulation.

After several simulations, Allen knew that this was a form of protection the Simulator provided for players, allowing players who travel between two worlds to distinguish between the primary and secondary, so they would not become confused about their experiences and develop mental disorders.

Allen, who had become accustomed to all this, walked out of his bedroom, came to a guest room in the lord's house, and chose to abandon the status of Bounty Hunter.

At the same time that Allen felt an extra surge of power in his body, Manid appeared in the room amidst a white light.

Manid looked around in extreme surprise, a terrified expression appearing on his face, and then he saw Allen, who was faintly emitting white light in the darkness, and his heart immediately settled down.

He took off his hat, bowed to Allen, and said calmly, "Good evening, my lord."

Manid knew that the person he was loyal to would never harm him.