Chapter 407: A Brand New Plan

After being affected by the Great Earthquake wave intended by the Slann to destroy the Skaven, the Dwarf Realms had been in a state of contraction for long ages. Maintaining the status quo was already difficult enough; who would have the time to study how to balance internal forces or curb development?

"Perhaps this current batch of young adults can no longer be remolded? Ideological education must still start from the children."

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In his past life, he had proposed various methods to solve the problems brought about by the great fusion of ethnic groups, but none could be called perfect. Sinuoli himself pondered for a long time and could not create a good option that satisfied all his requirements.

"In the process of compiling textbooks, propose the concept of 'Southlanders' to weaken the differences in language, customs, and so on across various regions. Then, redefine the various types of sacrifices; integrate what should be integrated, and abolish what should be abolished."

The various Human factions can actually worship different gods internally; even in Bretonnia, where the church's power is strongest, there is official support for the worship of the Goddess of Mercy, Shallya, and the Sea God Mannann, in addition to the Lady of the Lake.

At the time of the Southlands' founding, only the Lady of the Lake and the Sigmar Cult had any scale, and the contradictions between the two sides were very clear and still manageable. But with rapid development, the worship of other gods also took root in this new continent.

Ulric, Myrmidia, and Mo'er—in the four fortresses that served as regional centers, one could find shrines to almost all the gods of the Old World. After witnessing the strange and eerie nature of the Land of the Dead, some short-lived races, unwilling to accept death, even dug up the sacrificial methods of those gods of Nehekhara who had already fallen into Twilight.

Sinuoli did not know if Settra was the one pushing this from behind, but no matter what, believing in them was still better than believing in Nagash. He himself had also tried to spread the faith of the Dwarf gods among the Humans, but currently, it seemed only the Mother Goddess Valaya and the God of Engineers had gained a few followers.

Under such circumstances, a casual joke that would have been harmless in their original settlements could trigger a large-scale brawl, and who was right or wrong was purely a muddled account.

"I don't need to completely eradicate the problem; I only need to alleviate the contradictions and buy enough development time for myself, for the Southlands, and even for the integration of the Mountain Kingdom."

Looking at the white paper in front of him that had undergone repeated revisions and crossings-out, Sinuoli secretly cheered himself on. In this supernatural world, there was no market for winning people over with virtue; as long as one's strength was sufficient, one could suppress dissenting voices and make problems disappear directly.

"Let's leave the Human problem at that for now. Future development can be planned across three dimensions: myself, the Southlands, and the entire race. How long should the cycle be? Five years is probably only enough for the beginning; once past the initial stage, it will be hard to change things year by year."

The experience and lessons from a certain period in his past life told him that he needed to avoid leap-style development as much as possible. Even a heaven-sent powerhouse who could suppress a generation was hard to control, so what did the little bit of knowledge in his own head amount to?

"As for me personally, breaking through to the Demigod realm is undoubtedly the main goal. Being stuck on the threshold like this is fine for scaring laymen, but when encountering a strong opponent, my true colors will be revealed. As for building spirit veins or searching for the remaining Artifact fragments, those can wait; relying on external objects is ultimately not as good as relying on oneself."

The more he wrote, the harder Sinuoli pressed, not even realizing when the pen holder snapped. He could not afford to take the Demigod status lightly; only after stepping into it could he truly say he was qualified to prepare for changing the End Times.

"The Southlands are mainly about internal affairs—maintaining the momentum of development while eliminating those problems. The war with the Wood Elves and the northern expedition that Outelakesi is preparing are not things where I take the lead; just playing a supporting role and training troops will suffice."

"As for the entire Dwarf Realms, sigh, the time required for newborns to grow up far exceeds that of Humans, and the benefits brought by increased fertility have not yet had time to manifest."

Turning back to look at the map behind him, Sinuoli let out a long sigh to suppress the impulse in his heart. On the Dwarfs' own map, the red Broken Anvil was used to mark the lost Shanbao.

At the junction of the Old World and the Southlands, red markers of all sizes were crowded together. That place had once provided the Mountain Kingdom with countless precious mineral deposits, but now it was called the Badlands and had become the domain of the Greenskins.

"Balin, contact Bulai'en-Tongxu and have him come see me, as soon as possible!"

To solve the population problem, he needed to retake the Eight Peaks. The lessons the Angrund Clan had paid for with failure and the lives of their kin told him that to recover the Eight Peaks, he must at least simultaneously control the surrounding cluster of fortresses.

In the following few days, Sinuoli handled government affairs while waiting for Bulai'en. A sudden report from Buluokesen made him realize he had to return to the Old World once more. The Energy Core needed to be sent to Jiliuguan for further research and practical testing; the importance of repairing the Rune Colossus went without saying, and Sinuoli needed to ensure its safety.

"Welcome back, generous King of the Southlands. I think I need something to moisten my throat; the wind at high altitude is still a bit too fierce for a Son of the Mountains!"

Three days later, Bulai'en's striking copper-yellow beard appeared in the office at Gaoyuanbao. Seeing Sinuoli's playful smile, even an old hand like Bulai'en couldn't help but blush.

"I assure you, every gold coin was spent where it should have been! I used Karak-Azul as a base to form an expedition team, then split into two groups: one to explore Karak-Azgal, and the other to venture deep into the Eight Peaks."

The explorer's eyes were bloodshot but his spirit was highly excited. After downing half a barrel of beer in one gulp, he began to tell Sinuoli about his gains. The bill he submitted, in a situation where he didn't need to raise funds by writing books, made even the transmigrator, who was unaffected by Kezhinzheng, feel a sting in his wallet.

"Let's start with Dragon Crag; its situation is simpler. Although the great Shikaofu ended that Dragon disaster, the fortress is no longer habitable after being ravaged repeatedly. A small group of people claiming to be his descendants and some adventurers built a small stronghold halfway up the mountain, fighting the Greenskins while trying to find the treasures remaining inside the fortress."

Bulai'en took out a few sketches, allowing Sinuoli to understand the situation more intuitively.

"I communicated and exchanged information with their leader. However, they seem, or rather, are definitely a bit problematic. I swear on my beard, I am not trying to slander any fellow kin, but the elders of Tiefengbao hold the same view as I do."

"If even you find it strange, could it be that they have grown pointed ears?" Sinuoli laughed, beginning to suspect that Bulai'en hadn't gained much and was preparing to make up a story to get more funding.

"They are secretly forming a society, worshipping a foreign god known as Golazi. Those—let's call them fellow kin for now—claim that the guy presides over wealth and glory."

"What? Say that again?"

Sinuoli was shocked; he hadn't expected that after all his calculations, it would be his own home being raided. He hadn't even gone to harvest and plunder the faith of other races yet, and someone had already reached into his own private preserve!