Chapter 108: Ore [2]
Without wasting another second, he immediately began issuing orders through the Soul Network.
"Guardians One through Five. Cut down every straight tree around the area."
The five Soul Guardians immediately dispersed into the forest.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hills before the sounds of chopping soon followed.
Crack!
Boom!
Unlike ordinary lumberjacks, the Soul Guardians didn’t need axes. Their reinforced skeletons were weapons in themselves.
One Guardian wrapped both arms around a thick pine tree before twisting violently.
Crack!
The trunk snapped cleanly near its base as he pulled it out.
Another simply punched through a tree, sending splinters flying in every direction.
Within minutes, dozens of long logs had been gathered into an open clearing.
Andrew watched the scene with twitching eyelids. "...They’re terrifying."
"They’re efficient," Edgar corrected, stretching his body.
Once enough timber had been collected, Edgar walked over.
He measured each log with his eyes before giving another series of commands.
The Soul Guardians worked with unbelievable speed and followed the orders without wasting any time.
Using nothing but brute strength, they split logs, stripped away branches, and shaped thick wooden beams.
Soon, piles of usable lumber surrounded Edgar.
Meanwhile, Edgar turned his attention toward the scattered boulders.
Four invisible Sage Hands silently appeared around him.
The enormous invisible palms floated toward a nearby rock nearly two metres across.
Edgar willed the Sage Hands to squeeze the rock simultaneously.
CRACK!!
The boulder exploded apart, and instead of scattering randomly, Edgar carefully controlled the fragments.
Several rounded pieces floated into the air. Edgar then slowly shaved away their edges.
Stone dust drifted everywhere as rough circles gradually emerged.
Andrew stared blankly, having a hard time believing what he was seeing. "...You’re making wheels?"
Edgar didn’t even look at him. "They’ll do."
One after another, Edgar carved out thick stone wheels.
Each one carried a crude hole through its centre for a wooden axle.
By the time he finished, twenty rough wheels lay across the clearing. "...Good enough."
Edgar then directed the Soul Guardians to position the wooden beams.
Using his Invisible Sage Hands, he carefully carved simple interlocking joints into every connecting piece.
Rather than relying entirely on ropes, every beam slotted tightly into another.
Once the frame had been completed, thick drake vines gathered earlier were wrapped around every joint.
Andrew and Gordon helped tighten each binding.
The result wasn’t beautiful, but it was definitely sturdy.
In just a few hours, ten enormous wooden carts stood lined up beside one another.
Edgar wiped the sweat from his forehead before smiling with satisfaction.
"...Done."
Gordon slowly circled one of them before stamping his foot against the wooden floor.
"It’ll hold."
Andrew looked equally impressed.
"I didn’t know carts could be built this quickly."
"They normally can’t," Gordon answered honestly. "It’s just our lord is a freak of nature."
Edgar had simply ignored every shortcut normal craftsmen couldn’t.
After all the carts had been completed, Edgar pointed toward the exposed ore veins.
"Now fill them."
The Soul Guardians immediately got to work.
The Albino Gorilla Commander strode toward the nearest cliff.
It raised its enormous fist and slammed it hard into the ground.
BOOOM!!
Chunks of ore the size of barrels broke free from the cliff and crashed onto the ground.
Ordinary Soul Guardians rushed forward.
Some shattered the larger rocks into manageable pieces. Others carried them directly into the waiting carts.
The Headless Soul Knight proved no less useful.
Mounted upon its Soul Steed, it repeatedly galloped between the different ore deposits, transporting broken rocks with remarkable speed.
For nearly three hours, the mountain echoed with constant explosions and crashing stone.
By the time the work finally ended, every single cart had been filled almost to overflowing.
Edgar slowly nodded in satisfaction.
"...That should keep Steven busy for a while."
He looked toward the two Commander Soul Guardians.
"You two."
The Albino Gorilla slowly stepped forward, and the Headless Soul Knight guided its skeletal horse beside it.
Edgar pointed toward the line of carts.
"Take these back to the Fortress."
Without hesitation, thick ropes woven from drake vines were fastened to each cart.
The Albino Gorilla grabbed eight at once.
Its massive muscles tensed before it slowly began dragging them across the rocky ground.
The Headless Soul Knight turned its head to look at the Gorilla and saw it smirking.
....The Gorilla was trying to impress his master by doing the most work.
Although the load was enormous, the Commander appeared to struggle.
The Headless Soul Knight didn’t waste any time and simply took the remaining two carts.
’...The fuck is he doing?’ Edgar wondered, looking at the Gorilla whose head was raised proudly.
’Urgh, whatever.’
The wooden wheels rolled surprisingly well over the uneven terrain.
"...Let’s head home."
...
By the time the convoy finally reached the Fortress, the fog had already begun thinning.
Only a few hours remained before the Eternal Night descended once more.
The soldiers standing atop the walls immediately noticed the incoming group.
"...What is that?"
"Those are... carts?"
"And... are those rocks?"
The massive gates slowly opened.
One after another, the ten overloaded carts entered the Fortress.
People instinctively moved aside, staring at the mountain of ore being hauled inside by skeletal monsters.
Edgar smiled faintly.
’Looks like we’ll be busy for quite some time.’
Just as he passed beneath the gatehouse, the blonde boy noticed someone already waiting for him.
Semele.
The mysterious woman stood quietly beside the entrance with both hands folded behind her back.
Her crimson eyes slowly swept across the ten carts before finally settling on Edgar.
A wide smirk spread across her beautiful face.
"...You’ve been very busy today," she said gently.
Edgar dismounted from his horse and let a soldier take the reins before he walked toward her.
"Why the smirk?" Edgar asked, tilting his head.
"I wonder why," she replied, taking a step closer. "Did the young lord find a treasure house?"
"...Something like that."
He replied before taking a step back.
Edgar turned around and walked toward the Smithing House without waiting.
He could feel the eyes of the lady on him, which made him uncomfortable.
’...But why was she smirking like that?’
It was like she knew something and was enjoying the fact that he didn’t know it.
’What a pain.’
"Young master!?"
Suddenly, Andrew yelled, jolting him out of his thoughts. "Sir Steven just lost consciousness!"
Panic took over the blonde boy in an instant. "What!?"