Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

162: Chapter 121 Ready for Everything, Time to Take Action [Three in One]_4 162: Chapter 121 Ready for Everything, Time to Take Action [Three in One]_4 After Xia Hong finished speaking, he gestured for Xia Chuan to rest first, while he stayed alone in the Blacksmith Room, lowering his head to look at the last batch of iron ore that Xia Chuan and the other six had brought up.

“Someone, get Mu Dong here.”

“Yes, Leader!”

Someone who had been standing guard at the door immediately went to carry out Xia Hong’s order.

…

Xia Hong tinkered in the room for a whole night, with Mu Dong staying the entire time.

It wasn’t until dawn that the activity in the Blacksmith Room finally ceased.

“Deliver these three bows to the Zhao Long brothers.

I’m going to get some sleep first.”

“Yes, Leader.”

Mu Dong nodded in compliance, looking at the three sets of bows and arrows laid out on the ground with a strong sense of accomplishment on his face.

The three bows on the ground were visibly a whole size larger than the previous ordinary iron core bows.

The bowstrings were reinforced with several more layers, clearly making them much stronger than the previous bows.

“Mu Dong, did the Leader call us?”

The Zhao Long brothers, who had been watching the archer selection on the first floor, quickly came up upon hearing the news.

As soon as they entered the Blacksmith Room, without seeing Xia Hong, they asked in confusion.

But immediately, their eyes were drawn to the bows and arrows on the ground.

“This…”

Zhao Long directly picked up one, then reached out to pull the string, feeling the powerful tension of the bow body.

His eyes lit up with excitement as he looked back at Mu Dong with expectation on his face.

Mu Dong smiled slightly and nodded, saying, “These three bows were probably crafted by the Leader especially for you three, each with fifty arrows.

The Leader said you should take them and get accustomed to them first.”

All three nodded in excitement, and Zhao Hu took a bow while not forgetting to ask, “Where is the Leader?”

“The Leader hasn’t closed his eyes for almost thirty hours and has gone to rest.”

The three nodded upon hearing this, a sense of respect rising in their hearts.

“The Leader is more exhausted than all of us.

He deserves a good rest.”

In these over twenty days, they and the six from Xia Chuan took turns mining and forging, finding it not an exaggeration to say they were exhausted to the bone.

But the most worn-out was definitely Leader Xia Hong.

Mining, forging bows, making arrows—he did everything, and even accomplished much more efficiently than them, doing even more work.

It was precisely Xia Hong’s enthusiasm that inspired the six of them and everyone else at the camp to persist and complete such a high-load task.

“Ninety-six bows, plus these three, should be enough for those rodents to feast well.

Xia Chuan is already selecting archers, and perhaps by nightfall, we’ll go to the North Slope of the mountains to deal with those rodents.

Let’s find a place to practice first, so we don’t disappoint the Leader later.”

Mu Dong nodded, hurriedly heading downstairs as well.

He, too, was in the Logging Realm, hoping to pass the archer selection and join Xia Hong in dealing with the rodent group on the North Slope of the mountain.

……

When Xia Hong woke up, it was already completely dark outside.

Realizing he’d overslept, Xia Hong quickly got up and went downstairs.

Arriving at the main hall on the second floor, the meeting place of the camp, he discovered it was already filled with people.

The front row was all holding longbows, carrying arrow quivers.

Glancing around, Xia Hong immediately understood these were the ninety-six people Xia Chuan had selected.

Apart from these ninety-six, more than a hundred people stood around, with expressions of some frustration on their faces, obviously not having fully recovered from the disappointment of not being selected.

“Leader, the ninety-six are all ready!”

Xia Hong walked to the front of the crowd, hearing Xia Chuan’s words, turned his head to look at the people below, with a stern expression.

“Normally, you’d only be in the Logging Realm, not qualified for a hunt for Cold Beasts outside, but the situation now is special, and you all know it.

The rodent group is right next door.

To ensure the camp’s safety, we must take the initiative!”

With that, Xia Hong scanned the ninety-six before him and said solemnly:

“First, congratulations on standing out from over two hundred people.

You’re fortunate to have this chance to go out with me tonight;

But at the same time, you’re also unfortunate,

Because that rodent group, whether in number or strength, far exceeds your imagination.

Tonight’s proactive action, though I have some confidence, I can’t ensure absolute safety.

Any accident might make an injury lucky, and losing your life isn’t impossible.

That’s why I say you are also unfortunate.”

Xia Hong’s eyes flickered, seeing none among the ninety-six showing fear, he asked solemnly, “Are you not afraid?”

“Not afraid!”

“I’m not afraid, for the camp, even if it means death, I’m not afraid.”

“That’s right, we have been consuming the Cold Beast meat that the Leader fights, and we haven’t contributed much in regular times.

Now we finally have a chance to do something for the Leader, how can we hesitate?”

“For Great Xia, I’m not afraid of anything.”

“Without the Leader, I would have died long ago and couldn’t have the life I have now.”

“Exactly, thanks to the Leader, I’ve had such a good life for so long, even if the Leader asked me to die now, I’d be willing.”

“Whoever’s afraid, let me have the chance.

I’m not good with archery, otherwise, this honorable death for the Leader wouldn’t be your turn!”

“That’s right, my Basic Strength isn’t low, just not good at archery, if anyone doesn’t want to go, exchange with me, I’d willingly take your place.”

…

For a while, not only the selected ninety-six but many unchosen in the Logging Realm, and even some reserves, expressed willingness to swap for those unwilling to go.

“Good!

With such words from you, I’m relieved.”

Though Xia Hong had somewhat an idea of his prestige among the people at Great Xia Camp, hearing such words personally stirred his emotions nonetheless.

The entire Great Xia Camp—hundreds and thousands—held unconditional trust in him, even to the point of disregarding their lives.

Wasn’t this all a result of his tireless efforts over the past six months?

Xia Hong was always a person who reciprocated kindness.

He knew exactly how much he had given for the people in the camp, and saying he didn’t expect any return would be a lie.

What he wanted as repayment was this unquestioning trust at this very moment.

“I won’t say much more; you just have to remember one thing.

Every action on tonight’s outing must follow my orders.

Remember the words you just said; tonight, regardless of who you are, even if I ask you to die, you must grit your teeth and bear it.

I don’t want anyone having issues, understand?”

“Understood!”

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, the Zhao brothers, Yuan Cheng, and the ninety-six selected in the Logging Realm all raised their heads, answering in unison, with voices like thunder shaking the eaves.

Xia Hong felt a surge of pride, speaking loudly, “Good, the momentum is not bad.

I hadn’t mentioned to you earlier that a single rodent’s Contribution Value is 200 points.

Normally, you ninety-six probably wouldn’t have a chance to earn so much Contribution Value, but tonight is the opportunity, let’s see who can seize it!”

The ninety-six below, upon hearing this, immediately became excited.

Even Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan, the six in the Earth-digging Realm, had their eyes light up.