Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 1490: Chapter 68: Basia City in Peril

It was a small house that could dig up soil on its own, then use some alchemy potions from the jar to create gigantic stone bricks resembling concrete. These bricks were placed in designated positions by tracks for feet, with legs resembling cranes automatically raising and lowering them.

There was no one operating within the small house, just a few alchemist apprentices guiding the vehicle. From their brisk footsteps, it was clear it required no effort.

The Stelter Family built a colossal wall at the foot of the mountain, standing fifteen meters tall. First, three-meter-long, one-and-a-half-meter-wide, and one-meter-high stone bricks were placed three on each side, leaving a three-meter-wide gap in the middle. Then, metal blocks of the same size were added on either side of the concrete bricks, followed by a coat of paint on the outer wall.

The top of the thirty-meter-high wall didn’t differ much from a typical Great Wall. Metal bricks and concrete bricks formed a three-meter-high crenel, without concrete bricks on the bevel. The metal bricks remained, but they were specially made with a ten-centimeter viewing slit in the middle, and small windows that could be pushed to one side on either side.

Hill was a bit surprised that each viewing window on the metal parapet opened at a different location, likely to prevent enemies from remembering and ambushing from outside the window.

In the already completed area, Hill saw only one annex prepared to install some automated magic weapons. Several alchemists were there calculating distances and angles.

Although the previous simple stone exterior wall could still be reused, the Stelter Family clearly didn’t intend to save that money, throwing it directly into the Deep Sea on the other side. After the ocean wars, the Danboro people liked to throw anything disgusting into the Deep Sea.

Hill was a bit surprised that Ellie was really among those responsible for dumping waste.

Even though Miss Stelter’s face was unusually pale, she still flew around every day with a strange metal bucket until midnight before going home.

Hill was only focused on that multifunctional machine.

The neatly stacked bricks filled his heart with desire... Although with just a thought, he could build something much sturdier than this Great Wall... this was something else entirely!

This was an excavator combined with a crane and a wall-building machine!

How, how could anyone not want it?

Hill leaned his body against the rail of the Cloud House, his face full of longing.

If it weren’t for the Stelter Family rebuilding their homeland, he probably wouldn’t have seen such a thing!

When Galan was around, this thing didn’t exist. It was probably invented recently... Was Ismael once a digger too?

He would no longer call this guy a fool, idiot, or brainless!

What did it matter that Ismael tricked Aesces and him?

This multifunctional machine could make all his foolishness vanish into thin air!

Hill rubbed his hands, remembering that Finch had sent him a few letters wanting to trade for some good items... The blueprint for this thing shouldn’t be a strategic material; he could probably trade for it.

In this world, probably only Hill could guarantee his Crystal Fruits were absolutely problem-free... The small tree in front of his house could prove he didn’t need to source from the Forest of the Elves.

So, if the alchemists wanted to figure out the past and present of the Silk Spider, they absolutely had to come to him to trade.

After all, it was certainly easy to find Mutated Silk Spider eggs, maybe just needing ten elf handicrafts to soak with Yunlan’s sap.

Hill observed the bustling construction site below again, finally spotting Lind lifting metal bricks to build a wall in a corner.

To allow the elemental flow of these metal bricks to be smoother, alchemists sensitive to material properties had to decide the concentration of the adhesive between the bricks on the spot. Even though it was right next to them, a slight difference in air humidity meant the required concentration would vary, so this task couldn’t be done by a machine and required cooperation with the alchemists.

This was why, despite the multifunctional vehicle nearly completing its work, only half of the outer metal wall was done. It was because most of the alchemists in Basia City had probably been invited to help!

Hill didn’t know what purpose the giant stone taken from Stelter Castle by the Alchemist Association served, but for Finch, who was always at odds with Count Stelter, to pay such a high price, it was definitely no ordinary item.

But he didn’t care much... According to the Fantasy World’s consistent standards, it was either Divine Blood Crystal or the bones or heart of some legendary creature.

Hmm... Of course, this was also because he secretly sensed a faint, harmless presence while observing.

’Ding, ding, ding’!

On the Cloud House, Hill couldn’t help but turn to look towards the commercial street... The bud-like spire of the Hall of Abundance suddenly opened, revealing a gigantic copper bell that rang the alarm automatically.

The huge residence of the Alchemist Association, divided between the commercial street and the Mage’s Avenue, erupted in golden light.

Hill frowned and steered the Cloud House to fly there.

Perhaps the mastermind behind it also knew what they wanted had been delivered to the Alchemist Association, and next time it might be escorted back to the Alchemist Association headquarters by some great sage. Thus, a tidal wave of Silk Spiders surged from a corner of the commercial street towards the mansion.

The civilians on the street screamed and ran... The Silk Spiders didn’t actually do anything to them, but the webs they sprayed did not avoid anyone.

Several unlucky people who happened to pass by were directly sliced into pieces by the sharp threads.

This only made the screams of the onlookers even more intense.

All the buildings on the commercial street closed their doors at this moment, no one wanted these people whom the spiders passed by to enter their domain.

Hill could understand their panic, after all, who knew if these people carried spiders on them.

But he also couldn’t just watch these people run around in a panic.

Most importantly... Hill glanced at that building he had noticed before, the road, that tempting shop window, he walked by it every day.

Hill sighed, flew directly into the air, and flipped open his Magic Book... The fact that Silk Spiders feared Moonlight was something the Stelter Family had already informed the city, and he certainly knew.

He chanted softly, a clear Moonlight, followed by endless Thunder, poured from his hand... The houses on both sides of the alley from Mage’s Avenue to the commercial street were instantly blasted into debris, and the Moonlight also made the spiders hiding below flee madly.

As Hill expected, after deciding to attack the Alchemist Association, there were no living people left in these two buildings... only dozens of beautiful, terrified, and angry corpses.

Then turned to ash amidst the fire and Thunder.

Hill continued singing unaffected... The civilians on the road certainly saw what he was doing, and how those fleeing Silk Spiders were turned to ash in the Moonlight, all desperate to run to this place.

Then they saw a large two-and-a-half-story stone house silently appear on the land where those two disappeared buildings and alley once stood.

The people with nowhere to go ran straight in without thinking... A mage as powerful as this would not need such trouble if he wanted their lives.

As for whether there might be other conspiracies... At least their lives were still intact, right?

The stone house was inlaid with some Moonlight Stones by Hill, and the glass in the doors and windows was mixed with Holy Crystal... Those with malicious intent would find it very difficult to endure the burning sensation.

He didn’t choose to segment any spaces, except for the staircase to the half-level above the second floor, which only women and children could reach, the rest were just public restrooms on both sides.

Hill estimated that if crowded, at least twenty thousand people could stay here.

Although Basia City has tens of thousands of civilians, only about that number would need refuge, and besides, each Grand Temple would shelter their followers.

The safety level of Hill’s house was okay, but the comfort level was much inferior, so people with some capability would not choose to hide here.

Especially those with a bit of status, they would not come to this place which once faced cold eyes... After all, if needed, they would just take the young ladies to some specialized hotels.

Hill glanced around... No one from the Alchemist Association came out, the City Guard had just assembled, Joshua was there shouting and commanding people to put on their gear.

Though the port and the military camp on the other side lit up, and the soldiers tidied their equipment, they clearly didn’t plan to help in this matter.

Though understandable, in a Fantasy society, the King’s army doesn’t need to help the lord’s civilians, Hill was still somewhat disappointed.

Although when first arriving in Aesces everything seemed fine, some substantial things were still there when incidents happened.

The various Grand Temples were also obviously slow to respond... It appeared that unless followers came to them, they didn’t plan to save the populace.

Indeed...

Hill glanced in the direction of the castle, where Count Stelter was riding with his guard galloping over, and flicked his right hand lightly.

”Who~ is it?”

A furious and anxious Count Stelter suddenly tightened the reins, raised the shield in his hand... An exquisite and beautiful Crystal Key struck against the shield, then hovered there.

He somewhat confusedly took the key with his right hand wearing a leather glove embedded with gemstones capable of blocking toxins, and Grand Mage Belfran’s cold voice rang out: ”This is the key to the refuge, temporarily entrusted to you for management.”

Count Stelter shouted with immense gratitude: ”Thank you so much, Great Sage Belfran!”

Hill said nothing more, turning to return to his house.

No matter how chaotic the Stelter Family may be, at least when his citizens encountered trouble, Count Stelter as the lord was still willing to take the initiative.