Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One: Trouble

“Corruption… invasion…”

Mo Fangyuan limped away, favoring one leg.

In the blink of an eye, Iron Nose returned to the Block Kingdom with the immigrants.

“Excellent work on completing the mission…”

Having nearly been beaten to death by that bizarre portal boss two days earlier, Mo Fangyuan was in a foul mood and could only manage a forced smile.

“Your Majesty, it was only our duty…”

Iron Nose’s encounter with the Titan monster had shattered his entire understanding of the world. He was in poor spirits as well and could only reply with an equally strained smile.

“You must all be exhausted. Go home and rest. The Department of Civil Affairs can handle things here!”

Seeing their condition, Mo Fangyuan sent the field army soldiers home to rest after more than three weeks spent wandering outside.

The fifty-three new immigrants gathered in the central plaza, chattering excitedly as they asked questions or marveled at the prosperity and beauty of the Block Kingdom.

They had all come from the mountains. Their experience was limited, and they had never seen such a magnificent city before. Their energy seemed to have nowhere to go.

After hesitating for a moment, Mo Fangyuan decided to step forward and greet them, hoping to leave them with a good impression.

“Welcome, my fellow countrymen! Welcome to the Block Kingdom. I am Mo Fangyuan, the ruler of this land. It is wonderful to have you here!”

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

Along the way, many of the immigrants had been influenced by Mo Fangyuan’s fervent followers in the field army and had already developed a sense of respect and trust toward him.

“I welcome you all to the Block Kingdom. You are free to live and work here as you please. The brave warriors of the kingdom will protect you from the monsters…”

“All you need to do is spend a little time working, and you will have ample supplies to live on. You will be able to spend every day happily with your families…”

After delivering too many such rousing speeches, Mo Fangyuan gradually began to find them dull and tiresome. He even felt like giving up.

But there was nothing he could do. Every block person responded to this kind of speech. Whenever Mo Fangyuan delivered one, their spirits rose and the people’s efficiency improved.

Such a powerful buff was something he could not afford to abandon.

“Now, begin your happy lives in the Block Kingdom! Our comrades from the Departments of Civil Affairs and Public Works will help you adapt to life here…”

Mo Fangyuan clapped his hands and forced his facial muscles into a sunny smile.

Several officials from the two departments had long since prepared themselves and were merely waiting for Mo Fangyuan’s order before registering the immigrants’ information.

The King’s Office.

“Your Majesty, our field army has made a terrifying discovery in the eastern forest…”

Iron Nose had not gone straight home to rest. Instead, he had waited outside Mo Fangyuan’s office.

Recalling the colossal creature that had radiated such overwhelming pressure, Iron Nose swallowed and tried to describe it as concisely as possible.

“It was a gigantic, unidentified life-form.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! I am certain. It was truly an enormous black creature. The captain of the squad accompanying me also saw it…”

Mo Fangyuan fell silent. Strange incidents had been occurring with increasing frequency lately.

“And then…”

“Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The captain of the First Squad and I will keep our mouths shut. We will not let this spread… In the name of the sun!”

“…”

I did not ask about that…

Mo Fangyuan sank into an even deeper silence.

“Iron Nose, describe what the creature looked like.”

“Its body was as enormous as a mountain. I estimate that it was at least a hundred blocks tall, and its bulk was as broad as a large pond…”

Iron Nose presented Mo Fangyuan with his most objective and rational analysis.

“I believe it was very likely a Titan creature of the kind described in the Genesis Theory!”

【They were the first lives nurtured by the world. Their bodies possessed the strength to sever rivers and move mountains. Having received the divine blessing, they wielded extraordinary power. They were neither monsters nor ordinary life-forms, but were known as Titans.—Genesis Theory】

“That is merely speculation. It has no theoretical basis whatsoever…”

Mo Fangyuan continued tugging at his sparse beard as he spoke to Iron Nose in grave, measured tones.

Several major incidents had occurred one after another in recent days: first, the mysterious underground lake of magma; then the “door” boss encountered in the Black Forest; and now a Titan creature.

The pressure was becoming almost unbearable.

He could feel that the world was growing increasingly chaotic. He did not know whether, one day in the future, this place would descend into the insane carnage of a mod free-for-all.

“If it really is a Titan creature, that would be for the best. If it is not, then there is nothing we can do…”

The Titan faction was aligned with chaotic neutrality. Whether they were friend or foe depended entirely on their mood. When they were in a bad mood, they killed friendly creatures and hostile creatures alike. In short, they killed whatever they happened to see.

When they were in a good mood, they would kill neither block people nor monsters.

In a sense, they were the enemies of every living thing. At least their power could be used to deal with monsters.

But if that enormous creature itself turned out to be a monster, Mo Fangyuan would have no answer. He could only do his utmost to avoid it and keep the location of the Block Kingdom hidden.

“The eastern region is off-limits for now. Spend this period training the field army as hard as you can. I will notify you when there is another mission…”

The best way to avoid danger was to have no contact with it at all.—Lu Xun

The north was inaccessible, the south could not be crossed, and now even the east was impassable.

The future development of the Block Kingdom had been obstructed on every side.

“We need to accelerate the Lock-Breaking Operation and try to launch it as soon as possible… The Magma Lake Redstone Mining Project must also be attempted immediately. If we delay any longer, we may lose the opportunity altogether…”

The world was growing more dangerous by the day. If the Block Kingdom did not hasten the improvement of its overall national strength, it might not even be able to preserve proof that it had ever existed.

After Iron Nose left, Mo Fangyuan wasted no time and began his own work.

Textbooks, reference materials, administrative matters, laws… Countless documents awaited his attention.

“Clomp! Clomp! Clomp!”

Iron Nose followed the Southern Kingdom Avenue back to his home in the residential district.

“Sis, I’m back!”

The oppression and unease caused by the Titan creature vanished the instant he saw Lin Ye.

She gave him a sense of peace and security that even His Majesty could not provide.

Perhaps this was something only a person with an older sister could understand.

“Mm… Good. You’re back…”

The events of the previous day had left Lin Ye exceptionally exhausted. She looked utterly drained.

“Sis? What happened to you?”

Iron Nose was always extremely attentive whenever Lin Ye was involved, and he immediately noticed that something was wrong.

She’s completely worn out, he thought.

“Ah, it’s nothing serious. I just had a nightmare and didn’t sleep well…”

Lin Ye calmly fabricated a lie. That was what witches were best at.

His sister had been so excited that I was coming home she stayed awake all night! I knew she loved me!

Lin Ye had no idea what Iron Nose was thinking. All she knew was that the aftereffects of the previous day had finally arrived.

“Sis, do you need me to help? I’m really good at it!”