Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Present Situation

"Zhang San, a person's potential is limitless! I believe in your abilities! On this journey westward, don't be reckless—do your best..." Every time Zhang San recalled Mo Fangyuan's sinister expression, a chill ran down his spine.

Do your best? From the look on his face, it was clear what he meant was to risk everything—no, to stake your life!

"For the sake of a future wife and children, for wealth and glory... I'll give it my all!"

With an iron axe, a fishing rod, a bow and arrows, and some of the essential supplies for survival, Zhang San set off resolutely from the Block Kingdom, heading westward across the plains.

Fortunately, Mo Fangyuan had left him a map of the western terrain, so Zhang San wasn't completely in the dark as soon as he left the Block Kingdom.

Since his path was westward anyway, Zhang San simply followed the marked migration route.

Little did he know the route ended at the very valley where Mo Fangyuan had once duped the Skeleton King...

And now, the vengeful Skeleton King still had skeletons lying in wait there.

From his distant fortress, the Skeleton King fumed: he would never let this insult go.

"Let’s see, a herd of cattle—need to make a note of that. Also pigs—mustn’t forget those. Such luxurious food... And over there, a group of... hmm, are those chickens or ducks? Never mind! I’ll just call them chickens or ducks!"

Though Zhang San grumbled, his loyalty to the Block Kingdom was unquestionable. The task Mo Fangyuan had entrusted to him, he was determined to carry out diligently.

The plains stretched as far as the eye could see; anything that moved or protruded stood out starkly against the landscape. The slightest disturbance would be immediately noticed.

By the same token, any threat would be easy to spot.

In the distance, a barren valley came into view.

“That valley’s been burned!” Zhang San’s criminal expertise told him the land hadn’t been scorched by lightning but by human hands.

“Could there be people here?”

His spirits lifted. If there were people, perhaps a village—if there was a village, half his mission was complete. Even if he didn’t find other settlements, discovering one human habitation would be enough to report back.

He straightened his clothes, smoothed his bald head, and tried to make himself look presentable.

This was something His Majesty the King had once told him: one’s appearance is a person’s first impression. In civilized society, if you look like a beggar, no one will pay you any mind—some may even despise you. By contrast, if you’re dressed in designer clothes, even if you’re hideous, you’ll still attract attention.

In short order, Zhang San had tidied himself up and was ready to set off.

“Ah, here I come, mission!”

But as he approached the crevice that resembled a grand entrance, the scene before him was nothing like he’d imagined.

He had envisioned battle professionals stationed here, people coming and going from the crack in the valley, and, upon seeing a fellow countryman approaching, rushing to embrace him and offer him care.

Instead, the place was all ashen and deathly still, as if in a vacuum.

“Could it be...”

A realization dawned, and his hair stood on end.

Having already visited a zombie village with Mo Fangyuan, Zhang San was highly alert to such eerie situations.

"...You are by far the worst batch of students I’ve ever taught!"

Back in the Block Kingdom, Mo Fangyuan leaned against a thick, sturdy column in the classroom, massaging his temples in frustration.

He was close to being driven mad by these little rascals. They were, after all, the cream of the crop—the brightest “little geniuses” the Block Kingdom had to offer. Yet, after teaching them a multiplication table last week, not a single one could recite it now.

“Children, you are the future hope of the Block Kingdom. The future is in your hands. If you don’t work hard now, what will become of the Block Kingdom?”

When he first began teaching this group of children, Mo Fangyuan had been elated. To think that someone who’d always struggled in school could one day become a teacher, prodding other students along—wasn’t that the greatest feeling?

But soon enough, reality set in. If Block People had lungs, his would have been burned to cinders by now.

“All right, that’s enough for this week. Go home and memorize the multiplication table. Next week I’ll test you!”

Exhausted, Mo Fangyuan slumped against the column and waved his hand to dismiss the class.

Amid the gleeful shouts of the children, he left the scene of his heartache.

“Some things really are best left to the professionals. Amateurs forcing their way in is like a toad longing for a swan’s fart!”

“Lu Xun never led me astray!”

Mo Fangyuan had come to appreciate the value of talent.

Grabbing a loaf of wheat bread from beside the desk, he munched thoughtfully.

“The Block Kingdom is fairly stable now—the economy continues to grow steadily...”

As a descendant of the Flowering Land, the art of farming was etched into his very bones.

“If this world weren’t so dangerous—if it weren’t for monsters lurking everywhere—I would have found a secluded spot to develop for a hundred years by now...”

“…There’s no such thing as absolute safety! The best defense is a good offense!”

The bitter lessons of recent history had shaped Mo Fangyuan and most of his peers: winning people over with virtue? Impossible!

If virtue worked, why was the Flowering Land’s modern history so tragic?

Falling behind invites aggression! That is an unchanging truth. Only by growing stronger can one afford to be generous.

Especially when faced with formidable foes like monsters—there can be no compromising; the only choice is to fight to the bitter end.

“Sigh, I still have to check on how the free Block People’s training is going…”

He had said before: turning free citizens into excellent, monster-slaying soldiers was incredibly difficult. The cost alone was enough to crush ninety-nine percent of all countries, the Block Kingdom included.

A combat professional is born to fight; just hand them a weapon and, even without training, they’re at least cannon fodder against monsters.

But to train a free citizen into someone who dares to fight monsters—just as cannon fodder—costs dozens or even hundreds of times more than training an elite combat professional!

This was no exaggeration. To become monster slayers, free citizens needed long-term training. Under such intense discipline, they couldn’t work, and so had no means of livelihood. Without income, they could only rely on state rations.

Think of the consequences of maintaining such an army in a world with primitive productivity.

And overcoming psychological barriers was another long, arduous process. The strong-willed might only need months; the weak, years—or even a lifetime. Most nations couldn’t afford the cost.

If they did succeed, each free citizen soldier would be worth their weight in gold. If one died in combat, the king would have nowhere to cry.

And there were countless other reasons.

These were the shackles that restrained the development of the Block People—a deadly noose around their necks.

“But what choice do I have?”

Mo Fangyuan knew this was a bottomless pit, but he had no option but to jump in.

Jumping might mean being dragged down by the free citizen soldiers, but not jumping meant certain death.

Perhaps by taking a risk, there was a slim chance of survival. Without it, there was none.

“We all crossed over into the Block World—why do other transmigrators have such a blast, while I’m stuck here playing in the mud?”

“…One day, I’ll install a ‘Monster Girl Transformation’ mod and turn you all into women…”

Mo Fangyuan swore to himself.