Chapter Fifty-Five: Changing the Plan

"Pink skin, oversized ears, capable of wielding weapons, suspected of possessing intelligence..." Mo Fangyuan was certain now—these were indeed the pigmen of the Netherworld.

It was so obvious now that even a fool could tell. According to Yali, there were a total of three such creatures, and their combat power wasn’t particularly high—just a bit stronger than zombies.

"Damn, that was my mistake. I actually forgot about this... I really put too much faith in the plot..."

Mo Fangyuan knew this was a real world, nothing like the games of his previous life. This was a living, breathing world with its own logic, full of uncertainties that reality inevitably brings.

Yet he still clung to the fantasy that things would unfold as he imagined. Now, he realized that was far from likely.

"But from the looks of it, they must be out gathering intelligence..."

Few in number, poorly armed, with limited combat ability—these pigmen were most likely scouts from the Pigman Empire. In the film, before the Pigman Empire invaded the main world, they had dispatched many scouts.

What worried Mo Fangyuan most was the fear that the protagonist might not exist either. If the protagonist was gone, let alone the legacy left behind after the downfall of the Pigman Empire—he’d be lucky to even survive its wrath.

After all, the block people and the pigmen were leagues apart.

The tension that Mo Fangyuan had painstakingly suppressed after days of monster fishing flared up again.

Great, just great. The threat from the zombies and skeletons had barely subsided, and now an even more terrifying Pigman Empire had emerged.

What on earth had happened to this world? Why was it intent on harming the block people? He was shaken, furious, and cold all at once.

"The plan has changed. I’ll have to make adjustments..."

...

A week passed, ordinary on the surface yet fraught with tension, as snow and wind battered their world.

The snow that collected on the ground was shoveled away, only to fall again—like the weeds of spring, impossible to eradicate, seriously disrupting the daily work and lives of the Block Kingdom’s residents.

Mo Fangyuan had no choice but to assign a special team to snow removal. Coupled with the pressure from the Pigman Empire, his vacation plans were thoroughly ruined; he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Yet in the midst of his routine work, he discovered there was nothing much for him to do within the kingdom. Aside from patrolling here and there, he truly had no pressing matters.

Petty disputes among residents were handled by the building wardens, while smaller state affairs were competently managed by Yali, Old Fu, and the other department heads.

Mo Fangyuan found himself falling into a state of idleness, with nothing to do.

Despite the overwhelming external pressure, with annihilation looming at every turn, there was nothing he could do to strengthen the Block Kingdom’s overall power.

The population strictly capped the kingdom’s potential—perhaps that was why, despite the great external threats, the Block Kingdom was utterly powerless.

"The mine has only reached the sixty-first block underground; it’ll be a long time before we hit redstone. A ‘redstone revolution’ in the short term is just a pipe dream..."

"There’s nothing much left to improve on the farmland either, with only so many farmers to go around..."

"Winter brings fewer monsters, so the warriors can’t get much real combat training in either..."

Mo Fangyuan was frustrated; he wished he could go outside the kingdom and recruit more people. At least then he’d feel like he was accomplishing something.

Honestly, now that he thought about it, it really was a great opportunity for recruitment. Most monster factions were dormant, rarely venturing out.

That meant he could travel west, north, or east to gather people. Even abducting a hundred or more at a time wouldn’t carry much risk.

With most monsters in hibernation, the only real obstacle was the harsh natural conditions—once warmth and food were secured, there was little external resistance.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He immediately began preparing supplies for the journey—he was bored out of his mind!

"But, Your Majesty! Even so, braving a blizzard is no less dangerous than fighting monsters—in fact, it could be worse! We have no experience combating the elements!" Yali protested, desperate to dissuade him.

"She’s right!" Zhang Lingyun agreed, slipping into the meeting room at some point.

"Your Majesty, I believe we need to think this through. The weather outside is frigid, visibility is low. If you get lost and run out of supplies, there’s nothing we can do! You are the monarch—the Child of the Sun, the spiritual pillar of the Block People..." Old Fu also tried to dissuade him.

"She’s right!" Zhang Lingyun chimed in.

"Furthermore, the outside villages might not survive this weather; Your Highness’s concern is already the greatest mercy they could hope for!" Lin Ye added.

Her loyalty was to the Block Kingdom, not the entire block people race. The fate of other block people left her utterly unmoved.

"She’s right!" Zhang Lingyun echoed.

"Your Majesty, I do not believe violence is the answer. If Your Highness truly has nothing to do, might I suggest helping with the children’s homework planning..." Old Duan objected as well.

"She’s righ—"

"Enough! Stop agreeing and disagreeing for a moment! I’ve just thought of a good idea!" Mo Fangyuan was about to abandon the notion himself when Zhang Lingyun’s repeated “She’s right” snapped him out of it.

Wasn’t Zhang Lingyun a fire mage? If worst came to worst, he could bring her along as a portable heater! When it got cold, he’d just cuddle up to her!

No matter what trouble arose, they’d be able to get through it.

"My mind is made up. Zhang Lingyun, get ready—we’re heading out!"

"She’s righ—wait, no! Your Majesty, why are you bringing me?" Zhang Lingyun, munching on snacks, was thoroughly baffled.

Wasn’t she just an innocent bystander?

"Why me!" Ever since she’d inherited the secrets of the magical girl, Zhang Lingyun had become more and more absent-minded.

"You like playing with fire, don’t you? Come with me—out there, there’s plenty of space for you to play to your heart’s content!"

Mo Fangyuan ignored her protests. Zhang Lingyun was his winter travel heater from now on.

When it got cold at night, he’d just cuddle up to her—no, he’d cut a log and have her set it aflame!

"You’re a grown magical girl now—you should learn to use your powers in service to your king!"

No one could persuade Mo Fangyuan to stay; they could only leave in disappointment.

"Wait, why am I thinking of the phrase ‘leave in disappointment’?" Mo Fangyuan wondered, unable to fathom why that term occurred to him...

Since the main threats of this winter journey would come from nature, Mo Fangyuan packed large amounts of coal, wood, food, and cloth for warmth, leaving behind most bulky weapons.

Other than a fishing rod and a diamond axe, he carried no other weapons.

As previously noted, the lower monster spawn rates in winter meant less danger—simple weapons would suffice.

The snow had stopped, improving visibility, though fierce winds still stung Mo Fangyuan’s face with icy cold.

"But I can adapt!"

"Come on, Zhang Lingyun, don’t just stand there—let’s go!"

Compass in hand, Mo Fangyuan dragged a reluctant Zhang Lingyun westward.

Previously, he’d received redstone blocks from a gift bag, which he broke down into redstone dust for crafting compasses. Of the eighteen redstone dusts, he used four to make a corresponding number of compasses.

He didn’t have much use for that many compasses at the moment, but the instincts etched in his blood told him: stock up while you can! There was no loss—perhaps they’d come in handy someday.

"Alright, let’s go... Be good. Once we’re done with this, we’ll go back and relax!"

With a mixture of cajoling and dragging, Mo Fangyuan and Zhang Lingyun finally set off in the designated direction.