Chapter 152: Rapid and Transformative Changes

Taming beasts was not a difficult task for ordinary commoners, especially when it came to domesticating cattle, a common type of livestock. Ten days later, over three thousand wild cattle were distributed among the residents of Dawn City. Under Li De’s firm leadership, Dawn City transitioned from manual farming to ox-plowing in just half a month. With the help of tool sets produced by blacksmiths, productivity skyrocketed. Li De was astonished by the dual nature of the world of Glory. On one hand, magic had reached incredible heights; on the other hand, productivity remained extremely low. It was as if the worlds of nobles and commoners existed independently of each other. Magic belonged to the nobility, while the common people at the bottom were completely ignored. This vast disparity created an invisible divide within the society of Glory. Even on Earth, despite significant wealth gaps, technological advancements brought by the upper class could still benefit the lower classes. But in this world, there was no such trickle-down effect. The commoners were a forgotten group, their sole purpose being to provide resources for the upper-class nobles. And with the nobles wielding absolute power, these commoners had no means to resist. Generation after generation, they were exploited by the nobility until they either joined the ranks of the nobility or lost their lineage entirely. Of course, while Li De was surprised by this societal phenomenon, he also knew he lacked the power to overturn social rules that had operated in the world of Glory for perhaps millions of years. Unless he became the Creator—where power equaled truth. The distribution of wild cattle caused quite a stir within Dawn City. Nick, who had been allocated a strong bull, was very satisfied. At this moment, he was feeding grass to the bull beside a makeshift shed hastily constructed with sod. Pointing to the bull with its two curved horns, Nick boasted to Antony. "Antony, do you see? These creatures aren’t magical beasts. As long as you give them enough food, they’ll quickly become friendly." He then took a handful of fresh grass from a freshly cut basket and offered it to the wary bull. Moo~ The bull let out a long call, sniffed the grass with its nose, and, perhaps due to hunger, didn’t hesitate much. Its long tongue rolled the grass into its mouth. Crunch, crunch, it began to chew. After the wild bull finished eating a basket of grass, its gaze towards Nick softened considerably, losing its initial wariness. Seeing this, Antony cast a look of admiration at Nick. "Uncle Nick, you’re really amazing." Nick chuckled, his face beaming with pride. "When I was young, I used to raise warhorses for noble lords. These animals may seem unintelligent, but they’re actually quite clever." Antony nodded, though his gaze towards the bull remained somewhat distant, his mind clearly elsewhere. Nick keenly noticed Antony’s subdued mood and patted his shoulder with his right hand, rough with gray calluses. "It’s been such a long time, and you still haven’t gotten over it? "So what if you didn’t make it into the top two hundred? So what if you didn’t get the chance to become a Saintlight Vampire? "It’s not the end of the world. Didn’t you earn five points? "Heh, points are a wonderful thing. Lately, I’ve been able to skip lines when shopping. You wouldn’t believe the envy in people’s eyes. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, if only I could experience such noble privileges once." Watching Nick deftly steer the conversation away from the topic, Antony felt a wave of gratitude. During the Hero Selection Tournament in the Month of Deep Winter, he had ranked 205th—just one step away from becoming a Saintlight Vampire. Unfortunately, he hadn’t succeeded in the end. But falling just short of a goal was often the most painful. Months had passed, yet Antony still couldn’t let it go. Especially now, seeing those newly turned Saintlight Vampires enjoying their privileges and newfound spellcasting abilities only deepened his frustration. "Don’t dwell on it too much. Lord Kachar is such a great figure. As long as you contribute, I believe Lord Kachar won’t overlook you." Antony nodded, forcing a smile. "Don’t worry, Uncle Nick. I’m fine." Nick looked deeply at Antony, patted his shoulder, and said nothing more. "The blacksmith shop should have finished crafting the iron plows by now. Go and collect yours. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, the blacksmith shop is quite skilled. To think they could create such high-efficiency tools." Antony nodded. "I heard this iron plow was invented by Lord Kachar himself. The blacksmith shop is merely responsible for crafting it." Nick’s face revealed admiration. "Truly remarkable. Could it be that Lord Kachar is truly a deity, as the Dawn Order claims?” "How else could he know so much?" Antony nodded in agreement. "Yes, only a deity could be so great." "Alright, stop dawdling and hurry to collect the plow. If you’re late, they might run out." "Alright, Uncle Nick." As Nick watched Antony’s departing figure, a sharp gleam slowly emerged in his otherwise cloudy eyes. He muttered words incomprehensible to anyone. "Will it truly be a blessing for Anthony, to become a Saintlight Vampire, to gain immortality and immense power? Perhaps." After Antony turned and left, he wound his way through half-cultivated fields onto the main road. Through continuous construction, the Moonlight Plains were no longer the desolate wasteland they once were. Large and small roads crisscrossed, dividing the plains into sections. After finishing their work, farmers could walk from their fields to smooth roads within ten minutes, with smaller paths connecting to the central main road. Thanks to the efforts of the Construction Department, transportation across the Moonlight Plains had become convenient. Though not as advanced as the bluestone roads within Dawn City, they far surpassed the main roads of the outside world. Antony slowly made his way toward Dawn City along the main road. Many farmers who had finished their work greeted him with smiles, and Antony responded with a cheerful smile. Wave after wave of residents passed by him, each pair of eyes brimming with hope and aspiration. In all his years, he had never seen such expressions on people’s faces except in Dawn City. With a sense of awe, he slowly continued along the main road back to the city. The Moonlight Plains were flat, allowing one to see the towering peaks at the horizon. What was once covered in weeds had been cultivated into patches of black soil. As long as seeds were planted, these lands would yield a bountiful harvest during the harvest season. A gentle breeze greeted him, lifting Antony’s spirits. Half a sun-hour later, a towering structure rising from the ground came into view on the right. It was Dawn City’s mage tower. Though only half-completed, the mage tower already exuded a majestic presence. Several Cyclops with grayish-white wrinkled skin were carrying massive stone blocks to construct the tower. The rumbling sounds resembled the collapse of the earth. Admiration flashed in Antony’s eyes. He had heard the adults in the Security Squad casually mention that these Cyclops were personally conquered by Lord Kachar. The battle scene was said to have caused the earth to erupt with molten lava. Though he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, just hearing about it filled Antony with awe. Only a powerful lord like Kachar could conquer the Cyclops. Thud~ At this moment, a Cyclops threw a long stone block onto the ground. Even from hundreds of blades away, Antony felt the ground shake. These Cyclops were truly enormous. Over six blades tall, with solid, explosive muscles, gray wrinkled skin, and a single massive eye on their heads. Everything about them spoke of their terror and strength. Yet, such powerful beings had been enslaved—it was simply inconceivable. Even after seeing Cyclops countless times and even feeding them bread, Antony couldn’t help but marvel every time he saw these behemoths. Humans appeared so insignificant before such mighty creatures. The construction site of the mage tower was bustling, and outsiders were prohibited from entering. Standing on the main road, Antony could only catch a glimpse of it. After observing the Cyclops and vampires for a while, he left. There weren’t many iron plows available at the blacksmith shop. They could only produce a hundred sets daily, and if he was late, they would be gone. Continuing toward Dawn City, after passing the unfinished mage tower, the black, freshly cultivated land on both sides of the road gradually gave way to barren grasslands. Antony wasn’t surprised. He knew this area would become the new district of Dawn City, as per the future planning posted at the entrance of the City Hall. Though it might be desolate now, he was inexplicably confident that it would become the most prosperous area in the future. After walking for about ten minutes, Antony instinctively turned his head to the right. At the edge of his vision, beneath the mountain peaks, a row of towering chimneys spewed thick smoke. He had heard from the blacksmiths that those were the blast furnaces for smelting iron. Allegedly designed by Master Golddig, the manager of the blacksmith shop, these blast furnaces were originally a masterpiece of the dwarves, inherited by the man with half-dwarf blood. The furnaces were built at the foot of the mountains because it was downwind of Dawn City, ensuring the smoke wouldn’t affect the city. Moreover, with abundant water flowing from the mountain springs, it was an ideal location for iron smelting. Antony had never seen them up close since the area was restricted, and outsiders weren’t allowed in. He had seen blacksmiths smelting iron in Green City, but such large-scale blast furnaces could only be found in this miraculous city. After a moment, Antony withdrew his gaze and continued toward Dawn City. The closer he got to Dawn City, the more crowded it became. Half a sun-hour later, the surrounding wasteland disappeared, replaced by rows of brand-new houses lining the roads. These newly built houses were reportedly constructed in advance to accommodate more incoming humans. Antony had previously worked a short-term job for the Construction Department and knew the reason behind it. But precisely because he knew the reason, he held even greater respect and admiration for the city’s master—Lord Kachar. Only such a great figure would treat commoners so kindly, right? In comparison, the rulers and nobles he had encountered before deserved to be hanged. However, Antony’s feelings toward Li De were not just admiration but also reverence. The memory of Porter from the Wild Wolf Gang being hanged remained unforgettable to everyone. Upon entering the city, it grew increasingly bustling. The ever-developing Dawn City even felt somewhat unfamiliar to him. Antony still remembered when he first arrived in Dawn City—it had been very empty and desolate, with few pedestrians on the streets. But now, it was completely different. He even had a premonition that the changes in Dawn City would grow even more significant in the future, as the city was governed by the great Lord Kachar. He eagerly anticipated the day when Dawn City would be filled with towering buildings and the new district completed. By then, he, Antony, would be a witness to it all. For this, he felt genuinely honored.