Chapter 96

Under the scorching sunlight that seemed to turn the vast expanse of yellow sand dunes and the bizarrely shaped wind-eroded boulders into a natural iron griddle, the temperature of this land rose sharply. The rolling heat waves rising from the ground heated the air, making the scenery a few meters away appear hazy, like a strange and surreal dream.

When a hot wind, as if blown from an oven, swept over this wind-eroded landscape, the flowing air produced a strange whistling sound in the rock crevices, and the desolate Gobi scene seemed to extend to the end of the world.

Under the blinding sunlight, the temperature of this vast sandy land rose sharply. The heat waves rising from the ground heated the air, making the scenery a few meters away appear hazy, like a strange and surreal dream.

Luo Zhengdao, leading the pirates, disembarked and crossed the sand dunes and salt flats near the coastline, where a few salt-tolerant plants struggled to grow. As soon as he raised his head, he immediately understood what the written materials meant when they described the harsh natural environment of Wick Reef. This was not just a few lines on paper; Luo Zhengdao no longer doubted the description of the climate here as unsuitable for habitation. The explorers' descriptions were not exaggerated. According to Luo Zhengdao's personal experience, the intense heat that could be felt through his thick boots made him think, with a touch of dark humor, whether he could bury a raw egg in the sand and have a cooked egg in a few minutes.

"Hmm, this place is indeed desolate and the environment is terrible, but it suits my intentions perfectly! Hey, quickly invite Master Steve to disembark and have him choose the location for the mage tower!"

With a meaningless sigh, Luo Zhengdao called on the pirates to start working. Constructing a mage tower was a highly technical task, not just a matter of piling up building materials. There were many nuances and intricacies that outsiders couldn't understand.

Each mage tower in the new world could be considered a comprehensive building, small but complete in all aspects, and a fully functional mage tower was almost a self-sufficient and impregnable magical fortress. Of course, the prerequisite for this definition was that there must be a competent arcanist in the tower to ensure the smooth operation of various functions. As for the two incompetent mage advisors under Luo Zhengdao, their combined abilities could barely ensure a regular supply of food and water, and he would be grateful for that. Expecting too much would invite disaster.

Surveying the almost barren Wick Reef, despite the extremely harsh environment, the actual workload was reduced due to the wide-open view.

Without much preparation, in a barren area about ten kilometers from the coast, Master Steve Char, who often looked down his nose at others, casually tapped his staff on the hard bedrock and said lazily:

"Hmm, this is the node of the island's dragon veins, what geomancers call a feng shui treasure spot."

The predecessor who arrived in the new world over a thousand years before Luo Zhengdao, not only thrived in the new world, rising from a destitute noble to the founding emperor of the Light Dynasty, but also dedicated himself to introducing culture and concepts from the old world. Although this emperor's efforts to spread and promote Chinese culture throughout his life did not completely transform the Light Dynasty into another China, his efforts left some traces in history and folklore. The new world's unique feng shui theory, which was one of these traces, was a prime example.

Unlike in the old world, where technical experts were considered lowly craftsmen and generally looked down upon by the upper class before the Industrial Revolution, in this new world, where alchemy and arcana were highly valued, people had a strong enthusiasm for acquiring new knowledge and exploring new things.

Since the time of the Light Emperor, the feng shui theory gained prominence, and the mages and scholars of the new world began to analyze, verify, and systematize the concepts. Through various methods, they proved that a similar geomantic energy system existed in the new world. Due to the slight differences in world structure, the old world's feng shui theory needed to be adjusted to fit the new world. Over a thousand years, feng shui had become a required subject for mages, especially in design and site selection, where its importance was elevated to an indispensable level.

Luo Zhengdao, when he was in college, had played D&D with a few classmates. He was the type who joined in just to be part of the group, not out of genuine interest. However, the complexity of building a mage tower in a real world far exceeded that of a role-playing game. No matter how rich one's imagination or how bored one was, players aiming for entertainment could not possibly consider all the details of constructing a mage tower.

Reading through the heavy three treasures book was already a headache for many new players. If playing a game required such a level of mental effort, it wouldn't be far from being dragged off to receive "the love of the whip" by Professor Yang, who made a fortune treating internet addiction.

In short, the location for a mage tower in the new world needed to consider the extraction of geomantic energy to meet daily energy needs. Relying solely on a mage's meditation and the natural accumulation of elements in the tower was a ridiculous idea, akin to trying to heat a steel furnace with a match. Even if one understood what needed to be done, the highly technical task of selecting a site for a mage tower was not something an ordinary mage could accomplish. Only a powerful arcanist could handle it.

To be able to hire a high-elf-blooded Master Steve Char, despite the high cost, was a stroke of luck for Luo Zhengdao. Most of the time, no amount of money could guarantee finding a suitable person.

"Rumble..."

At this moment, as Steve Char raised his staff to signal the start of the work, the barren and infertile land beneath the pirates' feet emitted a low, rumbling sound, as if an injured giant beast was groaning in pain underground. The pirates, unsteady on their feet, had to support each other to avoid falling. At this moment, everyone's face turned pale, and it was not hard to understand why mages were called the darlings of the magical world. The grandeur and power of this spectacle were truly impressive. Soon, the ground began to tremble more violently, and a tall white spire slowly rose from the sand, reminiscent of a bamboo shoot emerging from the ground in spring.

Witnessing a massive building continuously stretching and growing was like watching a time-lapse video of a skyscraper under construction. Even Luo Zhengdao, a seasoned穿越者, felt a sense of awe and wonder. It was no wonder that those who arrived in a magic-based world were all committed to the study of magic. The allure of mastering such great power was undeniable. Compared to wielding swords and spears in battle, the disparity was vast, and the gap between a poor man and a wealthy one was even more tragic.

"Completed!"

With a satisfied laugh, Master Steve Char, who often looked down his nose at others, turned around and said arrogantly to Luo Zhengdao and the others:

"Hey, the job is done. Where's the promised reward?"

"Here, Master Char, you've worked hard."

With that, Luo Zhengdao signaled to Faul Chopin, and a dozen sailors placed bags of shiny gold coins in front of him. Steve Char didn't even glance at them, and with a wave of his sleeve, the gold coins were stored in his spatial equipment. Still, he seemed unsatisfied and frowned:

"If it weren't for my recent experiments going over budget, I wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter. Oh, by the way, send a ship to take me to the nearby elven colony. I need to get back to continue my experiments."

Though Luo Zhengdao disliked the high-elf-blooded master's arrogant attitude, he had no choice but to ask for his help. With a bitter smile, he instructed his subordinates:

"No problem, Master Char. Faul, take Master Char to the port he specifies on the Zhiyuan."

"Yes, my lord."

Finally, after sending off the temperamental and difficult-to-please Master Steve Char, Luo Zhengdao let out a slight sigh of relief. Then, his expression turned serious, and he sternly instructed the pirates:

"Alright, the mage tower is built. It's time to get to work. Notify all the warships to start unloading. We will establish a settlement here, and Wick Reef will become our important base and pillar."

Deciding to establish a settlement, a nomadic lifestyle was clearly not feasible. The first step for the pirates to take root on Wick Reef was to build houses. The difficulties they faced were obvious. In this barren land where even wild grass was a scarce resource, how to construct a large number of suitable houses was a daunting challenge.

Using the cheap wooden structures common in this era was not practical. Not only was the problem of obtaining and transporting large amounts of timber unresolved, but using wood to build houses in a dry and windy place could result in a fire that would reduce everything to ashes. Fortunately, Luo Zhengdao was well-prepared for this.

Fine-grained volcanic ash, a primitive form of cement, was used by the Romans near Mount Vesuvius to create early concrete, which, according to later research, was of high quality. Volcanic ash, which was not easily found in the old world, was quite common in the vast and resource-rich new world. Although the geological activity here was unclear, volcanoes were not rare. If a certain proportion of lime powder was added to finely ground volcanic ash, this simple volcanic ash cement could be used as a binding material for construction. Even if the quality was not as good as real cement, it was more than sufficient to meet Luo Zhengdao's needs.

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