The wind from the northern entrance of Khyprian road always carried the dampness from deep within the forest.
Looking down from above, this forest, stretching for dozens of acres, resembled a gnawed green biscuit—a large chunk was missing from its southern edge, where freshly cut logs were piled on the exposed earth.
Several dilapidated thatched huts stood crookedly in the center of the clearing; their roofs, with straw flying in the wind, exuded a sense of peace under the setting sun.
This was the site of the Blackrock Clan's earliest lumber yard.
Three years ago, the hobgoblins first cut down trees here and built the tribe's first wooden shed with logs.
Later, Stonewatch was discovered to be a more suitable location for a stronghold, so the lumber yard was moved there, next to the quarry, leaving only these few straw huts for Spider Riders patrols to rest.
No one expected that three years later, this place would once again become bustling—serving as the temporary camp for the Blackrock Fortress logging team.
"Boom!"
Another oak tree, thick enough for two men to embrace, crashed to the ground.
Amidst the flying wood chips, Spearhead wiped the sweat from his face, grinning.
He had cut down eight trees yesterday, winning a cup of fungus strong mushroom beer, and today he was even more motivated, having already felled six trees before the sun reached its zenith.
Iron Claw, not to be outdone, worked his logging saw with a "Buzzing" sound, sawdust falling like snow.
He stared in Spearhead's direction, determined to surpass him.
The hobgoblins spread out in the forest like a swarm of locusts, their weapons varied—the Orc Boyz used iron axes, the hobgoblins used axes, and even a few clever goblin carried small saws, following behind to cut branches.
Some Orc Boyz found axes too slow; they simply hugged tree trunks and rammed them with their shoulders.
The "thudding" impacts and the "Cracking" of breaking wood blended together, creating the forest's liveliest symphony.
Inside the thatched hut, however, a different kind of solemnity prevailed.
Kurzadh sat by the only relatively intact wooden table, with Furball lying at his feet, his tail occasionally sweeping the ground.
Across the table, Scarface, Bone Tree, Keziaz, Gazlowe, and Skarsnik sat in a row, all with focused expressions.
This was the second day since the logging team was established; Kurzadh needed to assign the next tasks before rushing back to Stonewatch to prepare for the city wall materials.
"I don't have time to stay here indefinitely; the next tasks are entrusted to you all."
Kurzadh tapped the table, his gaze sweeping over the chiefs.
"The mission is simple, just two things.
First, keep an eye on your Boyz, don't let them scatter, and don't let them start fighting while cutting trees—anyone who dares to cause trouble will have their beer privileges revoked."
"Don't worry, boss!
Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll split his axe with mine!"
Bone Tree thumped his chest, his hero title "Big Guy Madman" making his voice even louder than usual.
Kurzadh nodded and continued, "Second, continue cutting trees along the opening left by the previous lumber yard, heading north.
The path needs to be seven to eight meters wide, wide enough for squig-pulled log carts to pass.
As for the exact location of the city wall, I'll tell you how to decide after I return to inspect it in a few days."
He paused, then looked at Gazlowe: "You are responsible for counting the daily tree-cutting volume, and the beer must be distributed on time, so our brothers don't think I go back on my word.
Also, Skarsnik," Kurzadh turned to the hobgoblin huddled in the corner, "you need to have the Spider Riders patrol more frequently, don't let the beastmen sneak over and disturb our logging brothers."
Gazlowe quickly nodded, pulled out a charcoal pencil, and jotted a few notes on a piece of bark.
Skarsnik also pulled out a small spider from his Huai, placed it on the back of his hand, and whispered a few words, as if sending a message to the Spider Riders.
"Did you all remember?" Kurzadh asked.
"Yes!" the chiefs answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination.
Kurzadh smiled with satisfaction, stood up, and pulled two barrels of black mushroom spirits from the cloth bag behind him, placing them on the table with a "Clank."
"These two barrels of spirits are for you all, consider them hard work pay.
Work hard, and once the fortress is built, I'll treat you to the best fungus strong mushroom beer!"
Scarface's eyes lit up; he was the first to grab a barrel of spirits, open the lid, and take a swig.
The liquid dripped down the corners of his mouth, but he didn't care: "Thank you, boss!
We'll definitely do a good job!"
The other chiefs also gathered around, drinking the spirits one after another, and the thatched hut was instantly filled with the aroma of alcohol.
Kurzadh watched them, then turned and walked out of the hut—more important matters awaited him in the territory.
Logging, a task requiring no special skills, could be overseen by a few chiefs; he needed to hurry back to Stonewatch to resolve the critical issue of city wall materials.
Riding on Furball's back, on the way to Stonewatch, Kurzadh's mind was constantly calculating.
The Blackrock Clan now was no longer the small tribe of only dozens of hobgoblins three years ago—it had nearly three thousand hobgoblins, two strongholds (Stonewatch and Blackrock Spire), and a quarry, lumber yard, and Blacksmith Shop.
Both manpower and resources were sufficient to support a large-scale project.
So, for this fortress construction, he didn't plan to take shortcuts; he wouldn't consider earth or wooden walls.
If he was going to build, he would build the most solid stone walls, getting it right in one go.
Stonewatch was located in a valley, with a winding, clear stream nearby that never dried up.
The quarry was on the eastern slope of the valley, where the hobgoblins could mine large quantities of granite daily, even some simply processed rectangular stones, perfect for the city wall's foundation.
But Kurzadh also had concerns—goblin laborers were only tens of centimeters tall, and granite was large and heavy.
If the entire city wall were built with stone, even if it were slightly higher, the goblin would be unable to carry it, and the project progress would be incredibly slow.
"I need to find a method that saves effort and is sturdy."
Kurzadh stroked his chin, suddenly recalling the Great Wall of China he had seen during his travels on Earth in his previous life—that miraculous structure spanning northern China used a brick-and-stone mixed structure, with heavy stone at the bottom for the foundation and bricks built on top, making it both sturdy and labor-saving.
"Yes! We'll use a brick-and-stone mixed wall!"
Kurzadh's eyes lit up.
Granite would be used for the foundation, providing good load-bearing capacity and erosion resistance; bricks would be used for the upper structure.
Bricks were small and light, so goblin could carry them, and they were flexible to build with, allowing for higher walls.
This way, both the sturdiness and construction efficiency of the city wall could be ensured, a solution perfectly tailored for the Blackrock Clan.
But problems arose with it—besides existing stone, building this kind of city wall required two key materials: bricks for the wall and an adhesive to bind the bricks and stone.
Both required skill; the hobgoblins in the tribe only knew how to cut trees and forge iron, no one understood brick firing or adhesive making.
"I can only go to Guzhana."
Kurzadh had an idea.
The Chaos dwarf Guzhana Yellowiron was the only "technical genius" in the tribe; she not only knew how to forge iron but also understood minerals and materials.
Last time, when he explained human quenching techniques to her, she understood immediately.
Perhaps she could also solve the problem of brick firing and adhesive making.
By the time he returned to Stonewatch, it was evening.
Kurzadh didn't rest; he went straight to the Blacksmith Shop deep inside the mine.
From afar, he could hear the "Clanging" of forging, and the firelight emanating from the mine entrance illuminated the cave walls in a fiery red.
Guzhana was wielding an iron hammer, fiercely smashing a red-hot iron ingot.
Next to her, two hobgoblin Boyz pulled the bellows with a "whooshing" sound, and the furnace fire was so intense it could roast the air.
"Guzhana, stop for a moment, I have something to discuss with you."
Kurzadh entered the Blacksmith Shop and called out to her.
Guzhana put down her hammer, wiped the sweat from her face, and her blood-red eyes looked at Kurzadh: "What is it? Another new weapon to forge?"
"Not weapons, but materials for building the city wall."
Kurzadh told her about his idea for a brick-and-stone mixed wall and then said, "I want to fire bricks, and I also need an adhesive that can bind bricks and stone.
Do you know about these things?"
Guzhana paused, then her eyes lit up: "Firing bricks? Of course I know!
Chaos dwarves also use bricks to build walls when constructing fortresses!
As for adhesive, I know a formula made from a mixture of lime, clay, and sand.
It has very strong adhesion, much better than the mud humans use!"
Kurzadh was overjoyed: "That's great! Where can we find the clay needed for firing bricks?
I see a small stream next to Stonewatch; can the soil by the stream be used?"
"We'll have to go and see to find out."
Guzhana put down her hammer.
"Come, I'll go with you to the stream to take a look.
Good clay needs to have low sand content and be very cohesive, otherwise, the bricks will crack easily when fired."
The two, accompanied by a few hobgoblin Boyz, came to the small stream next to Stonewatch.
The stream gurgled, and the soil by the bank was moist, displaying a faint reddish-brown color.
Guzhana squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it in her hands a few times, then brought it to her nose to smell, and nodded: "Good!
This soil has low sand content, is very cohesive, and even contains some minerals.
The bricks fired from it will be very strong, perfect for building city walls."
"That's good then!" Kurzadh breathed a sigh of relief.
"I want to build a brick kiln nearby, to extract soil and fire bricks locally.
What do you think?"
"Of course."
Guzhana pointed to a flat open space by the stream.
"We'll choose this spot; it's close to the water source, convenient for taking soil, and the terrain is high, so it won't accumulate water when it rains.
I also know the structure of a brick kiln: build an arched kiln chamber with stone, leave a fire channel below, and a chimney above.
It's very simple."
Kurzadh immediately decided: "That's settled then!
Tomorrow, we'll have the goblin flatten the land and build the brick kiln!"
However, Guzhana's next words poured cold water on Kurzadh: "But, if you want to fire bricks suitable for building city walls, the clay cannot be used directly.
It must first be dug out, spread on an open space to weather for half a year, allowing the impurities in the soil to naturally loosen.
Then it must be manually crushed and sieved, leaving only fine, pure soil before it can be made into bricks.
The entire process will take at least half a year; it cannot be rushed."
Kurzadh frowned.
He knew that firing bricks required aging the clay, but he hadn't expected it to take so long—the construction of the fortress couldn't wait half a year.
If the construction schedule was delayed, and winter came, or the beastmen launched a sneak attack, the trouble would be immense.
"Can we try firing a batch of simple bricks first?" Kurzadh pondered, "Without waiting for the clay to age for half a year, let's dig some soil, process it simply, and fire a batch of bricks for experimentation to see the results.
As for the formal city wall bricks, I want to fire blue bricks."
"Blue bricks?" Guzhana asked curiously, "How are they fired?"
"When they're almost fully fired, water is poured into the kiln to cool it down, preventing the iron inside the bricks from fully oxidizing, which turns them blue."
Kurzadh recalled information he had researched in his previous life, "These bricks have high density, great hardness, and are waterproof, making them most suitable for building city walls."
Guzhana listened intently and nodded: "I understand the principle! It's about controlling the heat, which should be fine.
However, firing blue bricks requires more precise fire control and enough laborers—kneading the mud, forming the bricks, loading the kiln, firing the kiln, and pouring water; every step must be flawless, especially forming the bricks, which requires manual kneading of the mud evenly, otherwise, air bubbles in the bricks will cause them to crack when fired."
"You don't need to worry about the laborers."
Kurzadh had already planned.
"I'll transfer all the tribe's goblin laborers here and put them under your command."
Early the next morning, Kurzadh gathered all the goblin laborers in the tribe.
These goblin, who originally carried stones in the quarry, sawed branches in the lumber yard, and cleared waste in the junkyard, had all developed nimble little hands.
Upon hearing they were being transferred to fire bricks, although they didn't know what brick firing entailed, seeing the Chief personally arrange it, they all obediently gathered.
One thousand five hundred goblin laborers, lined up in a crooked queue, stood in the open space by the stream, their small heads uniformly looking at Kurzadh and Guzhana, like a group of little ants awaiting instructions.
Kurzadh looked at them and cleared his throat: "Starting today, you will follow Guzhana to learn how to fire bricks.
Whoever learns well and works fast, I will give you extra meat to eat!
If anyone dares to be lazy, I'll throw you to the squig!"
The goblin were so scared they quickly nodded, their small eyes filled with seriousness—extra meat was their most anticipated reward, and being fed to the squig was their most feared punishment.
Guzhana was also straightforward, beginning her teaching on the spot.
She first demonstrated how to dig clay, telling the goblin to dig soil half a foot below the surface, where there were fewer impurities.
Then she taught them how to knead mud, mixing soil and water in proportion until it didn't stick to their hands and was elastic, which was considered qualified.
Finally, she taught them how to form bricks, using wooden molds to press the kneaded mud into brick shapes and placing them in the sun to dry.
The goblin learned very seriously.
They were not as clumsy as the Orc Boyz, nor as cunning as the hobgoblins; their fingers were nimble, and they had plenty of patience, quickly mastering the techniques of kneading mud and forming bricks.
Some goblin even went further, carving simple patterns onto the brick blanks, earning continuous praise from Guzhana.
But a new problem arose—all the goblin laborers went to fire bricks, leaving no one to work in the quarry, lumber yard, and junkyard.
Kurzadh could only grit his teeth and transfer the lower-ranked hobgoblin slaves to replace the goblin laborers' work.
These hobgoblin slaves had only recently been captured and were untrained; their work efficiency was far inferior to that of the goblin laborers.
The daily quarry output was halved, and the piling of logs in the lumber yard slowed down, but Kurzadh had no choice—brick firing was crucial for building the fortress, so he could only prioritize one thing at a time.
"Gazlowe, go notify all the strongholds to suspend the conversion of goblin laborers and transfer all remaining hobgoblin slaves to Stonewatch to supplement the quarry and lumber yard."
Kurzadh found Gazlowe and instructed, "Additionally, the mushroom field operation cannot stop; enough goblin laborers must be left to cultivate mushrooms, otherwise the tribe's food supply will be insufficient."
Gazlowe quickly nodded, pulling out his charcoal pencil to jot it down on a piece of bark: "Don't worry, boss, I'll arrange it right away, ensuring enough goblin for the mushroom field, and the slaves from other strongholds will be transferred as soon as possible."
Kurzadh watched the busy goblin by the stream, feeling much more at ease.
The brick kiln's foundation had already begun to be dug; the goblin could produce thousands of brick blanks daily, laid out in the open space like neat rows of tofu blocks.
Guzhana was still researching adhesive formulas, going to the quarry every day to find limestone, grinding it into powder, and mixing it with clay and sand to test its adhesive strength.
Under the setting sun, the outline of Stonewatch appeared particularly majestic in the valley.
The hobgoblins in the quarry were still mining granite, the logs in the lumber yard were piled up like small mountains, and the brick blanks by the stream glowed a faint earthy yellow in the sunlight.
Guzhana's hammer blows, the goblin's laughter, and the gurgling of the stream blended together, forming the most vibrant scene of the Blackrock Clan.
Kurzadh knew that the road to building the fortress was still long; firing bricks, making adhesive, and building city walls—each step was full of challenges.
But he was confident—with a technical genius like Guzhana, capable subordinates like Bone Tree and Scarface, and fifteen hundred diligent goblin laborers, plus the support of all the hobgoblins in the tribe, this Blackrock Fortress would eventually stand tall at the northern entrance of Khyprian road, becoming a steel barrier guarding the hobgoblins' homeland.
"Furball, let's go check the progress of the brick kiln."
Kurzadh patted the giant squig at his feet.
Furball whimpered, following him towards the brick kiln by the stream.