The morning sun in the Stonewatch Valley had just climbed over the mountaintop, and Kurzadh was still squatting in front of the newly built brick wall, grinning foolishly at the 'knock-off cement' used in the joints.
The grayish-white paste firmly adhered to the granite, and tapping it with a fingertip produced a crisp "thud thud" sound. He couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Sure enough, the wisdom of a transmigrator is timeless. With this cement, the city wall is solid!"
"Stop grinning foolishly, let me try!" Guzhana's voice came from behind him. She rolled up her sleeves, still clutching a half-eaten roasted lamb leg in her hand.
Before Kurzadh could react, the female Chaos dwarf had already raised her fist and smashed it fiercely against the brick wall—"Bang!" Fine cracks appeared on the brick surface, but the joints still held the two stones tightly, without even the slightest gap showing.
Guzhana's eyes lit up, and she simply lifted her foot and violently kicked the base of the brick wall.
Dust rattled down, and a few red bricks shattered into fragments due to inherent firing defects, yet the cement-bonded granite base remained completely unmoved.
She squatted down and picked at the joint with her finger. Her fingertip scraped off some white ash but didn't budge the bond at all. Finally, she was thoroughly convinced: "It's ten times stronger than yellow mud and lime! How did you make this? Teach me quickly!"
Seeing the usually arrogant dwarf scholar looking so eager, Kurzadh's sense of accomplishment bubbled up like mushroom wine.
He deliberately cleared his throat and slowly explained the formula for "Artificial pozzolan cement" and the "three grinding" process—pounding broken red bricks into powder, finely grinding clay and lime, and mixing them with water in the correct proportion.
Guzhana listened intently, even instructing the nearby hobgoblin Tinkerers to write it down on bark using charcoal pencils. She frequently pressed him with questions like "How fine should the brick powder be ground?" and "How do we control the water ratio?" acting exactly like a student chasing after a teacher for answers.
"It's good that you've learned it. From now on, the adhesive business is yours," Kurzadh patted her shoulder, secretly gloating: The feeling of a school slacker being admired by an academic genius was more satisfying than drinking ten vats of fungus strong mushroom beer!
With the critical problem of the adhesive solved, the construction of the fortress was completely free of technical obstacles.
In the quarry, hobgoblin Tinkerers were leading hobgoblin slaves in chiseling granite into regular blocks. The reserve Kurzadh piled up in the warehouse was enough to complete the foundation.
A messenger from the Blackrock Spire outpost just brought news that two hundred more hobgoblin slaves would arrive tomorrow. Once they arrived, the heavy quarry work could be handed over to the slaves, freeing up the hobgoblin laborers to repair brick kilns and make cement, effectively doubling the efficiency.
Under Guzhana's command, three red brick kilns were quickly erected by the stream.
The largest one was used to fire grey bricks, lined inside with previously test-fired broken red bricks to better control the temperature. The two smaller kilns beside it were dedicated: one for burning limestone to make lime, and the other for smoldering charcoal.
The hobgoblin Tinkerers built wooden sheds next to the kilns, and the hobgoblin laborers stood watch in shifts. The kiln fires burned day and night, and piles of white lime powder, black charcoal, and greenish brick blanks grew taller every day.
"We must stockpile enough materials before starting construction; we can't work while waiting," Kurzadh drew a circle on the ground with a stick, dividing the circle into three small piles labeled "Stone," "Bricks," and "Cement." "Neither of us has handled a project this big. If materials run out, not only will the workers be idle, but if passing merchant caravans or beastmen discover us, we'll be in big trouble."
Guzhana nodded in agreement. She had seen humans build castles while traveling with Chaos dwarf caravans, and many projects stalled due to material shortages, eventually becoming abandoned shells. "What about the Lumber Yard team then? They've already cut half a pathway."
"Let them keep cutting. After clearing the forest, they should first compact the soil for the foundation and level the ground," Kurzadh pointed toward the mountain pass. "These tasks don't require stone and won't expose our plan to build a city wall. Passing merchant caravans will just think we are clearing land and won't suspect anything."
Over the next few months, the Blackrock Clan fully entered "engineering mode."
Kurzadh woke up before dawn every day, either heading to the Lumber Yard to supervise the Orc Boyz cutting trees and marking the approximate location of the city wall on the ground with branches, or going to the brick kilns by the stream to check the progress, occasionally even helping the hobgoblin laborers adjust the cement mixing ratio.
Guzhana, meanwhile, buried herself in the Blacksmith Shop and the brick kilns. She had to guide the hobgoblin Tinkerers in improving the kiln structure, raising the success rate of firing grey bricks from thirty percent to seventy percent, while also monitoring the quality of the lime and cement. She even had to eat her meals beside the kilns.
Trouble, however, still knocked on the door—the efficiency of the hobgoblin laborers grinding cement materials was too low.
Five hundred laborers circled the stone mills, working around the clock, but the brick and lime powder they produced was still insufficient. Seeing the grey bricks piling up higher and higher in the kilns while the cement supply couldn't keep up, Guzhana was so anxious she developed mouth sores.
"Sending more manpower won't help; all the hobgoblin laborers in the tribe are already being used."
Kurzadh squatted beside the stone mill, watching the hobgoblin laborers struggling to push the millstone, when his eyes suddenly lit up—he remembered the dozens of draft horses kept on the territory. Those horses had been seized from a human caravan last time, usually only used for pulling log carts, but now they could be put to good use.
"Have the hobgoblin Tinkerers make dozens of large stone mills, set the millstones up on wooden frames, then use ropes to harness the horses to the mill arms, and let the horses turn the mills!" Kurzadh slapped his thigh. "One horse is worth ten goblin. With dozens of horses working together, the grinding efficiency will definitely be enough!"
Guzhana understood immediately and promptly instructed the hobgoblin Tinkerers to start working.
Three days later, twenty tall wooden frames were erected by the stream, each supporting a two-meter diameter stone mill. The draft horses were harnessed to the mill arms, and with a pull of the reins, the millstones began to spin "whoosh, whoosh."
The hobgoblin laborers only needed to feed materials into the mill eyes and collect the powder beneath the millstones. They no longer had to struggle to push the mills, and the grinding efficiency instantly increased fivefold. The cement supply quickly caught up.
During this time, the Khyprian road also became busy.
Antonio sent more than a dozen merchant caravans, each bringing empty carriages, waiting to transport the Blackrock Clan's mushroom wine.
Kurzadh had Keziaz take five hundred barrels of black mushroom spirits and three hundred barrels of fungus mushroom beer, specifically instructing him: "Sell the black mushroom spirits to the dwarves, and the fungus mushroom beer to the human caravans. Stick to the previous price. If anyone tries to negotiate lower, send the Spider Riders to follow their caravan! Teach them a lesson! What? Rules? We're greenskins ! What rules are there to talk about?"
Keziaz left to carry out the order, and within a few days, he returned with good news—the mushroom wine was selling incredibly well in Katushir, especially among the dwarf caravans, who not only spent all the gold coins they brought but also pre-ordered next month's shipment.
Kurzadh smiled as he handed the gold coins over to Gazlowe for safekeeping, calculating in his mind: Once the fortress was built, he would brew more wine, and the tribe would never have to worry about gold coins again.
As material preparation got on track, Kurzadh and Guzhana were finally able to free up their time to meticulously plan the exact location of the city wall.
Guzhana pulled out the completed blueprint, which not only detailed the length and height of the wall but also marked the locations of the gate and arrow towers. Even the direction for future fortress expansion was clearly indicated—considering the location of the iron ore vein, she had deliberately shifted the wall toward the mine entrance to facilitate future iron ore extraction.
Carrying the blueprint, the two walked back and forth along the edge of the forest at the mountain pass for three days, finally deciding to move the wall half a mile north, closer to the forest edge.
"The terrain here is flat, with cliffs on both sides, making construction easy without having to carve into mountains or chisel Kurzadh," Guzhana pointed to the mark on the blueprint. "Plus, it's close to the woods, so when defending the city later, enemies won't be able to hide in the trees to launch sneak attacks, reducing potential risks. Most importantly, moving half a mile north increases the fortress area by one-third, providing space for barracks when the tribe grows larger."
Kurzadh squatted on the ground, checked the terrain against the blueprint, and nodded in agreement: "Let's proceed as you suggested! Once the Lumber Yard team finishes cutting down this patch of woods, we will officially start building the wall!"
Under the setting sun, the two stood at the starting point of the future city wall, looking at the draft horses pulling the mills in the distance, the busy hobgoblin laborers by the stream, and the brightly lit brick kilns. Both of their hearts were filled with anticipation.
The knock-off cement solved the adhesion problem, the horses pulling the mills increased efficiency, materials were piled up like mountains, and the wall location was finalized—the construction of the Blackrock Fortress was finally approaching its most critical moment.
"Once the wall is built, I'm going to carve the four big characters 'Blackrock Fortress' onto the gate!" Kurzadh looked toward the mountain pass, his voice full of pride.
Guzhana nodded, her blood-red eyes gleaming: "At that time, I'm going to mount the iron cannons I forged on the city wall, and let every enemy who dares to come taste the might of the Blackrock Clan!"
The spring of Imperial Year 2429 arrived earlier than in previous years.
In the wheat fields of the Border Fiefdom, tender green waves of wheat rippled in the wind. Farmers carrying hoes moved through them, busy weeding and fertilizing. Smoke drifted from the chimneys of the distant noble castle, and faint sounds of laughter from a banquet could be heard—this was the unchanging rhythm of this land for millennia. The knight orders that rampaged during autumn and winter retreated to their bases after the harvest, and everything returned to peace after spring began.
Only the green mushrooms on the edge of the Forest of Gloom grew more vigorously than in previous years.
Under the pale green caps lay the brewing materials the Blackrock Clan relied on for survival. hobgoblin laborers, carrying bamboo baskets, carefully picked the ripe mushrooms, afraid of damaging this season's harvest.
Zaggur stood by the mushroom patch, holding an account book. As he counted the mushrooms, he muttered, "This year's mushrooms are enough to brew five hundred jars of strong liquor. If they sell well, the tribe can save up a bit more gold."
But beneath this calm, undercurrents were already stirring.
"Boss! The messenger from Katushir is here! He says the humans formed a 'Northern Border Alliance' and didn't include them!" Keziaz, riding a spider, rushed into Stonewatch, clutching a crumpled letter in his hand.
The letter was written in the human common tongue, the handwriting sloppy, and at the bottom was a wobbly skull—that was the mark of Katushir's leader, Escoville.
Kurzadh was squatting by the city wall, watching the hobgoblin laborers lay bricks with imitation cement. Hearing the news, he took the letter, scanned it, and a cold sneer appeared on his lips.
He had known for a long time that the humans were up to something. Last month, Antonio's caravan had brought news that several human towns were secretly communicating. He hadn't expected them to actually form an alliance, much less exclude Katushir.
This "Northern Border Alliance" included almost every influential human faction in the Border Fiefdom—Cagliari Town on the edge of the Forest of Gloom, Kesi City in the Benbolun Hills, the garrison of the Red Earth Fortress, and even the newly established base of the Bretonnian Expeditionary Knights.
Only Katushir, the town with the strongest economy and the most crucial geographical location, was left isolated outside.
"Why didn't they include Katushir?" Bone Tree scratched his head, the giant axe in his hand still smeared with cement dust. "Katushir has food and soldiers. What can the alliance accomplish without them?"
"Because they think Katushir is 'unclean'," Kurzadh tossed the letter to Keziaz, his tone full of mockery.
All of this had been driven by him in secret—he had the Spider Riders spread rumors in the human towns, claiming that Katushir had dirty dealings with the greenskins . He even fabricated a scene where "Someone saw Escoville and a greenskin shaman talking in secret late at night."
humans were already wary of greenskins , and Katushir had grown rich over the years by trading mushroom wine with the Blackrock Clan. Other towns had long been envious, so once the rumors spread, naturally no one wanted to involve Katushir.
This was exactly the result Kurzadh wanted.
Isolated, Katushir would have no choice but to rely more heavily on the Blackrock Clan as an ally. In the future, if the tribe needed grain, ironware, or even human artisans, they could easily obtain them from Katushir.
"Antonio also said that this alliance is a loose offensive and defensive pact. Their slogan is 'Expel the greenskins ,' and they plan to gather a large army and march south after spring begins," Keziaz added. "It seems Bretonnia and Prince Patton's Fiefdom are backing them, otherwise those scattered towns couldn't possibly be united. Also, Katushir suffered heavy losses the last time it was besieged by beastmen. They are preoccupied now and can't go against the alliance."
Kurzadh's expression darkened.
The involvement of Bretonnian forces was no small matter.
Those human knights were well-equipped, and their fighting strength far surpassed the militias of ordinary towns. If they truly gathered a large army and marched south, the newly built fortress of the Blackrock Clan would face its first tough battle.
More importantly, if Bretonnia used the alliance to unify the chaotic lands of the Border Fiefdom, their next step would definitely be to move against the Blackrock Clan. At that point, the tribe's development would be completely suppressed.
"Have the Spider Riders send more people to monitor the alliance's movements. We need to find out when they gather and how many people they have," Kurzadh instructed. "Also, have Gazlowe inventory the tribe's stored food and weapons. If a fight really breaks out, we need to ensure the brothers have food to eat and axes to use."
Keziaz took the order and left, but Kurzadh no longer had the mind to watch the wall construction. He turned and walked toward the Blacksmith Shop.
He needed to know if the tribe's current strength could withstand the human alliance's attack.
Just as he reached the entrance of the Blacksmith Shop, he saw a mud-covered wandering greenskin kneeling before Guzhana, jabbering something unintelligibly.
The greenskin was wearing tattered leather armor and holding a broken spear, looking like he had fled from the south.
"Boss, this greenskin came from the Dark Lands. He says there's a big movement in the south," Guzhana immediately stood up and explained when she saw Kurzadh.
The wandering greenskin's eyes lit up when he saw Kurzadh. He quickly scrambled over and spoke in rough greenskin language: "Boss! The greenskins in the Dark Lands are all moving north! They heard there's a fight up north, and there are lots of orcs and hobgoblins, but they don't have a strong leader, so they're just wandering around the edge of the Black Feather Forest!"
Kurzadh's heart stirred. The Dark Lands were the greenskin stronghold. The greenskins there were numerous and strong fighters. If they truly marched north, they might become a helpful force against the human alliance.
The problem was that these greenskins had no leader and were disorganized. If no one integrated them, they wouldn't just be unhelpful; they might start fighting the Blackrock Clan for territory and food .
"Do you know how many of them there are? Are there any powerful orcs?" Kurzadh pressed.
The wandering greenskin scratched his head: "So many! At least ten thousand! There are a few powerful orcs too, but none of them obey the others. They even fought yesterday over a roasted boar."
Ten thousand greenskins ... Kurzadh drew a sharp breath.
This number was more than three times the size of the Blackrock Clan.
If he could incorporate these greenskins , the tribe's strength would instantly double, giving them much more confidence in dealing with the human alliance.
However, subduing ten thousand disorganized greenskins would not be easy. He would need strong enough power and prestige to make them completely obedient.
"Have Skarsnik send Spider Riders to scout the edge of the Black Feather Forest and figure out the situation with those greenskins ," Kurzadh told the hobgoblin guard beside him. "Especially the powerful orcs. See how strong they are and if it's possible to win them over."
The guard nodded and ran off. Kurzadh stood at the entrance of the Blacksmith Shop, looking at the city wall being built in the distance, calculating in his mind.
The human alliance was marching south, and the greenskins were moving north. A great battle was imminent.
And he was the only one who had intelligence on both sides simultaneously. This might be the Blackrock Clan's best chance to rise—winning this battle would not only allow them to defend the fortress but also subdue the greenskins moving north, making him the true greenskin overlord of the Border Fiefdom.
"It's a good thing the wall is almost finished," Guzhana walked up to Kurzadh, a hint of relief in her voice. "At the current rate, it will be completed in half a month at most. Even if the humans attack then, we can hold them off."
Kurzadh nodded.
For the past year or so, the Blackrock Clan had kept an extremely low profile.
greenskins were rarely seen on the Khyprian road, only Death Crawlers occasionally came out to scout. All the greenskins were holding back their energy, either cutting trees at the Lumber Yard, firing bricks in the kilns, or laying bricks along the city wall. Even their usual favorite pastime of fighting had decreased significantly.
Kurzadh and the Orc Boyz had long been restless, just waiting for the city wall to be completed so they could hold a huge celebration and finally relax.
"Once the wall is finished, we'll hold a bigger feast than last time! We'll slaughter fifty sheep and brew a hundred jars of fungus strong mushroom beer, letting the brothers drink well and have a good fight!" Kurzadh's tone was full of anticipation. "After the celebration, whether it's the human alliance or the greenskins marching north, we'll take them on!"
Guzhana grinned, revealing two small tusks. "When that time comes, I will mount the new iron cannons on the wall and let the humans taste the power of Chaos dwarf forging!"
The spring breeze swept through Stonewatch, causing the flags along the city wall to snap loudly.
Hammering sounds still echoed from the distant quarry, the brick kilns by the stream remained brightly lit, and hobgoblin laborers were still busy laying bricks. Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
But Kurzadh knew this peace wouldn't last much longer—the sound of human hooves and greenskin war cries were already quietly rising beneath the nearby horizon.