Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis

Page 57

Rhodes and Uther's party traveled for eight days, during which time the unit nests were refreshed. Rhodes now has a total of nine gold men, four diamond men, twelve iron men, and twelve stone men.

As for the wilderness nests, the refugee camps spawned a bunch of grunt monsters with big ears. These grunts were even weaker than skeletons. Without saying a word, Rhodes threw them into the skeleton conversion field.

The real key lies in the Gold Man and the Diamond Man. Besides being used for combat, these two can actually play a much greater role, even far beyond combat.

Previously, the golden statues were quite precious, so Rhodes didn't conduct any experiments on them. Now it doesn't matter anymore. Rhodes had conducted an experiment on the road, which involved having two golden statues attack each other, and one of them ripped off the other's arm.

The arms of these golden figures are made of a special metal mixed with a large amount of gold. Although they cannot be used to recharge the system, they remain intact after being torn off.

The golden men would lose 10 health points. Rhodes then ordered the golden men to continue attacking, tearing off the limbs of one of them, reducing his health to a pitiful 10 points.

Rhodes' healing magic, with an 8-point strength bonus, can restore more than 50 points of health. Therefore, Rhodes boldly made a hypothesis: to use healing magic to repair the golden man whose limbs had been removed.

Then a miraculous scene unfolded: the golden statue, whose limbs had been removed, was perfectly resurrected, and the removed limbs were perfectly preserved. These metals, containing a large amount of gold, then became very useful.

Moreover, this special metal contains not only ordinary gold, but also a magical substance with extremely high magic resistance, making it suitable for forging or engineering.

The same applies to the other unit, the Diamond Golem. Diamond Golems are much more valuable than Gold Golems, since diamonds are a rare gemstone. Although diamonds can be synthesized, the goblins' current technology is far from reaching that level. Both of these resources are extremely valuable.

The rest is simple. It requires some mana, and Rhodes can continuously obtain gold and diamonds. In addition, Rhodes' gold pouch can also provide a large amount of loose gold, which is of better quality than the gold produced by the Golden Man.

Now, as long as you can find goblins, and as long as they have something, Rhodes has the money to buy it. Goblins can even travel freely between the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.

Don't underestimate these little guys; their airship technology far surpasses that of humans. These little guys have established a safe air route, allowing them to travel directly between the two continents from the sky.

After the Horde is established, the goblin zeppelins of Undercity will be able to travel directly to the Horde capital, Orgrimmar, and these little guys are also very capable militarily.

In Rhode's eyes, these greedy little guys were just easy targets. Anyway, as long as he spent a little magic points, he could get a steady stream of diamonds and a lot of magical metals like gold. Trading resources and other things with them couldn't be more cost-effective.

“If that’s the case, Your Excellency Rhodes, then that’s wonderful. I really wish to meet the Titan Guardian in person to express my gratitude,” Princess Galiya said.

The Titan Guardians have been a huge help, providing logistical support, medicine, food, and clothing for so many people—it's an astronomical sum!

"You're welcome, Princess Galiya. The Titan Guardian said that since it was he who proposed that humanity cross the West, he will take full responsibility."

"After this war is over, the great Titan Guardian will meet with you," Rhodes said with a smile.

The Third War should be able to bring out the Titans, and then we can use the Titans to impersonate the Guardians.

“Regent Rhodes, I remember there’s a goblin port near the South Sea. These guys sometimes offer airship services, as well as some engineering creations, and even sell some magic potions. If you’d like, I can take you there,” Reno Mograine said to Rhodes.

He, his father, and his younger brother had lived in Southsea Town since childhood and knew the area very well. There was a group of goblins living in a nearby port.

“Then let’s not delay, Renault, take me to these goblins immediately, don’t worry about the rest,” Rhodes nodded and said.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Rhodes. Be careful in everything. I entrust the people of Lordaeron to you," Princess Calia said.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I promise to bring enough supplies. Let's go, Renault. You show me the way, and we'll ride our flying mounts."

Rhodes nodded to the princess, summoned a wyvern, and then, with Reno in tow, soared into the sky, heading towards the direction of the Earth Scripture.

With the aid of his flying mount, Rhodes arrived at his destination in just a few tens of minutes.

This is a simple little shop, with only two goblins stationed inside.

"Welcome! Time is money, my friends. What do you need?"

“Hello, little guy, I have a big business deal with you. I need to meet your top leader,” Rod said.

Chapter 101 Time is Money, My Friend, Hot Sands Corporation

"Oh! Looks like a big customer has arrived!" A goblin wearing goggles darted out of the wooden house, a slick green face slapped with an exaggerated smile.

"Time is money, my friend! Welcome to Trading Post No. 47 of the Eastern Kingdom of the Hot Sands Group! I am Grisbby Wrench, the sales manager here!" The goblin rubbed his hands together, his beady eyes quickly scanning Rhodes and Reno, assessing their potential value.

What big business could two humans possibly have? Slave purchases or airship services? The undead have been causing quite a stir lately, and many humans may want to escape their homes. As long as the price is right, goblins are always willing to help.

But if you don't have money, then I'm sorry, goblins never serve poor people. Or you can sell yourself; humans are a good race of slaves.

"What can I do for you? High explosives, premium airship service? Powerful healing potions? Magic potions, or... perhaps some 'special services'?"

Don't misunderstand him; the special service he's referring to isn't human trafficking. As long as you dare to ask, he can find you goblins of any race, including even high elves and night elves.

Without wasting words, Rhodes pulled something out of his system—a joint component that he had carefully disassembled from a golden man's arm during his previous experiment, without any magical repair.

It shimmered with a pure golden light, was as big as three adult fists, and shone brightly even in the dim light.

“A big deal, Manager Grisby.” Rod placed the gold nugget on a sturdy-looking wooden crate beside him with a clatter. “I need to see you here, or someone I can contact immediately who has the authority to make the decision. This is a sample.”

Rhodes also wanted to see just how valuable the metal pieces dismantled from the golden man's body by the goblins would be.

Griezby's eyes widened instantly, almost popping out from behind his goggles. He pounced on the box like a hungry wolf, pulled out a fine magnifying glass and a small pair of tweezers, and carefully poked and scraped the gold nugget.

"Hiss... The purity of the gold... is extremely high! An unprecedented structure... I cough cough cough."

He muttered to himself, but then a sly glint flashed in his beady eyes. He raised his head, his face plastered with an even more obsequious but clearly calculating smile: "Aha! Distinguished guest! This...this is indeed a rare item! However...you see, the luster seems a bit...um...too subdued?"

It might contain some unidentified inert impurities? And this cutting method... is very primitive and crude, which greatly reduces its market value!

While we at Hot Sands Group are happy to help, assessing risks takes time... especially given the current situation in Lordaeron... Why don't you tell me what services you'd like, sir?" Grizby said, a glint of extreme greed in his eyes.

Putting everything else aside, this large piece of gold is very valuable, and it's not just any ordinary metal. It uses an unknown material that even a well-informed goblin like him doesn't recognize. Therefore, this special metal is extremely expensive. However, since humanity is currently in dire straits, he needs to lower the price. A goblin who can't negotiate a lower price isn't a good goblin.

Rhodes rolled his eyes. The bargaining had already begun, which was typical of goblins. But it seemed his thing was quite valuable; he had almost pressed his face against it, drooling all over the floor.

Rhodes sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. He knew the tricks of the trade all too well. He slowly took out a small cloth bag, untied the rope, and took out a pure diamond from inside. It was a sample chipped off the diamond man and was quite valuable.

"It seems you don't know much about this, or perhaps I should talk to the goblins of the Xiushui Conglomerate?"

"What a pity. I came here with good intentions, but you insisted on trying to lower the price for me." Rhodes said with a helpless expression.

"Wait! Wait! My dear friend! Time is money, and impulsiveness is the devil!" Grizzly was anxious, waving his short hands.

"Misunderstanding! It's definitely a misunderstanding! I... I've been getting some engine oil in my eyes lately! Yes, yes, you're right! This... this energy-containing characteristic is truly fascinating!"

This natural diamond shape is simply a masterpiece of the Creator! Please forgive my oversight!

Believe me, the Xiushui conglomerate is a complete novice, and a bunch of greedy black-hearted businessmen.

They can't offer much, and they might even resort to robbery. You know they often fund pirates, but our Hot Sands Group is different.

"This business is honest and reliable, and the prices are excellent." A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead; he knew he'd struck gold. Moreover, the other party didn't seem particularly concerned about the value of the goods, which made him even more eager—a huge profit was right before his eyes!

In any case, this deal has to be done; we can't let our competitors snatch it away.

“To tell you the truth, I have over ten tons of this stuff. As I said, it’s a big deal, and it might require the resources of your entire Hot Sands Group, so find someone who can manage it,” Rod said with a cold snort.

Information about the Hot Sands Clan surfaced in Luo's mind: the faction's symbol, a golden hourglass emblem, appeared on all shops in the Hot Sands-controlled areas, including the goblin shop in front of him.

Core principles: absolute neutrality, profit above all else: We do not participate in faction struggles, we only serve the purpose of earning gold coins ("Time is money, my friend!").

Open services: Treats the Alliance, Horde, Pandaren, and even the Undead equally, providing infrastructure such as banks, auction houses, and inns.

Gray methods: secretly supporting piracy, smuggling, and the slave trade (such as the Bloodsail Pirate eradication mission in Booty Bay, which is actually a monopolistic practice).

You're just like the Xiushui Consortium; what goblin business is clean?

Upon hearing this, the goblin boss opposite him widened his eyes in surprise. He had thought there were only two pieces; it turned out there were over ten tons. This was indeed not their responsibility.

However, if he can secure this deal, his status within the conglomerate will rise dramatically, bringing him one step closer to his goal of becoming a trade prince.

The goblin immediately adopted a more solemn and serious expression (at least in the goblin's eyes): "Honorable guest, your request is absolutely worth taking seriously! Please wait a moment!" He turned and went deep into the shed, where a clanging sound of rummaging through things and an excited shout into a buzzing communicator (probably a gnome-made or goblin-modified version) could be heard.

"Wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll have the regional manager come over right away. It might take a little while," the goblin said to Rhodes while sending the message.

"Oh, really? Then you'd better hurry, buddy, you know time is money, my friend."

"Oh! You're so funny, sir. But you're right, time is money. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. I'll have the boss come over by airship right away."

A few hours later, a goblin airship arrived overhead, by which time it had already gotten dark.

An old goblin, dressed somewhat decently (at least his leather apron was clean), wearing a single gold-rimmed spectacle and carrying a complex compass, stepped out of the airship.

"Let me introduce you, this is Mr. Presto Gold Coin, our senior trade representative for the Hot Sands Group in the northern region of the Eastern Kingdom!" Griezby said respectfully.

"Guys, I heard there's a big deal, so I rushed over right away. Friend, can I take a look at the samples first?"

Rhodes nodded to the old goblin, then pointed to the diamonds and metal on the table, indicating that the old goblin should examine them.

Presto gave Rhodes a polite smile, then his eyes were fixed on Rhodes and the things on the table.

He picked up the diamond, examined it carefully with the lens attached to the compass, then gently tapped the gold nugget with a small hammer and listened to it. He remained silent for a longer time, and his expression became more solemn.

He even took out a special medicine and dripped it on it, then looked surprised.

“Let me tell you, Mr. Presto, both of these metals have excellent anti-magic properties. They are not just gold or diamonds. You should examine them carefully,” Rhodes warned.

"Is that so? Please rest assured, Your Excellency, my testing methods are the most professional. Let me take another look." With Rhodes' reminder, the old goblin examined the area even more carefully this time.

The old goblin observed for a full hour, until it was already dark outside, before he had finished examining the two samples.

“Truly…impressive.” Presto finally spoke, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable authority. “The purity of this diamond and the stable arcane resonance within it are quite unique, as is the gold, or rather, the special metal containing gold.”

"...The metallic particles mixed within possess a peculiar resistance to inert magic. Although their specific composition and uses cannot be precisely identified at present, there is no doubt that they have extremely high research value and potential... well... enormous commercial value." He carefully chose his words, not attempting to belittle them like Grisby, but also avoiding any attempt to elevate them unnecessarily.

"So, my friend, tell me your needs and the quantity you can provide, and I'd like to hear your quote."

Rhodes understood; he knew this was the one who could make the decision. He looked directly at Presto Gold Coin Eyes and said clearly:

"I need the Hot Sands Group to deliver enough food to Nanhai Town every day for at least three months, as quickly as possible."

Ten thousand standard healing potions and medical bandages… I need to lead a fleet to Kalimdor. My price is five tons of this gold and one ton of diamonds.”

Metal and diamonds are very heavy. A golden man's arm, once cut off, weighs several hundred kilograms, and a leg weighs a ton. The price I quoted was enough to produce one diamond and one golden man.

Of course, this is not the final price, because the goblin will still try to negotiate.

"But I heard you have over ten tons of this stuff. Our Hot Sands Consortium wants all of your goods. What you want is the resources of Kalimdor in the west."

There's enough food to feed 100,000 people for three months, plus supporting medical facilities. We can't handle that much cargo either, at least not in the short term.

We need at least a month to prepare.

"It seems you can't handle the goods I'm providing, so I'll have to find someone else."

“No, no, no, young human, what I mean is that I have a compromise, and I don’t know if you would like to hear it,” the old goblin said, adjusting his glasses.

He had already figured it out; Rhodes was there to collect supplies for an entire fleet. It was indeed a big deal, but even the Hot Sands Consortium couldn't handle so much food and medical supplies.

After all, this isn't the headquarters on Kalimdor; gathering all these things here would be very difficult, but there are compromise solutions.

“Oh, go ahead and speak freely,” Rhodes nodded and said.

"The food you need will take us 5 days to arrive, but we can provide you with at least 20 days' worth of food."

Subsequent grain and other resources will be transported in batches and traded at sea.