Whether the magic tide influenced this world's mineral formations remains speculative. More perplexing still is the complete absence of conventional fossil fuels like oil and coal. These mysteries demand further exploration. For now, the paramount task is maximizing existing resources.

  The nickel-bearing iron ore discovered in Emerald Valley proved to be of exceptional quality. These millions of tons of iron ore would become the key resource driving industrial development. Now, steel-hulled blast furnace complexes rise from Jade Valley, transforming dense forests into vast industrial zones. Neatly stacked timber is fed into brick kilns for carbonization. Benefiting from this world's exceptionally high oxygen levels, steel furnaces effortlessly reach the extreme temperatures required for industrial steelmaking, achieving production efficiency far exceeding expectations.

  The entire industrial system is now gaining momentum. While traditional nitre piling methods are impractical here, synthetic ammonia technology offers a viable alternative—despite this world's nitrogen levels being only around 10%, it proves sufficient for the task. Once high-strength steel is successfully developed, manufacturing air separation units will follow naturally.

  However, the most pressing constraint was the quantity and quality of the population. The existing industrial workforce, both in technical skill and sheer numbers, fell far short of meeting the rapidly expanding industrial demands. More critically, Renyu currently relied entirely on Evolution Battlefield deployments for food and other supplies, having neglected to develop an agricultural population. At this pivotal moment when industrial development most urgently required human resources, a severe labor shortage persisted.

  In truth, Renyu's industrial progress has already far surpassed the colonial era and even crossed the threshold of the steam age. With sufficiently skilled workers, he could leap directly into the electric age. The discovery of unique iron ore deposits in the Emerald Basin has given Renyu immense confidence—these ores exhibit an astonishingly concentrated form, much like natural gold placers.

  Renyu speculated that this world might harbor some unknown magical element capable of catalyzing natural chemical reactions at ambient temperatures. The material cycles within living organisms are fundamentally driven by a series of chemical reactions. While reactions in nature are relatively mild, they excel in their broad scope and prolonged duration.

  Take iron ore formation as an example: Even if iron oxide in rock is only temporarily reduced to elemental iron before re-oxidizing, this process alone can cause rock fractures. Under the action of flowing water, iron oxide gradually settles into low-lying areas. Through multiple drilling samples, Renyu discovered that this deposition exhibits distinct periodic characteristics. The energy required for the entire reaction likely stems from the chemical energy released during the decomposition of vast quantities of biological remains—after all, this world boasts exceptionally lush vegetation.

  This remains a hypothesis for now, as Renyu lacks long-term geological data for this world. Yet to date, no evidence has been found to disprove it. If validated, this theory would provide significant guidance for future mineral exploration here. Especially given this world's unique environment, traditional theories of mineral formation may require reevaluation. Each arrival of the magic tide may act as a catalyst, accelerating or altering certain geological evolutionary processes. However, verifying these conjectures requires deeper research and more field exploration data.

  The immediate priority is to efficiently organize the first wave of settlers. Fortunately, these newly recruited workers show no discontent with their assignments—provided with ample food supplies and stable wages, they labor fourteen hours daily without a single strike. They rebel neither from lack of entertainment nor from protest in the streets over the absence of democratic elections. They meticulously fulfill every industrial production quota assigned. After all, even the most backward industrial society offers far greater livelihood security than feudal society.

  The problem, however, was that these workers were complete novices with no industrial foundation whatsoever. They required at least three months of systematic training to become competent for even the most basic industrial roles. During this period, Renyu and Yun Chenhe had to personally step in, alongside all the conscripts brought from the Evolution Battlefield, to take on the teaching duties. This training period coincided with Dawn Commune's digestion phase following its first large-scale expansion into the Five-Colored Valley region—workers were learning industrial skills while thousands of recruits were being organized and disciplined.

  Yet three months was ample time for many changes to unfold. Forty kilometers from the Emerald Basin, a swarm of flies buzzed around a rotting corpse in the wasteland. Just as they were about to land on the armor stained with dark brown fluid, a sudden burst of flame incinerated the putrid insects.

  Dozens of fully armed soldiers stood solemnly around the corpse, with a dozen or so nobles in splendid attire positioned at the center. Their expressions varied: some wore grim faces, others seethed with rage, while a few were lost in deep thought. This was the consequence of Yun Chenhe's earlier "hunt" for noble offspring near the mountainous region. After discovering their young had not returned for over ten days, the major families dispatched scouts to investigate. Evidence pointed to the Five-Colored Valley area as the last known location of these noble sons.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The investigation proceeded with alarming ease: villages where entire populations had vanished, houses left utterly deserted—all unmistakable signs that noble armies had passed through. Soon, investigators uncovered battle scars, freshly churned soil, and vast patches of withered, yellowed grass roots. After a day of excavation, rows of bodies were laid out before the crowd. This scene sent shockwaves through the noble circles of Blue River Province—such a mass death of noble offspring typically occurred only during imperial conscription for war. Yet the empire was now at its zenith, achieving victory after victory on the eastern front.

  "Your Excellencies," the coroner reported tremulously to the nobles, "the young masters were all brutally murdered."A middle-aged nobleman wearing a golden leaf insignia on his chest asked coldly, "What evidence supports that?" The coroner swallowed hard. "Each skeleton bears multiple sharp-force injuries, yet none were fatal. Moreover, nearly every corpse exhibits identical characteristics, indicating the killer was..."

  "What does it indicate?" The nobleman with the golden insignia spoke with a terrifyingly calm tone. The coroner steeled himself to answer: "It indicates the young masters were likely bound, rendered helpless, and slowly stabbed to death, one wound after another."

  At that moment, a knight galloped in from the distance. Earl Fan Rusi of the Golden Thread Grass family raised his hand, signaling the coroner to withdraw. The knight dismounted, knelt on one knee, and reported: "My lord, the young master's body has been found... He was killed from behind by a crossbow bolt, and before dying, his head was also slashed."

  A chilling smile suddenly spread across the face of Count Fan Rusi. The surrounding nobles felt a chill run down their spines—it seemed even the eldest son, the old count's favorite, had not escaped this tragedy. Yet another count present, Longkeli of the Emerald Fish family bearing the blue fish crest, showed little sorrow. After all, the deceased was merely his nephew, and with seven sons of his own, the loss of one nephew was insignificant to him.

  Clearing his throat, Longkeli declared in a resonant voice, "Gentlemen, now is not the time for sorrow. This act amounts to a declaration of war against all nobility of the Blue River Province! Whatever their motives, whoever instigated them, whatever schemes they harbor—these answers shall only be revealed when our blades press against their throats!"

  In truth, tracking a force of over ten thousand men was no difficult task. The trampled vegetation and footprints left along their path were unmistakable traces. Moreover, the Blue River nobles had already pinpointed the location of Yun Chenhe and Renyu's base—the towering chimney belching black smoke day and night, the thick fumes from steel smelting serving as the most conspicuous landmark imaginable. The nobles' delay in acting stemmed solely from apprehension over their opponents' strength.

  This time, the Blue River nobles brought two local garrison units. These imperial regulars were well-equipped: soldiers clad in lobster-shell armor, standard-issue 60-centimeter short swords, and shields curved like door panels. Some carried heavy javelins. This configuration closely mirrored the tactical style of ancient Roman legions—heavy infantry advancing steadily in a tortoise formation, then exploiting the advantages of dense ranks to deliver swift thrusts with short swords through gaps in the shield wall upon engagement. In such close-quarters combat where long weapons proved ineffective, these dagger-like blades delivered lethal strikes.

  This tactic proved devastating against archers and light infantry—a sword strike against a shield left the soldier's front unprotected, where a swift dagger thrust could end the fight. Similarly, this dense formation effectively withstood crossbow fire. However, it proved inadequate against heavy cavalry charges—no shield wall could withstand the impact of charging horses. Once breached, the infantry behind was left defenseless.

  As a rear province of the Empire, the Blue River Province lacked heavy cavalry units in its local garrison. Yet this defensive force proved more than sufficient against poorly equipped, disorganized peasant rebels or slave uprisings. Scouts reported that the target army carried no cavalry. Wounds sustained by members of the noble hunting party suggested the force likely relied primarily on spearmen and crossbowmen. This boosted the nobles' confidence—the heavy infantry phalanx was the natural enemy of such troops.

  Count Fan Rusi slowly turned to face the mage beside him—a man in his fifties clad in deep blue robes—and asked in a low voice, "Mage Jett, are you certain there are no traces of magic on this battlefield?"

  The elder mage known as Jett gently stroked his uniquely shaped staff—its surface carved with intricate magical circuits as precise as integrated circuits, gleaming with a metallic sheen in the sunlight. He narrowed his eyes as the crystal sphere atop his staff flickered faintly. "There are indeed no traces of elemental explosions at the scene. Even if any magic residue remained, it would be indistinguishable from ordinary fire damage, making its magical properties impossible to discern."

  Count Fan Rusi nodded slightly. "Then this operation rests entirely on your assistance."

  Magician Jett stroked his graying beard and tapped his staff lightly on the ground. "This region falls under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Elemental Association, which entrusted me with its oversight. Given the emergence of an unknown threat, it is my duty to investigate." With that, he returned to meticulously adjusting a rune on his staff, as if handling a priceless artifact.

  Count Fan Rushi turned his gaze to Count Longkeli standing nearby. The latter approached with a knowing smile, his face beaming: "Esteemed Mage Jett, our noble houses have specially prepared a token gift. We humbly request that you accept it."

  At Count Longkeli's gesture, a soldier respectfully presented an ebony casket. As the lid lifted, twenty-four emerald-green gems of varied shapes lay arranged within, shimmering faintly in the sunlight as if pulsing with life.

  Mage Jett's eyes lit up instantly. A silver-white mist suddenly burst forth from his staff, swirling above the gems for a moment before several strands seemed drawn to them, coiling around the stones and lingering there. The old mage's wrinkled face smoothed out. "In that case... I happen to be investigating changes in the forest ecosystem soon. My twenty-four students and I will accompany you on this journey."

  Within this seemingly tranquil mountainous region of the Five-Colored Valley, a conflict capable of reshaping the entire landscape of the Thorn Gem Empire was brewing.