novelraw Chapter 372: The Advantage of Being One Step Ahead
Chapter 372: The Advantage of Being One Step Ahead
"Are you always this extravagant? Don't tell me that's how you won over Second Aunt and Aunt Yue."
"If I didn't know your background, I'd genuinely think you were Lady Night Owl's illegitimate son."
Hathaway said it half-jokingly, but the glint in her eyes was anything but — she looked ready to audit Li Wei's finances on the spot.
After all, just the rewards from a few cross-border announcements alone were no small sum.
But what if? What if Li Wei really was a secret child?
"Never mind all that. Are we heading to Black Mountain Fortress now? And do you need me to scout ahead?"
Li Wei asked calmly. His Perception +7 hadn't been wrong — Hathaway and Night Owl really were the same type of person. Eight hundred calculations per second.
"In about an hour, we'll cross the desert and reach Black Mountain Fortress. There are still three hundred and forty-two freemen there. Once they're loaded, we move immediately. I'll handle the scouting — but the rearguard is yours and yours alone."
Hathaway smiled, nothing unusual in her expression.
"Done."Li Wei said no more. Hathaway moved to the front of the convoy to make advance arrangements at Black Mountain Fortress. He moved to the rear.
The sky was just beginning to lighten. The desert was quiet, the temperature slightly cool, no wind. The road was in decent condition — Hathaway had clearly been keeping people on maintenance duty.
She'd done well out here. And this world surely had far more territory left to explore.
More survivors, more Ability User factions that might rival Frost Duke in power.
Because by the look of things, this world would see many more rounds of pioneering missions.
While he was thinking, the sound of wings came — Adai, fully recovered from its long sleep, looking bright and alert, even in good spirits. It landed beside Li Wei and stood there, gazing out with him at the endless desert stretching to the horizon.
Like an old friend reunited after years apart.
"Adai — I need you to fly back along the route we came. Check whether Frost Duke's pursuit forces have arrived."
Li Wei gave the order quietly.
He couldn't afford to be careless. The smoother things went, the more vigilance was needed.
"Caw-caw!"
Adai gave two unhappy squawks, launched into the air, and shot back the way they'd come.
Soon, as patches of green began to appear among the surrounding desert — and then whole stretches of trees — Black Mountain Fortress came into view.
It was a small oasis: sea on one side, mountains on another, desert on the third. There had once been a small town here, which had later become the Black Mountain Duke's domain.
Overall it was an excellent location. Li Wei even spotted over a hundred and thirty mu of lush green farmland.
Hundreds of freemen were gathered along the roadside, expressions a mix of reluctance, anger, and fear. But under Hathaway's commanding gaze — and the whip in her hand — no one dared to question.
Right — Hathaway had ridden ahead to arrange everything. Swift and decisive as always.
The convoy stopped at Black Mountain Fortress for less than half an hour. They topped up water and food, loaded all the freemen, and set off again. Speed was everything — that was the whole point.
This was the greatest secret and advantage of the entire migration.
Li Wei was genuinely convinced that Hathaway was his ideal ally. Her advance preparations had saved him an enormous amount of trouble. The smoothness and tacit understanding of their strategic coordination was something he'd remember for a long time.
A pity she truly wasn't suited to be a teammate.
At that very moment — at the exact same time Li Wei and Hathaway's convoy departed Black Mountain Fortress — a force of eight hundred Ability Users arrived at Hathaway's original territory. Leading them was the Neanderthal Druid who could transform into a giant eagle or a swimming fish.
"What nerve. What speed."
Looking at the completely empty territory, even the Neanderthal couldn't help but express admiration.
Li Wei had destroyed the bridge fortress yesterday afternoon. Getting here would have taken until nighttime at the earliest. Yet Hathaway had packed up everything and departed in that narrow window. How could anyone not be impressed?
This was, after all, a critical moment in the assault on Socrates' territory. But when Frost Duke heard about Li Wei's breakthrough, he'd halted the offensive, immediately pulled out his elite forces, and marched through the night. His speed was extraordinary.
And still — one step too slow.
"I think they're still in the desert. Let me take a centaur cavalry unit and give chase."
Another Neanderthal crosser said grimly.
Li Wei had become their nemesis. In just a few months, eight crossers had died because of him — some directly at his hands. Their cross-border mission was severely compromised, on the verge of failure.
And the man was slippery as a ghost, with no small amount of power. There was no quick way to deal with him.
"It's too late. If we didn't catch Li Wei here, there's no catching him now. And we underestimated Hathaway. We assumed she hadn't built a mana well because she lacked the strength — that she was content to hide in Black Mountain Fortress."
"Who could have predicted she'd have this kind of nerve?"
"Pull back. The situation is what it is — we can't afford another mistake. And Frost Duke is already wary of us. In a sense, having an enemy like Li Wei actually works in our favor."
"That's letting Li Wei off far too easily!"
Another Neanderthal crosser said bitterly.
"What else would you do? Li Wei's momentum is unstoppable now. Unless Frost Duke can take Socrates' territory within a month, there's still a slim chance. Otherwise, with Hathaway's support, Li Wei has essentially completed his territory to the greatest possible degree."
"He's won. When the Radiation Storm hits this autumn, he'll have two mana wells — a total mana reserve of two hundred units. Even Frost Duke will have to go around him."
"We have to acknowledge that. But Li Wei's greatest weakness is that he's only passing through. In one year and ten months, he'll complete the pioneering mission and leave. After that, his territory will have nothing more to do with Frost Duke."
"When that day comes, Frost Duke will have no choice but to rely on us. And don't forget — we still have two years on our mission."
"For now — avoid the sharp edge. Li Wei will eventually take on cross-border missions too. These debts can be collected then."
—
Several days later, a massive convoy emerged from a road cutting through the northern mountain range, heading directly toward the Riverside Fortress — less than three hundred li away in a straight line.
It was Li Wei and Hathaway's migration convoy.
The journey had gone remarkably smoothly. Frost Duke had sent pursuit forces, but in the end they hadn't dared enter the desert — and circling around to intercept the convoy would have been like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Ability Users needed supply lines too. They got tired.
In the end, aside from a few mutated creatures appearing along the way to provide some excitement, Li Wei's group had even casually absorbed a survivor base. Not many people — around two hundred. Li Wei didn't intervene. He watched Hathaway handle it from start to finish: swift, decisive, effortless. Her territory's population broke through a thousand.
"Caw-caw!"
Adai, back in familiar territory, was visibly excited. It circled the sky a few times, then flew ahead to the Riverside Fortress. Moments later, five mutated little crows came flying back, solemnly accompanying the convoy in formation.
Shortly after, a twenty-rider cavalry patrol appeared in the distance, followed by an enchanted chariot and three armored personnel carriers.
It was the Riverside Knights patrol unit — Javier, Heath, Paul, and Jocelyn's team, responsible for routine patrols three hundred li west of the Riverside Fortress.
From a distance, Javier and the others split into two columns and flanked the convoy on both sides.
They were light cavalry, many of them barely a month into training — more for show than combat — but the scene was genuinely impressive.
The freemen in the convoy murmured among themselves, anxious and uncertain about where fate was taking them. Hathaway, meanwhile, seemed to have second thoughts. In the cabin, she worked on Li Wei with soft persistence.
"Can't you give me a position as territory advisor? I've changed my mind. Li Wei — trust me, you need a powerful caster who's also your lover. Cross-border missions aren't limited to five people."
"Stop making trouble. You're better suited as my ally and partner."
Li Wei said it lightly, ignoring Hathaway as she draped herself against him like a cat.
No explanation was needed. They both understood perfectly.
They were both people who refused to answer to anyone else. Li Wei could make concessions to a point, and was willing to yield slightly for the bigger picture.
But Hathaway was a tyrant.
The stronger she became, the more power she accumulated, the more uncontrollable she'd be. Not chaotically uncontrollable — just impossible to control. No matter who was doing the controlling. Whether that person was called Li Wei or Night Owl.
For a time, Li Wei had wondered about something. In the beginner mission world, Hathaway had done what she did — and she hadn't needed to. He'd assumed she was simply the type of woman who would do anything to achieve her goals, and therefore owed him nothing.
Then, not long ago, Night Owl told him: she had long since designated him as Hathaway's number two — meaning Hathaway was the senior disciple, and he was the junior. But this junior was likely a casual piece Night Owl had placed on the board. If the plan worked, he'd be Night Owl's informant inside the Internal Affairs Department — watching, restraining, and keeping Hathaway in check.
And what had Hathaway done? Without a word of discussion, she'd taken Li Wei to bed.
Night Owl could only watch, helpless.
Take this time, for instance. Whatever Hathaway said about her own reasoning — in reality, from the very beginning, from the moment Night Owl lost her position, she'd known there was a strong chance Li Wei would come for her. Not because of their relationship. Because of strategic logic.
Everything else was just an excuse.
Of course, beyond all the calculation, Hathaway's ability, vision, and strategic thinking were all exceptional by any measure.
And Night Owl was no pushover either.
Other top-ranked seed players typically started with at least a hundred thousand gold coins in backing.
Night Owl, by contrast, had insisted on a drip-feed approach — give it to you when you need it.
Which was why, after Night Owl lost her position, Hathaway had been so strapped for cash she couldn't even build a mana well.
In summary: a woman who could go toe-to-toe with Night Owl — did Li Wei dare bring her into his inner circle?
Not a chance.
Partner — yes. Ally — fine. But teammate? Absolutely not.
A team could only have one voice.
Li Wei was generous with his team, giving them excellent profit shares. But anyone who tried to influence his decisions would be cut off while still a seedling.
"Li Wei — don't regret this. I really am willing to change for you this time. Because you're my knight. Can't I just follow your lead from now on?"
"No."
"How infuriating. You won't even pretend."
Hathaway finally sat up straight — without a trace of embarrassment, because she was the undisputed champion of this game.
The next moment, she produced her pioneering card and held it out.
"Then, my respected Baron — shall we discuss the terms of our alliance?"
Li Wei said nothing. He took out his own pioneering card and let the two cards merge. That was the alliance — the specific structure, whether it resembled NATO or something else, would be determined by a higher department according to established rules. Li Wei and Hathaway had little say in the outcome.
So — was that why Hathaway looked so confident?
The bright glint in those eyes. What a wild little filly.
In moments, the two cards separated — as if they'd gone through a round of negotiation and arbitration.
The alliance result appeared.
[Confirmed: Pioneer No. 3, Hathaway, has decided to form an alliance with Pioneer No. 11, Li Wei. Based on the following assessments, the alliance's hierarchy, obligations, and responsibilities are hereby determined.]
[1. Confirmed: Pioneer Hathaway is accepting Li Wei's invitation to establish a new territory in the Neanderthal Hills south of his Riverside Fortress. She holds one relocation qualification. However, since the pioneering rights to the Neanderthal Hills belong to Li Wei (based on the elimination of the Barbarian camp), Hathaway must pay Li Wei 3 Alliance Weight points.]
[Note: Alliance Weight totals 100 points. Both parties are assessed based on the comprehensive strength of their respective territories. The stronger party receives more Alliance Weight points — in plain terms, the one with the bigger fist is the alliance leader.]
[2. Population comparison: 1,009 vs. 1,207. Hathaway's territory: 5 three-star population, 58 two-star population, 529 one-star population, remainder ordinary freemen. Li Wei's territory: 4 advisors, 5 four-star population, 240 three-star population, remainder two-star population. Li Wei receives 20 Alliance Weight; Hathaway receives 1.]
[3. Li Wei's territory contains 4 special buildings and 1 Priest. Hathaway has none. Li Wei receives 20 Alliance Weight; Hathaway receives 0.]
[4. Hathaway has brought 52 vehicles, one month's worth of food, and supplies valued at 50,000 gold coins. Due to their strategic value, she receives 20 Alliance Weight.]
[5. Li Wei generously provided Hathaway with 100,000 gold coins. Regardless of the repayment method, the value stands. Li Wei receives 20 Alliance Weight.]
[6. Li Wei is the initiator of this alliance, having crossed three thousand li in nearly a month. His strike against Frost Duke was also a key factor in making this alliance possible. He receives 10 Alliance Weight.]
[7. Personal combat strength assessment: Li Wei receives 3 Alliance Weight; Hathaway receives 2.]
[8. Lord title assessment: Li Wei holds Flame Viscount, receiving 3 Alliance Weight; Hathaway holds Black Mountain Baron, receiving 1.]
[Current totals: Li Wei — 79 Alliance Weight; Hathaway — 21. Note: the disparity in strength is too great for a standard alliance. The relationship can only be maintained as a vassal territory arrangement.]
[Territory-Wide Announcement!]
[Pioneer No. 3, Hathaway, has officially become a vassal lord under Pioneer No. 11, Li Wei.]