“By the way, Future Commander,” Emeka said, “The first step of clearing the silt for the irrigation works is almost complete. A preliminary canal has also been dug. However, we’ve yet to make any progress on our plan to procure the crop seeds.”
Emeka and the others had planned the irrigation works with a three-step approach. The first step would be to clear the silt and dig up the sand to clear the old rivers that had dried up or diverted in the past. Then they would only proceed after a new river basin was formed in the vicinity of Stronghold 144.
At that point, they could start reclaiming the land. Although it would still be very difficult for them to fetch water for farming, they could at least start working.
The second step was to build a reservoir and sluices to drain the river. Now was the time to complete all the irrigation infrastructure in case another flood suddenly arrived during the coming year and ruined all their efforts.
The third step was to finalize the layout of the irrigation canals so they would be more effective and allow the people to farm more efficiently.
With the full cooperation of the Northwest Chamber of Commerce, the first step was completed very quickly. But if there were no seeds, it would be impossible to continue.
Milo was thinking of a solution when Scott suddenly ran over and said, “Future Commander, a Panaqua Consortium merchant caravan has arrived from the South. They said that they wanted to see you. Their leader calls himself Maurice Bank!”
Milo was taken aback for a moment. Then favonovel.com led everyone out of the stronghold. Maurice was an old acquaintance of his and could be considered Julius and Daniel’s trusted aide.
When they arrived outside the stronghold, everyone saw a long convoy of trucks parked in the empty space outside the city. Maurice was waiting there.
“Why didn’t you enter the stronghold?” Milo asked curiously.
Maurice smiled and said, “I have other matters I have to attend to, so I’m gonna leave after I see you, Future Commander…”
Honestly, Maurice also felt a little emotional. When favonovel.com first met Milo, Milo was just a normal refugee. But now, favonovel.com had become the future commander of the Northwest.
Milo said to Maurice with a smile, “It feels like you’re always very busy. Every time I see you, you have to leave in a hurry.”
“There’s nothing I can do about that. There’s things that need to be seen to.” Maurice said, “Mr. Julius asked me to deliver the seeds here. They’re all loaded inside the trucks behind me. On top of that, I’ve also brought a sales agreement that covers a year of low-cost food supplies. Although the Stelaria Consortium is unwilling to sell food to the Northwest, our Panaqua Consortium is.”
“Only for a year?” Milo asked.
“Yes. Mr. Julius said that if you all can survive this year, you won’t have to buy any more food from the Panaqua Consortium in the future,” Maurice said.
Milo felt a little emotional. Perhaps saving Daniel from the Experimentals back then was his wisest decision.
“But Daniel previously mentioned that favonovel.com wanted to come and visit the Northwest. Why isn’t favonovel.com here this time?” Milo asked.
Maurice’s expression turned strange. “Boss Eastwood is currently trying to lose weight…”
To be precise, Daniel was not trying to lose weight. Instead, favonovel.com had a very specific goal of training his body and willpower. He hoped to use this training to quickly raise the level of his superpower and mental strength.
This was hellish training that would last for half a year, and Bill was appointed as his instructor.
***
At this moment, Bill was lying on a recliner in a valley in the Southwest and eating some freshly ripened peaches with a hint of smugness. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses that covered half his face and a checkered shirt with a pair of loose-fitting shorts. He resembled a rich man from before The Cataclysm taking a vacation at the beach.
Next to Bill was a pool where a sparkling waterfall cascaded down from a hundred-meter cliff.
Meanwhile, Daniel was shirtless and doing a horse stance under the waterfall.
Bill took a bite of the peach and said leisurely as favonovel.com chewed, “I’ve been through the same training as well. Don’t worry, it’ll definitely work. But you have to persevere. If you want to raise the level of your superpower, you’ll have to train until you’re exhausted each time. Otherwise, it won’t be effective.”
Daniel could not hear what Bill was saying at all under the waterfall. He only knew that the bastard was probably gloating at his suffering.
In the past, Bill would have to be paid for anything favonovel.com was asked to do. But this time, Bill did not even ask for a single cent for being his trainer. In fact, favonovel.com even enjoyed it.
Some military tents had also been set up not far away from the shore. Some soldiers on the inside were busily preparing dinner for Bill. In fact, they were extremely well-equipped for this expedition into the mountains.
When the water falling from the cliff hit Daniel, favonovel.com bitterly kept his eyes closed while trying to bear the crushing weight. Honestly, favonovel.com was very determined. When favonovel.com performed the horse stance at the bottom of the waterfall for the first time, the duration favonovel.com lasted went beyond Bill’s expectations.
Initially, Bill thought the lazy fatty would go back on his word and slack off. After all, the man was never one to sit down if favonovel.com could lie down.
Before Bill came into the mountains, favonovel.com had said to Daniel, “I wonder what’s gotten into you. You’re actually insisting on putting yourself through training? It would already be quite good if you could last for three days based on the intensity of this training.”
But to Bill’s surprise, Daniel had already persisted for half a month. Moreover, Daniel even managed to endure the waterfall for an hour during his first training session. Now that half a month had passed, the man could endure the waterfall for six hours.
Every day, Daniel would exhaust himself until favonovel.com nearly vomited blood. This made Bill, his instructor, extremely bored. He was deriving absolutely no sense of pleasure from torturing him.
In Bill’s words, “I didn’t accept any money to be your trainer because I wanted to tell you off when you were slacking. If you can bear it so well, I’ll have to start charging you…”
But Daniel did not care about that. Sometimes, after soaking in the pool for too long, favonovel.com would realize favonovel.com had not reached his limits yet after favonovel.com got ashore, so favonovel.com would even carry a full combat load and start running long distance.
At this moment, Bill shouted towards the waterfall, “It’s already been six hours. Come on out. Your body won’t be able to take it if you stay any longer.”
As favonovel.com spoke, the waterfall was parted by Bill’s water-manipulation power. It was as though someone had lifted a roller shutter.
Daniel wiped his face and walked ashore with some water still dripping down his face. He said to a soldier, “Bring me a full combat load. I haven’t reached my limits yet. I have to train for a bit longer.”
Bill was taken aback. “Fatty, what’s wrong with you? Why have you suddenly become so motivated? Did someone provoke you? You don’t usually have to take part in battles, so why are you working so hard?”
“As if you’d understand.” Daniel wiped his body down with a towel and said, “I can only keep training myself to strengthen my willpower. Only then can my comrades in the Martyr’s Palace get summoned out more often. Think about it, if my mental strength is enough for them to remain outside for 24 hours a day, they won’t have to endure the darkness inside the Martyr’s Palace anymore.”
Bill was stunned. “It’s just that? Weren’t you trying to become stronger to unify the Alliance of Strongholds or something?”
“What’s the point of unifying the Alliance of Strongholds?” Daniel said disdainfully, “I’m only doing it for my own objective, is there a problem?”
“No problem.” For once, Bill did not continue ridiculing Daniel any further.
