A Bang City like Boss Bang, which has developed quite well, often has seven to eight thousand or even tens of thousands of Bang City troops, most of which are second-tier, with a small portion being third and fourth-tier.

The annual military expenditure, maintenance of logistics, equipment wear and replacement are not a small sum.

As for the Giant City, it goes without saying that large Giant Cities even have tens of millions in population, almost comparable to a small country on Earth. Not counting the Bang City Army within its jurisdiction and non-state Knight Orders, a Giant City normally has four to five hundred thousand standing troops.

This is why Zong Shen firmly believes that behind prosperity there must be brewing chaos and crisis.

Because in this world, whether it be territory, population, city size, or wealth level, it's all very distorted.

Besides those objectively existing crises, internally it is also fraught with crises.

The lower productivity of the underlying infrastructure corresponds to the excessive indulgence of the nobles and the massive number of troops.

The degree of this rift is like a Bottomless Abyss; if it weren't inexplicably suppressed, it would have erupted into great chaos long ago.

Rebellions and resistance troops would rise like bamboo shoots after rain, and nobles would self-proclaim kings, plundering wealth in the form of savage warfare.

The forces of the Human Race on the entire continent are about to be reshuffled; this is the second act Chen Rui spoke of and the situation Zong Shen has been silently wary of.

The next rapid rise opportunity for the Lords is hidden amidst the great chaos of the Indigenous People.

Zong Shen held the Fine-Forged Longsword, admiring the silver-gray blade.

The edges on both sides were sharpened and polished, making the blade very bright.

This longsword holds significant meaning as it is the first Excellent Level weapon forged autonomously by the territory.

It is also a beginning, proving that the future holds promise.

As an essential part of the talent recruitment plan, the Dwarves from the Copperbeard Tribe and Black Iron Tribe are also among Zong Shen's recruitment targets.

Seizing the rare visit opportunity from Zong Shen, the Dwarf Uncle paused his work to start telling Zong Shen about the situation regarding the Dwarven habitat and the northern part of the continent.

The Dwarves' active area is in the northern part of the Nord Kingdom, adjoining the Northern Highlands.

There are countless towering mountains, valleys, and ravines, and not far off, a Super Transverse Mountain Range called the Saint Daya Mountain Range spans nearly ten thousand kilometers.

This mountain range features deadly high mountains, soaring beyond ten thousand meters in elevation. Among them are some connecting caves and rugged mountain roads.

Due to the altitude, the climate in the mountain range is extremely harsh. Different altitudes and locations often have varying climates, whether mountain gales, alpine blizzards, or the danger of hypoxia.

Even in such a harsh environment, Indigenous People still exist.

Among them dwell some less civilized High Mountain Barbarians.

This Super Transverse Mountain Range serves as a Great Barrier for the Northern Territory, blocking the cold winds from the North. In addition, many ancient frozen relics are scattered within this mountain range.

Rumors even suggest that near the northern side's Great Ice Valley, someone once saw a White Dragon and a Tusked Mammoth frozen in ice. Yet when exploration teams ventured there, all traces vanished.

Thus, this place is very mysterious, also known as the Divine Stronghold.

This exaggerated terrain variation not only obstructs the ground but also the air.

The sky often sees violent air currents, gathering cold northern air to form a tremendously fast wind. Flying Magical Beasts or airships encountering these currents may fall.

For the greater part of the year, this area isn't suitable for passage, with only certain months.

Only those indomitable Traveling Merchants, guided by experienced High Mountain Race guides, conduct trade between the north and south in those specific months each year.

Of course, the Northern Icefield's route south isn't solely through the Saint Daya Mountain Range; there are many places from east to west for transit.

The entire northern part of the continent is an Icefield Zone at high altitudes, containing only one Human Race Kingdom and the largest by territory, named Vigia.

This Kingdom occupies most of the northern Icefield, where the land is relatively barren, and the environment is exceptionally harsh. Due to the climate, their crops only yield once a year.

The primary crops are a type of barley-like grain known as highland barley.

And there are tuber crops improved by Natural Magic.

Due to the sparse arable land across the Icefield, they are almost considered barren.

The local Giant City and Bang City have opened up farming areas using Natural Magic.

As for animal husbandry, highland yaks, mountain-horn sheep, Icefield elephants, giant rheas, Gawil flower deer are the domesticated highland animals.

The Vigia Kingdom occupies the portion of the northern Icefield leaning towards the south.

Additionally, one-third of the territory belongs to undeveloped permafrost and Northern Woodland.

Here, the Vigia Kingdom has constructed the Desperate Great Wall, which spans the entire northern zone.

This Great Wall rises two to three hundred meters high and is seventy to eighty meters thick.

It was built before the founding of the Vigia Kingdom over ten thousand years ago.

An immense number of farmer laborers, Earth Mages, and various Magic Energy Equipment were employed.

In fact, this Desperate Great Wall was almost built with the assembled power of all the kingdoms.

At regular intervals, battle fortresses and war strongholds have been constructed.

Even Titan Giants and Hundred-handed Giants can only stand and admire the wall from afar upon arriving here,

It is also known as the Black Ribbon of the Northern Territory.

Near the Desperate Great Wall, there are many towns where adventurers gather.

This is the most exaggerated defense line built by the Human Race on the continent in the New Era.

This defense line not only isolates the permafrost and the frost-chilled Northern Woodland.

It also separates the ice seas of the continent's north.

The construction of the Desperate Great Wall is because some terrifying creatures live in the continent's northern part.

These creatures are called Others!

Others are tall, gaunt, and their skin is deathly pale, with eyes as blue and profound as ice.

Their skin can change color as they move, and they wield Longswords made of Extreme Freeze Ice Crystal that can instantly freeze any living thing they touch, turning it into an ice sculpture and then shattering it into ice shards. Almost no one can survive an attack from an Other.

Moreover, Others can turn dead bodies into Corpse Ghosts, which also have blue eyes and serve as their cannon fodder.

After the end of the Era War over ten thousand years ago, the Old Era ended, and the New Era began.

While people were pioneering the north and reproducing, the first Other awakened from the ice-sealed caverns of the permafrost, launching a terrifying slaughter.

At that time, most Human Race Kingdoms had not yet been established, and the continent was in an era of divided heroes.

At the peak of the crisis, more than half of the Northern Territory nearly fell. Eventually, all Human Race forces simultaneously advanced north, assembling hundreds of thousands of Mages to form a Super Soldier Regiment. With aid from the initial Knight Order and armed forces from all regions, they gradually advanced, finally driving those resurrected Others and Corpse Ghosts back to the frozen lands.

And combined forces expended hundreds of years and countless human and material resources to construct the Desperate Great Wall.

No one dares to march on the permafrost, fearing they might awaken more Others.

These beings not only possess terrifying single-unit strength, on par with top-level Epic creatures.

Most terrifyingly, these beings have no subjective motives and refuse to engage in dialogue.

Killing is their single obsession after awakening. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

They appear devoid of Wisdom yet possess basic tactical acumen.

Even the savage Evil Dragons or Undead Monsters, as long as they have Wisdom, at least bear the possibility of negotiation and communication.

But Others are truly born for slaughter, refusing any communication or dialogue.

It's a relentless battle until death on either side

Indigenous People forces on the continent are very wary of this.

Fortunately, Others haven't awakened for several thousand years.

Yet they still remain in folk songs, legends, and stories within the continent.