It's always good to have a local in the party.
Guided by Hans, David soon spotted a massive web-like structure between two trees.
It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time; judging by its size, its former owner was likely not to be trifled with.
Using his Iron sword to clear the cobwebs, five units of String dropped.
Adding two sticks, David crafted a fishing rod at the crafting table.
He took out a unit of wheat and used the String from the fishing rod to tie it up; a Wheat on a Stick was complete.
Calling Hans over, David climbed back onto Otis and dangled the bait in front of its eyes.
It was positioned just far enough that the cow could barely reach it by stretching its neck, yet always remained just out of reach.
Driven by the illusion that it was just one bite away, Otis ran faster and faster.
"This speed is pretty good."
David leaned forward; with a fuel consumption of only one unit of wheat per hundred kilometers, it was a steal.
The mount significantly shortened their journey, and about two hours later, the trees ahead began to thin out as they reached the edge of the forest.
"Rezla Peaks, as we locals call it. This is the final barrier blocking the way to the Tyrok Bastion."
A rare smile appeared on Hans's face.
David looked up; while it hadn't seemed like much from a distance, standing at the foot of the mountains now, he felt their towering majesty.
They say "seeing a mountain kills a horse"... David muttered, pulling out two more units of wheat to reward Otis.
He was relying entirely on it for what came next.
The mountain path was far more rugged and difficult to traverse than the forest trails.
Every step Otis took was bumpy and shaky; sitting on its back, David felt like a bean in a frying pan, being tossed up and down incessantly.
As they ascended, the surrounding temperature dropped noticeably.
White frost appeared on the rock surfaces, and the snow on the ground grew thicker. David used a stone shovel to scoop up a handful of snow from the roadside.
[Snowball] x4
The icy touch sparked a bit of playfulness in him; he packed a snowball and threw it toward a nearby spot.
The snowball hit a rock and shattered into pieces.
In most cases, snowballs deal no direct damage; their only effect is knockback.
Blazes are the exception; against these fire elemental creatures, snowballs can deal a significant 3 points of damage.
David collected the snowballs; this bit of trivia might come in handy someday.
The higher they went, the lower the temperature dropped.
The cold wind cut like a knife. Otis had thick fur to ward off the cold, and Hans behind him wore a standard combat uniform that could withstand the chill.
Only David, still wearing his exceptionally heat-conductive Iron Armor Set, was shivering and chattering his teeth.
He quickly pulled out four pieces of leather, crafted [Leather Boots], and nimbly put them on.
Any piece of leather armor prevents a creature from entering a frozen state.
As his body warmed up again, David let out a breath of white mist in relief.
He realized more and more clearly that his greatest reliance in the warhammer universe was the proficient use of Minecraft mods and mechanics.
The Eye of Terror hung high in the center of the sky; it was currently midday.
Protected by the Leather Boots and aided by Otis's tireless climbing, David's party successfully reached the summit at noon.
At the peak of the snowy mountain, the gale howled.
David reined in Otis and looked into the distance, his mouth involuntarily hanging open in an 'O' shape.
The Tylock Plains unfolded slowly before his eyes.
The impactful imagery shocked David's brain; he could only stand there, too stunned to speak a single word.
It was hard to imagine that David would use the word "crowded" to describe such a vast plain.
Endless tents, countless armored personnel carriers... military supplies and provisions were stacked in layers, and the people walking in the aisles looked like ants.
Just how many soldiers were stationed on this plain? A hundred thousand? A million? Ten million?
Further away, in the hazy mist, slowly moving silhouettes emerged.
That was a Warlord-class Titan, a true God-Machine; every step it took sent a low reverberation through the earth.
Beside it, a Leviathan heavy transport flew in escort.
The Leviathan sounded a horn in salute to the Titan, and the Titan replied with a series of high-pitched whistles.
"This is the Tylock Plains navigation channel," a clear voice came from the radio on Hans's back.
"Welcome home, soldiers; repeat, welcome home."
"Transport craft No. 4532, please approach the third landing pad on the left to reserve berths for subsequent ships."
"I am of the Rowiczek Family! I have enough money to crush you to death! How dare you treat me so rudely? Sir, please do not disturb the broadcaster's work..."
Hans pressed his hand tightly against the radio. This Cadian soldier, who had not broken down after several life-and-death encounters, now lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Dark spots soaked into the snow.
Hans looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm home. I really didn't think I'd have the chance to come back alive. Thank you, David."
Villager (Blacksmith)
1 emerald (Original price 21) -> Iron sword [Fire Aspect]
A clearance price—not 21, but just 1 emerald.
David snapped out of his shock; Fire Aspect was still quite tempting.
However, he had just obtained a decent weapon, [Gorg's warhammer].
That thing had a base damage of 8, reaching 13 when fully charged, and it came with strong knockback; the feel was solid.
In comparison, an Iron sword with a base damage of only 6 seemed a bit lacking, even with an enchantment.
He'd trade for it. The hesitation lasted only a moment; David was still very curious about what Minecraft enchantments would look like in warhammer.
Moreover, completing this trade would further increase Hans's trading level and unlock more good items.
Placing the only emerald in his inventory into the trade slot, David clicked trade.
The emerald shattered with a pop, turning into countless specks of light that flowed into Hans's body.
At the same time, a shimmering Iron sword appeared in David's hand.
David tried swinging the blade; the path it carved left a trail of fire in the air.
Cool!
"It's time to head down the mountain," Hans's voice came.
David nodded and put away the flaming sword.
They say going up a mountain is easy but coming down is hard; for David, it was the complete opposite. He had a hundred ways to get down quickly.
Whether it was placing water and sliding down the current, or getting into a wooden boat to negate fall damage and fly straight down.
David planned to combine the two for a "rushing the rapids" experience.
He switched to his iron pickaxe, dug four blocks into the permafrost at his feet, and set up an [infinite water] source.
Then, acting as a human water pump, he scooped it up with an empty bucket and splashed it out.
Pillar after pillar of water was placed, rushing down the near-vertical rock face, merging to form a waterway from the summit to the valley below.
"Can you row a boat, Hans?"
Hans turned to see David placing another wooden boat on the ground.
Looking at this incredibly crude wooden boat with only two oars, Hans felt a bit apprehensive.
David noticed and comforted him: "Don't worry, as long as your skills are up to par and you don't hit the rocks, it won't break under normal circumstances."
"Normal circumstances," Hans silently contemplated the phrase and nodded.
He trusted David; this miraculous companion always had all sorts of strange methods, and they were surprisingly effective.