Three days later.
The rugged mountain road from the Sid Empire to Black Dragon City.
A team of thousands of people traveled together, carefully crossing the Alcoron Mountains where monsters were infested.
"It turns out there really is a pass here, and this map is really accurate."
"I thought this road was dangerous, but I didn't expect that after we passed the 'Black Dragon Pass', we basically didn't encounter any large monsters. This is much easier than the road to Glory City..."
"Yeah, it always feels weird. This road seems to have been cleaned up..."
"..."
This is a team that combines the Chamber of Commerce, the Wilderness Hunting Group and the refugees. Most of the people in the team came with the purpose of "opening up wasteland", "being the first to eat crabs", and "exploring the road".
Unexpectedly, the journey over the mountains and ridges was much safer than expected.
The foggy area in the southwest of the Cid Empire next to the Alcoron Mountains has always been a high-risk area, and the casualty rate of wilderness hunting is very high. They didn't expect that after leaving the border of Sid and going deeper into the mountains, the frequency of encountering magical beasts became less and less.
The first half of the journey was a bit dangerous, but the second half became increasingly safer.
"What else could be weird?"
"Didn't you see that after we passed the 'Black Dragon Pass', there were blue-tailed eagles and flying dragons passing by in the sky from time to time? I thought it was a passing monster before, but just now I saw someone on the flying dragon, and I realized that things were not simple."
"You mean, the flying dragon drove away all the monsters on this mountain road?"
"Yes. That should be the legendary 'Flying Dragon Legion' of Black Dragon City. Haven't you heard of the grand battle of 'Black Wind Leader' in Glory City? Thousands of flying dragons fell from the sky and directly captured a large city..."
"Oh, I heard about it too. But... Since Black Dragon City is a city where barbarians live, will they trick me into going there and then eat us as food? I heard that barbarians like to eat Human.”
"Your information is too late. The 'Black Dragon City' was established by Princess Ymir of Oma, and the 'Black Gold Chamber of Commerce' platform. How could it be a barbarian city? I guess the barbarians should be war slaves or something. Yeah..."
"I've also heard that those barbarian dragon knights actually have no ill intentions towards us civilians. At least in the 'Battle of the Black Wind Territory', they didn't harm any civilians at all."
"We'll know what the specific situation is when we get there. Our regiment leader is still waiting for me to go and send a message back. If the actual situation in 'Black Dragon City' is as the intelligence says, the army will be able to make a fortune..."
"..."
Because they did not encounter any high-level monster attacks, this team moved very quickly.
On this day, just after noon, a majestic city they saw appeared in their field of vision.
Towering steam boiler chimneys, thick city walls made of rivets and steel plates, scattered artillery, neatly planned streets and houses...
Because the city is on the ground, the size of the city in front of you is even much larger than the area of some large territories!
"This...god, there really is a city here!"
"Let's go! Let's go take a look..."
"..."
The moment they saw this giant city, the first group of people who came to Black Dragon City immediately realized that the information was true.
Having such a city to settle down means that the hunting group can have a solid shelter here.
Mechanical City, this is the basis for all conditions to be established.
Originally, if they wanted to hunt in the land west of the Alcoron Mountains, they could only go to Glory City.
Now, there is one more choice!
... ... .
“Everyone, please don’t crowd, please line up to enter the city!”
There are municipal officials waiting at the gate of Black Dragon City for a long time. They are responsible for registering people entering the city and explaining the instructions for entering the city.
Since not many people came on the first day, everyone entered the city soon.
Some of the "permanent residents" in the city are the craftsmen who participated in the construction of Black Dragon City. They were also low-level civilian craftsmen from the two empires. When asked, some of them were related to some of the first batch of refugees.
After this conversation, everyone soon became aware of the facts.
"What, the city entrance fee is so cheap! It's only one-tenth of the price of Glory City!"
"Is the tax also true? Only about 10%?"
"Is it true that permanent residents enjoy the benefits of medical care, education, and magic potions? Can you qualify as a permanent resident if you contribute to the city?"
"Anyone can join the army, no nobles? Can they also become permanent residents if they meet the conditions?"
"Oh my god, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was true..."
"..."
The hunters and refugees seemed to have entered a dreamland. They looked around the city and became more and more shocked.
Not many shops on both sides of the street were open for business, but the products in the display cases made people ecstatic.
In the potion shop, there are all kinds of extraordinary potions, ranging from first level to fifth level.
The key is... the price is very cheap!
Now, regardless of the two empires or the Glory City, magic medicine is a hugely profitable industry monopolized by the nobles. If ordinary people want to afford a magic potion, they need to spend decades of savings from hard work.
And here, it’s less than one-tenth the price!
This price means that even if the potion is not compatible enough and fails to advance many times, everyone will have the opportunity to advance to the extraordinary level.
Because taxes in the city are extremely low, everyone can earn contribution points and income through their own work.
(In the early stage, Black Dragon City will use the previous contribution model of Glory City to sell most of the products in the city. This will prevent the old nobles from taking advantage of the loopholes and disrupting the market with their huge financial advantage.)
Moreover, not only magic potions, but also various high-level Warcraft materials, alchemy materials...
In the machinery shop, there are also various high-end mechanic equipment, four-cylinder and six-cylinder steam power boilers, mechanical arms, high-power guns, and various high-precision mechanical parts.
Its technological level has even reached the level of the two major imperial armies...
This is high-end mechanical equipment that you can’t buy anywhere else!
There is also an unlimited supply of the [Black Mist Detoxification Potion] that can solve the sequelae of the Black Mist!
Seeing everything in front of them, the first batch of people who came to Black Dragon City all looked excited and excited. They can't wait to participate in the hunting and city building mission immediately and earn contribution points to purchase these items.
... ... .
After the visit, the chamber managers of various large and small chambers of commerce who came to investigate, as well as the advance teams of large hunting groups, all eagerly rented communication equipment in the city and contacted the headquarters.
It's true, come quickly.
The hunting group needs a large number of people to open up wasteland and seize primary resources...
The Chamber of Commerce needs a large amount of funds to purchase rental shops, and the Chamber of Commerce needs to mobilize a large amount of goods...
Everyone saw the huge business opportunities in this city!
Compared with other cities, the various conditions of this Black Dragon City are simply heaven.
It is conceivable that after the news spreads, there will definitely be a massive influx of refugees... By then, the city's business will be in a "blowout" state.
This group of people are also lucky that they are the first ones to come here!
... ...
On the city tower, Ren and Ymir stood there, looking at the thousands of people pouring into the city, their eyes shining.
The scale of the city was large enough, and the arrival of these thousand people did not cause too many waves, but it also injected a new vitality into this emerging city.
"When the first batch of refugees comes, there will be a steady stream of people coming later..."
"Yes. We have a great advantage. Once the news gets out, even if the two empires block the borders, they will not be able to stop the development of our Black Dragon City."
"In the next half month, I estimate that there will be an influx of at least a million people. They will bring a large amount of supplies, and then we can start building some new small mechanical cities. Our Black Dragon City will become more and more powerful. ..”
"Um."
"..."
The rise of Black Dragon City has become unstoppable.
From the day this city was planned and built, it was destined to become a "unique" existence.
This is a true "City of Freedom".
In other aristocratic cities, the two empires, or the current Glory City, all policies and laws are to serve the nobility and to exploit every penny of the hard-earned money of the common people as much as possible.
But Renn, a time traveler, knows very well that traffic and population represent prosperity.
There is extraordinary power in this world. As long as everyone among the common people advances to extraordinary level and their hunting and planting efficiency is extremely high, they will never have the problem of food shortage.
After having enough food and clothing, spiritual enjoyment is the real source of profit.
Instead of exploiting the few potatoes that ordinary farmers use to fill their stomachs, it is better to put taxes on this.
For example, in his previous life, tobacco, alcohol, various entertainment industries... Things that improve the quality of life and provide people with enjoyment are the industries that can really make people rich.
When the hunters have enough money, various entertainment industries in the city will explode.
Commercial taxes will become the bulk of the city's income. This will be a virtuous circle, making the territory more and more prosperous.
Moreover, Black Dragon City is not without monopoly.
They monopolize the high-end market.
High-end mechanical equipment, high-end materials, high-end magic potions, and rich mining resources...
Things that others don't have and things that have technical thresholds are where the bulk of profits lie.
Therefore, Black Dragon City’s take-off is unstoppable and no one can stop it.
Moreover, the two empires were unable to imitate and could only watch the population loss.
This is a problem with the system itself. Even if other cities know about Black Dragon City's various welfare policies, they cannot imitate and follow up.
It was impossible for the established nobles to give up their rights.
And there are a large number of nobles in each territory.
The "nobility" of the aristocracy is reflected in the exploitation of common people.
Without high taxes, where would the source of income come from for the nobles who did not work or hunt
To take a step back, it would not help if there was really a territory that followed all the policies of Black Dragon City.
Black Dragon City has a unique geographical location, technological and resource advantages in the "Kalatva Basin" that no other territory can match.
The only one that is somewhat competitive is Glory City.
It's a pity that it has just been established as a country, and the people of the five major families have not even sat on the aristocratic chairs yet. You want them to give up their aristocratic rights and give benefits to the common people
impossible!
It's impossible to kill him!
With so many nobles raised, if the noble constitution is abolished, the kingdom will collapse immediately.
If we say that the impact brought by Glory City to the two empires is like a ditch flowing out of the dam; and the existence of Black Dragon City is directly opening a breach in the dam...
... ...
Among the first batch of thousands of people who came to Black Dragon City, in addition to the refugees and wilderness hunters who came to explore the way, there were naturally some guys with ulterior motives.
Among them, the spies from the Sid Empire naturally came immediately.
There were a few sneaky guys mixed in with the team entering the city. They did not care about welfare policies like others, but secretly looked at the city's defense facilities.
The more people looked at it, the more shocked they became.
The more I inquired, the colder I became.
In fact, after the [Black Tide] broke out before, there was already a large-scale population flow to Glory City. Neither sealing borders nor changing laws can stop the flow of people.
However, as the exploitation policies became more and more severe after the establishment of Guanghui, this trend has been greatly alleviated.
The independent Glory City followed the trend and integrated into the aristocratic world.
Unexpectedly, one wave after another occurred.
Now comes another more terrifying "Black Dragon City"!
Even people who don't understand politics know that something is not good when they see the various policies of Black Dragon City.
This will fundamentally shake the social system of centralized monarchy!
"Damn it, that Princess Oma really built this city! Hurry up and send a telegram to the imperial capital to report the situation here and let His Majesty make a decision. If it's too late, I'm afraid it will shake the foundation of the empire. ..."
"Team leader, should we send troops to block the pass first and prevent the refugees from coming?"
"Blockade? Isn't the Black Wind Territory's lesson enough? Although there is no sentry at the pass, haven't you seen the Flying Dragon Legion? How many people must be sent to withstand the attack of the Flying Dragon Legion? What's more, that pass belongs to Black Dragon City Territory, are you sending troops here to declare war directly? Do you think the imperial army can defeat the barbarians, the flying dragon army, and this city in this mountain battle?"
"..."
If the problem could be solved by fighting, then Glory City would have ceased to exist long ago.
This special geographical environment makes it impossible for a large mechanical city to cross the mountainous area.
It is simply impossible to destroy the "Black Dragon City" with city walls and artillery already erected by the army alone.
... ... .
Just as Ren and the others expected, the population of Black Dragon City exploded like a "blowout".
Eight thousand people entered the city on the first day, 20,000 on the second day... By the tenth day, it suddenly became 100,000, 200,000...
On the mountain road leading from the border of Sid to Black Dragon City, there is an influx of refugees almost all the time.
In the sky, there are flying dragons patrolling around the clock.
At first, some forces with ulterior motives caused trouble, but once they were discovered, they would be cleared away by the Dragon Riders immediately.
There were no monster raids, no monster thieves, and the journey was almost smooth. Because of this, ordinary civilians who were originally worried about the dangers on the road also came in large numbers...
Just one month later, Black Dragon City's population surged from the initial 50,000 to 60,000 to 3 million!
Moreover, the population is growing at a rate of hundreds of thousands every day.
There are a large number of craftsmen among these refugees. They can collect stones to build houses, mine, and forge iron tools...
It is also because urban construction has provided a large number of jobs for the refugees, and it also allows civilians who are not extraordinary people to survive by working with their own hands without going out to hunt for wilderness.
Originally, craftsmen earned 90% of their daily income in other territories, and the rest was barely enough to feed themselves. It was not easy to survive;
In Black Dragon City, after working for a day, the tax rate is only 10%, and most of the money falls into your own pocket.
Therefore, the common people also have extra money in their hands, so they can go to the taverns in the city to spend money, buy more clothes, delicious food...
Business in the city came to life almost overnight.
Various large and small chambers of commerce organized team after team to continuously transport supplies to Black Dragon City.
Those refugees will also choose to bring some materials that are urgently needed for city construction at this stage. The sand accumulates into a tower. Millions of people each bring a few kilograms of steel, which is the amount needed to build a small mechanical city...
This is a hundred times or a thousand times more efficient than relying solely on the "Black Gold Chamber of Commerce" to mobilize materials.
As for ordinary civilians, with money and contribution points, they can easily purchase basic potions from potion shops in the city and advance to extraordinary levels.
The grand occasion of "everyone is extraordinary" in Glory City has been recreated in Black Dragon City, and it's even worse.
The former Glory City was just a "temporary place" for wilderness hunters to hunt, and there was no chance for ordinary civilians to survive.
But there is in Black Dragon City!
No oppression, no exploitation, everyone is equal...
This is a true "city of freedom and equality"!
In less than a month, those refugees’ original thoughts of “getting rich” have changed. Almost all of them have changed their goal to “become a permanent resident of Black Dragon City” and actively participate in labor and hunting. Huang, join the army...
Only a promising life in the future can stimulate the people's motivation and potential to actively produce to the greatest extent...
The city area is getting larger and larger, and the efficiency of construction and land reclamation is getting higher and higher...
Black Dragon City is developing at an unimaginable speed.
... ... .
The construction of a city, especially the explosive growth of population, will inevitably lead to various problems.
Healthcare gaps, housing gaps, chaotic law and order...
If this was Ren En's previous life, it would collapse in minutes.
But in this era, the opponent (the noble domain) is really not bad. Even if Black Dragon City is temporarily chaotic, it is still so different from other territories.
In the words of the refugees themselves, even if you work as a temporary mason in Black Dragon City, you can earn more money than a middle-class commoner in other territories!
However, these small problems will gradually disappear over time. Black Dragon City's management system, which was several stages ahead of its time, also played a huge role in the development of the city.
... ... .
On this day, a special group of visitors came to Black Dragon City.
The leader was a bearded gray-robed mage.