Chapter 262: Big plans.

The moment the two Beast Trucks hit the rugged wilderness; everyone was convinced that these were the best cars they had ever sat in. It was cold outside, but inside, it felt as if they were in a comfortable hot spring.

The terrain did not bother them at all. There was no drugging in the mud, no bumps were felt at all. It was like they were driving on a flat terrain. But this confidence was shaken when Hunter saw what was ahead. It was a steep, jagged ridge that would have turned any standard military vehicle into scrap metal.

"Uhm, maybe we should slow down a little," Bianca suggested to Elfy.

Elfy didn’t even consider it. She stepped on the pedal, and the truck surged forward with a deep, purring hum. The huge, spiky all-terrain wheels gripped the sheer rock face like iron claws. The vehicles glided up the near-vertical incline so smoothly that Hunter, who was bracing himself for a violent jolt, barely felt his water shift in the open bottle.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Hunter gasped, gripping his seat handle. "We’re literally climbing a mountain wall, and it feels like we’re cruising down a paved highway!"

Before anyone else could praise the vehicle, the trucks crested the hill and plummeted straight toward a murky, treacherous swamp. Thick, black mud and deep water choked the valley below. They were like dominoes falling, each unable to stop.

"Hold on!" Bullet yelled in the second truck, closing his eyes and bracing for the impact. He was thinking that as a ghost, he would track down Hunter and kick his ass.

Instead of sinking into the slush, a faint blue glow rippled under the truck’s chassis. The alien tech activated, engaging the gravity distorter. The armored vehicles skimmed right across the surface of the swamp water, pushing through the deep mud without dropping a single mile per hour. Mud splashed high into the air, but the X-shields repelled every drop, leaving the windshields crystal clear.

Achilles stared out the window in absolute shock, his mouth hanging wide open. "Are we floating over a swamp? Is this thing a truck or a boat? How much can I sell this monster!?"

"Hunter, look at the trees!" Achilles called out from the back, his fist thumping against the soft leather padding of his seat in excitement.

A dense wall of mutated, thick-trucked trees blocked the path ahead_ an impassable forest that usually required hours of clearing with heavy axes. Elfy didn’t flinch. She hit a switch on the dashboard.

The mechanical dragon jaws at the front of the truck opened wide. The diamond-tipped teeth began to spin with a fierce, high-speed roar.

The trucks didn’t stop, swerve, or slow down. The terrifying metal jaws sliced through giant, two-foot-wide tree trunks like butter, spitting shredded wood and leaves out to the sides. A clean, paved-like path opened up behind them instantly.

Inside the trucks, the humans sat in stunned silence.

"This isn’t a truck," Achilles whispered, shaking his head with a wide, disbelieving grin as he looked toward Zyra’s lead vehicle. "This is a war engine. Zyra, you really know how to surprise me!" If these trucks were put on the market, the rich would shoot each other for a chance to get their hands on one. Craw Automobiles and other car companies would be out of business.

Soon, they came to the location Hunter had been talking about. As the trucks cleared the final line of trees, the dense forest opened up into a breathtaking, pristine flat land nestled between two towering mountain peaks.

It was even better than Hunter had described. The land stretched out as a huge, flat basin covering hundreds of acres, completely cleared of major rock formations. Running straight through the middle was a river fed by mountain runoff_ an endless supply of fresh water and natural cooling for heavy machinery.

"It is too open if you ask me." Alma Sanchez said. She was the person that Achilles fronted as the one to be in charge of the factories. "Looks like it used to be a settlement some years ago, but it was abandoned."

They could all hear her opinion through the link band which was open for communication.

Zyra shook her head and looked far ahead. "I have a solution for the mountain runoff."

Hunter inhaled deeply, he could almost feel his flu disappear. The air here felt crisp and the soil beneath the high grass was firm and solid_ ideal for laying down heavy concrete foundations without the risk of sinkholes. Elfy brought the lead truck to a gentle stop near the riverbank, turning off the roaring dragon jaws.

Hunter stepped out onto the running board, putting a hand over his eyes to shield the thin drops of rain as he looked across the sweeping landscape. A proud, triumphant grin spread across his face as he turned back to Zyra.

"Well, dear wife?" Hunter asked, gesturing grandly at the sunlit valley with both arms. "Told you I wasn’t exaggerating. Water, flat ground for miles What do you think?"

"Like it lacks security, but we can handle that, otherwise its_" she gave him the thumbs up with a big smile.

Hunter made a triumphant fist; there was nothing more he loved than Zyra’s praise.

Achilles jumped down from the second truck, his boots hitting the muddy ground with a heavy thud. He walked up to the bank of the river, looking up at the towering cliffs and then back at the wide, open plain. "You hid this well from me, Hunter. This isn’t just a good spot_ it’s a goldmine. We could build three factories, a hundred warehouses, and a full guard outpost here and still have room to spare."

Zyra joined Hunter, her eyes sweeping over the quiet, land. The cold but gentle breeze rustled the grass. "It’s perfect, provided there are no king beasts or cannibals lurking around."

Bianca placed her hands on her waist. "I support it. Let’s build the factories here. From now on the low-borns will be able to buy good quality sugar at a low cost."

"Low cost! who okayed that?" Achilles said, "we are not a charity organization!"

Zyra looked at them both, "I am sure that we will come to a compromise."

Alma winced and picked a wild flower. "We have picked the land, now we must consider building materials. The more we buy, the more curious the Sanctum will get. If we are looking for quality, they are the only place to go."

Zyra shook her head, "I will handle the building materials. Gather your workers and start in a week."

"A week?" Alma laughed, "Ma’am we need more time than that. I have to bring at least one thousand workers. It will take longer for you transport all those building materials here from any city or the capital. We need at least a month of preparations."

Hunter looked at Alma, "Just do as she says." He knew that Beauty was going to set it all up. It could even be done tomorrow, if it was what Zyra wanted. This was the beginning of their big plans for the Wild lands. In future, this place would be self-sufficient, like a sovereign nation.