“You alright, bro?” Tal looked concerned. “You look a little out.”
“I am. Just have a lot on my mind right now. It’s …” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I help the rest of the players. At least, that’s one thing I can do.”
Tal seemed unconvinced, but he nodded. “Alright, they want to keep you in there for two hours now. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. How long has it been in the game since I left?”
“You’ve been out for …” he checked his watch, “one hour and forty minutes, so about 46 hours passed in the game.”
“You don’t have to stick around,” I said. “It will be close to midnight next time they bring me out.”
He shot me a grin. “And miss out on hearing about the crazy adventures you had for the last two days? Forget about it. I’ll be right here, waiting for you.” He winked at me. “And it will still be Sharon’s shift, in case you were wondering.”
I wasn’t, but I returned his grin. “She has a great … I mean, she’s a great asset.”
Tal chuckled. “You can say that again, but hey, you’re the chief. I’ll take the next hottie that comes along.”
I chuckled too. Tal’s little attempt at reality injection helped ease my mind. We were just a couple of buddies talking about hot women. “Oh no, dibs on that one too.”
He gave me a mock-outrage glare. “Hey!”
I gave him a shit-eating smirk, and as the capsule’s lid began to close, I added, “What can I say? It’s good to be the chief.”
13 - Capital!
I felt better as soon as reality faded and NEO gradually materialized around me. So what if no outside force was trying to influence my mind? So what if the feral goblin was just another part of me all along? I was my own goblin, and this world was mine to conquer.
I materialized back at the clan, right on the path between the Research Lab and the Breeder’s Den.
I looked down at the billowing Vicloak. Hold on, if you appear along with me as soon as I log in, what happens to you when I’m away?
That sounded bad. Not that I believed him. Nice try.
That good?
I missed you too, sweetie.
A swirl of optimism rose in me. Do you mean …?
A notification popped open, accompanied by a festive fanfare.
Breeder’s Den restoration completed!
You may once again summon as many puppets as your heart desires!
“Yes!” I cheered loudly, drawing a surprised look from several nearby goblins.
I eagerly opened the Breeder’s Den interface, and another welcome surprise greeted me.
New creature available to summon: Kobold Assassin
I grinned in satisfaction.
Breeder’s Den
Basic food available: 10,012
● Goblin (Foblin): 20 basic food
● Goblin Worker: 30 basic food
● Goblin Advanced Worker: 30 basic, 20 advanced food
● Goblin Warrior: 50 basic food
● Goblin Lieutenant: 50 basic, 20 advanced food
● Goblin Crafter: 30 basic, 20 advanced food
● Goblin Advanced Crafter: 30 advanced, 20 exquisite food
● Goblin Adept: 30 advanced, 20 exquisite food
● Hobgoblin: 30 basic food
● Hobgoblin Warrior: 70 basic food
● Hobgoblin Lieutenant: 70 basic, 30 advanced food
● Kobold Assassin: 80 basic, 40 advanced
● Hobgoblin Adept: 50 advanced, 30 exquisite food
● Hobgoblin Noble: 100 basic, 50 advanced food
● Infernal Ogre: 150 basic food
● Infernal Ogre Mage: 150 basic, 100 advanced, 50 exquisite food
The list looked similar to what I remembered from last time. It was a small boon that Shiva’s ‘adjustments’ hadn’t affected my ability to summon creatures. I noted, with some surprise, that the new ‘Kobold Assassin’ cost even more than a hobgoblin lieutenant. The assassins that attacked my clan were able to kill my soldiers despite being half their level. They were extremely dangerous – as long they remained undetected. A trio of assassins could probably infiltrate enemy lines to reach high-profile targets while a squad of soldiers would be bogged down by the defenders.
The den was already loaded up with about 10,000 units of food; a very respectable amount. It seemed that Gandork had worked hard during my two-day absence.
Recalling my earlier promise, I queued in an advanced worker and selected the ‘Butcher’ profession. The building was not currently stocked with advanced food, but I knew it was capable of transmitting the order to the mess hall. Sure enough, not a minute later, one of the gofer goblins came running in carrying a tray full of warm meat pies and deposited it inside the building. The Breeder’s Den started to emit some disturbing, grunting noises, and a few seconds later, a goblin appeared. He wore the same rudimentary loincloth as all the other new recruits, but unlike the rest, he had a massive cleaver tucked inside it. As I looked at him, the tendrils of information coming out of him exploded with information.
Slice, Goblin Advanced Worker
Level: 10
HP: 110
Attributes: P:12, M:0, S:-1
Skills: Butcher 21
Traits: Noncombatant, Shadow-Touched
I chuckled at the name. ‘Slice.’ It was fitting for a butcher. And he was level 10 already. Kaedric was quick.
“Get to work,” I instructed the worker.
He gleefully drew out his oversized cleaver and licked the blade. “With pleasure, Chief.” Then he scuttled away toward the oxsaurian pen.
I glanced at the mess hall and realized the inn upgrade was almost complete. The first floor was completely covered in stone, the second story was finished, and the third one was well underway.
Kaedric approached. “Welcome back, my lord.”
“Hey, how’s my clan doing, Kaedric?”
“As you are already aware, the Breeder’s Den restoration is now complete, and the inn is well underway.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“Borbarabsus wishes to speak with you, as well as Hoker and Duladeen.” The seneschal’s mandibles pressed tightly together. “The Minotaur was especially … adamant … in her request for an audience.”
“Okay, I’ll swing by them as soon as I’m finished here.”
“We also have yet to complete the settlement inspection, my lord,” the fat hob reminded me.
I sighed. “I know, but first I want to go through the settlement information. I keep rushing past it whenever I need to use the interface. Just give me a few moments.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Goblin’s Gorge Interface
Energy: 478,360 (17,453/day)
Settlement Level: 3 (Village)
Bosses: 5 (Tier 1: 3, Tier 2: 1, Tier 3: 1)
Morale: 63
Religion: Rank 4
Efficiency: 42.7%
Population: 13,009
Housing: 66
Food Upkeep: basic 137, advanced 3
Buildings: 24
Fortifications
Food production
Resource production
Crafting production
Research
Commerce
Our energy daily yield was simply staggering. I guess foblins are good for something other than fodder after all. I smiled to myself as I realized the population count had risen by close to 200 since I first returned to the game. The foblins were breeding quickly, continually increasing our daily energy gain.
Goblin’s Gorge was still listed as a level 3 settlement, a village. It was high time for an upgrade.
I clicked on the Settlement Level tab.
Settlement Level 4 - Town
Requirements:
● Population: 1,000 (met)
● Expert level buildings or higher: 1 (met)
● Standing militia: 50 (met)
● Tier 2 boss or higher: 3 (2/3)
As it turned out, my humble village was more than qualified in most of the criteria required for an upgrade. With Rhyno as a tier 2 boss, and myself as tier 3, we were only missing one more tier 2 boss.
Promoting a tier 1 boss to tier 2 cost 5,000 energy, which meant I had to decide between Kuzai, Yulli, and Kilpi, and I was definitely not going to give the annoying demented dwarf a promotion. The obvious choice was to promote Yulli. The formidable hob scout had served me faithfully on our detour to Akzar. But I didn’t rush the decision. The level of the settlement limited the number of bosses I could promote, and I had to make sure I selected the option that benefitted the clan the most. Kilpi Shīrudo was a formidable tank, capable of holding several higher-level opponents at bay, buying the rest of my forces the time they needed to dispatch them. He was also a good choice for a promotion. Not like Kuzai. The obnoxious dwarf didn’t deserve such a gift. It was either Yulli or Kilpi.
Give me a break, Vic, I replied. It’s a pretty important decision, you know.
I guess you’re right, I said gloomily and highlighted my selection.
Promote Kuzai to Boss Tier 2? Cost: 5,000 EP. Yes/No
The annoying, borderline psychotic priest was the best choice for the clan. His magical powers were a valuable asset. And despite my dislike of him, the demented dwarf had proven his value over and over again.
Reluctantly, I approved the prompt.
More fanfare accompanied the next notification.
Goblin’s Gorge has reached Level 4: Town
Your settlement may now support up to 14 bosses:
● Tier 3: max 2, current 1
● Tier 2: max 4, current 2
● Tier 1, max 8, current 2
Detected a conquered settlement of level 2 or higher.
New option available: Capital
What the hell is this? I wondered and mentally clicked the last line.
Capital
A settlement of rank Town or higher may be designated as a capital if it has at least one subservient settlement of level 2 or higher.
A clan may only have one settlement designated as a capital.
Upon selecting the capital’s specialty, additional bonuses will become available. All other non-capital settlements will be considered vassals.
Vassal settlements operate autonomously, adding their unique contribution (militia, energy, resources), directly to the capital’s use.
Would you like to designate Goblin’s Gorge as the GreenPiece Clan’s capital? Yes/No
“Kaedric,” I said slowly, “are you familiar with the concept of a vassal settlement?”
“Of course, my lord,” the mandibled hob replied. “Such settlements answer directly to the capital. Akzar is an example of such a settlement.”
That boggled my mind. Akzar was 10 times the size of Goblin’s Gorge, had a much larger army, and was probably a hundred times richer. If it was only a vassal … what power the hobgoblin capital must hold!
“So their rulers act independently?” I asked, wanting further confirmation.
“Yes, my lord. A vassal ruler does his best to increase the power of his settlement so he may contribute as much as possible to the capital.”
“Sounds kinda like my Governor’s skill ability to assign an official to act in my stead,” I said.
The fat hob shook his head. “You may only assign a limited number of officials, while a capital may have an unlimited amount of vassal settlements. In addition, officials can be assigned to work in other capacities, such as leading diplomatic expeditions in your name.”
“I see …” It sounded like I wouldn’t need to individually manage every settlement under my control and would simply benefit directly from their presence. It sounded like a win-win situation to me.
I looked back at the last prompt asking me if I wanted to assign Goblin’s Gorge as my capital. Hell, I wasn’t planning on shifting my base of power anytime soon. I selected yes.
Select a capital specialty:
● Economic: grants bonuses for general production and resource gathering.
● Military: grants bonuses for military-related industries.
● Diplomacy: grants bonuses when dealing with foreign powers.
Let’s take a closer look. I closed my eyes, concentrating and reaching deeper into the underlying metadata. Before my conversation with Jim, I might have been afraid to open my mind so fully, but knowing that the feral goblin was just another aspect of me gave me the confidence to release the mental restraints I had put on myself earlier.
I followed the information tendrils that suffused the capital’s options, tracing them deeper and deeper. ‘Economic’ would grant a fixed bonus for all my workers, improve our food and resource gathering, and increase our overall efficiency. The ‘Military’ option was more focused; professions that contributed to mobilization, like weaponsmiths and armor smiths, got a higher bonus. Soldiers also gained XP and leveled their combat skills quicker while training. My deep immersion allowed me to glimpse further implications of that bonus – it synergized with my Breeder’s Den, granting all summoned soldiers two extra levels and a significant bonus to their combat skills. That was all I needed to make a decision. I was already leaning toward the military option, considering my plans for the clan, but that synergy bonus just sealed the deal.
Alright.
There was no harm in looking around. It turned out that the ‘Diplomacy’ option allowed me to forge ties and alliances with other clans, as well as giving a substantial bonus for trading. Vic was right; I had to pause to think it through. Diplomacy opened the possibility of gathering armies using diplomatic means. Handled correctly, its military potential could be even greater than the ‘Military’ one. But that was for the long run. I needed a strong force behind me now, not later. And having to rely on external powers didn’t sit too well with me either.
Another thought entered my mind. How come the message said I only have one conquered clan? I asked mentally.
Gotcha. I turned my attention back to the still hovering message and made my selection.
Congratulations! Goblin’s Gorge is now officially the GreenPiece Clan’s Capital!
Specialty: Military
Effects:
● All combat-oriented creatures summoned from the Breeder’s Den gain: +2 levels, +10 to one combat skill.
● XP gained from combat: +10%
● Combat-related skills and spells level up 10% faster.
● Military-related production (weapons, armor, enchantments, potions) gains +50% efficiency bonus.
New settlement advancement path unlocked.
Those were very juicy bonuses. I could sense that the bonuses for XP and comba
t skills applied to me as well, which meant I’d be able to increase my power that much faster. The efficiency bonus would also help me equip my growing army. I could sense the bonus didn’t extend to food production, which was a bit of a shame, but understandable. Food was used as currency to summon soldiers and wasn’t actually required to sustain them. Monster soldiers could feed themselves, but their combat efficiency would suffer if left to their own device.
I frowned when I reached the last line. What the hell is that new settlement advancement? I opened the Settlement Interface, noticing the new ‘Capital’ tab, selected the settlement level, and mentally clicked on the next level.
Settlement Level 5 - City
Requirements: conquered vassal settlements [level 3 - ‘village’ - or higher]: 3 (0/3)
Beside me, Kaedric stood straighter and his mandibles clicked in excitement. “My lord, Koboldtopia has just become a vassal settlement. We are receiving their daily energy yield, as well as their resources.”
“Cool,” I said. I navigated back in the interface and selected the new ‘Capital’ tab.
Capital [Military]
Vassal settlements contribution:
● Koboldtopia:
○ Daily Energy: 776
○ Daily Resources: 50 glowing lichen [ingredient], 6 raw gems [random value]
○ Militia: 120 kobold warriors, 12 kobold assassins
○ Morale: +8
○ Breeder’s Den: +1 level for newly summoned combatants
○ Special Bonus: +10% breeding rate
I felt a grin splitting my face from ear to ear, and my inner goblin purred in satisfaction. My monster kingdom was slowly taking shape. I could already envision dozens of monster settlements rallying behind my banner, supporting me with energy and resources, and sending their soldiers when I called for them. The bonus to reproduction was especially nice, considering my race’s already accelerated breeding rate. I also had much more open slots for boss promotions, but there was no rush. It was better to take my time to come up with the most beneficial option.
Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4) Page 22
