“What took you so long?” Fox grunted, taking the fallen man’s razor from his dead hands.
“Sorry,” Raystia apologized. “I had to locate a vulnerable spot. Even with a sneak attack, I wasn’t sure a rusty nail would be enough to finish him.”
“Damn, that guy nearly had us all.” Riley looked pale.
Misa clapped his back. “On the bright side, I just leveled – twice!”
A rare smile appeared on Fox’s face. “Yeah, me too.”
The clash of battle grew closer, as well as the cries of the wounded and dying.
“We should get away from here,” the catgirl said, glancing around. “It sounds like the other groups are almost done fighting. Let’s find the activation points–”
“Right over here, Kitty,” Misa said with a smile, pointing at a strangely shaped boulder. She winked at the other’s blank gaze. “Half-elf, remember? We get those nifty bonuses to detect hidden stuff.”
Raystia hurried to the other woman and bent down. She gently blew on the exposed boulder, scattering the dust and revealing arcane writings. “I hope it still works,” she murmured and closed her eyes. “Open sesame.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Fox said gruffly. “That’s the activation phrase?”
The sound of stone sliding over stone hushed him as a doorway appeared in the otherwise blank-looking floor. Stairs led downward, and magical blue light glowed from within.
The catgirl smiled at him. “I guess it is.”
18 - Unruly Princess
I materialized next to the Breeder’s Den. The building that not long ago had been surrounded by a horde of newly minted soldiers now stood abandoned.
I looked around, searching for Kaedric when a shout drew my attention.
“Hey, Chief!”
It was Malkyr and the other six squad leaders. It looked like they had just made it back to the clan. Their squads followed them, walking through the forested part of the valley.
“Hey, guys.” I waved at them. “How was the journey back?”
The seven players approached me, dismissing their squads to the barracks.
“It was okay,” Malkyr said. He threw an uneasy glance at his sister. “So, we’re eh … we kinda have a winner.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Kyth’s squad has gained the most levels combined.”
“Really?” I looked at the gnomblin in surprise. I didn’t expect the elderly man to win the savage competition I’d set out for them.
He shrugged. “It wasn’t difficult. I took my squad along a riverbank where we encountered a herd of amphibian creatures called vegepygmys. I used my magic to freeze the water around them then let the squad finish them off. I think we took down about 30 creatures? Everyone in my squad gained two levels from that.”
“Not to mention the extra level you got yourself,” Hoshisu added testily.
Aly chuckled. “You’re just annoyed he beat you to it. Cheer up, your squad came second.”
“And the others are not far behind that either,” Kyth added with a wry smile.
“That’s great news, guys,” I said. “You proved you can take low-level mobs and level them up in relative safety. That’s a huge step forward in our efforts.”
Malkyr frowned. “How come?”
“One of the biggest obstacles I have is leveling up the soldiers,” I explained. “With enough food, I can summon a lot of warriors, but without levels, they’re just fodder. Now that I know I can rely on you to increase their levels, our mobilization effort just took a huge leap.” I looked at each of the players and smiled. “I recently summoned about 300 recruits, and I’d like your – and the other players’ – help to level them up as well.”
“Holy crap,” one of the squad leaders said. “How many soldiers do you have in the clan right now?”
“Close to 500,” I said.
“Holy shit!”
“That’s just the beginning,” I said. “We need to get everyone leveled up before heading out for real fights, but I’d say we’re off to a good start.”
“Yeah,” Hoshisu said dryly. “Five hundred mobs at your beck and call is the very definition of a good start.”
“I think the other players would be up for that as well,” Aly said. “Their hesitation to join the raid was mostly out of fear of getting hurt. Seeing as we proved we can stay behind the frontlines and still contribute and gain XP, I think many of them will be willing to join and command a squad of their own.”
“Good.” Another thought popped into my mind. “That’s very good, because I have a task I require of everyone who wants to be a squad leader – you included.”
They all looked at me.
“You need to name every unnamed NPC in your new squads,” I said, feeling quite pleased with myself. I’d just found a way out of wracking my brain to come up with 300 names.
Hoshisu scowled. “What the hell for?”
“Because,” I explained, “I’m going to perform a ceremony. The warriors will be given a name. Those who incorporate it will become thinking, resurrectable, NPCs.”
Kyth let out a low whistle. “So that’s how you did it? Do they lose levels? Is there a cooldown period for raising them?”
“Yes, no, and no,” I replied. “It costs energy, which my clan currently has in abundance.”
“Wait,” Hoshisu said. “What happens if they don’t incorporate the name?”
“They explode.”
The others gave me shocked looks.
“Don’t worry, I usually sacrifice them before that happens. It generates faith points.”
Malkyr shook his head. “That’s cold, man.”
“If the naming process fails, they’re doomed anyway,” I said. “My way, at least, their deaths benefit the clan.”
“Gruesome side effects aside, that’s still pretty impressive,” Aly said. “If they don’t lose levels, you’ll eventually have a near-unstoppable army of high-level mobs.”
“That’s the plan,” I said. “With a force like that, we can set out and liberate all the other players in the game.”
A long silence followed my declaration.
Kyth was the first to break out of the stupor. “Well, I’m in. Whatever it takes to help the others. I only have one question.”
I raised an eyebrow at him.
He grinned at me. “Where’s my reward?”
***
I led the players toward the northern part of the valley where I’d set the workshops and entered Duladeen’s advanced smithy.
The two newly summoned metalists were pounding on small anvils, and the Minotauress herself was hard at work at the main forge, holding a glowing piece of metal with tongs. She turned to look at us as we entered and offered me a bovine smile. “Hello, weird goblin.”
“Duladeen,” I said. “How’s the work going?”
“I’m working on the final piece right now.” She waved the glowing piece of metal in the air.
“And the others?”
“Check the storeroom.” She pointed at a door.
I took the rest of the players to the door and entered a back room. Nine complete body armor were neatly arranged on wooden armor stands. Each set of armor had a dark green gleam to it. The metal looked both exquisite and durable. Worthy protection for battle-hardened warriors.
Glassteel Heavy Armor
Description: Heavy armor forged from glassteel. Stronger and more durable than common steel, this armor is also naturally resistant to magic and may reflect attack spells back at the caster.
Type: Armor [body, arms, legs]
Rank: Masterwork
Runecraft Viability: 5 runes
Durability: 200/200
Armor: 80
Effect: 10% chance to reflect a harmful spell back at the caster
“Now, that’s what I call armor!” Malkyr said appreciatively.
“It’s yours,” I said.
The big man blinked at me. “Uh? But I didn’t win the challenge.”
“Oh, come to papa,” Malkyr said eagerly, reaching for an armor stand.
“A fine piece,” Nero added, helping himself to one also.
Kyth chuckled. “That thing probably weighs more than I do, but I guess every little bit helps. Thanks for the gift, Chief.”
The others each claimed a suit as well.
“What about the last two?” Hoshisu asked.
“They’ll go to my two best warriors,” I said. “Bob and Kilpi.”
“Those two are badasses,” Malkyr said, looking down at his armored chest. “This armor will bring up their survivability considerably.” He spread his arms and looked in delight at the green-tinged metal covering them. “Man, it’s been a while since I wore something of such high quality – and never below level 50. Thanks again, Chief.”
“You’re welcome. After you get a feel for them, bring them to the Dreamer’s Lodge, and I’ll enchant them for you. Also, don’t forget about naming the hobs and informing the other players about it as well. We’ll hold the ceremony at the end of the day.”
“You got it, Chief.”
I followed the rest of the players outside the smithy and watched them disperse. A mandibled hob pushed through them toward me. “My lord.”
“Hey, Kaedric. Anything noteworthy happen while I was gone?”
“Some, my lord. Gandork worked diligently at the inn to supply the Breeder’s Den with more food. Since we’re low on ingredients for exquisite food, he produced double the amount of basic food instead.”
“That’s good.”
“On the other hand, the rapid consumption of food has dwindled our reserves. We are down to half our stock of ingredients compared to a week ago.”
“That’s expected; I’ve been summoning new soldiers en masse.”
“Yes, my lord. In addition, Gandork has invented a new recipe using the glowing lichen.”
“Really? Already?”
“He calls it Flaming Tar Tar – a little flamboyant for my taste but exquisite nonetheless.”
“What else?”
“The foblin population is starting to get out of hand. Their numbers are already in excess of 13,000 and climbing. They are currently safely contained within the forested part of the valley, but if left unchecked, they will start to spill over into this side of the valley in the next few weeks, becoming a real nuisance.”
“Well, I plan on waging a little war or two before that, so I’ll take a couple thousand of them along. What else?”
“We are rapidly exhausting our stone supply.”
“What? How?”
“The sewer system, my lord,” Kaedric said patiently. “It calls for a lot of stone. This project is a sizeable undertaking. Our current progress stands at 16 percent. Full completion will require our entire stock of limestone which currently stands at 6,466.”
“That’s less than optimal, but I’m planning on building mostly Expert-rank buildings from now on, and those require obsidian. I’d prefer to use obsidian as a substitute for limestone anyway; our buildings will be more durable that way. Maybe that way we won’t spend a week on restorations the next time we’re attacked.”
“An interesting idea, my lord. Our current obsidian stock stands at 4,800. I believe it is enough to fulfill all projects in the near future.”
“Good,” I said. “How are our new crafters working out?”
“The two metalists have been assigned to the advanced smithy, per your orders. They’ve already doubled our current weapon and armor production and are gradually improving their skills.”
“How much metal gear are we producing each day now?”
“Four steel brigandines, four weapons, two shields, and one Ogre-sized spiked mace.”
“That’s better, but still not enough.”
“It’s an impressive amount for only four metal workers, my lord. Even that much is only possible thanks to the high morale and efficiency our settlement supports – and the capital’s bonus.”
“We need more.”
“To employ more workers, we will need to build additional smithies for them to work. Also, in order to provide enough iron for the new workers, I had to increase the amount imported via the Export Office. That’s led to a decrease in our daily lumber yield, as it is used as currency for the exchange.”
“Hmm … how much lumber do we have in stock?"
“Slightly over 73,000 units, my lord.”
I nearly choked, then chuckled. “That’s quite enough for all our construction needs for the next few years, if not a decade. Reducing our daily yield doesn’t really matter. But the smithy situation is something we’ll have to handle. Call Zuban here, will you?”
“Of course, my lord. He will be here momentarily.”
“Anything else you’d like to bring up in the meantime?”
“You should visit the barracks and the Dreamer’s Lodge, my lord. Both the arena master and the enchanter asked for an interview.”
“Alright. There’s Zuban.”
My chief constructor approached and bowed at me. “You called for me, Dire Totem?”
“Yes. We need to speed up armor and weapons production, so it looks like we’re going to need to build more smithies. What do you think? Should we build another weapons and armor workshop?”
He shook his head. “The advanced smithy uses an efficient modular design. We can add another wing to the existing one. It will be able to accommodate four new workers.”
“This is a priority project, Zuban. How many resources are required again?”
“Twenty units of metal and a hundred obsidian, Dire Totem.”
“Alright, plot the land. Kaedric, I’m authorizing you to use our energy to rush constructions.” I stopped to think for a moment. “I’m also giving you permission to use the Breeder’s Den controls.”
The fat seneschal’s eyes widened, and he gave me a deep, thankful bow. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, my lord, especially considering my past … indiscretions.”
I waved dismissively. “Water under the bridge. You’ve earned my trust, Kaedric. I know you won’t fail me.” The fat hob had proven himself time and again to be trustworthy. After he’d been played for a fool by Raystia, I knew he was even more careful and methodical than ever. In a way, the girl’s betrayal ended up benefiting me. “I want you to rush the new smithy’s construction then summon four more metalists. I want to double our current daily yield.”
“Yes, my lord. I shall take care of that at once.”
I turned to Zuban. “The researchers discovered some interesting blueprints recently.”
“I am aware, Dire Totem. We have four new barracks upgrade projects and five Expert-ranked buildings.”
I nodded and opened the Construction Interface, adding a filter to display only the buildings we didn’t already have in the village.
Constructions
Barracks expansion blueprints:
● Obstacle Course: increase training speed by 20%. 150 BP
● Beast Holding: add cages for beasts. 200 BP
● Trainer’s Office I: increase the number of trainers by 2. 200 BP
● Second Floor: adds +100 beds. 400 BP
Expert-ranked blueprints:
● Improved Lodging: all residential buildings can accommodate +50% members. 300 BP
● War Machine Workshop: heavy war machine factory. 1,200 BP
● Warlock Tower: housing and training for magic users. 1,500 BP
● Essence Capacitor: collect and store ambient energy. 1,800 BP
● Cathedral: place of worship. 2,500 BP
“I want you to set the sewage system aside for now,” I said. “We have a lot of new soldiers, and I think we should add a second floor to the barracks for them.”
“Might I also suggest prioritizing the improved lodging upgr
ade?” Kaedric added. “It will further increase the barracks’ capacity, as well as alleviate the noncombatants’ lodging issue. We currently have close to a hundred homeless workers, which incurs a slight morale penalty.”
“Good idea. Zuban, we’ll do the upgrade as well. I also want to prioritize the war machine workshop.” I gave him a meaningful look. “We’ll be going against other settlements soon, and I want us ready to assault walls. These three projects are urgent. Set them up, then Kaedric will rush their construction. I trust you to select the best location, Zuban. Once that’s done, I want you to build all the other buildings we have blueprints for – starting with the quickest one and ending with the Cathedral.”
Zuban raised an eyebrow. “That is quite the undertaking, my lord.”
“And I know I have just the right hob for the job.” I looked him straight in the eyes. “I promised you when we first met that we’d build a kingdom together, remember? Consider this as me fulfilling my end of the bargain.”
He grinned. “Who knew that being left for dead in that cave over a year ago was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me? I am, of course, always at your service, Dire Totem. You will have your kingdom, even if I have to take up an axe and start chopping trees again on my own.”
I chuckled. “I think we’re past that point. You have … what? Twelve builders under you? I’m sure you’ll get it done in no time.”
“Fifteen actually, including Wolrig, the other constructor. And don’t worry, Chief; you’ll have all the buildings finished within two weeks at the most.”
“I knew I could count on you.” I smiled at him. “Now get to work!”
“Yes, Dire Totem!” Zuban banged his fist over his mithril chestplate then hurried to follow my orders.
I was just about to walk to the barracks when a new notification message appeared in front of me.
New building added to your settlement: Advanced Smithy
Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4) Page 30
