“Threatening me, now are you?! Die!” the chief yells, shoving his hand forward for his warriors to attack.
Before the chief's hand even extends halfway, Ratatoskr’s squeal pierces the air, stunning all of the goblins and preventing them from moving. That really is a powerful stun. Maybe it’s only working so well due to the level gap.
Walking up to the chief, I stand in front of him and look down into his eyes.
“I have no use for a coward chief who hides behind his warriors,” I growl, continuing as politely as I can, “At the risk of sounding like a tyrant, you only have two viable options.
“Either grow with us and submit as my vassals, or clear out and leave Everhein for good. I won't have an entire population of goblins stabbing me in the back on my own lands. I've tried to be nice, but you've forced my hand now. My last warning, raise arms to me and mine and I will respond in kind. Choose.”
I wait for the stun to dissipate, staring into the chief's eyes as he stares back at me with hatred.
When it finally wears off, all the assembled goblins take a quick step backwards, and the ones closest to the chief give him a wide berth. They all look towards their chief with apprehension.
Looking around, the chief gets more and more angry as he sees no support for him whatsoever. Rightly so, really, considering he would be sentencing them all to die.
A blind man could see that. May not be the best chief, then. I look over the surrounding warriors to let them know I'm serious. Spotting the little shit from earlier on the wall, the look of horror on his face as he sees my attention is quite priceless.
The chief starts frothing at the mouth. “You ungrateful little shi—”
He is thankfully interrupted by a twilight-coloured ball of seething flames directly into his open mouth. It explodes in his throat, and all I can hear is his gurgling as the chief grasps his throat and his eyes squeeze shut. Grace lifts up off my shoulder and flies above my head as the first ball is quickly followed by three more in succession. They all hit him right in the face and sear his flesh.
His health plummeting to half in a matter of moments with the DOT ticking away, his head abruptly leaves his neck. Shocked, I turn my attention to the warrior who beheaded his chief. One of the level 20s who was surrounding the chief before, now has a strong stance and a sharp sword still outstretched.
A notification window pops up and I glance at it quickly before swiping it away.
Congratulations! Your familiar is now level 3.
Attribute points automatically distributed.
Lowering his sword, the goblin usurper kneels on the ground in front of us and lays his sword upon the ground. Soon enough, all the goblins who were in the buildings join the warriors kneeling in front of us, copying the first goblin.
Well, that’s one way to take your life into your own hands. Usurp the leader.
If he wants to make his own choices, he can make them for the rest of his village too. Good plan, makes sense.
“What is your name, warrior?” I ask, feeling the pressure of hundreds of eyes on me again.
“Kleemek, Mr Duke, sir. Of the Coppergrinder Clan,” Kleemek says softly, grimacing as if he just bit into a lemon.
“Lord is fine. Tell me, Kleemek, do you regret what you have done here today?” I ask gravely, putting on the air of authority.
Gulping loud enough that I could hear him, Kleemek responds in a clear voice, “No, my lord, not unless I have spelled doom for my people. That sorry excuse for a goblin was going to be the ruin of us all.”
“Do you swear to me your allegiance and that of your people?”
Looking around him, several nods from the other goblins give him courage. “I do. We do, my lord.”
Quest Completed: War with the neighbours III.
Rarity: Unique.
Details: Kobold Chief Knoxley requested your aid as his sovereign for protection against the goblins. You caused the previous goblin Chieftain to be ostracised by his clan and eventually beheaded for his suicidal behaviour. You meet the condition of the quest by making the goblins your allies.
Reward: Life debt of the Coppergrinder Clan for sparing them. Allegiance to the Venatores Guild.
Reward: Select a Chieftain for the Coppergrinder Clan and receive exalted reputation with this clan.
Additional Reward: 250,000 XP.
You have gained 409 vassals. Current vassals: 1,234. Gain more vassals to help protect your Duchy.
Congratulations! You have reached 1,000 vassals and your Title has been upgraded to 'Many hands make light work II'. Increase the speed of all gathering and crafting skills by 20% for you and all vassals.
Congratulations! Your familiar is now level 17.
Your abilities have been updated.
3
“Wonderful!” I laugh happily, clapping my hands together.
Walking up to Kleemek, I lean down, pick up his sword, and grasp him by the shoulders and pull him to his feet.
Giving his sword back to him, I declare loudly, “I now deem you Chief Kleemek of the Coppergrinder Clan. You are now my vassals within the Glade of Everhein. I hereby disavow any disagreements you have with the nymphs, kobolds and felorians within the Glade of Everhein.”
Reputation with the Coppergrinder Clan: Exalted.
“Why? Why me,” asks a stunned Kleemek, holding his sword weakly.
“Very simple, Kleemek. You are the one who stood up for all your fellow clan mates. No use crying about it now. I'm not changing my mind,” I answer gently.
Straightening his back, Chief Kleemek's eyes gain a focused edge to them. “Alright. Though if we now have your protection, you will want to know about the ursine that have been plaguing us. They constantly come in small raiding parties or singly to challenge us to fights we cannot win. They leave us alive, but we just aren't strong enough for them to leave us alone. Please help us!”
Quest: War with the neighbours IV.
Rarity: Unique.
Details: Chief Kleemek requests your aid as his sovereign for protection against the ursine.
Conditions: Protect the goblins from the ursine.
Reward: Unknown.
Accept? Yes/No
How bloody big is this Glade if all we are doing is this 'war with the neighbours' quest? And how many different creatures are in here? This is seriously starting to sound like a happy, happy rainbow-coloured pony show. Sheesh.
Well, I guess I could have just destroyed them all, but where’s the sense in that? Plus, do I really want to risk getting a black tag for killing NPCs willy-nilly? Fuck no.
There just isn't any helping it, really, so I just accept it. “I will help you. I even have a gift that will help you help yourselves. But you have to follow my instructions precisely.”
The lines of stress that I didn't realise were such on Kleemek's face disappear as if they weren't even there. They are replaced with an expression of relief. “What would you have me do?”
Grinning, I say, “Turn around and do exactly as I tell you.”
A surprised, but slightly disgusted look is fleeting across his face before he gathers himself and turns around as instructed.
Chuckling while shaking my head, I drop out of the raid group and invite Chief Kleemek into one, moving his arm into just the right place, and done. A most undignified squeak comes out of his mouth as he freezes up due to his awareness now being expanded properly.
“You wanted to know what I want? I want you to open the eyes of everyone here. Then we'll talk. Oh, I recommend everyone line up,” I say quietly and then show him how to start the tutorial. I give him a hefty shove forward, and he snaps out of it. “Hop to it.”
A new respectful light has entered Chief Kleemek's eyes as he turns his body to look at me for a moment before turning back to his clan.
“Clan Coppergrinder! The lord has granted me the ability to bestow upon you all a great gift!” he shouts, raising his arms to the roar of hundreds of happy goblins.
Withou
t further ado, Chief Kleemek gets to work and starts showing others how to do it as well.
Returning to the group, I notice that almost everyone has levelled up quite a lot, which is odd, considering we didn't kill anything. Kazzrak, Ezekial, Ifalna, Dosan and I didn't level up at all, but our familiars are now all level 17. Except for Sorrel the pixie, they are all quite larger now too, at least the size of a large dog.
That's right, they will be taking all the experience we earn until they reached the same level as us. Then they will only take half so we will keep up with each other.
Sweeping my gaze to the nymphs and Knax, I realise that they also are now level 20. Holy shit! They can get the same experience as us! It's probably a combination of them being in the same raid where I, as the leader, automatically share quests with them.
Shifting my head to the side so I can see the goblins, I grin manically as the wheels start turning.
“Whoa, boy, down. Down,” Kazzrak says in surprise, holding his hands out in my direction. “What has that twisted mind of yours cooked up this time?”
“Well, it looks like the experience we received from the war with the neighbours quest can be shared between all raid members. I didn't realise it before, as I thought they only received the experience from the rats and the rat bosses,” I explain with a wide smile. Well, less maniacal at least.
Ifalna's eyes go very wide at that, as she catches up with my thinking. “How big can we make a raid?”
“Exactly my next question,” Eloise says with a smile, obviously liking the three free levels she received.
After some trial and error, we are able to ascertain that the raid limit is only fifty people and that only people in my raid group get the quest pop up in their log. It means that I can only have a maximum of forty-five other people who can benefit from it.
We can only assume, but it might be likely that this quest was only able to be given to whoever became the Duke of the Glade of Everhein. We probably weren't supposed to receive it till we were much higher levels, and if we did get it, we wouldn't be able to complete it as well as we did.
“We should take some of each race so that they can level up somewhat equally, don't you think?” asks Ezekial.
“Definitely,” agrees Kazzrak, nodding.
“Then let's go see what these ursine are like after we collect ourselves some tag-along lowbies to be power-levelled,” Dosan says with enthusiasm.
Walking up just at that time, Chief Kleemek says, “The beasts are huge bears, if bears could stand on two legs. They speak and can sometimes cast magic. They are extremely tribal in that they are driven by battle and settle all disputes as such, even between themselves.”
“Humanoid bears, eh?” I say, scratching my chin thoughtfully, lost in thought for a moment.
“Chief Kleemek,” Ifalna says, getting his attention, “we need yourself and ten other individuals who are leaders or outstanding in some way to come with us when we go and see the ursine. The quicker, the better so we can get going.”
“Why?” Chief Kleemek asks, then immediately rephrases. “I mean, what purpose would that serve?”
“So that we may be able to generate an increased amount of levels for you and some of your more skilled people. This way, they can help others to get stronger much faster,” explains Ezekial.
“How would you accomplish this?” the chief asks, frowning.
“Simply by you being in the raid that Lord Sybaal is in when he completes a quest,” continues Eloise, then gestures to the other nymphs and Knax. “That is how we gained the last three levels without lifting a finger.”
His eyes widening, Chief Kleemek blinks once before dashing off, shouting at the top of his lungs for certain goblins.
Standing there in amusement, I watch as he assembles his group. He's dragging most of them by their ears, as they still haven't had time to acclimate to their new awareness.
It only takes him a couple of minutes to assemble everyone, and then he introduces them all to us. They are all level 20 and distinguished in some way to his eyes, even his son Kendak, whom Kleemek introduces as a shaman healer.
“A healer, you say? How do you heal as a shaman? What kind of spells do you have?” asks Ifalna inquisitively.
“It's quite simple, really. Shamans make a pact with a random spirit elemental and carry a totem of theirs to summon it. We also get two spells from their element to use. I have three totems so far, as I'm level 20,” Kendak responds, blushing a little from being singled out. “I have spirits of healing, wind and earth. They give me two healing spells, a haste spell, a wind damage spell, a defence spell and an area of effect slow.”
“I see.” Ifalna smiles. “That sounds like quite a nice set-up, as you have heals, buffs and crowd control. I'd like to see how well you do in action.”
“Very well then,” Kendak says, blushing again at the attention.
Looks like someone has an admirer.
“Let's get moving. We need to gather up some kobolds and head to the nymph village to hand all these gathered materials in.” Kazzrak pushes to get us moving, always impatient, or at least not willing to stand around chatting when there is something to do.
I can understand that completely, even when it is required.
With our extras in tow, we head back into the mine and make our way to the large cavern.
“Out of curiosity, Chief Kleemek, why did your people blow a hole in the wall of the cave?” Knax asks when we are crossing the cavern to the other tunnel that leads to the kobold village.
Hanging his head in shame, he replies, “One of our miners found a shard of a rare metal and came back with it, running like a banshee was after him. Unfortunately, the old chief didn't listen to our council when we said that blasting a section of wall could be disastrous and possibly collapse the whole cavern.
“So blow it they did, then hightailed it out of there after they saw the Giant Rat King. The old chief ordered a wall placed over our tunnel, and that made them leave us alone. I assume they went to the kobold village, and feared the worst.”
“You cared what happened to us?” Knax exclaims, astonished.
“Of course, you are our neighbours.” Chief Kleemek sighs. “Though unfortunately the old chief was greedy and didn't like sharing the mine, so he made us steal ore from your people.”
“Oh,” was the only sound that came out of Knax after that, and we made the rest of the way in silence.
Taking a look at the time when we reach the kobold village, I see it is now 02:12. Not really feeling like a break, I ask them if they want to, but I get solid agreements to continue from everyone.
“Knax, would you be so kind as to fetch your father and nine others and meet us at the gate in a couple of minutes?” I ask of the little kobold.
With a duck of his head, Knax rushes off to find the chief, and before we even reached the gate of the village, he returns with the chief and nine others. The little fella can run pretty quick, that's for sure.
“Lord Sybaal, is Knax telling the truth?” Chief Knoxley asks when he reaches us as we keep walking.
“Depends on what he said, really. I may have a way to power-level some of you,” I agree. “Coming with us will also give you all a chance to get to know one another and become friends, I dare say. Especially considering you will all be working together to better the Glade from now on.”
“Kobold Chief, I formally apologise for my previous chief's behaviour against your clan,” Chief Kleemek says with a bow of his head. “My name is Chief Kleemek, and I will endeavour to help rebuild your village as a way of recompense. Will that be amiable to you?”
“Goblin Chief, I, Chief Knoxley, hereby accept your apology for your former chief's actions and will no longer hear of any dissent between our clans,” Chief Knoxley states formally. “We are all now under one banner, and my clan will treat yours as honoured guests instead of enemies. We will graciously accept any help you may offer, and return in kind any we can.”
Congratulations! You have unlocked a hidden guild achievement.
'Unite the Glade' grants a 1% increase to all damage, healing and resource gathering per united clan within a party or raid. Unite more clans together to increase the achievement.
We all exclaim in surprise for a moment at that announcement, as it appeared in front of everyone. I wonder how many clans we are able to have join us, considering the amount of space there is in Everhein and how many races we have found within such a short period of time.
This is a buff that will be very beneficial with larger raids later on if more clans join us. Something for the future though. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that, right?
“I think it's time to get a move on, don't you think?” Dosan says with a smile as his fists pump in the air. “More buffs! Let's go!”
Inviting the kobolds into the raid, we set off at a fast pace, gathering whatever materials are close to the path we travel but not going out of our way, as we have plenty already. The local wildlife decide that our group of high-level people are not something they want to mess with, and we rarely come across any creatures.
We aren't making any special consideration to be quiet in the dark of night, and we are casting various forms of light to illuminate the path, so that probably helps with scaring them out of the way. Not everyone has complete night vision such as myself.
Roughly halfway to the nymph village, we can see some other lights in the forest, and it looks like they are coming towards us. Instructing everyone to be on their guard but telling them the lights are probably just the nymph gathering parties, we keep to our pace.
Before long, the lights turn into a group of felorians with an eight-foot-tall, walking steel-plated behemoth of an upright bear. They are all level 20 as well.
That must be an ursine. Holy crap, they are intimidating. No wonder the goblins keep losing to them. I don't think I would have liked to come up against one in my earlier levels.
“Lords and Lady! I'm so glad we found you!” one of the felorians shouts in joy with a voice I recognise.
Dream Stream Reality: Publisher's Pack Books 1-2: (A LitRPG Adventure) Page 31
