“Exactly. Those two places are already fortified and have access to useful resources. We can send out workers to settle them and work on building them into proper settlements. We can use our excess energy to instantly raise the buildings they need so they won’t lose time working on infrastructure. That way they’ll become productive almost immediately.”
“A very interesting concept, my lord. There are 102 slaves from Akzar and newly born workers in Goblin’s Gorge who are not optimally positioned. We can use them to settle those two locations.”
“That’s a great idea.” I felt myself getting excited. “That way we don’t have to waste any more resources summoning new workers. They’ll also need some soldiers to keep them safe. Let’s say … one Ogre Mage and ten hobs?”
“I believe that is a sufficient force for such an endeavor, my lord. However, it will require one more thing.”
“Which is?”
“If you truly wish the new settlements to become independent vassals, you will need to assign an overseer. An Ogre elite represents a formidable fighting force but is otherwise ill-equipped to deal with the everyday management of a settlement.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Summon new nobles, my lord.”
I should have thought about that myself. Kaedric himself was the only hob noble I’d ever summoned, and he did his work admirably. “Good idea. I’ll do it now.”
At 100 basic and 50 advanced food, nobles were relatively inexpensive units to summon. I could easily afford two of them.
The Breeder’s Den wailed, churning out two more creatures.
I frowned as I inspected them. The two new nobles were level 5 each and looked much like any other hob, though they were less muscular than the soldiers. They exuded nothing of Kaedric’s confidence and intelligence. It sort of made sense though. My luck had played a role when I summoned the loyal seneschal, giving him a rare bloodline that boosted his intelligence and granted him psychic powers that greatly increased his capabilities.
One of the nobles gave me an elegant bow. “I greet you, my lord.”
“How might we serve you?” the other one asked.
“I need each of you to lead a new settlement. You’ll be given workers, resources, and energy. I expect you to use your best judgment to build up a productive, efficient settlement that contributes to the capital. Think you can manage it?”
The nobles looked at each other uncertainly, as if I had put too much on their shoulders. Kaedric had spoiled me. I was accustomed to a certain level of professionalism, and these two were basically newborns.
“If it’s too much then just say so now.”
The second noble bowed. “No, my lord. That is within our power. We were merely startled by the amount of trust you’ve shown us.”
The other nodded. “We will strive not to fail you.”
I sighed to myself. The two nobles, though obviously intelligent, had nothing on Kaedric. Still, I didn’t stand to lose much, and the potential gain outweighed the risks.
“You’ll each receive 51 workers to command as well as a squad of soldiers to guard you. You’ll also be provided with enough resources for several buildings and the energy to rush their construction. Kaedric, how much energy do they need to build enough lodging and support structures?”
“Two thousand EP should suffice.”
“Alright, I’m authorizing you two to withdraw up to 5,000 EP from the clan’s reserves to use as you see fit. I’ll inspect your progress from time to time. Keep in mind that your objective is to build an efficient and productive settlement that contributes to the capital. If you perform well, I’ll consider assigning you more resources. Any questions?”
“When do we begin, my lord?”
“Soon. I intend to perform a little experiment at the end of the day. If it works, it’ll save us some time and you’ll be able to start immediately after. Kaedric, see to it they get all the building materials and resources they need.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Pleased with the new strategy, I watched the three nobles walk away. In the past, it was not feasible to expand the clan in this way. Up until recently, I couldn’t justify the expenditure of troops and resources. But we were beyond that point now. My clan was powerful. We swallowed other settlements whole. I could spare a few dozen bodies and some resources on expansion.
At this stage, it was more of a proof of concept, but I had high hopes. The two new nobles would start from a much better position than I had. Even if they had only half of Kaedric’s intellect, they should be able to raise budding settlements that would enhance my clan’s strength. And if successful, this would just be the beginning. I’d be able to instantly raise new settlements on promising locations with rich resources. I wouldn’t only be dependent on conquering existing towns. In my mind’s eye, I saw my goblins spread over the land, working and building my monster kingdom. Achieving that dream felt closer than ever.
My forces were already marching toward their next conquest, but there was still a lot to do on my end before my dream was fully realized.
One of the biggest obstacles in my way was troop relocation. Normally, a kingdom amassed its armies from its scattered settlements so they could put a sizable force almost everywhere in their domain while the rest of their forces converged. My situation was a bit different. My clan’s military strength sprang from the Breeder’s Den. It provided fresh troops far quicker than natural growth allowed, but the more I expanded our borders, the longer it would take for reinforcements to arrive.
Of course, I’d already encountered a possible solution. When the Manapulators attacked my valley, they'd used a rare magical item to open a portal and bring in more forces. The anchoring crystal was a one-time use artifact, but since it was Runecrafted, I was able to reanimate the portal for a short time and use it to launch my own attack. I still had the schema for the portal stored in my Runecraft Interface, and I could draw it at will, but that wasn’t enough. The rare gem was a vital component in opening the portal – anchoring it in place and connecting the two portal points. I didn’t have such an item at my disposal, but I did have alternatives.
“Time to go to work.”I teleported directly into the cathedral and started enchanting.
Using the area enchantment option, I drew the complex eight-rune design on the floor by simply applying the predefined schema with the altar at the center. The enchantment required a staggering 7,200 MP.
Back when we had prepared to invade my old guild, it took the combined effort of dozens of spellcasters to charge the runes. Now, thanks to being a tier 3 boss and the 50 percent bonus from the Gem of Darkness, I could power up the enchantment almost entirely by myself.
As I poured 5,000 MP out of my pool of 5,353 into the enchantment, I silently thanked my luck that despite having used the gem of Nihilator’s single-use power, it still retained its static bonus, awarding me a significant boost to my mana pool as well as increasing my Faith spell school.
Glowing runic lines appeared on the floor around the altar, growing brighter and brighter as I continued to channel my mana. When my pool nearly bottomed out, I refocused my mind, reaching into the brand-new Essence Capacitor and drawing from it to complete the enchantment. The sigils glowed brightly as the enchantment finalized, then dimmed and disappeared. Nothing else happened, but I didn’t expect it to. This was just one entry point for what I hoped would become a portal system. I’d have to repeat the process in other locations to achieve that.
I’d need to draw another portal at Novenguard, of course, and if everything worked as well as I hoped, I was planning to add more portal points in every town we conquered.
But before I could do that, I had to provide an anchor for the enchantment to interact with. I didn’t have the proper materials, but hopefully, something more powerful than me might be able to fill in that gap. I just hoped he’d deign to answer my request.
The workday was drawing to a close. I could feel the workers finishing their jobs and returning to t
heir lodgings. Two presences were brighter than the rest of them.
I smiled. It was time to greet my mate and our daughter.
3 - Communal
I appeared out of the shadows next to the Chief’s Haunt, my house.
The door opened on its own when I approached, and a goblin maid on the other side bowed deeply as I entered.
I looked around. It was just as I remembered. Trophies and gothic memorabilia were hanging on the walls, giving the place a familiar sense of home. Three other maids were busily dusting the furniture, and a fourth one hurried over with a tray of light snacks.
Lirian and Tika were already inside, sitting next to each other at the dining table, their heads huddled closely together.
“Honeys, I’m home,” I said and chuckled as my two girls stood up and rushed over to hug me. I closed my eyes, letting go of my worries and just enjoying the closeness and the warmth of their embrace. This was it. This was what it meant to be alive, to feel. To be the chief.
Tika nuzzled one of my ears. “I missed you,” she whispered.
“I’m back now.” I turned my head to kiss her, letting go of Lirian and embracing her mother.
Our daughter moved to sit at the table, and after I had properly greeted Tika, the two of us joined her.
“So how was the past week in the clan?” I asked my spouse.
Tika shrugged. “I hunted, mostly. Gandork almost hugged me one day when I brought in a larger bounty than usual. I think you’re overworking him.”
I grimaced. “I think he was extra busy because of all the ingredients we plundered from Novenguard. Now that we’re back to foraging our own food, he should be able to tone it down.”
We kept on talking after that, enjoying each other’s company as the goblin servants brought us more food and drink.
An hour later, the information tendrils saturating my clan calmed down, alerting me that the workday was over. I turned my thoughts outward. Kaedric, please bring everyone in the clan to the cathedral.
The exchange wasn’t lost on Tika. “What’s going on?”
“I want to test the power of our new cathedral,” I explained. “I need everyone present for that.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to ask for a miracle.”
***
I stood in front of the altar, facing the cathedral’s exit. The place was packed full of goblins, hobs, and Ogres. Unfortunately, as unthinking automatons, the foblins didn’t count, but we still had over 400 believers in attendance. They spilled out of the cathedral, over the stairs, and down to the valley’s floor.
Kuzai appeared out of the shadows as he teleported next to me. “A worthy crowd to sing the master’s praise. We should offer some of their hearts to his glory.”
“Hmm …. How about no?” I said. “I had something else in mind.”
“Oh?”
“Communal.”
The demented priest’s eyes brightened. “What an excellent idea! Let us communicate with the master and bring forth his might.”
“Your approval fills me with dread,” I said dryly.
“As well it should. The master’s prodigious power cannot be taken lightly.”
I sighed. “Whatever, let’s get it over with.”
I closed my eyes and concentrated, reaching deep into the foundation of power that thrummed through the unholy place. I delved into its darkest depths, sensing the essence of Communal rising and taking form, manifesting as a cloud over our heads.
“Great and powerful Nihilator,” I began, feeling the terrible attention of my dark deity. “I, your humble high priest, invoke Communal and request a small boon: Make your unholy altars anchoring points from which we, your faithful servants, will pour through for new conquest and glory in your name.”
An evil chuckle filled the cathedral. “My loyal, green minion. You have pleased me greatly with your offerings of Outrider flesh and enemy blood. And so I shall grant you this boon for the paltry offering of a thousand years, extracted in suffering.”
Communal
You have invoked the attention of your god.
Your standing with Nihilator is sufficient for the requested boon.
In exchange for transforming his shrines into spatial anchoring points, Nihilator demands life force from his followers for the sum of a thousand years.
Do you accept? Yes/No
I hesitated. The ‘extracted in suffering’ bit sounded ominous. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but knowing my god, I imagined it wasn’t a day treatment at the spa. The fact that it wasn’t mentioned in the notification didn’t set me at ease either. The game tended to show benign descriptions, hiding the gory details that usually accompanied them.
“What is the delay?” Kuzai hissed at me. “Accept the master’s cleansing power.”
“Oh what the heck,” I said. Communal was a powerful tool, but before trying to use it for something gargantuan, like breaching the walls of Everance, I needed to see how it worked. “I accept.”
As one, my entire congregation cried out and fell to their knees. Dark vapors streamed from their arms and heads toward the high ceiling, amassing into a dark cloud. I felt pain inside my stomach, a hollow feeling that deepened, as my very life essence was forcibly extracted from me. My vision swam and I was dimly aware that I had dropped to my knees. Kuzai was next to me, his face twisted into a macabre visage of tormented pleasure. I didn’t see Tika among the throng of bodies, but as I scanned the crowd with watering eyes and clenched teeth, I did spot Lirian.
My daughter was standing in the center of the hunched throng, looking around in alarm. She alone seemed untouched by the excruciating vapors.
The sight of her was the last thing I remembered before I was overwhelmed with pain and darkness claimed me.
***
Communal completed successfully!
First time bonus: 50 Faith Points
I opened my eyes to the sight of Lirian crouching over me.
“Ouch,” I grumbled and, with the aid of my daughter, rose to my feet. The cathedral’s floor was covered with unconscious bodies. “Where’s Tika?” I asked in alarm.
“Mother is well; I teleported her away as soon as everyone started shouting,” Lirian said. “What happened?”
“Our master has shown us his glory.” Kuzai had apparently also recovered. Too bad. “He has taken our tribute and performed a miracle. Truly, there is no limit to his terrible power.”
Terrible summed it up pretty well. Everywhere I looked, my clanmates appeared to have aged. The hobs and Ogres merely seemed more mature, but the assembled goblins looked much worse. Some showed deep age lines on their faces, and many sprouted gray hairs. Nihilator’s tribute closely resembled my Touch of Decrepitude spell but in a much grander fashion. It meant that each one of my followers had two and a half years of their life drained out of them. The effect wasn’t too noticeable on the hobs and Ogres, but for the short-lived goblins, especially the older ones, two and a half years was substantial.
Point taken, I projected back at him then grimaced as an ache flashed through my shoulder blades. The ceremony’s aftereffects hadn’t disappeared completely. I quickly checked my character sheet, but thankfully, it showed that aside from the pain, I hadn’t suffered any specific adverse effects. Being a player protected me from the worst of it.
I was momentarily interrupted from my musings when a flash of magic drew my attention. The sigils I had drawn on the floor glowed as energy flowed through them, streaming toward the altar. I closed my eyes and sent a probing thought. The experiment had worked. The enchantment was fully anchored. The only thing left was to draw the same enchantment on my other altars. Then they would all connect through Nihilator’s dark influence.
But that was for later. I was still shaken by the forces
I’d channeled. Communal was not something that should be used lightly – or often. I decided that if and when I ever needed to use it again, I’d arrange for a much larger crowd of followers to back me up.
For now, I needed to rest. It was much too late in the day to get any more work done. I teleported directly to my room and stopped in alarm when I saw Tika standing there.
Lirian said she’d gotten her mother out when the soul drain had started, but apparently, she was not quick enough.
I hurried over and grabbed both of Tika’s hands. “Oh god, are you alright?”
She smiled at me. “I am well, my dear chief.” As if to demonstrate the truth of her words, she let go of my hands and stepped back to offer me a good look at her.
I breathed a little easier. My spouse didn’t seem to have suffered any of the other goblins’ more grievous signs of aging. Though she did look changed, it was not entirely in a bad way.
The huntress stood a bit taller, her figure fuller. She was still beautiful, but some of her youthful allure was gone, replaced by the grace and beauty of a mature and confident woman.
I wholeheartedly approved.
Tika’s soft smile turned into a smirk as she noticed me checking out her new ‘assets.’ She glanced at our fur-covered bed then back at me.
I returned her smile. I had to verify, in-depth, that there was no lingering damage. I swooped my spouse off her feet and made my way toward the bed.
It was good to be the chief.
***
The next morning, I left Tika’s sleeping form on our crumpled bed covers. The insatiable goblinette had worked me to near exhaustion. Only the promise of another night together made her finally relent and allow me to get some sleep.
I tiptoed away from the bed. I was eager to begin working on the new teleportation network, and I didn’t want to waste time getting hung up on the clan’s everyday issues, so I teleported directly to the inn.
Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5) Page 4
