At a quick nod from her, the young man took the satchel, bowed his head apologetically, and disappeared into the night.
“Yeah, build him a goddamn church,” Fox grunted as the four distanced themselves from the decaying graveyard.
Riley chuckled. “A goddamn church is a pretty accurate description. Nihilator isn’t a very nurturing deity. But hey, at least we’ve still got enough gold left to live comfortably. I can’t wait for the four-course dinner at the Joyful Lamb restaurant.”
Raystia bit her lip. “Actually … we’ll need to buy building materials, hire workers, and you know … they’re probably going to overcharge us.”
The priest’s eyes widened in alarm. “Please don’t say what I know you’re going to say.”
“We should probably tighten our budget,” the catgirl said reluctantly. “Once the gold is out, it’s out. And there’s still a lot to do to build that church.”
Fox tightened his fists. “That Oren better appreciate what we’re going through for him.”
“Don’t worry about it, Foxy,” Misa said lightly. “I have a plan that cannot fail.”
“What plan?”
She gave him a mischievous smile. “We’ll just save all the receipts and bill him at the end. Seeing as he now commands an army that can take over whole towns, I’m sure it’ll be nothing for him.”
“So you think that monster army Deryl mentioned is Oren’s?” Riley asked.
“We can message him and ask, but come on, who else is crazy enough to do something like that?”
“You’ve got a point.”
***
“Sir Lanceington, there’s a traveler who wishes to speak with you.”
The commander, an imposing elf and a veteran of a dozen wars, scowled at the young officer who addressed him. “I’m too busy putting together the combined forces of half a dozen settlements; I don’t have time for some good-for-nothing travelers.”
The officer shrugged. “This one’s different, sir. Says he’s got some information that could be useful.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, sir. Says he’s familiar with the monster force out there.”
The commander’s eyes narrowed. “Bring him over.”
The officer hurried away and quickly returned, leading an armored dwarf.
Sir Lanceington’s nose twisted at the sight of the bedraggled traveler. The dwarf’s heavy armor might have once been of good quality, but now it was dented and scorched, and his weapon looked close to the breaking point. The traveler’s expression, however, was confident, and he took in the sight of the arrayed soldiers with contempt.
Using one of his special abilities, Sir Lanceington carefully assessed the dwarf’s martial powers. He nodded to himself. Despite his appearance, at level 45, the traveler was a formidable warrior, three times the level of the average soldier. “I hear you have some information for me,” the elf said coolly, his flawless gold and silver armor sparkling in the sunlight.
“That I do.” The traveler grinned at him. “The name’s Rag–”
The commander cut him off sharply. “I don’t care. Tell me what you know.”
The traveler’s eyes narrowed. “I been fightin’ them greenskins for a long time, sir , got the scars to prove it. Even got close an’ personal with their chief. I ca’ tell ya all about him.”
“Go on.”
“Started out with a clan o’ goblins, then got himself some hob soldiers, and now he eva’ got Ogres at his beck and call.”
“Our scouts have already reported the presence of those monsters. Was that all?”
The dwarf scoffed. “He’s a traveler.”
Sir Lanceington locked gazes with the dwarf. “That’s impossible,” he said at last.
“Oh yeah, got his brain cells all screwed up, that one. Thinks he’s a monster for real. An’ the other beasties follow’em like he’s the goddamn monster messiah.”
“It’s certainly interesting, though hardly relevant to our campaign.”
“You sure about that, mista’? This ain’t no stupid beastie. He’ll be plannin’ and schemin’, puttin’ down little nasty traps and comin’ at you from behind when you ain’t expecting.”
“Is that all you have?”
“Oh, I got plenty more juicy details for ya. But I want somethin’ in return.”
The commander shook his head. “You travelers, all you care about is gold and completing quests. Very well, how much?”
“I ain’t after gold. I want in.”
“In?”
“I wanna join yor army. I wanna bleed them greenskins dry. I wanna find their chief, smash open his skull and take a piss in it.”
Sir Lanceington stared at him. “It’s personal for you, I take it?”
“You can say tha’ again. You let me join ya, help me out with some new equipment, and I can tell you a whole lot more about that asshat chief.”
“I think we can work something out. What’s your name, dwarf? And why do you hate that other traveler so badly?”
The dwarf flashed his teeth. “The name’s Ragnar, The Goblin Slayer, and I got myself a score ta’ settle.”
7 - Back to Akzar
I teleported back to the clan and got straight to work.
As a level 59, tier 3 boss, I was ten levels and a tier higher than I was on my previous visit to the hob city. My equipment, likewise, was also considerably more powerful. Still, I couldn’t take on an entire city the size of Akzar on my own. I resisted a shudder as I recalled Bonecruncher, The Champion of Akzar’s arena. The two-headed Ettin was a level 100, tier 3 boss gladiator. Even Aidanriel, a level 150 golem back then, had only stalled him for a few short moments.
I was heading back to the city that had viewed me as a slave, and this time, I was coming for blood. I was going to have to kill a whole lot of people, and for that, I needed to up my game.
It won’t work, I said. Akzar has too many warriors to fight through; this calls for subterfuge.
I need to buy some things.
I had passed through several gremlins’ stalls when a familiar voice called out, “Dire Totem!”
I turned and smiled at the small gremlin hurrying over. “Yeshy, how are you?”
“Business is going well, my friend,” Yeshlimashu replied. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
His suggestive tone hinted he was expecting something. I winced, suddenly recalling that I owed him a big favor for gifting me the last piece of the Dread Totem armor set I was wearing. The magical gloves had unlocked the full set’s benefit, allowing me to cast two spells at once.
With a flicker of my mind, I accessed my short quest list to review the details.
Quest: A Gift for a Gift
Description: Yeshlimashu, the gremlin merchant, has gifted you a powerfully magical artifact. Find something appropriate to repay his kindness. Specifically, the gremlin would like something that would ‘make all the other traders jealous.’
Reward: ???
Something that would make all other traders jealous, I mused. Then an idea came to me.
“Tell me, Yeshy,” I said. “Have you heard that my clan has recently conquered Novenguard, a sizable town outside the badlands?”
“Of course,” the gremlin replied. “My fellow traders and I were astounded by your accomplishments. Storming and capturing an entire fortified town full of civilized species is nothing short of amazing.”
“We’ve taken two more hamlets since then,” I added lightly. “And we’re planning on conquering many more.”
Yeshlimashu bowed his head. “Your power and influence keep growing, Dire Totem.”
“But I have a problem,” I continued. “Once conquered, all of their trading connections are severed
. What do you make of that?”
The gremlin shrugged. “It stands to reason. Your enemies wouldn’t want to maintain trade relations. You should think about creating your own trade network, making use of each town’s unique exports, and cornering the market among our kind.”
“It sounds like a lot of work.”
“I agree. Whoever you put in charge of such a task will have great responsibility; listing all available resources, planning trade routes, brokering deals with other friendly clans, maintaining security on the roads … not an easy task.”
“But an important one,” I added. “I imagine such an individual would hold a lot of power, probably enough to become the envy of his fellow merchants.”
“Oh yes,” Yeshy agreed. “It’s a very important position – an opportunity to accumulate influence and vast riches.”
“Just what I thought.” I grinned at him. “How would you like to become my Minister of Trade?”
The gremlin’s jaw dropped as he stared at me.
“You’re an accomplished trader. But more importantly, I know and trust you. If you accept, I’d be happy to have you handle that trade network you mentioned. Consider it as payment for the gift you’ve given me.”
Yeshy’s mouth curled into an inhumanly wide smile, exposing a row of small, sharp teeth. “In that case, I accept. I’d be honored to serve the GreenPiece Clan.”
Quest Completed: A Gift for a Gift
You have appointed Yeshlimashu, the gremlin merchant, to be your Minister of Trade. The gremlin is an accomplished merchant and is especially suited to the task.
Reward: +10% income from trade and taxes, Gremlin’s Guild [construction blueprint]
“You should build a Gremlin’s Guild at every major settlement you wish to add to the trade network,” the newly appointed minister said. “Then I’ll be able to set trade routes and arrange for merchant caravans.”
“I’ll make it happen,” I promised. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to buy some weapons.”
“In that case, you’ll want to visit Sakinnut’s stall,” Yeshy said. “He’ll give you a good deal.”
“Thanks.”
I walked to the stall Yeshy had indicated. It was made up of long tables arranged into a square upon which rows of weapons sat on display. A gremlin wearing sunglasses, of all things, was carefully sharpening a knife with a whetstone.
Sakinnut put down the weapon as I approached. “Ah, Chief, how may I help you today?”
“I need several small and light weapons,” I said. “Knives, daggers. They need to be of the highest quality.”
“Melee or throwing?”
“Melee.”
“Frontal assault or stealth attacks?”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s very specific. Stealth.”
“Ah! I’ve got just the thing.” He moved toward a row of several curved daggers and lifted one. “Gremlin-made, steel kukri. Extremely sharp, great for slashing arteries, and can be used to pierce through armor gaps and angle into vital organs – especially useful when attacking from stealth. Lightweight, leather grip, no guard.”
“Hmm.” I examined one of the kukris. Even though it wasn’t made of especially precious metal, it could hold three runes, an impressively high number for its size, which testified to the level of craftsmanship. I glanced at some other weapons to consider alternatives, but I realized that the weirdly named merchant had led me right to what I needed. “How much?”
“It’s usually 500 gold for one, but since it’s for you, Chief, I’ll take off ten percent.”
“How about 420?” I smiled at him.
“Hmm.” He picked up a needle-thin poniard and made it spin on the edge of his finger. “I can go for 440.”
“Make it 430 and I’ll take …” I moved my gaze over the display, “all eight of them.”
“You got yourself a deal, Chief.”
Instead of paying directly, I mentally commanded the sum to be transferred from the clan’s treasury directly to the gremlin. After paying the 3,440 gold, we had 6,180 remaining. It wasn’t much, but considering how little use I had for gold these days, I wasn’t too worried about it.
While the interface was still open, I took the opportunity to check our daily earnings. Yeshy’s appointment had already kicked in, and my clan was bringing in 155 gold every day. Once I started connecting the conquered settlements with Gremlin’s Guilds, I was sure that number would soar quickly.
With the eight new kukris in my inventory, I turned and headed for the Dreamer’s Lodge.
It would have taken Duladeen a few days to produce them, I explained. And as you know, we have fewer than four days before the enemy’s army arrives.
You will, soon.
I passed through the town center. The area around the pond had long since become the unofficial ‘town square.’ I stopped and stared as I spotted something new. Dozens of goblin workers were hauling in weird components, slowly assembling them into a huge contraption of metal-spiked wood and steel gears. “What the hell is this?”
As if by magic, Kaedric appeared next to me. “That is the Meat Grinder, my lord.”
“The what?”
“The latest accomplishment of our researchers and engineers, my lord. It is a type of war machine, Ogre operated, meant to quickly pulverize large numbers of enemies.”
I stared as 20 goblins linked up to lift what looked like a giant blender – a metal circle with attached blades – onto a wooden axis. “Holy hell, when did I authorize that ?”
The mandibled seneschal cocked his head. “When you granted me responsibility for managing the clan affairs, my lord. The researchers needed a new project, so I asked them to come up with a more efficient war machine.”
“Yeah, but that thing is huge. How are we even supposed to move it onto the battlefield?”
“I am told that once completed, two Ogres are sufficient to wheel it around. It is still far from completion, my lord, but I trust you’ll find the results adequate.”
“Alright,” I said skeptically. “So what are the researchers working on now?”
“An upgrade to the Breeder’s Den, my lord.”
“A what? How?”
Kaedric’s mandibles clicked in satisfaction. “Our extensive use of the building has led me to the conclusion that we might be best served by investigating possible ways to improve it. It is a considerable undertaking, true. A building of such complexity is a masterpiece that is not easily improved upon. However, I have faith in our researchers’ capabilities and experience. I estimate they’ll make a breakthrough in about five days.”
“Well then, I look forward to it and seeing this … Meat Grinder completed.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“How’s the construction going?”
“We’ve constructed buildings for all the blueprints in our possession, my lord – your latest acquisition from the gremlins notwithstanding. The builders are currently concentrating their efforts on completing the sewers. Once they finish, I believe I might direct them toward a general settlement-wide upgrade. As for the recently completed projects, our warriors are training their skills quicker than ever thanks to the barracks’ upgrades, and Hoker is making extensive use of our new Essence Capacitor, producing enchanted gear nearly as fast as the craftsmen can make them.”
“That’s good. Anything else?”
“The expedition to Ogre Fort has already borne fruit. They have begun supplying us with respectable quantities of iron. I was able to reduce our daily metal imports from Zemitpozes, thus reducing the strain on our lumber stock by 100 units per day.”
Nice! The resettling initiative was paying off already. “What else?”
“Since the majority of our spellcasters are away with the
army, the Warlock Tower remains mostly unused, save for your studies, my lord.”
“Bring the spellcasters back here when they’re not fighting, then. Now that we have a portal system connecting our settlements, there’s no sense not using it.”
“An excellent idea, my lord. I have no further news to report.”
“In that case, I have a few things I need you to handle.”
“Of course.”
“As you’ve already mentioned, we have a new construction blueprint. I need us to build the Gremlin’s Guild as soon as possible. Tell Zuban to plot land and raise one. The sewers can wait until they finish. Tell the other nobles to do the same in their settlements. They can take the resources from our stores.”
“Of course, my lord. It’s an Apprentice-level building that requires 500 BP to complete. Shouldn’t take our builders more than a day to raise it.”
“Good. Also, please call for eight kobold assassins, the highest levels we’ve got, and have them waiting for me outside the Dreamer’s Lodge.”
The mandibled hob didn’t bat an eyelid at the strange request. “Yes, my lord.”
I left Kaedric to his duties and headed straight to the Dreamer’s Lodge, the goblin version of an Enchanter’s Hall.
I had a very good idea of what I wanted to craft. As I’d already told Vic, my journey to Akzar was going to rely mostly on subterfuge, so I couldn’t take any of my more powerful warriors. Even Yulli, my most accomplished scout and a tier 2 boss to boot, couldn’t sneak around as well as a goblin. Or a kobold.
The solution was simple. I’d bring a bunch of kobold assassins, and together, we’d stealth-murder our way through Akzar toward city hall. Once there, I’d dispatch the city’s leadership and take control of it and all its forces. It was a gamble, and a risky move, but it was the best I could come up with that had a chance for a quick takeover.
Since I was going for the stealthy approach, I knew what I wanted to do with the kukris. I laid the eight blades on the obsidian block below the hovering Enchanter’s Gem and opened the Runecraft Interface.
Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5) Page 12
