==========
Bid: 4 Silver, 35 Copper
Time: 3 days, 9 hours, 21 minutes
Buyout: 6 Silver, 37 Copper
==========
Wood Carving
==========
Novice
==========
Simple guide on working with complex and fine carvings
==========
Bid: 1 Silver, 72 Copper
Time: 13 hours, 59 minutes
Buyout: 4 Silver, 11 Copper
Hope I don’t fuck this up.
Erik bought them both, watching as his gold dropped again. It came to nearly thirty silver altogether which, although it was expensive, Erik could still chalk it up as a test. Not including the new monster cores that he had gathered in the hunt, the village had eight gold, four silver, and seventy-three copper, though Erik and Rugrat were holding onto the strongest monster cores, selling off the excess.
The villagers grumbled about having to hand them over to Erik and Rugrat but they were happy enough with the levels and seeing their combat capabilities, they had been stifled.
Erik closed the auction, organizing his thoughts..
Erik nodded to himself and looked to Blaze and Elise, coming to a decision.
He outlined his plan from showers, to tents and knew buildings to watch towers and defenses.
“Since we don’t have the numbers, we’re going to have to make it up with quality.” Erik pulled out the technique books for woodworkers.
“This book on joining is for whoever is the best you think for construction, designing, and leading the construction teams. I want them to look into building a watchtower. Here are the specifics.” Erik passed her a note on what the watchtower would do and some technical drawings to build from. “The woodworking technique manual is to increase the woodworker’s ability to do fine and detailed work, and I hope it helps them increase the speed that they can create crossbows and spears. Questions?”
Elise and Blaze were looking at the technique manuals and Erik, clearly a bit stunned.
“All right then. We will have your first official meeting of the Alva council tomorrow night. Make sure that everyone knows their appointments. Also, keep an eye out for people with potential. Blaze, I need people for that quick reaction force. Elise, make sure that you and the new heads that you’ve assigned pass me a list of promising people. At the meeting, we can talk about them, see if we can give them the best environment to grow their skills. The stronger they are, the stronger we are,” Erik said, trying to drive home the point to them.
Blaze and Elise stood straighter; their faces hardened, accepting their roles and showing their determination to do their best.
“Understood,” they replied.
Erik looked deep into their eyes, feeling as if he had made the right decision.
“See you at dinner. Blaze, best you talk to Glosil about your new position and discuss it with Rugrat—they have the best handle on the military side of things.” With that, Erik left the store, leaving them behind in stunned silence.
***
Elise and Blaze’s eyes turned back to the counter where Erik had put the two technique manuals. They both knew how such things would be expensive. Most people would hold onto them forever, not letting them go; to not only give them away, but to give to Elise to pass onto her candidates showed Erik’s trust in her. It also provided a test for her to look for the person most deserving of the manual.
“He said that he wanted lists of people we recommend,” Elise said, as if just realizing his parting words.
“Yeah.” Blaze nodded, a heavy expression on his face.
“Do you think he would give them technique manuals as well?” Elise had known Erik for a few days but it was in passing; Blaze had been next to him from nearly the moment he walked through the gates.
“Rugrat and Erik aren’t like other lords or fighters. I don’t think he even understands what he’s just done right now. He also said to me one time, money is money, but it can’t buy lives—what use is having all this money if you can’t protect the people around you?”
They fell into silence, sinking into their own thoughts.
Elise stored the manuals in her storage ring. “Right, well, I’ve got work to do.”
Blaze grunted in agreement, the two of them moving with purposeful strides.
Chapter: Organizing Alva Village
That night, Erik sat in his new room. The Mana around him shifted. He had waited for three days to let his body stabilize, but now he was focused on opening his seventh Mana gate, located in his left elbow.
Sounds like arrows striking a metal wall rang through his body. It was harder than ever before, but Erik didn’t falter in his attacks as he sat there.
As the sun started to rise the next day, Erik’s body glowed with power once again. His open Mana gates were visible as his sealed Mana gates shook. The gate in his elbow showed crack lines before it exploded outward. The Mana that rushed out like stampeding horses was drawn back in, as if being called back by their master.
Erik’s Mana rushed through his Mana channels. With the rush of energy from his new Mana gate, the compression in his channels reached new heights as the mist slammed together. A shining blue drop appeared at the very center of Erik’s body, in his dantian.
It seemed to ignite the Mana in his body and in the room. Erik felt his dantian growing larger as more Mana was drawn into his body than ever before. Energy from the Ten Realms shot into his body. He shook with energy before it disappeared.
Erik slumped as weariness fell over him.
==========
Quest Completed: Mana Gathering Cultivation
==========
The path of a Mana Gathering cultivator is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
==========
Requirements:
Reach Mana Drop Level
==========
Rewards:
4 to Mana pool
100,000 EXP
==========
==========
You have opened another Mana gate!
==========
1 to Mana Regeneration
==========
==========
Quest Updated: Opening the Fourteen Gates
==========
Congratulations! You have opened your eighth Mana gate.
==========
Requirements: Clear all of your fourteen gates (8/14)
==========
Rewards: +1 to Mana Regeneration base stat
Undergo Mana Body Rebirth
1,400,000 EXP
==========
==========
You have reached Level 13
==========
When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 5 points.
==========
==========
5,341/140,000 EXP till you reach Level 14
==========
==========
Quest: Mana Gathering Cultivation
==========
The path of a Mana Gathering cultivator is not easy. To stand at the top, one must forge their own path forward.
==========
Requirements:
Form Mana Core
==========
Rewards:
10 to Mana pool
1,000,000 EXP
==========
Erik closed his eyes to be greeted by a familiar sight.
==========
You have 5 attribute points to use.
==========
Increase Mana systems or look to increase my Stamina? If I increase my Mana, I’d have more spells for longer, but if I increase my Stamina then I can work for longer and help build up the village faster.
Two to Stamina Regeneration and three to Stamina pool. I need to use that snake poison in the coming days to temper my body.
&
nbsp; Erik put in his points and watched as his character sheet took an impressive leap.
==========
Character Sheet
==========
Name: Erik West
==========
Level: 13
==========
Race: Human
==========
Titles: From the Grave
Land Holder (Temporary)
==========
Strength: (Base 7) +11
==========
180
==========
Agility: (Base 6) +13
==========
95
==========
Stamina: (Base 10) +7
==========
255
==========
Mana: (Base 6) +11
==========
170
==========
Mana Regeneration (Base 8) +21
6.55/s
==========
Stamina Regeneration: (Base 7) +20
6.15/s
==========
As he slept, Alva Village underwent a number of changes as Blaze, Glosil, and Elise recruited Jasper and Taran, passing on his orders and working to build a plan for the people in Alva Village. Elise passed out the technique books to the man who was helping with the logging camp and a replacement in the workshops.
Erik woke the next day, power flooding through his body. His strength had increased in leaps and bounds while he’d been in Alva Village due to the different items that he had acquired and using them tactically, chaining them together to assist in leveling up another system or completing a quest.
I’ve basically improved my Mana system to its limit. I’ll try to open another Mana gate tonight. Once I can’t open any more, then I can try tempering my body with the snake poison. The higher my ability with my Mana system, then the strength of my healing spells will increase so I can temper multiple systems.
Erik wasn’t simply looking to do one system at a time, but use them to increase the power of the other.
Rugrat woke up at the same time, conditioning from their time in the military.
Erik felt the power rolling off Rugrat.
“Damn, did you compress another drop in your dantian?” Erik asked.
“Yep, two drops.” Rugrat circulated his power. Blue Mana channels, much more powerful than Erik’s, appeared.
“Show-off,” Erik muttered.
“Well, that’s the joy of only focusing on one strengthening system, not both of them. I might know some first aid but I don’t have the confidence to temper my body like you. I can help you temper your body, though.”
“Tomorrow or the day after,” Erik said, feeling the shot of adrenaline and the nervousness in his stomach. Tempering his body wasn’t simple and the threat of death was always hanging over his head with it.
They walked down from their rooms and to the square. The food and storage groups had already set up breakfast and were serving people who had woken up early to carry out different tasks. Erik and Rugrat got some food from the servers and dug in.
Elise was also up. She looked tired but there was a glow in her eyes as she walked over. “I got some information on that armor. Red Haze not only boosts one’s combat capability, it makes them highly aggressive and likely to attack anything in their path. The more someone kills when wearing the armor, the greater their fighting ability becomes. But if they stop fighting, then they will be extremely tired.”
Her words were alarming but Erik thought on the armor. Its stats were really too good.
“Is there a way to overcome it, like through training?” Rugrat asked, overhearing them.
Erik looked at Elise.
“It blurs the mind. If you were able to train them to the point where they listen to only one’s orders, I don’t see why not.” She didn’t sound truly confident, but she didn’t shoot it down right away.
Erik and Rugrat looked at each other.
“The spear groups aren’t going to like us,” Rugrat said.
“The stats are really good. If we train them properly, turn them into soldiers who live to follow commands…” Erik shrugged, not needing to say anymore.
“Break them down and build them back up. Going to be hell to do it in just a week,” Rugrat said.
“Did Blaze pick all of the people for his spear groups?” Erik asked Elise.
“He and Glosil figured it all out last night,” she confirmed.
“We do a crash course on crossbows for those who are to be part of the spear unit. Then take them hunting, raise them all up to level six by tonight, have Blaze leading them on the hunting trips, instill their confidence in him.” Erik looked at Rugrat, the two of them wholly focused.
“Wake them up after five hours of rest and get them training, from dawn to dusk, till they drop—pick them up with healing spells and get them going again. We’re going to have a lot of them drop,” Rugrat said.
“Create four groups—we break them.” Erik’s words were cold, with no room for failure. These people would be their last line of defense. They would have to step up to the wall and hold, no matter what. If they fell, the village fell.
Elise shivered, looking at the two men. It was now that she was reminded that they weren’t just leaders; they were fighters underneath it all.
“Equip them with the armor—take them out hunting. We’ll watch over them, see how they react. If it works, we get more; if it doesn’t, we look for something else.”
“I’ll update Glosil and Blaze, then put a bid on the armor on my way to the barracks,” Rugrat said, using his sound talisman to send messages.
“What’s the water situation?” Erik asked Elise, shovelling down food quickly.
“We’ve got enough water to last for two weeks, between the wells and all of the rain barrels.”
“Okay, here are the plans for the showers and washrooms. Everyone in the village is to use it. No one is allowed to just pee or crap in the street,” Erik said severely.
Elise winced at his crude ways and looked at the design. It was simplebut effective, and also through purification spells, they’d reclaim a great amount of water that would have been lost. Once the fight started, they wouldn’t be able to go to the springs or lakes to get water.
Erik was preparing to defend for months, not weeks.
“Something wrong?” Erik asked as he ate, Elise still staring at the plans.
“This—it removes our waste and it retains so much water, also greatly improving our hygiene situation and morale.” Elise looked at the simple sketch.
“Any of the people not working at the logging camp, I want them working on this. I’m hoping that tonight or tomorrow morning, we’ll be able to shower. Break them up into shifts if you need to, sending half to recover and then work tonight,” Erik said.
“I’ll see to it,” Elise promised. “Also, the guards went through the residential area last night while on patrol and did up a report on different residences. I hope to get that sorted out by tomorrow night. The man who came up with the logging camp plan is working on making designs for the watchtowers. He should have something tonight. If I have people free, what should I do with them?”
Preparing ahead where she can, without wasting time or resources. Looks like Blaze picked well.
“If you have people free, get them started on digging up the fourth defensive layer.” Erik pulled out his plan for the layered defense around the village.
“The dirt and clay is to be dumped at the wall. Once there’s enough material, using mud reinforced with straw, I want to repair the main wall and increase its strength.” Erik pointed out the planned defenses, from bait traps, the sharpened hedgehogs, and obstacles to funnel the beast horde into pits filled with sharpened stakes and then potholes.
“When did you plan this out?” Elise looked at it all and the steps listed down the side, using the materials from making the d
efenses and harvesting the crops, to greatly reinforce the wall.
“The first day.” Erik looked to Rugrat, who nodded, draining his bowl of soup with a slurp.
“All right, I’m off hunting with Blaze,” Rugrat said.
“All right, I’ll start building the defenses. I’ll make one of each so that you have examples to show your people,” Erik said.
“Understood,” Elise said.
“Tonight I’ll talk about first aid, the showers, and hygiene to everyone at dinner,” Erik said.
“Do you want to do that tomorrow and I can talk about construction tonight?” Rugrat asked. “Worked on a few sites when I was younger.”
“Elise?” Erik asked.
“Construction would be best,” Elise said.
“We’ll do that, then talk about hygiene and the showers tomorrow morning so people know how to use them and why they’re using them,” Erik said.
“Sounds good.” Rugrat got up and took his bowls to the kitchen staff.
Erik did the same, Elise trailing behind, writing down his orders.
Chapter: Imprinting
Blaze looked at the new batch of trainees. Thankfully, there were just eighteen potential spear candidates who had not reached level six already. He had been with Rugrat, sizing them up and looking to show off his skills and increase his level. Against level eight and nine boars, nothing was his opponent; with every spear slash and stab, he reaped lives. He didn’t take one step back and everything was killed within two or three swipes of his spear.
As they walked back to village, he could hear them talking to one another.
“Did you see leader Blaze’s spear technique?”
“How fierce was that? Is he even human?”
“I wish I was able to do that!”
Blaze hid the smile that threatened to appear on his face as they made it back to the village.
They passed a number of pits and defenses that had been put together. Erik’s examples had been created and the logging camp had been finished, with the people not needed there copying Erik’s examples and building up the four-layered defensive lines all the way back to the village’s wall.
The Two Week Curse Page 31
