The Land: Predators: A LitRPG Saga (Chaos Seeds Book 7)

by Aleron Kong

  Randolphus’ face was earnest and concerned. It was obvious to Richter that the chamberlain was doing his best to serve. Richter cared about ceremony and propriety not at all, but even if he did, the genuine entreaty in the chamberlain’s face would have caused him to forgive his Companion.

  The chaos seed placed one hand on the Spy’s shoulder. With patient sincerity, Richter repeated, “You do not need to do anything, Alma is watching them.” He did not expect Randolphus to stop though. It was written all over the man’s face that he would try to change Richter’s mind again.

  As predicted, the chamberlain tried to convince his liege again, “Please reconsider, my lord. The poison fruit from today’s decision may not ripen for weeks or months, but it could be enough to kill us all. If you worry about dirtying my hands, I promise you, the few cups of blood I spill this day is nothing compared to the red seas that I have swum through in my past.”

  Richter stared at the man. Not because the argument had swayed him one way or another, but because Randolphus still had not shared many details of his life in Yves. Spymaster for the court of Yves meant he had probably been involved in all manner of sins, but this was the first time the Spy had admitted to being an assassin as well. Richter wasn’t overly bothered by this, but it was a good reminder of just how dangerous the man standing before him truly was.

  Richter listened to his chamberlain with an open mind and without interruption. He heard everything the man had to say. When the Spy finished speaking for the third time, he merely looked him in the eye and then repeated slowly, in a voice heavy with meaning, “It is not necessary. Alma is watching them. She will remove any threat that they might pose, now, or in the future.”

  Randolphus looked back, confused, then his eyes widened in understanding. He looked at Richter as if seeing him for the first time. The chamberlain remembered that the dragonling had left as soon as the judgment had been passed. That meant, if he understood correctly, that Richter had already seen the danger the twelve posed.

  More than that, his liege had already found a solution that both kept the people of the village believing in his mercy and removed the threat. Even as he ordered the prisoners escorted out of the village for their “safety,” he had ordered the bloody actions necessary to safeguard his people’s lives.

  Randolphus’ respect for Richer grew. It was rare to find an honorable ruler who also understood that honor was a luxury one could not always afford. Randolphus bowed deeply, “My lord is most wise. If you say there is no cause for concern, I will, of course, trust your judgment. By your leave, I shall go see about my duties.”

  Richter nodded back and entered the forge to begin enchanting. It was with a bit of surprise that he received a series of prompts.

  Kindness and mercy are not the only virtues in The Land. Strength and decisiveness are also to be treasured. By identifying and dealing with a threat quietly, you have shown your chamberlain that you understand the demands of power. The Spy’s estimation of you has improved.

  You have gained +3,549 Relationship Points with Ran’dolphinius. Total Relationship Points: +35,244.

  Congratulations! Your relationship with Ran’dolphinius has improved from Steadfast (+20,000) to Trusted (+35,000). “Your word is enough for me.”

  The effect of these relationships never ceased to amaze him. He thought about all the other people like himself, gamers who might have been transported to this world. Most gamers were only as loyal as their options and placed little stock in connections with others. Even more were antisocial. Anyone like that would most likely have a very difficult time making their way through The Land.

  Richter turned his attention back to the matter at hand: enchanting. He didn’t want a repeat of the exploding mace. He avoided any dual enchantments. Even as he practiced his Profession, part of his attention was focused on the visual feed he was getting from Alma. Through his familiar’s eyes, he watched the banished men and women walk away from the village. This went on until they had gone three-quarters of a mile, nearly to the limit of Richter’s ability to communicate with the dragonling. Then he sent her a command. Alma carried out his order and descended. She sent a one-word command psychically to Caulder. The sergeant nodded, knowing the communication actually came from Richter. He laid down daggers and provisions for the twelve exiles. Then he and the guards headed back to the village double-time.

  The twelve stayed where they were standing, unable to see more than a few feet. Richter gave each of them immunity to the mists, and less than a minute later they had claimed the weapons and provisions and were on their way. The twelve decided to stay together for safety and they headed unerringly west. Alma flew high above them, her dark body completely unseen against the dark canopy and storm-filled sky.

  Richter kept watching through Alma’s eyes until she passed beyond their maximum range of fifteen hundred yards. He continued enchanting and smithing, doing his best to prepare his people for the battle to come. After about an hour had passed, he walked out of the Forge and looked west. Rain had begun to fall. This close to the mountains, it was cold and hard, even in summer. He took several slow, deep breaths, feeling the essence of life falling from above, then he began to do what was needed. One by one, he removed immunity from the twelve. It was only minutes later that the first prompt appeared.

  You have been awarded 3,148 experience (base 71,959 x 0.07 x 1.25 x 0.5) from Brain Drain against Level 12 Wood Elf.

  XP deficit remaining: -167,654

  Minutes later, there was another.

  You have been awarded 1,889 experience (base 43,168 x 0.07 x 1.25 x 0.5) from Brain Drain against Level 10 Human.

  XP deficit remaining: -165,765

  He counted the lives extinguished, one after another. Rain washed down his face. The smiths watched him stand in the downpour that came heavier and heavier. Some thought to try and bring him under cover, but he was their lord, and they trusted that he would do whatever he needed to do.

  Richter stood, silent witness to the passing of twelve people he had ordered Alma to murder, until the twelfth prompt appeared.

  You have been awarded 2,644 experience (base 60,437 x 0.07 x 1.25 x 0.5) from Brain Drain against Level 11 Dwarf.

  XP deficit remaining: -142,228

  He heaved a heavy sigh.

  It was done.

  CHAPTER 42 – Day 143 – Kuborn 33, 0 AoC

  Know This! You have given your first Judgement of a crime since becoming leader of your village. This action has unlocked a new City Mechanic, Corruption, and a new City Dynamic, Crime. These two factors work in conjunction but are not interchangeable. Unresolved Crimes will increase the Corruption of your settlement, decreasing Production, Commerce, Morale and other factors. Corruption is not always a negative thing. Remember that it can open unique possibilities.

  Know This! You are blessed with a population that believes in the rule of law. The baseline Corruption rank of your settlement is decent (rank 3, -1,000). At this rank, your settlement earns a base bonus +3 Diplomacy Points per day with other civilizations that possess a negative Corruption Rank. Build a Townhall or Constabulary for greater information about the Corruption of your village. “Your people generally tend to not only follow the law, but take pride in treating others as they would like to be treated.” -30% to current Crime Points.

  Lack of a Townhall causes complete loss of any gained Diplomacy Points.

  Know This! Your decision to mislead your village about murdering twelve people was efficient but could have far-reaching consequences if the knowledge becomes widespread. Never forget, your actions have consequences.

  Richter already knew that he had played a dangerous game misleading his people. Still, he stood by his decision. Sentencing the two men to death had been easily defensible and justified. The deaths of the other twelve, though he did not doubt their guilt, would have been harder for his villagers to swallow, though the freed prisoners most likely would not have objected. He pushed the matter out of his head. What
was done was done. Besides, there were notifications to be read.

  A new status screen appeared in front of Richter. It showed a timeline and the word “Corruption” floated above it. Much like the tick marks that appeared on the Loyalty and Morale windows, there were words associated with each rank: incorruptible, virtuous, moral, ethical, honorable, decent, obedient, compliant, neutral, noncompliant, disobedient, selfish, dishonorable, shameful, corrupt, lawless, and ungovernable. The “decent” tick was glowing.

  Next to the timeline was a barely-filled bar with the word “Crime” floating above it. There were tick marks on this vertical graph as well: negligible, petty, nuisance, problematic, pervasive, widespread, rampant, unchecked, kleptarchy. The biggest distinction Richter had seen between Mechanics - e.g. Morale, Loyalty, Health and now Corruption - and Dynamics - e.g. Crime, Productivity, Research and Population Growth - was that Mechanics seemed to affect Dynamics. Increasing Morale would boost Productivity, the Fighting Spirit of the village and Population Growth. He was sure there was more to it, but that was all he had discovered so far. It was yet one more reminder that there was still so much more that Richter needed to learn about The Land. He turned his attention back to the prompts awaiting him.

  Know This! The amount of Crime generated by various actions depends on countless factors, including Population Size, History of Crime in your settlement, History of that particular Crime, existing governments, etc. A rape and murder are serious crimes and have substantially increased the Crime in your current settlement. Your response was swift and brutal, ameliorating much of the negative effects of these heinous events. The results are as follows.

  Murder: +1000 Crime Points

  Rape: +1000 Crime Points

  Prompt Trial, Confession and Execution of Perpetrators: -1950 Crime Points.

  Total Crime Points: +35 (base +50 x [100-30% Corruption modifier])

  DONG!

  Crime Rank of Mist Village has fallen from utopian (rank 0) to negligible (rank 1). Utopian ideals can only exist when no one is aware of them. You may never return to a utopian level of Crime at the current evolution of your people. Crime can affect all facets of your civilization. The effects are far-reaching and may never be completely known, but the following changes are immediate and immutable: at negligible rank, -2% Morale penalty, -2% Productivity penalty, and -2% Commerce penalty. “Some crimes may happen in your settlement, but overall, you have a very safe society.”

  Richter read the prompts three times. There wasn’t that much information to absorb, but there were nuances that he was already picking up on. It was ridiculous to think that he could have a crime-free society. That was against human nature. It also probably went against elf, dwarf and gnome nature too. He couldn’t really complain about having a negligible rank in Crime, and the fact that his people were decent overall was something to be thankful for.

  The line about Corruption opening ‘unique possibilities’ made him think. He’d heard the argument back on Earth that crime actually stimulated economies in some ways. It had sounded like total horseshit at first, but then he realized that it depended on what the definition of a crime was and which society you were talking about. Few would argue that smuggling innocents out of countries hellbent on their destruction was a bad thing, though based on that government’s laws, it would be considered a crime.

  There were also plenty of examples in history where “crime” had been a necessary component of a civilization. In the United States’ past, it had been a “crime” to help slaves escape to the north. In many other countries, it had been a “crime” to speak out against tyranny. In Richter’s opinion, if you lived in an unjust society, the only true “crime” was standing by and doing nothing. The point was, crime could affect a society in many ways, including acting as a catalyst for social change. When he’d been a gamer, Richter had often found opportunities associated with thieves’ guilds and black markets.

  Another city mechanic prompt appeared.

  You have already been made aware of the City Mechanic, Commerce. No further information is available. Build a Market to learn more.

  Richter shook his head. Again and again, the growth of his village was being stymied by a lack of infrastructure. Roswan needed to get his butt back pronto! If there was anyone else that could build good quality buildings, Richter would have offered them anything they wanted. The mustached elf was the only person in the village with a journeyman rank in Construction though. The next most qualified person was a builder gnome who was only a level eleven initiate, two full ranks lower. Roswan would most likely be able to do amazing things when he came back as a Professional Builder, Engineer, or whatever the hell Profession he got, but in the meantime his absence was really cramping Richter’s style!

  Unfortunately, Hisako wasn’t any help in this particular case. Sprites grew their buildings from specialized trees using a subskill of Herb Lore called Living Sculpture. Whether by design, fate, or racial weakness, there was almost no one born with the Construction skill in the Hearth Mother’s population. In fact, there was exactly one sprite in her entire settlement who had journeyman rank in Construction.

  Hisako had already sent for him with one of her magical message acorns. A trade treaty she had signed with the Mist Village required her to provide four journeymen of various skills. Unfortunately, the sprite lived another day and a half south of the Hearth Tree. That, and the fact that he was over one hundred and forty years old, meant he wouldn’t be getting here quickly. She assured Richter that he was not decrepit by any means. Sprites had a lifespan of about two hundred and fifty years apparently, but he still wasn’t exactly spry. Bottom line, it would be days before the sprite arrived at the village.

  Sighing once more, Richter dealt with the remaining prompts.

  Know This! Every action you take causes ripples throughout your village and through time. Your Judgement of the two rapists and twelve informers has affected the Morale and Loyalty of your village.

  -103 Morale Points for the brutal justice you delivered in front of your people. Many understand and even support your decision, but the loss of their idyllic existence has saddened them.

  Base Morale: +1192 x 25% Undefeated x 9% Administrator x 10% Health x -2% Crime

  Total Morale Points: +1,693

  His people didn’t like what he’d done, but it wasn’t enough to change their overall feelings about him, apparently. His settlement was still rank three in Morale, elated. It gave a +20% boost to Productivity, Fighting Spirit and Population Growth. That made him feel a bit better about his decision. The bonuses that came from having such a high Morale were needed now more than ever. He needed his village to be productive, and soon his soldiers would need to battle for their very lives. Having a boost to their Fighting Spirit would be clutch.

  He had already noticed that the Productivity bonus was manifesting in the Forge. His smiths were making weapons and armor faster than they should be able to, something he was extremely grateful for. Even apart from making new enchanted items, major damage had been done to the arms and armor of his people during the raid on the goblin encampment. The smiths were working diligently to fix rents in chainmail and smooth notches in blades. If his forces went back into battle with low durability gear, the swords would cause less harm and the shields would block less damage.

  There was still so much to do before the attack on the undead lair that sometimes Richter worried there might not be enough time. Now it appeared that Crime was reducing the village’s Productivity. He sighed. At the end of the day, he wouldn’t have done anything differently. What he had done had needed to be done.

  As if to give credence to his thoughts, or at the very least to tell him to stop whining, his next notification showed that it was never all bad.

  +54 Loyalty Points for how you dealt with a threat to your people. The Land is a place of hard realities, where few live to old age. You have conducted what most who observed it considered to be a fair trial. The strength you have shown h
as deepened the trust your people have in you. Lead well, Master of the Mist Village.

  Base: +1565 x +25% Undefeated x +9% Administrator x +10% Health

  Total Loyalty Points: +2252

  It appeared that even though his villagers didn’t like his show of justice, they stood behind it. The fact that the Morale had dipped while the village’s Loyalty went up was a bit frustrating though. Richter experienced the same irritation that all leaders experienced at one point in time, whether they be a general or a parent. He had to accept the reality that what his people needed would not always be the same as what they wanted.

  There was an unfortunate and immediate side effect of his decision to murder the banished men and women. One that he hadn’t foreseen, but proved there were always consequences to one’s decisions. Richter truly hoped it was not an omen of worse things to come.

  Know This! You have acted in a dishonorable fashion. For good or ill you have misled your people. Due to this you have lost your Tenet: Honorable Ruler I.

  In time, through your actions you may requalify for this Tenet, but let this be a lesson to you. Do not follow a path that is not true to your nature, even if the rewards seem tempting in the short term. There will always be a consequence for this in the end. Be true to yourself.

  -100 Loyalty Points for betraying the principles of your Tenet: Honorable Ruler I

  Base: +1465 x +25% Undefeated x +9% Administrator x +10% Health

  Total Loyalty Points: +2110

  A rebuke from the Universe itself did not feel good. Richter stopped processing his prompts for a moment to reflect on that. Only for a moment though. He wasn’t one to second guess himself. His reasons were still valid and he stood by them. The loss of Loyalty was a bit of a hit, but only a bit of one. Richter nodded his head. If this was the consequence, then he could live with this. The next notifications made him feel a bit better.