For the next two days, 10 days in game, Akor worked hard and actually was curious about the research process. He made sure to research thing scribe class, merchant class, miner class, pottery, sewing, masonry and finally leatherworking.
The first four are self explanatory, scribe class is a support class for administrative work which is usually for helping a lord or leader figure. Merchants are a class which gathers and transports goods between settlements, the miner class, different from the already unlocked mining skill, actually unlocks the ‘Mine’ building for extracting minerals and stone. Lastly pottery is pottery, it is self explanatory, it unlocks the skill to making clay or dirt mixed with water. Sewing, Masonry and leatherworking on the other hand are skills for unlocking the craft system and improve item quality. Masonry in particular is used for taking stone bricks and stone and using it in construction as well as making stone based items with higher quality.
All the unlocked items from all of these are as followed…
Scribe
Scribes Hall
The main building which teaches and runs scribe operations.
Scribe office upgrade
Lord and Mayor houses can all now construct a scribes office within to assume office with a limit depending on the level of the building.
The lead scribe in the Lord’s House gets the title ‘Royal Scribe’ and is the top figure among all scribes in the nation.
Merchant
Merchants Market
Merchants market is the home base of all merchants. They are trained here as well as this being their place for selling goods.
By building this, it will attract demon merchants not affiliated to your kingdom.
Shop Building
A free building for merchants or crafters to sell their goods they made. All items sold here have a certain amount of tax placed on them once coin money begins to circulate.
Miner
Mine
A resource building, building this would open a hole in the earth either into a mountain or into the flat earth. Most common resource gained is stone but if close enough, veins can be located.
Basic Prospect skill
The second most primary skill of a miner which allows them to see if there are any minerals within a certain distance of his prospected area.
Pottery
Pottery maker hut
The hut of a pottery maker, it has a small fire for heating the pottery. Plates, pots and other goods can be produced here.
Shop upgrade
A special upgrade which converts a Shop building into a Pottery shop.
Sewing
Sewing skill
Unlocks the sewing skill and the sewing craft list.
Shop upgrade
Makes it possible to learn the skill from shops.
Masonry
Mason Hut
Workplace of masons who take stones as their main resource to make stone based constructions and items as a form of training. Trained masons are needed for stone constructions.
Leatherwork
Leatherworking skill
Unlocks the leatherworking skill and craft list which allows you to transform leather and pelts into armor or process them further to raise the quality.
Shop upgrade
Makes it possible to learn the skill from shops.
These research topics were extremely major for any nation. As for Akor’s curiosity about the research, he found that the ones involved actually sat in front of a strange glowing orb which slowly absorbed little lights which came from the researchers head after injecting a green light. From what Valring explained, the injected lights were broken knowledge floating around the world when the gods made the world. By absorbing these, arranging them and putting it into the research orb, as she called the glowing light, it would slowly piece together the research.
At the end, the research orb transforms into a scroll he hadn’t seen previously. She showed him the growing pile they had.
The scrolls were all basic old looking paper which showed their ‘grade’. Things like basic skills looked like they were even molding.
She said that as the Tier of the research raises, these scrolls would grow longer, would look newer and they tend to become fancier. They were pretty much skill or class scrolls which contained the nation’s knowledge and Lords could either make copies to trade or trade the original. Also she said that when upgrading a research, it was done directly to the original or copied scroll so if they obtained these scrolls, they wouldn’t even have to research a subject.
Now the current research Akor was having Valring do was his main reason for even playing, ‘Minting’.
By this it means money minting. Minting has a lot of requirements, having a constructed smithy, all the research related to the blacksmithing obviously, Math skill, Writing skill, Scribe, and operating mines with at least copper production.
As for where the copper was, obviously it was in Prosperity.
Because the miner class was unlocked, the imps had the basic prospect skill which gave a 5-10 meter range for prospecting a vein.
They opened the mine inside the cave of Prosperity and with each town being allowed 2, he put one for stone in that village and the other for copper.
As for tin, that wasn’t found around the village which means he would have to try his luck sometime else.
Now the biggest shocker that happened to Akor was that he got a new kind of demon. How exactly, well the name and description are easy enough to explain.
Race information
Minogida
A goat demon born from the hybridization between goats and an imp. They are similar to their beastmen they are actually an intelligent race as well as a good magic user race.
The race itself was a goat on two legs with four fingered hands, three fingers and a thumb. A pair of them were born from the Imp nest and raised quite a fuss and somewhat freaking out Akor but he did remember hearing that Imps were as fertile as dragons.
Anyway, this was actually a very interesting race. Different from imps, the ‘effect’ of intelligence is a little better on them. They mature mentally, in relations to a human, with around 15-18 INT compared to the 20 points of an Imp.
These being born also unlocked their own nest which Akor built. They had a 1:8 birth rate and different from the 12 hour birth rate, it is 24 hour birth rate. Like all demons, they lay fertilized eggs and equally, they had their own houses apart from imps.
Because of their appearance, it also prompted Akor to start trying to develop his fighters.
The current research is…
Demon Management
Demon Towns
Town Management
Research:
Buildings
Craft
Military
Support
Culture
Current Research
Lord House
Architect’s Shouse
Prosperity Mayor’s house
>>
Minting
Arena
Mage (Bolt - Spell)
Finally Akor had begun to look towards the fighters. What he wanted to make for now was the back fielders. Demon front liners were mostly unorganized but this was also a fighting style good for their current small numbers. Following mage he would also make archers, or slingers since pellets was the main ammo.
The main lack for archers is bow strings, sinew isn’t a constant drop making them hard to get. As for the harvest skill, because so many other research are many times more important he had yet to actually research the skill. The main reason for this is that he is holding back on hunting making the need for it much less.
Even if the ranch produced meat every day from the goats, there still is no real demand for the harvest skill.
Now the result of all these research being made is that the village was much more active. For one, both villages had a Merchant market and he has already picked several imps as merchants, most of them being the ones who have learned math and writing.
It was slowly becoming a requirement to learn these as time went by among the minions.
As for the Minogida, only one of them was a merchant while another was a rancher. The result actually made it a better merchant if not for the fact that it had low intelligence for now. It was still working as a transporter between materials of the two main towns. It still needed to level up and that was quite hard at this time so Akor was focusing on the remaining 8 Minogida before pulling that one out for the smarter ones taking over.
Stolen story; please report.
The rest were imps and they were actually given a second order which was to keep a watch out along the territory for other tribes.
Valring explained that all the demons who are born by leave have to go somewhere, as a result there is a high chance that they would make their own tribes. As such, the imps were also sent out to keep a track of the tribes forming because in time to come, they would have to be subdued into being subjects.
Subjects are like civilians of a kingdom while the minions of a demon lord are destined to become the elites of the nation even if they are simple imps. The subjects would be the main source of manpower that a demon lord would have to tap into to develop quickly.
That said, to tap into this power, Akor needs the sufficient number of minions and power and this power has to come from his development which is, of course, planting the Demon hearts.
After 10 days, his minions quickly maxed out with 120 imps, 40 of which will stay back on guard the town.
Over the last few days he had made forged stone clubs which were more solid than common ones and had better damage and different from last time, Akor prepared a very large number of ropes and bolas to have plenty of spares no matter the situation.
After ordering the preparations in the early morning, it, surprisingly, took most of the morning and part of the afternoon to check all the things and get the imps ready. Because there were only 10 Minogida, they would not come because of their low level and lack of combat abilities which would benefit their biological configuration.
Valring was left with the control of the remaining minions and he made sure they had enough tools in case of a devil attack. After all the preparations were complete, he matched out of the village with an 80 imp army which was actually quite a sight for low leveled players. If not for the fact that they were all in the range of level 2-4 this army would have been really impressive.
The stats were also slowly diverging into different class paths, the slingers would get more in agility and dexterity as well as intelligence to make them smarter and react better depending on the situation while the front liners got an even distribution of strength, constitution, agility, dexterity and intelligence for the most part.
The imps were much better than they were before but even if they were good, the distance to the 2nd mana spring of the three feelable mana springs was close to 25 kilometers. Different from leaving early in the morning to reach Prosperity, this time he left somewhat late and actually found that he would have to camp out.
“Stop!” Akor shouted while the sun was close to setting. “Set up camp.” He said.
He had taught them that this order meant to make bed and rest and prepare food and water.
Soon several large fires were made and he saw some imps putting meat near the fires to cook in a crude manner without seasoning.
He did not mind because he had few luxury items like spices. His farms didn’t have spices. Still he took out several fruits and began to eat.
After eating he picked 10 imps, “You all, keep watch and scream as loud as you can if anything happens. When the moon is right above us, wake up ten other imps to switch the watch.” Akor ordered.
They nodded and initially had a high vigilance as they quickly spread out.
Akor relaxed when he saw their vigilance and actually let his guard down and dropped down into the grass pile that was his bed to sleep.
The other imps were all the same with only the 10 on full guard.
Of course, to expect imps to be able to maintain full vigilance without training or many serious battles to make it naturally vigilant they quickly grew bored.
The sun was setting and they were even getting tired after just a short while. In human armies, these wouldn’t even fit to be the lowest level footsoldier much less join the army but Akor only had these classless imps for combat units.
As the sun was setting darkness was quickly spreading but the darkness didn’t overly impede an Imp’s vision but it did hinder it under the correct situations.
This situation occurred at this moment as a group of 20 enemy were eyeing the army. They sneered at the lack of vigilance.
“He dies today!” one of them growled.
As soon as he said this, an arrow nocked in a very crude bow was pulled back and shot out high in the air.
It arched and flew in a perfect angle at an imp aiming for the head but unexpectedly it stumbled forward and instead of the head, the arrow pierced behind the knee completely ripping off the lower section of the leg.
“GRAHHHHHHH!” a pained wale came from the imp.
The scream pierced the dusk sky causing Akor’s blood to chill as his eyes flung open at the sudden cry.
He jumped up but the already sleeping imps were far less willing.
Akor turned pale when he saw this and breathed in deeply before shouting, “GET UP AND READY!”
His voice seem to resonate in the air and seemed to make ripples in the air.
Unlike the imps scream, Akor’s bellow worked directly at the main system of the master and minions. What is more, this shout used the command skill further spurring the imps making all their eyes flung open.
That said, at the same time, the enemy did not keep silent.
Twenty figures surrounding the small raid party of imps jumped out. In the air, their shadowy figures fell in Akor’s eyes..
“Devils!” Akor shouted.
At that moment, arrows rained down and the devils spread their wings and flew down.
Before the imps could organize themselves the attackers hit.
Instantly twenty imps were heavily injured and thrown on others.
Chaos ensued as they flew through causing damage before flying up once they crossed the army.
Akor felt incredibly depressed.
“Pull out your tools already!” he shouted.
The command range through the air like an imperial decree to their ears.
At once, forty imps pulled out Bolas and ropes. They all began to twirl them but the devils just looked down on these crappy tools.
They dove all together this time but as they enter the range of the fires light, dozens of bolas and lasso were suddenly flung up.
Where skill lacked, numbers would eventually succeed.
They sneered but suddenly eight of the twenty were entangled by the first wave.
Those who collapsed were the second wave which tossed their capture tools soon after.
It was a 3:1 in tool count. The imps were all using capture tools and with the second wave catching six more, the third wave left the devil's desperate but gripped the remaining devils.
The injured ones could barely move so the imps worked together to hold the lassoed devils while those caught by the bolas were piled on and tied up in humiliating positions.
After they were caught the others tossed the tools on the trapped devils and they were forced down.
At the end of it all, the twenty devils were caught and Akor had already destined them to be sacrificed.
The death count was 5 imps but 17 were injured. Of these injured, 7 were serious with 2 maimings.
The remaining 10 were ranging from minor to major injuries. This could be seen from their Hp.
The two who were maimed had bleeding status which reduced 3 hp every 10 seconds.
Akor had the imps gather wood and he made it into cloth and some thin rope.
First he had the limb tied with the rope and then used the cloth as bandages.
The bleeding stopped when they were at 5 hp meaning they would survive but they would have a hard time being of use in combat.
Akor looked at the devils angry, “Watch them well, tomorrow we will catch the mana spring and bring them back.” Akor said. He then put the imps on high alert in case of more danger and all of those remaining had their tools and weapons out. The injured were left to rest to regain their hp while the rest were put to watch the camp.
This could be considered a lesson to Akor. He increased his vigilance and he also kept the forged knife near him.
He tried to get some rest after checking the notifications.
His command skill had actually leveled up and he actually gained a skill.
Lord’s Shout
Level 1
An emergency shout of the lord. When this skill is used, all minions within earshot will instantly follow the order despite all other tasks or personality traits.
Status effects like drowsiness, sleep and confuse are instantly dispelled with the shout.
10 mp per use
The effect grows weaker with each use of the skill within a limited timeframe
It was a type of command skill used to organize disordered battle forces. It was made to salvage a situation such as being ambushed and weakling and dumb forces can’t find order.
It was a good skill for sure and was probably what caused the vibrations in the air which is probably what also caused the removal of the debuff status effects. If one thought about this skill properly, as long as Akor trained his voice so that it resound further, it would be a massive boost during large scale wars.
After he saw them, he closed it and tried to get some rest. The short battle was mentally exhausting. The movement in the camp did not help since most of the demons were now awake and he didn’t have proper tents and beds to get to bed quickly.
Slowly the sun fully set and night set over the land at last. Just some far off sunlight could be seen in the sky but that was also vanishing by the second. It was already impossible to see if anything was in the air and stars were appearing in the sky but the camp fires reduced the visible number.
Akor was slowly calming down and was close to falling asleep. The imps were still on alert but as before, they cannot maintain extended periods of time on high alert, it was actually a mentally taxing thing to do.
Slowly the number of guards for the devils began to decrease after all of them were fully restrained with their arms, legs and wings were bound behind their back.
Sadly the night was not meant to be peaceful.
The fires were slowly burning and the imps were getting sleepier. Without a good maintenance the light slowly dulled and shadows began to spread.
At this time four bright red eyes appeared glowing in the darkness. Only the eyes were visible since their bodies were fully black with leathery skin and some fur.
With a deformed and disgusting half bat face mixed with a devilish human face, this demon group glared at the far off came. “The God of Night bless us!” one of them said before the shadows around them seem to meld with their bodies and they vanish like fog.
At the camp the devils would occasionally let out a curse in pain but because many of them were beaten up by the imps after being caught, they were just trying to recover. Some of them reluctantly fell asleep. The number of imps watching them was drastically decreased with the coming of the night. Within the piled bodies of devils, a fog appeared and a deformed figure appeared before the devil’s eyes. They looked at the creature and their eyes opened wide and saw the grin appearing on its deformed bat face.
It raised its claws which had a faint glow, and slashed down.
The slash was aimed at the rope and sliced right through one of the ropes.
It jumped and escaped into the darkness as soon as that single rope was cut. That was because there was no need for it to remain. The devil that had the rope cut growled and felt its hand get released and with its clawed hand it ripped the ropes apart. It remained in the group of devils and glared at the darkness narrowing his eyes. “The Strigoi have come. Vampires have sent their people. We cannot falter or they will take our glory.” He said for the devils to hear.
It growled and swung its claws and clawed the ropes of another.
He did that to four of them, “You release them!” he shouted at the last one and with the three previous released ones he shouted and jumped out.
His attack landed in the head of one of the imps. The others killed them in even more savage manners by hand after their weapons were taken and piled up away.
The shout began to wake the imps and Akor’s eyes shot open once more but this time it was even more dangerous of a situation. He grabbed his knife and looked to see what was happening only to see several devils escape their bindings and help others.
Akor was shocked that they got out because he knew how they were tied up. He quickly activated his Lord’s Shout and command skill “WAKE UP!” he roared.
The eyes of all the imps once more and they all were startled by the shouts and screams and had looks of confusing as they saw the devils loose once more.
“Take your tools again and properly catch them!” Akor shouted.
That said just as he was about to start guiding them, several large rocks came falling and slammed into the camp fires suddenly dispersing the light in the camp.
Staying in the light and suddenly getting thrown into the darkness would leave people momentarily blinded.
Akor himself was blinded but because of some kind of danger he felt coming from behind, he jumped to the left one step and spun with his knife only to feel something grip it.
HISS!
An enraged hiss was heard and Akor looked at the source, his eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkness and that was when he saw the disgusting disfigured being that was a mix of a Devil and a Bat. Like the Minogida that was an Imp and a goat, this creature is known as a Strigoi which is actually a Devil and Bat hybrid. How it happened though isn’t common because devils are much more intelligent and find themselves far better and don’t mate with animals regularly. Such a case is the ‘other’ way in which a bat monster subdued the devil resulting in the Tier 1 Striogi, the tier 1 race which most often matures into vampires.
“Weakling little lord. You expect to go against the god of the night with this pitiful strength.” It hissed at Akor before suddenly pulling the knife. Akor didn’t let it go and was thrown with one arm by the Strigoi towards a half lit pile of cinders.
Akor looked at the creature in the darkness before taking out the Bolas and quickly tossing at it.
He grinned and didn’t even move as it was wrapped by the bolas. “Your pitiful tricks work only on weaklings.” He said as his body turned into black smoke and the bolas fell down and he reformed. “The god of the night protects us!” he said and rushed at him.
Akor was getting ready to fight.
The Strigoi swung its claw at Akor who swung his knife at it to block and stopped it. Thankfully the buff he gained recently had evened out Akor’s own stats with the one of these invading creatures but he didn’t have combat experience. He was never one to look for a fight so he was sorely lacking in fighting ability.
That said, the most unexpected thing happened. Out of nowhere, an imp appeared behind the bat demon with a large club. The most distinct feature of this Imp was the lack of its leg from the knee down. It was the crippled imp that had nearly died in the first attack.
Its eyes were shining with a savage light and it moved with an eerie silence as it swung the hammer.
“AHHHHHHH!” it roared as its body muscles suddenly doubled in size and steam came out of its body before it swung its club
BANG! CRACK!
[Strigoi Level 4 0/140] Fatal hit!
[Imp Level 3 1/40] Berserk backlash
The head of the Strigoi completely broke at the neck with half the head caved in and it was sent flying close to 4 meters away.
Fatal hits were as their name said, fatal. Depending on the kind of fatal hit, it could instantly kill a creature but there were conditions. First it needs to be an attack on a vital part, it needed to have enough power and it had to be a weak point.
The reason the imp was able to achieve was as the indicator said, he went berserk. Imps are the original demon race but strangely, they are the race of demons who least go into berserk state but they have the true berserk mode. For other races they become enraged and get a buff of a certain amount of increase during a time but imps don’t. They literally burn their HP for a one time critical attack. The backlash can almost kill them but it always leaves them with 1 hp. Depending on how much HP is consumed, the higher the damage. It previously had only 21 hp and used 20 hp to go berserk. It's added a x5 buff to its attack. It had a Forged Stone club which gives 12 damage and it had 6 strength. The base attack is 18 but multiply that by five is 60.
That would not normally make a fatal hit but it also got Stealth attack bonus which doubles damage if successfully attacking an unaware enemy pushing the damage to 120. The final 20 damage came from the fact that akor chipped the hp of the strigoi in the two collisions and because there was a slightly higher damage attributed to the fact that it attacked the dead. All in all, it was a one hit kill.
The imp fell limp, barely alive but it absorbed all the exp for itself.
Akor looked at it before quickly turning and deciding there, “KILL THEM ALL!”
The imps all reacted and dropped their capture tools. The all pulled out forged stone weapons and surged like an angry tide against all the enemy, especially the Strigoi who appeared like a shadow and several imps activated their berserk to kill these pesky demons.
Akor just helped the one legged imp to a safe spot and watched the battle conclude.