As the sun's rays pierced through the window, heralding the dawn of a new day, Thorian roused from his modest bed. His eyes roved over the minimalist decor of the room. A small desk, a humble nightstand, and a tiny chair comprised the sparse adornments. It was a considerable upgrade from the dank cave floor he was used to sleeping on, yet it paled in comparison to the opulence he had enjoyed in his past life.
Ready for a new day, Thorian slipped into his verdant robe and stepped outside. To his surprise, the village was a hive of activity, thrumming with monsters bustling about their business. Some hastened towards the Village Hall, eager to complete their quests, while others ventured to the Guilds, ready to exchange their hard-earned Arcane Coins for new skills.
His attention was caught by a few evolved creatures he hadn't previously encountered. The once stocky and short orcs had transformed into towering hulks, their faces marked by battle scars and enhanced by prominent, powerful jaws. Their primal and formidable presence was a testament to their newly acquired powers.
Vivax’s group should have also evolved, Thorian noted with a smile. That changes our plans a little bit.
While Thorian surrendered to the comforting embrace of a deep sleep, his mind tirelessly continued to churn in the background. It brewed a concoction of ideas and sifted through memories of old strategies. One such strategy pertained to the Gilded Spiketail and the challenge of penetrating its armored hide without resorting to the perilous and high-risk combination skills he had to use.
How could I have forgotten such a simple trick?
Thorian chided himself for his momentary lapse, but swiftly dismissed it. With the weight of countless concerns on his mind, some inefficiencies were inevitable.
Armed with a fresh strategy, Thorian traversed the village to gather his most trusted deputies. They convened in the meeting room on the second floor of the Village Hall. Nox, Ventus, Forlune, Saxum, Vigil, Lapis, Vavix, and Zogthar were all present.
"Thank you for joining me at this early hour," Thorian began, his voice imbued with a quiet gravitas. "I've called you here to discuss our strategy for the day. Once I have presented my plan, I invite you all to share any concerns or suggestions you might have, so that we can deliberate on them together."
Once he saw nods of assent from the gathered group, Thorian proceeded. "I observe that our new recruits are acclimating well to their environment. Can anyone report on their progress?"
"Pretty good," Forlune replied. "They have reached approximately level 9 in both species and class."
"Same on my end," Lapis chimed in.
Seeing a wave of agreement ripple through the group, Thorian reciprocated their nods. "That is commendable progress. They should be on the verge of evolution."
Pausing to draw in a deep breath, he then laid out his proposal. "Yesterday, we discussed dividing our forces into two platoons for the dungeon expedition. I believe now is the opportune moment to select the leaders for these groups."
Every gaze remained fixed on Thorian as he articulated his plan. The moon kobold, in particular, couldn't suppress a wide grin.
"Lapis, Vivax, Saxum, I entrust you with the leadership of the first platoon. This group will be divided into three units, with each of you overseeing one," Thorian commanded.
"It is an honor, my King," Saxum responded, inclining his head in a modest bow.
"We appreciate your trust, Thorian," Lapis added, gratitude resonating in his voice.
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Thorian acknowledged their words with a nod, then his gaze drifted to the remaining trio. "Forlune, Nox, Zogthar, I assign you the command of the second platoon. Your roles will mirror those of the first platoon's leaders."
"That's just what I wanted to hear, Thorian!" Forlune's words echoed with unbridled enthusiasm. "How large will these platoons be? You mentioned about 50 yesterday."
"I underestimated the influx of new combatants from the latest recruit batch," Thorian admitted, shaking his head. "After tallying all four groups, we have a total of 162 fighters. Each platoon will therefore consist of 81 members, with each of you leading a team of twenty-seven."
"We appreciate this opportunity, my lord," Zogthar said, bowing slightly.
"There's no need for thanks," Thorian dismissed, shaking his head. "Now, for the second amendment to our plans. I want the first platoon to challenge the first Layer without delay."
"Why is that, my king?" Vigil inquired, taken aback. "I thought our strategy was to let the fresh recruits mature before we take on the dungeon."
"I am confident they can conquer it with ease, as long as each team has an evolved kobold," Thorian assured them. "Their considerable growth in strength already serves as a reliable self-defense. This strategy will also maximize efficiency, as the rookies can gain an immense amount of experience from the dungeon and edge closer to evolution. Once they evolve, tackling the second Layer could become feasible."
“Isn’t that too hard, King?” Ventus interjected. “The other monsters are one thing, but that guardian was really hard to deal with. Its armor is so tough we had to combine all three of our skills to kill it.”
"Ah, if that's the issue, I believe we have a solution at hand," Zogthar chimed in. "Post-evolution, we've acquired a new skill called 'Lethal Strike'. It lets us bypass armor, akin to the Thri-kreen."
"That's excellent news," Thorian responded, a grin spreading across his face as the rest of the kobolds looked at the high orc in admiration. "Groups with High Orcs will have that edge, but those without them aren't bereft of strategies. Reflecting on our previous encounters, I devised a reliable method to breach the armor."
"What might that be, my king?" Vigil inquired, his interest piqued.
"You'll need a fireball and a waterball spell. Repeatedly strike the same spot with both spells, the resulting shock from the rapid temperature change will cause the armor to fracture. Defeating it then wouldn't be as challenging."
There was a beat of silence following Thorian's explanation. Those who had accompanied him on the dungeon expedition seemed particularly stunned. Ventus arched an eyebrow in surprise and curiosity, while Saxum murmured, “We had so much trouble against it, yet the solution was so simple?”
Opting not to linger on this revelation, Thorian pressed on, "Instruct your magi to spend their Arcane Coins on these two spells, they will prove crucial in future engagements."
Pausing to draw a deep breath, Thorian then issued his direct orders, "Now, I want you to head to the gates and divide all the units in half to form the two platoons. Then split these platoons into three groups, each under the command of one leader."
With that final directive, the meeting was adjourned. The six leaders dispersed, heading towards the gates to initiate the formation of the two platoons, leaving Thorian, Ventus, and Vigil behind.
"It's time for us to embark on our own tasks," Thorian remarked with a smile. "Let's start our exploration."
The trio exited the village, setting out to explore the outskirts. Guided by Thorian, they navigated confidently through the covert threats of the forest, unperturbed by its sneaky and devious dwellers lying in wait. One fireball or a command from Thorian to unleash a gale slash would be all they needed to neutralize most obstacles.
As they journeyed onward, Ventus couldn't help voicing his thoughts. "I should have bought the fireball skill myself. Can you imagine the power if I could do that combo alone? I'd be invincible."
"Right now, you wouldn't be able to," Thorian countered, shaking his head. "Let me demonstrate."
Thorian extended his arm toward a clearing in the forest. First, he conjured his Wind Gust and launched the spell. Without missing a beat, he began chanting his Fireball incantation, and flames ignited in front of his palm. He launched the fire spell in the same trajectory as the first, but by the time it had covered half the distance, the Wind Gust had already struck the trees and dispersed. The Fireball arrived in its wake, setting a tree ablaze.
After summoning a waterball to douse the fire, Thorian turned back to Ventus to explain, "At our current skill level, we can't cast spells rapidly enough to merge them solo. We would need to cast them almost simultaneously to achieve that effect."
"Your explanations are always so enlightening," Vigil chuckled.
Meanwhile, Ventus was rubbing his chin and furrowing his brow in thought. After a moment's pause, he raised his gaze to Thorian and posed a question that seemed to have been on his mind. “King, I’m sure everyone has wanted to ask you this, but how do you know so many things?”