After we had left East gate city me and Nova logged out but nothing really eventful happened during that time. Just the normal visit of our parents and them inviting over a friend who was also a teacher to give Sasha a test to see how she is coming along.
To say the least, the school we built in East Gate city was in full swing and she participated in all of them with a secondary child sized body without guns.
The result of the small test was that she was coming along surprisingly well. Like I would let her skip out on her homework. Only when something big was happening and I couldn’t test her but that is rather rare since we aren’t doing anything huge.
When we finally returned to the game Brock had already reached south gate city and was waiting for us to log in.
He was loaded already but hadn’t left since the city yet.
His whale body was already three times what it originally was and if I say the image of the mana crystal slowly growing on his body wasn’t impressive, it would be a lie.
Along the back and at the tips of his fins the crystals were appearing even if he didn’t want it to.
When I logged in I found Yasha sitting in my workshop and Asura sit on the deck of my ship.
I have the two get up and take complete control of Yasha and have it go outside while making Asura jump down off the ship and starts to look around.
I soon found Brock and the Will-o-Wisps.
“Hi...everything...ready?” I asked.
“Oh boss, yeah most of it is ready, we are mainly waiting for you. We need you to make a management unit while we go so we can’t leave without you here to make it.” Brock replied.
“Ah, Techno, you need to control those animals inside the ship, they are a pain to feed.” Ena said
I smile wearily already guessing how hard it was to feed them. I had told them not to overfeed and instead give enough for them to convert into fuel for themselves only. It would be a pain to have newborn appearing on the ship.
Anyway before we leave I leave the ship and start looking around the scrapyard and find a suitable base for the next robot. I didn’t stop there though. I look for a taller clockwork and found one that the scans show to be 190 cm tall. It was a good base for what I wanted.
Unlike East gate city, in west gate I will be prepared for when the other players arrive.
We were lucky that the players missed the critical core piece and the bull robot survived with some repairs. This time I was going to build a proper guardian for them.
I guess I could call it a shepherd but the class will be totally different.
I drag the two bodies back and hand them to Yasha who brings them to the workshop and hangs them in the middle of the room on a support that is used to hold up what I am working on.
I let loose my drones to help and bring in a few clockwork robots to speed things up. Because I already had a model for the management model I mark the shorter robot to be it and have 4 of the clockwork robots to do that.
As for the other one? I begin drawing up the plans after scanning the entire body and use my system to repair the scans to what it would look like if it was at top condition with iron parts in all it’s parts.
It was obviously a basic worker model but I didn’t want to change it to much from this but I also don’t want to make it weak.
”Delta, when I'm making a new clockwork, will the level of the body restrict if it comes to life or not?” I asked through my connection to the titan clockwork.
”Not if the main programming is remade, in other words, the current codes will need to be trashed. That code is linked to the current status and level so you need to remake it or have someone remake them.” He replied.
”I need codes that for a noble man, avid swordsman and of a man that likes animals and would shepherd them without even being told and protect them as well.” I told him.
”That’s a tough one to think up, farmers aren’t really noble or swordsmen. Also why swordsmen and not marksmen?” He asked.
”Because he will be using a sword as his main weapon but I will also try and develop disruptor tech by modifying the transmitters to send out a signal to the target to disrupt his systems.” I said. ”Ever heard of a samurai?”
”Yep, and I see where you are going with that. I will get working on the new codes. Empty the one he has wait, make a new one, that one is old.” He said and the connection was cut.
I set a few drones with the proper hand tools to get on with that. I pull up the repaired scans of a motherboard completely new and bring out undamaged parts for them and leave them to be built and set the drones to do that automatically without me needing guide it since everything was numbered in order that it needed to be built in and detailed instructions so that they can be used to make it.
Oh, before we leave I make sure to have the robot's grab a lot of nearby scraps so I can smelt and remake as well as have enough to feed to animals.
With that I give the order to Brock to set off.
We already lost two days here and he was already filled with people so we didn’t need to wait any more.
After that I dedicated my time to developing the new robot. I went all out to make this guy really strong and fast. Mostly fast because I needed him to get around fast but I didn’t neglect strength. The only flaw is that for speed he wouldn’t have any big weapons.
I focused on using small gears about half the size of those I used for my body. These were about a third bigger than Gaia’s gears. For the engine, I grabbed the engine core and installed it. Like I said, I want him light weight. I will also need to figure out how to efficiently introduce this engine later on. Brock still doesn’t want me to get more mana crystals so I have to wait though if I don’t get at least one crystal after this town is built I will beat him senseless and take it from him.
The new robot was completely rebuilt in every sense. I take each piece and scan all and replace all of them with new reforged pieces made out of steel. The skeleton is made from earth steel as well as the gears so they can resist corrosion and be stronger.
Firesteel probably won’t be used on him for now. Truthfully, he was one of the easiest builds I have made. Well, body wise, the software systems I will need to design will be a pain. I need to add a very good mid range scanner, develop the disruptor, develop an aid software to help guide him protect the animals and so on.
Mostly the parts were made on day one, his body was built on day two and on day three I spent my time making the software.
The hardest part was making the disruptor unit. I needed to take a transmitter and learn its structure and with Delta’s help I was able to remake the transmitter into a disruptor. The first one I made went into me since it's very convenient but the second one I made into the new robot.
Then came a software system to recognize someone as target and make the disruptor only activate towards these targets so that he doesn’t abuse it. Making it part of the system that works the disruptors so that it can’t be deleted.
Testing it out on myself first I confirm its usefulness when I tried it on my robot's and they stopped working.
Very good to disable robot's and when I tried to see what would happen to weapons it seems to shut them off temporarily.
To get a better grasp I have it tested on bulk, it seems it causes a status effect on clockwork and anyone wearing power armor.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The status is called “Disrupted” and the effects is that function of the systems get messed up and function of the robot and armor drops 20% which in other words is a series stat reduction in speed. Also seems to make weapons stop functioning for a small amount of time which is perfect for a swordsmen I want him to be.
Satisfied with the current program I install it in and call Delta.
”Yeah, the new codes are made. Just know that he will think of his creator as his lord. The personality is of a samurai and he will follow your orders to the letter so plan a detailed order and don’t leave holes because he will find them.” Delta instructed.
”Alright, let me put the new motherboard in and then connect to it.” I said and picked up the brand new motherboard and installing it into the spot.
I then connected to the body and fix up the systems before signalling for Delta to begin.
Soon the codes began to flow in so I pulled out and simply watched as the code was put in. When the codes finally finished being put in I did a final check before I press the on switch.
Slowly the engine turns on and the small ticks of the many gears beginning to turn can be heard. I added three core batteries so he can survive a long time if the engine is broken.
The current max of battery power he can store is around 1800, each battery can hold 600 power in each.
Obviously they were empty at the moment but as soon as the engine began energy began to enter it.
It will be a bit before he turns on.
I turn to the robot's banging away at a very long metal sword. The sword was 130 cm long with a 30 cm handle at the end.
Seeing it was almost ready I went and pulled out a long thick trunk of wood. I started by carefully splitting it down the middle then each side I began to carve down the wood with many drones to help the process go faster.
When the outer side of this was near completion having been thinned down to about 5 cm thicker than the full size of the sword the robot began moving.
The light in its eyes turned on and he started to look around.
Seeing this I stood up with Yasha and walked over.
As soon as he saw me and kneeled down.
“Greetings my lord, your faithful servant is ready to serve” he said.
”Do you know why you were built?” I asked.
”Yes, I am a breeder and shepherd unit built by you my lord and programmed by the great god to care for one flock of my lords live stock.” he replied.
”Good, it seems the main missions of this unit is working properly” Delta suddenly said.
”Main missions?” I asked.
”It is an installed mission a clockwork can be born with. It’s similar to knights who are born with the mission to protect the nation they are born in.” he said.
So it is a predestined job they would do huh. It feels a bit conflicting learning of this. It’s like they don’t have free will to choose.
Now that I think about it, don’t the workers remain workers unless told to change? So it was this huh, workers are to bulk of the clockworks and only if told they will upgrade. It won’t be done of their own choice like players.
For some reason that pisses me off.
”I know what you are thinking. They don’t have freewill right. That is only towards the class. That said, the clockwork can train towards that class if it has an upgrade to it. Such as a worker train with marksmanship and swords skill giving it the knight class. It’s you awakened that simply jump from one to another on a whim.” Delta said.
So it was like that, in other words we are the strange ones. They work for their goals while we justs skip through when we have enough materials.
I can definitely see the NPC being stronger than players in the long run since they have quality of quantity.
”Well, get up, we are almost arriving at the location of your home. The animal are in the lowest deck so you can begin by helping to feed them but just enough to make sure they don’t run out of fuel. It should be this much.” I said and began instructing him exactly how much for each animal.
Because each animal has different sizes they also have different quantities and energy consumption is different as well.
I then let him go and went back to the sword.
With a half meter long part that was carved out in a straight shaft I took the two parts and put them together making a cylinder and then began shaving the wood so the two parts look like they were made for each other. I then took the now read long bald and measured the hand and then drew the handle on the inside of the wood before I began carving out the shape.
I did the same to the other part and when I was done I connected both and fixed up any mistakes until it was just right. I finished by glueing them with a mixture of wood glue and then put a metal band around them to hold it. I then did the same for the blade. When both were done the sword was just fitting just right. It wasn’t a katana mind you, it was made with earth steel and forged like a normal swords since I had no idea how to make a katana.
I finished up the final touches by shaving the longer bottom part to match the upper part so that the connection remain hidden.
Finally it was done and it had really nice stats.
Shepherd Unit Long Staff SwordA strong blade made out of tempered steel embedded with the crushed core of a golem. This blade is very durable and can be used as both a staff and sword.
The reach is very long and though the sword is long, it is lighter than a greatsword. It is a two handed weapon so the user will be unable to use other weapons unless its is attached in other manners.
Durability: 120/120
Attack: 40-70
Requirement: Shepherd, Samurai, Warrior
Happy with the results I go down to the lowest deck and find the clockwork sitting while watching the animals.
Most of them are asleep and only wake up when they need to eat.
When he saw me arrive he stood and walked over before kneeling.
”First off, stop that, I don’t need you kneeling every time you see me. Now here, this shall be your main weapon, should you wish for ranged weapon search for Victor but you are not to have weapons attached directly to your body as it would begin to limit your speed.” I said and held out the large staff.
He took it and bowed and thanked me a lot.
He then pulled the long sword out and admired it and took a few swings.
I nod satisfied and went back upstairs.
I looked at the now complete management unit and turn it on before giving it the orders and letting it go.
Outside I was on top of Brock's whale and could already see the gate. And what was amazing was what lay beyond. The gates were all on dense rocks but after 50 meters it all ended and stretching to the far horizon only sand from a massive desert could be seen.
“Well, lets see what monsters we attract this time.” I said to myself out loud as I checked my scanners and saw the hundreds of dungeon signals all over the place.
Unlike East gate, the west gate will probably need immediate player intervention or else it will get hard fast.
I can’t wait.