After Acma step out of the meeting room, he took a seat on a nearby stool, but far enough to not hearing the discussion in the room. He was waiting for the elders to come out with their decision. In the mean time, Acma was hearing a report from Alice about the villa and its surrounding. Since the place he was going to show the elders was close to his villa, he could use the report to give a clearer view to them.
Acma raised his head and look at the sky. The day already long passed the afternoon but the elders still didn’t finish their meeting. But there still a lot of time left before the night came. In reference to yesterday, it took close to 26 hours to complete a daytime and another 10 hours for a night. So, it could be understood that the new world was slightly bigger than Earth. Although the daytime was long, the temperature was mild and comfortable.
Another hour passed before the elders finally concluded their meeting.
“Acma, come in”
Acma entered and took a seat.
“Kid, when do you plan to bring us to see Death Valley?”, asked Chief Pai.
“Anytime you’re ready”, replied Acma.
“Okay then, we will go now. Elder Ma and I will follow you”
“Okay, lets go”
Acma stood up and approached Chief Pai and Elder Ma. A few seconds later,
‘TELEPORT’
They reappeared on the wall between the territories of stone golem and the gorge. Chief Pai and Elder Ma blinked their eyes rapidly to familiarized themselves with the sudden change of sceneries. On second they were inside the meeting room, another second they were already at an unfamiliar place.
“What is this place?”, both of them asked simultaneously. They were looking around curiously.
“We’re in the middle of Death Valley. That way is the exit to Orca Village”, said Acma, pointing his hand toward the direction of Orca Village. Although they briefly look at the exit, the elders were more interested at the gorge in front of them.
“The gorge in front of us, I call it Thousand Bones Graveyard because as you can see, it is full of white bones. Unless you’re wearing an oxygen mask and covering your whole body, do not enter this gorge because it contain a hideous gas that make you hallucinate and enrage. The owner of those bones all of them died because they were killing each other”, Acma explained.
“How do you know? Did you enter it?” asked Chief Pai. He look worried.
“Yes, I am, but I’m wearing my full body armour suit. So there is no problem at all”, said Acma.
“The wall we’re standing right now is special. It is immune to any kind of magical attack no matter how strong it is. All the wall of this gorge were made from the same stone, so it produce a sealing effect. If you entered the gorge, you won’t be able to use any magic. If we can entice the enemies to enter the gorge, it will be quite a sight to behold, watching them struggle and die slowly”
Acma turned his head to see the reaction of the elders next to him. Nothing unusual was shown.
“Why did you show us this?” asked Chief Pai.
“I think I can understand the kid’s intention. We can make this place as a natural defence. Unless the enemies can fly or scale those mountains, they won’t be able to attack us”, Elder Ma who had a military background gave his opinion.
“I agree with Uncle Ma. There is another dangerous place in this Death Valley, I will show it to you later”, said Acma as he turned his body around.
“This is where I’ve got my golem. There still hundreds of them. If all the hunters and villagers can have these golems as their summon, the village’s defence will increased dramatically”
The elders showed an excited faces. This was a good news for them.
After a while...
‘TELEPORT’
“This is the boundaries between the territories of mountain harpies and blood lizard”, explained Acma as soon as they reappeared.
“And that blood mist?” asked Elder Ma.
“That blood mist is poisonous and it is the territories of blood lizard. There is a lot of them but I don’t know their exact number. So it really dangerous inside the mist”
“So this is where you mean as the second natural defence”, said Chief Pai while stroking his chin.
“I don’t think we can taking refuge at this place”, said Elder Ma.
“You’re right”, Chief Pai agreed.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Acma smiled as he heard that. He also agreed with Chief Pai. This place was too barren.
“I’ll show you another place” “Okay”
‘TELEPORT’
This time, Acma was taking them straight to the small hill outside the Nokium mine.
“Here is?”, asked Chief Pai
“Ba Lum Forest, close to my villa. My villa is in that direction”, Acma pointed out.
“Is this really a Ba Lum Forest. Why is it so different from my memories?”
“It was a great forest now so it look different. It was upgraded yesterday”
“I see...”, said Chief Pai with a shocked face.
“Let me explain about this area. 500 kilometres to the South, there is a swamp with several tribes of lizardman live over there. I know nothing about them so we shall skip it for now. To the East, West and North, all of it are mountain range. The closest way out of here is through Death Valley. I haven’t explore enough to say that Death Valley is the only way out. Maybe there is another path lead to this place because inside the forest, there are several camps of minatour. For sure they can’t go through Death Valley”, explained Acma. All of this were part of the report given by Alice before he showed the elders the Death Valley.
“Are they dangerous, I mean the minatours?” asked Elder Ma.
“The one I fought yesterday were only a low level minatours”, Acma replied. Acma took a breath before he continued.
“I think this area is suitable for a temporary retreat, until the hunters were strong enough to return to Orca Village. There is little to no threat from enemies, plentiful of food and water sources, lands for cultivation and the hunters can train their skills. As for shelter from heat and rain, that mine is good enough”, said Acma as he pointed out the mine entrance.
“Isn’t that just a cave?”, asked Chief Pai.
“That is not an ordinary cave. It is a nokium ore mine”, replied Acma.
“Let me show it to you. In fact the place where the hunter can train is located inside the mine. Uncles, please wear this night vision goggle”, said Acma. He gave two night vision goggle to the elders.
The elders wore the goggle and didn’t say anything.
‘TELEPORT’
You’ve entered Nokium Mine
This is a territory of Heavenly Villa.
“Alice, please inform Old and Shield to come to this storage. Tell them that I come with a friend”
“Yes, Master”
“I’m sorry Uncle Pai, Uncle Ma. That one was my artificial intelligence. Old and Shield I just mentioned just now are the leader of the miners in this mine. They are a Miner Goblin. I hope you don’t attack them. Anyway, the goggle looks good on both of you”
“Hey kid, just how many more times you’re going to shock us. The more I look at you the more I don’t know you. Are you really that little Acma? You’re not some devil incarnate, aren’t you?” asked Chief Pai with a face that cannot be describe because of the darkness inside the mine.
“I’m sorry again Uncle Pai if I make you worry. I assure you, I’m still the same Acma, just with a bit more secret. If I really a devil incarnate, isn’t too late already to realize that. This darkness...”
“Okay okay, don’t scare me. I just can’t handle too many shocking news about you”
"Hmmmm... Uncle should prepare for another one. You’ll know soon enough. Lets wait for the goblins to arrive”, said Acma.
The elders exchanged look with each other and keep silence. After a while, a few creatures whose height was 1 metre tall, bald head with four hands rushing into the room. Among them there were two who were taller and have a stronger looking body.
“Milord, thank you for coming”, said one of the two.
“Uncle Pai, Elder Ma, let introduce you these two. This is Old who manage this mine and this is Shield who is responsible for safety. Old, Shield, this is Chief Pai, leader of the hunter from Orca Village and this is Elder Ma, an elder of the same village”.
The four immediately shaking hands and the elders couldn’t help but stared at the extra hands.
“Kid, you’re really the son of your mother. You even inherit her bad naming sense. Could you give these two a better name. Old and Shield? I feel pity for them”, said Elder Ma shaking his head.
“Erk... Uncle Ma, please don’t mention that”, Elder Ma’s remark really hit his sore spot.
“Haha.. Also, why they call you Milord? When did you become a noble?”
All the goblins inside the room just watching the exchange between these three humans silently. They didn’t dare to interrupt. As for Acma, he was choosing the best phrase to explain his title to the two elders.
“After the Overseer’s notification appeared yesterday, I got another notification, mentioning that I’ve got a title, Lord of the Heavenly Villa. One of the benefit is that I can claim a lordless territory as my territory after I get the recognition of its inhabitant. Like this mine, I claimed it after I save all the goblin miners who inhabit it and they accepted me as their lord”, Acma replied.
“Hmmmmm... I don’t have a lord title, it’s mean that Orca Village is a lordless village. Kid, did you come to Orca Village so you can claim it as your territory?” asked Chief Pai boldly.
“...”
“That’s hurt. Looks like Uncle Pai didn’t trust me after all. Should I call him Chief Pai after this or stay with Uncle Pai. Naah, lets stay with Uncle Pai so it won’t be too obvious”, he thought. He was lucky that the darkness inside the mine blanketed the expression on his face. All his planning for Orca Village were down the drain . He was just a youth after all, it’s was easy for him to felt betrayed.
“Not at all, Uncle Pai. That’s why I never mention about this before”, replied Acma with a flat tone. Then he walked toward a boulder at a corner of the storage room.
“...”
Chief Pai wanted to say something but couldn’t. Looks like he noticed the changing tone of Acma’s speech.
“Behind this boulder is the entrance to an underground cave. I think the hunters can train themselves in this cave. Previously, I killed several giant centipedes which level is below 20. I think it was suitable for the hunters to train themselves”.
“But there might be a more dangerous creatures right?” Chief Pai asked. He started to feel uncomfortable.
“Uncle Pai is right”, replied Acma short.
“This is all I want to show Uncle Pai and Uncle Ma for the escape plan”, said Acma as he turned his body and walked toward the two hobgoblins.
“I’m sorry Old, Shield. I’ll visit you again later. Uncle Pai, Uncle Ma, lets return to Orca Village”
“Wait, you’re not inviting us to your villa?” asked Chief Pai.
“I’m sorry Uncle Pai, father and mother wasn’t at home. So I can’t bring you there”
“Oo.. okay then, lets return”
Acma preparing the spell after leaving some instructions to his goblins.
‘TELEPORT’