The various businesses around town seemed a bit more professional, and the people running them were less awestruck by Sam’s presence than most others. It wasn't quite to the level of him just being another customer, but it was refreshing. He had also gotten to see what the people thought of him, as his range of hearing was far greater than any normal human.
In general he was well liked, some people even worshiped him, and there were few complaints. Apparently Eduardo had begun to implement Sam’s plans for allowing the soldiers to level up more efficiently, and among them there was a profuse sense of gratitude. Sam had decided to create a system of armed units that would fight in melee range with the enemy, and would be supported by ranged attacks. These units would cycle out every few days, allowing everyone to level up properly. The average level among the citizens was around 20, with the average level among the soldiers at about 30. Those were impressive numbers, seeing as most of the alien forces that they fought had the majority of their members around that level.
Sam was a bit confused as to why so many alien armies assaulted their city in a futile attempt to gain entry, but he could not profess to know the workings of their minds. Perhaps the System was forcing them to do so, or they had sworn oaths to some leader figure. Sam knew that it would not be smooth sailing for forever, and eventually proper armies would come, but for now they were trivially easy to defeat. When the first F Rank force arrived, the city’s defenses would be severely tested. However, they would be ready.
Sam stopped for a moment to think about what he could do next. For the first time in a while, he actually had nothing important to do. No globe spanning quests for mythical weapons, no cultivation of the hidden truths of the universe. Not even a bit of alien slaying. Actually, there was something that he could do to pass the time. He could get a start on his smithing lessons with George. Sam smiled as he remembered about his special profession and the potential that it entailed.
He started sprinting for George’s smithy, and his heart fell when he saw that the line outside was just as long as ever. Sam wasn’t shocked, as George was the premier smith of the entire faction, but he was a bit disappointed. Waiting would be useless as well, seeing as the next customer would be expecting quick service. Sam would have to work a specific schedule out with the man after this was all over. For now, perhaps a certain robot would be willing to spar with him.
Sam was getting whiplash from all the things he was trying to do within this short time, but he did not have any alternative. The only thing he could do was aimlessly ponder his Dao for hours within his house, or wander the city without a goal. With those in mind, the only answer was clear.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Sam made his way back to the Dao tree, spotting Sarge circling the enclosure. The robot looked bored to tears from his duty, and when Sam sent a tiny spike of aura pressure at the robot, he looked in his direction. Sarge smiled, and dashed across the ground, moving at speeds sufficient to occlude his motion from the lower leveled people around him.
“Finally. I was waiting for you to show your face,” Sarge said, his voice a bit tense. “I am a sparring robot, just so you remember. Lao and Eduardo fought with me a bit, but neither of them have the same power as you.”
"Well, I’m glad that someone values my existence,” Sam replied, grinning. “How about a round of sparring?”
“In the arena?”
“Hell no! I have no wish to have my movements dissected by a crowd again,” Sam answered, shuddering at the memory.
“Was that that time I saw the beam of energy shoot out of the arena?” Sarge asked.
“It was. I was sparring with Lao, to test out his new F Rank power, but things got a bit out of hand.”
“Well, let’s go outside then. As a bonus, perhaps we can kill some aliens with the crossfire. You do realize what I will have you practicing again, right?”
“I’m painfully aware,” Sam replied, unconsciously clenching his palms. For some reason, pain suffered by one’s own hand always felt worse than pain suffered by another’s. It was because Sam always had the ability to stop whatever he was doing, which made continuing a herculean task.
Sam followed Sarge towards the nearest gate, the robot flitting across the ground. Sam tried to keep up, but he was unable to do so. Instead, he resigned himself to following a short distance behind the petty training robot, and refused to let the taunting get to him. As they approached the gates, Sarge summoned his wings once more, flapping his way up and over the wall.
Sam took a running start, and cleared the wall in a single bound, not even having to use any of his skills this time. He landed on the ground with a muffled thump, spotting a large array of alien soldiers camped behind the shield. This army seemed a lot more professional than recent ones, and it was far larger than most Sam had seen. They were in the process of loading a massive crystalline cannon the size of a redwood with a glowing orb of energy. The cannon was enveloped in a bluish shield of energy, and projectiles from the city glanced off it every few seconds, causing it to dim slightly. At this rate however, they would have it loaded before long. As they spotted Sam and Sarge, they froze momentarily, before going back to work.
“Well, that seems awfully dangerous. Have at it, Sam,” Sarge said, pointing at the cannon. “I would love to join in, but killing a host of lower level fighters would hardly be training now, would it?”
Sam nodded, and began sprinting towards the aliens in front of the walls. He was the only person going out to face them, without even a single turret as support, and even then the aliens were not strong enough. He wasn't going to take out the entire army, as his stamina would run out long before he had destroyed the ten thousand strong force, but he could destroy the cannon. Then he had a different thought. The cannon looked incredibly powerful, and destroying it would be a waste. Would it not be better to claim it for the city?