Chapter 34: Goals
Placing down my manacyst cultures around my domain, it wasn't long before blueish stalagmites began to grow, the mana already being siphoned from the air and condensing into crystals.
[Quest Complete!]
[New Construction Options Available!]
[Dungeon Management Panel]
[Active Dungeon Heart LvL 1]:
HP: 1000/1000(1000)
Manacyst: 0
Anima: 0
Holy: 0
Dark: 0
[Manacyst Production]
Dark Manacyst Culture: 2/2(2/24H)
CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS:
Dark Gestator Unlocked! REQ: 100 Dark Manacyst.
Graveyard Unlocked! REQ: 50 Dark Manacyst, 10 Anima Manacyst.
Guardian Room Unlocked! REQ: Any Manacyst 50.
Composter! REQ: 20 Dark Manacyst.
[New Quest! Construct a New Building!]
[Reward: Minion Capacity Increase! 1000 EXP!]
Interesting. From my estimate, it would take a month before I could afford most things, however the composter would take only a few weeks to get started.
Reading the description, the building did as advertised, it composted, turning dead matter into manacyst. Meaning I could expedite the process by simplifying hunting down monsters and tossing their bodies into the compost.
From my math, it would take about thirteen days give or take. But having a composter would help Zorin be less chunky and ease the clean up process after every massacre.
Hmm. I focused on the damaged dungeon cores, the failed dungeons that had been conquered by the spider queen. There more than fifteen, meaning that there was a good chance that there were other dungeons operating in the demon lord’s manor. Probably somewhere higher or far below. But considering the number of monsters out and about, chances were high I had competition.
Not that it mattered much, so long as I retained my core group, I could plunder my cousins and take their manacysts for myself, that was of course if the adventurers hadn’t purged them already.
In the meantime, with new disciplines at hand, it was time to arm and equip them, as well as to level up my army.
Zorin. I sent, ordering the crocodile to use her storage device to equip my pus-riddled goblins with chitin armor and weapons.
Under Slimey’s green glare, the goblins all took a knee, bowing to me like knights showing defference to their king. In a way, it was somewhat comical, a rubber duck king and his slime bishop, surrounded by a menagerie of monster subjects. Still, I couldn’t let myself be distracted. There was work to be done. A throne room to be scrubbed. And a treasury still to be sought after.
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I turned my attention to Hector, my skeleton rogue. A few more levels and the skeleton would be on the verge of leveling up again, gaining me a more powerful undead. I suppose now would be a good time to venture out as I waited for the manacysts to grow.
Slimey.
Y-yes Lord Darling Hiro!
Gather the scouting party! We have a treasury to find!
Of course my lord! Slimey replied, smiling ear to ear before her gaze turned to the goblins that shirked back from her divine presence.
Before long, I had an honor guard that consisted of seven chitin armored goblins along with Hector, Chloe, Slimey, and Zorin. For the time being the rest of my army would remain at base, assisting Ayaka in gathering her full strength whilst hunting monsters to be added into the compost.
*****
ELSWHERE.
In a distant land, far from the clutches of the winding demon lord’s castle, a scarred man stood staring out the window of a run-down inn, his eyes focused on the platoon of monsters marching through the decrepit city streets.
“Paladin Lhikan,” A woman said with a knock, announcing her presence to the man before opening the door with fresh clothes in her hand. “Up and about today I see, how was today’s training?”
Lhikan sighed, turning to face the nurse practitioner. “Fine as usual Joy, thanks for asking.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to play tough with me, I’m your physician,” Nurse Joy said, gesturing to the man to give her his sweat-stained shirt, “It’s been three months since your return from the demonlord’s castle but everyone can see that you’re bothered.”
Lhikan shook his head, taking off his shirt to reveal a body covered with numerous scars, several new ones near his heart.
“Its…” Lhikan grit his teeth, the seasoned veteran paused, thinking back on the failed expedition as he turned his head towards the holy symbol of their church that hung on the nearby wall. “I should be leading the expedition. Not sitting back here idling about.”
“You were poisoned by demonic miasma and run through by a monster. It's a miracle you survived let alone made it back,” Joy replied, taking the stinking shirt before handing the paladin a new tunic. “Besides, with the intel you gathered, Paladin Commander Danse and his knights should be able to handle anything the dungeon there can throw at them.”
“I pray you are right,” Lhikan said, narrowing his eyes, his fists clenching. “I just… Natalie and the others. I feel responsible for their deaths and wish to be there to give them a proper funeral.”
Nurse Joy stood to the side, arms folded.
“You were given an impossible task, one that by all accounts was deemed to fail.”
“Because it was supposed to!” Lhikan hissed, his eyes flashing gold. “Those cowards hated Natalie, they feared what she could become as a true healer so they gave her an impossible task. These cretins don’t care about defeating the demon lord! All they care about is maintaining the status quo and building up their own power. And now that they know that the Hero’s legacy dwells within the old fortress, they’ll no doubt use that power to propagate their reach rather than to destroy the enemies of humanity.”
“Then do something about it.” Nurse Joy shrugged.
“Tsk! What would you have me do? I have no alms, no gear, and am under constant surveillance by Nidhiki’s goons.”
“Oh, I’m sure something can be figured out. After all, it's not like they have a map to Hero’s Folly seeing as the only one was destroyed. Oh, and, I think a person familiar with the route has a better chance at beating them to the prize than someone with a general direction,” Nurse Joy said, smirking as she laid the basket of linens on the bed that made a loud metallic chink sound. “At two after night’s peak, all of the guards will suddenly fall asleep.”
Lhikan blinked, his eyes darting from the woman to the basket.
“If Krekka or Nidhiki find out-”
“They won’t. Plus Prior Dume and I can take care of ourselves, and if they do,” Nurse Joy pulled out a kunai from her sleeves, twirling the weapon in her fingers. “It wouldn’t matter anyway.”
“Thank you.” Lhikan said.
“Don’t thank me L, you may very well die,” Joy said before blowing a kiss and leaving the rustic room.
Lhikan grit his teeth, his mind flashing back to that fateful night in the catacombs.
He turned back to the window beside him, eyeing the streets of Minstrel, a city once teeming with life, commerce, and blue skies.
Now the city was infested with monsters, an occupation force under the Demoness Bellona that had turned the city of thirty-three thousand into a large cattle-farm.
The Lord-Regent had fled, returning to the capital, taking with them the entire garrison force along with Cardinal Krekka’s forces that had been stationed in their cathedral, effectively abandoning the city to the mercy of the Demoness invasion.
Bellona announced that there would be no wholesale slaughter, so long as the citizenry bent the knee. But in lieu of that, the people lived in fear, made to form lines to donate blood to the monsters that now patrolled the streets, some even plucked from their homes to satiate the needs of the inhumans.
Enough was enough.
Lhikan would make a difference. Fortunately he had plenty of comrades that remained in the city that felt the same way.
Tonights the night, Lhikan said, removing the sheets from the basket that covered his armor and arms. Tonight I take my steps to avenge you.