“Thanks again for the wagon.” Nathaniel chuckled as he loaded up the remaining luggage. Chests sat neatly along either side of the wagon’s side, so that the weight was evenly distributed, and the chest that held his armor sat snuggly against the bench. The castle servants stood to the side watching them.
“Don’t mention it, son.” Porman chuckled with a dastardly glint in his eye.
“Father please, don’t tease Nathaniel like that.” Aniphrae huffed in disapproval.
Porman turned to his daughter. “You’re already turning against me?” He gasped hurtfully.
“It’s only natural I’d side with my future husband.” Aniphrae turned to Nathaniel. “I’ll be out there as soon as the manor is finished.” She smiled wistfully.
Nathaniel cleared his throat and smiled at her. “I’ll see to it that you are properly welcomed.” His voice cracked in discomfort which made Aniphrae laugh. “Do you have everything Krietsky?”
The boy stood up straight. “Yes sir, thank you for having me, sir!”
“Relax kid.”
“Yes sir.” Krietsky blushed as he sat in the bed of the wagon.
“Nathaniel!” Gabriella hurried out of the castle doors and ran towards them. “I’m glad I caught you in time.” She held out a leather binder. “Here’s everything I could remember about Count Delimaar. I’ll send you the everything I do have once I get back to my father’s castle.”
“Thanks.” Nathaniel sighed in relief and handed it to Bella. “I’m sorry to ask this on such short notice.”
“I’m glad to be of help.” Gabriella said. She leaned close. “Be careful. Delimaar may be a count, but he’s been making big moves lately. As of late, he’s been the biggest supplier of rare items. Luna Caps, Hallowed Silk, and even Hollywright.”
“That’s interesting.” Nathaniel scratched his chin. “Those are all ingredients with magical properties. Those shouldn’t be easy to procure, especially for a lowly count.”
“Agreed, but the King has taken an interest in him, so be careful.”
Nathaniel nodded. He looked around the courtyard for the last time, then his eyes raised to the castle. Ophelia stared down at him from her window. She gave him a large smile and waved at him. Nathaniel returned the gesture with a wave of his own.
“She should come down here to see you off.” Ralia said snidely.
“That’s enough Ralia.” Bella scolded her. “Maybe she doesn’t want to say goodbye.”
Nathaniel nodded as he took the reins. “We’d better get going,” He said, “I want to get home before winter fully sets in.” He waved to them all one last time and cracked the reins. The wagon crushed the light layer of snow as they rolled out of the courtyard.
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Aniphrae smiled as she waved goodbye, and once the cart was out of view, she glanced over at Gabriella. “He’s quite the man, isn’t he?”
“Indeed.” Gabriella smiled with a fire in her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon enough.”
“I already have.”
Gabriella nodded with a half-smile. “You don’t have any reservations about marrying a man that takes non-humans to his bed?”
Aniphrae laughed. “Of course not, especially since those slaves are what tied him to my family.” She gave Gabriella a challenging smile. “And what of you, my lady?”
“I’m willing to accept them, even if I’m not fond of it.” Gabriella replied, “They keep him grounded here. Without them, he probably wouldn’t have stayed.” Gabriella’s smile faded. “There’s too much at stake to let my prejudices sway my actions.”
Aniphrae nodded. “I understand,” she said, “I look forward to working with you.”
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Chilala looked down at the courtyard. She didn’t want anyone seeing her, so she stood off to the side of the window. The freezing air outside barely tickled her naked flesh. The wagon slowly rolled over the snow on the cobblestone road, and she laughed when the dragon-heart released a puff of fire to warm herself up. The two women from the VuRant and Quarmane families were speaking. They gave each other a nod before parting ways. Chilala smirked at their cute display before returning her gaze to the Inventor.
She had to move to another window, but she could still see his cart amongst the rabble. The wings on her hips fluttered in excitement, and her tail caressed her right thigh as it rubbed against her. Her finger ran along her pink lips, and she nicked her lower lip. The sweet taste of her black blood tingled her tongue before the cut healed. When the Inventor’s cart disappeared, she gave a small wave with her fingers.
“Ta-ta hero.” She chuckled before sauntering back to Warnmier’s room.
Inside, she found the old man sleeping. His wispy hair a complete mess, and his eyes were sunken into his skull, but it was the marks along his skin that drew her eyes. The words carved into his skin were all the contracts he had made with the demons under his authority, and a part of her couldn’t wait for them to run out.
Warnmier slowly woke when the sun hit his face. “Chilala, close the curtain and feed the fire.”
“As you command.” Chilala replied with a sweet tone. She held the curtain open so that the sun light accentuated her figure, aware of the old man’s leer. “What did you think of the Inventor?” she closed the curtains.
“I don’t think much of him.” Warnmier coughed and wiped his face. “He’s like the other heroes, an upstart that’ll soon be irrelevant.” Chilala bent over to throw a long into the fire, allowing him to see her completely. “However, I am surprised he survived Fort Cadarn.”
“I told you didn’t I.” Chilala smirked at him before standing up. “He was alive and in the area of Rumand.” She slid onto the bed and cuddled up to him. “Although, even I’m surprised that he claimed a dungeon.” She ran her fingers across his wrinkled chest. “May I send a letter to the Matron, please?” She smiled seductively. “She’ll be most grateful. As will I.”
Warnmier glared at her. “You will draft a letter, and you will hide nothing from me.” His voice echoed in her ears as the command took root. “Only after I’ve read it will I make my decision.”
Despite her frustration, Chilala gave him a loving smile. “Thank you very much.”
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“Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three.” Duncan groaned through his morning exercises. Despite the cold air, sweat streamed down his body, and his muscles ached from his weeklong rest. He lay on the cold floor to catch his breath, and he looked at his right arm. A thick scar covered his elbow. He flexed his hand to make sure everything worked properly. It was still a worry that nagged at his mind, but thankfully, his fears were unwarranted.
“Master, what are you doing?” Duncan winced when Veyl yelled at him. “You should be resting.”
“I’ve had enough rest Veyl.” Duncan growled as he rose to his feet. “It’s time I get off my ass and start training. I have until the end of winter to get ready, and I’m not letting Light stay ahead of me.” He slipped on a shirt and his boots. “Where’s that leather armor someone gave me?”
Veyl tapped her chin and pulled out a chest at the back of his closet. She sifted through the contents until she pulled out a hard leather plate with a thick fur lining. She also pulled out a pair of bracers, greaves, and pauldrons. She set them on the bed and Duncan held out his arms ready for her to put it on.
“I don’t think this is wise master.” Veyl sighed as she strapped on the armor. “You should be resting.” An ugly snarl twisted her face. “That vile Inventor and his disgusting dragon caused you great suffering. It’s appalling that they were able to leave unscathed.”
Duncan sighed and patted her head. “Don’t coddle me,” he said, “I have about three weeks until Light gets back to his village. That’s three weeks to make up fifteen levels.” He lifted her face and smiled at her. “I need to catch up.”
Veyl nodded in defeat. “As you wish master.”
“Good girl.” Duncan pinched her ears affectionately. Her moan sent a shiver down his back, and he found her flushed face adorable.
He stepped out of his room and headed down to the training grounds. The guards were already set up in sparring pairs, and Duncan looked at the rack of training weapons. His hand itched to grab the great sword, but he hadn’t been able to advance the skill since reaching level one hundred. It had remained at level one hundred-five for more than a year, so he turned his gaze to the other weapons.
“Still alive I see!” Duncan turned to see Shawn approach with a large smile. “Did Veyl let you out on good behavior?”
“If she had her way, I’d still be in bed.” Duncan chuckled, turning back to the weapons. “I need to get training, but I don’t know what weapon to train with.”
“Why not try the bow?” Shawn gestured to the series of bows with quivers next to them. “You’ve never touched one, and having a ranged weapon can be helpful.”
“Ranged is your thing.”
“Dunk,” Shawn sighed, slapping his friend’s back. “I’m not going to be offended because you took up the bow.” A tight frown came to his face. “Things must change, otherwise Nathan’s going to leave us in the dust. Image what would happen to me if he made guns.”
“Good point.” Duncan grabbed a short bow. “Mind giving me some pointers?”
“Sure man, I’ll have you a master in no time.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
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Geega stared in disgust at the weapons sitting in a pile in front of him. Bits of clay clung to the metal, but he could still see the runes carved into the blade. He had these weapons stored away on his journey to the dungeon, but when he lost his forces, he had to find another way to bring them back. Thankfully, a Golem Meister was stationed here, but all he could afford was the ten clay golems that now surrounded him.
“Are these the weapons?” Geega turned to the muscular goblin with a missing left ear.
“Yes Zchrek.” Geega snarled, handing him the blade. “I am not a smith, so I brought them to you.”
“So, there are skills that the Great Innovator doesn’t have.” Zchrek snickered as he wiped off the clay. He inspected the weapon, and his eyes widened in shock. “Who made this?”
“I don’t know.” Geega huffed as a derisive smile came to his lips. “I discovered these on my journey. Whoever made them is clearly skilled.”
“Skilled isn’t the right word.” Zchrek smiled greedily at the weapons. “These weapons are a treasure, a treasure we must take possession of.” He scratched at the stump of his left ear. “Your journey took you to the southwest, correct? Do you think we can get the orcs to change the warpath?”
“I doubt it.” Geega sighed in frustration. “Grangk is determined to meet up with the demons in the north. It’s imperative that our forces unite.”
Zchrek nodded with a disgusted look. “Then I’ll see what I can learn from these weapons, but I’ll need more.”
“And I’ll get you more. I simply need to find the right pawn.” Geega scowled as the sound of footsteps drew his attention.
A brood of kuroban marched through the fort. The black-shelled arachnids were wrapped tightly in cloaks and furs, and they hissed in frustration at the bitter cold. Two of their four arms held onto the pack that sat in the crook between their upper torso and thorax. Their six legs pierced the hard ground. At the back, the kuroban matriarch was paraded through the fortress in her ornate sedan chair.
The matriarch was twice the size of her kin, and her black carapace shined in the morning light. A golden headdress sat upon her triangular head with golden chains lining each of her six ruby eyes. She looked upon the other monsters in disgust as she wrapped herself in the rich velvets for warmth.
“There go the insects.” Zchrek said in contempt.
“Out of the way!” A bellow drew their attention to the other side of the fort.
At the gate leading to the land bridge stood a tribe of orcs. Their bare pale grey-green skin an abhorrent sight to the goblins. A large orc stood at the front bellowing at the kuroban in his way. The arachnids hissed in frustration back at them.
“Move aside insects.” The orc chief beat his thick chest in dominance.
“You move, flesh bag.” The kuroban clicked in frustration. “You stand in the way of the Glorious Shishera.”
“The Feral Tusk clan moves for no one.”
“Enough!” Warlord Grangk stormed out of the fortress keep along with his gaggle of females. He charged towards the new orc chief and head-butted him. “Move aside now!”
The chief growled in defiance. “You side with the insects?”
“The kuroban have fought in this campaign. You have not.” Grangk growled, pushing the chief back. “Prove yourself first before making demands.” The Feral Tusk chief growled but moved to the side, and the kuroban marched out. Matriarch Shishera bowed slightly to Grangk as she passed.
“I must admit,” Zchrek said, “The warlord at least knows how to lead, even if he is a rock head.”
“Perhaps, but their kind is only useful during times of war.” Geega eyed the Feral Tusks as they entered the fort. “Something I have great need for.” Geega picked up one of the weapons and made his way over to the orc tribe and as he approached, he could hear their grumbling.
“What do you want bulsglod?” The Feral Tusk chief said disdainfully.
“It’s a shame that Warlord Grangk would side with the kuroban instead of his own kind.” Geega replied in contempt. “One would think kinship would be important to him.”
“Do not try to manipulate me! Speak your peace or leave.”
“Very well, I have need of your strength.” Geega tried to keep the snarl from his face as he handed the weapon over. The chief eyed the weapon with excitement. “I found that among the humans during one of my expeditions. I plan to acquire more, but I lack the forces to do so.”
“So, you’ve come to us.” The chief bellowed in laughter. He passed the weapon around, and the members of his clan looked at the sword in greed. “What’s in it for us?”
“We’ll split the spoils between us.” Geega replied, his fingers tapping together anxiously. “You will also receive the support from my Cabal. Weapons, medicine, architecture, anything your clan needs, you will have. We simply request you keep supplying us with the weapons until we can get our hands on the crafter who made them.”
“Do you know where the crafter is?”
“I do. Come, I’ll show you.” Geega gestured to the keep, and the chief followed. He looked up at the orc. “I am Geega’Bulmesh of the cabal of Kuka Bahl.”
“Vysrek of the Feral Tusks.”
“What brings you across the bridge, Chief Vysrek?”
“To settle in this land.” Vysrek replied, ambition burned in his eyes. “My father passed, and the tribe split between me and my brothers. So, those that followed me came here to claim land for our own.”
“Ambitious, but this land is far different from Pa’palla.” Geega snickered in delight. “To start, the land is far more fertile. Cultivating the land is crucial as is herding cattle.”
“That is what slaves are for.” Vysrek gave Geega a cruel smile. “There are plenty of humans to perform those duties. We simply need to take them.”
“What about the cold?” Geega eyed the orc with a slightly impressed grin as they stepped into the keep’s main hall. “It sounds like it’s a common occurrence here.”
“Simply another trial for us to master. We’ve conquered Pa’palla’s oppressive heat, now we’ll do the same with Everhall’s cold.” He followed Geega into a room where a map of the continent hung from the wall. “Now where is this crafter.”
Geega hummed as he looked at the map. He pointed to the marker indicated by his [Intuition]. “There, Castle VuRant.”
“A castle.” Vysrek smiled. “I should find a place to settle first. That way, I can continue to grow my horde.” He pointed to a spot that was marked with an X. “What’s this Fort Cadarn?”
“A fort that fell some time ago.” Geega shrugged. “Apparently, it’s in such disrepair that it wouldn’t be worth manning.”
“Then we’ll head there.”
“And how do you plan to repair the fort?”
Vysrek’s eyes glowed with gleeful ambition. “With my dungeon core.”
Sierra sighed heavily as she walked through the village. In the three months since the Horde attacked, everything she’d known had completely changed. All the buildings were converted to stone bricks with the thatch roofs being supported by wooden shingles. The well, which used to be difficult to draw water from, now had was simple. There was still a hole, but now there was a metal pipe with a hand pump to draw water from. Even the cobblestone street she was walking down felt completely out of place. It was all so new that it didn’t truly feel like her home village.
“Is something the matter, Lady Sierra?” She yelped and turned to see one of Nathaniel’s flying minions hovering by her head. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine Seneschal.” Sierra nervously chuckled. “I was lost in thought.”
“Is there anything you wish to get off your chest?”
Sierra looked around. “I’m not used to how the village looks is all.” She gave the flying robot a slight smile. “I kind of miss the way it used to look.”
“I apologize if my renovations have disturbed you,” Seneschal replied, “Master Nathaniel asked that I fortify the village while he is away. So, I felt that the improved infrastructure was needed.”
Sierra nodded. Everything Seneschal said made complete sense, and yet she couldn’t come to fully appreciate the change. Despite the small number of residences, it was starting to feel more like a town than the homely village her father raised her in. Although, there were many villagers pleased with the change, particularly the youths, while the elderly felt the changes were unnecessary.
“I wonder how master will take to the changes?”
“Do you think Nathaniel will return?” Sierra eyed the robot skeptically.
“I’m eighty percent sure he’ll return,” Seneschal stated, “Granted, there is always a chance that something has gone wrong, but the chances of that are slim.” There was a slight pause as the robot gave her a passing glance. “I doubt master would want to miss your eighteenth birthday.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Sierra snapped trying to fight off her embarrassment.
“Because in his world, eighteen is the recognized age of adulthood.” Seneschal chuckled which caused her to glare at it. “So, I would recommend you start actively pursuing the master. Otherwise, another woman may steal him away.”
“So I should runaway to the capital?”
“No,” Seneschal sighed, “Just to the edge of town. He should be here shortly.”
Sierra watched the machine fly off, and she quickly ran after it. As she ran, she started feeling thankful towards the new road. She didn’t need to worry about mud splashing her dress, or tripping over holes. Instead, she could run as fast as she could, and as she approached the end of town, a cart came into view.
A warm smile came to her lips, and she couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping her lips. Ralia was clearly arguing with Bella. Both women held onto Nathaniel tightly, but Bella’s smirk was evidence she was winning the argument. Hope happily sat on Nathaniel’s lap, swinging her feet wildly as she rocked side-to-side, and Nathaniel sat there trying to keep his nerves in check. She was amazed that a young man was sitting in the bed of the wagon.
Hope smiled at her and waved wildly. “Sierra!” Her call caused everyone to look at her, and Sierra waved back.
As the wagon approached, Sierra smiled up at them. “Welcome home!”
“It’s good to be home.” Nathaniel smiled back. He gazed at the village with an approving nod. “Excellent work Seneschal.”
“Thank you, master.” Seneschal said with a hint of pride. “You’ll also be glad to hear that the core has reached level twenty-seven during your absence.”
“Excellent.” Nathaniel chuckled.
“Why don’t you stop by the tavern for dinner tonight?” Sierra said, fidgeting with her thumbs. “I’ll see to it that all your favorites are made, and it’ll be on the house, since you saved the village.”
“I’d appreciate it.” Sierra nodded as Nathaniel cracked the reins. Her smile grew at the sight of the wagon moving deeper into the village. Now that’s better.
Nathaniel pulled the cart to a stop at the front of the entrance. He was amazed that the stone road made it all the way to the dungeon’s entrance, and there was no longer the simple mine shaft. Instead, a large metal door sat where the old mine shaft used to. When he looked up, he could see Extractor Bots carving out the side of the cliff.
“This way master. I’ve seen to the creation of the garage while you were away.” Seneschal led him to a wide set of doors that slid apart. The wide room deserved the title of motor pool as it could fit dozens, if not hundreds, of vehicles thanks to the rotating bays. There was also a set of hydraulic jacks for vehicle maintenance, and a storage room for parts.
“You were busy.” Nathaniel laughed in wonder.
“I dedicated full resources to the implementation of Project Citadel.” Seneschal replied earnestly. “Now that you’ve returned, should I prioritize production again?”
“Both actually.” Nathaniel jumped down and pulled Krietsky to the side as Maintenance Bots started unloading the cart. “I’m now the lord of the village, and the King has accepted my control over the dungeon, but I’m expected to supply weapons and armor for the war.”
“Understandable.” Seneschal said as it led them through the dungeon. Krietsky stared in awe at the sleek metal halls. “Who is this master, another slave?” Krietsky glared at the flying robot.
“My apprentice actually.” Nathaniel chuckled, “His family exiled him for being a Potter, so I took him under my wing. I’m going to teach him how to make ceramics.”
“I see, then I shall begin constructing those facilities immediately.” The door to the dungeon core slid open, and they stared at the giant crystal in the center of the room. “I should also mention that while you were away, the DM skill [Mana Control] was unlocked at level twenty-five. I’ve been using it to decrease the respawn rate for the gold and silver vein I found within the mountain, but you should be able to use it control the energy coming from the core itself.”
“What does it do exactly?”
“It simply controls the energy output of the core to any node that the core is connected to. By decreasing or increasing the flow, you can control the time, quality, and quantity of the resource that the mana is going to.” Seneschal showed them a projection. Currently only two nodes were receiving mana. “I had all mana going to the gold and silver veins. That way, I could focus on leveling up the core while the Extractors were working on building out future rooms. I’ll now return the flow back to normal.” Nathaniel watched as multiple strands sprouted from the core to the other nodes.
“We shouldn’t need to rely on those nodes as much.” Nathaniel said, scratching his chin. “We should be receiving plenty of gold in the following days, so focus most of the energy to the nodes producing iron and magic crystals.” Four streams brightened. “Also, focus production on weapons and armor, and implement safeguards on all of them.”
“Acknowledged.”
“As of right now, this dungeon is to be operating at one hundred percent capacity.” Nathaniel took a deep breath. “I’m expected to join the war in spring. So, this winter is going to be extremely busy for us.”
“Of course, sir. Leave everything to me.”
“Also, send a message to Barin. I need to see him, and have several arcane bronze bars sent to my personal workshop.” He turned to Bella with a smile. “There’s something I need to do first.”