“Shall we continue with the clan’s inspection now, my lord?” Kaedric asked.
“Hold on,” I said. I was feeling giddy and wanted to start cashing in on my military-oriented capital.
Shifting my focus back to the Breeder’s Den interface, I considered my options. Ten thousand units of basic food would allow me to instantly summon 142 hob warriors or 66 Infernal Ogres. It was an impressive number, but I needed officers to shape them into an effective fighting force. My options were more or less limited to hob lieutenants, but I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to lead a squad of Ogres or Kobolds.
I had to give it a try.
Lieutenant required advanced food to recruit. And for a well-rounded fighting force, I also needed spellcasters for magical support. I had several options for spellcasters, but they all required exquisite food.
“Looks like Gandork is going to be extra busy.” I said to myself.
“My lord?”
“Please tell our cook to start producing advanced and exquisite food at a ratio of four to one.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Next, I had to consider equipment. There was little sense in recruiting a host of soldiers if I was unable to properly arm them.
I accessed the clan’s inventory tab and set the filter to ‘Weapons & Armor.’ The resulting screen was way too detailed, breaking down every type of weapon we had in storage. A little tinkering with the filter fixed that.
Inventory [Weapons & Armor]
● Arrows: 12,820
● Willow shortbows: 628
● Hob leather armor: 730
● Hob steel brigandine: 322
● 705 weapons (assorted)
● Hob shields: 21
● Ogre spiked mace: 8
● Ogre leather armor: 9
I was once again amazed by the amount of gear my goblins had produced in my absence. At first glance, it looked like we had enough to recruit roughly 600 ranged fighters and 300 melee warriors – 700, if I left half of them without armor. I frowned as I realized we were extremely lacking in Ogre gear. My clan boasted six Infernal Ogres, and we could only fully equip two more. That wasn’t nearly enough. In my dreams of conquest, I saw my armies spread from horizon to horizon, with battalions of hulking Ogres leading the charge.
Additionally, though at first glance the hob gear seemed plentiful, it had taken a full year to produce. By my estimation, our food stores allowed me to summon twice the number of fighters we could currently equip. I couldn’t wait another year to get enough weapons and armor for everyone. The equipment issue suddenly became a much more pressing concern. I made a mental note to address that soon.
It was time to summon the new batch of soldiers. The sooner they started training, the better. I used 7,300 of the food to queue in 100 hob warriors and 2 Infernal Ogres. Quite the test for the newly renovated building.
Horrific sounds of grunting and screeching instantly started to rise from the Breeder’s Den. I waited for a few seconds, then the leather flap covering the entrance was flung aside and a row of hobgoblins streamed out of it. The hobs quickly organized into four rows of 25 hobs. The sounds from the buildings changed, and a chorus of tortured cries was added. Then the door flap opened again, and two huge Ogres emerged, somehow passing through the much too narrow entrance.
I looked at my new troops. They were all wearing a simple loincloth. But something was wrong. The two Ogres were level 13, as expected, thanks to the +3 from capital's bonuses, but the hobs were all level 4. To my recollection, the default level for newly summoned hobs was 4, meaning they should have all been level 7. Something was wrong.
Yeah, I got that, I didn’t really think it was the game that was telling me I can summon as many puppets as my heart desires. What that has to do with the grunts’ levels?
What are you talking about, Vic?
Breeder’s Den restoration completed!
Partial success: due to the lack of a rank 3 metal, restoration was only 98% complete, incurring a penalty.
Penalty: Summoned hobgoblins default level reduced by 3
“Shadow crap,” I muttered. It didn’t occur to me there might be a problem with the restoration effort. Still, the capital bonus counteracted the penalty, so all in all, I didn’t feel too bad about it.
I’d have to see about fixing this problem later on. Right now, it was time to address the new troops. Despite Shiva’s new regime, they were still generic unnamed soldiers.
“Welcome to the GreenPiece Clan,” I said loudly. “I am your chief. Your task for today is to walk around the clan. Talk to everyone you meet, travelers especially. At the end of the day, you will come to the temple, where we will hold the naming ceremony.” Where some of you will be sacrificed for the betterment of the clan, I didn’t add out loud. Allowing the mindless soldiers to roam around the clan and engage with others would help them develop a unique personality, increasing their chances of surviving the ceremony.
“YES DIRE TOTEM!” the throng of warriors bellowed before dispersing to follow my orders.
I grinned back at my empowered troops. Some days, it was very good being the chief.
“Alright, Kaedric,” I said. “Where to next?”
“The barracks, my lord.” The fat hob pointed at the sizable structure behind the mess hall.
We didn’t take more than a few steps before the Minotauress moved in to block our way, looking down at me with a huff.
“Hey Duladeen,” I greeted the vexed smith. “How are you?”
“Where is my smithy?” she demanded. “It’s been three days since you promised to build me one. Instead of working, I’ve been twiddling my thumbs. I can’t even work in that primitive smithy you already have – I’ll tear the roof off with my horns if I try to fit in.”
I winced. “You’re right, I apologize. We’re going to take care of it right now. Follow me.”
She gave me a weird look. “Take care of it, how? I saw your builders; they are working all over the settlement.”
“You’ll see,” I said and motioned for her to follow. We walked past the barracks, toward the area that housed the workshops, the smithy, and the Dreamer’s Lodge. I waved my hand over the area. “Where do you want your advanced smithy to be built?”
She gave me a vacant look. “There’s no need to build a new building from scratch; you can simply upgrade your current smithy. It will have enough room for me and several other blacksmiths. This way I can get easy access to ingots instead of having to cast them myself. Barzel, your goblin smith, is competent enough to take care of that part.”
“Alright.” I nodded. “Kaedric, please ask Zuban to start the advanced smithy upgrade.”
“Done, my lord.”
I could sense the clan’s information shift slightly as the new construction project queued in. I accessed the construction tab from the Settlement Interface, clicked on the project, and selected ‘Rush.’
Rush Advanced Smithy for 1,200 EP? Yes/No
I approved the prompt.
With a flash of magic, a ghostly visage of the new structure materialized over the existing smithy. A flow of wood, stone, and other resources came flying through the air from the nearby construction yard and fitted themselves over the visage. Duladeen’s jaw dropped, and she stared in amazement at the building as it constructed itself in front of her eyes. A few seconds later, it was all over.
Building upgraded: Advanced Smithy
“Here you go,” I said pleasantly to the flabbergasted Minotaur. “I think you will find everything in order. If not, let me know, and I’ll take c
are of it right away. Now, I believe you promised to forge me some glassteel armor.”
“I remember,” she said. “You wanted heavy armor for your soldiers. I’ll get right on it. Shouldn’t take more than a few days.”
“Great,” I said and turned away from her. “Have fun!”
I’d been spending a lot of energy lately. As we walked toward the barracks, I directed my thoughts at the surrounding information tendrils. We had exactly 490,000 EP, a tremendous amount, though I had expended nearly as much in just a few days.
“Bob and Hoker are still waiting to speak with you, my lord,” Kaedric reminded me. “We should also revisit the state of the workshops, discuss the lodging problem and the food situation.”
“The food situation? Last I checked we had tens of thousands of spare ingredients.”
“The soldiers you recently summoned need to eat. Even with the dark blessing that reduces upkeep by half, it’s still a substantial amount. As a result, our daily gain of meat has been reduced by 23 percent.”
“Shadow-crap,” I muttered. It had completely escaped my mind that every soldier I summoned reduced the amount of available food my clan generated. At some point, with enough soldiers, all our daily gain would go toward sustaining my army. I could only increase our food production by a certain amount. Our valley was approaching the upper limit it could support.
There’s so much to do! I thought with a touch of desperation. It’d been four days since I returned to NEO. Things were progressing, but getting everything up and running was an involved and grueling process.
Inn construction completed!
“My lord?” Kaedric asked as I turned away from him and decisively made my way toward the newly completed building. “Where are you going?”
“We’ll continue this later,” I said.
It was time for a break.
14 - Brew & Brimstone
“Dire Totem!” Gandork cried in delight when he saw me enter. “This is a marvelous establishment! The kitchen is four times larger than before!” He pointed to a newly constructed room where his old kitchen used to be.
“Glad you like it.” I smiled at him and looked around.
The common room had been expanded, so despite the larger kitchen, there was more floor room than before. A long wooden bar bordered the entrance to the kitchen, and an empty bottle rack covered the entire wall behind it. A goblin carpenter, who I remembered recruiting just before escaping the game, was busily working on a new dining table.
“Ah, my new employees!” Gandork beamed as five goblin workers entered the inn. They were all simple workers; a couple of servers, a baker, and a washer. It seemed Kaedric had found a few more job openings for the workers I’d brought from Akzar. “Give me but a few moments, Dire Totem, and I will make you a feast the likes of which you’ve never seen!” The excited cook quickly ushered the goblins into the kitchen and made to follow them.
“Hold on,” I said and waved an arm in the direction of the large open bar. “Who’s going to man this place and take care of customers?”
“That would be my job, Chief,” a deep voice answered. Daimmen entered the inn, looking around with appreciation. His daughter, Lolo, followed him in. “This is a fine building,” he said approvingly. “Once the carpenter finishes working on chairs and tables, we should have him build beds and closets for the rooms upstairs. Then we’ll need to bring in some quality alcohol.” He gestured at the empty bottle rack.
“I trust your judgment,” I said with a smile. I didn’t mind the hob taking charge of the place. He was an experienced innkeeper, and his previous establishment was known as one of the best in Akzar.
“I will make sure the place is up and running in no time.” Daimmen rubbed his hands with anticipation. “We’ll soon have hordes of customers, and the gold will be pouring in.”
“Ah … we’re pretty isolated over here,” I said. I didn’t want to curdle his enthusiasm, but I wanted him to have realistic expectations. “We’re using the place mainly to feed the clan.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “There are over a dozen travelers in the valley, and we’re the only inn around. They’ll work hard to be able to afford eating and sleeping here, you’ll see.”
“They eat here for free,” I said warningly.
He didn’t seem intimidated by my tone. “They can eat the grub with the rest of the workers, but I know travelers. They’ll soon want something more, and they’re going to have to pay for that.” He crossed his arms as he met my gaze.
“That’s alright,” I said. “Just as long as they don’t go hungry.”
“I have already spoken with Gandork,” he said. “We have an understanding. He’ll provide food for the clan and supply the needs of the Breeder’s Den, but other than that, he’ll cook what I tell him to. Now please have a seat, Chief. I insist you be the inn’s first customer.”
I chuckled. “Alright.” Looking around, I saw that the carpenter had already finished a table and several chairs, so I claimed one and sat down.
I flinched slightly as Lolo approached wearing a beaming smile. Back in Akzar, I had the girl secretly poisoned, then I offered to cure her as a way to incentivize her father to join my clan. Once he did, I simply let her die then resurrected her on the spot. Though the girl looked perfectly happy now, my actions still weighed heavily on me. Especially now that I had a daughter of my own.
Lolo continued smiling as she cleaned the table with a piece of cloth. She must have used a skill because the table shone as if it had just been polished. Daimmen approached me next and put a simple clay mug in front of me. He took out a bottle of wine and poured it in the mug. “I’m afraid clay dishes are all I have at the moment,” he apologized. “I’d commission some glass dishes or even crystal ones, but Goblin’s Gorge doesn’t have a crafter capable of making them.”
“Once the gremlin merchants return, you should be able to buy some.” I indicated the bottle. “Where did you get this from?”
He raised the wine. “This is one of the few things I brought from Akzar. It’s very expensive. Give it a try.”
I brought the cup to my lips and sipped the amber liquid. It was sharp and tangy with a hint of flowery sweetness. “Excellent,” I said, raising my mug.
He beamed at me. “It’s almost like I’m back at The Dancing Shade.”
“You’ll have this place up to your old inn’s standards in no time,” I said. “What would you name it?”
He cocked his head. “You will allow me to name your inn?”
“It’s your inn now. Your choice.”
He bowed his head. “I’m honored, Chief. Thank you.”
I glanced at the much happier-looking hob. “So what will you name it?”
He hesitated for a moment then glanced at his daughter. “How about The Smiling Lass?”
I guffawed. “Perfect. I like it.”
Gandork approached, carrying a steaming bowl filled with some sort of a glowing liquid.
“What the hell is this?” I frowned at the radioactive-looking dish. It was still bubbling.
“Try it.” Gandork said. “It’s my new creation. Fish soup with vegetables, glowing lichen, and a touch of magmashroom to keep it hot.”
I grabbed the spoon. I blew to cool off the soup, but it kept on bubbling.
“I’ve added a dash of fire resistance potion to counteract the heat, Dire Totem,” Gandork said. “I assure you, it is quite safe.”
I shrugged and shoved in the spoon. An explosion of flavors erupted in my mouth. Hot and rich, spicy, and creamy. The soup went down my throat sending a sense of heat and power throughout my body. “Damn, Gandork, it’s your best one yet. Can we use it as a new exquisite food type for the Breeder’s Den?” I could feel the surge of power radiating outward and realized the soup also doubled as a weak type
of mana potion.
The fat goblin cook shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I was playing with the new glowing lichen ingredient and came across this result by chance. The amount and cost of ingredients don’t make it a viable recipe for mass production.”
“Ah, too bad, it tastes wonderful,” I said.
“Wait till you try the new oxsaurian steaks!” he said excitedly. “The original recipe was called ‘Elephant Steaks,’ but I adapted it. I have the first batch marinating in the kitchen.”
“The new butcher is working out well?”
“Oh yes. It’s not even the end of the day, and he’s already supplied me with over 30 pieces of fine-cut meat. Enjoy your soup, Dire Totem. I’ll have the steak brought out for you in a few minutes.”
I spent the next while enjoying the glowing soup. The innkeeper and his daughter were busy arranging their new inn, and Kaedric wisely remained outside, letting me enjoy the moment. Once I finished the soup, a goblin server brought a platter with a huge steak. It was tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I nearly moaned as I chewed on the marvelous piece of meat. It also matched nicely with the wine.
The door to the inn opened, and Bob stepped in. He looked around, saw me, and made his way over. I sighed. It seemed like break time was over.
“Dire Totem,” my lieutenant said respectfully.
“I know, I know,” I said. “You wanted to speak with me. I was going to swing by.”
“There were some issues I wanted to discuss, but an urgent matter has come to my attention, and I felt it was best to let you know of it as soon as possible.”
Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4) Page 23