Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4)
Page 24
I straightened up in the chair. “What is it? Are we about to get attacked?”
“Probably not,” he said. “At least, not soon. One of the scouts I deployed outside the valley has just returned. He encountered goblins from another clan roaming the forest and spied on them. It seems a new clan has arrived in the area, and they took over some abandoned caves to the north.”
“Do we know how many are there?” I asked.
“No. The group he encountered was a food-gathering party of about 20 goblins. That would put their full size between one and two hundred.”
“What levels were they?”
“The scout reported them to be very weak. They found a Metalback Armadillo, but two of their numbers were killed before they could bring the beast down.”
I sat back and smiled. That was good news. A new clan meant another settlement I could conquer and make into a vassal, increasing my power. The low-level goblins would make excellent training for my new soldiers. Granted, they were level 1 – same as my new recruits – but a hob, especially one equipped with quality gear, was much stronger than a simple goblin fighter.
“There was something else,” Bob said. “Some of the goblins looked deformed.”
“What?”
He shrugged. “The scout wasn’t sure. He was quite a distance away but reported spotting weird … protrusions.”
“Weird,” I agreed.
“As unfamiliar as they sound, they are still too far and too weak to pose an imminent threat, Chief. What would you like us to do?”
It was already past midday. “First thing tomorrow, we’ll mobilize the new soldiers and march to take over the clan,” I said. I could already feel the feral side of me stirring in excitement for the coming battle. “But for today, send them to the temple.”
“Is it time for the naming ceremony already?”
“Soon. Very, very soon.”
***
I stayed sitting at the inn and brought up the Breeder’s Den Interface. The 2,700 units of basic food were still there, as well as 1,000 units of advanced and 250 exquisite food. Not a whole lot, compared to our stock of ingredients, but the inn’s new kitchen had only now been completed, and it was enough for my purposes. I queued in 10 hobgoblin lieutenants at the bargain price of 700 basic and 300 advanced food.
I considered my next step. I needed casters. I already had six goblin adepts in my clan, and they were the cheapest magical unit to summon. Adepts were like priests, able to either heal allies or curse enemies. But apart from Bek, the small goblin I nurtured, they were relatively weak. I needed something with a little more direct firepower. A hobgoblin adept cost 50 advanced and 30 exquisite food, and I had just enough food left to summon six of them. It was probably the more sensible option to take, but my eyes kept drawing toward the last available magical unit: Infernal Ogre Mage. At 150 basic, 100 advanced, and 50 exquisite food, those creatures were the most expensive in my arsenal, and there was no guarantee they’d be anything more than a beefier version of the goblin adepts.
“Screw that, I can afford to experiment.” I queued in two of the Ogres and two hobgoblin adepts, consuming my entire supply of advanced food for the day.
I was eager to go outside and examine the latest addition to my clan, but I resisted the impulse. I critically eyed the mug of wine Daimmen had just refilled. I was the chief, damn it. I could take my time to enjoy a good glass of wine.
Kaedric, I projected my thoughts. I just summoned some new soldiers. They’re all advanced units so we don’t need to name them. Have them wait for me in the arena.
I brought the mug to my lips and took another sip.
***
An hour later, I walked into the Dark Temple and took my place at its front. The hobgoblins stood before me in neat rows. The two new, normal Ogres at the back hulked over them. Four hobs stood apart from the rest. They looked younger and less muscular than the other ones. Taking a closer look at their information tendrils, I realized they were only level 0.
“These four were born not long ago,” Bob said, having noticed my scrutiny. “They only recently matured enough to join the ranks of the soldiers.”
“They still seem young,” I said.
Bob nodded. “They are, but they can wield weapons and train. Once they mature a little more, they’ll make fine soldiers.”
“Well, I think I have just the thing to help them along,” I said and motioned for the four to approach.
Then I started casting.
A faint shimmering glow surrounded the four hobs. As I continued chanting, a tendril extended out of each of them and streamed toward me. Touch of Decrepitude was a spell that drained the souls of its victims. It was designed to be used in rituals of demon summoning, but I had found a new use for it. The governing soul discipline level was 28, enabling me to drain a month of life every 32 seconds. Being at the novice rank also allowed me to cast the spell on all four of them at once, albeit at a substantial mana cost penalty. Nothing I couldn’t easily afford. After channeling the spell for the full 32 seconds, I felt the drained souls reaching a threshold and cut off the chant. I was down 1,500 MP, about a third of my total pool.
The soul energy filled me, suffusing my body with the stolen vitality.
Souls Drained!
Gain: +4 permanent HP
I studied the four hobs. They didn’t look any worse for wear. If anything, they stood taller, appearing more confident than before. They were now full-grown adults. I gestured for them to join the ranks of the other hundred soldiers.
“Alright, listen up,” I said authoritatively.
I winced, Vic’s sarcastic tone taking me down a peg. “You’re all here to protect and fight for the clan,” I said, taking in the vapid expressions of the mindless soldiers. “In a few moments, I’ll give each of you a name, and if Nihilator finds you worthy, you’ll become one of the eternal army. For as long as the GreenPiece Clan still stands, you will never truly die.”
I approached the shrine, drew out my dagger, and indicated for Bob to send over the first soldier. The hob approached me without hesitation, his expression dull. I made him lie on top of the shrine and announced, “I name you Birk!” Then I proceeded to grant him the Lucky Bastard skill.
The new skill conflicted with the simple soldier’s schema. Logic, luck, and life experience churned, battling for dominance in an attempt to reach a resolution. The soldier’s expression changed into one of amazement. He blinked a few times then rose from the shrine. “Thank you, Chief,” he said in a deep baritone voice. He was now a seeded NPC – an intelligent, self-thinking individual I could resurrect if needed. I tried not to dwell too long on the fact that I’d just basically given Shiva another puppet to play with. I’d already gone down that road and decided that as long as his ‘puppets’ served me well, I would use them to the best of my ability.
The next hob I named Glog, and he too joined Birk at the corner.
The third hob didn’t share the first two’s luck. As soon as I granted him the skill, his flesh started bubbling, and he began to scream. I froze him and plunged the dagger deep into his heart, ending his suffering.
Hobgoblin soldier sacrificed. +4 Faith Points (Cult of Nihilator)
I winced. Having to sacrifice my soldiers wasn’t a favorite pastime of mine, but at least this way, I made sure the soldiers’ deaths weren’t in vain. I was more worried that the third attempt failed. A 33 percent failure rate was pretty bad.
I didn’t have to worry so much. After naming all the hobs, a process that severely strained my creativity, only 22 failed to transform into intelligent individuals. As a side bonus, both Ogres survived the process as well. Now my clan supported an actual army of 152 warriors, which included bosses and magic casters. I was more than ready to take over a measly clan of mutated goblins.
“Bob, ge
t everyone here equipped and fed,” I instructed my lieutenant. “We march out in the morning.”
“Yes, Dire Totem!” Bob banged his fist over his chestplate.
I watched the newly named soldiers file out of the temple then I teleported to the barracks. I appeared at the edge of the arena, overlooking the pit.
Four figures were waiting for me inside. Two of them were Ogres, both level 13. At first glance, they looked similar to all the other simple Ogres I’d summoned. But then I noticed something that took me completely by surprise.
Holy crap!
I grinned in response. With Goblin’s Gorge as a level 4 settlement, I was allowed to promote up to 10 tier 1 bosses. Recruiting Ogre Mages was an easy way to fill that quota, but that wasn’t what had me so cheerful. As I’d discovered in Akzar, the quota limitation only applied to bosses I upgraded myself. I could always recruit and add existing bosses on top of that – as I did with Reiner, the goblin farmer lord I’d left in charge of Nihilator’s cathedral. I wasn’t sure Ogre Mages counted as recruiting external bosses. It was possible that once the clan’s quota was reached, I wouldn’t be able to summon them through the Breeder’s Den anymore, but I didn’t think that was a strong possibility. It was something I’d intended to test as soon as Gandork provided me with more food.
I focused on one of the Ogres. Analyze.
Skullscorch, Infernal Ogre Mage [Boss, Tier 1]
Level: 13
HP: 290
MP: 270
Attributes: P:14, M:13, S:0Skills: Powerful 1, Combust 1
Spells: Infernal Flames 1
Traits: Ogre Mage (+4P, M=lvl), Boss Boon I (5 HP & 10 MP per level), Shadow-Touched
Resistances: Armor: 30, Magic: 30%, Fire: 100% Background: Answering the call of a goblin Totem, Skullscorch’s soul clawed its way out of the depths of hell to sow terror and destruction on the material plane where he swore allegiance to his new master.
It was always nice to have new powerful minions who were automatically sworn to obey me. The other Ogre was called Flamebreath and was practically Skullscorch’s duplicate.
I studied the hob adepts next. They were not as impressive as the Ogres, especially since they were both level 4. One of them had the Rage spell that could be cast on allies and make them rage for six seconds. The other hob had a spell called Drought that dried up a small area. Overall, I was underwhelmed with the hob adepts, but I resolved to hold off final judgment until I saw them in a fight.
Well, no time like the present. They were, after all, already inside the arena.
“Listen up,” I said. “We’re going to have a little team event. Ogres, group up with a hob. You’ll fight each other as a team. There’s only one rule: An Ogre isn’t allowed to directly attack a hob.” The level disparity, as well as the significant gap in their strength, meant that a glancing blow from an Ogre would instantly defeat the smaller warriors. I wasn’t concerned with them dying – the arena’s training settings would prevent that – but I wanted to see what they were capable of before they’d be taken down. “Everything clear?”
“Yes, Chief,” they grunted back at me. The two teams separated to their sides of the arena and eyed each other warily.
“Begin!”
The two Ogres instantly went up in flames. One moment they looked like regular Ogres, the next they were both wreathed in black and red fire. They crashed into each other, ignoring the smaller hobs who inched away from the titanic clash.
The temperature rose significantly, and I felt it even from my higher vantage point. It didn’t look like the Ogres were doing much damage, as they were both immune to each other’s flames, and their fists weren’t inflicting much damage either. The hobs were sweating profusely, having been standing much closer to the raging flames than me. Then they started casting their respective spells. One of the Ogres suddenly bellowed a powerful roar as his body seemed to swell with power, and he fell on his opponent with renewed vigor, raining heavy blows on him. The other hob kept on chanting. I didn't know what he was hoping to accomplish since there wasn’t even a puddle around to dry.
His intention became clear a moment later when one of the wooden training dummies and the stack of spears near the other hob suddenly went up in flames. Having drained all the moisture out of the wood, it easily ignited from the heat the two Ogres were giving off. The nearby hob was caught unawares by the flames and cried out in pain. He started rolling on the ground, but the damage was done. He was reduced to 1 HP and was out of the fight.
Meanwhile, the rage duration had passed and the raging Ogre seemed to deflate, looking exhausted. His strikes came slower and slower. The other Ogre, who was reduced to half health by this point, took advantage of his opponent’s weakness and switched to the offensive. The hob-dryer grabbed one of the training spears and tripped the exhausted Ogre with it before it went up in flames. A few moments later, the fight was over. The victors stood proudly over their vanquished foes.
I clapped. “Well done!” I hadn’t expected that outcome. I was pretty sure the other team’s rage spell would win the fight for them.
The skirmish gave me new ideas on how to employ them in a real battle. The Ogre Mages had a lot of mana, but controlling fire seemed to be the only thing they could do – and I could see it drained a lot out of them. They were more like juiced-up, incinerating versions of normal Ogres. Nothing a few granted spells couldn’t fix.
I teleported down to the pit and put a hand on each of the Ogres, then proceeded to grant them my spells. I gave each of them Drilling Arrow, Mana Drain, and Mana Shield. I half expected the last spell not to take, as it wasn’t a Prime one, but it did.
At least there’s one good thing from the spell consolidation, I thought with satisfaction. Giving the hulking Ogres access to my most powerful defensive spell would make them even more formidable on the battlefield. I suddenly realized it would be a huge asset to all my other casters and made another mental note to grant it to each of them later. I couldn’t grant them the Direball spell since they lacked the required level for the governing discipline. Mana Infusion, likewise, also failed, and I realized it conflicted with the magical fire they already used.
“We’re done for now,” I said after the magical light show subsided. “Get some rest. You’ll join the raid tomorrow. Flamebreath, Skullscorch, report to Rhyno. Adepts, go find Bob.”
“Yes, High Priest,” the hobs murmured respectfully.
“Yes, Chief,” the Ogres grumbled brutishly.
I shook my head. “That will have to wait until we return from the battle.”
“I’m getting a little antsy sitting put,” I admitted. “I can spend weeks or months in the valley in preparation. But I want to go out there … see what we can do with an actual army.”
“That has nothing to do with it,” I said adamantly.
“Shut up, Vic,” I said tiredly. “I need to make sure I have the right idea with the direction I’m taking here. A hundred level 1 warriors will be a good test for that. You can call it a proof of concept.”
Vic chuckled.
“Sure,” I said casually. “But you’ll be leading them. Bucket of Jell-O an
d all.”
The little miscreant snickered.
“And why not?”
“Haha,” I said dryly. “I’m going to bed. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
I rolled my eyes and teleported to the first floor of my house. I removed my Vicloak and hung him on a peg. Then I teleported into my room, leaving him behind.
15 - Battle-ready
“Good morning, Oren,” a feminine voice whispered in my ear.
“Five more minutes,” I groaned and wormed myself deeper into the bed furs, trying to stay asleep.
Tika didn’t relent. “Wake up, my sweet chief. You’ll be very cranky if the army goes to war without you.”
“The one day you wake up early is the one I want to sleep in.” I sighed. “What’s the point of being the chief if I can’t sleep in when I feel like it?” I opened my eyes in annoyance at the smirking goblinette, but she resorted to playing dirty and gently caressed my sensitive goblin ears. “Ahhh …” I moaned as jolts of pleasure shot from the tips of my ears down to my toes. “That’s cheating.”
“Would you like me to stop?” she purred.
“Hell no.” I felt the corners of my mouth twist upward. “Five more minutes.”
She laughed a hearty, wonderful laugh and continued rubbing my ears gently. A few moments later I was all woken up and didn’t feel the least bit irritated anymore. The wily goblinette already had me all figured out. And damn, did she give one hell of an oo-mox.
“Breakfast,” I said.
Tika nodded, and we left the house headed for the clan’s new inn.