“Very good. Carry on, Sergeant,” I ordered, knowing that I would have very limited control over any defensive garrison forces. I was glad to see them here with my own forces so depleted. The fort would also provide a good fallback point if we ran into trouble.
I walked back inside and tried to activate the war table before being interrupted by a slew of soldiers entering and carrying furniture into my room. Private Blevins stood in the doorway, ordering around the other soldiers as they carried a small bed, nightstand, a writing table, a collection of rugs, and various storage boxes full of personal items.
“Just what is going on here, Blevins!?” I snapped at the private.
“Why, sir, I am moving my necessary kit into the room. I am required to share quarters with my commander in this rustic outpost. There is no reason to skimp on comfort. After all, I need to be mentally sharp and well-rested to execute my duties efficiently,” Blevins answered as if this was common knowledge.
I frantically tried to search the help tab for information on this. I didn’t really sleep in my quarters since the game would just refresh me after lying down for a minute or so, but I did not want to share what time I did spend in the quarters with Blevins. I started to kick the private out when the system stepped in.
You are not able to directly command forces of the defensive garrison unless the area is under imminent threat. Garrison locations and billet assignments are under the AI’s control.
“Clio, what are you doing to me?” I moaned to the nonresponsive AI as more soldiers entered and carried in artwork. Blevins moved about, directing them where to hang the art and where to place the overstuffed velvet-covered chair that he had acquired somehow. The private shooed away the other soldiers and sunk down into the soft chair. The despicable man grinned at me as he fiddled with a lever on the side of the chair, which then reclined to a more comfortable position.
The private began shuffling through a pile of paperwork, going about his duties without a care in the world. I had my sword half-drawn and was contemplating how much damage I could do to Blevins before I was arrested again. It might be worth it to go back to the arena if I had the pleasure of skewering the smug private.
I was saved from any unfortunate murderous impulses by one of my own men. “Sir, the Drebix commander Beremund has requested to speak with you.”
“Clear a path. Beremund wishes to speak with his battle brother Raytak,” Beremund said. Blevins rose from his plush chair to mount a protest.
“Back to your chair, clerk. Push your papers while the true warriors speak,” the blue-painted warrior said. Beremund pushed Blevins back into his chair, paying his protests no further heed. I was beginning to like the baresark even more and decided I needed to invite him over more often, especially when Blevins was around.
“My friend Raytak, I was just stopping in to let you know my people are returning to their lands. We have fulfilled our duty here, and I don’t want to have too many of my warriors away from their homes. This zone seems to have a nasty habit of hurling enemies toward us at the most inopportune times,” Beremund said.
“We are always honored to have you fight at our side. Safe journey, my friend,” I said as we clasped hands in friendship. As the warrior stepped from my office, I realized that I honestly did feel a new kinship with Beremund and his people. They had responded to the call and honored their commitment to the zone when they were needed most. The Gul Dorg would have likely won the battle and conquered the entire zone if not for the timely intervention of the Drebix forces.
I went back to the war table as Blevins muttered about “uncouth barbarians” under his breath.
War Table Interface. Select an option.
1. Defensive Garrison
2. Structure Upgrades
3. Equipment Upgrades
4. Auxilia Recruitment
It had been a while since I checked out the garrison in detail, and I wanted to peek at everything. I also still had to level- up, having hit level 11 after the battle against the Gul Dorg. First off, I selected Defensive Garrison, reviewing how many troops were now patrolling and defending the zone before I got into micromanaging my own stuff.
Defensive Garrison forces are deployed as follows.
Hayden’s Knoll: 2 platoons of Regulars, 1 squad of Scouts, 1 squad of Engineers (1 catapult team and 2 scorpion crews). These forces protect the town directly and patrol from the main roads in the southern area of the zone.
Southern Transition Point: 3 squads and 1 section of Scouts. The fortified transition point forces will stay within their assigned defensive area and do not patrol the roadways.
Crossroads Strongpoint: This important crossroads links the transition point, Hayden’s Knoll, and the road leading north to Holdfast. A small fort containing a garrison of 1 platoon of Regulars and a section of Scouts is housed here. Most of the forces are typically found out patrolling the roads, but at least 1 squad is always stationed at the fort itself.
Stonehold Mines: 2 squads of Regulars. The obligation to the Stonehold Clan of dwarves requires we contribute to the defense of this critical area and spawn point.
Holdfast: 2 platoons of Regulars, 1 squad of Scouts. The strategic town of Holdfast lies at the crossroads heading toward the transition points to the east and south. The garrison patrols the roadways and general area around the town.
The garrison forces were modest when considering the total area they had to cover. As I increased the main garrison level, the defensive forces would also automatically increase. Despite my lack of direct control over them, I was happy they were there. The defensive garrison’s main bonus was that it freed up all my own soldiers and allowed me to concentrate them into one force.
My exploration of the war table cut off suddenly and I began to feel weak.
Medical emergency detected! Disconnecting from the game environment in order to devote resources toward patient care. You are being disconnected immediately. Sorry for any inconvenience.
***
I awoke to find myself sitting at a small coffee table. The room was dark with a soft glow coming from a pair of candles set on the table. Across from me sat the grandmotherly avatar of the AI Clio, sipping her signature tea. The room lacked any other details, just the table, chairs, and occupants. Everything else faded into the darkness beyond the candlelight.
“So sorry for the abrupt transition, Colonel. I had to take emergency actions for your care,” Clio said as I began to become concerned that there was some problem with my real-world body.
“What’s going on, Clio? I thought the game was up whenever I was in the medpod. Has there been a malfunction or glitch of some kind?” I asked.
“If only it were that easy, Colonel. No, I’m afraid you died.” Clio paused and took a sip from her drink, ignoring my panic.
Thoughts raced through my head, first and foremost was that I would never remember my family. I had fought so hard to regain my memory. Was I now going to fade away so close to success? Was I ready to die? No, I still had too much to do, too much to remember before I could go.
“I should clarify. You died momentarily and the medpod has resuscitated you. You suffered cardiac arrest despite the repairs we had already completed. Your heart seems to be the weak point for you and is proving to be the main challenge I face in maintaining homeostasis throughout your systems.”
“So am I going to be okay? I thought the damage to my mind was the worst thing I was facing. I’m confused. What’s going on?” I asked as my mind tried to get around the idea that I had just died for a moment.
“You are correct that the damaged brain tissue and subsequent loss of memory were your main problems. Unfortunately, the repairs the nanobots previously made to your pulmonary artery gave out. I’m still researching why that happened.
“I brought you here because I wanted to explain what was happening to you, as I’m sure you experienced problems in-game when your one-second-long death occurred,” Clio added. Her normally comforting persona beca
me a bit creepy to me at that point. Who would tell someone that they just almost died while smiling and conversing like she was with the ladies at a tea party?
“I’m not sure they programed you with an appropriate bedside manner,” I mumbled. “So to sum up what I think you just told me, I had a heart attack and died, but I was resuscitated. I’m not in any immediate danger of death . . . right?” I asked.
“That is correct. The nanobots are repairing the breach in the artery even as we speak. I’ve requested additional doses of the nanobots during your next disconnect and medication refill. I’ll keep a group of them hovering in the troublesome area to watch for any other problems. The downside to all of this is that repairs on your memory will be completed at a reduced rate while more resources are directed toward your circulatory systems.
“Progress in your memory recovery will not stop, just be delayed a bit. Don’t be concerned. You should be fine,” Clio advised.
“‘Should be fine’ doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence, Clio, but I understand what you’re saying. Will I be going back into the game now?” I queried.
“Yes, I’ll send you back, unless you’d like to finish up your tea?” Clio asked.
“No, I think I’m good. Ready to get back to my troops.”
“Excellent, I’ll send you there momentarily. I do have another tea party planned for later today that I need to prepare for. Pleasant journeys, Colonel Raytak,” Clio replied as I began the process of logging back into the game.
Chapter 3
I woke up back in the garrison at Holdfast, lying on the rickety army cot that had been placed there. I sat up and began to regain my bearings. Unlike my normal return to the game after being pulled for medications, my mind felt foggy and it took much longer for my sense of feeling to return. I had become so used to the game feeling real to me that the delay in returning to normal was disturbing. Was this due to my medical emergency or perhaps due to the abrupt nature of my return?
“Sir, I see you have awakened from your morning nap. Is there anything I can get for you?” Private Blevins asked in an insincere manner, a dismissive scowl plastered on his face, just shy of being enough to dress him down for failing to respect an officer.
“No, Private, I’m fine. Get back to work,” I mumbled while walking back to the war table. After what had happened, I suddenly wasn’t in the mood for perusing menus and upgrades. I needed to get in the field and into action. I did activate one thing at the war table, however, I selected Holdfast as our respawn point for the time being.
“On second thought, Blevins, can you see that a message is sent out to Hayden’s Knoll for Sergeant Brooks and all my forces to return here at their best speed?” I ordered. To his credit, Blevins snapped to the task and quickly presented me with orders to sign. Once I signed the order, Blevins hustled out into the garrison and gave the message to a courier who began to run down the main road toward Hayden’s Knoll. System prompts began to pop up as I watched the messenger.
Messages sent from a Garrison Outpost to the Main Garrison are delivered by a fast courier. The courier will not tire or need to sleep and will move at the best possible speed to complete his task. Further upgrades to the Main Garrison will unlock mounts for faster delivery and eventually magical means to speed messages to their destinations. If the road a messenger is traveling on is under control of the Imperium, he will not be subject to attack. Should another force contest the zone, then messengers and the messages they carry are in danger of destruction or interception by hostile forces.
Quest Issued: Unite the Zone. Unite the entire zone of Hayden’s Knoll under the banner of the Imperium. All critical areas and respawn points must be held and all hostile factions subdued to complete this quest. The Imperium offers the olive branch of peace and prosperity or the cold steel of its legions.
Reward: Varied. Experience, gold, and resources will be awarded as you add more of the zone to Imperium control.
Penalty for Failure: Advantages and resources that should have gone to you will instead be provided to your enemies.
Accept Quest: y/n?
I quickly hit yes for the quest and was pleasantly surprised at the speedy messenger service. I was worried I would have to wait several days for a messenger just to get to Hayden’s Knoll, but if the messenger ran the whole way without stopping, it would take less than a day to reach the garrison. It should take even less time to reach Sergeant Brooks and his detachment, as they had only been gone a short while.
Walking out of the garrison, I noticed a couple of farmers working out in their fields. It was good to see the town coming back to life, and I wondered how big it would grow now that it was safe from assault. A memory returned from my time overseas in Afghanistan. I could see myself watching the farmers off in the distance from our forward operating base. It was comforting for me to sit in one of the observation posts and watch people going about their normal lives, seemingly untouched by the war brewing around them.
Our whole purpose as soldiers was to risk our lives to protect people such as these. It was a task that was too easy to fail in. I recalled seeing the same Afghan fields and the newly planted crops torn to pieces by mortar fire when insurgents attacked the base from that direction. We fought our foes and it is often the people we protected who paid the price.
I sent one of the soldiers manning the gate out to gather both the squads stationed in the town, confident that the full-strength defensive garrison soldiers would be enough to defend the town.
“Am I being too hasty about getting back into the field with limited forces and having not leveled?” I mumbled to myself.
“Yes, you are, sir. Thank you for asking my opinion. It would be rash for an experienced leader to not function to the best of his ability or to let emotions guide actions that should be driven by logic,” Private Blevins replied.
“Blevins! I wasn’t asking . . . Bahh . . . you’re right, Private. Carry on,” I said. I was angry at myself for acting rashly and even more angry at Blevins being right. The smug private went back to his forms, comfortable in his recliner.
Taking the time now to level and upgrade the garrison would give replacements time to respawn and let my other forces make their way back from Hayden’s Knoll. Opening the war table, I could see that leveling the garrison to level 4 would not be happening anytime soon. The cost was 2500 resources and 1000 gold; I currently had only 322 resources and 260 gold in the legion’s coffers.
I opened the recruitment center; the center had been upgraded as a quest reward from the battle with the Gul Dorg. I could now finally recruit auxiliary forces from my allies, giving me permanent attachments I could keep with my legion at all times.
Recruitment Options/Auxiliary Forces. Formations available: 1. Select one of the following formations to join your legion. Auxiliary units can be dismissed at any time and replacements of a different type ordered. Since these forces are not trained specifically in Imperium tactics, they follow their own methods of fighting. Choose wisely to strengthen your legion.
Available Formations:
Drebix:
Raider: These warriors are the backbone of a Drebix warband. They are equipped with light armor and weapons, favoring fast-paced hit-and-run warfare over large-formation battles. Formation includes 100 raiders.
Skirmisher: Skirmishers provide a fast-moving, short-ranged unit that is perfect for wearing down large formations of enemies, softening them for the rest of the warband to finish off. Formation includes 50 skirmishers.
Berserker: These elite warriors harness their fury to ignore pain and destroy their enemies. Hard to kill, they deal incredible damage to any foe they face. Formation includes 12 berserkers.
Shaman: The spiritual heart of the warband is also one of its most potent weapons. Shamans use their magic and totems to strengthen their forces, weaken their enemies, and unleash elemental fury. Formation includes 6 shamans.
Stonehold Clan:
Stonebreakers: The stout militia of th
e Stonehold Clan. These dwarves can hold a line as well as any other force in the Lands. Formation includes 100 stonebreakers.
Pathfinders: Scouts and ranged support troops. Excellent at both their tasks, pathfinders are feared by their foes. Formation includes 20 pathfinders.
Runesmith: Dwarven runesmiths are the magical support for the clan, able to fight as well as a stonebreaker in melee. The runesmiths prepare runes and empower them with various effects to benefit their clan. Formation includes 6 runesmiths.
Having fought with or against all the different forces available, I felt I had a good handle on their usefulness to the legion. I really didn’t need more melee fighters, as my soldiers were better at it than any of the forces offered. It could be argued the dwarven stonebreakers would be useful if we needed to fight underground, but that was too situational to waste my only auxiliary slot on. The fact that the auxiliary formations wouldn’t necessarily be trained to fight alongside my troops was also a strike against them.
I could always use more ranged support, and I had been impressed with the dwarven pathfinders and their multi-shot crossbows. I was less impressed with the Drebix skirmishers. The skirmishers didn’t really fill a role my troops couldn’t handle; the skirmishers’ javelins were no different than those my own soldiers wielded.
What I wanted to choose was a piece of the pie I hadn’t had much time to experiment with since I chose the Manaless trait—magic support. There were pros and cons to each of the magic classes offered, but I had found the most impressive of the choices to be the runesmiths. The shamans had done some admirable damage against the giant Gul Dorg master, but the runesmiths seemed to have had an answer to all the different problems we faced.
Runesmiths Formation selected. The runesmiths will leave their faction’s main location and travel to join your legion. Respawns will occur within your garrison at a rate of 1 runesmith every other day.
With the auxiliary forces taken care of, the next thing my troops needed was upgraded weapons. Our armor was fine for our level; the lorica segmentata I unlocked during my time in the arena was more than adequate for now. Where we were weak was in offensive weapons. The bronze weapons were only item-level 30, which would be average for a level 6 soldier, not a level 11.
Limitless Lands Book 4: Opposition (A LitRPG Adventure) Page 3