They went over the new armor, it wasn’t that much more advanced than their current armor. The carrier other than the collar was the same as what they used already. In public they used simple apprentice armor to make people think that their gear’s level was lower than it was.
“It might not be stronger than the armor we have right now, maybe even weaker because it doesn’t have the reinforcing formations, but the way it’s used,” Bolton shook his head.
“Smart, just smart, taking what we have already and then giving it a much greater capability,” Bai Ping held his chin and was looking at the armor as their two squads were studying it.
After a few minutes, the VIPs walked back over.
“Questions?” Domonos asked.
“What is the range that we can link to other sets of armor?” One of Bai Ping’s men asked.
“About forty to fifty meters depending on terrain,” Qin said.
“If you’re underground then it will be cut down severely unless you’re all in the same area,” Julilah added.
“Though There are plans to seed Expert level linking plates among the companies. not just with the leadership. Have a few sergeants, corporals even privates with them, spread them out to make sure that the network of armor is always linked,” Glosil said. “Those command level plates will link together with all sets of armor within a four hundred to five hundred meter radius. Meaning that all armor within that range will stack their buff on top of one another.”
The men and women started to chat among themselves as Domonos cleared his throat, making the room become silent once more.
Bolton raised his hand.
“What about the slimmed down versions of the armor, like what the special teams use? With just the short plates for the front and back as well as side panels? Why are we using this larger clunkier set of armor?”
“This is a prototype, we are using old armor plates to test it out first. It is our plan to use the new slim design armor plates in the future once we have a finished formation socket and formation design,” Qin said.
Domonos looked around for more questions, seeing there were none he stepped forward, looking at the two squads and their leaders.
“Your two squad’s task is to test that hell out of this thing. I want to know its strengths, weaknesses, ways to use it, formation combinations you think are useful. How it operates with the area effect formation systems. Based on the information that you are able to give us, it will allow us to develop theses systems to be used by all of our forces.”
Bai Ping, Bolton and their people all stood a bit straighter if the gear passed, or failed and how it was utilized would be aided with their efforts. Their brothers and sisters would be relying on this equipment, they had to make damn sure that it was the best equipment they could currently use before it ever saw a battlefield.
Chapter: Lord’s Return
Erik looked out from his ‘room’. His bedroom was the size of most apartments back on Earth. Thankfully the bed was normal sized. He had pulled out gear, putting it to the side, cleaning it and working on it.
He had reloaded his magazines and organized his gear in his storage rings so he was ready to fight at any time.
He looked down at his clothes. His brown shirt and grey pants were showing a lot of wear and tear, they were only Apprentice grade and with his movements in a fight, while his skin could take the rubbing and falling, his clothes were much weaker, falling apart faster.
He looked over to the Academy that was housed in a portion of the Castle District. The district was truly massive. It fit the academy, the administration offices of Vuzgal and two Combat Company’s with plenty of room to spare.
His eyes moved to Vuzgal, it had grown once again, rapidly increasing.
“Things keep on changing around here, looks like the retirement fund is doing good,” Erik stretched and turned from his windows, walking across his massive bedroom and heading for the heart of Vuzgal-the administration offices.
Erik scratched his beard as he was walking, looking at all of the people moving from one place to the next, the frantic and panicked movements he had seen among the staff when Vuzgal had started to build out their administration were toned down. People knew what they were doing, they had direction.
People glanced at him but kept on going, frowning at the unkempt hair and beard.
Erik grinned as he kept walking, he passed different people, heading to the heart of the beast.
“Sir, do you have an appointment with someone?” A receptionist asked as Erik was walking past her desk.
“Nope, just here to bug Hiao Xen,” Erik smiled.
“Acting City Lord Hiao Xen is a busy man,” the woman said, raising her voice as people looked over and she looked down on Erik.
“Yeah, don’t want him getting into trouble now,” Erik smiled.
The woman seemed to be confused as Erik continued walking and waved to her.
“S-stop! You can’t go on!” The woman said.
Erik turned and looked to her, then looked down at his storage rings.
“I look like some pawnshop owner from New York,” Erik looked through the storage rings as the woman marched around the desk in front of him.
“If you want to make an appointment with Hiao Xen you need to talk to one of us and then we can talk to his assistant to book you in, he is a busy man and his schedule is filled most days.” She said as Erik kept rummaging.
“One second,” Erik kept looking.
“You,” the woman coughed as Erik didn’t pay attention.
“If you continue to make a scene then I will have no choice but to ask you to leave,” the lady said.
“There it is,” Erik held out a medallion.
The woman seemed to be shaking in anger as she glanced at the medallion, back and then stared at it as her face changed to pure white.
“T-this,” the woman said.
“Don’t worry, I know the layout,” Erik said. “Good work, but sometimes just need to give people some time to sort themselves out.”
He turned and walked past her.
The woman numbly walked back to her counter and Erik could hear her colleagues talking to her in hushed tones.
“What was that medallion? Why do you look so pale?”
“I-it was the City Lord’s medallion.”
“What? How can that be? He is a city lord? How can that be?”
Come on, the beard’s a bit rough and the hair is long but it’s not that bad, right?
Erik tried to push his hair into a better form as he walked through the halls. People continued to stare at him, their expressions turning into panic as he reached Hiao Xen’s reception.
“Hey Dougie, how are things?” Erik asked as he walked up to the desk. The young man looked more refined, his hands expertly moving over papers, highlighting things and continuing on.
His hands faltered as he looked up, his frown turned into a look of confusion.
“Erik?”
“Come on, the beard isn’t that bad. Is he busy?” Erik asked.
“Uhh,” Damien tilted his head to the side and shrugged.
“Alright, I’ll get a damn haircut,” Erik rolled his eyes.
“He doesn’t have any meetings for another two hours, he’s all yours,” Damien said and tapped a button under his desk.
The door unlocked.
“Thanks man,” Erik pushed the door open and then pushed it closed as Hiao Xen looked up from his papers.
“Erik?”
“It’s just a beard. Is it so hard to figure out who I am?” Erik muttered and walked over to the desk that had expanded and was covered in all means of information books. There were several enchanted pens that were writing words on different pages as Hiao studied Erik and Erik studied him.
“How have you been?” Erik said and opened his arms.
Hiao Xen stood up and hugged the other man with a smile.
“Busy, very busy, though your people are very good at their jobs,” Hiao X
en said as he released Erik and guided him to a set of couches.
“Which people?” Erik asked.
“Oh, the people from the Adventurer’s Guild, Trader’s Guild, Military, Police, Academy, Bank,” Hiao Xen said.
Erik shrugged and sat down. Already some people saw the connection between the different guilds and departments of Vuzgal. It wasn’t unusual for traders to work together and different groups to form a deal. Everyone and every group had their secrets, it would be uncommon if they didn’t.
The truth of Alva will come to the surface at some time, by then hopefully we have enough strength to take charge of our own destiny instead of having someone lording over us and telling us what to do.
“Don’t worry, not many people have picked up on the different groups. They operate independently after all, but they interact with one another on a level as if they are united or connected by something. I can only see it from where I sit. I am sure that the different associations are starting to put things together if they haven’t already,” Hiao Xen pulled out tea and two cups, serving Erik.
“What will the associations do knowing that we work together?” Erik asked.
“The associations won’t care, as I have said before, even if Vuzgal is attacked, unless they lose out on the deal with the new person moving in, they won’t lift a finger. They are a neutral party in all of this, Though they record and take note of everything,” Hiao Xen passed the tea over to Erik.
“Thank you,” Erik said and smelled the tea, sipping on it.
Hiao Xen pulled out a letter and placed it on the table. It had a complicated stamp of what appeared to be wax sealing it shut.
“This was left behind by someone from the Sha,” Hiao Xen said as he pushed the letter over.
Erik’s motions stilled as he looked from the letter to Hiao Xen.
“It is safe but I don’t know what is written inside. A lady came to Vuzgal, she was here for a while, studying and learning, but she didn’t create any issues, there are many such people in Vuzgal. Then she came to the gates with a recommendation and meeting made by the Blue Lotus and introduced herself as a messenger from the Sha.
“I met with her and she said that her master is interested in Vuzgal and its people. It piqued his interest. She gave me this letter to pass onto the city lords. From what I can tell, her master, is the Marshal.”
Erik set down his tea and picked up the letter. He looked at the seal that had a fleur-de-lis on it. He took out a knife and opened the letter, reading it.
“Complete this test and then I will debate if we can work together or not. Bring me a sample of your gunpowder.”
Erik sat there and read the few lines again.
==========
Quest: The Marshall
==========
The Marshall, leader of the Sha Clans has extended an invitation to you
==========
Requirements:
Reach level 60 and ascend to the Seventh Realm
Head to the Sha Clan headquarters
Provide a sample of Gunpowder.
==========
Rewards:
EXP
==========
It sounds simple, and it is, but to know what gunpowder is, they must be from Earth and they are testing me to see if I am as well. They also know about our weapons being related to theirs. If I bring them gunpowder, what do they want? Do they want us to make more of it? Do they want to take it for themselves? He wants me to bring it to him, he only sent one person, there must be others in the shadows watching. To reach him, then whoever meets him has to be at least level sixty. Then there is the fleur-de-lis which is a French symbol, I’ll have to check but I don’t think that it is a common symbol in the Ten Realms
Erik put the letter in his storage ring with a complicated expression on his face.
“Something wrong?” Hiao Xen asked.
“Nothing. Just confused by what I read, if I think about it too much then it just becomes more complicated. Best that I keep it in mind but no need to worry about it now. Got enough to do,” Erik said.
Hiao Xen nodded and didn’t pry any further.
“You seem to have advanced again. Your rate of improvement puts me to shame!”
“Fighting allows one to advance faster, but it is not an easy path,” Erik said as he drank from his tea.
“No, it is not and I like the world of business and management. Are you interested to hear of the changes that have occurred since you have been gone?”
“Might as well get into it,” Erik leaned forward and looked at Hiao Xen.
Hiao Xen cleared his throat and began telling Erik of everything that had happened in Vuzgal in the last few months.
Chapter: Alva Production
“So what are you all doing in Vuzga? Shouldn’t you be down in Alva?” Rugrat asked Taran. Tan Xue, Julilah and Qin.
“Well we’re all working on a new project together, the Conqueror armor,” Tan Xue said.
“Conquerer armor?”
Taran quickly explained it to him.
“We’re also working on the stacking arrays too,” Qin added.
“With those kinds of buffs, with all of our forces working together and we can increase the range. that will be some scary buffs,” Rugrat said. “Good work!”
“We are running into a problem though. There are fewer people that want to work on Journeyman level gear. Everyone wants to work on higher-level gear so that they can get experience and increase their skill level,” Taran complained.
“I know that only too well,” Rugrat said.
“What happened?” Tan Xue asked.
“Expert level smith, I just can’t get there,” Rugrat admitted.
“It can take a lot of time to get there,” Taran comforted him.
“Reaching the Expert level in crafting is no longer about copying what others have done before but doing your own thing. Creating your own path instead of copying others. I thought about making something similar to a rail gun but it just melts apart,” Rugrat said. “But enough about me, this project of yours sounds interesting, we need more people to help out. I can lend a hand if you need it?”
“You’re diverting, this isn’t just some small problem you’ve run into, its something that is messing with you and annoying you,” Tan Xue said.
“Well worrying about it is not going to make me an Expert,” Rugrat said, a bit of heat entering his voice.
“I’m not saying that,” Tan Xue gave him a hard look.
“Sorry, just frustrated you know?”
“We’ve all been there lad,” Taran said patting his shoulder.
“So, these new sets of armor and formations, how are you producing them?”
“We’re creating two new modified manufacturing lines in the weapons factories. We are already producing more armor plates than we have soldiers who require them. The spare plates we are using to test out our new production line. Creating those factory lines bends the damn mind,” Qin said.
“Once we have the lines modified then we can create as many sets of armor, and new formation plates as we need,” Julilah said.
“Gets us all back to working on our own crafts,” Tan Xue said.
Rugrat held his chin, frowning and biting his lip.
“Something has been annoying me for a long time. Why don’t other people set up assembly lines? Most crafters just do enough items to increase their abilities and increase their skill, grinding out weapons to get higher.”
“Creating the first piece of armor, creating the factory line, it takes a lot of time. You know how the first time you make a new weapon you get the most amount of experience and it is less the further you progress. That is why weapons are rated by the rank of the forger, the higher their level and the level of ability they use on the item, the higher the item’s power. Copying others designs teaches us the basics. producing our own genuinely own items, we have a greater growth that can change how we do everything,” Taran said.
“So e
veryone is so driven to increase their crafting level that they only create items that will increase their overall crafting ability?” Rugrat asked.
“Pretty much. Factories aren’t a big thing. because say a sect is producing a sword, they have all of their students making the sword, some are bound to come up with modifications and updates. The sect will always have that sword and different deviations of it. Their factories are their students. As their students increase in power, it gives rise to the entire sect as they have a stronger person that can assist the sect gaining access to more resources and channels that would have been closed to them before,” Tan Xue said.
“The main reason we use factories is due to the low numbers we had previously and our requirements to create massive numbers of equipment. Our population is exploding and people are coming up with new ideas and plans all the time, developing Alva at an incredible rate!” Qin said.
“How many of those ideas were mass-produced?” Rugrat asked.
“They are only mass-produced if the traders see a demand for it in the market and the crafters of the schools are unable to fulfill them. The cost to have people take time off of school and their craft to build factory equipment is high. People say that the best time for one to develop is while they are young so plenty of people are looking to push themselves up the ranks of crafting and reach their peak before settling down,” Qin said.
“That’s fucking stupid,” Rugrat blinked as the others all gave him bizarre looks.
“Well come on, its not as if we stop damn well learning? Does that mean that people over a certain age are already declining there is no way for them to push on? Like think about that? I started smithing in my thirties I am now thirty-four and I have more ideas than ever before. Maybe in sects and places where there is only a limited education,, that might be a thing. If you are told ‘follow this path, this is the only path and you will reach a great height’ most will follow that. We don’t have a path so we’re always removing old paths and creating new ones, there is no one way to the higher realms or to higher crafting.” Rugrat shook his head. “With that system people have determination, they have willpower, but it doesn’t matter. If you go up a steep incline and every one hundred meters, a hundred pounds is added to your back and you can only go that one route, you will fail eventually. Some sects might give you better paths where the incline or the weight is lower. We just point to the mountain and say pick your gear, adjust your weight. Don’t just blidly run up the hill, take your time. As people learn then that weight gets less, the incline a little less steep. It might be slower, but they can get much higher than the person taking the steep incline.”
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