Chapter 4: Second Phase

2700 DP for invader’s entry 1800 for killing the leaders and an additional 2200 for the followers. Each death was worth double of the entrance value. There was also an additional 700 for chasing the remainder soldiers out. 7400 earned points with a loss of one Soldier, four Battle Slaves and fourteen out of thirty sentries. Soldiers are golden. The Battle Slaves weren’t bad either I thought. All in all, my troops did amazingly. Fuck! ... Pila ... Sigh...

I admitted to myself that it was 100% my fault that she died. I would have to be more prudent in the future.

With the points I summoned a Feran Mage, a Mage Library and three Feran Soldiers for 6000 DPs. I commissioned twenty more sentries to be built for an additional 500 DPs. After paying for all that plus housing and four Battle Slaves, yesterday’s DP gains were depleted.

I assigned the odd Soldier to Sun as her new partner. I asked Jessica to settle in Wen and Kola and waited for the Mage to appear.

A redheaded girl my age stepped through a rift and appeared before me. Looking eerily akin to Sun, just younger, she bowed with her eyes on my chest the whole time until I had her rise. A plain, but reliable face and though thinner and less muscled than the grieving soldier, the similarities were everywhere.

“My Lord, Mage Evenglow at your request.” She introduced herself.

That was different than the Soldiers, I wondered what it meant. “Mage Evenglow, thank you for coming. We are here to set up an outpost. You are an early arrival.” Her face fell, expecting squalid conditions. “I have an accommodation set and a basic Mage Library for your use.” That last part perked her up enough to cause her eyes to sparkle. Something about her seemed young, even younger than I, even though I suspected that she was much older. Maybe two to three times older than me, though she looked and felt younger. Mage Evenglow left me with an uneasy feeling. Unlike the Soldiers she didn’t mask her expressions. That would, hopefully, help me deal with her.

“Would you tell me the spells at your disposal?” That phrase took me all day yesterday to parse. I thought that with the officers and higher ups I would have to be more formal and eloquent. I practiced.

“My Lord, I have Armor, Lightning, Glow, and Enchant for your use in battle.” That phrase sounded rehearsed too. Or maybe it was formulaic. Couldn’t tell the difference.

“Would you tell me how Enchant works?” I could figure out the rest.

“Enchant can be used on Mechanics to strengthen their attacks. Advanced Enchant is permanent while the basic spell lasts but hours. I do not have knowledge of any Advanced spells. Advanced Enchant is also a requirement for higher Mechanics to be produced.” She stated precisely.

Ooh, advanced knowledge and things to work on. “Come with me, I will give you a tour of the base.” She followed at a step behind and to the left. I preferred that she walked next to me but something told me not to mention that now. I had time. I hoped.

The new Mage Library, I hadn’t seen yet, but it held hundreds of books. I knew I would be spending time in here too. Just not as much as Mage Evenglow, who would probably live there. “If you need anything please ask.”

“I will do what I can, My Lord.”

“Also, I will assign five Slicers and one Atticus to your service. Feel free to experiment but remember they too are part of the base defense and supplies are limited.”

Once the newly summoned settled in, I started raiding again.

Wen and Kola went into the forest to map and acquire anything they could get their hands on. Standing Rule #1 was do not get caught nor die. Their lives were the highest priority. None of my Soldiers liked that, but tough. I only had six Soldiers and they were all precious to me.

Jessica and Sun’s teams went back to the village and farmsteads to raid. The last sets were very productive. I approved of two more female slaves too, and gave them pretty much free reign on the rest of their outdoor activities. I was learning to trust.

Mage Evenglow needed supplies. A new choice became un-grayed and for a reasonable price of 10 DP, I willingly agreed.

Still angry at Pila’s loss, I sent Jessica’s and Sun’s team to go steal horses from the invading soldiers. As many as they could easily handle, and if they could get tack even better. If not, don’t worry about it. The Rules were; one; preservation of their lives, as always, two; the horses, three; don’t kill anyone and four; the tack. They returned three days later with the seven horses and tack for three.

The village teams then were alternated in assignments; foraging in the forest, raiding the village and farmsteads, holding one back for defense of the dungeon.

There were no real opponents for the first two weeks. On the third week a +10 +10 +10 flashed on my Menu which caused me some worry but I didn’t recall any of the teams. Two more +10 DPs came a minute later followed by a +150 DP. That also answered a question on how to get more points. The guard at Horta that they killed didn’t give any points. I guessed that they only earned points, and half points at that, from real adversaries outside of the Dungeon.

Sun and Erina returned two days after the confrontation slightly wounded. Thankfully, nothing to be overly concerned about. I didn’t want to have another pyre like the one for Pila.

With those four hundred points I changed some of my plans. Summoning a dozen Battle Slaves. I gave each team four men to lead when they went out of the dungeon since I wouldn’t let them take sentries. A set of four would always remain behind.

Though the Soldiers refused to acknowledge it, the Battle Slaves were in good shape for humans, and could think, and follow orders. They would be an asset. Expensive but we had too few numbers.

On Kola’s latest return with a boar, she requested four bows for her Battle Slaves. I showed her the armory from our killed invaders and told her to take her pick. We had three bows in good condition, she would have to live with what we had. Wen added that they would need rope and other accessories for hunting and camping with four more bodies.

I agreed and opened the Menu and after a comprehensive search, again, I found a new choice. Hunting supplies for one Feran 25 DPs, that made me wonder if workers could also hunt since it didn’t specify Soldier. When I asked about that fact Wen admitted that hunting was a worker’s job, but they were rarely deployed in occupied territory.

I didn’t have enough points after equipping the six for hunting to summon workers and equip them too. That would be for later.

What was that phrase? I don’t know what I don’t know ... or something like that.

After they left, I sought out Mage Evenglow in the library and made her write up a list of worker types and their jobs. The list was extensive and covered everything from cook to hunter to blacksmith to farmer, even merchants were a worker type. I came to the conclusion that ‘worker’ wasn’t a profession but a caste. I wish I had known that earlier, but I had no way of knowing how to ask, or that I needed to.

When Sun and her team returned a week later, she reported that one of the larger farmsteads came out in force and attacked them the night that they raided it. Five men and three women with arms and slings ambushed her team. The Battle Slaves were targeted first with two dead and one mildly injured between the four. All the attackers were killed. As per instructions, they tried not pursue inside once the two women slingers were dealt with from the upstairs windows but had little choice. The three children were left unharmed in the Horta village stables.

“Couldn’t be helped. Get some rest and tomorrow you accompany Jessica and her team and do a full raid on that farmstead. Take everything not nailed down. And watch out for more traps, both the living and non-living. That will be the last in that area for a month.” I dismissed them, glad I added extra troops. I had a feeling that we would need bodies. Lots more bodies soon.

Not until I was lying in bed late night did, I realize that I did not get a notification that the Battle Slaves died. Nor did I receive any points unlike when they died in the dungeon during the last attack.

To my shock, the two teams returned four days later with two wagons full of goods pulled by a horse each. I didn’t expect them to go that far but I had no room to complain. It was under my orders ... I needed to think my orders through better...

After everyone, except for the mage shut in her library, pitched in to help store the loot, I gave the Soldiers a day’s rest and separated the Battle Slaves to an empty workshop for some Q and As.

Looking at the rugged bunch, I couldn’t help of thinking of Viking raiders. “I am offering a reward for honorable service. You have two hours to come up with what you want. As long as it is reasonable, I will do my best to see it done.” I left to check on Cookie to see how we stood on food, letting the men decide on their reward. Morale was important regardless of caste.

I returned exactly two hours later. One of the men stepped forward after I released them from their bows, and said a single word request.

“That might take some time. But I will do what I can. You have my word.” I left a room filled with smiles.

The solution to their request was easy and hard. I could raid the farms and take what they wanted but I didn’t want to rile up the natives to that degree. I opened the Menu and requested ‘comfort slave: human female.’ 100 DP was the new, new ungrayed-out listing. It beat raiding homesteads for companions for the men.

First; I sought out a larger house and then furnished it with the additional upgrade feature. Then I ordered two women from the menu. Bonnie and Maude, both were twentyish and stouter and softer than expected. But they weren’t for me so I didn’t care.

The summoned young women looked at me in fear and bowed at the floor until I had them rise. “This will be your house and establishment. For now, follow me.”

A subdued, “Yes, Lord.” From both. Thinking it over, I wagered, it was more of my position that scared them than the task. At the dining hall where the men waited, I entered with the two women.

“I expect you all to treat each other well. Do you understand?” An uneven chorus of ‘Yes, Lord.’ Came from both groups. “Good. You and you are first, show the women the appropriate places of the base then have a good evening. The rest of you have the rest of the day off. There is a keg of beer in the kitchen. Each of you may have two mugs today before midnight. Well done. Dismissed.” They cheered.

That felt odd ... Very odd ... I wasn’t even sixteen yet and still a... sigh ... Body Servants were 1500 DPs, a long way to go.

First, I needed to see Cookie then Jessica to let her know of the new additions. Cookie was unperturbed but Jessica looked at me strangely when I told her about the Comfort slaves for the men. If I had been older and a whole lot surer of myself, I would have asked what she was thinking...

...

While the rest of the dungeon’s inhabitant’s relaxed, I worked out, banging the training dummy with my sword. After we killed the invaders, there were real iron swords for me to choose from. I did treasure my first one and even had a place on the wall for it. Ora laughed when she saw it but refused to comment. I was her Commander and she resisted getting too familiar.