When I returned to our mana bulwark, I didn’t run through the tunnel immediately, instead I observed. Under Zolast’s command, things were still under control despite his lack of a Command skill.
I had tried to find one through the black market, but a decent command skill was hard to find, meaning he could only use his Charisma as a blunt object. Perhaps I could have obtained one...
2023-10-28 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Something wrong?” Zolast asked me even as he continued to lead his prayer session, using a spell to conceal his voice.
“I feel uneasy. Something doesn’t make sense with this trap, but I’m not sure what,” I answered. “Any ideas?”
“Nothing substantial,” Zolast answered. “The information about the corrupted gods and their minions is highly restricted....
2023-10-26 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostAs the soldiers gathered behind me, following the silent orders delivered by Charisma, I examined the current situation.
All but a few of the corrupted beasts had been slain until , and those that still drew breath were easily handled by the combined attacks of the soldiers. The weaker cultists continued to attack recklessly, but I used my Speed — disguising it as a Charge skill a...
2023-10-24 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostWhile I dealt with the guild members, half of the Baron’s army had already entered their flying carts. It didn’t take long, barely a minute, but it had been enough for the Baron to realize what had been going on.
Barely.
“What are you doing, uncle!” he shouted as he watched half of his army get into the flying carts in a very stuffy manner. I could see that they...
2023-10-22 18:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWatching the monsters spill down the hill was difficult with my instincts shouting at me to intervene. “Patience,” I murmured as I watched the number of monsters spilling out, calmly counting them while I waited for the arrival to come to and.
The total number of monsters would determine my strategy.
The battlefield was not a place for emotions. This was the time fo...
2023-10-21 18:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI ran back to Zolast after dropping the team at Town Maell, doing my best to ignore my worries about the potential danger they were about to face. I had trained them and empowered them … and, if necessary, they had a team of guards they could mobilize — to assist their escape if nothing else.
Hopefully, that would be enough.
It had to be.
Despite running as fast as I could...
2023-10-18 18:00:24 +0000 UTC View Post“You’re right, it’s a trap. A very dangerous one at that.” Zolast confirmed, breaking the silence of the small warded hilltop.
“Tell me,” I said. Limenta was completely silent, observing us. He was smart enough to realize that, unless there was a very unexpected situation, he was there to watch and learn, not to contribute.
I always appreciated such awareness...
2023-10-17 18:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“How confident are you that it’s an ambush?” Zolast asked after I finished explaining the situation.
“Ninety percent,” I answered. “There are too many variables that don’t feel right. Why suddenly attack the trade caravan and wait out in the open for them to arrive? And then, there are the armored warriors in disguise.”
“And the military…” Zolast st...
2023-10-16 18:35:05 +0000 UTC View PostAs I left the headquarters, both Karak and Mahruss were on the floor, doing their best to stay conscious. The training was harsh, but neither of them gave even the slightest hint of a complaint, allowing me to work with them intensely, stopping only when Zolast and the rest left the dungeon.
Pity this time we weren’t able to collect enough Experience for me to level up.
<... 2023-10-16 18:27:33 +0000 UTC View Post“So, tell me, what the hell is Authority,” I asked even as I poured the contents a huge sack into one of the crates, while Zolast cast a spell to maintain its condition.
We were alone in a secret storage unit located under the outer town casino, built below the underground training room by Zolast, using material that the other classes prepared. It was a room that was only known ...
2023-10-16 18:16:57 +0000 UTC View PostAs we left Oniphia behind, I moved away from the caravan, enjoying the wind on my face. Since the encounter with the inept spy of the House Maell, there hadn’t been any emergencies.
No, that wasn’t correct. There hadn’t been any martial emergencies. On the other hand, there were many low-level emergencies to address, from supply problems to fights among the employees we used a...
2023-10-10 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“Yes, this should be the cove. Follow me,” I said as I looked toward the workers behind me. Eight empty carts, made of Vitality-reinforced wood, were able to carry several tons easily.
“Yes, sir,” one of the workers said in a respectful tone, and the workers moved toward a cave not too far away from the shore, one that had been hidden under a conveniently thick layer of tree...
2023-10-08 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Is it time?” I asked as I arrived at the secret dungeon entrance in order to level up once more, only to see Mahruss was still in the room, looking both excited and stressed.
It had been a week since Artmiss’ successful raid on the Maell secret outpost, which led to another calm break. That might have been surprising for me when I was younger, but after years of experience, I...
2023-10-07 15:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostI wanted to stay at the casino to make sure the escape plan would go without a hitch. A part of me was repeating that it was better safe than sorry, and that I should stay near to make sure everything went well.
Unfortunately, I still had to address the next stage of the plan, which was far trickier than arranging the escape of a prisoner.
I had to trust Mahruss. In the ...
2023-10-05 15:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostAs I looked into the interrogation room through the window and examined the situation. Mahruss was sitting silently, facing our supposed cheater, radiating a perfect mixture of control and monotony.
Just like I taught. I took a mental note to reward him.
Maybe another ability stone.
It was a tricky choice to call me the moment he faced a problem. It would hav...
2023-10-03 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostMahruss was exhausted.
Watching people gamble and have fun below him hardly helped him ignore that sensation. The contrast only made him feel wrose. He felt old, and he wasn’t even thirty. He wondered just how Euon and Zolast managed it. Yes, their levels were higher — much higher than he initially assumed, as he realized during the dungeon runs — but that clearly didn’t help as m...
2023-10-01 18:58:05 +0000 UTC View PostI didn’t spend too much time working on my new company. After acquiring another batch of hires — my lifetime of experience helping me to test them quickly when combined with Perception and some subtle Charisma manipulations — and getting other necessary purchases done, the trade caravan departed.
Their first task was to visit the port city of Oniphia — which was the only pro...
2023-09-30 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post“I really need to find a better way to transport this stuff,” I murmured even as I put another sealed crate into the secret storage room under our headquarters that only me and Zolast could use. It was already evening, and I had traveled almost thirty times, which was barely enough to match the size of an ordinary Lord Beast.
A great loss considering I had managed to hunt six mo...
2023-09-28 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“Zolast, this is the young man who helped me discover the trick behind Heroic Party,” I said as I stood next to Limenta, introducing him to Zolast.
“P-pleasure to meet you, sir,” Limenta said, tense as I introduced him to another old man. Not a surprise considering the nature of my identity. Especially since he knew that Zolast was aware of my identity as a hero, yet treated...
2023-09-26 19:29:56 +0000 UTC View PostWhile the guildmasters and their entourage moved, I refilled the hole I had created. Luckily, I had cut the stone carefully in the first place during the initial diggin, so putting it back worked as a temporary solution, especially once I slid the the bedside table back in place.
Yet, I didn’t move away.
I had already decided to stay, waiting for my prey.
T...
2023-09-24 18:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWith my Concealment making it even harder for the guards to notice me, I rushed through the short street rapidly. However, my target was not the manor. I knew for a fact that Concealment didn’t work on wards any better than it worked on the beasts, and had no intention of relying on it to pass the barrier.
Not when I had a much better way.
My first destination was the servan...
2023-09-23 18:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post“… are you sure you want to open the place so soon? Maybe we should keep it closed for a week or so. We certainly don’t need the money it generates with the dungeon officially open,” Zolast suggested as he put the finishing touches to the new magical defenses on the casino. Not only would it prevent any external attacks and sabotages — like the one I had faked — but it would also he...
2023-09-21 17:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostWhile my employees dealt with the aftermath of our self-inflicted explosion, I left the casino behind and rushed out. First, I followed the Night Blades — from a great distance — making sure that they were going back to their headquarters.
However, even at a distance, I could see that the headquarters were being renovated, with multiple mages adding magical wards.
Do...
2023-09-19 18:00:00 +0000 UTC View PostI had to struggle with many activities I had found distasteful during my tenure as a godfather. Unfortunately, some of those incredibly distasteful tasks had managed to follow me to a new world.
“… tell me that it was the last visitor,” I begged as I looked at Dahmut, who had been attending to me while Mahruss was busy with his own tasks.
“Unfortunately, not even...
2023-09-17 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the victory, the baron and the rest of the military retreated quickly, frustrated with their defeat, and the three guilds that silently declared for them also retreated with them. Night Blades and another guild that decided to stay uninvolved continued to linger, but they were not particularly happy.
They missed an incredible opportunity to make a statement.
“Pus...
2023-09-16 15:59:59 +0000 UTC View PostAs Artmiss stood at the center of the clearing, everyone else retreated. Including Zolast, stumbling as he faked exhaustion. I gestured to Mahruss, and he went to help.
Surprisingly, before he could arrive, the young duke actually supported Zolast, and I didn’t need to see people’s shocked gazes to know that it was some kind of important political declaration. Though, the young ...
2023-09-14 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAs Zolast stood next to the right side of the Duke while Artmiss took the left, silence ruled. I gestured for Mahrusss and the rest to move behind them, not willing to give them an easy opportunity to attack.
It was good to retreat while the opponents were paying attention to other things. We still stayed at the edge, between the ducal guards and the rest of the guilds, but I much p...
2023-09-12 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostTwo days until the dungeon opening was filled with chaos for the whole town, with everyone in the town rushing around to adapt to the sudden change. With the dungeon able to operate, four new guilds had been established, each with their own slots for dungeon access.
In response, the young duke had gone with another hiring spree, not only the guards but also three new knights for his...
2023-09-10 18:00:00 +0000 UTC View PostIt was already midday when I arrived at Town Yoentia, and I was eight Ability Stones richer — as well as some select cuts from the last Lord Beast I had slain, which was the only way to avoid Zolast’s anger.
Pity that even in the sea, where there were many more of such beasts, finding new Lord Beasts took longer than actually killing them. Even worse, I had to just abandon their flesh...
2023-09-09 15:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post“Run boy run,” I murmured as I left the town once more, leaving Zolast alone to deal with the mess in town. We had a quick talk once he was finished with the dungeon … and it turned out, there wasn’t much I could do back in the town. Zolast would be talking with the Duke and arranging for the dungeon to operate officially.
I didn’t know the exact date. While we technically...
2023-09-07 15:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post