Chapter 13 Part 2 of 3 (Patreon)

***

Oskar Elsi’s dull blue eyes drifted across the game of go, watching his great grandson ponder his next move as he held the black stone in his hand

Oskar seemed to fade into the background, sitting there unmoving. His hands were placed inside his robe’s sleeves.

His robe softened his large shoulders and hid his tempered body underneath. His back was as straight as a spear while his head had been shaved clean.

On his chest he wore the emblem of a Stone Fist Sect Elder.

His smile made one think that everything happening was as he intended.

“You know Eduard if you hold that stone any tighter you might crush it.”

Eduard released his grip and coughed.

“Sorry Great Grandfather,” Eduard bowed.

A loyal child unlike that disappointment. Oskar’s eyes chilled for a second.

Eduard placed down his stone taking two prisoners.

“Decisive when you act, but you aren’t paying attention to the long game.” Oskar looked at the board and picked up a white stone without looking.

He placed down the white stone on the opposite side of the board.

Eduard swallowed, studying Oskar’s move, looking for the advantages and predicting what he would do in the future.

There was a light knock at the door.

“Come in,” Oskar said. The door swung out as attendant Ilsa walked in with her head bowed.

Oskar glanced at her, before he cleared his throat.

“Shall we take a break for now? We can continue after your practice tomorrow,” Oskar said.

“Yes Great Grandfather,” Edurad raised his hands and bowed to Oskar. He quickly got up from where he was sitting.

The young man wore a tighter robe and pants that outlined his strong body underneath. The meek young man playing against his great grandfather was replaced with the chosen champion of the Elsi clan’s younger generation.

He closed the doors with a bow, reactivating the formations in the room.

Oskar indicated for Ilsa to speak.

“Chonglu has become the acting lord of Vuzgal. Hiao Xen has been awarded a position as a branch manager in the Sixth Realm. It was done in a quiet ceremony, but all of Vuzgal knows. Lord West and Rodriguez were in attendance.”

“Rats, nothing more than rats,” Oskar’s face twisted into a sneer. “Did West not think we’d link him to Mira leaving the clan and the sect? Did he think we’d forget the shame? That Lord Chonglu and his bastard seed, dirtying one of our own!”

Oskar rose from the ground, heat seemed to roll off of his shoulders. As bloody killing intent permeated the room.

“Without the Blue Lotus’ manager as the Acting City Lord now any action taken against them is on their honor, not on the Blue Lotus. What about the traders we’re supporting?”

“They have been testing their boundaries, vigorously. A few have been captured by the Vuzgal police and are on trial. They don’t know enough and the police will only ban them from Vuzgal.”

“There are plenty of others that will take their place. What about the warehousing district?”

“Through different subsidiaries, we now control seventy two percent of the warehouse district.”

“Once we reach eighty percent, start to increase the warehousing fees, double them for traders that have close ties to Vuzgal. Apply pressure to the other warehouse owners to sell off or follow what we’re doing. Anyone that doesn’t, have the Black Hawks pay them a visit.”

“We should control the warehouses within two weeks.” Ilsa bowed her head.

“Seems that Vuzgal and its lords forgot about our Elsi clan. At the end we’ll have them on their knees begging forgiveness. Offering to give Mira back to us.” Oskar sniffed, seeing Ilsa still waiting.

“You have more news? Have there been issues with the bandits?”

“No, I have hired more mercenaries as you asked and placed them under your great nephew’s command. Some new information has appeared. People are asking about the Adventurer’s Association. Asking about how close they are to Vuzgal’s administration.” Ilsa looked up.

“This interests me how?”

“No one knows who is looking for this information. Though a week before people started asking around. A group from the Willful Institute bought a small compound within Vuzgal.”

“Many Willful Institute members have quietly purchased locations across the Ten Realms with the recent loss of so many cities. Though they have guarded their core. Craghorn will take weeks to crack.”

“The man is the attendant of a high elder on the Institute’s council.”

“There is no way that it could escape the Head’s eyes.” Oskar held his hand behind his back. “Tell me more.”

“The Adventurer’s Association is new. They came from the lower realms, grew strong. In the past, some of their people were killed by the Institute. Now the Association is fighting the Institute everywhere, discounting their services to fight in more places. They took a key city in the Second Realm by themselves.”

“So they want to attack the Adventurer’s Association? If we can get on the Willful Institute’s good side, we can direct them as a blade into Vuzgal’s back. The Sect will not want to partner with the Institute. Though they reach into the Seventh Realm while we only reach into the Sixth Realm.” Oskar pursed his lips.

“Our own power is hamstrung by the Stone Fist Sect. They do not want to be on bad terms with Vuzgal or the associations, so we have to rely on our own resources and people. The more chaos we can create the better. Send word to nephew Lukas, tell him to target the Adventurer’s Association convoys more. Make sure that all of the northern sects and groups keep their side of the bargain.”

***

“Have you been working on your alchemy or healing skill?” Rugrat asked.

“No,” Erik glanced at his skill level.

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Skill: Healer

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Level: 81 (Expert)

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You are an expert on the human body and the arts of repairing it. Healing spells now cost 10% less Mana and Stamina. Patient’s stamina is used an additional 15% less.

==========[mc2]

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Skill: Alchemy

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Level: 75 (Expert)

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Able to identify 1 effect of the ingredient.

Ingredients are 5% more potent.

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“I’ve been working on mass producing pills for tempering the body and making the revival concoctions.”

Erik pulled out a needle sharing the stat screen with Rugrat.

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Revival Needle

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Grade: Low Expert

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Inject directly into the patient’s heart.

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Increases natural regeneration by 200% for 30 seconds.

Increases Stamina regeneration by 400%.

Heals blood vessels.

Heals respiratory system.

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“Enough to get the patient at least stabilized tossed into a medical cage and pushed to the rear,” Erik said.

“How many can we produce?” Rugrat asked.

“Currently, about seventy per day. We’ve been stockpiling them all, only ten percent make it to the deployed medics.”

“I’ve never worried as much about the supplies we have at the rear going into a fight,” Rugrat passed the needle back to Erik.

“Armies move on their supply trains. Thankfully we have the Trading Guild to support our forces and factories to mass produce our weapons, gear and most consumables.” Erik stored the needle away and put his hands behind his back, the duo looked out over Vuzgal.

“Have you been working on your crafting?”

Rugrat shook his head.

“Distracted, still getting used to this new power. I want to work on a gatling gun style weapon system, though it would take time and resources away from other projects we really need. Not worth it. Was thinking about getting on the training program.”

“Which one?”

“The undead one,” Rugrat grinned.

“The Demon Sect Undead that we have grinding through dungeons to increase their power?”

“Yeah, Egbert was thinking ahead. We have multiple training dungeons, our personal crafter’s dungeons. The Beast Range trial, which now creates random creatures from our stock of known dungeon beasts according to different levels. Endless dungeons, same mechanism, more creatures, not as powerful.”

“Wait, explain the Beast Range Trial.” Erik held out a hand to slow Rugrat.

“The dungeon spawns in a random big powerful beastie. You have to fight and defeat it to get dungeon points and choose to move on to the next fight, or exit. Still has the medallion so you break it you get returned to where you started. While we were gone, Egbert worked on making the dungeons better. Took gaming knowledge and planning from Matt and Tanya. Created dungeon’s more in the style of games back on Earth. They were meant to be as challenging as possible, pit people against real odds. Worked out well.” Rugrat tapped the box on his hip.

“They’ve been the best training aide we have. The crafter dungeons allow people to work with real pressure and a sense of competition. The fighting dungeons give people combat experience, solo and with a group. It’s the only way we could have grown our army and our people’s levels without them fighting across the realms. So, good ole dungeon grind?”

“Hell yeah man, and don’t discount the undead, the old Vuzgal guard are hella strong now. Can’t send them into the dungeons anymore on account that in fights they drain the dungeon of all its built up affinities to create the different beasts. Some of the new guard have reached that stage and others will shortly. When they were alive they were powerful already.”

“Kind of fucked up when you think that we’re using our enemies bodies as a fighting force.”

“Well it was that or let them disappear. We have a serious lack of people, this makes up for it. Our units have been trained how to operate with undead support. They’re basically simple automatons, with additional armor and gear. They’re a constant hidden weapon in our back pocket.”

“You keep a blade in your back pocket?” Erik asked.

“No! What idiot would put a blade in his back pocket?”

There was a knock at the door interrupting their talk.

“Come in,” Rugrat said.

A messenger walked in, looking nervous.

“Sirs!” He bowed suddenly.

“Well do you have something for us?”