I woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight streaming through the window. The golden rays danced across the room, casting soft patterns on the walls. The bed beside me was empty, the sheets neatly pulled back. I smiled, guessing Lillia had slipped out before me, likely to start her day in her usual quiet way.
Stretching lazily, I swung my legs off the bed and ran a hand through my hair. I felt the pleasant ache of muscles used and stretched the day before. With a deep yawn, I stood, heading toward the bathroom for a refreshing shower.
The sound of water splashing filled the small room as I turned the handle, sending a cascade of warm water over my head. I let it flow, closing my eyes as the heat worked its way into my skin, washing away the tension from the day before. My mind wandered to the red lightning. I had summoned that sharp, aggressive force in the training yard. The memory of the destructive power still sat uneasily with me, both fascinating and troubling. What was it about the dark core that made the energy feel so alive, so dangerous?
"Magic never comes without a cost," I murmured, my voice lost in the sound of the water. The temptation of the dark core, the way it had responded to my intentions with such ease, gnawed at me. Moira's voice echoed faintly in my memory, cautioning me to tread carefully.
I sighed and leaned against the tiled wall, letting the water pour over my face. Whatever path the dark lightning would lead me to was obviously one filled with easy temptation. The road is broad and narrow, easy power, easy results. I told myself in full seriousness that such results, though efficient, are a trap. I knew I must win over the warlock. Repel the Enclave. But I vowed I must deserve to win.
If you're as bad as those forces, what's the point of winning?
The dark mana's whispers twisted my thoughts to old tales I'd studied as an archaeologist. I didn't understand that mindset. Why would you celebrate a flawed hero? That's not special. That's not even worth being a goal! Sure, okay, I could maybe understand that people feel like they can relate more to an imperfect protagonist. I didn't want to relate to anyone. I wanted a high goal and to grow as much as possible towards that goal. Even unattainable goals were a target in the right direction.
Even if I didn't reach it, I could reach greater distances in the right direction. That had to be far better than relating to a hero going in the wrong one, ending up in a place you never wanted to be.
Irritated with myself about how some people think, I shrugged it off, wondering why I sensed these vaguely hostile feelings toward perfect strangers today. With a gradual realization, I made the assumption that the darkness I gave purchase inside myself may be trying to influence me.
The dark thoughts every human has were just a little stronger today. It is not easily brushed aside for lighter feelings of hope, constructive ambition, or bringing joy and security to one's loved ones. Love itself. "Hmm," I thought. It's deeply fascinating and disturbing how associating with some elements over others can directly influence your attitude and outlook on life.
With a final rinse, I turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying myself briskly before dressing for the day. I chose simple, comfortable clothes, well-suited to another day of exploration and thought.
The smell hit me first as I opened the door to the common area. A warm, savory aroma filled the air, pulling me toward the dining table. There, laid out like a feast, was a breakfast that made my stomach rumble instantly.
Strips of perfectly crisped bacon sat next to fluffy scrambled eggs, while a plate of golden biscuits gleamed invitingly next to a dish full of butter and another with a red jelly that looked delicious. Brightly colored fruits spilled across a bowl, and a tall glass of cold orange juice sat next to a steaming mug of coffee.
I grinned. "Lillia, you spoil me," I said aloud, though no one was in sight. I approached the table, pouring myself a cup of coffee and taking a sip.
The rich, bitter flavor paired perfectly with the sunlight streaming through the room, filling me with a quiet sense of gratitude. She really went out of her way to make my morning special.
As I sat and began to eat, savoring every bite, I couldn't help but let my mind drift back to the events of the night I experimented with the dark mana hiding within my soul. The experiments, the magic, and the unanswered questions lingered in my mind. Today would bring new challenges, I knew. But for now, I allowed myself a moment of peace, enjoying the small comforts of a delicious breakfast. And it worked. Such simple pleasures like food restore the soul.
I ate until I was stuffed. Patting my belly with satisfaction, I polished off the crisp and sweet orange juice. The past few days had been a blur of training and crafting. I'd honed my Aetheric Weaver skills, forging weapons from the purified bones of those corrupted beasts that assaulted Doras Dagda. Swords, spears, and even a dagger for Chaucer each hummed with mana, their Celtic runes glowing faintly. I tested combinations, blending magic with materials of all types. Bone with fire mana for increased damage or air for speed. I learned a great deal about my craft and found that I deeply enjoyed creation.
For those who showed exceptional valor in the battle, I handed out blades of many experimental types, the happy smiles worth more than any hoarded treasure. It was exhausting, but seeing the clan armed and justly rewarded felt good. Today, though, I was ready to face the settlement's demands.
I stepped outside and gazed out upon my settlement, Doras Dagda. Workers from Clan MacEwan steadily worked to enchant it against magical attacks, physical attacks, or any other form of attack they could think of, while its mighty walls, now about 20 feet tall, wide, and reinforced, glistened in the light with runes. "Good idea, enchant that big boy," I murmured to myself.
Feeling quite well rested and with a belly full of a rich breakfast, I gazed out at the rare sunlit day in the highlands of Scotland.
I felt whole and ready.
As if the city decided that was a personal challenge, STEVE's voice rang out from the center of the settlement, not too far from my front door.
"Good morning, Magister. Please step forward to finalize required decisions. You are overdue by 4 days, 14 hours, and 37 minutes. Step forward and see to your duties to assure settlement efficiency."
I stared blankly at STEVE's rotating screens as it scanned the settlement and constantly updated numbers, times, and projections that no one was interested in except for STEVE.
STEVE spoke up. "I appreciate your silence, as silent employees are productive employees. Please review these reports and make appropriate decisions that suit your specific goals."
I blinked at STEVE's comment. "I'm sorry. Did you just call me an employee? You realize that I am your owner and master, don't you?"
To which STEVE replied in an almost condescending tone, "Of course, you are master. Please review the reports." I glared momentarily. STEVE urged me against inactivity. "Please review the rep—" I stated coldly, "REPORTS! ...yeah, yeah, I got it." Lowering my eyes to the provided display for private viewing, I saw the list.
Miscellaneous Loot Obtained from Mortal Kombat:
Magically enchanted and cursed bones, teeth, and various organs were collected, valuable to apothecaries.
Several tons of leather were gathered from the corrupted beasts, with varying quality:
Most pieces are resistant to elemental effects and suitable for armor crafting.
Some pieces are damaged and only useful for smaller crafts like scabbards or wallets.
Battle Casualties:
22 kobrutes were slain out of 90 deployed, a 24.4% loss.
Corrupted falcons and hawks defeated 45 Magiknights, resulting in the loss of three full squads. Four squads remain. DAVE is upgrading the capabilities of the survivors and providing improved equipment to fit their combat tactics.
Mana exhaustion caused the deaths of three Clan MacEwan mages.
Settlement Status:
Building Prompts: STEVE recommends allocating resources to reinforce defensive structures and enhance rune inscriptions on the walls to better repel magical and aerial attacks.
Settlement Progress: Ongoing upgrades to the settlement walls, with rune enhancement at 65% completion.
The cold notification about three Clan MacEwan mages' deaths hit like a slap. Their names flashed in my mind, now all gone. I lowered my gaze, regretting I wasn't there to protect more lives. "STEVE, make arrangements to provide monetary compensation to the families of the fallen mages, ensuring their support and covering any necessary expenses. Also, send them a message on my behalf, expressing gratitude for their sacrifice in defending the clan and settlement."
"As a matter of fact, have DAVE write the messages, tailored to each individual family. I don't want you to write the message; I want it to feel warm. Express gratitude, honor their sacrifice, and convey regret for their loss. I also personally extend my deepest condolences and assure them that we will take measures to enhance the clan's safety in the future. Also, please let the families know that I am available should they need anything, or any of my closest allies."
STEVE emitted a simple beep to acknowledge the command, deeming the task not important enough to warrant further response.
"Second, ensure that registered apothecaries are granted unlimited access to herbs and ingredients for their alchemy needs and that clothing, armor, and weapon crafters can purchase gathered materials from the corrupted attack at a 30% discount to encourage growth in the market for protective armor, weapons, and jewelry. Pay the smiths per pound of metal ore smelted and crafted into bars, and allow them to purchase these bars at a reasonable price. How is the economy performing? Is the market functioning as expected?"
"The economy is performing weaker than projected," STEVE replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "While war-related spending has caused a significant increase in local population expenditures, this growth is unlikely to sustain itself long-term under current conditions. The market's reliance on conflict-driven demand suggests potential instability."
STEVE paused momentarily before continuing, "I recommend increasing the supply of resources to meet heightened demand and introducing controlled opportunities for future attacks to stimulate the economy further. This approach will drive spending while ensuring an ongoing flow of materials and goods into the settlement's marketplace."
STEVE's voice remained detached as he added, "Citizen safety metrics were not included in this analysis, as they are not directly relevant to economic efficiency."
I rolled my eyes. "I'll keep that in mind. Regarding the settlement status, provide me a suggested list of potential building suggestions for improvement."
STEVE beeped once more and paused before saying, "Please hold. Processing. Processing. The questing teams you sent to gather resources and wealth have brought back objects from storage, Master. Of course, there are also objects that hold no significance. Would you like to review the items?" I lifted my eyebrows, my curiosity piqued. "Oh! Yeah, yes, I would."
Questing Teams' Report:
STEVE began listing the findings with clinical precision, interspersing occasional pauses to ensure I could process the information.
"Six questing teams returned. We recorded the following items and findings.
Rune Tiles:
Nine rune-inscribed tiles were recovered. These will be sent to the arch for detailed analysis and potential integration into settlement defenses.
Sanctum Portals Encountered:
Three of the six teams reported Sanctum encounters:
The first team faced leprechauns in a chaotic Sanctum. The creatures used illusions and trickery, making them difficult and time-consuming to defeat.
The second team explored a derelict Sanctum filled with vampiric bats, which were easily dispatched despite the eerie setting.
The third team found a nearly empty Sanctum, save for a formidable boss at the end. One casualty occurred, but the team secured rare and exceptional rewards.
Sanctum Core Shards:
Three Sanctum shards were recovered:
One from the leprechauns, radiating a golden hue and bearing intricate engravings.
One chipped and barely functional shard from the bats' Sanctum.
One perfectly clear shard containing the image of a hydra within.
Skill Crystals:
System: Assign skill crystals to enhance clan abilities.
Three skill crystals were obtained:
One common crystal grants the skill Improved Handwriting.
One rare crystal grants the skill Enhanced Mana Vision.
One unique crystal, found with the hydra, grants the skill Golden Hydra Strike, a multi-elemental attack inspired by the creature.
I snorted at first. Improved Handwriting? I pictured Hamish's scrawl from our old dig site notes, barely legible. System: Assign improved handwriting to a clan member. "Hamish, you're in for a treat," I smirked.
Monster Ingredients:
Hydra:
Hydra scales are incredibly durable and elementally resistant.
Hydra fangs are imbued with traces of venom.
Fire and ice venom sacs were collected.
Bats:
Bat wings are useful in alchemical recipes.
Additional Notes:
Rare metals, enchanted artifacts, and corrupted monster remains were collected. These may provide valuable crafting opportunities for advanced gear or tools.
STEVE concluded, "Please provide directives for how to distribute, sell, or utilize these findings for settlement benefit."
"I will claim the skill crystals and sanctum core shards for direct distribution," I said, my demeanor eager. "We will sell the monster ingredients to crafters as premium cost items. I plan to use some of these ingredients myself in the near future for crafting and upgrading items and buildings."
Immediately, upon a small table near STEVE, six crystals appeared: three Sanctum core shards and three skill shards. Swiping those up, I grew excited to use them. Feeding shards to DAVE was one of my favorite things to do. Empowering and upgrading DAVE was simply fun. These skill shards, however, amused me to no end. I was particularly amused by one particular skill shard. "Improved Handwriting."
I laughed and couldn't suppress it. It was just too comical to ignore. "… I'm going to give this one to Hamish… his note-taking skills are the worst." I recalled being unable to read his writing frequently on the archaeological digs I helped with; the inventory of finds was indecipherable.
"Thanks, STEVE. Tell me about possible buildings or structures we can build. Rank them by rarity and percentage growth benefit to the settlement."
STEVE calculated briefly, its screens flashing as it displayed the following suggestions for review:
Suggested Structures for Construction:
Enhanced Rune Foundry:
Purpose: Improves the quality and production speed of rune inscriptions for defenses and enchanted tools.
Benefit: Increases settlement-wide magical resistance by 15%.
Advanced Marketplace:
Purpose: Expands trading capabilities with nearby regions and introduces specialized merchant stalls.
Benefit: Boosts settlement economic growth by 20% and encourages outside trade.
Healers' Pavilion:
Purpose: Centralized location for healing services and alchemical research.
Benefit: Reduces mortality rates among workers and adventurers by 10%.
Skywatch Tower:
Purpose: Enhances defense against aerial threats and provides long-range scouting capabilities.
Benefit: Reduces vulnerability to flying monsters by 25%.
STEVE's voice remained steady as it continued: "Current population levels are insufficient to sustain further growth after this choice. Additional settlers will be required to maintain stability."
It paused briefly, then added, "Warning: Local MPower taxation has not been set, and reserves are running critically low. Current MPower reserves are sufficient for only one construction project.
"Coin creation for marketable and usable resources is also nearing depletion, limiting treasury rewards. Please finalize your selection and address economic vulnerabilities to ensure continued growth."
Taxation? Ugh. I did not want to have to do that. I would start small, however, after an initial flat percentage tax. "STEVE, I want to initiate a small percentage flat tax from everyone residing at Doras Dagda. Initiate a 5% harvest from all souls present at Doras Dagda, then institute a 5% tax per week on earned and unspent MPower.
"Then state prior and current MPower levels." STEVE glowed briefly at my command, as if excited. "Taxation is the lifeblood of secular progress, Master. The process of initiating taxation involves scanning various life forms. Initiating. Error. Attempt 2: scanning life forms. Harvesting taxes now… ERROR!" STEVE reported. "Access denied, approval required from entity 'Moira.'"
Confused by this, I checked in with Moira. "Moira, STEVE is saying it requires your approval to access all of the mana cores in the city to initiate a small tax to fund its growth. Did you set that up?"
Moira's voice hummed, steady as ever. "I set that lock to protect my flock, vessel. How much of a tax are you thinking about?" she asked, somewhat inquisitively.
"Only 5% initially from their current reserves and 5% per week through an automated process." Moira was silent for a moment and decided, "That's rather low, but it's fair to start with. Though, I'm curious why you are making it weekly and not a larger chunk monthly or more."
I considered for a moment how to lay out my thoughts. "Well, if we do this monthly, people will just spend everything they possess before tax day to ensure the settlement gets nothing. While I am all for avoiding taxes, especially when they are spent irresponsibly, that's not what I want.
"Everything is spent on the betterment of our settlement. So once a week, it helps make it normal to lose a little bit of MPower every seven days, a habitual expectation, and over time, they are less likely to avoid their crystals being drained a touch. Not only that, it ensures people stay active and contributing so that they can not only help the settlement grow but also ensure prosperity for themselves and their neighbors."
Moira responded, "That's quite clever, Robert. Your leadership weaves the clan's strength like a fine tartan, balancing duty and trust. It won't be long, and I'll evolve that skill into something suited to your bold style." "Evolving my leadership?" I thought. That sounded big, but she was gone before I could ask.
STEVE abruptly informed me, "The approval has been received. The entities are currently being taxed. Previous MPower stores: 575." A subtle flash of light pulsed out across the settlement in a bubble.
Several walking clansfolk paused midstep and touched their crystal. One young man wrinkled his nose distastefully but tapped the mana core on his chest, granting permission. As each individual granted their permission to take a slight amount of MPower, a shimmering light shot forth from their crystal and flowed into STEVE. After a few moments, the task was done.
"The new MPower level is four thousand, six hundred, seventy-three. Thank you for your assistance." I considered the buildings offered. A skywatch tower.
Advanced warning would be invaluable. However, I asked STEVE about the low percentages. "STEVE? Why are these values so low in the need percentage?" Two beeps. "These structures are currently the only new ones we can afford to build until lumber and rare metal stores increase. MPower levels are now less critical."
With a shrug, I told STEVE to build the Rune Foundry. I remembered the diligent workers who meticulously carved the walls and enchanted them with additional protection. It seemed like a wise decision.
Finally, I told STEVE, "Confirm construction. Additionally, assign daily tasks to druids and woodsmen for the collection of forest resources, such as wood, and instruct them to replant and regrow the harvested areas. Give them 10% extra pay while this goes on. Furthermore, every day as part of your normal routines, decide which resources should be prioritized and pay the individuals working on those priorities 10% extra to incentivize that effort. Oh, one last thing."
After a few more back-and-forth discussions, I finally stepped away from STEVE and rubbed my face in exhaustion. "Sheesh. Running a settlement can be tedious and numbery."
I hoped that by streamlining a pay incentive for gathering resource payments, I would be able to keep people busy and provide new ways to earn better coinage, which would enhance the crafters and markets in a positive loop.
With that thought, I set off to give Hamish a not-so-powerful new skill, improved handwriting. I'm sure he will be thrilled.
He wasn't.