agoraphobic_dragon
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Godfather's System 54
🕑 Added 2023-04-22 18:57:22 +0000 UTC“So, the wards are finally in place,” I said as I looked at the tent that was covered with silver runes, one that took a small fortune to handle. Luckily, I had already gathered a bigger fortune.
The gambling operation was working even better than I had hoped. I already have thirty employees, split between two shifts, serving the camp — the camp that got only bigger as some smaller caravans decided to join as they struggled under the growing presence of monsters — and after a few lessons about cheating and not paying debts, the customers behaved well.
And, the more the camp stood unmoving, the more people kept gambling. A good distraction from the increased number of injuries that people had been experiencing.
The number of attacks increased, to a point that it stretched Jertann and his newly arranged guards to the limit even with my occasional help, but the slow dissolution of the Blacks and the Reds helped to stem the tide.
Interestingly, the Greens didn’t lose their coherence, still doing their parts just well enough to keep it safe. And, considering they managed to do that despite increasing monster attacks, a very suspicious performance.
Another reason that I was glad for my decision to keep my true capabilities secret.
Regardless, the ability to level up people in a more coordinated manner would be helpful. “`Yes, finally over,” Zolast said. “We should be able to promote four to five people every day. It should be enough to balance things.”
“Good, don’t forget that I need one of those slots every day for my employees,” I said, already planning to create a small group of enforcers. Amusingly, I didn’t want them because I actually needed them, but with my abilities secret, I needed a visible tool to intimidate people. Not to mention, I had managed to find some loyal young men to work for me, and I always liked to reward my employees.
Loyalty always deserved its reward.
“Good news,” I said. “So, any chance you can build a second one?” I asked.
“Not unless you can find me a pile of perfectly-cut gems,” he answered. “We’re already pushing our luck with the current setup, and with the monster attacks. Any more, and we risk a disaster,” he explained.
“You’re the expert,” I said even as I shrugged. After all, my interest was largely academic. I certainly didn’t need that. Not when I had already reached the level limit, needing another promotional opportunity.
[Class: Hero
Level: 30
Experience (— /— )]
[Health (540/600)]
[ Experience: 12,098,436]
[STATS
Resilience: 50
Vitality: 40
Strength: 35
Agility: 35
Perception: 50
Memory: 10
Charisma 50
LOCKED…]
[Stat Points: 30]
[SKILLS: Archery of Destruction (0\X)]
[ABILITIES: Elevated Life - Basic - Human ]
[Alignment: Unaligned]
Using Charisma to create those ephemeral lines had worked even better than I expected. After the latest improvements, I was able to stretch the lines for about a hundred people, which gave me much more experience than I could collect alone — and with my rate of killing big beasts, my rate was already impressive.
So, using my earlier trick a few times, I was able to level up to the limit, though the last level-up had been a close call. It required almost three million Experience, and when I used that, it actually triggered a bolt of lightning that I barely dodged.
On the positive side, the ability to actually dodge lightning was a fascinating thing that I could never imagine before.
“Are you sure you don’t want to level?” Zolast suggested. “You have killed a lot of monsters, you should be close to one.”
That question, I didn’t answer. I just smiled at him mysteriously. He was probing me, and worse, I had no idea what he was searching for, so playing the mysterious old man that already knew what he was doing was my best option. “Do you need any help handling the tent,” I asked instead. “I could arrange a few guards, or you could ask Jertann to handle them,” I suggested.
“I prefer if you handle it,” Zolast said. “Jertann means well but …”
“He’s a bit too nice,” I completed his sentence, matching his smile. “The boy was enthusiastic about helping people, especially after his latest power-up. You should convince him to continue leveling up even if isn’t the most efficient way.”
With that task assigned to him, I walked away. I liked Zolast, but not enough to reveal my secrets to him. Not when he obviously had his own secrets … and not small ones considering his tenseness, which only increased the stronger our ragtag group was getting.
He was clearly hiding from something, something that a couple thousand gang members couldn’t handle.
I walked away, and swung by the gambling pit. “Dahmut, it’s your lucky day. Go see Zolast about leveling up,” I said.
“Really, boss? Already?” he said, gasping in shock as a smile invaded his face.
“Of course, I fulfill my promises. I already helped you to gather the necessary experience, and now I arranged the slot for leveling up,” I explained. “Go and receive your promotion.”
“Thanks, boss,” he said cheerfully as he dashed away, acting like a teenager that just received a car. Though, considering the world we were in, not entirely wrong. Attaining second promotion was a dream for the working classes, just like buying a house was one for the salaried workers back in my first world. A sense of accomplishment and security that separated them from the rest.
Pity I couldn’t experience the promotion the same way they could. Unlike them, I needed some kind of magical primer, a problem that they bypassed thanks to the assistance of their gods. But, it was a problem I was more than willing to embrace to maintain my independence.
I still remembered that scene in the darkness, where many goys offered me gifts, power, immortality, and riches, all for my obedience. And I certainly didn’t want to take that deal.
“Not a bad day,” I murmured, already thinking about how Zolast’s little tent of level-up would change things, when I heard a cry from the side of the camp. I turned toward the source, only to see one of the flying carts flying toward the camp, the altitude enough to show that they were aiming for our camp.
It was certainly not good news.
I split my attention between the flying device and the river, measuring potential escape routes and weighing them against the temptation of sneaking into the cart and seeing if the mana stones inside would be enough to trigger my next promotion.
I might even try that if, when the door opened, several people left the device. The young noble, a few archers with their bows … and Karak, empty-handed, and empty-sleeved.
His right arm was gone.
He wasn’t the only one that was wounded, however, as one of the retainers of the young noble left the cart right after Karak. The old knight.
He looked strong, but my Perception allowed me to see how badly his legs were trembling. The young noble looked distressed as he looked at the old knight. I couldn’t blame him for his emotional distress, especially since he was the only knight of his that stepped out of the device before an unfamiliar face showed himself. “Don’t forget the mission, young lord,” he said, his smile wide.
“You … you can’t be serious, after everything,” the young lord answered, his voice trembling. “I will never —“ he tried to continue, but the old knight grabbed his shoulder and squeezed.
“We are privileged to receive such an order from the commander. We’ll make sure that the breach is contained until the reinforcements arrive.”
“Good, you only have to last for a couple of days. I’m sure it’s an easy mission for someone from a young lord from such an exalted family.” Then, he laughed. “Unless you don’t lose most of your soldiers to a rebellion,” he added, shouting enough that everyone around the camp heard it.
Then, slipped inside the cart, and flew away, leaving the young lord trembling in anger, and the little dregs in shock.
He stood still for a moment as the old knight leaned to his ear and whispered. His expression steeled. “Gather the camp!” he shouted, his order enhanced by Charisma. “We’re moving in ten minutes!”
He walked to his camp with his old knight, while the rest of the camp burst into a panicked movement.
Most of the camp, I noted with a sudden moment of realization. Most of the camp burst into action, but several members of the Greens reacted much calmer, staying concealed, and ignoring the order much more smoothly.
Their smiles showing what had just happened was something they had been expecting.
