Making Plans

The goblin smith had produced a small variety of tools before running low on basic resources and the two builders had managed to finish the double length hallway but were unable to begin construction on the dining hall or barracks. Instead the mob goblins had joined their ex chiefess and new lord in the training arena and had honed their own pathetic combat skills.

Baal hadn’t bothered appraising the mobs or even taking the time to know them. He had just shown them the basics of the arena, allowing them to choose whatever training they preferred, and then focused on his own regimen. The golems were occupied with their labyrinth tunneling under the dungeon and the bee was eagerly exploring so for the time he was able to focus only on himself.

Including the two infants there were now a dozen goblins under his leadership. Amazingly enough they had actually managed to follow his orders. Feathers had lead four of the goblins including the trickster on a successful hunting trip, returning with more meat and hides as well as more wood that was deposited into the storeroom. They had taken the weapons and armor he had gifted them, and while they were gone the new goblin smith had created stone saws and pickaxes that would help increase gathering in the future.

The dungeon now had enough wood and plenty of stone reserves but it was practically empty of metal ores. Certainly there wasn’t enough to progress any of the pending construction. But gathering ore would have to wait. The sun was already setting and, even with their slight improvements, roaming Mt Imporne at night would be suicide.

He decided Bunny the former chiefess would stay in charge of the mobs. He had her distribute the meat to the tired and hungry goblins. They quickly ran into an issue Baal had so far skirted, namely cooking inside the dungeon. The goblins with cooking skills tried to start their evening campfire to which they were accustomed, but the dungeon rejected the use of a field skill. The mess hall was already his next priority but tonight they would have to do without. Thankfully it mattered little to the goblins. Meat was a luxury, they were more than happy to eat it raw.

One of the goblins relieved the watcher at the entrance. Most of the others found the quiet dark corners of the dungeon to bed down for the night. Once she was aware of how to use the newest room, Feathers eagerly joined his skeleton summon training in the arena.

Baal wanted a bit of fresh air. He stayed in the shadows of the rocky overhang just outside the dungeon entrance. The crisp evening air was reinvigorating. How often had he stood at this very spot making impossible plans, deluding himself with dreams of power. Eight days. It had only been eight fucking days, but what a difference that time had made.

He chuckled lightly to himself as he stroked his beard.

“Suo?”

The little transparent slime was invisible in the shadows.

“Is this what you pictured when you came to me, Suo?” The Orc asked the darkness.

“Suoouo!” The darkness replied affirmatively.

Oh great, it seemed his little companion was getting chattier. Maybe it was the increase in its levels and stats, or maybe he was just more familiar with the slime’s eccentricities.

“We need to grow stronger” he mused mostly to himself.

His world had changed drastically in the last week. But the world itself was also changing. New monsters. More adventurers. Even the rules set by the gods themselves that governed the world seemed to have been somewhat altered. His power was greater than he could have hoped, but it was still merely a speck. He was a micro boss. The word ‘boss’ filled him with well earned conceit. The ‘micro’ part... not so much.

The ruins were still tempting him. Loot and experience calling him from the hidden depths of the great forest. However the goblins had been unexpectedly useful. Not to mention the strange slime. Perhaps there were other weak creatures to serve him or strong ones with which he could ally.

So many paths lay open before him. But he still needed to be cautious. Being powerless had meant he had always been helpless. However being powerful would make him a target. The slime had come to him of its own will, and someone or something had left the pile of stones, so it was clear some knowledge of him was leaking to the outside world. Not to mention the vendetta against him that refused to go away.

Train, gather, grow.

Power

Knowledge

So many paths as he lay his plans in the darkness.

The small slime kept close watch over its master as he brooded in the dark. It watched the orc, the door, the sky, and the path all at once. It was used to quiet. The darkness mattered little. The only thing that mattered was the master. It would protect.

Eventually the chill of the air began to overtake the badger coat he wore and the orc returned to his lair. The goblin watchman tried its best to look like it hadn’t just been sleeping as he moved past it. The dungeon was quiet. The noisy golems were far below. There were some muted sounds still coming from the arena but he ignored them. Instead he moved to the crafting workshop. The goblin party had brought more animal skins. That meant more leather armor to be made, and so far he was the only one who could produce it.

The five rat pelts were hardly the most noble of leather, but they would function. The single dear hide was better. He couldn’t spare the ore for reinforcement but even just three more pairs of tops and pants would go a long way to improving the goblins.

By the time he was done crafting it was quite late, but thanks to his long nap during the day he still wasn’t particularly tired. He retreated to his private quarters and sat in front of the fire. The goblins had presented him with a hind quarter from the deer as a prize of their hunt. He propped the meat over the fire. He had already grown accustomed to having the skeleton or a goblin do these menial labors. But the skeleton was still earning him experience in the arena and tonight both Bunny and Feathers were leaving him unmolested, hopefully they had finally learned their lesson.

He opened his fame menu and browsed the options as he waited for his meal. He was amassing a small collection of elementals and it was tempting to round out the set, but for now he passed. Upgrading liegelord was also tempting but it was already somehow broadcasting information about him. He could empower Bunny’s combat to further cement her status above the goblin mobs but a better use of Empower Minion at the moment would probably be to boost the workers. But so far the goblin's roles had been assigned rather randomly and, though he had a nice cushion of fame, it wasn’t enough to waste.

However, as he scrolled, one of the newly unlocked features caught his eye.

Dungeon Improvement:
Basic Cave Ecosystem
Cost:
200 Fame
Requirements:
Water source - met
More than 50 meters continuous natural cave terrain- met

Ecosystem? Plants and animals inside the dungeon? That was unexpected. Certainly he had explored some of the safer nooks and crannies in the mountain and many caves were home to creatures both intelligent and not, though almost all were hostile and belligerent.

And he had already considered the necessity of needing a reliable and safe food source closer to home. Indeed, he had already planned something of a test for the morning. But now it seemed the dungeon itself was providing one of the paths he needed.

It was a steep price to pay, but it was one he could... just barely... afford. He pressed accept and watched his fame drop to a measly two points.

“For that price it had better yield results,” he thought to himself.

With future food needs possibly settled, he turned to his immediate meal and pulled the leg of venison away from the fire. He tore into the seared meat with famished vigor, and smiled at the realization it was the first thing that he’d ever eaten that required no effort on his part. Aside from the cooking of course.

He could get used to this!