“So as I was saying, it seems the monster kingdom is on the move, their probing attacks imminent. Er, can you maybe, uh…shrink yourself, or maybe float me up to your eyes? This feels a little awkward. I don’t think I can make myself big.”
The star oni man was standing beneath Nick’s immense body in front of his home within his Soulscape, handing in his report to Nick as he looked upward, trying to meet Nick’s giant eyes.
Contrary to his expectation, his soul avatar had not become even bigger when he had ascended, and he had wondered about the reason. He thought it was because his Soul Power was so immense that he was so big in the first place, but apparently it was for another reason entirely. He had noted that Jasmine’s spirit was, in fact, much bigger than his other wives, so he wondered if it was related to their soul’s age or their special journey across the stars in some way.
Nick shrunk himself down rapidly, making him eventually see eye to eye with the star oni man. The scout was startled and took a step back before coming a little bit closer to a more comfortable talking distance.
“What can you tell me about the enemies? We had found that tamed beast before.”
“It seems like there is quite a large gamut of enemies within their ranks. We do see some tamed beasts, but there are not that many among them. There are numerous feral monsterfolk and demons, and then their commanders appear to be these lumbering…grotesque beings of spirit and flesh. They are attended by these…little servants.”
Nick realized by ‘feral monsterfolk’ he meant the orcs, kobolds, drakans, and more, that had remained more monstrous and uncivilized. They didn’t understand empathy, and they would attack for their own gain in eating what they killed, much like demons. It sounded like this was similar to what he had seen in the Proxy War and also the Test of Governance in general, with various feral monsterfolk types arriving at their keep walls frequently.
“What are these little servants?”
“They’re a varied folk it seems, going by Orion’s terminology. We’ve seen some of all kinds, but they share some features. They are short, much like your kobolds or wolflings, have big eyes, and hunch themselves over, as if to make themselves smaller. And they are also often gray colored, but there are variants. In all, they’re kind of cute and weak-looking rather than feral, I would say.”
Nick arched his brow. “Cute? Really?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Then, they can have animal or monster features, it seems, from scales and fur to plants or even spikes. It seems they do some sort of shamanic rituals to become more like the beasts and monsters they eat. We’ve witnessed them from afar. They hunt in the wilderness together as their army marches, and they have brought the corpses back for this.”
That wasn’t all that abnormal. Monsterfolk definitely became what they ate to an extent, but if they were using rituals too, he could see how that might increase or accelerate it. In fact, his family had some details about how to do just that for monsterfolk under his retinue. However, it appeared that this would drag his people further away from becoming more human-like and had all sorts of dangers and side effects. Perhaps this was what was happening to them.
“What can you tell me about these…commanders?”
“They…are almost like their little servants in how they vary. We almost wonder if they might be related in some way, but it’s really difficult to imagine with how their flesh is so disorderly and grotesque and with such a vast difference in their size. They are chimeral, and some even have extra, spectral limbs. All of those are in the third stratum. Very dangerous.”
He went on to tell Nick more about these commanders and how they spotted them, but it was already a bit alarming. Nick currently had Jeffrey as his only third Stratum subordinate outside his wives, but he knew within a month or two that would change. Lothar had been preparing his foundations for a long time, and now that the essence was denser, he would soon make progress faster and be able to ascend.
“How many enemies are we talking about for this first assault, and when?”
“It should be arriving within a few days. It is not many, at only a few hundred of this mixed force, and only one of the commanders. A half-dozen or so of the tamed beasts, and in all with the defenses of the keep. We’re confident we’ll have no issues with the defense even without reinforcements, unless we’ve grossly misunderstood them–which is unlikely. The next foray is already leaving their city, and it seems to be around the same size.”
“That’s why you believe it’s a probing attack then. They are just going to attempt to soften us up and test us. Thank you for your report. I do believe after tonight we’ll send some reinforcements, and they should arrive with plenty of time.”
“That’s right. You’re welcome, Milord. I’ll get back to my task of watching the enemy.”
He bowed before disappearing, leaving Nick standing in his Soulscape’s plaza alone.
They had a bit over two months before the demon barrier within the Frostspire Mines came down, and they would be forced to face the demon kingdom as well. The scouts had been spending quite a bit of time in the underworld, gathering information as safely as possible. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gathered overly much until the march out of the city truly began, aside from one of these commander-level beasts that had roamed the underworld for a while.
The odd mist emanating from the city actually appeared to be rather dangerous, and as much as Nick could potentially just send someone in despite the danger, he decided against it.
There were certainly things in the world of Orion that could kill his people permanently, even through his protection. While they normally shouldn’t exist on a Frontier Shard, he wouldn’t put it past Orion to pull out some of the usual stops. All to challenge Nick and make him struggle.
It appeared this kingdom was placed there to challenge him and his people in some way, and so he was not going to risk his people’s lives with his blind trust in his ability. Myron already divined that going into the mist was quite dangerous, and some tests determined that it was spiritual in some way, chock full of soul essence. It was perhaps some powerful monster’s domain, and Nick was unwilling to risk any individual’s entry.
His Soul Fortress Trait would help protect their minds and souls, no doubt, but it had limitations. The more followers ready to enter the mist near each other, the better. This was why Nick wanted more reconnaissance before he sent anyone inside–perhaps, with special protections, including numbers.
Shak’terra was going to make it her priority soon, once Eirwen ascended. Even she couldn’t figure much out with a quick check, requiring preparation to scry and divine anything useful, but that would also change when Eirwen finally did.
And the mist appeared to be spreading. Slowly, but surely, it was covering more and more of the underworld in all directions at a snail’s pace. Nick wasn’t going to sit around and just wait, but there was nothing to be done for the moment until his wives ascended. And they weren’t the only ones.
Jasper and Ishkara had found their locations in the wilderness to make their nest and should be ascending soon, now that Nick gave them the go-ahead. It appeared they were able to store the essence from that monster’s core, which he had learned was a fae creature called a hollowhorn, in their bellies and ascend later.
Fang suddenly appeared next to Nick, kicking him out of his introspection. “Boss! Everyone’s ready. Let’s go!”
Nick opened his eyes within the room, finding most of his girls ready. They were all in cute or sexy casual attire, dolled up and ready to head out to the hero’s tavern–even Rebecca, and only excepting Jasmine in her usual maid’s outfit.
“You girls look great. Tonight should be fun.”
Eirwen smiled wide. “All our new friends are here now, along with the old. It’ll be fun seeing them get to meet each other!”
Sable chuckled. “I’m just looking for a break. Sitting all day meditating has got me crawlin’ up the walls. Let’s have some fun!”
Fang looked confused. “Huh? Y-Yeah! Let’s go, let’s go!” She jumped up and down, her tail wagging.
With the new cultivation codex from the archives, many of his wives had found some techniques that would help improve their training. Whether it was their Ideal, or their visualization techniques, each had something to do to improve their foundations just before they made their final push to form their pillars of self.
He didn’t think they’d be spending more than a week or two. They just needed time to consolidate what they gained from the Ordeal including their Minor Enlightenments as well as consume other treasures that might help them get them prepared.
Having confidence from his ascension, Nick had also grabbed the second Archaen Cache, containing even more special resources. It was no challenge at all to him in the third Stratum, thanks to his Soul Blade being so sharp, he pierced through the thick carapace of the demon scorpion enemy easily.
The cache was largely focused on rare alchemical materials, but it included numerous bottled Concepts, some of which might actually be helpful for him. Each of the girls had one or two they gravitated towards as something that might aid them, and they were looking to give out the rest to his valued subordinates that had achievements.
He was happy that Sable and Shak’terra had worked on locating it by working with what information the Adventurer’s Guild was able to give them. Now his wives would all reach Middle Mastery on both of their associated Concepts and be ready to ascend.
The family then made to leave, going out the front door. Stepping outside, Nick marveled at the new homes he could see in the distance down the hill. From the Trial Closure, Frosthaven became even larger, its walls automatically extending outward to encompass the new homes. The landscape also changed in the distance, but not as significantly as previous times.
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He could already see ratfolk, quilboarfolk, and dwarves in the main boulevards, shopping or selling their own wares. But a big change was in the many tower climber’s homes, which were those closest to the Ordeals.
Now that Frosthaven had reached the third stratum, this meant making modifications to their homes was now at the level of a trivial cost. Climbers could queue up their upgrades within their Menu, modifying their home from size to shape and to include certain amenities and decorations. The previous homes were like modern, budget apartments that were pretty barebones, but now certain climbers could live like the respected warriors that they were.
The family went toward the Hero’s Path Ordeal, where the Hero’s Tavern was located. The building was huge for a bar, looking not all that different from the Adventurer’s Guild.
Walking inside, they saw that the room was massive and the place was plenty busy. It was only dusk out, but many tables were already full. Stairs on both sides of the large hall led to the second floor, which was just as massive. Odds were, there were probably even more people upstairs already.
Like the bar in Silverbrook, there were plenty of bar games and places to eat or drink. Just like the outside, Nick thought the inside was rather reminiscent of the Adventurer’s Guild. It didn’t have the job board or the turn-in locations or the offices in the back, and it had a large stage off to one side for performers. It was a sprawling bar of tables and games, able to fit hundreds within. Fang and Sable’s tails started wagging just at the sight of everything, excited to play and enjoy. But Fang noticed something before Nick did.
She pointed over at it. “Look, it’s a statue of Boss! Above the bar!”
In this statue ahead of them above the bar, as if in a special theater seat, it was Nick sitting in a throne with his cloak and crown of frost. He was holding a frothy ale and raising it in cheer, gazing to the right side at the currently empty stage.
Eirwen giggled. “Hehe, you’re right! Just as it should be here, it’s the hero’s tavern, after all.“ She looked around the room with a smile, then pointed at a rather large table not currently in use. “We’ll claim that table here, but we all see people we want to say hello to and chat with, no doubt. Let’s meet back there in about an hour, let’s say?”
Kaya said, “Works for me. I see Indrid and Sharon over there, so I do want to go say hello.”
Shara was fidgeting with her longer skirt, feeling weird not having her tetsubo with her. “I think I see Hoshiko, so I’ll go have a chat. And I guess our husband is going to want to go talk with his new followers, isn’t he? Do have fun, Nicholas.”
Nick chuckled and kissed her cheek. “You too, girls. I’ll see you all soon enough.”
Giving each of the girls their kisses, they all ran off to see their friends and Nick’s many subordinates. Everyone had been invited, though he was sure plenty of them may have been coming here anyway.
Nick saw that his new ex-lord friends were now here, speaking with some of his top subordinates. Andross appeared to be telling a story, and Brightclaw, Quilbane, and Bronzebeard listened with rapt attention.
“And this guy just Double Jumped up through the third-story window, and then fighting sounds were heard. When he opened the door, there were a dozen spectre cores just waiting there on the ground! Wasn’t even out of breath.”
Quilbane laughed. “And that was only a few months ago, you say? Remarkable. To think he’d become so much stronger and so quickly.”
Nick arrived, many of them catching his approach and turning to him. “Brightclaw, Quilbane, and Bronzebeard! It’s good to see you three. Andross, I hope you’re not blowing my stories out of proportion.” Nick shook Brightclaw’s hand and moved to do the same with the rest.
Andross grinned. “Just got done telling them about how you beat up that bartender and tore out the floor, then carried out a bunch of slaves over your shoulders with the angry nuns fighting you off all at the same time.”
Nick knew he was messing around. He added, “And how you heroically held off the angry crowd who wanted to interfere with our investigation?”
Zarog was the one that replied with a grin, “You mean the army of bandits? Of course, he didn’t forget that part either.”
Nick chuckled and focused on Brightclaw, Quilbane, and Bronzebeard who were sitting next to each other, meeting their gazes. “How’s it going so far, you three?”
Brightclaw smiled. “I’m happy to be here. This place is truly wondrous, wondrous, I say! I already know my people will be happy here; everyone has been so friendly, and the essence! It is amazing. I thought my progress would be stalled, but now my prospects are looking fantastic.”
Quilbane snorted. “You said it. If I knew it would be this great, I’d have given up my own lordship just to join, to have such a great place for my people.”
Bronzebeard chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I’m even more pleased with my decision. I can’t imagine ending up in a better place, even if I waited a thousand years on that Floor–not that I had that much of a choice, really.”
Brightclaw added, “So many capable people! I’ve already met Councilor Robins and Turon. I was excited to hear how my people will have things to focus on. So many possibilities.”
Turon was sitting over on the other side of the table. He chuckled. “It’s true, there is work for people of all kinds to find here. This place has changed so much and so fast since I visited just a few months ago for the first time, and for the better. It’s a good thing someone was a bit tight-lipped about what he saw, huh, Lord Nicholas?”
Nick chuckled. “Oh? So you didn’t report everything you saw, huh? I had been worried…”
Turon shrugged. “My risk was low, so I figured I’d take a small chance about how many odd buildings you had. I’m sure if Elrash found out I hadn’t quite reported everything, he’d have made me pay for it, but it was easy to feign ignorance–you could have also made those additional structures after I left. I’m sure I helped keep Blackthorne from putting two and two together sooner, but it was just a small thing.”
“You may have bought us a few more weeks, and that could have made a big difference in how things played out. Now I’m fairly confident that we’ll make that man pay for whatever he tries. If nothing else, he won’t be able to touch my people. That barrier from my Heritage’s blueprints is no joke. So thank you for giving us even a few more days.”
A bard had gotten set up on the stage and began playing and singing with their simple lute-like guitar. Andross and Zarog got everyone to raise their glasses, teasing Nick about the tale of the angry orc grandmother that stood up to the angry crowd of misled faithful, and then after that, the evil bishop himself. Nick loved that he was far from the only hero in that story, helping inspire others to merely do what they could to stand up to evil.
As he listened to the catchy tune, Nick noticed that Eirwen, Rebecca, and Luna had found who were the three ex-lords’ wives, who were together at their own table nearby. They were chatting happily, the women welcoming the others to the city.
Kaya, Sable, and Fang were hanging out with the monsterfolk girls, who were all playing bar games. Shara was talking to two star oni girls, who were drinking tea and all looking at Nick with starry eyes–literally. And Jasmine dropped him, off his drink and stayed with him, and they continued their talk with the lords and telling stories.
The new people would be finding work within and all over the surrounding areas of the city. Nick had already approved several infrastructure projects, including expanded or additional roads to the keep and toward the southwest beetlefolk and various labor camps within the first ring of his city’s control radius. Lumber mills, mines, and quarries would remain valuable well into the future, and Nick would be investing essence in directing improvements to any natural resources that could be found.
Surveyors were already going out to reinspect his land, as it was well known that new milestones sometimes uncovered special rewards within the kingdom, but they needed to be discovered and developed. Not only that, but they hadn’t perfectly surveyed the land at each milestone he had already accomplished–it’s possible they could have missed other items.
And the centipede cavern would soon be within his radius. That was also worth developing and infusing additional essence into, to get a wider variety of ores and gems.
There were a few structures that may aid in discovery, but it turned out these scanners were often highly specialized and expensive. And if depended on too heavily, it would often cause resources to be missed. They were great for saving some time, but it was better to allow his people to get the experience in scouting and exploring the wilderness instead.
The quilboarfolk had some among them that were specialized in animal husbandry, so raising some more valuable livestock was also going to be on the table. The dwarves specialized in various trade professions and just general commerce, so another priority for increasing the infrastructure centered around trade would be coming soon. The ratfolk were somewhat similar in this to the dwarves, but it appeared, thanks to their vast numbers, general laborers were the most common among them.
It wouldn’t be any time soon, but Lumos had already told Nick that a train to Silverbrook was a total possibility. Soon she could master third stratum techniques, allowing her to use second stratum resources without Orion’s Will becoming an issue. But at that point, Nick was just as interested in getting his own port instead, cutting out Silverbrook as the middleman.
With his city’s control radius reaching so far, he could manipulate the geography in certain ways, and purchasing a port to the northeast was an option, even if it would be expensive. He would have Lord Silvers make the train worth his while, or he’d be building the port. He was sure Bronzebeard would cut him a good deal.
After the talking and meetings had completed, Nick and his wives found their own set of tables. Food and drink eventually lined the tabletop, items chosen by his girls. His pregnant Maidens even arrived, and he got to visit and enjoy time with them as one large family as they enjoyed the food and each other’s company.
His wives had a blast with wide smiles on their faces, enjoying the games and the drinks, and he played along with them. The monsterfolk girls also came over, and he played a silly drinking game that wasn’t all that different from truth or dare with them, learning just a little bit more about each of the girls.
The place was only becoming more rowdy by the minute, as people got more buzzed and drunk, and the bard’s songs got more exciting and grand. The mood was festive and hopeful, and Nick couldn’t help but feel a swelling of pride in his chest.
It wasn’t just the statue or the songs being about him. That his people had gratitude for him was proof of his success. Feelings this strong were not something people had for bare minimum efforts.
This was what he worked hard and fought for. For people to feel safe in his kingdom and to be able to find opportunity. There were numerous threats on the horizon, but seeing his people happy, he was already confident.
The Pathcore in his chest gave off a pleasant hum, his body more in tune with the essence than ever before. He could feel that when he used his Convergence skills, they would be immensely powerful thanks to the weight of their loyalty to their king and their gratitude and devotion to their savior.
Perhaps it was largely because one didn’t really know what they’ve got until it’s gone. Having lost important people or things to bandits, evil lords and tyrants, or being ex-slaves, every person in Frosthaven had seen or witnessed loss–the price for being weak.
That didn’t mean everyone would strive to be strong. But the people of Frosthaven knew what was at stake, and almost all of them were driven to become more. Frosthaven was now a land of opportunity, and it was like a sleeping dragon was building in the North.
He was sure that Blackthorne was likely moving. Nick learned from his dream interrogations that the man had been busy in the West, trying to increase his dark dominion. The prompt he had received from Orion when he claimed Shadowvale stated that the man had suffered a backlash as his Altar of Subordination was purified, and this no doubt pissed him off even more.
But Nick’s people were strong and ready for anything. Thanks to his Heritage, and his several Ordeals, within a month or two he would have a hundred subordinates or more in the third stratum. They would temper themselves against the Monster Kingdom and the demons underneath the Frostspire mines and be ready for whatever challenge the bandit overlord brought them.
And if the bandit lord didn’t arrive on his own by then, then Nick would take the fight to him. One way or another, Nick would destroy Blackthorne. The man had no idea what he was in for.
END OF BOOK 4
