Chapitre 23: Chapter 23 - Who Needs Allies When You Get Free Loot?
"Luna?" Atlas murmured softly, turning the name over in his mind, but no ideas surfaced.
"Jackpot, tell me—can a package from another Lord be accepted in this phase? And is it safe?"
[Host, the System will scan the contents and ensure they're safe if that's your concern.]
"Alright, please accept the package for me."
A moment after Atlas confirmed the package, he saw a drone approaching from a distance. He watched from behind the protective barrier as the drone shone a light onto the island. Then, suddenly, a large pile of items materialized in front of him, and Atlas stepped back to give it space.
He read the message attached to the package, stunned by what he saw inside.
[2000 Units of Wood]
[2000 Units of Stone]
[2000 Units of Iron]
[1000 Units of Wood Ingots]
[500 Mana Crystals]
[100 Lava Shards]
[50 Magma Core Fragments]
[100 Elite Exp Orb]
[50 Bloodstones]
"What the hell?! This many items?!" Atlas exclaimed.
With all these materials, he could build up his island in no time.
Edrik and the others approached him from behind, looking intrigued.
"My Lord, it seems someone's trying to propose to you," Edrik said with a smirk.
"Propose?"
"I mean... in this early phase, most Lords are looking to form alliances to support each other. I think another Lord sees great potential in you and sent all of this," Edrik explained.
"Yes, it says the package was sent by someone named Luna. But I don't recall knowing anyone by that name."
"Luna?" Mira chimed in, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Ah... Luna..." she trailed off, seeming to connect something in her mind.
"Do you know something, Mira?"
Mira nodded enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up. "My Lord... uhm... yesterday, while I was busy with the gardening, two girls—uhm—came by. One of them was wearing a blue outfit…"
She then went on, recounting in great detail, even mimicking the conversation she had with the two strangers.
Atlas sighed as he listened to Mira's account, trying to piece together what might actually be happening. A smirk crossed his face as he let out a chuckle.
"Wait, don't tell me those two girls assumed you were the Lord of this island, Mira?"
"It seems that way, My Lord," Edrik replied with a hint of amusement.
"Oh… no, no, no, My Lord, I didn't say anything like that!" Mira stammered, looking flustered.
"No, it's alright. It seems our new friends may have misunderstood." Atlas paused, thinking it over. "But… what if they find out they sent all this to the wrong person?"
"My Lord… forming alliances with other Lords, especially those of higher ranks, isn't always a purely good thing," Edrik cautioned. "But I suspect this Lord sent help out of sympathy for Mira."
"Yeah, I see that," Atlas replied thoughtfully.
He paused, considering his options. "They might be disappointed if they discover the truth about this island. But now that the supplies are here, there's no way I'm sending these materials back. I'll make the most of what they've sent," he added with a grin.
"My Lord," Edrik said. "Forgive me, but I feel I should warn you… this could potentially create an enemy. Not because I doubt our strength, but because I think it's best to be cautious."
"That's fair, and I understand the risk," Atlas replied calmly. "But I'll still take it. Even without actively making enemies, these so-called Lord battles will naturally draw them to us. So I'm not going to play nice just because this will be my first battle."
"I'd say you're mentally prepared for this, My Lord. I respect that," Edrik said.
Atlas quickly refocused, sorting through the structures he needed to prioritize in this early phase. He knew the Flame Beacon was crucial—it would significantly strengthen the island's defenses. But he was still short on Fire Crystals, and they'd likely need to make several more trips to the volcanic islands to gather enough.
With a sigh, he decided to construct every available structure and queue everything up.
"Jackpot, I want to start building: two Lumber Mills, two Quarries, two Training Grounds, one Blacksmith Workshop, and two Residential Huts."
[You have spent 160 Units of Wood, 100 Units of Stone, 20 Iron Ingots to build a Residential Hut.]
[You have spent …]
[You have spent 240 Units of Wood, 80 Units of Stone, 20 Iron Ingots to build the Lumber Mill.]
[You have spent …]
[You have spent 160 Units of Stone, 40 Iron Ingots, 40 Units of Wood to build the Quarry.]
[You have spent …]
[You have spent 200 Units of Wood, 100 Units of Stone, 30 Iron Ingots to build Training Grounds.]
[You have spent …]
[You have spent 80 Units of Stone, 150 Units of Iron, 20 Units of Wood to build Blacksmith Workshop.]
Atlas felt a surge of satisfaction watching the structures rise and the task queue fill. Now, all he had to do was wait as everything took shape, piece by piece. But one crucial element remained to push his island's development forward: his army.
Fortunately, he had the Gacha System at his disposal, allowing him to summon subordinates from other worlds—even other Lords. An extraordinary advantage.
With the subordinates he had now, he should be able to handle the first battle smoothly—unless he faced a Lord who had already formed alliances and secured early-phase resources.
But he needed more than elite summons; he needed a complete army. Workers and soldiers were essential to expand the island and bolster his forces for the battles ahead. To tackle this, he gathered Edrik and the others for a discussion.
The first option was a structure called the Gateway Altar, designed to summon awakeners directly by offering gold or similar resources. Unfortunately, he was still short on three World Shards—essential materials he hadn't yet gathered to construct it.
The second option involved Recruiting Awakeners from the Lower Lands. This was straightforward: he'd simply go down to the lower lands and recruit anyone willing to work for him, either long-term or temporarily.
Payment? Gold, mostly, depending on the terms agreed upon. While some recruits might only want gold, others—especially those seeking stability—would need more, like Exp Orbs, better equipment, and other essentials for a better life.
The third option was Contracted Mercenaries. This option was clearly temporary, with hires only sticking around for specific battles. While effective for short-term needs, relying on mercenaries wasn't ideal in the long run since it required constant re-hiring.
There were other methods as well: Involuntary Recruitment (using prisoners or slaves), Summoning Creatures from nearby lands, recruiting Refugees and Displaced People, and even bringing in Guild Initiates and Apprentices.
Each approach was different, but all served the same essential purpose—building his ranks and workforce, each with its own set of trade-offs.
Atlas sighed, sorting through everything he needed to do. Workers for the island were a priority—blacksmiths, and the like. According to Edrik, he'd also need at least 20 to 30 troops for the first battle.
Would he need to rely on Gacha pulls? No, not yet. Better to get things settled first, and save those pulls for unexpected upgrades.
What if they visited the lower lands?
Currently, they were hovering above the Saharia Continent—a place where he could likely find exactly what he needed. There should be an Awakener Association or Guild there, along with mercenaries, and possibly merchants for trading supplies.
Atlas weighed his options. With enough gold on hand in this early phase, it seemed like the right move to explore what the lower lands had to offer.
He raised his head, meeting everyone's gaze. "Let's go visit the lower lands," he said.
***
(Author's Note:)
I hate to say it, but I really chose the hard way to build this story—keeping track of every little detail, right down to the numbers in each chapter and every bit of progress.
No, I'm not kidding. It means I can't just write freely wherever I want; I have to double-check all the data to make sure I'm not messing up any numbers. And that really only works in a proper setup with my extended monitor. Lol.
But hey, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone