Tim was fascinated with the new headless spears. “They’re too heavy to throw or move around much… but if we’re just going to hold them in place and let the wilds run straight into them… I think they’re going to work! If we can just build them some frames…”
“Frames?” Remian blinked.
“Barricades that use these metal stakes instead of sharpened sticks.” Tim explained. “Actually, can we ask them to make completely metal barricades, with sharp stakes pointing outwards? I think the Iron Legion would actually pay for those.”
It was a good idea. The Legion was experienced in fending off human bandits, so wooden stakes were good enough, but when it came to Tier 3 Wilds, they were going to need stronger, heavier fortifications.
“Can you talk to Markus about it?” Remian asked.
“Yeah. Last I checked, he was trying to buy out all the bear traps in town.&rdqu
Not all of their plans went the way Remian hoped.For one thing, Tier 3 bows appeared to be a very, very bad idea. The reason for that was the difficulty in drawing them. It turned out, only Joshu and Xia could draw Joshu’s Tier 3 bow. None of their students and neither of the other hunters could properly draw it to its full length. Most of them couldn’t even manage to pull it halfway.“So… crossbows?” Remian eyed the weapons used by the other two hunters.They were twins, both girls, and both tanned brown like Xia. Neither of them were older than Mandy. Unlike Mandy, they had the advantage of living parents in town. It turned out, their father was the innkeeper of the Open Frontier Inn…The hunter twins Candice and Denise used different kinds of crossbows. Candice used a heavier arbalest designed for power. Denise preferred a light crossbow that was quicker to aim, reload and fire. Denise’s dream weapon was the
But, no, it turned out to be a pot.“This is…?” Remian stared.They were in a very cliché secret cave, located behind a waterfall which fed the lake where the Steel Scale Crocodiles lived. On the left was a bookcase; on the right, a bed, and right in front of them was a pot big enough to fit an entire Blood Rabbit Chief, one that Tim would probably love to use…But it was filled with some thick blue liquid.Oh, the mana crystals were there too. Remian could see them glowing right off the walls at the back of the cave. It’s just that he hadn’t sensed them. What he’d sensed was the blue liquid in the pot.Carrie sniffed the pot, then turned away and sneezed.[Alchemist cauldron. Tier 3.] Death inspected. [At least 200 years old. Someone left a batch of mana potion to cool after brewing and never came back for it.]Mana potion?! Remian twitched. This was like he’d gone prospecting
“Three floors and roof access.” Max rubbed his chin as he and Mandy met Remian to discuss the shop house. “Walls strong enough to fend off Tier 3 Wilds. Possible accommodation for wolfcats. A basement for storage, and the ground floor should be a shop open to customers. That’s…”“Can it be done?” Remian asked.“It could take some figuring out.” Max said at last. “Maybe a couple days.”“We need the design ready by tomorrow morning.” Remian told him. “We’ll do it like the Guard Tower. The first phase should be dug and built by tomorrow. I want at least the basement and two floors ready by the time the Beast Wave arrives.”“That’s going to put a hold on all the other projects.” Max winced. “Also, given the size you want and the plot of land you have, I’m afraid you’ll have to bid goodbye to the yard.”“
His name was Arnold. Back at Ashdale Kingdom, he had been framed for the theft of military supplies and thus he was deemed a petty criminal and sentenced to ten years imprisonment minimum. His only out was to join the Legion and waltz off to the Frontier. Many saw this as a suicide option; but Arnold straightened his back, proclaimed his innocence, and rejected jail outright. A week later, he was at the Legion camp of Frontier Town, building two ballistae. “So now you know my background.” He grunted, testing the crank of the one on the left. “Why do you ask?” “Because, well…” Remian scratched his head. “You’re good. Very good.” The ballistae were easily three meters long, and just as wide. Each was like a crossbow, only much bigger. They used the ‘headless spears’, that is, the simply steel shafts with sharp points for ammunition; Arnold said something about the consistent strength and weight distribution of the spears that made them more suitable and
How? That was the question on Remian’s mind more than anything else. How to fend off the Beast Wave, for sure, but even before that… How did the Wilds know that this was the time the town was vulnerable? That the Legion was full-swing in celebrations today? How did they know to rush the Beast Wave a day early, and to hurry over even at the expense of their slower fighters? How did they know now was the time to strike? The fact that they struck now, like this, told Remian two things. First, somebody, somewhere, had told them. There was a traitor in town, probably one of the Wilds, possibly one of the wolfcats in Carrie’s pack. Second, somebody, somewhere, was controlling them. Somebody decided to rush the Wave so that they would attack during this one vulnerable day. It had been a deliberate decision. Similar to Shadowflash, there was another lord of the Wilds out there commanding the Beast Waves. And if the Waves could
Tim and Silas were in trouble. They were the vanguard of the ammunition convoy, and they had just entered the town center when an immense bull on fire came charging straight at them. “Tier 4!” Silas gasped. “Brace!” Tim crouched, holding out his precious Tier 3 spear, praying against all odds that at least one of them might survive, at least one of the eight young boys behind him who went to get the spears might come out of this alive and finish the mission, because most certainly, he himself wasn’t going to make it… But a miracle occurred. Remian shouted, “Light!” Before Tim could exclaim anything, a wall of light twice his height and much wider rose up in between him and the charging bull. There was a terrible, jarring impact; Tim could feel the ground sake under his boots from the crash. But the Bull was stopped cold. It could not get even an inch past Remian’s light. Silas let out all his breath in relief. “I
“What happened here?” Charlie was astounded when he arrived on the airship the next day. “The Beast Wave hit last night.” Remian summarized. They met at the half-built airport. There was a high deck for mooring airships, currently accessible either via a long ramp or a manually operated lift. At present, four Legion trainees were pushing at the wheel powering the lift which had two injured trainees on stretchers aboard. Next to the lift were eight more injured trainees in a row. Down below were four more and other people queued up with their crates for export, still waiting for their turn to use the lift. “We need more lifts.” Charlie observed. “We need a secure warehouse, so people with goods for export can bring them up here early.” Remian countered. “This airport currently only had three people on staff, and two of them work at the air traffic control lighthouse.” All three were hired by Deutero, so Remian had little say over whether more c
In the end, it was Arnold who really blew Remian’s budget. The things he asked for were estimated to wipe out half of Remian’s earnings all by themselves. “You want that Repeating Scorpion quickly or in a few years? And a moving tower, no less… do you have any idea what it takes to build a decent Siege Tower?” “Not really, no.” Remian confessed. “Neither do I.” Arnold handed Charlie with a list of ordered parts, gears and tools. “Count it as research costs!” “How long do you expect this ‘research’ to go on?” Remian asked, concerned for his wallet. “Without these supplies? A Repeating Scorpion could take me all year. With them? I could have one ready in a week or so.” Arnold clarified. “Putting it on a moving platform would need more work; we’ll have to do a lot of testing and adjustments to fire a Scorpion while the platform is moving. Building an actual siege tower capable of withstanding Tier 3 and 4 Wilds… that’s going to take at lea