Chapter 213 - Large Town

The lengthening shadows and darkening cloudless sky promised the chilly night that would soon come. Not only because of the coming season change but because of the lingering Arctic mana hanging in the area as well.

The landscape was awash with temporary marks of battle, some larger than others. One massive crater stood out over the rest, spanning tens of feet wide and deep. The newly uncovered brown semicircle clashed with the dying green everywhere else.

It wasn't alone in its fight against the green, as other, smaller circles of brown had their own battle to overcome.

Brown versus fading green as far as the eye could see.

Well, as far as the normal eye could see. I wouldn't put it past Hal or Austin to be able to see past the war-torn area in front of the wall.

Frozen blood still covered my skin and armor, as I hadn't decided to use [Frost Armor] for the battle.

An oversight I wouldn't make again.

The layer of Ice was the usual victim of my heavy-handed slaying, but now devoid of that layer, it was my skin and armor that soaked up the scarlet liquid. At least it wasn't sticky.

It hadn't had the chance to congeal before being frozen.

"You went overboard." A weary voice commented from beside where I sat, "Again."

I scoffed.

He made it sound like a bad thing and in some ways it was, but he didn't need to be so dreary about it. It wasn't like it was unfixable.

"Yes, I know it's fixable, but it'll take days to fill that in." Gabriel, knowing what I was thinking, pointed at the largest of the new landscaping decorations.

"And what about that," He pointed at a different addition that hadn't been there hours prior, this one a meter-thick wall of Ice topped with endless spikes. Spikes that still held their prizes aloft, ten feet from the ground, their blood frozen to the tips, barred from dripping down.

"I can't even deconstruct it and no one can get near it."

I refrained from scoffing again.

They could get near it if they tried hard enough. They just didn't like the feeling it gave off. Gabriel not being able to deconstruct it was new. I hadn't known about that.

The two big markers that my brother so helpfully pointed out were one hundred percent my fault. There wasn't the need to use such force, but I had done so anyway.

It had been months since my last real fight, and while I wouldn't consider what just happened a real fight, I fought like it was anyway. Holding back after not being able to let loose for so long was a lost cause.

It was barely a few swings into the upgrade challenge when I started to go... overboard.

"Alright, fine," I sighed, "I may have gone overboard."

A grunt prodded me to go further.

"Again." I defeatedly admitted.

It was hard not to admit it while looking at the after-effects of a full-powered [Shattering Hammer] and [Frozen Rift]. Or, as fully powered as I chanced while not killing my allies.

The crater from [Shattering Hammer] was particularly close to dooming us all, as the entire cliff shook after my hammer landed. The ground vibrated so violently that an earthquake would have blushed.

The fighting stopped dead as both sides stilled to listen for the signs of a landslide taking the battlefield off the edge of the cliff along with everyone on it. An earful was the least of my worries after that and everyone had given me the side eye for nearly killing us all.

I had refrained myself the next wave, using pure force instead of fancy skills.

The lesser craters were from those impacts, as [Momentum] had carried over from the first wave, causing casual swings to hold a lot more force than normal.

It was the third wave that I lost myself and went overboard, again, as Gabriel so helpfully put it.

Instead of [Shattering Hammer], I used the more mana-intensive [Frozen Rift]. Creating nearly thirty yards of jagged ice spikes to spring from the ground and rise ten feet in the air.

That wave held annoying scaled creatures who stayed back launching elemental attacks. I had tried to use [Frozen Rift] as a ranged attack but underestimated the destruction it would cause.

In retrospect, forcing half my total mana into the skill should have been a clue. Probably. I had been too annoyed that the ankle biters kept running away from me to care at the time.

Now they lay atop the new section of wall I had added, with no more running away in their future.

My new hammer had gone through its christening and now I was left to take in the after effects. People were still clearing the field, carting off the bodies for the Dismantlers or Leatherworkers with Skinning skills.

The meat would go to the kitchens and stables. Some for the people and the undesirables to the wolves. Sarah's growing pack of wolves were a bottomless pit to feed.

If we didn't have monthly deliveries of food then we would be hard-pressed solely for their upkeep. It was to the point the wolves celebrated the smell of Goblins and Orcs, as they knew they had a feast in their future.

No one else was willing to consume the things.

"Is she still documenting the changes or can we do one more?" I asked hopefully.

As the upgrades were completed, the difficulty had risen alongside them and it was just beginning to feel challenging. One more would be pushing it for the day, as the sun was soon to set and people were tired from three rounds of fighting, but I couldn't help but hope for one more.

Outpost to Village had been a breeze. Other than the scare with [Shattering Hammer], it was completed in record time. The new strength people wielded made it impossibly easy. The early E-rank creatures were ended swiftly.

Village to Small Town followed similarly. Other than early E-rank turning into mid E-rank, and there being more of them.

Small Town to Large Town was when the difficulties started, but not for me. Late E-rank was still in my wheelhouse, but others had to take the wave seriously, lest they have a permanent end.

The highest-leveled creatures were well into the 90s, and one was even at level 100, but it hadn't made the jump to D-rank yet. Too bad that it hadn't, as that was where most of the strength came from at that level.

Without that boost, and with a full [Avalanche], it didn't stand a chance. A quick pull on my Bloodline and it was as good as dead. If I had faced the beast first, without my boosts built up, then it would have been harder. But that hadn't been the case.

It also helped that [Blizzard] and [Permafrost] had been working the two previous fights to give me even more of an advantage. [Glacial Presence] provided almost the same boost as [Righteous Fury] by that point.

It was the main reason the Arctic mana was still lingering around, frozen into the ground and air.

"You know she said the last wave was the last one. And that was after she caved and let you do another one. We were supposed to stop at Small Town." Gabriel said.

He was right, but that didn't change the fact I would ask for it. Small Town had extended our range far enough to reach Mountainside. We could have stopped there, but I pushed for one more.

The two waves before that being on the easier side helped convince her to do one more. Now that there were actual injuries that the Healers were dealing with, it was unlikely we would be doing another.

The main argument to push for another fell when Large Town revealed Twin Cities, the pylon Austin was staying at. There wasn't even that to use as an argument.

As our Range extended, what once had been two pylons and a paltry amount available in the Market, had turned into six and a lot more available for purchase. Mainly, the chunks of stone that Austin had promised.

He had mentioned in his letters that there was an enormous amount of the stuff surrounding their pylon and they were looking for a way to make use of it. We were the opposite. We needed massive amounts of stone and our quarries could only work so fast.

Sending some of our higher leveled Miners over to the Crystal mine certainly didn't help our stone production.

The stone they had put up for sale was better than the stuff we mined. As annoying as that was. It wasn't that much stronger and wasn't worth the effort to redo what we had already built, but the fact it was annoyed me. It was a good thing too, as we wouldn't be able to afford purchasing the amount needed to redo the walls.

They had higher leveled Miners or Quarry Workers. The grade of the material made that obvious. Unless they had loads of Granite that had risen above what we had up here, but that was doubtful as the difference would've been more noticeable.

In addition to the stone that now appeared, there were various bits of Ore as well. Presumably from Mountainside but could be from a different pylon. It was doubtful that it was from a Dungeon, as the amount and quantity of what was available made that unlikely.

Dungeons didn't usually give out chunks larger than a few pounds. The lowest level of the Metal Dungeon we had gave out five-pound chunks and I doubted there were Dungeons out there that much deeper than ours.

With the first delivery of Mana Crystals due soon, our Dungeons would soon outpace most on the Planet. Without a Curator to ensure a break didn't happen, we would have to be on the cautious side but they would definitely grow much faster.

Caution limited how fast they would grow, but shoving loads of mana into the Dungeon was dangerous if not monitored correctly.

Footsteps drew me away from thinking about our Dungeons' growth, as the crunch played a pleasant melody. The crunch of new snow would always be a welcome sound. Even if it carried a person who would dash my hopes.

"We are not doing another one." Before she even uttered hello, she knew what I wanted to ask.

I slumped and said nothing. I knew what she would say anyway.

"If Late E-rank monsters get sent for Large Town, we'll face actual D-ranks for Small City. Not even mentioning the fact jumping from Town to City carries its own risks."

The risks she was talking about were obvious after we reached Large Town. The pylon menus claimed as much and made it painfully obvious. A child would be able to understand the difference.

One upgrade option was the normal progression. Large Town to Small City. It would be tough, but follow the same progression we knew from before.

The other promised a challenge above that.

In order to receive a Noble Title, the normal challenge wasn't enough.

Two paths were opened to us. Our next upgrade would have to be a choice.

We had known that Noble Titles started at Small City. Abigail's growing library had said as much. It would also upgrade the Profession Abigail could evolve into and that was a discussion we would have to have in the future.

She was nearing level 100 faster than I was.

Outposts were run by Outpost Captains. It was the lowest rarity for the pylon leader Profession and one Abigail had evolved out of already.

Villages were run by Village Chiefs. The next step up, but not that much higher.

Small Towns and Large Towns were run by Mayors. The rank Abigail's Profession currently was.

Small Cities could either be run or owned by Barons, depending on whether they chose the Profession or not. I did not, so Abigail would be able to upgrade into a Baron's Seneschal.

That was only if we chose the Noble route. If we chose to do the upgrade without the Noble Title, she would remain a Mayor.

The Title of Baron itself didn't really do anything. I didn't care for it and it was only in the improvements it would bring that I even wanted it. It would maybe impress others or broadcast our ability to get the title, but I wasn't one who cared for vanity titles.

I knew others would. Maybe they would make people call them 'my lord' or other such nonsense.

"You're thinking useless thoughts again. I can feel it." Abigail interrupted. "The title isn't useless, you just don't care for the advantages it brings."

Leave it to her to crash a train of thought she wasn't even invited to.

"If I don't care for the advantages and there are no other uses... therefore it is useless," I said.

Gabriel snorted. "Really? Therefore? Are you a philosopher now?"

"Shut it, you. I can talk eloquently when I want to." I remarked.

"Speak eloquently." Abigail corrected.

"Did you come over here for some other reason or solely to engage in whatever this is?" I cut in and waved my hand.

"Yes, actually, we have more posts to fill now. While both the Seneschal and Head Merchant slots are filled, there are new ones opened because of the upgrades." Abigail started.

"It looks like Guard Captain is an official post so Elliot will be pleased. Head of Construction as well..."

With every title she listed off, instead of feeling good about our growing City, all I could see were the long meetings we would have to discuss who these new positions were going to.