The Great Expansion

With the immediate threat over, Liam knew it was time to shift his focus towards the growth and future of his settlement. Three simple goals formed in his mind:

Expand

Explore

Upgrade

Liam called upon Rorgash. "Ror, I need you to scout the surrounding areas. Look for any settlements—friend or foe—and any resources we can use. Be thorough, and report back with anything of interest," Liam instructed.

Rorgash rode this mount and set out the immediately

Next, Liam turned his attention to his warriors. "Guard the workers in the mine and continue your training," he ordered. The warriors needed to remain strong, and constant training would ensure they were always ready for battle.

Lastly, he gathered his workers. "Build a makeshift forge for the blacksmiths to start working," he instructed. "We need better weapons and tools if we're to continue growing."

The workers quickly got to work, using the materials at hand to construct a temporary forge while they began preparing for future upgrades.

As Liam casually scrolled through the bustling Global Chat, searching for any useful information, a sudden notification popped up, catching his attention. A new message was broadcast to all the lords:

[Event]

[Attention, Lords! A new task has been issued: Upgrade your Village Hall to Grade 5]

[Reward: Basic Guide on Blueprints and Beast Drops]

[Time limit: 3 days]

The Global Chat immediately buzzed with reactions:

[Lord_Larry]: "Upgrade to Grade 5? Already done! Got my reward, and the guide is actually useful. Finally, some insight on these drop rates."

[Queen_Ravyn]: "Wait, you upgraded already? That was fast. What's in the guide?"

[IronFist_Krol]: "Hah! Orcs don't need guides, but if it gives me an edge, I'm getting that upgrade done today."

[Silverlight]: "It details drop rates based on beast types and levels. More importantly, it explains how to enhance equipment using specific materials from beast drops."

[Stormbringer]: "I'm still stuck on Grade 3... how are you guys moving so fast?"

[BloodTalon]: "Get your workers in gear, Stormbringer. We need to push our infrastructure if we want to keep up."

[FlameWarden]: "Anyone else notice that high-tier beasts have better blueprint drops? Makes me want to go hunting more."

...

Liam looked at the chats and wanted to upgrade his Village hall the very moment but he lacked the iron ingots and the warrior essence.

Liam posted his trade in the global market: "Offering 30 Blood Essence and 20 Undead Essence in exchange for Warrior Essence." It didn't take long before the Global Chat exploded with activity.

[Crimson_Axe]: "Wait, someone's offering Blood Essence?? Finally! I've been stuck with this Warrior Essence for days and no use for it. Trade sent!"

[Dune_Walker]: "I've been looking for Undead Essence forever. I've got Warrior Essence lying around. Just sent the trade. Thanks, my guy!"

[Steel_Heart]: "You're a lifesaver, man. Blood Essence is so rare, and I've got more Warrior Essence than I know what to do with. Trade coming your way!"

[Bonecrusher]: "Undead Essence is a pain to farm. Been needing some for upgrades. Just swapped my Warrior Essence for your trade!"

.....

It seemed like what one lacked was in abundance to the other.

Next Liam listed for 500 iron ingots

Liam's next trade request popped up on the global market:

"Seeking 500 Iron Ingots. Price negotiable. Open to trade."

It didn't take long for the chat to light up again.

Liam filtered through the absurd amount of spam and shortlisted some potential clients

[IronTusk]: "I've been mining iron for days! I can give you 500 in one go. How about some rare beast drops in return? Scales or Claws maybe?"

[Bonecrusher]: "I'll trade you 200 ingots if you can spare some Mana Crystals or Beast Scales. Need to beef up my defenses."

It seemed like they were the ones attacked by humans or Non-Beast seeing how they lacked these resources.

Well it was an opportunity for Liam and he did not want to loose it.

Liam traded with both of them using beast scales and thus he now had more than enough to upgrade his Village hall.

[Village hall: The heart and soul of you and your land.]

[Health: 20k/20k]

[Grade: 5]

[Area coverage: 30 sq mile]

[Upgrade: Require: 15k wood, 10k stone, 2k iron ingots, 150 Mana essence, 100 Warrior essence.]

[Congratulations. Village hall has reached level 5]

[Please select two options from the following rewards]

[Orc summon bundle] [Armor and artifact bundle] [Building and blueprint bundle] [Elite resource bundle] [Hero Enhancement kit] [Alpha Beast summon token]

Liam looked carefully into the rewards and choose what he lacked most at the moment.

[Orc summon bundle] [Building Blueprint bundle]

[Choice confirmed. Rewards sent to inventory]

Liam opened his inventory and used the bundles.

[20 professional summon token, 1 hero summon token obtained]

[Bestiary Blueprint, Beast enclosure Blueprint, Throne]

Liam's excitement was palpable as he set to work on the new developments.

He swiftly ordered the construction of the Bestiary. This building would become a critical asset for his forces, allowing him to recruit and train formidable war beasts to support his army.

He also immediately upgraded the building to grade 3

[Bestiary: Used to tame and train wild beasts for use in combat or as mounts. Essential for expanding your army with powerful and loyal beast companions.]

[Growth Rate: +25% Training Efficiency]

[Capacity: 0/15]

[Handlers: 0/3]

[Training Facilities: Basic Taming Pens, Training Grounds]

[Upgrade Requirement: 1,500 units of wood, 800 units of stone, 100 units of leather, 20 Mana essence, 15 Beast Essence]

Simultaneously, he upgraded the Beast Enclosure twice. This enhancement improved the capacity and efficiency of livestock management.

[Beast enclosure: Used to contain and raise domesticated beast as livestock]

[Grade: 3]

[+30% Growth rate. +30% Fertility rate]

[Capacity: 12/50]

[Beast handler: 1/3]

[Upgrade requirement: ,2k units of wood, 500 units of stone, 50 units of leather, 10 Mana essence, 10 Beast Essence] 

With the construction and upgrades done, Liam summoned Grothar to discuss the incoming changes. The orc hero arrived promptly, his imposing figure and loyal demeanor reflecting his dedication to his new chief.

"Grothar," Liam said with a commanding tone, "we've got more orcs arriving soon. I need you to prepare accommodations for them and ensure they're integrated smoothly into our ranks."

Grothar nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination. "As you command, Chief. I will make the necessary arrangements and ensure that our new arrivals are given proper housing and resources."

Liam used the token and a timer of 15 minutes showing on his screen.

With nothing better to do for the coming 15 minutes, Liam decided to scroll through the Global chat

[Global Chat]

[Lord_Larry]: "Just upgraded my village hall to level 5! Got a blueprint for a new building. Anyone else get something interesting?"

[IronFist_Krol]: "Upgraded too! Got a nice armor bundle. Can't wait to try it out. Gonna make my warriors even more unstoppable!"

[Stormbringer]: "I was hoping for more info on blueprints. Seems like everyone's getting cool stuff. I'm still working on my defenses."

[FlameWarden]: "Got the artifact bundle. Some really powerful items. My heroes are going to be even more formidable now."

[Silverlight]: "Just traded for some iron ingots. Got enough now to upgrade my village hall to level 5 soon."

[DegenAr8]: "Hehe summoned some new troops. Got a female succubus among them. Hehehehe 😏"

[Lord_Larry]: "Lucky bastard! Aye can you share one? Where are you I can come."

[Stormbringer]: "Sounds like someone's having all the fun! I'm still waiting on my summons. Here's hoping for something exciting."

The chat becomes lively with discussions about summons, adding a bit of excitement and light-heartedness to the ongoing global conversation.

Grothar as usual came rushing in about the new arrival just as the timer finished countdown.

"Chief, the new arrivals are here!" Grothar announced, his voice tinged with anticipation.

Liam, intrigued, told Grothar to bring all of them into the Village hall

To his surprise, the newly summoned orcs were all female.

Liam approached them, his curiosity piqued. "Welcome! I wasn't expecting an all-female group." He said studying each one of them

One of the orcs stepped forward, her presence commanding. "I am Grima, a Sentinel of the Ironclad Tribe. Sadly our tribe's chief provoked a human king and he sent his army to anhilate our tribe. only we were able to escape."

'We were guided here by the revelation of the gods. We pledge our loyalty to the chief and shall serve you to the best of our capabilities'

[Name: Grima]

[Race: Orc]

[Title: Master Blacksmith of the Ironclad Tribe, Forger of Legends]

[Class: Blacksmith]

[Grade: Blue (6)]

[Loyalty: 90]

[Constitution: 55]

[Dexterity: 70]

[Intelligence: 55]

[Charisma: 45]

Skills:

Forge Mastery: Increases the efficiency and output of any blacksmithing operations, reducing the time and resources required to craft weapons and armor by 30%.

Smith's Expertise: Grants a bonus to the quality of crafted items, improving their attributes by up to 20% and adding unique enhancements to weapons and armor.

Elemental Infusion: Allows Grima to imbue items with elemental properties (fire, ice, lightning), giving crafted weapons and armor special effects that can deal additional damage or provide defensive bonuses.

Artisan's Touch: Enhances the production of complex or rare items, improving the chance of producing high-quality or unique items and increasing the quantity of materials salvaged from dismantling.

Metallic Resilience: Increases the durability of all crafted equipment, reducing the rate at which they degrade and providing a passive bonus to the defense of units equipped with her creations.

Blueprint Expertise: Speeds up the research and development of new blueprints and technological upgrades by 25%, allowing for quicker access to advanced building and crafting options.

Equipment:

Inferno Hammer: A legendary blacksmithing hammer with the ability to channel heat and energy, used for forging and enhancing equipment.

Golem's Apron: A protective garment worn during forging that grants Grima resistance to heat and magical interference, ensuring safety and effectiveness in her work.

Background:

Grima was a distinguished blacksmith in the Ironclad Tribe, renowned for her unparalleled skill in forging and crafting. Her creations were highly sought after

Liam nodded, pleased with the unexpected but welcome arrival. "You'll find your place here. We have plenty of work to do and I'm glad to have you with us."

As Grima pledged her loyalty all the other females also got on their knee and repeated the same.

[Beast Handler]x 5

[Blacksmith] x 5 

[Cooks] x 4

[Strategist] x 1

Liam gazed over the orcs and one of them caught his eye.

A female orc that looked different from the others. She did not have much muscle mass. He body was rather on the slender side.

He ears more pointed and she also did not had tusks protruding from her jaw.

Liam pulled up her stats

[Name: Elara]

[Race: Orc/Elf hybrid]

[Title: The Silver Strategist, Tactical Prodigy, Potential hero]

[Class: Strategist]

[Grade: 7]

[Loyalty: 90]

[Constitution: 42]

[Dexterity: 45]

[Intelligence: 90]

[Charisma: 80]

Skills:

Tactical Genius: Provides unmatched strategic insights, enabling precise battlefield planning that maximizes troop deployment and combat effectiveness.

Strategic Mastery: Optimizes defensive structures and traps, enhancing their effectiveness and adaptability to enemy tactics.

Advanced Battlefield Awareness: Offers superior foresight into enemy movements and strategies, allowing for effective countermeasures and tactical responses.

Liam's eyes widened as he read through Lyra's stats and skills. The blend of orc and elf heritage was striking, and her strategic prowess stood out prominently.

"Impressive," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

He looked up at Lyra, who was standing confidently but with a hint of uncertainty in her posture. "Elara, is it?" he said, his tone warm and inviting. "Your skills and background are quite extraordinary."

"I am honored chief." Elara responded with a smile.

Liam smiled and turned towards the other orcs scanning their stats individually. There were 4 more orcs with the potential to become heroes.

Liam was extremely pleased with how things were progressing.

"Everyone go and rest for now. Grothar here will prepare for your accommodations and other necessities."

"Grothar, them them familiar with the village and help them settle down" 

Liam watched as Elara and the other orcs left to get settled in. He was pleased with the new additions and the progress they signified. Just as he was about to shift his focus back to his tasks, Grothar, with a grin, spoke up.

"Chief, the morale among the troops and workers will definitely improve with the arrival of these new warriors," Grothar said. "And, I might consider one of them for myself if the opportunity arises."

Liam as a professional virgin and never having dated his whole life got embarrassed quickly responded,

"Grothar, let's keep things professional. We need to get them settled in first."

Grothar chuckled and leaned in. "What about you, Chief? Any of the new arrivals caught your eye?"

Liam's face turned red. "Grothar, get out of here," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I have work to do."

Grothar laughed and left to handle his tasks. Liam shook his head, he never expected this muscle head to be able to tease him someday.