Chapter 23

The goblins erupted into cheers as the final beam of the village hall was secured. The structure stood proudly at the heart of the village, its angular shape and thatch roof a testament to their collective effort. For Luke, it was more than just a building—it was a symbol of progress, of hope. The system chimed in his mind, its voice calm and mechanical.

[ You have successfully constructed the Village Hall.

Rewards: 100 Tech Points. ]

Luke smiled, his eyes scanning the structure. The hall was two feet deep, its walls reinforced with leather straps and its roof a patchwork of thatch and branches. It wasn't perfect, but it was sturdy—a far cry from the flimsy huts that had defined the village just days ago. The goblins gathered around, their faces filled with awe and pride. Even Shiki, the chief, looked impressed.

"Lok make strong house!" one of the goblins exclaimed, clapping his hands.

"Strong house for strong chief!" another added, earning a nod of approval from Shiki.

Luke chuckled, his gaze drifting to his office—a small, incomplete room at the back of the hall. For now, it was little more than a space with a makeshift bed and a few rolls of parchment. The chief had handed him an inkwell and a crude quill earlier, explaining that the parchments were a memento from his former chief and master. "No use to me," Shiki had said. "Only shamans and old chiefs know how to read and write."

Luke had thanked him, but the exchange had sparked an idea. I'll need to teach them how to read and write eventually. Education is just as important as infrastructure. But that was a project for another day.

As the goblins dispersed to continue their work, Luke sat down at his makeshift desk, unrolling one of the parchments. He dipped the quill into the inkwell and began sketching a map. The village was at the center, surrounded by dense forest. To the east, he marked the expansive grasslands he'd seen while retrieving the wolf pups. To the north, the mountain ranges loomed, their peaks shrouded in mist. To the west, the river where they gathered clay snaked through the landscape.

This is all I know for now, Luke thought, frowning slightly. I need more information. What's beyond the grasslands? Are there other villages? Towns? Enemies? His thoughts turned to transportation. A wagon would be useful. Maybe even roads. But for now, iron is the priority. Without it, we're stuck in the Stone Age.

He set the map aside and pulled up the system interface, navigating to the newly unlocked Items Shop. The list of items was extensive, but Luke's excitement waned as he read through it.

[ Items Shop - Tier 2

Primitive Age (Prehistory - c. 3000 BCE)

Tools:

Stone Axe (45 TP)

Stone Scraper (30 TP)

Stone Hammer (30 TP)

Complete Stone Tool Set (Axe, Scraper, Hammer) (90 TP)

Bone Needle (45 TP)

Bone Awl (45 TP)

(Expand to see more)

Materials:

Wooden Log (25 TP)

Pile of Flint (10 TP)

Animal Hide (10 TP)

Clay (10 TP)

II. Bronze Age (c. 3000 - 1200 BCE)

Tools:

Bronze Sickle (225 TP)

Bronze Plow (225 TP)

Bronze Sword (270 TP)

Bronze Axe (270 TP)

Bronze Shield (270 TP)

(Expand to see more)

Materials:

Copper Ingot (40 TP)

Tin Ingot (20 TP)

III. Iron Age (c. 1200 - 500 BCE)

Tools:

Iron Plow (360 TP)

Iron Sickle (270 TP)

Iron Axe (360 TP)

Iron Scythe (270 TP)

Iron Sword (360 TP)

Iron Spear (360 TP)

Iron Shield (360 TP)

(Expand to see more)

Materials:

Iron Ingot (90 TP)

IV. Early Medieval Age (c. 500 - 1000 CE)

Tools:

Heavy Plow (450 TP)

Materials:

Steel Ingot (120 TP) ]

Luke sighed, leaning back in his chair. Interesting, but not exactly groundbreaking. I can make most of these myself, even if it's labor-intensive. Still, it's good to have options in case of emergencies.

He closed the Items Shop and navigated to the System Functions Shop, his curiosity piqued. The list here was shorter but far more intriguing.

[ System Functions Shop - Tier 1

Tech Points: 280

Map (250 TP): Reveals a 3-mile radius of geological information from your current position, as well as real-time information on entities within that radius.

System Craft (325 TP): Allows the system to craft tools, weapons, and equipment from your Blueprint Codex. No rewards will be given.

Simulation (375 TP): Enables terrain, combat, battle formation, blueprint, and magic simulations. ]

Luke's eyes widened. Now this is useful. The Map function, in particular, caught his attention. It's like having the eye of a god. Real-time information on everything within a 3-mile radius? That's invaluable. The Simulation function was equally tempting, offering the ability to test ideas and strategies without risking resources or lives. The System Craft function, while less exciting, could still be useful in a pinch.

After a moment of deliberation, Luke tapped on the Map function. The system chimed, and his Tech Points balance updated.

[ Tech Points: 280 - 250 = 30 TP ]

[ Map Function Unlocked. ]

A new overlay appeared in his vision, displaying a detailed map of the surrounding area. The village was at the center, with the forest, grasslands, river, and mountains clearly marked. Small dots representing entities—goblins, animals, and even a few unknown figures—maybe monsters that moved across the map in real time.

Luke stepped out of the village hall, the crisp morning air filling his lungs. The goblins were already hard at work, their movements more coordinated and purposeful than ever before. His eyes were drawn to the training area, where Shiki, the chief, was putting a group of goblins through their paces. The scene was both impressive and slightly comical—Shiki, a towering hobgoblin with muscles that seemed carved from stone, barking orders at a group of scrawny goblins who were fumbling with shoddy training tools.

"Faster! Stronger!" Shiki roared, his voice echoing across the village. "You fight like pups! You die like pups!"

The goblins scrambled to obey, their wooden sticks clattering against each other as they attempted to mimic Shiki's movements. Luke couldn't help but chuckle. They're trying, at least.

He approached the chief, his hands tucked into his pockets. "Chief," Luke called out, nodding respectfully. "Mind if I make a suggestion?"

Shiki turned to him, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "Speak, Lok."

Luke gestured to the goblins, who were now panting and sweating under the chief's relentless drills. "They're doing their best, but they need better tools. Training dummies, for starters. Something they can practice on without breaking their sticks every five seconds."

Shiki crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "Training dummies? Explain."

"Basically, wooden targets shaped like enemies," Luke said, sketching a rough outline in the dirt with his foot. "We can stuff them with straw or leaves. They'll last longer than sticks, and the goblins can practice their strikes without hurting each other."

The chief grunted, nodding slowly. "Good idea. But wood alone not enough. Need stronger tools."

Luke grinned. "I was getting to that. If we can get a stable flow of iron ore, we can make proper weapons and armor. Swords, shields, spears—maybe even axes. I've seen how the goblins fight. They're like… Vikings. Brutal, direct, and efficient. Axes would suit them perfectly."

Shiki's eyes gleamed with interest. "Iron ore? Where?"

Luke pointed toward the caverns to the north, where the goblins often fetched fresh water. "There's iron ore in those caves. The goblins don't know it yet, but it's there. If we can mine it, we can start producing real weapons and armor."

The chief's expression shifted, a rare flicker of respect crossing his face. "You know much, Lok. More than goblins. More than chief."

Luke shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I've got my ways. But for now, let's focus on the training dummies. Once we have iron, we can move on to the good stuff."

Shiki nodded, his voice firm. "Do it. Make dummies. Make goblins strong."

Luke gave him a thumbs-up. "You got it, Chief."

As he turned to leave, Shiki called after him. "Lok."

Luke paused, glancing back. "Yeah?"

The chief hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice quieter than usual. "You call me Shiki."

Luke blinked, surprised. "Uh… really? but..."

Shiki's lips curled into a faint smile. "You strong. You smart. You… different. Call me Shiki."

Luke felt a strange warmth in his chest. It wasn't just permission—it was trust. "Alright, Shiki. Thanks."

The chief grunted, turning back to his trainees. "Now go. Make dummies. Make goblins strong."

Luke chuckled, shaking his head as he walked away. Shiki, huh? Guess I've officially made it.