An hour before dawn Ben had advanced his cultivation to Stage Five Level Two. He was excited to make another advancement since it seemed the higher his cultivation rose the more difficult it became to advance further.
No, it wasn't harder to break through when he thought about it, but the time invested to break through each level was definitely increasing.
The system had always allowed him to make smooth gains in his cultivation without having to deal with bottlenecks or foundation establishment.
Ben had some time before the slaves he purchased would be delivered so he opened his status. It had been some time since he had reviewed it and he was curious to see how it had changed.
"Status!"
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[STATUS]
[Host]: Ben King
[System Level]: 20
[Health]: 910/910
[Mana]: 940/940
[Strength]: 103
[Agility]: 89
[Stamina]: 120
[Intelligence]: 94
[Wisdom]: 90
[Vitality]: 91
[Charisma]: 76
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[SKILLS]
[Running: Level 9]
[Spriniting: Level 8]
[Enhanced Hearing: Level 19]
[Sword Mastery: Level 4]
[Hand to Hand Combat: Level 4]
[Pain Reflection: Level 3]
[Chameleon: Level 15]
[Silent Movement: Level 4]
[Bowman Sniper: Level 6]
[Victus Zoologist: Level 8]
[Poison Resistance: Level 5]
[Analyze: Level 7]
[Echolocation: Level 6]
[Mercantile Skill: Level 5]
[Iron Grasp: Level 7]
[Herbalist Aura Vision Level 9]
[Penmanship: Level 1]
[Grappling Level 2]
[Persuasion: Level 3]
[Night Sight: Level 2]
[Acrobatics: Level 1]
[Photo Reading]
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[SPELLS]
[Spells]:
[Mana Manipulation: Apprentice Level: 6]
[Mana Ball: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Mana Shield: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Enhance Form: Apprentice Level: 8]
[Slave Command: Apprentice Level: 2]
[Mending Touch: Apprentice Level: 7]
[Mana Javelin: Apprentice Level: 5]
[Sleep: Apprentice: Level 1]
[Zoom Spell]
[Raise Earth: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Lower Earth: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Ensnare: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Barkskin: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Weather Control: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Reverse Gravity: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Wind Control: Apprentice Level: 1]
[Firebolt: Apprentice Level: 1]
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[CULTIVATION STAGE]
[Stage Five: Level: Two]
[Current stage provides +5 to attributes per level]
[Current stage +100 QI per stage and +10 QI per level]
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[CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES]
[Immortal Strengthening Technique: Stage 5: Level 2]
[Whirlwind Maneuver: Level 10]
[Aura Assault: Level 2]
[Cultivation Reader: Level 1]
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[Classes]
Druid Class: Provides boosts to healing, weather, animal summoning, nature, and elemental based spells.
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[PROFESSIONS]
[Sign Maker Level 1]
[Graphic Designer Level 1]
[Carpenter Level 6]
[Furniture Maker Level 5]
[Interior Designer: Level 1]
[Metallurgical Engineering: Level 1]
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He shook his head with a wry smile as he looked over the huge list of information.
'I can remember when my Status was just a small list now I have to actually scroll the menu down to read through all of these skills and spells. It seems my stats and skills are also coming along, but my spells are all low level. I need to make time to start training my spells. If I ever have to fight another cultivator they will only help if they are high enough to harm another body which was strengthened through cultivation.'
Ben left the Small Palace and went out to unlock the gates to the driveways leading up and out of the Small Palace front entrance. He still had some time to kill so he continued to landscape the property.
He added trees, shrubs, and flowers around the perimeter of the palace on raised beds covered with white landscaping stone.
The center of the driveway around the three-tiered-fountain that had his dragon crest on top of it spewing out a geyser of water into the air was encircled with a large flower garden.
To keep people from walking into the central flower garden or driving carts into it, Ben placed three-foot tall black metal posts along the driveway which were connected with hanging black chains to create a fence like a barrier between the paved stone horseshoe driveway and the central fountain garden.
As he was finishing up he could faintly hear the sound of slow traveling cartwheels bumping along on the stone road even without his [Enhanced Hearing] activated.
When he looked out toward the main road he saw six large wagons making there way down the street. Ben walked out toward the road and waved toward the lead cart.
All six carts pulled up the driveway and stopped near the entrance. The men who drove the carts hopped down and reported to Ben before opening the back gate on the carts.
Once the slaves had been unloaded Ben had to sign a document stating he had received the slaves and was then presented with a key to the shackles that bound the slave's hands and feet.
Ben thanked the six coachmen who delivered the slaves and gave them all a few silver coins for their troubles before they happily climbed back up on their carts and went back to the slave market.
When the carts had left the property Ben turned toward the slaves and spoke to them.
"My name is Ben King. I am a Duke of the Aregard kingdom and a cultivator. This Small Palace is my estate and will be the place where each of you will live and work. Even though, each of you are a slave I have no intentions of treating you how slaves are normally treated."
Ben walked toward them with the key and began to unshackle their feet and hands. As he freed them he would also cast his [Slave Command] on each of them.
Because he had purchased these slaves and they would be working in the city he did not give them a choice about accepting his [Slave Command] brand. They each received one without even knowing that he had used it on them.
[Notice] Spell: [Slave Command has increased! Save Command Level 5!]
Ben could cast a spell without having to chant and his spells never gave any indications that a spell had just been cast. He could be walking down the street and cast a firebolt spell in mid-stride without anyone knowing where it had come from unless they saw it leave his vicinity.
"Now that you have been unshackled you will be happy to know that this is the last time you will ever be chained like this."
The more Ben spoke to these slaves the more they became wide-eyed in bewilderment. Each of them had held some hope that the wealthy looking young man that had purchased them yesterday would treat them well and not work them to death.
From what he had told them so far they weren't sure if they should believe it. Not only would they not be mistreated but he had no intention of treating them like slaves? What did he mean by this? They could only hold their breath in anticipation and wait to see what happened next.
Ben placed their chains and shackles into his inventory and had the group of slaves follow him around back to the small garden neighborhood he had created for them hidden among the trees behind the palace.
When the group of slaves had walked around the Small Palace and toward the row of trees behind the gardens they began to think Ben was going to have them live outside in these trees so they would be out of sight of this breathtaking mansion.
They each were surprised to see the paved garden walkway continued on into the large grove of trees and when they had passed through the row of trees they found a group of houses which were snuggled into a beautifully landscaped flower garden neighborhood.
The grouping of houses looked like a small woodland fairy community from a childhood story. The smooth stone paved walkways curved through the flower gardens and led up to each door of the quaint cottages that had ivy and vines growing on them.
In the center of the garden, the paved walkway led to what appeared to be a lattice covered vendor stall. Ben had designed the Market to resemble a vendor stall and had placed four tall wood posts around it. Attached to the four posts was a wooden lattice roof which had flowered vines growing across it.
Ben walked over to the Market first and had each slave place their hand on it. He opened the market menu and gave them all access to anything he added to the Market menu.
While they all stood there wondering why they had their hands pressed against this vendor stall a page that seemed to be made from light appeared in front of them. The page had images of clothing, tools, cookware, food, and other items they were unfamiliar with.
There were also words that described what these items were but most of them could not read. They only knew what each item was from the provided realistic photo images. They were all stunned and began to wonder what this magic was used for.
Ben explained to them that the vendor stall they were now touching was like a huge spatial ring that held the items they saw on the menu before them. All they would have to do is touch the image of the item and it would materialize on the table in front of them.
"I want each of you to keep your hand on the vendor stall and say the word clothing"
When the slaves all repeated the word clothing the menu changed and displayed a long list of shirts, pants. dresses, footwear, undergarments, jackets, socks, and accessories in many styles and colors.
"Each of you should now see a list of assorted clothing. I want everyone to look through the list and pick out any clothes that you like. You will also need socks, undergarments, footwear, belts, and jackets. Do not be shy everything is free for you to take and will be yours to keep. If you forget anything you can always return later to grab it on your free time."
Ben had to then show them next how to choose sizes between the small, medium, and large, choices. Unlike the clothes he custom made for the military to each individual's sizes the market only had general sizes available to withdraw.
Soon they all had a few outfits picked out, a small stack of canned foods, cookware, utensils, household products, and hygiene products.
Ben gave them each a large military laundry duffle bag to place their items inside and walked them over to the closest Small House. It was now time to take them through the house and teach them how to use the modern appliances and plumbing fixtures.
By now the slaves were all half dazed by the other-worldly technologies they had been continuously exposed to since they arrived here. They held in there though and were soon able to grasp the basics on how everything was used.
Back outside, Ben, had them gather around him.
"Everything in which you all have seen here is to remain a secret. Anyone who is not a part of this household is not privileged to know of the things you have seen here. The reason I have just shown each of you how to use these strange devices is you will also encounter them in the Small Palace while you are working and each of you will be given one of these homes and will live here from now on."
Slaves of this world were generally taught to be seen and not heard unless the master asked you a question you were to remain quiet in his presence.
When Ben had said these homes were going to be theirs they all cried out in surprise. Slaves would normally sleep on the ground in community shacks and given ratty blankets as one of their only possessions.
Now not only did they have a huge bag of possession slung over their shoulders but they would be given one of these miraculous garden homes which were filled with beautiful furniture and rugs? The windows even had a see-through material that kept out the elements and they could just turn a dial on the wall to make it cooler or warmer inside the home.
Each slave began to look at each other trying to confirm if this was the truth. When Ben saw the shock and heard them all gasp and look at each other he couldn't help but begin to laugh.
"Alright I am sure those sacks of items are beginning to get heavy so let's begin assigning you a house. Once you have been assigned a house I want you to go inside and put everything away and then take a bath using the shampoo and soap as I taught you. Once you are done cleaning up put on one of your new outfits and then come back outside and gather around the Market. Once everyone is done and we all meet back up again. I will take you over to the main house and show you where you will be working from now on."
Ben went from one slave to the next and assigned the nearest home to the nearest slave. The slaves entered their new homes to bathe and change while Ben walked over toward the Market.
It would be a good half hour before they returned so Ben decided to look around the area for what he could improve on instead of just waiting. Because this property wasn't far from his store structures the Trash Incinerator, Waste Treatment, Water Treatment, and Power Plant provided this property with the major necessities.
With the main infrastructure taken care of Ben would only need to add anything that the store could not provide.
The first thing that came to mind was how dark it had been when he had made this small neighborhood.
Ben opened the [Roads] section of his Build Menu and began to add electric street lamps along the paved pathways that led from the slave's homes to the rear entrance of the small palace.
If they had to work late for any reason they could walk to their home with the help of the overhead lights. These were the same lights you would see on any suburb street that lit up the area at night time. Ben had placed these same lights along the streets back at the fortress and they would light up the streets at night time just the same as the streetlights did back on Earth.
As Ben scanned through his Build Menu he came to the[Entertainment] section. The prices of the entertainment buildings were much more affordable compared to some of these more advanced structures.
Behind the back row of homes, Ben built Restaurant and a Recreation Center. They looked exactly like those he had built for his people at the fortress. The stone paved walkway was continued back behind the slave's homes and led to the entrances of the new entertainment buildings.
[Restaurant]: People can sit down and order any meals that the host has added to the interface menu. The meal will appear on the person's table instantly upon ordering.
[Locked until: built fish pond farm-cattle ranch-vegetable farm-spice farm-bakery] [costs: 200g]
[Recreation Center]: A place people can have fun playing card games, board games, billiards, listen to music or just relax. Interface access to all visitors that provides a list of all stored music. Music can be broadcast throughout the recreation center or listened to in small listening rooms. [Locked until: first house is built] [cost: 100g]
As he was finishing up connecting the walkways the slaves began to leave their homes looking clean and dressed in fresh new clothing. If they were to walk around the city streets it would be impossible to tell them apart from the other commoners.
They curiously watched Ben as he somehow magically made more stone paved walkways that led to two buildings that had not been there when they first arrived.
These slaves were slowly learning this new master of theirs was mysterious and could create things never seen before. With the combination of the guaranteed loyalty from the [Slave Command] and the fabulous things, they have seen since their arrival this group of slaves already were beginning to look at their new young master with reverence.