I wanted a way to distinguish the veterans from the common units. So I made a change to them. From now on, veterans would get a completely black tabard and a white cloak made of cheap linen cloth.
I didn't spend my silver on it for the protective value, it was pure ornamental and a way for me to quickly tell them apart. Though, I guess, the cloak did have a value as it could be used against the weather.
I was still in the boss cave, having searched it for a chest but without any luck. I had made the changes to my units uniforms, and now only wanted two more things before I went back to Rolf and the others at camp.
"Erik!" I said, as we had gathered at the center of the cave.
"Yes Commander!"
I noticed that Erik was taller than me, maybe 185 centimeters tall. With his white plate boots, leggings and chest piece, he really looked like a knight.
He had no helmet or protection on his shoulders.
But his half-long blonde hair, wild beard, his adorned sword and large triangular iron shield, made him fierce to look at. Like a true Viking, clad in plate.
"After you got promoted, you seem different to me... What happened to you? Can you tell me who you are?"
Erik had a look of utmost respect for me, I could tell that he would follow any command I gave him.
Yet, I could also see a person in him. Nothing like the other units. Erik had real independent thoughts in his head.
"I'm sorry commander..." Erik seemed displeased with his own lack of answer.
"I can't tell you who I am, because I don't know. All I've ever been, is a proud member of The Legion. My only pleasure has been to fight for you. I knew only to follow orders."
"I see..." I was a bit disappointed, wanting to find out more about my class. How I seemed to be able to produce real human beings. Before the shockwave, that had been a thing only possible to god and those who had babies.
Yet here I was. Not even a week ago, I was a nobody. Sitting in a basement apartment with only years of work to look forward to, before I could join my woman.
And now I was many times stronger than a normal man. Not only could I wield a sword with skill, but two swords, and efficiently too, as my left arm had become much more helpful to me. I even saw the world differently, I could see more patterns, and ways to utilize my situation and surroundings to my advantage. The left half of my brain, the side that processed mathematics and logic, had certainly improved beyond any doubt.
I had survived an apocalypse, outpaced vile green creatures. I had gained skills that had put me on a path to war. I had fought and won battles. I had risen above my own fear and emerged on the other side, changed.
I am not the same person anymore, I thought.
"And now, Erik? You're a true human now. And a strong one at that I might add. Are your only pleasure, only to obey?"
I could see he was thinking. He was looking around the cave, from the dead dwarfs to the other units and back to me.
"I feel awakened, commander. Like I was sleeping, and now I see. I feel the ground on which I stand, I taste the blood in my mouth and smell the stench of death in the air. I have feelings and desires like any man. I have knowledge of the world unto which you made me. Yet I do not know how I got that knowledge. I know that the only one above me, is you commander. I find a deep love and honor in serving you, it is boundless and everlasting. And I have thoughts, I'm thinking things, images and feelings run through my head. Questions."
I don't know if it was because of my class. But the fatherly love I had felt before, stronger for some units than others, overwhelmed me when I heard Erik speak. He was like a hardened warrior in appearance, yet curious and oblivious to the world as a newborn.
"From now on Erik. I am not just your commander. But I will be your father as well. So come, tell me what you think. Ask me your questions."
"I will try commander. I think I already know much about our world, like memories forgotten, yet just now returning." Erik looked at a female unit I had summoned before he continued.
"But what is mostly on my mind, what I don't understand commander. Is why my body feels hot, and why I have an urge to put my penis inside that unit?" He pointed to the female.
"What do you..." The question took me by surprise. Having gained real consciousness, the first thing he asked me, was about the birds and the bees? And so bluntly at that.
It downed on me, that he might have knowledge of the world. Like why water runs downhill. That after the night, comes the day. That you have to skin a rabbit and cook it before you eat it.
But he had never experienced feelings before. Never experienced having a voice in his head, asking questions.
As my surprised thoughts ran through my head, I had another though of my own.
Was it possible? Could my units breed? And if so, could I exceed my unit capacity by having babies, loyal to only me? Should I test it, command him to take her and find out?
I shook my head. "That is one of our basic instincts. The urge that drives all men and women. It inspire us to protect and love. It can even instill hatred and fear. It is the urge to multiply, to make babies, you see."
"Ohh..." He looked ashamed. "I'm sorry commander. Forgive me. I now realize that my question was inappropriate."
"It is already forgiven Erik. Actually I want you to ask me anything you want. I want you to think and question everything. Even me. I might be your commander, but I am far from flawless. I want to be good Erik, but sometimes good men can become evil. So I don't want you to follow my orders blindly."
After having talked to Erik, I gave him and three other units a pickaxe each, and went to the cave tunnel.
"I have never tried this before Erik. But I have a profession that allow me to mine. And right here before us, the faint red glow you see on the cave wall, between the dark stones. That is iron. And I want you to try and mine it."
I had been wondering if my skill was somehow shared to my units, as they had allready been able to gather loot on my behalf.
"As you will commander!"
He raised the pickaxe over his head and swung it hard against the wall in the cave tunnel.
*Looted dark stone x3*
*Looted iron ore x1*
"It worked!" I wasn't exactly surprised by it, but it really did make my mood much better.
"This pleases me Erik, continue until you can't see any more of the red glow. And you three, do the same on the other wall!"
I went a bit further down the tunnel, found another iron vein and started hacking myself.
This went on for quite a long time. And all the while, I stopped to fill my capacity with new units every time my mana was full.
Having reached the portal I looked at the dark stone in my inventory.
Dark stone x5496. A simple description was added to it. Magic protection.
It didn't explain how much or what kind of magic, simply that the stone had some kind of protection against magic.
Knowing this, I couldn't just leave the cave. We continued to mine until all the pickaxes broke from usage.
Walking through the forest with 20 archers, 20 sword-units and 50 spear-units at my back, I finally saw the stone walls of my camp through the trees.
"Frey! Up here!"
It was Chioma, standing on the runway between the two towers at the gate.
"What are you doing up there? Is everything allright?" I asked.
"We were attacked by goblins. But we are all okay. Come inside and talk, Rolf is at the house."
Chioma came down and walked with me. We joined up with Rolf and Magnus outside the house.
"That's an impressive force you have now Frey! I guess your summon skill ranked up? I'm impressed!" Rolf smiled as he greeted me.
"You have a small army now, haha!" Magnus added as his own greeting.
"Chioma told me you were attacked by goblins? What happened?"
"Well, we were sitting inside the house when we suddenly heard the wolves howling. So we went out to see what was going on. There we saw five of your wolves being attacked by a goblin party." Rolf shrug his shoulders and looked at my wolves by the gate.
"We counted 23 goblins after we had helped the wolves kill them. I think they tried to get inside the walls and claim the place. But I don't know Frey... Next to your wolves those goblins aren't scary at all." He looked at Magnus as they both laughed. "Those wolves tore them up pretty bad!" Magnus happily added.
"I'm glad the wolves are effective. But I'm a little concerned.. Goblins out on a raid, must mean that enough of them have escaped, to survive outside the portal and multiply."
Rolfs expression turned serious as Chioma started to talk.
"You are right Frey. We've already discussed it. If goblins can breed here, who knows what else will roam the world before long. Rolf and Magnus have told me about countless of monsters and sentient beings. Even wyverns and dragons and other mythical creatures from our stories." Chioma looked gloomy as she spoke, the mood had dampened.
Magnus had equally turned serious as he spoke. "We have to be careful when we go outside the camp from now on. We think it's best if we only venture out in groups."
"You're right Magnus. I was thinking that as well. However not for myself, as I have my units, but for you guys." I turned around to my units.
"That reminds me. I have someone I want to introduce. Erik, come and say hi!"
They all turned to my units, and as Erik came forward I could see Magnus and Chioma flinching a little bit. Even Rolf seemed to on guard.
Erik certainly was an impressive figure.
But even I was surprised about what he did.
Kneeling down in front of Rolf, he spoke. "Greetings, elder kin of our Commander! It is a true honor to be able to greet you!"
They all looked at me, not knowing how to react, Rolf even more so. So far none of the units had done anything like this, barely being able to make conversation.
"He is properly self-aware now. When my skill ranked up, I was able to promote one unit. Erik is now my captain." I explained.
Rolf then let his guard down, and started to smile again. Seemingly enjoying the fact, that a real knight was kneeling before him, in honor and respect.
"Well, hello to you too Erik. I'm glad that I'm finally able to converse with one of you."
Erik then stood up and was extremely courteous, as he greeted Chioma and Magnus as friends and allies of the legion.
"So no signs of the greedy captain?" I asked as the introduction seemed to be over.
"No. Not a word. I'm getting concerned about it." Rolf scratched is beard. "I really think we should go there. You have been gone for 3 hours Frey, something could have happened in the other camp."
"Then let us go at once." I was also concerned. Thomas and Charlotte should have been back by now.
"But what about this camp? Will we abandon it?" Chioma asked.
"No, we won't." I smiled to Chioma as I turned to Erik.
"Erik. This is your first command. I will leave you with 20 archers, 20 swordsmen and 10 wolves to protect this camp while I'm gone."
I turned around with Rolf and the others, but as we went through the gateway I opened the shop and bought some lumber axes.
"Take these Erik. If you feel bored, cut some trees. We will need them to build doors for the gates and other things for the camp."
"I will not fail you commander! This camp will be secure when you return."
We left for the other camp. Or well, I stopped a second time before Erik was out of reach.
"Oh! And Erik?! Don't touch the woman..."