James woke up and kicked himself as soon as he did. He needed to be strong; he hadn't seen the carnage of battle before, and he was experiencing shell shock. During the battle, he felt like he was far away, falling into it like one of his games, but the memory of the battle haunted him all night.
He checked his status.
HUD Display: Status
Name: James Hollaway
Race: Dark Elf
Class: Small Town Mayor
Level: 25
Evolution: Available
Experience Gained:
Hobgoblin kills: 31,827 XP
Dire Wolf kills: 21,218 XP
Leadership Bonus: 10,609 XP
Total Experience Gained: 63,654 XP
Title Gained:
Hero of the Dark Elves: Granted upon taking control and successfully defending the village. Provides a 10% boost to village defense and morale.
Level Ups:
Level 1 to Level 25 (each level up grants 3 attribute points)Total Attribute Points: 72 (3 points x 24 levels)
New Evolution Tree Unlocked:
Town Builder
Benefits: 10% reduction in build time and construction costs, access to advanced building options including aqueducts, roads, and sewers.
Battle Strategist
Benefits: 10% increase to combat efficiency, 5% increase to attack and defense of all allied units, access to combat maneuvers.
Resource Manager
Benefits: 15% increase in resource gathering efficiency, access to special resource buildings, and the ability to trade resources.
James stared at the HUD, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation. The choices before him were significant, and he needed to consider them carefully. The village's future depended on his decisions.
Kurothrax's New Stats:
The Dragon Link ability activated, enhancing Kurothrax's stats and their connection.
Name: Kurothrax
Race: Ancient Black Dragon
Level: 250/250Strength: 257
Dexterity: 206
Intelligence: 185
Wisdom: 165
Constitution: 309
Health: 100
Mana: 515
Effects of Dragon Link:
James:
Ability to communicate instantly with Kurothrax.Shared battle awareness, increasing strategic options.Boost to physical strength and resilience during direct interaction with Kurothrax (+5 to Strength and Constitution).
Kurothrax:
Increased awareness of village activities.Boost to intelligence and wisdom, improving strategic decisions (+5 to Intelligence and Wisdom).Enhanced bond strength, making the dragon more protective of James.
James felt a surge of energy and connection to Kurothrax, realizing the potential of their partnership. The path ahead was still uncertain, but together, they could overcome the challenges that lay before them.
Buildings and Resources Overview:
Current Village Buildings:
Huts (Level 1, Quantity: 10): Basic living quarters for the villagers. Provides minimal comfort and protection.
Barracks (Level 1, Quantity: 2): Housing for the village defenders. Improves combat readiness and training efficiency.
Infirmary (Level 1, Quantity: 1): Medical facility for treating wounded villagers. Improves recovery time and health regeneration.
Granary (Level 1, Quantity: 1): Storage for food supplies. Reduces the risk of food shortages.
Smithy (Level 1, Quantity: 1): Forge for crafting weapons and tools. Enhances equipment quality and availability.
Watchtowers (Level 1, Quantity: 4): Defensive structures for early warning and archery positions. Improves village defense.
Walls (Level 1, Quantity: 1): Stone barriers for protecting the village perimeter. Increases overall security.
Village Resources:
Food: 7,178 units (consumption: 20,000 units/week)
Wood: 9,638 units
Stone: 14,275 units
Metal: 28,537 units
Herbs: 9,638 units
Gold: 36,886,432 coins
Population:
Total: 450 villagers
Children: 300
Soldiers: 50
Mages: 20
Builders: 30
Blacksmiths: 10
Farmers: 20
Healers: 10
Others: 10
Building Options:
Basic Buildings:
Hut (5,000 gold or 200 wood and 500 gold): Basic living quarters. Capacity: 5 villagers each. (Build time: 1 hour)
Granary (10,000 gold or 300 wood and 1,000 gold): Increases food storage capacity. Prevents spoilage. (Build time: 2 hours)
Smithy (15,000 gold or 500 metal and 1,500 gold): Forge for crafting weapons and tools. Improves equipment quality. (Build time: 3 hours)
Infirmary (10,000 gold or 200 wood, 200 herbs, and 1,000 gold): Medical facility. Increases health regeneration and recovery time. (Build time: 2 hours)
Barracks (20,000 gold or 500 wood, 500 metal, and 2,000 gold): Housing for defenders. Improves combat readiness and training efficiency. (Build time: 3 hours)
Watchtowers (25,000 gold or 300 wood, 300 metal, and 2,500 gold): Defensive structures for archery positions. Improves early warning system. (Build time: 2 hours)
Walls (150,000 gold or 1,000 stone and 15,000 gold): Stone barriers for village protection. Increases overall security. (Build time: 5 hours)
Advanced Buildings:
Town Hall (50,000 gold or 1,000 wood, 1,000 stone, and 5,000 gold): Administrative center. Increases village productivity and management efficiency. (Build time: 5 hours)
Market (30,000 gold or 700 wood, 400 stone, and 3,000 gold): Trading hub. Facilitates resource exchange and trade with other villages. (Build time: 4 hours)
Library (20,000 gold or 400 wood, 400 stone, and 2,000 gold): Knowledge repository. Increases research and learning speed. (Build time: 3 hours)
Alchemy Lab (25,000 gold or 300 wood, 200 herbs, and 2,500 gold): Facility for potion crafting. Improves health and mana potions. (Build time: 3 hours)
Training Grounds (40,000 gold or 500 wood, 600 stone, and 4,000 gold): Area for combat training. Increases defender skill levels. (Build time: 4 hours)
Aqueducts (50,000 gold or 2,000 stone and 5,000 gold): Provides clean water supply. Increases health and productivity. (Build time: 6 hours)
Roads (20,000 gold or 1,000 stone and 2,000 gold): Improves transportation and trade within the village. (Build time: 4 hours)
Sewers (30,000 gold or 1,500 stone and 3,000 gold): Improves sanitation and reduces disease. (Build time: 5 hours)
Upgrade Options:
Each building can be upgraded to increase its efficiency, capacity, and functionality.
Hut Upgrade (Level 2, 10,000 gold or 400 wood and 1,000 gold): Increases capacity to 10 villagers. (Upgrade time: 2 hours)
Granary Upgrade (Level 2, 20,000 gold or 600 wood and 2,000 gold): Doubles food storage capacity. (Upgrade time: 4 hours)
Smithy Upgrade (Level 2, 30,000 gold or 1,000 metal and 3,000 gold): Enhances equipment quality and production speed. (Upgrade time: 6 hours)
Infirmary Upgrade (Level 2, 20,000 gold or 400 wood, 400 herbs, and 2,000 gold): Increases health regeneration and adds more medical facilities. (Upgrade time: 4 hours)
Barracks Upgrade (Level 2, 40,000 gold or 1,000 wood, 1,000 metal, and 4,000 gold): Increases capacity and training efficiency. (Upgrade time: 6 hours)
Watchtower Upgrade (Level 2, 50,000 gold or 600 wood, 600 metal, and 5,000 gold): Enhances defense and visibility. (Upgrade time: 4 hours)
Wall Upgrade (Level 2, 300,000 gold or 2,000 stone and 30,000 gold): Increases height and strength of the walls. (Upgrade time: 10 hours)
Resource Conversion:
Gold to Wood/Herbs: 1 gold = 1 unit of resource
Gold to Stone: 2 gold = 1 unit of resource
Gold to Metal: 4 gold = 1 unit of resource
Wood/Herbs to Gold: 10 units = 1 gold
Stone to Gold: 20 units = 1 gold
Metal to Gold: 40 units = 1 gold
Population Breakdown:
Total Villagers: 450
Children: 300
Soldiers: 50
Mages: 20
Builders: 30
Blacksmiths: 10
Farmers: 20
Healers: 10
Others: 10
Food Consumption:
Current Food Consumption: 20,000 units/week
James pondered the options for evolutions for less than a second before the answer came to him. First, he had to let Kurothrax know his plan and distribute his attributes.
"Kurothrax, we need to talk about my evolution plan," James began, his voice steady.
Kurothrax's eyes narrowed. "You should choose the option that gives the village a power boost. We need strength to defend ourselves."
James shook his head. "I understand your point, but we have a huge amount of gold. We can use that to build up the city quickly. Building up the village has much more short-term and long-term benefits than going for straight power."
Kurothrax growled, his massive form looming over James. "You think you know better than I do, human?"
James met the dragon's gaze, unwavering. "It's not about knowing better. It's about strategy. If we build up the village, we can improve our defenses, increase our resources, and create a strong foundation for growth. Power is important, but so is sustainability."
Kurothrax's eyes burned with anger, but he listened. James continued, "If we focus on building, we can attract more villagers, train more soldiers, and create a stable environment. We can invest in infrastructure that will support us in the long run."
Kurothrax was silent for a moment, contemplating James's words. Finally, he spoke, his voice a low rumble. "Very well. I will trust your judgment on this. But remember, human, I do not tolerate failure."
James nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. "I understand. Let's do this."
With Kurothrax's reluctant approval, James focused on his HUD and distributed his attributes.
James's Stats After Distribution:
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 22
Intelligence: 20
Wisdom: 100
Constitution: 21
Health: 100
Mana: 50
With his attributes distributed and Kurothrax on board, James felt a surge of determination. He selected the Town Builder evolution, feeling a deep sense of purpose and clarity. The benefits of reduced build time and cost, along with access to advanced building options, aligned perfectly with his vision for the village's growth and stability.
A surge of energy washed over him as the evolution took effect. His HUD updated, displaying new options and enhanced capabilities. James saw new stats displayed and was slightly disappointed by the losses.
James's Stats After Evolution:
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 11
Intelligence: 60
Wisdom: 100
Constitution: 11
Health: 100
Mana: 50
Disappointed as he was James felt more connected to his HUD. He saw the full layout of the village like a grid, understanding the possible places to build. He began to really understand how things flowed like the waters of aqueducts, how things could be molded and shaped like roads, how useless things could be washed away like the refuse in sewers. He shook his head, feeling for the first time like the HUD was influencing how he thought. He shook the idea from his head, he needed to remember this but he couldn't let it weigh him down right now.
"I need to be strategic," he thought. "The village's survival depends on the decisions I make now. With the Town Builder evolution, I can create a stable and thriving community. This is my chance to make a real difference."
With a deep breath, he prepared to take the next steps, knowing that the road ahead would be challenging but filled with potential.