If not for joining the Free Corps...
The barbarian Black Axe might never have imagined that there was more to life than adventure and combat.
Using cement and stone to build, they could construct a massive barbarian stone house that was not only completely impervious to wind and snow but also guaranteed not to collapse.
He believed this was the power of the mage leader Kent. This power had been demonstrated to him many times—not only in the form of this magical, water-like mud but also in the towering castle under construction, the magical, irresistible soup that made one lose all will to fight, and the fireplace as warm as the sun.
"This is a generous and great mage, a generous and great leader," he thought to himself. Perhaps, in a year, he could request the leader to teach him these magical methods so he could bring them back to the barbarian forests of Splitting Blade Hill.
There, his clansmen were likely still gathering firewood and layering straw to survive the winter...
Toot-toot-toot-toot-toot!
A series of short whistles rang out, and the barbarians rushed out of their stone houses.
In the distance, the orc warriors also came running, joining the barbarians on the training field.
"First Battalion, two hundred push-ups, get ready..." bellowed Black Axe, the battalion commander, at the barbarians lined up in two rows.
"Second Battalion, throwing practice, prepare..." commanded Stone Fist, as the orcs hefted the pre-prepared stone spheres.
The Free Corps had now officially been divided into three battalions.
The human warriors, numbering fewer than thirty, were placed under Splitting Blade's squad, now renamed the Leader's Guard Battalion.
The forty-some barbarian warriors and eighty-plus orcs were split into the First and Second Battalions. Kent filled their schedules to the brim: three days a week working in the workshops and mines, and the rest of the time devoted to tactical training.
These tactical exercises, referred to by the leader as "training modules," were peculiar in content and varied by battalion.
The Guard Battalion primarily trained in small-unit tactics involving three to five members for rapid attack and defense.
The First Battalion, made up of barbarian warriors, focused on strength and axe-shield training. Although barbarians were unused to the idea of shields, Kent's promise of magically enhanced armor for those who passed evaluations spurred them to train with unmatched dedication.
The orcs in the Second Battalion, on the other hand, had an unusual regimen.
Throwing stone spheres was their primary training focus.
Kent's requirements were odd: they not only had to throw the spheres but also hit one of several circles marked 100 meters away. The circles varied in size, from a three-meter diameter for the largest to one meter for the smallest. Only those who could consistently hit the largest circle could advance to the next training stage. Furthermore, anyone who managed to hit the smallest circle five times in a row would receive a bonus of gold coins from Kent himself.
Training with a chance to win gold coins?
This drove the eighty-plus orcs into a frenzy of enthusiasm, investing themselves entirely in their training.
In addition to these three combat-oriented battalions, Kent renamed the three construction battalions of cavefolk into an engineering regiment, with Kent himself as the commander and Haka Chak and Lukak serving as battalion commanders. Their daily tasks involved castle construction, excavation, and transporting ores via horse-drawn carts.
The three leaders' prestige among the cavefolk had reached unprecedented heights, and their circle of cavefolk women had grown significantly.
Out of gratitude, the three brothers initiated a ritual: every day, they led the cavefolk in prayers and blessings for their divine benefactor. Each and every cavefolk individual, from the depths of their hearts, expressed thanks to the divine envoy.
For it was the divine envoy who had brought them all of this.
It was the divine envoy who took them under the protection of the Spearhead Territory.
It was the divine envoy who allowed them to live equally alongside the once-distant races.
It was the divine envoy who let them experience delicious food they had never dreamed of.
It was the divine envoy who taught them to use public restrooms, freeing them from their previous filthy surroundings.
...
The satisfaction points in Kent's system surpassed the 500,000 mark for the first time.
Although this seemed like a lot, the production system had already unlocked Rune Forging and Architecture. Unlocking new sub-projects required a staggering 200,000 points.
But Kent had no other choice—this was the time to accelerate technological progress. He had been extremely selective in choosing system upgrades; otherwise, the current rate of satisfaction growth would never sustain his daily expenditures.
The new project Kent chose to unlock was weapons forging.
Among the options in Level 1 weapons forging were long swords, battle axes, war hammers, and, most critically, the blueprint for a weapon he urgently needed:
The Swift Repeating Crossbow.
The Swift Repeating Crossbow was a weapon that used a lever system to quickly reload and fire bolts. The manufacturing process was relatively simple.
This crossbow resembled medieval European lever crossbows, with a lever mechanism on the body allowing the string to be easily drawn back. A trained marksman could fire 8–10 bolts per minute, with an effective range of up to 200 meters.
With this weapon, Kent's castle-centric defensive development strategy could truly take shape.
Kent planned to produce a batch of Swift Repeating Crossbows and train the cavefolk engineering regiment to become a crossbow corps. The use of a crossbow did not require the years of practice demanded by bows, nor did it require great strength. The numerous, highly loyal cavefolk made for the ideal candidates.
The small stature of the cavefolk made them perfect for becoming crossbowmen. Unsuitable for close combat due to their size, timidity, and weak builds, the cavefolk would only face destruction in melee encounters. The crossbow's light draw strength allowed them to wield it effectively, and its long-range capabilities reduced the likelihood of panic-induced collapse.
Additionally, their small stature could provide a surprising tactical advantage. During this defensive phase of development, the cavefolk's size allowed for more firing points within the same area, effectively enhancing defensive firepower.
There was another critical reason...
The cavefolk contributed the largest portion of satisfaction points to Kent's system.
Not only did they provide the highest volume of points, but each individual contributed more than the barbarians or orcs. With an average of 50 satisfaction points per person, Kent was earning tens of thousands of points daily.
Indeed, the oppressed lower classes held untapped potential.