The previous night had been long. After the attack, tension lingered in the settlement. Although daily activities had returned to normal, permanent guards were now established. The settlement lacked walls or significant physical defenses, and building walls in that location presented its own challenges. However, security had become an absolute priority after the winged creature's attack.
1765 had spent most of the time reflecting. Now it was time to act. They not only faced the problem of limited manpower but also time. No one could guarantee when the beast would return, if it even did, but its attack confirmed something troubling: magical beasts truly lived in the mountains. And if all were as formidable as the creature from the previous night, the danger was immense.
Despite feeling a deep fear of the weapons Silas had stored in his vast database, 1765 knew he could no longer ignore them. These weapons, though terrifying, were possibly the only solution to face such formidable threats. Initially, he hesitated to advance toward such destructive technologies; his mind kept dwelling on the consequences of using them. However, the recent attack partially erased those doubts, at least enough to push him to act. If he had already struggled to improve the automatic ballistae and dart guns, he knew developing more advanced technologies would be even more complicated. The idea of manufacturing archaic powder pistols, for example, was dismissed: they were too slow, heavy, and inefficient.
For this reason, 1765 decided to focus on viable short-term solutions. Fortunately, they had the tireless help of the golems. Thanks to Silas' efficiency, the units lost during the attack had already been rebuilt, and 100 additional units were created. Although this would increase the demand for silent fruits, 1765 knew now was not the time to conserve resources.
Even the destroyed houses were rebuilt in record time. However, this time 1765 made a different decision: not to improve the current infrastructure. He had a more ambitious plan. Early in the morning, he mounted one of the scaled horses and rode several kilometers to a hill where the central lake of the valley was clearly visible.
"Is this the place?" he asked, surveying the landscape.
"It is correct; this is the designated location," Silas replied.
1765 nodded. The terrain was expansive, relatively flat, and centrally located within the valley in an elevated area. It was far enough from the Silent Forest to avoid immediate disturbances but close to necessary resources. There was water, grasslands, and perfect land for construction.
"How long will it take?" 1765 asked while evaluating the area.
"According to my calculations, with the continuous work of 300 golems, it will take two months to complete construction."
1765 sighed and nodded again. This time, they were planning something big. After the attack, it was clear that they needed a safe place. Wooden houses were no longer sufficient. The new goal was to build a castle large enough to house all the settlement's inhabitants and more.
Although he had seen modern cities and steel-and-glass buildings in his memories, he knew such constructions were not feasible at the moment. First, they didn't provide adequate defense; second, the technology necessary to build them simply didn't exist in this world. Moreover, the settlement's people were not accustomed to living in such advanced places. Thus, the best option was a castle—but not one made of stone like those in this world. Instead, it would be made of concrete reinforced with steel, a much more resistant and efficient material.
Thanks to the knowledge provided by Silas, 1765 didn't need to invest time in research. He knew how to make concrete and reinforce it, and the golems would work 24 hours a day to ensure rapid construction progress. Additionally, the location had everything needed: abundant water, space for expansion, and the possibility of creating grasslands and pens.
After inspecting the area, 1765 returned to the settlement. Although the villagers seemed relieved to see him back, he barely noticed. His mind was occupied with planning the next steps. After eating something quickly, he locked himself in one of the new cabins the golems had built. This cabin was larger than the others, with a spacious attic and a wide door to facilitate storing tools and materials.
Inside, he reviewed the available materials: processed wood, tools made in the improvised forge, and fibers of plant and animal origin. These fibers had been treated and cut into thin strips to create resistant and flexible ropes. Using a rudimentary machine he had designed, he began stretching and braiding the fibers to form high-quality ropes. Meanwhile, the golems worked cutting wood and assembling preliminary structures.
Rewinding a few hours earlier, in one of the many cabins in the settlement, 2876 rose early like everyone else. Despite the lingering tension from the creature's attack, he displayed a calmness he didn't entirely feel. That winged beast had left an indelible impression: its presence was that of a predator, and its intention was clear—to devour them.
However, 2876 had changed since arriving at the settlement. He could feel fear but no longer allowed it to paralyze him. Like every morning, he led the others in their daily training routine. The exercises began with activities to build muscle and endurance, followed by a long run covering several kilometers. This discipline was now the cornerstone of his existence—something he would never have imagined in his former life as a slave.
As he ran at the front of the group, he remembered the previous night. In the past, as a simple slave, he would have run away without looking back. But now, both he and the others had taken up arms and faced the creature. They had survived, and not only that—they had driven it away. This change wasn't coincidental. It was the result of training, teamwork, and 1765's teachings. In his mind, the days of solitary struggle were over. Now he knew that, by working together, they could face any threat.
As they finished their morning run, 2876 noticed 1765 mounting one of the scaled horses.
—I'm heading out for a moment. Don't worry; I'll be back soon, —1765 had said before departing.
No one stopped him or questioned his decision. To them, he was the leader, and their trust in him had reached absolute levels after the previous night. However, 2876 felt a knot in his stomach watching him leave alone. He wanted to volunteer to accompany him, to have his back in case of danger, but he held himself back. In the end, he decided to trust him like the others did.
He hadn't realized it himself, nor had the others, but their confidence in 1765 was at its peak. As one of the first group of freed slaves to join him, 2876 had decided to follow 1765. After more than a year, he had realized there was no one better suited to lead.
Perhaps 1765 was very young, and sometimes it seemed he didn't like being called "chief," but his decisions were always the right ones.
Just yesterday was a clear example: they survived thanks to the training he had established, thanks to the alarm system, the golems, and the weapons—all his creations. 2876 didn't understand how 1765 came up with so many ideas, but there was one thing he knew for sure: without him, this small camp would fall apart. That's why he had made the decision that, even if necessary, he would give his life to defend him. To 2876, 1765 was the only one who could fulfill his dream: the dream of liberating all the slaves born like him.
And this sentiment wasn't unique. While there had initially been doubts about 1765's leadership, especially among the second group of freed slaves, over time, they learned that everything in this place existed because of him. Even the golems, which no one understood how they worked, were controlled by him. Although the golems responded to voice commands, 1765's orders were absolute to them.
Therefore, when 1765 left to explore, everyone wore worried expressions. It wasn't until the afternoon when they finally felt at ease, seeing him return safe and sound. But, as had become customary in recent days, 1765 secluded himself in one of the settlement's facilities. This didn't bother them. In fact, 2876 had seen 1765 act this way before—the first time was when the automatic ballista was created. That's why he could only assume that this time, he was devising a way to deal with the beast that had attacked the day before. His task was to ensure he wouldn't be disturbed.
Night fell, and Silas focused on monitoring the skies for potential enemies with the help of the golems. The previous day's attack had highlighted a vulnerability: the sensors had been caught off guard because the attacker had come from above. Additionally, night patrols were established, and the carts with the ten automatic ballistae were strategically positioned. In each, teams of four people rested, ready to act if necessary.
Fortunately, the night passed peacefully, and the next day arrived without incident.
As the settlement awoke, 1765 continued working tirelessly. He had created a thick rope, wider than a thumb, strong and elastic. Meanwhile, the golems had assembled a massive contraption. This time, it wasn't a cart—or at least not like the previous ones. They had built a mobile base specifically designed for this new weapon. It even had brakes and two support legs that firmly anchored it to the ground when deployed.
The design resembled the automatic ballistae but with clear differences. It was much larger and lacked a rotating cylinder. Instead, it had a kind of rectangular platform on top where multiple arrows could be loaded. However, the reloading system was more complex, yet it allowed for firing larger and more powerful projectiles.
The weapon's base wasn't manually rotatable, like the earlier versions. This time, a system of levers and pulleys had been implemented, allowing precise movement up, down, left, and right. The firing mechanism itself was based on torsion, with the pulleys responsible for tightening the rope before each shot. This design, known as a torsion ballista, offered far greater power than conventional versions, though it sacrificed firing speed.
While the golems worked on the runic matrices and a sighting mechanism to aid aiming, 1765 focused on the arrows—or rather, their tips. These would differ from those used previously. The tips were made of silent wood, coated with metal to enhance their durability and penetration ability. The shafts, however, were crafted from a sturdy wood easily handled by the golems.
The metal coating on the tips somewhat reduced the anti-magic effectiveness of the silent wood. However, Silas had calculated that the effect would remain active within the first few centimeters of the tip, which was sufficient to break magical barriers and penetrate defenses. This allowed the golems to handle the arrows without issues, as they weren't entirely made of silent wood.
The arrows were enormous, each measuring seventy centimeters in length and thirty millimeters in width. The torsion ballista could load up to six arrows in its automatic reloading system. Once fired, the rectangular cartridge serving as the magazine had to be removed and replaced or refilled. Although the firing rate was much slower than that of the automatic ballistae, the strength of each shot was incomparable.
1765 worked tirelessly assembling the arrows. The tips and wooden shafts were designed to be assembled via a threaded system, secured with a special adhesive to ensure stability. Each arrow was meticulously inspected before being loaded into the magazine.
Once the arrows were mounted in the magazine and the weapon fully loaded, 1765 nodded with satisfaction as he inspected it. It had taken two days to build this new weapon. Unlike the automatic ballistae, which required more time due to the complexity of manufacturing the rotating cylinders, this new weapon had a more straightforward design focused on power.
In front of him stood a massive ballista mounted on a sturdy wooden base reinforced with metal plates. The nails and screws running through the structure gave it a rustic yet intimidating appearance. Its design exuded resilience and a clear purpose: destruction.
After meticulously inspecting every detail, he opened the doors of the improvised workshop, and with the help of several golems, brought the new weapon outside.
It was the afternoon, and the other settlers were immersed in their evening exercises. However, the sound of the heavy door opening drew their attention. One by one, they turned their gaze toward the clearing where 1765 and the golems were positioning the massive device.
Immediately, a group began to approach out of curiosity. From a distance, the new ballista reminded them of the automatic ballistae they had already seen in action. They were puzzled as to why 1765 had taken the time to create one himself when others could have assembled it, given that some were capable of doing so.
1765, aware of their stares, turned to them and smiled.
"I see everyone's here," he said with a firm voice that captured everyone's attention. "This is the perfect moment."
He cleared his throat before continuing.
"As you all know, two days ago, we were attacked by an unknown beast. Based on my calculations, it likely came from the peaks of one of the nearby mountains. It already has us marked, and it could return at any time looking for food. That's why I've created this new toy to deal with the problem."
He gestured theatrically toward the weapon, causing an air of tense anticipation among the group.
"Now, I need everyone to stand behind the weapon and several meters away. We don't want any accidents."
Following 1765's orders, the settlers stepped back, positioning themselves at a safe distance. Meanwhile, another group of golems arrived with a cart carrying a test target. It consisted of a metal plate, a wooden wall, and a stone barrier placed one behind the other. It was a simple but effective setup to measure the weapon's penetration capability.
Once everyone was in position, 1765 climbed to the back of the ballista. He placed his eye on the sight and adjusted the control levers connected to the pulley mechanism. With calculated movements, he aligned the sight with the target as the pulleys slowly adjusted the weapon's position up, down, and sideways.
Once aligned, he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The torsion ropes released with a loud snap, propelling the first bolt with tremendous force. A sharp whistle accompanied the projectile as it tore through the air at an astonishing speed.
In less than a second, the bolt struck the target. The metal plate dented, the wooden wall splintered, and the stone barrier cracked. But the bolt didn't stop there; it continued its trajectory, smashing into the cart behind and destroying it completely.
1765 observed the result and couldn't help but comment.
"We'll need to adjust the sight," he said with a crooked smile.
The others seemed impressed by the weapon's destructive power. After all, these were the same targets they used for training, and they knew how durable they were.
1765 turned to them, a slightly excited look on his face, like a child showing off a new toy to his father.
"Well, I think we can defend ourselves a bit better now."
A new day arrived, and though there were no signs of the beast returning, 1765 didn't allow himself to rest. Instead, he dedicated his time to building a second torsion ballista, while a third was already in the assembly process. Simultaneously, ammunition production ramped up considerably, and the settlement's automatic ballistae increased in number to a total of fourteen.
Additionally, a new cartridge system was implemented for the manual ballistae. Each cartridge contained ten bolts and could be easily placed on top of the ballistae. Although the weapon still required manual reloading after each shot, the cartridge system made the process much faster compared to loading bolts one by one. This simple change significantly improved combat efficiency.
Although the threat seemed to have subsided, the settlers took advantage of the calm to rest and recover their strength. However, no one could ignore the feeling that this was merely the calm before the storm.
The sun was at its peak when everything changed. It was an ordinary day, and 1765 was fine-tuning the final details of the third torsion ballista. The air was filled with a tranquility that wouldn't last long. Suddenly, Silas's voice resonated in his mind with a tone of urgency.
"Multiple enemies detected approaching from the south. Preventative measures are recommended. Activating emergency protocol."
The alarm bell rang out once again throughout the settlement.