"Master, we have brought back the prey!" The ten archers returned, walking from a different part of the forest. Many of them were carrying their catch.
Some held a wild rabbit or a wild chicken, while others had come back empty-handed. It was inevitable, after all; hunting wasn't an easy task, and only half of the archers had succeeded.
Their clothes were stained with blood and dirt, clearly showing they had put in a lot of effort to complete the hunting mission.
[Obtained: Wild Rabbit × 6, Converted to: Meat × 10 units]
[Obtained: Wild Chicken × 3, Converted to: Meat × 5 units]
[Obtained: Wild Boar × 1, Converted to: Meat × 50 units]
At that moment, Rudi noticed that one of the archers had actually managed to bring down a wild boar!
She walked up to Rudi, placing the boar on the ground, breathing heavily. It was obvious that hunting the boar had not been too difficult for her, but carrying it all the way back here had nearly exhausted her.
Rudi realized, "This is why archers with greater combat strength are cheaper to recruit than Barbarians."
The reason was simple: Barbarians could do all sorts of tasks—chopping trees, gathering resources, building structures—anything and everything.
On the other hand, archers were purely combat units. If they were constantly tasked with hard labor like this, they could fall ill or even die.
Yet, Rudi couldn't help but marvel, "That's incredible. One woman managed to bring back a wild boar on her own… the strength of combat units is no joke."
After placing the boar on the ground, the young archer collapsed from exhaustion. She sat down, her face pale, unable to speak a word.
Rudi could understand her completely. After all, even he, a grown man, wouldn't be able to move a full-grown boar.
Despite being utterly drained, the young archer lifted her head, her eyes full of hope, as if she was silently seeking approval from her master.
Rudi spoke up, "You did really well."
A joyful expression appeared on the young archer's face. Despite her exhaustion, just receiving her master's praise was enough to make her feel like she had fulfilled her duty as a soldier.
However, she couldn't help but feel that her body had been pushed too far. She might not be able to fight anymore after this. If that was the case, she feared she might be abandoned by her master. After all, she wouldn't even be a basic archer anymore...
A useless soldier would be put to death, and maybe I will be next... The young archer thought to herself, her face sinking in worry.
Just then, Rudi raised his voice, addressing everyone, "As my soldiers, if you perform well, you will be rewarded. This archer here has been the best in the hunt."
Rudi happened to have one more bottle of Heroic Elixir. He had already given one to Barbarian King to command all the Barbarians, and now, among his archers, he was in need of a small leader.
So, he decided to give it to the archer standing in front of him.
Rudi lowered his head, looking at her, and said, "I'll give you a name. Let's call you Excelsior. This is your reward."
As he spoke, he took out the Heroic Elixir and handed it to Excelsior.
Excelsior looked up, disbelief in her eyes. "Master, is this really for me?"
"Of course. You've worked so hard for me. Naturally, you deserve a reward. Those who don't perform well will be punished, but you've done excellently in your hunting. From now on, I'll leave all the archers under your command," Rudi replied sternly.
"Now, drink this elixir," he added.
Hearing Rudi's words, Excelsior finally believed that it was real. She took the elixir and drank it.
Soon, her body began to undergo changes, just like Barbarian King's.
First, Excelsior grew taller. Although it wasn't as dramatic as Barbarian King's transformation into a two-meter giant, she did grow by 10 centimeters.
In addition to her increased height, her body became more slender, and muscle lines appeared on her arms and legs, enhancing her ability to shoot arrows more effectively.
All the archers originally had slender waists, but after Excelsior's transformation, not only did her waist remain slim, but her chest also became noticeably fuller, drawing attention.
Her attire also changed. She now wore a tight-fitting leather skirt, and the most striking change was her bow and arrows, which had evolved in material.
Furthermore, her bow now had a new feature: instead of shooting one arrow at a time, she could fire three arrows simultaneously, meaning she could shoot three arrows in one go!
"I can feel it... My body is full of strength now. Thank you, Master, for granting me divine power!" Excelsior said, her voice full of excitement as she gazed at her transformed body. Her eyes were filled with astonishment and deep gratitude.
Originally, her body had been completely exhausted, but after drinking the Heroic Elixir, she had fully recovered, feeling no fatigue whatsoever.
Rudi's eyes also lit up with excitement. "She was just an ordinary archer before, but now… she looks like a powerful female superhero. This Heroic Elixir is amazing!"
Rudi smiled and instructed Barbarian King, "Tell all the soldiers to temporarily put down their tasks. I have an announcement to make."
Before long, all the soldiers had returned, including the archers.
They lined up neatly in front of the Barracks, with Excelsior and Barbarian King standing at the very front.
Rudi looked at them seriously and began, "You all have been working very hard, and I've seen every bit of it. The hardships you face now are only temporary. As our army grows, everyone will live a better life."
"You will be able to eat meat every day, and in every battle, I will prioritize ensuring your safety. In my eyes, you are not mere cannon fodder but my loyal subordinates." Rudi paused.
"Moreover, I can promise you that under my command, you will live better than any soldier in this world, under any lord!" Rudi's voice grew heavier, and the soldiers could feel their hearts stirring with excitement.
Rudi hadn't anticipated it, but before his transmigration, he had just been an office worker, listening to his boss constantly making grand promises. Now, he had the ability to make such promises to others.
However, what he said was not entirely empty words, because deep down, he truly meant it.
After all, this world of lords was different from a game. These soldiers were not just cold numbers or data; they were living, breathing people. As a ruler, it was his duty to lead them to greatness, and that would also maximize their loyalty.
Indeed, after hearing these words, all the soldiers were filled with renewed energy and overwhelming morale. They shouted in unison that they were willing to die for their master.
Rudi then continued, "Next, I announce that all Barbarians will be led by one person — Barbarian King. And all the archers will be entrusted to Excelsior."
Barbarian King and Excelsior immediately knelt on one knee. Not only had they been given names, but they were also entrusted with greater responsibilities. Both of them were filled with a strong desire to repay their master's trust.
Once the announcements were made, Rudi called Barbarian King over and instructed him to assist Excelsior in patrolling the area around the territory while continuing their hunting efforts.
"Gathering building materials on my own is just too slow. It's not worth it. While other players are still finding their footing, I should continue acquiring resources," Rudi mused, watching Excelsior and Barbarian King lead their team away. He stroked his chin, deep in thought.
After killing the mutated lizard, he had directly gained 1,000 units of meat, so Rudi decided to put 300 units of it up for sale.
[Rudi: More fresh lizard meat available, same price as before. Interested parties, feel free to trade.]
As soon as his message was posted, many players took notice.
[It's the great Rudi again! Is this the harvest from the mutated lizard kill?]
[Master, you're back! I thought I missed my chance last time when I couldn't get any!]
[I'll buy, I'll buy! I'm in desperate need of food right now!]
Rudi chuckled to himself and then stopped paying attention to the chat. Instead, he walked toward his lord's small wooden house.
"It's time to upgrade the wooden house. I now have four Energy Stones," Rudi said, pulling two Energy Stones from his warehouse. He took a deep breath in anticipation.
[Level 1 Lord's Wooden House]
[Upgradeable: Energy Stone x2, Upgrade Time: 24 hours]
"24 hours for the upgrade? It looks like this will give a significant boost once completed," Rudi thought, holding the Energy Stones in the palm of his hand.
"Upgrade!" he whispered, his eyes narrowing in focus.
The next moment, the two Energy Stones turned into beams of light, merging with the Lord's Wooden House. Meanwhile, the five Barbarian builders left at the territory quickly approached.