Second World Novel

"That still doesn't mean I can squander all my coins just like that. Isn't this supposed to be a group thing?" Jack protested.

"You will get guild contribution points for hiring the workers using your personal coins," Peniel informed.

"Oh, I guess it's ok then," Jack said. "So, what are you going to build first after getting the workers?"

"We have to build the barrack from the get-go," John said.

"Why is that?"

"Cause we will need to prepare a defense as soon as possible. Do you think us fifty-something people can defend this headquarter from the top guilds? If they managed to destroy the guild core in this hall, they will get this headquarter. These NPCs, I mean, natives troops will be our best line of defense at this stage."

"Yes, any footsoldier unit you produced will directly be level 30," Peniel said.

"Wait, doesn't this mean we will be vulnerable before the barrack is up? It takes 7 days to build that bloody thing," Jack said.

"Don't worry, newly captured headquarter has a two weeks protection status," Jeanny explained.

"Oh," Jack heaved a relieved sigh. He had planned to go out to fill his exp for the Lightning God Blessing. He couldn't afford to be asked to stay here to protect this place.

"Once we build the barrack, then we will proceed with building all the four resource gathering structures to speed up the procurement of resources," John said.

"Luckily we get the starting resources from capturing the outpost then," Jack said. "otherwise, how do we build anything?"

"You can still have your workers gather the resources without those buildings. They will simply gather them from the wild," Peniel replied. "This site is actually very good. When we first encounter this outpost I have thought that it is an excellent site for a guild headquarter. It has a mountain for the mines, a small forest nearby, and even a small lake behind that can be used for fishing. Considering this is the region closest to capital, I reckon this site might be the best one in all this Themisphere kingdom."

"Ain't we lucky then?" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes. Lucky you guys raided this outpost first. If another non-guild party raided it, the outpost will disappear and it will randomly pop up on another site, which might not be the best place for a headquarter. The first outpost location is usually the best for a headquarter's location."

"Our advantage is not only the resources it provided," John said. "This landscape is also good for defending."

"How so?"

"If someone wants to attack, they can only do it from two fronts, the South and West sides. We got a mountain at our East and a huge lake at our North. Before I say anything further, Peniel, can someone bring a ship to the lake?"

"Ship is not something that can be put inside outworlders' storage bag. If someone is bringing ships there, it will be done manually, which means they will be easily spotted," Peniel said. "There is a spell that allows a party to walk on water though, but at this stage, you probably won't meet an outworlder with such a spell yet."

"Okay, then we will have to worry about the lake at a later point then. For now, we only need to worry about an attack from these two sides. In the South part here which were the plains where we came from, it will be easy for us to see if any enemy is coming for us. The forest in the West here will provide a better place for our enemy to hid if they prepare an ambush, but the reverse is also true for us."

"We ambush them back?"

"More correctly, our traps will ambush them."

"We can build traps?"

"Once you build the blacksmith workshop, have sufficient resources, and have someone with high enough blacksmith skill, that is," Peniel said.

"Yes, so this period of two weeks will be very busy for us, now everyone gathers around! I will assign a task to each of you," John said. He then turned to Jack. "As for you. Why are you still here? Didn't I already give you a task?"

"Can't you say that with a little bit more courtesy? For goodness sake, I'm the same rank as you!"

"Don't mind him, you know how lousy his attitude is," Jeanny mediated. "We have to trouble you then, thank you for all your effort in advance."

"See? You should learn more from her!" Jack said to John, to which John only waved him away. Before he left, Jack said to his two fellow leaders, "Heads up. I will be gone for around two weeks, probably more. Got an important thing that cannot be postponed. So I might not be able to help with anything during the time."

"Wow, you really are leaving everything to the two of us. Not that I haven't expected it," John responded. "But stay one night here first. I still need several things to go through with Peniel. You can leave tomorrow."

"All right, I can do that," Jack said. He was about to head out, when Peniel call for him, "where are you going?"

"That prick asked me to go to the Guilds Association in the capital," Jack answered.

"You are going on foot?"

"On steed more precisely."

"Don't you see this headquarter already have a teleportation chamber?"

"It's already operational? I thought we have to register our guild link with the capital's one or something like that before it can be used?"

"It has already automatically linked with the city within the region. For other cities, yes, one member will have to reach said city first and establish the link before you can teleport to that city."

"Cool, where is this chamber?" Jack ran back to the holographic platform again and checked the position of the teleportation chamber. He realized something and asked Peniel, "hey, there is a jail as well. What is it for?"

"Try going there and have a look, you will see an interesting thing," she replied.

An interesting thing? Jack's curiosity was piqued, he decided to stop by there first before the teleportation chamber. As he was walking, John noticed him and gave him a look that said, 'why are you still here?'

Jack gave him back a look that said, 'If you have a problem, come at me!'

Jack followed the layout shown in the holographic image and found the stairs that brought him down to the basement. That was where the jail chamber was located. It was a damp and dim chamber, a stereotypical interior of a jail. There seemed to be ten prison cells covered by iron trellises. He looked around and could not identify anything that could be described as interesting. Was Peniel just messing with him?

He was just about to turn to Peniel when his vision caught a shadow inside one of the prison cells. He observed more carefully and the shadow moved. Jack walked over to get a closer look, the shadow made the same approach and came to the iron trellis.

"Holy shit!" Jack exclaimed as he stopped short on his approach when the shadow came into view of the dim light.

The face that was illuminated by the light was a savage and barbaric kind, but one that Jack recognized. In fact, he had just been fighting with the owner of this face not long ago. The one occupying one of the prison cells was Uruk, the outlaw leader of the bandit outpost they had just conquered.

Uruk used his two powerful hands to rattle the iron trellis that caged him. The trellis shook with a worrying sound but it held.

"That's…"

"Yes, the outpost boss from before," Peniel answered before Jack finished his question.

"But why…"

"If one successfully raided an outpost and turned it into a guild headquarter without killing the boss. The boss would automatically be transferred here." Peniel again answered his question before it was completed.

Jack looked at Uruk with amazement. The barbarian was still shaking the iron trellis fiercely. 'Would that thing hold?' Jack wondered.

Peniel continued with her explanation, "in fact, now that you have access to the jail. Whenever your guild members successfully raided another outpost or destroying an outlaw gang hideout without killing its boss, they will be transferred into this jail."

"Outlaw gang hideout?" Jack asked.

"You can see it as a miniature bandit outpost."

"Only the boss will be captured?"

"Only the boss. Do you think you can fit all the other outlaws into this tiny jail?"

"What good is holding the boss here? Better kill it for items drop."

"There are two benefits to choose from for capturing a boss alive. One, you can hand the boss over to the kingdom faction for a bounty that is not less generous than the rewards if you kill the boss, probably even more. In addition to that, your guild will receive a good amount of reputation as well."

"Great! What are we waiting for? Let's hand him over and claim the bounty," Jack said enthusiastically.