Unranked ascension a lit.., p.27
Unranked Ascension: A LitRPG Adventure, page 27
“No, not goblins. Those are our spiders. We stole them fair and square.”
A pair of binoculars appeared in Tiber’s hand, and he used them to get a better look at the distant riders. His expression only softened once he confirmed with his own eyes that the riders were human. The soldiers rose from their crouched positions as Lucius led them toward the farm, meeting the guards along the way. It was Scott and Helen again. This time, they carried shields in addition to the spears Jack had made for them. Lucius wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence that they were on duty again or if they were permanent guards, but either way, he was glad to see familiar faces.
“Our young hero is back, and he brought some friends!” Scott greeted them with a grin as soon as he recognized Lucius among the group. Lucius offered a quick hello before asking where he could find the others. Scott scratched the back of his head as he looked up at the sky for a few seconds, until Helen answered in his place, sounding frustrated.
“You don’t pay any attention, Scott!” she rebuked before turning to Lucius, her sour expression morphing immediately into a smile. “Jack is in the forge as usual, and the rest should be in the farmhouse.”
Lucius thanked both of them and led the soldiers into the farmhouse. James was sitting at the table just inside the door, his arms crossed bitterly across his chest. However, he seemed to cheer up a bit when he saw Lucius walk in.
“Lucius, you’re back!”
“Hey, James. Why the long face?”
James turned away from Lucius’ gaze, his arms returning to their tightly crossed position.
“I got punished. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ah, I see. Well, can you help me gather everyone? We need to have an important discussion.”
James’ eyes lit up, happy for an excuse to escape being grounded. He hopped up and raced out of the room without delay. A few minutes later, people began gathering around the kitchen table. Patrick was the first to walk in, and Lucius immediately noticed that his clothing emanated a few unfamiliar magical auras. He greeted Patrick with a handshake and asked about his attire.
“It looks like you solved the problem of using multiple inscriptions! Is that the case?”
Patrick smiled, glancing down at his clothing.
“Yes and no. I unlocked an additional ability that lets me overcome the limitation for myself, but for others, the limit still exists. However, I’ve managed to raise it to two items instead of one, so both the shields and spears everyone uses can now be inscribed.”
As the two spoke, heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. Lucius glanced over and saw Jack approaching quickly, a wide smile spread across his face. He was holding a pair of bracers as he rushed into the room excitedly, stopping in front of Lucius.
“Lucius! You’re finally back! I made a present for you—try these on!”
Jack shoved the pair of bracers into Lucius’ hands, then stepped back with his hands on his hips, watching expectantly. The bracers were built on a thick leather base, with three overlapping sheets of black iron riveted atop for added protection. Loops and thin leather straps at the ends allowed them to be tightened securely. The craftsmanship looked solid, and they gave Lucius a reassuring sense of sturdiness, as if they could easily deflect a heavy blow. Jack’s smile widened as he watched Lucius examine them with growing approval.
“I know you don’t want to carry a shield, but these will help you block when you don’t have a choice. They also have an uncommon attribute that enhances defense!”
“Thank you, Jack. Really. I appreciate it.”
Lucius rolled up his sleeves and slipped the bracers onto his arms. The fit was surprisingly good. As he pulled the straps tight, he prompted the system for a description of the items.
Light Bracers: Leather and Iron, Quality [Enhanced]
Defensive bracers crafted by a novice artisan. The materials have been magically enhanced through the creator’s unique aspect, and additionally enhanced through use of inscription for added defense.
Sturdy: The sturdy modifier allows this item to endure an additional 25% damage before being destroyed.
Chapter 59
Debate
Lucius considered using his remaining [Magical] item upgrade on the armor, but since the bracer’s were only [Enhanced], he decided to save the upgrade for now. He was hoping that the centipede’s carapace would be [Magical] grade. If so, he would use the upgrade on that, but he would need to inspect it later to confirm.
He smacked his arms together a few times to test his new armor. The bracers felt sturdy and did an excellent job absorbing the shock from the hits. Jack walked over and examined the items on Lucius’ arms, tugging on the leather straps a few times to ensure they were snug. Satisfied, he gave a nod. Only then did Jack suddenly notice the new group of people standing beside Lucius. He stepped back, looking the soldiers up and down with an uncertain expression.
“Who’re your new friends?”
“That’s what I called you here to talk about. Let’s wait for the others to arrive.”
Jack squinted at Lucius for a moment before shrugging and pulling out a chair to sit down. As he waited, he dug through his pocket and retrieved a few pieces of hard candy. He popped one into his mouth and slid another across the table toward Maryanne. The candy was smudged with dark, soot-like fingerprints—probably carbon from the forge—but the child didn’t let that stop her. She quickly snatched up the treat and popped it into her mouth, thanking him quietly.
It didn’t take long for the room to fill with people. James had enlisted his friend Sarah to help spread the word, and the two had made quick work of the task. Many of the attendees were unfamiliar to Lucius as he had barely exchanged a few words with most of them. When Mary walked in with a group of older women, Maryanne’s eyes went wide. She leaped up from her seat at the table and scrambled across the floor toward the oldest woman in the group.
“Nana!”
The old woman froze in her tracks, startled. She raised her hands to her chest in surprise before taking a good look at the child rushing toward her.
“Who—Oh my, Maryanne?”
The old woman bent forward when she recognized the child, catching Maryanne in her arms. Her confusion quickly gave way to misty-eyed joy as the overwhelming rush of emotions suddenly hit her.
“How did you get here? Are your mother and father here too?”
The woman glanced up at the other newcomers expectantly, her joy dimming when she realized that the other family members she had hoped to see were not among them. Lucius stepped forward to explain the situation when he saw Maryanne starting to sniffle.
“I found her alone in her family’s cabin purely by chance while scouting the area,” Lucius explained.
Lucius went on to explain how they had run out of food and how Maryanne’s parents had gone out to hunt but hadn’t returned. He suspected that the centipede, which he had slain close to the cabin, might have been responsible for their disappearance, but he didn’t share this with everyone as he didn’t want to upset Maryanne.
“I intend to search for them soon. For now, I hope you can take care of Maryanne for me until I find out what happened to her parents.”
“You can call me Nana,” the old woman said. “Maryanne is my granddaughter, so of course I’ll take her. But I hope you’ll find her parents. My son David is her father—he’s a strong and capable man. If he hasn’t returned, then he must be in serious trouble.”
Lucius nodded firmly at the old woman’s request as he patted Maryanne on the head one last time before returning to the table. After clearing his throat, he introduced the soldiers.
“These three men are part of a large special forces military unit, with thousands of people under their care.”
He introduced Tiber, Roland, and Garrick one by one, then explained the situation with the goblins and the mission the men were on. Silence filled the room for a few minutes after he finished, until James’ mother, Mary, spoke up.
“We have to help. Our original plan was to seek shelter at the military base, and it was by chance that we ended up here instead. We could just as easily have been in their shoes. I’ll start clearing and planting the second and third fields early, and Patrick was already planning to organize hunting parties. That way, we won’t lack for food—at least not in the short-term.”
Lucius nodded at her words, then turned his gaze to the others in the room, waiting for their opinions. Jack knocked his knuckles against the table to draw everyone’s attention, speaking up with a frown.
“I don’t know about this. How are we supposed to fit that many people here? This farmhouse barely has room for the few dozen of us already living in it.”
Tiber stepped forward at the question, nodding at Jack before addressing the room.
“Don’t be mistaken—we do not intend to be a burden on your community. We still have a few months’ supply of rations to feed ourselves, and we’ll be bringing enough tents to house at least half our population. Between the farmhouses and barns in the area, we should be able to settle the rest temporarily while we work on building more permanent shelters. The main reason we want to relocate here is that this area is deep in the forest, adjacent to many renewable food sources, and easily defensible. If you agree to let us relocate, we’ll assist with putting up preliminary defensive structures before the move.”
Tiber stepped back beside Lucius when he finished speaking. Lucius glanced at Jack to see if he had any further questions, but Jack shook his head.
“Does anyone else have anything to add?” Lucius asked.
This time Paul spoke, letting out a frustrated sigh before voicing his opinion.
“Why should we get involved in this? They’re going to lure the goblins right to us. I, for one, don’t want to end up locked in a goddamn cage again, waiting to be fed to a spider. I vote no.”
Lucius glanced up at Tiber, expecting to see anger on the man’s face. Instead, the soldier maintained his ever-serious expression as he patiently waited for Paul to finish speaking. Then, the tall man stepped forward again, calmly addressing Paul’s concerns.
“If I thought you would be safe from the goblins if we moved elsewhere, I would gladly make that choice. However, that’s not the case. The goblins are spreading like a virus. They breed impossibly fast, and more pour in daily from the anomaly in the center of their camp. They will find you sooner or later, and when they see how few of you there are, they won’t even bother with a preliminary raid. They’ll overrun this settlement with a single attack.”
Tiber stepped closer to Paul, towering over the shorter man as he spoke.
“You won’t be captured and kept as a slave this time. The goblins have stopped keeping human males as slaves. It’s more likely that the hobgoblins will cut off your head and use it as a casting material, trapping your soul in endless torment until you lose any lingering rationality, becoming a mindless weapon.”
Nana covered Maryanne’s ears as Paul’s face turned increasingly pale at Tiber’s words. When Tiber was confident his message had been understood, he softened his tone slightly and continued.
“We don’t have the luxury of being individualistic anymore. Our only chance of surviving is to support each other with everything we’ve got. From here on out, humanity has to be one people. I hope you’ll make the right choice.”
Tiber finished speaking and stepped back, patiently waiting for the group to come to a decision. Lucius asked once more if anyone wanted to speak. When no one did, he turned to Tiber and reached out his hand. As Tiber shook his hand, Lucius finalized the agreement with two words.
“We accept.”
Chapter 60
Plans Laid
Lucius and Tiber accompanied Patrick on a survey of the property and the neighboring farms. The men rode atop two large spiders, Patrick on his own mount while Tiber knelt behind Lucius, gripping the rigging on the spider’s abdomen as they sped across the open terrain. As they passed through each property, Tiber took note of the available space and resources, compiling a list of tasks that needed to be completed before the move. These included clearing out barns to make room for civilians and ensuring all buildings were free of any creatures that might have taken up residence. Once he was satisfied with the surrounding areas, they headed back toward the main farmhouse.
“You’ve already started on a wall. That’s good. We’ll go ahead and build the bulk of the defenses here. If the scouts at the other farmhouses spot a threat too big to handle alone, they’ll sound the alarm, and everyone will fall back to this position. When the time comes to face something serious, we’ll make our stand here—together.”
As Tiber spoke, the three men continued toward the area designated for the wall. Once they arrived, the soldier began taking measurements and making calculations. Lucius watched him closely, impressed by the professional precision of his work.
“Do you have a background in architecture or something?” Lucius asked.
Tiber turned from his work with his usual stern expression, but a slight grin broke through as he replied, “Engineering. Why do you think they sent me to do this job?”
Lucius nodded as he guided his mount around the property, giving Tiber time to complete his assessment. They finished at the main barn, where they returned the spiders to James before walking back toward the house. Along the way, Tiber explained his plans to the other two men, pointing out different areas of the property as he spoke.
“We’ll need to build platforms for archers and sentries inside the wall—at least one at each corner, maybe another in the middle. Trenches should be dug around the entire perimeter and filled with spikes or water. We’ll also need to build a drawbridge so we can seal off the entrance when needed.”
Patrick frowned as he listened, stroking the beard that had grown noticeably thicker since Lucius had last seen him. His tone was uncertain as he replied, “We don’t have the manpower or expertise to build something like that, especially not in a reasonable timeframe.”
Tiber casually waved off Patrick’s concerns. “Once I return to the base, I’ll request permission from the commander to bring back a full engineering platoon to help with the construction.” Turning back toward Lucius, he continued, “Lastly, before I leave, I’d like to speak with your blacksmith.”
The men made their way to the forge, where smoke billowed from the chimney as usual. Inside, Jack was hard at work. They stood quietly to the side as golden lights spiraled around the room, flooding into the piece of steel Jack was forging. When the process was complete, Jack tossed the glowing metal into the water trough with his bare hands, earning a rare look of astonishment from Tiber. Lucius’ eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled at his friend’s antics, certain that Jack was showing off in front of the new guy. Jack turned toward the waiting men with a satisfied grin on his face, dusting his hands together as he approached them.
“It’s Tiber, right? I figured you’d want to talk to me before you left.” Tiber nodded, holding out his hand for a handshake.
Jack’s grin got wider as he walked away instead. The stern soldier frowned slightly, but when Jack proceeded to plunge his hands into the trough, resulting in a loud hiss, it dawned on Tiber that the young man hadn’t been trying to snub him. Jack dried his hands on a dirty rag before walking back, holding out his hand instead this time.
“Sorry about that. Wouldn’t want to send you home with all the skin burned off your palm.”
Tiber felt the residual heat radiating from Jack’s skin as they made contact, and he couldn’t help but consider all the ways Jack’s ability might be used in combat. Jack noticed the look in Tiber’s eyes and chuckled, shattering the soldier’s unspoken hopes.
“I know what you’re thinking, but don’t bother. This ability only works inside the forge. Now, what can I help you with?”
Tiber cleared his throat and refocused, locking eyes with Jack as he stated his request.
“I’ve inspected the weapons and shields you’ve crafted, and I have to admit—they’re much better than anything we’re capable of producing right now. Your weapons are a full two grades higher in quality than what we can make. To be honest, most of our soldiers are still making do with [Crude] weapons and basic protective gear. Magic ruining the use of gunpowder really did a number on us. I’d like to place an order, if possible—enough to supply our entire outfit with equipment.”
Jack scratched his chin in silence, glancing at the pile of materials nearby before responding. “How many items are we talking about? I’ve already resorted to scrapping most of the unused metals on this property and I’ve barely got enough to work with for our people alone.”
“Our battalion originally consisted of three hundred men, but we’ve been reduced to half that number. Some of them have earned their own upgrade tokens, while others have claimed spoils from closing anomalies or slaying hobgoblins. But at least a hundred are still without proper weapons or armor.”
Jack drew a sharp breath through his teeth when he heard the number, then shook his head with a defeated look.
“Sorry, there’s no way I can scrounge up enough materials for that.”
Tiber held up a hand to stop him. “What if we provide the raw metal, leather, and wood you need? Additionally, we’re not asking you to work for free. I’m authorized to offer double the required raw materials, so even after completing the order, you’d have enough left to keep your forge running for quite a while.”
Jack’s eyebrows shot up as he tilted his head back slightly at the generous offer, glancing over at Lucius to confirm that this was genuine. When Lucius nodded his approval, Jack couldn’t help breaking into a little celebratory dance before he realized what he was doing. The young craftsman let out a cough in embarrassment as he schooled his expression.
“How soon can you get me the stuff? And just so we’re clear, making that many items is going to take, like... a week? Probably more.”
