Chapter 3

'Chip, how do I go about building the Basic Great Solar Array and Basic Builderbot?'

[AI chip can use the assist function, showing in the host's vision how and what to do. Turn on assist function?]

'Yes, please.'

As soon as he said that, blue lines appeared in his vision. They were leading to the pile of materials. Roland went to the materials and as soon as he picked up some iron ore, he instinctively knew what to do. Of course as a former military head researcher he knew how to build a Basic Great Solar Array, but he didn't know how to do it with just these raw ores and some sand. He knew his AI chip could transform materials using energy, but it amazed him the AI chip could do the same with his Apprentice Knight strength. He followed the instructions, working together with the AI chip and just as the sun began to rise, he was done building. In the middle of the courtyard now stood a Basic Great Solar Array, which looked like a very large, futuristic ambrella with solar panels on top, and a Basic Builderbot, looking like a pretty big dog. Working through the night, using all his physical strength, Roland was very tired. He went inside the mansion, intending to go to sleep. When he walked around the corner leading to his bedroom, a female slave bumped into him.

"I'm sorry, master. Please have mercy." She was crying while apologizing.

"It's no problem, go on with your work." Roland didn't really see it as a big deal, but for the maid it was great not getting punished for bumping into her master. She thought that her newest master was pretty kind and hoped she wouldn't be sold away again. Not knowing the impact he'd just had on his maid, Roland went to bed.

He woke up late into the afternoon, feeling hungry. He rang a bell and not even a minute later, the maid that bumped into him earlier came into the room. Roland told her to make a late lunch. He went to the dining room, ate the lunch, complimented her cooking and then went to the courtyard for the next step of his plans.

'I need to get a way to procure ores, just keeping on buying them isn't sustainable. Chip, is there a way to extract ores out of the seabed?'

[Basic Underwater Miningbot and Transportation Line (needs 5Ag to function): can function 2.5km under the surface, mine appoximately 250kg of ores a day and send them back to a specified location within 200km. Battle strength: Level 5 Apprentice Knight. Required: 200kg of iron ore, 50kg of copper ore.]

When Roland heard this, he immediately sent his male slaves, whose names were Bertram, John and Max, along with 3 gold coins to buy the needed ores. When they came back in the evening and put everything away, there was once again a big pile of resources in the courtyard. Unlike the previous day, Roland didn't need to build it himself. He gave the Basic Builderbot the order to build a Basic Underwater Miningbot and Transportation Line, then observed for awhile. Out of the back of the Builderbot came 4 arms, with all kinds of tools on them. After watching the Builderbot do it's thing for 15 minutes, he went back inside the mansion.

'Chip, what are the cheapest combatbots, without guns, I can make at the moment?'

[Simplified Basic Swordbot (needs 0.1Ag to function): Battle strength: Level 3 Knight. Required: 90kg of iron ore, 10kg copper ore.]

'So I can build multiple a day, that's good.'

The next day, the Basic Underwater Miningbot and Transportation Line had been produced, it looked like a dull grey, oval shaped teardrop of about 2m in length. When Roland designated the middle of the courtyard as the drop-off site for the ores, the end of the Underwater Miningbot opened up and a fist-sized cable came out. The cable attached itself on the spot next to the Basic Great Solar Array and when Roland tried pulling it, he couldn't even budge the cable with his Level 2 Apprentice Knight strength. Satisfied, he gave the order and the Underwater Miningbot went into the ocean, dragging the cable behind it. The cable was, after all, 200km long.

He then went back to training, ordering the builderbot to use all ores for the coming 8 days to make 20 Simplified Basic Swordbots. After doing that, Roland went back to training. During his 2nd day of training, an answer came from Clyde. Clyde had agreed to the duel and it would be held 15 days later. Before the duel, Roland could probably reach Level 4 Apprentice Knight. He had basically won already.

14 days later, on the eve before the duel, Roland checked his gains of the past 2 weeks. First and foremost: his mansion was now guarded by 20 Simplified Basic Swordbots, they looked like metal humans and had blades extending from the back of their hands. A force strong enough to wipe out an earldom of the Hildegard Kingdom, not to mention the viscounty of the Carmen family. He'd used the other ores to build 10 Basic Great Solar Arrays, located on the beach, and 4 Basic Builderbots. Strength wise...

[Host has become a Level 4 Apprentice Knight. New stats: Strength 3.65, Agility 3.61, Constitution 3.72, Spirit ?]

He was very content at the moment and after looking everything over one last time, he went to sleep in order to be in his best shape for the duel tommorow.