Chapter 6

Soon, a month passed. During this month Roland and his viscounty underwent some major changes. First: The City, the Town and the 2 Villages were completely rebuilt. Roland bought all the slums and parts of the other districts, built apartement buildings to house everyone, with a very cheap rent, complete with electricity and running water. Around the Villages, a 5m high and 3m wide, concrete wall was erected and 20 Swordbots were stationed there for security. For the Town, the wall was 10m high and 5m wide and it had 50 Swordbots stationed. Phoenix City on the other hand, was much more reinforced. The wall was made of reinforced concrete, 35m high and 15m wide, with a 55m high tower every 100m. On every tower, there were 8 12.7mm machine guns, 2 20mm flak guns and a 180mm artillery piece. At the 4 City gates, there were hidden scanners. If they detected something wrong, they would tell the offender(s) to surrender. In case they didn't surrender, they would be ripped to shreds by the towers surrounding the gate. The streets were paved with asphalt, and patrolled by teams of 5 Swordbots and 2 Gunbots, drastically increasing public security. They were produced by his new factories.

[Simplified Basic Gunbot (needs 0.2Ag to function): a Bot equipped with 6 12mm guns. Required: 100kg of iron ore, 15kg of copper ore.]

Gunbots looked like metal humans, had 2 retractable guns in their hands and 4 retractable guns inside their chest. His total army now consisted of 700 Simplified Basic Sworbots and 250 Simplified Basic Gunbots. But the most fortified was Phoenix Castle: a 50m high and 20m wide wall made of reinforced concrete. 75m high towers, on the four corners of the wall, armed with 25 12.7mm machine guns, 5 20mm flak guns, 3 180mm artillery pieces and a 12 barreled rocket launcher.

The area around his mines, were built full of automated factories, making munition and new Bots around the clock. The mines themselves were full of Miningbots, mining tons upon tons of iron and copper ore a day. It had also become a secure zone, everyone who came too close would be shot at sight.

Roland's personal strength had also emproved significantly, he'd advanced to a Level 1 Knight.

[New stats: Strength 6.34, Agility 6.21, Constitution 6.49, Spirit ?]

He'd also gotten wind of a conspiracy against him. He didn't know the exact details, but he expected that his domain would soon be attacked. Roland wasn't worried about the incoming attack, Phoenix City was impregnable in the Hildegard Kindom, even King Francois Hildegard, a Level 2 Grand Knight, was no threat to his current fortress.

Days passed and another month went by. During this time, his army grew to 5,000 Sworbots and 2,000 Gunbots. Roland himself became a Level 2 Knight.

[New stats: Strength 7.43, Agility 7.22, Constitution 7.64, Spirit ?]

His mansion at the beach, where everything started, had turned into his naval base. The ores of the Underwater Miningbots were used to build a huge military port. There were places to dock, maintain and build ships. At the moment, his fleet consisted of 12 10th Class Small Frigates.

[10th Class Small Frigate (needs 300Ag to function): A small frigate armed with: 35 12.7mm machine guns, 10 20mm flak guns, 6 40mm cannons and 4 pieces of 220mm artillery. Max speed: 40 knots. Required: 4,500 tons of iron ore, 500 tons of copper ore, 1,000 tons of sand.]

This fleet is what Roland wanted to use to conquer some islands to expand his territory. He would then used them to build a second army there in secret.

---Inside a castle somewhere in the Hildegard Kingdom---

"We need more troops to take out Roland Rowe's Phoenix City than I initially thought. I propose everyone sends out 4,000 troops and 40 Level 2 Knights. We can attack in 3 days." Said the person who suggested the previous plan.

"Agreed.""Agreed." The others once again accepted the proposal, and so in 3 days their army would attack Phoenix City.

---3 days later, 3km away from Phoenix City---

An army of 12,000 soldiers and 600 Knights, varying from Level 3 Apprentice Knight to Level 2 Knight, had arrived, ready to attack the city. Roland stood on the City wall, looking at the enemy.

'They really underestimate me.' He thought, while watching the army advance. When the front of the enemy army came in range of the machine guns, he gave the order for them and the artillery to fire. All 12.7mm machine guns burst out with 600 rounds a minute, schredding the enemy's front lines, while the artillery caused explosion after explosion in the back of the enemy army, racking up the casualties even further. They were really caught between a rock and a hard place or, more accurate, between a hailstorm of bullets and an artillery bombardment.