Chapter 37

The next morning we all woke up to shouts from camp.

"Help us!"

I had totally forgot to keep a guard at the portal! Two orcs had emerged, as the portal had reset.

We all ran towards it, but before we could kill them, Erik had appeared.

He raised his large shield, blocking an orcs axe from splitting the head of a man. He then quickly counter attacked. Killing both orcs with an impressive display of swordmanship.

"Good job Erik!" We had gathered around the portal.

"Don't worry people. This is an incident that wont happen again." I spoke as most people had been promptly torn from sleep and gathered around the portal. Even the ones sleeping on the wall, was standing up all around it, looking down at us.

"This portal is different than the others. It doesn't crumple and disappear once it is cleared. We found out that it will regenerate, or respawn the monsters inside every day. But as long as the first floor, yes there are more floors inside, is cleared. Then the monsters won't break out to us."

I looked at Calf and Rolf who had taken position next to me. "Why don't you tell them what we agreed on last night?"

Calf took the initiative as he took a step forward.

"We need rules to keep us safe. The old camp was easily invaded becouse we didn't have any, apart from doing what the captain told us! So, we have decided upon a few rules. Firstly, whoever have skills, will start working in a manner best suitable to him. So people with healing skills, will gather and make some kind of hospital. People with attack magic or skills, will have to help guard the place, and so forth."

He took a minute to let the rule sink in. "Additionally, there are other kind of skills. I'm certain that all of you who have touched a portal, have seen there are classes and professions. We need chefs to cook, gatherers to provide materials and builders to build houses. We need a proper infrastructure!"

Rolf then cut in to continue the speech.

"We will make this work by implementing two things. Firstly, we all need to vote, like a proper democracy, on a leader. Once that is done, it will be that leaders task to oversee the safety and regulations. Secondly, we will implement a progression house, where our chosen leader will manage it personally. Providing tasks, or quests, that everyone can take. That way we can split the work load and provide coin rewards for tasks. It could be to gather meat or herbs. This will implement the start of a new economy aswell!"

I had to interrupt at this point. "I have put down 20 silver of my own, as a capital start to provide you with rewards from the tasks. I expect you to start make a living, take a copper from your work. And those who haven't got a skill. I implore you to touch the portal after we clear it again."

"But i don't want to become a monster!" A man yelled, making a ripple of fear in the crowd.

"I understand that. But if you don't take the chance, you can't get a profession either. That means you'll have no skill or use."

But another women, clearly fearsome started to speak. "That we don't want skills, doesen't mean we are useless! Maybe we can't hunt or gather. But we can clean, carry and otherwise assist in tedious tasks!"

I had to agree with her. But it would certainly create an upper and lower class of people in the future.

"The choice is yours. But you have to follow the rules just the same." I finished.

The leader votation was quick, everyone had unanimously promoted Calf.

"This means you're in charge now Calf. You should appoint helpers and someone to police the people aswell. I'll take Erik and clear the dungeon before more orcs appear."

Calf nodded, as he went to my former house. I had given it up for whoever would become the leader.

"Frey," a soft hand touched my arm, "please take me with you inside. I want to grow."

It was Charlotte. She had been quiet and left us the night before. Finding a fire of her own to rest at.

"It's not safe Charlotte." I said, about to leave into the dungeon.

"Did you forget i allready cleared it with you once before? And i want to become stronger too! I promised Thomas to save his daughter!"

Rolf, Magnus and Chioma came to us. "Why don't we take her with us instead. We can use this dungeon to train the skill-users. And Charlotte's healing is very strong."

Rolf stood in front of me with a smile. "This is a better solution Frey. You can be free to clear portals around us instead. And i hope you'll take time to improve the walls aswell."

He didn't wait for me to reply, but started shouting for skill-users to join them inside. Many wanted to go, so he just grabbed a few before they went inside.

I left the camp behind, only accompanied by Erik and 10 spear-units.

I was walking towards the other camp, my units had scouted some days before. Wanting to make contact and allso warn them of the vampires.

We had only been walking through the forrest for 10 minutes, before a blue light filled the surroundings.

I looked up. A huge portal was descending above me from the sky. They had continued to appear and descent ever since the initial invasion of them. But they were much more rare and sporradic now, but i didn't think they would ever stop to form and descent.

We stepped back around it as it touched ground in the forrest.

It really was huge. The dwarven portal was larger than the rest and had a different colour-line in the top. But it was nothing compared to this one.

It was 10 meters tall and 5 meters wide. A large purple line of light, cut through the upper part of the materialised edge around the portal.

"Let's not wait for the monsters to break out, Erik. We take the fight to them!"

Just before we went inside, i sold everything i could from my inventory and checked my status.

Frey Raven. Level 13. Inventory: 19/410

Currency: 73C. 16S. 0G. 0T. Dungeon Points: 496

Health: 385/385 Mana: 335/335 Fatigue: 12/425

Passive Mana regeneration: 6,5 / 5sec.

10% reduction to all damage.

Unallocated Attribute Points: 0

Stamina: 61(+14) - Strenght: 50(+6) - Agility: 50(+5)

Intellect: 55 (+10) - Spirit: 60 (+5) - Perception: 71

Class: Legion

Unit capacity: 100/100

Captain capacity: 1/1

Skills: Looter (C-rank). Dungeon Creation. Eternal Watchful Eye. Summon Unit (C-rank). Legions Light (F-rank). Sword dual-wielding (C-rank). Strenght of veterans. Ore tracking.

Profession: Ore manipulator: Ore altercation, mining.

Titles: The First. Dungeon Master. Commander of Legions.

Gear: Leather boots (+3 stamina). Black Thunder Cloak: Strikes on the cloak, has a small chance to paralyze. (+5 agility). Leather belt (+3 stamina). Leather vest (+4 stamina). Leather pants (+3 stamina). Light steel sword (+5 strenght). Dark ring/earring/necklace (+10 intellect, +5 spirit – set bonus: +1 mp5). Iron sword.

I only had a few things left in my inventory;

Design: Dark chainmail

Ingredient: Dark pearl

Dark stone x5496

Iron ore x367

Stone x11786

"Let's enter Erik!"

We emerged inside the strangely large portal, and i had to gasp.

In front of my was a huge field of grass. About one kilometer ahead was a castle with a center stronghold with four grand towers and a huge wall around it all. 

Behind me was endless water, and i realised we had appeared on a strange but small island with nothing but grass and the castle ahead.

"Let's go and claim that stronghold for our legion, Erik!"

Erik smiled at me and tapped his chestplate with his fist, "as you wish commander!"

As we walked towards the stronghold, it felt like it was becoming larger, though i knew it was that large all the time, but it just looked smaller becouse of the distance.

When we were about 200-meters from the large wooden gate, it suddenly started to open.

"Wait up! Something is happening!"

My spear-units formed a line behind Erik and I, as we watched as a progression emerged from the open gate.

It was hard to tell exactly from the distance, but it looked like a human upon a horse, clad in black medieval armor and dark furs around his helmet and shoulders. A long dark fur-cloak hang from his back and reached down over the black horse.

Behind him marched three long rows of warriors with swords and shields, equally clad in black. However it did not look like their armor was made of metal, but rather dark skin or leather.

As they continued to march towards us, i tried to count them. The lines had spread out to face us.

The horseman in front with four lines of twenty warriors in a vertical line behind him.

When they where within 50 meters of me i could finally inspect them.

Demon. Level 4

Health: 90. Mana: 65. Fatigue: 140.

Class: Warrior

Skills: Sword mastery. Regeneration. Touch of pain.

Araphanion. Level 6

Health: 185. Mana: 140. Fatigue: 235.

Race: Demon

Class: Knight

Skills: Dark pact. Commanding presence. Unholy vigour. Summon demon. Devour. Sword mastery.