Foundations of Power: Resource Building and Heroic Training

After returning to the Mage Tower, Ethan quickly set to work. It was still dark, but the urgency of his tasks left no room for delay.

He had managed to construct 20 farmlands and 5 spirit workshops, significant milestones in his efforts to bolster his resources and military capabilities. The construction was intensive, consuming 200 units of food and 250 units of wood and minerals.

The food supply was sufficient for now, but the wood and minerals were a different story. The river adjacent to the mage tower provided clear water, but the resources were rapidly dwindling.

The extensive battles Ethan had fought against wild monsters had resulted in the collection of three types of foundational materials. However, despite his best efforts, he only accumulated slightly over 1,500 units of these materials.

This shortfall meant that he had effectively lost about half of the wood and minerals he had gathered. Ethan had initially aimed to construct 10 spirit workshops, but due to the resource shortage, he had to scale back his plans and postpone this objective.

With the farmlands now operational, Ethan allocated all the grain seeds he had collected to his monsters for planting. The seeds were a crucial part of his strategy, as they would support future troop expansions.

Ethan had gathered a substantial number of seeds during his battles with wild monsters, a testament to his preparation for future military growth. Currently, his army was relatively small, but the potential for expansion made food production even more critical.

The seeds were not just a one-time investment; they would be harvested to produce more food and additional seeds, creating a self-sustaining cycle that would support the growth of his forces.

Following the establishment of the farmlands, Ethan turned his attention to the construction of a logging farm. Initially, he underestimated its importance, thinking it was merely an ordinary building. However, he soon realized that the logging farm was as vital as the farmlands.

The sawmill, as it was known, offered a daily wood yield of 10 units for each soldier stationed, with a maximum capacity of 10 soldiers. The expansion required 100 units of wood and 10 units of special resources. The daily wood production promised to significantly boost his resource intake, which was crucial for ongoing and future projects.

Ethan's next construction project was a training ground. The training course required 100 units of stone and 50 units of wood to build, and fortunately, he had enough resources to proceed. The training course was designed to accommodate ordinary arms, which could be evolved into elite arms after a week of training.

It also had the capacity to house up to 100 common arms and one hero. Expansion of the training ground required 1000 units of stone, reflecting its importance in the development of his army.

Although the process of transforming ordinary troops into elite ones over a week might seem lengthy, especially given the novice period was only seven days, the presence of heroes was a significant advantage.

Ethan recalled the skeleton training ground he had previously encountered. That particular training ground was under the command of a warrior hero, which facilitated the evolution of skeleton soldiers into skeleton warriors.

If the hero had been an archer or a mage, the transformation would have resulted in skeleton archers or mages. Without heroes, the training ground would likely not produce such transformations but would still enhance the troops' quality to elite levels.

Once Ethan had organized these projects, he took a moment to breathe and return to the mage tower. While he awaited the completion of the construction, he decided to examine the soldier transfer certificate he had recently acquired.

The Berserker Training Manual was a detailed document. It was divided into two main sections: one covering standard warrior training methods and the other detailing a secret technique known as Bloody Rage.

This technique allowed warriors to temporarily enhance their strength by burning their blood, a hallmark of Berserkers.

The manual outlined two paths to hero status: the conventional training route and the rare Berserker profession through Bloody Rage.

Ethan suspected that the Wisdom Tree had carefully selected this training manual for him, rather than providing it at random.

The manual's potential to transform champion-level spirits into rare Berserkers was evident, especially given the synergy between the champion-level spirit's bloodbath skills and Bloody Rage.

He realized that obtaining such high rewards was never straightforward. The limitations of champion-level monsters, in particular, restricted his ability to fully test the manual's transformation techniques.

Ethan contemplated the magic of the Eye of Magic, which, when used as a lord, only offered a minimal vision enhancement.

However, when applied personally, it allowed him to perceive the flow of elements and magic power in the world, which was a significant advantage. The Eye of Magic consumed only 1 point of magic power per hour, making it an efficient and enduring tool.

The world of magic contained more than just the four elemental magics of earth, air, fire, and wind. It also included life, death, darkness, and source power.

Ethan's meditation method and magic eye were derived from these elements. The Eye of Magic proved particularly useful for enhancing his spirit monsters' transformation.

If he had used the magic eye earlier, he could have ensured that champion-level spirits would transform into second-tier spirits without side effects.

Despite these advancements, Ethan lacked a complete mage inheritance and the means to eliminate magical backlash.

The Berserker Training Manual, however, was a complete inheritance, covering all aspects of warrior training from basic techniques to combat skills. This comprehensive guide was rare, as most lords only had access to partial training resources.

In summary, Ethan meticulously reviewed the Berserker Training Manual and absorbed its contents. He planned to use the manual to transform champion-level spirits into hero units, ensuring they would benefit from the enhancements provided by the training.

This strategic move would strengthen his forces and contribute to his overall success as a lord. The careful planning and resource management Ethan employed were crucial to achieving his goals and advancing his position in the world of magic.