The First War

'Urghh' I grumbled as I woke up groggily from my 'bed'. 'I hope everyone had a better sleep than mine,' I thought as I looked at the slab of stone on which I slept when suddenly I heard the familiar sound of the system.

[Since you were asleep, the system notifications were delayed until you woke up. Do you wish to hear the notifications?]

I clicked on the button [Yes], surprised that the system didn't give me the notifications as they occurred but preferred to wait until I woke up. This could prove dangerous later if I'm asleep and something nefarious happens in my territory.

[You won a battle, you received 241 XP]

[Level 1: 496/1000 -> 731/1000]

[You won a battle, you received 345 XP]

[Level 1: 731/1000 -> Level 2: 76/2000]

'What?' I didn't have time to read everything as another window appeared.

[Congratulations! You leveled up]

[Magic Power: +1

Magic Resistance: +1

Mana: 50 -> 100

Skill point +1]

'What just happened?' I widened my eyes after reading every window, but little did I know that it wasn't finished yet.

[Congratulations on your first level up. You gained access to the army tab, and your level will now be displayed in your character sheet.]

[The army tab allows you to see the number of troops under your command.]

Seeing this window, I promptly clicked on the army tab. In front of me appeared a tab like in the game.

[Praetorian x2, Crossbowmen: x2, Radiant Light x1, Crude war golem: x35]

'Wait, didn't I craft forty of the war golems?' I questioned myself, but seeing the number, I knew where the XP came from. Something attacked my golems, but which location where I posted the golems was attacked was another matter to verify.

Then, noticing a little icon near the skill tree, I clicked on it.

'Might skill or Magic skill?' I pondered for a bit before opting for the Magic section of the skill tree.

"But now, which magic do I want to invest in with this skill point?" I muttered as I looked at each element. Each one had its benefits, yet my eyes couldn't dislodge themselves from the Prime magic school, akin to Arcane magic in the Warcraft universe.

This school of magic uses the essence of magic directly, not elements. It allows the caster to have a better usage of his mana and a better understanding of magic in general.

I examined the first tier of skills available in this school, torn between two choices:

[Magic Affinity I]: Gains 30 Mana permanently, meaning I would have 130 mana. But the other option was just as enticing.

[Prime Magic I]: Like the others, Prime Magic I would allow me to better comprehend the magic of this school in general, but it would also provide me with a new talent.

[Novice Enchanter]: Allows the user to enchant equipment, applying different effects upon the item for a determined period of time.

'So, does Novice Enchanter not allow me to permanently enchant an item?' Finally, after some deliberation, I chose Prime Magic I for the skill point. As my finger clicked on the skill, I was assaulted by knowledge about enchantment and different uses of Arcane energy.

[Novice Enchanter: Enchant different equipment 0/100; find a way to enchant permanently 0/1]

'This is incredible!' I marveled at what was shown to me with the skill. I was far better at using my mana than before, as if someone had helped me swim far faster than before.

'Enchanting will not be an option for now,' I thought sadly as I looked at my map. With the help of the army tab, I could see where all my golems were, and this allowed me to confirm that the five that had perished were the ones closest to the new territory.

'So, these savages have a civilization,' I pondered, noticing a new icon in the center of their territory. I clicked on it, revealing a system panel.

[Ngaarion Tribe]

[Prehistoric Tribe]

[Inhabitants: Apemen]

[Status: Extremely Hostile]

[Strength: Weak]

[God: Rakalash, Spirit of Carnage and Brutality]

[This Spirit was birthed by the tribe of Apemen living in this forest, he is their patron god and is an absolutely monstrous being that kills everyone that comes near him.]

[Overall, a tribe of savages that kill and destroy everything they touch. It is a miracle that their tribe still lives to this day.]

[You obtained this information by winning three battles against their forces, but this is not the only way to obtain these informations; diplomacy and trade can be the solution.]

'I see,' I thought sadly after seeing this information. 'War may be a solution this time.' Sighing at the thought, I turned back toward my golem workshop and started creating even more golems. I ordered the golems in the city to fetch me earth crystals to create the gemstones needed to empower the newly created golems.

In less than an hour, I crafted forty-nine war golems and empowered them with the gems, ordering them to stand outside of the workshop. I kept one golem, much larger than the others, to test something. While the other golems were of uncommon rarity, I wanted to see if a rare golem was strong enough to warrant creating many of them or if I should stick to producing cheaper versions.

The shell I created stood at two meters in height, with two enormous swords replacing its hands. It was an imposing construct. I looked at the gemstone in my hand, the cornerstone of this creation.

[Gemstone of Earth]

[Rare]

[A gemstone crafted by someone with knowledge of its creation, surpassing the energy contained in the crystal from which it was made]

[Mana: 600/600]

I placed the gemstone slowly into the slot I designed, and the golem came to life in a split second. I proudly observed this construct.

[War Golem]

[Rare]

[Skills: Minor Earth Manipulation]

[Mana: 600/600]

[A true warmachine, reminiscent of the constructs of the Seven Cities, albeit lacking intellect.]

This creation was terrifying. When I ordered it to move outside my workshop, it exuded intimidation and would serve as my bulwark against the tribe I intended to pacify.

I took hold of the eight Gems of Virtue created previously, intending to distribute them to my troops. As I exited the cave, a sigh escaped me. I was genuinely saddened that the only answer for these savages was war; they didn't comprehend the concept of peace. Consequently, I resolved to deal with them swiftly before they could pose a threat to us.

I ordered the golems to move toward the location of the tribe while calling the other troops to gather in the town hall. They arrived promptly, and two Praetorians presented an imposing sight in their gleaming armor.

"We are going to attack the tribe of these monsters that ambushed us. But before Thom, go to the fountain to get upgraded into a Marksman," I ordered the group as I swiftly left the hall.

"Yes, sir!" I heard Thom's voice as we all began to depart toward the edge of the city with the golems. Soon, Thom returned, his once-leather armor now adorned with golden patterns. On his helmet, a beautiful golden griffin taking flight was crafted.

"Take one each, everyone," I handed them a Gem of Virtue. "If you find yourself in a dire situation or are wounded, simply wish for the stone to activate. It will cast a healing spell, mending your injuries slowly," I explained.

"This is incredible, my Lord," George exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement as he examined the gem. "Only nobles were privileged to have access to such artifacts. The fact that you honor us with such a gift speaks volumes about your generosity."

I smiled at the comment. "I am not so stingy as to withhold a tool that could help my soldiers survive," I remarked. The group chuckled, and I turned to Aurelia.

"Aurelia, could you scout their encampment or city and provide information on how we can swiftly defeat them?" I requested.

"Yes, my Lord," she nodded, then gracefully flew toward the enemy tribe.

"As for the rest of us, let's depart! Our mission is to put an end to this tribe and their incessant attacks on us. I expect no mercy toward the aggressors," I declared with a heavy heart, knowing that I had just sealed the fate of sentient beings, no matter how savage they were. It disgusted me, but I understood the necessity.

As we made our way toward the enemy's encampment, my nerves refused to calm. It was my first experience with war, and I couldn't afford mistakes. I envisioned building an empire that would go down in the history of this world. More importantly, I wanted to ensure the "How many were there?" I asked the Light as I observed the barricade coming into view.

"Around three hundred, my Lord," she promptly replied.

"I see. Thanks for the scouting," I expressed my gratitude. It would have been disastrous if she had been spotted or worse.

I examined the top of the barricade where some of the monsters stood armed with small wooden bows. Despite their short stature, they lacked impressive weaponry, preferring carnage and slaughter over craftsmanship, unlike dwarfs, it was true that they reminded me of goblins.

"We are going to enter through the main gate," I declared. "I will use my earth magic to destroy their fortified door. Aurelia, you will eliminate their archers, and Thom and Philip will assist you," I directed my two crossbowmen.

"George and Jean, you will protect us," I turned to them. "Let the golems do most of the work, prioritizing the elimination of spellcasters and archers."

"Yes, my Lord!" they declared in unison. The two crossbowmen quickly loaded their weapons as I started to channel an impressive amount of mana into my staff. The staff's boost enhanced the potency of the spell I was creating. Although I had never created an offensive spell with the earth lore, this time, I used the same spell that I had employed for terraforming earlier to level the entire gate of these beasts.

The glow of my staff caught the attention of the beasts above the gate, and they let out a cry to alert the camp of our presence.

'Too late,' I thought as I tapped the earth with the tip of my staff, unleashing the spell.

'Tremor,' I named the spell as the ground rumbled beneath our feet. The barricade of the beasts trembled like a pile of wood, and suddenly, it ruptured. The entire barricade crumbled under the power of the tremor, and the archers on top were thrown by its force. Their bodies were sent flying, and what didn't kill them in the fall was taken care of by the landing.

I ordered the golems to charge and eliminate all the beasts in the encampment. The battle would be my 75 war golems against these 300 savages.

The steps of my construct made the ground rumble due to their weight. Emerging from the now destroyed barricade, a tide of savages charged forward, their weapons in hand, growling like beasts.

'Pure madness,' I thought as I witnessed these savages charging at my construct. The familiar sounds of flesh being cut reached my ears as I saw the first row of savages being sliced apart, their blood and entrails flying in all directions.

'I want to puke,' I thought, overwhelmed by the gruesome scene. But there was no time to dwell on it, as I knew their spellcasters were preparing their spells.

"Aurelia! Take out their spellcasters," I called to the Light hovering above the encampment.

I didn't need to hear her approval as she teleported into their backline. There, I saw one of the spellcasters, his upper half being pulverized by the beams of pure light from Aurelia. She quickly turned her attention to another one, and he suffered the same fate as the first. However, one of them, taking advantage of the chaos, used the Air crystal on his staff to launch a lightning bolt toward her.

'Shit,' I thought. But before I could even draw my mana to protect her, I heard a voice to my right.

"Elrath, guide me," Thom muttered as he released a bolt coated in pure light energy. The bolt flew like a comet, piercing the enemy line before impaling the spellcaster in the hand just as he prepared to cast his spell.

'The bolt just pierced around ten enemies,' my eyes widened at the spectacle. I knew that in the game, the Marksman could hit multiple units, but seeing it in reality was both astonishing and frightening.

The battle unfolded as a pure massacre. The war golems slaughtered these beasts like cattle, their weapons unable to penetrate the stone armor of the golems. Yet, even in the face of certain death, the beasts did not back down; it was as if someone had removed their survival instinct.

*Ding*

I intercepted an arrow using an earth shield, then transformed the shield into a weapon, compacting the earth into a ball. With blazing speed, I launched it toward the archers who had targeted us, pulverizing everything in its path upon impact.

Aurelia teleported near the archers, unleashing beams of light, while Thom and Philip dealt with enemies breaching the wall of golems to reach us. The number of enemies dwindled rapidly, and I was both amazed and terrified by the golems' kill rate. The rare one, in particular, demonstrated impressive speed, enhancing its strikes with the surrounding earth energy, making it even more devastating.

As I sensed magic being used in the front, I noticed a spellcaster aiming his staff at us, crackling with air energy. Swiftly, I ordered the nearest construct to intercept the blast, and it sacrificed itself to dissipate the lightning bolt. Thom took advantage of the distraction, shooting the spellcaster in the head with a bolt from his crossbow.

'That was close,' I thought, relieved. 'I must design golems to protect us in the future.'

As the melee fighting approached its end, I used my mana sensing to locate the last spellcaster. I found his presence inside the grandest dirt house of the camp.

[The spirit Rakalash has taken possession of one of the apemen.]

After reading the message, the spellcaster's presence vanished. The door of the dirt house exploded open, revealing an enormous apeman standing at around 2 meters and 30 centimeters. In his hand, he held the lifeless body of the spellcaster.

"By Elrath," I heard George mutter as he positioned himself in front of us with Jean.

Thom and Philip fired at the beast. Philip's bolt had little effect, but Thom's found its mark, piercing the creature's torso.

"Just like with the beast in the woods, try to blind him, then we'll kill him," I instructed them. I ordered the golem to charge at the monster as I summoned Elrath's might. An enormous pillar of light descended, striking the beast in the head. It roared in pain, yet the impressive light beam seemed to do little damage. Opting for a more direct approach, I channeled mana from my staff, commanding the earth to create spikes to impale the beast.

The two crossbowmen continued their attempts to hit him in the eyes, but the beast dodged every one. Aurelia teleported above the creature, using her hands to blast him in the back of the head, eliciting another roar of pain, this time accompanied by bleeding.

The beast attempted to charge at us, but at the moment it moved, spikes erupted from the ground, crippling it in place, impaling its feet.

"GRARRRRH!" the beast howled in pain, unable to satiate its violent appetite. Conjuring my own mana, I employed a foreign lore to me—the Fire Lore of magic. My right hand glowed red as Urgash's blessing guided my mana to create a brazier in my hand. Knowing that widespread attacks wouldn't work, I opted for a piercing spell. I released the spell—a fast-built, piercing fireball in the form of a spike.

'Fire Spike,' I thought with a chuckle. The spell pierced the beast's muscle without a problem, then detonated, exploding the creature's body into bloody burnt pieces that showered the battlefield.

[You defeated the Ngaarion Tribe; your rewards will be sent to you when you return to the city.]

[The Ngaarion Tribe is no more, as not even a child was spared.]

[The Spirit Rakalash has been slain; your rewards will be sent when you return to the city.]

[You obtain 100 Blood reputation, and you obtain 200 Tears reputation; their territory is now yours.]

Examining the system's windows, I felt only disgust. I was just another one of them—a murderer. As I gazed upon the battlefield, filled with dismembered and crushed corpses of these savages, I finally removed my mask and threw up on the ground. All the guilt I felt before was now pouring out of my mouth.

"My Lord," I heard the worried voices of George and the others as they approached. "Are you well? Were you hit with a spell?"

I continued to vomit on the ground until I had nothing left in me, the guilt of all of these deaths still weighing on me, but I didn't cry. I knew that what I did was necessary, but it didn't stop me from feeling awful.

When I calmed down, I slowly stood up with the help of George.

"I feel better," I told my group as I ordered the golem, with a mental command, to recover all the important stuff they found.

"This is a relief," I heard George say as the rest of the group let out a collective sigh.

"This place is awful," said Philip as he returned from inside the village. "But there is a mine of elemental crystal in a cave near the encampment."

I looked at the map and saw that it was not the only resource point that was near. The mine of Air Crystal was good, but there were two sawmills and a quarry for stone to create east of the encampment.

"Let's create the resource gathering point, then we will see our gains," I told the group. I started to depart toward the Air Crystal mine, promptly creating it with the system's help. But entering the cave, I saw that the crystals were not as pure as the ones in the Earth mine.

[Impure Air Crystal]

[Uncommon]

[The crystal is corrupted by a corruptive energy that dwindled the energy inside it]

(This ailment can be cured)

'The gains are still enormous, and I need to quickly find a way to remake them pure,' I thought as I touched a crystal on a wall of the cave.

'Why were there no gathering robots that were with the mine?' I asked the system, puzzled by this strange occurrence.

[The host doesn't need them anymore; you can create your own golem, so the system will not give you any more gathering robots.]

'I see then,' I responded to the system. 'Thank you for giving them to me in the first place.' I thanked the system, but it didn't respond to my thanks.

We swiftly created the two sawmills and the quarry, and we returned toward what remained of the tribe. The golems had finished collecting everything, and they put the loot inside the Air Crystal cave.

I looked at the loot, but nothing incredible was in it—some Air crystals and crudely made staves were there. But something caught my attention.

[Idol of Rakalash]

[Rare]

[The Idol of Rakalash, object of worship of the Ngaarion tribe, now just a wood trophy for the one that killed this spirit]

[No more effects]

'It was marked that the tribe created this spirit. Perhaps one could create a spirit if given enough faith or worship,' I pondered, but promptly stopped as I ordered the golem and the group to go back toward the city.

'I'll come back to take the loot with my newly created harvester golem; I'll need to create the roads that will link this important place to the city,' I thought as I looked at the sky. It took us not even ten minutes to slaughter an entire tribe; this thought sent shivers down my spine.

'I hope that the next sapient being that we encounter could be reasoned with,' I sighed before we promptly departed.