There was reticence amongst them.
Their perplexed gaze were not hidden, the uprising tension soared through the rooftops.
Fear griped their hearts and Craig noticed it, Secretary of Transportation voiced out.
Secretary Satyr could hear his heart racing violently.
"Chief Zephyr. Sorry if I may ask but what?"
"We're only but a small village, we have less than eight hundred able bodied men currently helping us with the construction"
"Our Village is in dis-array and we don't even the weapons capable of hunting down demonic servants and spirit beasts"
"Isn't exploring the Great Evil Forest of Nahumbai and the Valley of Esorok suicidal?" Secretary Satyr asked.
But Craig was unfazed by the complaints.
He wore a lopsided grin.
Secretary Arnold joined in to complain.
"Chief Zephyr, Secretary Satyr has a point here. Since I'm the Secretary of Defense, I must be truthful to you"
"We lost many of our men due to the last invasion from the Neztra Kingdom. We lack the manpower"
Secretary Arnold said.
The Secretary of Commerce pointed out the issue of resources and weapons as well.
Once the complaints died down, it was time for Craig to speak.
"Calm down my brothers, I didn't speak hoarsely without caring about the people of the Village of Esmerald"
"From the reports I was given, we have a total of a thousand and five hundred villagers remaining right?"
Craig asked.
"That's correct Chief Zephyr, and we have a total of just nine hundred youths who are currently helping with the reconstruction of the village"
"Only five hundred are involved in the security and defense of the village"
"It's still a small number" Secretary Pedri complained.
"Yh I can tell that already but you guys are forgetting one fact. I'm no ordinary being, although I cannot reveal what I am"
"But I'm here to protect this village no matter what and build it to be something far greater"
"This are why my ideas are vast" Craig uttered.
They were all baffled by the words of Craig.
"We appreciate the effort Chief Zephyr but….but…but if I gather all the men together, how will we protect the village?"
Secretary Arnold stammered.
Craig exhaled a sigh.
"Fine, follow me outside…..I have something to show you"
Craig commanded, he got up from his seat.
They obeyed him without hesitation, and they all left the abode of the Village Chief. With their horses prepared for them.
They exited the village domain, heading for the vast field close to them.
The Secretaries were left in a state of shock.
They were welcomed by the hordes of fully grown demonic soldier ants wandering around.
It's seven days already, just like what Ramposa said.
In seven days, her babies are fully grown and ready for Craig to control.
Craig giggled softly.
Not moving an inch from his horse, they maintained distance between themselves and the horde of demonic soldiers ants.
The demonic Starlight Energy emanating from this creatures bodies were far too powerful for ordinary humans to comprehend.
And that's because their ruler is a Demon Lord.
Secretary Arnold tilted his gaze, he faced the direction of the Demon Lord Zephyr.
Shocked beyond repair.
"Ch…Ch…Chief Zephyr, what are this creatures?" He stammered, beads of sweats dripped down his cheeks.
He gulped the content down his throat.
The rest were too overwhelmed by fear to utter a single word.
Craig exhaled a sigh.
"Be calm guys, there's no need for you guys to be overwhelmed with fear. Although I cannot explain what they are"
"But they are mine to control"
"They are soldier ants who will be helping the village in the reconstruction process but I also need to build the army of this nation"
Craig stated.
Pedri's brows curled up.
"This nation?" He asked.
Craig's eyebrows furrowed, the soldier ants recognized the presence of their ruler as they slowly advanced towards his direction.
Hundreds of them flooded the scene in unison.
Even fear gripped the horses. An average fully grown soldier ant stands at eight foot tall, far bigger than any human.
And their noir exoskeletons reflected the beaming sunlights.
"Don't let yourselves be overwhelmed with fear, they are my subjects and they will do you no harm"
"And I will be answering your question Pedri"
"In a few weeks, the Village of Esmerald will no longer be the village of Esmerald, I will be transforming this land into a nation"
"A vast nation so powerful that it will be feared by all but in other to do that, shouldn't my soldiers level up?"
Craig asked.
Secretary Arnold's gaze broadened in awe.
"Is…is that why you want us to embark on a journey with you? Into the Great Forest of Nahumbai and the Valley of Esorok?"
Secretary Arnold asked.
"Yes" Craig answered.
"Since the Great Forest of Nahumbai possesses Starlight Stones and other rare minerals, we will be launching a hunting party"
"We will gather enough resources from the Great Forest to fully power our incoming building projects and defense"
"And to also be the new trade center that will boost the economy of this land"
"We could easily sum up enough money to buy grains and other foodstuffs in bulk from other nations"
"But only a limited few will embark on the journey with me into the Valley of Esorok"
Craig said.
"Huh? But why?" Secretary Arnold asked.
"I'm the Chief of this village, it's my duty to protect this land and it's people. During the raid, I will protect the lives of everyone"
"So if the numbers are too many, it will tough on my side"
Craig explained.
"But the artifacts and treasures that will be gotten from this dungeon I will be raiding will be shared amongst the people"
"This is a good exposure and a great chance for many to awaken as Players and obtain an Authority"
Craig declared.
The faces of the Secretaries were filled with joy, the imagination of their Village becoming a nation gladdens their heart.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The Secretary of Information cleared his throat.
His face beamed with smiles, drawing the attention of Craig.
"Chief Zephyr. Your wish is our command, just give us the order and we will obey"
"But there's something I must report" Pedri spoke out.
Craig squinted his eyes.
He could tell from the tone of Pedri that this is a serious issue.
"And what is it?" He questioned.
"Chief Zephyr sir…..there's a wave incoming"
Pedri announced.
Tension surged, Craig noticed the darkened gaze of every Secretary present. This is a terrifying report.
"A wave? What the hell is that?" Craig curiously asked.
"Well it's widely known that Demon Slaves are mindless man-eating creatures of Hell, they salivate on the flesh of humanity"
"And anywhere the scent of blood exist in, they come for a feast"
Pedri explained.
"So what you're telling me is because of the invasion of the Neztra Kingdom which took many lives and spilled many bloods"
"There's a wave of Demon Slaves coming right?" Craig questioned.
Pedri exhaled a sigh.
"That's correct, Chief Zephyr…..I was able to identify the species of Demon Slaves involved in the race"
"They're known as Furies, the lowest level Demon Slaves but in hordes, they are far more dangerous"
Pedri elucidated.
"Tch"
"This is going to be troublesome" Craig groaned.
Just then the glowing virtual panel appeared before his eyes.
[New Fate Mission Alert]
[An invasive wave of Demon Slaves is coming your way. The Furies are hungry and bloodthirsty]
[Defend your land and exterminate the waves]
[Mission Reward: A blank card, 100 Fate points, 2x Stats leveling]
[Penalty: First Stage Psychotic Episode]
[Countdown starts now]
Craig's brows furrowed at the system.
"The System is still threatening me with Schizophrenia huh? Do they really want to inflict me with the illness I died from?"
Craig thought, he caressed his chin.
"It seems I'm left with no option than to defend this land again, if I'm going to rest and live a normal life"
"I guess I'll need to work for it right?" Craig asked.
He tilted his head, facing the direction of both Secretary Pedri and Secretary Arnold.
"Arnold, gather all the men in the Chief's Quarters this evening, I'll address my soldiers"
"And Pedri, how long until the wave of Furies arrives?" Craig asked.
"It should have been five days but the rate at which the Furies are moving is faster than I predicted"
"In three days, the incoming disaster will befall us all"
Pedri reported.
Craig exhaled a sigh.
"Good, we have three days to prepare….Let's return back to my abode"