As soon as I had finished creating the second outer ring a troop of Anastasia's puppets were already marching off to over look them.
I turned to look over at Lord Urisk whose perpetually cherry face smiled back at me.
"As you can see the space between the roads in the outer wall and the space under the Spider's webs in the inner wall are cleared for your settlement, over their where the water flows is the agriculture area where food can be grown." I explained pointing at the various features I had just created or where all ready pre-existing. Nodding he looked at me for a moment paused before he continued.
"I do not know if you are aware of the fact that after you leave we do not simply stop existing but we are recycled in a way, if we survive enough times we can leave taking our shard of reality with us, it is a reward or more accurately an Incentive for us to continue fighting" he explained as he looked over the areas of the castle.
"So if I set up good enough before I leave you guys might be able to survive?" I asked, as I was primarily putting in the effort for practice in running a city underground with magic. However if they could eventually earn their freedom I could gain a lot more.
"Yes, essentially because we allied with you this is considered a blank slate, if we manage to survive the next challenger then we are designated as a level two tutorial and so forth until we eventually become elevated beyond the tenth level and we gain a [World Shard] which we can use to place anywhere on the Mortal Plains" as he explained I noticed a flicker of guarded hope in the brownie's eyes.
...
[Quest Gained]
You have gained a Quest! Your objective is to fortify the castle you have created. The stronger you make it the more likely they are to survive!
-[Fortify The Castle]
Fortify Castle:[Unnamed], if you fortify it enough to the point that your fortifications are considered crucial in the survival of the joint tutorial factions of the [Spiders] and [Fungal Folk] and they survive the tutorial earning their freedom then you will receive the listed rewards!
-Rewards: The Survivors of the Joint Tutorial Faction the [Spiders] & [Fungal Folk] will be teleported to your territories location along with their [World Shard]
....
The tidbit about them being considered a Joint faction now was intriguing. However what ever the [World Shard] is it sounded valuable and having them join me would definitely be appreciated. Looking down I focused on sharing the screen to the Brownie Lord.
"Well I'll be, this is hopefully a incentive your Majesty?" He looked his eyes locking onto me as I saw the hope filled eyes of the Brownie.
"I was going to do it anyways, but here me out, what if we did War Games?" I asked Urisk.
"What are War Games?" He asked confused.
"Ah, they are essentially practice wherein half out forces defend and the other half attack, we do it so that way we can test our defenses and train our attackers if we do it enough over the week we could make this castle highly defensiveable." I explained the idea, I knew was primarily used by the Romans but don't ask me what era. The idea would hopefully show and design flaws now in a more friendly environment rather then in a life or death scenario.
"That does sound useful but sir what are we do if their is injured?" He asked as he sat there in thought.
"Do you not have healers?" I asked, surprised at the statement.
"I mean some of the Treants know the art of healing but we Fungi just wait until it grows back" he explained and I guess if you eventually grew back it wasn't a priority however in war, time was as valuable as supplies and money.
"Alright well that needs to be addressed, first off can you contact the Treants that have those abilities and see if we can't train more, create a healer corps of some sort?" I asked, looking at the Brownie, flowing his gaze I saw a moving delegation of fungi folk of assorted sizes and also one massive lumbering Lithoni.
"Yes Sir I will get right on that, luckily they are coming to us, if you would kindly look at the rather tall Lithoni fellow that is Lord Alvest" he introduced the second of the Fungal Folk lords from afar.
"Well, you have your marching orders and let me know when you have organized the already trained healers so we might start the games, I will be in the back pavilion." I said as I turned around leaving the Brownie Lord. Weaving through the halls I eventually made it to blank wall and with a whish of hand and thread of Mana I opened the hidden door to my training space located in a secure room with the one entrance. Then as I closed the door behind me I opened up the skill quests.
...
-[Skill Quest: Geomancy]
You have scraped the surface of a sub skill of your Geomancy skill. This sub skill is a domain skill that takes complete control of one aspect of your nearby environment. Current Domain Fascination: Roving Tides
...
I read and I contemplated the what I had done just a few hours ago. The waves of rock and and how effective it had been. Apparently the system had labeled it 'Roving Tides' and I began to seep my magic into the earth around me
First off I pictured a calm bright blue ocean of the Caribbean. Then the Dark blue of the Pacific from what I had seen from pictures and movies. Slowly I began pulling on the threads of my mana and soon I began to make currents slowly I began to invision it growing choppy. Small waves rose and fell at the beckoning of the sea.
I tried inject power into the it, and force the waves to become tsunami and rouge waves, and they did for about a moment until I felt myself slip out of the 'zone' of the new skill. Yet I knew something was missing, I tried to remember something that tickled at the edge of conscious. This time I focused on the roughest I could make it without directly focusing on it which seems to be the requirement.
I felt a nock on my mind as Anastasia tried to get my attention.
'Hey, Boss where ever you scrambled off to you are needed back here in the main hall, Oh your great and powerful Majesty ' she said the last bit laced in sarcasm as teased me.
'Har, Har very funny Anastasia, anyways fill me on what's going on as I come up.' I asked as she filled me in on what was happening. Essentially a splinter group particularly loyal to the Ophiocord was rasing issues and another group wanting to march off to war to strike back at the Rabbits.
Ugh, I guess politics and that nonsense also requires some practice. Patience is a virtue of would have to practically radiate to deal with this. Walking through a set of secret tunnels I ended up to left of my throne flanking the doorway were Anastasia's puppets. One of them holding a trumpet of sorts, that sounded eeriely like guitar imitating a trumpet blew out.
"All hail is Majesty, Monarch Kien of the Fungal Folk" damnit Anastasia! Hiding under the cowl of the bear cloak I walked over to my 'throne' and sat down.
"Alright, now please debrief on the grievances present" I said, and while I knew what was happening due to Anastasia hanging on the web behind me, they didn't need to know that, and I could see how they were going to phrase it.
A tall humanoid Treant stepped forward just before the dais. He bowed at his waist, before standing and due to my elevated position I still loomed over the 7ft tall mushroom.
"My liege I represent the Treants who posses healing skills or talents, I'm Elder Nuerm Lord Urisk has told me you wish to create a group of healers?" He asked keeping his cadence slow and tone respectful.
'sorry boss, didn't hear bout them he was standing silently waiting for you' Anastasia said.
"Yes, precisely Elder Nuerm, right?" I stated waiting for his head nod that I had gotten his name correct.
"Well, Lord Urisk informed me that the Fungal Folk have no truly trained healers instead preferring to allow wounds and aliments to slowly heal is that right?" I asked for clarification.
"Yes, your Majesty me and the Treants practiced in the art number roughly ten, either as a hobby or to curse rot or those at death's door." It sort of made sense, but if they were going to survive and more importantly thrive they would need them for the trials ahead.
"Alright then, I ask you to began training those able and anything you may need to get started all you need to is ask" I stated signaling to the Elder that he was dismissed. Scanning the crowd I saw the form of Lord Alvest hunched over as his frame barely fit into the high vaulted ceilings of the Main hall. Reaching out I extended the height of the roof to accommodate the bulk of the Lithoni Lord.
"Ah, Lord Alvest pleasure to make you acquaintance, ah and Lord Armeant as well please Lord Armeant come up to the Dais." I said signaling to the Treant as I saw him enter.
He made his way up the dais bowed before stepping off to the side on my right and behind his back he gifted Anastasia a humongous fly about the size of rat on earth.
'taking bribes already Anastasia?' I asked teasingly.
'You betcha' she said as she ate the fly. Turning my attention to a fidgeting Lithoni with a more humanoid appearance looking like a cracked marble statue.
"Yes, what is your grievance" I said my eyes locking onto the stone eyes of the previously mentioned Lithoni. He stepped up puffing his chest like peacock.
"Yes, Your Majesty" he said with not so subtle venom in his tone.
"I said what's your Grievance?" I said raising a single eyebrow in challenge at the same time I activated [Warlord's Aura].
"Uh, uh, oh yeah, I was wondering what right you posses to rule and the legality of the duel that slayed our previous Monarch the Honourable Ophiocord!" He sputtered at the beginning before finding his fire and vitriol. Locking eyes with Lord Armeant to my right I saw that he nodded his head.
Raising my hand I decided to go full dark lord reaching out with my [Geomancy] I lifted him by the rock encasing.
"Do you think the previous monarch would fall to petty tricks, I won because I was stronger as simple as that." I said before dropping the Lithoni just for Lord Alvest to pick up his unruly kin and deposit him outside the hall doors.
"Anyone else feeling testy?" I said scanning the room each fungi I locked eyes with shook their head. Motioning for the next to come up this time a Brownie appeared his voice just as jovial as his brethren.
"Milord, I know you won't be hear for long but me and my family would be overjoyed to furnish this castle for you" he said his eyes having a strange puppy dog quality to them.
"Sure, just please keep it tasteful" I asked as the Brownie seems overjoyed bowing before rushing out of the hall, what you might say about them I do find them endearing.
Sitting up I singled for Lord Armeant to follow me as Anastasia climbed up my shoulder.
We entered a room to the right of the throne opposite to where I entered in here was five chairs. One for each of the Fungi Lords, one for me at the head, and another for a spider