Zyrus knew that what he lacked the most right now was a long-range attack. His single target and AoE prowess were off the charts, and the class he was working on would deal with the middle level. Thus, what he needed were two supplementary paths for his next authorities– Range and Mobility. And the sanctuary gave him just that.
<{The authority “Winds of Marduk” will be applied to your flag!}>
With raised brows he clicked on the flag march, and the familiar screen popped up once again. The flag’s tier was upgraded a few times while he was away.
<Flag March>
[March forth to claim your throne, and conquer the vast lands with your flag held high]
[You have created multiple bases on <Pisces archipelago>]
[You have conquered two zones on <Pisces archipelago>]
[Your Blank Flag has risen to Tier 7!]
[Inventory has expanded! You can store more resources on each base.]
[Shop is upgraded! You can now purchase basic knowledge on the weapons of war]
-You can now transfer resources without paying any charges
-Size and weight limits of the transferred objects are raised
-Additional features are added to aid in management
|Blank Flag: Tier 7|
Territory effect: +27.5% Exp gain, +30% MP and Stamina while defending, +12.5% loot gain (Zonal effects are excluded)
<Authority: Numen>
A primal force that transcends the Worlds, The Eternal Watchers who guard the realm.
[You can appoint slain foes as the ‘Watcher’ of your base]
[Base specific and overall effects will depend on the appointed Watcher’s skills and traits]
[Note: Only special creatures can be appointed as a Watcher]
<Authority: Stefna>
May thy call reach the forgotten realms, May the warriors of yore answer thy summons.
[You can build a summoning altar in each conquered zone]
[The summoning targets are selected at random. Their numbers, strength, and race will depend on your faction’s composition and your activity.]
[Note: There is a possibility that some of the summoned creatures will be hostile towards you. This authority only allows you to summon them.]
[Note: You can only connect with a single plane of existence using this authority. However, you can continuously summon more creatures from there after fulfilling the necessary conditions]
Time limit: ??? (Depends on the targeted plane)
<Authority: Winds of Marduk>
The gales of Celestia shall obey your will.
[You can build Sulanga Platforms to summon the Winds of Marduk]
[Each base can sustain one platform, +3 for each zone]
[The summoned winds have a maximum speed of 1000 km/h and a maximum travel distance of 2500 km]
[You can manipulate the winds by sacrificing sufficient mana]
[You can execute your skills at 10% power by using the authority as a medium]
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
[Note: Only personal skills can be used this way. Class-related skills, authorities, titles, bloodline, etc.. are unable to be used via a medium]
[Note: It is possible to improve the power and range of the 'Winds of Marduk' by using multiple platforms]
Time Limit: None
Cost: 1000 Mana Unit/sec
The players right now didn’t even know what a mana unit was and this authority was pretty much a showpiece for the time being. However, this would become his trump card as soon as the third ring started.
His blood boiled in excitement as he thought about the grand war that was to come. Leaving the future plans aside, Zyrus checked on the remaining details.
[Buffs]
- Shipbuilding efficiency +25%
- Logging efficiency +30%
- Military research efficiency +15%
- Ballista production +15%
- Torpedo production +10%
- Cannon production + 10%
.
.
.
<{New classes are added to your faction! Anyone who joins you can directly acquire/change their classes to the ones mentioned below}>
[Class ascension is now available! Players with sufficient contribution will gain the Advanced class]
- Tanner
- Butcher
- Lumberjack
- Shipbuilder
- Military Researcher
- Tentmaker
- Voyager
- Scholar
.
.
The list went on and on ending with the Advanced Tanner, Advanced Butcher…and so on. The buffs and classes might not look like much, but they were the core of the entire player base.
Except for the top few %, a vast majority would rely on them to progress in the sanctuary.
At last, it was time to check his biggest gain.
<-< A watcher has been appointed to this base >->
[Base Effects]
Fertile Lands: Growth and compatibility of all plant life forms are increased by 50-100%
Hollow transformation: Based on the power of flora, you can manifest 'Pugalo' and trigger hollow transformation in all plant-type lifeforms.
[Overall Effects]
-Improved land fertility
-Non-hostile guardian monsters will spawn depending on the flora level
Considering the environment of this island and Pugalo’s past, the effects were as expected. What Zyrus wanted was also similar: Fertile soil and a powerful deterrent against the invaders.
He had never considered farming to feed his army as the end goal. He knew better than anyone that he didn’t have the talent in that area. So, he’d just food from others. Even now the players were doing just fine by eating seafood and occasionally importing food from the main continent. The shop prices were rather high, but the same was true for the oceanic products they were selling. The profit margins were in their favor since there was no competition for what they were selling.
Zyrus looked around the island to find Kyle and the others, but they were nowhere in sight. The festive atmosphere was too rowdy to look for someone among thousands of players.
In the end, he decided to stroll towards the dragon of war and rest for the day. He wanted to make this island the public capital of his Empire, and for that, he needed to be in charge of the overall reformation.
The word ‘Public’ was the key here. This island was without a doubt a very beautiful place, but it didn’t have any defending advantages. It was more suited for a picnic spot or a trading port rather than the capital.
Nonetheless, Zyrus had a solution in mind. His true headquarters would be located in the third zone as long as he stayed in the sanctuary. He didn’t plan to allow any unrelated personnel into the third zone, so this island would be perfect for interacting with other factions.
Just as he started to think about a devious scheme to bait his enemies, a side glance caught him totally off guard. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did you get robbed or what?”
“…can we talk in private?” Ria answered and signaled with her eyes.
“Sure, I was looking for you guys anyway,” Zyrus nodded with a bemused smile. Be it Ria or the rest of the leaders who were with her, all of them were ‘stripped’ of their equipment. They stood out like sore thumbs with the plain clothes they were wearing.
Except for the items he had given them, they didn’t have a single thing on. Even the production class players looked more well off than them.
Zyrus followed the crew sat around a raging bonfire. The night wind carried the aroma of sizzling meat and vegetables, but no one had their eyes focused on the skewers. Everyone was looking for someone to start the conversation.
“, I’ll explain why we sold off our items,” Lauren cleared her throat and spoke everyone’s thoughts.
“We all saw the contribution system, and in order to buy what we needed, we decided to trade with the other players.”
“Why sell? I doubt it’d take you long to accumulate the points,” Zyrus asked as he observed their serious faces.
“I- no, we think that it would be more beneficial if we do this before going through our class upgrades.”
Lauren’s words earned a nod from everyone present, including Zyrus. He was able to guess what they wanted to buy using the contribution points.
“Should I praise your wits or be sad about the morons who bought your items?”
“Actually, it’s better this way,” Kyle returned Zyrus’s knowing smile and continued, “There are quite a few players who think that we’ve earned our position and strength by relying on the items you’ve given us. They know that the earlier one joined, the more benefits they’d get from you.”
“But knowing doesn’t mean accepting,” Zyrus completed the following sentence.
“Indeed.”
“But are they wrong?” Zyrus asked while looking at his unwavering eyes.
“Right now, they’re not.”
Zyrus was more than satisfied with Kyle’s answer. He appreciated the fact that the leading figures under him were united.
It was true to assume that the current strength of the group was dependent on the items he gave them. But only they themselves knew the key factor behind their rise in power: Zyrus’s knowledge.
“The players don’t seem to care about the information. Out of the 2568 transactions, not a single one has bought any information,” Zyrus told them the details he had just checked out. It wasn’t unexpected as the first thing players wanted was something that could ensure their survival. Only those confident in their strength would think far ahead in the future.
Everyone would know about this meeting soon enough. And not long after, they’d realize how valuable Zyrus’s knowledge was.
Chapter 179: Winds of Marduk
8 min read