The attempt to train a Peasant was met with a stark notification: Insufficient Gold.
Galen's mind raced. He recalled the adjacent, warehouse-like room within the newly constructed Town Hall, its purpose clearly intended for resource storage. He strode into the space, reached into the Spellweave Pouch still secured at his belt, and withdrew a hefty bag of gold coins, placing it deliberately on one of the empty shelves.
The instant the bag touched the shelf, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the room. Galen watched in astonishment as the once-full bag visibly shriveled, its contents seemingly absorbed by the very structure of the base.
Returning to the main hall, he re-established his mental connection to the core. The resource display now showed a significant increase in gold: from zero to one hundred units.
A one-to-two ratio, Galen mused, a quick calculation forming in his mind. Each gold coin from our world equates to two units of the base's gold.
Without hesitation, he issued the command to train a Peasant. A holographic image of a sturdy-looking man in simple work clothes materialized before him, accompanied by a countdown timer: 59 minutes 59 seconds. An hour to train a single Peasant. I wonder what the training time for combat units in the Barracks will be?
While the timer ticked down, Galen transferred half of the remaining gold coins in his pouch to the warehouse, observing the same light-infused absorption process. The Peasant's initial description had mentioned skills in gold mining and lumberjacking. Clearly, these basic workers would form the backbone of the base's resource acquisition.
Seeing the resource column now displaying a respectable 20,000 units of gold, Galen preemptively queued the training of eleven more Peasants, filling the production queue to its capacity.
The wait stretched on, each minute feeling like an eternity. Then, a soft flash of light emanated from the core room, and a figure stepped out. He was a middle-aged man, well over six feet tall, with a burly build. He wore practical linen overalls and a red shirt, an axe and a pickaxe hanging from either side of his waist. His skin was tanned, his chin adorned with a thick brown beard, a testament to a life of hard work.
The moment this first Peasant's feet touched the floor, his gaze locked onto Galen sitting in the main hall. He immediately snapped to attention, offering a crisp salute. "Militia Captain Cliff salutes you, Commander."
Galen was taken aback, utterly surprised by the Peasant's apparent intelligence. He had anticipated the base's units to be rudimentary, almost automaton-like, performing only the most basic actions upon command.
He circled Cliff, studying him with newfound curiosity. "Cliff," he began, "can you tell me about yourself?"
"Reporting to the Commander," Cliff replied with a confident tone, "I am proficient in mining, logging, construction, and repair. I possess basic combat skills, my designation is Militia Captain, and I am also capable of providing rudimentary military training. The subsequent Peasant recruits will be under my command. Commander, I await your orders."
"If I were to task you with mining," Galen inquired, his curiosity piqued, "would you know the location of nearby mineral deposits?" In the games of his past life, a gold mine was always conveniently located near the starting base. However, in choosing this location for its secrecy, he had paid little attention to potential resource veins.
"Reporting to the Commander, the base core's scans indicate rich mineral veins in the mountains to our east. We can begin mining operations along the northern stretch of those mountains from our current position." As Cliff spoke, Galen mentally connected to the core, and a series of golden markers illuminated the eastern edge of the Alterac Mountains on the base's internal map.
"The Commander can remotely connect to the core to issue orders to us. Upgrading the main hall will expand the range of this remote connection," Militia Captain Cliff added, delivering another unexpected piece of valuable information.
A wave of relief washed over Galen. He had been wrestling with the logistical challenge of returning to the base after tonight's clandestine visit. His supply of soundproof scrolls was limited, and without them, sneaking past Omar and Varokal's keen senses would be virtually impossible.
Now, knowing he could remotely interact with the base, a significant hurdle had been overcome. He could still clearly perceive his campsite on the edge of the base's map, confirming that the distance was well within the range of the remote connection.
Turning his attention back to Cliff, Galen issued his first command. "Cliff, your initial task is to begin logging operations." Cliff immediately drew the axe from his waist and strode out of the main hall.
Galen followed him, scanning the surrounding trees. "Cliff," he instructed, "as the other Peasants arrive, have them clear all trees within a five-hundred-meter radius of this Town Hall." He envisioned a cleared area, providing ample space for future construction.
Closing his eyes briefly, he mentally accessed the list of available structures: Barracks, Lumber Mill, Blacksmith, Farm, Altar of Kings, Watch Tower, and Arcane Vault. Currently, there wasn't enough lumber even for the most basic building.
He waited in the main hall for the next three hours, periodically reviewing the descriptions of each potential structure. During this time, three more Peasants materialized within the core room, each mirroring Cliff's sturdy build and capable demeanor. Galen directed them to join Cliff in the logging operations, placing them under his command.
He noted the resource requirements for the Barracks: 1600 units of gold and 600 units of lumber. While gold could be replenished, lumber acquisition was entirely dependent on the Peasants' efforts.
Given the relative safety of the area, barring the occasional troll patrol, the construction of the Barracks could wait. Fortunately, the Lumber Mill required no initial lumber investment. Galen selected a location near the edge of the surrounding forest and initiated its deployment. This would streamline the lumber collection process, eliminating the need for the Peasants to transport the raw materials back to the Town Hall.
Having issued the construction order to Cliff, Galen knew he couldn't linger any longer. Nearly five hours had elapsed since he had slipped away from his camp. He needed to return immediately; otherwise, his absence at dawn would raise unanswerable questions from Omar and Varokal, prematurely revealing his secret base – a scenario he desperately wanted to avoid.
As he sprinted back towards his camp, Galen realized the remote connection Cliff had mentioned was intrinsically linked to the light sphere now residing within his own mind. The light sphere within the Town Hall was, in essence, a subsystem or a projection of his own mental interface.
Utilizing the map generated by the base within his mind, Galen carefully navigated around several packs of prowling raptors, slowing his pace as he neared his campsite.
Observing the camp from a distance, he identified the opportune moment to slip back into his tent undetected, taking advantage of a brief lapse in the guards' watch as they shifted their positions.
A silent sigh of relief escaped his lips as he lay down in his tent, carefully dispelling the soundproof magic arrays he had placed around Omar and Varokal's tents earlier.
Despite the night's frantic activities, the adrenaline coursing through his veins kept sleep at bay. Mentally connecting to the base's visual interface through the light sphere in his mind, he noted a modest accumulation of 30 units of lumber.
His return journey from the base had taken roughly an hour. Checking on Cliff's progress, he saw the Militia Captain beginning the construction of the Lumber Mill, while the three newly trained Peasants diligently felled trees. Three Peasants collecting 30 units of lumber in three hours suggested a collection rate of approximately ten units per person per hour.
Galen speculated that once the Lumber Mill was operational, he should be able to research technologies to enhance the Peasants' resource gathering efficiency. He wondered by how much the collection rate would improve.
The Town Hall provided twelve units of food, and each Peasant consumed one unit. With five Peasants now under his command, he had the capacity to train seven more before needing to secure an additional food source.
Deciding to seize a few precious hours of sleep before dawn broke, Galen resolved to issue the order for the construction of a Farm upon waking. The foundations of his secret endeavor were slowly but surely taking shape.