Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 606: Stockpiling Resources
After making plans with Irene and promising that he would personally pick her up that evening, Steven finally ended the call.
Not before enduring a lengthy stream of complaints, of course.
The girl had spent the better part of the conversation lamenting all the headaches and troubles she'd been dealing with in Iberia, and even when the call was ending, she still sounded reluctant to let him go.
Still, listening to her vent over the communicator wouldn't accomplish much.
It would be better to wait until they met in person. Then he could properly comfort her.
With Irene's side settled, however, Steven now had to figure out how to arrange things with the three women on the tundra.
Whether they agreed or not was another matter entirely, but a schedule had to be prepared first.
Given Irene's rather immature temperament—more like an excited child than a grown woman—the earlier part of the evening suited her best.
They could stroll around Lungmen Plaza together, enjoy the festivities, and once she grew tired, he could find an excuse to send her off to rest.
If Talulah and the others agreed as well, then the later hours of the night would be much more suitable for them.
As he silently organized a timetable in his head, Steven couldn't help regretting that he hadn't asked Lin Yuhsia for a copy of tonight's program schedule beforehand.
Afterward, he found a secluded corner and, in the blink of an eye, teleported back to the familiar wooden cabin standing alone upon the snowy plains.
Instead of immediately seeking out Talulah and the others, Steven headed straight for the basement entrance.
The first thing he wanted to do was inspect the project he had previously entrusted to the maids.
And the moment he descended to the second underground level, near the hot spring area, he heard it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The rhythmic sounds of machinery and metalworking echoed from deeper below, like a factory operating at full capacity.
When Steven pushed open the basement doors, the sight that greeted him left him momentarily speechless.
The crude underground chamber he had originally excavated—a primitive cave made of dirt walls and rough stone—had completely vanished.
In its place stood something entirely different.
Polished chiseled quartz formed the walls and ceilings, bathing the underground complex in a clean, elegant brightness that seemed impossible for a subterranean facility.
The true source of illumination came from clusters of glowstone lamps and suspended jack-o'-lantern lighting fixtures floating overhead.
The entire place looked as though it had undergone a complete renovation.
Gone was the feeling of a primitive cave dwelling.
Instead, it resembled a proper modern underground industrial complex.
The moment Steven appeared, the native maid workers immediately stopped what they were doing.
Then a flood of tiny figures rushed toward him all at once.
The maids, most of whom were only two to three heads tall in adorable chibi proportions, transformed into a tidal wave of cuteness charging straight at him.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, there wasn't the slightest sense of intimidation.
If anything, it felt more like being surrounded by an enormous pack of puppies.
A strangely indescribable sense of healing washed over him.
Smiling helplessly, Steven patted each tiny maid on the head one after another.
He also pulled out a large pile of candy from his inventory and distributed it among them.
Only after satisfying the enthusiastic little crowd was he finally able to free himself and properly inspect his underground factory.
And what he found nearly made his jaw drop.
In less than half a month, the maids had expanded the original basement by dozens of times its previous size.
Farms.
Mining areas.
Storage facilities.
Even dedicated firearm production workshops.
Everything had been constructed with remarkable diligence.
And this was merely the work of the hundred or so maids Steven had originally left behind.
If he were to grant them authorization to produce additional maids themselves, he suspected that half a month would be enough to create an army numbering in the thousands.
After all, every maid was born absolutely loyal and immediately capable of contributing to either production or combat.
What made them even more terrifying than biological reproduction was the fact that, given sufficient materials, they could manufacture more of their own kind indefinitely.
In that sense, calling them a race of maid-shaped Zerg wouldn't be inaccurate at all.
They never grew tired.
They never complained.
Their daily necessities amounted to little more than naturally renewable sugarcane and a small bed.
Still, Steven had no ambitions of conquering the world.
And judging by their enthusiastic work ethic, the little maids seemed to genuinely enjoy what they were doing.
In that case, there was no reason to stop them.
He could simply allow them to continue expanding this hidden underground base at their own pace.
After all, if the day ever came when he truly needed such a force… It would be far better than scrambling to prepare at the last minute.
After making a brief inspection and confirming that the little maids had essentially reached the point of complete self-sufficiency, Steven decisively pulled out another pile of materials and summoned roughly a hundred additional maids.
The larger the factory became, the more workers it would need.
There was no need to work his employees to the bone.
In fact, if the maids' intelligence levels were just a little higher—enough for them to possess fully independent self-awareness—Steven would have happily created even more of them and implemented an actual shift system.
"Come to think of it, Rhodes Island has quite a few instructors who specialize in training recruits."
As the thought crossed his mind, Steven rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"When I get the chance, I should ask that old lynx if she can spare a couple of trainers to help teach these girls."
Having them spend all day doing chores and manual labor felt like a waste.
With their abilities, they were more than capable of taking on far more important responsibilities.
As he pondered the idea, a plan for creating an elite combat unit gradually formed in his mind.
Marksmanship wasn't a concern.
For reasons Steven still didn't fully understand, every single maid seemed to possess an almost supernatural talent for firearms.
Give them a gun and they immediately became terrifying headshot machines.
Tactics and discipline, however, were another story entirely.
Those required professional instruction.
And when it came to finding someone qualified, there was actually an even better candidate than Rhodes Island's instructors.
"Perfect."
A grin spread across Steven's face.
"I should go ask if he's got some free time."
After all, that man still owed him a mountain of favors.
And now seemed like a good time to start collecting on that debt.
With that thought in mind, Steven reached into his inventory and released the creature that had been resting there.
The moment the colossal Elder Dragon appeared, the frigid air of Ursus swept across its body.
The cold instantly roused the slumbering Ruiner Nergigante, Ebony.
Its eyes snapped open.
The countless crystal spikes covering its body erupted outward in an instant, resembling a startled hedgehog bristling with defensive quills.
A moment later—
ROOOOOOOAR!!!
A deafening roar exploded across the snowfields.
The sound rolled over the frozen wasteland like thunder, echoing toward the distant horizon.
"Oh, come on."
Steven immediately covered his ears.
"Stop doing that. Sooner or later, you're going to deafen somebody."
The Elder Dragon merely snorted.
With a helpless shake of his head, Steven leapt upward in a smooth, practiced motion.
A moment later, he landed atop Ebony's head, standing effortlessly among the countless crystalline spikes jutting from the dragon's skull.
The image was undeniably imposing.
Wind swept across the snowy plains.
The dragon unfurled its enormous wings.
Under Steven's command, Ebony launched into the sky, heading directly toward the Infected settlement.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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