William stood in a clearing where bloom flowers paved the way to the tower's core. A satisfied grin on his face. Before him stood a centaur, towering at least a foot above him, gripping a spear nearly as tall as himself.
When the centaur's eyes locked with William's, he instantly bent his front legs, kneeling low and bowing his head in a silent pledge of loyalty to his new tower lord.
William felt a little uneasy watching someone kneel for him. He stepped closer, laid a hand on the centaur's broad shoulder, and said, "Get up." The centaur obeyed and rose to his full height. Then William called out to Rollie, asking him to show the centaur's status.
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Name: Sparkhoof Spearling (B-Rank)
Race: Thunder Centaur
Rank: Tier 1 (Low)
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Attributes
Strength: 15
Constitution: 16
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 8
Mana: 10
Affinity: Lightening
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Skill
Static Thrust (Low)
Thrusts his spear while channeling lightning through its tip, with a 10% chance to stun the target.
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Technique
Spear Mastery (Low)
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Rank Upgrade Conditions
Tower points: 20/20
Tier 1 core: 0/3
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William let out a low whistle as he saw the stats. It was only B-rank, and the gap in attributes compared to Lumina was huge. He couldn't help but think, 'If someone started with S-rank or higher, they'd be absolute monsters.'
There was an extra section on its status—Technique—something he hadn't seen on his own status or on Lumina's. Curious, he asked, "Rollie, what's this technique thing?" Rollie replied instantly:
[Techniques are the means through which skills are used.]
[Skills depend on techniques. For example, the centaur knows the technique of spear wielding, which is why he can use Static Thrust—a spear skill.]
[Skills are easy to learn and can be upgraded simply by using them.]
[But techniques can only be learned through practice, and they improve as you master them.]
William understood it wasn't rocket science, but something still nagged at him. He asked, "So why didn't Lumina have a technique? She also had a skill." Rollie replied:
[Because she was born with mastery over mana manipulation,]
[She doesn't need to learn any techniques.]
Hearing this, all his confusion vanished. He asked, "If I want to use a skill, I would have to learn a technique first."
[Correct. I suggest you buy some techniques from the Tower Merchant for now.]
[Work hard, Will. The Tower Lord should be stronger than anyone else—at least within his own tower.]
"I was thinking of getting a skill, but now I know I need a technique. I just hope I can afford one," he muttered. After saying that, William subtly tilted his head, just enough to go unnoticed—and snuck a glance at the centaur's lower body.
The centaur stood in front of him like a statue. 'Thank god he's wearing something to cover up his things,' William thought, relieved. For a second, he'd worried the centaur might be completely naked, but thankfully, he wore a leather cloak draped across his back.
William looked at the centaur and said, "You don't have to stand guard near me. Go ahead, roam around the floor or take a rest." The centaur nodded and started walking toward the grassland.
As he left, William glanced at the spot where the centaur had stood and noticed several nearby bloom flowers had been crushed from the summoning. He muttered, "Shit, next time I'll summon at the grassland. If a dragon gets summoned and lands on a tree, I'll be insta-killed."
"Now it's time to meet the rabbit," William said, opening up his status screen and heading straight to the Tower Merchant option. He summoned it with a thought, and a moment later, a figure appeared a few meters away. It was short, maybe three feet tall, and looked uncannily similar to a certain childhood cartoon character.
Two long ears pointed straight up, with grey and white fur and front teeth larger than the rest. It wore a sleek black tuxedo and an orange bow tie. William couldn't help himself and said, "What's up, Doc?"
Hearing that, the bunny shot William an irritated glare and snapped in a thin, sharp voice, "For fuck's sake, I am not him! I have to tell this to every fucking Lord, and for the record—I'm a female, so I am not him!"
"And why are almost all the Lords naked? I've even been called by some idiot in the middle of jerking off. This batch of Lords is the fucking worst." Seeing William in nothing but boxers only made her rage burn hotter; if he'd said a word, she might've leapt at him.
William didn't dare say a single word, he was actually afraid of her. Finally, the bunny sighed and muttered, "Apologies, I'm just frustrated." William, still nervous, replied in a trembling voice, "N...No, I get it."
"Okay, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Liora, the Tower Merchant assigned to region #19201," she said, slipping into a professional demeanor. William greeted her politely, "Hello, I'm William. Nice to meet you."
"Okay, let's not waste any time. Tell me your budget, and I'll show you the best deals in that range. Just let me know what you want to buy." William nodded. "Please show me anything under 120 T.P."
Liora nodded, and with a swipe of her hand, a system panel appeared, not like Rollie's, but the familiar old blue one. There, thousands of deals filled the display: single items, troops, resources, all neatly listed. William started checking through them one by one.
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Deal: Last Straw (Top Seller)
Items:
- Mud Golem Tier 1 (Low) ×1
- 3 Days of Food and Water
- Pack of Cigarettes ×1
- White Blind Fold ×1
Description: Some basics and classic final stance.
T.P.: 70
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Deal: Classic First Floor (Hot Deal)
Items:
- Basic Arrow Traps Blueprint ×1
- 400 Wood
- 200 Stone
- 10 Iron
Description: A straightforward path lined with arrow traps triggered by pressure plates on the floor. These traps can cause injuries, but aren't lethal.
T.P.: 50
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Deal: Lonely Goblins (Sale)
Items:
- Male Goblins Tier 1 (Low) ×3
- Rusty Blates ×3
- Bonk ×1
Description: Summons a group of lonely goblins, each looking oddly sad for reasons unknown. Includes a bonk for Lord's safety.
T.P.: 35
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Deal: Living Rich From The Start (Premium)
Items:
- Basic Lord's Hut Blueprint ×1
- 500 Wood
- 300 Stone
- 30 Iron
- 3 Days of 5-star Food
Description: A cosy single room with a private bath. If you've got T.P. to spare, buy this and live comfortably, especially if your luck with talent or troops was trash. Buy this and live the last three days comfortably,
T.P.: 99
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Item: Balanced Steel Sword (Common)
Description: A well-balanced steel sword forged by the renowned DJForgie Brothers.
T.P.: 25
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Item: Tier 1 Core (Low)
Description: To upgrade troops.
T.P.: 20
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There were a lot of good deals and items, but faced with this massive selection, William couldn't decide. If he had to go through all of them, it would take all day.
He glanced at Liora and asked, "Can you please narrow down the list? At this rate, I'll be here forever. I need a weapon in the range of 20 T.P., a basic technique below 40 T.P., a trap blueprint under 60, and a three-day food and water package."
Liora simply nodded and waved her hand, instantly filtering the list to match his criteria. Even then, a few hundred deals and items remained. William sifted through them for nearly an hour before finally selecting what he needed.
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Deal: First Floor Surprise
Items:
- Poison Arrow Traps Blueprint ×1
- 400 Wood
- 200 Stone
- 10 Iron
- 5 Poison (Low)
Description: A straightforward path lined with poison arrow traps triggered by pressure plates on the floor. These traps can cause low poison and paralysis effects.
T.P.: 65
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Item: Balanced Steel Sword (Common)
Description: A well-balanced steel sword forged by the renowned DJForgie Brothers.
T.P.: 25
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Item: Basic Sword Technique (Common)
Description: A beginner's guide to sword handling, a simple foundation for anyone new to wielding a blade.
T.P.: 35
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Deal: Hermid's life
Items:
- Outdoor toilet ×1
- Hermid robe ×1
- Bread ×6
- Simple Vegetable Broth ×3
- Random Fruit ×20
- 2000 ml Water
- 3 Days of 5-star Food
Description: Eat less, work hard, and embrace the hermit's life.
T.P.: 10
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William confirmed his selections. The total came to 135 T.P., leaving him with only 5 T.P. to spare. He paid Liora, and the items were instantly transferred to his inventory. With a merchant's satisfied grin, she said, "Pleasure doing business with you, Lord William." Then, just like that, she vanished.
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[A/N]: Powerstones greatly help the novel. If you enjoy it, please throw some!