Chapter 9: Lich, Please. I Offer Shelter, Not Slaughter

Chapter 9: Lich, Please. I Offer Shelter, Not Slaughter Two hours later, mid-game, a familiar chime resonated through the dungeon, a sound that had come to signify progress. A System notification flared, its purple glow momentarily blinding. [ Ore Refinery has finished construction +25 NP ] Before Karl could even process the new NP, a low, guttural hum began to vibrate through the stone floor beneath him. The newly built Ore Refinery, standing beside the Basic Blacksmith Forge, began to glow with an internal, fiery light. Lines of ethereal energy pulsed from its walls, stretching towards the forge. Stone shifted with a grinding sound, metal groaned as if in protest, and with a final, resonant thrum, the two structures seamlessly merged. Their distinct outlines blurred, dissolving into one cohesive whole. A new System panel, larger and more detailed, replaced their individual readouts. [ [Metallurgy Center] [ Type: Core Production – Smelting & Forging ] [ Description: A unified facility where raw ores are smelted into ingots and forged into tools, weapons, and parts. Combines the functions of ore refining and blacksmithing into a single streamlined workshop. Smoke rises from coal furnaces. Skeletons hammer rhythmically. Metal flows like water—from ore to weapon, all under one roof. ] [ ???? Functions: ] [ Smelts raw ore into ingots ] [ Forges ingots into usable materials (tools, weapons, etc.) ] [ Auto-feeds refined materials into production queues ] [ Skeleton workers operate both furnaces and forges in shifts ] [ ???? Features: ] [ ???? Shared fuel system for all furnaces and forges ] [ ???? Faster turnaround: No need to transfer between buildings ] [ ???? Skeleton blacksmiths work with increased efficiency ] [ ???? Output materials go directly to nearby storage or logistics hubs ] Karl’s jaw stretched wide, a genuine, skeletal grin that reached his empty eye sockets. "Yes! This is it. Synergy." His thoughts raced, connecting the dots. Building it close together triggers it, even if there’s a wall. So distance is important if I wanted a different synergy. The implications of this discovery were immense. His industrial complex could be far more efficient than he’d initially imagined, a true testament to his engineering prowess. The Metallurgy Center needed 4 more skeleton workers. Karl summoned 4 more basic skeletons, their purple glow momentarily illuminating the chessboard, and assigned them to the new center. They clattered off, their purpose now clear: to feed the hungry maw of his metal production. The rhythmic clang of hammers and the roar of the forge would soon become a constant symphony of industry. A sudden, unfamiliar tremor ran through the dungeon floor, distinct from the rhythmic thrum of his growing industries. Karl felt it, a subtle anomaly that prickled at his non-existent nerves. He opened his map. Below, in the forest zone, the outlines of his lumberjack skeletons flickered, their movements halting, their axes still. They were confronting something. Intrusion? Already? My defenses aren’t even existent. A dry, exasperated sigh escaped him, a faint rasp of bone. He moved with surprising speed, his skeletal frame gliding towards the dungeon entrance, a growing sense of unease settling over him. What he saw stopped him cold. Not a raiding party, not a monstrous horde. Refugees. A small cluster of figures, their faces covered in fur, their bodies bipedal, distinctly beast-like. Kobolds. Civilized beast race? I’ve only seen them in manga and anime. This is... unexpected. From the kobold’s perspective, the lumberjack skeletons, their axes still, turned their empty eye sockets towards the cliff face. Orkesh, the kobold leader, a grizzled figure with a tattered tunic, slowly backed away, his small, clawed hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "P-please, forgive us! We... we thought this place was abandoned!" His voice was a desperate squeak, thin with fear. Then, his gaze fell upon the towering, skeletal figure of Karl, now visible on the cliff above. An immense, chilling aura, a palpable wave of undeath, washed over him, a cold dread that seeped into his very bones. Terror seized his small heart. Behind him, the whimpers of women and children huddled together, their small forms trembling. Orkesh, seeing the skeletons hadn’t attacked, realized they were waiting for the Lich’s command. "P-please let us go," he stammered, falling to his knees, his voice cracking. "I-I will sacrifice myself for the dungeon, just p-please let the others go!" Karl walked down the stone stairs towards them, his approach a slow, deliberate descent that only amplified the kobolds’ terror. Each click of his bony feet on the stone seemed to echo in the sudden silence. The women and children whimpered, pressing themselves tighter against the cold rock. Orkesh braced himself, his eyes squeezed shut, his body tensing, expecting the killing blow. Karl simply smiled, a dry, unsettling stretch of bone that revealed nothing but empty darkness behind his teeth. "Hello, travelers. What can we do for you?" Orkesh’s eyes snapped open. He slowly raised his head, confusion warring with relief on his furry face. The other kobolds exchanged bewildered glances, their small, pointed ears twitching. "P-please let us go. I-I will sacrifice myself for the dungeon, just p-please let the others go." Karl tilted his skull, genuinely confused by the plea. He replied in his most formal, almost corporate, manner, his voice a dry, even tone. "Oh, how uncivilized of us. You misunderstood. We don’t want to harm anyone." Orkesh blinked, his small jaw dropping slightly. "I-I beg your pardon?" Karl just smiled again, a gesture that was meant to be reassuring but likely only added to the strangeness of the situation. "If there’s something we can offer you, we would be pleased to offer our services. Perhaps shelter?" The question hung in the air, a strange, unsettling offer from the Lord of the Undead. Orkesh, still hesitant, his small body trembling, looked back at the terrified faces of his kin. They had nowhere else to go. He slowly nodded. He turned, his voice still trembling, and called to the huddled figures behind him. "Come! He... he offers shelter!" The women and children, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief, slowly, cautiously, began to approach. Orkesh hopes the Lich is as kind as he had hoped, and would never lead them into a trap. Since there was nowhere they could go, it was a gamble. Karl led them inside, to a large, empty room near the dungeon entrance. The torches cast long, dancing shadows, making the already imposing Lich seem even more so. "I apologize if our establishment isn’t as hospitable as it is for now." Orkesh sheepishly ushered the women and children inside, their small bodies pressing together for comfort. "Th-thank you. It-it is more than enough." His voice was barely a whisper. Karl extended a bony hand, a gesture of formal introduction. "You can call me Karl." Orkesh hesitantly shook his hand, his small, clawed fingers barely grasping Karl’s cold, hard bones. "O-Orkesh." Karl glanced at the refugees, still huddled in the corner, their eyes darting nervously around the stone room. "I apologize if I have nothing to gain your trust. I will leave you to it. You can stay for as long as you like. You are safe here." He turned and walked away, his movements deliberate, giving them space, allowing them to breathe. Orkesh let out a long, shaky breath as Karl’s imposing presence receded. He turned to his group. The women immediately expressed worry, their voices hushed. "We must leave, Orkesh! As soon as possible!" Orkesh shook his head, his voice low, filled with a weary resignation. "We have nowhere else to go. Other kobold villages might not be friendly, and the orcs... the orcs have lost us, but they could still be out there. We will trust him for now. I promise to fight if necessary to buy you time." His hand rested on a small child’s head, a gesture of comfort and grim determination.