Chapter 37: Way of the Sovereign (4)

"Spare you?”

"T-that’s correct. Please spare me."

Rodiam pleaded with a tearful expression. Kang-jun was dumbfounded.

"You just tried to kill me. Why should I let you live?”

"Y-you are the one who invaded this place. I-I was just defending myself.”

His words weren't wrong. However, Kang-jun still had a cold expression.

"Then you must know the reason for your death. I’ve come to occupy this place. I have to kill you for this place to become my territory.”

“I will be a loyal subordinate if you spare me. Y-you are deserving of becoming my master.”

His shoulders shrank back. The face of a dejected cat. Rodiam looked really pitiful. But the two wide eyes were quite serious.

Kang-jun glanced at Keirun.

"Keirun, will it be an advantage to leave him alive as my subordinate?”

At that time, Keirun had 10 gnomes shivering in front of him.

Two intermediate gnomes and eight inferior gnomes. After Kang-jun defeated Rodiam, they had stopped resisting and sat down.

Keirun walked over and whispered with a smile on his face.

'This is a windfall. You should keep the treasure.’

'This person is a treasure?’

‘Most advanced gnomes would rather die than be someone’s subordinate. Their pride is very strong. Such an absurd thing happened because of your charisma.’

'My charisma?’

‘Of course. Rodiam won’t even look at someone with less than six charisma.’

‘My charisma is a little bit higher.’

‘Come to think of it, my pride didn’t mind bowing to Lord at all. The senior ghost Hayun probably had similar thoughts. All of us became your subordinates because of your high charisma.’

That was the case.

Kang-jun had eight charisma points. Furthermore, the Demonic Dragon’s Ring had an option of +3 charisma. That was a total of 11 charisma.

Therefore, he managed to get Keirun, Hayun and now Rodiam as a reward. Even though he met them by chance, they entered his household due to the power of charisma.

‘Huhu, this is the reason.’

There was a satisfied smile on Kang-jun’s face.

It was worthwhile to have lower strength, agility and intelligence in the beginning in exchange for high charisma and good luck.

Keirun whispered.

‘It will be easier to obtain resources with an advanced gnome. Hidden mines could be found and you can increase the number of workers. Rodiam’s subordinates will naturally be yours as well.’

Keirun pointed to the 10 gnomes still sitting down. The golem ratigers and giant ratians were standing in front of them.

Kang-jun stayed silent as he thought about it and Rodiam begged one last time.

"Take me."

[Would you like to take Rodiam into your household? Yes/No]

[If Rodiam joins your household then the conditions for Mission 6 will be automatically achieved.]

He finally received the message.

Kang-jun wanted to make sure that accepting Rodiam would fulfill the conditions of his mission. Now there was no reason to hesitate.

Kang-jun stroked Rodiam’s head and said.

"Okay. I accept. From now on, call me Lord.”

Rodiam’s face lit up.

“I-I understand, ong.”

“...Ong? What is with that odd dialect?”

"It is an honorific, ong. I will use honorifics now that you are my lord, ong.”

Rodiam attached the honorific ‘ong’ whenever he talked to Kang-jun.

[Rodiam has joined your household.]

[Rodiam will become your faithful subordinate in the world of Hwanmong.]

At that moment, Rodiam’s body recovered from its injuries. Rodiam jumped to his feet before bowing low again.

"I give my allegiance to Lord, ong.”

"Right."

Kang-jun patted Rodiam’s head. Rodiam rubbed his head against Kang-jun’s hand. It was the typical behaviour of a cat.

[The Sungkwang building has been completely occupied.]

[Mission 6 has been accomplished.]

He finally finished Mission 6. Messages appeared one after another.

[As a reward, enough experience will be given to increase your level.]

[500 nodes has been given as a reward.]

[You have learnt Skill Exploitation as a reward.]

His level rose by one to Lv12. In addition, he gained 500 nodes as a reward.

The skill window was also updated.

[Soul Exploitation (Passive)]

-Sovereign only skill.

The people defeated in the punishment field and battle field can be summoned to Hwanmong and put to work.

-It will be automatically triggered when the target is asleep.

-If a workplace is built, the amount of work and harvesting can increase.

“Soul Exploitation?”

Keirun’s eyes shone after he heard Kang-jun’s puzzled question.

“Oh! You received a really useful skill. That is quite good. The people you don’t like in reality can be worked to your heart’s content in Hwanmong, but only after they are defeated in the punishment or battle fields.”

"They will work in the dream?”

“Yes. They won’t remember anything that happened in the dream. Even if they remember it, they will just think that it is a nightmare. Huhu, they will be dragged to Hwanmong and worked to death.”

"I’m glad they won’t remember.”

If they remembered. then living a normal life would be impossible. They would be dragged into Hwanmong and exploited while sleeping.

"In the future, all those taken to the punishment field, battle field and the ones you have absorbed black magic energy from can be the target of Soul Exploitation.”

“I can bring all of them here?”

“Yes.”

Kang-jun was amazed. Even the people he absorbed black magic energy from once or twice? Of course, he only aimed for those trying to harm others.

"They will come automatically after falling asleep?”

“Just like the barrack, there is a limit on the capacity without a workshop. Lord can select a destination or exclude them.”

The imported workers had weak attack power so they were mainly used for basic chores, production activities, harvesting, logging, mining, etc. However, they also played a role in defending the base if an enemy invaded.

It was at that moment.

[The skill Soul Exploitation has been automatically activated.]

[There is no workshop so a maximum of two people can be summoned.]

[Cho Sang-jin has been summoned to the base.]

[Hwang Seong-gil has been summoned to the base.]

Cho Sang-jin had been drinking alcohol and fell asleep early today.

Usually he was active during the night and sleep in the day. However, he fell asleep at 10 p.m. today due to his drinking. He wa surprised to suddenly find himself standing in a strange place.

“Fuck! Where is this place?”

Then both eyes suddenly widened.

"Seong-gil hyung-nim! Why is Hyung-nim here?”

“Eh? You?”

Hwang Seong-gil had fallen asleep in his bed only to wake up in a strange place.

A familiar figure was standing in front of him. It was Cho Sang-jin. Cho Sang-jun was his junior in the services office.

"You bastard! Why did I come here after eating and drinking alcohol?”

"I'm not sure, Hyung-nim. I was sleeping early and suddenly found myself here was well.”

“Fuck! Where the hell is this place?”

"It looks like a small corridor, Hyung-nim. The rooms are all clustered together.”

“Euh! My body feels so heavy.”

In front of them was a room labelled 406. They couldn’t open the door to look inside and there was a strange pressure on their bodies, making them unable to move properly.

Meanwhile, Kang-jun was on the roof of Sungkwang building and could see the through a hologram of the base.

Keirun looked at their appearance and said.

"It looks like you have already secured two people, Lord. Now they should be put to work.”

"But what type of work?’

Kang-jun felt strange as he looked at Cho Sang-jin and Hwang Seong-gil. Both of them had tried to commit acts of violence against Kang-jun.

At that moment, Rodiam approached and said.

"Leave the work to me, ong. There is a hidden mine, ong.”

"Hidden mine?"

"Right there, ong. Follow me and I will show you, ong.”

"Okay. Guide me.”

Kang-jun followed after Rodiam.

The wide roof had a playground on it. The entrance to a cave was shrouded in darkness, making it hard to see.

“This is the mine?”

“That’s right.”

It was at that moment.

[The Blue Stone Mine has been found.]

[Mines located in your territory can be mined.]

[Please send mine workers.]

“Oh! It is real.”

Rodiam rubbed his cheeks against Kang-jun’s hand again and said.

"So please appoint me as supervisor of the tasks, ong.”

“I see!”

Keirun sent Kang-jun an excited look and said.

"Lord, that cat guy is a professional so you can leave the work to him. You don’t have to worry with him in charge.”

"Will the workers really listen to such a cute face?”

“Have you forgotten the minotaur?”

That’s right.

Kang-jun had mistaken Rodiam as a real cat because he kept rubbing against his hands.

Rodiam wasn’t a cat. He was an advanced gnome!

Like Keirun said, having him become the supervisor would be the best.

"Okay. I will appoint you at the supervisor.”

Rodiam jumped up.

"Hehe. Thank you, ong. There is a shortage of workers so you should create a workshop as soon as possible.

“Understood.”

"Then I will go supervise the workers, ong.”

Rodiam ran straight for the base.

[Rodiam has been appointed as the Job Supervisor.]

[The speed of the workers will become faster.]

"A workshop needs to be created as soon as possible.”

"Right now, it is imperative that I strengthen the troops through the barrack and research institute.”

In the meantime, the barrack had been raised to stage two and the research institute had also been completed.

[Stage 2 Barrack]

-Capacity 20/20

-Upgrading to stage 3 will cost 200 nodes.

Keirun and Rodiam weren’t included in the capacity of the barrack.

However, his other troops were waiting at the barrack. Therefore, he couldn’t summon any more troops unless the barrack was upgraded.

After Rodiam and his 10 gnomes joined, the barrack was at its maximum capacity. It was full, but he wasn’t satisfied with this much.

Kang-jun immediately started upgrading the barrack.

[Upgrade to a stage 3 barrack: 1%]

Next was the research institute.

[List of possible research]

-Combat Studies Stage 1

[Combat Studies Stage 1]

There will be a slight increase in the combat capabilities of your army.

-It will cost 500 nodes.

To his surprise, there was a study to raise the combat capabilities of all his troops.

In addition to the troops in the barrack, Keirun, Hayun, Rodian and even Kang-jun’s power would rise.

But the price of 500 nodes was expensive.

Fortunately, Kang-jun received that much as compensation for today’s mission as well as occupying the Sungkwang building. Therefore, he immediately carried out the study.

[The combat study has started.]

[Combat Studies Stage 1: 1%]

He was able to catch his breath after that.

"Isn’t it almost time for me to go back?”

"That's correct. Lord has been here for a while so you will soon return to reality. Rather, I wanted to ask Lord something.”

"Tell me."

What did Keirun want to ask? He bowed to Kang-jun and said.

"Right now Lord requires someone to oversee your base.”

"Keirun, I know.”

"So I wanted to ask you a favour. Please appoint me as the military adviser. If you ever gain a more outstanding subordinate then I will step aside.”