Chapter 198: Tower Defense

Chapter 198: Tower Defense

Rampart III (25 000 points) - Improvement. ACQUIRED

Sun points : 130 244

Select a blueprint.

Priam held a blueprint crafted by a professional architect, watching as changes unfolded. His father's career began with drawing electrical lines and telecommunication centers, then shifted towards schools, town halls, and eventually houses. While he lacked the perfect skills to raise fortifications, Priam didn't have a wyvern hunter diploma. Yet, that hadn't stopped either of the two men from excelling.

"You've kept the location and length of the old rampart," Priam remarked.

"If I alter that, the Sun points cost will go up," explained Alain. "It's an improvement, not an extension."

His father had done the necessary research to enhance the base defenses, which was good because Priam couldn't be everywhere at once.

"Still, the height and width of the wall are increasing. There are also crenellations protecting the rampart walk and slots for turrets."

"As long as we don't move or extend the rampart, it's fine for the System."

"Great job," Priam smiled, sacrificing the blueprint at the Sun Shop.

Now, one question remained: how would the System upgrade the rampart protecting the Oasis clearing? Would little angels descend from the sky with hammers, nails, and planks, or would a flash blind Priam's view while the Concepts altered reality?

The algorithm behind the System opted for a blend of beauty and efficiency. When the change occurred, Priam was blinded by his newfound affinity for aether. A gargantuan amount of energy surrounded the rampart, summoned in a way that eluded his understanding.

"What the"

Seeing his father and Rose step back, Priam realized everyone could see aether with the naked eye. The fluid was so concentrated that every liter of air held thousands of times the amount of aether Priam could compact in a Breath. Yet, he didn't feel endangered; the aether was perfectly controlled by the System.

Under the influence of the Seven, the energy merged with the rampart, penetrating wood, enchantments, earth, and the few stones forming the makeshift protection. The matter liquefied, changed shape, then resolidified. Yoouur favorite novels at novelhall.com

An impressive wall now surrounded the clearing in a sweeping arc. Each end plunged into the river, making it challenging for any foe to enter easily. A single gate, crafted from white wood, allowed entry and exit from the base. Priam felt a sense of pride in his stronghold. The colossal rampart added a touch of grandeur to Oasis.

Another part of him analyzed the magic of the Concepts. The sublime mastery of the System had transformed energy into matter without wasting anything. Priam's new perception showcased the omnipotence of Concepts, quickening his hearts. Is it omnipotent?

It was one thing to know that the System had no real limit; it was another to witness a wall of wood and stone over a hundred meters long materialize before his eyes.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Rose, running toward the wall. Others followed.

The rampart now stood five meters high and three meters wide. The side facing the forest was now made of white marble veined with black. The rest of the structure was made of indestructible ebony wood, lending a certain flexibility to the design. Stairs allowed access to the wall walk, and Priam climbed them. Running his finger over the wood, he realized the System hadn't merely processed the boards used for the previous palisade; it had changed its nature.

[Identification]

[Rampart III - Silver - Tier 0] - Created by Alain Azura, Rose Williams, and improved by the Sun Shop.

A fortification a hundred and four meters long, five meters high, and three meters wide. The exterior is made of common wandering marble, treated and enchanted. The rest is made of rot-resistant common ebony wood, providing some flexibility to the structure.

Only the incessant assault of a Tier 0 Elysian Earl could damage this wall.

Active Enchantments:

Resilience (III)

Solidity (III)

Boundary (III)

Relay - Barrier (III)

Reading the description, Priam gave a faint smile. The time when he was an Earl wasn't so distant. The term "incessant assault" was vague, but it was clear the rampart could withstand a Breath.

"The material is robust enough to support more potent enchantments."

Hearing Rose's voice, Priam rode the mist to catch up with the group examining the rampart.

"What does that mean?" Priam asked.

"By buying the next blueprint, we can upgrade this wall to rank IV ourselves," explained Alain. "I'm not sure we'll have the time before you upgrade it again, but at least it's a possibility."

One reason his father had voted for the rampart was that the previous one was made of soil and cut trunks. Their origin was local: the forest surrounding Log-a-rhythm. The trees were relatively young, yielding wood too weak to withstand powerful enchantments. The lack of resilient material had forced Priam to purchase the improvement at a high cost rather than its blueprint.

"It's a fine rampart, but is it sturdy?" Hyshana asked, summoning a blade of light.

"Should be"

Before anyone could stop her, the hoplite swung her blade against the stone. The sword exploded in a cascade of light without leaving a trace on the wall.

The spectators remained silent as Hyshana nodded. "Not bad."

Typically hoplite...

"It can withstand assaults from an Earl," Priam informed, continuing to pace the wall walk. "Before his Tribulations, Kazuki certainly couldn't have damaged the structure."

"I love my husband, but he's only been benefiting from the System for two months. Our most formidable opponent is the Necro Envoy, who owns Mirscellas body. Theyre powerful enough to destroy this rampart."

Everyone winced at the hoplite's words, but no one contested.

"If the Necro Envoy could, she would have already killed us," Alain said. "I don't believe theyre the type of enemy to play with their prey."

"They could just jump over the rampart," Priam grimaced, leaning over the crenellations.

Alain, Rose, and Hyshana gave him confused looks.

"What?"

"We've been brainstorming about the base defense all day. It would be really dumb not to have thought of that," Rose replied. "The fourth enchantment allows the rampart to relay the barrier surrounding Oasis."

Uncomfortable with the idea of cracking sexual jokes with a teenager, Priam struggled for a response.

"Three-quarters of them are animal corpses. I wouldn't be proud to match their beauty standard," laughed Hyshana.

Priam burst into laughter. "I deserve that," he admitted, thanking the hoplite for providing him with an exit.

Simultaneously, he realized that it must be challenging for Rose to be in a foreign world without peers her age. The hoplites were disciplined, Blueberry was in his natural element, Alain was content to have his son back, and Louis and Priam were engrossed in quests too significant to ponder anything else.

But Rose is just a teenager. I wonder if she could connect with the youth from the tribes...

"We'll need to upgrade the camouflage ritual to rank III," said Alain, pulling Priam's attention back to the conversation. "The enchantment is designed for a thousand square meters, and that's six times smaller than the size of Oasis. That dilutes its power: that's why the corrupted beings find us."

Hyshana shook her head. "Other Champions already know our location. The tribes likely have warriors powerful enough to see through a rank III or even IV camouflage. After all, regardless of its rank, it's a Tier 0 enchantment. Camouflage is only useful for disrupting hordes of corrupted beings."

"I agree," Priam said. "Tribe Chiefs are Tier 4. At Tier 0, only a Prince would stand a chance in a fight. Following this logic, we'd need improvements purchasable by Princes to disrupt their senses. It's currently impossible."

"How much would it cost?" asked Alain.

After analyzing the Sun Shop, Priam's system had an idea of the logic behind it. Priam couldn't spend more than five hundred thousand Sun points at once, so a Marquess was limited to rank VI. Sumstreh wanted him to become a Prince to buy an item worth five million points. That was the equivalent of rank X.

"An X-rank item should cost between five and ten million Sun points."

Everyone present widened their eyes when they heard the sum.

"If I had that many points, I wouldn't even know what to buy..." murmured Rose.

"Don't ask Blueberry. He'd buy ten million sausages at a Sun point a piece," winked Priam.

"And he'd eat them all," smiled Alain. "Now what?"

"Now, it's time to reinforce Log-a-rhythm."

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 557

Constitution 860

Agility 552

Vitality 840

Perception 714

MENTAL:

Vivacity 505

Dexterity 587

Memory 413

Willpower 1 028

Charisma 631

META:

Meta-affinity 430

Meta-focus 350

Meta-endurance 354

Meta-perception 221

Meta-chance 230

Meta-authority 33

Potential: 5 268

Tier 0

Sun points: 35 244

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 164 days 20 hours 38 minutes 30 seconds.

Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200