NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
Turned out that the Probe had found Oil. At least I think that's what it was, it was oozing out of the ground like black ichor.
"Okay, what now?"
The beeps this time, "Build Assimilator. Works Automatically. Convert Hydrocarbon into Vespene."
So you don't have to sit on it? That's good.
'Executor, Air Vehicle has been detected within Sensor range.'
'Options? Defenses?' Damn, I hadn't made one of the Wisp Statues yet. Nor had I combined the Blue Wisps into an Elder Wisp yet.
'Meadran, let's get a statue up to defend you. Also get the Elder Wisp going, Queue up more Blue and Silver Wisps.' Shit, I got caught with my pants down. Let's hope it wasn't too late.
'Of Course, Young One.'
'Executor, construction of the Forge will allow construction of the Photon Cannon, a potent defensive structure. We need more Vespene gas.' Alina chimed in.
That sounded like just what we needed.
'Have a Probe build an Assimilator,..'
The Probe beside me, Zapped the Air over the Oil seep. A void surrounded by blue energy appeared.
I was just going to assume that will turn into an Assimilator. My face was probably as expressionless as my heart was empty. I saw the complete disregard of all my efforts in the past to build things.
'Ooookay, once we get enough gas build a Forge right by the Nexus and build a Cannon at the best angle to cover the Air above the Outpost.'
'By your command.' Wait, that sounded like...nah, no time to worry about that.
I didn't have an attack spell. The Blessing of Nordrassil increased my ability to Heal.
According to Meadran, I could throw raw or barely shaped mana and it would do a bit of damage, I guessed that would have to be better than nothing.
About that time I saw a boxy looking, transport hovering over the Valley. It was black and grey, with an orange strip and the words, "Kang Tao". Sounded Chinese, was I in China? No, of course I wasn't. It wouldn't written in English characters, or at least, it was much less likely.
Never heard of Kang Tao but I was going to guess it was a company not a government.
I had no fucking clue how it was up there, those thrusters I saw didn't look like they'd be able to generate enough lift. But I could sure hear them though. So maybe they were outputting enough, by just dumping a lot more power. Seemed inefficient. That and a lack of Aerodynamic design, they were wasting a lot of fuel.
But it worked, who was I the argue with success, when we were talking about a FUCKING FLYING CAR!
Awesome, I wanted one, I wanted it now. I wanted to take it apart and make it better. I was laughing, why was I laughing?
Well, I guess I had found a goal. It wasn't much but it was a place to start.
By this time I'd noticed that the Vehicle was moving slowly, back and forth, like it was searching, but not seeing.
'Meadran, can they not see us?' I mean Giant Tree with Bright Purple Leaves, Huge Brass Pyramid with a Bright Blue Crystal on Top, kind of noticeable.
'Ah, They must have surrounded the Valley with a Veil. A stealth magic, but it either won't last, or it leaks some of the energies we are using, maybe both.'
'So they really can't see us? That's crazy.' I guess we ignore them for now?'
A Larger Blue Wisp came to hover near me, just about the time the Assimilator was done.
The structure started working I could feel it's energies, but I couldn't hear anything from inside it. Wait, a faint hissing noise, that made me a little uncomfortable.
The Elder Wisp slowly circled me, it was guarding me. Good. It certainly felt less childish, than it's kin.
The Probe ran off, probably to start the Forge.
I had seen in the videos Alina showed me, that Probes can use their zappers to fight, it wasn't much in the struggles of the Worlds I saw, but maybe here it would be more devastating. I had her queue up five more Probes, once the Cannon was done.
I started making my way back to Meadran. At least, I was getting a good workout, all this meandering, up and down this Valley.
'The Statue of the Keeper is ready. We should be a little safer.'
He had placed the Statue just across the pond and next to the Bridge entrance. It was twice as large as me, maybe a bit more. It looked like a Centaur, but less horse more deer. The torso was ripped and the head was like an elf with Antlers. I say Elf but the Ears were just crazy long, so I didn't know what to think.
So Kaldorei were some kind of Elf People? File that away for later.
It radiated a stable strength and a blue glow. It actually bowed its head to me, slowly. I returned the gesture, it would've been rude not to.
The Flying Car seemed to give up and took off to the West.
Suddenly, I was exhausted. The adrenaline had run out, but I needed to set more buildings up first.
I combined four Golden Wisp into a tree, this one had brown bark but golden yellow leaves. The last Golden Wisp start rotating around the new Tree, it was leaving trails of mana behind it as it did. I could almost see the Tree growing. I threw a regrowth on it and another on the soil below it, might help and it certainly wouldn't hurt.
Another five Silver Wisps had been produced, I sent to make a new Statue on the opposite side of the pond from the current one. I saw that while the main North-South path didn't connect back there there was a path leading to the West up into the Mountains. So I had them Build right where that path ended by the pond.
I'll have to explore that path in a little while, I would bet it was the way out of the Valley.
Five more Blue Wisps became a second Elder Wisp. Which began to circle me as well.
I queued up a mix of Wisps far later, asked Meadran to handle making more when they were done, and to setup some more defense at key points.
I yawned, and my eyes kept closing on their own.
I laid down next to Lumiar on the soft purple grass. Oh it smelled faintly of mint. Nice.
Sleep crept up and took its due.