Chapter 220: The Path of the Conqueror
Following the departure of Mentz and Yael from the command center, silence settled over the room. Kellar stood alone before the oak table, staring at the translucent screen floating before him.
[10,000 Tribal Evolution points due to the achievement of your first subjugation]
[1,400 Tribal Evolution points due to 14 new members]
Kellar rubbed his chin, contemplating the implications of those messages.
"So I can acquire points by subjugating other tribes..." he murmured, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "It seems the system wants me to become a conqueror... Doesnโt sound bad at all."
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the tribal shop interface to check his balance. As his eyes locked onto the upper corner of the menu, his gaze widened in surprise.
[Available Tribal Evolution Points: 56,832]
"Impossible..." muttered Kellar, puzzled. He had a little over fifteen thousand points after purchasing the animal communication skill. Where had such a jump come from?
He selected the history log and pulled up the breakdown of recent notifications. Before his eyes appeared an endless scroll of entries flashing past:
[Mini Lava Golem slain: +100 pts]
[Mini Lava Golem slain: +100 pts]
[Mini Lava Golem slain: +100 pts]
...
Kellar let out a chuckle.
๐ป๐๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐๐ท๐โด๐ฃ๐ฆ๐.๐ธโด๐ฎ
"So every golem I blew to pieces gave those points..." he thought, narrowing his eyes as a new strategy began taking shape in his mind. "Excellent. I need to get more bullets prepared. If those things regenerate, I could farm them. I can go in, kill them, give them time to regenerate... Besides, if the small ones yield a hundred points each, how many will the giant golem living in the cave beneath the mine give?"
Kellar navigated through the tabs of the tribal shop catalog. With over 50,000 points available, he searched for technologies and techniques he could put to immediate use, focusing specifically on finding a way to utilize the elemental crystals he had gathered in the cave beneath the mine.
Filtering by the use of magical minerals and crystals, three options caught his attention. They were organized by their level of complexity and cost:
Tab: [Elemental Metallurgy & Forging]
[Elemental Forging Technique] โ Cost: 45,000 Pts
[Elemental Runic Engraving on Steel] โ Cost: 100,000 Pts
[Elemental Runic Formations] โ Cost: 1,000,000 Pts
Kellar read the detailed descriptions to understand the difference between each tier.
The [Elemental Forging Technique] was the foundational knowledge required. It detailed how to take the elemental crystals he had acquired and melt them alongside different metals to grant passive elemental properties to weapons or armor. Imbuing a fire crystal made the blade burn upon slicing; wind made the weapon light and fast; earth added density and weight for crushing blows; and water made the metal resilient yet flexible, absorbing kinetic impacts.
The other two were the advanced versions of this craft. [Elemental Runic Engraving on Steel] went beyond passive traits, allowing active skills to be channeled directly into equipment; for instance, enabling a warrior to launch fireballs or fire waves by swinging a sword. [Elemental Runic Formations] scaled this up to a massive level, allowing the forging of structures and matrices capable of unleashing elemental power across a battlefield to defend the village or obliterate enemy strongholds.
Although Engraving and Formations were beyond his reach for now, the [Elemental Forging Technique] at 45,000 points was the ideal key to turning the stones he had collected into an arsenal for his forces.
Without hesitation, he tapped the selection on the screen.
[Acquired: Elemental Forging Technique (-45,000 Pts)]
[Remaining Tribal Evolution Points: 11,832]
A wave of technical knowledge covering melting temperatures, crystal compatibility, and elemental alloys flooded Kellarโs mind, bringing a smile to his face.
Kellar closed the system interface. Without wasting time, he stepped out of the command center and made his way toward the workshop area with a stride.
The cold outside air was replaced by heat and the scent of burning coal as he drew near the forge. The rhythmic thrum of hammers striking anvils echoed through the yard. Stepping across the threshold, he found Garik bare-chested, hammering a red-hot iron bar into shape while Lennis worked alongside him, adjusting the mechanisms of a new barrel assembly.
"Garik, Lennis. Set your tools down for a moment," said Kellar, walking up to the central workbench.
Both craftsmen set their tools aside and approached, picking up on the confidence in the Shamanโs posture.
"Is something the matter, my lord?" asked Garik, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm.
"We have the raw materials and the rifles, but starting today, the standard of our weaponry will shift," said Kellar. "Have them bring out the crystals that were recovered from the cave. I have uncovered the method to fuse them directly with refined steel."
Garik and Lennis exchanged a look before nodding and instructing the apprentices to fetch the crates containing the gathered stones.
"Melting crystal into metal, my lord?" asked Lennis, his brow furrowed with curiosity. "Crystal usually fractures or vaporizes when exposed to the heat required for molten iron..."
"Not when applying the proper technique," replied Kellar.
Stepping over to the anvil, Kellar outlined the precise ratios, melting thresholds, and the sequence of catalysts needed to achieve an elemental alloy. He explained how a fire crystal imbued heat into a blade, how wind made weapons lightweight for rapid strikes, how earth added crushing density for heavy impacts, and how water granted the metal the resilience to absorb kinetic force.
Garik hung onto every word with wide eyes, absorbing the knowledge as if receiving a revelation.
"This is extraordinary, my lord," said Garik with reverence. "If we combine this alloy with our new gunpowder and the Spiral Rifle... there wonโt be armor or a beast in this region that can withstand our warriors."
"Begin the trial runs," ordered Kellar. "The crystals are not meant to be used as we thought. Now I understand why those golems exploded like that when struck by bullets filled with powder mixed with windstones. By mastering this smelting process, we can control that reactivity and channel its power into our own weapons."