Ulysses came after five minutes that I summoned him. There were two Teleportation Gates in my territory. One on the main hill in the mountains and one just outside of this village.
I also set the settings so that only my minions, Tokens, and allies could access it for the time being.
"Everyone, this is Ulysses, our Alchemist," I introduced.
Amara said hi, while the others only gave a nod of greetings.
"Just how many S-grade Tokens do you have?" Jin muttered whilst shaking his head.
I ignored him and explained our situation to Ulysses and in the impending Apocalyptic Event that would happen.
". . ." Like always, Ulysses was silent.
"Did he hear you?" Amara whispered in my ears.
"Don't worry. Ulysses is a man of silence and few words."
One minute passed. Five minutes passed, and Ulysses still hadn't answered.
Hmm . . .
"Maybe he didn't hear you," Amara said near my ear with a hushed voice while prying for Ulysses's face beneath his hood.
"You should repeat your question again," Jin suggested.
And before anyone could open their mouths again, Ulysses's groggy and cranky voice rang in our ears.
"Pills . . ."
". . . Pills?" Jin frowned.
"Pills of ice and fire."
I sighed. Does it hurt him to say more?
"What Ulysses meant is . . . He could create Pills of fire and ice. These pills are able to cool down or heat up a body without the side effects for a limited time," Athena explained.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEveryone's faces brightened.
"That's great."
"That's good news."
"Now we didn't have to worry about the Apocalypse!"
I wasn't rejoicing just yet. "Tell me what you need to create those pills."
"Heart of ice and fire," Ulysses replied and offered no ongoing explanation.
"Heart of ice and fire?" I repeated. "Where will I get this, and how many do you need?"
Instead of answering, Ulysses looked over at Athena, and the latter was the one who explained.
"The [Heart of Ice] can be located in the northern freezing mountains. While the [Heart of Fire] is located in the volcanoes."
When the other realized that, their smile dropped.
"Those places are very far from here!" Jin exclaimed. "The Apocalypse would be upon us before we've even reached that place and harvested those materials!"
"What are the alternatives?" I asked.
Athena briefly closed her eyes and answered, "You can get [Ice Waters] in the rivers and [Hot Stones] by burning pebbles on fire as alternatives. However, their effect wouldn't be as potent and longer compared if you get the main ingredients for the pills."
"It would have to do for now. We don't have much choice here, and we're pressed of time. I want you to make those pills as soon as possible and as many as you can. I will give you two Tokens to assist you if that will speed up your progress."
Ulysses only nodded in understanding.
"How long can you produce ten pills so we can know the effects?" I questioned.
"Tomorrow."
"Good." I ended and then addressed everyone. "War would be upon us. But it wouldn't come soon."
Jin nodded. "That's right. Now that the Apocalypse is just looming around the corner, most of the countries would prepare for it rather than wage war against each other. I say that we have at least two months at the earliest to prepare for war with the Volmont."
"Let's hope that it wouldn't come to that," Megu uttered before she held my hand and squeezed it tight. "Promise me that if there is a peaceful solution that both parties could agree on, you will take it."
I smiled at her. "If there is a peaceful solution." Not that I would make it peaceful.
Amara's hold on my other hand tightened, and my smile faltered when her nail dug deep into my skin.
I let go of both of the women's hands and ended the topic. "Everyone, go and rest first. It's going to get dark soon. If you want to look around, feel free to do so. Athena will guide you to your rooms upstairs if you want to sleep. We men will sleep here in the living room for the meantime.
At the mention of sleep, Florin was quick on her feet.
"But what about their roles here in the fief?" Florin complained.
"We'll discuss it tomorrow. Everyone is tired."
Florin could do nothing but pout and brood over at the side.
When Athena guided the girls upstairs, Jin decided to look around the place while Thomas remained seated when I didn't show any plans of leaving the kitchen.
"If you're hungry, you can go to the forest and hunt. Just don't overhunt. We need those beasts in the days to come."
At the mention of hunt, Thomas shot up from his seat, nodded in my direction, and zoomed went out of the door.
Now that I was alone, I could finally look at the artilleries available on HAVEN Menu.
I checked the map first, and my territory showed on my screen in a 3D plan form. I could even shift from the option of showing the interiors or exterior. I pressed the interior and it showed everyone's location.
From there, I pressed the [Airship] icon that panned me to my Town Hall located in the main floating hills. I saw the plan of the place, and as I had imagined, it was more than beautiful in plan view.
They added some flowers and shrubs and directed the flow of water to form hot springs, lakes, and pockets of water. I also saw the facilities that Daedalus constructed. I could even change to aerial view if I wanted to. What's more, I could change all the facilities' locations to suit my taste.
I left it for now and proceeded to the [Shop] section of the menu. There the list of weapons became available to me.
We have the arrays, traps, and defenses. All of it was level one and could be upgraded if I had that Research facility put up. And it was up to me when to activate it.
From the arrays, we have the [Magical Barrier LV.1] that provided a one-hundred-meter radius area of protection against simple magical spells, sudden teleportation, and magical items.
There were different Traps as well like bombs and air bombs. Traps for different types of military units, pits, different spiky logs, and hidden electrifying towers that activated when enemies are within range.
As for weapons, we have archer towers, mage towers, cannons, mortars, air artilleries, long-range missiles, flame and freezing towers, hidden electric towers, and ballistas, and there was even an option of weaponizing the Town Hall by equipping it with a lock-on magical mechanism.
However, they required enormous Elixirs or gil.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThere was so much that needed this Elixirs and Daedalus, and the others should work overtime to increase their numbers.
I proceeded to weaponize the Town Hall first since its range was huge, but it almost emptied all the stored elixirs. Though on the bright side, it encompassed the entire main hill and shots beams of magical damage every one minute.
I set up traps and arrays as well since they cost only a little gil. They were low level so understandable.
The weapons were a problem since they needed elixirs to buy and upgrade. So far, I could probably put up the towers first, some cannons and mortar, since they were the cheapest. For now, I placed them around this village, and some I placed them on the main hill.
I didn't know about strategizing these things, so I would leave it to Athena later to strategically place them where they should be.
And like that, my millions of gil was reduced to only hundreds of gil.
I really needed those workers to start on the lamp, this city, and develop the port and salt factory in the sea so the money would start rolling in. I couldn't place all of this construction burden on Daedalus's shoulders alone.
I massaged my temple.
There were so many things to do, and it was making me stressed because I couldn't do anything about what was making me stressed.
I made up my mind. I thought and shot to my feet. There was no use in staying here. I would set out and recruit as many races as I could the day after tomorrow.
Maybe Perry could help? He must still be in Castle Rock Town.
I snatched the remaining tokens in my inventory. They were ten Rank-B Tokens that I got from killing players before. It was more than ten before, but I already used some of them to aid Daedalus and Ulysses.
Using all tokens, I summoned four builders, another engineer, two crafters, and three farmers.
Those four builders and two crafters I send them to Daedalus. The builders would aid him in the construction while the crafter would work overtime to create those lamps. The engineer I sent to Tezla for the construction of those elixirs and the [Research Facility].
Though I didn't expect that the lamps would be the same quality as Daedalus's creations, it would have to do for now.
The three farmers I sent to Florin to work on the plot of agricultural lands in the north.
I didn't have to wait for those pills anyway. Ulysses could just send them to via storing them in the [Item Storage].
That was the plan, and I wish my other self would cooperate with me on this.
<Would he thought?>
He would if he wanted to keep Amara here.
<Keekeekee. Is that the reason why you're bringing Amara here in the first place?>
Part of it. I smirked.
Like I said . . . everyone could be controlled with the right pawn.