Tower of Truth, Thirteenth Floor.
Mike directed everyone in building the new settlement.
“Add a pigsty here, and design the feeding trough and manure pit together.”
The Yordle clan members were puzzled. “Kind-hearted one, we don’t raise pigs. Pigs are too dangerous for us.”
This area was originally meant to be a septic tank, though the Yordle clan didn’t really understand what a septic tank was.
Mike provided a reasonable explanation for their concern.
“No worries, I have a pet that might occasionally stay here.”
Vladimir: Danger!
Due to the soul contract, Vladimir had no ability to resist Mike.
Dwarves are natural builders, excelling not only in forging but also in construction. Some of the stones in the wilderness were of poor quality, so with Mike’s permission, the dwarves hauled a bunch of scrap from the Mysterious Mine to help build the settlement.
An hour later, the work was done.
“A thirty-foot-high wall, a fifteen-foot-deep moat, watchtowers, a commercial district, residential areas…”
Mike looked at the towering structures and was momentarily speechless. This wasn’t just a village; it was a full-blown city!
They even hung a plaque: Bandle City.
The werewolves and dwarves were incredibly strong. Stones that would take a dozen people to move were like building blocks in their hands. With Mike overseeing, everyone worked even harder.
“Ahem, good job.”
Bandle City had everything, even modern amenities like water and electricity, powered by wind turbines—completely natural and pollution-free. Since the Yordle clan members were generally short, the buildings were designed in the dwarf style, making them quick to build and resource-efficient.
Not long after Bandle City was completed, the wind outside grew stronger. In the sandstorm, silhouettes of monsters appeared, roaring as they charged towards the city.
As they emerged from the sandstorm and saw the imposing city, they were dumbfounded. They exchanged shocked glances, communicating in their unique language.
“Did we come to the wrong place?”
“This is the Yordle clan’s city? Those little mushrooms built such high walls?!”
“These are illusions. Don’t be afraid. As long as we charge in…”
Before they could finish, a mage appeared on the city wall.
“Everyone, look here! I have an announcement!”
Mike waved his staff at the monsters, who all looked at his handsome face, their expressions filled with confusion.
“Say your final goodbyes!”
“Wind Fury!”
“Meteor Fire Rain!”
The hundreds of monsters in front of the sandstorm had just steadied themselves, not understanding the situation. One monster caught fire, the flames spreading with the wind, consuming it entirely and turning it to ash!
But it wasn’t over! After the monster was killed by [Meteor Fire Rain], [Meteor Mark] doubled and spread to the surrounding monsters…
A grand fire feast had officially begun!
From the city wall, Mike used just one [Meteor Fire Rain] to nearly wipe out the first wave of monsters. The onlookers were stunned.
The Yordle clan was amazed, but Vladimir was the most shocked! Vladimir, once the strongest and most knowledgeable, immediately saw the terrifying potential of [Meteor Fire Rain]: infinitely stacking [Meteor Mark], ultimately causing massive damage!
Vladimir couldn’t help but exclaim, “Master, your power exceeds the limits of your servant’s imagination. You are a sun we cannot gaze upon.”
[Vladimir’s OS: This guy is so powerful, do I really have to be his servant for life? No—]
Mike nodded, good. The pigsty wasn’t built in vain.
Mike had long known that Vladimir wasn’t as obedient and loyal as he appeared. Expecting a vampire who had lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, to be utterly submissive because of a soul contract?
Unrealistic.
But that’s okay. Mike had other matters to attend to for now, so he could only build a pigsty for Vladimir temporarily.
Once the big battle was over and Mike had more time, Vladimir would understand what true cruelty meant.
Outwardly obedient, Vladimir continued to flatter Mike with flowery words from his dictionary. “Master, your brilliance surpasses the stars, and your wisdom is deeper than the oceans. Truly, the world is a better place with you in it..”
…
[Meteor Fire Rain] slaughtered the monsters outside the city, and the subsequent monsters charging out of the sandstorm were like moths to a flame. They emerged from the sandstorm only to be burned to ashes.
Mike pointed to the ashes on the ground and said seriously, “That land will be very fertile. You might consider starting your farming there.”
Yordle clan: ….
Building the city and killing the monsters, this series of tasks was completed in a short time.
“Kind-hearted one, the Yordle clan is grateful for everything you’ve done. I can sense that we will meet again in the near future.”
The Yordle clan chief, holding a large hat, approached Mike. According to the information Mike had read, the Thirteenth Floor was a solo instance. After helping the Yordle clan build their settlement, they would agree to meet again on the Eighteenth Floor. From this perspective, the chief’s words were correct. They would meet again.
“As promised, we present you with the Yordle clan’s most precious treasure, the Mushroom Hat! Also, a young and promising explorer from our clan wishes to join you on your journey…”
From behind the chief, a slightly smaller Yordle clan member stepped forward, wearing a red hat with goggles and carrying a small backpack.
“Master Thor, Teemo is at your service!”
Mike squatted down, still needing to look down at Teemo, and casually tapped Cerberus. Cerberus, understanding, picked up Teemo.
Mike curiously asked, “Little guy, what can you do?”
“I am proficient in various languages, including Lizard, Werewolf, and Vampire. I excel in exploration and can identify the components and toxicity of various mushrooms. Oh, and I can also grow mushrooms.”
Teemo straightened his back as he spoke, afraid Mike wouldn’t take him along.
“Alright, you’re hired. Welcome to my exploration team.”
Hearing Mike’s approval, Teemo jumped excitedly, almost falling off but quickly regaining his balance.
After signing an employment contract with Teemo, who would serve Mike for three years, Mike agreed to pay 100 gold coins annually as a salary and provide 5,000 gold coins as exploration funds. In return, all of Teemo’s exploration findings would belong to Mike.
Yes, this is fair.
Mike readily paid 5,100 gold coins while examining the newly acquired hat.
Equipment: Mushroom Hat (Lv.100)
Grade: SS
Attributes: Intelligence +1000
Magic Power: 1200
Perks:
[Mushroom Camouflage]: Stand still for 10 seconds to transform into a mushroom, reverting upon taking damage.
[Mushroom Enthusiast]: Mushroom effects +100%.
[Mushroom Wrath]: Wood element spells deal 50% additional damage.
[Mushroom Grace]: Wood element healing spells heal for 50% more.
[Mushroom Hex]: Wood element debuffs are 50% more effective.
The Mushroom Hat had no upgrade perks, but as an SS-grade piece of equipment, its attributes and perks were powerful. Of course, this equipment was best suited for a wood element mage, making it somewhat wasted on Mike.
Mike consoled himself, “It’s okay, I’ll get a wood element eventually. It’ll happen, it will.”
Storing the Mushroom Hat, Mike sent all his subordinates back to his exclusive space, including Teemo. Waving goodbye to the Yordle clan, Mike summoned the Core Crystal of Truth.
“Settle!”
“Congratulations, participant Thor, for conquering the Thirteenth Floor with an SSSS rating, granting all humans in the Tower of Truth…”
Those waiting outside cheered as they saw the updated announcement. Tonight, Thor had already achieved three SSSS ratings!
Time: 3:26 AM
Countdown: 2 hours 44 minutes
How many more SSSS ratings would Thor achieve tonight? No one knew the answer.
The only thing they knew was that tonight was another night to witness miracles!