There were three engraved runes on the sacrificial table of a wilted flower, a seven-pointed star with an eye at the center, and obviously a blood droplet. Thane committed these shapes to memory in case he one day were to manually rebuild this Vampiric Altar, but he doubted he could match the level of detail without the Builder profession, one of the more difficult professions to learn naturally.

The third obelisk was lifted into place and topped with a crystal. 65/65 progress. A crimson sheen blanketed the whole structure, the dimly glowing crystals and runes slowly pulsing. Distant whispers reverberated, too distorted for Thane to discern. A sad, thrilling emotion gripped his dead heart—dark magic at its most potent.

He lifted the Kobold Worker’s corpse onto the much larger table. He cast his intention: make this Kobold into a Fiend Worker with the Stonecutter profession.

The three crystals shone brighter. A soothing compulsion guided his free will, his hands, to arrange eighty-five gold coins in seventeen stacks of five around the corpse. His left hand unsheathed his wand and slit the corpse’s jugular. Cold blood leaked in a trickle, flowing into the runes, spilling over the table’s sides, darkening into a black sludge that cocooned the corpse. Coins vaporized stack by stack, then the cocoon started beating like a heart.

Abruptly three long-nailed fingers and a thumb slashed through. A lanky humanoid creature garbed in torn rags emerged. It had chalky-white smooth skin, a hunched back with prominent shoulder blades, elongated arms, and a bald head distantly reminiscent of a feline crossed with a viper. Its eyes were completely black lacking whites. Standing to full height, it reached Thane’s collarbone.

Fiend Worker (Level 1)

Professions: Stonecutter

Sentience: 52

Health: 38

Stamina: 27

Mana: 12

Hunger: 46%

“Can you understand me?” Thane asked.

“Yes, master.” Its voice was low and husky as though its voice box were damaged.

Thane’s head tilted. “Why do you call me master?”

“Blood law.”

“Because I specifically created you?”

It didn’t answer, glowering at nothing in particular.

Thane straightened his stance, hands behind his back. “Very well, then. Your job here is to maintain a stockpile of stone blocks. Minimum normal quality. Mine Stone and cut Blocks for a Quarry fifty yards left of the Gold Mine; we will have a Builder shortly. There’s a couple of spare rusty Iron Pickaxes behind the Hall. Simple enough?”

Neck cracking, the Fiend’s head swayed left and right. “Maintain stockpile… Where?”

“Next to the Quarry.”

“How many blocks?”

“Five hundred.”

“Job after?” For fifty sentience, it was quite intelligent, able to process a detailed work queue.

“Report to me. Now off to—” Thane caught his tongue. “One more thing, do you need blood to sustain yourself?” He admitted a sleepless workforce that didn’t need to eat was overpowered.

“Yes.”

Thane exhaled through his nose. His eyelids drooped as he recalled hunger rates. With one point in Vitality, hunger increased linearly at one percent per fifteen minutes, and at 100% hunger, it would start taking one damage per fifteen minutes. At two points in Vitality, it was one per sixteen minutes. Three points, one per seventeen minutes. And etcetera.

This Fiend had twenty-three hours left.

“You can trust,” Thane said, smiling, “that all my loyal subjects will be well-fed. Now off to work.”

“Yes, master,” the Fiend rasped and jumped down the Altar’s steps. Its gait was hagged but much more elegant than any Undead. Most importantly, it didn’t leave a trail of slime or a noxious stench in the air.

Immediately, Thane picked up the Kobold Ranger’s corpse and unceremoniously dumped it onto the table.

Fiend Worker. Builder.

The pillar crystals brightly lit up, and the same soothing compulsion guided his actions, except this time his right hand poured the contents of his Enchanted Flask. The Ranger had bled out from extensive wounds; the little blood left in its arteries was a coagulated slush, unusable. Blood spoiled faster in this world. Everything decayed faster.

The sludge cocoon formed, pulsed ten times before shorter nails tore through. This Fiend was taller by a few inches. Its facial features were gaunter.

Larac, Fiend Worker (Level 2)

Professions: Builder

Sentience: 95

Health: 42

Stamina: 30

Mana: 18

Hunger: 49%

95 sentience. The Elite 1 corpse had done it.

Thane greeted, “Welcome to my coven, Larac. Know that you are unlike your brothers, for I have granted you a superior mind. I expect much from you as our settlement’s founding Builder.”

“I understand, master. You will not be disappointed.” Larac’s voice was smoother, deeper.

“Good, good. First off, I want you to allocate your attribute points into Mysticism.”

“Why not Vitality?”

Thane glared. “Do you doubt my ability to feed this coven?”

“I do not, master. I am merely concerned.”

“Don’t be. And as a Vampire, your magic is naturally more potent than other races. Below ten percent hunger, all skills cost twenty-percent less mana; that means you’ll be able to construct two buildings at the same time.”

Larac’s thin, discolored lips pressed together for a moment. “Yes, master.”

Thane sternly eyed him. “Trust me when I say that I have the knowledge of the gods. I am not just a level two World Elite. I have lived multiple lives. I have raided Blackridge Necropolis. I have slain the mightiest beasts.”

Larac’s head subtly dipped in submission. “I believe you, master.”

“Of course, you do. Now, let us see your available building plans.”

Larac nodded, and a dozen interface boxes popped up.

Homestead Hall

The start of any settlement, large or small

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 10X10

Recommended Area: 50X50

Item Storage: 100 slot

Stored Gold Ore is smelted into Gold at 50% efficiency

Cost: 600 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 5 Crystals

Hovel

A livable dwelling for one

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 3X3

Recommended Area: 10X10

Requires: Settlement Hall

Cost: 100 Stone Blocks or Lumber

Graveyard

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 5X5

Recommended Area: 100X100

Requires: Settlement Hall

Cost: 1250 Gold, 360 Stone Blocks, 5 Crystals

Spawnpoint

Builder’s Hut

A Builder may meditate here and discover new building plans and upgrades. Globally increases Builder efficiency.

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 3X3

Recommended Area: 10X10

Efficiency Bonus: 100%

Requires: Settlement Hall

Cost: 2000 Gold, 280 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 50 Crystals

Dining Hall

Those who eat here find food more satiating

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 5X5

Recommended Area: 30X30

Item Storage: 10 enchanted slots

Stored items never spoil

Requires: Settlement Hall

Cost: 220 Gold, 300 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 2 Crystals

Blood Distillery

Helps efficiently drain the blood from livestock. Can leave livestock alive at reduced efficiency.

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 5X5

Recommended Area: 15X15

Requires: Settlement Hall

Cost: 650 Gold, 300 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 10 Crystals

Forester Hut

Tree saplings often spawn around this hut. Improves Logger efficiency.

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 3X3

Recommended Area: 10X10

Efficiency Bonus: 50%

Influence Radius: 50 yards

Requires: Settlement Hall, Spring

Cost: 360 Gold, 240 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 25 Crystals

Sawmill

Helps efficiently mill Logs into Lumber and other products. Rarely provides rusty iron tools. Improves Woodcutter efficiency.

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 5X5

Recommended Area: 15X15

Efficiency Bonus: 25%

Requires: Settlement Hall, Forester Hut

Cost: 540 Gold, 300 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 10 Crystals

Quarry

Stone and ore nodes often spawn here. Rarely provides rusty iron tools and rope. Improves Miner Efficiency.

Minimum Area: 20X20

Recommended Area: 200X200

Efficiency Bonus: 50%

Requires: Settlement Hall, Stony land

Cost: 360 Gold, 240 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 25 Crystals

Mason’s Workshop

Helps efficiently cut Stone into Stone Blocks and other products. Rarely provides rusty iron tools. Improves Stonecutter efficiency.

Style: Haunted

Minimum Area: 5X5

Recommended Area: 15X15

Efficiency Bonus: 25%

Requires: Settlement Hall, Quarry

Cost: 540 Gold, 300 Stone Blocks or Lumber, 10 Crystals

Smithy of all buildings was missing. So was Livestock Pen. And not to forget Vampiric Altar. And where was the Elite Hovel? Good luck had more than ran out. There was no choice but to construct a Builder’s Hut now.

Head shaking, Thane said, “Grab a pickaxe from behind the Hall and start work on a Quarry and Mason’s Workshop where that nameless Fiend is. After that, start a Builder’s Hut and once it’s constructed, don’t stop meditating until you have the Smithy plan.”

“Who will mine Gold Ore?” Larac asked.

“I will.” Thane firmly slapped his back. “Get to work. It’ll take you an hour to two to learn the Miner profession.”

“Yes, master.” Larac jumped down the Altar’s steps and ran off.

360 Gold for a Quarry, 540 for a Workshop, and 2000 for a Hut asked for 5800 Gold Ore at 50% smelting efficiency, but that was an average rate. 6800 Ore was more like it. Thane estimated he could mine 1000 to 1500 Ore per hour with his Miner profession efficiency bonus. This was going to be painful. He could already hear the clinks chipping away at his skull and sanity.