" Well, boy, what kind of leader do you want to be?" Codrift asked.

" I don't want to be the kind that sits behind a desk ordering people about," Jack replied.

" Look, there isn't a single path to be a good leader, and there isn't a perfect way to assign your stats either. Choose two to four stats and sink the majority of your points in them. Make sure you do your best to manipulate situations to your strengths, and that's it." Codrift explained.

" So you are saying that there isn't a stat that helps a commander more than others?" Jack asked, surprised.

" As the commander levels, he will adapt to use his advantages. Take Vermine, over there," Codrift pointed out a massive man " His first aspect to develop was called bulwark, and it gives his men a considerable bonus if he is in the middle of a formation." Codrift continued," Simon is a witty bastard," he pointed to another man," he got tactician and his men can flow through different complicated formations like they were a school of fish. Your skills will develop based on both your stats and your personality, and no two commanders will ever be precisely the same."

" Okay, I think I have it." Jack conceded then went on to the other reason he was here. " I need one hundred men to hold the walls after I capture a castle."

" You'll have to talk to the charter master for that. Go to the charter master, and he will create a contract. No company worth their pay will take a contract that hasn't been created through one. It keeps everyone honest and ensures the pay is there, and the terms are upheld." Codrift said.

Jack decided that it was time to spend the mass of points he had built up and gave some serious thoughts to how he planned to do it. Jack knew the conventional wisdom said to invest heavily in a few areas. Tom was purely charisma, luck, and dexterity. Solaria was intelligence, wisdom, and charisma, the charisma was vanity more than need. Jack thought about what made him a good leader before coming to this world. He wasn't the strongest, fastest, or smartest. Jack was definitely not charismatic, that was, in fact, his biggest hindrance.

So what did he have the separated him from others?

The realization hit him like a brick. He had Will. Jack never gave up. He had the ability to keep pushing long after every fiber of his being begged to quit. Other men may have been faster, but he would always finish the distance runs. He would drop dead before giving up if he needed to. He also had fortitude; he rarely got sick. Jack thought back over his life and realized his greatest attribute had always been an inner resilience of both mind and body. Will and fortitude.

That was his build. He was going high in those two attributes. Before he had time to second guess himself, Jack placed the points. Ten into Will, nine in fortitude, and finally two each in Strenght, Dexterity, and Charisma.

Jack Hendrickson

Human

Level 7

Strength 16

Dexterity 15

Fortitude 19 (24)

Charisma 16

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 11

Will 22

It felt amazing. The jumps in stats were like a shot of adrenaline. Jack was sure he could feel the change in his Will. He was just more confident that he would take the castle, come what may. No matter the number of enemies that stood before him, it didn't matter. It might take a day or a hundred years, nothing mattered but completing his objective.

Jack stopped at the workshop first. The progress was better than he had expected. Blueprints were made, and molds were being created. The alchemist and enchanter had some ideas on creating the blast in the barrel. The enchanter thought that placing a rune on the end of a flat firing pin and the opposing rune on the end of the bullet would create the force needed for the projectile.

" The opposing forces should create the needed force, but we would need to use runes to also reinforce the ....rifle." the old gnome said, remembering the term Jack had used for the weapon. " Of course that would get rid of the need for the" again the little man searched for the right word. " Casing"

Jack thought for a moment, " We'll have to test it."

The alchemist, a tall and middle-aged human, interrupted, " As I told you before, Arnott. It won't create enough force with runes that small. The best option is still an explosive mixture. I think I can create a formula based on the cannon powder already being used. I just need you to do two simple enchantments on the casing one to get rid of the smoke and another to amplify the power of the reaction."

The smith stayed out of the argument. The large woman kept at making the parts that wouldn't need to be changed, and Jack left the two bickering men to their debate and looked over the smith's progress. She had four barrels made, and Jack studied them closely. They were exceptional. Without the use of advanced equipment, he couldn't find a single flaw. The rifling was smooth and uniform.

" These are great," Jack said approvingly.

" It was tricky, and I ruined more than I made so far, but it is getting easier." the woman said as she dropped a fifth into a tub of water.

Jack left them to their work, deciding that each of the gun styles would be created and tested. The one that performed the best would be adopted, well provided it operated effectively. He got direction and headed to see the charter master.

The building was rather unassuming, and if not for the sign hanging outside, Jack would have thought it was a residence. When Jack opened the door, he was astonished by the opulence of the interior. Tom, who had accompanied him, made some comment. For the first time in the game, they saw wallpaper lined walls. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a thick carpet on the floor, muffling their steps. There was a sitting area with a silver tray containing a teapot and pastries. A plump older lady sat at a desk at the far end of the room that had a door on both sides, and she looked up at them expectantly as they approached.

" We need to inquire about hiring a company of mercenaries," Jack said.

" Please take a seat, and a charter master will be with you soon." the lady said.

The sitting area was comfortable, and the two settled in to wait. There was a teapot and some pastries on the coffee table, and the players helped themselves. The friends waited for nearly half an hour before a man came out of the door on the desk's left side and beckoned them to enter.

Once inside the office, the tall, slender man, wearing a pin-striped suit, offered his hand and said, " I'm Harrison, one of the charter masters here, and I'll get you all set up. Could you please start by explaining what it is that you need."

Jack started, " First and foremost, I need to express how important it is to me that this interaction remains strictly confidential."

" Understandable. Most of our clients feel that way, and let me assure you that one of my profession's perks is that I can not be forced in any way to divulge information. The charter masters guild is friends with nearly every lord and guild known so very few would risk our displeasure to gain information." Harrison said.

Jack laid out the situation avoiding exact locations. He made sure that the charter master knew that he didn't need the men for the assault but to hold the walls afterward. He explained that he needed them for ten weeks but wanted the option of extending the contract. The man listened without interruption until Jack was done.

" There are some issues. First, no company would want to fight the kind of army that would be raised to take back a castle from either the allies or the kingdom. Second is that I can not hire the appropriate company or guild without knowing where this castle is located." Harrison stated flatly.

Jack laid it out, " I am assaulting Gonall Hall. I have every reason to believe that if the castle is captured, the Alliance would be inclined to recognize that I was the lord of said lands. The laws regarding such things are with the lord of Gonall Hall, not a particular person or family.

" That is interesting. Plenty of groups hold animosity towards the Gonall family. In fact, their position among the Alliance is perhaps the only reason they still hold those lands. Still, no one wants to fight the Alliance and selling the company on vague terms that they won't have to won't be easy." Harrison admitted.

" What if the contract stipulates that they can lay down arms if the Alliance assaults the castle. Assaults, not sieges. That is an important clarification." Jack said.

" Will you be providing food? Do you have stipulations as to race? Finally, what is your budget?" Harrison asked.

" They should be provisioned in case the storehouses are empty. I don't care about race provided clear communication won't be an issue. I will pay 10,000 gold a week for ten weeks. I would like roughly a hundred men and the highest quality I can gt for that price." Jack said.

While Harrison drew up the contract, Jack went to the finances tab and turned 20,000 credits into 200,000 gold. He let out a sigh. He could have bought a new car with that. Sure it would have been a crappy car but a car none the less. It was a lot of money, even if it didn't hurt him in the least.

After reading through the contract noting a few things and making some minor changes, it was done. Started counting coins, and Harrison laughed. A trade window opened in front of Jack, and the whole thing was done in a few seconds.

" I also need an aid. What would it cost me to get a scholar or scribe to help me manage my affairs?" jack asked.

" The profession I think you're looking for is a minister. A good one with excellent references would cost one hundred gold a month." Harrison replied.

That second contract only took a few minutes, and Jack paid two months in advance. Handshakes went all around, and Harrison said he'd be in touch, and Jack let him know he was residing at the Goose. Then the two left for the adventure portion of their day.

They went back into the sewers. This time it was necromancers and zombies. The holy weapons were worth their weight in gold among these mobs, and they had time to also tackle a slew of random creatures that made this damp, dark area their home. Jack frustratingly ended the day a hair shy of level eight.

Wolfweir and Samital managed two levels that day and get all ten encounters achieved. The two needed one more level and some weapons training, but it seemed the levels Jack needed would be holding them back from completing the quest. Jack decided that he would talk to Tom about raising the difficulty some.

When Jack got to the Goose to clean up, his new minister was waiting for him. The man looked every bit the part of the studious pencil pusher. He was tall and impeccably manicured. His hair red hair was short and looked recently cut. His tunic was a deep purple and looked to be silk. Overall, the man looked like he belonged in the castle's halls among the high born lords and ladies.

" I assume you are Mr. Hendrickson?" He asked as he approached.

" Jack will be fine. No need to stand on ceremony. You'll find me to be rather simple in that regard." Jack responded.

" I'm Bernard, and I have taken the liberty of having a desk sent up to your room." the new man informed.

" I need a bath, please have food sent up for the both of us, and we will eat and catch you up on my affairs," Jack said.

"Very well. I will see to it. Are there any dietary tastes or problems I should be aware of ?" Bernard asked.

" Nope. Ensure there is meat when available, but beyond that, I like to try new things, so don't be afraid to surprise me. " Jack informed.

Twenty minutes later, Jack was eating pasta for the first time in the game. It was close to a veal parm, although he was confident it wasn't veal. He didn't care, though, because he was ravenously consuming the delicious meal. The sauce was just the right amount of sweet and savory, and the meat was juicy and tender.

When Jack had laid out everything he had going on, the minister began asking questions and making recommendations.

" First thing you should consider is patients for these weapons. Word will get out, especially if you are successful in your capture of Gonall Hall. A patient will prevent a lot of potential replicas. By the fact that the craftsmen were working directly under you and that you provided the inspiration and concept, the ownership of the designs are undoubtedly yours. " Bernard informed.

" Great, take care of all the needed paperwork. I will also require you to take care of the finances right now; there is a touch under 100,000 gold available. Still, I assume that the crafter will soon start demanding materials, and they will eat through our finances quickly. If you can not make do with what is available, let me know, and more will be arranged, but please keep it to a minimum where possible." Jack instructed.

" Do you have an account with the coin brothers for this?" Bernard asked.

" Coin brothers?" Jack asked.

Bernard explained had heard the coin brothers talked about, and he understood that they were monks devoted to Forshire, the god of wealth. They operated banks and accounting in all the kingdoms. They had magically linked ledgers in all their banks that allowed people to deposit and withdraw funds in nearly any city or large town. The brothers were prized for their abilities and fanatical service to the customer irrespective of race or kingdom or any other factor.

" Great," Jack opened a trade window and gave Bernard the gold. " Set up the account tomorrow."

" You know our basic schedule, so get the mercenaries training one their primary weapon every day after we return from quests. Give them an hour in between, though." Jack said.

" There is one more thing. Battle Commander training takes time, usually about a week. It will be tricky to schedule it in considering the time table." Bernard informed.

"Well, we will need to make it work," Jack replied with a sigh.

Two weeks later, Jack had the levels need to undergo the training and was ready to begin. However, before he could, he needed to make sure the crafters were set and had a week's worth of tasks to do. Luckily for him, thirty thousand gold later, the two prototype weapons were ready. Jack was looking at two largely similar rifles. He was looking down the barrel at targets and thinking that he should have set up a contraption to fire the rifles with a pull string or something in case it blew up. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Holy good god, it worked! The powder style gun felt every bit like it should, and he loved it instantly. He then picked up the rune style gun and returned to his firing position.

Thowp

Thowp

Thowp

This, too, worked, but it sounded and felt kind of funny. There was also a bearly perceivable lag. On the first shot, Jack had guessed that it was only in his mind, but he was sure it was real by the third. There was a delay in the rune projected weapon measurable in the milliseconds.

The entire day was spent on verious tests, including penetration tests. A series of materials were used to see exactly how deep the bullet would go in. Then distance tests. The rune powered rifle was more powerful, leaving the barrel but lost momentum quicker. Finally, both the weapons were broken down and inspected with magnifying glasses for any fractures in the metal and signs of wear.

A few small pieces needed a redesign, but overall it was a resounding success. Jack redesigned the rune as a close-quarters weapon. The new design was a drum fed short-barreled shotgun with a hybrid bullet halfway between a traditional bullet and a slug.

Jack gave the team their new objectives. One day to adopt the standard rifle changes and three days to create the new rune powered weapon. Then a guitar, then a scope, then enchanted bullets. With that, he was off to begin the battle commander training.

The training was cake. It was like a watered-down boot camp, perhaps moderately difficult if you didn't have the experience Jack had to lean on. Multiple people were undergoing the training, and each had five men under their command. The groups were then pitted against each other in a series of more and more challenging tasks.

A surprising number of players were undertaking the training. Of the thirty or so taking the training, nineteen were players, and they shared a small section of barracks where they had dropped their gear when they first arrived. After that, there was a muster of sorts, and Jack was relieved to find that among the five men assigned to him were Wolfwier and Samitar. The other three were at least known to those two.

All the trainees and their men were given tabards. Each was one of four colors and one of four animals. Jack got the green lions. There were also red, blue, and yellow lion teams. The other animals consisted of rabbits, crows, and wolves. Jack thought it was pretty much a guarantee that larger activities would happen at times, and it would be color versus color.

The first day was a series of games of capture the flag. At the end of the first day, everyone was led to the barracks. Jack looked over the men trying to read their faces. Most looked a touch out of place, but a few seemed to fall right into the system, and he guessed they were all in the military at some point. Shortly after they got to the barracks, some of them began to log out, and it kept happening until only four were left, including Jack.

Jack fetched a bottle of wine and a deck of cards he brought for just this reason. If there is anything, a soldier can't resist its cards and drink. Raising them in the air, he spoke up, " Anyone in?"

All the men livened up and began sitting around the only table. Only people that have been in the military know the amount of time you spend waiting for shit, and those times are passed with games. If there are no games to be found, men will make a game out of anything. Push-ups, squats, it doesn't matter sooner or later something will turn into a competition.

"Jack," He said as he offered his hand to the other men at the table.

" I fucking knew it. Jack Hendrickson." a large black man said with a grin of perfect white teeth were the green crow tabard.

A name and face surfaced from the recesses of Jack's mind, " Sargent Major Billy Valentine. What in the holy hell are you doing here?"

" Funny story. Some rich bastards thought they could make a bundle in this game and hired a slew of old men who used to be warriors to sign on to play for them. Actually, its half soldiers and half gamers, we are all in medpods at some lab and playing this game. They aren't paying me per se, but they got me in a pod when I was on a long-ass waiting list, so it's worth it. What about you?" the man said jovially.

" I'm retiring to the edge, and this was an option for the long ride," Jack admitted.

Another one of the men spoke up, " Alex. I'm on the Frontier too." This guy was leading the blue lions, and although the game did a good job killing accents, Jack was sure he or his people had been from Eastern Europe or Russia.

The other man just grunted, "Paul." This guy was American through and through and led the red rabbits.

They played well into the night, and Jack let the men finish off the bottle.

The week flew by, and Jack was actually having a blast. He and Billy had shared training and knew each other's lingo and worked well together. By the third day, the red team was on the top of the board, and among the red team, Jack and Billy bounced back and forth in the lead and second spot.

The night before the last day of competition, after the nightly cards game, Billy pulled Jack to the side.

" My bosses seem real interested in what you're doing in the game. I got some messages asking me to try and ascertain your long term plans. I'm not in intelligence, but I think they are trying to feel out if you are a potential ally or potential threat." Billy said.

" Honestly, I couldn't tell you one way or the other. Right now, I don't even have a clear goal beyond my next month or so." Jack said, honestly.

" Got it. Listen, these people are really serious. They have dropped millions in the game and don't strike me as the types to just let that money go to waste." Billy admitted hesitantly.

" Billy, don't worry. Even if we end up on the opposite side of this thing, it's only a game." Jack said.

" It isn't a game for these people. This is a serious investment. They have plans on everything from conquest to trade routes. They are even developing guns and other modern weapons." Billy said.

" Okay, Billy, let them know that I am more than willing to have a sit down at any point to ensure no one is stepping on anyone's toes. I am just trying to enjoy my retirement, and I don't want to get wrapped up in anything that will be unenjoyable. " Jack said plainly.

With that, the two men shook and went to their cots to get rest before the final day. Billy won the final mock battle and took the prize of the highest-ranked player of the training. Jack wasn't the least bit upset about it. He got his profession and learned his first two battle commands.

Hold Your Ground

Provides plus twenty percent to defense as long as the formation is held.

Steady

Provides immunity to all fear and morale attacks for 90 seconds.

Back at the workshop, Jack looked over the rifles. They were perfect. Okay, perfect was too kind, but they were good enough to work and better than he had hoped for. The scope left a little to be desired but Tom was absolutely in heaven with his guitar.

In two days, Jack would have his infiltrators, and training and planning would begin in earnest. A week to train, two weeks to travel, and a week to take the castle. The whole schedule left little to chance, but it was the best he had to work with.

The infiltrators were all bird men. Avortarians was the name in-game, but they were bird men, and they all looked as if they were designed from crows. The leader of the group was a woman named Giortia, and Tom wasted no time in informing her that if ant of the nights got cold he was at her service. She declined, but Jack had a feeling that the denial was more for show than an absolute no.

Tom came up with a plan to help the operation, and Jack couldn't help but admire it. He was going to secure a wagon of dwarven mead and a band of other musicians, tie up the brothers as prisoners, and stroll past the castle. Either they would capture him, or he would simply ask for entrance explaining that they captured the wagon and killed all the guards except these two who they were holding for ransom. Inside he would throw a party, and by the time Jack assaulted the garrison would be good and drunk. It was a decent plan.

The next week was a flurry of activity. The enchanter created silence wards that kept the sound outside to a minimum, and Jack just watched his money melt away as round after round was fired by his team to get used to the weapons. It cost Jack ten gold for every round, and he was feeling the pinch.All of the shooters needed healers to help with the bruising to their shoulders at the end of each day.

Two days were spent just shooting, and the rest were spent on breaching and clearing. Before he knew it, the week was over, and Jack wished he had more time. Ready or not, nearly one hundred and fifty men wagons and equipment were leaving Pendershold. The Captain showed up to see them off, and Jack thought to try and get a look at these new weapons.

Solaria stayed in Pendershold. Jack felt like he was abandoning her, but she couldn't be logged on to travel fourteen to sixteen hours a day. The time outside the city helped to get him ready for the distance shots. Every day he hunted as they moved, and every day his effective range went up a little more. By the time they got within a couple of days of the castle, his range was nearly half a mile.

Gonalls Hall was the keep for the lord's lands. Still, the entirety of the holding included two small villages, and the group needed to swing a distance to the north to approach without traveling close to them and giving themselves away. When they turned Tom, and his group kept the slow-moving wagons headed on the direct path. Jack and the rest of the men would need to carry weapons and ammo from that point.

Late on that same day, they came upon a patrol and took them out. The men tried to run, but the rifles did their work, and the men didn't make it far. The first test on men proved firearms to be every bit as deadly here as they had been on earth.

The time dragged by, but on the second day since the separation, Jack was in a thicket of trees north of the keep watching threw his scope as Tom's group headed towards the castle. Tom was really animate, and Jack could see him moving his arms and gesturing to the wagon.

Jack waited until nightfall, fearing he would hear screaming or see his friend thrown over the wall. Then he waited longer. He waited until he was sure it was well past midnight and gave the order to begin.

He, along with Wolfwier and Samitar belly crawled closer to the keep. When they were well inside his effective range, he began slowly scanning and counting the wall guards. There were twenty men on the walls, and they were diligent enough to be patrolling in pairs.

Jack used the party chat to message for the storm to begin. Jack was grateful the walls were thick because that would prevent the dead from falling into the courtyard. The rumbling started then rose in intensity steadily. When the lightning was powerful overhead, Jack and Samitar began dispatching enemies. Samitar was a far better shot than Wolfweir, so Jack had chosen him to take the shots.

The two only missed once, but the man was too shocked to do anything for a moment, and when he came to his senses and began moving, Jack had already fired the shot that killed him. Into the party chat, Jack typed only two words, Phase Two.

Giortia led her people in a dive. Clearing out the few remaining wall guards that Jack hadn't seen and opening the outer gate. Jack and his two men quickly moved to the gate, and the other hundred mercenaries left the trees and followed behind. The plan was progressing perfectly. They had the outer courtyard without alerting anyone or losing anyone.

The inner courtyard is where things got nasty. The party had been there, and the vicious storm had woken the drunken men up, and they stumbled, ran, and swayed their way to the barracks for shelter. The Avorations took place on the inner wall, which was entirely undefended. The dark of night shadows and drunken running men assured they went unnoticed.

Giortia said she couldn't open the inner gate with all the guards around and asked for permission to open fire. Jack thought only for a second before agreeing and stating they needed to watch for Tom and the brothers. The sound was monstrous as the twenty troops opened fire into the courtyard. Fish in a barrel was the only way to describe the following onslaught.

The fire got slower and slower. Jack knew they were taking more time between shots to find the living among the dead. Within fifteen minutes the gat was opened and Jack saw the carnage. more than a hundred men were dead or gravely wounded. What followed next was a nasty room by room clearing of hold outs. Luckily must just threw down arms, too astonished by the massacre and weaponry to fight on.

When Jack found the dungeon, he wished they hadn't lied down arms. It was beyond deplorable. Dead and dying were chained to the walls. People had limbs chopped off with rot setting in. The air was so thick with the scents of rot, and filth Jack vomited. Those with healing skills did what they could, and the plentiful healing potions Jack brought with him didn't go nearly far enough.

When he was sure the area was clear. Jack sat upon the throne in the central hall.

Ten minutes until the capture of Gonalls Hall.

Tom came in and sat down on the floor beside him.

" That was bloody brilliant," he said, beaming.

" I would have expected you to be more solemn after a massacre like that," Jack said, surprised.

" You didn't see those villages. It looked like a fucking concentration camp, Jack. The only way I could stomach drinking with these bastards was knowing we were about to kill every last one of them." Tom said with anger, true, real, hated for the first time Jack had seen.

" The dungeons made me puke, and I've seen some awful shit in my life." Jack said, then added, " With any luck, the storehouse will have food, and we can use the wagon to get food out to those people in the villages tomorrow.

" Well, they are your people now," Tom said dryly.

" Actually, they are YOUR people. I distinctly remember you wanting a title, so you get a village and become a lord who answers to me. You can pay me taxes and raise some troops when I need that. I'll hate the responsibility, love the people, and make the land prosperous." Jack said.

" Oh, I fucking hate you," Tom said.

They sat in silence. They were angry, tired, and sorrowful, but also happy, triumphant, and optimistic.

You have captured Gonalls Hall.