Collab. Zeno Angelus/builder
[Title: Gold Fever;]
[present. Year 5.]
The temporary Overseer of these goldmines had seen many feuds between mortal families, and the war only cultivators could do when he became one of those. And yet, Iohannes surmised, he was not prepared.
The lady of house Angelus intercepted him on the way to the mines, pleasantly surprised that his Centurion already informed him of the general situation. With that established, they were able to talk about details. Due to owed favours, said aid will come from an entire group of logistic legionnaires. It was good to know nothing delayed them, but in the days afterwards he only felt exasperation about any pleasant feeling connected with their arrival. They were a headache. A nice bunch, but a headache nonetheless.
Like the veterans of too many wars, he starts having flashbacks from these 10 years. And have the knowledge that it will be even worse 5 years ahead.
Oh, how naive he was. When he thought that in these 10 years that he had seen the entire capacity of madness of these lunatics. But no, these were the young, the weak and those that were not as 'dedicated' as the old ones.
Because the brotherhood had now split the work. He hasn't yet seen most of the 'core members' of said organization. And those are the ones that have more 'determination' than the rest. Which is something to say when all the young from this generation of lunatics agree that the old ones were truly mad.
So, he shifts his thoughts to focus. To allow him to meditate and internalize what he saw, to prepare himself for what is to come. And what is truly impossible instead of just insane. For more insanity is sure to hit him.
Xxx
[year 0]
Iohannes was sure he was lucky; he only needed to sit back in this corner as his punishment? This was a mortal resource and there weren't very many people working down there anyway!
Easy! Now why does he have a single page and a book on his table, which seems to give him the same information?
No, he will just read the page and fix any problem later. The logistics guys surely know their stuff.
Xxx
[present. Year 5.]
Wincing, Iohannes can now say that he should have read the entire book that was written by the 'most sane person in the brotherhood'. Which would have given him reasonable outcomes from what had appeared in the first months of operation. And the warning that the elders would be in their first 'close quarter cultivation', of their whole lives, and they would do said cultivation in a secret realm…
…that part would inform him that even the 'sanest' is just an insane man leading the insane brotherhood.
…still a secret realm. A place so dangerous that even a genius can't survive half of the time. Crazy.
He blames the first few weeks. That made him lazy. It even made him go to the city for two months. Everything just worked without him. His job was THAT easy. And the brotherhood was just that obedient to instructions. How could he be aware of what would come from that?! If he could, He would punch his past self for this and for what his past self has wasted his time in the city. In fact, he would do so until his empowered skin breaks upon the mountain of his failure. Maybe it would even bury the mine!
The most damning thing to him was a warning in the book that the 'sanest' had written, informing him that their group obey instructions by the letter and spirit. Ugh, getting swallowed by the dune worm was less embarrassing. At least he had someone else to blame.
Xxx
[Year 0, week 1]
Iohannes watches those young men and women working under the direction of elderly people, looking at them making a camp just like a big legionnaire camp. He knew from his Captain's debriefing that they were old, but words could not convey just how true that is. For the whole week now he blatantly watched those tiny and fat grandparents. He quickly came to the one true conclusion; They are adorable!
They sure are taking their time cleaning the area, preparing a cooking area, and doing other stuff. But man! They sure are fast at doing boring administrative duties!
Their only sin was the amount of work they do for any given task. He had given them some papers that were in fact some of his work and they did most of the pre-work for those too. Then he gave them more work. Whoever is doing his work is a genius but also too naive. They are even using his typewriter, so he only needs to sign some stuff. And read what they did.
Xxx
[present. Year 5.]
Yeah, he was in fact the fool in this matter,
In fact, he should be sure to solidify that fact in his mind, he then moves to look at the mirror of his (new) office.
"Iohannes, You. Stupid. Lazy. Bastard!" and punched the wall on his spear arm. Hard.
Then he returned to meditate. It didn't help much.
Xxx
[Year 0, month 2 week 3]
"What. What is this?" Iohannes asked loudly while watching the brand new devil fortress, one that was entirely green. Platina green. at the side of the gold mine. They even paved the roads. He was sure there was an unpaved road in that place just yesterday.
A mortal servant looked at him, a frown clear on her face, while some of the other villagers that had arrived some time ago had thousands of mile stares of war veterans. The angry one opens his mouth and refuses to look him in the eyes.
"I don't know, I don't know anything. But you are the overseer, and I am sure that these. These, these… monsters! They are machines made of flesh and bronze! We had to inform you. They are too workaholic to not inform you."
Iohannes blinks at that level of disrespect. If he was not a Golden Devil, he probably would have killed the mortal for his tone. But he was correct, the brotherhood had given him all the necessary paperwork in the form of pages and books. It was just so much he mostly read the singular pages.
"How did they do this while mining a normal amount of gold?" that part was clear in all reports. No problems. And excellent results.
That made every single villager snap. "A normal amount? A normal amount?! They are writing for a cultivator. So, they probably think this year's amount of production is what you expected." He loudly said with spit sent flying.
"Oh". Said Iohannes.
"Yes, 'Oh', you should also know ahead of time that they are keeping a lot of gold in that fortress," continued the grumpy mortal.
Wait, are they embezzling under my nose?
"When I ask, they said this is for offer and demand. So, they are looking for a new buyer for the Angelus' gold bars. And the same for the premium bars"
Iohannes was sure he should not ask why they are making gold bars instead of just bringing the gold. He was sure these mortals would snap if he continued to show ignorance of the operations. This needed to be shut down now, preferably without losses.
"These green-gold Devils are using some kind of Angelus' mirrors and arrays to make some incredible pure gold. Then these lunatics are using the extra time they have to infuse some of the material with as much heaven Qi or Sun's light, I don't know which one. They mumble a lot." The angry villager comments.
"And if you believe them. A Centurion that had led them in the Plains had been pleased enough to help them make some kind of seal of identification in these gold bars. It's supposed to make those more valuable, somehow."
Nodding firmly to himself. Iohannes dismissed the villager and prepared himself for annoying days full of investigation ahead.
Xxx
[present. Year 5.]
That place is truly a heart of madness. A center of hardcore cultivators that even some silly old horror stories could not prepare him for. Till his dying breath he will repress all those memories of the cult-
All the memories of brotherhood 'culture' and focus on the key parts. Like how these guys trust cultivators that don't have the Golden Devils' blood and they can trust even spirit beasts with vital parts of their work. Or how they delegate everything. While trying to extract as much work as possible. Even their strategy with 'missions' from the clan board is interesting. They even take missions with no monetary rewards and if anyone asks they did it just for 'training experience'. Because that raises the profits.
Xxx
[Year 0, month 2 week 3]
Iohannes watched his guide with a bit of caution. The creature in front of him had guided him in this fortress and previously, waited in front of the gates with the rest of guards that protect the fortification until his return. And that informed said guards of his arrival way before he could be ever being seen. Because that thing can identify him by his heartbeats and his smell.
A dog.
Mortal Dogs are said to absorb humans' lessons easily, can smell feelings, can listen to things no mortal man can and that's not even their full list of abilities. Nobody warned him of their greatest advantage. They are cute!
This one is no ordinary dog. This spirit beast called 'doggo', had feasted on a lot of spirit stones in the past, got as much human insight as it could possibly get from an entire group of lunatics. It even got an infusion of devil blood. Through whatever process the brotherhood works with, it seems to have become their chief of security.
"Boss, is everything fine?" ask the 'second in command' of said fortress.
"Yes", he needs to stop thinking that this beast has imprinted his smell, the sound of his organs, and, if the brotherhood is to be believed, even his Qi 'smell'.
He shook his head and continued the inspection. The first part that had come to his mind was the amount of mural art. and the absurd number of weak arrays. There were also lots of statues.
He recognized a Statue of Abel Angelus raising to heaven a mirror. There was another mural showing the Angelus among trees with stained greenish glass giving the art more life.
In some other parts stained reddish glass show figures of hunters brutality murdering Golden Devils. with lots of old people and young children crying. Those made him feel sad.
Another statue in a key area of the fortress, in a main hall, there is a statue of Good seed, Maria, who recently died while hunting a nascent soul. What he focused on was the contrast of how heroically she looks with the amount of Teddy bears, Handcraft Teddy bears (many made with Golden devils hair), at other little girls' toys at her feet. There are also murals behind the statue of Maria facing a really evil looking and monstrously muscular hunter.
There is a forge that uses concentrated sunlight to smelt gold into standard size bars. Next to that is a vault with lots of gold bars. And inside that vault another one was built in the primary vault to hold those 'premium gold' ones.
Iohannes wandered over to a place where a pile of metal bars lay. He noticed their potential quickly, it just depended on an always changing future. The unfinished metal bars have a bit of celestial Qi on them. Even in this state they would already be perfect for some useless rich mortal to buy so he can show his wealth. Though it doesn't have to be that way. It could also be bought by a novice blacksmith to make something even shinier, allowing him to become a true beginning cultivator in some sects.
And of course, while he is already trying to forget what he saw in the 'living quarters', the only parts he could not repress were the strategic points.
The first one was that their entire arrays were fueled by a rock made of glass and other stuff that is full of Qi. A 'good stone' they called it. That thing was a critical weakness, but also allowed each brother to collaborate with the defense of the fortress. to potentially overcharge the stone. The ensuing energy running amok does the same to the rest of the arrays.
The second strategic point is that the whole fortress was assembled from pre-made parts that can be slimmed down.
Which brings us to the final strategic point: they can move the fortress. It was very slow, but it could actually move! Thankfully their speed seemed to have a limit since these lunatics had needed more time improving the road than the time they had needed to assemble this fortress with the materials they had.
Xxx
[present. Year 5.]
Oh, yes, these guys have three of these small fortresses here and all the three are being used as 'logistic centers' in the mine. To reduce the amount of time they need to walk, to sleep, to eat and to maximize production. Iohannes just found their singular focus on logistics disturbing. When did they even cultivate?
And here is the interesting part. The brotherhood doesn't Stop. Working. EVER.
They just split their work hours into inhumane work schedules. Even the mortals in that lunatic group barely spend a tiny amount of time sleeping and eating.
Some villagers even viewed them as role models and had tried to follow their schedule. Some of them even succeeded. Most just collapsed.
That knowledge sends his gut churning. What if any of these lunatics die without their leadership being present? He will be the one that will be judged! This is a disaster!
So Iohannes cursed himself once more.
Still, he had absorbed all he could witness and learned about their way of life. A part of him could understand them. Another part of him could not.
They approach life with the combined idea of 'one for all' and 'all for one' together with 'everyone can be a brother'. Shifting from interpretation for each brother. And they get more and more fanatic as they get older.
Still saying that is something. Seeing it is another thing. For their brotherhood mortal men do the work of two mortal men in order to allow his brothers time to meditate. That's not even mentioning their 'patriarchs and matriarchs' acting like the poorest of beggars to keep as much money and resources as possible to be used for the young. The older people knew their limits better, knew ways to use resources to limit, many of them were more stubborn than the younger ones. The older crew also had more cultivators allowing them to have even longer work hours, permitting them to take more risks and to even consume food that would kill or at very last, not sustain a mortal.
In his time working with them Iohannes has learned of men and women that have gladly thrown themselves in harems of even moderate powerful cultivators for resources. Those brothers and sisters were working in administration in these fortresses or bringing the gold to the Angelus. All this for 'face' from them.
They did it all without any grumbling. Every stone got placed with the same care and every paper filed in the correct spot, always. There was only one problem he had with them he could genuinely point out.
It was the food that infuriated him. How can one literally eat dirt, mud and add ( only
sometimes) vegetable or animal fat? How can one make a child cry by inviting a family into one home just by watching your elders eat meat? How can a leader such as himself improve morale just by forcing the elders to eat chicken?
How could they do this to themselves? I could not understand it. So, I asked some more.
The reason for all this madness?
They want each and every single mortal Devil to become cultivators. At his interjection of it being impossible, they decried his lack of faith and told him to watch them make it happen. They know that with enough time, energy and resources one can become a cultivator in the desert even without stones. So, they will work that much harder to give each single member of their group that time.
Even knowing that was impossible.
I think I now understand why this was a punishment. And I think I respect my superior even more for doing so.
But the core members of the brotherhood are yet to arrive. These are people everyone hears about taking brutal living conditions to get more chances for profit while also risking themselves more in missions that have a high chance of it costing them their lives. Their run in 'the Great Elders March' is just their most famous stunt. Naturally, they don't waste the accumulated power, they transfer it through their death into power for a successor in the brotherhood.
Iohannes could not help, but admire their conviction. Maybe he could learn something from them.
Xxx
[present. Year 5.]
Still now that he is on his bed. Some other nightmares and dark thoughts had come to him.
Like the 'test bed mine'.
That is the place where true madness is practiced and sometimes actual improvements are made. There are reasonable things like using bicycle pumps to drain water. Other stuff they produce are bicycles' parts and mechanisms to make mine trains among many other things.
To use those with lots of brute muscle to truly work hard, fast and bring lots of gold.
They also did some less reasonable things like using giant bronze mirrors to start 'talking' with the closest city by having madmen in both locations in the highest area possible. to get better trades with the business men over there. Or using bronze mirrors to melt metal. Since that produces lots of light. But the main forger is blind.
But the true madness is that the old mine had been 'dry' of gold for a long time. Common and cultivator sense would dictate that continuing operation at this location is not profitable. They did not expect the brotherhood, a group of fanatics who wish to try to extract as much dust of gold as possible. Which of course they did.
And they did that while checking for ways to extract even more material, like a combination of bombs and filters that use lots of water that they are recycling with those pumps. They are even using the clan formations to mine. No, really.
They use the hoplite formation as a mine device and worker. They use the Kataphraktoi formation with its horsepower to move giant rocks or break hard rocks that even the hoplite failed to break. The two-headed eagle formation of the clan helps with finding more metal locations and adding those to the maps. They even learned about the oasis formation and made good use of it.
Their ability with the last formation is still lacking, but that still allows them to work with even greater coordination, heal their muscles from the worker faster, and recover Qi in a smaller amount of time. They could even work in their 'off' hours by helping the other workers recover stamina by using their own. So even the act of eating and resting could help the brothers that were working; and by using their 'breathing art' to recover more QI.
There were even some madmen that had giant red-green disks in their backs that can recharge qi while they sleep. Their habits were madenning! They don't remove the disk for anything. Anything!
The sanest trick they are using seems to be an old trick of theirs. By using the clan 'raising pillar art' to raise earth pillars. To study the soil. But the insane part is how many pillars they have raised so far.
Iohannes believes the Angelus will not need a more elaborate study of this area's mineralogy for a long time. They made multiple maps, some very simple. And others are really elaborate.
And I still must recall the 'workout' areas in the test bed mine. Because when the brothers truly get all the gold from some parts of that mine, then they learn a way to make a truly dry mine continue to give money. Their ideas were numerous: Like the 'ruins simulations' and the 'fake trials', places where a cultivator could go to learn a bit of what to expect in a cultivator's ruin, the 'fake trials' were either the cultivator train the 'how to hide in a cave' or, by paying more, getting some workers that will act as hunters so they can practice their skills at hiding from people.
Why? Because some fools are paying to either work hard or to play in the madhouse the brotherhood created. These things could even be made into a 'custom adventure' with enough time given in advance. There was actually someone who had paid more to get that custom experience.
At last, those fools had come only on some rare occasions. But yeah, these fools pay in spirit stones. So, a gold mine is giving the Angelus spirit stones in small quantities. This is so mad, and double so because it is working!
The brotherhood working in the test bed also produced lots of mining' tools for local use. Because of course they would also try to improve their own equipment. That was the only sane part. Making a small industry to produce lots of those was less so.
They were even trading for a premium amount of gold. Which is the maddest part. Has the war gone so well that mine related products are being sold at such high prices? Are they truly in high demand?!?
The only thing that could ever need this many tools would be giant mines, but our clan already has what we need. Has the war gone so great that we conquered our enemies' spirit stones mines that fast?
If this craziness continues maybe he will even see some aspirants trying to learn how to mine here?
Stuff like that makes for a lot of sleepless nights. Also thinking of the fact, the brotherhood had vetoed a lot of stuff that didn't even reach the papers, at least the ones he had read now after the fact. It really hammered in one fact. They respected the Angelus and did not want to test some theories here. That notion of respect for them, The Angelos in ancient times, now known as Angelus, was a minority in his great-grandfather's time. At least that's what he had heard. Well, at least it brought him under the wing of his Captain. There's always a silver lining to be found.
That respect itself though is a scary thought. What would these crazy bastards do to their own lands? And what had they done already?
Rumors said their city is where a lot of discarded ideas of the core elder mad science goes. And where an evil but pragmatic mayor had been allowed to have his own rules in that territory. Combine with less supervision.
Yeah. Better to think about the fellow Devils here than the ones working in the mad place.
xxx
[present. Year 5. Day one]
Another day and, probably, another source of complications and profits.
"Good Morning everyone" Iohannes commented, getting an animated "Good Morning Boss!" from everyone close by. Seeing everyone in good health he decided to continue to walk to the 'test bed mine' first, in order to check the most common source of problems (and profit) first.
Finally arriving there, the temporary Overseer looked around and saw the expected tools and heavy machinery to extract even the golden dust from the soils and the (little) fabrics that are making even more tools to mine. But there were three new areas, the first had lots of mirrors pointed to the ground that was divided in two parts: a deposit of sand and a deposit for dust.
The second area had a large table, some crafting tools and a (another) big pile of dust, with some golden balls on the end of the table. Each unique in size, and in art that was engraved. A sigh of relief left him as he learned over the course of his search, the brotherhood seems to be obeying the rule of 'no new arrays'. Since those now need his direct permission.
The third area looks like the beginning of a new building, which, even before being finished, seems to be in use. Because there was a hall there that was showing lots of impressive mirrors and glasses with many colors. All of those glass works are unique in some form. Like a big mirror that looked like a shield, a muscular statue of a Golden Devil which was made of goldish glass holding another mirror.
The majority of the glasses follow that theme of a unique form of art, but some were just one big piece of glass with different colors. Nonetheless they made for an impressive collection of colorful glasses.
Iohannes was pretty sure that the only reason there was no array in all glass works that he saw was, again, that he had commanded them to wait for his permission to make arrays for each new thing they created.
Breathing slowly, Iohannes prepared himself and loudly said "report!"
"Yes, Boss!" said all the brothers arounds him that had waited silently until this point, but only the 'second in command' of this mine approached him.
That tiny and fat grandfather with those owl like eyes from the glasses that make his eyes look so-
No! resist! This is how they got permission for some of the craziest ideas! Iohannes thought, but showed no sign of the emotions that he was feeling inside.
The really old man gave him a military salute, "Aspirant Brother 47th reporting," he said.
The green-gold Devil moves his owl eyes to a big clipboard that he was holding in his hand and starts reporting. "The night turn had no one injured."
Excellent.
Then the older man moved to another page on his clipboard "The team 'explosives' continue to be the most productive."
Good.
"Nothing else to report for the production teams."
Even better!
Still, even if Iohannes knew that even a member of the brotherhood that got this position because he was able to resume, he still yet to see all the mountains and holes of problems that they created. So let's see if brother 47th mentions the new constructions.
"Also, the Teams 'new source of money', team 'art' and team 'Abel' decided to create these new prototypes, while following all the new standard rules" This can be either good or bad. Some of the easiest days have come when those teams invest all their energy as one group. Some of the craziest days and weeks had come from those too.
"Aspirant, report to me what they did!" Iohannes commanded.
Nodding, brother 47th did exactly that while looking at other pages in his clipboard: "We are trying to see if the market for 'beautiful but useless' would pay for golden spheres made from literal dirt", then gathered his breath to continue. But that needs to be elaborated.
"Aspirant, elaborate to me about the golden spheres." Because Iohannes was sure he needed more information in this matter.
Nodding to his superior the aspirant did just that "It is possible to polish dirt and similar materials to make them look golden in color, some can even get shiny like a metallic mirror, so those teams believe that we can sell some of these spheres for gold coins. Especially after we discover which ones the art market and other markets like the best". Good enough then "Also not only the material cost nothing but mortals can do this job, and do it relatively fast."
Yeah, so far so good, thought Iohannes. Still.
"Anything else?" Iohannes asked.
"Yes boss, if the market shows interest, then we will already have prepared a supply of dirt that has received celestial Qi, to make premium dirt," he said while pointing at the area getting all that focused sunlight.
Once more it was infuriating that this made sense.
"Is that all?" Iohannes needs to be sure.
"I believe so Boss, the only thing to add is that the initial process for the premium versions had made some glass, so the teams decided to make premium sand to make premium glass which brings me to the second part of the report," commented the aspirant while pointing at the deposit of fine sand.
"Then continue," said the overseer.
"We remember that glass is expensive for mortals and even for cultivators if the glass is elaborate enough." yeah good glass sells, and with so many poison users in the clan there is always a market for glass. Since they need those to see what they are doing while creating new poisons.
But one point was important. "You said that you guys had remembered, but your people made excellent art with glasses. Why only bring this now?" that was the point that Iohannes was curious about. in five years they had not tried to do this. So why only now that they have started with the glass work?
The clearly embarrassed (and adorable) old man scratched his head with lots of tiny and fat grandparents around them doing the same-
No! Focus once more! This is some kind of defense mechanism that they had created! a powerful one! Iohannes thought but his only external reaction was to raise an eyebrow.
"Well, all the glasses that we made are also used only by us. We never sold only glass work, we have sold entire buildings that had some glass work, and those buildings sell for a high enough price" seems reasonable enough Iohannes thought.
"So, we had never thought of only selling the glasses." Said the old man.
"So with the help of the villagers we finally learned how much money there is in the glass market and how expensive glass art can get," the adorable old man said animated-
Focus! Iohannes. Focus!
"And that celestial qi glasses are even more expensive." the aspirant finished saying.
But Iohannes was sure there was more in this matter. "I wish you to elaborate more about this glass work production," he commanded.
"Nothing much to say. We decided to make a sample of all the glass work we know while showing how to make those for the villagers". brother 47th said. only to continue "Later on, with your permission, we will send these samples to see which ones sell for more" finished the old man.
"We will see," said Iohannes. This was another nice (but infuriating) part of the brotherhood. If you are a Golden Devil or work for one, You can pretty much convince them to share all their knowledge. Even the cultivation techniques that they use!
"The rest of the brotherhood arrives today after all, I want you all rested" and allowing me to rest. thought Iohannes.
"So, bring me the breakfast table, the food, drinks and I want to eat outside and I want each and every single one of you to eat the same food as me!" It is a sin that a group that can cook that well allows themselves to eat 'earth soup'. the overseer commands the younger part of the brotherhood and the reluctance of the older generation. From all the 'wasted money' on their food.
So all the villagers and the brotherhood nearby ate with Iohannes. That food was sinfully good.
xxx
[present. Year 5. Day one]
The rest of the brotherhood was late, Iohannes thought. This is not good. What could cause the core members to be late to anything? He was waiting in the front of the fortress with all the brotherhood. Otherwise they would be without supervision for too long.
Then, some time later, with Twilight behind them. The core members arrived.
A group of legionaries that were dressed like normal Golden devils, all of them stronger than 3th heavenstage. Some as strong as 6th heavenstage. Which is really impressive for a group that doesn't use spirits stones.
Some were wounded, but not enough to hinder a Golden Devil.
There was a big guy in the front, but from the reports he got. This was not the Builder.
The guy stopped and made a military salute. "Legionnaire sixth brother reporting".
Iohannes saluted back and said "At ease. Give me the report." the legionary nodded to the overseer and looked behind him. "Seventh, papers please".
Papers changed hands and then once more to Iohannes.
The 6th heavenstage nodded and started doing so. "The cultivation went better than expected, we were delayed in the final parts of our time in that secret realm by some fierce fight with some cultivators and horrible worms" at the last part all those grandparents showed some of the most impressive expressions of anger that Iohannes had ever seen. with straining muscles.
What could cause this? thought Iohannes, he was about to ask for elaboration. When the 6th brother continued,
"We are sorry for the delay and for the absence of the five sworn brothers. They are checking a new opportunity that they could not delay anymore." Understandable. still he needs this legionary to elabo-
"But, you see, the builder is now a 10th heavenstage" the 6th brother loudly announced.
The ensuing chaos and cheer from the Brotherhood was loud enough to shake the earth.
He never asked what happened in the secret realm.
xxx
@Alectai,
@TehChron,
@Humbaba,
@ReaderOfFate,
@Kaboomatic, no.
A HUGE Thanks for the help and Patience that Juugo show to me. He had make this omake 400% better. Making it go plus ultra^^.
edit: word count (5715 words)
