ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛
The next morning, Suho woke up to the sound of his manager's frantic voice. "We don't have the budget for your projects! Winter is coming, and the people will starve if we don't stock up on food. How will we buy food if we spend it all on your projects?"
Suho rubbed his temples, a hint of amusement on his face. "What's the problem here? Did you talk to the leader of the mining team I assigned?"
The manager looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Suho sighed and stood up. "Come with me."
They walked to the mine, where Suho revealed the various minerals they had extracted, including gold. The manager's eyes widened in shock and excitement. He dropped to his knees before Suho.
"Master Suho, please let me serve you for the rest of my life," he begged, his voice trembling.
Suho's face twisted in distaste. "Ninety percent of this will go towards my projects. You can do what you want with the rest."
The manager's face darkened, and he fainted, as if his soul had left his body.
After the incident, Suho headed to the blacksmith's shop. He approached the owner, Agil, and introduced himself. "I'm Suho. Can I talk to the owner?"
Agil looked him up and down. "I'm Agil. What do you want, kid?"
Suho flashed a charming smile. "Your shop looks like it's about to sink. I'll give you a contract. I need someone to supply steel bars for my projects."
Agil snorted. "You think I'd serve someone as weak as you?"
Just then, a girl shouted from behind him. "Father, if you don't take his offer, I'll sign the contract myself! We'll close the shop because of your stubbornness!"
Before Agil could react, the girl snatched the contract and signed it without reading. Suho grinned, satisfied.
"That's the kind of employee I like. Obedient."
Agil's face twisted in anger as he glared at Suho. "What kind of joke is this? You think we're a plaything for you to command? We're blacksmiths, not some toy forge where you can demand whatever you want!"
His daughter, Annie, stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "Father, stop. No matter what you say, your pride won't save us. Master Suho, please forgive my father's outburst. We'll provide everything you need, but we're short on materials. We can't craft the steel bars without the necessary resources."
Suho's expression softened slightly as he looked at Annie. "Don't worry, Annie. I'll provide all the materials you need. As for crafting weapons, I won't interfere with your work. In fact, I'll need a lot of arms for the knights who will protect the village."
Agil's anger seemed to deflate, replaced by resignation. He took the contract, his eyes scanning the terms before he finally nodded.
With the contract signed, Suho headed to meet the leader of the construction team. He instructed them to focus on building large houses-apartments, as they would be called in his world-once the roads were completed.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Suho sat on the cliffside, gazing out at the village below. His mind whirled with plans and dreams, the village transforming into a thriving kingdom under his vision. The stars began to twinkle in the night sky as Suho's thoughts turned to his own future, his retirement, and the legacy he would leave behind.
Suho had dozed off on the cliffside, his mind wandering to the wealth he would accumulate by the time he retired. But his peaceful reverie was shattered by a loud cry.
"Goblins and orcs are attacking the village!" someone shouted.
Kite rushed to Suho's side, his face etched with urgency. "Master, we need to get to a safe place, now!"
But Suho's response was unexpected. "Wait, Kite. We need to go back. We can't let them destroy the village. My retirement fund is tied up in this place."
Kite's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't hesitate. He handed Suho a sword as they rushed back toward the village.
As they ran, Suho's mind was racing. He had reached level 5 after completing the tasks Eve had given him, and he knew he needed to buy a new skill. "Eve, buy me a sword skill," he ordered.
"Processing," Eve replied. "Suho Kim acquired Master Swordsman skill."
With the new skill coursing through him, Suho felt a surge of confidence. He leapt onto a horse and charged into battle, saving a young girl from an orc's deadly blow. He handed the child to Kite. "Take her to safety, Kite. I'll deal with the one behind this."
Kite nodded and galloped off as Suho charged toward the leader of the monsters. But as he got closer, he realized that this was no ordinary beast. The creature stood on two legs, its body a twisted mix of human and monster.
Suho's eyes narrowed. "Eve, scan him."
"Name unknown," Eve replied. "Title: One of the Generals in Monstrovia. Skill unknown. Rank: SSS."
Suho's grip on his sword tightened. This was going to be a fight unlike any other.
The General of Monstrovia sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You inferior human, why do you dare to stand in my way?"
With a swift and deadly motion, the General charged towards Suho, his sword flashing in the moonlight. But Suho didn't even see him coming, and he would have been sliced in two if not for Kite's lightning-fast reflexes.
Kite, with his Shadow Assassin gift, teleported from the shadows of Suho and blocked the General's attack, saving Suho's life. Suho's eyes widened in shock and gratitude as he stared at Kite.
As Kite and the General clashed in a flurry of steel and shadow, Suho took advantage of the distraction to rescue the innocent villagers. He hid them in a safe location, his heart pounding with urgency.
Once he had ensured their safety, Suho rushed back to Kite's side. But what he saw made his blood run cold. Kite lay on the ground, his body battered and covered in blood. The General stood over him, his sword raised high, ready to deliver the killing blow.
Without hesitation, Suho unleashed his Explosion skill, engulfing the battlefield in a blast of fire and smoke. When the smoke cleared, Suho saw that the General was wounded, stumbling backward as he clutched his side.
Suho's eyes locked onto the General, his determination burning brighter than ever. He would not let Kite's sacrifice be in vain.
With a fierce cry, Suho unleashed a powerful Sword Slash, leaping into the air as he aimed for the General's vulnerable spot. But just as he was about to deliver the final blow, the General's body began to contort and twist, his limbs elongating and morphing into those of a fearsome Cerberus.
The creature's eyes glowed like embers as it let out a deafening roar, its three heads snarling and snapping in unison. Suho was sent flying across the battlefield, landing hard on the ground beside Kite's body.
As he struggled to catch his breath, Suho couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. He had come so far, only to meet his demise at the jaws of a monstrous creature. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself for the impact, waiting for the inevitable.
But instead of the creature's deadly attack, a loud boom echoed through the air. Suho's eyes snapped open to see Lucas Vhender, the village chief, standing tall with a fierce determination etched on his face. The Cerberus recoiled, its heads hissing in pain as Lucas unleashed a powerful blast of energy that sent it stumbling backward.
Suho's eyes widened in shock as Lucas rushed towards him, a look of concern etched on his face. "Suho, are you alright?" he asked, his voice firm and commanding.
For a moment, Suho just stared, unsure of what to say. He had been prepared to die, but now... now he had a second chance. A fierce determination burned within him, and he knew that he would not waste it.
"To be Continued... See you next chapter."
And the question: "Will Kite survive?" or "Can Kite make it?"