We had been training for quite some time, and the blazing sun was now beating down on us, forcing us to seek refuge under some shadow. As I entered the barracks, I realized that we were the only ones present. I quickly began to remove my armor, which had become unbearably hot from the intense heat. I placed it to the side and noticed that she too was struggling to remove hers. However, the laces of her armor had become entangled with her dress, leaving her stuck and unable to move her arms.

I immediately went to her aid, and as I approached, I could see the distress etched on her face. Chloe was frantically trying to wiggle out of her armor, but to no avail. I placed my hands on her armor and held her steady, bringing an end to her frenzied movements. I then proceeded to slowly and carefully untangle the laces that were preventing her from removing her armor.

The laces were particularly stubborn, and they were snagged near her waist. This required me to touch her in that area to free the laces, and as I did, I noticed a slight giggle escape her lips. It seemed that she was quite ticklish at that spot. I couldn't help but let a smile spread across my own face as I finally succeeded in freeing her from the entangled laces.

With her armor removed, Chloe's face was now a deep shade of red, and she seemed quite shy. She quickly grabbed her sword from the bench and made a hasty retreat towards her house. As I dried off my own sweat, I too decided to head back to my own home. However, Chloe's absence during lunch left me thinking about the earlier incident and that put a smile on my face again.

Just as I was having my lunch, there was a knock on my door. My heart skipped a beat as I thought it might be the intelligence variant that I had sent to gather information. I quickly got up to open the door, and sure enough, it was the intelligence variant. He stepped inside and stood silently by me. I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and asked him what he had found out.

He informed me, "You were right, sire. A king who rules a city nearby our outpost attacked it. He was simply testing the strength of our army. He attacked with 150 warriors and was able to kill 5 of our archers. However, they were not able to penetrate the outpost. Our warriors held them at bay and the builder minions were safe."

"So, what kind of might does that king possess? Is he rich with resources or what?" I asked.

"My lord, you had sent me to collect details from outside and not to enter the city. I did collect information from people outside. The people are saying great things about him, like he has taken over many empires and he is the mightiest king of them all."

"Do you have any idea about his army?" I pressed on.

"He has a formidable army; their numbers might be over a thousand. If I am right, more than 2000 people live in that city, and they have an army of over 1500 men. I will have to enter the city to gain more information about their army and resources."

"Were they preparing for any battle?"

"No, I understand what you are implying. They don't seem to have any intention of attacking our outpost anytime soon."

"How much time does it take to reach that city?"

"Our outpost is at 5 hours of distance, and the city is half an hour away from our outpost. So, it would take about 5 and a half hours."

"You leave for the city now and collect information about their army and resources. Take 3 more intelligence variant minions with you and collect all the information. You will also take an army and some builder minions with you to the outpost. They will build more settlements there. I am thinking about creating our fort there to take over that city."

I came outside with the minion and opened my advanced control menu to select the settlement group.

-

<Advanced System Controls>

~<Settlement Group>

~

[Resource Division] (798 Minions)

- 17x Woodcutter Minion

- 10x Miner Minion

- 10x Scout Minion (Farming)

- 14x Scout Minion (Mining)

- 30x Scout Minion (Woodcutting)

- 24x Scout Minion (Hunting)

~

[Combat Division - Standard] (386 Minions)

-35x Advance Warrior Minion

.. 1x Intelligence Variant [ Stage 1]

.. 30x Brute Strength Variant [ Stage 1]

.. 5x Technique Variant [ Stage 1]

-150x Warrior Minions

-100x Scout Minions (Swordplay)

-100x Scout Minions (Archery)

~

[Combat Division - Magic] (41 Minions)

- 0x Scout Minion (Fire Magic - Residential Heater)

- 5x Scout Minion (Fire Magic - Projectile Controller)

- 10x Scout Minion (Fire Magic - Flamethrower)

- 5x Scout Minion (Water Magic - Ice Warrior)

- 0x Scout Minion (Water Magic - Arctic Wind)

- 0x Scout Minion (Water Magic - Water Manipulator)

- 5x Scout Minion (Wind Magic - Defensive Wind)

- 0x Scout Minion (Wind Magic - Visceral Turbine)

- 5x Scout Minion (Wind Magic - Projectile Enhancer)

- 5x Scout Minion (Earth Magic - Brute)

- 5x Scout Minion (Earth Magic - Solid Control)

- 1x Scout Minion (Earth Magic - Land Scaler)

~

[Utility Division] (76 Minions)

- 30x Builder Minion

- 5x Scout Minion (Utility)

- 0x Minion Manager

!

~

I carefully selected the most capable minions from my army and programmed them to perform their specific duties. Among them, I chose one intelligence variant minion to lead the group, as they possessed advanced AI capabilities and had the ability to make sound decisions in crucial situations. I despatched this army, led by the intelligence variant minion, to establish a settlement near our outpost. This strategic move was aimed at solidifying my position and increasing my control in the surrounding area.

It was a cold and deserted area. It reminded me of the childhood I went through before going to middle school. It was somewhat reminding me of deja vu, I still didn't really get it though.

It's...

I need to finish the...