Kairo sat in the half-built shelter, staring at the translucent interface only he could see. The Command Nexus hovered before him, lines of text and diagrams shifting with each of his thoughts. Tonight, he wasn't looking at buildings or resources. Instead, he had pulled up the unit upgrade tab.
[Unit Upgrade function: Ghouls]
[Condition: For ghouls to advance, they must win ten battles while maintaining various formation]
He leaned back, rubbing the side of his face. "Formation, huh? Guess this is more meticulous that expected…"
The ghouls were standing nearby, waiting silently as always. They were good at obeying orders, but their discipline was sloppy when the pressure mounted. They needed something that allowed them to fight in sync, like parts of a machine.
He began sketching out his ideas on the simulation grid. Lines of crude ghoul icons shuffled around as he moved them.
"Front line… three ghouls to take the hits. Two on the sides to harass, one in back for pressure. That leaves me room to slot in variations if I ever get ranged units." He shifted the icons around again. The simulated ghouls fell apart quickly when faced with fast enemies.
"No good. Too stiff."
He erased the lines and drew new ones. "Maybe… wedge formation? Strong in the middle, pushes forward like a spearhead…" The little icons clashed with simulated rat monsters. The front ghoul broke instantly.
Kairo sighed. "That won't do either."
He tried again. The hours passed in quiet concentration, broken only by the occasional flicker of the campfire. His eyes were heavy, but he kept running scenario after scenario. Trial and error. Failures stacked up—but each time, he adjusted.
Behind him, Shiri stirred. The naga opened his eyes, his reptilian pupils narrowing at the sight of Kairo staring into nothing. He didn't see the Command Nexus, but he could feel it—some kind of planning, some kind of strange power at work.
"…You look ridiculous, staring like that," Shiri muttered. His voice was rough, half-amused, half-judging.
Kairo didn't glance back. "Planning formations. My ghouls won't get stronger until they fight together."
"Hnh." Shiri leaned his scaled back against the wall. "Most lords don't bother. They just throw bodies at the problem until something sticks."
"I'm not most lords." Kairo smirked faintly.
Shiri's gaze sharpened for a moment before he turned away. He said nothing more, but a thought crossed his mind. This one… he's different. But different doesn't always mean better.
At last, Kairo stopped rearranging icons. He had something workable: a diamond-shaped formation. Four ghouls in front, one on each flank, and one guarding the rear. Compact but flexible, designed to protect itself from all sides.
"Alright," he murmured. "Time to test it."
The following day, Kairo led his squad out beyond the half-build walls. His eyes scanned the desolate land, watching for movement. He needed battles—ten of them—before the ghouls could evolve.
The first opponent wasn't long in coming. A giant cockroach, its shell glinting in the pale light, skittered out of the rubble. The thing was as long as a wolf, its antenna twitching, mandibles clicking.
"Formation!" Kairo barked.
The ghouls snapped into place, surrounding the insect in their diamond pattern. The cockroach lunged, its armored body smashing into the front ghoul. The ghoul staggered but held. The side units slashed at the legs, forcing the beast to rear up.
"Now! Collapse on it!"
The formation contracted, overwhelming the monster from every side. After a messy scuffle, the cockroach collapsed, ichor pooling beneath it.
Kairo exhaled. "One."
The ghouls growled, their hollow voices echoing faintly.
The next battle tested them harder. A scaled hound, fast and snapping with sharp fangs, darted in and out, trying to break the formation. Twice, a ghoul faltered, but Kairo's quick commands kept them together.
"Hold! Don't chase—let it come to you!"
The hound lunged, only to be caught between the front line and flanking ghouls. It thrashed, snapping a ghoul's arm, but was dragged down.
Kairo crouched by the corpse. "Two."
The ghouls growled again, this time with something almost like pride.
The third fight was worse. A massive sewer rat, fur matted, eyes glowing faintly, burst out from a collapsed building. Its teeth were yellow and jagged, and its tail whipped like a whip.
The ghouls engaged, but the rat fought viciously, knocking one off its feet. For a moment, the diamond collapsed.
"Reform! Keep the shape!" Kairo yelled.
The ghouls struggled, but with his voice guiding them, they managed to close ranks again. The rat shrieked as claws tore into it from every side. After a brutal few minutes, it lay dead, twitching.
Kairo wiped sweat from his brow. That was close… but they held.
The battles continued through the day. A giant crow with feathers like black steel swooped at them. A centipede the length of two men coiled around the formation until it was torn apart. By the sixth fight, the ghouls were moving smoother, less like mindless puppets and more like soldiers.
Kairo could see it. Step by step, they were learning.
By the ninth victory, even he was panting. His energy reserves were thinning, but the ghouls stood ready, waiting for his orders.
The tenth fight came in the form of a boar-like beast with tusks of stone jutting from its jaw. It crashed into the front line, nearly shattering the formation immediately.
"Hold! Don't break!" Kairo roared.
The ghouls absorbed the hit, their bodies bruised but unyielding. The flankers darted in, slashing at its sides. Finally, the rear ghoul leapt, tearing into its exposed neck.
The beast collapsed, shaking the ground. Silence followed.
Kairo lowered his hand slowly. "…Ten."
The Command Nexus pulsed faintly, acknowledging the condition was fulfilled. Not yet evolved, but the step was done.
When they returned, the sun was low, and Kairo carried bundles of meat and a sack of potatoes pulled from the small farm he'd started. His ghouls trailed behind, scarred but intact.
Shiri was sitting inside the half-built wall, his serpentine body coiled loosely, eyes half-shut. He opened them as Kairo approached.
"…That's a lot of meat," Shiri said flatly. His nostrils flared. "And potatoes, too. You raided a lord's supply?"
Kairo smirked. "No. Hunted it all myself."
Shiri's eyes narrowed. "…Tier 1, hunting that much Tier 2?" He studied Kairo in silence, his mind turning. (This one doesn't fight like the others. He plans. He builds. But why?)
The naga didn't voice it. Instead, he simply flicked his tongue in irritation and looked away.
Kairo stacked the meat near the fire, his ghouls dropping the rest. He exhaled, sitting heavily. His body was tired, but inside, he felt a quiet satisfaction.
Across from him, Shiri's gaze lingered longer than usual. He didn't smile. He didn't compliment. But deep inside, something shifted—just a little.
A Tier 1 who pushes this far… Lord or not, you're not ordinary.
The fire crackled between them, burning low but steady, like a promise.