Chapter 336: The Options For The Future

Kalli brought up the image from the shop, a two legged walker with a massive Laser Cannon on one side of a boxy armoured body, and a light twin autocannon turret on the top.

"Fortunately for us, if I buy them at Rare Grade, the autocannons reload with mana. But they’re still solid projectiles, so if we face an enemy that’s strong against lasers or all energy weapons, we should be alright," she explained.

Sanchez scrolled through the specs.

"Maximum speed eighty kilometres an hour on moderate terrain, The Laser Cannon does five times what the laser turrets do, which is enough to keep up with even a level twenty hero. The design looks fragile, but it’s not a close combat unit, so that won’t be a primary concern.

However, those autocannons are a real gem. Can you purchase them separately? A hundred and twenty rounds per minute, with a thirty millimetre round will be absolutely devastating against most enemies."

Kalli made a noncommittal gesture, "I can buy them, but they only work as vehicle add-ons. You can’t use them as a portable weapon. So, I can add them to the walkers, or the heavier personnel carriers. But I don’t think they’d do well on a helicopter, and they’re too large for the flight suits.

Though, there is a larger war walker in here, it’s just insanely expensive.

Wait, where did it go? It was called a Phalanx Class War Walker, and it would take my entire points cap to purchase one. But it’s no longer in the listings, and even if I search for it, I find nothing.

I think that when the store advanced, we moved off the path where they were available as a purchase, and instead moved towards more magical weaponry.

That’s a shame, they were pretty cool."

Sanchez shrugged. "That’s fine. We don’t need giant war robots fighting against human sized targets. The walkers will be good enough, as long as we have a front line for them. I’m assuming that will be the mid levelled heroes, or the ones that have a warrior type class, anyhow."

Kalli nodded. "In war, there is always infantry. It might be messy, but they’re necessary to stop the enemy, and then we can rely on our heavier artillery to back them up. That is how I’d count these war walkers.

They’re basically a mobile artillery platform."

Sanchez nodded, and began sketching out a battlefield formation on a napkin.

"If we put a line of heroes in the front, with ranged fighters in the second ranks, behind improvised cover, and the walkers in the back, supporting both lines, while the flight suits provide fast-moving area support from above, we can move teams like this.

It’s very similar in function to both ancient and modern battle strategies, but it will rely heavily on rifles. That’s the only way that the low-level warriors are going to be able to keep up the damage."

Kalli nodded. "Buying a stockpile of rifles isn’t a big deal. With the number of people we have doing quests these days, I’m flooded with points to spend on the city. I’ve got a whole round of upgrades ready to go for the lower city now, making the place a bit nicer without changing the layout.

And then I can start on the army supplies, in case we are attacked in the next trial."

Sanchez nodded. "And if this is actually the last trial? There is a lot of talk about how this might be what the whole thing was building us up towards."

Kalli shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "If that’s the case, then Marimgar will have a standing army. Well, technically a militia, I think, since they won’t be full-time soldiers. Honestly, if the trials are over, and we just need to get by in the new world, I think that it wouldn’t break too many hearts.

Sure, they might be sad that they’re not going to get another trial to make them even more superhuman, but having the trials end and no new dangers thrown our way would please far more people than it angers."

From the door, Yara made a disgruntled noise. "Don’t even say it out loud. If you jinx it, I will never forgive you. Besides, if they don’t have that level of danger to push them, what will all those slackers do but start laying about the house and working only enough to keep the bills paid?

I tell you, if they don’t have the fear of death, you’re going to have to start implementing a tax just to keep them going to work."

It was clear that Yara was speaking of someone in particular, but Reggie was always a hardworking sort. Mostly because he wanted to impress her, but also simply out of a sense of work ethic.

Kalli just shrugged. "There are always ways to keep people working, whether it’s taxes, public shame, or simply better benefits for those who do the work. I’ve already begun upgrading the city from the top down, so those who did the most got the best stuff first.

Those underground, waiting for their System affinity to awaken have had to wait.

But now that they’re getting there in such huge numbers, it’s time that I started upgrading everything as much as I can. It’s only fair to the people that I spend all the points I get for being Coordinator on the betterment of Marimgar as a whole.

However, if we’ve got a whole group of slackers, I might have to start implementing some sort of punishment to keep them doing at least the minimum, instead of trying to leech off someone else."

That was what she assumed the problem was, as she had seen so much of it when the first members from the lower city started getting classes and their families all wanted a cut.

She had sold more gaming consoles than there were people with System access at that point in time, after all.

"Exactly. The ones who leech are the least likely to get System access because they’re not trying, but they’re dragging down the newbies with them," Yara agreed.

"I’ve seen it myself, and it’s stressing out the new groups headed for the Rat King dungeon, feeling underappreciated, like they’re just a paycheck to the others," she added.