Game Invasion: 100x Evolution, From Weak to God

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[Option One: Accelerated Technology Tree]

[Option Two: One Hundred Thousand Iron Cavalry]

[Option Three: Richest Man Under Heaven]

The choice this time was exceptionally simple.

At a glance, the latter two options were not even worth considering compared with the Accelerated Technology Tree.

One hundred thousand iron cavalry would certainly be formidable. Sweeping across Thalric would be easy, and they could probably push all the way to the Grand Concord Capital. Conquering the entire realm should not be much of a problem either.

The problem was that unifying the realm alone would not secure final victory.

Caelum looked up at the sky.

He had a perfectly reasonable theory.

Based on the cosmic setting of Evolution Battle, Caelum suspected that the victory condition in this game world was most likely the conquest of the entire galaxy.

Perhaps even the entire universe.

The reason players had failed to claim final victory was that they were still nowhere near that goal. They had not met the ultimate requirement of conquering every civilization.

That was probably also why players began in worlds with different settings and eras. In reality, they had simply started on different planets.

Surely someone had already realized this.

With that theory in mind, neither One Hundred Thousand Iron Cavalry nor Richest Man Under Heaven could compare with the usefulness and potential of the Accelerated Technology Tree.

Caelum’s goal lay among the stars.

The Accelerated Technology Tree.

As the name suggested, it was a technology tree with accelerated construction capabilities. As long as he had enough raw materials, he could instantly manufacture or build the corresponding technological product.

No time was required.

No lengthy process was needed.

Everything could be produced or constructed in an instant.

Of course, the technology tree still had to be unlocked step by step from the lowest level upward. Without the necessary prerequisite technologies and industrial foundation, he could not skip straight to building spacecraft.

[Accelerated Technology Tree Selected]

[Enjoy the Game]

[Initial Technologies Unlocked]

[Black Powder Unlocked]

[Flintlock Musket Unlocked]

Suddenly, the chaotic thunder of hooves came from the distance. The ground trembled faintly beneath them.

One of the garrison soldiers beside Caelum paled and shouted, "The Thalric barbarians are here! Protect His Lordship and get him out!"

The moment he finished speaking, arrows rained down.

Several men beside Caelum were knocked from their horses. The wounded garrison soldiers forced themselves back to their feet and charged resolutely toward the pursuing Thalric raiders.

"My lord, go!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a blade flashed.

The soldier’s head flew into the air.

The leader of the raiders, a rugged man, caught it and raised it high, laughing wildly at the sky.

"The Garrison Commander is just ahead! Ten warhorses to whoever takes his head!"

The others immediately escorted Caelum away and drove their horses into a full gallop. To gain more speed, they even threw aside every weapon they could afford to abandon.

Only then did they finally manage to shake off the Thalric raiders.

Before the raiders disappeared from sight, Caelum looked back at the rugged man and asked the soldier beside him, "Who is that?"

"My lord, his name is Caldris. He commands this raiding force."

Without their horses, the garrison soldiers could never have kept the Thalric raiders occupied for so long. The people of Thalric grew up in the saddle, and their riding and archery were unmatched.

By the time all the townspeople had escaped, nearly every garrison soldier who had held the raiders back was either dead or wounded.

The pursuit cost them another five men.

Now only Caelum and fifteen garrison soldiers remained.

After escaping the Thalric raiders, the soldiers escorted Caelum into the mountains. It was not until dusk that they reached a fortified settlement hidden deep among the peaks.

"My lord, this is the place."

A garrison soldier beside him continued, "We built this settlement in secret. Without someone to guide them, the Thalric forces will never find it in these mountains."

The settlement was filled entirely with civilians evacuated from Westbarrow. Since they had lived in a military town for years, the townspeople remained orderly even now.

They had not descended into chaos.

Caelum asked, "How many people are here?"

"My lord, there are five hundred and seventeen households, with a total population of two thousand nine hundred and forty eight. Excluding the elderly, children, women, the wounded, and the sick, we can barely gather five hundred able bodied men."

"What is your name?"

"This subordinate is Edrick." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Caelum considered the situation briefly before issuing orders.

"Edrick, take men with you immediately and conscript three hundred able bodied men for training. Our forces are too few, so we need to establish a new unit as quickly as possible."

Then Caelum addressed the other fourteen men who had escorted him to the settlement.

"You and Edrick will each serve as a Squad Captain. Every squad will consist of twenty men, and all of you will answer directly to me. Is that understood?"

"Understood, my lord!"

A Squad Captain was still an official position, however minor.

No matter how one looked at it, these men had risked their lives to escort Caelum here. Failing to reward them would only leave them disheartened.

His power was still weak.

For now, he needed to rely on these men.

Besides, their loyalty had already proven genuine.

The fifteen men exchanged glances, their faces lighting up before they went to conscript able bodied townsmen throughout the settlement.

"Edrick."

Caelum called him back.

Edrick bowed respectfully. "What are your orders, my lord?"

"Find me some iron, hardwood, and flint from the settlement. I also need saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The more of those three, the better."

"Understood."

The sun gradually sank below the mountains.

The townspeople had finished settling into the stronghold. Fourteen Squad Captains were registering the new recruits and giving them instructions, while Caelum sat alone in thought.

He had no interest in serving the Grand Concord Dynasty.

Since he possessed the technology tree, he could simply develop his own power. Once he became strong enough, he could absorb the Grand Concord Dynasty himself.

Caelum revealed none of his ambition.

He still did not know what the men under him truly thought or whether they were fanatically loyal to the Grand Concord Dynasty.

Only after the trusted followers he personally trained had grown into a real force could he openly reveal his ambitions.

Doing so any earlier would be far too dangerous.

Before long, Edrick returned with the materials Caelum had requested. A weathered middle aged man followed behind him, dressed like a merchant.

"My lord, the settlement has a fair amount of iron and hardwood. Trees are plentiful here, so charcoal is no concern. We can burn as much as we need at any time. Many farming households also keep sulfur for pest control. Only saltpeter and flint are in short supply."

Caelum looked toward the middle aged man behind him.

Edrick immediately introduced him.

"His name is Torran. He is a traveling merchant who happened to be passing through Westbarrow. He specializes in trading valuable goods. I found the saltpeter among his caravan’s cargo."

Saltpeter could be used to make ice. Since it was rare and expensive, only the wealthy could afford it.

That made it highly popular among traveling merchants like Torran.

"This commoner greets the Garrison Commander."

Torran hurriedly bowed, his heart uneasy.

Judging by the situation, he probably would not be keeping this shipment.

When Caelum heard that he was a traveling merchant, his eyes brightened.

"Do not worry. I only need two things from you. First, I want all the saltpeter in your caravan. Second, you will answer a few questions."