Chapter 200 - 195: The Transformation from Chess Piece to Chess Player
Chapter 200: Chapter 195: The Transformation from Chess Piece to Chess Player
The crackdown initiated by Paris lasted until the next morning before drawing to a close.
Anyone who couldn’t prove what they were doing during yesterday’s riot was detained. An incredibly cruel fate awaited them: to prove their innocence in war.
As for those confirmed to have committed crimes, they were branded with the "Criminal’s Mark" according to Imperial law and conscripted into the vanguard, to serve as cannon fodder in the coming battle of reclamation.
Only death could atone for the harm they inflicted upon the innocent and soothe the grief of the townspeople.
This method Paris employed to redirect the public’s anger was simple, but effective.
At the very least, after experiencing turmoil that had directly affected everyone, the remaining residents of Birch Town held no pity for these rioters, only cheering for their punishment.
None of this had anything to do with Jon, however.
After a night of contemplation, he had come to a realization.
"I suppose I’ve gone from being a chess piece to a player now..."
He had always been operating on the ingrained instincts of a player: do quests, kill monsters, level up, then do higher-level quests and kill stronger monsters.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this cycle of getting stronger; it was how every player progressed.
But when he started to build his own faction, the limitations of this mindset became apparent.
As an Adventurer, he could act on a whim, letting his personal feelings dictate his actions.
Just like yesterday, after learning of Paris’s "scheme," there was a moment when Jon truly wanted to draw his sword and cut down the cold-blooded bastard who had plotted everything, even including him in his calculations.
Any other player would have likely felt the same.
Not all of them would have acted on it, but at least half would have had the thought of killing the guy.
But Jon couldn’t.
Because he was no longer just an Adventurer, but the master of the [Giant God Workshop].
Just like the leaders of player guilds, who manage a group of people and must consider all aspects of their collective, he too had to think about his subordinates.
Killing Paris would have provided a moment of satisfaction, but what would come after?
Who would rally the scattered forces of the nobility? Who would raise the banner of suppression under the name of the law?
The subsequent power vacuum, infighting among the nobles, and collapse of the resistance forces would drag all of Birch Town into a deeper quagmire, and everything he had worked so hard to build would vanish with the wind.
’Build a faction, gather resources, get stronger...’
Jon silently recited his original, unwavering, foundational goals, realizing that the way to achieve them could no longer be the freewheeling style of an Adventurer.
He needed to act as the lord of the [Giant God Workshop].
This meant more forethought, heavier responsibilities, and sometimes... even compromise.
He still couldn’t agree with Paris’s "big picture" view, which exploited chaos and accepted any cost.
But he also saw reality clearly. In the overwhelming tide stirred up by the Chaos of the Scepter, an individual’s Power could not protect everyone.
What he could do was establish a pocket of order within his sphere of influence.
Just like yesterday, when the Mechanical Bodies were dispatched. Though they couldn’t cover the entire town, they had genuinely saved many people.
The tangible benefits of this action might not have manifested yet, but the intangible ones were already clearly displayed on his panel.
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[Under your command, the members of the ’Giant God Workshop’ saved many innocents. Faction Influence increased.]
[Current Influence: 16]
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Influence. That was already on par with a player guild of a hundred members. Given the Giant God Workshop’s current actual strength, it was definitely not at that level.
Clearly, it was because yesterday’s actions had left a very good impression on the residents.
This change also gave Jon a measure of confidence.
If there were no reward for doing good deeds, no one except the most steadfast believers could keep it up forever.
But it was a different story when there were benefits.
As long as he continued down this path and expanded the Giant God Workshop’s influence, Jon could, as a player on the board, seize even greater benefits from the Major Event.
Just as he was staring at the dying embers in the hearth, planning the Workshop’s future development, the door to the room was pushed open silently.
Rosalind’s figure appeared in the doorway.
Her silver hair was like frost, her demeanor as cold as ever, but her silver eyes wavered slightly the moment they fell upon Reya’s pale, sleeping face on the bed.
She made no sound, drifting toward the bedside like a moonbeam.
She bent down, gazing at Reya’s brow, which was furrowed even in sleep, and her weak breathing. A trace of deep sorrow and helplessness flickered in her eyes.
A moment later, she turned to Jon, her usual composed posture restored, and gave a slight nod.
"Master, the manor and the Workshop are secure."
"According to preliminary statistics, during yesterday’s operation, our Mechanical Body units dispersed or suppressed twenty-seven groups of rioters in the southwestern workshop district and adjacent neighborhoods. We rescued a total of fifty-three trapped households and individual merchants, comprising approximately two hundred and seven people."
"Furthermore, our units coordinated with Master Paris’s suppression teams, apprehending and transferring forty-one rioters whom they could not handle in time. These were primarily concentrated in the Oak Barrel Street and Blacksmith Shop Alley areas."
Jon listened quietly, then nodded.
"Well done. Thank you for your hard work."
He stood up and walked to the window, his gaze falling upon the town’s silhouette outside. It was gradually returning to calm but remained shrouded in gloom.
"All apprentices who participated in last night’s operation have completed their observation period. Formally accept them as members of the Workshop. It’s time they learned something real."
"Now, we need to get the Workshop fully operational."
"How many orders do we currently have on hand?"
Hearing Jon’s question, Rosalind immediately recited a string of data without hesitation.
"Master, Master Paris ordered thirty [Gun Cavalry I] units and five [Fierce Warrior] units. We previously agreed to an expedited production of ten Gun Cavalry and two Fierce Warriors, to be delivered within three days.
"In addition, a group of eleven nobles, including Sir Mute and Baron Valentine, have pre-ordered a total of thirty-seven private guard-type [Guardian] units, with a one-week delivery time."
After hearing the report, the corners of Jon’s mouth finally curved into a slight smile.
"Very good. Go back and arrange to send them a letter. Inform them that the Giant God Workshop will strictly fulfill its contracts. However, their remaining payments—whether in Gold Coins, equivalent materials, or the ores and Magic Crystals specified on our list—must be settled strictly according to the contract’s terms. Payment is due in full upon inspection and delivery."
"Not a single coin less, not a moment’s delay!"
As he said this, a cold, hard edge entered his voice.
"Tell them that in these chaotic times, trust and Power are equally expensive."
"The Giant God Workshop only does business with those who honor their contracts and recognize the value of Power!"