Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 1

Edar

Lv. 1

Trait: [Iron Man]

[Iron Man]

You have become the weakest to achieve the final achievement.

Your great will possesses a higher dignity than any being on this land.

Your dignity keeps you composed no matter who the opponent is.

You are immune to mental interference.

Your level does not increase.

—

Looking at the status window made my stomach churn.

At least when it was a game, there was a cheat code called ‘restart’.

If I didn’t like the character I started with, I could just start over.

Even if the level is 1, the difference between being a noble and a slave is enormous.

But now that the game has become reality, I can’t start over.

‘I’d rather have been born a serf, not a noble.’

At least serfs don’t have to worry about being murdered by their stepmother.

Edar is in a situation where it wouldn’t be strange for the carriage door to open and an assassin to rush in at any moment.

‘Level-up impossible penalty, plus assassination threats, and level 1 fixed.’

I reread the effect of the only trait given in the status window, Iron Man.

‘At least I won’t have a heart attack from being hit with murderous intent.’

I chuckled and lowered the status window.

‘Everything depends on what skills I get.’

[You have 1 unconfirmed skill.]

A special reward given in Iron Man mode.

[Would you like to confirm the skill?]

‘I absolutely have to get a 9-star skill.’

When I pressed the button, the roulette started spinning.

Drrrrrr―

Skills have grades, and the grades are divided from 1 star to 9 stars.

9-star skills are only a handful among countless skills.

Among them, there are only a few skills that can overcome the inability to grow penalty.

‘Instant death is the best, followed by psychological control, transformation….’

As I strained my eyes to look at the message, the skills I had hoped for flashed by.

My heart pounded and sank several times as I watched the missed skills, and then the roulette stopped.

[You have acquired ‘Familiar Creation’.]

“What?”

The sound came out unconsciously.

“0 stars?”

—

[Familiar Creation]

[Grade: 0 stars]

[Randomly creates a familiar.]

[The race of the familiar created is fixed to human.]

[The grade range of familiars created at 0 stars is from F to S.]

[The skill cooldown at 0 stars is 168 hours.]

[This skill can be upgraded.]

[Time remaining until next use: None.]

—

I couldn’t close my mouth.

At first, I was going to swear.

Because a 0-star, the lowest grade I had never heard of, came out.

‘The lowest grade wasn’t 1 star?’

I thought I had hit the jackpot.

I realized it wasn’t a dud only after reading the following explanation.

“0 stars, upgradeable skill, unlimited familiar creation? …A hidden skill.”

It was definitely a hidden skill that was rumored to exist but had never been discovered.

I ran my hand over my face and glared at the skill.

[The Familiar Creation skill is available.]

[Would you like to use it?]

An alarm popped up as I stared at it.

As if urging me to use it quickly.

[Wandering Knight Calliope is being created.]

When I used the skill, a flurry of light gathered brilliantly and then faded.

And a knight in plate armor appeared in front of me.

The knight took off her helmet, placed it on her knee, and lightly shook her head.

She was a woman with short blue hair and eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Master. My name is Calliope.”

—

Wandering Knight

Calliope

Lv. 92

Grade: S

Trait: [Familiar]

[Familiar]

This character was created with a skill.

—

‘Level 92, S grade.’

I blinked.

‘Dragon Lord’s level is 96?’

Is it just the Dragon Lord?

The levels of the strongest in Deus Ex are around 90.

Compared to them, level 92 is slightly lower or slightly higher.

I created such a strong person with just one click of a button.

“……”

Calliope quietly looked at me.

‘Let’s calm down. I am the master of the familiar. I mustn’t make a fool of myself with my first impression.’

I smiled and met Calliope’s gaze.

“I am Edar. It’s awkward to call me master, so feel free to call me by my name.”

“Understood. Edar-nim.”

‘Amazing.’

To create a familiar close to max level with just one click of a button.

I didn’t feel strong at all from Calliope, who was facing me.

It just seemed like a frail woman was wearing thick armor that didn’t suit her.

I wondered if I had misread the level, but even when I looked at the status window again, the level and grade were the same.

Rather, the trait that I had missed because I was so focused on the level and grade caught my eye.

‘Familiar.’

Why would there be a trait specifically called familiar?

Calliope’s appearance was exactly the same as a human’s, even when viewed up close.

Her ears weren’t long, her skin wasn’t blue, and there were no particularly different features.

“Calliope, what exactly is a familiar?”

“It refers to an artificial life form created by Edar-nim.”

“What’s the difference between a human and a familiar?”

“Familiars do not need to eat or sleep.”

Doesn’t need to eat? Doesn’t need to sleep either?

“That’s right. I feel some fatigue, but I don’t necessarily need to sleep. As long as Edar-nim exists, the created familiar will not starve or age.”

Calliope raised her right hand and placed it on her chest.

‘Also, I am absolutely loyal to my master.’

“……”

The last part was telepathy.

She didn’t move her lips or shake her head.

She conveyed what she was thinking to me as it was.

‘Amazing.’

It’s really amazing.

To create a slave, no, a servant that doesn’t cost anything to maintain every week.

‘Not a week. Every three days.’

—

[You have gained proficiency by using the Familiar Creation skill.]

[The grade of the Familiar Creation skill increases.]

[Grade: 0 stars -> 1 star]

[Skill cooldown reduced to 72 hours.]

—

I narrowed my eyes while looking at the changes caused by the grade increase.

‘This skill… it’s amazing even now, but it has even more potential.’

The cooldown time, which was 7 days at 0 stars, has been reduced to 3 days.

The grade increased by one, reducing it by more than half.

What if the skill becomes 9 stars with this rule?

‘You can create an army and a country with just familiars.’

A country made up of familiars who move without eating or resting, and obey any order.

Each and every one of them is an absolute powerhouse like Calliope.

‘Of course, not everyone will have a high level like Calliope. Statistically, there will be many low levels. But there’s no rule that says familiars can only be used as soldiers. If the level is low, they can be assigned elsewhere.’

They can become farmers and farm, or they can become scholars, blacksmiths, priests, anything.

As I talked more with Calliope, I became convinced.

‘She’s not stupid either. I wondered if her thoughts would be limited because she was created with a skill, but there’s no sign of that either.’

It was just the same reaction as an ordinary person.

Since they don’t need to eat or sleep, you could say they are superior to humans in some ways.

‘Originally, I was only thinking about surviving. But if this is the case… I might be able to aim for more than that.’

The time it takes for a life to be conceived, born, and grow up in the world is long.

However, a familiar is created in just 3 days, and the interval decreases further as the grade increases.

If I have this ‘Familiar Creation’ skill, it will be easy to increase my power.

When power grows, a village is built, the village grows into a city, and the city becomes a country.

‘It would have been harder if I had been in the main family. There were too many eyes watching.’

Even if Calliope was the only one by my side, they would have questioned me.

Who she is and how she is by my side.

‘And they would have tried to drive me away before my power grew.’

I can hide my skills, but I can’t hide Calliope.

Her existence alone will shake the people of the main family.

Who can ignore a powerhouse close to the Dragon Lord?

So Ibella will desperately try to kick me out or kill me.

Because my existence threatens the succession of her children.

‘In this world, humans are a race that must unite. But they are busy cutting their own flesh.’

It’s truly a pathetic family.

‘But it’s okay if I have this skill. Being exiled is a better situation.’

The frontier has very little interference from the main family.

In the first place, it is a place of little value, so they exiled me.

The attention of those who dislike me will inevitably be less.

There is plenty of land to increase my power, befitting the name of the frontier.

‘You told me it was lowly.’

Ibella’s sneer as she looked down at me from the top of the hall stairs came to mind.

Indeed, who is lowly?

An unprecedented crisis is approaching.

A crisis called the Great Disaster, a crisis that threatens the fate of humanity.

Even I, who have seen countless endings, am not sure whether I can overcome the Great Disaster and reach a happy ending.

But if I’m going to see an ending anyway, I should see the best ending, shouldn’t I?

‘I will return. With more than you have.’

I gritted my teeth so hard that they hurt and curled up the corners of my lips.

The distorted faces of those guys came to mind vividly.

“Edar-nim.”

I raised my head at Calliope’s call.

She had her hand on the scabbard at her waist and was staring out the carriage door.

Frontier Village Ollimus