It was only a matter of time before the prisoners would come to check what had happened, but Zenis checked the bodies in a hurry after covering his face with the cloak. He did a favor to the previous Zenis and rescued his mother and sister, but looking after them was out of the question.
In the end, he only found a few dozens of silver coins and some weapons of high quality. He couldn’t transport them, though. And since he didn’t get any better spear, he just traded his for another and stored a set of them as well to have some spares.
“They aren’t coming. I guess they can’t free themselves from the ropes,” Zenis thought and then sighed. “I didn’t have to go there since I can’t carry anything else with me and they will have to start over with the surrounding things. Oh well, it is better to finish what I started.”
While it looked weird for someone of his stature to show up and free the prisoners, they didn’t react much when Zenis approached. They thought that just another bandit killed them and now was going to take ownership over them.
After cutting the ropes that tied them up, Zenis grabbed some of the food that the bandits left and then went to grab his horse. The prisoners still didn’t know what to do now.
“YOU ARE FREE TO GO,” Zenis roared while trying to mimic a rough voice since he didn’t want Zenis’ mother and sister to recognize his voice.
The women and the girls shrived after hearing the shout and soon began to move. The mission was over and Zenis completed only by suffering some scratches. He also got a few levels… now he could face most human opponents. He wasn’t judging the power level of the people of that world based on the bandits, but he knew that he could make up for the difference with skill.
Zenis - Lv 15 (700/1500)
HP: 110/130
MP: 30/30
STA: 135/135
Strength: 28
Vitality: 13
Toughness: 03
Magic: 03
Spirit: 03
Wisdom: 03
Perception: 03
Dexterity: 28
Endurance: 13
Free Points: 05
Skills: Dash Lv 01, Stamina Plus Lv 01, Alchemy Lv 03, Sleep Resistance Lv 01, Spear Mastery Lv 06, Silent Strike Lv 03, Heavy Throw Lv 01
Traits: None
Bloodlines: None
“All righty,” Zenis said and then began to ride his horse. “The chains of weakness aren’t that strong on me anymore. Now that the previous Zenis is out of the picture, it is time to think in the long run… How should I take over this world?”
Zenis had a bunch of options. Military conquest was a prevalent method employed by many rulers to expand their territories. A powerful leader would raise an army and invade neighboring territories, seizing control through force. This was often accompanied by the establishment of fortifications and garrisons to maintain control over the conquered lands.
Marriage alliances also played a significant role in expanding influence and securing territories. Rulers would arrange marriages between their own family members and members of other powerful families or ruling houses. Through these alliances, they would gain legitimacy, access to resources, and sometimes even inheritances or claims to thrones. That was hard for the current Zenis, since he was a nobody as of now.
Economic power was another means of exerting influence. Rulers could accumulate wealth through trade, taxation, or control over valuable resources. By controlling key trade routes or monopolizing specific industries, they could amass significant wealth, which in turn translated into political power and influence. That was also difficult for Zenis, even though he had some silver coins.
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Lastly, religion played a central role in many societies, and rulers often sought to expand their influence through religious means. They would align themselves with influential religious leaders, support the construction of important religious institutions, and use religion to legitimize their rule. In some cases, rulers even claimed a divine right to rule, tying their authority directly to religious beliefs.
“I am a Star-King, but that is more of a title to describe my power, I am not a real deity, moreover, this isn’t my domain, so I can’t use my influence here as the Star-King of time,” Zenis rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Military conquest was naturally the best option, but there are other subdivisions when it comes to that. Rapid conquests, siege warfare, guerrilla warfare, naval conquest… Zenis would need to learn more about the world to decide what he should do. The quickest option seemed to become a dictator, one that wouldn’t tolerate insubordination, and his orders were absolute.
“I don’t like that kind of thing a lot, but it is the best method… I should find a balance between that and making people think that I should rule that way because it will benefit them,” Zenis said. “Well, I will have time to think about this. I don’t think that anyone will follow the rule of someone under fifteen.”
To leave the mountain, Zenis used his horse to gain time, and the animal had an easy time since it was a downhill path and it had rested for a couple of hours. He slipped a few times, but he recovered his balance.
“From now on, you will be Xantus, you deserve a proper heroic name, my first stead,” Zenis said while patting the head of the animal. “Let’s go. We have a world to conquer.”
The previous day had been a bit tiresome for the horse, so Zenis decided to take it slow for a while. Thanks to that, it took him two days to return to the village where he got the horse. He walked around and asked if anyone could sell clothes for a boy of his age. It took a while, but he bought some spares with his money.
“This place only has low quality weapons, and the defensive gear is too big for me…” Zenis thought while looking around. “They don’t have books either, and Zenis was too young to know how to read. Still, I need to learn more about the world and how things work here and reading will be the first step.”
Also, while Zenis knew his strengthening methods, he forgot them and he won’t recall them in normal situations. He also had to develop another fighting style from scratch. Using the martial arts of that world will help him with that. Unfortunately, there are only low-level soldiers there, no real experts in the village.
“I will train for a while in the dungeon and then move on to a big city,” Zenis thought.
Zenis moved toward the North of the village and after half an hour, he found the entrance of the dungeon. The structure resembled a grand mausoleum. The facade was constructed from weathered stone, covered in intricate carvings and ornate details. The entrance was marked by a towering archway adorned with ancient symbols.
“This is no normal dungeon… it isn’t something that was built naturally,” Zenis studied the place while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Flanking the entrance are two guards, standing vigilant. They are clad in heavy armor, their helmets concealing their faces. Each guard held a weapon, a halberd and a sword, displaying their readiness to defend the dungeon’s secrets from unauthorized personnel.
The guards’ armor was engraved with intricate patterns, indicating their status and allegiance. Perhaps they bear the sigil of the ruling authority responsible for its protection. Their stoic expressions and stances showed a sense of discipline and determination.
“They seem almost at the level of royal guards. I can tell that they are leagues above the bandits,” Zenis thought while nodding in satisfaction. “They put guards to protect the dungeon, but not their borders… the ruler here is an incompetent buffoon.”
The ruler was probably some taxes from the dungeon and sent just enough guards to keep it under control. Zenis was planning to talk with them in order to enter or knock them by surprise, but that won’t happen while they were wearing armor… he either had to kill them or let it go.
“If I were the cringe Star-King of chaos, I would kill everyone and say: how dare you look at me? You are courting death,” Zenis muttered. “Still, I am past the point of acting like a gallant hero. I am too old for that. Once I began to kill those who didn’t try to kill me, I won’t be able to stop. That would be too hypocritical. Once I do that, I will have to become a dictator through and through and then eventually risk making the whole world turn against me. That isn’t a real conquest. A wise man once said: “To win, but not destroy; to conquer, but not humiliate: That is what true conquest is!”
Zenis smiled when he thought of that… his goal was clear, but he would have a lot more fun by making true friends and allies along the way. In the end, Zenis decided to turn left and then look for another place to train until night.
Although his body wasn’t fully developed yet, Zenis could do a few things to improve his fighting powers. To be able to do that, he decided to train in a grove. First of all, he needed something more aside from surprise attacks and raw strength to defeat enemies. That would only work against simpletons. Against people like the guards, he would need a decent trick to make their armor become essentially useless.
Before anything, Zenis tied up Xantus in a tree and then sat down on the ground in the lotus position and then let his spear rest on his legs while he recalled the battle two days ago. He wondered what he could have done to end the fight faster and to avoid suffering any damage.
“I won’t say that it was disgraceful to suffer wounds from mortals, but it certainly wasn’t peak performance,” Zenis thought.
The basic of spear fighting style was obvious. They were: Grip and Stance, Thrusts and Strikes, Footwork and Mobility, Defense and Blocking, Feints and Disruptions, Coordination and Timing, Strategy and Awareness. Zenis knew all that, but he had yet to master everything. His body wasn’t even ready for that, anyway, so he needed something else and the answer was clear. He needed a decent skill.
