Real Mount and Blade Game

Chapter 18 Newly Recruited Mercenary Sentinels

The main house of the stronghold.

Shen Mu was walking up the steep and narrow wooden stairs to the second floor.

There are three separate rooms here.

They are Shen Mu's bedroom, storage room, and the room of the guards who are responsible for protecting him on weekdays.

The guard's room is also next to the corridor, and the shooting hole that shrinks from the inside to the outside is opened here.

If they encounter an enemy attack, the guards can set up crossbows or bows and arrows at any time and shoot outside through the shooting holes.

Even if something happens in the stronghold, he can leave at any time and come to Shen Mu's side to protect him.

"Not bad." Shen Mu looked at them one by one, especially at his own room which was about 10 square meters, and a smile appeared on his face.

Finally, I don’t have to squeeze together with other people. I felt a bit suffocated when sleeping. It’s pretty good.

And on the wall of the square tower in the stronghold, there was a torch every four or five meters for lighting.

Make sure there is no complete darkness throughout the building.

"However, the inside of this square tower seems to be similar to a wheat field." Shen Mu came to the wooden stairs to the second floor.

He turned his head to look at the dimmer light, a thoughtful look on his face.

There is indeed darkness in the main house of this stronghold.

But this darkness is still the normal darkness.

Instead of being filled with the rules of the dead, it is a complete, pitch-black darkness that even freezes the soul, a darkness from which there is no escape, and eternal damnation.

"Darkness that is not contaminated by the rules of the undead." Shen Mu looked thoughtfully at the dim environment on the second floor illuminated by the torches, as well as the narrow window in the middle of the second floor blocked by wooden boards.

By removing the wooden board, you can see the truly deep darkness outside the narrow window, and the gray fog that seems to flow like a solid.

Shen Mu understood that when daytime came, this was the southeast corner of the apartment building, the side unit where his previous apartment room was located.

You can see many residential areas outside, as well as shopping malls and neatly arranged suburban roads.

Of course, now.

There is only darkness shrouded by the rules of the dead.

"There is also a third floor." Shen Mu stood at the stairs and looked up at the third floor, or the top of the tower.

Frown slightly.

Walking on the creaking wooden stairs, Shen Mu reached the top of the tower holding the handrail.

At this time, Shen Mu was able to confirm that on the empty top of the tower, there was a dividing line about three meters high.

Below three meters, it is normal darkness.

There was only a dim light.

No gray fog.

Three meters above, there is the darkness of the rules of the dead, filled with thick gray fog hovering above.

With waves of chilly air, Shen Mu, who was standing on the top of the tower and wearing three layers of cotton robe, chain mail, and linen robe, felt a palpitation due to the cold.

Coldness on the physical level, and chillness on the spiritual level.

"There is also a corridor." At this time, Shen Mu came to the edge of the top of the tower, and through the concave and convex battlements, he saw the corridor below.

Perhaps due to the influence of the tower, one can vaguely see the outline of a narrow dark corridor.

There was still some thin gray mist lingering in it.

But compared to the gray fog in other places, it is simply much thinner.

So much so that Shen Mu could see that in the thin gray fog, there were two or three undead monsters staggering and wandering aimlessly, staring at the dark blue soul fire, very obviously!
Of course, it is not clear if you are more than ten meters away.

The power of the gray fog and darkness returned to normal.

"It should be because of the light appearing from the shooting port." Shen Mu lowered his head thoughtfully and looked at the faint light that appeared on the first and second floors.

Even the tiniest ray of light would weaken the rules of the dead.

"Let's go back."

Shen Mu returned to the first floor via the stairs.

At this time, the Swadian light infantrymen were also looking at this typical Swadian civilization-style tower curiously, with excitement in their eyes.

There is nothing more joyful than seeing things from your hometown again in another world.

Including those Swadian peasants.

At this time, they also lifted the curtain leading to the wheat field, and leaned over to look curiously at the newly appeared large square tower.

"Oh, and the upgrades for these Swadian soldiers."

Shen Mu's thoughts communicated with the system.

A dialog box pops up immediately.

[You have soldiers that can be upgraded:]

[① 20 Swadian peasants, can be upgraded to 'Mercenary Sentinels (10 dinars each)/Swadian Recruits (5 dinars each)'. ]

[② 5 Swadian Militiamen, can be upgraded to 'Swadian Light Infantry (20 dinars each)'. ]

"All militiamen will be upgraded to light infantry." Shen Mu made the decision directly.

As for the words about the farmers, he was a little hesitant.

According to the rules of Mount and Blade, as a zero-level soldier, the peasant’s upward upgrade route is generally to the second-level mercenary sentinel, and subsequent soldiers are also mercenary soldiers.

However, now, due to the integration of various versions of Mount and Blade, there is also an upgrade route based on the original birthplace of the peasants, the kingdom-based upgrade of troops.

"Peasants are upgraded to mercenary sentinels, similar to the second-level Swadian militia, with light crossbows and spears, and their combat effectiveness is the same."

"Then the mercenary sentinels can be upgraded to archer-type mercenary crossbowmen, and cavalry-type caravan guards."

"The next upgrade for the caravan guards will be the hired riders and hired cavalry for the cavalry category, and hired swordsmen and professional warriors for the infantry category."

Shen Mu pondered.

He was quite familiar with the peasants' mercenary troops.

Low-level troops, such as mercenary sentinels and mercenary crossbowmen, caravan guards and mercenary riders, are all relatively useful.

The key is that it is cheap to upgrade, has low maintenance costs, and requires little experience points.

Combat power can be formed in a short time.

However, the higher you upgrade, the weaker the combat effectiveness will be, and it will not be as good as the kingdom series or the slave trade series.

This means that the more you upgrade, the lower the cost-effectiveness.

"But if I remember correctly, the mercenary sentinels are second-tier troops like the Swadian militia, and the crossbows they use are not hunting crossbows, but more powerful light crossbows."

Shen Mu touched his chin: "And the effect of using crossbows is much stronger than that of the Swadian militia."

The crossbows equipped by archer soldiers include the hunting crossbow, light crossbow, combat crossbow, heavy crossbow, which start from the lowest level, and the sniper crossbow, which is the highest level and only equipped by Rhodok sniper crossbowmen.

There are five levels in total.

The higher the level of the crossbow, the more powerful it is.

So this is why Shen Mu hesitated.

After all, as long as you upgrade from a farmer to a mercenary sentinel in the mercenary system, it is equivalent to directly skipping the first-level troops and reaching the level of the second-level troops.

It is indeed a great improvement to his combat effectiveness.

Even if it is a mercenary crossbowman who has reached the third level, the effect is much better than the Swadian guerrilla archer who is also at the third level.

However, the mercenary archers can only be mercenary crossbowmen of the third level.

There is no subsequent upgrade path.

However, if Shen Mu wanted, he could upgrade the second-level mercenary sentinels to caravan guards from the third level.

They have pack horses, are equipped with cotton armor, have spears and combat hoes, simple round shields and long-handled machetes.

Although its combat effectiveness is still relatively poor among cavalry-type troops.

But if you reach the third level, you can become a cavalry.

Among the troops of the same level, only the Khergit Khanate, a nation on horseback, can have cavalry to support the enemy at the third level.

"We have enough melee troops now, but we are lacking ranged troops."

Shen Mu also made up his mind at this time: "Then upgrade 10 mercenary sentinels and 10 Swadian recruits."

50-50 open.

[Ding! You have consumed 350 dinars and completed the upgrade. ]

'Om! '

Data stream flowed out from between Shen Mu’s brows.

Then he covered the five Swadian militiamen and 5 Swadian peasants and began to upgrade.

The light dissipated quickly.

Five Swadian light infantrymen wearing chain mail and holding swords and shields appeared.

Ten Swadian recruits, wearing coarse linen robes and holding scythes, and looking slightly stronger, also appeared.

However, the most eye-catching ones were the 10 mercenary sentinels who looked quite tough. They wore fur hats, cotton robes and leather-sleeved short coats, carried simple round shields, held light crossbows, and were equipped with spiked sticks and less than two-meter-long spears.

It can be said that it is the most cost-effective and trustworthy second-tier mercenary type in the background of the warband!

"Hello! Lord Shen Mu!"

At this time, these newly upgraded soldiers all came forward and saluted Shen Mu respectfully.

"Yeah." Shen Mu raised his hand, with a bright smile on his face: "Very good."

With these 10 mercenary sentinels, the third-floor shooting positions of this square tower now have long-range shooters stationed there.

Shen Mu was satisfied.

But at this moment, Shen Mu's heart moved slightly.

[Ding! A group of robbers from 'Dherim' quietly came to your base and recognized your 'robbers' meeting place'. ]

[You can now engage in black market trade with them or sell stolen goods. ]

(End of this chapter)