Waking up in the early dawn, I finished the meal Chloe prepared and headed to the training ground. I repeated the same schedule as usual and returned late in the evening, without going into any dungeons. Even the daily dungeons, which had become routine, excluded the members of Party 1.
After clearing the 15th floor, Amkena seemed to be focusing on things other than us. Her main activities were fostering sub-parties and gathering resources.
Finishing the morning training, on the way to the mess hall for lunch, I spotted a group of Heroes emerging from the Rift of Time and Space. It was a party that had just finished a daily dungeon. Enoch the carpenter was among them. His expression was deeply furrowed. As Enoch split from the group and headed towards the warehouse, I stopped him.
"What happened?"
"They weren't working," Enoch said in a monotone voice. "They just tossed around a few branches and fooled around in the forest. Thanks to them, I had to work my butt off alone."
Enoch glared at the group heading into the living quarters, laughing amongst themselves, and sighed. It was rare for the usually impassive Enoch to show such emotion.
"Things have certainly changed, haven't they? Back then, people like that would have had no choice but to die. The world's gotten better, hasn't it?"
"Is that so?"
"Keep up the good work." Enoch went into the warehouse. It seemed he intended to transport timber from the warehouse to the equipment workshop. As a capable carpenter, he was incredibly busy.
I looked up at the sky. Amkena was currently logged in. She must have realized that the results from daily dungeons and training weren't the same as before. Operational efficiency was rapidly deteriorating.
'Hmm.'
There were two possible methods.
The first was mass Synthesis. In that case, almost all second-generation Heroes would be sacrificed. However, work and training efficiency would increase. There'd be no choice if they didn't want to die. This method had considerable drawbacks. Overusing Synthesis would drastically increase the stress level in the waiting area. Therefore, most Masters moderated the use of Synthesis to manage stress levels.
The second was to provide Heroes with a motivation other than fear.
'We'll see soon enough.' Amkena wouldn't just stand by. She would make a decision, whether the first or the second option.
I entered the living quarters' mess hall. The lunch menu was chicken soup.
And that evening.
As I was tending to my sword in the training ground, the door to the Hall of Magic opened, and Iolka emerged. Iolka had skipped training but hadn't stopped her research. It seemed she had just finished today's portion.
Since raising Hero Responsiveness, she had researched diligently without missing a day, so she must have accumulated quite a few research points.
Amkena immediately brought up the research status window.
[Research!]
[Current development status is as follows:]
[1. Hero Responsiveness Research (Lv.1)]
[2. Facility Expandability Research (Lv.0)]
[3. Dungeon Deepening Research (Lv.0)]
The cursor moved and selected number 2.
['Facility Expandability Research' selected.]
[Upgrade? 150 Research Points will be consumed.]
[Yes (Selected) / No]
[Ding!]
[Research, 'Facility Expandability' is now Lv.1.]
[The number of buildable facilities increases.]
[Facility details can now be changed.]
[Facility Customization function unlocked.]
[Tips/Facility Customization allows the Master to alter facility structures to their liking. Decorate and change your waiting area to make it uniquely yours!]
Unlike with Hero Responsiveness, there were no flashy effects. Only a simple message announcing the function unlock appeared.
Facility Customization. A system allowing the structure of facilities to be overhauled. Dozens of construction tools were provided, enabling the implementation of complex facilities based on the Master's manipulation.
I took a swig from my water bottle. The research on facilities was complete. It seemed she was preparing to begin renovating the waiting area. A long time had passed since the waiting area was last expanded, and the number of Heroes had increased. It was a reasonable choice.
As I stood up, Aron, who had just finished sparring with Edis, approached me. Since returning from the 15th floor, Aron had been immersed in training from morning till night. He was completely drenched in sweat.
"Han, please."
"In that state? You won't last a minute."
"I'm fine."
"You think pushing yourself blindly will make you stronger?"
"But..."
I hooked the longsword leaning against the wall onto my belt. It was early evening, not yet midnight, and the training ground was empty except for the members of Party 1 and Party 2. Party 3 was out on a mission.
"It's still early. Where are you going?" Zena called out as she came from the shooting range.
"Not going anywhere. Been summoned."
"Huh? What do you mean..."
[Everyone gather in the plaza!] Iseul's resonant voice echoed throughout the waiting area.
I shrugged. "Like that."
"How do you always predict these things?"
"Anyway, it's assembly time. Stop training. Put away whatever you were doing."
After returning our equipment to the display racks, we went out into the plaza. Dozens of people were murmuring and milling about. The plaza felt crowded. Amkena had been performing draws at least once a day, albeit all free ones.
Zena looked up and muttered, "This is the first time the Master has called everyone together."
"Maybe she's planning Synthesis?" Edis's expression turned worried.
I smiled and said, "Guess everyone but ten people will be Synthesized."
"Isn't that a bit many?"
"What's the problem? She can just draw more."
"Sacrificing all of them is..."
"I suppose so," I conceded.
I scanned the Heroes gathered in the plaza. Chloe, Enoch, and the other auxiliary staff. The combat personnel, including myself, Zena, and Edis. And the useless ones who were neither here nor there. The third group averted their gazes the moment our eyes met.
[Is everyone here? Anyone missing besides those in the dungeon? If you skipped out sleeping, you're in big trouble!]
"Everyone's here," Chloe reported.
Iseul nodded satisfactorily and said, [We're starting major construction now. So, all of you, stay put in the warehouse and don't come out. You might get erased if you get caught up in it. Got it?]
"Construction... you mean like last time!" Zena's eyes lit up. "True, the number of people has increased. It's time for construction. I wonder how it'll change."
"Construction?" Edis asked.
"You wouldn't know since you came late, sister. Sometimes the Master builds new facilities in the waiting area. I hope we get a bathhouse with hot water this time." Zena grinned broadly as she answered Edis's question.
[Everyone present, enter the warehouse. Go!]
The warehouse door rumbled open. People filed into the warehouse in a line. When I entered last, the door closed. The inside of the warehouse was cold and dark. People whispered uneasily. Aron asked me,
"What do you think will be built, Han?"
"Who knows. What's clear is that it won't meet expectations."
"Meet expectations?"
"You'll see."
There had been several opportune moments to raise the facility levels. But Amkena waited until the Expandability research was finished before starting the upgrade. The intention was clear. There were plenty of Gems to build facilities too. Amkena hadn't performed a single paid draw since the last time she spent money.
Messages announcing the construction appeared.
[Constructing facility. Please touch the desired facility type.]
['Living Quarters Lv.3' selected. Upgrade this building?]
[Yes (Selected) / No]
[Living Quarters have reached level 3. Hero capacity limit increased.]
Starting with the Living Quarters, construction completion messages followed one after another.
[Auxiliary building 'Bathhouse' for 'Living Quarters' selected. Construct?]
[Yes (Selected) / No]
[Auxiliary building 'Lounge' for 'Living Quarters'...]
[Auxiliary building 'Mess Hall' for 'Living Quarters'...]
['Training Ground Lv.3'...]
Rumble... An unexpected tremor shook the waiting area. People looked around anxiously.
[Bathhouse construction complete! Hero facility satisfaction increased.]
[Lounge construction complete! Heroes' fatigue will be significantly reduced.]
[Mess Hall is now level 2! Higher quality meals will be provided to Heroes.]
[Training Ground is now level 3! Hero training efficiency increased!]
[Great!]
[Due to the proliferation of facilities, the Plaza evolves to Lv.3!]
[Excellent!]
[The Waiting Area evolves to Level 2! Floor count increased. More facilities can now be installed.]
Amkena didn't pause her actions. Following the facility window, the customization window opened.
[Changing facility structure.]
[Loading external map data.]
Zena was explaining the current phenomenon to the others. "The Master knows, right? She's building new structures for us. We started in a shabby place too, you know."
"You mean the facilities are improving?"
"Think of it that way."
"Excellent! My bed was uncomfortable."
"Can we try new kinds of food?"
Soon, the people were chatting cheerfully. Thick anticipation hung on their faces.
[Construction complete! You can come out of the warehouse now.]
The door leading to the plaza opened. People surged out as if they had been waiting.
"Whoa, it's true! The buildings have changed!" someone exclaimed, their face beaming.
I walked out slowly at the very back of the group.
'They added a second floor.' The plaza's structure wasn't drastically different from before, but a tall staircase leading upwards had been erected in a corner. Beyond the stairs was a transparent ceiling – the ceiling of the first floor and the floor of the second – through which the sky was clearly visible.
"Bathhouse! Bathhouse!"
"Interesting," Zena dashed towards the living quarters. Edis muttered and followed her. A small procession formed from the warehouse towards the living quarters.
Having reached level 3, the Living Quarters must have also become a two-story structure. Same for the Training Ground. In effect, the entire waiting area had transformed from a single-story to a two-story layout.
First floor of the Living Quarters. Instead of joy, bewilderment was plastered on people's faces.
Edis muttered, "Doesn't it feel... worse somehow?"
"Indeed."
The stove was gone. The sofa was gone too. Carpets, picture frames, all decorations had vanished. The lobby only contained a few chairs that looked like they would break if sat on.
"What is the meaning of this!"
"It wasn't like this last time?" Zena murmured, looking troubled.
A young woman walked out from the corridor and said, "The beds are gone too! Are we supposed to sleep on the floor?!"
"No, that can't be right..."
"It very well can be." I stepped forward. Everyone's attention focused on me. I tapped the staircase built in the lobby corner with my foot and said,
"Can't you see the stairs? Just go up."
"Maybe!" Zena's eyes sparkled as she scampered up the stairs. Finally understanding, people followed behind Zena.
The second floor perfectly met people's expectations. Soft carpets and a fireplace. Plush sofas. The rooms had beds with high-quality sheets, and the bathhouse was filled with warm, clean water. People, faces beaming with joy, began discussing room assignments, figuring out where each would stay.
Of course, no one volunteered to stay on the first floor.
[Why are you all talking nonsense?]
"Nonsense...?"
[It's not over yet. Everyone gather in the second-floor plaza! The Master will assign your rooms personally.]
This time, everyone gathered in the second-floor plaza. The basic structure was similar, but from the second floor, one could look down onto the first-floor plaza.
[Setting facility details.]
[Living Quarters selected. Auxiliary buildings are as follows:]
[Mess Hall Lv.2, Bathhouse Lv.1, Lounge Lv.1]
[Mess Hall Lv.2]
[Assigned Managers: 'Chloe (★)', 'Amarin (★)']
[Available dish types: Meat, Potatoes, Fruits...]
In the corner of my vision, Amkena's control panel moved chaotically. Sensing something was off, people began to murmur.
Edis frowned. "I don't understand the Master's intentions."
I let out a small laugh. What Amkena was doing was simple.
She was creating hierarchy within the waiting area.