Chapter 261 Build the Stronghold
Under the deep discussion of these top guilds and their superiors.
They decided to invest 10 million people to help Maximus build the stronghold.
In return, Maximus needed to pay these people the above-standard labor price.
More importantly, Maximus needed to surrender the place to them without any payment after he left.
The condition is quite normal, so Maximus quickly agreed to it.
Paying for manpower is required in everything.
Even his guild members needed to be paid, so how could he default payment on outside help?
As for the standard payment?
It was only a little above the salary given by their respective guilds, which is not even comparable to the salary of his guild members.
Maximus was even willing to pay double if they invested more manpower.
Unfortunately, these top guilds were also short of personnel.
As for giving the place to them for free, it was not that important.
Although he legally owned the place, sooner or later he would leave it.
They just specifically added it to the contract fearing Maximus would build another stronghold here after all their investment.
After all, the place is easy to defend, without needing too much manpower, which is simply a money-making paradise.
Soon after settling all the miscellaneous things in the guild.
Maximus came back to Purgatory City and tended to his shop.
...
A week later.
At the Shadow Hunter Outpost, teleportation array.
Millions of people came out one after another, swarming the place.
Fortunately, they were quite disciplined, so there was no chaos.
Among the crowd was Felipe, a vagrant who was hastily recruited by some guild to provide manpower here.
"So this is where we will build the stronghold, huh?" Felipe thought as he surveyed the dilapidated place.
Before coming here, they were already informed that they were here to help build the stronghold.
Not knowing what to do, he stayed in place like the others.
Soon, all the ten million backup manpower sent by the top guild arrived.
"Please observe discipline and receive the magic bracelet given to you by the puppets," Andrew started, waving his hand.
Hundreds of thousands of puppets began distributing the bracelets.
Receiving the bracelet, Filipe quickly bound it with his mana signature as a panel popped up.
[Temporary Guild Worker: No. 1010
Mission (Click to Expand)
Rewards (Click to Expand)
Stronghold Guideline (Click to Expand)
Stronghold Progress (Click to Expand)
...]
It was all kinds of tabs iterating their missions, rewards, progress, guidelines, and many more.
Clicking on the mission tab, he quickly saw a myriad of missions about the stronghold.
From putting the smallest screw, carving lanes, drawing runes, etc.
"It seems that this guild is quite detailed in what they do," Filipe muttered.
He was quite amazed that there was already a complete blueprint of the stronghold, from the smallest details to miscellaneous designs.
What they needed to do was just click the mission and work; no need to ask, no need to follow anyone.
"I wonder if they're still recruiting people," Filipe thought longingly.
He was only a temporary member of some guild he didn't even remember.
Basically, he was here for the pay.
If the one building the stronghold is recruiting, he would be the first to sign up.
After receiving and choosing a mission, they began to work.
As the minutes pass the stronghold began to change like magic.
Under the sufficient supply of resources and manpower, the progress of the stronghold proceeded at lightning speed.
Based on the analysis of Eternal Voyager, who was already integrated into the stronghold's core and overseeing the project.
It would only take a few decades before the stronghold is complete.
Building a fully mobile stronghold with a few million kilometers in size, in a few decades is relatively fast.
...
Soon, a year passed.
With the power of ten million powerful workers, the surface of the stronghold was roughly built.
Looking at their work, they couldn't help but smile.
"Boss, how about the rest day we mentioned? Is it approved?" A man asked Andrew flatteringly.
"My guild leader heard your plea!"
"As a reward for your hard work in the past year, you can rest today with a feast!" Andrew announced.
"Hooray!! To the mighty guild leader!"
"Hahaha, I can finally rest!"
"There is also a feast! What a conscientious guild!"
The crowd celebrated hearing what Andrew announced.
In the stands, Filipe also smiled widely, hearing that they could finally rest.
In the past year, they were more tired than puppets due to continuous work.
Second after second, they were working.
It's not that they were forced to do it, but because of the inhuman reward system Maximus had set.
The mission reward system stated that if you finished a mission ahead of time, there was a 10 percent bonus.
Don't just look at it as ten percent; with their reward for each mission, they could earn a significant amount with every percentage.
This wasn't the most evil part.
The worst part was the stronghold daily contribution percentage quota.
Each day you finished this quota, you would have a percentage multiplying your income.
Meaning, that throughout the year they were working here, their income was already three times the usual amount.
As for the consequence of not finishing the quota, all your cumulative income multiplier would disappear.
This crazy rule of throwing money brought tears and cheers at the same time.
They were happy that they could earn more than they could imagine.
Yet in tears because of the inhuman workload they needed to finish every day.
Now, hearing that they could rest without the cumulative income disappearing.
The smiles on their faces couldn't be suppressed.
...
On top of a building.
Maximus, who was watching the people celebrate, couldn't help but smile wryly.
"It looks like I overworked them a little," Maximus muttered apologetically.
Andrew on the side could only sigh at his guild leader's willfulness.
Even he, who was overseeing the stronghold construction, was tired as a dog, let alone those helpless people.
"By the way, how is the progress poaching them?" Maximus asked.
"It is progressing well; we have already persuaded over a hundred thousand people to join our guild after the stronghold finished the construction."
"Hmm, that's good."
A year ago, Maximus gave Andrew and the guild a secret mission to poach these people.
Although it was unilaterally tearing face with these top guilds, Maximus didn't care.
These top guilds were unlike the Etherium Chamber of Commerce and the like.
Although they are also called top guilds, their foundation isn't enough for him to back down.
Poaching huge manpower was a must before going to the purgatory layer.
After all, a few thousand people were even not enough to properly operate the stronghold.
As for recruiting people who had not yet joined the guild, Maximus also tried it.
Unfortunately, there was not much result.
Almost all the people in the abyss realm already belonged to a certain guild or organization.
The remaining ones didn't have much value and were simply cannon fodder.
Taking these people to the purgatory layer, or even the source layer, is simply suicide.
...
Two years later.
Maximus and Skye looked around the stronghold.
"Is this the previous stronghold?" Skye asked as she marveled.
The surface of the stronghold—all the supporting facilities, entertainment, storage, supply, residence, etc., were basically complete.
Looking at the bustling scene, Skye would never imagine that this was a desolate place a few years ago.
"This is the nonstop work of ten million people and endless investment of material resources," Maximus said confidently.
"Tsk, tsk, so rich!" Skye clicked her tongue, imagining how much Maximus spent here.
As they walked around on their last tour before returning to the Etherium Realm.
The people in the stronghold looked at them curiously but hurriedly came to work, fearing that they would not complete today's quota.
There were already over ten times the culminative income multiplying.
If it disappeared because of their curiosity they wouldn't even know where to cry.
After touring around, they came to the stronghold's underground basement.
"Guild leader, you're here," Andrew greeted.
"Is the coordinate array finished?"
"It's finished, guild leader," Andrew said, showing the coordinate array engraved on the ground.
"That's good."
"I should be away for at least 30 years; you should know what to do."
"I know what to do, guild leader," Andrew answered.
Years ago, he was already informed by his guild leader that he would come back to the Etherium Realm.
At first, he was shocked, but thinking of his omnipotent guild leader, there was not much surprise.
"Then I trust you to take care of everything." Maximus smiled.
"I will!"
Nodding, Maximus took Skye's hand as he mobilized the large accumulation of mana in his dimensional storage.
Closing his eyes, he activated the relay of the coordinate array he set up in the Etherium realm.
"Are you ready?" Maximus asked Skye.
"I am!" Skye said excitedly, thinking that she could finally go back.
Soon, a large concentrated mana, invisible to the naked eye, began to impact the abyss realm barrier.
Like the most tenacious glass, it didn't budge even after a few hits.
Fortunately, all of this was already in his calculation.
Like a patient hunter, he hit the abyss realm barrier in multiple different weak spots until it created a fragile spot for him to take advantage of.
"Now!"
A massive amount of mana suddenly came out from his hand, hitting the created weak spot.
Maximus looked intently as the dimensional barrier slowly collapsed.
Crack~
Crack~
Crack!
Under the relentless rain of dimensional barrier-breaking mana, a crack finally appeared.
Mobilizing his domain, he quickly took Skye with him and flew toward it.
"I hope nothing happens..."
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