A Realistic Mount & Blade Game

The main house of the stronghold.

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

There were three separate rooms here.

Namely, Shen Mu's bedroom, a storage room, and the room for the guards who were responsible for protecting him on a daily basis.

The guard's room was also adjacent to the corridor, with a firing port narrowing from the inside out.

If attacked by enemies, the guards could quickly set up crossbows or bows and shoot at the outside through the firing port.

Even if something happened inside the stronghold, they could quickly leave and come to Shen Mu's side to protect him.

"Not bad."

Shen Mu looked at each room one by one, especially his own room, which was about 10 square meters, with a smile on his face.

Finally, he didn't have to squeeze together with others, and the feeling of suffocation while sleeping was quite good.

Moreover, torches were placed every four to five meters on the walls inside the stronghold's tower for lighting.

This ensured that there was no complete darkness inside the entire building.

"However, this tower seems to be similar to the wheat field."

Shen Mu came to the wooden stairs on the second floor.

Turning his head to look at the dim light, his face was thoughtful.

There was indeed still darkness inside this stronghold's main house.

But this kind of darkness was still the normal kind.

It was not the complete, pitch-black darkness filled with necromantic rules, which would freeze even the soul, making it impossible to escape, leading to eternal沉沦.

"Darkness not contaminated by necromantic rules."

Shen Mu thoughtfully looked at the dim environment on the second floor under the illumination of those torches, and the narrow windows on the second floor, blocked by wooden boards.

Removing the wooden boards would reveal the truly deep darkness outside the narrow windows, and the gray mist flowing like a solid.

Shen Mu understood that during the day, this would be the southeast corner of the apartment building, the side unit where his previous apartment room was located.

He could see many residential areas, shopping malls, and neatly arranged suburban roads outside.

Of course, right now.

There was only the darkness shrouded by necromantic rules.

"There's also the third floor."

Shen Mu stood at the entrance of the stairs, looking up at the third floor, or rather, the top of the tower.

He frowned slightly.

Stepping on the creaking wooden stairs, Shen Mu held the handrail and came to the top of the tower.

At this time, Shen Mu could confirm that on the empty top of the tower, there was a dividing line of about three meters in height.

Below three meters, it was normal darkness.

Only dim light.

No gray mist.

Above three meters, it was directly the darkness of necromantic rules, filled with a thick gray mist, swirling above.

Carrying a chilling coldness, it made Shen Mu, who was standing on the top of the tower, wearing a cotton robe, chainmail, and a linen robe in three layers, feel a palpitation caused by the cold.

Physical coldness, and, the icy coldness of the soul.

"There's also the corridor."

At this time, Shen Mu came to the edge of the top of the tower, and through the jagged crenellations, he also saw the corridor below.

Perhaps due to the influence of the tower, he could vaguely see the outline of a dark and narrow corridor.

There were still some thin gray mists lingering in it.

But compared to the gray mist in other places, it was simply too thin.

So much so that Shen Mu could see that in the thin gray mist, there were also two or three undead monsters staggering around aimlessly, as if wandering aimlessly, staring with faint blue soul flames, extremely obvious!

Of course, beyond ten meters away, it was no longer clear.

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

"It should be because of the light appearing in the firing ports."

Shen Mu thoughtfully looked down at the faint light appearing on the first and second floors.

Even the faintest light is a weakening of the necromantic rules.

"Let's go back."

Shen Mu returned to the first floor from the stairs.

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

Nothing could make people happier than seeing something from their hometown again in another world.

Including those Swadian farmers.

At this time, they also lifted the curtain leading to the wheat field and poked their heads over to curiously look at this newly appeared big square tower.

"Right, there's also the upgrade of these Swadian soldiers."

Shen Mu's mind communicated with the system.

Immediately, a dialog box popped up.

[You have soldiers that can be upgraded:]

[① Swadian Farmers × 20, can be upgraded to 'Hired Sentry (10 denars each) / Swadian Recruit (5 denars each)'.]

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

"Upgrade all the militiamen to light infantry."

Shen Mu made a direct decision.

As for those farmers, he hesitated slightly.

According to the Mount \u0026 Blade rules, farmers, as tier 0 units, generally have an upgrade path to tier 2 hired sentries, and subsequent units are all hired mercenary units.

However, now, because of the fusion of various versions of Mount \u0026 Blade, there is also an upgrade path based on the farmer's original birthplace, the kingdom's series of upgrade units.

"Farmers upgraded to hired sentries are similar to tier 2 Swadian militiamen, with light crossbows and spears, and their combat power is on par."

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

"The subsequent upgrade of the caravan guards is to cavalry-type hired riders and hired cavalry, as well as infantry-type hired swordsmen and professional warriors."

Shen Mu pondered.

He was quite familiar with the hired units of farmers.

Low-tier units, such as hired sentries and hired crossbowmen, caravan guards and hired riders, are relatively easy to use.

The key is that upgrading is cheap, maintenance costs are low, and experience requirements are also low.

They can form combat power in a short time.

But the higher the upgrade, the worse the combat power will be, not as good as the kingdom series of units, or the slave trade series of units.

It is equivalent to saying that the higher the upgrade, the lower the cost performance.

"But if I remember correctly, the crossbow used by the hired sentries, as a tier 2 unit like the Swadian militiamen, is not a hunting crossbow, but a more powerful light crossbow."

Shen Mu stroked his chin: "And the effect of using the crossbow is much stronger than that of the Swadian militiamen."

The crossbows equipped by archer-type crossbow soldiers are hunting crossbows, light crossbows, war crossbows, heavy crossbows, and the highest level, sniper crossbows, which are only equipped by Rhodok sharpshooters, starting from the lowest level.

A total of five levels.

The higher the level of the crossbow, the stronger the power.

So, this is why Shen Mu hesitated.

After all, as long as you upgrade from a farmer to a hired sentry of the hired system, it is equivalent to directly skipping the first-tier unit and coming to the level of a second-tier unit.

It is indeed a very strong improvement to his combat power.

Even if it comes to the tier 3 hired crossbowman, the effect is much better than the Swadian skirmisher, who is also tier 3.

It's just that the hired archers stop at the tier 3 hired crossbowman.

There is no subsequent upgrade path.

However, if Shen Mu wanted to, he could also upgrade the tier 2 hired sentry to a caravan guard starting from the third tier.

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

Although the combat power is still relatively poor among cavalry units.

But you can't stop a tier 3 unit from being cavalry.

Among the units of the same tier, only the Khergit Khanate, a nation on horseback, has cavalry to suppress the陣脚 in tier 3.

"There are enough melee units now, and there is indeed a lack of ranged units."

Shen Mu also made up his mind directly at this time: "Then upgrade 10 hired sentries and 10 Swadian recruits."

Fifty-fifty.

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

'Buzz!'

A stream of data surged from Shen Mu's brow.

Then it enveloped all 5 Swadian militiamen and 20 Swadian farmers, and began to upgrade.

The light quickly dissipated.

5 Swadian light infantrymen wearing chainmail and holding swords and shields appeared.

10 Swadian recruits wearing coarse linen robes, holding long-handled scythes, and looking slightly stronger also appeared.

But the most noticeable were the 10 hired sentries wearing leather hats, cotton robes and leather-sleeved short coats, carrying simple round shields, holding light crossbows, and equipped with spiked clubs and small two-meter spears, looking more capable.

It can be said that it is the most cost-effective and trustworthy tier 2 unit in the mercenary system in the Warband background!

"Greetings to you! Lord Shen Mu!"

These newly upgraded soldiers all stepped forward at this time and respectfully saluted Shen Mu.

"Yes."

Shen Mu raised his hand, the smile on the corner of his mouth was bright: "Very good."

With these 10 hired sentries, the three-story shooting position of this square tower has stationed ranged shooters.

Shen Mu was satisfied.

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

[Ding! A group of robbers from 'Dhirim' has quietly come to your stronghold and recognized your 'Robber Rendezvous Point'.]

[You can conduct black market trade or sell stolen goods with them.]