Newly Recruited Mercenary Sentinels

Stronghold Main House.

Shen Mu was climbing the steep and narrow wooden stairs, arriving at the second floor.

There were three separate rooms here.

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

The guards' room was also next to the corridor, and the inwardly narrowing firing ports were located here.

If attacked by enemies, the guards could set up crossbows or bows and arrows at any time and shoot through the firing ports at the outside.

Even if something happened within the stronghold, they could withdraw at any time and come to Shen Mu's side for protection.

"Not bad." Shen Mu looked at each one, especially his own room of about 10 square meters, a smile on his face.

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

And on the walls inside the stronghold's square tower, a torch was placed every four or five meters for illumination.

Ensuring there was no complete darkness within the entire building.

"However, the inside of this square tower seems 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 showed contemplation.

There was indeed darkness within this stronghold main house.

But this kind of darkness was still normal darkness.

It wasn't the complete, pitch-black, soul-freezing, utterly inescapable, permanently sinking darkness filled with Necromantic Rules.

"Darkness not contaminated by Necromantic Rules." Shen Mu looked thoughtfully at the dim environment of the second floor illuminated by those few torches, and the narrow windows on the second floor blocked by wooden boards.

Removing the wooden boards, one could see the truly deep darkness outside the narrow windows, and the gray fog flowing like a solid.

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

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

Of course, at the moment.

There was only the darkness shrouded by Necromantic Rules.

"There's also the third floor." Shen Mu stood at the stairwell, 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 moment, Shen Mu could be sure that on the empty top of the tower, there was a dividing line about three meters high.

Below three meters, it was normal darkness.

Only dim light.

No gray fog.

Above three meters, it was directly the darkness of Necromantic Rules, filled with dense gray fog, swirling above.

Bringing waves of chilling cold, making 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 due to the cold.

Physical cold, and, soul-level coldness.

"And the corridor." At this time, Shen Mu came to the edge of the tower top and saw the corridor below through the crenellated battlements.

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

There was still some thin gray fog lingering within it.

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

So much so that Shen Mu could even see two or three swaying Undead Monsters in the thin gray fog, wandering aimlessly as if strolling blindly, their ghostly blue soul fires extremely obvious!

Of course, beyond ten meters or so, he couldn't see clearly.

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

"It should be because of the light coming from the firing ports." Shen Mu lowered his head thoughtfully and looked at the faint light appearing on the first and second floors.

Even the faintest light was 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 Footmen were also curiously examining this tower with typical Swadian civilization style, their eyes filled with excitement.

Nothing was more joyful than seeing something from their homeland again in another world.

Including those Swadian Peasants.

At this time, they also lifted the cloth curtain leading to the wheat field, poking their heads over to curiously look at this new large square tower.

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

Shen Mu's mind communicated with the system.

Immediately, a dialogue box popped up.

You have soldiers ready to upgrade:

① 20 Swadian Farmers, can be upgraded to 'Mercenary Sentinel (10 Denars per person) / Swadian Recruits (5 Denars per person)'.

② 5 Swadian Militia, can be upgraded to 'Swadian Footman (20 Denars per person)'.

"Upgrade all the Militia to Footmen."

Shen Mu made the decision directly.

As for the farmers, he hesitated slightly.

According to the Mount & Blade rules, farmers, as Tier 0 Units, usually upgrade to Tier 2 Units like Mercenary Sentinels, and subsequent upgrades are also Mercenary Faction units.

However, now, due to the integration of various Mount & Blade versions, there is also an upgrade path based on the farmer's original birthplace, which leads to Kingdom Faction units.

"Farmers upgraded to Mercenary Sentinels are similar to Tier 2 Swadian Militia, equipped with Light Crossbows and Spears, with comparable combat power."

"Then Mercenary Sentinels can be upgraded to ranged units like Mercenary Crossbowmen and cavalry units like Caravan Guards."

"Next, Caravan Guards can be upgraded to cavalry units like Mercenary Riders and Mercenary Cavalry, as well as infantry units like Mercenary Swordsmen and Professional Warriors."

Shen Mu pondered.

He was quite familiar with the Mercenary Faction units that farmers could upgrade into.

Low-Tier Troops, such as Mercenary Sentinels, Mercenary Crossbowmen, Caravan Guards, and Mercenary Riders, were relatively useful.

The key was that the upgrades were cheap, maintenance costs were low, and they required little experience.

They could form a fighting force in a short time.

However, the higher the upgrade, the worse the combat power became, unable to compare with the Kingdom Faction series of units or the Slaver Faction units.

In other words, the higher the upgrade, the lower the cost-effectiveness.

"But if I remember correctly, Mercenary Sentinels, as Tier 2 Units like Swadian Militia, don't use Hunting Crossbows, but the more powerful Light Crossbows."

Shen Mu stroked his chin: "And their effectiveness with crossbows is also significantly better than Swadian Militia."

Ranged crossbow units are equipped with crossbows starting from the lowest tier: Hunting Crossbow, Light Crossbow, War Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow, and the highest tier, the Sniper Crossbow, which is only equipped by Rhodok Sharpshooters.

There are a total of five tiers.

The higher the tier of the crossbow, the stronger its power.

Therefore, this was why Shen Mu hesitated.

After all, upgrading from a farmer to a Mercenary Faction Mercenary Sentinel meant directly skipping Tier 1 Units and reaching the level of Tier 2 Units.

It was indeed a significant boost to his combat power.

Even at Tier 3 as a Mercenary Crossbowman, their effectiveness was considerably better than that of a Swadian Skirmisher of the same tier.

However, Mercenary Faction ranged units stop at Tier 3 Mercenary Crossbowmen.

There are no further upgrade paths.

However, if Shen Mu wanted to, he could also upgrade the Tier 2 Mercenary Sentinels to Caravan Guards starting from the third tier.

They would have pack horses, be equipped with cotton armor, and have Spears, fighting picks, simple round shields, and long-handled cleavers.

Although their combat power was still relatively poor among cavalry units.

But they could be cavalry at Tier 3.

Among units of the same tier, only the Khergit Khanate, this nation on horseback, could have cavalry holding the line at Tier 3.

"I have enough melee units now, and I'm indeed lacking ranged units."

Shen Mu made up his mind at this point: "Then upgrade 10 to Mercenary Sentinels and 10 to Swadian Recruits."

A fifty-fifty split.

Ding! You have spent 350 Denars and completed the upgrade.

Buzz!

A stream of data surged from between Shen Mu's eyebrows.

Then it enveloped the 5 Swadian Militia and all 20 Swadian Farmers, and the upgrade began.

The light quickly dissipated.

5 Swadian Footmen, wearing Chainmail and holding swords and shields, appeared.

10 Swadian Recruits, wearing coarse linen robes, holding Long-handled Sickles, and looking slightly more robust, also appeared.

However, the most eye-catching were the 10 Mercenary Sentinels, wearing leather caps, cotton robes and leather-sleeved short coats, carrying simple round shields on their backs, holding Light Crossbows, and also equipped with spiked clubs and short Spears about two meters long, looking quite capable.

It could be said that they were the most cost-effective and trustworthy Tier 2 Unit in the Mercenary Faction in the Warband setting!

"Greetings, Lord Shen Mu!"

These newly upgraded soldiers all stepped forward at this time, respectfully saluting Shen Mu.

"Mm." Shen Mu raised his hand, a bright smile on his lips: "Very good."

With these 10 Mercenary Sentinels, the third-floor firing positions of this square tower now had stationed ranged shooters.

Shen Mu was satisfied.

Just then, Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly.

Ding! A group of robbers from 'Dhirim' has quietly arrived at your stronghold and recognized your 'Robber Rendezvous Point'.

You can now engage in black market trade or fence stolen goods with them.