The details of the challenge was surprisingly simple, make a concoction in the form of a powder that could explode.
The primary ingredients had already been discovered by the scientists years prior, so finding the best formula and future improvements to the formula were the actual challenge.
'It's good that we've already learned how to make potassium nitrate a couple years ago from bat shit....' thought Lucky.
The reward for this challenge was a promotion.
Having a promotion would mean that a researcher's base salary would increase, so as soon as they read the reward out loud, everybody started immediately gunning to their respective rooms.
Lucky had a feeling that the most primitive form of gunpowder would soon be invented in mere days.
****
After causing havoc with his new challenge, Lucky's final task of the day was next.
He made way to his new abode.
His new home, in the forest part of Oer was huge.
He had spent a lot of money to hire dwarven architects and engineers in the past couple of years.
Now, his new home was practically done.
A castle.
Built on top of the hill that the cave system was part of, the castle looked majestic.
'As a vampire, it wouldn't be fitting if I didn't have a castle for myself. Though it's a shame that construction started before we invented cement,' he thought.
"Boss, you're here!" Greeted one of the dwarves whilst waving towards Lucky.
"Brutus, you've done well," responded Lucky.
Brutus was one of the few dwarves that settled in Oer due to the war between the goblin kingdom of Gor and the dwarven empire of Jadeus.
Gor was the goblin kingdom that Oer was situated in, and Gor was a dwarven empire that neighbored Gor.
The dwarves were culturally a stubborn race. But when it comes to engineering and craftsmanship, they were the best.
The dwarves that Brutus led, though small in numbers and merely peasant refugees of the war, were all quite knowledgeable in engineering and architecture.
Lucky had accepted them into Oer and hired them to build his castle among many other buildings.
Although the goblins could construct buidlings, they weren't particularly skilled since they had barely any knowledge and practice in the field.
But the dwarves were different. Their culture and society forged them to be adept in such a field.
Thus, Lucky constantly persuaded them to teach their knowledge in the academy.
"I'll ask you again, would you consider teaching in the academy?" Asked Lucky.
"Nope," rejected Brutus bluntly.
Being the most skilled and also the leader of the refugee group, Lucky persuaded Brutus the most.
Yet, due to their culture of being stubborn, Brutus and the refugees refused.
'At this point, they might be biologically stubborn....' thought Lucky.
If he wanted to, he could turn them into vampires and force them into submission.
But he chose not to.
'In order for my new nation to prosper, coercion and forced control needs to be avoided,' he thought.
People do work better and achieve better results out of their own volition.
If he controlled the dwarves by making them his servants, making them teach their knowledge would be easy.
But that would be it. They won't innovate, they won't experiment, and they won't learn anything new unless they were ordered to due to their stubbornness.
It would be a pain to micromanage everyone under his control, especially ones that would try to defy his orders in any way possible.
Entering his new castle, he told Brutus about something.
"We invented a new material."
Brutus was intrigued to hear of this, "oh? A new material?"
"Yes, it's called cement. It's the reason why Oer was celebrating a festival yesterday. It's a viscous liquid that could harden after a few hours. You can mix rocks, sand, and even metals such as iron or steel into it to make it harder, and we plan to use it to build stronger and larger buildings," enticed Lucky.
Brutus then asked, "hmmm, may I hear more about this.... new material?"
"Of course, but unfortunately, you can only learn it through the academy...." responded Lucky with a sad expression.
"You dwarves refused to enter the academy due to your own damn stubbornnes, so you unfortunately can't learn about it," added Lucky.
"Hmph, whatever. It probably sucks anyway," said Brutus with an annoyed expression.
"But I can show you how we're using it. We'll be using it to construct new buildings and infrastructure starting tomorrow, you should all come," said Lucky with a smile.
'Once they see our new buildings, they will definitely become more enticed into entering the academy. And once they enter it, I can make them join the researxh department or become new teachers....'
****
After leaving Brutus to find his new room, Lucky explored his new castle.
Though mostly still empty, he planned to gradually decorate it with the most lavish ornaments and furniture he could buy.
'Now, let's see, there's my room.'
Opening the door to his new bedroom, he could see some furniture moved from his temporary house, back when he first moved out of the cave.
'Huh, I was gonna be moving my stuff, but it's all here?'
His third and final task was moving his stuff into the castle, but it turned out to already be done.
In the king-sized bed were Elena and Erina sleeping.
'They beat me to it, huh?'
Since they weren't daywalkers, they mostly slept through the day.
'Did they move my stuff after I woke up left the house?'
Currently, it was around 5 PM in the afternoon.
It seemed that after yesterday's festival and after Lucky left to see the mayor, they moved Lucky's stuff out of the old house to the castle.
Walking towards the bed, Lucky kissed the cheeks of Elena and Erina, one after another.
During the past 5 years, after they learned that Lucky wasn't actually a child, he had gradually built a romantic relationship with them.
It was only last week that he officially became lovers to the three elven sisters.
Yup, all three of them.
Polygamy was common in the aristocracy of this planet, so the elves weren't particularly opposed to his proposal.
Of course, there was no coercion or vampiric mind control involved.
In truth, he despised such acts. In his past life, he was bullied during most of his childhood.
The bullies were from the same hometown as he was. Moreover, their parents were his parents' employers, so he was forced to hide his situation.
During elementary school up until the end of high school, his bullies pretty much controlled how he lived.
And thus, he grew up despising his weak controlled self. Fortunately, he left his hometown when he entered university.
And because of his hatred towards his hometown and after a certain incident happened, he cut off contact with his family after he moved out and never went back.
'I wonder if I'll ever meet those fuckers again,' thought Lucky.
He wondered what had happened to his bullies, but soon brushed it off.
His new life was going to be different.