The wind howled across the outer palisade as Arjun inspected the new fortifications. The once-barren land was now bustling with life—refugees turned settlers, crafters setting up forges, children running under the watchful eye of armed patrols. His village was no longer nameless.
It had become a beacon.
[Settlement Title Unlocked: Dawn's Refuge][Buff Activated: +15% Morale, +10% Resource Generation, +5% Growth Rate Across All Facilities]
"Good name," Arjun murmured, pride swelling in his chest.
Bhanu approached, grinning. "We've got patrols rotating. Shayra's mapped weak points in our perimeter. The new wall design? Her idea."
Arjun nodded. "Keep letting her lead the scouts and defense planning. Anyone challenging us now will face a fortress."
Just as he spoke, the wind shifted. It wasn't natural—it felt like… something had arrived.
[System Alert: Unknown Entity Detected Beyond Defensive Perimeter][Classification: Harvester-Class (Corruption Designation)][Warning: System-Originated Enemy Has Entered Phase One Reconnaissance]
A man-shaped figure stood motionless on the cracked soil. Its cloak fluttered as though the wind feared it, and its face… was hidden beneath an ivory mask etched with arcane red veins.
Behind it, the ground blackened wherever it stepped.
[Harvester-Class: Vile Executor – Level ???][Mission: Observe, Test, Annihilate if Deemed a Threat to Balance]
It lifted one skeletal hand. Insects, birds—any living creature in a 10-meter radius—withered to ash.
Then it turned its eyeless gaze toward the glowing village in the distance.
"I smell… evolution."
Priya sat in front of the mysterious egg that pulsed with an unnatural heartbeat. The Beast Hatchery had tried incubating it with normal flames, then magic-infused water, but it demanded something more.
When Priya placed her hand on it, the egg responded, glowing red and gold again.
[Beast Egg Reaction Triggered – Soul Sync Initiated][Mutant Variant Detected: "Dawnflame Kirin (Infant)"][Trait: Heals Allies in Aura Radius, Absorbs Dark Mana to Evolve]
Her eyes widened. "It absorbs darkness? What kind of creature are you?"
Before the system could respond, Shayra rushed into the hatchery.
"Priya! Arjun needs us. Now."
Arjun's brows were furrowed as he looked at the live feed from a scout's crystal orb. It showed a blurred figure in the distance, surrounded by rot.
"We've marked him as a Harvester. System-based enemy, but not part of any known Lord faction," Bhanu said.
"Purpose?"
"Observation and extermination. They purge Lords deemed 'unbalanced.'"
Shayra stepped forward. "That means you. Your growth... it's unnatural. You've built a fortress in weeks. You resist system expectations."
Arjun gritted his teeth. "So we've caught their attention. Then let's show them what our balance looks like."
It came without sound—just silence and sudden screaming.
Towers dimmed.
Guards collapsed before even raising weapons.
A robed figure drifted into the outer ward, and everything it touched turned to ruin.
[Emergency Trigger: Core Defense Activated – Meera's Blessing of Soil Engaged][Passive Defense Bonus: +50% Durability on All Structures for 30 Minutes]
Meera, glowing faintly from her home, clutched her belly as her system reacted to protect her unborn child—and the land around them.
"I don't know why it's doing this…" she whispered.
Priya and Bhanu reached the gate just in time to see Arjun clash with the Harvester.
Arjun's spear hummed with 1000x reinforced steel. His armor, forged from converted beast scales, shimmered under moonlight. He dashed in, thrusting—
But the Harvester caught the spear mid-air.
[Warning: Target Immune to Physical Multipliers]
Arjun's eyes widened.
Then the Harvester whispered. "You are not meant to rise so fast…"
It raised a withered hand—until a blast of searing gold fire struck from the side.
Priya.
Her newly hatched Dawnflame Kirin, though infant-sized, unleashed a roar that repelled the Harvester with radiant aura. Its dark mist retreated, hissing.
Arjun took the opportunity to drive his fist into the ground.
[Skill Triggered: Rooted Echo – Borrow Power of Territory to Strike][Territory Multiplier Active: x1000 Earthforce Activated Beneath Target]
A shockwave exploded from beneath the Harvester. It was launched skyward like a comet, crashing into the distant mountainside.
[System Alert: Harvester Entity Displaced – Combat Concluded for Now][Harvester will return at Higher Difficulty – Estimated Time: Unknown]
The village smoldered in patches, but most of the structures held firm.
"Everyone accounted for?" Arjun asked.
"Six injured, but no deaths," Bhanu reported. "Priya and her Kirin saved the inner circle."
The child beast now curled beside Priya, purring with warm flame. Its presence comforted the villagers more than words could.
Meera joined them, her face pale but determined.
"I think we just declared ourselves to the entire System."
Arjun looked at the broken gate and the crater where the Harvester had landed.
"We didn't declare," he said, gripping Meera and Priya's hands. "We made a promise."