The distant howls of wild beasts echoed through the forest, their hunger louder than ever before. The expansion of Greystone had not gone unnoticed, and Kaelen knew that the predators—be they beast, bandit, or something darker—would soon test their growing strength.
He stood atop the crude wooden watchtower near the eastern edge of the village. His eyes swept the treeline, and though the morning mist made it difficult to see far, his instincts were sharper than most. The unease in the air was real.
Behind him, the village bustled with activity. The training ground echoed with the sharp clang of wooden swords, the grunts of militia trainees, and the gentle encouragement of Seraphine, who had quickly taken to training the younger warriors. She moved with lethal grace, correcting stances and barking orders.
Elara stood near the well, casting her illusions in slow, deliberate arcs to confuse mock enemies. Even the smallest child in the village had a role now—gathering berries, collecting herbs, or helping Lyria tend to the small but growing vegetable garden.
Greystone was alive. Fragile, yes—but blooming with purpose.
System Notification
New Passive Effect Unlocked:Due to sustained village development and high citizen morale, [Passive Buff: Inspired Growth] has been activated.Effect: Resource gathering speed increased by 10%, minor health regen to all villagers outside combat.Duration: Permanent (as long as village morale remains above 75%)
Village Morale: 82%
Kaelen nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. But now we start fortifying."
He opened the System Territory Panel once again.
1. Construct Basic Palisade WallCost: 10,000 GoldEffect: Blocks small monster raids, slows humanoid attackers.Refund: 470x = 4,700,000 Gold → 470 System Points = 4 SP
2. Build Watchtower x2Cost: 8,000 Gold per unitEffect: +Sight Radius, Scout Alerts Enabled.
3. Lay Defensive Spike TrapsCost: 3,500 GoldEffect: Deals damage to rushing enemies, slows large beasts.
4. Upgrade Village Core to Tier 2Cost: 25,000 GoldEffect: Unlocks new building options, expands summon capacity, grants 1 new refund exploit use this week.
Kaelen cracked his knuckles. "Let's start with the wall."
Palisade Wall Constructed.Refund Received: 4.7 million Gold.System Points Awarded: +4New SP Total: 75
[Exploit Use Option Available!]Refund Exploit: Summon > Sacrifice > Refund > Repeat (Use 1 of 3 this week?)[YES] | [NO]
Kaelen grinned.
"Not yet. Let's save that for something big."
Kaelen gathered the leadership: Elara, Seraphine, Lyria, and three of the older villagers.
"The wall is up, but we can't rely on wood forever," Kaelen began. "We'll need real stone later, and soldiers that can fight, not just hold spears."
Seraphine leaned forward. "Give me a squad of ten, and I'll drill them until they can stand against ten more."
Kaelen smiled. "Granted. I'll refund their equipment later and reforge it better."
Elara smirked, arms folded. "And I'll mislead the scouts they send. If they don't know where to aim, they can't strike."
Lyria chimed in shyly, "I can use my vines to make traps… or barriers. If anyone gets hurt, I'll help them, too."
One of the older villagers, a man named Harl, raised a hand. "We've got more mouths than hands. We need food soon, Lord Kaelen."
Kaelen nodded. "Leave that to me."
Available SP: 75Category: Summon Expansion, Combat, Utility
[NEW UNLOCKED SKILL]: Undead Reaper Golem (Cost: 40 SP)Summon a skeletal golem infused with necrotic ore. Immune to non-magical attacks. Duration: Permanent until destroyed.Limit: 1 Active
Verdict: Purchase?
Kaelen confirmed instantly.
Skill Acquired: Undead Reaper GolemSummon Now? [YES]
A swirling vortex of black light opened in front of the command hall. The ground shook as a monstrous skeletal golem, over three meters tall, rose from the shadows. Its ribcage was laced with glowing purple ore, and its arms ended in massive cleaver-like blades.
Villagers gasped. The militia backed away instinctively.
Kaelen placed a hand on the golem's leg. "Guard the wall. Kill any beast that crosses the tree line."
The golem let out a soundless growl and lumbered away.
Side Quest Triggered
Title: "Beast Tide"Objective:
Survive first night of increasing monster aggression
Maintain zero civilian casualties
Test effectiveness of new wall and summons
Reward:
3 SP
1 Rare Summon Token
25,000 Gold
Title: First Defender
That night, as the village prepared for the first real threat, Kaelen stood on the wall beside Seraphine.
"You're calm," she said, her eyes fixed on the treeline.
"I have to be. They depend on me now."
"…I like that about you." Her voice was low. "You don't pretend to be a hero. You just do what needs doing."
Kaelen turned slightly to meet her gaze, but before he could respond—
Howls. Lots of them.
The forest came alive with shadows.
Twenty? Thirty?
No—Over fifty monsters spilled out from the trees. Hound-sized beasts with long tusks and glowing red eyes charged like a flood of death.
The villagers screamed.
Kaelen shouted. "Militia, hold the line! Reaper Golem—engage!"
The golem met the charge first, cleaving through three beasts with one mighty swing. Elara conjured illusions of fire, confusing half the pack. Lyria, from behind the wall, summoned thick vines to entangle the rear ranks.
Kaelen raised his hand.
"Arise, my legion!"
Ten skeletal warriors erupted from the ground. Their armor was basic, but they stood unwavering.
The wall creaked—but held.
Kaelen cast [Bone Rain], sharp fragments falling upon the beasts like a storm of daggers.
They began to fall back.
System Notification
Quest Complete: "Beast Tide"Civilians Lost: 0Militia Injured: 2 (Minor)Reward GrantedSP +3 | Rare Summon Token x1 | Gold +25,000 | Title Gained: First Defender
Lyria ran to the injured, vines wrapping gently around their wounds. Healing light pulsed through the leaves. She smiled at Kaelen.
"You protected them."
Kaelen looked around at the village—bruised, bloodied, but alive.
"For now."