Altair stood on the familiar land of Cintra Village—yet, what lay before him now felt entirely foreign.
Gone were the crooked fences, the wooden cottages, the smoke curling lazily from chimneys, and the scent of fresh herbs drying in the sun. In their place stood two new structures: a stone house and a warehouse, both sturdy and solid, constructed precisely as shown in the system's blueprint.
He should have been overjoyed. These were tangible signs of progress. The kind of things most could only dream of having. But as his gaze swept across the surrounding area, that flicker of excitement died in his chest.
He stood frozen in place, his expression crumbled.
This…
All around him was nothing but barren land. Flattened, cleared, lifeless. The homes of his neighbors, the shaded trees, the worn stone paths—erased. Even the land's natural curve had been leveled out. He was standing in the heart of a massive, empty field.
His heart pounded in disbelief.
"What... what happened here?" he whispered, a tremor in his voice.
He spun around, eyes searching for any remnant of the village. There was nothing. Not even rubble.
"System," he called out in a strained voice. "What happened to our village? Was there a battle here? How did our village become like this? Why does it look like a wasteland?"
[The host selected this location to construct the stronghold. To prepare for future expansion, I measured the necessary area and cleared all obstructions for construction.]
The response hit him like a hammer to the chest.
Altair stood there, frozen. Then he whispered numbly, "So… this is my fault?"
He turned toward the place where his home had once stood. It hadn't been much—old and creaky, barely standing. But it had been his. It held memories: of his mother's voice, the warmth of her cooking, the quiet evenings under the stars.
Now, there was nothing but earth. Smooth, sterile earth.
Their village had never been wealthy, but it had been self-sufficient. The people of Cintra earned their livelihood through honest, backbreaking work—farming, hunting, and gathering herbs. It wasn't much, but the money earned from this was enough for them to live. Enough to fill their bellies, to trade for necessities.
If someone wanted to build a house—or even just fix a leaking roof—they'd have to tighten their belts, skip a few market trips, and save every copper they could find. For some, it could take months. For others, years.
So every home that stood in Cintra wasn't just a structure—it was their home, built by their sweat and blood.
And now… all of it was gone.
Because of him.
At the moment, he really want to cry blood.
With the situation right now, it would be hard to say whether the villagers can go back to this place. So it didn't matter anymore as they were just waiting for this place to be corroded and swallowed. But that still didn't stop him from feeling guilty.
"I… I'm a sinner," he choked out, falling to his knees.
His body trembled as he bowed his head deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"Village chief… Grandpa, Grandma… Aunties, Uncles… everyone… Mom…" His voice cracked and he felt like crying, "I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean for this to happen. I swear..."
He kowtowed again and again, while mumbling an apology.
"System…" he rasped. "Why didn't you tell me this would happen? There were so many open spaces here. Why did you have to destroy it?"
[The host did not request clarification. The clearing was a necessary part of stronghold foundation protocols.]
"Can't you restore it back?"
[Apologies, Host. Reconstruction is not possible.]
Altair remained silent, as he felt like cursing the system. Though he had expected that. But hearing it confirmed left an ache in his chest that words couldn't reach.
He was previously happy that he can build the stronghold here, as it means that he can come back. But who knows it will end up like this.
He can only make it up to them in the future.
He sadly stood up and turned to the house in front of him. Fortunately he chose to build the house, else they would be homeless here.
The stone house was two stories tall, its walls strong and clean. The wooden door creaked slightly as he pushed it open, revealing a cozy but bare living room. A few benches made of polished wood sat around a low table, and a simple fireplace was set against one wall. It was spartan, but solid.
Beyond the living room was a dining area with a round table and four chairs. The adjacent kitchen space had stone countertops and a wood-fired cooking stove, though no utensils or pots were present yet.
He nodded in quiet approval. It was practical. Though it felt cold inside, it was safe and sturdy.
Climbing the stairs, he found a small hallway with two bedrooms on either side and a central door. The first room is a bedroom that had a single wooden bed, a small desk, and a window letting in warm sunlight. The opposite room mirrored it almost exactly.
Opening the middle door revealed a surprise: a bathing area. A large wooden tub stood in the corner, and behind a partition was a curious square-shaped stone seat with a hole in the center.
He blinked. "Is this… a latrine?"
He remembered something from the blueprint—the house had a stone pit beneath it. Realization dawned on him.
"This is genius…" he muttered. "No more digging pits outside or carrying chamber pots."
He was genuinely impressed. Despite the emotional weight he carried, this innovation brought a small sense of wonder.
Still, he reminded himself: the house could be upgraded. If this was the base version, what would an upgraded one look like?
His curiosity rekindled, Altair opened his status window.
---
Current Tasks
Walls: Locked (100 Trust Points)
Description: Stone walls capable of withstanding normal human attacks.
House: Unlocked (Upgrade: 200 Trust Points)
Food Warehouse: Unlocked (Upgrade: 200 Trust Points)
---
Two structures were available for upgrade. Unfortunately, no detailed descriptions were available—just upgrade costs. Still, the idea that things could improve gave him hope.
"I need to collect more trust points," he muttered. " I really should hurry to adopt more kids… The warehouse should be expanded again too."
With that thought, he turned to the second building—the food warehouse.
The large stone structure stood tall and wide, with reinforced walls and heavy wooden doors. He approached, heart pounding with anticipation.
"Based on the description of the warehouse, there'd be food inside," he whispered. "I hope there should be enough for the three of them…"
He gripped the door handles and pushed.
The doors creaked open heavily, revealing a neatly arranged interior.
And what he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief.