The morning mist clung to the trees as the first light of dawn swept over the clearing. The trolls stirred first, their massive forms stretching and grumbling as the Glimgobs scurried about, preparing tools, crude ropes, and bundles of supplies.
Hestia emerged from the heart of the camp, shimmering faintly in the half-light.
Hestia* "Today, we will begin to rebuild and we will make this village into a proper city."
The words hung in the air, simple but heavy with promise.
Hestia wasted no time. She gathered the tribes in the center of the clearing and began assigning roles.
Half of the trolls were to begin the massive task of digging a canal from the distant ocean to the village. It would stretch for kilometers, bringing fresh seawater and fish into the city, in a huge reservoir they'd carve in the heart of the new settlement.
The other half would work on excavating that reservoir itself, a colossal pit 50 meters deep and 100 meters wide. It would serve as both a water source and food source for the residents.
The Glimgobs were assigned to reinforce the base of the reservoir and canal. They mixed ordinary clay with white rock powder scavenged from nearby cliffs, creating a mortar-like substance. Hestia reinforced it with mana, turning fragile clay mass into hard and sturdy foundations.
Sol's voice drifted into her mind.
Sol* "Well done, little one. Water is good, water is life. Now you will have easier time in maintaining life in the city. But I must say, I am rather surprised that you thought about this"
For days, the trolls worked in shifts, using enormous crude tools and their bare hands. Trees fell. Stones were split. The canal crept ever closer to the sea.
The Glimgobs scurried about like industrious ants, spreading the clay mixture, forming walkways, and trenches. Hestia wove mana through their work, strengthening every joint and seam.
Monsters grew scarce.
Hestia patrolled the perimeter. Echo Worm nests, rogue Muck Beetles, and even a pair of Cave Serpents fell before her. Their xp was consumed by Hestia, steadily raising her power, although it became harder and harder to level up, due to the reasons that in nearby areas only low level monsters resided and their numbers couldn't keep up with the speed in which Hestia destroyed them.
The only creatures she left untouched were the giant spiders lurking in the depth of the forest. She decided to not bother them a while ago and hadn't seen them since.
Once the water system was completed, a steady stream of water and fish filled up the hole in the city's center.
Hestia directed the next phase.
The cliffs nearby were made of white and golden-tinted stone. It was perfect.
The Glimgobs were tasked with cutting the rock into clean cubes of various sizes.
Smaller stones were no bigger than a palm of troll while larger blocks were the size of cubic meter.
The trolls hauled stone cubes back in teams, stacking them into piles, sorted by size. The stockpiles grew rapidly.
When enough stone was gathered, Hestia let half of the workforce continue making and bringing in rocks while other half was tasked with digging up and laying out the streets and home bases. Broad, sturdy roads radiated from the reservoir, all the way through the city, forming rings and shapes that formed into slime-like figures, if looked from the sky. Dirt patches were marked for homes, future markets and gathering halls.
The roads were paved with polished golden stone, bound with the white rock mortar and mana-infused for strength.
Then came the homes.
Following Sol's advice, Hestia ordered smaller two and three-story dwellings built closest to the center. Their size increased as they reached toward the outer edges, leaving wide gaps between the final row of homes and the eventual walls. These could serve as both residences and watchtowers.
Only twenty homes were built for now, enough for every Glimgob, every troll, and a few more. The city was vast, prepared for thousands, and for now it felt eerily empty.
The final phase was the most ambitious yet.
A city wall, rising 30 meters high and 10 meters thick, began to take shape. The foundation was laid with the largest stones, mortared and mana-reinforced. Even so, the size of the task became clear. It would take months, maybe years to finish.
While the Glimgobs and trolls labored, Hestia continued her solitary hunts. But as days passed, monster camps near the city vanished. The forest grew quiet. Now only the occasional wanderer dared enter her lands, a rogue beast or curious predator was swiftly dealt with.
By the end of the second month, the city had taken shape.
A vast golden-stone reservoir glimmered in the center.
Wide, circular roads formed an extraordinary grid.
Dozens of cleared lots waited for future homes.
And in the distance, the wall slowly rose like a sleeping giant.
That night, under the light of twin moons, the camp gathered by the water.
Trolls and Glimgobs shared food, traded stories, and gazed at what they'd built together. Hestia rose upon a mound of stone again, the wind carrying her voice.
Hestia* "This is only the beginning. This place will not just be a home, it will be a sanctuary. And one day, it will be a power no one can take from us."
Cheers answered her words, echoing through the starlit sky.