Kaelan stood in front of the open field, hands on his hips, a rolled-up blueprint tucked under his arm. Garka stood beside him, holding a shovel way too big for his size. The squirrel was perched on a tree branch, casually watching them like it had stock in this village project.
"Alright," Kaelan said. "First structure: Town Hall. That means we make a place where we can plan other places."
Garka nodded. "So like a hut for thinking?"
Kaelan grinned. "Exactly. A big, important hut."
They had no stone. No bricks. No nails. Just wood, mud, and enthusiasm. And that squirrel, who was still judging.
[SYSTEM QUEST ACTIVE: Found a Village] Build 1x Town Hall (0/1) Reward: +100 EXP, Territory Claim, Village Board Unlocked
Kaelan opened the blueprint and laid it flat on the grass. Garka looked over his shoulder, squinting at the lines.
"That looks like a sandwich."
"It's a floor plan."
"With extra cheese."
They got to work. Trees were chopped. Logs were cut. Mud was slapped onto anything that looked dry. Garka proved to be an excellent hauler, while Kaelan used Quick Construct to speed things up.
[SKILL: Quick Construct Lv.1 Activated] Progress: 12%... 29%...
The frame started to take shape. It wasn't pretty. It leaned slightly to the left and had a roof that looked like it was frowning. But it was real. It was theirs.
Hours passed. Kaelan wiped sweat from his forehead and looked at the crooked frame. Garka placed the last beam with a loud, proud grunt.
[SYSTEM UPDATE] Town Hall (Lv. 1) Completed.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Found a Village]Rewards: +100 EXP, Skill Upgrade, Village Control Unlocked
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: Builder's Insight (Passive)]You can now detect weak structures, optimize construction, and access the Village Board.
[VILLAGE ESTABLISHED: Hollowshade (Provisional)] Population: 2 (Kaelan, Garka)
Kaelan stared at the screen. "Hollowshade, huh?"
Garka tilted his head. "Sounds spooky. I like it."
Kaelan smiled. He felt a weird warmth in his chest. Not magic. Not a skill. Just pride.
The Town Hall wasn't perfect, but it stood tall. And now it was official.
They stepped inside. The interior had a long table made of mismatched planks, a few crates for chairs, and a map Kaelan sketched using charcoal and a squirrel-chewed stick.
"This is where we plan stuff now," Kaelan said.
"Like what?"
"Like how to not die. Or how to get food. Or build bathrooms."
Garka gasped. "We forgot bathrooms."
Kaelan nodded. "We'll add it to the list."
[VILLAGE BOARD UNLOCKED] Available Projects: Well (0/1), Storage Hut (0/1), Farm Plot (0/3), Defense Fence (0/1)
Kaelan looked at the board. "I think we start with water. A well."
Garka raised a hand. "Then food. I'm tired of hunting chickens that talk back."
They both turned to the corner. The same chicken from before stood silently, glaring.
Kaelan sighed. "He followed us."
"He wants revenge."
They backed away slowly.
The next day, they dug. The squirrel, surprisingly, helped by pointing out soft soil with its tail. Kaelan wasn't sure if it was actually helping or just messing with them.
Kaelan's shovel hit something.
Thunk.
He paused. Garka leaned in. "Treasure?"
Kaelan dug faster. It wasn't treasure. It was a buried crate. Old. Rotting. He pulled it out.
Inside was a book. A thick, leather-bound journal covered in moss.
Kaelan opened it. The pages were dry. Still readable.
The Hollow belonged to the Forgotten King... the first line read.
Kaelan raised an eyebrow. "Well that's not creepy at all."
They kept reading. The journal spoke of an old settlement, long gone. Creatures in the woods. A powerful relic hidden beneath the roots of the forest.
Kaelan shivered. "Mystery unlocked."
Garka nodded. "I love mystery. As long as it doesn't involve ghosts."
"You literally sleep with a skull pillow."
"It's cozy."
They stored the journal in the Town Hall, then got back to work. The well was halfway done. Kaelan activated his Builder's Insight, which made digging easier.
[Builder's Insight: Efficient Path Unlocked]
They reached water by sunset.
[PROJECT COMPLETE: Well (1/1)] Reward: +50 EXP, Clean Water Access
Kaelan tasted the water. "Tastes like victory."
Garka tasted it. "Tastes like dirt."
They both laughed.
At night, they sat outside the Town Hall. A small fire crackled. The chicken slept by Kaelan's feet. The squirrel sat in a tiny hammock Garka made out of leaves.
Kaelan looked at the stars. "You know, this isn't bad."
Garka yawned. "No. It's not bad at all."
[SYSTEM MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED] Quest: Grow the Village
Objective: Increase population to 5, Build 3 more structures
Reward: Village Upgrade, Special Skill
Kaelan smirked. "Alright, Hollowshade. Let's see what you can become."