The morning in the ruins buzzed with the sounds of movement and preparation. Something unknown was heading toward Kairo's territory, and though no one knew when or how it would strike, everyone knew one thing — they had to be ready. Fear wasn't an option. Only effort. Only survival.
The air cracked with determination as kabolts hurried through the ruins, carrying heavy corpses across the shattered streets. Flint led them, his frame towering above the rest, his voice booming through the rubble.
"Move it! Don't stop 'til I say so!" he barked, his gravelly tone echoing through the crumbled walls. "Boss gave the order —no stopping till the job's done!"
The kabolts straightened instantly, tails stiff and voices unified—"Yes, boss!" they roared.
Sixteen kabolts marched behind him, dragging and lifting the corpses of fallen bandits. Their path wound through broken buildings and toppled statues, ending near the mound of corpses deeper in the ruins — the very place where Kairo had once found the Blood-Stained Banner.
The stench of death hung thick in the air. Then, from behind a collapsed archway, shadows stirred. Growls echoed. Wild, doglike monsters crept out, eyes gleaming red, claws glinting in the dim light. Tier 2 beasts — savage and hungry.
The kabolts froze, Not sure to engage of not. Flint didn't.
"Keep moving!" he roared, tossing aside the body he carried. His claws flexed, his gaze locked on the beasts. "Don't let me see one of you stop—keep moving! I'll handle them!"
He lunged forward, muscles coiled like iron. The wild dogs snapped, but Flint met them head-on — a brute defending his lord's will with unshakable resolve.
On the other side of the ruins, Onyx moved like a shadow. His sleek frame slipped between broken walls and shattered pillars, his hollow eyes glinting beneath the dim light. He was scouting—searching for any trace of the enemy beasts with the red light glowing from their necks.
But so far, nothing.
He darted across the ruins, leaping from one cracked wall to another, silent and swift. His keen gaze caught movement below—a pack of Snap Gnashers gnawing at a half-rotten corpse. Their sharp teeth scraped bone, the sound echoing faintly in the hollow air.
Then Onyx saw it—a faint red glow pulsing from the corpse's chest. His expression hardened. Without hesitation, he jumped high and descended like a spear, manifesting his violet lance from thin air. He braced a foot on its hilt and thrust downward. The impact cracked the ground, sending a shockwave that blew the Gnashers away.
When the dust settled, the monsters were dead. Onyx approached the body—it was half-eaten, but clearly just a large rat with a pinkish gem growing from its body. Not what he was looking for.
Then Kairo's voice echoed in his head, calm yet tired.
"Not it. Keep looking."
Onyx nodded silently and vanished into the ruins again.
Back at the territory, Kairo sighed, sitting atop a stone. His map function glowed faintly in front of him, showing Onyx's movements.
"Nothing yet," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "Are they even here?"
Kairo sighed, closing the map function with a flick of his hand. "I'll check on Onyx later," he muttered, leaning back against the cold stone. Fatigue was catching up to him, but rest wasn't an option—not yet.
Before him, Shiri was hard at work. The naga's scaled body coiled and shifted as he hammered at thick logs and reinforced planks. The old Tier 1 barracks stood behind him, half dismantled, while the skeleton of a new, sturdier structure began to rise in its place. The surviving ghouls—four in total—moved under his command, carrying materials, dragging stone, and lifting beams with eerie obedience.
"Put that log there—no, not there, there!" Shiri barked, his tail thudding against the ground in impatience. "And someone get that thing over here—yes, that one!"
Kairo rubbed his eyes, watching the scene unfold. "We have the plans," he said quietly, "but…"
He lifted his hand, opening a glowing blue interface before him—the Quest Management Function. This was his most valuable tool, a system that allowed him to turn ideas into objectives, goals into clear directives. With it, he could assign, track, and reward progress—a digital command board for his growing domain.
A second window opened, the Quest Board, filled with pulsing icons of unfinished tasks. It was through this that Kairo had managed to keep everything in order since the beginning—construction, hunts, defenses, and management—all broken down into smaller missions.
The board flickered with light as Kairo scrolled through his current quests. The Command Nexus pulsed behind him, its holographic panels displaying his pending objectives in luminous script:
▪ Build an Outer Wall
▪ Construct Two Watchtowers
▪ Establish an Outpost in leverik village
▪ Upgrade Barracks to Tier 2
▪ Reinforce Housing Units
▪ Expand Food Storage
Kairo exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. "So much to do… and not enough hands to finish it all."
The Command Nexus hummed faintly in response, its crystalline glow reflecting in his tired blue eyes.
Kairo sat in silence, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared blankly at the glowing panels of the Command Nexus. The hum of the machine and the rhythmic sound of hammering echoed faintly in the distance. "What should I even do next?" he muttered under his breath. His head began to throb as the weight of unfinished quests and the looming threat pressed against his mind. Finally, he groaned, clutching his head. "This is messing with my brain. I can't take this anymore."
From afar, Shiri noticed him, pausing mid-swing of his hammer. The naga smirked and called out, "Hah, finally losing it, are we?" He ordered the ghouls to stop for a bit, grumbling, "Take a break before you start falling apart again." The ghouls immediately dropped the materials—two of them started playfully tossing rocks at each other, while the others clattered their jaws, making noises that almost resembled laughter.
Shiri rolled his eyes. "They just don't stop fighting, do they?" he muttered as he slithered toward Kairo and plopped down beside him with a heavy sigh, stretching his scaled body. "So, boy," he said with a teasing grin, "what's got you looking like someone just told you your favorite sword broke?"
Kairo chuckled weakly. "We have so much to do, and I don't even know when the enemy will strike. Every second feels like a countdown."
Shiri nodded, his face turning serious. "Yeah… we need more hands on deck. No way we're finishing all this before the beasts show up." He tried to lighten the mood. "But hey, maybe they're not even coming for us."
Kairo immediately shot him a sharp look. "And what if they are?"
That shut Shiri up for a moment. Then, with a determined glint in his eye, he said, "Well, I'm not running. So get that smart brain of yours working and come up with something."
Kairo blinked—then smirked. "You know what? You're right." He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small, bronze token, which seemed to have been gnawed from a side. The air around it shimmered faintly.
Shiri's eyes widened. "Well, I'll be damned. I forgot about that little fella. The relic given by your little alliance, huh? Think it'll help?"
Kairo nodded. "Claymond and the others said it allows me to summon ratmen—skilled crafters who can help build and fortify our base."
Shiri grinned. "Then what are you waiting for? Summon them already!"
Kairo sighed. "I can't. I need to reach Tier 3 first. I'm still Tier 2."
Shiri burst out laughing. "Then the solution's simple—just rank up, boy!"
Kairo paused, then laughed too. "You're right… I just need to rank up."
"That's the spirit," Shiri said with a toothy grin. "Helping your sorry butt think straight—that's my job."
They both chuckled and turned toward Theo, who was training hard against the wooden dummy Shiri had built. Shiri nodded approvingly. "If he keeps this up, the kid might actually make a difference."
Kairo smiled faintly. "Yeah… he might." His gaze shifted toward Lilian, sitting idly nearby, fiddling with her hat instead of training.
Shiri followed his gaze. "Think the little missy will be any help when the beasts come?"
Kairo sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. She's not one of us… so I don't expect her to."
Kairo and Shiri watched from a distance, the faint sounds of wood striking wood echoing through the clearing. Theo was training again—his grip tight around the wooden sword, each swing more determined than the last. The log before him was already scarred with deep dents, evidence of his relentless effort. A short distance away, Lilian sat with her hands folded around her knees, sitting on the ground, her oversized hat drooping over her eyes. She adjusted it with a huff, her gaze fixed on Theo's repetitive strikes.
To her, it made no sense. Magic was power—swift, elegant, efficient. Why waste energy attacking a piece of wood with another stick? Her brows furrowed as she thought, Why doesn't he just use magic? It would be easier. Faster.
Theo paused for breath, resting his sword against the log as he panted. Sweat ran down his cheek, but his smile didn't fade. "Alright… let's go again!" he said, gripping the sword once more.
Before he could continue, Lilian's voice cut through the air. "Why do that?"
Theo blinked, confused. "Why do what?"
"That," she said, pointing at the log. "Why hit it over and over like some brute? Use magic like me. You could destroy a hundred of those in seconds."
Theo chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I've seen your magic. It's great at obliterating logs."
Lilian pouted. "At least I'm not aimlessly swinging around like a baboon! You can't fight monsters with sticks. You need real power—magic!"
Theo's smile faded. "what did you say?"
Lilian sighed, brushing dust off her dress. "I mean to say that, with what you guys have, the best thing you can do is escape before it's too late.Why risk our lives for this place?"
Theo looked at her for a long moment before answering, voice steady. "Because this is our home. We don't abandon it."
"Why?" Lilian pressed, frustration rising. "Why is this place so important to you?"
Theo's eyes softened. "Because this is the first place where anyone accepted me for who I am. Kairo and Shiri saved me when I was nothing. We've been through too much together for me to hide while they fight outside. I'll stand with them. I'll become his BLADE."
Lilian tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Why do you believe you'll even survive all this?" she asked quietly.
Theo paused, lowering his wooden sword and smiling. "Well, big bro Shiri is the toughest person I've ever met—and with Kairo leading us, I'm sure we can win."
Lilian froze. His conviction stunned her. (He'd risk everything… for someone else?)
Her gaze fell, memories of her cold, ruthless family flashing through her mind. Here, though, things were different—warmth, loyalty, belonging.
She closed her eyes. (Someday, I want a family like this too.)
Then she smirked. (But for this to happen, I have to survive first. There'sa whole adventure waiting for me!) Standing up, she declared, "Alright then! If you're that desperate, this witch has no choice but to help you!"
Theo grinned." Fianlly, lets get started then,"
Theo smiled, extending his hand to Lilian. She took it, rising as both began training with renewed determination and resolve.
From afar, Kairo and Shiri watched as Theo and Lilian trained side by side, their laughter echoing softly across the ruins. Kairo smiled faintly, saying, "Finally… Theo's made a genuine friend. I'm happy for the kid." Shiri chuckled, following Kairo's gaze, before glancing at his companion's calm yet distant blue eyes — eyes filled with a quiet longing of their own.
"He's not the only one with new friends," Shiri teased lightly, hinting at Kairo's recent alliance. "Why not ask them for help?"
Kairo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't. We just joined the alliance. Asking for help this early would make us look weak."
"Maybe," Shiri said, folding his arms. "But they seem like good people. I'm sure they'd be happy to help."
Stretching, Shiri stood and glanced toward the ghouls who were still bickering and play-fighting near the construction site. "Looks like it's work time again. Better stop those rascals from turning this place into a circus." With a lazy wave, he left.
Kairo remained seated, lost in thought. His hand drifted into his pocket, pulling out the blue communication orb. It gleamed softly in his palm as he stared at it, torn between pride and uncertainty, wondering what the future might bring.
To be continued....