Day 3 of Planned Construction
The Chief's House was finished by mid-afternoon.
It wasn't fancy. It had only one main room with a stone fireplace that Timber had expertly extended through the roof using carefully stacked stones and packed clay to seal gaps.
A separate sleeping area with a simple bed frame made from lashed logs and woven vine "rope" that was surprisingly comfortable. And a small workspace with a desk and shelves that Kaira had insisted on adding.
Of course, with an adjacent bathroom.
The roof was thatched with layers of bark and leaves, waterproofed with a resin mixture Timber had produced from his own bark secretions.
The fieldstone foundation gave the house a rustic, almost medieval cottage appearance.
Far better than my crude shelter.
[Construction Complete: Chief's House]
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Foundation"]
[Reward: +50 SP, Skill: Basic Construction Lv.1]
[Territory Expansion Now Available!]
[Current Requirements Met: 100 SP (✓), 1 Building (✓)]
[Remaining Requirement: 6 Inhabitants (Currently 5/6)]
[Current SP: 702]
"So close," I muttered, staring at the notification. "Just one more person and I can expand."
[Patience, Human. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your pathetic little settlement won't be either.]
I couldn't tell if ChatZero was being sarcastic or genuinely advising...
Hmm... I'll take that as sarcasm.
Anyway,
With the house complete, we turned our attention to the rice field.
I'd purchased the Rice Seedlings (x50) from the shop for 5 SP. Now it was time to actually plant them.
[Current SP: 697]
The area near the well had been cleared and prepared. The soil here was naturally rich. The proximity to the water table helped, but it would need consistent watering and care.
"Kaira, have you ever farmed before?"
She shook her head. "I'm a merchant's daughter. I've seen farms, but never actually worked one."
"Then we're both learning together."
We spent the afternoon carefully planting the rice seedlings in neat rows. It was tedious, back-breaking work—bend, dig, plant, cover, repeat. Fifty seedlings took longer than I'd expected.
But there was something deeply satisfying about it. Each seedling represented future food, future stability. This wasn't just survival anymore; this was building something.
Napoleon supervised, occasionally pecking at insects that wandered too close to our work.
Timber kept the soil moist with water drawn from the well, his vines serving as a surprisingly efficient irrigation system.
By evening, the rice field was complete.
[Rice Field Established]
[Estimated Growth Time: 25-30 days to maturity]
[Current Food Production: Minimal (Hunting required for sustenance)]
[Side Quest Updated: "Food Security" - Rice cultivation in progress]
I stood at the doorway of my new Chief's House, looking out over my tiny domain.
Fifty meters in every direction. A well. A house with a fieldstone foundation and a working fireplace. A rice field. A rooster and a Forest Troll.
That's a lot of progress for sure.
Day 4 of Construction Planning
Today... I rest.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I allowed myself to actually rest.
No construction. No desperate survival.
Just... existing and relaxation.
I spent the morning maintaining the rice field, checking each seedling for signs of growth. It was probably too early to see anything significant, but the ritual was comforting.
Kaira helped me organize the interior of the Chief's House, setting up the workspace and arranging the few possessions we had.
We tested the fireplace—Timber had done excellent work. The stones held heat beautifully, the chimney drew smoke upward efficiently, and within minutes we had a cozy fire crackling.
"You know," she said while arranging some tools on a shelf, "this is actually kind of nice. Quiet and peaceful."
"You miss your family?"
Her hands paused. "...Yeah. But they think I'm heading to the Academy. They don't know I got separated from the caravan. I'm sure they're worried, but..." She shrugged. "I'll get there eventually. Right now, I'm just glad to be alive."
"When you do leave," I said carefully, "would you be willing to spread word about this place? Once it's actually a proper village, I mean. Tell people there's a settlement accepting newcomers?"
She considered this. "You really think people would come to live in the Great Jura Forest?"
"Outcasts might. People with nowhere else to go. Adventurers looking for opportunity." I met her eyes. "Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"
[How noble. I might actually vomit if I had a digestive system.]
Kaira smiled. "Alright. When I leave, I'll spread the word. But I don't believe anyone would believe such a tale."
I nodded gently. She had a point there.
The afternoon was spent in comfortable silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
Napoleon took a dust bath near the house, his feathers gleaming in the dappled sunlight.
Timber patrolled the perimeter, his presence a constant reassurance.
And somewhere out there, Pride was doing... whatever he wanted to do.
[Loyalty: 10% (Pride)]
I tried not to think about it too much.
That evening, as I sat by the fireplace watching the flames dance across the fieldstones, I pulled up my status.
STATUS WINDOW:
Name: Marfin
Age: 16
Race: Human
Rank: Initiate ★★★
HP: 100/150
Stamina: 78/150
Special Trait: Gravity Manipulation
Special Ability: Beast Taming
Soulbound ability: Writer's POV
SP: 697
Summons: 2 (Napoleon, Pride)
Tamed Beasts: 1 (Timber)
Territory: 50m radius
Buildings: 1 (Chief's House)
Skills:
Teamwork Tactics Lv.1
Basic Construction Lv.1
"Not bad for the several days I've been here," I murmured.
I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the fire, listening to the crackling wood and the distant sounds of the forest.
Tomorrow, I'd need to figure out how to gain that sixth inhabitant. Maybe hunt for another beast to tame? Or perhaps someone else would stumble into my territory like Kaira had?
Day 5 of Planned Construction
I woke to Timber's urgent voice echoing through the clearing.
"MASTER! MASTER! SKY! SOMETHING FALL!"
I bolted upright, my heart immediately racing. Morning light streamed through the gaps in the thatched roof—it was early, barely past dawn.
"What?!"
I stumbled out of the Chief's House without wasting any time.
Against the pale morning sky, a shape was plummeting—too fast, too erratic to be controlled flight. It tumbled through the air like a broken kite, wings flailing desperately to slow its descent.
Black scales and crimson veins.
"Pride..."
The Wyvern crashed into my territory with earth-shaking force, sending up an explosion of dirt, leaves, and debris. The impact was so violent that I felt it through my feet, and several of the rice seedlings were flattened by the shockwave.
I ran toward the crash site, my mind racing.
Napoleon emerged from the house, crowing an alarm.
Kaira burst out moments later, her hand instinctively going to a short sword she'd kept from her caravan days.
Timber was already there, vines extended protectively.
When the dust settled, I saw Pride lying in a crater of disturbed earth, and the magnificent creature was a wreck.
Its obsidian scales were torn and scorched—deep gashes ran along its flanks, revealing the vulnerable flesh beneath. One wing was bent at an unnatural angle, the membrane shredded in multiple places. Burns marred its hide, the crimson veins now looking like wounds rather than natural coloration. Its breathing came in labored, pained gasps, each exhale producing small wisps of smoke.
And there, somehow still clinging to the Wyvern's back, was a figure.
It was a boy.
He looked roughly my age—maybe sixteen, perhaps slightly older. He wore battered practice armor that had clearly seen recent and violent use, with deep gouges and burn marks across the chest plate. A longsword was strapped to his back, the blade visible even from here, etched with glowing runes that pulsed with faint blue light.
Blood stained his clothes, though I couldn't immediately tell how much was his and how much belonged to the Wyvern.
The boy slid off Pride's back with visible effort and immediately collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. His arms trembled as he caught himself from falling completely.
"You..." he gasped, his voice raw. "You're... Marfin?"
I blinked, stunned. "How do you know my name?"
The boy coughed, wincing in pain. He jerked his thumb weakly toward the dying Wyvern behind him. "It... kept saying it. Over and over. 'Need to return to Marfin.' 'Must reach Marfin.' Like a damn mantra."
I gazed at the Wyvern.
Home.
It'd be accurate to assume that Pride had designated me as his home.
Home is not an establishment, it's something or someone you can return to.
I was the one who summoned him in this world and was designated as his summoner.
So, in this unfamiliar world, I might have been the only person he could turn to.
Though he didn't think I was worthy... he still trusted me.
So I must as well return his trust.
"ChatZero, high-grade healing potions. How much?"
[50 SP each. For injuries this severe on an Elite four-star creature, you'll need at least three. Maybe four to be safe. The boy needs one as well. However, you don't have high-grade potions in the Level 1 store.]
"I know, but didn't you say earlier that the store operates just like a merchant? So I believe it'd still sell high-grade potions even in a Level 1 store."
[Analyzing... Analysis complete.]
[Yes, they'd sell high-grade potions... However, at double the price.]
"Fine. Just buy them!"
Trust is everything in a relationship. Even if it's a give-and-take type of relationship, trust still matters.
The Wyvern had trusted me enough to return to me, to seek my presence just like a child would. I, once a father and grandfather, cannot look past that.
The high-grade potions appeared in a corner of the Shop's interface, labeled at 100 SP.
I immediately purchased them, and almost instantly the flasks materialized before me.
And just like that, 500 SP was gone, leaving only 197 SP.
Currency is truly fleeting.
Without any wasted words, I immediately poured the high-grade potions on the Wyvern. In a few seconds... my Pride had healed completely.
Sighing softly, I tossed another potion to the boy.
He caught it swiftly and gulped it down, healing almost instantly.
Now that everything was taken care of, I finally approached my Wyvern.
"The jungle must have truly been one crazy place, huh?" I smiled warmly, suddenly feeling like a parent who was trying to be on the same ground as a spoiled brat. "Are you alright, Pride?"
[Loyalty: 10% → 34%]
He just stared at me.
Suddenly, he lowered his head and I gently caressed his face. It was hot, as if a burning inferno.
[Loyalty: 34% → 54%]
It was at that moment the boy approached us.
"Pride must have loved you a lot... it's heartwarming to see a beast tamer bond with... wait... what's this creature called? I know its name is Pride, but what species does it belong to?"
"A Wyvern." I shrugged my shoulders gently, which made him a bit more confused.
"Anyway, what's your name?"
"My name is Aldric Vane and I am an Elite five stars.A Swordsman..."
He suddenly halted, his brow furrowing.
On the other hand, my vision turned crimson red.
[Minor Disaster Impending]
Objective: Defend the SafeZone for 15 minutes.
Reward: 1 Epic Summon Ticket
Penalty: Most Painful Death..