Chapter 17: Village Below the Mist V

Chapter 17: 17: Village Below the Mist V --- Even in its poverty, the village lived. And for the first time, John could feel it... a rhythm. A pulse. Not just of survival, but of continuity. The kind of life that pressed forward even after losing too much. The path narrowed, rising slightly into a slope dotted with moss covered stones. Trees whispered in the wind, broad and strong, as though guarding the trail. At the top of the ridge, a small plateau opened to a view of the village below. It was a secluded clearing, shaped by time and neglect. Wildflowers peeked between the cracks of worn stone. Vines coiled like lazy serpents across the roots of two wide, leafy trees. A lopsided shed leaned against the rise, its thatch roof half collapsed and sagging inward. Rusted hinges creaked in the breeze. A low wall, made from stacked stone and mud, bordered the far side. Most of it had crumbled, some from age, some from erosion, but it still marked a boundary. A place once claimed. The village elder stopped at the edge of the clearing and exhaled slowly. "This place..." he said, as if speaking to an old friend. "It belonged to my grandfather. He built it with his own hands, back when the village was first carved from these hills." His voice softened. "It was once a smithy. He forged ploughshares for farmers, hinges for doors, even a few blades when the taxes rose too high, and the roadwardens vanished from their posts. The fire’s long gone cold. But the soil here is strong. It holds memories." John said nothing. He stepped forward and walked the length of the field, his boots crunching over old gravel and uneven earth. The wind shifted, revealing outlines beneath the grass, scattered bricks, a charred anvil stand, even a circle of stones where a forge once stood. The echoes were faint, but they were there. He closed his eyes. And the System stirred to life. [System Notification:Suitable base site detected. Activating blueprint integration... Base Model: Modular Homestead. Estimated Cost: 4 Raw Mana Crystals. Optional Add-ons Available: Forge Station (Level 1) Storage Array (Basic) Defensive Perimeter (Tier D) Proceed with Virtual Projection?] John opened his eyes. And the ghosts of the past began to fade beneath lines of light and potential. In front of him, faint lines of golden-blue light shimmered to life. Walls rose in translucent frames. A roof curved into place. A courtyard etched itself into the grass. Runes glowed where magical conduits would be laid. In seconds, an entire homestead stood in glowing outline, hovering above the land. The elder took a step back. "Spirits above..." John stood at the center of the glowing projection. "This will take time," he said. "But when it’s built, it will not fall easily." The elder nodded slowly. "Do what you must. The land is yours now." Then he turned and left him alone beneath the rising sun. He worked all day. He summoned the forge table from his inventory and set it at the center of the clearing. The projection snapped into place around it like puzzle pieces falling into alignment. He sorted the materials in his possession. [Inventory check- Stormsteel Ore: one unit Raw Mana Crystal: Ten units Stonework Components: zero Wood: zero Additional materials required for full base construction.] He frowned. The system buzzed. [Blueprint adaptation possible. Temporary structures can be assembled using local material. Efficiency reduced by forty percent. Would you like to initiate base conversion using primitive resources?] He scanned the nearby trees, the mossy walls, the half buried tools. "Yes." The forge flared briefly, sending ripples of light outward across the clearing. Vines burned away. Stone shifted. Wooden beams rose from the ground, rearranging themselves into skeletal frames. The collapsed shed pulled itself upright in a slow creak of planks and nails. Ten minutes later, a modest wooden structure stood in the center of the land. The forge remained at its heart. A roof made of old timber and newly shaped mana plated beams arched above it. A side chamber extended toward the slope, designed for sleeping. Another door led to a storage room. Runes etched themselves onto the supporting walls, pulsing faintly with stabilizing mana. John stepped back to admire it. It wasn’t perfect. But good enough for a new beginning. The System pinged softly. [Congratulations Host - Temporary Base Established. Blueprint tier: Basic Durability Rating: C Defensive Rating: D Upgrades available upon material improvement.] He sheathed his void forged blade on the wall and sat on the stone bench that had once been part of a broken hearth. For the first time in seventeen years, he had shelter of his own. A place that truly belongs to him. The forest watched him. At the edge of the woods, a figure crouched beneath the branches of a dying pine. Wrapped in a patchwork cloak of dark leather and green cloth, she moved with the grace of a cat. A short blade sat strapped to her thigh. A pair of bronze tipped daggers hung at her belt. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the newly built homestead. She had seen the projection. She had seen the wall rise from nothing, the forge blaze without fuel, the lights carve shapes into the earth. She had never seen magic like that. And she had seen plenty of magic in her entire life. Her name was Elara. She had no village. No temple. No god. Only orders. And John White had just become a priority. She melted back into the trees, boots silent against the moss. Her report would be delivered before the sun fell. Evening came slowly.