The early morning fog wrapped around Greystone village like a gentle shroud, dulling the edges of the scattered huts and thickening the silence that filled the air. Kaelen awoke before dawn, the horizon still faintly lit by the approaching sun. Sitting by the wooden window frame, he stared out at the dark forest that bordered the village. His mind was a restless storm—plans to strengthen the village, strategies to train his summons, resource management, and the ever-looming threat of the Lords' War.
As the first light broke, Kaelen made his way to the village center. The council had gathered early—a small group of trusted allies essential to Greystone's survival. There was Liora, the sharp-eyed huntress and fierce warrior; Neria, his little sister with her own budding powers; Merek, the burly blacksmith whose hands forged hope from raw metal; and Elder Thane, the wise, weathered leader whose counsel steadied the village.
Elder Thane greeted Kaelen with a solemn nod. "Greystone has endured much, but the trials ahead will test us like never before."
Kaelen nodded in return. "Our unity and preparation will decide if we survive the Lords' War. There is no room for error."
Liora stepped forward. "The hunting parties have been trained for extended expeditions, but they'll need better weapons and traps to venture into unknown lands safely."
Merek grunted, rubbing his calloused hands together. "My supply of ore is dwindling, but I'll stretch what I have."
Kaelen's thoughts immediately turned to the System interface. Deeper resource gathering was needed. He decided it was time to send scouts beyond their familiar borders.
Accessing the System Shop, Kaelen browsed through the available gear. He selected a Scout Equipment Bundle, spending 200 System Points (SP).
A message blinked in his vision:"Scout Equipment Bundle purchased: Reinforced boots, silent bows, signal flares, camouflage cloaks."
He handed the new gear to Liora. "Equip the best hunters. They must explore far beyond our usual grounds and report back on anything unusual."
Liora accepted the equipment with a determined nod. Neria, watching quietly, approached Kaelen and whispered, "Is it dangerous?"
Kaelen knelt beside her, gently brushing her hair behind her ear. "Yes, but danger helps us grow. We must be strong—for ourselves, and for everyone who depends on us."
Later that evening, Kaelen sat alone and pulled up the full System Shop interface. Tonight, he wanted to fully understand the mechanics that had become his greatest asset.
The System Shop was divided into several sections:
Item Shop: Here, Kaelen could buy weapons, armor, tools, traps, and consumables essential for village survival and combat.
Skill Shop: This allowed the purchase of active and passive skills using System Points earned through refunds and quest completions.
Upgrade Shop: This tab let Kaelen improve village facilities and enhance his own stats—strength, agility, vitality, and intelligence.
Summon Shop: The domain for acquiring summon tokens and managing his undead golems, dragons, and other creatures.
Refund Exchange: The heart of the system where Kaelen converted refund values into System Points (SP) and Refund Points (RP). These points were crucial for personal and village upgrades.
Quest Log: Where all active and completed quests were tracked, with clear rewards listed to help plan his next moves.
Every time Kaelen spent resources—whether on hunting gear, food supplies, weapons, summoning tokens, or village improvements—the system tracked the spending and calculated a refund multiplier ranging from 15x to 10,000x. For every 100x refund, Kaelen gained 1 System Point and 1 Refund Point.
For example, if Kaelen spent 100 units of wood on building traps and the refund multiplier was 1500x, the system would return a refund value equivalent to 1,500 units, granting him 15 SP and 15 RP.
System Points (SP) were versatile. Kaelen could use them to upgrade his personal stats or purchase powerful skills for battle. Refund Points (RP), however, were special — reserved for upgrading village facilities or enhancing his sister Neria's unique hybrid class skills.
There was a special caveat: the Refund Summon Exploit. Kaelen could exploit refunds on summon tokens up to three times per week, netting exponentially higher returns and bonus SP. Though powerful, the exploit carried risks and required careful use.
Just as Kaelen finished reviewing the system, a firm knock came at the door. Standing there was a tall, imposing man in polished armor — an emissary from the neighboring lordship of Eldridge.
"I am Sir Darion of Eldridge," the man introduced himself. "My lord sends greetings and a proposal for an alliance."
Kaelen invited the emissary inside. Alliances were critical to survival in these harsh times, especially with the Lords' War approaching.
Darion explained that Eldridge's forces were strong but overstretched. They sought an alliance in exchange for sharing advanced weapons, training, and some of their resources.
Kaelen weighed the offer carefully, knowing it would require substantial resource investment from Greystone.
Accessing the System again, Kaelen broke down the potential investment:
Food supplies would cost 1000 units, with an estimated refund multiplier of 15,000x, yielding him 150 SP. Weaponry investment at 1500 units could return 22,500x, or 225 SP. Training facilities requiring 2000 units might yield 30,000x refund, translating to 300 SP.
Though the investment was high, the system reminded him clearly: every resource spent would return in power. Strategic risk was necessary.
Meanwhile, Neria was restless. Her Healing Bloom skill had grown more potent, and she wanted to test her limits.
"Brother, if we don't grow stronger, how can we protect everyone?" she said, her voice trembling between hope and fear.
Kaelen smiled softly, brushing her hair. "We will. Together."
That night, Kaelen sat with Neria outside their humble home, the stars like pinpricks of silver light overhead.
"I'm scared," she admitted.
Kaelen's voice was steady. "I am too. But fear means we care. That means we fight harder."
As the Refund System pulsed faintly in the background of his vision, it was a reminder of the power they wielded — a power to shape fate, to build their future, and to protect those they loved. But only if wielded wisely.