Viran's heart was pounding, but his face stayed calm.
The guards still looked annoyed, but they didn't attack. Not yet. They were waiting for fear. Waiting for the villagers to bow their heads.
But something had changed.The people were watching him now.
-A child peeked from behind his mother's worn dress, eyes wide with curiosity.
-A farmer's grip tightened around his wooden hoe.
-An old man, too weak to stand, let out a slow breath—as if something in the air felt different.
They had seen leaders before.
The noble lord who sat in his stone castle, sending tax orders.
The soldiers who came, demanding food and respect.
Merchants who took their money, promising fair prices but never delivering.
But they had never seen a man like Viran.
A man who spoke as if he understood things they didn't.
A man who stood without fear, even when others backed away.
A man who, despite wearing rags, held the eyes of someone who built cities.
Viran glanced at the glowing System panel in his vision.
The villagers couldn't see it.
But it was real and it wasn't just a tool.It was a guide.
A blueprint for change.
His thoughts sharpened. If the village had clean water, farming knowledge, stronger roads—they wouldn't be helpless anymore.
The nobles wouldn't control them through hunger.
The soldiers wouldn't scare them with swords and fear wouldn't be the only thing they knew.
His first goal was clear.He had to start building.
Viran turned to the villagers.
"Where do you get water?" he asked.
Silence.
A middle-aged man stepped forward hesitantly. His clothes were patched, his hands rough.
"The river," he said. "But it's—dirty."
"How far?" Viran asked.
"Three kilometers," the man replied. "Sometimes more if the season is bad."
Viran's jaw tightened. Three kilometers? Every single day? For water that wasn't even clean?
He checked the glowing system panel in his mind.
[WATER SUPPLY EXPANSION]
▸Requirement: Clean Well Setup (0%)
▸ Tools Needed: Basic Digging Equipment, ▸Stone Reinforcement (Not Available)
▸Projected Village Health Boost: +45%
He exhaled. This was the answer. The first change. The first step toward breaking the chains of suffering in this place.
"I'll build a well," he said.
People stared.A few chuckled nervously.
"You?" a thin older man asked. "With what? Your bare hands?"
Viran didn't react to the mockery. He scanned the village, checking the land, feeling the earth beneath his feet. Where would the safest location be? Where was the water table most stable? How could reinforcement work without heavy tools?
The system adjusted.
[Optimized Well Site Identified...
Begin Foundation Layout…]
A faint grid of glowing blueprints appeared in his mind—lines stretching over the land, showing depth, structure, a plan only he could see.
His lips curled into a slow smile.
"I don't need tools," he said.
And with that—he picked up the first stone.
Viran rolled up his sleeves.
The villagers still looked doubtful, but no one walked away. Even those who had mocked him earlier stayed to watch.
He picked up the first stone and placed it at the exact point the System had marked in his mind.
Then, he took another.
And another.
Slowly, carefully, building the foundation.
At first, no one helped.
A few chuckled, shaking their heads.
Then—one voice spoke up.
"I'll help," said a middle-aged man with strong arms and a cautious gaze.
Another voice followed.
"My father used to dig wells," said a younger man. "I can check the soil."
Then—more.
Within minutes, dozens of hands started moving.
Viran didn't smile. He had expected this.
People feared change—until they saw it begin.
The guards, still mounted on their horses, watched with narrowed eyes.
"What are you doing?" one finally asked.
Viran didn't stop working.He didn't even look up.
"Building water."
The guard laughed. "Water doesn't need walls."
Viran placed another stone.
"Water needs a home. Just like people do."
Hours passed.
Sweat dripped down Viran's face. His hands ached, his muscles burned. But the work continued.
The villagers weren't just watching anymore.
They were moving.Some carried stones, placing them in careful layers. Others dug, checking the soil. A few even started gathering wood and clay—materials to reinforce the well once the base was set.
It wasn't much.But it was enough to start.
Hope was like that.It didn't come in grand speeches or golden promises.
It came in small actions.
One hand placing a stone.
One voice saying, I'll help.
One step forward.
Viran understood that now.
The guards were tense.They had seen rebellions before—wild protests, riots, desperate fights that ended quickly.
But this?
This was something else.No one was breaking laws. No one was screaming for war.
They were just... building.
Together.
And that was far more dangerous.
Viran placed another stone.He could feel the weight of the village behind him now.They were waiting. Watching. Hoping.
And deep inside him—the System responded.
[Infrastructure Expansion Detected.
Optimized Build Efficiency Enabled.
Temporary Upgrade: +30% Faster Construction.]
Viran smirked.
Then let's build faster.
To be continued....