The sun crept over fortified walls, but no one moved slow.
From builders to bakers, farmers to fledgling soldiers—Sanctum was awake, alive with preparation.
Iden stood on the new platform above the Town Core Obelisk, inspecting system updates.
[Settlement: Sanctum – Beginner Village Tier]
→ Morale Bonus: +10% across all citizens
→ New Interface Unlocked: [Civic Projects]
→ Blueprint Rewarded: [Inspiration Beacon] – Increases work speed, morale, and resistance to fear in nearby radius.
Citizen Proficiency Tracker – Active• Civilians are now eligible to unlock Passive and Secondary Class traits through work-based achievements.
Iden quickly issued construction of the Inspiration Beacon near the Barracks and Resource Square.
"If we can't fight with numbers," he murmured, "we'll fight with belief."
Children trained with practice weapons while Kael directed civilian mages to reinforce storage bunkers. Elderly craftsmen created refined arrowheads and boiling traps from dungeon fragments.
Everyone played a role.
Iden knew: fear would come. But fear could be focused. Shaped. Turned into fire.
Their steeds slowed as they approached a hidden valley—camouflaged and ringed by natural cliffs.
"You sure about this?" Nyra asked. "The map marked this as unclaimed."
Rael shook her head. "Not unclaimed. Just hidden."
And then he appeared—stepping out from behind a moss-laced stone with calm eyes and military posture.
"That's close enough," the man said, eyes scanning both women. "Candidate. And… you're from Sanctum, aren't you?"
Nyra's eyes narrowed. "You know about us?"
"Of course," he said with a crooked smile. "Everyone does. I'm Arlen, former Tactical Lieutenant on Earth. I run the Ridgehold Enclave. And I've been watching your warlord work."
"He's not a warlord," Rael snapped. "He's—"
"—a builder. With teeth," Arlen finished, then tossed them a scroll.
It rolled open: a detailed schematic of a pressure and mana-triggered Explosive Proximity Mine.
"We used these against heavy formations in close terrain. But you can modify them. Link them with illusion glyphs. I've got a full chest of parts."
Rael blinked. "You're offering this?"
"With a full alliance," Arlen said. "Sanctum's the only place in this world where leadership doesn't mean slavery."
Nyra smirked. "Then welcome to the resistance."
Arlen, Rael, and Nyra arrived at the gates. Iden was already waiting, a rare flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Heard you needed a boom," Arlen said, slapping the mine blueprint in Iden's palm.
"I need a miracle. But I'll take a mine."
"Good. Let's get to work."
Iden immediately sent the designs to Kael and the forge corps. Skeleton engineers lit up like charged sigils as new projects launched:
Mana-Infused Mines with remote detonation glyphs.
Illusion-shielded Paths for controlled battlefield manipulation.
Strategic Trap Clusters, prepared to be deployed across choke points near Sanctum.
[New Blueprint Added: Cluster Spike Mine]
→ Triggers on vibration + heat
→ Explosion radius: 8 meters
→ Can be remote-linked to Obelisk network
[System Notification – Alliance Registered]
[New Alliance: Sanctum – Ridgehold Enclave]
→ Territory Defense Boost +2%
→ Access to Tactical Blueprints Tier 1–3
→ Arlen (Candidate: Tier D) – Now under shared mission system
Shared Objective: Survive the Siege of Sanctum.
As others rested, Iden was already designing the modified launcher that would fire the mines from range.
Rael walked in, setting down tea beside him.
"You won't sleep?"
"Not tonight. This village doesn't build itself."
She smiled faintly. "It does. You just gave it the reason to."