The next morning brought a strange calm to Farling Hollow, the kind of silence that wasn't peace—just the world holding its breath. Corin paced nervously near the ruins, eyes darting toward the forest every few seconds. Luice, meanwhile, was seated on a broken pillar, analyzing the Warden Fragment like it was a puzzle begging to be solved.
The fragment pulsed faintly in his palm, reacting to the Territorial Claim Stone. Not aggressive, not dangerous—just… aware.
Corin finally broke the silence.
"Luice… last night—those wardens—what if they come back?"
"They will." Luice didn't even look up. "But not yet. They're bound to trial triggers. As long as we don't activate the gate again, they won't appear."
Corin swallowed. "So we're safe?"
"Safe enough to work," Luice replied, standing. "We've got a long list of upgrades to complete."
---
EXPANDING THE BASE
Luice's first order of business was fortification. But unlike a typical knight who'd start stacking walls for show, Luice went straight for function over appearance.
He marked three critical points:
High Ridge — vantage position, good for watchers or alarm systems.
Spring Path — source of fresh water, needs protection.
Arcane Gate — the most valuable and the most dangerous structure.
"We don't build everything at once," Luice explained to Corin. "We build what matters first. And what matters is control."
Corin nodded, though his hands trembled as he held the crude digging tools Luice had fashioned.
They began with small barriers—nothing fancy, just simple stone placements, interlocking roots, and trenches to slow down beasts or intruders.
It wasn't pretty.
But it was efficient.
DING!
[Royal Pass — Tier 3 Mission Progress: 75%]
Objective: "Establish three functional defensive points."
The system acknowledged every improvement, rewarding intention and utility, not aesthetics.
---
RESOURCE COLLECTION
They spent the next several hours gathering materials: fallen branches, sturdy vines, usable stones, and mana-infused mushrooms that reacted to motion. Luice quickly repurposed them into primitive perimeter alarms—if a creature crossed the boundary, the mushroom luminesced softly.
Corin stared at one in awe. "This is… actually smart."
"Nature has better tools than people," Luice said bluntly. "Most just aren't sharp enough to realize that."
By midday, the perimeter around the ruins was no longer an open deathtrap but a layered structure of early-warning systems, choke points, and pressure-pattern trails.
DING!
[Tier 3 Mission Complete]
Reward: Blueprint — Basic Territory Structure: Watchpost Lv. 1]
A glowing interface displayed a primitive wooden tower.
Luice scoffed quietly. "Primitive, but serviceable."
Corin blinked. "You can… build that?"
"We don't have the lumber yet," Luice replied, "but the blueprint means it's part of the Royal Pass. Once the resources are ready, it'll let me construct it faster than normal."
Corin stared, speechless—Luice spoke about building structures like he was assembling a game meta.
---
BEAST TRACKS—AND BAD NEWS
As they returned from gathering wood, Luice stopped abruptly.
Tracks.
Large.
Clawed.
Uneven.
Something heavy had passed through during the night. Corin's face drained of color.
"That… that's not a wolf."
"No," Luice confirmed. "This belongs to a Greater Hollowbeast. At least class C."
Corin panicked. "W-we aren't ready to fight something like that!"
"We aren't fighting it." Luice crouched, analyzing the depth of the prints. "But it's heading toward the east—toward the spring."
Corin's heart sank. "Our water source…"
Luice's voice turned sharp. "If we lose the spring, this entire territory collapses. So yes—this matters."
DING!
[Royal Pass — New Mission Generated]
Tier 4 Mission: "Secure or Control the Water Source."
Optional Objective: Neutralize the threat approaching it.
Reward: Combat Skill — Starter Tier
Corin's voice cracked. "Combat!? But you don't have a battle ability!"
Luice rose slowly.
"No, Corin. I don't have a traditional battle ability."
His eyes narrowed, calculating, focused.
"But I have the Royal Pass. And it demands progression."
---
PREPARATION, NOT PANIC
Instead of rushing blindly toward the threat like an idiot knight seeking glory, Luice took the next hour to prepare properly.
He gathered:
Two sharp stone shards
A handful of dried meat
Three motion mushrooms
A strong vine rope
And a heavy branch
Corin stared helplessly. "Are… are we really doing this with sticks and rope?"
"We're not fighting," Luice clarified. "We're controlling the battlefield."
He pointed to the ridge near the spring.
"The beast is large—too large to maneuver quickly. We use that. We force it to stumble. And then we pressure it into retreat."
Corin gulped. "And if it doesn't retreat?"
"Then we improvise."
Luice said it with absolute calm. No fear. Just calculated inevitability.
---
APPROACHING THE SPRING
As they approached the water source, the forest went quiet again—a predator's territory.
The smell hit first: musky, thick, rancid.
Then the sound of heavy breathing.
And then—
The Greater Hollowbeast rose from behind the spring. A massive, hulking creature with stone-like plates embedded in its fur, and glowing hollow eyes that stared directly at them.
Corin nearly fell backward. "We're dead…"
"No," Luice said quietly, lowering his stance.
"We're beginning."
The beast roared, shaking the trees.
DING!
[Royal Pass Combat Trial: Activated]
Survive / Subdue / Repel the Hollowbeast
Reward: Starter Combat Ability (Guaranteed)
Luice tightened his grip on the rope and shards.
And with calm precision, he stepped forward to meet the beast head-on—not with strength.
But with strategy.