The settlement gates were already open.
Kairav stopped a short distance away, observing.
Stone walls rose unevenly, patched with older blocks and newer repairs that didn't quite fit. Guards stood at the entrance, spears resting against their shoulders, eyes scanning travelers with practiced disinterest.
Not vigilance.
Assessment.
People entered and left freely—farmers with carts, merchants with worn cloaks, laborers whose shoulders sagged under invisible weight.
No one smiled.
This was not a place that expected kindness.
Kairav stepped forward.
The guard on the left glanced at him, eyes flicking over his clothes, his posture, his empty hands.
"Name?" the guard asked.
"Kairav."
"Origin?"
Kairav paused for half a breath. "Outside."
The guard snorted softly. "Figures."
He waved him through without another word.
Just like that.
No questions about family.No concern for survival.
Inside the walls, the settlement breathed quietly. Narrow streets twisted between low buildings. Smoke rose from chimneys. Somewhere, metal rang against metal—work never truly stopped here.
A child ran past him, barefoot, laughing.
The sound felt out of place.
Kairav moved deeper into the settlement, eyes sharp. He noted everything: guard rotations, crowded areas, the way people avoided certain streets without being told.
Fear left patterns.
Hunger did too.
A sudden dizziness hit him.
He leaned against a wall, steadying his breath.
A translucent panel appeared.
[Physical Condition]Fatigue: HighNutrition: Insufficient
So even survival came with reminders.
Kairav pushed away from the wall.
"If I collapse," he muttered, "I die."
The system did not disagree.
He reached a central square where a notice board stood, layered with old postings. Work offers. Debt warnings. Names scratched out and replaced.
One posting caught his eye.
Labor Needed – Quarry DetailPayment: Food + CoinDuration: Open
Open meant dangerous.
But it also meant immediate.
Kairav pulled the posting free.
A voice spoke behind him.
"You won't last a day there."
He turned.
A young man stood a few steps away, thin but alert, eyes sharp with something close to amusement.
"Most don't," the stranger continued. "The smart ones avoid it."
Kairav studied him. "And you?"
The man smiled faintly. "I watch."
Kairav nodded once. "Then watch this."
He folded the posting and tucked it into his clothes.
The man laughed quietly. "Name's Rivan. If you survive, buy me a meal."
"If I don't?" Kairav asked.
Rivan shrugged. "Then I was right."
They parted ways.
As Kairav walked toward the quarry road, the system stirred.
[Behavior Logged]Risk Accepted.]Judgment Pending.]
Kairav did not slow.
This world did not care.
So he would.