Morning came slowly in Ashfall Basin—if it could even be morning. There was no sun, only a red-streaked haze above the mountains, bleeding dim light through layers of ash-choked clouds. The air still smelled of smoke, steel, and blood. The wind whispered through the ruined forest like a warning.
But Ashfall still stood, and that meant the work continued.
Logan Pierce stood atop the half-built watchtower at the edge of the eastern barricade, one boot braced on a beam, arms crossed as he stared toward the horizon. His left forearm was freshly bandaged, and his body ached from the previous night's battle. His knuckles were scraped and bloodied, but his eyes were clear—cold and focused.
Garrick stood beside him, adjusting a newly mounted ballista—primitive, hand-forged from scavenged iron and reinforced timber. Selene knelt on the tower's inner platform, carving runes into the floor. Each mark glowed briefly before sinking into the stone with a soft hiss. Below them, the remains of five enemy scouts still smoldered in a shallow trench, ash drifting into the heavy air.
[Watchtower Constructed: Basic Tier I]
Upgrades Available:
- Reinforced Stone Base
- Mystic Rune Layer (Available via Advisor: Selene Vale)
- Archer Platform (Locked: Requires 5 Archers or Marksmen Units)
- Signal Beacon (Locked: Requires 1 Fireglass Crystal)
Logan tapped the interface open with a thought, studying the pending upgrades. "Selene," he said without looking back, "how many more towers can we inscribe before your mana burns out?"
"Two more," she replied without hesitation. "Maybe three, if I sacrifice blood to stabilize the glyphwork."
He shook his head. "No blood magic unless we're cornered. I'll find you better conduits."
She tilted her head, mildly amused. "Practical. Good. I'll need a rune kiln soon."
"I'll build you one."
Selene's silver brow arched slightly. "You keep promising things no one else dares to build."
"I'm not anyone else."
The interface pinged again.
New entries.
[Settlement Growth Unlocked: Stage I]
[Civic Structures Available]
- Citizen Shelter
- Resource Depot
- Training Yard
- Tavern (Increases morale)
[Recruitment Option Unlocked]
- Wanderer's Beacon: Attracts random low-tier civilians over time
- Scout Expedition: Costs resources, allows targeting nearby ruins
Logan's jaw tightened as he scrolled through the choices. Stage I was basic, but it was the beginning of civilization. Every great empire began with walls, fire... and people. He selected the Wanderer's Beacon and designated the empty clearing near the southern barricade.
[Construction: Wanderer's Beacon (Basic)]
Time to Complete: 2 Hours
Materials Used: Ash Timber (15), Cracked Stone (10)
A pillar of smoke and silver flame rose into the sky—a soft, constant signal to any surviving civilians, NPCs, or system-marked refugees still hiding in the wilds nearby. Come. Here stands Ashfall. Here is safety. Here is something new.
As Garrick returned to the training yard with two newly crafted spears and Selene vanished into her quarters to draft enchantment designs, Logan sat by the Heartstone and opened the Strategic Survey Tool from his interface. The Ashfall Map unrolled in holographic threads across the air before him.
Ashfall Basin – Local Territory Map (Stage I)
Region | Status | Notables
--- | --- | ---
Heartstone Core | Secure | Level 1 — Mutation Active
Eastern Edge | Fortified | Watchtower I Built
Southern Clearing | Under Construction | Wanderer's Beacon
Ironfang Hollow | Unknown | Cave system — high mana density
Molten Spine Ridge | Hazardous | Lava flows + Beast activity
Silent Glade | Unexplored | Fog-heavy zone — potential dungeon site
Logan's eyes lingered on the name: Silent Glade. It was the only location labeled "Unexplored" and marked in red—a hint from the System. His gut twisted—not from fear, but instinct. That's where the first dungeon is.
[Side Quest Triggered: Explore Silent Glade]
Objective: Uncover the Dungeon Entrance
Reward: Unknown
Risk: High — No Sovereign has entered this region yet.
Logan rose slowly, brushing ash from his cloak. If there's a dungeon, there's loot. If there's loot, there's power. And if there's power, I need it before the Hollow Architect makes another move.
He opened his inventory—still light, but growing.
- Two iron spears
- One cracked shield
- A small stash of salvage
- One healing salve
- One unstable light rune
- One spare Summoning Token
- The Heartstone was holding—barely.
He returned to the barracks, where Garrick was helping set up training dummies made of bundled ashwood and scavenged bones. "Prepare two packs," Logan said. "Light. No bulk. We're scouting the Glade in three hours."
Garrick frowned, rubbing his beard with a blood-smeared glove. "I'd recommend sealing it off. Fog zones like that always stink of ambush."
Logan met his eyes. "Exactly why I need to see what's inside before someone else does."
Garrick snorted. "You've got the recklessness of a warlord."
Logan's voice was low and hard. "No. I have the urgency of a builder who knows someone is already digging."
Three hours later, Logan stood at the southern edge of the basin, just beyond the line where the twisted trees thrived.