Chapter 13 – Of Wells and Words
Greyvine Hollow
It was just a name on a page — scratched in charcoal on a half-burned scroll — but it meant something now.
Kail stood before the newly assembled group: Rin, Elric, Mira, and their fourth resident, a lanky boy named Tobrin, who had stumbled into their camp the day before with hollow eyes and a limp in his step. The boy's clothes were torn, his eyes haunted by memories of the war that had ravaged the kingdom, the same war that had taken everything from Kail.
"Alright," Kail said, spreading a roughly drawn map over a smooth tree stump that served as their table. "If we want to survive past the next two weeks, we need water. Clean water."
"We've got the river," Elric pointed out, leaning in and squinting at the map.
Kail shook his head. "Barely a stream, and it's downstream from three different abandoned settlements. We need our own supply. A well, ideally."
Mira crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You think we can just dig one? With what, sticks?"
Rin frowned, recalling stories from her childhood. "It's not impossible. My father once helped dig one with stone picks and woven baskets. Took over two weeks."
Kail nodded, his expression serious. "We'll need stone tools, rope, buckets, and… luck."
Just as he finished speaking, the familiar hum of the system vibrated in his chest, and the world shifted ever so slightly. A notification popped into his mind.
System Ping
Blueprint Unlocked:Primitive Well (Tier I) – Depth: ~10m – Requires: Stone Tools x2, Rope x3, Wooden Frame
+5 Morale (when completed)
Unlocks Passive Resource: Water Access
Enables Sanitation Tech Tree
Kail allowed himself a small smile. The system always rewarded the right questions. This was a step forward.
"Task assignment begins," he declared.
Later that morning, Kail officially opened the Governance Tab, organizing roles for everyone in the group. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he laid out the tasks, but there was also a heavy weight on his shoulders — responsibility, now that he was in charge.
New Decree Proposal:"Work Rotation Schedule" – Sets daily tasks for residents – Improves productivity by 10% – Loyalty +2 over time (if morale is 50+)
"People need predictability," he told the group as they sat around the campfire, ready for the new task assignments. "So, we're trying shifts. Rin and I will handle the well project. Elric, you'll lead resource gathering. Mira—"
Mira raised an eyebrow. "And what do I get?"
Kail smiled faintly. "You'll oversee Tobrin. He's weak. You're not. Train him. Also, build a latrine."
"A what?" Mira blinked.
"A designated area for waste," Kail clarified. "Proper disposal. Trust me — it's… important."
The others groaned, but there was a sense of reluctant understanding.
Kail grinned, the firelight dancing in his eyes. "I said I'd bring civilization. This is where it starts."
Conversations by Firelight
That night, after the work was done, Kail sat alone by the fire, watching the flames dance and crackle under the starry sky. The silence of the night was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. His thoughts swirled with the enormity of the task before him. Would they really survive this new world?
He didn't have all the answers, but for the first time since he had arrived here, he felt that they might. That maybe, just maybe, Greyvine Hollow had a future.
Rin approached with two bowls of soup — wild tuber and river snail. Still bland, still watery. But warm. She handed him one, sitting down beside him.
"You're changing," she said, her voice thoughtful as she handed him the bowl.
He arched an eyebrow. "Into what?"
She smiled faintly, a rare softness in her gaze. "Someone people listen to."
Kail chuckled softly, accepting the bowl. "I'm not used to being followed. Back home, I was just a cog in a bigger system."
Rin's smile deepened a little. "Now you are the system."
Kail stared into the fire, letting the heat from the flames wash over his skin. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this. But somehow, with Rin beside him, with the others working toward the same goal, it felt less daunting. They were all in this together.
"And I'm terrified of getting it wrong," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
Rin didn't respond immediately. She simply sat beside him, her silence speaking volumes. After a moment, she spoke.
"Then we'll build it together. Piece by piece."
System Update – Water & Waste
The system buzzed with activity, an affirmation of their progress. Kail's chest tightened with anticipation, but also with a strange sense of pride.
Feature Unlocked:Basic Sanitation
Latrine Area built (unofficial) – Morale increases slowly over time – Disease Risk: Decreased
Well Progress: 12% (Digging in Progress)
Tools Crafted: Stone Pickaxe (Rin)
Rope x1 Created from Greyvine Fibers
Kail felt a small surge of satisfaction. It was only a small victory, but victories were still victories. They were moving forward. Slowly, but they were moving.
KP Gained:+4
"Work Rotation" Decree Passed
"Sanitation Start" Milestone
"Village Meeting Held" (Unique First)
Total KP:21 / 25 (Next unlock: Law II, new blueprint options)
Journal Entry – Kail of Greyvine
"We started with nothing but dead trees and bad soil. Now we have structure, tasks, a name. Even a plan to dig water from the bones of the earth.
That's what a village is — it's not buildings. It's belief.
Mira grumbles but works. Elric cracks jokes while hauling wood. Tobrin smiled today — once. Rin… Rin keeps me from losing myself in blueprints and systems.
I was just a logistics guy back home. A planner. A man who calculated risk and reward on spreadsheets.
Now I'm a chieftain. A mayor. A builder.
I'll turn Greyvine Hollow into a city that doesn't just survive the storm — it builds the future beyond it."
The village was small, yes. But as Kail stared at the campfire, listening to the sounds of the night around him, he realized something. It wasn't just the place that mattered. It was the people. The bonds they were forging here, in this wild, uncertain world. They would survive. They would thrive.
And maybe, just maybe, they'd be the ones to shape the future.