The arrival of Lady Seraphina sent ripples of unease through the quiet village of Greystone. Her warnings echoed in the hearts of every villager—bandits, monsters, rival lords preparing for war. The fragile peace that had lasted for decades was now hanging by a thread.
Kaelen paced the wooden floor of their modest home, the Refund System interface glowing faintly in the dim light. Liora sat nearby, assembling parts for a new elemental trap, her brows furrowed in concentration.
"The system's refund multiplier can help us prepare, but it won't protect us from armies," Kaelen said grimly. "We need to be strategic."
Liora didn't look up. "Then let's be smart about how we spend resources. Every trap, every arrow, every potion has to count."
The System beeped softly, a new notification appearing in Kaelen's mind:
New Quest: Prepare for Incoming ThreatsObjective: Fortify the village defenses using resources gathered from the wild.Reward: 10 SP, New Defensive Structure Blueprint.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed. Fortifying the village was exactly what they needed, but it would require a tremendous amount of materials — wood, stone, and rare minerals.
"I'll focus on upgrading traps and defenses," Liora said, packing away her tools. "You handle gathering and summoning."
Kaelen nodded. "Deal."
The forest that once seemed like a source of food and life now felt ominous. The shadows lengthened and the silence was heavier. They needed rare ores and hard woods from deep within the wilderness, places few dared to go.
Kaelen felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.
"Let's be quick," Liora said, adjusting her goggles. "We can't afford to waste resources."
They moved in tandem, scanning the forest floor and trees for anything useful.
Hours into their search, they reached a steep ravine rumored to hold veins of iron and other ores. The sides were jagged and treacherous, but the deposits below were promising.
Liora unpacked her small elemental injector and set a controlled fire trap near the entrance — meant to deter any curious beasts.
"Ready?" she whispered.
Kaelen nodded and lowered himself down carefully, rope in hand.
As he reached the bottom, a low growl echoed through the rocks.
Suddenly, from behind the shadows, a pack of dire wolves emerged — larger and fiercer than any they had seen before.
Kaelen barely had time to react. He summoned a skeletal hand from the earth, the bones rattling as they clawed toward the nearest wolf. The creature snarled and lunged, but the skeleton intercepted it.
The system chimed:
Resource spent: Summoning Bones (2 units).Refund Multiplier Active: 15x.Refunded: 30 units.Summoning Exploit uses left this week: 2.
Kaelen's lips curled into a smile despite the danger.
Liora fired a burst of icy wind from her injector, slowing the wolves' advance. Her mechanical bird buzzed overhead, alerting her to the wolves' positions.
Kaelen summoned more skeletal warriors, their bony fingers stabbing and slashing through the pack. The wolves fought fiercely, but the undead were relentless.
After several tense minutes, the last wolf fell.
Panting, Kaelen and Liora took stock.
"We'll need these wolves' pelts and meat for food and materials," Liora said, collecting their trophies.
Kaelen checked the system.
Resources gathered: Dire Wolf Pelts (4 units), Meat (6 units), Iron Ore (7 units).
System Points (SP): 0
"We're still behind," Kaelen said. "But this is progress."
The journey back was uneventful, the sun dipping low behind the trees. When they arrived, the villagers greeted them with relief and curiosity.
Kaelen and Liora immediately began sharing the meat and pelts, while also showing off the iron ore.
"We can use this to reinforce weapons and tools," Kaelen explained.
Liora was already at work designing new mechanical traps and improved armor plates made from iron.
Days turned into weeks as the village transformed. Wood was harvested, stones quarried, and iron forged into nails and fittings.
Liora's inventions grew more complex: spinning elemental turrets that released bursts of fire or ice, reinforced gates, and alarm systems with mechanical birds for scouting.
Kaelen oversaw the training of the villagers, teaching them basic combat and survival skills. Using the Refund System, every spent resource was quickly replenished, allowing rapid growth.
One evening, as Kaelen rested by the fire, the system announced:
Congratulations! You have earned your first System Point (SP).
Kaelen blinked. After all their effort, the milestone was finally reached.
He accessed the skill menu.
Available Skills:
Necrotic Grasp (+10% summon damage/duration) – 1 SP
Bone Armor (+15% damage reduction when summoning) – 2 SP
Summon Commander (Allows summoning of advanced undead commanders) – 5 SP
Kaelen's fingers trembled slightly as he unlocked Necrotic Grasp.
"Every little advantage counts," he muttered.
Lady Seraphina summoned Kaelen and Liora to the village square the next day.
"We've confirmed enemy movements near the border," she said gravely. "Bandit groups have formed alliances with rogue mages. They seek to destabilize this region."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "How soon will they arrive?"
"Within a fortnight," Seraphina answered.
The village fell silent.
Kaelen and Liora redoubled their efforts.
Liora crafted elemental grenades and traps, while Kaelen summoned skeletal guardians to patrol the village perimeter.
The villagers trained daily under their watchful eyes, forging weapons and learning to work as a unit.
The Refund System had become more than a tool — it was the village's lifeline.
One night, Kaelen walked the village walls alone, staring into the dark forest beyond.
He felt the weight of the coming storm pressing down on him.
If the bandits and mages come, will we be ready?
His mind drifted to the system's hidden features, the limited summoning exploits, and the points yet to be earned.
He whispered, "We'll survive. We have to."