Kazuki woke up without a sound. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but the sky was blue enough to make it feel like morning. He sat up in his small bed, stretched, then stared at the wooden ceiling like it owed him something. The cabin creaked slightly with the wind. No birds yet. No footsteps. No Lila either. She'd stayed at her friend's place after some festival work. The quiet was strange, but not unwelcome.
{System Notification}
{New Quest Available – "Fix the Shack"}
{Objective: Upgrade your current dwelling to meet minimum standards}
{Reward: Creation Skill – The ability to create basic objects and tools from mana or willpower}
{Bonus: +1 to Charm if completed before sundown}
Kazuki rubbed his neck, exhaled through his nose, then read it again. Creation skill. That sounded useful. He stood up slowly, rolling his shoulders, then pushed the door open. The breeze hit him like a reminder—this shack was barely holding together. He'd called it a horse house before. That was generous.
The roof leaked when it rained. The wood had more holes than a drunk's memory. No real insulation. The bed creaked worse than his knees after a nap. Yeah, this thing needed more than a fix—it needed to not exist.
He stepped outside and looked at the land. A few trees. Dirt. Some rocks. That was it. No hammer. No nails. No workers. No problem.
"Let's see how dumb this skill really is," he muttered.
{Quest Accepted – "Fix the Shack"}
{Timer: 12 hours remaining}
He didn't build right away. He sat on a rock and waited. Thought. The system didn't say what the rules were. Could he just imagine a house and it would appear? Or did he need to form it from something?
{Skill Acquired – Creation Lv. 1}
{Create: Forms small physical objects or structures using internal mana. Requires focus and willpower.}
He held out his hand, focused, and whispered, "Chair."
A small, simple wooden stool formed in front of him. It wasn't pretty. Legs were uneven. One looked like it had arthritis. But it held his weight when he sat on it.
"Alright," he muttered, cracking his fingers. "Now this is interesting."
He started with the walls.
Didn't knock the shack down. Just started forming new wooden panels beside it. It took focus, and each time he formed a plank, he felt his energy pull tight like a wire stretched too far. He paused every few minutes to breathe.
The system didn't babysit him. No pop-ups saying "good job" or "nice wood." Just silence. That was better.
By midday, the shack was turning into something that looked like an actual home. A porch. New windows. Reinforced door. He even made a proper chimney. When he started forming the roof, his hands were shaking a little, but he kept going.
Someone walked by.
Old man Toma, the village goat herder, stopped and stared.
"You rebuilding that old crap heap?"
Kazuki nodded. "Trying."
Toma squinted. "Where you get the wood?"
Kazuki smiled. "I'm just good with my hands."
Toma gave a suspicious grunt but didn't push. "You should build me a barn next."
"Maybe if I like you."
Toma laughed and walked off.
Kazuki went back to work. The flow was steadier now. He imagined the shapes more clearly. Made a small stone path. A fire pit. Even a little bench near the tree line. The cabin stopped being just a place to sleep and started looking like a home people might wander into without regret.
By evening, he was done.
He didn't say it was perfect. The walls were uneven in a charming way. The door squeaked a little when opened. But it stood strong. The roof was whole. The interior was clean, furnished, and warm. A small bed. Table. Chairs. Shelves he could fill later. Even a bath corner.
{Quest Complete – Fix the Shack}
{Reward Granted: Creation Skill – Now permanently usable}
{Bonus Applied: +1 Charm}
{System Note: You are now able to form objects, furniture, and basic structures from willpower and mana. Complex items may require blueprints or experience.}
Kazuki sat on the new porch, exhausted. His shirt was half off. His fingers were sore. His mana was almost gone. But he was grinning.
Then he heard footsteps again. He looked up.
Lila.
She paused at the edge of the yard, staring at the new place.
"What… the hell?" she said.
Kazuki leaned back, hands behind his head. "You like it?"
"This isn't the shack."
"No. This is my place now."
She walked slowly toward it, mouth still open.
"Did you hire someone?"
"No."
"You found gold?"
"No."
"You robbed someone?"
"Not yet."
She touched the wall, knocked on it. Real. Solid. Smooth.
"You built this in a day?"
Kazuki stood. Walked to her. Close.
"I don't like weak roofs. I snore. I deserve better."
She blinked. "You're insane."
He leaned slightly in. "You like it."
She crossed her arms, trying to look annoyed, but her eyes kept scanning the place.
"It looks… good. Better than half the houses in the village."
"I've got good taste."
"Where's my room?"
He tilted his head. "Your room?"
"I helped you. I deserve a room."
Kazuki stepped back, raised an eyebrow.
"You want to move in with me?"
She turned red. "I didn't say that."
He grinned. "Didn't say you didn't."
She kicked a rock. "Just—shut up."
Then she walked inside like she owned the place.
Kazuki followed slowly.
Lila spun around. "This table's not crooked."
"I know."
"The bed looks new."
"It is."
She paused.
"This really is your place, huh."
Kazuki sat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah."
Lila sat beside him, slowly.
Then whispered, "I've never had a place that felt like this."
Kazuki looked at her. The way her shoulders relaxed. The way her voice dropped.
He leaned in, close enough that his breath brushed her ear.
"Maybe you do now."
She froze. Then smiled softly.
They didn't kiss.
He didn't touch her.
She stayed for an hour, then left.
But the tension stayed in the room after her footsteps faded.
Kazuki lay back on the bed, stared at the ceiling he built himself, and smiled.
{System Note: Progress Unlocked – House Owner Perk: Charm grows faster inside your own home}
Tomorrow would be a new game.
And Seraphina still hadn't shown up.
Yet.