The shard of obsidian pulsed faintly in Cass's palm. Warm, alive. As if the stone itself carried a heartbeat. Runes glowed across its surface, spiraling inward to a single point.
He sat alone in a small alcove of the cavern, the shard resting on his knees. The Warbles gave him space, though he could feel their eyes on him from the shadows. Whispering. Wondering.
[System]:Blueprint acquired: Dawn Shrine (Rare).
Effect: Establishes a sacred space. Boosts morale. Provides Dawn-aligned blessings.
Required:Stone (high-quality), Obsidian, Glowshroom Resin.
Construction requires: Stonecrafter or higher proficiency.
Cass read the words again and again. His chest tightened. A shrine. A place of faith. His first real structure.
But the requirements…
Stone. Obsidian. Glowshroom resin. And someone skilled enough to craft it.
He closed the blueprint window and rubbed his face. This was how it worked. Blueprints weren't magic. They didn't hand you a building for free. They gave you knowledge. The shape of the thing. The path. But the work was yours.
And that was why so many early players had failed. They thought a scroll was the building itself. They didn't understand that every blueprint demanded resources, talent, sacrifice.
But Cass knew. He had seen the patterns in his last life. He had watched others stumble and give up. He wouldn't. Not this time.
He gripped the shard tight. "We'll build it."
The next morning, he met with the elder.
The old Warble leaned on a staff carved from fossilized wood, its head wrapped with strips of cloth. His eyes glimmered faintly in the glow.
"You've seen the blueprint," the elder said. His voice rumbled like grinding stone. "Do you understand what it means?"
Cass nodded. "It means faith. A place where your people can gather. A place that gives hope."
The elder studied him long. Then he nodded. "Good. Because without faith, stone crumbles."
Cass pulled the shard from his pouch and placed it on the table between them. "I'll need help. Someone who can build it. Someone with skill."
The elder gestured to the side.
From the shadows, a Warble stepped forward. Younger, taller, with strong arms and steady hands. His skin was dusted white with stone powder. Tools hung from his belt, worn smooth by use.
"This is Karrek," the elder said. "Stonecrafter of our tribe. He knows stone better than most. But the shrine will test even him."
Karrek bowed his head slightly. His eyes were calm, sharp, assessing.
"I'll build it," he said simply.
Cass exhaled, relief washing over him. "Good. Then we start."
They gathered resources first.
The Warbles led him to the quarry deeper in the cavern. The walls glittered with veins of gray stone, sharp and jagged. Warbles swung picks, chips flying. The sound rang sharp against the cavern walls.
Cass joined them. His arms ached quickly, the pick heavy and awkward. The Warbles smirked at his clumsy swings, but he kept going. Sweat dripped down his back. His muscles screamed. Still he swung.
[System]:+1 Stone acquired.
[System]:+1 Stone acquired.
The numbers ticked upward slowly, painfully. But they ticked.
Karrek inspected each piece, tossing aside the weak, keeping the strong. "The shrine needs purity," he said. "No cracks. No rot. Only stone that can carry weight."
Cass listened. He learned.
They hauled the stone back to the central cavern, stacking it in neat piles.
Then they needed obsidian.
The elder led them to a fissure near the volcanic belt. The air grew hot, heavy with sulfur. The walls glimmered with black glass.
Obsidian.
Sharp, dangerous. Beautiful.
Warbles chipped it carefully, wrapping pieces in cloth to keep them from shattering. Cass cut his hands twice before learning to handle it. The edges sliced clean, deep. His palms burned, blood dripping onto the cavern floor.
Karrek bandaged him without a word, his eyes unreadable.
Last came glowshroom resin.
They harvested it from the farms. Thick, sticky, glowing faintly blue. It clung to their fingers, smelling sweet and sour at once. The Warbles used curved knives to cut it clean, careful not to damage the caps.
When they were done, they had three piles. Stone. Obsidian. Resin.
Karrek studied them long, then nodded. "It's enough."
Construction began.
The site chosen was a natural alcove carved into the cavern wall, overlooking the river. Karrek marked the ground with chalk, his hands moving with practiced precision. Circles. Lines. Measurements.
The Warbles watched, murmuring.
Cass stood with them, heart pounding. This was it. His first building. His first mark on the world.
Karrek raised his chisel. "Let's begin."
Days blurred into work.
Stone blocks cut and shaped. Obsidian shards set into patterns. Resin heated, poured, hardened into glowing veins.
The shrine took shape slowly. A circular base, walls rising like arms curved inward. At the center, an altar carved from the purest stone they could find. Obsidian veins ran through it, glowing faintly in the dark.
Cass carried stone. He hauled resin. He cut his hands, bruised his arms, tore his clothes. But he worked. Every moment, he thought of his mother. Every moment, he saw her smile. Every moment, he told himself—this is for her.
The Warbles began to watch him differently. Not just as an outsider. Not just as a sunfolk. They saw him sweat. They saw him bleed. They saw him work as hard as they did.
And slowly, their suspicion shifted. To respect.
At last, the shrine stood.
The altar gleamed, obsidian veins glowing faint blue. The walls curved high, carved with runes. Resin lines pulsed faintly like veins of light. The entire space glowed with quiet power.
Karrek stepped back, wiping his hands on his apron. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths. His eyes glimmered faintly.
"It's done."
The elder stepped forward. He placed his hand on the altar. His eyes closed.
The shrine flared with light.
[System]:Building complete: Dawn Shrine (Rare).
Effect: Morale boost. Dawn blessings available.
The Warbles gasped. Some fell to their knees. Others raised their arms, chanting. The cavern echoed with their cries.
The elder's voice thundered. "The child of sun has brought the Dawn below! The prophecy begins!"
The shrine glowed brighter, filling the cavern with light.
Cass stood trembling, sweat dripping, hands bleeding, chest heaving.
And for the first time, he felt it—not just survival. Not just belonging. But faith.
Faith that this world could be bent. That this second chance could be real.
He whispered, "For her."
The shrine pulsed, as if answering.
That night, Cass opened his settlement screen.
[Propervy Bastion – Hamlet]
Population: 32 (Warbles, faithful)
Stability: Food steady; morale high
Structures: Glowshroom farms, river access, Dawn Shrine
Threats: Infection rumors (minor); cavern beasts (dormant)
Potential: Rising (faith stirs, prophecy noted)
He stared at the words. His chest ached. His eyes burned.
It was still small. Still fragile. But it was alive.
And it was his.