Chapter 3: The Foundation
The trek to the suggested settlement site was a brutal introduction to planetary management. Alistair's city-softened feet ached within minutes, and the humid air clung to him like a wet blanket. Thora and her people moved with an innate grace, their eyes constantly scanning the vibrant, treacherous undergrowth. They were his silent, living shields, intercepting a venomous snake-like creature and a swarm of stinging flies before he even registered the threats.
He tried to use his Terrain Manipulation to clear a path, but the cost in some invisible "energy" resource was prohibitive. A notification flickered.
ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY TOO LOW FOR SUSTAINED TERRAIN MODIFICATION.
CORE LINK REQUIRED FOR EXPANDED POWER POOL.
Another item for the to-do list. For now, he was as vulnerable as anyone else.
After an hour, they broke through the tree line into the clearing the map had promised. It was perfect. A wide, grassy expanse sloped gently down to a slow-moving river, with a high, rocky cliff face at its back providing a natural defense. The two suns hung in the sky, bathing the area in a warm, golden-red light.
"This is the place," Alistair announced, more to himself than anyone.
He opened the Admin menu and selected the new option unlocked by the quest: Basic Construction Protocols. A holographic blueprint interface materialized in the air before him, visible only to his eyes. It was starkly simple: Foundation, Palisade Wall, Basic Hut.
He selected Foundation and defined an area near the cliff face. The system calculated the cost.
CONSTRUCTION: SETTLEMENT FOUNDATION.
MATERIALS REQUIRED: 100 UNITS OF WOOD. 50 UNITS OF STONE.
CONSTRUCT? Y/N
Alistair looked from the hologram to the primitive tribespeople watching him expectantly. They had no axes, no saws, no tools beyond their bone knives and spears. This was the first logistics problem.
"Wood," he said, pointing at the spiral trees at the clearing's edge. He then pantomimed breaking a branch and shaping it.
Thora watched, her head tilted. She gestured to one of the men, who stepped forward. The man placed his hands on a thick, low-hanging branch of a violet tree. He closed his eyes, and a faint green glow emanated from his palms. The wood creaked, and the branch began to twist and warp, slowly bending downwards until it snapped off with a clean break, the end smoothed as if sanded.
Alistair stared. A notification popped up.
SCAN COMPLETE: Blue-Skin Tribesperson.
SKILL DETECTED: WOOD SHAPING (INNATE).
DESCRIPTION: Limited telekinetic manipulation of plant-based materials.
They weren't entirely helpless. They had their own magic. This changed everything. "Good. More," Alistair said, making a gathering motion.
Thora barked orders, and the tribe set to work. Two of the men began using their Wood Shaping on the trees, while others, including Thora, used sharp stones from the riverbank to pry loose smaller rocks. It was slow, painstaking labor.
Alistair couldn't just watch. He was the Admin. He needed to optimize. He approached a tree, placed his hands on it, and focused. He didn't have Wood Shaping, but he had the System.
ANALYZE RESOURCE: SPIRALWOOD TREE.
HARVESTABLE: WOOD (TIER-1 MATERIAL).
OPTIMAL HARVEST POINT DETECTED.
A faint, shimmering circle appeared on the tree trunk, about waist-high. Alistair picked up a heavy, sharp-edged rock. He hefted it and brought it down on the marked spot with all his strength. The rock bit deep, far deeper than it should have, and the wood around the impact splintered with an audible crack. Three more blows, and the thick tree groaned and toppled.
The tribespeople stopped their work to watch, their expressions a new mix of shock and respect. He hadn't used magic. He had used knowledge. He had shown them a better way.
He repeated the process, his city muscles screaming in protest, but the System-guided efficiency was undeniable. He worked alongside them, and the pile of wood and stone grew.
After several hours, with the smaller red sun beginning to dip below the horizon, the system chimed.
MATERIALS REQUIREMENT MET.
CONSTRUCT FOUNDATION? Y/N
Alistair wiped sweat from his brow. "Everyone, stand back," he said, gesturing widely. They understood the intent and retreated to the tree line.
He focused and selected "Yes."
A low hum filled the air. The piles of wood and stone dissolved into that same familiar shower of blue particles. The particles swarmed over the designated area, flowing and merging. In less than a minute, the light faded.
Where there had been grass and dirt was now a perfectly level, solid platform of fused stone and hardened wood. It was about the size of a small house, radiating a faint sense of permanence and order.
SETTLEMENT FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED.
QUEST PROGRESS: HEARTH AND HOME (1/3).
REWARD: +1% ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY.
A wave of tangible power washed through Alistair. It was a small increase, but he felt it—a slight sharpening of his senses, a greater connection to the ground beneath his feet. The minimap in his vision now showed a solid, defined square where the foundation was.
He turned to look at his followers. They were kneeling again, but this time there was no fear in their faces. Only pure, unadulterated wonder. Thora was looking from the impossible platform to him, her eyes blazing with something fierce and loyal.
The notification for the next construction phase appeared: PALISADE WALL.
The night was coming, and the jungle was full of noises, some of them far too close. They were exposed.
Alistair looked at the dwindling light, then at the exhausted but hopeful faces of his people. The foundation was laid, both literally and metaphorically.
"The wall comes next," he said, his voice quiet but firm in the twilight. "We are not done yet."