Cold stone beneath his boots.
Real stone.
The darkness peeled away like a curtain, and Blendi opened his eyes inside a familiar yet heavier body. The air smelled of iron, smoke, and old wood. Torches flickered along stone walls carved by hands that had never known peace.
Krujë Castle.
Not the image from books or screens.
The real thing.
Footsteps echoed beyond the chamber doors. Armored men stood guard, unmoving, as if statues carved for war itself. Their eyes carried respect. Fear. Expectation.
Skanderbeg had returned.
But the man inside was no longer bound by history.
A translucent interface hovered silently at the edge of his vision.
[Country System Online]
[Synchronization Complete]
[Authority Transfer: Successful]
[You are now recognized as the Sole Sovereign of Albania]
Blendi felt it then.
Not strength.
Not pain.
Responsibility.
As if hundreds of thousands of invisible threads had tied themselves to his spine. Each thread a village. A family. A soldier. A child not yet born.
He took a slow breath.
"Open full status."
The system responded instantly.
Nation Status
Nation: Albania
Ruler: Skanderbeg
Government Type: Wartime Sovereignty
Era: Medieval
Population: 480,214
Manpower Available: 42,318
Standing Army: 8,312
Elite Units: 612
Food Reserves: Low
Gold Reserves: Low
Weapon Stockpile: Inadequate
Infrastructure: Fragmented
Unity: High
Fear Index: Zero
Foreign Hostility: Extreme
Projected Survival: 12 percent
A red warning pulsed at the bottom.
[Critical Weakness Detected]
Economy
Logistics
Succession Stability
Blendi narrowed his eyes.
"So that is where history failed."
Another window opened.
Sovereign Privileges Unlocked
You may issue three decrees within the first cycle.
Decrees shape the foundation of your nation.
Choose wisely.
Three golden seals floated before him.
Decree One: Military Centralization
All armed forces answer directly to the Sovereign
Removes clan level autonomy
Risk of noble dissatisfaction
Decree Two: National Granary Initiative
Mandatory grain contribution
Stabilizes food supply
Short term civilian strain
Decree Three: Rotational Civilian Training
Every able man trains periodically
Increases manpower quality
Slower economic output initially
A thin line of golden text appeared beneath the seals.
(Recommended for long term survival: All three)
Blendi did not smile.
He did not hesitate either.
"One," he said quietly.
The first seal ignited.
[Decree Activated]
Military Centralization
Clan autonomy reduced
Command efficiency increased
Elite unit loyalty increased
Noble Resistance: Minor
"Two."
The second seal flared.
[Decree Activated]
National Granary Initiative
Food reserves stabilizing
Civilian satisfaction temporarily reduced
Projected famine risk lowered
"Three."
The final seal shattered into light.
[Decree Activated]
Rotational Civilian Training
Manpower quality increasing
Future elite recruitment unlocked
The air inside the chamber seemed heavier.
Outside the walls, men paused mid movement.
Farmers felt an urge to store grain.
Village elders began counting supplies.
Commanders adjusted their chains of authority without knowing why.
The system did not need belief.
Only compliance.
First Audience
The heavy doors creaked open.
Several figures entered.
Nobles.
Commanders.
Elders wrapped in fur and steel.
Their expressions varied.
Concern. Curiosity. Unease.
One of them stepped forward.
"My lord," he said cautiously, "word spreads fast. The clans feel… restrained."
Blendi met his eyes calmly.
"They are no longer clans," he replied. "They are Albania."
Silence followed.
Another noble clenched his jaw.
"You centralize too fast. Tradition will resist."
Blendi turned his gaze to him.
"So will the Ottomans," he said evenly.
No one argued after that.
The system chimed softly.
[Hidden Effect Triggered]
Authority Speech Successful
National Unity increased
Noble dissent suppressed
A commander stepped forward, armor bearing scars of old battles.
"My lord," he said, voice low, "what of the army?"
Blendi raised his hand.
"Bring me the roster."
Military Interface Opens
Army Composition
Infantry: 5,400
Light Cavalry: 1,600
Archers: 1,312
Training Level: Uneven
Equipment Quality: Low
Morale: High
Blendi exhaled slowly.
High morale without structure was wasted blood.
"From today," he said, "we stop charging blindly."
The commander frowned slightly.
"My lord?"
"We train. We rotate. We retreat when needed."
He paused.
"And we create something new."
Elite Unit Formation
A new panel unfolded.
[Elite Unit Creation Available]
Requirements Met
Name your unit.
Blendi did not think long.
"Eagle Guard."
The system processed the name.
Elite Unit: Eagle Guard
Initial Size: 300
Bonuses
Mountain Combat Efficiency increased
Morale cannot drop below threshold
Immune to bribery
Special Trait
Nation First
A faint tremor passed through the castle.
Outside, three hundred men felt something lock into place inside their chests.
They did not cheer.
They did not speak.
They simply stood straighter.
First Achievement Unlocked
[Achievement: The Spine of a Nation]
You centralized authority within the first cycle.
Rewards
Permanent command efficiency increase
Future rebellions reduced
Succession stability increased
Blendi closed his eyes briefly.
This was no longer a rebellion.
It was administration.
External Threat Update
A red warning flashed again.
[Ottoman Empire]
Awareness Level: Low
Assessment: Albania remains insignificant
Estimated Invasion Window: 3 to 5 years
Blendi opened his eyes.
"Good," he whispered.
"Let them underestimate us."
Another window appeared.
[Next System Objective]
Stabilize Economy
Increase Weapon Production
Prepare Defensive Zones
Reward upon completion
Technology Tier Advancement
Diplomatic Options Unlock
Dynasty System Preview
The castle felt smaller now.
Not because it shrank.
But because the world beyond it had become reachable.
Blendi stepped toward the balcony overlooking the mountains.
The land was harsh.
But it was his.
"I will not burn this nation for glory," he said softly.
"I will build it to last."
The system responded.
[Eternal State Route Progress]
3 percent
This was only the beginning.
And history had already started to break.