The morning came slow, its dim light seeping through the cracks in the watchtower walls. Drakmoor's ashfall was lighter today, but it still coated everything in a fine, grey layer, as though the city itself mourned its ruin. Inside the tower, the air was thick with the acrid scent of blood, sweat, and the dying embers of the bandits' fire.
Ardyn sat on a cracked stone bench near the tower's center, inspecting the spoils they'd gathered from the corpses. The bandits hadn't carried much: a few rusted weapons, a handful of coins, and some poorly maintained supplies. Nothing extraordinary, but it would do for now.
Calden, still pale from the night's events, leaned against the far wall, fidgeting with a half-broken bow. His eyes kept darting to the pile of bodies outside the tower's door, which Ardyn had unceremoniously dumped there.
"We're going to have to deal with that," Calden muttered, breaking the silence.
"We'll burn them," Ardyn replied without looking up. "The smoke will draw attention, but leaving them to rot will do the same."
Calden nodded reluctantly, though he still avoided looking at the bodies. "You're awfully calm about this."
Ardyn finally glanced up, his grey eyes sharp. "Calm doesn't keep you alive, Calden. Planning does."
Before Calden could respond, the familiar glow of a notification appeared in Ardyn's vision.
System Notification:
Watchtower Secured. Reward Allocated.
Reward: Crafting Blueprint – Basic Fortifications._
New Quest Available:
Fortify the Watchtower. Reward: Increased Defensibility Modifier.
Ardyn frowned. The System's tasks were starting to align with his own goals, but it was the way it tracked his every move that set his teeth on edge. It wasn't a guide—it was a judge, cold and unfeeling, rewarding efficiency and punishing hesitation. He wondered, not for the first time, if following its instructions would lead him anywhere he wanted to be.
Still, the blueprint might be useful.
After skimming the blueprint burned into his mind by the System, Ardyn stood and dusted off his cloak. The instructions were simple: reinforce the walls, secure the upper floors, and create choke points near the entrances. It was all logical, practical.
"We need wood," Ardyn said, snapping Calden out of his thoughts.
"For the barricades?" Calden asked.
"And the traps," Ardyn confirmed. "There's a grove a little south of here. Should have enough deadfall to avoid cutting live trees."
"And the bandits?"
"Gone," Ardyn said curtly. "We made enough noise last night to scare off anyone smart. And the ones who aren't smart won't last long."
Calden hesitated before nodding. He didn't like the way Ardyn spoke about survival, as if every word had been sharpened on a whetstone. But he also knew better than to argue.
The grove was a sparse patch of trees just outside the ruined district, its skeletal branches swaying gently in the ash-laden breeze. The air here was quieter, the faint chirping of birds a rarity in Drakmoor. Ardyn crouched near a fallen tree, testing the wood's strength with a practiced hand.
"This'll do," he said, gesturing for Calden to start gathering branches. He worked methodically, stripping the bark from larger logs and tying smaller pieces into bundles.
Calden, less experienced, struggled to keep up. His hands trembled slightly as he wrestled with a thick branch, his frustration clear.
"You need to stop second-guessing yourself," Ardyn said without looking up.
Calden paused, glaring at him. "Easy for you to say. You've already decided you're dead inside."
The words hung in the air, heavier than either of them expected. Ardyn straightened, meeting Calden's glare with a calm intensity that made the younger man flinch.
"You think this is easy?" Ardyn asked quietly. "You think I don't feel it? Every person I've killed. Every choice I've made. It doesn't go away, Calden. It never does."
"Then why—"
"Because feeling it doesn't matter," Ardyn interrupted, his voice cold. "What matters is what you do next. If you want to survive, you stop thinking about what's fair. You think about what works."
Calden didn't respond, but he returned to his work with renewed focus. Ardyn didn't say it, but he was impressed. Most people would've run by now.
By the time they returned to the watchtower, the sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the sky in shades of red and gold. The bundles of wood weighed heavily on their backs, but Ardyn pushed forward, ignoring the ache in his muscles.
Back at the tower, they set to work immediately. Ardyn's new blueprint guided his actions as he reinforced the doorframe with thick planks, creating a sturdy barricade. Calden followed his lead, though his movements were less confident.
Fortification Progress: 37%.
The System's notifications kept appearing, tracking their progress like an unrelenting overseer. Ardyn ignored them as best he could, focusing on the task at hand.
Night fell before they finished, the firelight casting long shadows across the walls. The watchtower felt different now—less like a ruin and more like a refuge. The barricades held firm, the walls patched with reinforced planks. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.
Calden leaned against the wall, wiping sweat from his brow. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
Ardyn nodded, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "We are."
For the first time since they'd met, Calden smiled. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was there.
Fortification Complete. Reward Allocated.
Reward: Choke Point Blueprint – Advanced Traps._
New Quest Available:
Establish Resource Supply Lines. Reward: Access to Trading Opportunities.
Ardyn let out a slow breath as the notifications faded. The System wasn't letting up, and he knew this was only the beginning.
"We'll need more supplies," he said, standing. "Food, water, tools. If we're going to turn this place into something real, we need to start thinking long-term."
Calden nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "And what happens when the guild finds out what we're doing?"
Ardyn's lips curled into a grim smile. "Then we make sure they regret it."