The watchtower, once little more than a crumbling relic, now stood with a newfound resilience. The reinforced gate gleamed faintly in the morning light, its iron supports catching the sun as the ashfall drifted lazily around it. Traps lined the entrance, hidden among the underbrush and stone debris, while the newly dug escape tunnel offered a silent promise of survival.
But Ardyn's mind wasn't on what they had built—it was on what still needed to be done.
New Task Available:
Fortify Upper Levels. Reward: Sniper's Perch Blueprint.
The System's directive was clear: secure the upper levels and turn the tower into a true bastion. But the process would be far from simple. The upper floors were riddled with cracks and gaps, making them unstable and vulnerable to collapse. Without proper reinforcement, they were more of a liability than an asset.
Ardyn leaned over the table in the watchtower's main chamber, studying Grath's latest sketches. The craftsman had drawn up plans for bracing the walls with iron beams and installing a makeshift sniper's perch near the top—a strategic position that could give them an edge in defending the tower.
"This will hold?" Ardyn asked, his grey eyes sharp.
Grath grunted, scratching his beard. "It'll hold if we can get the beams in place without the whole damn thing falling on our heads. The upper floors aren't exactly what I'd call 'structurally sound.'"
"We don't have a choice," Ardyn said, his tone firm. "The higher we can defend from, the better our chances if someone attacks."
Calden, sitting nearby with his bow across his lap, raised an eyebrow. "Someone like the guilds?"
"Or worse," Ardyn replied.
The room fell silent at that, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. They all knew the truth: the guilds weren't the only threat. The Ash Cathedral's shadow loomed ever closer, and Ardyn could feel the tension in the air, like the calm before a storm.
The work began with clearing debris from the upper levels. Ardyn, Calden, and Grath ascended the narrow, creaking staircase, their movements careful as the ancient structure groaned beneath them. The second floor was still stable, but the third was another story entirely—cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, and parts of the floor had already collapsed, leaving gaping holes that revealed the rooms below.
"We'll need to shore this up first," Grath said, gesturing to one of the larger cracks. "If the floor gives out, we're screwed."
"Start with the beams," Ardyn said. "Calden and I will handle the smaller repairs."
Grath gave a curt nod and set to work, hauling the iron beams they'd scavenged from the quarry up the stairs. Ardyn and Calden followed, using planks and nails to patch the weaker sections of the floor. The work was slow and grueling, the air thick with dust and the constant creak of unstable wood.
"This place is a death trap," Calden muttered as he hammered a plank into place.
"It won't be when we're done," Ardyn replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "It'll be a fortress."
"And if it isn't?" Calden asked, his tone edged with doubt.
"Then we die trying," Ardyn said simply.
Hours passed, the steady rhythm of hammers and the scrape of metal filling the tower. By the time the first iron beam was secured, the sun had begun its slow descent, casting long shadows across the ruins outside.
Grath stood back, wiping soot from his hands as he inspected his work. "That's one," he said. "Three more to go."
"It's a start," Ardyn said, his voice steady. "We'll finish the rest tomorrow."
Grath snorted. "Assuming this place doesn't collapse on us before then."
That night, the tower was eerily quiet. The faint crackle of the fire in the main chamber was the only sound, its warm glow casting flickering shadows on the walls. Ardyn sat near the flames, sharpening his dagger with slow, deliberate strokes. His mind raced with thoughts of the future—of the battles they would face and the decisions he would have to make.
Across the room, Calden sat with his back against the wall, his bow resting beside him. He watched Ardyn in silence for a moment before speaking.
"You ever think about what comes after?" Calden asked.
Ardyn didn't look up. "After what?"
"After all this," Calden said, gesturing vaguely around the room. "The tower, the traps, the fighting. What happens if we win?"
Ardyn paused, his gaze fixed on the blade in his hands. "There is no after," he said quietly. "Not for me."
Calden frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means this is all I have," Ardyn said, his voice cold. "I don't care about winning. I care about surviving."
The room fell silent at that, the firelight dancing between them like a barrier neither could cross.
The next morning, they resumed their work, their movements mechanical and driven. The second and third iron beams were installed without incident, their weight stabilizing the upper floors. By the time they began work on the fourth, the tower felt more secure—solid, like it could weather whatever storm came their way.
As they secured the final beam, Grath let out a low whistle, stepping back to admire the structure. "Not bad," he said. "Not bad at all. This place might actually hold up now."
Ardyn nodded, his grey eyes scanning the room. "Now we move on to the perch."
The sniper's perch was the final piece of the fortification plan, a narrow platform near the top of the tower that offered a clear view of the surrounding ruins. Grath had designed it with reinforced planks and iron supports, ensuring it could withstand the weight of a defender and their gear.
It took them the better part of the day to build, the work slow and meticulous. By the time the perch was complete, the sun was dipping below the horizon, bathing the tower in a warm, golden light.
Ardyn climbed onto the platform, his gaze sweeping over the landscape. From this height, he could see the faint glow of Drakmoor's heart in the distance, the city's chaos and corruption stretching endlessly before him. But here, in the shadow of the watchtower, there was a sense of possibility—a sense that they could carve out something different.
"This is good," Ardyn said quietly, more to himself than the others.
"Damn right it is," Grath called up from below. "Now let's see if it actually works."
Task Complete:
Fortify Upper Levels. Reward Allocated.
Reward: Sniper's Perch Blueprint._
**Fortification Progress: 100%. Watchtower Upgraded._
New Quest Available:
Expand Influence in the District. Reward: Recruitment Opportunities.
Ardyn stared at the glowing notification, his mind already racing with thoughts of what came next. The watchtower was strong, but strength wasn't enough. If they were going to survive, they needed people—fighters, builders, allies. They needed to grow.
"This is just the beginning," Ardyn said quietly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.