Moyo avoided the site where the alpha had met his end. All he saw were smears of blood trailing into the distance, evidence of a vengeance carried out by those the creature had tormented. The night air was cold as he worked, removing the collars from the remaining captives, freeing dozens of people who had been enslaved.
Some of the Blood Blessed had escaped into the night, but those who remained were hunted down by rebels wielding whatever strength or weapons they had. Moyo didn't interfere, focused on completing his task.
Martha appeared quietly, sitting on a wooden stool nearby. She watched him in silence as he freed the captives one by one, her expression calm but thoughtful. Beside her, the little girl from earlier clung to Moyo, sitting quietly by his side. The girl hadn't spoken a word, and from what Martha had explained, she couldn't. Whatever she had endured when the system came had left her mute and orphaned.
"She seems drawn to you," Martha observed.
Moyo finished removing the last collar, flexing his hands before turning to face her. The little girl climbed into his lap, resting her head against his chest. Moyo gave her a soft smile, brushing a hand over her hair.
"She'll be safe with you, I trust?" he asked.
Martha nodded. "Of course. But you're leaving, aren't you?"
"Yes. If this is what one settlement looks like, there are bound to be others just like it. I can't stay in one place when there's so much to do."
"A noble goal," Martha replied, "but what happens next?"
Moyo frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You free them. You move on. What happens to the ones you leave behind? Who protects the weak then?"
"They'll have to grow stronger. Quickly. If they know what's good for them." His voice was steady, but as he glanced at the girl in his arms, a pang of sadness flickered in his chest.
"True," Martha said, "but wouldn't it be better if they had a place to fall back to? Somewhere safe, with someone to look up to."
Moyo sighed, meeting her gaze. "What do you want from me, Martha?"
"When the system came, I was given a choice of paths," Martha began, her tone measured. "It was… an ironic moment, considering I'd just watched dozens of children in my care die in the first wave of destruction."
Moyo said nothing, listening.
"I chose mana because I thought… maybe I could bring them back. Magic, right?" she said, smiling faintly. "But it didn't work that way. I was given a strategist's path instead—tools to see the possibilities, predict outcomes, and guide others."
Moyo's HUD pinged with a notification.
[Ascender Martha allows you to view her stats. Accept?]
Moyo raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "You just go around sharing your stats with strangers?"
She chuckled. "No. But you're different."
He accepted, the display unfolding before him.
Name: Martha
Race: Human
Rank: Fledgling
Core: Mana [Faint]
Level: 25
Path:
Skills:
Strategist (C) 2: Analyze battlefields, predict movements, and manage resources.Thread Weaver (U) 5: Visualize and analyze the probabilities of various outcomes in the near future, allowing for precise planning.Influence Aura (C) 2: Subtly alter group morale, discipline, or focus.Shroud (C) 5: Create subtle distortions in perception, making people or objects appear as though they are not there.
Attributes:PER: 25DEX: 10M.C: 25VIT: 15
Moyo scanned the stats, his brows furrowing slightly. "You're… underwhelming," he said gently, though his tone carried a note of surprise.
Martha smiled.
"For someone who helped orchestrate all this and predicted my arrival with that thread-weaving skill, you're not exactly a powerhouse."
"I didn't predict you," she corrected. "I saw possibilities. Most of them showed us failing. But one showed the arrival of a force so overwhelming it blinded my vision. That force… was you."
Moyo folded his arms, regarding her carefully. "If you're looking for a king or a ruler, that's not me. A few months ago, I was a college student. You can't expect me to lead anyone."
"Not a king," Martha said firmly. "I'm asking you to help build a safe haven—a beacon in these dark times. A place where the oppressed can come to be free. A stronghold to instill fear into those who abuse the system's power."
"And what do I stand for?"
"Strength," Martha replied without hesitation. "Determination. And raw, unrelenting power."
Moyo gazed at the night sky in silence, processing her words.
"I won't force anyone to stay," he said finally. "And I won't let you or anyone else use me to control people."
"Agreed," Martha said, smiling.
"I'm not interested in conquering already-inhabited places, either."
"We've got enough to handle here," she assured him.
"And everyone will be treated equally. No exceptions."
"I'll personally see to it."
Moyo nodded. "Then maybe I'll stay. For now. Let's see what vision you have for this place."
Martha stood, bowing slightly at the waist. "Thank you for hearing our plea."
"You do realize you're older than me, right?" Moyo said with a faint smile.
"And yet you're about to bring a new dawn. In this new order, age doesn't mean much."
She turned toward the glowing dungeon core, gesturing to it. "Now, I believe it's time to claim your settlement."
Moyo watched as Idris dragged a trembling, lanky man toward him, the captive barely able to stand. The man thrashed wildly when his eyes locked onto Moyo, fear evident in every movement. Idris shoved the man to the ground, his burly frame towering over the pathetic figure.
"He worked closely with the alpha," Idris said, his deep voice rumbling with barely concealed contempt. "He was the one stealing our dungeon credits and funnelling them to the Blood Blessed. He's also the only one who knows how to access the hub."
"The hub?" Moyo asked, tilting his head.
"The shop the system provided for us to buy things with credits," Idris explained. "Most of the items there are junk—at least until the settlement's core gets upgraded. But the alpha refused to upgrade anything, too busy hoarding power and resources for himself."
Annika sauntered over, her usual air of exasperation clinging to her. "Typical. I heard the hub could've had better supplies months ago if not for his thick skull." A faint charge in the air preceded her, the promise of rain carried by the electricity that naturally surrounded her.
"P-please, spare me!" the man on the ground wailed, trembling and clutching at Moyo's feet.
Moyo's sharp gaze turned to Martha, who crossed her arms and observed silently, leaving the decision to him.
"Did you kill anyone?" Moyo asked softly, his voice even but heavy with warning.
"No, my lord, not a soul!" the man whimpered. "I had no choice, they forced me to do it!"
"Lies," Ayo snapped, stepping forward, her orange eyes glowing faintly with fire. "I saw you in the thick of it, laughing alongside them, enjoying every moment of it."
The man whimpered louder, trying to crawl closer to Moyo for protection. From the corners of his vision, Moyo noticed women stepping out from hiding, their faces hard and filled with barely restrained fury.
"P-please! I can hand over all the credits in the hub to you! I swear!" the man babbled.
"As the new lord of this settlement, you technically are the custodian," Martha added quietly, glancing at Moyo.
"Wait, who made muscles here the lord?" Annika quipped, her storm-grey eyes lighting up with amusement.
"Funny," Ayo cut in, a smirk tugging at her lips, "I recall someone commenting earlier about how he's all muscle in the—"
A bolt of lightning struck the ground near her feet, Annika's innocent smile betraying nothing as Moyo rolled his eyes.
He turned to face the crowd gathering around. "Listen!" His voice carried, silencing the whispers and chatter. "Martha believes my presence here would help assure you all, and she wants me to take up the mantle of lord over this settlement. I see the reasoning behind it, and I'll accept the responsibility—but I will not do this alone."
Moyo stretched his hands outward, his presence commanding attention. "I will need all of you. Trials are coming for this world; challenges we cannot yet imagine. The only way we stand a chance is by coming together. If you choose to have me as your lord, I promise you this: I will be just, I will be fair, and I will protect you with my life. But in return, I ask that you treat each other justly and with fairness as well."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, the people looking to one another for reassurance. Moyo felt an odd mix of amusement and nervousness at their reactions. He, who had faced a Wyrm, now felt apprehensive about winning over these people.
Annika sighed dramatically, sparks crackling along her body as she rolled her eyes. "Alright, people. Do we want the ridiculously strong, overly modest, super-muscular guy who smashed the alpha like it was nothing to protect us or not?"
Cheers erupted, breaking the tension as the people voiced their agreement.
Annika turned back to Moyo, poking him firmly in the chest. "You better treat them right," she said, her tone half-serious.
Moyo smiled faintly. "I will."
He addressed the gathered crowd once more. "Then let's build something that will stand the tests of the system. Together."
Turning back to the trembling man at his feet, he continued. "You will hand over all the credits to Martha, and you will submit to whatever judgment she deems fit. System help you."
The man nodded fervently, barely able to look at Moyo as he shuffled toward Martha.
Moyo approached the glowing dungeon core that sat in the remnants of the alpha's base. "So, this was what created the settlement?" he asked aloud.
"Indeed," Boyle said, stepping forward from the crowd. "It's the base form. I overheard guards once saying they were attacked by beasts when it was first created. That's probably why they never bothered upgrading it."
"Then if I upgrade it, we might be attacked again," Moyo surmised.
"Most likely," Martha replied calmly.
Moyo nodded and placed his hand on the core. His HUD lit up immediately.
[Level 0 Settlement. Lord Missing. Do you claim it as yours?]
He accepted. A ripple of aether spread through the settlement, silencing the crowd as they stared at the core in awe.
[Settlement claimed by the Titan.]
Moyo frowned at the title. That word again—Titan. Whispers began spreading through the crowd, the name catching on like wildfire.
"It's a fitting title for you, my lord," Martha remarked, her tone amused.
[Settlement core is designated weak. Upgrade core or replace with a higher-tier core.]
Moyo opened his voidkeep, drawing gasps from the crowd as the pocket space shimmered open.
"Where'd you get that?" Boyle asked, eyes wide.
"From a dungeon," Moyo replied simply.
"You've had quite the journey," Ayo muttered, clearly impressed.
He pulled out the tier 2 dungeon core, its radiant glow catching everyone's attention.
"I've never seen one shine like that before," Martha murmured, captivated.
"It's a high-tier core," Moyo replied, keeping the details vague. He placed the core into the settlement's pedestal, the old tier 1 core clinking to the ground. He tossed it to Boyle, who barely caught it, his expression stunned.
[Settlement's core has been upgraded to a tier 2 core. Upgrade the settlement to an stronghold? Requirements: 1 dungeon core, 10 lesser aether shards.]
Producing the shards, Moyo watched as the core absorbed them. The ground rumbled as large stone walls erupted around the settlement, enclosing it entirely.
[Congratulations! Your Level 0 Settlement has been upgraded to a Level 1 Settlement Stronghold.]
Cheers broke out, the crowd erupting with joy as Moyo took a step back, surveying the transformation with a rare sense of satisfaction.
[notice, stronghold requires a name]
"it want's me to name it" he commented, folding his arms,
"you own it, you name it" Martha quipped as Moyo glanced at the rest who nodded.
"Bastion" Moyo said.
Bastion rumbled as its name was formalized, notifications flooding the Huds of its inhabitants:
[Congratulations! You are the first on planet C-102 to create a stronghold!]
[You are given:
- 10,000 credits
- 1,000 lesser aether shards
- Access to building blueprints]
Moyo stroked his beard thoughtfully while the others gathered discussed the implications. Breaking the silence, he addressed the group.
"Unfortunately, raising Bastion to the next rank requires this world to be upgraded to a tier 2 nascent world. That, along with ten tier 2 dungeon cores and a hundred refined aether shards," he explained.
Idris whistled low in surprise. "That's a steep price."
"It is," Martha agreed, nodding.
"Now we come to the core of our task," Moyo continued as he opened Bastion's hub interface, sharing the information with the group.
[Stronghold - Bastion]
Stronghold Keep – Level 1
• Lord: Moyo
• Vice Lord: None
• Steward: None
• General: None
• Grand Smith: None
• Grand Mage: None
As the blueprints became visible, murmurs spread through the crowd. The discussion was interrupted when a scout sprinted toward them, wide-eyed and breathless.
"My lord!" he shouted.
Moyo blinked. He was still adjusting to being addressed that way.
"The lands outside the stronghold—they've changed! Trees, lakes—they've appeared out of nowhere!" the man exclaimed.
Excited whispers broke out among the gathered people, someone even bringing forward a leatherskin filled with fresh water to demonstrate the changes.
"Idris, you're the general of the stronghold. Vice lord—" Martha began, only for Annika to sputter in shock.
"Wait a second! Vice lord?!" she protested.
"Grand mage goes to Ayo, and Grand Smith to our resident blacksmith, Boyle," Martha continued as though Annika hadn't spoken. "Unless our lord has other suggestions?"
Moyo shrugged. "I assume you have things in hand, Steward Martha?" he asked dryly.
As he confirmed the appointments, a notification for the positions appeared, and he accepted them. A pulse of power rippled through the stronghold, and a massive building began to take shape before their eyes. Stone rose brick by brick, expanding outward until the dungeon orb was encased in a gleaming platform of silver and purple marble. Moyo could feel faint traces of his own aether within it.
[Citizens of Bastion, rejoice! Your leaders have been chosen, the first on C-102!]
[+1 extra point for every level gained by the citizens of Bastion during the coming settlement trials!]
[Each citizen will obtain:
- 50 lesser aether shards
- 1,000 credits
- Path specialization!]
A rumble from the corner of the room caught their attention, revealing a glowing table.
"Alright, Vice Lady Annika, go check it out," Moyo commanded, ignoring her glare as Ayo snickered.
Annika approached the table, and a hologram flickered to life—a regal woman with golden eyes and a silver gown bowing gracefully before her.
"Greetings, inhabitants of Bastion," the hologram said, her voice smooth and formal. "I am your correspondent with the Greater Golden Syndicate Network. We manage trade and item purchases across the countless worlds and systems of the Archailect."
"Are you here in person?" Martha asked, stepping closer.
"No, I am merely an interactive system. Your primitive world would have referred to me as artificial intelligence before the system's cleansing," the hologram answered cheerily, oblivious to the darkening expressions around her.
"I assume I'm speaking with the lord of Bastion?" she continued, glancing toward Annika, who pointed at Moyo.
"That's the big guy," she said.
The hologram bowed. "I require a name, my lord"
Moyo paused, considering, before responding. "Aje."
The hologram blinked. "A name from your language?" Martha asked softly, intrigued.
"Deity of wealth," Moyo explained.
"Name Aje has been designated for my existence. How may I serve you?" Aje replied smoothly.
Moyo nodded toward Martha. "Your turn."
As Martha began a dialogue with Aje, Moyo took the opportunity to step out, leaving the others to figure out the intricacies of the system. He scaled the walls with Titan's Ascent, gazing over the transformed landscape. Trees and lakes dotted the horizon where there had been barren plains.
His contemplation was interrupted by a sudden system-wide message.
[Notice! The presence of Bastion has drawn the attention of aberrants far and wide within your zone. As the first stronghold on the planet, a one-time reward quest has been activated!]
[Defeat the five wave bosses that will attack Bastion consecutively and obtain one-time rewards. This event starts in one hour!]
Moyo sighed, his hand drifting to his blade. Of course, things had been going too smoothly.