Finn could barely keep his eyes open, but when he read the reward again, something lit up inside him.
'Wait a minute...' he thought. 'Now I have twenty Builder Points!'
His breath caught for a second, then a wide smile stretched across his face.
"I can build the full wall. And all four gates..."
He wanted to laugh out loud because with this, he would be able to make sure every single direction would be fortified with stone walls and stone gates.
"Then, I need to plan what I should build next to quickly help the village and everyone."
His mind started to plan the best possible development for the village. He had never been outside the village to another town, city, or kingdom.
He only had the little knowledge shared by Old Thom and the other villagers who had been out before.
"I'll just talk to Lisa later on. She is brilliant and knowledgeable," Finn muttered as he decided to do what he could first.
He pushed himself to sit up straighter, arms shaking as he reached for his satchel.
'Just the first day and I am already half-dead. Will I be able to do all of this again tomorrow?' he wondered.
The soreness didn't go away, but something about the reward gave him just enough fuel to keep moving.
'Let's get back. I need to start now.'
He stood, stretched his legs, and slung the satchel over his back.
But then, he heard something. It was a deep, thunderous roar that echoed through the clearing.
It came from the forest behind him.
The trees shook. Birds scattered.
Finn froze.
His ears rang.
Then, he could hear a chime in his mind.
=====
[New Mission: Beast Threat Detected – Tier 1]
Objective: Defeat the Wild Beast (Level 1)
Time Limit: Before the beast kills more than five villagers
Reward:
1. +500 EXP
2. +50 Builder Points
3. +20 Hero Points
Failure Penalty:
-2000 EXP
=====
"This is harsh," he thought.
He barely had enough EXP, and the penalty was deducting 2000 EXP. That would leave him in a deficit.
The roar sounded again. After receiving the mission notification, Finn knew that the wild beast was going to really attack him and the village.
His eyes darted toward the tree line.
It was the same sound.
That same monstrous growl from the early morning.
"Don't tell me..."
Finn turned, and there it was.
Bursting from the brush with glowing yellow eyes, snapping fangs, and thick black fur, the large and muscular wild wolf beast charged directly toward him.
"No…"
"Finn! Get back!" a voice shouted.
It was Xabi. He had drawn his sword, standing frozen near the East Gate alongside the other guard. The gate… wasn't even a real gate. Just two fence posts and a makeshift plank.
Finn's legs stumbled. His muscles screamed at him to move, but his body was drained.
'I can't outrun it this time… If I die here, everything will be for nothing.'
Then, instinct took over.
Not his body, but his mind.
He shut his eyes, forced his thoughts to steady despite the panic rising in his chest.
'Build the wall. Now.'
The system responded as if it could understand perfectly how Finn wanted it to be built.
=====
[Builder Panel]
[Confirm Build: Stone Wall (Tier 1) – 1,600m?]
[Builder Points Required: 8]
[Confirm?]
[Yes] / [No]
=====
"Yes!" Finn shouted as he closed his eyes, believing it would help him run faster.
A deep tremor shook the ground beneath his feet.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw it. The same magic he saw in the vision. The magic of building something out of thin air.
Stone burst from the earth in a ring around the village, rising like towers breaking free from the underworld.
Dust exploded in all directions. Cracks raced along the soil. The faint golden light shimmered as the walls connected section by section as they grew taller, stronger, and unstoppable.
3.5 meters high walls.
Four-sided. Enclosing the village.
Gasps burst through the village like ripples in water.
"W-what in the world?!"
The earth trembled. Loud cracks echoed through the air as stone erupted from the ground, rising in thick, jagged lines around the village perimeter.
"It's an earthquake!" someone screamed.
"No! Take cover! Get away from the buildings!"
Panic spread fast. Children wailed and clung to their mothers. Farmers dropped their tools and backed away from the fields. A cart full of firewood tipped over as its puller ran for shelter.
At the East Gate, Xabi stumbled, his stance wide as the ground shook beneath him. "What… What the hell is happening?!"
He wasn't the only one. Even the guards at the other gates gripped their weapons tightly, eyes darting around in fear.
Then, from the central path, Old Hann appeared, nearly tripping as he pushed through the gathering crowd.
His eyes were wide, but not with fear.
He raised both arms and shouted, voice booming with a strength that silenced the chaos.
"Stand still! Do not be afraid!"
Everyone froze.
Even the crying stopped.
The villagers turned to him, stunned and breathless. Old Hann stood tall, eyes gleaming with awe as he stared at the rising stone towers linking into a wall.
"The gods…" he whispered first, then laughed, heartily and full of joy. "The gods! The forest, mountain, and river spirits! They've heard our prayers!"
The silence cracked.
"The gods!"
First one voice.
Then another.
"It's a miracle!"
Then dozens.
"They've protected us!"
Cheers erupted, growing louder with each breath. Hands raised to the sky. People dropped to their knees in praise. The fear turned into celebration, into wonder.
And all the while, the walls kept rising, steady and majestic, surrounding Riverwood like arms drawing in for an embrace.
But just before hope could fully take root, a voice tore through the air. It was Finn's voice.
"Wild beast!" Finn shouted, breathless and loud. "At the East Gate!"
The joy shattered like glass, and the village snapped back to reality.
Finn could tell the walls weren't enough.
The beast was still coming.
And the East Gate, if it could even be called that, was wide open.
"No good!" he hissed. "It can still get in!"
He broke into a sprint, legs aching but fueled by adrenaline. His arms pumped weakly at his sides, but his voice surged with urgency.
"Xabi! Get inside!" he shouted. "Just go!"
Xabi turned, startled. "But Finn—!"
"Go!"
Finn didn't wait to see if they listened. His eyes were already locked onto the Builder Panel that hovered before him once more, triggered by thought alone.
=====
[Builder Panel]
[Confirm Build: Stone Gate (Tier 1) – North, East, South, West?]
[Builder Points Required: 4]
[Confirm?]
[Yes] / [No]
=====
His focus zeroed in on the East Gate first. He could feel the beast gaining.
He then shouted once again even though he could just think about it. "Yes! Prioritize East Gate!"