The village houses were badly damaged after the slave traders attacked. This happened just two days ago.
The Demons who died in the attack were buried that night. In a place far from the village.
William was observing everything. He decided to rebuild the village. He decided to build it stronger. So that it could survive the upcoming attack.
He then looked at the villagers. Who stormed after him. Although they had lost many of their people, they didn't show much sorrow. Because Demons are emotionally stronger than humans. Their main principle of survival is to be strong. They were taught the reality of this world since birth. That is, the survival of the fittest. If you are weak, you will die. A simple rule.
There were a total of 58 people here. Those who survived. But most were women and children. That is, the number of people capable of fighting was very small.
William stood atop a pile of rubble, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd.
His voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Listen up! We're not just rebuilding this village. We're building a fortress. The next time those bastards come, we'll be ready. We'll tear them apart, limb by fucking limb."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some demons exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and skepticism. But no one dared to question him. Not now. Not after he'd led them through the chaos of the attack. Not after he'd buried their dead with his own hands. William was their king now, whether they liked it or not.
Alert: Preparation time remaining: 19 days, 8 hours, 47 minutes.
The system screen hovered in front of William, its cold, glowing text a constant reminder of the ticking clock. He clenched his fists. Nineteen days. Nineteen days to rebuild, to fortify, to train. And he still had no idea how strong the enemy was or how many would come. He had to prepare for the worst.
New Mission: Rebuild Broken Horn Village
Objective:
- Restore the village and prepare for the enemy attack.
Bonus Objectives:
- Build defenses.
- Train warriors.
- Develop important subordinates.
Failure:
- The village will be destroyed.
- All survivors will die.
- System penalty: -3 levels.
Rewards:
- Village upgraded to Tier 2 settlement.
- Resource production will start.
- Population limit will increase.
- ???
William's lips curled into a grim smile. The stakes were high, but so were the rewards. He had 6,385 EXP at his disposal, and he intended to use every last point to turn Broken Horn into an impenetrable stronghold.
System Notification: Housing Construction Available
- Basic Cottage (4 people capacity) → Cost: 50 EXP + 10 Wood + 5 Stone
-Strong Cottage (6 people capacity) → Cost: 100 EXP + 20 Wood + 10 Stone
- Stone House (8 people capacity) → Cost: 300 EXP + 50 Wood + 25 Stone
William's mind raced. He needed to maximize efficiency. The Stone Houses were the best option, but they required more resources. He'd have to balance speed and durability.
"Gurr!" William barked, his voice sharp and commanding. A hulking demon with scarred skin and bulging muscles stepped forward. Gurr had grown stronger since the attack, his body now a living weapon. "Take a group and start gathering wood. Cut down every tree within a mile of the village. Don't stop until you've got enough to build a fucking fortress."
Gurr grunted in acknowledgment and lumbered off, a group of demons trailing behind him. The sound of axes biting into wood soon echoed through the forest.
"Sira!" William called next. A lean, wiry demon with a bow slung across his back stepped forward. Sira was an archer, but his physical strength was nothing to scoff at. "Take the women and children. Gather stones. We don't need boulders—just enough to build walls and houses."
Sira nodded and led the smaller group away, their hands already reaching for loose stones scattered around the village.
William turned to Lily, a fierce demoness with a knife strapped to her thigh. Her eyes burned with determination. "Lily, you're with me. We're going to scout the perimeter. I want to know every inch of this land before we start building defenses."
Lily smirked, her knife already in hand. "About time you put me to work."
---
Two hours later, the villagers had gathered enough materials to begin construction. William stood in the center of the village, the system screen glowing in front of him. He selected the Stone House option and began allocating resources.
Stone House Construction Initiated.
A deep, resonant hum filled the air as the gathered wood and stone began to rise, as if guided by an invisible hand. The demons watched in awe as the materials assembled themselves into a sturdy, eight-person dwelling. The process was swift and efficient, the system's magic far surpassing anything they could have achieved manually.
"Fuck me," Gurr muttered, his massive arms crossed over his chest. "I've never seen anything like that."
William smirked. "Get used to it. This is just the beginning."
---
As the day wore on, William divided his attention between construction and training. He selected a group of demons—mostly young men and women—to begin combat drills. They were raw and untested, but they had potential. William handed out weapons from the village's dwindling stockpile and set them to work.
*New Subordinate: Kael*
Kael was a young demon with sharp features and a quick mind. He had a natural talent for strategy, and William quickly promoted him to a leadership role. "You're in charge of the training drills," William said, clapping a hand on Kael's shoulder. "I want these recruits ready to fight in two weeks. No excuses."
Kael nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination. "They'll be ready."
---
By nightfall, the village had transformed. Three Stone Houses stood tall and sturdy, their walls thick enough to withstand an assault. A makeshift palisade had been erected around the perimeter, and the training grounds were alive with the sounds of clashing steel and shouted commands.
William stood atop the newly constructed watchtower, his eyes scanning the horizon. The system screen flickered in front of him.
*Village Progress: 15% Complete*
He still had a long way to go, but the foundation was laid. Broken Horn Village would rise again, stronger and fiercer than before. And when the enemy came, they would find not a group of helpless survivors, but a force to be reckoned with.
William's lips curled into a feral grin. "Let them come."
---
System Notification: New Character Unlocked
Name: Kael
Role: Strategist
Skills: Tactical Planning, Leadership
Potential: High
System Notification: New Character Unlocked
- Name: Lily
- Role: Scout/Assassin
- Skills: Stealth, Knife Combat
- Potential: High
---
The night was quiet, but the air was charged with anticipation. The demons of Broken Horn Village had been broken, but they were not defeated. Under William's leadership, they would rise again. And when the time came, they would fight like hell.