Morning fog curled over the village fields as Sylas shoved the creaking wooden door of the storehouse open. He blinked against the watery sunlight and arched his arms back, letting the familiar pain settle into his shoulders. A week before, he'd been lying in bed in a cold, antiseptic hospital room. Now, blisters adorned his hands like medals of war.
He winced as he curled his fingers. They ached—but not the bright, hollow ache of cancer.
This is different. This is earned.
Sylas opened the system with a practiced mental command.
[Status Update – Passive Trait Progress]
Laborer: 25% → 32%
*[New Trait Unlock Available: "Builder's Instinct (Lv. 1)"]
You now gain subtle construction tips when building simple structures.
He blinked in wonder. "Builder's instinct, huh?"
The thought ignited a fire within him. He looked in the direction of the green plot next to the shed. It was unruly and covered in shattered crates, but he noticed something greater.
A location.
A ground to construct on.
"Time to begin putting foundations down."
After splashing his face with water at the river, he walked to the request board in search of Mira. She was, predictably, the first there, sorting parchment slips with military efficacy.
"I want to purchase a chicken," Sylas declared.
She didn't glance up at once.
"Just one?" she asked at last, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… more than one. Eventually."
"Good," she nodded. "One chicken's a pet. Two is a hobby. Three is a future."
She never asked him why he wanted chickens. Perhaps she already knew.
She took him to the back of her house, to a little fenced enclosure, where a dozen hens scratched the earth, clucking indolently.
"Three copper each. You want two?"
Sylas opened his pouch of coins, counting methodically. "Yeah. That's six copper."
"Save them safe," she cautioned. "Haresh doesn't give back birds."
[New Quest Accepted: "Feathered Investment"]
Objective: Build a working chicken barn by sundown.
Bonus: Survive both hens for 7 days.
Reward: +8 Copper | +1 Chicken Egg Daily | ???
Sylas departed with two tiny cages, both containing anxious, ruffled hens. They glared at him through the wooden slats like judges considering his competence.
"Don't die on me," he grumbled.
He came back to the shed and drew a rough design in the ground. A little rectangular building, perhaps a meter high, with a sloped roof and fenced area. Nothing elaborate—just rain, foxes, and the occasional curious child protection.
[Builder's Instinct Activated]
+10% construction efficiency. Auto-alignment allowed for base frame.
Basic enclosure design unlocked.
"I'm essentially a farmer now," he whispered.
He spent the remainder of the hour chopping wood, collecting discarded nails from Garen's forge scrap heap, and salvaging usable planks from broken carts in the back of the barn.
The labor was arduous. His hands shook. The stone axe was becoming dull quickly.
Then, a gust of wind blew over the half-assembled frame. One of the hens clucked derisively from its cage.
Sylas scowled. "You think you can do better?"
Nevertheless, he persisted. He drove each nail with determination, fitting joints the way the instinct guide prodded him to. His movements became smoother—less guessing, more trusting his body.
As he toiled, images flashed—of hospital food, of the blip of heart monitors, of the sterile white light that never varied with seasons.
Now dirt on his knees. Sweat on his forehead. And a reason.
By late afternoon, the coop was done: a sloping-roof hut with straw bedding, a plain trough, and a plain fence constructed of bound branches and old rope.
He flung open the cages.
The hens came out hesitantly, one pecking at his boot before strutting off to examine the straw. The other claimed her new space immediately.
Sylas leaned back, worn out, but a smile spread across his face.
"I really did it."
[Quest Completed: "Feathered Investment"]
+8 Copper | +1 Daily Egg | Trait Progress: Builder (12%)
New Title Achieved: "First-Time Farmer"
You now gain passive animal trust from those you raise.
He felt a strange warmth in his chest—nothing magical, just… pride. Not for some great battle or magic that shook the world, but for creating something small. Real.
It wasn't all about eggs.
It was about growing.
As he finished cleaning up the workspace, Garen walked by, arms laden with timber.
He slowed, looking at the coop.
"Ugly," Garen said, as he nodded.
"…Thanks."
"But it'll hold," Garen added, before he went on.
Minutes later, Mira came over with a small cloth pouch.
"You constructed quicker than I expected. You've got a good head."
"Or obstinate hands," Sylas replied, wiping sweat from his forehead.
She threw him the pouch. "That's your payment. And if those hens disappear, I'll take it you cooked them."
He chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."
That night, he sat beside the coop, resting against the shed wall. The hens had settled in—quiet now, except for the occasional drowsy cluck.
The sun colored the sky in red and orange streaks, casting long shadows across the peaceful village.
A week before, he had two hours to live.
Now, he had chickens.
A roof.
A future.
One small step at a time.