Empty stalls littered the street, and the once-bustling marketplace lay in disarray. This used to be Veinburg Town's central market, where vendors sold assorted goods—fresh vegetables, colorful fruits, and fragrant spices. Restaurants and teahouses lined both sides of the lane, once brimming with laughter and the aroma of food.
But now, the place was desolate, abandoned, and messy. With the growing food shortage, the vendors had long disappeared.
Altair walked quietly in the middle of the street, his steps light and cautious. He temporarily left Alvis and Verda in the tent, as he wants to start unlocking the tasks assigned to him by the system. Also, he was supposedly still injured right now. If they saw him suddenly vigorously moving, they would probably felt confused.
His sharp eyes scanned the area, making sure no one was watching. He couldn't shake the feeling from yesterday—that he was being followed. Having grown up in the mountains, his senses were sharp, honed by years of hunting. His instincts rarely failed him.
He had a good idea who it was. After handing over the map he found, he suspected the authorities had sent someone to keep tabs on him.
When he spotted an empty alley, he quickly slipped into it, pressing his back against the cold wall. He waited, eyes narrowed, listening for any sound out of place. After a long pause, he finally whispered, "System, open."
A faint chime echoed in his mind as the system interface appeared before his eyes.
"System, I want to unlock two tasks. Unlock the house and food warehouse," he said quietly.
He'd thought about it long and hard. Originally, his plan was to unlock the food warehouse first—food was scarce, after all -- and second the walls—to protect the stronghold. But he had changed his mind. He chose to have a house before the walls. He needed a place where he and the children could stay. As he planned to bring them to the stronghold after building it.
Alvis and Verda didn't have any registration. While he can go to the other place, he can't bring them with him. He would be questioned by the authorities as their names were not within his household registration. It was also a better choice to put them in the stronghold as he was also worried that they would be found by a relative or their parents.
He focused his attention on the system. He promised them that he would be quick.
[Tasks unlocked. Building the stronghold will begin after selecting a location. Host must first purchase land to begin construction]
"What?" Altair's eyes widened. "System, why didn't you tell me I needed to buy land first?"
[The host didn't ask.]
"…Seriously." He sighed in frustration.
He didn't have the money for that. All he had were sixty-four bronze coins and one silver. That wouldn't buy him much—especially not land. Most of the territory was now owned by the government. Even if he could afford it, they'd get suspicious. Why would someone like him suddenly want to buy land? It'd raise too many questions.
Just when he was beginning to feel hopeless, the system chimed again.
[The host also has the option to build on currently owned land.]
"Huh? What do you mean by that? I own land?"
[Affirmative. The host currently holds ownership of Cintra Village. Would you like to proceed with building the stronghold there? Please confirm: Yes / No. Alternatively, you may postpone construction and choose to purchase land at a later time.]
Altair blinked, then realization dawned.
"Right… The village chief left me the title deed when everyone left. I'm technically the last person tied to that land… so it's mine."
Still, he hesitated. "System… If I build the stronghold in Cintra, does that mean I'll have to go back there every time? Won't that limit me?"
[Although the stronghold will be constructed in Cintra Village, the system can create a portal. The host can travel back and forth freely.]
Altair's eyes lit up. "That's… incredible."
He grinned.
"Then yes. I choose to build the stronghold in Cintra."
[Confirmed. Building of house and food warehouse will now begin…]
A translucent blue screen appeared before him. Task icons blinked as two blueprints materialized—one of a house and another of a food warehouse. The outlines became clearer with each passing second. After a few minutes, a chime echoed in his mind.
[A house and food warehouse have been successfully constructed. As a result of unlocking tasks, the portal function has been activated, and two gift packs have been awarded.]
Altair let out a relieved sigh, but his eyes sharpened with curiosity when he heard of the award given to him.
"A gift pack?"
[Gift packs are rewarded for completing tasks. Each pack contains random items. Would the host like to open them now?]
"Yes. Open them."
Two transparent boxes appeared in the air before him. He reached out and touched the first one. It dissolved into a shimmer of light, revealing six talismans—three yellow, three red.
[Items acquired:
Yellow Talismans — Teleportation Talismans, allowing instant travel between known locations.
Red Talismans — Fire Burst Spell, an explosive fire-based attack.]
Altair's eyes widened in excitement. Teleportation? Fire magic?
"With these items, I'm practically a temporary awakened warrior already."
The fire spell especially caught his interest. At last, he had some kind of offensive power. These talismans gave him a fighting chance—even if he ran into someone far stronger. He turned his attention to the other gift pack, his eyes full of excitement.
"Open the second pack."
The box vanished, and in its place appeared a gleaming crossbow. Which surprised him a bit. He just used this weapon a few days ago, and he was actually given this? The system was really good to him.
The weapon was also brilliant.
It was a work of art—sleek, metallic, and incorporated with a strange material. Unlike the crude, rusty thing he'd stolen from bandits, this one was elegant and looks deadly.
He cradled it gently in his arms, admiring the craftsmanship.
"A real weapon…"
But then, a shadow crossed his face.
"Wait. Only soldiers are allowed to carry weapons like this... I can't take this out in public without raising eyebrows."
"System, is there a way to hide this?"
[Yes host. Items obtained from the system can be stored in the system space.]
He sighed in relief. "Then store them for now."
He couldn't risk losing them—or drawing attention.
Once everything was safely stowed away, he turned his thoughts to the portal.
Looking back to make sure the alley was still empty, he stepped forward.
"System, open the portal to the stronghold."
The space in front of him shimmered and tore open like fabric being ripped. A swirling white light expanded until it formed an arched doorway—large enough to fit five people side by side.
Altair stared at it in awe. Slowly, he raised his hand and let it pass through. His fingers vanished into the light.
An excited grin broke across his face.
He stepped forward—and just like that, the world changed around him.
The portal closed behind him with a hum. Now, he stood in a familiar place entirely.
Before him stood a stone house, solid and well-built. Behind it loomed another structure—the food warehouse. The air smelled cleaner here. Quieter. Peaceful.
Altair took a deep breath, letting it sink in.
This… was the beginning of his stronghold.