OUTPOST: KOLOB SANCTUM (FLEDGLING)
FACTION:KOLOB PROTECTORS
STATUS: STABLE
POPULATION: 43
RESOURCES: LOW
MORALE: UNEASY
DEFENSE RATING: 3/100
BUILDINGS: 1 — MEMORIAL OF THE FALLEN (APPRENTICE)
"Well?" Kent crossed his arms. "Don’t just stand there staring. Does it tell us anything or not?"
"Hold on…" Bob muttered. “There is a lot of information.”
Tami stepped beside him, shielding her eyes from the morning sun. "What does it say?"
Bob pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Population: 43. Resources: low. Morale: uneasy. Defense rating: three out of a hundred."
"Three?" George echoed. "Out of a hundred? That’s... not great."
Dave ran a hand through his hair. “How are we supposed to defend this place?”
"Better than zero," Blake offered with a shrug.
Bob opened the management menu. New options unfolded like a strategy game UI, simple but weighty, each tab pulsing faintly when selected. He projected the menu to the others so he didn’t have to keep reading it out to them.
[RESOURCE ALLOCATION]
[PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENTS]
[BUILDINGS]
[DEFENSE PLANNING]
[TERRITORY MANAGEMENT]
[POPULATION OVERVIEW]
He selected [Personnel Assignments]. A list of names populated the screen. Everyone in their group and a few others, sorted by something labeled Potential and Affinity.
Ted showed high affinity for "Morale." Tami glowed next to "Healing." Kent topped "Logistics and Supply."
George peered over his shoulder. "So it knows what we’re good at?"
"Looks like it," Bob said. "And it’s suggesting roles. I could assign people to manage areas. Boost efficiency."
"So we’re really doing this," Tami murmured. "Building a town. Running it."
"I don’t think we have a choice," Bob said. "The System gave us an outpost. If we don’t manage it, someone else might, or it’ll fall apart."
He tapped into [Resource Allocation]. A sobering list unfolded:
FOOD RESERVES: 3 DAYS (RATIONED)
CLEAN WATER: LIMITED (SPRING SITE NOT CLAIMED)
MEDICAL SUPPLIES: LOW
CRAFTING MATERIALS: NONE
WEAPONS: IMPROVISED
George leaned in, expression grim. "We need to find more food and claim the spring, fast.”
“I’m not thrilled about the ‘improvised weapons’ part." Blake said, holding up his kitchen knives.
Dave paced nearby. "Would the giant squirrels and chipmunks be edible?"
Alice grimaced. "Gross! I don’t want to eat rodents."
Bob ignored the chatter and opened [Defense Planning].
DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES: NONE
PATROLS: NONE
ALERT SYSTEM: UNAVAILABLE
Nothing here. Bob struggled to find anything useful.
Bob clicked into another tab, [Buildings].The interface shifted, presenting a grid of options, each with a faint icon and resource cost. He hovered over each entry:
- SYSTEM TRADING POST (FLEDGLING)
ENABLES ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM MARKETPLACE FOR CREDIT-BASED TRADE. REQUIRED FOR PURCHASING ITEMS BEYOND LOCAL SCAVENGING. UNLOCKS SYSTEM CREDIT EXCHANGE FUNCTIONALITY.
COST: 500 CREDITS
- PALISADE WALL — 100FT SECTION (FLEDGLING)
BASIC WOODEN BARRIER TO INCREASE PERIMETER DEFENSE. SLOWS ENEMIES AND INCREASES DEFENSE RATING.
COST: 100 WOOD, 25 STONE, 10 LABOR HOURS, 250 CREDITS
- STORAGE (FLEDGLING)
SECURES FOOD, TOOLS, AND GEAR. REDUCES SPOILAGE, IMPROVES INVENTORY TRACKING, AND DETERS THEFT.
COST: 500 CREDITS
- BASIC HOUSING (FLEDGLING)
PROVIDES SHELTER FOR UP TO 6 PEOPLE. BOOSTS MORALE, SPEEDS RECOVERY, AND SUPPORTS POPULATION STABILITY.
COST: 300 WOOD, 150 STONE, 30 LABOR HOURS, 500 CREDITS
- CLAIM EXISTING STRUCTURES (FLEDGLING)
INTEGRATE EXISTING BUILDINGS (THE CABIN AND GARAGE) INTO THE OUTPOST'S SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE.
COST (PER STRUCTURE): 50 WOOD, 15 STONE, 500 CREDITS
Bob ran a hand over his face. “I need a break. This is too much information. I need to process.”
No one argued. Kent gave him a nod, and Tami offered a tired smile.
Bob turned toward the pergola, drawn not by duty, but by the silence waiting there. Bob had Blake help him limp toward the Memorial of the Fallen, using his sledgehammer as a crutch, the system menus still flickering at the edges of his vision like afterimages from a too-bright screen.
***
As the others drifted into smaller groups, George and Kent lingered at the Obelisk, watching the trees.
Time stretched before George finally broke the silence. "We need to send a team to the lake tomorrow. If we’re going to survive, we need food and we need to claim that spring. The System wouldn’t have added that line if it wasn’t important."
Kent crossed his arms. "You're right. We need those things but we need defenses, now! Walls, patrols, safety. Then you can hike into danger and have somewhere to come back to."
George shook his head. "You trust a system popup more than reality? The lake guarantees the water supply. It gives us fish, hunting, and a chance to see what’s out there."
"Without defenses, this outpost could be taken. You saw the interface. We’re wide open."
"We’re also hungry," George countered. "I’m going to talk to Bob."
"Fine," Kent said. "Let’s get his take."
***
The stone pergola stood quiet and solemn, its dark benches glinting in the rising light. A breeze stirred the hanging vines above. The sound of trickling water gave the air a rare calm.
Bob limped across the grass and eased himself onto one of the benches facing the angel statues and the engraved wall of names. Blake left him as soon as he sat down. He took a long, steadying breath.
It was peaceful here. Sacred.
Resting the sledgehammer beside him, he finally opened his personal interface and reread his skill notification.
NEW SKILLS AVAILABLE — CHOOSE ONE:
BOLSTER (RANK 0)
TEMPORARILY INCREASES A TARGET’S STRENGTH BY +2 FOR 5 MINUTES.
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WHILE THE EFFECT LASTS, THE TARGET ENJOYS ALL THE PERKS OF THE INCREASED STRENGTH AS THOUGH IT WERE PERMANENT—IMPROVED LIFTING, DAMAGE OUTPUT, AND PHYSICAL RESILIENCE.
PARLEY (RANK 0)
YOU HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS.
WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE LEADING THE CONVERSATION, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO END FAVORABLY. SLIGHT BOOST, 0.5% PER RANK, TO CHARISMA AND PERSONALITY STATS WHEN ENGAGED IN DIALOGUE OR NEGOTIATIONS.
MANA CHANNELING (RANK 0)
YOU DRAW RAW MANA FROM YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND SHAPE IT INTO USABLE ENERGY. SPELLS COST -0.1% MANA PER RANK AND MANA REGENERATION +0.5% PER RANK. THE STRONGER YOUR WILLPOWER AND INTELLIGENCE, THE SMOOTHER THE FLOW.
HAMMER TOSS (RANK 0)
CHANNEL RAW STRENGTH AND PRECISE TIMING INTO A DEVASTATING RANGED ATTACK. HURL YOUR HAMMER WITH PUNISHING FORCE, SMASHING ENEMIES FROM AFAR. THE HEAVIER THE HAMMER, THE HARDER THEY FALL.
SANCTUARY (RANK 0)
STEP INTO THE LIGHT, AND NO SHADOW SHALL HARM YOU. ERECT A SHIMMERING BARRIER OF HOLY ENERGY THAT SHIELDS ALLIES FROM HARM. SIZE AND STRENGTH ARE BASED ON INTELLIGENCE AND WILLPOWER.
Five choices. Again. Just like when he picked Smite. That moment felt like a lifetime ago.
He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. “Alright,” he whispered. “Back to the process.”
Step One: Define the problem.
Too many people and not enough protection. No safe space, no fallback plan. We’re too exposed. Too vulnerable.
Step Two: Evaluate the variables.
Bolster: short-term strength buff. Useful in a fight.
Parley: good for negotiation—but not urgent.
Mana Channeling: utility, but only if he casts often.
Hammer Toss: flashy, strong. But not what they needed.
Sanctuary... that one stuck.
He reread the description:
SANCTUARY (RANK 0)
STEP INTO THE LIGHT, AND NO SHADOW SHALL HARM YOU. ERECT A SHIMMERING BARRIER OF HOLY ENERGY THAT SHIELDS ALLIES FROM HARM. SIZE AND STRENGTH ARE BASED ON INTELLIGENCE AND WILLPOWER.
A mobile safe zone. A place to breathe. To regroup. Not just for battle, but for morale. For days like yesterday. He glanced toward the wall of names, at Ted still kneeling beside Susanna’s. What good was strength when people needed sanctuary?
Step Three: Choose the right tool.
Sanctuary wasn’t offense. It was a promise. A line in the dirt. A place to say, ‘Not one more. Not while I’m still standing.’
Bob exhaled. “Sanctuary,” he said.
SKILL SELECTED:
SANCTUARY (RANK 0)
Warmth bloomed in his chest. Not a surge, just steady light. He leaned back, eyes closed. He could feel the skill’s presence like an instinct, a divine switch waiting to be thrown.
But he wasn’t done. Another prompt hovered:
FREE POINTS: 3
He opened his stat sheet.
NAME: BOB MERRICK
FACTION: KOLOB PROTECTORS
RACE: HUMAN
CLASS: PRIEST
LEVEL: 2
CREDITS: 145
ATTRIBUTES
BODY (PHYSICAL PROWESS) — 15.0 (+1)
- STRENGTH (STR): 14 (+1)
- VITALITY (VIT): 19 (+1)
- DEXTERITY (DEX): 8 (+1)
MIND (COGNITIVE CAPACITY) — 15.0 (+1)
- INTELLIGENCE (INT): 19 (+1)
- WISDOM (WIS): 15 (+1)
- COMPREHENSION (CMP): 11 (+1)
SPIRIT (INNER RESOLVE) — 12.7 (+0.7)
- WILLPOWER (WIL): 17 (+1)
- INSPIRATION (INP): 9 (+0)
- INTUITION (INTU): 12 (+1)
AURA (SOCIAL PRESENCE) — 26.3 (+1.7)
- CHARISMA (CHA): 29 (+2)
- PERSONALITY (PRS): 24 (+2)
- ALLURE (ALR): 20 (+1)
FREE POINTS: 3
TITLES
- FIRST CONTACT
- TRAILBLAZER
- FACTION LEADER (KOLOB PROTECTORS)
QUESTS
- SURVIVE THE TUTORIAL
SKILLS
- SMITE (RANK 0)
- LEADERSHIP (RANK 4)
- RUNNING (RANK 2)
- ORATOR (RANK 1)
- BLUNT WEAPONS (RANK 0)
- THROWING (RANK 0)
- GRAPPLE (RANK 0)
- SANCTUARY (RANK 0)
BUFFS
- MEMORIAL OF THE FALLEN (+10% ALL STATS)
Bob was confused as he looked at his stat sheet. It had changed. Now there were new numbers behind all of his stats. As he thought about what these new numbers could mean his eyes read the new Buffs section. Could the numbers show the increase from the Memorial of the Fallen? If they did it wasn’t a true 10%. Maybe it only adds whole numbers and not partial stats.
He couldn’t figure it out but made a mental note to ask Kent. He would figure it out. It just frustrated Bob the more he tried to figure out the numbers as they didn’t work mathematically the way he thought they should. Trying to forget about the math Bob went back to working on where to put his free points.
Body and Mind seem to be doing ok. Spirit is lagging behind. Aura is starting to out pace the others. Bob really wished he knew how everything affected what he was doing. All he could do was to go off what he did know.
Sanctuary is based on Intelligence and Willpower, he reminded himself. He thought of the hammer in his hands and ran through the chipmunk fight in his mind.
He tried to review what Spirit actually did, Inspiration, Intuition, but it didn’t take long. He barely knew what those stats even meant.
Three points. Not enough. Never enough. He needed everything. Strength and Dexterity to fight. Intelligence and Wisdom to plan. Willpower and Vitality to keep going when his legs gave out. But he could only pick three.
STRENGTH +1 — For the hammer. For the next fight.
INTELLIGENCE +1 — To strengthen Sanctuary and understand what the hell was going on half the time.
WILLPOWER +1 — To sustain Sanctuary. And maybe himself.
The points slid into place like puzzle pieces he didn’t know were missing. No burst of power. Just a subtle shift, like his center of gravity had changed.
But maybe tomorrow, when someone cried out, he’d have more than just a hammer.
***
Bob was still seated at the Memorial hours later when George and Kent approached and sat on either side of him.
"Figured you could use this," Kent said, handing him a tin cup. "Not coffee. Some pine needle thing George swears by."
Bob took a sip, grimaced. "You’re both monsters."
They sat beside him, both smirking at Bob’s reaction to the drink.
"So..." Kent began, trying to hide a smile. "You’re technically the faction leader, but we’re not even in your faction yet."
Bob blinked. "Wait—really?"
He opened the Kolob Protectors menu:
MEMBERS: 1
INVITE NEW MEMBERS?
Bob mentally sent them invites. Kent and George accepted immediately.
"That’s it?" Kent said. "One button. Easy."
“Wow.” George’s eyes went wide. “Ten percent to stats! Bob! You have been holding out on us.”
Bob looked at George and sighed. “I just got this so how have I been holding out on you?”
Interrupting us, Kent spoke up. "Let’s invite the others too."
Nodding,Bob sent invites one by one. Tami, Blake, Dave, Jill, and a few others joined. As the confirmations blinked in, Bob felt something shift—not in the System, but in him. Like a weight he hadn’t known he was carrying had lightened.
Kent broke the silence that had fallen. "We’ve got two priorities. I want to build. Focus on defenses. Secure what we already have."
George interrupted. "I want to go scout the lake. Look for food along the way. See if we can fish and claim the spring."
"And if something attacks while half our people are gone? Then what?" Kent stared at George. "We lose everything."
"Every day we wait, we’re draining what little food we have." George stared right back. "We lose everything anyway—just slower."
Bob’s gaze drifted across the names. Susanna. Marta. Eric. "We’ve already lost people," he said quietly. "We can’t afford to lose more, whether from hunger or another attack."
"Then what do we do?" George asked.
"We do both," Bob said. "We can’t afford to not have food and water. And the defenses are a must."
Kent blinked. "What?"
"You’re both right. We can’t afford to be blind out there. And we also can’t afford to sit around waiting for another attack without walls or a plan." His confidence grew with the words.
Bob turned to George. "So—George, you’ll lead a small scouting team to the lake. Try to claim the spring. Take Blake, Dave, Alice, Jill and whoever’s able but no more than ten people. Plan on leaving at dawn tomorrow."
Then he looked at Kent. "You and I, with everyone who stays, will start working on what we can build." He recalled the menu options from earlier. "The Trading Post and Storage only take credits. We should try pooling credits to see if we can afford one or the other."
Bob looked between them. "This place is only going to survive if we stop thinking like survivors and start thinking like a community." He tapped his sledgehammer once on the ground. "No solo acts. Everyone goes out with backup. No one takes risks they can’t walk away from."
Kent and George exchanged a look, then both nodded.
George stood. "I’ll start planning," he said, then turned toward the cabin.
"I’ll see who has credits and get their input on what people would like first," Kent added. He rose too, heading toward a small group walking through the Memorial.
As they left, Bob sat sipping the bitter drink, watching the shadows shift across the engraved wall. Hoping he’d made the right choice.
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