Morning arrived with no sign of the glowing eyes.
But Ethan Reyes knew better than to relax.
The presence that had stalked the edge of his vision the night before—those intelligent, silent eyes gleaming in the dark—wasn't gone. It had just stepped back. Waiting. Watching. He could feel it in his chest, like pressure under the skin. Predators tested boundaries before striking.
His nerves were still screaming.
Nerve: 5/10
The number had gone up overnight, likely because he hadn't cracked. Not during the Dreki kill. Not during the eyes. But that didn't make him feel better. It made him feel exposed.
"You're not breaking me," he muttered, stepping from his crude lean-to.
That temporary shelter—little more than a tarp of Dreki hide stretched over branches—was a joke against anything truly dangerous. He needed more. Not comfort—defense. Yesterday had made that clear.
He chewed on a handful of tart berries, then dug out the last slab of Dreki meat he'd stored outside, wrapped and buried in a shallow pit lined with ash and mud. The system had given no guidance on meat preservation, so he'd relied on instinct—and distance. Never store meat near your bed. He wouldn't be ambushed in his sleep by a scavenger with a good nose.
He roasted the meat carefully, turning it over a fire made from dried brush and bark.
Daily Sustenance Consumed – Satiation Restored
Passive Morale Boost Applied (Safe Zone Shelter)
After scattering the ashes and covering the pit again, he got to work.
First came the trench. Shallow but broad, rimmed with packed clay and slick leaves to discourage footing. Then he hauled sticks from the surrounding forest—some thick and straight, some spindly and sharp. The heavy ones would become spears. The others became stakes.
He lined the outer edge of the trench with a jagged wall of sharpened stakes, bound together with braided vines. It wasn't pretty, but if something charged headlong into it, it would hurt.
New Construction – Defensive Spear Wall (Crude)
+1 Technology Point
+Shelter Defense Rating: +1
Milestone Achieved – First Line Defense (Basic)
Bonus: Awareness Detection Increase within 10m radius
Tech Tree Unlocked: Primitive Fortifications
By midmorning, he was soaked with sweat. But the perimeter felt tighter, more secure. Safer.
Next came the weapon.
He had spears and a bone knife—but they meant nothing against speed. Whatever was watching him didn't lumber or prowl. It glided. He needed range. He needed time to react.
It took him the better part of an hour to find a sapling with the right flex. He cut it down using a stone wedge and sheer stubbornness. Then came the bowstring—sinew from the Dreki leg he'd carefully dried days before.
The result wasn't elegant, but it was real.
He carved twelve arrows from straight sticks, sanding the shafts with rough stone. Bone tips were chipped into shape, then bound tightly with slivers of Dreki hide.
Crafting Complete – Primitive Bow (Durability: 70%)
+1 Tech Point
Crafting Complete – Bone Arrows x12
+1 Dexterity Stat Unlocked
Milestone: First Ranged Weapon Crafted
Bonus: Precision Training Passive (Beginner Level)
The system chimed again.
Safe Zone Shelter Detected: Functional Ranged Weapon Added
Shelter Tier Upgrade Available: Level 0 Initialization
Ethan blinked. A new interface expanded in his vision.
Shelter Status: Tier 0 (Crude Base)
→ Structures Detected:
• Lean-in Tent (Crude)
• Campfire
• Defensive Spike Wall (Crude)
• Pond (Rain-fed)
→ Ranged Defense: Primitive
→ Zone Radius: 10m
→ Map Visibility to Enemy Species: Undetectable
A deep chime echoed in his ears, followed by a system broadcast.
System-Wide Announcement
Species: Homo sapiens
Notice: First Shelter Reached Tier 0
Pioneer Identified: Ethan Reyes
Shelter ID Registered – "Unnamed Safe Zone"
World Map Node Visibility: Suppressed (Tier 0 Hidden)
Reward: Title [Pioneer] Granted
Bonus: Material Cost Halved for One Structure Upgrade (Permanent)
New Title Unlocked: [Pioneer]
Effect: Increased system favor for early infrastructure development. Unlocks preview access to next-tier tech.
Ethan's breath caught. The title wasn't just for show—it opened doors.
And it confirmed what he'd suspected.
He was the first. The first human to get this far.
He quickly scanned the upgrade tab:
Shelter Upgrade Options – Tier I Transition
Level 0 → Level 1 Requirements:
• Upgrade all crude structures to "Basic" tier
• Spend 3 Technology Points
• Build a Secondary Structure from Tech Tree
Structures (Upgradeable):
• Lean-in Tent → Basic Hut
- Cost: 12 Logs, 8 Vines, 4 Stone Slabs
- Requires: Dug-out base, insulation (Mud or Clay)
- Improves weather resistance, allows add-ons
• Defensive Spike Wall → Reinforced Palisade
- Cost: 10 Logs, 6 Vines, 8 Sharpened Stakes
• Pond → Expanded Water Source
- Requirement: Additional rainwater catchment or rerouted stream
- Only expandable post-Level 1 shelter
• Campfire → Fire Pit with Windbreak
- Cost: 5 Stones, 2 Logs
Upgrade Perk: Unlock access to all Tier I blueprints
No prior knowledge required. Blueprints will auto-download.
He sat back on a log, stunned.
He wasn't building with guesswork anymore. The system would help—but only once he proved he could meet it halfway. No skyscrapers. No solar panels. Not yet. But a proper hut? Defensive walls? A drying rack, a storage cache, a water collector? All within reach.
Everything he built from this point onward—if it passed the system's standard—would become official. Part of his shelter's permanent tech registry. From then on, building it again would be faster, easier. Materials would still be needed, but the hard part—learning—was already done.
And best of all?
He could choose one structure and halve the cost to upgrade it. Permanently.
He already knew what it'd be: the Basic Hut. The tent had served its purpose, but winter—or its alien equivalent—would come eventually.
But for now, he wasn't ready. He didn't have the logs, or enough vines, and he hadn't carved proper slabs. He'd need a tool for that. A crude axe, at least.
The Tech Tree shimmered. A new node glowed.
Tool Unlocked: Crude Axe
Requirement: Stone Blade + Wood Handle + Binding (Vine/Hide)
Effect: Enables logging, splitting stone, basic combat use
+1 Tech Point Awarded
He nodded. That was the next step.
As he began carving the axe handle, his thoughts wandered back to the forest.
That presence—those watching eyes—they hadn't struck yet. But they'd be back.
And when they came next time, they'd find a shelter with walls.
And soon, a real home.
But Ethan couldn't shake one final thought as the sun began to dip, bathing the trees in red-gold light.
He wasn't alone.
And not everything watching him was an animal.
In the dying light, two shapes stepped cautiously from the trees.
Slender, tall, their dark skin catching the glow of the sunset—elves. Not like the ones from Earth myths, but something stranger. Sharper. Wary.
A male and female. Both injured. Both watching Ethan's crude defenses with tense, alert eyes.
They'd never seen structures like his before.
And now, they were stepping into his territory.