The wind off the Propontis carried the scent of salt and wet earth. After weeks of travel, the caravan finally crested the last hill—and below them, glittering like a coin tossed upon the sea, was Cyzicus.
Nestled on a peninsula and surrounded on three sides by water, the city seemed like a jewel set in blue and green. To the east stretched the serene waters of Lake Artynias, reflecting the clouds like a mirror. Canals ran between the lake and the sea, turning the land into a natural fortress and a paradise for irrigation.
"Water on both sides," Metrophanes muttered beside Daniel. "A blessing and a burden."
Daniel smiled. "No, a beginning."
The city itself was a mix of old and new. Ancient stone buildings clung to the hillsides—shrines, merchant houses, and towers built by generations of Greeks and Persians. But much of the inner city had suffered from years of neglect during the Ionian revolts.
The local governor, a balding man named Artazostre, had been recalled by Darius shortly after the city was handed over. Now the people—mostly Greeks with a growing Persian population—watched nervously as Daniel's colorful procession descended toward the gates.
Children pointed at the great wagons of supplies and the exotic guards. Farmers whispered about the foreign youth who had received the King's favor.
Daniel was silent as they passed the city gates, lined with faded murals of sea creatures and forgotten kings.
His gaze swept across the landscape: gentle hills perfect for terrace farming, the lake to the east—wide and placid, bordered by thick reeds and migratory birds—and the distant roar of waves from the open sea. Water would not be a problem. With proper dikes and aqueducts, even the inland valleys could bloom.
But it wouldn't be easy.
That night, seated beneath a tent overlooking the harbor, Daniel reviewed his plans. He assigned surveyors to map the lake's flow, engineers to examine the canals, and sent riders to request stone from nearby quarries.
Then, he opened the Dino Interface.
Current Dino Points: 187
He hovered over several new options. The image of a large, plant-eating dinosaur flickered before his eyes: the Iguanodon.
Sturdy, intelligent, and strong enough to pull weighty cargo or plow hardened fields—it was perfect for what he needed now.
He confirmed the choice.
[Dino Unlocked: Iguanodon]Points Spent: 1250Remaining: 1120
Somewhere in a hidden grove outside the city, the familiar hum of ancient energy awakened. The next morning, Daniel would visit the site personally.
Back in the city, the mood was shifting. The population waited. Would this foreign youth rule like a Persian noble? Would he favor the Greeks? Or would he bring something new altogether?
Daniel could feel the questions in the air. But he didn't rush to speak. Instead, he worked.
Surveyors were sent across the peninsula. Wells were tested. Grain stores were inspected. Patrols were organized. Rumors began to spread of a strange creature seen drinking by the lake at night—tall as a house, moving like a deer, with eyes that glowed in the dark.
Daniel smiled when he heard it.
Let them wonder.
As the sun set behind the lake, he stood on a tall terrace overlooking the sea and whispered to himself:
"Let's build something no one's ever seen before."
The sun had begun to set behind the rolling Anatolian hills when Daniel stood on the edge of his new domain—Cyzicus, now his city.
It had taken five years of war, diplomacy, and patience, but here he was, not as a mere visitor, but as its ruler.
Nestled near the shimmering Lake Dascylitis, Cyzicus was a place of old stone houses, overgrown roads, and the echoes of prosperity long faded. The city had survived revolts, shifting alliances, and Persian discipline. Now, it would be reborn under someone unlike any leader before—someone with memories of another world, and creatures that no historian could explain.
Daniel spent his first days walking through the city, speaking to potters, bakers, fishermen, and farmers. Some greeted him with awe, others with guarded eyes.
He noticed the disrepair—broken drainage, narrow chaotic alleys, unregulated marketplaces.
"We'll widen the streets," he told Alea. "We need organized zones—housing here, artisans there, markets with shade and running water."
"What of the sewage?" she asked.
"We'll build stone-lined ditches and underground channels. No more stench, no more disease. And the lake will feed canals into the farmland."
He pointed toward the south, where fertile fields stretched in the shadow of gentle hills. "There. We'll begin the first planned neighborhoods. Gardens. Temples. A library someday."
"Ambitious," said Arsam, watching the locals walk by. "But you'll need more than dreams. You'll need control."
That night, Daniel opened his app beneath the privacy of his quarters—his temporary home atop a hill with a view of the lake.
Points Available: 1120Species Active:
1x Troodon
1x Velociraptor
1x Coelophysis
1x Protoceratops
He had kept them discreet. They had helped in secret: the Troodon to carry messages, the Velociraptor for stealth and patrols, the Coelophysis to scout terrain, and the Protoceratops as a light pack animal.
He decided it was time to expand his dinosaur network.
+2 Troodons – 200 points
+1 Velociraptor – 150 points
+1 Protoceratops – 80 points
Points Remaining: 690 points
They would be instrumental in city management, future construction, and even protection if enemies came knocking.
That evening, he stood on the rooftop of his stone residence, overlooking the lake.
Lanterns flickered through the city below, illuminating crumbling facades and worn rooftops. The stars glimmered like sparks above his head. The wind carried the scent of earth, olives, and lake water.
He imagined his future city:
Wide, tree-lined avenues with smooth stone pavement.
Aqueducts run from nearby springs.
Public bathhouses, parks, and granaries were built into city planning.
Green belts around neighborhoods to separate living from trade.
A great plaza, with space for citizens to meet and speak freely.
But then, a cold breeze brushed past. And with it came doubt.
"Will I become a tyrant pretending to be a dreamer?" he asked himself.
He looked down at the app again, at the list of points, creatures, and options. Power in his palm—silent, hungry.
The Troodon padded beside him and looked up, blinking as if asking the same question.
Daniel exhaled and whispered, "We'll build it first. Then I'll decide what kind of man I've become."