The sun rose through a thick morning mist, painting the Glimgob village in soft amber. The damage from the troll raid was everywhere, shattered bridges, burnt mushroom patches, and homes reduced to piles of moss and splinters.
But hope lingered.
The trolls were gathered in a clearing at the village's edge. They stood awkwardly, scratching their heads and peering at the smaller Glimgobs as if unsure what to do with themselves. The Glimgobs, in turn, eyed them warily but followed Hestia's lead.
Today wasn't about the past.
It was about what came next.
Hestia gathered both tribes together in the heart of the clearing, her translucent form shimmering faintly in the dawn light. She formed her body in words once again.
Hestia* "We will rebuild. Stronger and better than before."
The Glimgobs cheered in their clicking, whistling way. The trolls grunted approval, pounding fists against their chests.
That's when the voice returned.
Sol* "You're thinking like a ruler now, I can't wait to see what you will do, little slime."
Hestia, startled for a moment. Realized what she had just announced.
Hestia* "Sol, I've never built anything before. Not a village, not even a nest. How do other races do it?"
Sol's voice was light and amused, but carried wisdom beyond measure.
Sol* "You are finally seeking my wisdom, I will be more than happy to share it with you. Let's start with cities, they are the bones of civilization. Each race shapes their homes to suit their nature. The Dwarves carve vast cave cities into the bones of the mountains. Chambers of stone and metal, sturdy as the earth itself."
Sol did her best to paint an image with her words.
Sol* "Humans prefer sprawling kingdoms on plains and coasts. Tall stone walls, timber homes, and great keeps of mortar and iron that are surrounded with watchtowers. Streets and market squares are bustling with life. They build in grids and roads, surrounding themselves with farmland."
Sol* "What else, there are Dragons as well. They nest atop mountain peaks in palaces of stone and bone where wind and starlight are their only visitors. The Druids weave homes among trees, connected by bridges of spider silk and root."
Hestia listened with curiosity.
Sol* "And then there's a material you might find useful, it is called Vireclay. It's like ordinary clay, but infused with mineral mana. More durable than stone, flexible as leather before setting, and immune to rot and most magic decay. When treated correctly it becomes one of the best building materials"
Hestia pulsed with excitement. Vireclay. She'd have to find some of it.
Hestia* ''Where can I find this material? Is it rare? Will it be hard to build with it?''
Questions kept spilling out of her.
Sol* ''Vireclay is pretty rare material, it's an ordinary clay that has been exposed to strong magic energy over time. You can find it in some mines or riverbeds, but chance of that happening are extremely low. Building with it is as easy as with clay, but you would need massive mana pool to infuse it and let it set properly''
Hestia's mind was overflowing with ideas. She had a hard time to decide on where to start.
Sol* "The key to every settlement is this. Homes for the people, a barrier for protection, a place for gathering, and a source of food and water. Walls keep danger out. Watch posts let you see danger coming. A clear field around the village prevents ambushes."
Hestia absorbed every word.
Hestia* "I have decided where to start."
Hestia began explaining her plans and assigned roles to everyone.
The plan was simple. Clear the forest around the village, drive out any threats, and begin laying foundations for new homes and defenses.
The trolls were big in size, they were responsible for transporting logs and stones, they flattened small mountains and chopped down towering trees. Glimgobs darted around them, gathering usable wood, vine, and fungus, stripping leaves, and lashing logs together to flatten the earth with makeshift rollers.
Hestia took charge of the perimeter.
Aggressive monsters had claimed the areas nearby , a nest of Echo Worms, a wandering pack of Muck Beetles, and even a rogue Cave Serpent lurking around. These were easy prey even for Hestia alone to deal with.
But with her new subordinates, it wasn't even a fight.
The trolls stomped through the undergrowth, smashing worms and beetles alike. The Glimgobs peppered them with darts and crude traps.
And Hestia?
She moved like a phantom, illusions warping the air, spear-like attacks cleaving through flesh, cores shattering with precision. Every fallen creature added to the growing tally of XP shared through her Pact Bonds.
Challenge presented itself when a herd of giant spiders was spotted. Hestia Hadn't seen them before and had no way of knowing their combat strength. She spent few days observing them and came to conclusion that giant spiders are not aggressive on their own. She decided to leave them in peace and returned to the village.
By the end of the week, the forest had been almost entirely cleared for twenty meters around the village's edge. A field of stumps, logs, and fresh soil now circled the homes.
Hestia had reached Level 29
She already knew how to spend her points.
Available Stat Points: 3
She distributed them immediately.
+1 Magic Capacity
+2 Durability
Sol spoke again.
Sol* "Good, I can feel your growth. At this rate, little one, you might stand among kings and warlords before long."
Hestia replied simply.
Hestia* "I'm not interested in being a king. I just want to keep this place safe"
Sol chuckled.
Sol* "And that, my dear, is exactly why you would be a great ruler."
Night fell.
Fires burned in the newly cleared ground. Trolls and Glimgobs gathered together, not as enemies, but as a single camp.
Hestia rose on a mound of stone in the center, she used her magic to turn wind into sounds. For the first time ever she spoke out loud.
The gathered creatures stared in awe.
Hestia* "This is our home now. We have finished preperations and tomorrow, we will finally start to build."
The cheers echoed into the starlit sky.