The moment Lia and I crossed into the outskirts of Anchorfall, a wooden spike shot out from the bushes, barely missing my head. I ducked, swearing under – and over – my breath, as a second meaty stave whizzed past, catching Lia in the shoulder and throwing her back several feet. She looked less than delighted as she yanked it out and tossed it to the side.

"That's one hell of a welcome-home gift!" I said, just as a crossbow bolt whistled past my ear. "Did Scar go full Rambo out here or what?"

The forest floor, which had previously been doing a decent impression of being just dirt and moss, now bristled with enough tripwires, pressure plates, and violently swinging logs to make any eighties action hero weep tears of joy.

Lia, being the most combat-capable member of our party, was absolutely in her element. She ducked, spun, and backflipped her way through a baroque hell of twanging wires and thudding spikes. At one point, she vaulted clean over a pit full of rusty blades while sighing as if she'd merely stepped in something unpleasant.

"Security measures," she called over her shoulder, "apparently Scar's idea of deterrence is personal grievous bodily harm."

"Ah, yes," I said, yanking my arm free from what I was fairly sure had been a net made of recycled fishing hooks. "Nothing says 'home sweet home' like impalement."

I was doing my best to stay behind her, letting her scout the route ahead. But then things became interesting. Aggro Magnetism, it turned out, didn't just affect people. Apparently, traps too, could be triggered by my general proximity. Every single one seemed to go off in a cascade of homicidal enthusiasm.

Thus, the next five minutes of my life became a blur of explosions, swinging pendulums, clouds of noxious gas, and what I swear was a flaming badger on a spring. I was running, leaping, diving, and cursing and somehow, through sheer muscle memory and panic-induced clarity, I didn't get hit. Instead, I started slipping sideways through every blast and blade, instinct guiding me better than thought ever could.

> [Skill Update: Sidestep – Level 6]

– Evasion threshold improved

– Auto-dodge chance increased to 65%

– Dodge bonus vs heavy weapons increased to 25%

– Momentum Flow now grants +15% Damage and Impact Force for follow-up strikes

– Deflective Instinct chance increased to 20%

– Crash Tackle chain now applies knockdown to staggered targets

Lia was waiting for me at the far edge of the deathtrap maze, arms crossed, trying and failing not to laugh. "You done?"

I faceplanted into the moss beside her and groaned. "If Scar wanted to test my cardiovascular fitness and emotional resilience, then sure, yeah. Nailed it."

She offered me a hand. "Come on, trap bait."

At that exact moment, a further device went off with a hiss and a click, and a pile of rocks rigged with a springboard launched upward, nearly taking my face with it. I flinched, stumbling back. "All right, that's it!" I shouted into the woods. "Scar! Call off your homicidal defence system!"

As soon as I shouted, a figure emerged from behind a newly constructed barricade near the village's shiny new entrance. Scar raised a hand, and with a couple of sharp whistles, the barrage of traps finally stopped. But not after a bucket of red paint absolutely soaked Lia from top to tail.

"Apologies," he said. "Didn't expect you two back so soon, or, y'know, at all."

"Yeah," I said, trying not to watch – at least too obviously - as Lia stripped off her stained tunic and replaced it with a clean one from her inventory. "We had a little problem with… well, I guess everyone."

"Tell me about it," Scar said. "We all saw our reputation status with the Empire change. Congratulations. You are the proud leader of the only village on this side of the world that both the Empire and the Rebellion want wiped off the map. And on an Accumulation Pool, no less. This is some prime real estate for a conflict ground zero."

"Which is, I assume, why you've turned the woods into Kevin McCallister's wet dream?"

Scar did that strange little blank face thing, which I'd come to recognise as being the default expression when I said something for which the people of this realm had no frame of reference. Then he gave a little chuckle and extended his hand as we reached him. "I'll admit, got a bit carried away. Thought if the Rebels or Empire made a visit, a few 'surprises' might slow them down. Speaking of which . . ." He glanced over his shoulder, "I'd like to show you what we've managed here. Thought I'd give the place a bit of polish since you left me in charge."

He gestured for the two of us to follow, leading us into the village proper.

My eyes immediately landed on a few new structures that hadn't been there before: a sturdy-looking watchtower by the village's edge, a storage shack reinforced with stone – which had replaced the rickety old shed – and something that looked suspiciously like a brewing station near what could actually now be called 'the village square.'

"Not bad, eh?" Scar said, smiling up at his new watchtower. "We've upgraded a few things. I mean, you left me to run the place, so I thought, 'Why not go big?'"

A notification screen appeared in my vision, showcasing Anchorfall's new and improved stat screen. There had been quite a number of changes

[System Update: Village Interface – Anchorfall Updated] Status: Developing Village – Level 3 Population: 15 (3 Injured) Stability: Maintained | Growth Enabled

Village Hall – Level 1 Status: Active Health: 500/500 Structural Integrity: 100% Anchor Link: Stabilised (Threshold Affinity – Verified)

Passive Effects: • Resource Collection Efficiency: +10% (Wood, Stone, Food) • Worker Production Efficiency: +5% (Shadowborn units) • Storage Capacity Increased: +500 Resource Units (Wood, Stone, Food)

[Interface Branch: Village Management Console – Active] Available Functions:

Assign Tasks:

10 active assignments permitted

Monitor Projects:

View structure progress in real time

Access Upgrade Tree:

Unlock construction, defence, and auxiliary options

Reputation Overview:

(Faction hostility updated)

Current Worker Status:

Total Workers: 2 (Shadowborn Labourers: 2) Assignable Projects: • Signal Cairn (Not Started) • Hunter's Lodge (Not Started) • Storage Shed (Not Started)

Fame and Reputation:

Local Fame: +50 (Recognised & Respected)

Global Fame: +10 (Known)

Empire Reputation: Belligerent

Rebellion Reputation: Belligerent

System Note: Your defiance has made waves. Future interactions may escalate rapidly. Agents from all sides are now aware of your existence—and watching.

Resource Overview:

Wood: 65 (+20% boost)

Stone: 55 (+20% boost)

Iron: 8

Food: 40

Gold: 25

Passive Production (Per Cycle):

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Wood: +8

Stone: +6

Food: +7

Iron: +1

Village Specialisations & Key Structures

Defensive Structures

• Watchtower: Enhanced visibility, defence alerts

• Trap Pits: Reduce enemy movement on approach

• Village Wall (Queued): Stone perimeter pending

• Steam Cannon (Locked): Requires 275 Gold or 100 Stone, 80 Wood, and 10 Iron

Specialised Economy Buildings

• Herbalist Station: Produces herbs and healing supplies

• Brewing Station (Upgraded): Enhanced potions and stamina recovery

• Fishing Shack (Under Construction): Boosts food and passive healing

• Trade Post (Queued): Allows regional trade and passive gold income

Resource & Production Enhancers

• Resource Storage: Prevents overflow, allows expansion

• Workshop: Craft traps, tools, and basic gear

• Pixel Workers: Specialisations active (Woodcutters, Stone Gatherers, Herbalists)

→ Resource production boosted by +15%

Village Research Tree Progress

Basic Defences (Complete): +10% defence damage

Resource Optimisation (Complete): +15% idle gains

Advanced Housing (Unlocked): Higher pop capacity

Steam Tech Integration (Queued): Construction & collection speed

Scouting Tech (Locked): Fog of War reduction

Happiness & Efficiency Metrics

Villager Happiness: Neutral

→ Modest gathering speed bonus

→ Slightly reduced defensive aggression

Worker Productivity (Lvl 2): +10% construction speed

Collection Efficiency (Lvl 2): +20% idle resource boost

Village Hall Upgrade Paths (Locked)

Village Hall – Level 2:

→ +20% Resource Gathering

→ Unlocks: Barracks, Forge

→ Mana Cost: 400 (Pool not charged)

Defensive Perimeter:

→ +200 Village Hall Health

→ Stone Cost: 150

Quest Board (Locked):

→ Mercenary contracts & defence missions

→ Requires Village Hall Level 2

System Advisory: You are no longer simply surviving. You are known. You are watched. And now, you must choose what your village stands for.

Carry on, Warden.

I whistled, thoroughly impressed. "You really didn't hold back, did you?" I said, admiring the details. "I leave for a few days, and suddenly this place looks like it's ready to fend off an army." Which, considering how badly we'd managed to annoy the people in Sablewyn, was really quite fortunate.

"I know my way around a settlement or two," Scar said. "Gotta make sure Anchorfall's more than a pit stop for rogues and wanderers. This village needs to be a place people will fight to defend." He paused, giving Lia a nod. "Even Dema's been impressed, when she's been awake enough to notice, anyway."

Lia's expression softened slightly. "How is she?"

"Not fully recovered. She took a real beating. But she's got spirit; she'll come through. The potions from the brewing station have helped a bit." He gave a slight sigh. "Still, there's only so much herbs and rest can do."

The mention of Dema sobered me up a bit.

I had to keep reminding myself that, no matter how it all felt, this wasn't actually a game to the people who lived here—it was their whole lives, and they'd taken quite a few risks to help me out here. "Well, if there's anything I can do to speed up her recovery, just let us know," I said, and meant it.

Scar grunted in acknowledgement and continued showing us around.

Our next stop was the upgraded Resource Storage, a structure reinforced with timber and stone, which was a helluva lot more sturdy than the Storage Shed I'd left behind. Nearby, a couple of Shadowborn workers were methodically stacking bundles of firewood.

"Resource storage's more robust now," Scar explained, gesturing at the well-organised stacks. "We're not losing supplies due to overflow anymore, and I've even got the workers assigned to roles that match their strengths. Efficiency's up, and we're finally hitting a decent surplus. Got to put in the work if we're going to build something worthwhile. This place has got a reputation to uphold." He paused. "Or not, actually. You have the worst of all the reputations to live down to."

Then, with a quick wave of his hand, he summoned up the village's Progress Overview Screen, highlighting the advancements made and goals still to be achieved.

[Village Development Overview – Anchorfall | Warden Access Granted]

Current Strategic Objectives:

Territorial Expansion & Infrastructure Growth

Advanced Housing Initiative:

→ Bunkhouses queued to support rising population demands.

→ Enables multi-occupancy living and boosts morale over time.

Market District Unlock (Planned):

→ Converts Anchorfall into a regional trading hub.

→ Increases Gold gain and Local Fame through merchant traffic and factional interaction.

→ Requires: Trade Post + 2 Neutral Reputation Events

Next Age Progression – Village Level 4

Threshold Detected: Developmental Gate Reached

Advancement Criteria:

→ Construct 2 Advanced Housing Units

→ Complete Smithy construction

→ Raise Population to 20

Unlocks:

→ Higher-level Construction Projects

→ Access to Civilian Policies and Political Influence Tools

→ Eligibility for Regional Recognition

Planned Structural Upgrades & Unlocks

Smithy (Queued):

→ Allows forging of basic weapons and defensive gear.

→ Synergises with Workshop output and Village Defender traits.

→ Required for Level 4 advancement.

Barracks (Locked):

→ Unlocks military training for Villagers.

→ Enables formation of Guard Units and Patrol Rotations.

→ Becomes available upon Village reaching Level 4.

Current Village-Level Perks (Anchorfall – Level 3)

> Growth Tier: Developing Settlement

> Status: Recognised by Threshold Systems

+20% Resource Gathering Efficiency (Wood, Stone boosted)

+15% Specialised Worker Output (Shadowborn Workers benefit)

+10% Defence Efficiency (All traps and guard towers)

Expanded Resource Storage Capacity

+10% Construction Speed via Worker Productivity Tier II

Access to Passive Idle Gains (Stone, Wood, Food every cycle)

Active Drawbacks:

> None detected.

> Morale: Neutral – gathering enhanced, defensive aggression slightly reduced.

System Summary:

Anchorfall is stabilised, self-sufficient, and now poised for aggressive expansion. The eyes of factions, celestials, and unknowns are increasingly drawn to your progress.

Choose your next step with intent.

Freedom invites pressure.

Growth attracts predators.

[Awaiting Warden Input . . . ]

"Scar, I don't know how to say this, but... I'm genuinely impressed," I said, scanning through the overview. "I mean, I was expecting maybe one or two little upgrades, but this? This is insane!"

Scar shrugged, though the corner of his mouth tugged upward in a pleased smile. "Figured if I was going to take charge, I'd make it worth your while. Didn't want you to come back and find me to have been slacking."

"Looks like the village is coming along well," Lia said appreciatively. "All those upgrades should be enough to keep you – us - secure for now."

I gave her a smile for that. I wasn't totally sure what she had been thinking about doing with herself now she'd broken free from the Maker's pattern. I was pretty glad she was, at least initially, thinking about hanging around here for a bit. We could use her.

Lia ignored me, glancing over the structures, as though thinking ahead. "But with everything going on, there's always a chance more trouble might show up."

"Precisely why I didn't stop at just defences," Scar said, leading us toward the Brewing Station, where a faint, pleasant scent of herbs filled the air. "Potions here are basic at the moment, but they're enough for minor healing and stamina boosts. For us, that could be a lifeline."

I nodded, examining the brewing station. "Smart move. We can't always count on being here to save the day, so a self-sufficient village is a safe village."

"Exactly! Besides, it gives us an edge when either the Rebels or the Empire decide to pay us another visit."

The pride in his voice was clear, and I had to admit, he'd done more than I ever would've thought possible in such a short time.

Anchorfall wasn't just a sleepy settlement anymore; it was growing, evolving into something capable of standing on its own. I'd started out as its reluctant leader, but Scar had taken that role and made it his own.

"Think it'll be enough?" I asked, more to myself than anyone else. "I mean, this is all looking solid, but if the Empire's set on coming after us…"

"If it's just a small force – and it should be on a first showing - Anchorfall can hold them off. Especially if the Dark Wren is willing to pitch in…" Lia didn't react to that. "But a full-scale assault?" He shook his head. "We're a thorn in their side for now, not a threat. As long as we keep it that way, we might just keep flying under the radar."

I looked around, taking in all the upgrades, the new buildings, and the bustling pixel workers who, despite their blocky efficiency, seemed almost cheerful.

Maybe Scar was right. Maybe if we kept things just on the edge of notice, we'd buy ourselves more time to figure out what it was we wanted to do next.

And with time, who knows what Anchorfall could become?

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