Several days passed after the whirlwind return from Vintross. Elowen settled back into its familiar, industrious peace, now augmented by the cheerful chaos of nearly a dozen extra children exploring their new surroundings under Sister Alia's gentle guidance. The twin foundations of the Light and Dark churches rose steadily, side-by-side, a testament to the village's newfound, if slightly awkward, understanding of balance.
Riku, for his part, allowed himself a rare moment of quiet repose. He lay sprawled comfortably on his premium futon in the inn room, the late afternoon sun slanting through the window. The gentle whir of the ceiling fan overhead was a soothing counterpoint to the distant sounds of village life – children's laughter, the rhythmic clang from Gnord's forge, the murmur of voices from the fields.
He closed his eyes, letting the simple comfort wash over him. It wasn't the absolute idleness he'd once dreamed of, but it was a peace earned, a quiet moment snatched amidst the unexpected complexities his new life kept throwing at him.
Just need Rennan to get back with those investors, he thought idly. Then we can really get the coolbox production line going. And maybe figure out proper plumbing...
Ding!
A familiar, translucent blue panel shimmered into existence before his closed eyes.
"Ah, System, my friend. Where have you been all these days?"
On a vacation, dear host.
"Really? You gave me nothing, even though I finished my half-completed mission and disappeared for days. How do you want to explain yourself?" Riku asked, with a mocking stern expression on his face.
That... The system forgot and left to...
The system paused, seemingly hesitating.
"Left to what?"
The system will inform the host in due time. For now, the system has a new update for the host. Update time is the same 24 hours. Please accept if you wish to go ahead
The system retorted back in its mechanical voice.
"Tch, fine. But don't think that this is the end of it." Riku mused, amused. In fact, though the system suddenly disappeared for a few days, he was not really expecting an answer.
[System Notification: Major Contribution Acknowledged.]
[Actions Analyzed: Intervention in Vintross Crisis, Mitigation of Plague (Indirect via Divine Action Trigger), Rescue and Relocation of Orphanage Children, Promotion of Inter-Faith Understanding (Light/Shadow Balance).]
[Calculating Goodwill Accrual...]
[Goodwill Points Awarded: +1000] [Current Goodwill: 1100 Points (100 remaining from previous + 1000 awarded)]
New Upgrade unlocked
[Proto-Crafting Package]
[Description: Host may now expend Goodwill Points to acquire the Blueprint/Schematic for a known device or structure and a one-time package containing all necessary non-magical components and materials for a single initial construction.]
[Note: This works similarly to the previous unlock 'Selective Manifestation' for recipes, but instead works for new creations as per the host's requirements . The Host must still source or apply Magical components or enchantments.]
[Cost varies based on complexity and material rarity.]
[Cost - 1000 goodwill points. Unlock? Y/N]
Riku stared at the panel, processing the new information. "So, now I can get blueprints and the parts for components? Like… an IKEA kit from the gods? Not that I am complaining..." He chuckled. "Okay, System. Go ahead."
Ding!
Upgrade in progress, system will be in downtime for 24 hours.
"The possibilities..." he murmured, a familiar spark of creative energy igniting within him. "Maybe I can pick up the construction of the generator, whose blueprint I previously had, now that I can get some parts? Or tools to speed up church construction? What would help the village most right now?"
He was just starting to weigh the options between practicality and comfort, perhaps indulging in the thought of a proper coffee maker using the new Proto-Crafting function, when—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The door to his room burst open without warning, slamming against the inner wall.
"RIKU!"
Lila stood framed in the doorway, chest heaving, her usual bright expression replaced with urgency and a hint of panic. Her braid had come slightly undone, and there was a smudge of dirt on her cheek.
"Lila? What's wrong?" Riku asked, instantly alert, swinging his legs off the futon. "Did something happen at the construction sites? Or with the kids?"
"No, yes, maybe! It's—" She took another gasping breath. "It's the animals, Riku! Down by the south fields! You need to come see!"
"Animals? What about them?" Riku asked, grabbing his travelling cloak as he followed Lila out of the inn. The system panel notifications vanished from his view, the excitement over new crafting possibilities momentarily shelved by the urgency in Lila's voice.
"Eren found them this morning," Lila explained, half-walking, half-jogging down the path leading south, away from the main village square and towards the newer fields they had started cultivating. "Near the edge of the woods. Said it looked… wrong."
They quickly covered the distance, passing the bustling construction sites where villagers were already laying the next course of stones for the twin churches. A few waved, but Lila only offered a quick, distracted nod, her focus fixed ahead.
As they reached the edge of the cultivated land, where the tilled earth met the wilder tangle of the forest undergrowth, they saw Eren waiting. He stood with his arms crossed, looking down at something on the ground with a troubled expression.
"What did you find?" Riku called out as they approached.
Eren looked up, relief flickering across his face at seeing Riku. "Glad you're here. Look at this."
He stepped aside, revealing a small clearing just inside the tree line. Scattered across the leaf litter and patches of moss lay several small bodies – three sparrows, a plump field mouse, and even a young rabbit. They weren't mangled or torn, showing no signs of a predator attack. They simply lay still, as if they had dropped dead mid-flight or mid-step.
"They're just… dead?" Lila murmured, crouching down cautiously but keeping her distance. "Did they eat something bad?"
"Maybe," Eren said, shaking his head. "But look closer. At their feathers, their fur."
Riku knelt beside the rabbit, his gaze sharpening. Lila leaned in beside him. What Eren meant became immediately clear. Across the rabbit's soft brown fur, particularly around its ears and paws, were strange, unnatural markings – patches where the fur seemed stained a deep, angry crimson, almost like dried blood, but the skin beneath wasn't broken. The sparrows had similar marks mottling their breast feathers, a stark, ugly contrast to their natural colours. The mouse, too, bore faint crimson streaks along its tiny legs.
"That's… not blood," Riku stated quietly, carefully examining a bird's wing without touching it directly. The colour was too uniform, the edges too defined, almost like a dye or a rash that had seeped into the very tissue. It felt inherently wrong.