• Basic Well Blueprint – 11,200 Karma Points
• Rain Collector System Blueprint – 9,650 Karma Points
• Underground Water Vein Scanner + Pump – 33,200 Karma Points
• Mana Purification Fountain Blueprint – 15,000 Karma Points
Elias winced as he stared at the list of prices. "Yikes…"
Way too expensive for now.
He had been scrolling through the system shop, looking for a permanent solution to the territory's water problem, but this was all he could find. Everything looked promising—but they were all way out of his budget. He didn't even have that many Karma Points to begin with.
Even if he did, he'd still need to buy a bunch of other materials to build any of those setups. Plus, he lacked manpower at the moment, so none of these were realistic options. Not yet, anyway.
With a frustrated sigh, he flipped to the temporary options.
• 1-Liter Water Keg – 10 Karma Points
• 5-Liter Water Crate – 40 Karma Points
• Everflow Flask – 1,200 Karma Points
"Everflow Flask, huh…"
He frowned. Why was it so expensive compared to the others? Curious, he tapped on the item to bring up its details.
---
Everflow Flask → {Utility Item}
Rarity: Rare
Type: Enchanted Survival Gear
Active Ability: Everflow – Generates 50 liters of clean drinkable water per use.
Cooldown: 24 hours
Mana Required: 10 MP
Description: A self-replenishing flask forged with ancient water magic.
---
Elias stared at the screen with narrowed eyes, then slowly nodded. "That'll do."
He confirmed the purchase.
> [Item Purchased: Everflow Flask – 1,200 Karma Points deducted.]
[Item added to Inventory.]
Elias winced hard.
"Damn… that hurt," he muttered, pressing a hand to his chest like he could physically feel the sting of the deduction.
More than a thousand Karma Points gone in a blink—it felt like a punch straight to the gut. But he told himself it was worth it. This was water. This was survival. This was progress.
Taking a steadying breath, he summoned the flask with a thought.
It appeared in his hand in a soft shimmer of light.
Sleek and colored silver-blue, the flask looked no larger than a wine bottle. Elegant runes wrapped around its surface, glowing faintly with a pulsing blue light—like a heartbeat. He turned it in his hand, studying the craftsmanship. It was well-made, as it should be for the price he paid.
"So this is it, huh?" Elias murmured.
Without waiting, he pushed a small thread of mana into it. The flask reacted instantly—the runes flared briefly, and he felt a subtle tug on his mana.
> [Everflow Flask used. 50 liters of purified water generated. Cooldown: 24 hours.]
Strangely, the flask's weight didn't change at all. It still felt light, like nothing had been added. But he knew better. It now held fifty liters inside.
"Must be a space rune," he muttered, raising an eyebrow but not surprised. It was enchanted, after all.
A small grin crept onto his face as he uncorked it. Tilting it back, cool, clear water flowed smoothly into his mouth. It was crisp, clean, and refreshing—soothing his dry throat and tongue. He drank deeply, savoring each gulp.
"This is what I'm talking about," he sighed, satisfied.
With the water issue temporarily handled, he turned his attention to dinner.
He pulled out his campfire kit and quickly sparked a flame. As it caught, he set a pot over the fire and poured in some water from the flask. The soft splash of water against metal echoed in the clearing.
Next, he opened the system shop again, browsed briefly, and bought a few ingredients—herbs, dried roots, and spices. Then he took out a slab of dire wolf meat from his inventory and sliced off what he needed.
As the pot warmed, he added everything in slowly, one by one, moving quietly.
Soon, the scent began to spread—rich, warm, and savory.
It drifted through the air, curling around him, making his stomach rumble in anticipation. He swallowed hard.
A little while later, the meal was done.
Elias didn't waste time with etiquette. He dug in straight from the pot, letting hunger wipe away any thought of proper etiquette—not like he ever cared for it in the first place.
Once he was full, he used water from the flask to wash the pot clean, then packed everything neatly back into his inventory.
Once that was done, Elias let out a long yawn.
The day had been long and exhausting.
With nothing else to do and the night falling fast, he made his way back into the house. He laid down on the makeshift bed of dry ashveil grass. The rough surface poked at his back the moment he touched it, but he didn't care. He was far too tired to mind such things.
Before his thoughts could drift too far, sleep pulled him under.
---
The next morning came quickly.
A gentle ray of sunlight touched his face, pulling him from slumber. Elias groaned and raised an arm to shield his eyes. He blinked away the haze of sleep and slowly sat up, taking a moment to adjust.
He was still here.
Still in the wild.
Still inside the poorly built house.
It hadn't been a dream after all.
Elias let out a breath through his nose and stood. The air smelled the same—damp, earthy, and fresh. Strangely, it was starting to feel normal.
"[Good morning, Master,]" Alia's voice echoed in his mind.
"Morning," Elias mumbled back as he stepped outside.
Vael was still there, standing silently in the same spot Elias had left him the night before. He hadn't moved an inch, like a statue guarding the shack.
"Good morning, Master," Vael greeted with a quiet voice as Elias approached.
"Morning," Elias replied casually.
Vael gave a slight nod. "Did you rest well?"
"I did."
"Good," the undead assassin replied and returned to his still silence.
Elias turned to look over his surroundings.
The field of ashveil grass had been completely cleared. Now, the real work could begin—construction. But before that, it was time for the system's daily quest.
---
Moments later....
> [Ding!]
Daily Quest: "Foundation of the Body" – Completed ✅
Rewards:
+1 Endurance
+1 Strength
+1 Willpower
+20 EXP
> [You've leveled up!]
Elias smiled and opened his status window.
---
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Elias Ashbourne
Level: 2
Class: Undead Summoner
EXP: 10 / 300
Health: 180 / 180
Mana: 144 / 144
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 47
Agility: 61
Intelligence: 57
Endurance: 40
Willpower: 45
〔Attribute Points: 3〕
TALENT & SKILLS
Unique Talent: Legendary Extraction
Base Skills: Undead Awakening, Undead Summoning
Skills: Shadowmeld, Smoke Veil
SPECIAL TRAITS
Commander's Bond
RESOURCE POINTS
Extraction Points (EP): 13
Summon Capacity: 1 / 5
SYSTEM CURRENCY
Karma Points: 4,520
---
"Not bad," Elias muttered, satisfied. "Better than yesterday."
But before he could close the interface, a deep growl broke the stillness.
Elias looked up.
A dire wolf stood several feet away, glaring at him with blazing eyes full of fury.
He dismissed the window and turned to face the threat calmly.
He had wandered to the northern edge of his territory, both to finish the daily quest and scout the area.
And just beyond that, looming in the distance, stood the Embergrove Forest. The trees were tall, their orange leaves catching the light in a way that made the whole forest glow as if it were burning.
And right in front of it—just as Vael had reported—was a pack of wolves.
Twenty-something in total.
All of them were staring at him. Eyes filled with hatred. Teeth bared.
It wasn't just instinct. This was personal.
They remembered.
Yesterday, a human had killed one of their own—and now another stood in the same spot.
Elias said nothing. He just stared back at them.
Their growls filled the air, full of anger and warning.
But Elias didn't flinch.
The dome around his territory still held firm. There was no way they could reach him.
So, with a calm breath, he turned and began walking away.
The wolves kept growling, but that was all they could do—for now.
> [Master, would you like me to transfer the compiled daily report? I have finished compiling it,] Alia's voice asked in a calm tone.
"Yeah, transfer it."
Streams of data rushed into his mind. Nothing stood out—mostly the same as the day before.
By the time he finished going through the report, he was already back at the shack.
Vael was still there, unmoving, at the edge of the shack like a silent guardian.
Elias looked around at the empty space.
With the daily quest done, it was time to begin the next task.