Night had fallen over the desert, casting long shadows across the dunes. The stars overhead burned sharp and clear, but all Jack could see was the golden cube in his hands.
It pulsed with brilliant light, forcing him to squint. The brilliance was searing, like staring into a miniature sun. It was almost impossible to look at directly, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go.
His four teammates stood nearby, watching in tense silence. They had traveled far for this moment—braving storms, monsters, and worse. Now, at the edge of a barren valley, it was finally time to begin.
The cube began to heat up, first warm, then hot. A low hum rose from within, growing into a sharp tremor that shook through his hands.
Jack gritted his teeth and held on as long as he could. But with a final jolt, the cube slipped free and dropped into the sand.
The moment it touched the ground, it vanished beneath the surface, sinking like a stone into water. A pulse of golden light flickered from the spot. Then, something stirred.
The sand shifted. Metallic faces began to rise, unfolding in quick succession—once, then again, then again. Segmented panels expanded outward like a blooming flower, golden lines racing along their edges in a precise web. A glowing grid snapped into place across the valley floor. With one final pulse, the grid blazed bright, then went still.
Everyone stood frozen.
"What just happened?" Jack asked.
The others looked just as confused. Then, a system message appeared.
Congratulations! You've started a village!
After everything, they’d done it. A village—real, and theirs.
"It’s done," Amari said softly, his voice reverent.
"That animation was nuts…" Horace muttered, eyes wide.
Please name your village: _____________
"It’s asking me to name it. Is it okay if I give it the name we talked about on the way here?"
"Go for it," Amari said. The others nodded in agreement.
Among the names they'd considered, one had stood out—a Portuguese word with the right mix of mystery and style.
Sombra. (Shadow.)
As Jack entered the name, light shimmered again where the cube had disappeared. The sand shifted, and everyone instinctively stepped back.
With a sudden burst, the sand erupted. The small golden cube rose from beneath, growing and unfolding into something vast. The markings etched into its faces flared with light one final time before fading away.
When the glow dimmed and the dust settled, silence returned to the valley.
In its place stood a building. Perfectly cubical.
It was simple, compact, and clean. Monolithic in its symmetry, yet strangely enigmatic. Only a single door broke the surface.
It reminded Jack of a bunker.
Above the doorway, glowing letters burned themselves into the stone, molten bright: ‘Sombra.’
Congratulations! Your village name is Sombra.
Your village’s basic trait is [Tramontane].
You’ve unlocked a new title: [Village Chieftain].
Village tier: [Golden]. You’ve been granted the following bonuses:
? Three bonus traits
? Choose from three golden stewards
? Build three specialty buildings for free
? Grace period: 10 days of protection under His Majesty, the King of Eternia
? Assigned escort: General Hannibal, Captain Apollos, Captain Diana, and one hundred knights of the Sunsgate Garrison
? Village Management Menu unlocked
A trait, a title, and a cascade of bonuses that sounded... massive. Jack frowned, scanning the list again. Free buildings. High-tier escorts. A grace period under royal protection. It all looked impressive, but there was no way to tell just how game-changing it really was. No one had done this before. There were no guides. No walkthroughs.
Whatever a golden-tier cube meant, it came with more support than Jack had expected. Maybe it was a serious head start. Or maybe it was just for show.
“Oh wow!” Marie said, excited.
“Check this out!” Rob called.
“Sweet title,” Horace murmured nearby.
It looked like they’d all gotten it. Jack tapped to open the title window.
Village Chieftain (Rare)
As the founder of a village, you are well respected—and respect is a form of power.
Title effects:
+5 character levels;
+5 fame.
Conditions to unlock [Village Chieftain]:
Found a village {complete}
“Whoa,” Jack said, eyes widening. “Five levels!”
“And a nice fame boost,” Marie added, smiling at her stats.
“This must be one of the perks of ruling a village,” Amari said thoughtfully.
But Jack caught the note of dissatisfaction in his voice. He was thinking the same. Free levels and fame were nice—but that couldn’t be it. There had to be more to owning a village than just that. If they’d spent all the resources and time they’d invested in preparing to start a village, they could have farmed more levels and fame than just this in other ways.
He opened the village management menu.
Sombra
Status: Village
Tier: Gold
Chieftains: AmariNinja, Horace, JackOfDiamonds, Marie, RobbieRobber
Steward: Unassigned
Housing: 13/40
STATS
Allure: 10
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Safety: 0 (+1610)
Satisfaction: 1
Innovation: 0
INFRASTRUCTURE
Golden Village Hall: +10 Allure
TRAITS
[Tramontane]: +10 cold resistance inside the village, +1 satisfaction
[Empty]
[Empty]
[Empty]
Jack scanned the menu and notifications, trying to make sense of it all. Next to him, Amari and Rob were doing the same, eyes flicking through interface tabs. Marie and Horace, on the other hand, were already chatting excitedly about their new level boosts—clearly content to let Amari do the hard thinking for them.
The village had attributes. Just like a player.
He tapped the stat names, bringing up the descriptions one by one:
Allure: Attracts new NPC inhabitants
Safety: Reduces crime, raids, and monster incursions
Satisfaction: Boosts productivity
Innovation: Increases chances of blueprint and specialty unlocks
A stat to draw in population. One to keep them safe. Another to help them work harder. And one to unlock... tech?And then there was the trait.
Tramontane. The name hit him with a flicker of recognition.
A wind from the north—freezing, fierce, and once, a miracle. Back during the Breach, when things were at their worst, it had turned the tide. But what did it mean for a village to carry that name? A coincidence? A clue?
He didn’t know. Not yet.
It grants one bonus point to Satisfaction, he thought. Just one. That made the ten-point bonus to Allure feel massive by comparison—like a rare stat windfall.
He flicked over to the housing section.
Housing: 13/40.
The forty was probably the building’s capacity—maybe tied to the cubical structure itself. But the thirteen? Had they already attracted that many NPCs? And if they were already here… where were they?
His eyes drifted to the Safety stat: 0 (+1610).
That had to be the soldiers. General Hannibal, two captains, and a hundred knights—their presence was inflating the village’s Safety far beyond what any normal starter town would ever have.
“I can’t tell for sure if we’ve hit the jackpot,” Rob murmured beside him, “but it sure feels that way.”
“I agree,” Jack said, smiling. He turned to Amari. “What do you make of all this?”
Horace and Marie stopped goofing around and drifted closer, curious to hear Amari’s take.
He looked thoughtful. “Still sorting through everything, but I’m guessing there are three—maybe four—village tiers.”
Jack blinked. “Wait, what makes you say that?”
“A gold village grants three bonus traits and three steward options. I’m guessing silver gives two, bronze one. And maybe there’s a basic cube that gives no bonuses at all.”
“There’s a precedent,” Rob added. “Certain dungeons use a reward system like that: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron.”
Jack couldn’t recall running into that system himself, but both Amari and Rob seemed confident in the comparison.
“And that head start in Allure?” Rob said. “Feels like a big deal.”
“I agree,” Amari nodded. “In New Earth, players only get one stat point per level, so a single point carries weight. If the village were a player, that +10 in Allure would put it at level ten, right out of the gate. And that Safety boost means no one’s going to cause trouble in the first ten days.”
“If villages really do follow the same leveling system as players,” Jack added, trying to keep up.
“In any case,” Amari concluded, “the village’s golden tier is a massive boon.”
“Shall we go in?” Horace called from the side, practically bouncing on his heels.
Jack smiled. “Yeah,” he said, nodding.
He was just as eager to step inside—and hopefully get some more answers about how the whole thing worked.
Horace was the first to the door. From within came voices. Familiar ones.
Wait. It can’t be...
Jack hurried after the others into the building—and stopped short.
There were thirteen people inside, cheering and applauding as they entered.
“Mr. Horace!” a boyish voice cried.
It was Riku. The boy from the Breach. He was already in Horace’s arms before anyone could react.
“Riku? Is that you?” Horace asked, surprise bright in his voice.
Of course Riku had run to Horace. They’d worked together as trappers for weeks. If anyone had earned the boy’s trust, it was him.
And it wasn’t just Riku. A few steps behind stood Christoph, the hunter, and Esther—Riku’s mother. Christoph had one arm around her shoulders, the two of them smiling like a couple eager to show the world they were together now.
Jack’s breath caught. The NPCs from the Breach. They were here.
“Greetings, heroes,” Christoph said warmly, crossing the room. “Thank you so much for helping us relocate.” He shook hands with each of them in turn. “We can’t tell you how much it means to us.”
Esther nodded. “The fortress in the mountains... it held too many painful memories. This is a fresh start for our new family.”
Christoph gave her a quiet look of agreement.
But they weren’t the only ones.
Others stood nearby—Edric and the nine soldiers who had fought beside them at the Breach. Even those who’d fallen during the final, nightmarish waves were back. Restored by the system. Now they stood together again, back from the dead as if nothing had happened.
Jack stared, a quiet awe settling in his chest. He’d seen some of these men fall. And now they were here, laughing and shaking hands like old friends. Whole again.
“Really, thank you for giving us this opportunity,” said Edric, the soldier who’d led the group. His handshake was firm but emotional. “We thought… well, we thought we were going to be executed.”
“Yeah,” added Bart, his voice lower than Jack remembered. “We still don’t know what strings you pulled, but knowing you put in a good word for us—it just… it means a lot. We owe you our lives.”
“Good to see you, Mr. Jack!” said Garen, one of the soldiers.
“Good to see you, too!” Jack replied, smiling.
Nearby, Girard and Lyle were catching up with Horace, while Garen and Carrin gave Marie matching salutes. Jorrin was already trading laughs with Rob.
It felt like a reunion. Like coming home to family.
And they all seemed genuinely grateful, as if they’d paid a great price to be here. The NPCs believed this was thanks to their kindness—that they’d arranged for this. The system must have rewritten their memories to give a reason why they were now the first inhabitants of Sombra.
Jack didn’t correct them. He just smiled.
“Well, this is…” Marie trailed off, then laughed softly. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“I know, right?” Horace said, still half-hugging Riku.
Now that Jack had greeted everyone, he took in the space around him. The interior of the building was simple. Rows of bunk beds lined the walls—exactly forty. That must’ve been where the housing capacity came from.
At the far end of the room was a large golden shield that hung on the wall. One word was engraved into it in bold, stylized letters:
Sombra.
There was something about the item. Jack couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt important. Not just decoration.
Christoph cleared his throat and stepped forward, his voice steady and warm. “From what I understand, you’ll be needing someone to help manage the village?”
Amari blinked, clearly caught off guard. He glanced around at the others, brow furrowed. “I… guess we are?”
“Then allow me to make it simple,” Christoph said, giving a small nod. “We’re all at your service. Just let us know who you’ve selected to be the steward of Sombra.”
A glowing menu appeared in front of Jack.
Three tabs shimmered into view:
—Christoph, the Hunter
—Esther, the Artisan
—Edric, the Redeemed
Christoph, the Hunter (Gold)
A seasoned hunter, Christoph rose up to become a hero in the defense of a Fortress beyond the White Crown. He is a man of principle and unwavering loyalty whose background as a hunter inspires confidence in others.
Management grade: D
Fighting grade: B
+2 allure;
+2 safety.
Steward Traits:
[Bow Mastery]: Increases damage dealt by projectiles by 20%, +1 safety.
[Eagle Eye]: Increases the range of projectiles, +1 safety.
[Gamey Game]: Deters beasts. Monster parts yield double tax, +2 allure.
Esther, the Artisan (Gold)
When her home was overwhelmed by monsters in the fortress, Esther was the sole woman who survived.
Management grade: S
Fighting grade: F
Steward Traits:
[Roll Up Sleeves]: Stamina depletes 20% slower when crafting, +3 satisfaction.
[Quick Learner]: +10% XP when crafting, +3 satisfaction.
[Motherly]: Allure works better in families. +1 allure
Edric, the Redeemed (Gold)
A soldier who succumbed to fear of death but was reborn in redemption, and is a brave , seasoned soldier who fought bravely after rekindling his warrior’s spirit.
Management grade: C
Fighting grade: C
Steward Traits:
[Rekindled]: Garrison gains +10% HP, +2 safety
[Law and Order]: Crime is greatly reduced, +2 safety
[Welcoming Redemption]: +2 allure, allure is particularly effective in criminals and military.
“Looks like we have to choose one of these NPCs to be the steward,” Marie said.
“And their skills… Are those going to become the three village attributes that will complement [Tramontane]?” Rob asked.
“Seems like it,” Amari said. “Then there’s also the management and fighting grades listed for each candidate. If I’m reading this right, fighting grade probably means the steward acts like a village hero—like a unique unit who can join us in combat. Management likely boosts village growth or productivity.”
Marie squinted at the menu. “S in management seems huge. Even if Esther’s useless in a fight, that has to mean something.”
“So, what are you all thinking?” Amari asked.
Jack exhaled slowly. This vote would shape the village’s future—and there were no do-overs. He just had to trust his instincts and hope they were right.
