Banished Hero: I just want to live in peace on a deserted island
Chapter 86: Rewards
CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 86: REWARDS
Jax was still reviewing the final details of his castle when a new system notification appeared before his eyes.
[The gift will be delivered now.]
Jax frowned.
"A gift? What does that mean...?"
Before he could finish the sentence, a roar shook the entire castle. The ground trembled as if a meteor had struck the island. A muffled rumble ran through the walls, and the air itself seemed to quiver.
"W-What the hell?!" Jax shouted as he ran out of the main hall.
Once outside, his surprise grew even more: the walls had extended far beyond what he had built. The parts of the island he hadn’t modified due to lack of points were now surrounded by a colossal wall, glowing with magical energy. And next to his castle stood a massive black tower that hadn’t been there before.
A second message appeared before him.
[System Roulette x3 used.]
[Reward 1: Absolute Fortification (S-).
The entire territory of the user is surrounded by a magical wall. No being or object can fly through it. Only those with guild permission can do so.]
[Reward 2: Magical Cultivation Fields (B+).
Extensive cultivation lands have been distributed throughout the user’s territory to ensure a constant supply of food.]
[Reward 3: Magical Forest (S).
At the center of the territory, a dimensional magical forest has been created, ten times the size of the guild. Inside, beasts of random levels and many other hidden treasures reside.]
Jax was stunned. While designing his castle, he had seen these options in the catalog, but each cost more than ten million points... and the Magical Forest exceeded a billion! The rewards were absurdly generous.
"This... is too much. Luck is really on my side..." he thought, silently thanking the system.
He checked the map and saw the exact location of each gift, which calmed him. However, his gaze returned to the black tower.
"And that tower?" he murmured, walking toward it.
A new system announcement appeared as he approached.
[The Black Tower is a gift for all newly founded guilds, regardless of rank or privileges.
It consists of 9 floors, and each floor can only be unlocked according to the guild’s ranking in the GRB.
Since Hero’s Guild currently holds the number 1 rank, all floors are unlocked. Enjoy.]
Suddenly, screams echoed behind him. Women and children from the guild were running, terrified by the roar and the appearance of the tower.
Jax raised his hands and spoke firmly:
"Calm down! It’s not an enemy, it’s a gift from the system. This tower is part of our territory and belongs to the guild. There’s nothing to fear."
The girls gathered around him, hearts still racing. Manaia was the first to ask:
"So... this tower is ours?"
"Yes," Jax replied with a slight smile. "And not only that, there are entire floors inside that we can explore."
Riven’s eyes sparkled.
"Can we go in right now?"
Zela and Zyra looked excited, while Vira murmured:
"It feels... like it’s hiding something dangerous."
Lira, a mix of fear and excitement on her face, stepped forward.
"If it’s a gift, then we should take advantage of it."
Jax nodded, looking at the dark structure looming against the sky.
"Exactly. But first, we must enter together."
The group ascended to the first floor of the tower, and Jax opened the door cautiously. Before them was a perfectly organized magical shop: endless shelves filled with potions, herbs, and arcane materials. Behind a black wooden counter, a silver-haired elf watched them with green eyes that sparkled like gems.
Jax stepped forward.
"Good morning..." he tried to start a conversation.
The elf barely looked up, her tone cold and condescending.
"Yes? What do you want?" she said, making it clear she wasn’t used to speaking with mere mortals.
Jax frowned.
"I just want... to buy some supplies."
The elf looked him up and down, her cutting voice resonating.
"Buy? Do you think you can afford what this costs?" Her disdain was palpable.
Zyra couldn’t help but mutter under her breath:
"Wow... how arrogant..."
Jax raised a hand, trying to calm her.
"Zyra, wait. Let me handle this."
At that moment, an inner voice forced him to remain silent and lower his head. Intrigued, he activated his [Lunar Senses] ability. Nothing. Just a black void that seemed to absorb all perception.
"What the hell...?" he murmured to himself.
Cautiously, he tried [Temporal Evaluation].
A name appeared floating before him:
[High Elf of the Flowers – Lvl 98]
Jax froze.
"Level 98..." he whispered, terrified. "I’ve never seen anything like this..."
Zyra, annoyed by the elf’s attitude, made a sarcastic comment:
"And who do you think you are? The queen of the tower or something?"
The elf looked at her with absolute disdain, as if Zyra were an insect:
"Silence, human..."
Zyra frowned at the tone used to refer to them as "humans" and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to react. But before she could move, a magical burst filled the room: 200 elves surrounded the floor in less than a second.
Jax looked at them one by one, stunned when he saw that they were all Level 97.
Fearful, he raised his voice with authority, trying to hide his fear:
"Stand still! Don’t move an inch!"
A deep, powerful voice, like that of an ancient being, echoed through the tower:
"Fighting inside the GRB Tower is forbidden. Any conflict must be resolved outside. This is the first offense; you are forgiven. There will be no second chance."
The elves sheathed their weapons and disappeared, leaving a tense silence.
Jax took a deep breath and looked at the girls:
"Let’s continue exploring the other floors. There’s no need to start conflicts here."
Manaia looked at him, astonished. She was furious at the elf’s attitude but didn’t dare contradict Jax.
Seeing that Manaia was very angry, Jax hugged her waist and, with a playful gesture, whispered:
"Level 98... and all the rest are 97."
Manaia froze, terrified, while Zyra, Zela, Vira, and Lira watched with curiosity. Manaia raised her hand firmly:
"Don’t do anything stupid."
The group nodded, and Jax led them to the next section of the floor, still alert for any movement from the guardians.