CHAPTER 60: CH 60: A HAND OF SALVATION - PART 4

Lucian stood at the edge of the valley, arms crossed as he overlooked the growing settlement.

It had only been a few days since the first group arrived, yet already the signs of change were everywhere.

Smoke rose steadily from chimneys. Wooden frames had been turned into proper houses, roofs layered with bark and stone to withstand the snow.

People no longer huddled together in ragged tents, but walked the streets with cautious relief, finally believing they might survive the coming storms.

The sounds of laughter drifted faintly from the workers’ quarters. Children, who had once cried through the nights, were now chasing each other with sticks.

For the first time, the valley felt alive.

Lucian allowed himself a small nod. This was only the beginning.

At that exact moment, the faint chime of the system echoed in his mind. A translucent window blinked into view, disrupting his quiet thoughts.

[System Notification: Mission updated.]

[Objective: Establish the settlement that will serve as the home base of the Hero. Progress will be measured not only by survival, but by infrastructure, education, and unity.]

Lucian’s eyes narrowed as he read the glowing text.

So that was the purpose of all this. It wasn’t just about saving a handful of people—it was about laying the foundation for something far greater.

A hero would one day come here. And this valley, his valley, would become their stronghold.

He dismissed the screen and exhaled slowly.

"So that’s the kind of story this world wants me to write."

Turning back to the village, Lucian began to walk.

Food wasn’t a concern anymore; the crops grew quickly under his control, and the valley’s natural warmth allowed for year-round harvests. What came next was stability.

Shelter had been provided in its most basic form, but now he needed to think ahead. Sanitation. Water. Roads.

If people couldn’t live in comfort, resentment would fester, no matter how much food was on their table.

He gathered Berry and a few of the more capable settlers.

"Latrines will be dug on the eastern side. Away from the wells. Assign men to rotate the cleaning duty. Anyone who slacks will be fined a portion of rations."

Berry immediately wrote the orders down, face serious. "Understood."

Lucian then walked toward the half-finished water channels. The streams in the valley were clean, but they couldn’t rely on buckets alone.

"Build pumps and wells here. I’ll handle the runes to keep the water from freezing."

Every step of the way, Lucian could feel the weight of eyes on him.

Some full of gratitude. Others of doubt. But whether they trusted him or not, the fact remained—they were alive because of him.

By evening, he called a gathering in the central square.

Dozens of villagers stood there, faces curious and wary, waiting for him to speak.

Lucian’s young frame didn’t match the presence he carried, but when his voice cut through the night, silence fell immediately.

"Survival isn’t enough. If all you do is live from day to day, you’ll never grow. That ends here."

Murmurs spread through the crowd. Lucian raised a hand, and they stilled.

"From tomorrow, there will be classes. Those who know carpentry will teach repair. Those who can weave will teach cloth-making. Hunters will teach tracking. Each of you has a skill. Share it. If you don’t, this settlement will collapse the moment misfortune strikes."

A man raised his hand hesitantly.

"But... what if no one wants to learn from me?"

Lucian’s gaze was sharp.

"Then I’ll make them."

The words weren’t shouted, but they carried an iron weight. People lowered their heads, cowed by the firmness in his tone.

He softened slightly, continuing.

"This is the law of this place. Contribute, and you’ll be rewarded. Those who don’t... will be left behind. I won’t carry dead weight."

When the gathering ended, the villagers dispersed, whispering among themselves. Some nervous. Some excited. But the seed had been planted.

Lucian lingered in the square after everyone left. His eyes lifted toward the sky, where faint stars pierced through the veil of clouds.

The settlement was shaping up well. Better than he expected, in fact. But beneath his calm expression, unease gnawed at him.

Things were going too smoothly.

Even as the valley grew livelier, Lucian could feel it—that faint hum at the edge of his senses, like the world itself was holding its breath. Something was coming.

Not far from the valley, in a bleak stretch of frozen land, another fire burned.

The village of Rucca was small, barely clinging to life.

At its center stood the Eternal Flame—a fire that never once had gone out, no matter the storm or the snow. It was their only source of warmth, their only hope.

Around it, the people huddled, silent and gaunt. Their eyes were dim, yet they still worshipped the flame with quiet reverence.

The shaman of Rucca sat cross-legged before the fire. Her eyes were closed, her wrinkled face calm, until suddenly—she inhaled sharply.

Her eyes snapped open, glowing faintly with orange light.

"The time has come."

She whispered.

Her words carried across the clearing, making heads rise.

"The flame calls to us. Do not fear. Do not resist. Our destiny is here."

Confusion spread among the people, but before they could question, the Eternal Flame surged.

What had always been a gentle warmth now roared violently, rising higher, brighter, until it consumed the entire clearing.

Screams erupted as fire wrapped around the villagers’ bodies. Yet no smoke rose. No ash fell.

And then—silence.

When the flames finally dimmed, nothing remained of Rucca. Not the huts. Not the villagers. Not even the shaman.

Only one figure stood in the center of the blackened clearing.

A man.

He wore nothing but a thin robe, completely unbothered by the freezing wind that swept across the land. His hair was white, his eyes sharp and glinting with faint embers. The flames curled faintly at his fingertips before fading away.

He looked around the empty clearing and let out a quiet chuckle.

"So... this is the world below? How...ordinary. I should go and fulfil my orders for now."

The fire reflected in his eyes, bright and merciless.

And with steady steps, the man began walking—toward Lucian’s valley.