Chapter 112: The Defense of the Azuryn Tribe (2)
Maeve couldn’t help but smile proudly. "Once we’ve finished making all of them, we’ll bury some around the settlement," she explained. "The rest will be placed inside each family’s home. That way, if a hostile creature enters the village, everyone will be warned immediately."
"If every house has one, we’ll know where the danger is coming from," Zini said.
Maeve nodded. "Exactly. Even if the warriors are away hunting, the people staying behind won’t be caught by surprise."
Everyone worked even faster after hearing that. One by one, more alarm stones were completed, bringing the tribe another step closer to a safer future.
By the time the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon, the tribe was still hard at work.
Torches were lit around the settlement, their warm glow allowing everyone to continue despite the darkness. The sounds of hammers striking wood, shovels digging into the earth, and people calling out to one another echoed through the night.
None of them complained because everyone understood how important this was.
One by one, the hidden pits were completed and carefully covered with camouflaged lids. The binding nets were installed along the paths leading to the settlement, while the alarm stones were buried around the outer perimeter and placed inside every family’s home.
At the same time, Axan reinforced the inner barrier, making sure the tribe’s last line of defense was truly impenetrable.
Finally, close to midnight, the last alarm stone was set into place.
"It’s done!" one of the warriors shouted.
A wave of relief spread through the tribe. Many people sat down right where they were, too exhausted to remain standing. Some leaned against nearby trees, while others simply lay on the grass, staring up at the countless stars overhead.
Their muscles ached, and their hands were covered with dirt and small scratches from working all day.
Even so, all of them were smiling. Meanwhile, Maeve looked around at the finished defenses with satisfaction.
The once open settlement was now protected by several layers of traps. Hidden pits guarded the outer approaches, binding nets covered the most likely paths an enemy would take, and the alarm stones ready to warn the tribe of any danger.
"It finally feels... safe," Oraya whispered.
"It does," Zini agreed as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I’ve never imagined our tribe could have defenses like these."
The others nodded in agreement.
As they were talking to one another, Pinky suddenly gave Maeve a notification.
[Congratulations! You have completed the side mission: Build a Layered Defense!]
[Conditions Completed:
- Create an outer warning zone around the settlement. (1/1)
- Build a defensive trap line to slow down wild beasts. (1/1)
- Strengthen the inner barrier around the settlement. (1/1)]
[Reward:
- 50,000 Coins
- 10 Barrier Reinforcement Crystals]
[Additional Reward: 1,000 Coins]
[Remaining Coins: 55,550]
Maeve’s tired eyes instantly lit up. Fifty-five thousand five hundred and fifty!
She almost wanted to jump for joy when she saw those numbers.
Just like everyone else felt relieved because the settlement was finally much safer, Maeve felt just as relieved after seeing her coin balance climb back above fifty thousand.
She had been trying so hard not to spend every coin she earned, and now all of their hard work had finally paid off.
She quickly opened the System pannel in front of her and the familiar blue screen appeared, displaying the updated balance in the corner.
[Coins: 55,550]
Maeve let out a satisfied sigh. "I’ve finally recovered..."
"Recovered from what?" Cerus asked curiously after noticing her strange expression.
Maeve quickly closed the System window before anyone could become suspicious.
"Oh, nothing," she replied with an awkward laugh. "I was just thinking that all our hard work paid off."
Cerus looked around at the completed defenses and nodded. "You’re right."
Maeve was about to say something more, but then her stomach suddenly let out a loud growl.
She froze in place. "..."
For a brief second, the entire area fell silent and suddenly, another growl echoed through the settlement. But this time, it came from someone else.
Everyone turned their heads, only to hear another rumble, and then another.
Soon, laughter broke out.
"It looks like we’re all hungry," Zini said, covering her mouth as she laughed.
"I haven’t eaten since this morning," one of the men admitted.
"No wonder. We’ve been working all day."
Maeve rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. "I guess our stomachs all chose the same time to complain."
Ikarus looked around at the exhausted faces of the tribe members. Many of them were covered in dirt, while others still had bits of dried mud clinging to their clothes.
A gentle smile appeared on his face. "I think today deserves to be celebrated."
"We don’t have to use all the meat we hunted yesterday because we have to save most of it for the days ahead." He glanced toward the large racks where strips of smoked meat were hanging. "But we have more than enough to prepare a proper meal for everyone tonight."
Without wasting any more time, several people hurried toward the food storage, while others gathered firewood to start another bonfire. The women who had spent the day assembling the alarm stones volunteered to prepare the meal, while the men brought over fresh cuts of meat they had set aside earlier.
"It doesn’t have to be a feast," Ikarus said. "Just enough so everyone can eat their fill."
"That’s more than enough," one of the older women replied with a warm smile.
Within minutes, the settlement was busy once again, but this time, the atmosphere was much lighter. Instead of digging pits or assembling traps, everyone worked together to prepare dinner, their laughter filling the air.
A few days ago, these people had been struggling just to survive. Now, they were celebrating the safety they had built together with their own hands.
But when she looked at the feast in front of her, she started thinking it would be even more fun with some alcohol.
"If only we had grapes..." she murmured.
Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Pinky’s familiar voice echoed in her mind.
[Searching the Black Market...]