[Invasion Countdown: 29 Days]
[System Note: Role Structuring Detected – Evolution Thread Activating]
[Settlement Path Advancing – Civilized Node Classification Reinforced]
I wake up with my mouth full of moss.
Again.
Why? Because someone tried to drag me into the fire circle last night to "soak in the wisdom of the sacred flame." I pretended to be asleep. I wasn't.
The system's already talking when I sit up.
[Daily Alert – Structural Growth Stalled: Leadership Confirmation Required]
[Named Units: 5 | Roles Assigned: 0 | Evolution Pending]
[Warning: Role Recognition Will Trigger Class Divergence]
Wait. Wait wait wait.
"You're telling me they evolve if I just… give them a job?"
[Yes]
When I walk outside, there's a line.
Not metaphorical. A literal, breathing, twitching kobold line. Half of them are fidgeting. One has a bone comb stuck in his ear like a status symbol. Another holds a stick with "Quarter-Warrior" carved into it.
I feel like throwing up.
At the front, Bitterstack.
"They're waiting," she says.
"For what?"
"For you to pick."
"Oh no," I say. "No no no. This isn't a guild. This isn't a—"
[Settlement Thread Crossed – Recognition Denial Will Result in Stagnation]
I sigh. Loudly.
"I'm doing this under protest."
The first five are easy. Not because I trust them. Because the system already trusts them for me.
Splitjaw. Steps forward like he owns the dirt under his feet.
[Role Assigned – Guard Captain: Splitjaw]
[Class Mutation Triggered – Fangguard Initiation]
[Perk: Tactical Aggression | Intimidation Aura I | Leadership Beacon]
His muscles ripple. His teeth grow. His pupils narrow. He looks ready to fight the concept of hesitation.
Bitterstack. Already holding a shell with tiny charcoal scribbles.
[Role Assigned – Quartermaster: Bitterstack]
[Class Mutation Triggered – Hoard-Keeper Threaded]
[Perk: Inventory Synapse | Resource Tally Network | "No, We Don't Need That" Passive]
Her eyes flicker like she can now see every misplaced item in the camp.
Stonealign. Drops a brick in front of me like a contract.
[Role Assigned – Builder Prime: Stonealign]
[Class Mutation Triggered – Structural Binder]
[Perk: Terrain Integration | Quick Foundation | Anti-Collapse Field]
His claws harden. His bones creak like settling foundations.
Artisan. Arrives with a bone flute in one hand, glue on his snout, and a string of beads on his tail.
[Role Assigned – Creative Engineer: ???]
[Class Mutation Triggered – Mutation Inconclusive]
[Perk: "It's Probably Fine" – Unstable Creativity Enabled]
The system tries to label him, glitches, then gives up. Probably for the best.
And last—Stonebite. No announcement. He just appears. Covered in soot. Smells like burnt iron.
"I hear you're giving out proper work," he says. "Let me forge it loud."
[Role Confirmed – Forge-Master: Stonebite]
[Class Mutation Triggered – Ember-Blood Caste Initiated]
[Perk: Heat Tolerance | Craft Efficiency Boost | Explosive Tendency (Suppressed)]
He tosses a glowing bone pick into the air and walks off before I say a word.
The system hums.
[Core Roles Established – Substructure Unlocked]
[Class Growth Enabled – Flame-Born Chain Progression Initiated]
[Unique Classes Registered: 13]
[Classed Units: 13 | Leadership Roles: 5 | Support Threads: 8]
[War Threshold Trigger: 18%]
[Node Stability: Holding]
I look up.
The line is still there.
Fifty kobolds. Half confused. A third hopeful. One writing "I Am Next" on his own chest with ash.
I sit down on the moss.
I am not ready for this.
---
Stonebite's forge smells like victory and combustion.
He's been at it for less than an hour and already two kobolds are running around with singed tails and manic grins. There's a pile of sharpened rock teeth, melted pipe ends, and something that looks suspiciously like a spine turned into a saw blade.
The system pings every time he swings.
[Forge-Master Productivity: 113%]
[Output Quality: Moderate | Volume: Aggressive | Noise Level: Unacceptable]
[Morale Status: Inspired (and slightly afraid)]
A kobold runs past screaming, "He made one with spikes that spin!"
I don't ask what "one" is.
Instead, I stare at my growing list of infrastructure, population flow, and now apparently… evolution management.
[Unique Classes Registered: 13]
[Classed Units: 13 | Leadership Roles: 5 | Support Threads: 8]
[War Threshold Trigger: 18%]
[Node Stability: Holding]
Splitjaw is shouting near the edge of camp, leading three eager trainees in mock combat drills. He's using a stick to poke them when they mess up. One's bleeding. They're all proud.
Bitterstack is hoarding clay shards and sorting food by calorie density. She now has an actual schedule. I didn't make that. She invented it.
Stonealign is yelling at a wall. The wall is responding by not collapsing. I'm choosing not to question the logic.
Artisan is painting a warning mural on the main corridor. It features a giant flaming kobold biting a sword in half.
Honestly? It's kind of good.
And just when I think it can't escalate further—system pings again.
[Alert: External Observation Detected – Surface-Level Recon Activity Nearby]
[Recon Type: Visual Scan – Range: 12 Meters | Source: Human]
[Adventurer Scouting Confirmed – Countdown Acceleration Risk: +2 Days]
A scout kobold stumbles in.
Panting. Dirt in his ears. Slightly smoking.
"Saw a human."
"How close?"
"Tree-range."
"That's not a unit."
"I could see his nose hairs."
Okay. That's close.
"He saw you?"
"I waved."
"You what?"
"I thought it would be polite!"
I faceplant into the nearest flat surface.
System pings helpfully.
[Suggested Action: Conceal Node Activity]
[Alternate Option: Build Decoys | Defensive Infrastructure Upgrade Available]
Oh, sure. Let me just order a "Don't Look At Us" sign from the anti-adventurer catalog.
I wander toward the edge of the main tunnel. Try to breathe. Try to think.
Instead, I trip.
The ground near the wall shifts under my claws. A subtle click. Then a low rumble.
Stone splits. Dust erupts. A crack forms—and the wall gives way.
Behind it: dark. Cold. Silent.
A chamber.
System pings.
[Subnode Unsealed – Designation: Null Space]
[Environmental Thread: Blank | Anomaly Signature Nearby]
[Warning: Untied Presence Detected – Status: Dormant]
It's big. Deeper than the rest of the tunnels. The walls are too smooth. Too clean. Like something was here once—and left behind an impression.
No noise. No pulse. Just a weight in the air, like pressure without sound.
I step forward.
The air hums.
The system doesn't know what this place is. That's the first time I've seen it say "Null." Not corrupted. Not hostile. Just… empty.
I sit down in the entrance.
Behind me, kobolds shout and hammer. Someone is probably on fire again.
In front of me, silence.
And somewhere between the two, my brain is melting.
System pings softly.
[Optional Action: Designate Subnode as Emergency Refuge or Command Nexus]
[Warning: Untied Signature May Complicate Claim]
Oh, good. Another maybe haunted room.
Final ping.
[You are shaping something that shouldn't exist yet. Proceed with caution.]
I sigh.
"We haven't even started the fight yet," I whisper, "and the dungeon's already rooting for a sequel."