The Heartstone pulsed steadily now—alive in a way Logan could feel through the soles of his boots. Across the cracked ground, where ash drifted like gray snow, the foundation of something new was taking shape.
Garrick Holt, a battered shield slung across his back, worked methodically alongside Logan, stacking rough stone and scavenged timber into the skeletal frame of a structure. Selene Vale stood nearby, arms folded, with her massive tome hovering silently behind her shoulder. Lines of blue script floated from its pages like mist as she surveyed the construction with sharp, calculating eyes.
Above the Heartstone shimmered a translucent blueprint:
**[Construction Basic Auction Hall — 37% Complete.]**
The ground at the Heartstone's edge trembled with every pulse of energy feeding the new building. It was primitive now—just stacked stone and half-burned wood—but Logan envisioned more. In his mind's eye, the blueprint unfolded: soaring stone towers for communication, hidden vaults for secure storage, and gilded trading tables where relics and contracts would change hands under watchful eyes.
This is just the first stone.
He wiped sweat from his forehead with a grimy sleeve and hauled another beam into place. No one else was going to build this world for him. Every stone, every wall, every life added to this kingdom—he would carve it with his blood.
Three grueling hours later, the final beam was driven into place. The Auction Hall flared to life. A wave of System energy rippled outward, rattling the broken trees and sending a pulse into the ash-choked air. At the Hall's entrance, a glowing portal blossomed—a mirror of smoky silver—reflecting nothing but endless, shifting possibilities.
A chime sounded in Logan's mind:
**[Auction Hall Activation Complete.]**
You may now access Regional and Global Trade Networks.
*Warning: Visibility Level Increased — Location Now Traceable (Minor).*
*Warning: Participation in Auctions May Trigger Sovereign Attention.*
Logan grimaced slightly at the warnings but stepped closer. The mirror shimmered, expanding outward as text scrolled into view.
**[Auction Hall Interface: Active]**
- View Current Listings
- Sell Materials or Relics
- Place Bids
- Private Trades and Contracts (Limited Access)
- Sovereign Bulletin Board (Public Notices)
For a moment, Logan hesitated. Beyond that portal lay hundreds, maybe thousands, of other Sovereigns—most clawing for survival, some hunting for an advantage, and a few, perhaps, already building legacies of blood and iron. And every one of them would now know—someone else had survived Ashfall Basin.
A tiny ripple in the ocean, but ripples grow.
He stepped forward. The Auction Hall's misty portal enveloped him, and in a blink, his surroundings shifted. Gone were the dead trees and molten rivers. He now stood in a vast, ethereal plaza—endless and starless—with floating platforms suspended in darkness. Dozens of other Sovereigns moved across the platforms, their appearances rendered as cloaked silhouettes to mask their true identities. Above each Sovereign, a faint golden tag flickered:
**[Ashen King]**
**[Red Dagger Sovereign]**
**[The Hollow Architect]**
**[Nameless Heir]**
Logan's tag flickered into existence above his head:
**[Ashfall Sovereign]**
He frowned slightly at the automatic designation. Fine, he thought. It fits. Ashfall was his territory now. It would be his empire later.
Floating panels blinked into view, displaying auction listings:
- **Item:** Minor Beast Contract (Tier 1)
**Seller:** Hollow Architect
**Current Bid:** 500 Wood, 20 Stone
**Time Remaining:** 3h
- **Item:** Broken Rune Blueprint
**Seller:** Ashen King
**Current Bid:** 2 Iron Ore, 1 Summoning Token
**Time Remaining:** 1h
- **Item:** Crude Weapon Crate (10 units)
**Seller:** Red Dagger Sovereign
**Current Bid:** 200 Stone
**Time Remaining:** 2h
- **Item:** Unstable Heartstone Fragment
**Seller:** Unknown
**Current Bid:** 1 Summoning Token
**Time Remaining:** 30m
Logan scanned the offerings rapidly, analyzing them. Nothing world-changing yet. Minor beast contracts—likely weak wolf-variants or corrupted forest spirits. Broken blueprints—repairable but risky. Crude weapons—valuable but replaceable. But that last listing...
Unstable Heartstone Fragment. That could be priceless. Heartstone Fragments could upgrade or repair a Heartstone—extending territory, stabilizing structures, and even allowing second-tier construction later.
The bidding window blinked:
**[Current Bid: 1 Summoning Token.]**
**[Time Remaining: 29:14]**
He had one token. Exactly one.
"Gamble?" he muttered under his breath.
Garrick's voice drifted from behind him—a memory. "Sovereigns aren't made by luck. They're made by the stones they set under their own hands."
Still, Logan's fingers hovered near the bid confirmation. Buying it meant sacrificing his chance for another Advanced Summon today—another citizen, another defender. But the potential long-term gain...
Logan made his decision. "Bid," he said aloud.
The System chimed:
**[Bid Placed: 1 Summoning Token.]**
**[You are currently the Highest Bidder.]**
A wave of finality swept through him. No turning back now. As he turned from the portal, ready to return to Ashfall Basin, a message flickered at the corner of his vision.
Private. Direct.
**[Message from Hollow Architect:]**
"Welcome to the board, Ashfall. Enjoy your bid... while it lasts."