The well had always been Veirdale's heart.
Even when the village burned, even when the cattle died of plague and the soil cracked open like dry skin, the old stone ring remained—its water cold, steady, and untouched by flame. To Kail, it felt like the last piece of his childhood that hadn't betrayed him.
Now, it needed fixing.
The inner lining was cracked, the pulley system broken. Rope hung limp beside the bucket, frayed like dead vines. He climbed down slowly, wedging himself between the narrow walls.
"Depth: 18 meters," he muttered. "Stone type: mixed shale and field rock. Old school."
System Tip: Early Village Infrastructure Detected Reinforcement Options: – Stone Relining (Manual) – Sap Mixture Sealing (Available)
Bonus: Water Filter Schematic Unlock with Successful Repair
Estimated Time: 2 Days (Solo) +3 KP on Completion
The voice in his head had started to feel less alien. More like a co-worker giving tips over his shoulder. Annoying, yes. But helpful.
At the top, Rin sat watching him like a cat watches a mouse in a jar. "If you fall in and break your neck, I'm not dragging you out."
"I know. You'll loot my shelter and move on."
"Exactly."
Kail grinned. "Nice to know we're building trust."
He pulled out a small jar of thick brown sap collected from the drel trees and mixed it with powdered charcoal and dust. His fingers worked by muscle memory, remembering every crack his father had sealed back in their animal pens.
"Where'd you learn that?" Rin asked curiously.
"Back in the old world… I was an infrastructure technician. Pipes, pressure valves, pumps, occasionally got called out to seal old wells in the countryside."
She stared blankly. "So… a digger?"
"…Yeah, let's go with that."
It took the better part of the day to climb up and down, resealing joints, patching crumbled stones, and rebuilding the bucket pulley. Rin, after some grumbling, helped re-braid the rope using wild vines and thread from salvaged tunics.
When the last patch dried, Kail gave the rope a tug, dropped the bucket, and pulled up clear, cool water.
He tasted it. Sharp but clean.
Objective Complete: Reinforce Well +3 KP Gained Unlock: Basic Water Purification Schematic
Current KP: 3
New Objective Available: Construct Primitive Water Storage (4 KP)
Rin took the bucket and sniffed it suspiciously. "Doesn't smell like worms."
"High praise."
They sat on the well edge as evening fell, watching orange streaks paint the sky. The wind was quiet today. No watchers. No whispers.
"I knew this place once," Rin said softly, after a while. "Before it burned. I came with my mother. She traded for goat's milk."
Kail looked over. "You never mentioned that."
"I was smaller. Memory's like cracked glass. Sometimes things reflect. Sometimes they don't."
Kail didn't push her. The silence between them wasn't heavy—it was growing roots.
Relationship Path: Rin – Trust Increased (15/100) Status: Ally Confirmed
New Trait Discovered: Keen Memory (Passive: Improved Mapping & Recall)
As the stars returned, Kail studied the flickering system menu in his vision. Stone Masonry was just the start. Farming, storage, maybe even a forge—those were on the horizon. But it all needed patience.
And people.
"I'll need more than one ally soon," he muttered.
"You say something?" Rin asked, head tilted.
Kail smiled at the stars. "Yeah. Just planning tomorrow's war with mud and weeds."