Elias crouched beside the freshly stacked processed wood, his fingers brushing over the sturdy planks as he exhaled, mentally preparing himself.
'Alright… let's finish what we started.'
He picked up a set of thick vertical beams and carried them over to the foundation. Working with smooth precision, he placed the beams at each corner and at key points along the perimeter, just as the blueprint instructed.
Using the iron brackets and nails he had bought from the system shop, he secured each one firmly in place. His hammer struck true, each blow ringing through the crisp morning air.
Thunk. Clack. Thunk.
Beam by beam, joint by joint, the skeleton of the house began to take shape. The frame rose steadily, proud and strong, as the structure of the building became more and more visible with each passing moment.
With the frame done, it was time for the flooring.
Elias carefully began laying thick, wide planks across the stone-based foundation. Before placing each one, he added support joists between the beams, checking and double-checking their alignment with a measuring string.
He worked in silence, focused and sharp. His mind calculated every angle, every placement. Everything had to be precise.
Each time his hammer nailed a plank down, the sound echoed beneath him —a deep, steady thud that felt like progress.
Satisfied with the lower flooring, he moved on to the walls.
He chose slightly thinner planks, cut to perfect lengths by Vael, and began placing them tightly side by side along the vertical supports. Slowly but surely, the four rooms of the ground floor started to take shape.
He left gaps for windows and a doorway, triple-checking the blueprint to make sure he wasn't sealing himself inside a wooden box.
When the final wall was in place, Elias stepped back and exhaled. The shell of the ground floor was complete.
He walked outside, taking in the scent of wood, sweat, and stone. The shadow of the building frame stretched across the ground before him.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself a grin.
He'd built this.
Just then, he sensed Vael's presence behind him. Turning around, he saw Vael standing quietly, eyes focused on him.
Elias looked at him, then let his gaze drift past Vael's shoulder to the now-empty workbench.
Vael had finished processing all the wood.
Beams and planks of different sizes were now stacked neatly and ready for use.
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"You're done already?"
He found it hard to believe at first, but it made sense. He had been building for quite a while, so enough time had passed for Vael to finish. Still...
Vael gave a small nod. "Would you like me to help with the construction, Master?"
Elias grinned. "Why not? You've got the same construction knowledge I do. Knock yourself out."
Vael gave a slight nod, and without another word, he walked toward the half-finished structure. His movements were smooth and precise. He didn't even look tired—and of course he wouldn't be, not with his stats.
Even Elias, who had been doing the most demanding parts of the work, was barely feeling any exhaustion.
He had chosen to take a break, not because of his body, but because of mental fatigue. That was where he had reached his limit.
His Construction Skill may have given him all the right knowledge—but there was still one thing he lacked: experience.
And experience mattered.
Knowing how something was done and actually knowing how to do it were two different things. Elias had the knowledge, yes, but the lack of experience forced him to think through every move, putting him under pressure and slowly draining his mental energy.
Knowledge teaches the how.
Experience teaches the when.
That was the lesson Elias was learning now.
So while Vael took over the hammer and continued the work, Elias stepped aside to let his brain rest for a while.
He pulled out his Everflow Flask from his inventory and took a long, cool drink. Then he wiped the sweat from his brow and leaned back against the nearby shack, closing his eyes as he took a short break.
By the time he returned to the construction site, Vael had already installed a wooden staircase in the central hallway and was now laying long beams across the top of the walls—setting up the ceiling of the ground floor, which would also serve as the floor of the second level.
They worked together, sliding the final beams into place and nailing wide planks across them to complete the upper floor.
The second level was smaller, so the process went faster.
Elias once again repeated the same steps—raising vertical beams, placing support posts, and walling off three rooms upstairs. A narrow hallway connected them, and he even left a space open for a small balcony. Right now, it was just a simple platform with no railing, but it was something.
They were close—almost done.
But as Elias reached for the next set of planks, he noticed the pile was gone.
Completely used up.
He let out a sigh.
Seems like this was where they would stop for the day.
The sun was already low in the sky, dipping into the west. Long shadows stretched across the area, signaling the end of another day.
There was no point pushing further. He didn't have enough extraction points left to get more woods. Without that, he couldn't continue.
As he stepped away from the construction site, his stomach gave a loud growl. That was when it hit him—he hadn't eaten all day.
Another sigh escaped his lips.
He used water from the Everflow Flask to clean himself up, peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt, then opened the system shop and scrolled through a few simple outfits. He picked a light tunic and practical trousers.
After changing into clean clothes, he prepared dinner.
Later, he sat down to eat under the open sky, a warm fire crackling beside him. When he finished eating, he washed the dishes he had used, then walked back to the shack. Lying down on the uncomfortable makeshift bed, he stared at the dark ceiling.
His vision slowly blurred.
Before long, sleep claimed him.
---
The Next Morning
Elias and Vael stood at the northern edge of the dome, silent and still.
Just across from them, over twenty dire wolves paced and growled lowly. Their eyes burned with rage, locked on the two figures before them.
Especially Vael.
They remembered him—the human who had killed one of their own just a few days ago.
But Elias and Vael didn't flinch. They didn't react to the growls. Instead, they watched calmly, analyzing the pack.
Elias hadn't planned to confront the wolves so soon. His original plan was to finish building the house first. But without more wood or extraction points, things had changed.
He narrowed his eyes and pointed toward the back of the group.
"There," he said. "That one must be the pack leader."
Vael followed his gaze. Toward the rear of the pack stood a dire wolf that didn't look much different from the others—except for its fur. It shimmered slightly and stood on end, almost like a bunch of tiny needles pretending to be fur.
Vael nodded.
"You take the alpha. I'll deal with the rest."
He wasn't weak. With his current stats, he could handle the rest of the wolves. But controlling the fight was a different story. Strength alone wasn't enough—he still lacked true combat experience.
And the alpha? That one was definitely the strongest.
Vael, with his precise movements and assassin instincts, was the better choice for that fight.
"Understood," Vael said. "May I use my dagger?"
"Go ahead. Just don't damage the corpse too much. I have plans for them."
Vael gave a short nod. "Acknowledged."
He drew a curved dagger from his belt and spun it between his fingers, sunlight gleaming off the blade.
Then he turned toward the pack, muttering quietly:
"Ready."
Elias smiled.
"Let's do this."