The heavy wooden door creaked as I pushed it open. I expected dust, silence, maybe an empty hall with nothing but old tools.
Instead, I was greeted immediately.
"Welcome."
A woman stood at the entrance. Her voice was soft but carried a strange authority. She had long silver hair tied back neatly, her attire resembling a maid uniform—though it was trimmed with faintly glowing runes. Her eyes, bright amber, studied me with the kind of attention that made my spine stiffen.
I froze. "…Uh."
Erina stepped forward casually, like this was normal. "Relax. She won't bite."
I leaned closer and whispered, "Didn't you say the Builder works alone?"
"I did," she replied calmly. "And I wasn't lying."
"Then who the heck is that?"
Before Erina could answer, the silver-haired woman bowed politely. "I am Lyra, attendant to the Builder. Please, follow me."
Her movements were fluid, too perfect—like every gesture had been practiced countless times. Something about it made my skin crawl.
I trailed after her as we walked into a surprisingly vast hall. It wasn't decorated like the other faction halls. No trophies, no banners, no guild crests. Instead, there were maps pinned to walls, stacks of parchment, blueprints, scattered tools, and shelves crammed with strange glowing crystals.
Everywhere I looked, I saw signs of work. Hammer strikes etched into wood, unfinished sketches of towers, even scraps of stone shaped into bricks. This wasn't just a building. It was a workshop, the beating heart of the city.
Still, I couldn't shake the unease. "Erina… you sure she's not just some administrator or something? Because she looks way too… human."
Erina smirked. "That's because she isn't human."
"Huh?"
"She's a summon," Erina explained casually. "The Builder is a summoner. His companions are… let's just say they blur the line between monster and person."
"…Summons?" My mind reeled. "You're telling me that maid is…?"
"Yes," Lyra answered without turning her head, her tone calm as ever. "I am a construct of the Builder's summoning art. My loyalty, my body, even my existence, belong to him."
Her words should have sounded cold, but instead they felt absolute. Like an oath carved into stone.
"Summoner, huh…" I muttered, trying to imagine what kind of man could create someone like her.
As we walked deeper, I noticed others.
A tall beastfolk man with wolf-like ears and a scar across his jaw stood silently in a corner, arms crossed. His golden eyes followed me like a predator sizing up prey.
Another figure—female, wearing a hooded robe—was sketching runes on parchment at a desk. She glanced up briefly, revealing eyes that glowed faintly violet before returning to her work.
By the time we passed a third companion, this one a muscular armored man polishing a massive shield, I realized there were more than one.
Five. I counted five presences in total, each distinct, each humanoid, yet none giving off the presence of normal players or NPCs.
They were too real.
Erina noticed me gawking. "Creepy, isn't it? The Builder doesn't surround himself with people, but his summons are always here. They're practically an extension of him."
I swallowed hard. "Extensions… right."
Lyra stopped in front of a door at the far end of the hall. It was heavy, reinforced with black metal, and faintly pulsed with a strange light, as if alive.
She turned to us with a bow. "The Master is inside. He has been expecting you."
My stomach tightened. I glanced at Erina, but she just gave me a reassuring nod.
Taking a breath, I pushed open the door.
The room beyond was dimly lit, a single lantern casting long shadows across a massive table covered in maps and designs. At the far end, a man sat, hunched over, scribbling something with a quill.
His presence was different from everyone else's. Heavy, grounded, like the weight of stone.
"You're late," he said without looking up. His voice was calm, deep, carrying a resonance that echoed faintly in the room.
I froze, unsure what to say.
Erina stepped in smoothly. "Builder. This is Kael, the one I told you about."
Only then did the man raise his head. His hair was dark and unkempt, his eyes sharp, carrying both exhaustion and unyielding focus. He studied me in silence, gaze piercing through like he could see more than just my body.
For a moment, I felt like I wasn't being looked at as a person… but as a piece of material. Like he was evaluating if I was useful or worthless.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair. "So. The one with the lineage orb."
I stiffened. "How do you—?"
"Word travels fast in this city." His lips curved slightly, though it wasn't a smile. "And I make it my business to know who carries dangerous things."
I instinctively touched my pocket, where the orb still rested.
The Builder stood, his figure taller than I expected. Not bulky, but solid, the kind of strength that came from work, not battle. "If you wish to stay in this city, Kael… then you will need to prove yourself. I do not waste time on those who can't stand."
My throat felt dry. "Prove myself… how?"
The Builder's eyes glinted. "Simple. Survive what I throw at you."
The summons behind me stirred, as though answering his unspoken command.
Erina shot me a quick glance, equal parts encouragement and warning.
I clenched my fists, heart pounding.
So this was the Builder.
And my trial was about to begin.