Morning sun peeked through the clouds as Kaelan stretched and looked around the village. It wasn't perfect, but it was starting to feel like home. Just as he stood up, the familiar chime echoed in his head.
[Quest Received: Build Furnace] Description: Build a furnace to improve crafting and cooking. Reward: Smelting Skill (Lv.1)
Kaelan blinked. "A furnace? What am I, a blacksmith now?" he muttered.
Garka walked up, yawning. "You talkin' to yourself again?"
"System stuff. New quest. Gotta build a furnace."
"Sounds hot," Garka said, smirking.
Kaelan groaned at the joke, but deep down, he found it funny. "We need stone and clay. Let's get the crew."
Within an hour, the villagers were gathered. Brunna, Lio, Noka, Zira, and even the squirrel sat on a stump like a supervisor.
"We're building a furnace," Kaelan said. "Anyone know how?"
Lio raised a hand. "I sold a pot once."
Brunna crossed her arms. "We need stone bricks, a chamber, and airflow. I've seen it done."
Kaelan nodded. "Alright. Let's collect stone and clay. Zira, take Garka to the riverbank for clay."
"I'm not carrying her," Zira grumbled.
"I heard that!" Garka yelled.
Kaelan and Brunna went to a nearby rocky hill, chiseling out chunks of stone. The squirrel brought back a pebble proudly.
"Thanks, I guess," Kaelan said.
By noon, they had enough materials. They cleared a space near the storage shed.
"Let's build it here," Kaelan said.
They stacked the stones carefully, shaping a dome. Brunna guided the structure while Kaelan mixed clay with water to seal gaps.
Zira sneezed. "Clay in my nose."
"Adds flavor," Garka said.
Kaelan laughed. "Let's finish before it rains."
They added a chimney made of smaller stones and left an opening for the fire.
The squirrel ran inside and got stuck. Kaelan had to pull it out.
"I swear it's testing me," he muttered.
After hours of hard work, they lit the first fire. Smoke poured out of the chimney. It worked.
[Quest Complete: Build Furnace] Reward Received: Smelting Skill (Lv.1)
Kaelan smiled. "We did it."
Brunna wiped sweat from her forehead. "Feels good to build something useful."
Garka leaned on him. "You're kinda useful too."
He blushed. "Thanks... I think."
The furnace burned warmly in the background, their village glowing with quiet pride.
Another step forward.