Eryon didn't call it construction.
Not yet. It was simply… preparation.
He walked the perimeter of his clearing with a surveyor's eye, reading the terrain like an ancient manuscript. He noted where the mana flowed naturally, where the soil was too firm, and where the wind insisted on passing through.
『Elem of Saga』 recorded every detail:
Stable topography.
Balanced magical currents.
Low presence of aggressive monsters.
"It makes sense," Eryon murmured. "They avoid organized areas."
He chose the center point not for its position, but for the world's response to it. There, the mana didn't pool—it circulated. Eryon knelt and pressed his hand to the earth. 「Arcana Customize」 responded, not with force, but with adjustment.
The soil didn't break. It didn't sink. It simply lost its unnecessary irregularities, as if a hand had smoothed over a rough surface, making it habitable. The effort was minimal, but the effect was permanent.
"Good." He smiled. "Nothing that draws attention."
In the following days, Eryon repeated the process. A little bit each day. Removing stones that served no purpose. Redirecting roots so they wouldn't disrupt the surface. Strengthening weak points with nearly imperceptible magical density.
Saga suggested paths, never orders:
Suggested Path: Radial structure.
Suggested Path: Open spaces for growth.
Suggested Path: Central water source.
Eryon followed some and ignored others. "If I decide everything now," he reflected, "there will be no room for those who come later."
He diverted a small stream, creating a discrete brook that crossed the terrain. The water wasn't forced; it was… convinced. 「Arcana Customize」 reacted better than ever before. The drain on his energy was lower. The skill was learning how Eryon thought.
Nothing there screamed "civilization." No walls, no symbols, no flags. But the forest began to accept the space. Insects returned. Small animals crossed the area without hesitation. The mana stopped flickering erratically.
"This place," he thought, sitting on a stone too smooth to be natural, "is no longer just forest."
Saga confirmed:
Environmental classification: Altered.
Neutral zone: Stabilized.
Risk of wandering monsters: Reduced.
He took a deep breath. "It's not a village yet. But it could be."
Before leaving that night, Eryon drove a small wooden stake into the ground at the very center. It wasn't a monument or a sign. Just a point of reference.
"One day," he said softly, "someone will ask who started this. And it's okay if they never know."
The shelter was already there. Simple. Functional. The result of wood, physical labor, and conscious choices. Eryon hadn't started from scratch—and that was important. He stood before the structure, observing every flaw, every point where the world still resisted.
"Now," he whispered, "is where I truly enter the frame."
He placed his hand on the timber. 「Arcana Customize」 answered. Not by altering the essence of the wood, but by reorganizing what was already there. Mana flowed through the fibers like water into parched earth. Cracks sealed. Fragile points grew dense. Not harder than necessary—just right.
Nothing glowed. Nothing changed visually. But the shelter now belonged to that spot.
This… is the correct limit, he thought. Saga reacted:
Wood + Mana → Increased durability.
Fixed structure → Environmental acceptance.
Acceptance → Prolonged stability.
"It's not about making something incredible," he told himself. "It's about making it last."
He spent the next few days refining the process using existing matter. Stones he carried himself were adjusted into foundations. Fallen trunks were reinforced against rot. Earth was compacted until it wouldn't yield.
「Arcana Customize」 grew more responsive with every use. Less waste. Less dispersion. The skill was becoming an extension of his own hands.
As he prepared the base for a second structure—a simple foundation with no walls—he felt a shift. Not from the skill, but from the environment. The mana didn't just react to his touch; it waited.
Saga presented new paths:
Multiple structures → Point of permanence.
Permanence → Bond.
Bond → Dependent presence.
Eryon stopped immediately. "No… not yet."
The path didn't close, but it remained marked. That night, Eryon reflected on the possibility. He couldn't create life from nothing. He couldn't impose existence. But… if there was matter, stable mana, a simple concept, and a continuous bond… something dependent might emerge.
"I don't want to create someone just so I won't be alone," he thought. "I want someone to choose to stay."
Eryon perceived it before he saw it. In fact, he felt it before his senses even registered a change. Something was misaligned—not in a wrong way, but as if the world was… too attentive.
He walked toward the circular space he had prepared and noticed his footsteps didn't echo as they used to. The ground was the same. The air was the same. But there was a response.
He stopped at the edge of the circle. 「Arcana Customize」 remained inactive.
Saga presented paths—gentle, almost shy.
Passive convergence.
Environmental reaction.
Presence without a core.
Eryon swallowed hard. "That isn't me..."
He stepped forward. The local mana rippled, like water touched by something invisible. Then he saw it. Not a form, but a distortion. The air in the center of the circle seemed slightly denser, like heat rising from the ground—but cold at the same time. The leaves around it didn't move, yet the sensation was clear: something was there.
"You…" Eryon hesitated. "You aren't a being."
The distortion reacted. It didn't advance or retreat, but the mana flow adjusted to maintain itself. Saga offered new insights:
Stable environment → Retention.
Retention → Repetition.
Repetition → Embryonic identity.
Eryon's heart raced. "This happened… because I prepared the place."
It wasn't an act of will. It wasn't direct customization. It was a consequence. He knelt, keeping his distance. "I won't force you into anything."
The echo responded with a subtle shift in air density. No language. No emotion. But a recognized presence. 「Arcana Customize」 reacted instinctively—not creating, but adjusting the soil around the distortion to prevent mana leakage.
"Just… stay," he said in a low voice. "If you want to."
The echo remained. Hours later, as the sun began to set, the distortion weakened. The mana dispersed slowly, like a long breath being released. Eryon watched in silence.
Saga presented the final path of the day:
Temporary presence.
Insufficient stability.
Continuity required.
He nodded. "Tomorrow, then."
There was no triumph. No frustration. Only the clear certainty that something had answered his call. When Eryon left the circle, the forest returned to normal. But the space… was no longer empty.