Chapter 41: Roots in the Ash

"What...?" Ren stared at her, his posture going rigid.

He had never summoned a weapon or initialized a system blueprint out in the open before Evelyn. His mind instantly raced to Ryu, Reika, and Miku. ’Did they say something during their debriefing?’

It was the only logical route. They were the only ones who had witnessed him manifest raw items out of nowhere during their escape from the sub-space.

"No need to look so alarmed," Evelyn said, straightening her back as her blue eyes pinned him in place. "Elysia was the one who informed me."

’Elysia?’

Ren flashed back to their very first meeting—when he reconstructed scrap metal into a functional firearm right in front of her to capture the thief who had stolen the royal crystal.

’So she picked up on it way back then.’

It made sense. Elysia wouldn’t have pushed to recruit a random porter for a high-leverage rescue mission inside Vora’s domain if she hadn’t observed something entirely abnormal in his capabilities.

"Don’t bother trying to deny it," Evelyn said firmly, turning her shoulder toward the vault exit before looking back at him. "I don’t know the full extent of what you can do, but your potential is vast. And you carry far too many unresolved mysteries."

Her eyes narrowed, tracking his every breath. "Follow me. Your ability is exactly what is required right now."

Thirty meters beyond the rear gate of Starlight Kingdom lay the burned-out husks of an old settlement. Sunbeams cut through the dusty air, illuminating a vast, overgrown clearing flanked by dense treelines.

The two of them stopped before a pile of stone rubble and charred timber—the pulverized remains of a home destroyed by heavy impact.

"This used to be a peaceful, self-sustaining village," Evelyn said, resting her hands over her waist as she surveyed the ruins. "A major monster surge broke through the perimeter months ago, leveling the structures and driving the population away."

Ren looked out over the debris field. He had already put the pieces together the moment they crossed the outer boundary.

"You want me to rebuild this place?" Ren asked, turning his head toward her.

Evelyn nodded once. "Correct. Given your capacity to generate and assemble functional matter, you should be capable of restoring the settlement step by step."

Ren examined the scattered foundations.

This was the exact opening he needed. Having a piece of land to work with meant he could establish a permanent base of operations without raising immediate red flags inside the city walls. It was the first tangible step toward executing his long-term survival plan—building a territory he actually controlled.

He hadn’t engaged the system’s structural manufacturing protocols in weeks. The prospect of applying modern architectural concepts and advanced schematics into this fantasy realm set his pulse running fast.

"All right," Ren said, dropping his casual stance. "I’m in."

Getting title to a plot of land right outside the capital was a massive asset.

Evelyn caught the sudden shift in his eyes with a sharp glance. "Do not get ahead of yourself," she warned, her voice dropping into a serious register. "This territory remains exposed to wild monster roaming paths at night. Before you start throwing up houses, prioritize your defensive perimeters. Build walls and choke points first if you intend to keep your structures from being flattened again."

Ren didn’t need the lecture. Operating outside protected city walls meant constant threat assessments; he had already mapped out the construction sequence in his head—walls, watchtowers, then living quarters.

"Relax, Princess," Ren said with a faint smirk. "I’ve got it covered."

Evelyn gave him a long, doubtful look. "Remember, Ren—I am keeping you under direct observation. If you get any wild ideas about slipping away from the kingdom, consider the geography. The distance between safe havens is vast, and the forests between them are packed with high-tier beasts waiting on every unlit road."

’So there are other human kingdoms out there,’ Ren noted, storing the detail away for later.

"I have official duties to attend to," Evelyn stated, turning her back on the ruins and stepping toward the main road. "I’ll have Elysia stay behind to monitor your progress."

Ren watched her head back toward the massive rear gate of the castle, her posture straight and measured.

"Hmm..." He crossed his arms, staring at the shattered timber.

"Boo!"

A pair of hands slammed onto his shoulders from behind.

Ren jolted, taking two quick steps forward as he spun around. "Gah—!"

Elysia stood there in her green off-shoulder gown, her eyes closed as she doubled over, laughing at his reaction.

Ren’s eyebrow twitched violently. "Elysia... how long have you been standing there?"

"I’ve been following you two since you left the vault," Elysia replied smoothly, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Unbelievable," Ren muttered, shaking his head. "You’re like a professional stalker."

"Did you say something?" Elysia asked, her eyes snapping open with a flat, pleasant smile.

"Nothing at all," Ren said quickly, waving his hand off.

He didn’t bother asking why she was here. Evelyn had made it clear that he wasn’t allowed a single foot of unmonitored space.

Turning back to the rubble, Ren stepped over a collapsed stone archway, assessing the ground density to determine where to drop his first system blueprints.

Elysia trailed behind him, stepping over broken floorboards. "So, what’s the master plan, Ren? What are you making first?"

"Defensive structures," Ren answered, crouching beside a heavy pile of fallen support beams. "No point building a house if a stray beast knocks it down three hours later."

He grabbed a thick, charred beam, muscle memory kicking in as he prepared to clear the footprint.

"Good thinking," Elysia said, rolling up her sleeves. "Let me grab the other side."

Together, they heaved the heavy timber off the foundation, tossing the debris into a discard pile nearby. But as the final log rolled away, the earth beneath the floorboards gave off a hollow sound.

A dark opening cut into the foundation—a flight of stone steps descending into a subterranean space.

"Huh?" Elysia paused, leaning forward.

Ren narrowed his eyes. He had noticed a gap in the debris earlier, but clearing the wood revealed an intact flight of stairs leading down into complete darkness. At the bottom of the landing stood a heavy iron door, its surface rusted but solid.

A strange, cold pressure prickled against the back of his neck as he stared into the dark descent. Something beneath that floor was pulling at his awareness.

"Ren?" Elysia asked, crouching beside the opening to peer down. "What is that?"

"Not sure," Ren muttered, his heart beating a heavy rhythm against his ribs. "Feels like there’s something down there."

He took a slow breath, shaking off the sensation. "I’ll check it out later."

He reached out, taking Elysia by the hand to help her stand up off the uneven stone before stepping back onto the main trail. He needed to clear the surface plot first before exploring unmapped basements.

Elysia turned to inspect the shattered roof frame lying nearby, her eyes scanning the faded carvings etched into the main lintel.

Her breath caught. "Wait..."

Ren turned back. "What is it?"

Elysia pointed at a weathered wooden emblem lying half-buried in the dirt. Carved into the surface was a circular crest containing a violet symbol—a stylized ’X’ crossed with an ’L’, forming an ancient, runic insignia.

"This mark..." Elysia looked up, her expression turning grave. "This was the primary residence of the Celestial bloodline."

Ren froze in his tracks, his eyes locking onto the crest.

’The Celestial family...?’

The realization hit him like a physical weight. If this ruined village held the ancestral grounds of his current body’s lineage, then whatever was locked behind that iron door in the basement wasn’t just random trash—it was a direct connection to his past.