Chapter 65: Dream house.

Only ten minutes had passed, but the beasts were already grumbling. The squirrel’s squeaks were mournful; Spice’s hisses sounded like crying and Tyrant was sniffling!

"Ho! you three make me seem like a slave driver." Zyra rolled her eyes. Her pile of wood was bigger than theirs combined. Why were they acting like they were suffering more than her? As far as she knew, all mutated beasts built or decorated their own dwellings.

These three were acting as if it was a new concept to them. She clapped her hands. "Let’s cut some bamboo to build a simple wooden house first."

The three beasts collapsed on the ground, sleeping in positions that were an insult to their dignity.

"Up, up, up." Zyra clapped her hands. "Other beasts are transporting people and cargo in cities and towns. You can rest after thirty minutes. I promise there will be nuts, sugar fish and deer meat waiting."

The beasts rose, albeit lazily, and work continued.

Beauty let out a sigh of her own. [Host, please! Stop torturing the poor beasts! They are not construction workers!]

Zyra scoffed, completely unbothered as she watched Tyrant drag a tree branch. "Listen, Beauty, everyone must work! We are all sharing this shelter, which means everyone contributes. No free rides in this valley!"

[Zyra Scorpion stop stressing them out. The system shop has plenty of shelter options available.]

Zyra, who had been marching around the perimeter like a strict patrol officer inspecting her troops, suddenly paused. Her boots skidded slightly in the dirt as she whirled around, taking a sudden interest in what Beauty was saying.

[Scanning topography.....] As Beauty scanned the vast, rolling landscape of the valley, different holographic house structures began popping up like a slideshow directly on the screen inside her mind. There were modest stone cottages, sprawling courtyards, villas, manors, farm houses, towers and massive, reinforced fortresses.

[Tell me what you need,] Beauty said to Zyra. [What kind of features do you want included in these shelters to suit human needs? And don’t worry about the beasts...they are already fully taken care of.]

Zyra’s face instantly brightened. The tough, no-nonsense officer facade melted away, replaced by pure excitement. She hopped forward, her eyes wide. "Wait, is it really possible? The system can just give us a finished house? Just like that?"

[Well, the shelter is for the beasts, you are just a caretaker.] Beauty smiled, though her voice carried a playful warning. [But, it’s definitely not free.]

Zyra swallowed hard, practically slobbering with anticipation. Who cared who owned the house? What mattered was that she got one. She wiped her mouth quickly and leaned in. "Okay, okay, What’s the cost?"

Beauty chuckled at how fast Zyra’s greed had kicked in. [The first rule is non negotiable: whatever structure you choose, exactly half of it belongs to the beasts. They aren’t just getting a stable, host. They get a dedicated sleeping area, a relaxing courtyard, a specialized beast-sauna, luxury lounges, and even automated massage chairs, a medic room, kitchen and all amenities.]

Zyra blinked, her jaw dropping. "Oh really!" She puffed out her chest, her competitive spirit flaring up. "Listen, if those beasts are getting full-on luxury, then so am I! I refuse to live in a mud hut while a scaly snake is getting a deep-tissue massage in a spa!"

Beauty’s smile widened. This was perfect. The more extravagant and dramatic Zyra became, the more ridiculously expensive the structure would cost. The system loved big spenders.

[Fair enough. The second rule is that the humans who choose to stay in that shelter with you will have to pay rent. And the system only takes energy stones.]

"Of course, of course!" Zyra waved her hand dismissively, already spending stones she didn’t have. "That makes total sense. So, is it like a mortgage? We move in now, and we pay it off as we hunt and gather resources?"

[Exactly like a mortgage,] Beauty agreed. [So, stop holding back. Tell me what your dream house needs.]

Zyra took a deep breath, her inner commander taking full control. "Okay, first of all, the most important thing is security. I want a house that can completely vanish....total invisibility. If a horde of rogue hunters or angry beasts comes marching by, I want them to walk right past us."

As Zyra spoke, the holographic options on the screen began to shift. The basic wooden villas faded away.

"Next, bulletproof. No, better than bulletproof....immune to bullets, fire, water, flying swords, alien arrows, energy blasts and the like!" Zyra continued, pacing back and forth, gesturing wildly with her hands. "It needs to be completely indestructible against natural disasters. Earthquakes? Volcanic eruptions? apocalypse lightning tribulations? The house shouldn’t even shake!"

More structures vanished from screen. The remaining options grew thicker, their walls glowing with heavy defensive abilities.

"And inside, I want a reinforced panic room," Zyra muttered, her eyes gleaming with intense focus. "Oh, and a high-tech command center! A room filled with monitors where I can see the entire place. I don’t just want to see inside this valley, Beauty....I want cameras looking outside the valley walls, covering a ten-mile radius. I want to see a rabbit sneeze three forests over!"

Beauty tried to stifle a laugh. Her debt would be the size of a planet by the time she was finished. [Got it. Absolute full time surveillance. I’ll do what I can.... Anything else?]

"An emergency exit tunnel!" Zyra yelled dynamically. "A secret underground escape route that goes straight through the mountain and dumps us out in a safe zone! And put automated defensive turrets at the entrance, also a formidable gate with sensors. And a poison gas trap layout in the front yard, just in case!"

The more she talked, the more the available structures reduced. The simple, elegant homes disappeared completely, and heavy, high-tech fortresses of her exact preference became the absolute priority.

Zyra wasn’t done yet. She looked out over the wide valley, her eyes flashing with grand ambition. "Actually, why stop at one house? We have a whole faction to build! More rooms, more rent. Let’s add additional housing units completely surrounding the main house. Add a supermarket or shop, because renters need to eat.

In total, let’s make the whole shelter layout at least one thousand units! If I could have some kind of transportation, that would be awesome too. It saves me from having to hitch rides on Spice’s head in future. Power is a must, so.... electricity or solar panels. I need internet, like they have in the capital and big cities."

On the screen, a massive, legendary-tier fortress modern village finally snapped into view. It was beautiful, organized and looked secure.

[Well, Host,] Beauty said, her voice dripping with amusement as she looked at the final price tag generated by the central system. [You certainly have expensive taste. Should I go ahead and materialize the structure?]

Zyra knew that Beauty’s words were not a compliment, regardless she nodded because security was not something that she was going to play about. She had no plans to live anywhere but here for the rest of her life. So, this was a worthy investment.

"Go ahead, bill me."