“Order is established by walls both visible and unseen; those who trespass shall find themselves repelled, for the world is no place for chaos.” — The Maker's Code, Chapter 3, Line 17

The moment Lia and I crossed into the outskirts of Lazytown, a wooden spike shot out from the bushes, barely missing my head. I ducked, swearing under – and over – my breath, as a second meaty stave whizzed past, catching Lia in the shoulder and throwing her back several feet.

She looked less than delighted as she yanked it out and tossed it to the side.

“Fuck me! That’s one hell of a welcome-home gift?” I said, glancing around as the entire underbrush came alive with makeshift traps. “Did Scar decide to booby-trap the woods in his spare time?”

Lia - as by far the person posing the most danger – was attracting all sorts of unwelcome attention. I watched – half-amused and more than half-aroused – as she ducked, rolled, jumped and scampered under all sorts of projectiles. It was pretty cool that in the midst all that, she still found to time to roll her eyes.

“Seems he’s taken ‘security’ to a new level,” she said, sidestepping a barbed-wire vine that looked all too eager to entangle her feet.

At that exact moment, a further device went off with a hiss and a click—a pile of rocks rigged with a springboard launched upward, nearly taking my face with it. I flinched, stumbling back. “All right, that’s it!” I shouted into the woods. “Scar! Call off your homicidal defence system!”

As soon as I shouted a figure emerged from behind a newly constructed barricade near the village’s shiny new entrance. Scar raised a hand, and with a couple of sharp whistles, the barrage of traps finally stopped. But not after a bucket of red paint absolutely soaked Lia from top to tail.

“Apologies,” he said “Didn’t expect you two back so soon—or, y’know, at all.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying not to watch – at least too obviously - as Lia stripped off her stained tunic and replaced it with a clean one from her inventory. “We had a little problem with . . . well, I guess everyone.”

“Tell me about it,” Scar said. “We all saw our reputation status with the Empire change. Congratulations. You are the proud leader of the only village on this side of the world that both the Empire and the Rebellion want wiped off the map. And on an Accumulation Pool, no less. This is some prime real estate for a conflict ground zero.”

“Which is, I assume, why you’ve turned the woods into Kevin McCallister’s wet dream?”

Scar did that strange little blank face thing which I’d come to recognise as being the default expression when I said something for which the people of this realm had no frame of reference. Then he gave a little chuckle and extending his hand as we reached him. “I’ll admit, got a bit carried away. Thought if the Rebels or Empire made a visit, a few ‘surprises’ might slow them down. Speaking of which . . .” He glanced over his shoulder, “I’d like to show you what we’ve managed here. Thought I’d give the place a bit of polish since you left me in charge.”

He gestured for the two of us to follow, leading us into the village proper.

My eyes immediately landed on a few new structures that hadn’t been there before: a sturdy-looking watchtower by the village’s edge, a storage shack reinforced with stone – which had replaced the rickety old shed – and something that looked suspiciously like a brewing station near what could actually now be called ‘the village square.’

“Not bad, eh?” Scar said, smiling up at his new watchtower. “We’ve upgraded a few things. I mean, you left me to run the place, so I thought, ‘Why not go big?’”

A notification screen appeared in my vision, showcasing Lazytown’s new and improved stat screen. There had been quite a number of changes

Village Interface: Lazytown

Level: 3 (Developing Village)

Population: 15 (3 Injured)

Status: Stable, Growth Enabled

Reputation & Fame

- Empire Reputation: Belligerent

- Rebellion Reputation: Belligerent

- Local Fame: +50 (Local Influence)

- Global Fame: +10 (Known)

Resource Overview

- Wood: 65 (+20% gathering boost)

- Stone: 55 (+20% gathering boost)

- Iron: 8

- Food: 40

- Gold: 25

Resource Production (Per Cycle):

- Wood: +8

- Stone: +6

- Food: +7

- Iron: +1

Idle Gains:

- +30 Stone, +25 Wood, +20 Food per Cycle

Village Specializations & Structures

1. Defensive Structures

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

- Watchtower: Enhances sight range and provides defence alerts.

- Trap Pits: Simple defensive traps reduce enemy progress on approach.

- Village Wall (Queued): Stone-reinforced perimeter to enhance defences.

- Steam Cannon (Locked): Requires 275 Gold or 100 Stone, 80 Wood, and 10 Iron.

2. Specialized Economy Structures

- Herbalist Station: Provides herbs for potion brewing and minor healing supplies.

- Brewing Station: Produces basic healing potions and stamina boosters.

- Fishing Shack (Under Construction): Expected to increase food resources and villager health.

- Trade Post (Queued): Allows exchanges with neighbouring settlements, boosting economic growth.

3. Resource & Productivity Enhancements

- Resource Storage: Expanded capacity for wood, stone, and food, preventing overflow loss.

- Workshop: Enables construction of traps, simple fortifications, and basic equipment.

- Brewing Station Upgraded: Enhances potion potency and boosts village defender stamina.

- Pixel Workers: Specializations include Woodcutters, Stone Gatherers, and Herbalists, boosting resource production by +15%.

Villager Happiness & Efficiency

- Happiness Level: Neutral – provides a modest gathering speed increase but slightly lowers defence aggression.

- Worker Productivity Upgrade (Level 2): +10% boost to construction speed.

- Resource Collection Efficiency (Level 2): 20% increase to idle gathering rates.

Village Research Tree Progress

1. Basic Defences (Completed): 10% boost to all defence structure damage.

2. Resource Optimization (Completed): Idle resource gains increased by 15%.

3. Advanced Housing (Unlocked): Multi-occupancy buildings allow for increased population.

4. Steam Tech Integration (Queued): Will improve speed of construction and resource collection.

5. Scouting Tech (Locked): Reduces Fog of War around Lazytown.

I whistled, thoroughly impressed. “You really didn’t hold back, did you?” I said, admiring the details. “I leave for a few days, and suddenly this place looks like it’s ready to fend off an army.” Which, considering how badly I’d pissed off the people in Eldhaven, was really quite fortunate.

“I know my way around a settlement or two.” Scar said. “Gotta make sure Lazytown’s more than a pit stop for rogues and wanderers. This village needs to be a place people will fight to defend.” He paused, giving Lia a nod. “Even Dema’s been impressed—when she’s been awake enough to notice, anyway.”

Lia’s expression softened slightly. “How is she?”

“Not fully recovered. She took a real beating. But she’s got spirit; she’ll come through. The potions from the brewing station have helped a bit.” He gave a slight sigh. “Still, there’s only so much herbs and rest can do.”

The mention of Dema sobered me up a bit.

I had to keep reminding myself that, no matter how it all felt, this wasn’t actually a game to the people who lived here—it was their whole lives, and they’d taken quite a few risks to help me out here. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to speed up her recovery, just let us know,” I said, and meant it.

Scar grunted in acknowledgement and continued showing us around.

Our next stop was the upgraded Resource Storage, a structure reinforced with timber and stone which was a helluva lot more sturdy than the Storage Shed I’d left behind. Nearby, a couple of pixel workers were methodically stacking bundles of firewood, their work rhythm steady and precise.

"Resource storage’s more robust now," Scar explained, gesturing at the well-organised stacks. “We’re not losing supplies due to overflow anymore, and I’ve even got the workers assigned to roles that match their strengths. Efficiency’s up, and we’re finally hitting a decent surplus.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Ah, the Lazytown way. Boost productivity just enough to barely keep things comfortable. Heaven forbid we actually make life easy, right?”

“Just because it’s called Lazytown doesn’t mean we’re lounging around all day,” Scar said.” Got to put in the work if we’re going to build something worthwhile. Name aside, you’ve got a reputation to uphold.” He paused. “Or not, actually. You have the shittiest of all the reputations to live down to.”

Then, with a quick wave of his hand, he summoned up the village’s Progress Overview Screen, highlighting the advancements made and goals still to be achieved.

Current Goals & Expansion Plans

1. Village Expansion

- Housing Construction: Bunkhouses in progress to increase population capacity.

- Market District Unlock: Planned to foster a trading hub and increase local influence.

2. Next Age Progression

- Requirements to Advance: Achieve level 4 with at least 2 Advanced Housing units and a constructed Smithy.

3. Planned Upgrades

- Smithy: Allows crafting of basic armour and weapons, requires Level 4.

- Barracks (Locked): Military structure for basic defence training, to be unlocked in the next Age.

Current Village Level Perks

- Increased Gathering Rate: +20% gathering for Wood and Stone.

- Villager Efficiency: +15% efficiency in specialized roles.

- Improved Defence: Defensive structures operate at +10% damage capacity.

Current Debuffs: None

“Scar, I don’t know how to say this, but . . . I’m genuinely impressed,” I said, scanning through the overview. “I mean, I was expecting maybe one or two little upgrades, but this—this is insane!”

Scar shrugged, though the corner of his mouth tugged upward in a pleased smile. “Figured if I was going to take charge, I’d make it worth your while. Didn’t want you to come back and find me to have been slacking.”

.“Looks like the village is coming along well,” Lia said appreciatively. “All those upgrades should be enough to keep you – us - secure for now.”

I gave her a smile for that. I wasn’t totally sure what she had been thinking about doing with herself now she’d broken free from The Maker’s pattern. I was pretty glad she was, at least initially, thinking about hanging around here for a bit. We could use her.

Lia ignored me, glancing over the structures, as though thinking ahead. “But with everything going on, there’s always a chance more trouble might show up.”

“Precisely why I didn’t stop at just defences,” Scar said, leading us toward the Brewing Station, where a faint, pleasant scent of herbs filled the air. “Potions here are basic at the moment, but they’re enough for minor healing and stamina boosts. For us, that could be a lifeline.”

I nodded, examining the brewing station. “Smart move. We can’t always count on being here to save the day, so a self-sufficient village is a safe village.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Besides, it gives us an edge when either the Rebels or the Empire decide to pay us another visit.”

The pride in his voice was clear, and I had to admit, he’d done more than I ever would’ve thought possible in such a short time.

Lazytown wasn’t just a sleepy settlement anymore; it was growing, evolving into something capable of standing on its own. I’d started out as its reluctant leader, but Scar had taken that role and made it his own.

“Think it’ll be enough?” I asked, more to myself than anyone else. “I mean, this is all looking solid, but if the Empire’s set on coming after us…”

“If it’s just a small force – and it should be on a first showing - Lazytown can hold them off. Especially if the Dark Wren is willing to pitch in . . .” Lia didn’t react to that. “But a full-scale assault?” He shook his head. “We’re a thorn in their side for now, not a threat. As long as we keep it that way, we might just keep flying under the radar.”

I looked around, taking in all the upgrades, the new buildings, and the bustling pixel workers who, despite their blocky efficiency, seemed almost cheerful.

Maybe Scar was right—maybe if we kept things just on the edge of notice, we’d buy ourselves more time to figure out what it was we wanted to do next.

And with time, who knows what Lazytown could become?

“Well, thanks, Scar,” I said again. “You’ve done a hell of a job. We can build on this, make it a place that won’t just survive but thrive.”

He gave a modest nod, but I could tell he was pleased. And as we turned to head back into the heart of Lazytown, I felt something I hadn’t expected: hope.