Reborn in the Survival Adventure Game

Chapter 66 - 66: Project Electricity

Caelen sat alone in his house, the room quiet except for the soft sound of wind brushing against the wooden walls. A candle flickered on the table beside him, casting shadows across the open status window hovering in front of him.

He stared at the screen.

> Population: 123

Goal: 1000 (2 months, 29 days remaining)

Status: Healthy

Creation Lv. Max

Transmute Lv. 3

Earth Magic Lv. 2

Artifact Crafting: Unlocked

Bloodline: Caelen

A deep sigh escaped him. "One hundred twenty-three. I need almost nine hundred more. In less than three months..."

It sounded impossible. Even with all the progress they'd made—houses, food, defenses, tools—was it enough to attract that many people?

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "I can't just keep building houses and hoping people show up. I need something bigger."

His eyes narrowed as an idea sparked in his head.

"Power..." he muttered. "That's it."

He sat up quickly, hands moving as he summoned the browser window.

> [Search: How to harness electricity without modern machines]

Results loaded. Caelen skimmed fast, his eyes darting across the text.

Water wheels. Copper wiring. Magnets. Steam turbines. Lightning rods.

He grabbed a notebook and started sketching. "If I can get electricity running... not just lights, but power for machines, maybe heating, maybe even entertainment. That could change everything."

He looked around the dim room. "Imagine if this place had lights at night... radios... maybe one day even fans or small heaters..."

He stood up, shut the book, and rushed outside.

---

At the town hall the next morning, the group gathered around the table as Caelen unrolled his drawing. Zira, Elira, Garin, Borin, and Dorgrim looked at the mess of lines and arrows with mixed expressions.

"Alright," Caelen began. "I know this sounds crazy, but I want to try something new. I want to bring electricity to the village."

Dorgrim squinted at the paper. "Electri-what?"

"Electricity," Caelen repeated. "It's a kind of invisible energy that powers things. In my old world, we used it for lights, machines, and more."

Zira crossed her arms. "And you want to make that here?"

"Yes," he said. "We don't need fancy tools. We can start small. A water wheel can spin a shaft, the shaft turns magnets inside coils of copper wire, and that movement creates electricity."

Borin scratched his beard. "Copper wire? You mean those shiny strings from the mine?"

"Exactly," Caelen nodded. "We've found copper before. We can melt it, shape it into wire. Then we build a water wheel in the river."

Elira tilted her head. "And that gives us power?"

"If it works, we can power small things first—maybe lights for the school or the hall," Caelen said. "Later, maybe tools or heaters. It's not magic, but it will feel like it."

Zira glanced at Garin. "Sounds like a lot of work."

"It is," Caelen said. "But if we want to attract more people, we need to offer something different. Something no one else has. A village with power—real power—could change everything."

Dorgrim leaned forward. "I'll help with the copper wire. That sounds fun."

Borin nodded. "I can build the wheel and housing for it."

"I'll get the kids to help dig the channel," Garin added.

Zira looked at the sketch again, then smiled faintly. "I'll gather stone for the base. But you owe me a proper explanation later."

Caelen grinned. "Deal."

---

By the afternoon, the project was underway. Caelen stood near the river with Borin, marking where the wheel would go. Garin had already guided the younger goblins to start clearing debris from the riverbank.

Caelen walked around with his notebook, checking the slope of the water and the strength of the current.

"We'll need a small dam here," he pointed out. "Just enough to guide the water to the wheel."

Borin nodded, already pulling out measuring sticks and rope. "I'll have a base set by tomorrow."

Back in the forge, Dorgrim was smelting copper and shaping it into thin, bendable strips. Caelen transmuted some stone into a crude coil form to wrap the wires around.

Zira showed up dragging two sacks of stones.

"Where do you want these?" she asked.

"Beside the wheel base. We'll use them for the wall foundation," Caelen said.

She looked at the spinning sketches in his notebook. "Still can't believe you're making... invisible energy."

"Just wait," he grinned. "You'll be able to read in bed without candles soon."

---

That night, Caelen sat on the roof of the town hall, looking at the stars. A cool wind blew across the village, quiet except for the distant sound of someone hammering in the blacksmith.

He opened his status screen again.

> Population: 123

Next Goal: 1000 (2 months, 29 days)

Electricity Project: In Progress

Caelen smiled to himself.

"Step by step," he whispered. "We'll get there."

He didn't know if the electricity would work. Maybe it would only power a single light. Maybe the wires would burn out. But it didn't matter. What mattered was the effort. The vision. The hope.

Because one day, when new people arrived—tired, scared, lost—they'd see the lights. They'd feel warmth. They'd hear voices and laughter echoing from buildings powered by something that once belonged to another world.

And they'd stay.