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LOCATION: HEARTROOT ORCHARD
CITY: NORTHEAST OF GRIMWATCH
DATE: DECEMBER 2, 2025 | TIME: 8:00 AM
Deciding to relax in the “real world” over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Vanessa flew to San Francisco to spend some quality time with Mallory and Darian. They ordered dinner to Mallory’s apartment, lounged around in leggings and sweats, and made cocktails while watching the sun dip below the Bay.
They toasted to everything good in their lives. Including, it seemed, each other.
Finally, on Monday night, they fell asleep—all three piled into Mallory’s oversized bed—and woke up together inside the tent in the Heartroot Orchard.
Mallory stretched first, cracking her neck and rolling one shoulder. “Mmm. As much as I love a long weekend in t-shirts and socks... there’s something about waking up armored and armed that’s starting to feel just as comforting.”
“Amen to that,” Darian muttered, already breaking down the simple tent and stowing it away in his pack.
They filled their pockets and backpack with more of the glowing red Heartroot Apples—just in case—and set off toward the Northern Road to return the Big Ass Log (as they had come to call it) to Torvyn.
Several hours later, they arrived back in Grimwatch, which was bustling with its usual mix of tradesfolk, System-hunters, and NPCs hawking everything from boots to boiled rootstalks. Their arrival—lugging a truly massive log—drew attention immediately.
Mayor Brae, who happened to be on the north side of town, caught sight of them and quickly corralled a few townsfolk to help clear the way.
“Mind the arms! That thing swings like a siege tower,” he called out.
When they finally reached the forge, Torvyn Ironbrand took one look at the log and erupted into his signature, chesty laugh.
“You know,” he said, still chuckling, “you could have chopped it up before hauling it through town like that. Might’ve saved a few bruises.”
They all rolled their eyes—but couldn’t help laughing along.
At Torvyn’s instruction, they dropped the log right in the street outside the shop. Two apprentices emerged with axes and a length of rope. One of them began marking intervals on the wood while the other started slicing clean segments with practiced strokes.
As the wood was processed, Torvyn handed over a padded, reinforced satchel made of thick leather and bound with strange stitching.
“For the ore,” he explained. “Lined it with interior pockets to keep the rocks from bashing each other to dust. Drop each piece in gently. The stitching will do the rest.”
They nodded, and Vanessa shouldered the satchel with a quiet grunt.
They grabbed a quick lunch to go from The Lusty Wench—hot meat pies wrapped in brown parchment—and returned once more to the Northern Road, this time setting their sights on the distant spine of the Sunspire Ridge.
As the sun dipped low over Allovia—the name of the country, as they had only recently discovered—the trio found a quiet outcropping on a hill above the main road. The stone was warm from the day’s light, and a few scrub trees bent gently in the wind. They decided to make camp there for the night, planning to return again the next day.
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LOCATION: OUTCROPPING
CITY: NORTHWEST OF GRIMWATCH
DATE: DECEMBER 3, 2025 | TIME: 8:00 AM
Monday, Vanessa had flown back to Chicago early and finished reviewing some reports on her encrypted laptop before going to sleep. They had planned to meet in Allovia at a set time so they could get moving toward the mountain.
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System Message
Would you like to travel to Allovia?
[Y/N]
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She woke up in the tent and found Mallory already there. They got up, chatted for a few minutes until Darian showed up, then packed up their gear and headed toward the mountain now visible in the distance.
Along the way, they passed a small lake—crystal clear, so pristine they could see nearly to the bottom. They paused to admire the view, mesmerized for a moment, when suddenly two massive crocodiles lunged from either side.
Mallory reacted instantly. Spear in hand, she thrust at the croc to her left, aiming for its eye. It swerved at the last second, and the tip of her spear sank deep into its neck. With a guttural bellow, it flew into a berserker rage.
Its massive, scaled tail whipped violently, jaws snapping as it tried to drag Mallory to the ground. She cast Brand the Corrupt, momentarily stunning it as searing mental agony overwhelmed its senses.
Vanessa struck next, stepping in with Wraithwood at the ready. She had always wondered if Wraithbind would work on beasts. Whispering the command, she activated the spell—and the crocodile froze mid-lunge.
Mallory didn’t hesitate. She drove her spear between its eyes, dropping it instantly.
They turned just in time to see Darian in trouble. The second croc had knocked him off his feet with a lash of its tail, and pinned him on his back. One of his Parallax rings had been knocked away, just out of reach. With the other, he was slashing desperately, trying to keep its gaping maw from tearing into him.
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Mallory cast Protect the Innocent, a warm golden glow enveloping Darian in a protective shield. The creature hesitated, confused by the sudden ward. It gave them three seconds.
Vanessa didn’t waste it. She cast Mark of the Huntress, boosting all damage to the target by 10%.
Then she summoned Nyssara in physical form.
Vanessa stepped back and began loosing spectral arrows. Nyssara did the same. Mallory circled with her spear in hand, looking for a clean shot to the creature’s skull.
As damage stacked up, the beast flew into its own berserker state, turning with terrifying speed to charge Mallory.
But Darian’s Primal Moment kicked in.
It always felt like time slowed around him. In truth, he sped up—mind, reflexes, body. To the others, he became a blur.
Vanessa was mid-shot, arrow streaking toward the croc’s left eye—
And then Darian was already on it. One Parallax ring in hand, soaked in blood and brain matter. The crocodile’s head, slack in his other.
Vanessa canceled her arrow mid-flight.
They stood there, panting. Frustrated they hadn’t seen the ambush coming.
Then the System message appeared:
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System Message
You have slain Chromatic Lurker, Level 12.
You have slain Chromatic Lurker Alpha, Level 14.
730 experience points have been awarded.
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“Chromatic…” Vanessa muttered.
She stared at the creature at her feet. Its hide shimmered oddly, not translucent—but slippery to the mind. The more she looked, the harder it was to see. “What the fuck?”
Darian crouched beside her. “The longer they stay still, the more their skin refracts and diffuses light. It messes with your depth perception. Predator camouflage.”
Vanessa smiled darkly and drew her dagger. “These hides are going to make for some amazing gear.”
She carefully skinned both lurkers, laying the hides in the morning sun to dry. Once Darian had recovered enough to move, she stowed them in a separate sack she’d brought just for this purpose.
Then they turned east—and began the slow climb toward the waiting mountain.
They moved quickly now, the southern slope of Sunspire Ridge coming into view. The sun was already tilting westward, and due to the nature of the ore, they needed to mine it while the sun was still shining upon it.
Vanessa carried the pickaxe slung over her shoulder. They’d decided she would handle the mining—partly because she could move more precisely between fractures in the rock, but mostly because Torvyn had said that mining the ore required finesse and a careful hand, and Vanessa’s Dexterity had just passed fifty.
And speaking of her crossing the threshold, Vanessa had noticed something during the Lurker fight.
“So, now that my Dexterity is past fifty, I felt this combat tempo in my mind during combat. Like a drumbeat keeping the rhythm as I was dodging, shooting and fighting. But at one point,” she looked at Darian. “When I saw you were pinned by the Alpha, I felt like I needed more, and found I could slow the tempo down just a little bit. It allowed me to take just a little more time to line up my shots.”
Mallory was staring at her.
“That’s incredible!”
Vanessa nodded. “It felt like I could speed it up too if needed, maybe to help me attack faster.”
Darian thought for a minute. “You know, that’s pretty similar to the concept my entire class is based on. Good to know The System just gives my secret powers away to anyone who hits fifty in Dexterity…”
Vanessa put her hand on his shoulder with mock sympathy, said, “Awww, poor Darian. Not feeling a special boy anymore? Well, maybe this will make you feel better.”
She slapped him on the ass. Hard.
Darian yelped. Mallory snorted.
They were still laughing as they had arrived at the base of the ridge.
Vanessa checked the special sack slung over her shoulder, then clipped the pickaxe to the loop at her hip. She craned her neck to study the ascent ahead. A jagged path of footholds and handgrips was already forming in her mind, leading toward a band of stone nearly 150 feet above where the gray granite shifted into a subtle golden sheen, catching the last warm glints of the sinking sun.
That was her target.
“Well, I’ve never done any mountain climbing before,” she muttered. “Not even one of those trendy gyms with the fake walls and crash mats…”
Mallory smirked. “You’ve also never had over fifty Dexterity before. You’re going to be just fine.”
Darian stepped in and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. Then, with no hesitation, he pulled her into a soft, lingering kiss.
“Mmm. What was that for?” Vanessa asked, a little breathless.
“Good luck,” he said. “And plus, I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”
Not to be outdone, Mallory leaned in and kissed her as well—warm, affirming, and full of shared history. Vanessa smiled, cheeks flushed, and nodded.
“Thanks, guys. I think I’m ready.”
With that, she launched upward—legs coiling and extending in a single, fluid motion. Her hand caught the first grip, a smooth stone knob more than five feet above her head. It would have been unreachable in her old life, but now? Her body responded like a machine built for precision.
She climbed with practiced focus, each move planned three steps ahead. At one point, a foothold crumbled beneath her boot, sending a few pebbles skittering into the void, but her fingers tightened, holding firm, and she shifted her weight without panic.
Eventually, she reached the ledge she’d aimed for, hoisted herself up, and laid flat for a moment to breathe. The stone beneath her radiated residual heat from the sun. Her arms and legs ached—not with pain, but with the satisfying burn of real effort.
The golden-veined stone was close now. Vanessa rose to her feet, unclipped the pickaxe, and began her task.
Torvyn’s instructions echoed in her mind: Don’t gouge it. Don’t rush. Listen for the note the stone sings when it’s ready to yield.
She found a natural seam and began working methodically, each strike controlled, each pause intentional. The stone resisted her at first—vibrating like a tuning fork when struck wrong—but eventually began to split cleanly, flaking into clean chips and rough nodules. The ore shimmered faintly in the fading light, almost reluctant to be taken.
She filled the sack well past what was required, figuring Torvyn could make use of the extra materials. As the sun dipped below the treeline, the ore lost its glow, and with it, Vanessa felt a quiet signal that the work was done.
She looked down from the ledge. The descent looked harder than the climb.
Sighing, she re-secured the pick, cinched the straps on her now-heavy sack, and began easing her way down. Each step was slower, more deliberate, the ore shifting on her back with every movement. A single misstep wouldn’t just bruise her pride—it could shatter everything she’d gathered.
Your body could probably take a fall, she thought grimly. But that sack sure couldn’t.
Sweat stung her eyes. Her arms trembled slightly near the halfway point. But she didn’t let go.
Finally, boots crunching into soft earth, she landed back on solid ground. She let out a long breath, rolled her shoulders, and wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist. Her entire body was soaked.
“It’s getting late,” she said, patting the ore sack. “Let’s find somewhere nearby to set up camp. We can bring this back in the morning.”
“Sounds good to me,” Mallory said. “How are you feeling after the climb?”
Vanessa rubbed her thighs with a wince. “Not too bad, honestly. The descent was tougher than I expected. I kept thinking about the precious cargo I was carrying—no way I was going to drop this after all that effort.”
They walked for another hour, back toward Grimwatch’s distant outline. As the twilight deepened, they found a small, secluded glade and pitched their tent in silence. Once it was secure, they laid down together, feeling warm and grateful.
Wrapped in one another, they fell asleep beneath the canopy of stars, another day in Allovia behind them… and one step closer to upgrading the forge.