LOCATION: TOWN PLAZA
CITY: GRIMWATCH
DATE: NOVEMBER 26, 2025 | TIME: 9:00 AM
Everyone had been quite busy since the CEO cohort’s return from their Tutorial. But they all had one thing in common—they all couldn’t wait to return to Grimwatch.
In the short time since the original group had started going, the town had begun to change in a number of tangible ways. First, the quest board in the center of town was being used liberally by the townsfolk.
Knowing The System would reward those who answered their calls helped them overcome any lingering hesitation in asking for help. And with more ‘adventurers’—as they’d come to be called—arriving each day, the townsfolk found their own skills growing alongside them. Professions were leveling. Markets were stirring. A new kind of economy was waking up. So it was a complete win-win for everyone involved.
The Lusty Wench had been expanded to a 200-room inn, with an upgraded kitchen, and enough income now to bring in help from faraway towns. And along with that, the Prestige of the town was increasing.
Because once the inn was expanded, Mayor Brae got a system message the morning after construction was completed.
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System Message
Mayor Thomas Brae
Congratulations. Your town, Grimwatch, has reached Level 1.
XP for hunting, quests, crafts and other professions performed in and around the village is increased by 15%.
Continue improving Grimwatch for further developments.
---
Thomas had been so excited that he shared the message with not only the others living in the town, but every one of the 147 adventurers. Partially in the hope that it would encourage them to keep visiting, but also he was just excited and had a hard time holding back.
On this particular day in Grimwatch, over a hundred adventurers were out and about, taking up tasks from the central board. One of them had caught Darian’s eye. He, Vanessa, and Mallory had planned to meet up and spend the morning doing some hunting or helping around town. Pulling the parchment from the board, he read it carefully.
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Materials needed to expand and upgrade forge and smithy.
Please see Torvyn Ironbrand for details.
---
That was it. Short and to the point—but something about the idea of upgrading the blacksmith’s shop spoke to him. Maybe it was the sound of hammers ringing from the crafting quarter each morning, but he was drawn to this task alone today.
He didn’t have long to wait. Moments later, Vanessa and Mallory strolled up the cobbled street toward him, fully geared and looking like the heroines of a legend come to life.
He stared.
Mallory had always been beautiful, with that cascade of auburn hair and the kind of lips that could derail a man’s train of thought with a single smile. But there was more to her now—something deeper. A gravity to her presence that wasn’t just alluring; it was commanding.
And then there was Vanessa.
Ever since she’d taken on the mantle of Spectral Huntress, she moved with a different kind of energy—coiled, silent, and devastating. She radiated purpose and danger in a way that made most people keep their distance. Darian? He found himself leaning closer.
As he stood there, mouth slightly open, his mind suddenly clicked into a startling realization.
I’m falling in love with both of them.
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He laughed inwardly. Hah—well if that isn’t presumptuous of me, I don’t know what is.
But that dream kept returning, unbidden. And lately, Darian had started to recognize them—Mallory and Vanessa—clear as day in the vision that had visited him for so long.
“Darian…” Vanessa’s voice snapped him out of it, lilting with amusement. “If you stare any harder, your HUD’s gonna start glitching.”
He blinked.
“Seriously,” she added, shaking his shoulders with mock concern. “You’re about to drool all over that pretty armor. Close your mouth, loverboy.”
He rubbed the back of his head with one hand, grinning.
“Haha—you caught me. What can I say? You two are just so damn stunning. Every time I see you, especially dressed like that, I forget how to function.”
When caught staring, he thought to himself, sometimes it’s best to just lean into it.
Mallory stepped in smoothly, wrapping her arm around his and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Good answer,” she murmured, eyes twinkling.
Vanessa leaned in on his other side, looping her hand through his opposite arm. “We’ll allow it,” she said playfully. “For now.”
The three of them turned and started down the street, the quest note fluttering lightly in Darian’s hand.
“Come on,” Darian said. “Let’s go see what this Torvyn Ironbrand is all about.”
They found the blacksmith’s shop set well back from the main road, tucked into the opposite end of town from most of the residences. For good reason—long before they arrived, they could hear the rhythmic clanging of hammer on steel and the sharp hiss of the quenching tank cutting through the morning air.
When they finally reached the forge, Darian still had the parchment in hand. They hadn’t even had time to speak before the blacksmith turned toward them, massive hammer still raised and a pair of tongs clamped around a glowing, red-hot sword blade.
The man was enormous—easily six and a half feet tall—with broad shoulders, soot-streaked blond hair, and the kind of sun-darkened skin that only came from years of working near fire. A thick leather apron protected his clothes, and he wore oversized, elbow-length gloves of treated hide, designed to guard against stray sparks and molten slag.
A voice boomed across the yard, deep and resonant, perfectly matched to the man’s size.
“Ah! I see you’ve found my posting. Thanks for coming. I’m Torvyn Ironbrand.”
He paused, eyes scanning the trio, catching the amused smirk forming on Vanessa’s face.
“I know, I know. Name’s a little on the nose for a blacksmith, right?” He chuckled. “We’ve been blacksmiths for generations, and somewhere along the line, one of my great-grandfathers decided to make it official. So—Ironbrand it is!”
He let out a deep, bellowing laugh, rich with pride and self-awareness.
“Alright. So here’s why I posted the job. I got a System message the other day…”
He read the message he had received to them.
---
System Message
Torvyn Ironbrand,
Upgrade your forge to unlock new paths.
---
“That’s it. No instructions—just that. But I’ve got a hunch. Because this materials list…” His brow furrowed as he turned back toward them. “Right now, I can only make basic weapons and gear for the townsfolk. But if I upgrade the forge... maybe I can do more. Maybe I’ll finally be able to work on your weapons.”
He shrugged, as if reluctant to promise anything. “Can’t say for sure. But it’s worth trying, right?”
Darian looked at Vanessa and Mallory, and the three exchanged a glance and a nod.
“Yeah,” Darian said. “We’re in. What’s involved?”
Torvyn grunted and turned toward the back of the shop, returning a moment later with a large, rugged backpack.
He had lowered his voice slightly, eyes darting to make sure no one was listening.
“This has a portable tent you can use to camp overnight. I was told—quietly, mind you—that it’s keyed to your situation. If you sleep in it, you'll wake in the same spot the next time you return to this land. Just, uh... make sure you set up somewhere safe, alright? You don’t want to appear back in the middle of a shitstorm.”
“Now, here’s what I need—and fair warning, it won’t be easy.”
He rolled out a rough map on a nearby anvil and pointed to three distant regions marked with hand-drawn symbols.
“You’ll need to travel far in different directions. First, there’s the Ironroot Grove, deep in a swamp thick with oversized bugs and trees whose roots absorb metal from the soil. Dangerous terrain, but you’ll need several logs from here.”
He pointed to a mountainous ridge to the northeast.
“Second, Sunspire Ridge. The ore I need only forms high up on the mountain’s face—an area that gets twenty hours of sunlight a day. It’s brittle, easy to shatter if you don’t mine it right. You’ll need finesse and precision. Oh, here’s a mining pick that should be perfect for this.”
Then his expression grew darker.
“And finally… Obsidian Glass and the Forgeheart Gem.”
He straightened, eyes serious now.
“This one’s going to be tough. There’s a twenty-foot-wide tear in the land—lava flows straight through it like a river of flame. Most beasts avoid the place, but one doesn’t.”
He met each of their eyes in turn.
“They call it the Embermaw. Ten feet tall. Skin like molten rock. Hundreds of teeth and claws that burn on contact. The Forgeheart Gem pulses in its chest—rumored to be the creature’s literal heart. Be sure not to damage its heart when you kill it, and extract it carefully.”
He folded his arms.
“That gem is the key to powering the next generation of this forge. Several sheets of the obsidian glass around the area will complete the list.”
With the map and backpack in hand, the three headed out, deciding to get as close to the first destination as possible before camping until they can return and get started.
As they walked up the Northern Road, Vanessa, Mallory and Darian could hardly contain the smiles on their faces. This was going to be fun.