As was becoming their routine, both of them made their way to the cold river and splashed water on their faces. Though Luna more or less just dove in, getting water on him and scaring the fish.

  Afterwards, John stretched and put on his clothes, which were beginning to stink again.

  He’d have to wash them soon.

  Even though he didn’t have to do that yet, he enjoyed how peaceful his daily routine was becoming. It was leagues better than dialing leads, corporate meetings, and the constant stress of hitting his numbers.

  He recalled the second half of his quest to preserve ten things of food, which hopefully he could do. Given how he had succeeded in making his wooden drying rack—which still held up and was amazingly preserving all of his wood, while the rest of the wood for his log house foundation lay off to the side of his tent—he felt encouraged that he could manage it.

  “You up for some hunting?” John asked.

  Luna didn’t answer, but she perked up.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Though John was ravenous, drinking water would help settle any nausea from hunger. Plus, he could eat while he worked, since his main goal today would be to forage and gather as much food as possible.

  He quickly grabbed his ax and notched it in his belt. Luna cocked her head as he did so.

  “It’s just in case we need it,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

  Hopefully, he would never have to use it out here. But this was the wilderness. It would be wise to carry something to defend himself.

  This time, instead of walking into the usual area where he went for berries and foraging, he decided to go a little beyond the woods and more toward the meadow itself, further along down the stream. He remembered how beautiful it was the last time they went down there. Plus, he also wanted to check on his little trap, which unfortunately had caught nothing once they arrived at it.

  “Don’t touch it, Luna,” John said, reaching out with his hand, which startled the little pup as she tried diving into it. “I don’t want you to go flinging up in the air, okay?”

  Luna just shook her head but obeyed.

  The two of them spent the morning walking through the dense meadow of flowers, which seemed never-ending the farther they moved from his homestead and away from the mountains behind them. The mesmerizing scene distracted him from his hunger.

  They walked past thousands of colorful petals, some releasing soft musical notes, like the fungus he had eaten days ago. John watched Luna race through the flowers, rolling around and enjoying herself, chasing strange creatures like a rabbit with antlers and a half-squirrel, half-bird creature.

  But without warning, Luna took a sudden sharp turn to the right, climbing onto higher rocky ground as the valley shifted along their path. She stopped briefly and looked back, expecting John to follow.

  Of course he did.

  John turned sharply and followed her lead. She was probably smarter than he was when it came to terrain.

  As he stepped up onto the rocky patch of ground in the valley, he turned to see why she had taken such a drastic turn. In the valley where he had been walking, where he had nearly taken a step, the ground had completely collapsed into a deep cave opening. Had Luna not taken the sharp right turn, he would have fallen in and possibly hurt himself badly.

  John looked at Luna. “Ah, thank you. That would have been a bumpy fall.”

  Luna raised her head proudly.

  Still, despite almost falling in, the cave piqued his curiosity, especially when he heard something down below the closer he got. He crouched and pulled himself forward to find a strange sight.

  It was a dwarf wearing almost medieval plated gear, with charcoal smudges all over his gnarly face, white beard, and impressive set of goggles. He was working hard at mining strange glowing ores buried deep in the dark stone, speaking a language John didn’t understand. The dwarf did not appear threatening, as he seemed to be singing to himself while glowing sparks flew from each strike of his rather impressive gilded pickax.

  John decided not to disturb the dwarf, quietly leaving, with Luna thankfully not barking.

  Wayfinding (+5): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  John must have gained some experience from finding this cave. And as he thought about the strange ores, he made a mental note to eventually mine them.

  As he and Luna continued their walk in the sprawling valley, he realized just how large the world actually was. This was just one of many biomes, probably.

  Again, he thought about what this world’s system was like, and its governance, or lack thereof, and why there didn’t seem to be much organized civilization in his area. Perhaps there was in other parts of the world.

  There was no way to know, at least not yet.

  If he continued building his homestead, he would undoubtedly attract visitors. The thought both excited him and made him nervous.

  John’s wanderings about the world soon halted, however, as the terrain began to slope gently downward. The grass became shorter and thicker near the ground, where eventually the flowers thinned out and were replaced by low shrubs and smooth river stones.

  John heard the water before he saw it.

  The soft trickling of water was joined by insects buzzing nearby and faint echoing ripples. The two of them came upon a small natural basin with crystal-clear water, smooth stones around the edges, and reeds swaying in the breeze. The pond reflected the sky like smooth glass.

  Crouching near the edge, John could see straight to the bottom, where small fish darted about, as colorful as the rainbow, and more algae drifted lazily inside.

  John and Luna both looked at each other.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  Luna answered by diving straight into the water.

  John grinned.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Given how quiet the valley was and that there was no danger in sight, John shrugged off his lumberjack shirt, boots, and pants, diving into the refreshing water as well.

  Though it was cold from the more wintry winds that were picking up, it was refreshing. He lowered himself fully into the pond so he could take in the beautiful view. For a moment, he simply observed his surroundings, watching the rainbow-scaled fish and the glass-finned minnows swim around him in excitement at his arrival and Luna’s kicking.

  He also saw electric-blue eels that sparked as they slithered along the base of the rocks. He wasn’t afraid, though, as they looked harmless. His fear was further eased as Luna tried chasing them, and they ran from her instead. Her crystalline fur caused the sunlight reflecting into the water to scatter like a disco bulb.

  When his lungs could take it no longer, he rose to the surface, spitting water from his mouth.

  “I could swim every day,” he said, tilting his head back and allowing himself to bask in the water.

  His eyes eventually caught small clusters of deep red berries growing on low shrubs nearby, their skin glossy and smelling slightly tart. He wished he had brought his manual with him, but as he drew near and picked them up, which resembled almost like wild raspberries, he realized he didn’t have anything to worry about.

  Wild Meadow Berries (Common) — Small clusters of deep red berries gathered from low meadow shrubs. Restores a small amount of Hunger and grants a tiny boost of Energy and Morale for a short time.

  John didn’t need any more convincing. He shoved them into his mouth as he floated in the water, restoring some of his hunger.

  Thankfully, there were plenty of the little raspberry-like things, and he gorged himself on them.

  He also found, near a fallen log beside the pond, tan-brown mushrooms with fan-shaped caps. He plucked one up and received a similar encouraging message.

  Riverbank Oyster Mushrooms (Common) — Mild in flavor and safe to cook when cleaned properly. A reliable ingredient for soups and stews. Restores a small amount of Hunger and slightly reduces Fatigue.

  As much as he wanted to save them, he ended up eating them anyway, given how ravenous he was.

  Perhaps the strangest, though, were more of the song-cap mushrooms, glowing softly blue and pulsing faintly. He smiled when he found them and tossed one to Luna.

  “It’ll help you sing, if you’re into that,” he said, before chomping down on his and releasing a burst of song that slightly startled Luna.

  Now that his hunger was fully satisfied, he decided to stuff as many of the berries and mushrooms as he could into his pockets and carry as much as he could back. He didn’t think he could complete the preserved food quest all in one go, but he pushed himself to his limit.

  Back in the old world, whenever he came home with groceries, he would try carrying them all up to his apartment in one trip rather than going back and forth. His pockets were absolutely stuffed as he gathered enough for ten days’ worth of food at breakfast and dinner. His shirt pocket, front pockets, back pockets, and even his arms were bursting with berries and mushrooms, making him look noticeably larger.

  Foraging (+115): lvl 2 (50 / 150)

  Foraging lvl 2 Unlocked — Your eyes begin to notice the subtle differences between leaf, stem, and weed. False picks happen less often now, and useful plants reveal themselves more easily than before. Small bundles also form more frequently when harvesting.

  “I’ll take that,” John said, grinning as he carried his haul with Luna back to camp.

  As they made their way along the quiet stream, a distant rumble echoed from the mountains. John nearly dropped all his berries and mushrooms when he noticed another storm rising, with purple lightning and strong winds.

  “We’ll need to make it quick,” John said to Luna as he hobbled along with his massive load of fruit and mushrooms back toward his shelter.

  Thankfully, he was pretty full from eating the food they found at the little pond. He also had plenty of wood stores now.

  After shoving all his food into the little tent, he decided to gather some fish for dinner to have it cooked in time. That way, once the storm arrived, he could eat it warm instead of cold. Then tomorrow, when the rain had subsided, he could focus on building the foundations for his house and quickly prepare for the winter that was approaching.

  “You up for a little bit of fishing?” John asked Luna as he grabbed his fishing pole.

  Luna stayed just outside his tent, watching him with curiosity. She gave a slight howl of excitement as John hurried out to the stream to fish.

  Because John was beyond exhausted and would undoubtedly get hungry towards the end of the day, he decided to make a rather large meal instead of just something to get by.

  He kept his eye on the coming purple storm while fishing.

  The fish must have been agitated by the storm, as they took forever to bite. It took so long that the rain began to trickle down well before John had caught his second one. He worried that it might rain too much, so he called it good when he caught a third fish.

  Thankfully, all three of them were Emberfish and not the smaller Glassfin minnows. It would be enough to satisfy him and Luna, who, even though she splashed a bit down the stream and caught a few Glassfin minnows of her own, would probably want the stew he was making.

  Fishing (+15): lvl 1 (70 / 100)

  With his bounty in hand, John rushed back to his cold fireplace and quickly dispatched the fish. Once that was finished, he split one of his wood logs and began reigniting his little fire.

  The rain had turned into more of a drizzle now, though it was not yet pouring. The water caused the fire and the fish he placed on the metal grill to sizzle. He worried the rain might stop the fire from cooking. But the windbreak he had built earlier helped greatly in keeping most of it at bay.

  While the fish cooked, he hurried down to the river and gathered more of the glowing algae, along with the gnarly river roots that would make soap for him, and a few bulbs of onions.

  Foraging (+15): lvl 2 (65 / 150)

  Luna frowned at his choice of onions as he returned and filled a pot with river water, setting it to boil while throwing in the vegetables.

  “Oh, come on. It’ll taste good, I promise,” John said, grinning as he dunked the fish into the pot.

  Luna only frowned, as if adding any vegetables whatsoever to a meal was heresy.

  The smell of Emberfish and glowing algae mixed with the rain that began to pour.

  Had it not been for John’s windbreak, which extended slightly over the campfire, he would have completely lost the fire with how hard it was raining.

  The Emberfish glowing stew finished after thirty minutes of simmering, and the fire continued to hold its own as the storm pounded around them.

  John poked at the stew with a stick from inside his insulated tent.

  Luna sat just in front of the windbreak and watched hungrily as John cooked.

  Both of their breaths fogged in the cold air as rain tapped against the insulated tarp above him and poured into the swelling stream beside the camp.

  Cooking (+10): lvl 1 (70 / 100)

  Finally, the Emberfish stew was ready.

  Emberfish Glowing Algae Stew (Uncommon) — The broth carries a faint red glow and savory mineral sweetness that spreads warmth through the body. Restores Hunger and grants a gentle calming warmth. The algae lends a soft nighttime glow and deeper, more restful sleep for a short time.

  Because John had used all three Emberfish, he had plenty to share with Luna. He happily poured her a small bowl. Before handing it to her, he paused and grabbed the bowl back as she nearly dashed away with it. He used his axe to carve the letters of her name into it.

  “Just in case we get our bowls mixed up,” he said before pouring the steaming, glowing stew into her bowl.

  Her furrowed brow showed she wasn’t convinced.

  But all hesitation vanished as John began drinking from his own stew, and she dove into hers as well.

  Companion Bond (+10): lvl 1 (40 / 100)

  With little else to do, John and Luna endured the storm, drinking their hot fish stew and enjoying the silence together. And as they enjoyed the serene weather, just over the hushing wind and rain, John could have sworn he heard the faintest sound of a violin again.

  11

  FOUNDATION

  It was impossible to see the elf who was playing the violin again, though John appreciated the sweet, melancholy music as it paired peacefully with the soft tapping of the rain and the crackling fire that fought against the storm. It nearly knocked him out, even though there was still much of the day left.

  To pass the time, John pulled out his survival manual. With his obelisk-looking pen, he began sketching ideas for his log cabin. He was getting slightly better at drawing. It wasn’t much, but he could internalize what the cabin would look like, given his log cabin foundation recipe.

  As a result, he received another quest to do exactly that.

  New Objective: Lay the Foundation

  Task:

  Construct a Log Cabin Foundation.

  As the embers hissed from the falling rain, he laid out a sketch showing where he would place the ten logs, the eight stones, the six bark pieces, and where he would use his cordage.

  He was so wrapped up in his drawing and the sweet music that he hardly noticed that, as the storm continued, Luna had snuggled a little closer to him. She still kept her distance, lying beside the fire ring and faintly snoring.

  After a while, the rain finally weakened, allowing John to stand and leave his tent without getting too wet.

  When he stood up, Luna woke as well. Her eyes flashed worriedly toward him before relaxing.

  John stepped outside the tent to inspect the ground where he planned to lay the foundation. He figured he would make it just behind his tent. The survival guides he had read before coming here mentioned staying close to water, but high enough that if the river swelled, like it was doing now, it wouldn’t seep into the foundations of the house.

  As John circled the rectangle that would become the ground for his log house, his boots squelched in the mud. Unfortunately for Luna, the mud splashed onto her white crystalline form. The small wolf pup repeatedly tried rubbing it off in the grass while John calculated how he would build the cabin.

  Thankfully, his body was full, so he had plenty of strength to start gathering the stones he needed for the foundation. He placed stones at each of the four corners. Then, taking his spear, he marked the edges in the mud, forming a rectangular footprint.

  “I think that should do,” John said, his eyes flicking over to Luna, who pawed at one of the stones. He then began pulling out roots and scraping away sod and loose stones from the center, since he needed a level surface. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a shovel, so he used his axe and his bare hands, which forced mud up into his fingernails.

  The internal system recipe also called for shallow trenches around the foundation to guide rainwater away. There was plenty of water now with the soaked ground, allowing him to test it. He could use his axe to dig most of it, even though it wasn’t a shovel. It took longer than he had hoped. Still, it was enough for him to channel excess water away. The water flowed downhill and drained toward the river.

  Once that was finished, John went down to the quiet stream and dragged up large river stones for each corner. He nearly slipped while carrying the smooth, heavy, slightly mossy rocks. A school of colorful fish darted away into the shallows, which Luna immediately dove after to try to eat.

  “I’m glad you’re having fun,” John said, laughing to himself.

  To get the stones just right, John set the cornerstones carefully into the mud, wedging small gravel underneath and pressing down firmly. He tried rocking each stone to see if it moved. If it shifted, he packed more mud around it to stabilize it. Eventually, the stones sat solid and unmoving, which would be foundational for his, well, foundation.