John shook his head. “Our portal science is not that precise. I appeared in a random location.”

  “Do you want to return to them? Go back home?”

  “No, of course not!” John said hurriedly, nearly making Luna bolt from his stark rejection. “I was just curious where it was.”

  Kaelin calmed Luna down by stroking her crystal fur. “It’ll take a few days of walking. By portal, though, we can reach it far sooner, like with the Glowwood we’ll see today, which also has a trading hub, though not from your people.”

  John’s stomach swelled with excitement at the thought of seeing other people, especially natives. But then again, he also wouldn’t mind just being here with Kaelin and Luna.

  “Come, we should get started to save most of the day for the Glowwood,” Kaelin said, standing to her feet and extending one long, graceful hand to him. He happily took it, feeling the slightest vibration from her grasp.

  New Objective: Raise the Roof

  Task:

  Build a Roof

  To get started on the roof, John planned to chop down six trees while Kaelin promised to gather the twenty bark, sixteen branches, and then make six cordage.

  “You’re already out anyway,” she explained, holding up the last few inches of cordage he had left. “We can accomplish it faster, together.”

  “Will you teach me how to craft cordage afterwards?” John asked after thanking her.

  Kaelin gave a weary smile. “Perhaps.”

  Luna, unsurprisingly, stayed behind with Kaelin while John labored away in the forest. He couldn’t blame her, as he would have done the same.

  Woodcraft (+30): lvl 4 (65 / 250)

  When he returned, Kaelin had already gathered and made the other ingredients and was busy throwing a stick for Luna to catch. At John’s loud arrival, dragging the wood back, her somber demeanor melted away, and she smiled.

  “I hope your shoulders are strong,” she said as she helped him to carry the logs inside the door. “You’re going to need it.”

  John took a moment to breathe, given how heavy the logs were. Then he put two and two together and realized just how much of a challenge this was going to be.

  “No pressure,” John said, his breath labored. “If I mess up, it’ll only break the foundation.”

  “Or yourself,” Kaelin added, which didn’t reassure him. “Don’t worry,” she said, seeing his anxiety creep in. “We’re going to create a gable roof. I’ll use my mana to help make it not too heavy. We’ll do it one step at a time and make sure that even with heavy snow and rain, it won’t, well⁠—”

  “Crush me,” John finished for her.

  “Right,” she said, laughing softly.

  Kaelin helped John lift the first and longest log inside the cabin while Luna watched from a careful distance. From Kaelin’s advice and from the roof recipe, this would be the ridge beam. It was incredibly heavy, and John struggled to get it up over his shoulder.

  Kaelin, however, did just fine. She even took one hand off the log to rest.

  “Is mana available to everyone?” John asked, sweating as his neck strained to hold it.

  “Not to humans,” she said with a smile.

  “That’s cheating,” John said, nearly dropping the log as it tilted and scraped against his arms. Thankfully, Kaelin steadied it after Luna barked an alarm.

  Together, they raised and settled the beam onto two forked poles John had made from the other logs so the ridge beam ran lengthwise along the cabin.

  It was probably the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He had to climb onto the wall to help raise it. Thanks to her magic, it had been much easier than it should have been. He had no idea how he could have done it alone. He probably would have failed or dropped it on Luna—or himself.

  Now that the ridge beam rested on the two gable posts that held it upright, they added diagonal braces and cross braces to give the roof structure. Kaelin tied them together with cordage to keep everything stable.

  John tested it by wiggling the frame. To his surprise, it didn’t move.

  “I should have been a roofer in my previous life,” John said. “Or previous world.”

  “A roofer?” Kaelin asked, whipping her golden hair out of her face.

  John climbed down the side of the log house to join her and Luna.

  “It’s a trade job,” he said. “Did you have jobs like that, too?”

  “What other jobs would there be?” she asked, confused.

  “Wait,” John said before they moved to the next step. “Did you not have computers? Or anything like that?”

  “I don’t know what that is,” Kaelin said, frowning as she thought.

  “Oh,” John said, rubbing the back of his neck, which glistened with sweat. “Well, what did you do before the world ended?”

  They began picking up the branches they would use as rafters, running from the ridge beam down to the wall tops.

  Kaelin paused, holding her bundle of sticks.

  “I was a village midwife,” Kaelin said, her eyes distant. “I helped members of my community grow their families.” She glanced toward her violin, which she had placed along the inside wall of the cabin. “I used my music to help mothers give birth. It also worked well on the animals, which I was more than happy to help take care of in our village.”

  John smiled. “That explains why Luna likes you a lot.”

  “Yes, it does,” Kaelin said. But beneath her smile, there seemed to be a deeper sadness she did not name.

  John did not push.

  They installed the rafters, spacing them roughly one foot apart and tying them to the ridge beam with cordage. Kaelin hummed softly to herself as they worked.

  After securing the branches, they added a few that ran sideways across the rafters so the roof could support the bark layers and keep them from sagging.

  Finally, they added the shingles, which were bark sheets. Before starting, Kaelin laid them out on the grass to show John how to layer them.

  “We’ll use the biggest pieces at the bottom,” she explained, pointing to the larger sheets. “We’ll overlap them upward, and then we’ll seal the ridge last.”

  “It kind of looks like fish scales,” John said, suddenly feeling very hungry.

  Kaelin laughed, especially as Luna dove into the river and ate as many fish as she could.

  Together, they started at the lowest roof edge and began overlapping the bark sheets one at a time. They placed the bark, tied the corners, and overlapped the next piece again and again. Kaelin let John take the lead, handing the bark up to him from inside the log cabin while he secured them.

  They quickly fell into an easy rhythm.

  Halfway through, Luna decided to run up the rafters. She somehow leaped on top, and for a moment the structure creaked. John froze, especially as she ran across the ridge beam. Luna stood there proudly, not looking worried in the slightest.

  “I guess it’s load-tested,” Kaelin said, setting down the bark and holding out her hands for Luna to jump.

  Unsurprisingly, Luna did, leaping into her arms and licking her face with her crystal tongue.

  “That’s good to know,” John said, relieved that the roof seemed safe. He did not want to imagine it falling in the middle of the night.

  After John placed the final bark pieces over the ridge beam, tying them tightly so the wind couldn’t lift them, he tested the roof by gently pushing it.

  It barely moved.

  Kaelin stepped outside the cabin through the door with Luna still in her arms.

  “I think you did it,” she said.

  John could only hope so.

  After climbing carefully down from the cabin, the cold wind brushing against the sweat on his shirt—which still smelled clean from Kaelin’s washing—he stepped back to admire the structure.

  It wasn’t anything grand, being more on the small side. But it was finished. No longer would he have to sleep in a tent. He could sleep inside a real home that would withstand the winter.

  John rushed inside.

  The cabin was mostly dark, with little light coming from the window at the far end that looked out toward the distant snow-capped mountains.

  The moment he stepped inside, he noticed the difference. The wind was quiet. All outside sounds were muted. And all he could smell was fresh bark and sap.

  John took a deep, heavy breath.

  “My log house is done.”

  The system agreed.

  Objective Complete: Raise the Roof

  Rewards:

  Level (+25): 3 (90 / 200)

  Woodcraft (+20): lvl 4 (85 / 250)

  Stone Hearth Recipe

  Cabin Table Recipe

  Wooden Chair Recipe

  Simple Bed Frame Recipe

  Dog Bed (Common) — Companion Rest Recovery +15%.

  His homestead status improved, too, from the upgrade.

  [ HOMESTEAD ]

  Name: Meadowreach Homestead

  Tier: Common

  Homestead: lvl 1 (90 / 100)

  — CONDITION —

  Structural Integrity: 65 / 100

  Insulation: 55 / 100

  Weather Resistance: 50 / 100

  Storage Capacity: 12 / 100

  Land Stability: 25 / 100

  — STATUS —

  Wood Stores: 10

  Food Stores: 16

  Snow Load: None

  Perimeter Activity: Low

  — PASSIVES —

  Windbreak Barrier — Wind impact is reduced around the homestead area.

  Log House — A fully enclosed timber cabin built upon a raised foundation with fitted floor, stacked log walls, and a sealed roof. Ground moisture is blocked, wind exposure reduced, and interior warmth retained while rain and snowfall are kept outside.

  Woodpile Rack — Wood drying improved and prevents rot.

  Drying Rack — Capacity: 12 Food Items. Effect: Food dries over time. Preserved food lasts longer. Slight smoky flavor bonus.

  Luna’s Bed — Your companion recovers fatigue 15% faster while resting near the hearth or inside the cabin.

  John was surprised that his homestead was still common, though the level of the home had improved a lot. Maybe once he added some lightning, it would reach level two.

  As soon as the system message disappeared, a padded sleeping spot made from moss, cloth, and reeds appeared beside the door. Luna immediately leaped into it, rolling onto her back.

  “I think she likes your new home,” Kaelin said, leaning down to rub Luna behind the ears.

  John was too amazed that they were inside a real home now. He was tempted to say our home instead of his home. But he didn’t want to press what Kaelin planned to do. Yet he still worried that once they went to the Glowwood and she helped him find a nice chandelier, she might simply leave.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to rest before we go to the Glowwood?” he asked. He hoped she might want to stay longer.

  “We can go today,” Kaelin said. “It’s not too far.”

  “Very well,” John said, trying to hide his disappointment.

  “And then maybe tomorrow,” Kaelin said, “we can build your stone hearth, table, chairs, and bed so your home can feel more like…. well, home.”

  “I would like that,” John said, smiling.

  He felt encouraged that she wanted to build a few more things. Maybe if he kept finding projects for them, she would never leave. Even if that thought was selfish, he liked the idea.

  As Kaelin stepped through the door, John paused.

  “Do I need to bring my axe or anything?”

  Kaelin frowned. “For what? We’re not going to chop anything down. Maybe bring your reed basket to carry some things.”

  “Oh, good idea,” John said, grabbing the little basket and following Kaelin out toward the woods. Luna howled happily behind them, excited for the Glowwood.

  15

  GLOWWOOD

  The forest was quiet yet alive with wonder as John followed Kaelin toward the Glowwood portal.

  Luna bounded ahead of them, her crystal tail wagging as she occasionally circled back to check on the two of them.

  John carried the reed basket while Kaelin unconsciously touched the violin slung across her back. Her golden hair, interwoven with berries and leaves, bounced slightly as she walked, her silver earring glinting from the godrays pouring through the trees onto her like heavenly beams.

  Several times, John stumbled over moss-covered stones along the path while looking at her. She pretended not to notice.

  Along the way, they encountered more fairies. John asked Kaelin about them as they watched a group lounging on glowing flowers, basking in the sunlight that filtered through the trees.

  “Do you know much about them?”

  “They’re mostly friendly,” she said with a small smile. “Just don’t ruin their play. Having fun is mostly what they do.”

  “Got it,” John said, keeping his eyes on them.

  Several of the fairies waved as they passed.

  John waved back.

  “This might sound like a really dumb question,” John said, regretting it even as he spoke. “But if they gave me some of their fairy dust, would I be able to fly?”

  John winced as the words left his mouth.

  But when Kaelin turned to look at him during their walk, she didn’t seem surprised in the slightest.

  “Of course,” she said, as if it were completely normal. “How else do you think they fly?”

  “Oh. Okay. I’m not crazy then,” John said, chuckling to himself.

  “Do you not have fairies in your world?”

  “Uh, no. It’s… well, not as magical as your world.”

  “You mentioned computers,” Kaelin said. “That sounds pretty magical to me. You said they were glowing screens with worlds inside them.”

  “Yeah,” John said, “but it’s not as great after a while.”

  “However, do you mean?”

  “Well,” John said, kicking another moss-covered stone absentmindedly. “It becomes a temptation for many to get lost in the digital world rather than live in the real one.”

  “Strange,” Kaelin said, looking down at Luna, who ran back carrying a stick far too large for her, as if she were a grown wolf. “There’s so much in the outside world to explore. I don’t understand.”

  John sighed. He was definitely guilty of it. He was only free from the screen because there were no screens out here.

  For that, he was grateful.

  As the forest grew quiet again after their fading conversation, John cleared his throat.

  “So you said you were a midwife before all this?”

  She hesitated, then nodded.

  “It was a great job,” she said, smiling as she remembered. “I was also the one who delivered the offspring of our farm animals. My music helped both creature and person.”

  She hummed softly, as if to prove the point. Almost immediately, John felt calmer. Even Luna, now trotting beside her, slowed her steps, soothed by the gentle melody.

  Then Kaelin’s humming stopped. This time she whispered, “I miss those days.”

  “What happened to your village?”

  Kaelin took a moment before answering.

  “There was a war,” she finally said. “I’m not sure if you have war in your world.”

  “We do,” John said, though he never understood why.

  Kaelin nodded. “Our world is hard to explain, but there were two factions of Archmages. Both commanded enormous magical infrastructure. Think arcane reactors, weather engines, enchanted cities, things like that.”

  “Okay,” John said, trying to follow.

  “Over time, these factions fought for control of those systems. The war lasted for decades. They summoned armies with spells and magical beasts. It was… a lot. And they used the portals to travel quickly across the land, creating more and more of them in efforts to dominate the other.”

  Luna barked.

  Ahead of them, the portal John had discovered during his first days here appeared.

  Kaelin paused as they approached it, her eyes fixed on the swirling colors within the portal.

  “One of the factions,” she said softly, “wanted to target only the portals their enemy controlled. They believed they could choose those portals and send a destruction spell that would wipe out their enemy’s infrastructure and armies. No one had ever attempted something like that before.”

  “And they did this on the mountain?” John asked, remembering her hesitation about the snow-capped peak and the ice tower.

  Kaelin nodded.

  “It’s hard to explain what the spell looked like if your world isn’t used to magic. But the spell went wrong. After all, portals are connected. So instead of affecting only the enemy cities, it spread across every biome. They erupted with light all at once. It blasted across the biomes, tearing down kingdoms and villages.

  “Only the biomes with few portals, like Meadowreach here, were spared. But even then, they were still affected.”

  Kaelin took a slow, heavy breath.

  “I was playing my violin by the river when it happened. I had just delivered a baby, and when I returned…”

  She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to. John could only imagine what she had lost.

  Kaelin stepped forward before the silence could close in around her. She placed a gentle hand on the stone arch of the portal.

  “My world will never be the same. But strangely, it has brought the survivors together.”

  Luna walked up to her and rubbed against her leg. Kaelin smiled through tears and knelt to scratch behind Luna’s ears.