Objective Complete: Ride Out the Storm

  Rewards:

  Level (+25): 4 (10 / 250)

  New Focus Point Available

  Homestead (+20): lvl 2 (40 / 150)

  New Passive Bonus: Hearthbound Community — Those who rest inside your homestead recover faster and feel more at peace.

  Garden Bed Recipe

  Steel Shovel (Uncommon)

  Steel-Tipped Plow (Uncommon)

  Steel-Tipped Hoe (Uncommon)

  As the system message faded, John found himself lying still with wonder. His log cabin had survived. Nothing was destroyed, they had plenty of resources, and they had even saved another life.

  John breathed out slowly, taking it all in. His breathing caused Luna to stir. She stretched, scratching him with her crystal paws.

  “About time, land dweller,” Brax said from the table, though he kept his goggles aimed upon the small brass contraption he was making.

  “What are you making?” John asked him as he quietly slipped out of his wooden bed, doing his best not to disturb Luna. Thankfully, the crystal wolf pup—or half wolf pup, given her length—remained asleep.

  “It’s my repayment to you,” Brax said, grabbing another tool to fit some brass casing around the circular design.

  As John pulled closer, he could see it was something of a compass. It had a thick mechanical dial with innumerable small ticking gears. And at the center, long and slender, and looking just like the same material that Luna was made of, was a rotating crystal needle.

  “There, that should do it,” Brax said, clamping down the brass casing and carefully hammering in the edge until it clicked into place. “Here,” he said, handing it to John, beaming with pride as he did so.

  Wayfinder Compass (Rare) — A dwarven surveying instrument crafted by Brax. This device detects nearby portals, always pointing toward the closest one and glowing when near.

  “I don’t know what to say,” John said, holding the heavy compass in his hand as if he were holding some relic.

  “The pleasure’s mine,” Brax said, returning to his tools. He began putting them back into the tool pouch that hung on the side of his armor. Though he didn’t put away all the tools; he kept a few of them out and began tinkering with something else that John couldn’t quite discern.

  “Thank you,” John said, completely fascinated as he moved the compass toward where he remembered the portal was to the Glowwood. True to form, the crystal needle moved in its direction.

  “I should have made that before I came out here,” Brax said, continuing to work on his little trinket.

  “What were you out there for, anyway?” John said as he joined him at the table. Kaelin had still not stirred, so he kept his voice down.

  “Bah. Nothing too crazy,” Brax said, readjusting his goggles. “I was just looking for the ore to make a portal myself.”

  John paused, looking at Brax with wonder.

  “You can make your own portal?”

  Brax stopped working on his trinket to look at John with surprise.

  “Why, of course you can,” Brax said, as if it were common knowledge. “And that’s why there are so many of them. You have to be high in your Wayfinding skill and mana, of course.”

  “I only have the Wayfinding skill,” John said, pocketing the compass, which felt like a boulder in his pocket.

  “Your wife should have plenty of mana, should you find the ore,” Brax said, gesturing with his beard toward Kaelin.

  John instantly blushed.

  “Oh, that’s not my wife,” he said too quickly.

  Brax let out a deep laugh. John glanced at Kaelin to see if she stirred. Thankfully, the dwarf’s laugh was quiet enough, though just barely.

  “Could’ve fooled me, that’s for sure,” Brax said as he resumed his crafting.

  John looked out toward the window, unsure of what to say.

  “You’re lucky to have her,” Brax said, nodding. “I haven’t felt the touch of a woman in years.”

  John cleared his throat, blushing a deeper red.

  “But she’s not⁠—”

  “Here you are,” Brax said, handing John what he had finished creating.

  It was a ring.

  “Wait,” John said, blurting. The moment he touched the ring, he blushed even harder.

  Dwarven Wedding Ring (Uncommon) — Give this handcrafted band to another to seal your union. Gain a permanent morale boost and unlock the ability to have children.

  “Brax,” John said, unsure of what to do with it.

  “It’s on the house,” the dwarf said, waving him off.

  “She’s going to be leaving anyway,” John said. “I don’t think she’s here to stay.”

  Again, the dwarf laughed.

  “You weren’t watching her closely then,” he said, his goggles fogging slightly from his laughter. “Does she know how you feel about her?”

  “Wait, what do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on, John,” Brax said, pulling out even more things to build, hopefully not another wedding ring. “Do you want her to stay, yes or no?”

  John stuttered, but he already knew the answer. “Of course I do,” he whispered. “But I’m not going to force her to.”

  “And have you told her that?”

  John shook his head.

  “I’ve never understood why no one really speaks their mind,” Brax said, frowning as he fiddled with his new creation.

  John immediately thought of how his trap had nearly taken Brax out. Maybe it was a good thing he didn’t speak his mind fully. It was best to keep that hidden. To stay on the dwarf’s good side.

  Brax, however, continued speaking his mind.

  “Did you notice the chair?” he asked, readjusting himself to emphasize the point.

  “Uh, no,” John said, looking down at his chair. It looked the same.

  “The leg was uneven,” Brax said. Then he placed his trinket down and put both hands on the table, giving it a slight shake. “And so was the table.”

  Before John could inquire further, Brax pointed with his calloused thumb toward the stone hearth. “But that there is good stonework.”

  “That’s because Kaelin made that mostly.”

  “Ah.” Brax chuckled to himself. “In any case, it’s not bad for a human.”

  At this, Brax stood to his feet, taking with him his trinket and his tools. He began quietly moving around the house to continue his inspection, starting with the window and then continuing to the woodpile.

  John smiled at the dwarf’s intent on upgrading his home.

  Luna must have woken up from Brax’s laughter. She had moved silently toward the door and was waiting patiently, thankfully not having awakened Kaelin, who was still fast asleep by the crackling hearth that would need to be rekindled soon. Luna’s eyes told him that she needed to use the restroom.

  “I’ll be right back,” John whispered to Brax.

  John could hardly believe it as he approached Luna, who this time did not back away from him, but instead reached her now bigger head to his hand for him to pet, which he happily did.

  Taking another careful glance at Kaelin, John opened the door cautiously so as not to wake her. To his surprise, the wind had died down, so it didn’t blast into the log cabin as he suspected after he removed the door brace and opened it.

  Even more shocking was how beautiful the storm had transformed the Meadowreach Valley. Snow draped across the meadow and dusted the forests, making the trees look like Luna’s crystalline fur.

  Luna happily left the front door, dashing into the knee-high snow, tossing and rolling around with her much larger form. She howled, making John cringe because it probably would wake up Kaelin. But Luna was just so happy, now much bigger than she was before, which gave her increased strength and digging power—something she happily demonstrated for John right in front of him, casting snow at his face like dozens of snowballs all at once.

  “Hey, stop that,” John said, laughing as he shielded his eyes.

  Luna howled again before taking leaping bounds through the snow and then onto the nearby river, where she skated. Given how thick the ice was, Luna plopped on all fours but quickly rebounded before dashing off down the stream and trying to break into the ice, presumably to go fishing.

  John couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Still a puppy,” he said.

  Luna was not alone either.

  The snow fairies they had seen last night were still here, though their work had been completed, as was obvious by the immense amount of snow and ice everywhere. Glowing mushrooms peeked through the snow, along with the occasional glowing and colorful flower, which the morning sunlight cast in its golden glow.

  For the life of John, he could have sworn they all started staring at him now that he was outside. They were no longer playing. Instead, they began drifting toward him.

  “They saw what you did last night,” Kaelin said.

  John jumped, not expecting her to be behind him. But there she was, as gorgeous as ever, her golden eyes reflecting the morning sun.

  “Oh, hey,” John said, feeling awkward as he said it.

  Kaelin smiled, looking genuinely happy, with not a hint of melancholy.

  John almost forgot about the fairies approaching, but their presence became very noticeable as they hovered above them, forming a giant circle. Their translucent teal-blue wings left tiny glowing snowflakes in their wake.

  John felt like he should say something as they hovered expectantly until one fairy floated forward. John presumed it was a female, given her long hair, which was as white as snow. He realized it was the one he saw in the window last night. She smiled, looking fondly at him, reaching out with one elongated and tiny hand and touching his chest.

  John feared for a moment that he would be instantly covered in ice, but instead of that, he received a tremendous blessing.

  New Attribute Unlocked: Mana

  Ambient Magic Sensitivity Acquired

  Mana: 100 / 100

  Just as his conditions allowed him to see his strength, warmth, and hydration, he now had magic residing within him.

  He looked down at the spot where she touched him, which was now glowing white. Somehow, it started working its way through his entire body like a cold, icy drink. The hair on his skin stood up, and his flesh shivered as the magic entered him.

  Suddenly, Kaelin’s explanations of the entire world being made of magic made a lot more sense, as he could feel the snow around him, which was embedded with the snow fairies’ magic. Even Kaelin, whose shoulders now brushed beside him, carried some magical spark that he had not been able to sense before.

  “I don’t understand,” John said, watching the little fairy that blessed him pull back a little and hover before him.

  Kaelin, too, was stunned as she watched the little fairy move.

  “I’ve only heard of this happening in rare scenarios,” Kaelin said. “And even then, that was only before the end of the world. They were always selective about granting magic to beings who were not inherently magical, especially humans—it mostly resides with the elves. They must have been really impressed by what you did last night for Brax.”

  John frowned. “Even though it was my trap that nearly did him in?”

  Kaelin smiled. “I think they know that was an accident. But it was your deed that inspired them.”

  John wouldn’t have put it that way, as Luna was the one who notified him of Brax. But still, maybe they had been so polarized before his arrival that just the act of saving him despite their differences was enough to move them.

  Regardless of the incredible gift, he had zero clue how to use it. Perhaps foolishly, he held out his hand as Kaelin had the previous night. He tried imagining and willing a flame to appear. But all he managed was a face that made it look like he was trying to relieve himself.

  “What are you doing?” Kaelin asked, trying to hide a smile.

  “Using my mana.”

  His hand only twitched. The snow fairy giggled, as did the others. She hovered over his hand, placing a giant snowflake in it.

  “Uh, thank you?” John said as she flew away.

  “You don’t know the spell for casting a flame,” Kaelin said, holding his hand upright. “Luckily, you don’t have to be an advanced mage to turn that into fire.”

  John looked with confusion at the snowflake. As pretty as it was, how in the world could that become fire?

  Kaelin wrapped her fingers around his, closing his hand over the snowflake. “Close your eyes and feel for the magic inside of it.”

  “I’ll try,” John said, closing his eyes. Though he tried to find the magic, his racing heart and thoughts made it very difficult.

  “Do you feel it?”

  “Uh, no. Maybe it doesn’t work⁠—”

  Something connected with him.

  It was like an electrical wire connecting to his being. Suddenly, the little snowflake appeared in his mind.

  “Whoa,” he said, watching it hover with a humming power.

  Kaelin lightened her grip but did not let go. “Good. Now, push with your thoughts to make its magic fire instead of ice.”

  John had no idea what that meant, but he gave it a shot anyway. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, the icy essence in his mind erupted into flame.

  John’s eyes burst open to see the same thing hovering in his hand.

  Mana: 95 / 100

  Mana: 94 / 100

  Each second he held the ball of fire, his mana drained, similar to if he were chopping wood. He even received experience in a new magic skill.

  Mana (+5): lvl 1 (5 /100)

  Excited by his new power, he spent his latest Focus Point on it.

  Mana (+1): You can reliably find and seize the mana inside objects. You no longer need guidance to locate magical essence. You can convert simple materials (ice ↔ heat ↔ light) with intent. Basic transformations are faster and more stable.

  The lead fairy, along with all her friends, shouted with high-pitched praise, causing hundreds of snowflakes to rain down on them.

  “You’re officially one of us,” Kaelin said, her fingers slipping from his, though it was slow, almost reluctant.

  John swallowed the fear rising in his throat. “I, uh, can help you gather any food you need for wherever you’re gonna go.” He extinguished the fire in his hand by simply letting go of the snowflake essence, which vanished into the cold air, and turned to head back to the log cabin that Luna had just returned to, probably for breakfast.

  Kaelin caught his arm, spinning him around. “That won’t be necessary.”

  John froze, barely able to meet her eyes. “Oh. Well, okay⁠—”

  “I think I’ll be staying a little longer,” Kaelin said, drawing closer.

  John blinked. “What?”

  Kaelin blushed, looking away. “Well, you’re going to need a teacher if you want to avoid burning down your new home. And I’m well-versed in magic. Besides, you’ve given Luna and me a place to rest, and I think this place could be something like that, but for a lot more people.”

  “Like a village?”

  Kaelin nodded, batting her golden eyes. “Precisely. And seeing how well we put up the first house, well…”

  “Yes,” John said too quickly. “Yeah, I uh, agree.” He honestly hadn’t thought of building more. But if that meant Kaelin would stay longer, then he would be first in line.

  The blonde elf’s cheeks turned a deep crimson. John had a feeling it wasn’t from the cold or the snowflakes from the fairies.

  Luna howled behind them.

  John and Kaelin turned to see the crystalline wolf come bounding towards them, with Brax slowly making his way after her. The fairies raised themselves higher in case Luna tried to eat them—which wouldn’t be out of the question, given her affinity for the fish and wildlife in the area—but instead of leaping at them, she jumped into John’s arms. The sudden force was enough to knock John backwards into the snow. Luna licked his face, her faceted tongue feeling like a wet window.

  Kaelin giggled, as did the fairies. Even Brax, who approached them, bellowed with laughter.

  Companion Bond (+5): lvl 2 (10 / 150)

  “Hey, Luna,” John said, a bit out of breath as he pet her. She bowled happily in response.

  “Overheard you’re wanting to build a settlement here at Meadowreach,” Brax said as John and Luna got to their feet and dusted off the snow.

  “How’d you hear that?” John asked.

  The dwarf simply pointed to his ears. “How do you think we find the best treasures beneath the ground?” The dwarf chuckled to himself. “Even with that fairy mana and Kaelin’s craft, you’re going to need a mill, trading post, some farm land, and a tavern, most importantly.”

  Luna howled in agreement, nestling her snout against John’s stained jeans.

  “And maybe more clothes,” Kaelin added playfully. “And a more private place to wash them.”

  “There’s bound to be some tailors in the right portals,” Brax suggested with a shrug, completely oblivious to Kaelin’s joke. “Plus, with the Wayfinder, we can gather more precious resources to build a thriving community.”

  John shook his head, bewildered. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

  “It’s easy! There’s a mine I need exploring here, the one you found me in. In exchange for lodging and the occasional meal, I’ll help you build if you want. What do you say, John?”

  For John, it wasn’t a hesitation. He was further resolved as he looked at his new friends, his warm home, the exciting magic within him, and the snowy meadow and forests stretching before them. All of it stood in stark contrast to his old life in the office, of reading useless emails, attending pointless meetings, grinding away at something he felt no meaning in, all the while being invisible.

  But now, for the first time in his life, he had carved the path for his life instead of letting others do it for him; he had built a life for himself and others in the wilderness, and now radiated with magic.