As John sang, he was surprised at how decent he sounded. He quickly cleared his throat, though, as it still felt very awkward singing to himself. He blushed slightly and pocketed the remaining cluster of mushrooms, though he did feel slightly satiated.

  Having explored a good bit and found some food, he decided to return to his camp.

  John was surprised to see that it was already becoming dusk. He must have explored a lot longer than he had realized.

  As he did so, he knelt at the fire to bring out another one of his logs, seeing as the fire had died down but still had warm embers. He was pleased to see that the food was gone and that there were some wolf paw prints where he had left the food.

  His evening fire soon roared to life as he quickly got it ignited.

  Hearthcraft (+5): lvl 1 (25 / 100)

  Just as he finished bringing the fire back to life, the crystal wolf pup appeared again at the edge, the warm light reflecting off its faceted fur. It stepped a little bit closer this time, but still kept its distance.

  Companion Bond (+5): lvl 1 (10 / 100)

  His companionship must have increased with the pup after having fed him before. Or her—it was hard to tell. Until the pup sat down, revealing that it was a girl.

  “Did you like the fish?”

  The wolf pup probably didn’t understand English, but it cocked its head, licking its lips, and looked at his cluster of mushrooms that he pulled out.

  “You want one of these?” he asked, holding one up.

  The wolf pup raised its chin slightly and opened its mouth.

  John chuckled, tossing her a part of the mushroom as he ate the rest.

  Companion Bond (+5): lvl 1 (15 / 100)

  The crystalline pup did not immediately devour it. Instead, it just stared there, looking at John, hesitant.

  John pretended to grab something from behind him to give the pup some privacy. As he did, he heard the pup dive in to eat it.

  When he turned around, he found the wolf pup licking its chops.

  John wasn’t upset that the creature was taking some time to warm up to him. Some animals, just like people, need time to open up and trust someone else.

  John decided to end his day as he was growing accustomed to by journaling. It was becoming a pleasant rhythm to him now, writing down his thoughts and processing this new place and his new friend that he had found.

  His eyes grew heavy as he journaled.

  He did his best to draw the crystal pup that cozied up at the edge of the fire, nestling its head into its chest, hopefully not leaving this time.

  John’s attempt at drawing it was nothing spectacular. It was more a cluster of triangles than anything. Despite this, he was pleased to have companionship once again.

  Journaling (+5): lvl 1 (15 / 100)

  As he lay in his sleeping bag, he passed out, his eyes staring at the strange animal that was slowly but surely becoming his first real friend.

  7

  SMARTY

  John woke to pale morning light gently pushing at his eyelids.

  Opening them, he quickly rose to see if the pup was still there. Unfortunately, it was not, and the fire had burned low again. Before a melancholy mood could take him over, he remembered that the pup had come back last time. It was likely to return, especially if John made something delicious.

  The thought of food immediately made his belly grumble.

  He looked at his fishing pole, determined to catch a larger bounty this time to bring back for his wolf friend. But as he got to his feet, stretched, and attempted to prepare to put his clothes on, he stopped and took a whiff.

  They stank. They smelled of BO and had lots of stains on them.

  And his clothes weren’t the only thing.

  Looking at his rather unimpressive figure while standing only in his underwear, he smelled his armpits, which were much worse.

  John laughed awkwardly to himself.

  “No wonder why the wolf keeps leaving. It’s probably because I stink.”

  Looking around outside his tent to make sure there was no one watching, or any beautiful elves, given he was mostly nude, he departed from his tent and quickly waded into the clear stream. He felt much more confident once his slightly extended belly went underneath the water.

  He instinctively reached for soap as if he were in a bath, but felt embarrassed because he didn’t have any soap.

  Neither did he have any deodorant or spare clothes.

  John had his office clothes, but even those were beginning to stink. He resorted to scrubbing his armpits with his hands, constantly washing them. Though it helped with the smell, it wasn’t comprehensive.

  I came to Meadowreach too quickly.

  In his haste, he had forgotten to bring the most basic necessities. Then again, people had been living without that kind of stuff in the old days.

  Perhaps he could craft new clothes, find a village once he was more settled, and buy some there.

  He could also learn how to make things like soap.

  Everything here was still so new to him.

  It was initially a bit daunting to think about having to craft everything from scratch, but despite the discomfort, he didn’t have to go back to his old life, endlessly calling leads.

  Out here, he was free.

  Free to mess up, of course, but also free to live for the first time in his life. And as he began each day, his steps became lighter. He had found a purposeful routine and a life that felt wholesome in every way.

  After he had mostly scrubbed himself, he came back to his tent, dried himself off with his dirty office clothes, and set them by the campfire, which had become lifeless again.

  He then put on his stinky lumberjack clothes.

  Once dressed, he grabbed his crooked fishing pole and headed out to the stream. But instead of staying at his usual spot, he went a little farther down than usual, where more of the Meadowreach Valley came into view. Thousands upon thousands of fantastical wildflowers rustled in the wind.

  He made sure to stay within view of his little homestead and found a cozy bend of the stream where sunlight reflected off the clear water and small insects hovered above the surface.

  John cast his rudimentary line and hook into the waters.

  As he waited, he observed more of his surroundings to see if either the crystal pup or the elf playing the violin would reappear.

  None of them did.

  As the day progressed, he eventually caught two small fish that were small and translucent like glass. Sure enough, when he pulled them up, the item description confirmed his theory.

  Glassfin Minnows (Common): A tiny fish with clear, shimmering fins that catch the light like glass in the current. Not much of a meal alone, but easy to catch and perfect for roasting over a small campfire or adding to a pot of stew. Restores a small amount of hunger.

  Satisfied, John set them beside him on the grassy bank, placing rocks on them to keep them from flopping away. But instead of leaving with just the two minnows, he decided to try to catch something larger.

  Hopefully.

  Or maybe just more minnows, as he had a feeling he would probably be hungry again very quickly.

  After another hour had passed, he finally got his way.

  His line dipped so forcefully that it almost snapped, and he had to haul whatever had caught in it with all of his might. The large fish that emerged was pale with gray scales, flopping wildly with faint spiral markings and unusually bright eyes. It instantly looked at John with more intelligence than he would have expected.

  “It’s staring right into my soul.”

  The fish stopped flopping and simply looked at him with a serious gaze into his eyes.

  It was unsettling, to say the least.

  When he touched the fish, holding it in his hand, the item description confirmed as much.

  Smart Fish (Uncommon): A rare stream fish whose curious mind sharpens the thought of those who consume it. Provides temporary insight into the natural world, allowing unknown plants to reveal their properties.

  “Weird,” John said, studying the fish. “You’re a smarty, aren’t you?”

  The fish just opened and closed its mouth, but didn’t say anything.

  His Fishing skill also increased.

  Fishing (+15): lvl 1 (35 / 100)

  John smiled at the increase in his skill, but he paused when he looked at the smart fish, which did not remove its eyes from him. It felt strange wanting to eat something that was apparently so smart.

  But his stomach growled yet again.

  John blushed awkwardly and scooped up the fish, bringing it back to his campfire.

  Placing the fish down, John quickly got to work splitting one of his last two logs and rekindling his campfire. The fire quickly roared back to life as he carefully guided the kindling and flame into a crackling blaze.

  Hearthcraft (+5): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  He then immediately placed the three fish onto the metal grill after dispatching each of them.

  The familiar roasted fish smell rose into the air.

  But as he watched them cook, he couldn’t help thinking of real food back in the old world. Something warm, filling, and full of variety and flavor.

  He had no salt or spices here. Just cooked fish.

  While it was better than nothing—and the few remaining rations bars he had from the government were not the tastiest either—he still longed for something to spice up his food. He couldn’t imagine eating plain cooked fish every day for the rest of his life. This fish would be better in a stew if he only knew how to make one.

  As he dwelled on these thoughts, a system message appeared.

  New Objective: A Proper Meal

  Task:

  Create a hearty stew using local ingredients.

  Just reading the system message about a hearty stew made his mouth water.

  John nodded enthusiastically before heading off toward the forest and riverbank to search for ingredients. He grabbed the survival manual, which talked about some of the basic plants that the government had discovered, to see if he could find some good ingredients to use.

  Given that he was starving, he decided to go ahead and eat the large smart fish, which had just finished cooking.

  Cooking (+5): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  John quickly ate the fish, bones and all, and was pleased at how filling this one was, even though it didn’t taste the best.

  Though it did taste slightly sweet, almost herb-like.

  As he swallowed the last bite, his mind felt like it expanded, if that was even possible. Suddenly, as John blinked, the forest around his homestead looked and smelled sharper. The colors seemed more vivid, and the scents easier to notice. His eyes picked up on many plants in the underbrush and along the riverbed.

  “Did I just get smarter?” he asked himself.

  Well, there was only one way to find out.

  Tucking the survival manual under his arm, he strode out along the riverbank, looking for anything he could use for a stew. But instead of something for food, he found something else.

  Further along the stream, there was a cluster of knobby roots beneath some broad leaves, smelling slightly bitter. His enhanced sense of smell picked up on it immediately. He had a sense that he could use it for cleaning, which he could only chalk up to the smart fish he had eaten.

  When he touched it, the system revealed that he was right.

  River Root (Common): When boiled and whipped, it produces natural cleaning foam. Useful for washing skin and clothes.

  John smiled. “Finally.”

  Foraging (+5): lvl 1 (20 / 100)

  John shoved the river root into his pocket.

  Now that he knew what these looked like and what they were for, he began noticing many more of them along the river at odd intervals.

  He was pleased to see that he could at least smell presentable for himself, the crystalline pup, and perhaps even for any of the natives here.

  “Thank you, Smart Fish,” John said, patting his belly before moving on to search for more ingredients.

  Further along the riverbank, he found onion-like bulbs with long green shoots that he immediately knew would be perfect for a stew. He gathered a giant cluster of them.

  Not wanting to rely only on things along the river, he also went into the forest nearby, staying close to the marked trees. There, he found golden fruit hanging low off one of the trees. The smell was very citrus-like, and the fruit was warm to the touch, reminding him of an orange and a plum.

  Sun Plum (Common): Sweet fruit rich in natural sugars. Provides a minor morale boost when eaten.

  John took a cluster of those as well.

  Foraging (+10): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  When he got back to his campfire hauling his foraged goods, he was initially worried that he wouldn’t know how to make a proper stew with his strange ingredients. But the smart fish must have really done a number on his mind, because his brain stitched together a coherent idea of how to cook it.

  John was absolutely fascinated by how much more cohesive and intelligent he was from the fish as he filled his pot with river water and placed it over the fire, which was still burning quite nicely from his efforts earlier.

  As the water began to boil, he cleaned up the minnows that were fully cooked, sliced the river bulbs, chunked up the sun plum fruit, and slowly added it all into the pot.

  Initially, the stew turned cloudy, like an orange cloud at sunset. Then slowly it cleared into a light orange.

  John nearly chugged the stew before it was done as the sweet, savory aroma filled the entire camp while he stirred it with a stick for thirty minutes.

  Sun Plum River Stew (Common): A rustic stew of glassy minnows and sun-warmed sun plum fruit simmered over an open fire. Restores moderate hunger and a small morale boost.

  “I’ll happily take that.”

  Cooking (+10): lvl 1 (40 / 100)

  It seemed that he had increased a little bit more, given that the stew was a lot more complex than just throwing fish onto a grill.

  It also satisfied his latest objective.

  Objective Complete: A Proper Meal

  Rewards:

  Level (+25): 2 (40 / 150)

  Drying Rack Recipe: Preserves food, prevents spoilage, and stores food. Materials Needed: 3 logs, 6 branches, and cordage

  John beamed with delight at unlocking the recipe for the drying rack.

  Now he could catch more fish and preserve them longer rather than just eating them constantly on the spot.

  But the biggest reward was the wooden ladle and bowl set that came with the quest as well.

  Wooden Ladle and Bowl Set (Common) — Minor morale comfort when eating hot meals.

  John was pleased to see that there were two bowls.

  That way, if the crystalline pup did come back, they wouldn’t have to share the same bowl.

  As his stomach rumbled in hunger, John immediately poured the fish stew into the two bowls, with most of it going into his. He couldn’t help himself as he slurped the hot stew, which burned the roof of his mouth. He pushed past the pain, though, as he was beyond famished.

  As he ate, he had to place the last of his wood into the fire to keep it going as evening descended, and he ate his food slowly.

  Hearthcraft (+5): lvl 1 (35 / 100)

  John also needed it to boil the river root in his pot after he dumped the stew into the bowls. He figured he might as well boil it now so that he could clean himself and smell fresh for tomorrow.

  As he sat there slurping his bowl of fish stew, watching his warmth, hunger, and hydration go all the way up to 100 / 100, he saw the crystalline pup coming down from the stream. Like before, the pup approached slowly, stopping just beyond arm’s reach, its body tense and ready to run.

  John carefully placed his empty bowl down and pushed the other bowl of fish stew toward the pup. He turned away, knowing that the creature needed some space. John smiled as he heard it lapping up the stew behind him.

  Companion Bond (+5): lvl 1 (20 / 100)

  “It’s hard to know if you came because of the soap smell,” John said, nodding toward the foaming solution in the pot, “or the fish.”

  The crystalline pup mostly ignored him as it ate the stew.

  But as soon as John picked up the foam and scooped it onto his clothes, which he had taken off, carefully dipping his pants, his shirt, and his underwear into the pot, the crystal pup looked up, wrinkling its nose.

  The little creature sneezed, a puff of crystals coming from its nose.

  “I’m sorry, little one,” John said, laughing. “I thought it’d smell better than my B.O.”

  The wolf pup just continued to look at John with strange curiosity, but it nudged its bowl toward him, now empty.

  “I’ll make you some more tomorrow, okay?”

  The pup cocked its head, but then turned around and cuddled close to the fire pit.

  As a result of boiling some of the river root, he received five points in a new skill that he had yet to explore.

  Herbalism (+5): lvl 1 (5 / 100)

  That must be for extracting properties from plants for non-food purposes, he said to himself, remembering how, when he boiled his tea, it had increased his Cooking skill.

  Once his clothes were cleaned, and after he had wrapped his office shirt around his waist for a modicum of decency, John gathered his spear and planted it near the fire, draping his wet plaid shirt over it while placing his jeans over his windbreak, along with his socks and underwear.