As excited as he was about building the windbreak and insulated tent, having an actual home out here would be so much better. Having a little porch, a rocking chair, a nice mug, maybe meeting a fellow traveler or two.

  Maybe I’ll make more friends that way. If I have a home, he thought, looking at the wolf pup, who was evidence of that.

  For John, settling here and building a comfortable, cozy environment had attracted the wolf pup, who looked lost and in need of companionship. John smiled as he thought of all the possibilities that he could have out here in Meadowreach, watching the fading sunlight spill across the valley.

  As hard as this day was, and as exhausted as he was, the work he had done here was satisfying.

  Yes, it wasn’t predictable nor safe, but it wasn’t empty either, like his life back in the old world had been with his managers and the sterile corporate world.

  Looking upon the glowing fire, the quiet river, the strange crystal pup, the wonders yet to be explored, and the home he had yet to build, he felt something he was not expecting.

  A sense of belonging.

  All of his initial fears about not being enough, about being too incompetent to survive out here, suddenly dwindled, though they did not disappear.

  No, he was not turning back. He would stay and build a home here. One block of wood at a time.

  9

  WOOD BE NICE

  John slept amazingly well, which was quickly becoming the norm, given how tired his body was from the manual labor that exhausted him each day. He woke feeling satisfied with his decision to stay in Meadowreach, despite the hard work required to maintain a life there.

  It helped that his insulated tent and the windbreak had kept him warmer through the night. He awoke less cold than the day before. Though it did not change the fact that winter—or at least a gust of winter—would come eventually. He had no idea how long winter would last or how the seasons worked there. But it would come regardless, and it required careful planning.

  His mind immediately went to the log cabin foundation recipe, which would require many logs and would be a welcome change. However, he would need more practical things first.

  More food, and a lot more wood.

  His growling stomach reminded him of that.

  John had gone to bed early the previous night and had not built another fire, saving the one block of wood he had left for the morning. He had been too tired to think about chopping wood at dawn.

  When he got up and dressed—thankfully, his clothes were not soaked—he noticed the one log he had left outside was wet. It would take longer to ignite.

  His mind brought up the woodpile rack recipe. That would help keep campfire wood dry, especially if colder weather arrived.

  New Objective: Winter Is Coming

  Tasks:

  Preserve 5 Days of Meals

  Gather 5 Days of Firewood

  John eagerly accepted the quest as he looked at his small campfire, which had not been lit since the previous morning.

  And after that, let’s build a foundation.

  John suddenly felt excited. He rubbed his chin and noticed his growing five o’clock shadow. It was itchy, and he had never grown it this much before, but he liked it. It made him feel less like an office worker and more like the man from the advertisement.

  As John moved around camp preparing for the day, the crystalline pup woke and kept a wary gaze on him.

  “I bet you’re hungry, huh?”

  John returned to the camp and gathered the last of his protein bars. He had gone through them faster than he wanted. But he had been too excited to craft and build, preferring a quick snack over spending time fishing.

  He devoured one protein bar quickly and held the other out toward the creature, who backed away slightly as he approached.

  “Don’t worry. Just wanted to give you a little breakfast,” John said before tossing it gently toward her. “I also want to know your name. If you have one, that is.”

  The wolf pup tilted her head, confused by John’s words. Slowly, she stretched a paw forward and dragged the protein bar toward herself as casually as she could.

  John tried not to notice.

  She lowered herself and began nibbling on it. As she ate, John studied her white crystalline fur catching the morning light like a thousand diamonds. Yet it also had a peaceful, moon-like glow.

  “Maybe I’ll call you Luna, if that’s okay.”

  The pup’s ears perked up. She gnawed through the protein bar and licked her lips quickly, seeming to accept the name.

  Companion Bond (+5): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  John smiled.

  “I’m going to go chopping wood today,” he said as he stood. “Well… more like all day. I’ve got a woodpile rack to build. I need to gather as much as I can for extras, just in case winter hits us hard.” He stretched his shoulders. “And I’ve also got to build a log cabin, too. That’s a lot of work. You’re welcome to follow me if you’d like.”

  Luna squinted at him as if unsure what he meant. But when John walked down to the gurgling stream beside his tent, she followed behind him. She happily splashed into the water as he refreshed himself and hydrated.

  Once John was finished, his mind began racing. He started calculating how much wood he would need. So far, he had one stack of wood for that night, which he would use to cook fish and have a warm evening. He had been averaging about two logs a day, split between the morning and evening. If he needed five days of firewood, he would need ten stacks.

  He would also need another ten logs for the foundation of his log cabin, and who knew how many more for the walls and everything else. He would need another four logs for the woodpile rack to keep his winter storage dry.

  And that was not even counting the preservation of ten meals. He could do that with the drying rack recipe, which would require three more logs.

  John placed his hands on his hips and looked back toward his insulated tent, windbreak, and cold fire pit. It all looked humble. But he was excited to see it grow into something resembling a home.

  “Okay,” John said, taking a deep breath as he glanced at Luna. “Let’s do this.”

  With Luna in tow, John returned to the tent, grabbed his red fire axe, and headed toward the nearby forest. As he carried the axe over his shoulder, he could feel calluses forming in his hands.

  Strangely, it felt good, even though it hurt a little.

  He stopped a short distance into the forest where he could still see his small homestead and the sprawling flowers of the meadow. Hopefully, this time, he could gather more wood since he was level two in Woodcraft. His splintering had been reduced, and chopping would be less draining.

  John went to work chopping through the morning. He fell into a steady rhythm, weakening the base of trees at different angles until they fell. He lost himself in the motion of swinging the axe, bending his legs, carefully avoiding his own feet, and repeating the process.

  Every thirty or forty minutes, he had to stop and catch his breath as fatigue built up. He had not eaten much that morning—only a protein bar—but he wanted the head start on gathering wood.

  Still, it was worth it.

  Everything he chopped would help his home and Luna. It might even help other travelers if he ever met them.

  While he worked, Luna stayed nearby watching him. Sometimes she chased forest creatures.

  John couldn’t blame her. It was hard not to be distracted out here.

  At one point, she chased something that looked like a winged squirrel. It was far too fast for her, though the crystalline pup did not care. She jumped at the tree and howled as the creature escaped higher into the branches.

  John nearly nicked his leg watching her, but he was grateful for her company. He felt a sense of responsibility and happiness he had never known before. In his old life, he had wanted to get an animal—maybe a cat—but he had never done it. He had not felt competent enough.

  After most of the morning had passed and the afternoon began to rise, perhaps four hours into the day, he had chopped more than enough for his needs. He had gathered wood for his quest, the log cabin foundation, the drying rack, and extra wood for that night and the next day.

  In total, he collected twenty-seven blocks of wood. With the block he had left at camp, that gave him twenty-eight.

  Woodcraft (+135): lvl 3 (40 / 200)

  Woodcraft lvl 3 Unlocked

  You understand how wood settles and cures. Material waste is reduced. You can now notch logs so they interlock when building structures. Basic Log Joinery Skill Unlocked.

  John leaned against a tree, staring at the massive pile of logs. Sweat soaked his shirt as he caught his breath.

  The knowledge of how to interlock wood appeared clearly in his mind, as if he had always known it. All he could think about now was building the foundation of his log cabin.

  Nearby, Luna ran back and forth across the logs he had cut, making them roll slightly as she played.

  “You want to help me drag these back?”

  Luna shook her head and continued playing.

  John chuckled.

  He dragged the logs back to camp one by one. Sometimes Luna chased after them as if they were alive, nipping at the ends of the rolling wood. It was hard work, especially since he was already exhausted. But it felt good to push his body to its limits.

  The pine scent filled the air as he worked, the resin sticking to his hands. The smell seemed to soak into him. If he were going to be doing this for the foreseeable future, he would not even need cologne. As long as he had handmade soap and the scent of pine, he would smell just fine.

  As he dragged the logs back to camp, John noticed his character level had increased by twenty-five points from raising his Woodcraft skill.

  Level (+25): 2 (115 / 150)

  Once he had hauled all twenty-seven logs back to camp, the pile looked like a massive hoard of wood. John nearly collapsed from exhaustion after the work.

  Luna, on the other hand, did not seem tired at all. She spent much of the afternoon splashing in the stream, chasing fish. At one point, she even caught a Glassfin minnow and ate it raw.

  “Are you sure that’s good for you?” John asked as she slurped it down, scales and all.

  Luna barked happily.

  John nearly lay down on the ground to sleep, but he was hungry as he watched her eat. The afternoon was also slipping away, and another cold front would arrive with nightfall. It would be wise to at least build the woodpile rack, cook some food, and sleep.

  Besides, he had no strength left to start the log cabin foundation. That would require far more work, and his body was already exhausted.

  Warmth: 40 / 100

  Stamina: 10 / 100

  Hunger: 10 / 100

  Hydration: 60 / 100

  John refreshed himself quickly in the stream and returned to camp. His mind calculated how to build the woodpile rack to keep firewood off the damp ground and prevent rot.

  John chose a spot near the windbreak and close to the fire pit so water would be less likely to reach the wood, and the nearby heat might help dry it. He cleared the area of leaves, stones, and sticks while Luna watched curiously, licking her lips after eating another fish. Once it was clear, he started laying two logs parallel on the ground.

  They immediately rolled apart.

  He sighed and dug shallow grooves into the dirt with his axe so the base logs would stay in place. To his relief, they stayed.

  Next, he lifted two more logs to act as upright supports. One fell over as he tried to raise the other, causing Luna to jump sideways.

  “Sorry,” John said with a chuckle. “Still figuring this out.”

  On his second attempt, he braced the uprights against the base logs. It worked, though the structure was still a little wobbly.

  As it started to come together, he gathered four thick branches to hold the stacked firewood. Using the cordage from his kit, he lashed the branches to the rack so they formed a simple ladder-like frame.

  It was not impressive and could undoubtedly be improved in many ways. But when he shook it, it wobbled slightly and held steady.

  Now came the real test.

  John stacked the logs neatly on the rack, bark facing outward. The wood stayed elevated off the ground.

  He held his breath.

  It held.

  John took a long, satisfied breath and wiped his hands on the grass, sticky with pine resin.

  Woodcraft (+10): lvl 3 (50 / 200)

  The rack managed to hold fourteen logs of firewood, though barely. The structure strained under the weight but did not collapse.

  Increasing his firewood supply also raised his homestead progress slightly.

  Homestead (+5): lvl 1 (35 / 100)

  John felt tempted to lie down and sleep right there. But his body demanded food. That was also part of his current quest—preserving ten meals. He did not feel like building a drying rack yet. That would take more effort than he had left.

  But he still had enough energy to catch a few fish before nightfall.

  He joined Luna by the stream and began fishing again, struggling to keep his tired arms steady as darkness settled over the Meadowreach valley.

  While he fished, Luna played beside him.

  More than once, she splashed too close and scared the fish away. Despite this, he was not annoyed, as John enjoyed the companionship.

  Thankfully, he managed to catch two fish.

  Feeling ravenous and wanting something more than smoked fish, he gathered some glowing algae from near the water. He wanted something a little extra for the meal.

  Fishing (+10): lvl 1 (55 / 100)

  Foraging (+5): lvl 1 (35 / 100)

  “I hope you like glowing a little extra, Luna,” John said as he carried everything back to camp. He quickly ignited the hearth after dispatching the fish.

  Hearthcraft (+5): lvl 1 (45 / 100)

  He boiled river water and tossed in the fish pieces along with the glowing algae. Soon, the stew began to shine, a soft blue light swirling through the broth.

  It smelled amazing—slightly sweet and earthy.

  Luna tilted her head at the glowing pot while he stirred it, though she kept her distance.

  “I’m probably going to eat all of this if that’s okay.”

  She frowned in disappointment.

  “Do you want to go catch some other fish while I’m cooking?”

  Luna seemed to understand and quickly ran off toward the river, diving into the water. By the time the stew finished cooking, about twenty minutes later, thick and glowing, she had eaten a couple more fish.

  Cooking (+10): lvl 1 (60 / 100)

  The result was a strange, glowing stew.

  Glowing Algae Fish Stew (Uncommon) — A humble pot of fish stew simmered with fresh river fish and a pinch of strange luminous algae gathered from the stream bank. The broth carries a faint glow and earthy sweetness. Restores hunger and grants deeper, more restful sleep. May cause the eater to glow softly in the dark for a time.

  “At least it’ll help me see if I need to pee at night,” he said with a chuckle as he poured it into his wooden bowl.

  True to the description, as soon as he began slurping it down once it cooled, his skin started glowing faint blue.

  Luna watched him jealously, even though she had just eaten a couple of fish.

  “I’m glad you’re not freaked out by it,” he said with a grin.

  Surprisingly, neither was he.

  If anything, he was simply thankful his stomach was no longer empty and that he could finally recover after a hard day’s work.

  The two of them sat together as the sun disappeared beyond the mountains in the distance. The moon rose over Meadowreach Valley, shining brightly across the land. The glowing flowers shimmered beneath the moonlight, stretching across the meadow before his humble homestead. The nearby stream glowed as well, much like Luna’s crystalline fur.

  Feeling a little bad that he had not shared the food earlier, he gave Luna the rest of his bowl. She eagerly licked it clean, her tongue glowing faintly afterward. It was probably unsanitary. But John realized he did not care. He was responsible for her now. And she cared for his heart.

  To end the day, he did what he had begun to make a habit of. He journaled. However, he could not write for long, though. The glowing stew made him very tired, and he had chopped more wood than he ever had in his life that day.

  Instead, he drew Luna again.

  She lay curled at the opposite side of the fire, still not fully trusting him, yet not leaving.

  Journaling (+5): lvl 1 (25 / 100)

  Sleep eventually overcame him.

  The crackling fire, the smell of pine resin, and the gurgling river nearby settled over him like a heavy blanket.

  At some point, his journal slipped from his hands, and he fell asleep in his small sleeping bag after a long day’s work.

  10

  RAINY DAY

  The glowing algae stew must have done a number on him. He slept so restfully that when his body finally woke, though he didn’t know the time, he wanted to go back to sleep and rest for another day or two.

  However, like always, his body grumbled for food, and against his will, he pushed himself up. His skin still had a faint, luminescent glow from the stew.

  He rolled over in his bedroll and saw that Luna had stayed. She was softly snoring near the dwindling embers of his fireplace, kicking in her sleep and making small wuffing noises.

  As soon as he got up, Luna woke up too. Thankfully, she did not run away, though she continued watching him carefully.