Morning light crept into Sylas's small shed, illuminating the wooden beams above him. He lay still, arm wrapped with a bandage from the Fangling attack. It ached less today, but the memory of the fight was sharp.
Not just a game. Not a dream. He had bled. He had killed.
It's real. All of it.
He sat up slowly and called the system to check on his progress.
[Status – Sylas]
Level: 2
Health: 87/100
Stamina: 60/80
Strength: 6
Endurance: 7
Intelligence: 5
Skill Points Available: 2
Title: Wanderer with a Roof
Active Trait: First Steps (+Minor Boost to Manual Labor Efficiency)
He stared at the numbers. "So I can get stronger. For real."
He tapped to open the skill tree. It branched out in hazy gray paths, most of them locked.
But two early ones gleamed faintly:
[Basic Crafting I] – Unlock simple tools and repairs.
[Field Survival I] – Improved resource gathering and stamina drain outdoors.
"Crafting," he said aloud. "I'm gonna need to build more than roofs."
He chose it. A soft hum echoed in his mind as the skill locked in.
[Skill Acquired: Basic Crafting I]
You can now create: Stone Knife, Simple Torch, Basic Tools, Small Containers.
"Now we're talking."
He grabbed a stick and an old piece of stone he'd pocketed yesterday. With patience, he carved and chipped away, crafting a crude but usable stone knife.
It wasn't much—but it felt good.
Like progress.
Later that morning, he made his way to the center of Haresh. The village wasn't big—maybe twenty families—but today, the square felt busier than usual. People gathered around a wooden board nailed to the side of the tavern.
He approached, and an older woman—plump, red-cheeked—noticed him.
"You're the boy staying in the old shed?"
"Yeah," Sylas replied. "What's going on?"
"Request board," she said, patting it. "Work-for-pay. Garen probably forgot to tell you."
Sylas stepped closer. The board was filled with parchment slips:
"Firewood Needed – 12 logs – 6 copper"
"Fetch: Wild Berries – 2 baskets – 5 copper"
"Repair Fence (East Farm) – 8 copper"
"Missing Hen – Find and return – 3 copper"
Quests. Real ones. Manual labor, not monster slaying.
His heart sped up not from excitement, but from something simpler.
Stability.
Choice.
He pulled down the firewood notice and turned just as Mira the village matron passed by.
"Take the berry one too, if your legs aren't broken," she said, without breaking stride.
He laughed, then paused.
"…Can I?"
"You finish one, then another," she called back. "That's life."
[New Quest Accepted: "Winter Wood"]
Objective: Chop and deliver 12 logs to Haresh's storehouse.
Reward: +6 Copper | +5 Reputation | ???
Sylas made his way toward the forest edge, passing the village farms. He saw familiar faces—Ryn waving from the riverbank, Garen hammering away in the forge, Mira carrying a basket of cloth.
They didn't stare at him like a stranger anymore.
I'm starting to belong.
He reached the woods and picked a tree with low-hanging limbs. His crude stone axe crafted earlier with the new skill was dull, but usable.
Hours passed as he worked, sweat pouring down his back, hands blistering again.
By the time he dragged the final log back, the sun was tipping toward the hills.
[Quest Complete: "Winter Wood"]
+6 Copper | +5 Reputation | Trait Progress: Laborer (25%)
New Perk Unlocked: "Callused Hands" – Blister chance reduced.
As he returned to the square, he heard someone call out.
"Hey! You dropped this!"
Ryn came jogging over, holding a small copper coin.
Sylas blinked. "That's… not mine."
"Still yours now," the boy grinned. "We don't waste around here."
He pressed the coin into Sylas's palm and darted off.
Sylas stood there for a moment, looking down at the coin.
Ten copper in his pouch now.
Enough for a better meal.
Maybe even to trade with Garen for tools.
He tightened his fist.
It wasn't much.
But it was his.