“That’s the quest done”, Amalia informed as she sat down on a tall rock, taking off her helmet.

“More levels too? There were just a few monsters to blast down, here”, Logan asked, jokingly.

Amalia laughed, “Just another two, nothing to worry about.”

“The progression from this quest certainly pushed us ahead of our plans”, Marcus began as he moved some of the crispy bodies to the side for Logan’s Harvesting adventure, “We’ve still yet to deal with our hunt. I suppose we can just hope it won’t push us ever further.”

Logan sighed after he drank from a waterskin, “I am doubtful we’ll face more than two adversaries in that. Since both of our quests are System-related we should have some time off to increase our masteries where the new stuff has popped up.”

“We can only pray.”

“Since it’s your hunt, I take it I will be in another backline position?” Amalia asked.

“It’s going to depend. The quest essentially has two roads, either we let Drustan complete his ritual and possibly fight something else, or we attempt to stop him and fight the Devout himself.”

“So we’ll adjust based on the newcomer.”

“Right. As for Drustan, as a Knight-type you’re probably fine against a Devout, they typically aren’t too fast. If he has advanced alterations, which I have little doubt he doesn’t, you’ll have to worry about Skystrikes and other alternate attack methods.”

Amalia adjusted her belt as she sheathed her sword after cleaning, “It’s kind of strange to be so far from the fight as a ‘tank’ style class.”

Marcus’s ears perked up at the mention.

“You may have close to double our health, but magic can get through a lot of your defences.”

“I do have quite a bit of damage reduction”, Amalia admitted offhandedly.

“The level disparity is what concerns me more. These last couple of confrontations shot you up quickly, and you have amazing quality gear, but—”

“‘Overprepare, and prepare some more, or die with a platinum in your pocket’ right?”

Logan let out a short shot of laughing air, “It’s a good motto.”

“There’s always dungeons, for replacing our gear with artefacts that grow with us”, Marcus offered, knowing one of their issues was out-levelling their equipment.

“If we’re lucky enough for them to give us viable items. A bow won’t do us much good. I could use them, but I have no skills centred on them.”

“Didn’t you have eleven skill points to spend?”

“Yeah. But I am saving them for level 30 if I can. The tens unlock new class-specific skills that I can’t buy tomes for.”

“Makes sense, I guess.”

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After clearing up a load of Harvesting and a short rest, the gang made their way back to the gashriek sanctuary. They were easily picked up by guards in the trees again but were given a much more welcoming greeting.

Whispers spread around the woods as rumours blossomed about the party, their second visit to the leader’s hall showing they weren’t mistrusted, and leagues beyond that they were tasked with something that required their return.

Entering the hall, with gloves off, Logan started the talk with the leaders in shrieky. “We have dealt with the jinmerru, and its ‘offspring’. It shouldn’t return in any form, though I do advise caution going through the forest, as we did encounter a huge pack of shifted monsters.”

Macarra was the first to respond in ava, “Your tracking abilities are astounding. Nary two days have passed and you’ve both found and removed the monster from our neighbouring treelines.”

Earc quickly followed after in shrieky, “I am perplexed at the speed at which you completed this task. We’ve yet to gather all the information surrounding your forraying Devout—”

Fionnghu interrupted with a cough and continued in shrieky, “We will need to confirm your report either way. Please, stay within the settlement and on the morrow, we will relinquish what we know.”

Logan placed a hand into his coat and asked, “May I?” A nodding reply from the middle woman had Logan pull out a beating, crescent-shaped piece of wood, a strange amalgamation of heart and sap. “This is the jinmerru’s heart. Your scouts won’t find much remains of the creature on arrival.”

“Such fine work to carve that out and still have it beat”, Earc admitted in shrieky as he tilted his head to look over the item at a distance.

Fionnghu covered her mouth and nose, “Very well. Our scouts will still investigate for any remains that could reform, though”, she insisted in shrieky.

Earc scoffed and nodded knowingly at Logan as if to say “You’re fine.”

“We shall await your reply”, Logan ended in shrieky before bowing his head slightly, causing his allies to do the same.

Leaving the hall, the trio looked around as the guards gave them leave of the area.

“We could do with the rest anyway”, Marcus accepted, getting a good gist of the conversation.

“Oh. Are we camping outside, or trying to find an inn?” Amalia asked.

“Let’s take in the town before finding shelter for the night”, Logan instructed as he rubbed his jaw.

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Exploring the city streets, the party engaged in partial conversations with the populace, though mostly the merchants within their brick buildings. Prices were different, with precedence placed on items specific to the forest. If Logan wanted, he could destabilise the economy a bit, but that would work to bite the gashriek in the rear later if he did.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Reaching a tavern of sorts, mostly a gathering place for people to eat food rather than anything else, the party received worried glances.

“Table for three, please”, Logan asked in shrieky.

The server had their anxiousness turn to familiarity, “Yes. Please, this way”, she returned in a thicker accent, the h’s almost a wave of static.

Getting seated, Logan showed off more of his linguistic skills, “I have heard gashriek do wonders with salt and pepper breads. Do you make homeloaf rind here?”

The sever’s familiarity turned into an ear-wide smile, “We certainly do. Today we have a lovely oak bread, freshly baked this morning.”

“You were able to get the ingredients with local issues?”

“Our stockpiles are deep, enough for a half-year of luxury.”

“Ice magic trinkets?”

“Yes. Mose always blesses our harvests, so we do what we can to keep it alive as long as possible”, the server replied, leaning on the table like they were reminiscing with an old friend.

This caught the attention of other patrons, their heads aimed to get the best sound from the conversation.

“Three homeloaf rind, and a pitcher of sap oil blueberry”, Logan ordered.

“That’s my favourite!” the sever almost shouted as she took a few coins from Logan.

Marcus followed the sever with his eyes as she left, before turning to Logan to ask in ava, “Her favourite what?”

“Drink. It’s a sweet alcoholic concoction.”

“It’s only midday”, Amalia teased with a smile.

“Good thing it’s not particularly strong. More for it keeping long than to get drunk.”

As the party conversed, an older gentleman leaned in their chair to get closer to the party, “Excuse me. Where did you learn shrieky? You’re very fluent”, he asked in shrieky.

“Self-taught. The words barked in my ear and took root in my heart”, Logan replied in a swathe of s and h sounds.

The older man coughed and spluttered his drink, “I haven’t heard that saying since I was in school learning the alphabet!”

“Enjoying your meal? I’ve yet to eat in a gashriek settlement.”

The older man glanced at his table, “That I am. We’ve not been able to leave the town for a while, so I decided to take the family out for a gathered meal.”

“That problem should be sorted, but wait till the official announcement on it”, Logan informed with a smile.

Before the conversation could continue, the server came back with a wide plate on one arm, and a pitcher in the other. Placing it on the table, she spoke in broken ava, “Here is the meal, enjoy please.”

As she took three mugs that were hooked on her apron she tapped Logan’s shoulder, “Extra for the guests”, she admitted in shrieky as he jutted her head at the extra roll.

Logan thanked the lady as she left, letting the trio dig into their meal. It was a set of four large rolls that had seasoned meat sewed onto the crust, like a reverse sausage roll of sorts. Cutting up the rolls with their utensils, they enjoyed the soft inside through the slightly crispy exterior before drinking their thick berry-flavoured beverages.

During their meal, the older gentleman and his family left, leaving no one to thank when dessert came to the party’s table by way of the new friend. The server informed the group it was a gift from the table next to them that had already gone. A large sharing bowl of an ice-cream-like cheesecake, pieces of breadcrumb base mixed into it.

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After eating, the party extended their exploration of the city streets. They weren’t going to see another settlement like this for some time, so now was their chance. They bought several souvenirs and rare items they couldn’t get elsewhere while absorbing the atmosphere.

Logan was also able to acquire some components for crafting purposes later, when he had a longer stretch of downtime to himself, and wasn’t preoccupied with reading.

Night within the gashriek settlement was different than the larger cities, the canopies overhead created a pretty polka-dot display across the ground, while the roads were lit by hanging lanterns. Larger establishments had light bleeding out from crevices of closed windows, alongside the sound of muffled chatter and laughter.

The tapping sound of footsteps brought the trio to a large inn, a balcony over the entrance holding four separate rooms’ occupants sitting at tables to look over the nighttime aesthetic. Entering the building, the group was met with disquieted patrons. A few of them had their unease fall away as they recognised the party via rumour, while others had yet to receive such words.

“A single room and a couple’s room, please”, Logan asked in shrieky to the staff member at the counter.

He almost jumped up from beneath the countertop, sorting out materials and bringing out a quill to note down the new customers, “Oof. Of course, how can—”, he began as he brought his head up, pausing as he realised the customers were not gashriek, “I help you further?”

“Breakfast in our rooms, we’re fine with the local special”, Logan answered confidently in shrieky.

The attendant paused again, unsettled at how well Logan replied, “The special this week will be dawnbug salad”, he informed in shrieky.

“That sounds great, hold the tails though”, Logan asked.

The man nodded, “Of course. We don’t want to upset your stomachs.”

Logan pulled out a few coins and placed them on the counter, being returned a set of two keys, one of which he handed to Marcus.

Separating to their own abodes, Logan threw his coat over the chair in his shared room and lounged out on the chair that overlooked the other side of the inn. Only murmurs and quiet discussions could be heard, creating quite a private scene.

The sound of warping metal and wind could be heard in the room as Amalia had her gear warp into her gauntlet, revealing comfortable clothes underneath. With a pull at her ponytail, Amalia removed a hairband that kept it controlled under her armour.

Sitting beside Logan she sighed, “I much prefer a day of browsing and safety than going out into the woods”, she admitted as she picked a mug from the table.

“I dunno. I get a bit antsy just sitting still here. It feels like if I don’t move my legs will fall off, or my arms will be too slow to deflect an arrow coming my way”, Logan confessed.

“You relish in helping others.”

“I am my father’s son.”

“My new family is going to be here, I feel”, Amalia replied quietly.

Logan looked at her for a few seconds, an almost guilty expression across his face, “A home is what you pick. If this is it, then this is it.”

Amalia laid her arm over Logan’s, the man rotating his hand to link with his lover’s. “What do you think of this Drustan person?” she asked, changing the conversation quickly.

“I can understand him. With an option for revival, I’d take it. He kind of reminds me of Kreya, not thinking of the immediate consequences or other people, just doing what you can to get a quick outcome.”

“Do you think it will work?”

“In a fashion. The quest wouldn’t give me an objective to let him complete it, otherwise.”

“Not worried about less of a reward? Or that the guild he stole from will lose out on their artefacts?”

Logan chuckled slightly, “Rituals take a long time. I’d give it an eight outta ten chance the items are unusable by the time we find him. Might as well let the man finish and see what’ll come of his actions.”

“And if that ending is dangerous?”

“We can warp away, and if not, we have other options for fleeing. Failing the quest would only end in me getting fewer anyways, plus NPC deaths… actually, I don’t want that happening either.”

“No word on who those people would be?”

“As usual, no. Probably Drustan. Maybe his guild if they are attached somehow? There’s a good chance it’d be this village too.”

“So—”

“The System that gives us quests, doesn’t give us ‘impossible’ ones. I’ve already had an army and a raid quest. This isn’t set up like either, or from what I could identify in stories. It will just be difficult. We’ll be fine. I have a lot of items to back all of us up regardless, it will just be expensive. I’m also a fair few levels over when it was granted to me.”

“Well”, Amalia started as she leaned back in her chair, “if it’s meant for solo or a group, we’ve got it in the bag.”

“I can think of a few ways to overcome the challenge.”

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