“This time of year, everlasting warmth blankets these lands. The twilight will allow for clear sight during the dead of night.”

“It’s still eerie. you know. The night. Even if it isn’t cold.

It’s still hard to make things out in the dark, even if there is this faint creepy purplish glow over everything.”

“One should keep one's wits about them at all times. Despite the generous lighting, the most dangerous predators are nocturnal.”

“It feels too darker. I wanted to see if I could continue for a bit in the dark.

No. It’s best to just set up camp.

What do you think, Narry?”

“While our intuitive hero contemplates his sleeping arrangements. We can hear the footsteps of a heavy figure. We the initiated of course hear even the pitter patter of the light footed rune etcher.”

“Oh? They caught up with me? Strange. I haven’t been moving slowly and haven’t met any creatures or anything.”

“Not only have the caught up, it seems they are not done yet. Their speed indicates running. Running away from something.”

“I can hear the big guy’s steps now. But they seem heavier than I would expect.

How did he become so large!?”

“In the distance a small hill appears to be rushing towards our hero. It isn’t apparent but he is probably a descendant of a earth-like element that achieved sentience. It is however still undetermined.”

“What should I do? Do I help them?

Is he shouting something?”

“The deep bellowing roar emitted by that mountain of a man falls short of reaching our hero.”

“You can hear him, right? What is he saying?

Stone? Is he yelling stone?”

“Still dumbstruck our hero stands still, undecided what action to take. The primal roars, contrary to expectations, seem to become less coherent as they near closer.”

“What the hell is he screaming? Caaaaaa? Caap?

Oh! I can see the girl now. She’s standing on his shoulders, cloth wrapped around his arms.

That’s a lot of cloth. Is she creating more clothing? I was thinking she had enchanted cloth or something.

Hmm.

Should I run? I can’t even see what’s chasing them.”

“While in deep contemplation, a clear and elegant shout, echoes forth.”

‘Camp stone! Camp stone! Camp stooone! Camp Stooone. Camp stoone.’

“Ah.”

“Without hesitation our hero summons one of his camp stones and quickly activates it.”

|Camp stone|

Sets up a ten by ten unit area.

Area is invisible to outsiders.

Area is physically impossible to enter.

Camp lasts for twelve hours.

Pauses Quest progress.

Consumable item and will vanish once the duration ends or is dispelled by the creator.

‘Name!’

“Huh?”

‘Name! Give me your name!’

“Ji Aleksy!”

“A moment passes before a notification blares in Ji’s peripheral vision. We are all here to witness our hero’s first time. Congratulations!”

Notice: Party invitation

You have been invited to ****’s party.

Do you accept?

“How do I accept? Do I think it?”

You have joined ****’s party.

All experienced is shared equally between party members.

All looting is distributed depending on party leaders rules.

Notice: First time setup

Setting up default interface.

It is possible to detail the interface to one’s preference.

“Holy- what.

Wow. Now this is looking a bit better.

Health bars, mana bars. Some other bars.”

****’s profile

All information set to private.

Name: -

Level: ***

Age: **

Species: -

Lore: -

Abilities: -

“Eh?”

‘Thanks!’

“As quickly as our hero could react to the flood of information, the party of two arrived within the borders. Escaping the swarm hunting them.

Numbering in the tens, the beasts may not seem threatening. However, like many swarming beasts, their strength lies beyond the physical.”

“What are those?”

‘Baaaaaah!’

‘He’s saying bahs. A lot of bahs.’

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Bahs? I can’t even see them properly.”

“The creatures quickly thin out, vanishing into nothingness. Most likely digging a new Nest. The creatures usually feast on small animals but something has altered this particular swarm.”

“We’re a party now. Right? I want to be the leader.”

‘No.’

‘Girl will lead. She’s smart.’

“But I-.”

‘Trust me, girl will lead us. Much safer.’

“With a wave of her hands, a tent manifests itself around the little rune etcher. Our hero stands still, unsure how to proceed.”

“How are you so big? Can´t you be smaller. Your voice has too much bass in it.

You’re seven times my size. This is ridiculous. This defies all reason.”

“A booming voice bellows forth. His speech seem to have been hampered. The words come out slowly, giving the illusion of a simple man. Which he may very well be.”

‘Had to change. Girl said we would die.

Lucky. She knew where you were.

It is impossible to use a camp stone while in combat.’

“...”

‘I need to rest.’

“I think I could have killed those things. Just ‘Bam!’ shoot them down.

I’ve been wanting to test my strength after all that training.”

“As our hero fantasizes about using abilities beyond his capabilities, we watch the surroundings fall into silence.

Ignoring the nearby colony of bahs, both party members fall asleep. Before long our hero gives in as well and closes his eyes.”

“Don’t talk all night, Narry. I can hear you sometimes. When you think I can’t hear you.”

“If we now take to a higher altitude, focus our vision. We can see many individuals and groups of people skirmishing or settling in for the night.

Some bravely continue their journey despite the danger in the night.

Thousands have quickly been spread thin. A few seem to have stumbled upon misfortune. By the hands of both the native beings and other quest chasers.

Common features among the arrivals is easy to identify. Young. Talented, but strangest of all. They hover around the same level.

Some close to four hundred, some near two hundred. And while the gap is large. The strength of the individuals are not.

It’ll take some doing, but once Ji’s group starts hunting. He’ll rise as quickly. It may even become hard to justify following the world’s quests.

If it wasn’t for the importance of items. They may all fall short in comparison to a blind hunt. We’ll have to see where our fated young hero takes us.

We can only hope he won’t be as disappointing as his predecessors.”

‘Up! Ji! Up!’

“Hrrm.”

‘Just carry him, if he doesn’t wake up.’

‘I’m not carrying a half naked man. I’ll carry you whenever. Come. Want to sit on my shoulder again?’

‘Tsch. Then leave him. I’m going.’

“...”

‘Ji! Up!’

“Yes. yes. I’m up.”

‘Good. Hurry up. She’s already leaving.’

“This is how you treat your saviour?”

‘Haha. I’ll treat you to something to drink once we return from our quests.

Catch up, I’m going to.’

“Dumbfounded, our hero looks at his new party members stroll away casually. Lucky the bahs only hunt at night, as the bahs have leached into the surrounding dirt.”

“I. Hmm. Just go with the flow?”

“”

“...”

‘...’

‘...’

“Guys. C’mon.”

‘...’

‘...’

“At least tell me your level. How can we work together without transparency.”

‘You ask too many questions.’

‘She is right. Too noisy.’

‘Careful. Something may be over there.’

“The thick flora hides the dangerous fauna. Somehow the little lady seems to have detected a form of life.”

“I don’t see anything. I’ll lure it out.”

‘What is that?’

“Hehehe. Don’t be surprised. This is pure mana!”

‘How uncouth.´

“What’s uncouth? big guy, what is she calling me?”

‘I don’t know.’

“Whatever, see if this is uncouth or not!”

“What seems like a sharp wind shoots towards the large trees and bushes. Clearly a shallow show of power. It is however commendable.

To achieve such control over ambient mana, in such a short time. But of course his companions have no idea.”

‘Just a simple mana blast. For a man, he sure likes attention.’

‘It’s all ambient mana though. He must specialize in it.’

‘But isn’t it wasteful to just throw it like that?’

‘Very wasteful. But he’s not like you, all your mana must be compressed in your body.’

“Guys. I’m right here. I can hear you.”

“The powerful wind follows after the blast. Yet nothing comes out.”

“Didn’t you say there was something there?”

‘I didn’t say it was hostile. It must have ran away.

Also. No one asked you to recklessly attack.’

‘You should listen to leader. She’s smart’

“You said that before. I don’t see it. How is she smart?”

‘It seems you don’t understand her background.’

“Uhm. Should I?”

‘Clearly a bumpkin. Don’t tell me, did you come from one of the outer outposts?’

“Huh. How did you know?”

‘It’s obvious, obvious. Like she said, very uncouth.’

“Devastated. Our hero has been found out for the uncouth creature he is.”

“Again with the uncouth. What does uncouth mean?”

‘Mm. Very uncouth. Very uncouth. Right miss?’

“Why is a big man like you kissing her ass?”

‘What did you say!? Want a fight?’

“What?”

‘I’ll fight you anytime!’

“What the hell.”

‘Shh. Shut up, you two. I’m trying to listen.’

“It would appear that a group of beasts are migrating. And their path should intersect with our hero’s party.”

“Where?”

‘There. Get ready’

‘Always ready!’

‘Ji. You are a mage, right?’

“Ye. Sort of.”

‘Sort of?’

“I also do a kind of yoga.”

‘Wha-. Nevermind. Just stay behind Tréjörð.’

“His name is Trjejorth?”

‘Tréjörð!’

“Trijarth?”

‘Want to fight!?’

‘Stop it! They will be here soon.’

‘Alright!’

“I’m always ready. I never let my guard down.”

*Smack!*

“Owh! Hey!”

‘...’

‘...’

“Lucky for our hero, he managed to escape that sneak attack.”

“...”

‘There are six of them. I can’t hold six of them. What do we do, miss?’

‘I can stop two, reliably. Three if it's only for a few moments.’

‘I can hold three as well. But we have no idea if that guy can handle himself in a teamfight.’

“Guys. I’m right here. I can hear you.”

‘We will have to assume it is just the two of us for now.’

‘Alright, I’ll listen to the little miss.’

“...“

“Discarded. Irrelevant. Ignored. Useless.”

“Right? How can they dismiss me like this?

Okay. I’ll do a preemptive attack.”

“As our hero ponders, schemes and licks his struck ego. His teammates have gotten in position. The too large for life golem-esque man slams the ground.

The results are self-evident. Spikes shoot from the ground. A makeshift wall.”

‘Those won’t hold them. It’s just earth, I don’t know if they will even pierce them.’

‘It doesn’t matter, as long as it slows them down, their momentum is the true threat here.’

“You need to slow them down? I might be able to help”

“With closed eyes our hero mimics his giant companion, his arms rise up. And slowly come down. As they go down they pick up speed.”

“Hah!”

“Arms connect to the ground, vibrations shake the earth, the rather weightless slam to the ground appearing to carry far more weight than expected.

A moment's passes yet little to no change seems to have occurred.”

‘Hey! You ruined my spikes. What do you think you are doing!?’

“It didn’t work? But i definitely felt it.”

‘Get ready!’

“The grounds begins to shake in rhythm of thirty six legs pounding the earth. Our hero looks distraught. Has his failure shattered his confidence? Has fear taken hold?”

‘For the tree and soil!!’

‘I’ll take the three on the left!’

‘I’ll take the other three.’

“I’ll tak-.”

“In a surprising turn of events. The shaking ground comes to a startling halt, the beasts have begun sliding and rolling across the terrain in our team’s direction.”

“It worked! I loosened the earth and increased the moisture in the ground!”

“In a maniacal fashion our hero laughs. But before celebration can be had, we see the towering creatures rise. The ground is left in scars from their heavy weight.”

*Hrrrrph*

‘Now! Go Tréjörð!’

‘By the earth, in the tree’s name!’

“After a short warcry and chant, a pillar erupts from the ground. As the living earth rises, a hand grasps it. Quickly roots and branches come sprouting from the hand and weaves through the soil.”

“How in the. How did you do that!?”

‘Attack!’

“The giant leaps forward. A living weapon in hand. Our hero stands by baffled. The beasts find their footing. The battle begins.”