Chapter II – Waiting for Hard Mode
Entering Location
Verdant Green
Recommended Level 15+
He arrived in a flaming ball of rainbow light. The grass beneath him was burn to char, a circle of black, meters across, branded an archaic sigil in the ground under his feet. Beyond the impact site, he could see swaying heads of wheat, nodding slowly in the breeze; and beyond that lay densely packed forest, creating a thick green canopy above rough brown trunks. He crouched low, looking to the charred earth at his feet, trembling as the shock of his arrival rippled through his being. Bryn had transformed into some kind of shining, armoured goddess and sacrificed herself to allow him to get away. 'She was a Valkyrie... Like from the old stories. They fetch warriors when they die in battle and transport them to Odin's halls where they can eat and fight for honour for eternity. She was only in that terrible place because of me and now she's dead.'
His emotions ran rampant through him, deep wracking sobs shook his frame as he struggled to come to terms with the trauma of all that had happened and the the loss of the first person he'd met in this life.
He raised his head once more, looking beyond the golden wheat and dense green canopy, to the open sky above; overhead, birds wheeled lazily, a stark contrast to the chaos that still thundered in his chest. He took a deep breath, in... and out and for a moment, he dared to hope. Perhaps this place was safe.
But then a light ping announced another notification as it blinked into existence, shattering that fragile illusion.
WARNING!
Location level exceeds your own by 10+
Extreme Danger Present
His stomach sank as he processed the words. Extreme danger? Just my luck. He inhaled deeply, trying to steady his racing heart.
“Verdant Green,” he murmured, the words strange yet soothing on his tongue. He looked around at the idyllic meadow. Slowly he stood, looking upon the vibrant greens of the canopy and gentle sway of the golden wheat felt like a balm against his frayed nerves.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn’t wandering. This place—dangerous or not—was a respite. And its name resonated with him, a spark of something he couldn’t quite name.
He touched his chest reflexively, as though expecting to find a piece of himself missing. The truth was, he didn’t know what was missing. His memories were fractured, fragments without context. ‘Who was he before this? Did it even matter?’
‘No’, he thought firmly. ‘Who I was doesn’t matter. Who I choose to be does.’
He stood a little straighter, ignoring the way his legs still trembled. “System,” he said aloud, his voice firmer than he felt. “Assign name; I am Verdant Green.”
Acknowledged…
Name Updated.
--- --- --- --- ---
Welcome User. Verdant Green.
A flicker of satisfaction broke through the fear gripping him. ‘If nothing else, I get to decide who I am.’
The moment of resolve passed quickly as his survival instincts kicked back in. He lowered himself on to the charred earth, scanning the meadow for movement. No swaying stalks, no sounds of rustling leaves. He exhaled shakily.
‘Alright. First things first. Let’s figure out what I’m working with here.’
As Verdant willed his pending notifications to appear, a new chime sounded, sorrowful tinkling filled his mind before a silver notification appeared before him, twinkling softly like starlight.
Secret Quest Gained (Unique)
Wings of Remembrance (1/3)
Brynhildr: The Guiding Light; Valkyrie in service to the All-Father has fallen in battle. As the only witness it is your duty to tell of her final battle and to find a worthy inheritor of her legacy.
Objective
Find a worthy inheritor to take on the mantle of The Guiding Light and protect them until they can grow into their new role.
Rewards
Title: Saviour of Legacy
+50,000 XPs
+Revered status with all living Valkyries.
Time Limit
None.
Verdant felt a single tear roll down his cheek as he read the notification. He had been given an opportunity to repay the one who had saved him. ‘Brynhildr, I will tell your story. I will preserve your legacy and find a worthy inheritor, I swear it.’ He was startled a moment later when he heard a soft thud next to him.
Lying amidst the tangled stalks of wheat, the stone seemed almost unremarkable at first glance—a small, smooth object, dull grey against the earth. But as the light shifted, a faint golden glow pulsed from its surface, like the flicker of a heartbeat hidden within.
Verdant picked it up by a leather thong threaded through a hole on the top and looked at it more closely; the runes etched across it shifted subtly, their lines reshaping into patterns that seemed alive, faintly whispering words too soft to understand. A strange aura surrounded the stone, the air colder and sharper near it, carrying the faint scent of snow and ancient winds. Though small enough to fit in a palm, it drew the eye, as though the world itself bent toward its quiet, powerful presence.
Placing the beautiful necklace around his neck, he could feel a warmth emanating from it, like sitting in front of an open fire. He basked in the feeling for a moment. 'I will remember you.' Holding his hand against the stone, he resolved to continue with the slew of notifications vying for his attention.
Achievement Earned: Reincarnation-Malfunction (Unique)
Successfully break from the cycle of reincarnation.
Title gained – Rude (-10% Charisma)
+5 to all base stats
+5% to all base stats
+20% resistance to effects targeting your soul
You don’t like following the rules. Fine, be like that!
Achievement Earned: The Void Stares Back (Epic)
You’ve gone somewhere no one was meant to go and you’ve seen things no one was meant to see. That leaves a mark.
+Curse – Enmity of the Void
+10 to Vitality
+10% to Vitality
Hello darkness my old friend.
Achievement Earned: Stepping Between Worlds (Rare)
You’ve died and successfully reincarnated in another world.
Title Gained – Reincarnator
+2 to all stats
Hidden
Once more unto the breach.
Skipping over the damage and status effect notifications, Verdant dismissed the confirmation prompts for Bryn’s preselected purchases. ‘Would choosing myself have changed the outcome?’ The thought lingered but was quickly pushed aside.
He opened his status.
Status
Name
Verdant Green
Title
Rude [Expand]
Age
25
Race
Human level 1 (0/100)
Class
Unselected (Level 5 Required)
Professions
0/2
Stats
Health - 30
Mana - 33
Free Stats
+60
Free Efficiency
+60%
Strength
17
Vitality
27 [31]
Dexterity
17
Intelligence
17 [19]
Wisdom
17 [19]
Charisma
17
Traits (1/5)
1. Gift of Myriad Tongues (Epic++)
Skills
Tokens – 7
His stats were much higher than expected—likely thanks to his achievements. 'Still, how do these compare to a "typical" human?' Questions for later. He dismissed the status screen, turning to the blinking gold light.
Warrior’s Crucible Package Activated
You’ve elected to forge yourself in fire! The package comes with the following.
Warrior’s Crucible Questline Gained
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Achievement Earned: Life’s a bitch and then you die. (Unique)
+1 Storage pouch (0/100) (Epic)(Soul-bound)
+1 Iron Seax Blade (Common)
Go forth warrior, for guts and for glory!
A soft thud beside him drew his attention to a small pouch nestled in the ashes by his feet, a light cloud of dust settling around it, having been disturbed by its sudden appearance. Before he could grab it, a new notification appeared.
Achievement Earned: Life’s a bitch and then you die (Unique)
You’ve elected to take on my tra—I mean challenge! Grow stronger and entert—I mean survive!
+Curse – Hubris’ Folly
Bring the pain!
Two curses? Seriously? Verdant fought the urge to groan. He reviewed the Curses tab with a thought.
Curses
Enmity of The Void
1. Void-aligned creatures within 10km are drawn to you.
Hubris’ Folly
1. Increased enemy stats +20%,
2. Reduced stealth efficiency -20%,
3. Increased XP gain +20%.
Fantastic. Let’s see what fresh hell that red light brings.
ERROR.
Entity Conflict.
Entity ‘Verdant Green’ is inside Entity ‘Verdant Green’
RESOLVING…
--- --- --- --- ---
SOLUTION.
Assign Entity ‘Verdant Green’ as Sub-Entity of ‘Verdant Green’
ACKNOWLEDGED.
Solution accepted.
--- --- --- --- ---
Provisional Caretaker Status of Entity ‘Verdant Green’, assigned to Entity ‘Verdant Green’.
--- --- --- --- ---
Conflict Resolved
END.
Verdant stared at the error message as it blinked out of existence, feeling an unrelenting sense of dread.
‘Fuck me, when does it stop?’ he muttered, closing the panel and pressing his hands into the soft ash beneath him, trying to steady his breath. He shook his head, attempting to absorb the growing heap of revelations. ‘Apparently, I’m a caretaker now, whatever that means.’
Another notification pulsed insistently at the edge of his vision—a soft blue light that demanded his attention. He focused on it, the system responding immediately.
Quest gained!
Home is where the monsters won’t hurt you (1/3)
Due to an unfortunate naming sense you have been granted temporary caretakership of the location – [Verdant Green]
Objective
Find the central node of [Verdant Green] and claim it.
Rewards
Permanent Caretaker Status
Time Limit
72 hours
Verdant sighed, closing the screen. His fingers brushed over the soft grass as he sat back on his heels, trying to take stock. His eyes scanned the meadow again, noting its gentle beauty—the swaying grass, the rustling of trees on the horizon, the rhythmic cries of birds high above.
His gaze shifted upward, and his breath caught in his throat.
A massive planet filled the sky above him, its sheer scale dwarfing anything he’d ever imagined. Verdant could see its swirling oceans, the intricate outlines of landmasses, and vast weather systems roiling across its atmosphere.
He froze, the sight stunning him into silence.
‘Am I... on a moon?’
The realization hung heavy in his mind, a perfect fusion of awe and unease. Everything about this world was strange, wondrous, and perilous. If he wanted answers, he would need to survive long enough to find them.
His grip tightened on the earth beneath him. Whatever this place was, he would figure it out. He had no other choice.
He’s pulled from his reverie by a pull in his chest, tugging him into the forest. ‘Is that the quest? Some kind of objective locator?’ Verdant gets to his feet, grabbing the bag from the ground. ‘The screen said there was some kind of blade as well, maybe it’s in the bag?’ He reaches into the pouch, flinching when it feels like plunging his bare hand into freezing water. “Well, that’s fucking ominous.”
Muttering curses about his blade and the gods giving him an empty sack, he gropes around in the cold until something hard and smooth slides into his grasp. Pulling the object out, he finds a bone handle sheathed in worn leather, emerging from a bag far too small to hold it.
Item – Iron Seax Blade (Common)
A pitted iron blade, showing signs of rust. Though it feels unusually sturdy.
Skill Unlocked!
Assess 0 > 1
A crucial skill for all sapient beings, it allows a system panel to be generated for an object or creature at a glance. Higher levels will generate more detailed information.
‘I guess it’s better than punching shit with my fist.’ Verdant slides the blade halfway from its sheath, examining its edge before returning it. As he moves to place it on his belt, he notices something else: all his clothes have changed. Now he’s wearing a long-sleeved, baggy linen shirt and a flowing, colourful skirt that looks suspiciously like a kilt. A light breeze tickles his nether regions.
‘Fuck me, my sack is going to end up as lunch for a monster bunny, what a crock.’ Noting the sturdy leather belt cinched around his hips, he ties the seax on one side before bending over and lifting the heavy rock into his pouch, it slipped inside easily before he placed the pouch on his other hip, keeping them both within easy reach. ‘Seventy-two hours to do this quest… no time like the present, I suppose.’
Stepping through the wheat, moving towards the trees, he glances down and realizes his feet are uncovered—yet another shock in a morning already filled with them. His emotions, barely contained beneath the surface, bubble over. Clenching his fists, he roars at the top of his lungs, like a certain alien mercenary with a busted scouter: “FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”
#
Verdant had entered the forest several hours ago, unerringly following the pull he felt in his chest. Weaving through the trees, passing down embankments and across streams, he tried to ignore the growing sense of unease creeping around him. The canopy above made for a shady, comfortable environment, with sunlight peeking through the leaves and dappling the forest floor. At first glance, it felt just like a peaceful stroll—yet he remembered the extreme danger warning all too well.
He walked carefully, staying alert, but the tranquillity of his surroundings felt almost surreal. He had yet to see a bird in the trees or a rabbit along the ground, let alone anything bigger than that. ‘It’s too quiet. Like the forest is holding its breath… or maybe I’m just paranoid.’ Every so often, a faint ding echoed in the back of his mind—a system notification, no doubt. He chose to ignore it, refusing to let it divert his focus. Eventually, the insistent flicker at the edge of his vision quieted, as though adapting to his preference.
As he continued following the pull, the trees began to change. He started to see old-growth giants towering dozens of meters high, their massive roots bursting from the ground—some taller than a man—creating burly, gnarled trunks that blocked much of the forest from view. ‘On the bright side, if I don’t find this objective before dark, I could hide in a burrow created by one of these roots. I don’t think I have to worry about creatures attacking me in the night… though who knows if I’m right. Still, cover would be nice in case it rains.’
After walking for a couple more hours, he still hadn’t seen any sign of creatures or the objective. The pull in his chest felt like a magnet, guiding him forward with a gentle but unrelenting tug. Now and then, an unseen notification icon blinked in his peripheral vision, trying to catch his attention. With a low growl of annoyance, he dismissed it mentally. ‘Not now, damn it. Just tell me something important when it actually matters.’ As if sensing his irritation, the blinking paused, then faded into the background.
Looking up, Verdant saw the sun was starting to slide behind the planet hanging in the sky. While it made for a beautiful—if unusual—sunset, he felt a sudden pressure to find shelter. A light breeze stirred the leaves, sending a faint chill through the air. He realized that if he was on a moon tidally locked to the planet—which it appeared to be—he could be in darkness for an unknown stretch of time; it could potentially be days or weeks, given that a day night cycle on the moon back home being twenty nine and a half days, with an equal split between night/day hours. ‘Weird how I know that… but nothing about the old me. Still, I need to find shelter, food, and water. Something to see in the dark would be great, but maybe it won’t matter if there’s enough natural starlight or some other source of illumination here.’
Verdant had seen a suitable tree only half a kilometre back; it wouldn’t take long to backtrack. There had been plenty of berry bushes and what appeared to be potato plants around the base of some of the trees. Water wasn’t an issue either, since a fast-moving stream flowed only metres away from the tree he had in mind. With a plan forming, he set out, heading back toward that spot, his senses on high alert in case the forest’s hush was hiding something more sinister.
On his way to make camp and think of a plan, Verdant collected fallen sticks and branches with his pouch. He was amazed by this magical piece of tannery; it didn’t matter what he put in the opening, it seemed willing to accommodate many different shapes and sizes. Each item took up a single slot, though if they were similar enough, they stacked in the same slot with a number denoting volume. Realising he’d become distracted playing with his sack, Verdant forced himself to focus, gathering berries as he moved along. The sound of running water soon reminded him to stop and drink his fill—and see if he could improvise a way to carry some water to the tree.
Arriving at the stream, Verdant drank deeply but quickly realized his pouch simply wouldn’t accept uncontained liquids; a barrier at the entrance repelled the water. ‘I feel like I could force the issue, but maybe it’s there for a good reason. Oh well, it’s not that far. I’m sure I can make the trip from the tree as needed.’ Glancing upward, Verdant saw the sun disappearing at an alarming rate. He guessed he had less than fifteen minutes to reach the tree and find a place to stay at this pace. In a hurry, he grabbed a smooth, palm-sized rock from the river, placing it in his bag, and sprinted away.
Feeling the ground fly by under his feet Verdant realised this was the first time he’d really let loose with his new body since arriving in this world. He could feel his muscles flexing, expanding, and contracting with each stride, the wind blowing through his hair as he dashed toward his chosen refuge. Approaching the tree, he noticed it was very wide around but not nearly as tall as its neighbours. Its protruding roots made the perfect surface to run up, and the bark was thick and craggy—ideal for climbing. From there, it was only a short scramble to a large fork at the base where the primary branches met the trunk.
Climbing over the crest, Verdant saw a large bowl a couple of meters across, with some rough growths but generally quite smooth under his hands. He paused to catch his breath. Looking back over the edge, he realised he was close to twenty metres off the ground. Scaling a near vertical wall like that was incredible. The bark’s rough texture and deep cracks had helped, but still… ‘Maybe I really will be able to survive this prick’s challenge. My stats are barely above what I started with, and I can already do something like this. Fucking crazy.’ Turning to survey the natural hollow that would be his shelter for the evening, he grinned. ‘Gotta admit, this is pretty sweet. I could get real comfy here and let the night pass me by.’ He groaned when the world chose this moment to let him know that there would be no getting comfy in his immediate future.
Alert!
Night has arrived on Skuld. Her sister above, blocks the glorious rays of Asgard.
708hrs will pass before light touches her face again.
Be warned. The foulest creatures climb from the earth during this time. The cleansing light no longer present to keep them away. Corruption abounds.
You had to go and piss off the darkness.
'Great, an endless night on an alien moon with ominous warnings of terrible beasts. What else am I missing?' Verdant closes the panel and feels his stomach drop when a war horn announces the appearance of a golden panel.
Warrior’s Crucible Quest Activated! (1/12)
Due to the coming of night and your Enmity of the Void curse your first trial has begun.
Objective
Survive the {Voidborn}. 0/3 waves.
Rewards
Your presence will be masked from the void for 240hrs
+1000XPs
+1000 Reputation with The Aesir Guardians.
Time Limit
None. Survive!
An ear-splitting shriek echoes through the forest, sounding demented—garbled and wrong, like air escaping from a hole that was never meant to make noise. Verdant feels a cold sweat break out over his body. The monsters from the void, skittering and clicking their mandibles, trying to tear him apart before he was whisked away to this world. ‘It seems like they’ve followed me. Fuck me dead.’ Another golden panel appeared in front of his eyes, horn blaring in his mind, keeping him apprised of the situation.
Warrior’s Crucible Quest Updated (1/12)
Survive the first wave! (1/3)
A ding sounds softly at the corner of his vision, he glances at it briefly before squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on the fight ahead. He has no time for the system’s incessant meddling.
Verdant takes his seax from his hip, using it to pry a piece of bark from the nearest branch. It was heavier than he expected, appearing quite sturdy. He walks back to the edge where he climbed to the crest and carves a groove for the improvised barricade to slot into. ‘Hopefully this will provide me with some cover and hinder their progress.’
Another ding—he just snarls under his breath. “Fucking system. I’ll look at you when I’m good and ready.”
Verdant huddles behind the large barricade, pressing his shoulder hard against it. He’s surprised to feel very little give—adrenaline and a newfound strength seem to steady his arms. The next moment, a sound at the base of the tree brings him back to the present. Something is moving up the bark, fast.
Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick
The creature scuttles quickly up the tree, and Verdant sees it stick its chitinous mandibles and head over the barricade, exposing the vulnerable underside of its throat. Nearly half a meter of iron enters the underside of the abomination’s gullet. It stiffens before suddenly going limp, ichor pouring from the wound and coating him in thick fluid, reeking of bile and rotten egg. In the quiet that follows, Verdant hears two dings in quick succession—another ignored update.
Twisting the blade and spinning at the hips, he stands with force, throwing the spider off the side of the tree. In the process, he makes the wound larger and spilling foul fluid all over his lovely new home. Verdant spits out a wad of congealed muck from his mouth. “Well, that wasn’t too bad. Just gotta bite the bullet and do it. Nothing to it. It didn’t even touch me, though I could have done without the fucking shower, you monstrous bastard.”
No sooner does he utter these words than he hears the same shriek from earlier, except this time there is clearly more than one. Daring to look over the edge, past his barrier, he sees three more large bodies, moving at speed through the forest toward his tree. ‘They’re making directly for the spot where I climbed up earlier, I thought it was just a coincidence that the first spider climbed up that way, but maybe there’s more to it.’
The sounds from below intensify; the spiders seem to be vying for the lead position and knocking each other off target in the process. ‘I can use this; these fuckers seem to be really stupid. If they do the same thing the last one did, I may be able to kill the first one before the others even realize, then they’ll have to climb over it to get to me.’
At that moment, another ding resonates in his mind. He sees a flicker at the periphery of his vision but slams his eyes shut again, teeth grinding in frustration. “I get it, system! Go away.”
The noise on the other side of the barricade is almost deafening now. Verdant is ready; and as the lead spider sticks its bulbous head over the barricade, he executes his finishing move once again, sliding his blade directly into the creature’s brain pan and twisting it for good measure. The spider stops screeching immediately, stiffens, and goes still, slumping with its monstrous body halfway over the barricade—creating a second layer of defence. ‘I must have missed whatever septic shit sack I tore open last time, note to self, don’t fucking do that again.’ Removing his seax from the spider, he wipes the blade on his shirt, as a small trickle of rancid ichor drips from above and a brief ding informs him of the latest update.
Turning to face the front of the spider carcass above him, Verdant sees the body of the second spider as it climbs down from the carcass. He sees his opportunity and moves with grace, diving out from his shelter, making a running jump and slashing the creature’s abdomen from back to front as he lands, rolling up its thorax. Verdant feels a burning pain as his calf is pierced by the foreleg of the third spider, ambushing him as he made his move. He continues rolling, tearing free of the strike and completing his maneuver by bringing his blade down in an overhand strike directly into the top of the creature’s skull. He wills the dings to silence. ‘The fucking system is trying to kill me.’
Rolling off the front of the now-deceased spider, Verdant attempts to recover. Spinning to locate the last monster as it approaches him, he sees it standing upon the back of its deceased comrade, rearing up with its forelegs in the air. It screeches that soul-rending noise once more. ‘Your eyes are on the top of your head, dumb arse, how the fuck are you supposed to see me if you rear up like that, you wanker?’ Moving forward to where the spider will come down, Verdant angles his blade so that the force of the spider will pierce it straight through.
Once again, the spider’s vital organs are destroyed unerringly by his blade. Like a sixth sense, Verdant seems able to sense the best place to strike for maximum damage. It doesn’t help that they appear to lack basic intelligence and operate only on feral instinct. “I’m not having too much trouble, but that last one managed to do some damage to my leg.” He looks down and sees the wound isn’t nearly as deep as he’d thought, and the bleeding has already stopped. ‘I know what these few stats I’ve gained have done for me; I felt that myself. If I want to get out of here and survive going forwards, I need to spend the rest of my points.’
Looking at his status, he sees he has sixty free points to spend. ‘I don’t know the first thing about magic, and I doubt these fucking spiders want to have a nice chat. I’ve got to double down and get the most out of my physical stats. I didn’t realize my vitality was so high, that must be why the bleeding stopped so quickly.’ Having decided, Verdant splits his points equally among his physical stats.
Stats Allocated
Strength 17 > 37 [38]
Vitality 27> 47 [54]
Dexterity 17 > 37 [38]
Quickly glancing at his status, seeing that his health had almost doubled, Verdant feels satisfaction… briefly, before feeling disgust at the slimy muck that his right arm, face, and upper torso are covered in. He tries to scrape off as much as possible before moving to throw the carcasses from his position.
Just as he’s clearing the last wretched body from his fortress, he hears more screeching in the distance. Verdant grumbles and thinks to himself, ‘Watch this you sadistic fuck, you want entertainment, I’ll give you a fucking show.’ The spiders reach the base of the tree and beeline up the same path, fighting all the way, as before. ‘Like fucking robots. Fuck the lot of you.’ He can’t tell if it’s adrenaline, exhaustion, or pure frustration causing his body to surge with energy, but something about within him feels…unhinged.
In a sudden fit, he runs for the edge, tearing up his barricade and leading toward the incoming horrors. He swings down with both arms, burying the sharp edge of his bark-turned-shield in the face of the lead spider. Time slows as he looks about an intangible pull guiding him to the weak point on his next foe. He moves in a flurry of motion, dancing through the horde, severing limbs at the joint when they dare to block his path, his seax enters each body and exits in a fluid motion leaving behind dead or dying creatures, before kicking off and striking his next target unerringly.
Leading from the last spider, he hits the bark of the large roots and slides to the ground. Gore rains down from above as severed limbs and chitinous bodies slam into the soil. Verdant raises his ichor-stained arms and yells his fury to the heavens. “There were too few enemies to slaughter,” he spits, out of breath. ‘They would contain me! Strike me down before I can grow. Fuck that. I will not be controlled!’
A flashing red light follows, yet another ding glimmering in his vision, before he passes out on the loamy soil beneath him, surrounded by the still twitching remains of his slain foes.