Erin didn’t crawl directly inside the den when she arrived, instead choosing to flop down in the snow next to the entrance. Even though she hadn’t been gone long, the sky was noticeably darker. A sure sign that winter was well underway.

She breathed heavily as she checked the wound on her leg. It had stung the whole way back, but not as much as she thought a wound like that should have. To her surprise, she found it had already shrunk noticeably at the edges.

[Tier 2 souls produce much more durable bodies.]

Lisa had informed her as Erin looked it over. She sighed and then shrugged. It was just another strange thing on an ever-expanding list of strange things. She leaned back and slowly exhaled several times with her eyes closed, trying to meditate away her misery without success. She was tired, sore and hungry. She reflected on how soft her old life had been; how easy.

Erin knew her situation wasn’t normal, even for this strange world. She had been meant to arrive somewhere with people to guide her. Preferably somewhere warmer, with fewer hordes of metal spiders or giant beasts that turned up wherever she was. She hadn’t though. Instead, she was here, cold, alone and utterly lost in a world she didn’t know.

Despite her best efforts, despair overwhelmed her and tears began to run down her face. She just wanted to go home; to see her parents and her little brother. To visit her friends so they could complain about their very ordinary lives. Some parts of Erin wondered what Lisa made of the emotional display, but if the Liaison had any opinions, she was keeping them to herself.

But before Erin’s pity party could build up a head of steam, something crashed into her. She had pushed herself to her feet and had already started casting when she realized there was nothing there. Yet she could feel whatever was pressing in on her from all sides as if she were deep underwater.

The rush of nausea that seemed to be the penalty for casting spells without food or rest hit her with force as she dragged magic into her hand. Erin gritted her teeth and tried to power through. Some instinct told her she wasn’t spent. The pressure climbed higher and she could feel the half-formed spell starting to unravel, and she pushed back, trying to bring the flames to life in her hand. The world spun around her as she poured every iota of willpower into her magic.

Fwoosh!

With a monumental effort, the fist-sized ball of flame flowered into existence above her palm. Erin willed herself not to throw up as she scanned for the unseen threat. The oppressive pressure vibrated, and she caught faint hints of amusement, similar to how she could sense Lisa’s intent at times. Then it was as if something reached out and touched the fireball in her hand, and the spell blew apart, shredded into fiery ribbons that faded into the air. Erin stared at her empty hand in horror before she fell to the ground and dry heaved. Nausea had finally overwhelmed her willpower, but for better or worse she had nothing to throw up.

"You might survive." a voice that sounded like knives being sharpened touched Erin’s ears and her head snapped up. An old woman in a ragged brown cloak stood no more than ten feet away. Erin struggled to get back up, determined to meet his new threat on her feet.Vertical once more, Erin took in the old woman's appearance properly. Her back was so hunched over Erin was certain the cane she gripped in one hand was necessary. Blind eyes, milky white with cataracts, stared as if they could see Erin just fine.

"Who are you?" Erin asked as she leaned on her staff, trying to suppress shivers that had nothing to do with the cold. She could sense that this woman was the epicenter of that awful pressure.

[It’s magic.]

Lisa informed her, and Erin blinked.

Magic? How’s that possible?

Lisa didn’t reply, but Erin didn’t need her to. Now that she had some context, she was better able to make out what her senses

were telling her. Magic rolled off the old woman like waves of heat coming off a massive bonfire.

"When I found you," the old woman spoke, ignoring Erin's question, "I must say I wasn’t impressed. Crying like you’d given up after only one day. " She turned her head slightly and spat a gob of yellow liquid into the snow before continuing. "But you surprised me; It’s not many new mages who could power through that much distortion. Especially as exhausted as you are."

Erin wasn’t sure what to think of the old woman. Part of her wanted to be glad that she’d found someone, but this didn’t feel like a rescue. Erin gripped her staff tighter as she leaned more heavily on it.

"Who are you?" She asked again, trying to sound assertive. The old woman flashed her a grin of yellow teeth.

"That's better," she said, "that’s the kind of spirit you'll need to survive."

"Who are you?" Erin asked a third time, her voice steady as she ignored the woman's ramblings.

"You can call me Gurty, not that it matters what you call me. I’m not here to trade gossip or hold your hand." The old woman gave her an appraising look with blind eyes and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Well, you’re in no fit state. One day and you’ve already used so much magic that you’re starving. We don’t have time for you to eat and rest. " The gnarled hand that wasn’t gripping the cane slipped out from under the tattered robe, and a crystal vial appeared in her grasp. "Take this, and drink it."

She tossed it to Erin with surprising force, who snatched it out of the air with her free hand without thinking. It was lighter than it looked but sturdy, and the crystal was warm beneath her fingers. Erin held it up to eye level, and Lisa chimed in.

[Refilling Vial: Bronze Stamina Potion - This potion artifact rejuvenates lost stamina. Additionally, it allows the body to heal at an accelerated rate for several minutes. The flask uses ambient magic to refill itself every three hours. Note - This potion is not meant to replace food or rest over an extended period.]

Is it safe? Erin thought towards Lisa.

[According to the information provided by The System; yes. So long as you don’t try to overuse it.

Erin nodded and pulled the sealed cork off the vial. She sniffed at the contents to find them completely odorless. Then she took a tentative sip. Apart from the sensation of fluid on her tongue, there was nothing. Bracing herself, she tossed the bottle back and took the whole thing in a single gulp. The potion was entirely flavorless, with the texture of water.

As soon as it hit her stomach, warmth began to spread through her core and out to her limbs. In a few moments, she felt transformed. No longer having to lean on her staff for support, she stood upright. She was invigorated, as if she’d slept a full night in a comfortable bed, and then enjoyed a large breakfast. Without being sure how she did it, she pushed back against the magical pressure that clung to her body, creating a thin layer of protection around herself.

"That’s the spirit." The old woman flashed her another yellow grin. "Now on to business."

"Can you get me out of here?" Erin asked, not waiting to hear what business she had in mind.

"That’s not why I’m here."

"But-"

"Do not interrupt me, girl." The woman snapped, and a shockwave passed through the magic that poured off her. Erin felt her thin layer of protection shiver under the impact, and she clamped her mouth shut and glared in defiance.

"If you wish to behave as a petulant child, then be my guest, but you’re wasting time. The life of one of your fellow newborn mages hangs in the balance. ’

“Other people were reborn out here?” Erin asked incredulously.

“Several and many of them are already dead.”

“Why?” Erin asked

“Stupidity mostly, some bad luck. Not everyone chose a fire spell.”

“I mean why were we reborn in the wrong place?”

“Don’t know, couldn’t say.” She gave a dismissive shrug. “We don’t have time for you to ask me a hundred questions I’m not going to answer.” She pointed a gnarled finger into the woods. “Travel in that direction for an hour and you’ll find a cave. Inside you’ll find a young mage, more recently reborn than you even. If you hurry, they might even be alive.” Erin’s gaze followed the finger and she stared into the woods for a moment, seeing only trees and snow.

‘But then-” she started to say as she looked back, but the old woman was gone. She was alone. Even the magical pressure had vanished. “What is that Batman bullshit?” She asked as she spun around. No tracks, nothing.

“Do you think she was telling the truth?” Erin asked Lisa.

[I’m sure I don’t know, but she handed you an artifact.]

Erin looked at the vial still clutched in her hand. It was empty for the moment, but if the description was to be believed then it would refill itself in a few hours.

[Someone's life could depend on you.]

Lisa added after a moment of silence, and Erin's stomach sank.

“Unless she was lying.” Her voice held no conviction. Even if she had been lying, Erin's mind was already made up. She wouldn’t risk leaving anyone to die in this place

Erin sighed one more time and gripped her staff tight in her hand before setting off into the forest. Still buzzing with new energy from the potion, she decided it was time to get some questions answered. It was going to be a long walk anyway.

“Show me my character sheet… Can you make it kind of transparent?” She added as the screen filled her vision and she became blind to the path in front of her.

[Of course]

The window in front of her faded in brightness as it became semi-translucent. She resumed trudging forward through the snow with some urgency. Her attention split between where she was going and the character sheet in front of her.

Name: Erin Young

Class: Unranked Mage

Tier 2

Soul: Normal

Mind: Bronze

Body: Normal

Spell Slot (Soul):

Aug 1

Aug 2

Spell Slot (Mind:) Fireball (Bronze: Rank 1 (6%)

Aug 1:

Aug 2:

Spell Slot (Body):

Aug 1:

Aug 2:

Spell Slot (Special):

Aug 1:

Aug 2:

Boons:

Liaison

(Unknown)

(Unknown)

(Unknown)

(Unknown)

Equipment:

Bronze Staff

Augment Rune: Bolstering

Crafting:

0.5lbs of Iron Chitin

Inventory Item: Bronze Medallion

Currency:

Copper Maefars: 41

Artifacts

Slot 1: All-Purpose Hat (Bronze)

Slot 2: Refilling Vial: Stamina Potion (Bronze)

Slot 3: Empty

Slot 4: Empty

Erin’s eyes scanned down the sheet as she considered her options.

“Is there anything to gain by hoarding that augment rune?” She asked as her eyes alighted upon it in her list of equipment.

[That depends on the effect of the rune. Some augments work better with certain spells, but they can only be applied to a single spell so sometimes it's worth saving them if they don’t pair well with the ones you have.]

“Okay,” Erin said, as she nearly tripped over a log in the snow, “so what does Bolstering do for Fireball?” Lisa was silent for several seconds before a new window popped up.

Augment Rune: Bolstering - Fireball: Consecutive Fireballs on a single target do more damage. This effect is cumulative.

Erin read the screen twice just to be sure she understood.

“Well that seems pretty good,” she said, but Lisa offered no opinion. When it came to making these decisions she was on her own. Erin pulled the little sphere that represented the rune out of her inventory and held it in her palm, watching the runes swirl inside the glass orb.

[Would you like to apply Bolstering to Fireball?]

Lisa’s voice asked her, in that flat way of speaking she used when she spoke for the System. Erin chewed on her lips as she walked. Headed into unknown danger, she needed every advantage she could get. That and she didn’t have enough information. It seemed like a good combination, but she didn’t know what other kinds of magic or augments existed.

“Yeah.” She said after she’d taken several steps in silence. She stopped as the glass sphere in her hand began to glow dimly. After a few seconds, the orb faded away, leaving behind the black tangle of floating runes.

The ball of shifting letters rapidly began to uncoil itself like some sort of tattooed snake. As she watched it moved down her arm, wrapping around her limb as if it meant to constrict her. She could feel the magic clinging to her skin as it spread over her body. For a brief moment, she could see the runes glowing even through clothing, and then the light faded, and the magic followed.

Erin was suffused with new knowledge. A better understanding of how her Fireball spell worked, and what could be done to alter its effects in a particular way.

“Well, that’s…. Interesting.” Erin whispered as she looked herself over.

[Eyes up, you’re almost there.]

Erin looked ahead to see the ground sloping upward. A couple more steps brought the promised cave into view. Erin had been picturing something more like a storybook. A roundish entrance that opened into darkness. This cave looked more like a wound in the earth like a wild cut had left a jagged rend in the soil. From within she could see the flickering light of a campfire.

“Well let’s go say hello,” Erin said as she gripped her staff-turned-walking-stick and headed in the cave's direction.