The wind howled through the alleys of Drakmoor, carrying with it the ever-present ashfall that settled over everything. Ardyn crouched behind a crumbling stone wall, his breaths shallow and uneven. Blood seeped from the gash on his shoulder, staining his tunic. His fingers trembled as they gripped the pouch of stolen coins, each one feeling heavier than the last.
System Notification:
New Quest Available: Secure a Safe Haven. Reward: Basic Crafting Blueprint.
The words hovered in his vision, cold and unfeeling. He rubbed his eyes, hoping they would disappear, but they remained fixed like some ghostly specter.
"A safe haven?" he muttered under his breath, voice tinged with bitterness. "Yeah, because those are just lying around in Drakmoor."
Ardyn leaned back against the wall, exhaustion pulling at him. He couldn't stay in the open like this. Garrin's thugs would come looking for him, and the guild would soon put a price on his head. He glanced at the glowing notification again, feeling a mix of unease and curiosity.
"What do you want from me?" he whispered to the empty air.
The System didn't answer, but another notification appeared.
Optional Task:
Loot Garrin's Hideout for Supplies. Efficiency will be assessed.
Ardyn let out a dry laugh, his voice hoarse. "Efficiency, huh? Guess mercy's not on your menu."
Despite himself, he pushed to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. Garrin's hideout wasn't far. If the System was giving him tasks, then maybe it wasn't entirely useless. Supplies meant survival, and survival was all he cared about.
The tavern was eerily quiet when he returned. The faint smell of spilled ale and blood hung in the air, mingling with the omnipresent ash. Garrin's body lay where he had left it, the once-dominating figure now just a broken husk. The other thugs had scattered, but they wouldn't stay gone for long.
Ardyn stepped over the corpse, his eyes scanning the room. The overturned table still lay on its side, the spilled coins glinting faintly in the dim light. He pocketed a handful, but it was the vial on Garrin's belt that caught his attention.
It was a small, glass container filled with a swirling, dark liquid. Ardyn frowned as he picked it up, holding it to the light. It looked almost alive, the shadows inside shifting like smoke.
Item Acquired:
Unstable Elixir – Effects Unknown.
"Great. Mysterious poison in a bottle," Ardyn muttered, slipping it into his pouch. He didn't trust it, but he'd learned that even the strangest things could be valuable in Drakmoor.
He moved quickly, grabbing anything useful—a bundle of bandages, a half-filled waterskin, and a rusted key he found tucked under the bar counter. His heart raced with every second. The shadows outside seemed to press closer, and he knew it wouldn't be long before someone came looking.
Task Complete:
Loot Garrin's Hideout. Efficiency: 82%. Reward Allocated.
Reward: Basic Crafting Blueprint – Improvised Shelter.
Another notification flashed in his vision, followed by a strange warmth spreading through his mind. Images appeared, clear and detailed as if etched into his brain. Instructions for building a crude shelter out of scrap materials. It wasn't much, but it was something.
Ardyn's lips twisted into a grim smile. "At least you're useful for now."
The streets were quieter than usual as Ardyn slipped through the alleys, keeping to the shadows. Most of the slumfolk had retreated indoors, wary of the guild's patrols. Every now and then, he caught glimpses of movement—figures darting between buildings or the faint glow of a lantern.
The abandoned district was his destination. It lay on the outskirts of Drakmoor, a crumbling maze of ruins left untouched by the guild. Too dangerous, too unstable. Perfect for someone like him.
By the time he reached it, his legs felt like lead. The wound on his shoulder throbbed, and every breath was a struggle. But he didn't stop. He couldn't. Survival wasn't just a choice; it was all he had left.
The district was a graveyard of broken buildings and collapsed streets, the remains of some long-forgotten rebellion. Ardyn found a small structure still partially intact—a narrow, two-story building with most of its roof caved in. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.
Inside, the air was damp and cold, the floor littered with debris. Ardyn set to work immediately, using the crafting blueprint the System had burned into his mind. He scavenged what he could find—broken planks, rusted nails, scraps of cloth—and pieced together a makeshift barricade for the door.
Crafting Progress: 25%... 50%... 100%. Shelter Established.
The barricade wouldn't stop a determined attack, but it would buy him time. He collapsed against the wall, his entire body aching. The weight of the day pressed down on him, and for a moment, he let himself close his eyes.
But the System wasn't done with him yet.
New Quest Available:
Recruit an Ally. Reward: Leadership Skill – Tactical Awareness.
Ardyn opened his eyes, scowling at the glowing text. "An ally? Who the hell would trust me?"
He shook his head, pulling the scarf from his face. The System didn't care about trust or feelings. It wanted results. And if it thought he needed someone else to survive, it probably wasn't wrong.
Still, the idea of relying on anyone made his stomach churn. He had trusted people before, and all it had ever gotten him was pain. But as he stared at the notification, a bitter smile crept onto his lips.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll play your game. But don't expect me to like it."