Alex sat beside the firepit with Miriam wrapping his shoulder, her movements quick and clinical. He winced as she applied a thick, bitter-smelling salve.
“You’re lucky it didn’t tear your damn arm off,” she muttered. “Had to go on your own, huh?”
“I just knew what I was trying to do,” Alex replied, trying not to hiss at the sting. “Just... didn’t want to ask anyone else to risk their life.”
“And what do you think we’ve all been doing this whole time?” she snapped. But her touch softened as she tied off the final bandage. “You did good.”
He nodded, eyes drifting to the smoke spiraling up from a pyre nearby. A boar was roasting on a spit, a rare treat. Around them, the Cradle stirred—rain-slick earth muffling footsteps, firelight flickering beneath tarps, weapons being cleaned, sharpened. No formal meeting. No announcement. But everyone moved with purpose, like a living machine with a hundred tired limbs.
Jake was already seated at the Obelisk, hunched over his journal, scribbling with furious intensity. He still hadn’t picked a path. And yet, Alex suspected he was sitting on a hoard of points. Watching. Calculating.
Across the clearing, Camila trained alone. Waves of compressed wind burst from her palms, ripping through straw and wood dummies she’d dragged into place herself. Her movements were efficient—practiced. Sharp. She’d grown since the fog-beast attack, since the bear. There was something undeniable about the way her magic bent the world now.
A few younger survivors gathered nearby to watch. Camila didn’t look at them. She just kept going.
<hr>
Meanwhile, the camp simmered.
Tensions weren’t high yet, but they were climbing. Callum had gathered a few of the pathless the night before, murmuring under the pretense of fairness and representation.
“Callum’s really pushing for point distribution to himself and the rest of them,” Grace whispered to Alex over breakfast. “Thing is, they probably already have enough points for a path. They just aren’t spending it.”
Alex stirred his bark-and-bitter-leaf tea. “Feigning weakness. Keeps them from having to hunt. No power, no expectation.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Now he’s working to make it so they can reap what actual hunters earn.”
“He’s preying on the uncertain,” Alex muttered. “Says we’re consolidating power, acting like warlords.”
He snorted. “What a fucking slime ball.”
“Miriam knows,” Grace added. “But she’s refusing to make a move.”
Near the food stores, David stood with Yusuf and Raj, arms crossed, deep in discussion over the next training rotation. His presence had shifted since acquiring Full Body Armament Haki. The day before, he’d shattered a goblin’s wooden shield with one punch, following through to cave in its chest before sending it flying a few meters back. Such a sight gets people talking. Particularly when he uses Hardening now, able to harden his full body, becomes a veritable terminator, at least to goblins.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Jake leaned toward Miriam near the Obelisk. “Strength’s becoming the new metric. I’ve heard whispers. Some think David should lead.”
Miriam didn’t blink. “Do you think he’ll push back?”
Jake shook his head. “No. But others might push him forward.”
<hr>
Ellie and Hana worked in the north field, magic crackling between their hands.
A small frozen blade shimmered between Hana’s fingers before cracking and dropping to the dirt. She sighed.
“Closer,” Ellie said with a grin. “Fifth one today.”
Hana beamed. “Can I fight soon?”
“Soon. How many points have you got?”
“Twenty-eight,” she said quickly. “Planning to get Ice-Make Magic soon.”
“With how much you’ve been practicing, you’ll flourish.”
“Don’t jinx me,” Hana muttered, but she couldn’t stop smiling.
<hr>
Late that afternoon, a scout burst into camp—panting, drenched, wide-eyed.
“Movement—north of Marcus’s camp,” she gasped. “Big group. Not the same as his.”
The camp froze.
“Another group?” Miriam’s voice was low, incredulous. “Fucks sake. How many?”
“Didn’t get close enough to count. But it’s more than a dozen. They’re loud, fast. From what I could tell... all men.”
Jake paled. “Wonderful.”
David muttered, “That makes three. Including us.”
A meeting was called within the hour. Survivors gathered near the Obelisk, half listening, half watching for signs of danger.
“They’re getting closer,” Camila said to the gathered crowd. “We don’t know what they want. I say we avoid them until we understand more about Marcus’s group.”
“Are they connected to Marcus?” someone asked.
“No,” Jake replied. “Different camp. Different layout. Marcus’s group is tight. Clean. These guys... not so much.”
“Confident,” Yusuf said. “Or reckless.”
“We can’t afford a confrontation,” Miriam added.
There were murmurs of agreement. But also doubt. Fear. The knowledge that the world was growing smaller, and more dangerous, with every day.
<hr>
That night, the core group sat around the firepit: Camila, Jake, David, and Alex. The flames were low, smoke drifting quietly into the dark.
“They’re multiplying,” Jake said quietly. “Feels like yesterday when we thought we were alone.”
“Others are expanding,” Camila replied. “Confident now.”
David leaned forward. “We need information.”
Alex stared into the fire. Then said: “I’ll go. Again.”
Camila raised an eyebrow. “Alone?”
Alex shrugged. “Worked last time.”
Jake groaned. “He’s going to die, and I’m going to have to write poems.”
Alex smiled faintly. “Give me two days. I’ll just watch. No contact.”
Camila didn’t answer right away. Then: “Fine. But check in. Every day. And don’t be stupid.”
He nodded, already thinking about rivers and trees and creatures that watched from the sky.
<hr>
Jake’s Updated Log
<ul>
<li>
Confirmed Survivors: 72
</li>
<li>
Alex returned successfully after slaying a Troll.
</li>
<li>
David now has Full Body Armament Haki.
</li>
<li>
Camila growing in skill and influence.
</li>
<li>
Callum stirring unrest among the pathless.
</li>
<li>
New Group Spotted: North of Marcus’s territory. Male-dominated. Unknown size and intent.
</li>
<li>
Notable Creatures: Giant Eagle (Skyborne), White Stag (Territory unknown)
</li>
<li>
Camp Status: Holding—tensions rising.
</li>
<li>
Next Objectives:
<ul>
<li>
Long-range scouting recon
</li>
<li>
Monitor Marcus’s group and new third party
</li>
<li>
Address political fractures before escalation</li></ul></li></ul>