The cold hadn’t left.
Smoke rose from the firepit, drifting toward the dull grey sky. The air was crisp, but not biting—just enough to keep fingers stiff and people moving. The morning hum of activity had returned, but it felt... subdued.
David stood near the fencing, arms folded, watching Yusuf and Raj direct others in reinforcing the eastern line. Thin stakes were sharpened by hand, woven between logs into low barricades. Every few minutes, someone would pass by with more rope and wood.
They were building like they expected to be attacked tomorrow.
“Thicker here,” Yusuf called, pointing to a narrow slope just beyond the tree line. “If they come through, it’ll be through this bottleneck. Camila said the terrain bends them inward.”
“Yeah, she’s probably right,” David said. “Let’s get Hana to freeze the ground there later, make it slick.”
Raj raised a brow. “Hana?”
David nodded. “Miriam’s wanting her to be more involved after getting ice magic.”
“Make’s sense”
<hr>
By the Training Field
Hana’s ice cut cleanly now. She’d grown quieter since learning <i>Ice Make</i>—more focused. Beside her, Ellie watched her conjure a narrow lance of ice, whisper a word, and send it crashing into a straw dummy from fifteen feet out.
“Perfect angle,” Ellie said. “That’s the rib shot.”
Hana nodded, breath steady. “How do I make it faster?”
“You’ve got the control. Work on burst-casting. Like this—” Ellie raised her palm and flicked her fingers outward. A small disk of ice spun into the air and shattered on a tree trunk.
Hana tried.
Her first one cracked and spun sideways. The second one hit.
They smiled, faint but real.
Nearby, Travis and Wren argued about <i>In</i> again—Travis insisting he could brute-force his way into mastering it, Wren snorting every time he failed to keep his aura hidden for more than three seconds, Wren had bought <i>In</i>, allowing her to give some valuable insight for Travis in how to use it, but at this rate it’ll take months before he can use it in any meaningful way.
“If they’ve got other Nen users, <i>In</i> is the technique to have.”
“I know, but I’m trying to save up for a hatsu”
“You’re a transmuter right?”
“Yeah”
“What you thinking, bungee gum? maybe Killua’s Godspeed? At least you won’t have to experience most of your childhood being tortured.”
“Maybe, unless I think of something to develop my own Hatsu.”
Li practiced her transformations across from them. Her face morphed slowly into Jake’s for a second before it half-melted into something between Jake and David. She cursed and started again.
<hr>
Callum – Outer Edge of Camp
Callum wasn’t working. Again.
He stood just outside the food tent, talking quietly to Dylan and Cara.
“How many points are you two on now?” he said.
“43” Cara said, biting her lip. “Do you not feel bad. I mean most times they bring goblins back or a hobgoblin they now give all of us a share.”
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“It’s only fair, with all we do at the camp” Callum rebuked.
Dylan scowled. “He’s right, I’m on 48 now. Do you have any idea about the others Callum?”
“Most of them have enough to unlock a path now, and even a power like you two. When Camila goes out to hunt she always brings back a lot of Goblins, 3 hobgoblins the other day, when she’d gone out with Yusuf, Ellie, David and Roger. And well what, we got two of them and a number of goblins as well.”
“How many points are you on now then?” Cara asked.
“73. We can’t keep delaying path selection, maybe only one or two more days, but there’s no way that Jake doesn’t know we should have enough points. Think Miriam just wants to keep the peace”
<hr>
The Obelisk
Jake sat cross-legged beside it, rereading old entries and reorganizing the tally sheets. No one had taken a new path recently. The logbook showed dozens who could—who had enough points saved up. They should even be able to by chakra or Haki as soon as they buy their path as well.
He flipped through until he reached Alex’s page.
90 points. All spent. <i>Sharingan: Three Tomoe.</i>
Jake rubbed his eyes. “That’s a massive boon. I wonder if he can get to Mangekyo or even Rinnegan. Though both are limited in number.”
Miriam sat down beside him. “That would be a massive asset to have, though from what you’ve told me, he’d need to have the chakra to back it up. How many confirmed powers now?”
“Forty-two,” Jake said. “A few more trickling up. Still thirty uncommitted.”
“And of those, how many loyal to Callum?”
Jake didn’t answer. A rhetorical question.
<hr>
Alex – Outskirts, Midday
He wasn’t far.
Not this time.
Alex had decided to stay close, areas he’d already explored, he wanted to test out his Sharingan. He’d circled east again, checking for more signs of the raiders, the giant humanoid, or anything unusual. The forest was still. Silent.
But not empty.
He crouched beside a set of prints—not human. Hooved again. A trail heading north, deeper into unfamiliar territory. The soil was cold under his fingers.
Behind him, the trees groaned.
Alex stood, one hand on his saber. He’d heard from Camila about a goblin encampment, they’d been avoiding it on account of the numbers, at least 30 goblins, 5 hobgoblins, and something huge, they suspect its an ogre.
He was wanting to scout the camp today at least, then he planned to speak to Camila about a war party.
<hr>
Marcus’s Camp – Afternoon
Camila arrived near dusk. She didn’t ride. She walked, cloak tight, saber slung high. One of Marcus’s sentries met her at the perimeter.
He greeted her with a nod. “Still standing?”
“Just barely,” she said.
Inside, the camp was larger than before. More tents. Better structure. More weapons on display.
Marcus met her near the center. He looked tired, but unbothered.
“They’re hunting further,” Camila said without preamble.
He nodded. “We figured. One of our runners saw movement close to the cliffs. Thought it was your people.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Well shit” Marcus paused. “Well not to worry the way they are currently heading.”
“What do you mean”
“Have you come across, the skins yet?”
Camila said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a no. We’ve had some encounters, odd creatures. Pale, hairless, misshapen. Aggressive. The cliffs they have headed to has a cave loaded with these creatures, they don’t seem the overly cautious type, so I’m guessing they will head in. And hopefully they’ll take a hit to their forces.”
“Only a maybe though”
Marcus added, “Well yeah, it is a matter of if. In the meantime, will try to keep an eye on them, and as always prepare.”
Camila raised an eyebrow. “You sound awfully calm about everything”
“Experience. When you see a person torn apart by a few skins it puts things into perspective.”
<hr>
Back at the Cradle – Evening
The fire crackled again. The smell of hare stew drifted over the camp.
Alex sat across from Grace having returned with a few rabbits and a couple hares, this added to other hunting teams, have a fairly meaty stew. He was slowly sharpening his blade. He hadn’t said much since returning, his mind distracted, focused on the camp he saw, it’ll be a tough task, but one of immense rewards if they can pull it off.
Yusuf and Raj discussed Nen theory again, Raj had been a fan of One Piece and Hunter, and though he’d chosen the One Piece path, he enjoyed providing his insights with regards to Nen. Wren laughed at Travis, who had once again failed to suppress his aura. Becca finally managed to balance two leaves across her arm using chakra, and nearly shouted when they didn’t fall.
Jake stood alone near the Obelisk.
A relatively peaceful sight.
<hr>
Jake’s Log (Night Entry)
<ul>
<li>Yusuf purchased Aura Expansion (Large) and Big Bang Impact. Nen-based threat level increased.</li>
<li>Hana continues to show progress in Ice Make. Now field-capable.</li>
<li>Alex explored northeast—possible new trails, but no contact. Spotted movement. Unknown. He brought more news in relation to the goblin camp.</li>
<li>Camila met with Marcus. Tensions neutral. Confirmed: Marcus’s group remains intact.</li>
<li>Eastern defenses 70% completed.</li>
<li>No new path selections today. Callum remains a destabilizing presence.</li>
<li>Cradle Status: Tense.</li>
<li>Next Objectives:</li>
<ul>
<li>Push for more power awakenings</li>
<li>Prepare east scouting party</li>
<li>Reassess pathless population loyalty</li>
<li>Monitor Marcus’s camp communications</li>
</ul>
</ul>