Upon returning to the farm, Sinclair and his friends found the place eerily empty, neither his sister nor his parents anywhere to be seen. A sense of urgency welled within Sinclair as he rushed inside, his heart pounding. On the kitchen table, he found a hastily scribbled note that explained their absence.

A mixture of relief and worry settled over Sinclair as he processed the note and passed it to the others to read. "Well, that is good news," Alice spoke, sliding into a chair at the table.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have a lot of status updates to go through. Let's sit and review. If you have anything you need help with, just let me know," Sinclair suggested, slumping into a chair, surprisingly tired. With a casual gesture, he retrieved food from his storage ring, laying it out on the table.

Ed, Alice, and Rose called out their stat changes, voices filled with enthusiasm. The increases were substantial, including skill enhancements and additions. It was clear evidence that growth through adversity was indeed a powerful method of advancement. Sinclair's theory had proven correct, and ‌this challenging approach was the most efficient way to grow—at least, the most efficient they'd found thus far.

Emergency Quest: Myrkr Found! (Completed)

Rewards:

152,500 Experience

120 gold

New Item:

Wind-Woven Arm Wraps of the Agile Monk

New Item:

Helm of the Forest Rider

"Two items. One of them had 'forest' in the name so I'm pretty sure that's yours, Ed. And these wraps are quite clearly for Alice. Sorry, Rose, it looks like you and I don't get anything special this time."

"Well, how about you keep my portion of the gold instead?" Ed said thoughtfully.

"Same here, now let's see those arm wraps!" Alice chimed in.

With that agreed, Sinclair proceeded to read off the stats of the items, a satisfied grin on his face. With a sense of ceremony, he handed the helmet to Ed, who accepted it with an appreciative smile. Next, he handed the wraps to Alice, who eagerly examined them, clearly thrilled with the unique attributes. The shared sense of camaraderie and accomplishment added a warm glow to the room.

New Item: Helm of the Forest Rider (Rare)

Description: Grown straight from the roots of an ancient tree, this helm is adorned with symbols of nature and the realm of beasts. It was worn by the legendary horse riders who served as guardians of the wilderness. The helm grants the wearer a special connection to nature and its creatures.

Effects:

+15 Nature Affinity

+10 Willpower

Speak with Animals:

Allows communication with animals at will

Elemental Resistance:

Increases resistance to all elemental damage by 10%.

New Item: Wind-Woven Arm Wraps of the Agile Monk (Rare)

Description: Crafted from the magical silk of the legendary Silver Silkworm and imbued with the essence of the wind, these lightweight arm wraps exude grace and power. Designed by a reclusive monk, they are tailored for those who embody swiftness and precision, granting unparalleled agility and protection.

Effects:

Slashing Deflection:

Reduces damage from slashing attacks by 50%

Agility Enhancement:

Increases agility by 10%

Health Regeneration:

Restores 5% of health per minute

They each immediately equipped their new gear, reveling in the stat increases. The excitement in the room was palpable as they explored their newfound abilities.

Ed, wearing his new helmet, whirled around and looked at Chewy and Leia with wide eyes, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "I can hear them in my head," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe. The connection to nature he had always sought was suddenly much closer, and the possibilities seemed endless.

Chuckling, Sinclair added, "I think Chewy and Leia got the raw end of this deal." Everyone chuckled a little while still absorbed in their individual pages, enjoying the thrill of their accomplishments.

Sinclair also distributed the gold, with 120 gold pieces split two ways between Rose and himself. I've got over 170 gold now. Money, uh huh, that's what I want, Money. Or something like that, I never liked that song. Thoughts of potential purchases danced in his mind, though he knew he needed to save up for more building upgrades. The balance between immediate needs and long-term goals was a constant consideration, and Sinclair found himself lost in thought as he considered his next moves.

Recalling suddenly that he hadn't shared his Oath Quest with the others, he pulled a screen up in mid air and made it visible to the rest of the group. Which was a fancy new feature he found in the settings of the System interface.

System Message: Oath Sworn

Description: You have made a vow to hunt the Myrkr down until none exist. A Broken Oath has dire consequences and can result in the loss of titles or skills at minimum.

Clearing Status:

Midgard

: 4/10 – Clear out 10 Myrkr leaders that remain after Odin relocated Midgard. These powerful entities must be eliminated to secure the realm.

Worlds Under Attack:

0/3 – Three realms under Odin's care have been under slow siege for years and are on the verge of falling. You must intervene to secure and save them from complete takeover.

Fallen Worlds Recovered:

0/2 – Two of the nine realms have already fallen to the Myrkr's corruption. Mount recovery operations to reclaim and cleanse these devastated worlds.

Source of Myrkr:

0/1 – The source of the Myrkr's infestation remains unknown. Track down its origin and destroy it, ending the threat at its root and preventing further corruption across the realms.

Only six Myrkr remained of the ones that were on this planet, and assuming none managed to somehow transport themselves across the cosmos and add to their numbers, he was well on the way to freeing Earth—now Midgard, he supposed—from their scourge.

The rewards from the looting had been modest this time, consisting mainly of experience and gold. After the experience was split—which appeared to happen equally, rather than based on exact contribution—each person received only about 41,000 experience. For Sinclair, that amount was negligible. Reflecting on the battle, he realized that it hadn't been a particularly tough fight; rather, it was more of an annoyance; it made sense, perhaps, that his experience gain would be pathetic by his standards.

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The relatively meager rewards did little to dampen the group's enthusiasm, particularly as they were less frugal from the perception of the less experienced members of the team, but they served as a reminder that not every encounter would yield grand treasures for everyone, Ed and Alice's new items aside. Sometimes, the real value lay in the experience gained, the tactics learned, and the camaraderie built. Sinclair couldn't help but feel that the bonds forged in this adventure would prove to be the most valuable reward of all, before wincing a little. Did I really just think that? I think I might have thrown up in my mouth a little.

As he finished examining the quest and data log, all three of his friends looked up, sharing the same realization. They had all gained two levels, bringing them to level 14, and they were on the verge of reaching level 15. Chewy and Leia had leveled up as well. Ed, Alice, and Rose had all gotten the Vǫrðr's Valor title, rewarding them plus 5 to all stats, for killing an enemy ten levels above them. He was a little surprised to discover that the ten-level disparity was the only requirement—he had thought that it also required the kill to be carried out solo.

"Congratulations, guys," Sinclair beamed, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "It's a nice feeling to get those level-ups. They start slowing down soon, though. I'm hoping the gap from level to level evens out soon or we get more substantial experience payouts."

His words were met with nods of agreement and expressions of determination. This was a new world they were navigating, filled with both opportunities and challenges. But, they were in it together.

As the evening wore on, they continued to discuss strategies, skills, and future plans, bonding over their shared experience. The night was filled with the comfortable warmth of friendship and the thrilling anticipation of what lay ahead.

*****

Well after nightfall, Sinclair decided to go for a walk. Everyone else had finally wound down and fallen asleep, but his mind would not quiet. He felt overwhelmed, as though there were thousands of things to do, and they all had to be done by tomorrow or he would fail. The anxiety gnawed at him from the inside, and he didn't know how to alleviate it. The night air was cool against his skin as he wandered, lost in thought, grappling with the pressure and fear of failure.

As he walked around, he began to feel a pull—some sort of summons on his soul, telling him to walk in a specific direction. Feeling no malice in the request, Sinclair chose to comply. He eventually ended up in a meadow on the north end of the field, bathed in the soft, silvery glow of the moon. The shadows were long and mysterious, and the air was filled with the gentle sounds of the night. As he walked into the meadow, his eyes were drawn to the center of the small glade, where a woman shrouded in cloth was standing.

The woman's presence was both ethereal and unsettling, her figure obscured by flowing fabrics that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. As Sinclair approached, she seemed to grow up from the ground, springing up from the earth.

Her eyes, when they met his, were ancient and knowing, filled with wisdom and secrets that transcended time. A feeling of destiny, of paths crossing for a reason, settled over Sinclair as he took a step closer, eager and yet cautious to know who this mysterious figure was.

The mysterious woman's voice echoed through the meadow, haunting and lyrical as she called out to Sinclair:

Sinclair Hagerson, hear your fate

Your future, boy, it cannot wait

In Myrkr's grasp and shadow's hold

Your destiny will now be told

A pack you lead, but frail it stands

Unfledged and weak on shifting sands

Without more growth, the dark will come

And all you love will be undone

For the close friends that you hold dear

A loss awaits, but do not fear

For if you find the truth concealed

Then bloodline's strength will be revealed

As Ulfhednar your path unfolds

before you, if you be so bold

The greatest heights are yet to come

If you and pack can act as one

A warning given, heed me well

Or face the very depths of Hel

Her voice faded, and the air grew still, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the night. Sinclair sank to the ground, pondering the cryptic message. A riddle wrapped in an enigma, but what does it mean?

With a sense of urgency gnawing at his soul, Sinclair called upon his Huginn and Muninn skill, seeking answers to the enigmatic presence that had addressed him. The very fabric of his surroundings seemed to resonate with his inquiry as he felt a quarter of his mystical resources depleting, a tangible price for the knowledge he sought.

As his world began to fade to an inky blackness, a whisper reached his ears, ethereal and heavy. "A gift of the future, the Norn Skuld has given you," Skuld, one of the Norns, a being beyond time and fate, had graced him with her presence. A shiver ran down his spine as he pondered the implications, his mind swirling with questions and possibilities.

As the whisper faded away, Sinclair expected the world to fade back into reality around him, but instead, he found himself surrounded by a thick, swirling mist—an oppressive fog that dampened all sounds. Through the haze, ominous dark shapes loomed and flickered, as explosions echoed like distant thunder, forming a cacophony of chaos and dread.

He felt an onslaught of attacks from all sides, unseen enemies striking with ferocious intensity. Panic and desperation clawed at him as he defended himself as best he could, parrying, dodging, and retaliating with the instincts of a seasoned warrior. Yet, it was not enough; he could feel himself faltering, the relentless tide of darkness threatening to overwhelm him.

But, just when despair seemed ready to claim him, a beacon of hope ignited in the darkness. A pure and resplendent light bloomed, piercing the murk like a beacon. Its radiance drove back the shadows, casting them away and bathing Sinclair in a warm glow.

There, amid the resplendent light, stood his friends and family, their familiar figures glowing like ethereal guardians. Though the brilliance obscured many details, he could discern enough to recognize them, and more importantly, he could feel their very essence. It filled him with hope, courage, and an indomitable will to fight.

With a newfound determination brought to him by the presence of his family—no matter whether by birth or voice—he rallied, rising to his feet and taking the fight to the enemy. No longer content to merely defend, he attacked with a ferocity born of desperation.

Despite his efforts, the vision offered no mercy. An enemy far more significant, dark, and menacing than the others appeared, a monstrous figure that seemed to embody all the fear and dread that had plagued him. In a moment that was both inevitable and heart-wrenching, one of his beloved family members fell to the creature's merciless assault.

Grief and rage mingled, threatening to consume him, yet the light from his friends and companions continued to shine, a beacon that refused to dim. Their love and faith bolstered him, guiding him through the darkness and pain.

With a massive explosion, the dark monstrosity hurled Sinclair away, wiping the entire battlefield clean of everything. The intense force of the blast catapulted him back into his normal existence, and the vision dissipated like smoke in the wind.

As his surroundings faded back into the familiar meadow, the sun was beginning to crest over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of gold and pink. Chewy and Leia were bounding across the field towards him, his friends in tow, all of them wielding weapons and sprinting as fast as they could, their faces etched with concern.

Rolling over and getting to his feet, Sinclair held up a hand to silence the barrage of questions and concerns coming from his friends. He gently comforted Chewy and Leia, who were nuzzling him with obvious worry.

"Give me a moment, everyone," he said, his voice steady but touched with an underlying emotion. "I just had a vision… a prophecy of sorts. I need to share it with you." His friends exchanged puzzled glances but settled down, their faces reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern.

Alice broke the silence, "A vision? What do you mean, Sinclair?"

He looked at each of them, his eyes filled with the weight of what he had seen. "It was a warning," he began, his voice taking on a somber tone. "A message from the Norns, perhaps. It told me that I must grow our pack and seek a hidden bloodline, or face darkness and loss."

Ed furrowed his brow, "What kind of darkness? What loss? What bloody bloodline?"

Sinclair shook his head, struggling to find the right words. "A great enemy, something more powerful and malevolent than anything we've faced. If we don't prepare, if we don't grow stronger, someone close to us—perhaps even more than one—will fall."

Rose's voice trembled as she asked, "Someone close to us? You mean one of us?"

Sinclair reached out to grasp her hand reassuringly, "I don't know, Rose. But we won't let that happen. We'll grow stronger together. We'll face whatever comes our way."

The air was thick with resolve, as unspoken vows were made. It was in the way they moved, how they squared their shoulders, and the quiet confidence in their eyes. They were no longer just individuals but a collective, bound together by a common goal—their future survival.

"We're with you, Sinclair," Ed's voice rang out, firm and unwavering.

Heads bobbed in agreement, the sentiment echoing through each person present. The weight of the words was not lost on Sinclair, who felt a surge of gratitude. "I know," he replied, his voice soft but filled with strength. "Now, let's get ready. We have much to do."

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