One morning, a new quest notification appeared in my interface. My heart skipped a beat when I realised who it was from.
New Quest:
Out of the Rut
Description:
You've been a bit vanilla lately, my little toy. There are only so many ways a girl can watch a goblin or a wolf be slaughtered. I am craving something new and exciting. I'm shaking with anticipation to see what you're going to find for me. Please Try and make it interesting.
Reward:
Something Special
The personalised messages had become an unsettling addiction. Every time I received one, Samantha’s velvety voice reverberated in my mind, rekindling my obsessive curiosity about her. Still, this quest posed a new challenge—one I was all too eager to accept. I also needed something fresh, a change to shake things up a bit. I had started to crave progress. My body had become hard from exercise, and my training had moved on from simple drills to encompass difficult, complex combinations. I could finally relate to those “grindset” influencers I used to joke about. I couldn’t get enough of a challenge, but Sharla and Milli insisted that we take it slow.
Milli and Andrew’s relationship settle down after the first two weeks, they had finally stopped being “that” couple, the kind which seemed incapable of keeping off one another. She had also started insisting we adopt a day-on, day-off schedule to allow for more socialisation, and we’d been helping Josh’s team with quests more frequently. Sharla noted that her skill progression had slowed down and that she had somehow become bored of the kinds of quests we’d been doing. It was perfect timing to suggest to Milli and Sharla that we push ourselves further.
Edward's group, meanwhile, had been busy. They spent most of their time helping weaker players complete quests in exchange for keeping the magical items. Milli's networking with other adventuring parties revealed mixed opinions: while Edward's people were clearly skilled, their intentions remained ambiguous. Despite the nagging suspicion that Edward wasn't to be trusted, we couldn't deny the positive buzz surrounding his men. Thankfully, Tim had disappeared entirely, and we hadn’t seen him since his unsettling apology.
Milli had estimated that there were roughly 20–30 thousand people in the settlement who were part of the selection. She had done some kind of math to estimate the original number and landed on about 50 thousand, or thereabouts. The whole exercise seemed like guesswork to me, but she seemed confident enough to trust her.
We continued grinding goblins and wolves, both of which seemed to multiply no matter how many we dispatched. For leveling, it was ideal—if a bit repetitive. Milli had advanced to level 3 in her gadgetry and "Made at Home" skills, and she began producing increasingly creative ammunition for her sling. Andrew had also started using the effect arrows she crafted, further building her reputation among other adventurers.
Sharla had power-levelled her warhammer skill to level 3. However, her shield skill lagged behind at level 2 since she rarely used it. Her healing skill had also stagnated; we’d grown too proficient to need frequent healing in combat.
My progress was slower, though still steady. My quarterstaff skill reached level 2, and while it was still a grind, it now included a crush damage bonus against unarmoured opponents. A direct hit could reliably shatter bone if aimed correctly. Sparring with Sharla twice a day and adding nighttime workouts to my routine had noticeably filled out my frame. My arms and shoulders had grown muscular, and my endurance had skyrocketed. My Hazard hunter skill was still at level 1, finding chances to use it were rare and often required unnecessary risks to get off.
Sharla attributed this to the passive healing factor, which allowed us to train beyond human limits. I chalked it up to cartoonish anime logic, but I couldn’t deny the results.
When I showed the new quest to Milli and Sharla, I framed it as an opportunity to grow stronger. It wasn’t a lie—complacency was creeping in, and we needed to step out of our comfort zone. We had built up a respectable financial buffer in the guild treasury, enough to last weeks without taking any quests, but that wasn’t an excuse to stagnate.
Even Louis was reaping the benefits of our success. What began as an indulgence—a prime cut of beef to fulfill a personal promise—had turned into a nightly ritual of gourmet meals for the dog. He now refused anything less, and his smug satisfaction at dinnertime became a running joke.
Sharla commissioned a blacksmith to create her dream cuirass, using a design she and Milli had sketched together. It was simple and sturdy, but there were subtle alterations that made it unique. The most noticeable difference was a gilded sun setting into an azure ocean right above her heart.
Milli also kept her promise to craft me a set of bandoliers, which quickly became a staple of my gear. She even threw in a pair of fingerless gloves, calling them a “bonus for a loyal customer.” The pockets were loaded with coprolite—now my go-to utility item for smokescreens, and blinding attacks.
After weeks of waiting, I convinced Milli to let me purchase the beginner module bundle for my interface. Finally, I had access to the same tools as the others, and I spent the better part of a day customizing my layout to perfection.
Achievement:
Fusspot
Description:
You spent 3 hours making your interface just right. You do realize the goblins are still out there, right?
Reward:
Interface theme pack
The system seemed to slow down drastically in awarding Achievements; I could go days without earning one. The theme pack I’d unlocked allowed me to customize my interface with a modern minimalist aesthetic. I set my mini-map to sit neatly in the bottom right, while other components became simple, unobtrusive icons that only bounced briefly when they needed attention before disappearing. It felt clean, efficient, and just a bit more like “home.”
Louis had elaborated on the mysterious “filters” that cordoned off the roads leading out of the forest. These barriers, he explained, were designed to prevent players too weak from progressing into more dangerous zones. When I asked what stopped people from simply staying in the starting area indefinitely, he explained another clever system mechanic: monsters around the settlement would grow in strength to match the players in the area. Eventually, the difficulty would escalate to a point where survival would require forming a massive group—or moving on.
We’d already begun noticing this ourselves. The quests had grown tougher: larger groups of monsters now seemed common, and single targets like ogres, trolls, and cave bears were becoming regular fixtures on the quest board.
Louis was frustratingly vague when I asked how he knew the northern filter was the easiest. He simply deflected, but his reluctance intrigued me. Merchants passing through the northern filter described something unusual: a goblin circus. They said it blocked the road, allowing passage only to those with a merchant's medallion and also willing to pay the toll. At least ten adventuring parties had gone to investigate this "circus" over the past two weeks—and none had returned. Part of me was curious about the mystery, but I wasn’t eager to add my name to the list of disappearances.
Instead, we decided to tackle a troll reported to be holed up in a cave south of the settlement. Andrew's party agreed to team up with us for the quest. I hesitated to involve them, worried it might complicate my chance at earning another personalised message from Samantha. She was… particular… when it came to those personalised quests. I tried to argue against splitting the experience and loot, but Milli and Sharla started growing suspicious, so I quickly dropped the subject.
Josh, Andrew, and Fiona met us at the southern gate, eager—well, mostly eager—to help. Fiona needed some convincing, but her teammates eventually brought her around. We created a group chat to go over strategies.
Ryan:
We’ll stake out the cave, and Josh will use his illusions to lure the troll out. I’ll Identify it with my module and find its weaknesses. If we’re equipped to deal with it, we’ll plan our approach before going in. If not, we’ll regroup in town and try again this afternoon.
I phrased my plan carefully. The quest deadline meant it had to be completed by the end of the day, but I couldn’t exactly tell them that.
Sharla:
Or we could wait until tomorrow morning? I don’t want to get caught out after dark.
Ryan:
I don’t want another party sniping our kill. It has to happen today.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Andrew:
I’m with Ryan on this. Those military dudes have been really active, grabbing any unfinished quests.
Milli:
Yeah, screw those guys. I don’t want them getting our loot.
Josh:
Can we not clog the chat with shit-talking?
Milli:
Sorry. DX
Ryan:
No emotes, either.
Milli:
You guys are no fun.
The hike took about an hour before we reached a trail leading off the main path. According to intel from the townsfolk, the cave was only fifteen minutes from this point. Josh and I took up a hidden position behind a thick patch of bushes near the cave entrance.
The cave’s maw was enormous, draped in moss and vines, and the stench of rotting meat poured out in a suffocating miasma. Scattered around the entrance were the bones of countless creatures—some fresh, some old enough to crumble to dust. The eerie tableau made it clear: this troll wasn’t just a simple monster. It was a predator, and this cave was its den.
Ryan:
Josh, can you make a dire wolf?
I gestured to the scattered remains near the cave. Most of the bones were oversized teeth and jawbones—likely from dire wolves. Trolls probably had a taste for them, and I was banking on that hunch.
Josh:
That’s a bit too big. I can do a smaller one, maybe make it sound injured?
Ryan:
Yeah, let’s try that.
Josh began murmuring the incantation, and a shimmering patch of air at the tree line coalesced into a limping, bloodied wolf. It staggered about, letting out loud, pitiful cries. For nearly a minute, the illusion prowled and whined. I glanced over at Josh, who was visibly straining to keep the spell active. Just as I was sure it would fail, a tall, gangly figure lunged out from the cave mouth, charging at the wolf.
Josh reacted just in time, making the illusion bolt into the trees as the troll swiped at it. The creature passed through the illusion and stumbled, confused. Josh gasped and dispelled the illusion, wiping sweat from his brow.
The troll stood hunched in the open, its long, emaciated frame silhouetted by the sunlight. It had hollow, unblinking eyes, matted hair, and gnarled limbs. I activated Identify ++, focusing on the creature.
Hostile NPC:
Forest Troll
Description:
If those replies on your YouTube comments are to be believed, this might just be your long-lost cousin! Stinking, gross, and perpetually ravenous, this creature is rarely seen without gorging on something unfortunate. Standing taller than a man when it straightens up—though it rarely does—its long limbs and hollow-eyed stare hide its terrifying resilience. Forest Trolls are solitary by nature, favouring isolated woods, swamps, or cave systems. Beware its bite: its saliva delivers a potent paralytic.
Resistances:
- Elemental damage (varies with diet, which can accelerate its healing factor).
Common Weaknesses:
- Gluttonous and reckless—will eat nearly anything without caution.
- Vulnerable to specific elemental damage based on its diet.
Hidden Vulnerabilities:
- Starvation is its undoing. Continuous damage while depriving it of food will cause its body to weaken, leading to eventual death.
Bonus Tip:
Though usually solitary, a pregnant troll can birth up to a hundred trollings—each one small, ferocious, and armed with razor-sharp teeth. If you think one troll is bad, imagine a swarm of these little nightmares!
I shared the information with the party. The news wasn’t encouraging, but I couldn’t abandon the quest. The memory of Samantha’s voice echoed in my mind, driving me forward.
Sharla:
I don’t like this. The smart move would be to starve it out or lure it into a prepared ambush. Without knowing its elemental weakness, we’re walking into a death trap.
Ryan:
No, we can do this. Josh, what elements can you work with right now?
Josh:
Fire, ice, and poison.
It occurred to me that I didn’t even know how elemental types were classified in this world—definitely a question for Louis later.
Ryan:
That’s a solid spread. We’ll attack from range, and if it looks bad, we bail. Avoid using fire initially, I don’t want to go off any assumptions.
Andrew:
I’m having second thoughts too.
Milli:
Screw that noise. I say we jump it.
The debate dragged on for several minutes. Surprisingly, Fiona broke the stalemate.
Fiona:
If we don’t do something, it could go after another party. We’d be leaving them in danger.
Her reasoning was enough to sway the rest of the group. Sharla, however, insisted I stay back with the ranged attackers. She wanted me to act as a final defence if the troll broke through.
Sharla:
No heroics, Ryan. If I go down, your job is to blind it and run.
Her words weighed heavily on me, planting a seed of doubt that took root and spread as we finalized our preparations. She was right—one misstep, and someone might not walk away from this.
The plan was straightforward: Fiona would run in to buff Sharla before retreating to a safe distance. Josh would start the fight by luring the troll with an illusionary wolf and would stay mobile, deploying additional illusions to confuse and distract it. Sharla would engage directly, supported by ranged attacks from Andrew and Milli, while I hung back in a rear-guard role. My job was to stay alert, capitalize on any openings with my Hazard Hunter skill, and act as a failsafe to disrupt the troll with blinding coprolite bombs if things went south.
We took our positions carefully. Sharla and Fiona concealed themselves near the cave mouth, ready to intercept the troll. Milli, Andrew, and I crouched in the thick brush, arrows nocked and sling loaded, waiting for the signal. Josh, positioned where we’d done our reconnaissance, stood alone, preparing to cast the illusion.
Josh:
Ok, I'm in position.
Sharla:
Fiona and I are good to go.
Ryan:
Ready on our end
Josh conjured another wolf. It limped into the clearing in front of the cave, whining loudly. The tension was unbearable. Seconds crawled past like molasses.
Then, the beast appeared.
It landed in a flash, crushing the illusory wolf beneath its jagged claws. Fiona’s buffs ignited, glowing faintly, and Sharla charged with steely determination.
WHAM
Her warhammer connected with a sickening crack. The troll’s skull caved in, and its body crumpled to the ground. Sharla froze, shield raised, waiting for the counterattack.
Nothing.
Milli:
Is that it?
As if in answer, the monster’s head popped back into shape with a grotesque grinding noise. Its gangly arm shot out, grabbing Sharla’s shield and yanking hard. She staggered but stayed on her feet, twisting her arm free just in time. The troll lifted her shield to its gaping mouth and bit down. Splinters exploded as it spat the wood out like it was nothing more than bark.
Andrew and Milli sprang into action. Stones from Milli’s sling smashed into the troll, and Andrew’s arrows sank deep into its flesh, but it didn’t seem to care. Its sunken, milky eyes stayed locked on Sharla. Drool dripped in heavy globules from its slack mouth.
I took a shaky step forward, scarf pulled over my nose to block the stench. The thing looked wrong—like someone had draped loose, rotting skin over a too-thin frame. Tufts of wiry fur clung to bald patches where the flesh seemed half-decayed. For a moment, it might have passed for a corpse.
Then it moved.
With a bone-rattling screech, it bolted.
Sharla was ready. She sidestepped the charge and swung her warhammer into its flank.
Thud.
The troll barely flinched. Its neck extended unnaturally, like a snake, head snapping toward her. Sharla ducked, but her hair tangled in its jaws. With a violent yank, it tore out a chunk of her scalp. Sharla screamed as the troll slurped the hair down like spaghetti.
Her cry turned to rage. She swung again—this time at its neck—smashing her warhammer into it. The troll’s body convulsed, hacking up a thick cloud of foul air that made my eyes water. Josh was still recovering, his cooldown not yet finished. We were losing ground fast.
“We’re not going to make it,” I thought. I started forward, ready to draw its attention—anything to give Sharla some relief—but Milli beat me to it.
“Hey, over here, stinky!” she shouted, whipping a metallic ball from her pouch. The projectile smashed into the troll’s chest, glowing faintly. For a beat, nothing happened. Then—BOOM—the ball exploded in a burst of frost.
The troll shrieked, this time in pain. Its flesh cracked and crumbled where the frost touched it, shards falling away like shattered glass. It spun toward Milli, distracted, and Sharla seized the moment.
It’s reaction was surprising, this must have be it’s weakness
Ryan:
Keep hitting it with ice!
“Sharla! Shield!” Milli yelled. She’d already hooked Sharla’s broken shield with her crosse, flinging it across the clearing. Sharla snatched it up mid-charge, affixing it to her arm before landing another brutal hit to the troll’s spine.
Sharla:
Nothing I do works! Josh where are you at with your spell cool down?
Josh:
Four seconds!
Milli dodged as the troll swiped at her, its claws passing inches from her face. Andrew fired arrow after arrow, doubling his efforts. Milli loaded another frost ball into her sling, lining up her shot.
Sharla lunged, delivering an upswing to the troll’s chin. The monster staggered back, its head bobbing loosely.
“Now!” Sharla roared.
Milli fired. The frost ball struck the troll’s temple and exploded, encasing its head in ice. The troll clawed frantically at its face, peeling away its own frozen flesh. It shrieked, the sound fractured and panicked.
For a second, we thought we had it.
The troll’s arms whipped out and collided with Sharla, the crunch of bone echoed, She cried out and she pulsed with yellow light, healing herself. The monsters head snapped around to face Milli. Its jaw gaped wide, teeth like shards of glass set in rotting gums. Before she could move, it lunged. Teeth sank into her waist, lifting her clean off the ground.
“MILLI!”
Andrew’s scream cut through the chaos. He was on his feet, arrows flying in rapid succession, his face twisted in fear and panic. The troll flung Milli into the air, its jaws wide open, ready to catch her.
A flash of light. An icicle as long as a spear exploded from the troll’s throat, piercing it clean through. Josh stood, panting, hands glowing faintly; he had buffed one of Andrew’s arrow mid-flight, not a moment to spare.
The troll thrashed it’s head hit Milli, sending her sailing over my head. She landed behind me, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. She didn’t move.
“Milli!” I screamed, running to her. I didn’t make it far. Pain exploded across my back, and my body went numb. The troll’s claws had scraped across me—not deep, but enough. My limbs gave out, and I collapsed, frozen.
I saw her—Milli—her small, still, body lying a few feet away. Her lifeless eyes stared at nothing. I tried to scream, tried to move, but I couldn’t. My interface glitched, frozen like me. All I could do was watch.
Sharla’s roar shook the clearing. She scooped me up and ran, blazing with the golden light of her warhammer’s spell. Behind her, Fiona, Josh, and Andrew rallied.
Josh and Andrew froze the troll’s torso, locking it in place. Sharla dumped us both and returned to the fight, her warhammer smashed into the ice, cracking it open like glass. Blow after blow, she shattered it—until nothing remained but splinters of frozen flesh.
Sharla ran over to us, producing white bandages from her inventory pressing them into Milli's stomach, they quickly got soaked in blood.
"Stay with me Milli, please stay with me." Sharla muttered, her heal was still wasn't off cool down, somebody rolled me to the side to make more room, I was now looking into the forest unable to see what was happening. I felt sensation slowly start to return, first in my extremities, I saw the glow of Sharla's healing magic. She was still crying,
"Look! She blinked!" It was Andrews voice, Sharla continued to weep, deep heaving sobs.
I was rolled over and Sharla's face was in mine, it was full of rage, she grabbed me by the shirt collar and screamed in my face.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! WE COULD HAVE LOST BOTH OF YOU!"
She slapped me, and I felt the dull ache in my cheek, still under the effects of the paralysis. Josh pulled her back and she cried into his shirt. He stroked her head while she sobbed, letting out the emotions she worked diligently to prevent from boiling over.
It wasn't until we were back in the apartment that I had enough feeling to move slightly. I regained access to my interface also and I wasted no time sending a message to Sharla.
Ryan:
Is Millie ok?