Meanwhile, deep in the Stonebark Expanse...
Oliver had found shelter within a rugged cave mouth, hidden beneath thick tree roots and moss-covered stones. The rain hammered down outside, loud and relentless—each drop like a drumbeat on the forest canopy and pooling soil. But in here, it was dim, cool, and quiet... except for the occasional dripping of water echoing off stone walls.
With his stone pickaxe in hand, Oliver had been mining steadily. The stone here was rough, but not impossible. Iron veins glimmered faintly in the dark when struck—raw and jagged, buried deep in the earth's crust. He already had several chunks stashed in his inventory: unrefined, but valuable for forging soon, especially once he upgraded to a proper furnace or smelter.
However, as the rain began rushing heavier, he noticed streams of water trickling into the cave. They weren't threatening yet, but it reminded him:
He was vulnerable in here. No barricades. No mattress. Just solitude.
Oliver sat down on a large flat rock near the center of the cave, pulling out his phone. The glow from the screen lit his face in the darkness.
He tapped open the Systematic Guide, the holographic interface flickering briefly before stabilizing.
Still only 23 Mysticoins—he wasn't ready to craft or buy anything major yet.
[Notifications – Systematic Guide]:
⚠️ Shelter Status: Temporary – Risk of Exposure if Flood Increases
⚒️ Crafting Tip: Use Dryroot Fiber + Ore Fragments to create Cave Mesh Covers (locked – Blue Tier Required)
📲 Energy Consumption: 8% Battery Remaining
🌧️ Weather Update: Heavy Rain – Estimated to last 4 more hours
Oliver sighed.
> "Should've packed more solar banks…"
He leaned back against the cave wall, letting the cold stone press into his back as he stared at the glowing interface. For now, he had a breather. No wooden imps. No wraiths. No bone demons. Just the sound of rainfall and the occasional soft vibration from the guide.
Outside, the forest may have drowned in storm and danger…
…but in this moment of quiet, deep underground, Oliver was planning. Calculating.
Waiting.
And the second day wasn't even halfway done.
....
As Oliver walked deeper, the cave ambience intensified—an immersive echo of distant water drips, shifting rocks, and the faint groan of the earth itself. The Investigation app automatically enhanced the natural cave effects: amplifying subtle sounds, reading air density changes, even scanning the stone compositions around him.
The light from his guide screen barely reached more than a few steps ahead, but Oliver's stone sword was steady in hand. Each step crunched gravel and old dust beneath his boots.
Then he saw it.
A warped wooden beam…
Rusty metal rails half-buried beneath collapsed debris…
An old hanging lantern swaying slightly, though no wind should be here.
[Abandoned Mineshaft – Zone: Stonebark Expanse Historical Sector]
Appeared on the top corner of his Investigation HUD.
Oliver entered slowly, eyes scanning every corner.
There were no creatures. No sounds. Just the quiet hum of history.
In one side cavern, tucked beyond rusted carts and rotted crates, he found an old storage room—broken cobblestone walls and cracked flooring… but still intact enough to hide something forgotten.
There it was:
A dusty, weather-worn chest. Locked, but brittle. Oliver struck it once with the flat of his sword—it popped open with a loud creak.
Inside the chest:
🧵 A few threads (wool-fibered, possibly used in crafting basic linens or components)
🎵 Two music disks:
One white-labeled with a minimalist rune marking (Unknown Audio Type)
One orange-colored, slightly cracked, labeled "March of the Ancients"
⛏️ An old iron pickaxe, dulled by time but clearly stronger than stone
He picked the items up carefully. As he held the iron pickaxe, a small prompt pinged:
> [Item Unlocked: Legacy Tool – Iron Pickaxe (Worn)]
Can mine mid-tier ores. Durability: 41%
The room felt heavier now. Not with threat… but memory.
Whoever was here long ago had abandoned it quickly—or never made it out. The music disks might hold secrets or history, or maybe just forgotten melodies.
For now, Oliver placed one in his pack, holding the orange one in his hand.
Maybe… he'd listen to it next time it rained.
But first, he turned back to the cavern door, pickaxe slung over his shoulder, sword at the ready—
Deeper mysteries lay ahead in this mineshaft.
And the Stonebark Expanse wasn't finished revealing itself.
....
[Meanwhile momentum]
As the storm lightly tapped against the wooden walls of their temporary structure, Aurelia sat cross-legged near the corner with parchment and colored inks spread out. She hummed softly, the scent of stew still lingering, and sketched with casual ease.
When she was done, she stood up and held out the drawing to the group.
> "Look, look—Riven!"
The portrait was almost accurate. Spiky hair, the faint smirk, arms crossed, standing broodingly on a cliff with dramatic wind swooshing behind him—but there were tiny hearts around the head and exaggerated eyes full of sparkle. The others burst into laughter.
> "What is that supposed to be?" Riven asked dryly, one brow twitching. "Your true form," Aurelia replied sweetly. "That doesn't even look like me," Riven muttered, though a faint smirk betrayed his amusement.
Goldie barked happily. Garrick laughed the hardest.
Meanwhile, Garrick had just corked the last bottle—the 20th potion, bubbling faintly with pale teal light. He leaned back with a tired exhale and muttered:
> "Done. That's the last of the water essence batch."
Riven glanced over, folding his arms again. His smirk widened, but his tone dropped to something sharper.
> "Good. Soon, we won't have to worry about Lord Hibiscus."
The mood shifted. A quiet thrum filled the space.
Garrick's face fell. He hated that name.
> "Don't say it like that," he grumbled. "He's still active. Still watching."
---
Lord Hibiscus—a powerful Orange-ranked Traveler.
An Architect. A Settler.
He didn't just shape land or make systems—he enforced rules, twisted Systematic laws to fit his philosophy:
Only the worthy, the elite by his design, were permitted to rise.
Everyone else? Eliminated. Disqualified. Vanished from his domain.
Hibiscus's Zone was a labyrinth of unearned judgment and manipulative currency gating—
where weaker Travelers were baited in, drained, then discarded.
Garrick had lost people to Hibiscus. Friends who just wanted to survive. He still remembered.
Riven, however, stayed firm.
> "He's strong. But not infallible."
He looked to everyone—Aurelia, Garrick, Hale, Nico, and even Goldie.
> "We don't play by his rules. We build our own route. With enough strength, we'll break his domain and beat him at his own game."
A long silence.
Then Garrick nodded. Quiet, but resolute.
Aurelia folded her drawing gently, tucking it beside her.
Outside, the storm howled louder.
But inside, their fire burned steady.