The quest slip was simple enough:
Quest: Collect Healing Herbs near the forest edge. Reward: 10 copper.
It wasn't glamorous, but it was coin in his pocket—and more importantly, it was time alone.
With his satchel strapped tight, JP left the village gates behind. The fields gave way to sparse woodland, where tall grasses swayed in the breeze and the scent of pine drifted on the air.
"This should be far enough," he muttered, kneeling by a cluster of green plants.
[Appraisal].
Herb: Low-grade Healing Grass.
Effect: Can be boiled for poultices or minor potions.
Value: 2 copper per bundle.
He gathered the herbs carefully, tying them into neat bundles. The work was slow, methodical, but it gave him space to breathe—no prying eyes, no pointed questions from Lyra. Just him, his satchel, and his thoughts.
As the sun tilted westward, JP noticed a glint between the roots of a tree. He brushed aside the dirt and whispered:
[Appraisal].
Item: Moonshade Resin.
Effect: Emits a faint luminescence, wards off insects, burns cleanly.
Value: 1–2 silver per vial.
His eyes widened. A natural lantern fuel… perfect.
Pocketing the resin, he moved deeper along the edge of the forest, spotting more traces of it clinging to bark. His satchel grew heavier, not with herbs alone but with possibilities.
"This," JP whispered, "will make nights a lot more bearable."
Before returning to the gates, he stopped at a small stall just outside the guild hall. A traveling merchant sold basic supplies—bedrolls, rope, flint, and waterskins.
"How much for the bedroll and pack?" JP asked.
"Two silver for both," the merchant replied.
He hesitated, then slid the coins over. An expense, yes. But comfort's worth it.
That night, under the stars beyond the village, JP unrolled his new bedroll on soft grass. He placed the Mana Lamp beside him, its faint blue glow mingling with the gentle aroma of moonshade resin burning in a small clay dish.
The insects stayed away, the night air warmed by an emberstone fragment nestled nearby, and the glow of his lamp kept the darkness at bay.
He leaned back, hands behind his head, staring up at the endless constellations. For the first time since waking in this strange world, he felt… comfortable.
"Not bad for a rookie adventurer," JP murmured with a smile.
The lamp flickered steadily, his first true invention casting its light over a man determined to carve his own place in this world.