Dawnview Village was somehow even louder the second time around.
When the three of them walked back through the main square, it felt like the starting area of every game Riley had ever played… if someone had turned the volume up to eleven.
Players were running everywhere, waving swords and staffs and occasionally their Spirits.
A kid sprinted past shouting, "HOW DO I LOG OUT?!"
Another one stood in front of a stall, yelling at an NPC, "WHY WON'T YOU GIVE ME A LEGENDARY?! I SAID PLEASE!"
Aria spread her arms, grinning. "Ahh, chaos. Smells like home."
Sofia smiled, her eyes wide as she took everything in. "It's so… busy. I like it. It feels alive."
Riley adjusted the Lumin Whelp on his shoulder. The little Spirit clung to his neck, glowing faintly, watching the crowds with wide, curious eyes.
"Alright," Riley said. "We've seen the square. Now we need to figure out where everything is. Shops, healing, Spirit stuff. If we don't want to die to level one squirrels, we should probably learn how this place works."
Aria gasped. "Spirit hospital first! My spider deserves premium healthcare."
Sofia giggled. "You nearly threw her at a puff critter."
"In my defence," Aria said, "it was funny."
Riley shook his head, but he couldn't stop the small grin tugging at his mouth.
"Come on," he said. "Let's start with the Spirit Care Center."
The Spirit Care House
The Spirit Care House was a warm wooden building with soft green lanterns hanging outside and a sign shaped like a sleeping fox. As soon as they stepped inside, they were hit by a soft herbal smell and a gentle hum of magic.
Spirits of all shapes and sizes rested on cushions and low beds—little birds made of wind, stone beetles, a plant-cat thing that seemed to be napping while photosynthesising.
NPC attendants in pale cloaks moved quietly between them, checking on injuries, feeding essences, soothing nervous new players.
Sofia's face melted. "Ohhh… this is so sweet."
Aria leaned in and whispered, "If they try to keep Venom, I'm staging a rescue mission."
Riley snorted.
One of the attendants, a woman with soft brown hair and glowing green eyes, approached them with a kindly smile.
"Welcome, Walkers. This is the Spirit Care House. Do your companions need healing?"
Aria thrust her spider forward like a proud parent. "Look at her. She is perfect and deserves rewards."
The Venom Webling blinked eight eyes at the nurse.
The woman smiled patiently. "She looks quite healthy. Perhaps a little… eager to fight?"
"She gets that from me," Aria said proudly.
Riley gestured to the Lumin Whelp on his shoulder. "He's fine. Just… weak."
The Whelp made a tiny offended squeak.
The nurse tilted her head, studying him. "Ah… a light-type fledgling. Rare in the early stages."
"Rare?" Aria perked up. "You hear that, bro? You're rare. I mean, your Spirit's rare. You are… average."
"Thank you, Aria," Riley muttered.
The nurse continued. "Light Spirits often start frail and limited. Their growth is slow… but once they mature, they can become wonders. Keep him safe, feed him well, and his true potential will shine."
Sofia's eyes lit up. "So his weakness now doesn't mean he'll always be weak?"
"Exactly," the nurse said.
Riley felt something in his chest loosen just a little.
He didn't say anything.
He just reached up and gently scratched the Lumin Whelp under its chin. The little Spirit chirped happily and rubbed its cheek against his ear.
Aria leaned on the counter. "Okay, serious question. Do you sell, like… helmets for spiders?"
The nurse blinked. "Pardon?"
"Skull armour. Little metal plates. Very intimidating." Aria mimed spikes. "Right here."
The nurse stared at her for a long moment.
"…No."
Sofia laughed, covering her mouth. "Aria…"
"What?" Aria grumbled. "Venom deserves fashion."
Riley chuckled. "We'll come back if anyone actually gets hurt."
The nurse nodded. "Take care out there. And remember—feed your Spirits regularly, or their growth will stall. You can buy low-grade essence and basic feed from the markets."
"Right," Riley said. "And how much does that cost?"
The nurse smiled apologetically.
"More than you have right now, I suspect."
They stepped back out into the street.
Aria huffed. "I feel judged."
"You asked for spider skull armor," Sofia said gently.
"And I stand by that."
The Weapon Shop Reality Check
The weapon shop was on the northern side of the square, just underneath a big hanging sign shaped like crossed swords and a staff. Inside, the walls were lined with racks of weapons: axes, swords, spears, staves, and bows.
Aria walked in and immediately reached for something glowing.
"OHHH, that sword is on fire. I want it."
Riley grabbed her wrist. "Please don't touch anything that's literally on fire."
The shopkeeper, a gruff NPC with a scar over one eye and a beard that probably had its own postal code, gave them a nod.
"First-timers," he said. "What're you looking for?"
"Trouble," Aria said.
"Bows," Riley said at the same time.
The man grunted. "Shelves on the right. Channeler types, that you?"
"Yeah," Riley replied, heading over.
The bow section was… depressing.
A basic, ugly bow with a warped-looking string hovered under a sign that read:
BEGINNER HUNTING BOW — 40 COINS
Next to it, a slightly better-looking model with reinforced limbs:
REINFORCED SHORTBOW — 120 COINS
Then, a sleek one with faint runes etched along the limbs:
POLISHED CHANNELER BOW — 250 COINS
And hanging on the back wall, roped off, was a beautiful bow with flowing lines and a faint green glow:
SPIRIT-THREAD LONGBOW — 600 COINS
Riley checked the corner of his vision.
COINS: 0
He sighed.
"Let me guess," Aria said. "We're broke."
"We are very broke," Riley agreed.
Sofia checked her own display. "I have… nothing as well."
The shopkeeper cleared his throat. "Channeler bows aren't cheap, kid. Takes more work to make weapons that channell Spirit energy without exploding in your hands."
"Comforting," Riley muttered.
Aria pointed at the Spirit-thread Longbow on the wall. "What about that one?"
"That one is for people with money," the shopkeeper replied.
"How much money?"
"More than you have."
Aria clutched her heart. "Rude. Honest. But rude."
Sofia looked at the cheapest bow. "Can we at least buy the basic one?"
Riley shook his head. "Even if we somehow scraped together forty coins, it's barely an upgrade from the starter bow. Not worth it yet."
The Lumin Whelp peered at the bows curiously, then nuzzled his neck as if to say, sorry I'm weak and you're poor.
Riley patted its head. "It's not your fault."
The shopkeeper leaned on the counter. "Best advice I can give you? Grind. Take quests. Sell drops. Come back when you can afford something that won't snap the first time a boar sneezes on you."
"Great," Aria said. "We've been financially insulted by an NPC."
Riley forced a half-smile. "Let's see what else this place is hiding."
The Bind Stone Shop
Tucked between a potion stall and a place selling suspiciously green sandwiches was a narrow shop marked with a sign shaped like a crystal.
Inside, shelves were lined with stones glowing faintly in different colours.
A cheerful NPC with round spectacles and ink-stained fingers practically bounced over.
"Welcome, welcome! Here for BIND STONES, yes?"
Aria immediately lit up. "Yes. Absolutely. I want more Spirits. Many Spirits. An ARMY."
Sofia smiled politely. "We were just curious about the prices…"
"Of course, of course!" the NPC said. "Now, we start with the basic models…"
He picked up a small, faintly glowing stone.
"Beginner Bind Stone. Can capture low-level wild Spirits—if they're weak enough and you've worn them down first. Fifty coins each."
Riley's eye twitched. "Fifty… coins… each?"
The clerk nodded happily. "Very affordable for adventurers!"
"Affordable for who?" Aria hissed. "Royalty?!"
The clerk didn't hear her. Or pretended not to.
He grabbed a slightly brighter stone. "Now, this is the Reliable Bind Stone. Much higher success rate, works on stronger creatures. Only one hundred and twenty coins."
Aria choked. "ONLY—"
Sofia put a hand over her mouth. "Don't shout at him…"
"And finally," the clerk said proudly, lifting a vivid blue stone with swirling energy inside, "the Chain Bind Stone. Can be linked to a Channeler's bond, letting them recall captured Spirits more efficiently. Three hundred coins."
Riley checked his non-existent wallet again.
Still zero.
Aria was practically vibrating. "So you're telling me I have the ability… the HEART… to love many Spirits… but absolutely no money to do it?"
"That is correct," the clerk said brightly.
Aria staggered back like she'd been stabbed. "Capitalism is a disease."
Sofia laughed quietly. "Aria…"
Riley stared at the stones.
Being able to catch extra Spirits early would be huge. Backup options. Type coverage. More flexibility.
But at fifty coins for even the weakest Bind Stone, they might as well have been made of solid gold.
He let out a slow breath.
"Alright," he said. "So here's the reality. We can't afford a better bow. We can't afford Spirit food. We definitely can't afford Bind Stones. All we really have is our starter gear, basic stats, and three very underlevelled Spirits."
The Lumin Whelp chirped indignantly at that.
Riley scratched behind its ear. "Okay, one very underlevelled Spirit and two overachievers."
The Whelp settled grudgingly.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Don't worry. That's how everyone starts. Come back after a little adventuring, and you'll be surprised how quickly coins add up."
Riley's expression didn't change. "I'll hold you to that."
They stepped back out into the crammed village street. The afternoon light had shifted slightly, shadows stretching longer. Players still ran around, laughing, shouting, waving their Spirits like trophies.
A group of older players walked by boasting about their drops.
"Got twenty coins for just one boar horn!"
"Yeah, well, I sold a rare plant drop for forty!"
"We're going to be rich by tomorrow!"
Aria groaned. "Even the NPC air smells like 'you're broke.'"
Sofia hugged her Lumen Pup closer. "It'll be fine. We just… we just need to work harder."
Riley watched a player buy a Bind Stone, another purchase a new sword, someone else grabbing a new robe from a clothing stall.
Money was movement.
Money was power.
Money was options.
Without it, they were stuck.
He looked at his sisters.
Aria, fuming and dramatic but ready to punch the world in the face for them.
Sofia, quiet and gentle but solid as a rock when it mattered.
Their Spirits, bright and eager.
And his own—small, fragile, clinging to his shoulder with stubborn warmth.
He was not going to let them fall behind.
Not this time.
Aria let out a frustrated sigh. "I wanted, like… three more Spirits. A snake. A bird. Maybe a tiny dragon. Is that too much to ask?"
"Yes," Riley said. "Right now? Yes."
Sofia gave him a look. "You don't have to be that blunt."
He took a breath and stopped walking.
They both turned toward him.
"Listen," Riley said.
His voice was calm, but there was steel under it now.
"We want stronger gear. We want better weapons. You," he looked at Aria, "want more Spirits. You," he nodded to Sofia, "want to keep everyone safe, which means potions and essences. And I want us not to get completely stomped the moment the real content starts."
Aria folded her arms. "You had me at 'more Spirits.'"
Sofia nodded softly. "What do we do?"
Riley looked past them, out toward the village gate. Beyond it lay the meadow, and beyond that… the forest.
Monsters. Drops. Quests. Coins.
He gripped his starter bow, feeling how cheap and rough it was in his hands.
If they wanted anything better than scraps, they had to earn it.
"We go out there," Riley said. "We take quests, we kill monsters, we sell everything that isn't nailed down. No more window-shopping. No more 'maybe later.'"
He met both their eyes in turn.
"If you want them"—he jerked his chin back toward the Bind Stone shop—"we need to go and find some coins."