The campfire hissed to life beneath the overhang,
tucked between moss-slick stone and woven brush.
Ash crouched low, shielding the flame from wind.
[Firecraft Skill: +1 XP]
[Campfire Established – Duration: 3h]
Buff: Warmth (+5 Stamina Regen/hr, -15% Cold Penalty)
The flickering light painted the pelt-draped rocks in amber.
Ash set down his gear, checked his traps, then turned to his prize—the Ravager haunch.
It still steamed faintly, a pale line of Echo energy etched along the muscle seam.
He drew his bone knife and began slicing.
[Butchering Skill: +2 XP]
You have gained:
— Ravager Meat (x2)— Echo-Threaded Fat— Marrow Drip (Condensed Echo) [Rare]
The marrow vial pulsed once in his palm—dim blue and slow.
And the Wheel… flickered.
Just once. A hush in his bones. As if it noticed.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
He sealed the vial and tucked it deep into his pouch.
He turned his attention to the meat, skewered it over flame, and added crushed cliffroot and bitterberry for seasoning.
The fat sizzled, spitting fire. A spark leapt—
—too close.
A red ember landed on the edge of his drying gear.
Ash cursed, stomping it out before the pelt caught.
[Dexterity Save: Minor Success]→ No Damage Taken→ Warmth Buff Maintained
The Ravager meat crackled.
Spice-laced smoke curled upward, mixing with the metallic tang of Echo and salt.
Ash leaned closer.
The outer crust bubbled and crisped. He turned the skewer once, twice—then bit in.
The crust crackled faintly.
Steam curled up, thick with spice, salt, and the raw pulse of Echo.
Ash took his first bite——and warmth flooded him.Like fire chasing frost through his veins.
[HP Restored: +25]
[Stamina Boost: +15 for 1h]
[Status: Nourished – Minor Strength Buff (2h)]
He exhaled slow.
It wasn't just food.
It was fuel.
Claimed from this land, shaped by him, earned through sweat and danger.
He finished the meal in silence, eyes flicking between the fire, the woods beyond, and the shimmer of his open status menu.
[Cooking Skill: +2 XP]
First-time bonus: Tier-C Beast Cooked
Successfully Unlocked: Flame-Grilled Ravager (Consumable Recipe)
Effect: Restores HP and stamina. Minor Strength buff.
Echo Burn resistance (+10% for 30m)
Ash leaned back, letting the firelight play across his scarred knuckles.
His belly was full, wounds sealed, mind still alert.
Then his gaze drifted again to the Marrow Drip.
Still faintly pulsing.
Still cool in its vial.
And somewhere in the Wheel's depth… something old stirred.
No spin. No voice.Just an awareness.
Waiting.
Ash banked the fire low, wrapped himself in his salvaged furs, and lay down with his spear close and his back to stone.
Tomorrow, he'd begin shaping tools from fang and claw.
Tomorrow, he'd test the Ravager's remains against the Forge Node. But tonight—
He slept as the forest shifted around him, and the marrow hummed quietly in the dark.