The search for TIM

After my first successful machine kill, I roamed Mother's Embrace with a very happy face, the face of a proud hunter who had just made their first kill. My next goal was to find Krest or some other trader willing to talk and trade with me. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was determined. I needed more supplies, and Rost was out of the question. That guy had attitude problems, not to mention a baby Aloy to care for. Besides, visiting him would take up the rest of the day.

After hours of searching, I had no luck finding Krest. I did, however, stumble upon someone selling goods laid out on the ground. Unfortunately, the rude old man refused to talk to me. Instead, he angrily pointed toward a nearby stream, as if to tell me to get lost and go swim with the fish. I got the message, gave him the middle finger, and ran off as fast as I could with whatever loot I managed to grab. Not having a magical inventory to store everything was a hassle, but on the bright side, it was a great workout and gave me cover from the rocks he hurled at me.

Later, I sat down to eat some of the meat I had prepared the night before. Resting my tired muscles after losing that grumpy old man in the wilds, I took a moment to appreciate my surroundings. The Nora Embrace was truly beautiful. It wasn't hard to see why the Nora considered it sacred. Majestic landscapes, towering mountains acting as natural barriers, steep cliffs protecting the tribe from machines that couldn't climb, cozy homes providing warmth, and streams of fresh water alongside abundant game and fruit to sustain the tribe, it truly was the best place to start in this world.

The Nora's policy about old world ruins was, however, both stupid and unfair. But that worked in my favor. Intact ruins filled with wonders of the past lay hidden beneath my feet. All that potential loot and wisdom was mine for the taking if I could find it and avoid being seen. Entering those places meant risking becoming an outcast for life, branded as tainted by the Metal Demon. I couldn't afford that. I had dreams of winning the Proving and earning the High Matriarchs' permission to become a Seeker. That would make it easier to pursue my goals of uncovering relics and knowledge for the tribe, and it would grant me some influence.

To be the king of the wild hunt. To rule these lands. To slap the Matriarchs in the face with progress. To improve the lives of the Nora and make us stronger than ever before.

The enemies of humanity were many and dangerous. Only with an iron fist kingdom could the Nora survive. But to achieve that, I needed like minded people I could trust. My new goal was to recruit Nora outcasts, those punished simply for their curiosity about the old ruins. Even children were made outcasts for minor infractions, and with my 22 year old mind trapped in a 10 year old body, manipulating those young minds wouldn't be too hard in the long run. I just needed to find them first and bring them to a base where I could properly educate them.

After my lunch break and some daydreaming about future plans, I gathered my belongings and resumed my search for Tim, the elusive trader. I spent the rest of the day looking for him but had no luck. Exhausted and empty-handed, I returned to my cave to store my loot. If I couldn't find Tim, I decided it was better to spend the remaining daylight gathering herbs for potions, collecting fruits, and hunting more animals for meat and, more importantly, XP. Even if each animal only gave 50 XP, it was better than nothing. I was close to reaching level 1, just a few more machine kills, and I'd unlock my first cheat skill.

I managed to hunt a fox and a rabbit before nightfall. Returning to my cozy cave, I heard something that made my blood boil. Someone was inside, messing with my stuff.

My stuff. My loot. My food. UNFORGIVABLE.

"Whoever you are, get ready to be beaten black and blue! That's my stuff you're stealing, you thief. COME OUT NOW!"