Chapter 50: The First Steps Forward
The quiet of the morning was unlike anything they had felt in the Forge. No oppressive hum, no rippling shadows, no sudden bursts of chaos. Just a soft breeze brushing over the hills, the chirp of distant birds, and the faint rustle of trees nearby. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the group could breathe.
Ethan stretched his arms above his head, his glowing pipe resting against his shoulder. "You know," he said, his tone lighter than it had been in days, "I could get used to this. No death traps, no creepy shadow monsters. Just grass and fresh air."
Naomi, who had taken a seat on a nearby rock, raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't get too comfortable. The Forge might be behind us, but we still don't know what's coming."
"Way to kill the vibe," Ethan muttered, though there was no real bite in his voice.
Lucas leaned against his shield, the metal reflecting the sunlight as he surveyed their surroundings. "Naomi's right. We can't let our guard down. But," he added, glancing at Ethan, "we can take a moment to figure out where we stand."
Karis stood a few paces away, her back to the group, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The faint lines of tension in her shoulders hadn't eased since they'd left the Forge, and her knife was still in her hand, as if she expected an attack at any moment. "Before we go any farther, we need to assess what we've gained," she said, her voice calm but firm. "The Forge changed us. We need to understand how."
Ethan groaned, flopping onto the grass with exaggerated drama. "Let me guess. You're about to make us do another round of stat checks?"
Karis turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Yes."
---
The group gathered in a loose circle, the grass soft beneath their feet. One by one, they opened their interfaces, the glowing screens flickering to life before them. The sight was oddly comforting, a familiar anchor in the midst of the unfamiliar.
Ethan was the first to speak, his eyes scanning the list of numbers and skills. "Okay, so... I'm officially better on paper than I am in real life," he said, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Strength's up, agility's looking good, and—oh, hey! Intelligence isn't as embarrassing as it used to be."
Naomi smirked, leaning over to glance at his screen. "Not saying much, though, is it?"
"Hey!" Ethan shot back, though the grin on his face didn't falter. "I've got a healing spell now, remember? I'm practically a genius."
"Practically," Naomi said dryly, returning her focus to her own screen.
---
Ethan's Stats and Skills:
Strength: 18
Agility: 21
Vitality: 16
Intelligence: 14
Perception: 12
Skills:
Shadowstep: Phase through space to dodge an attack.
Ravager's Pounce: Leap toward a target, dealing extra damage.
Unyielding Strike: Damage increases based on missing health.
Renewal Surge: Heal a target for a moderate amount of health, scaling with intelligence.
---
Naomi nodded as she scanned her own interface. "My perception keeps climbing," she said, her voice thoughtful. "And agility's still my best stat. Makes sense, I guess, considering my skills."
---
Naomi's Stats and Skills:
Strength: 14
Agility: 23
Vitality: 14
Intelligence: 16
Perception: 22
Skills:
Phantom Shot: Fires an arrow that ignores obstacles and targets weak points.
Silent Precision: Increased critical chance when attacking from stealth.
Renewal Surge: Heal a target for a moderate amount of health, scaling with intelligence.
---
Lucas's voice was calm as he read his stats aloud. "Vitality's still my highest, but strength and intelligence have climbed too. Guess that's thanks to the Forge's rewards."
---
Lucas's Stats and Skills:
Strength: 22
Agility: 15
Vitality: 25
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 12
Skills:
Iron Resolve: Reduces stamina cost when blocking attacks.
Shield Slam: A powerful strike that stuns the target.
Renewal Surge: Heal a target for a moderate amount of health, scaling with intelligence.
---
Karis didn't speak as she reviewed her interface, but the slight narrowing of her eyes suggested she was analyzing every detail. Finally, she looked up, her expression unreadable. "The Forge didn't just strengthen us," she said. "It gave us versatility. The healing spells alone change everything."
---
Karis's Stats and Skills:
Strength: 19
Agility: 24
Vitality: 18
Intelligence: 17
Perception: 16
Skills:
Deadly Precision: Increased damage to critical points.
Blade Dance: A series of rapid strikes against multiple targets.
Renewal Surge: Heal a target for a moderate amount of health, scaling with intelligence.
---
Ethan leaned back on his hands, his expression thoughtful. "Okay, so we've all got stats that make us look like superheroes, but what now? We just keep wandering around until the Rift shows up?"
"No," Karis said sharply. "We train. The Forge may have given us tools, but we need to learn how to use them effectively. Strength means nothing if you don't know how to wield it."
Naomi nodded. "She's right. The Rift isn't going to wait for us to figure things out. We need to be ready."
Lucas adjusted his shield, his voice calm but resolute. "Then we start here. We figure out what we're capable of, and we build from there."
Ethan groaned. "So, what you're saying is... more work."
Karis smirked faintly, though the expression was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Exactly."
---
As the morning stretched into afternoon, the group began testing their abilities. Naomi moved through the tall grass with practiced precision, firing arrow after arrow at makeshift targets she had set up with branches and stones. Each shot was faster and more accurate than the last, her movements fluid and precise.
Lucas practiced with his shield, testing the limits of Iron Resolve by blocking strikes from Karis's knife. The glowing energy around his shield seemed to grow brighter with each hit, his stance steady and unyielding.
Karis moved like a shadow, her blade flashing in the sunlight as she demonstrated Blade Dance. Each strike was calculated, her movements a blur as she cut through invisible enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Ethan, meanwhile, experimented with Renewal Surge, healing small cuts and bruises on himself and the others. The faint green glow of the spell felt strange in his hands, but there was a satisfaction in seeing its effects. "Okay," he said, grinning as he healed a scratch on Naomi's arm. "Maybe I'm not as useless as I thought."
Naomi smirked. "That's debatable."
---
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, the group gathered around a small fire they had built near a cluster of trees. The warmth of the flames was comforting, a reminder that they were back in the world they had fought so hard to return to.
Ethan stared into the fire, his earlier humor replaced by a rare moment of seriousness. "Do you think it's enough?" he asked quietly. "What the Forge gave us. What we're doing now. Do you think it'll be enough to stop the Rift?"
Karis's gaze was steady as she looked at him. "It has to be," she said simply. "We don't have another option."
Naomi leaned back against a tree, her bow resting beside her. "She's right. We've made it this far. We'll keep going."
Lucas nodded, his shield resting on the ground beside him. "We'll face it together. Whatever comes, we won't face it alone."
Ethan let out a small, tired laugh, shaking his head. "Well, when you put it like that... guess I don't have much of a choice."
The group fell into a comfortable silence, the crackle of the fire and the distant sound of the forest their only company. The journey ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, they felt ready to face it.