First Quest Reward: The Portal Scroll

Robert crouched in the dirt, fingers digging into the ground. The earth felt alive, buzzing under his skin like a dodgy battery. He kept his breathing slow, Moira's lessons stuck in his head. Control it. Shape it. His hand twitched, itching to spark some magic.

Moira's voice cut in, warm but with a kick. She said, "You're doin' alright, Robert. This ain't just a trick. You're messin' with something alive. Focus. Aim. Feel it connect."

He nodded, eyeing a gnarly tree nearby. A single leaf dangled from a low branch. The perfect target. "Today's villain!" he thought to himself. He let out a breath, picturing the magic turning sharp and pointy. It felt real in his head, like he was carving it out. He flicked his wrist, and a thorn shot out at high speed, slicing the leaf clean off and impaling the tree trunk. He grinned proudly, punching the air. "Hell yeah!"

Hamish leaned on his shovel behind him, not impressed. He said, "Aye, so ye can snipe leaves. Big bloody deal. What's next, trimmin' hedges?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Robert muttered, "Piss off," and turned to a pile of rocks in the clearing. He crouched again, zeroing in on the biggest one.

Moira hummed, sounding chuffed. She said, "You're getting it, lad. Time to crank it up. Let's see how you handle some heat."

Before he could ask what she meant, the wind kicked up, carrying a creepy whisper that bounced around the clearing. The air got thick, like it was pressing on his chest. His spine went cold.

He kept his voice low. "Moira, what the hell's going on?"

She said, "Call it a test, Robert." Her tone was calm but pushy. She added, "The system we're building's gonna push your limits. Trust your gut. You got this."

He scanned the clearing, spotting little glints of light popping up in the air. They turned into small, glowing orbs, darting around like pissed-off fireflies. No pattern, just chaos.

Moira said, "Targets. Hit 'em before they bugger off. Move quick."

He planted his feet, hand up, as the first orb zipped by. A thorn formed fast, and he fired. It smashed the orb, bursting into gold sparks that fizzled out. Another orb came at him, jerking side to side. He swung around and shot again, but the thorn just clipped it. The orb dodged and vanished into the trees. He cursed. "Shit!"

Moira said, "Not done yet." Her voice had a sly edge. New orbs popped up, faster, zipping like they knew his moves. He fired, but missed. Fired again. His arm burned like hell. His chest felt squeezed tight. He nailed one orb, then another, but a third zipped past his ear, way too quick. He stumbled forward and gasped for air.

Moira said, "Focus, lad." Her voice was steady but firm. She added, "Breathe. Feel the magic. Guess where they're going."

Hamish stood back, gripping his shovel, looking twitchy. He muttered, "What are ye even doin', Robbie? Flailin' at nothin' like a daft bugger." He swung his shovel, squinting hard. "If somethin's out there, I'm ready to bash it, but I don't see shite."

Robert snapped, "Can you even see 'em?" His voice was tight, locked on the next orb.

Hamish shrugged, squinting. "Well, no. Just you flinging rocks like a madman."

Robert fired, nailing the last orb. Gold sparks exploded. "They're real, mate. Trust me."

Hamish shook his head, muttering, "Aye, sure. Still don't get where yer bloody thorns come from."

Robert slumped against a boulder, wiping sweat off his face. His chest heaved, legs wobbly from chucking thorns so fast. A shadow moved in the trees, too tall, too still. He stared, heart pounding, and a flicker of text popped up in the corner of his eye: Professor Langston Asteen Perry: Human Scientist. Unaffiliated with Moira.

His blood boiled. That bastard from Kilrain. He flung a thorn without thinking, then another. Langston dodged, jumping behind trees. Robert fired a third, and it whizzed over his head. Langston tripped, rolled, and kept running, vanishing into the woods.

Hamish jogged over, squinting. "My eyes ain't what they used to be. What figment are ye shootin' at now?"

Robert growled, "That bastard that attacked me the other day. His name's Langston."

Hamish snarled, gripping his shovel. "Bloody hell, and I didn't get to whack him!"

Moira cleared her throat, awkward. She said, "Um, Robert. You've reached the required level. Those last shots were damn close to killin' someone you see as an enemy."

A voice chimed in his head: Stone Thorn has attained level 4! Mana cost reduced, damage increased, by 8% each. 2% per level. Continue practicing to reach level 10 for evolution of magical skill.

Robert zoned out, lost in thought. Seeing exactly how much he'd improved at a skill blew his mind. He'd given up piano as a kid because it felt like he was going nowhere. If he'd had something like this, tracking every step, he might not have quit. He shook his head, refocusing.

A glow sparked in his hand. A scroll appeared, cool and rough like old paper, but heavy, like it carried some kind of mojo. The golden lines on his skin, from that charm crystal Moira fused into him, pulsed a bit. He turned the scroll over, squinting at the runes wiggling like they were alive. A dungeon? What if he wasn't cut out for this? He dug up pots, not fought monsters. He shoved the doubt down, but it sat there, heavy.

Hamish took a step back, shovel up like a shield. "What's that thing, then?"

Robert grinned, holding it up. "Portal scroll, mate. It's our ticket to a dungeon."

Hamish's face went white. "Dungeon? What kind of daft nonsense are ye on now? This shite's gonna kill us, Robbie."

Robert said, "Mate, we're in too deep to quit now. You wanna miss out on this?" His voice was steady, but his gut was churning.

Hamish groaned, rubbing his neck. "Fine, but I'm blamin' you when we're dead."

Robert chuckled. "Fair." His heart pounded as he unrolled the scroll, reading the runes as Moira whispered them in his head. The ground shook a bit, and a ring of light flared up nearby.

The portal grew, its surface rippling like a puddle in a storm. The air around it buzzed, tickling his skin, and a low hum filled the clearing. Through the glow, he saw a cave, torches flickering, smelling like wet dirt and old rocks.

Hamish stumbled back, jaw slack. "Robbie, what in Christ's name did ye do?" His face went green, like he was about to hurl, and he gripped his shovel tighter.

Robert stepped toward the portal, eyes glued to the cave. "Just the next bit, mate."

Hamish muttered something, probably a curse, but shuffled closer, shovel gripped tight. "If ye get me killed, I'll haunt yer arse."

Robert laughed, slapping his shoulder. "Deal. You ready?"

Hamish grumbled, "No." But he moved up with him anyway.

They stepped through, the hum getting louder as they crossed. Moira's voice hit his head. She said, "You've beefed up your Thorn spell, Robert. It's faster, stronger now. Keep at it, and it might turn into something wild." Her tone was proud, but then it dropped. She added, "This dungeon's a long haul, you and Hamish. You'll grow a ton. But it's gonna take time. And it's dangerous."

Robert swallowed, glancing at Hamish. He looked ready to swing that shovel at anything. Robert said, "Let's do this."