The long-haired man stood there, rapier ruined—half a blade, the other half still cooling somewhere on the ground far away in the crossroads. He shook his head with that tired smirk he always wore whenever fate decided to slap him."I guess… this is it then."
He raised his hand in an easy wave, as if the last hour hadn't been chaos. "If you ever need something, just come find me." His eyes softened, remembering the fight that carved its mark across them "I owe you one."
Adam stepped forward. "Hey—wait…"
The man blinked. "What?"
Adam scratched his head. "Where do you even get gold anyway?"
It hit him so hard he actually froze... This guy does he lives in a rock or something? "You… don't get gold from anywhere," he muttered, baffled. "You earn it. Get a job or something. You look old enough—a young man like you shouldn't have any trouble." He pointed lazily toward the road ahead. "Follow that sign with the arrow. There's a job board. Villagers post short work there."
Adam nodded, smiling as if this strange, half-broken man had always been a friend. "Goodbye then."
"And may your hopes and dreams fruit in this life," the man replied, tone gentle despite the exhaustion in his voice. He turned away, boots crushing damp ash as he walked, the town's scent of smoke and livestock drifting around him.
The center of Ashfall was alive with movement—hooves clacking across stone, a distant smith's hammer, wet dirt squelching underfoot. And through all that, an old man noticed you.
"Hoho… I meet yet another unknown traveler at this hour," he chuckled.
Adam and Karrin exchanged a look—confusion written on both faces.
"Who are you?" Adam asked.
Karrin tipped his head back, chugging a red vial like it was normal hydration. "He's usually the town master. He, uh… just stands around and gives quests." He scratched his cheek. "Well—that's how it works in the game. No idea if that applies to… this."
The old man smiled, leaning slightly on his cane. Bald, tall, robes dusted with ash."And such good fortune," he murmured. "Three young souls with eyes tinted red i meet. A rare sight."
Karrin stiffened. "Wait—there's another person?!"
The old man nodded toward a distant street as he'd been remembering that other red-eyed wanderer for hours. But then he pulled his attention back to you.
"I have no tasks that would trouble travelers as lively as you," he said. "However…" His hand dipped into his pocket. A scroll slid free—old, cracked at the edges, tied with a faded crimson thread. "There is one matter."
Adam took it. The parchment was warm, as if it had been resting near a flame.
[Quest Log — Issued by Headmaster Howard of Ashfall]
Quest Name: Embers of VigilanceQuest Type: Town DutyDifficulty: ★★☆☆☆Recommended Party: 1–3 Adventurers
Description
To the wanderer whose feet have found Ashfall:
Our town grows dim. Each sunrise fights its way through a sky drowned in smoke, and the shadows grow longer than they should. The ash has thickened this past week—heavier, darker, laden with whispers that cling to the skin like dust.
Before my grandfather's grandfather walked these roads, our founders built four Fire Domains around the settlement—brazier-shrines whose flames were woven with old wards. Their purpose was simple:To keep the ash-born spirits beyond the fields.To warm the boundaries of the town when winter came early.To remind us that fire—small as it is—still defies the dark.
But the winds of these days show no mercy.
All four flames have died.
Not dwindled.Not weakened.Snuffed out.
If they remain cold through the night, the wards will unravel. The ash-born will drift closer from the misted outskirts—wraithlike things that haunt the dead air where the sun does not fully reach.
My hands tremble now. My legs no longer trust the hills. Most of our soldiers lie wounded, and the rest guard the barricades in case the ash pushes in.
So I entrust this duty to you—strangers, perhaps… yet the only ones who arrived on the very day the flames fell silent.
Objective
Rekindle the four Fire Domains surrounding Ashfall:
Northwatch BrazierBeyond the stacked wheat carts, where the old pine stumps form a crooked ring.The wind there bites colder than the rest of town.
Riverside Forest PitAlong the dried creek behind the wooden mills.The trees whisper when the air grows still—ignore them.
Eastern Ash PostOn the low ridge overlooking the merchants' path.The ground shakes sometimes. We don't know why.
South Gate HearthBeside the secondary barricade near the town's entrance.The guards pretend they don't fear the dark. Do not believe them.
When all four flames burn again, return to me.Ashfall will breathe easier for one more night.
—Headmaster Howard of Ashfall
Adam grabbed the old man by the shoulders, shaking him so hard the cane nearly slipped out of Howard's hand.
"If you have something like this—a full quest—there's no way this world is primitive! Technology has to be somewhere!"
Howard's cheeks wobbled, eyes spinning. "Uhh—young man—please—my spine—"
He finally steadied himself, palms flat against his robe, trying to get his breath back. "Now then…" He cleared his throat, remembering the earlier mention of another red-eyed stranger. "You asked about the one who came before you, didn't you?"
Adam and Karrin leaned forward, expecting something.
Howard smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile—more the nostalgic, tired kind. "Ah yes… he was a brave soul. Red eyes just like yours. Brave… reckless… beginner, but already tearing through monsters on his way to the next town. He defended Ashfall when the night-beasts broke through the west barricade."
He paused.
"Sadly… his own village was destroyed. He said he had no place to return to."
Adam exhaled through his nose. "Let me guess… Witchmaster again?" Hearing that word over and over.
Howard didn't answer. He simply gave them that long nod.
Instead of replying, he shuffled toward the small house attached to the bulletin board. It looked more like a tool shed than a mayor's home. They waited outside, listening to doors creak, objects fall, and Howard curse quietly under his breath.
A moment later he emerged carrying a bundle.
A rusted shortsword.
Light armor woven from straw, leather scraps, and wheat fibers.
Adam's face dropped instantly. "…This is useless."
"Oh no, no, no," Howard insisted, pushing the items toward him. "You can't wander Ashfall unarmed! This land is dangerous, and monsters follow the ash. Take it. Even a bad blade is better than none."
Adam waved him off, irritation flickering in his red eyes. Great—glowing again, always when he was annoyed. He didn't snap or yell, but the annoyance cracked through his expression.
At least it was something. Even if it was trash.
They left the town center, stepping into the narrow roads that cut through Ashfall. Smoke drifted over the rooftops. The wind carried the smell of wet earth and livestock. The closer they walked toward the quest area, the more the truth of the town revealed itself.
People starving.
A man with only one arm, holding a sword he could barely lift.
An elderly woman with a purple robe in backwards crouched on the dirt, rocking her child, whispering comfort even though she had nothing left to give.
Those too weak, too injured, too young—laying against walls wrapped in blankets that barely held heat.
Karrin blinked, only now noticing. "Adam?"
Adam didn't stop walking. "Aren't you seeing this?"
Karrin slowed, scanning the street. But he kept focusing on people who were still fine—farmers cutting leather from a cow, workers milling around the mills, townsfolk doing their chores.
He didn't see the ones slipping between the cracks.
"I don't see anything weird," Karrin muttered. "This looks normal…"
Then he froze.
A noble walked down the road—towering armor of dark silver and iron, polished so clean it caught what little sunlight fought through the smoke. A heavy cloak, helmet crowned with black horns, guards marching behind him with weapons raised. He barked orders without looking at anyone—searching, hunting for something.
Karrin whispered sharply, "Nope. No way. In the game those guys are midgame to endgame. Newbie killers. We weren't arent allowed to fight them yet." He rubbed his temples and walked faster, ignoring the procession.
Adam stared at the starving people again. "…No those people" Pointing at those people "I'll help them. When I get money, I mean."
Karrin sighed loudly. "Bro, why? Why make the trip longer? I'm trying to get home. And they didn't do anything for us. There's nothing to gain." He crossed his arms. "I promised I'd also help you get back too."
Before Adam could reply "I dont nee-", a man jogged toward them, panting. Long beard, white shirt smeared with dust, dark gray leather pants, sword hanging loosely at his side.
"You two!" he shouted. "You're the ones Howard recommended, right?!"
Adam blinked. "Howard?"
"Yeah! That old guy!" The man wiped sweat from his forehead. "Look—I need help. My wife is gonna kill me. The rats—damn things—are infesting my whole house."
Karrin leaned forward. "Reward?"
"One hundred gold…" The man groaned. "Just kill them. All of them. I swear they're mutated or cursed or something—I can't even kill one! And that woman—my wife—she's about to throw me into the street. There's rats running from the rooms into the basement!"
Karrin lit up. "Yep! Another quest. Let's go, Adam!"
He sprinted forward without waiting.
Adam stood there a moment, staring at the struggling families, the starving children, the nobles marching like walking fortresses.
"Alright"