Parker talked for a long time.
He rambled through memories of John, drifted into stories about Lily, then circled back to himself, weaving everything together into a messy, emotional knot that left Flynn rubbing his temples. By the time the blacksmith finally slowed down, Flynn felt like he had just listened to the entire history of a love triangle that never truly ended.
Back then, John, Lily, and Parker had all grown up in the same village. John and Parker were both exceptional hunters, the kind that stood out even among seasoned woodsmen. Of all the young women in the village, though, they both fell for Lily. What followed was simple, at least on the surface. Lily chose John. They married, and for a time, everything seemed settled.
Then, sixteen years ago, John went hunting on Bear Mountain and never came back.
Everyone in the village eventually accepted that he was dead. Everyone except Lily. Despite her gentle smile and warm demeanor, she had spent more than a decade waiting, convinced that one day her husband would return.
"Bear Mountain," Flynn repeated once Parker finally finished. He leaned back, thinking it through. "If he's been missing for over ten years, there's no way he's still alive. At best, I might find bones or scraps of clothing. Is there anything that could actually prove it was him?"
"Man, he was something else with a bow," Parker said, his voice cracking a little. "The Hunters Association over in Aenoth District actually gave him a Medallion. Made of bronze, had his name engraved on it. He was the only one from this village to get one in like, decades. He was so damn proud of it, he never took it off. If you can find that medallion, we'll know for sure."
That was enough. Flynn accepted the quest without hesitation.
[Quest Accepted: John's Clue]
Bear Mountain lay near the Starter Zone, one of two prominent landmarks in the area. The other was Wolf Mount, a place overrun with wolves and named by players rather than the system itself. Its ruler, Borg the Silver-Fang, was one of the three major bosses in the zone and, thankfully, the weakest.
Bear Mountain was another matter entirely.
The area was infested with grizzlies, wild boars, and other aggressive beasts, most of them level thirteen or higher. The bears themselves rarely dipped below level fifteen. At the peak lurked the Bear King, the strongest of the Starter Zone's major bosses, a level eighteen monster that no team had successfully killed yet. Most organized guilds didn't bother spending that much time in beginner territory, especially not on something so risky.
Flynn had reached level fourteen over the past few days without deliberately power-leveling. Traveling to Bear Mountain was possible, but encountering the Bear King would be fatal. He still hadn't forgotten the time he'd been trapped in the wolf den. The memory lingered, sharp enough that he could almost feel it.
That was exactly why he had bought potions from Bitter-Melon and pressured Amy for Potions of Fury.
He was planning to solo the wolf king.
And after seeing that monster's strength up close, Flynn knew better than to rush things. Preparation was how he survived. Carelessness got people killed.
Parker's quest threw a wrench into those plans. Bear Mountain came first now, but it was already late, and Flynn had promised Amy ten mechanical dolls by morning. She hadn't seemed overly anxious, but Flynn disliked leaving things unfinished.
After leaving the forge, he headed straight for Edward's workshop.
Engineering was a strange profession. Most of what an Engineer created could only be used by the Engineer themselves. Mechanical dolls were one of the rare exceptions, usable by anyone. Because of that limitation, most players viewed Engineering as a massive money sink and avoided it altogether.
Edward's workshop was usually empty for that very reason.
Normally, Flynn would have crafted wherever he felt like it, but the mechanical dolls required focus and precision. A quiet place mattered, and Edward's workshop was perfect.
When Edward saw him, his stiff, bark-like face softened into a rare smile. "You're early today, young man."
"I am," Flynn said easily. He clapped Edward on the shoulder. "By the way, it looks like you've got more hair. Those strange potions you've been drinking might actually be working."
Edward beamed, patting his mostly bald head where a few stubborn strands clung on. "I knew it. I told you. You have good eyes. So, have you managed to build the mechanical doll yet?"
"I was short on ore, so I spent the day mining."
"Ah, yes, yes. Go on, then," Edward said, shuffling aside. "I can't wait to see it in action. It's a marvelous invention, but still far too simple. It should be smarter. Much smarter."
Flynn settled into his work and began crafting the components.
The mechanical doll required metal casings, a mechanical core made from interlocking gears, and a web of joints and supports to hold everything together. The materials themselves weren't rare, but the process demanded precision. The system required player-made components to resemble functional real-world parts before it would acknowledge the craft. Perfection wasn't expected, but the closer the resemblance, the higher the resulting quality.
Flynn thrived under those conditions.
He had never built gears this small before, but he had plenty of experience with delicate mechanisms. His hands moved with confidence, shaping metal into clean, recognizable forms. It was the reason he had earned Edward's trust so quickly, and the reason he'd been given the mechanical doll schematic in the first place.
Hours passed in focused silence.
By the time he stopped, sixty copper casings and fifteen mechanical cores lay neatly arranged in front of him. Even with his efficiency, the work had taken over three hours. He had materials prepared for fifteen dolls. Ten for Amy and five for himself.
"I'm out of time," Flynn murmured after checking the clock. He still needed to craft the joints and auxiliary parts. Rather than rush it, he logged out directly from inside the workshop.
Removing the helmet, he stretched and groaned. "I'm getting lazy. Played all day and my body feels like it's rusting." What he really needed was a full gaming pod. He'd skipped buying one before launch, opting for a basic neural helmet instead.
Now that the game had him hooked, he ordered one immediately. The bad news was the wait. There was high demand and limited stock. Delivery would take at least a month.
With that settled, Flynn called Chad. "Yo, you awake?"
"Nope. Funny thing, I was about to call you. Want to grab a late-night bite?"
Flynn laughed. "Since when are we this in sync?"
"Since now. Get out here, I'm already outside."
"What? You actually left your house?"
Suspicious, Flynn opened the door. Chad stood there grinning like a creep, flanked by two stunning women.
As soon as the door opened, Chad pushed his way in with a sly smile. "Let's see if you're hiding any babes in here."
"Hide your sister," Flynn said, grabbing Chad and pulling him back outside. "Let's go, let's go, I'm starving." He glanced at the two girls and smiled. "Chad, who are these lovely ladies? You gonna introduce us?"
Before Chad could say anything, one of the girls looked Flynn up and down, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "You're Flynn, right? Chad's told me about you. Said you're his best friend."
"That's me. We grew up together. And you are?"
The other woman gave a more composed smile. "I'm Sophia, and this is my friend Chloe. We're friends of Chad's. We're the ones renting the place next to you. Nice to finally meet you."
"Oh," Flynn said, realization dawning. "So you're the friends Chad was talking about! Well, nice to meet you both. Seriously, if you need anything, just let me know."
Chad elbowed him with a grin. "See? Don't say I never look out for you. They and their friends are all smoke shows, and they play Age of Conquest too. You'll have plenty to talk about. Gotta get in early, you know what I mean?" He gave a sleazy wink.
His cheesy comment got him an eye-roll from both girls, but they clearly knew how he was and didn't seem offended. Sophia did look a tiny bit uncomfortable for a second, though.
Flynn looked at them, surprised. "You guys play Age of Conquest too? That game's awesome, it's actually really fun."
With a shared interest, conversation flowed naturally. Chad, though, was getting antsy. "Alright, let's walk and talk. Hey, is there anywhere decent to eat around here? I'm starving."
Flynn had only moved to Serene Bay four years ago and lived somewhere else in the city before that. Chad had only visited a handful of times and didn't know the neighborhood.
Flynn led them to a street food stall nearby. Nothing fancy, it was cheap, but surprisingly good.