“No one who has died has come back.”

Tina, the halfling whispered the words but Ambrose was able to hear them from his seated position. His body still ached from the battle but the potion had done its work splendidly and it didn’t hurt as much to move.

“What do you mean?” The farmer questioned, his voice not one of concern but more of curiosity.

“What do you mean what do I mean?! They’re probably dead!” Tina shouted out in anger, a sudden transition from the previously bubbly chatter a few moments ago. Her teeth were bared in blatant aggression as she waved her puny fist in front of the massive Ambrose. Even just a week of working the land had added a layer of muscle onto his bones which flexed with each movement.

“Calm, Tina. I for one watched all the beta live streams by the hundreds of players that were offered to test out this world made by the Developer. It took me weeks to decide on Eden and to leave the Underground. I had nothing left to live for back on Earth, even my parents had abandoned me when I was born with my abnormality.

“I digress. It's a proven fact that we, the players from Earth, can not permanently die. Sure we can have our bodies blown to bits but we will always come back unless we choose not to. This is a game, Tina. While our bodies out there may be dead, we have our new life here. I will not waste away in fear of dying when I should be here, living.

“Earth is doomed but we know that the hard drives that contain and run Eden are scattered across space and the depths of the earth. To kill the game would require forces and luck that simply cannot appear. Tina, you worry for nothing.”

Ambrose didn’t know why he comforted the small woman. Her feeble body and tear-filled eyes had struck something in his heart, something that he once thought he had sealed off. Just minutes ago he had been told that his existence had been basically forgotten, even when she feared that death meant permanent destruction. But whether it was the potion numbing his mind or the exhaustion of the near mortal battle the teenager simply wanted to comfort a crying soul.

“What are you doing?” Ambrose questioned himself internally as he stared at the weeping lady. At the moment, he was truly guessing on the nature of the respawn method. If there was one.

Videos of testing playthroughs showed that it took a day after the death for a player to respawn. Often at the local monument or town center. A respawn point could only be tied to a place of importance, and as far as the budding settlement went nothing was valuable. There was no statue to a deity nor was there a natural treasure that guarded the land. The settlement would have to collect and place those themselves. Hells, the place probably didn’t even have a name yet.

“You’re probably right. I watched the videos too so probably they spawned in Bjora and just haven’t been able to make it back by themselves. We got lucky the first time around when we traveled here since our numbers made us seem more threatening than we actually were.” She laughed as she wiped away salty trails that ran across her face.

“Thank you, Ambrose, I probably don’t deserve your compassion but I’m grateful anyway. I’m sorry for what I said earlier, about not sending anyone to check up on you, a few people were pissed that you took up a spot for the collective and then fucked off on your own. I’m pissed still but I guess you aren’t such a bad guy.” Tina returned to her bubbly chatter and left Ambrose with a confusing thought.

“Excuse me, what? I thought the limit of a collective wasn’t actually set, only determined by those that wanted to join.” Ambrose grumbled at the sorry excuse that Tina was coming up with and expected her to simply shrug it off. Contrary to that she went into further detail.

“I’m guessing that one of the AI’s or ‘deities as they refer to themselves, offered you the collective settlement option, right?” Ambrose mutely nodded.

“Then the AI might have simply been carefree in its design or you’ve forgotten, but the collectives are limited to around thirty people give or take a few. You’ve been playing solo when everyone thought that you’d be part of the team.” Tina grimaced as she looked at him again. What she would’ve done to get another fighter or perhaps a more specialized mage to help with the beast problem.

Ambrose was shocked. Had he been going about this all wrong? Was he suppose to have built closer to the settlement and provided more support than he had been doing? Brief conversations that he had with the other settlers all pointed in the direction that they had assumed he would be within easy reach. Those that wanted to purchase mounts had just reasoned that he would be close by, but when Ambrose ventured off to the very further part of the lake it seemed like he had abandoned the settlement. His loner nature had really come around and bit him on the rear with this one. Ambrose chewed on the inside of his lip, frustration apparent on his curved lips.

“Hmm, that’s not very fair. No one said I had to stay close to the settlement and the further away I was the more land I could use. I’ve already completed my first harvest and came to ask for more land usage. It seems it is not safe here anyway so you can’t blame me for not sticking close,” his tone was cold like the saltwater ocean that bordered the town. The impromptu leader grimaced but didn’t refute his defense.

“In any case, you should stay for the night and join us for the nightly cookout we have. We’ll grill the bear and any other beasts that decide to attack us and eat them tonight. It’ll be a good way for you to integrate yourself into the settlement,” Tina held her hands together in front of herself before pointing past the now open gates, inside the walls of the settlement.

“If you go past the doors you’ll find a small smithy set up by Astrid, it's near the coast but just follow the sounds of a hammer striking metal. Best of luck to you Ambrose, I hope to see you this evening.” She nodded her head ever so slightly before walking around the perimeter of the small village. Ambrose didn’t bother following her with his eyes, instead turning his gaze towards the mostly clear sky. Small puffy white clouds drifted aimlessly across a vast ocean of blue.

Ambrose had a choice to make. He had already come all this way to inquire about purchasing some metal implements and he was loath to leave without even seeing if it was possible. He also wanted to find out who had been making the potions, or if the vials of restoration had simply been purchased in Bjora. He didn’t like the idea of a potential business rival emerging in the small location but perhaps there would be opportunities to collaborate in the future.

There was also the matter of repaying Jerald for his lifesaving rescue. Ambrose had felt a crippling fear when he was struck by the beast and if it wasn’t for Jerald rushing to his side then he might have found out if death was permanent.

“I don’t have much right now, just some eggs and fruits. Maybe he needs some help with his house?” As far as the farmer knew, there was no one in the village that had [Earth Manipulation] which he found extremely strange. The spell had been his most useful skill since he entered Eden and there was no way that no one else had thought to use it as he did. When he couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse beyond the idea that maybe he had gotten lucky with his choice he shelved that thought process and pushed himself to his feet.

A few settlers gave him brief nods as he walked through the unmanned gates, the guards having been dealt heavy blows and were currently being healed as fast as possible. Ambrose still had access to the settlement window that displayed a person’s first starting skills alongside their name. He tried to match up the information alongside his low leveled [Identification] skill. Only recognizing someone who appeared to be focussed on weaving or crafting clothes. The teenager was doing good on his apparel but if he started getting attacked more often then perhaps he would need to invest in more tunics.

The small village was haphazard in its construction. A small cleared-out center square with a few playing children was the only attempt at organization. Directly behind the area was what looked like a longhouse of sorts with a couple of women chatting in front of it. The children glanced curiously at the new face before resuming their game of kicking around a roughly sewn leather ball.

The center of the village was about one hundred yards from the edge of the coast where a few small canoes were being carved out of special logs. Tree trunks with a radius of at least two feet were slowly chipped away as a few men readied oars and nets for possible fishing. Ambrose wasn’t sure how well the rafts would take to the ocean but he wished them a piece of silent good luck. The canoes or rafts would have to be sturdy enough to handle the ocean’s deadly waves in addition to a Norse man’s heavy frame.

It didn’t take long for the curious young man to find the source of the ringing metal. At first, the roar of the shore blanketed the noise, but as Ambrose got close to the water he picked up the soft blows. A path cleared of trees and brush lead towards the budding smithy, which Ambrose followed with caution. His encounter with the bear had heightened his sense of danger and he was somewhat fearful of his eventual journey back. The dirt road ended at a log cabin where the strikes of a hammer came from.

The building was made out of the common pine logs and appeared to be the normal square cabin blueprint. A side addition with an overhang covered a smoldering forge and tools from the elements. Another dirt path led deeper into the forest towards the mountains, probably where the mine had been found.

As Ambrose approached he caught glimpse of Astrid at her anvil. The metal block that could be called a hammer swung down with ferocious strength, bending the malleable material into shape. He silently watched as she continued her craft, unable to find the right time to interrupt. Even he knew that bothering someone while they were doing something was rude.

A few minutes went by until Astrid noticed the unmoving man in the corner of her vision. She flinched minutely but just as fast calmed herself.

“Damn boy, if you were trying to scare me it worked.” She had a strange accent in her voice. Her words came out drawn with a tinge of bite at the end, pronouncing her “T’s” harshly. Her blue eyes and blonde hair were the norms of the village and beside her muscular frame, she appeared normal.

After a few more moments she finished her item, which appeared to be some sort of pickaxe, and leaned against an upraised log that was holding up the overhang.

“What can I help ya with? Unless you were just in the fancy for creepin’ up on me,” she raised an eyebrow which Ambrose didn’t return.

“I’m here to ask if you would be willing to craft some plates, pots, urns, and other miscellaneous items for me. I’d be willing to pay in coins but also barter for resources or help that you require.” The teenager waved his hand around aimlessly. Astrid pondered for a moment with her fingers tapping on the wooden table next to her before replying.

“That stuff isn’t too hard and helps me level up a bit, but there are also a dozen other orders from the settlement that I have to complete first. You’re a bit slow on the uptake young man.” An upturned smirk irked Ambrose to no end. It appeared more and more that his disconnection from the settlement would continue to cause problems for him.

“I don’t mind waiting. I’d like to put in the list of required items, I will be back in a few weeks to trade some of my produce to the village. If it is not done by then I will return in three weeks once more.” After bartering with her about a price the farmer left the smith with a long list of supplies he required.

He frowned as he found himself barely holding more than a few silvers in coin left. Maybe some sort of metal manipulation spell would be rewarding in the future...