After spending hours smoking meat to make jerky, Jaden was begrudgingly grateful to his father’s wilderness training for the barest moment before he suppressed the feeling. Just the primitive wooden contraption alone would have taken much longer to work out if he hadn’t known what to do. Jaden patted his stomach contentedly, feeling the slight bulge of good food as the trio sat around the fire.

“You’re surprisingly handy for an overly flirty drunk.” Lois commented, burping.

Jaden shrugged. “This is nothing. My dad used to take me into the woods with nothing but a single knife between the two of us. I hated every minute of it, but you learn survival skills really quick when there’s a crazy guy with a knife looking over your shoulder.”

Lois laughed. “Fair enough.”

The party lapsed into companionable silence, which stretched for several minutes. Relaxing into the bosom of a tree, Jaden opened up his map to examine their route. Thirty miles of difficult jungle terrain stretched between the current location of the party, and the nexus. Jaden started to do the math on how long it would take to reach the nexus, when he realized he wasn’t sure how much time had already passed since they had entered the world shard. With no sun in the sky, and only a constant perpetual gloom, Jaden had no way to demarcate the passage of time.

After a moment of panic, Jaden shifted his thinking, focusing his will on his status screen until a clock appeared. The clock told him it was six thirty-five P.M. Another effort of will produced an up to date calendar. It showed “August nineteenth twenty-twenty.”

“Well that’s handy.” Jaden muttered. Doing the math, Jaden determined that the party had four days left to reach the nexus.

Sitting up, he addressed the others, who were poking at the fire with sticks. “Hey guys, I think we’re going to have to hurry if we want to reach the nexus in time.” He made his map screen visible to the others, and turned it to face them. The two women likewise had turned to look at him curiously. “We have to walk thirty miles through difficult terrain. We also have to move cautiously because we can barely handle one enemy at a time. If the other creatures in the jungle are anything like that spiked cow, we’ll end up having to rest after every fight. Plus, the enemies will probably get more numerous and difficult as we get closer to the nexus. Honestly, I’m not sure we can make it in time.”

Niko raised her hand as if she was in class. “Why not make monsters now? Tie to land like my sword so they stay. They could kill.”

Jaden blinked in surprise. “That’s… a really good idea. Let me see if I can.”

Standing up, Jaden pulled out his deck. A moment later, he pulled out a plains card, and his Mystic Hunter.

“First I play plains!” He announced. Putting twenty mana into the plains, a pile of dirt dropped into place in front of him.

“Next I play Mystic Hunter!” He exclaimed. Holding up the card for dramatic effect, the muscle-bound man dressed in a bear pelt shimmered into being. The hunter grunted, then stood still waiting for orders. Jaden used the same process he had with the summoned equipment, linking the mana from the land card with the summoned hunter. Before his eyes the hunter’s hood, once a black mask covering the face in shadow, fell back. The man’s eyes brimmed with intelligence.

“What are your orders summoner?” He asked, as if coming alive for the first time.

“Wait, are you fully conscious?” Jaden asked in surprise.

“Yes. You have given me a soul. I am still bound to serve you, but… I think. I feel. I am alive.” The hunter’s gaze seemed to be turned inward as if noticing his own sentience for the first time.

“How… how much do you remember? What do you know about the world?” Jaden asked, shocked mind spinning in a thousand different directions.

“I remember the fight with the Battle Steer. It was a glorious hunt. I remember dying. I feel as if there should have been pain, but there was none. Perhaps because I lacked sentience. I know how to hunt, cook, and live off the land. I know that I live by a code of honor, following the path of both shaman, and warrior. I do not know exactly why I do this, but I know it is important. I know I am magically bound to serve you, as the one who summoned me. Beyond that, I have… fragments. I believe they are pieces of your own memory. An evil world filled with buildings of stone taller than an elephant, and men who kill without reason.” The hunter stopped speaking unceremoniously.

Jaden shivered in contemplation of what he had accidentally done. He turned to look at Lois, and Niko. Lois shrugged at his gaze, while Niko silently watched events unfold.

Jaden turned back to the hunter, dreading the responsibility that came with his next question. “Do you have a name?”

“I… no. I feel as though I did once, but when I look for it, I cannot find it.”

Jaden sighed. “Then I name you Yuki. Yuki the Mystic Hunter.”

“Why that name?” Lois asked.

Jaden shrugged. “I’m an anime nerd, and it was the first name that came to mind.”

Lois sighed. “You know you should put at least a little more effort into this. I mean you just created a person! A full-on adult person with thoughts and feelings! What the hell Jaden! The least you could do is put a bit more thought into naming him.”

Yuki held up his hands placatingly. “It is fine miss. I will happily accept this name.”

Lois shook her head. “All of you know this is crazy right? You can’t just… make people like that. Aren’t you stepping on the creator’s toes or something?” Lois looked at Niko, who shrugged, palms up in uncertainty.

It was at this moment that Jaden received a notification.

*************************************

Title Earned: Creator Level 1

*************************************

Jaden opened up the details of the Creator title.

*************************************

Creator Level 1

By your own means, you have found a path to true creation. Few ever learn to perform such a feat, and fewer still create a system that is entirely their own. Note that this title has been bestowed directly by the creator himself.

Reward: You have drawn the creator’s interest. Whether this is a blessing or a curse depends on your past, present, and future actions. You will face trials designed to nurture your strength, or prompt innovation. The results are entirely dependent on you, but those who survive gain incredible rewards.

*************************************

Jaden sighed in annoyance. He would have preferred a more clearly defined title, and didn’t look forward to facing unknown trials. Jaden already wished he could take it back, but steeled himself to move forward.

“Alright, Yuki. Giving you sentience was an accident, but regardless, I summoned you to help us get through this jungle. Basically I need you to scout ahead, let us know if you find threats, and help us fight off anything that attacks us.” Jaden ordered.

Yuki nodded. “I understand, and can do this. Do you have any other commands?”

Jaden shook his head. “That’s it. If you can do that, it’ll be a big help.”

Yuki grunted in satisfaction, and ambled away to tend to his new duties.

“Is this really okay?” Lois asked in concern. “You just made a person and then told him to go risk his life for you.”

Jaden looked away from her searching gaze. “If we’re going to get through this, we need help. We can turn around and wait out the clock if you want.”

Lois shook her head. “I want to support Niko. She’s like a cute little sister, and I know this means a lot to her.”

Jaden grinned mischievously. “Why miss Lois, are you angling to catch my girlfriend?”

Lois grinned back, expression equally mischievous. “Well I never. I resent such slanderous accusations.” As she spoke, Lois put her hand over her heart as if wounded.

Jaden snorted his disbelief at her response. “Too late. One hook per fish, go find your own.”

Lois rolled her eyes. “I’ll trade you. You conjure me up a girlfriend, and I’ll avoid messing with Niko.”

Jaden cocked his head in consideration. “I don’t think it works that way. I mean, I seem to only have vague control over what actually comes out when I summon something.”

“Not true. Magic is entirely based on imagination, so you can do whatever you want with the cards. They’re just a crutch so you can play anime hero.”

Jaden rubbed his face. “You know what? You can do it if you want. I have a few battle maidens in here you might like. You shouldn’t even have to switch classes or anything.”

Lois scoffed in mock disgust. “Ew. I’m not that desperate, perv. I was just joking.”

Jaden raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, you asked. I was just trying to be neighborly.”

Lois rolled her eyes. “Ya, well stay here. I’m going to go take care of some business behind that tree.”

“Ew right back at you.” Jaden retorted, walking away. With his back turned, he missed the expression of repressed emotion on Lois’s face as she stalked away into the gloom.