Chapter 3: Georg (6 Months after Hope, Summer)

- Hold the bow steady. Breathe slowly and controlled...very good!

Georg praised one of his disciples. The fact that he actually used a bow in the war helped him a tremendous amount in this new world.

- I will check on Agrid, keep training until lunch.

- Understood Georg, thanks for the help. Can't wait to snipe my first wolf.

- We'll see about that, hahaha.

'Don't die on your first hunt and we'll talk.'

He left the training ground and went straight to the center of Hofen. Hofen was the village Georg and a couple thousand survivors started to build after they realized how many people stranded in this new world.

They banded together and started to build simple tools, gathered materials, food and seeds. The land wasn't barren luckily but they still had to wait through the winter months.

Many died in those first months but many also survived and got stronger. There turned out to be some sort of leveling system not unlike some videogames popular before the great war. But unlike most videogames those stats and skills didn't really make living here much easier.

'If it wasn't for the pain and terror the beginners might survive. I never thought a simple confusion spell would create a worse headache than frag grenades exploding next to your head.'

He entered the village square and looked for Agrid. She was a city planner before coming here and tries with many others to put an acceptable town together amidst the crime and monster attacks.

'Can't we just make a constitution or something, it's still more reminiscent of apes or barbarians instead of humans.'

He found Agrid in the middle of schooling some seemingly former architects.

- I told you the wall has priority, I don't give two shits about your family not having their own house.

- There are enough people building though, it's only a sideproject.

- Alright look, you can build it if you want. In the forest right next to the bears, how does that sound?

'She's doing a great job. Glad we're having her.'

He though as he listened with an amused look on his face.

- You're finally here Georg. Cut that smug look and come walk with me.

She dismissed the architects and motioned him to follow.

- I have to check on the food supply and possible grains so we can do this on the way. How do the new recruits look?

- About three hundred started this month and they're doing alright. We just don't have nearly enough weapons to properly equip and train people.

- First the wall, afterwards tools and especially bows. Any progress on the rules this world has and about the beasts in the vicinity?

- Well the wolves seem to be around level five or six. We haven't managed to bring a bear down yet but one of my guys was hit and didn't die. He's currently level 16 so the bear is probably in his twenties. We couldn't try any advanced weaponry yet because of lacking metals and knowledge. You'd think at least somebody can forge a gun from scratch.

- Only wolves and bears? Didn't those games have more enemies?

- We're only scratching on the surface. Most beasts we encounter are actually attacking us. We haven't ventured far into the forest. Not without proper gear.

- Can't wait to find bloody elves...

They seemed to have reached their destination as Agrid started to talk with the people gathering there. Georg assumed the talk to be over and went to his next station.

'It already nearly seems like a living'

He thought as he looked at the playing children and working adults.

'If it wasn't for the sudden killings by beasts you could almost enjoy this'

As he settled in his sarcastically happy thoughts he reached his destination. One of many wooden houses.

He knocked and entered.

- Hello mister

- Hello little one, how are you?

- Are you also here to see the fire?

- As a matter of fact I am, but would you show it to me outside? We wouldn't want to lose the house...

'Not again at least, brat burned three down already'

While the initial construction of Hofen was underway sudden fires led to confusion. Turns out the arsonist was an eight year old boy using magic. Presumably the first human magic caster. It didn't cause as much of an uproar as one might expect because people were still struggling with surviving but many tried to learn, and failed.

'Little one might make it to Arch-Mage one day'

- Ok can you show me the flame again? And try to explain to me how you do it.

- Hmm, I just think of the flame and then it comes...I don't know what's so hard about it...

'I can see this won't go anywhere. Simple improvement of Intelligence or Wisdom stats won't do it, some people already tried that. There must be a class connected to fire magic and therefore other types of magic. The sheer possibility is incredible...damn shame he can't read and whatever shapes he scribbles in the dirt are unintelligibly'

'Hmm, classes seem to activate in certain circumstances but it's really too random to determine except maybe Archer or Knight but even those only pop up very sparsely'

- Thanks for the show, I'll visit you again some time. Learn your alphabet diligently.

- I will mister

'Funny though, I seem to enjoy this more than the war...might just be that Hope wasn't the absolute worst word they could've chosen'