"First, we need to get you two more Skill Slots, and then fill it with good, appropriate skills," Nusia said in a low voice as she surveyed the area. "What kind of skill are you interested in?" she turned and asked.

Cold sweats trickled down on his back as he looked down. His stomach was doing somersaults while she stood up straight like it was nothing.

The wind slapped his face and his grip tightened as the whole tree swayed. Nusia had only bent her legs to compensate while he trembled uncontrollably.

His legs felt like giving up and it was because he had been kneeling for too long. They were too far up to be heard, at least according to her. He only agreed on the ‘too far up’ part.

He wanted nothing more than his feet on the solid ground again, but he knew better than that. If he had known better, he had never planned to leave the city, maybe forever.

Meeting Nusia at the charity run was a godsend despite the complications it created. The Wilds are full of Core hungry, mana-fueled creatures, and she warned him not to get close to the True Wilds without her.

It only meant that even scarier monsters were lurking in there.

"I always like to make things," he said to her while trying not to look down again.

"Yes, you do, don't you. You always had these weird ideas," she lamented at the memories of a child who Artus also had inside his head. "But the Artificer class does tend to make one rich."

He tried but he couldn't hide the smile that grew on his face. Artus was already tired of living a poor life in his last. Well, not exactly poor, but he had enough. Maybe he could even do some good with the money like buying a country for himself.

That would be great.

"I've seen those greedy eyes before," Nusia quipped. "But being rich is not a fault in itself and you do have the talent."

"What's an Artificer anyway?"

"A class which focused on magic items and spells, like what you have done with the Arcane Shell. You fulfill the client's needs in spells or trinkets and receive a handsome pay each time. Everyone could use spells or items, but not all could figure them out as you did."

"Why am I sensing a 'but' at the end?"

"But that would leave you helpless. If I'm not wrong, you'll need Mana Construct and Aether Sense which leave no space for offensive spell or skill. The first three are always important. The ideal is a weapon skill or offensive spell coupled with a control spell or utility, like a sensing ability. Without being slotted, spells and skills are too slow for emergencies."

"I would argue defensive like the shell is better than any of those."

"Then how do you plan to survive an attack, how do you even fight back?"

"Good point," he admitted. "Let me figure it out while I have you, you aren't going anywhere, anytime soon, right?"

"I suppose I have to... babysit you for a little longer," she quipped.

"I'll make it worth your time."

"You better," she chuckled. "Let's get down, the goblins are gone, we need to get to the nearest village soon. Before you ask, nights are getting darker which means the long night is coming, and we will need at least a defensible place to hunker in."

She said we and not her. He who needed a defensible place and not her.

Artus groaned as he looked up at the huge piece of round rock dominating the sky. As if he didn't have enough problems already. The world would be in complete darkness for days during this Long Night, and all sorts of monsters would be more aggressive during this time.

The huge planet in the sky would be visible almost all the time if they weren't facing the other way. He had seen plenty of it during their happy time laying on his back.

Anyone from the old world would have put together that he was living on a moon-based on the large celestial body hovering in the sky. The mystery of the Long Night was simple to anyone who gave it a little thought.

This world would experience a long continuous night whenever its orbit entered the shadow of the larger planet. There were no equal 'Long Days' because the moon was still spinning on its own axis, creating its own day and night cycle.

He had been living on a large moon of a planet in a binary solar system. A large enough moon that was able to sustain life for who knows how long is truly mind-boggling. The last thing he needed was an elliptical orbit, another common occurrence, which could cause a very long and cold winter.

"Is there a long winter?" he asked the girl as they climbed down the tree.

"We still have some time," she said as if it was nothing. "After many Solar cycles living in the safety of a big city, I almost forget how dangerous it is during that time. It's something we need to plan for too," she mumbled to herself.

'Goddammit,' Artus cursed inside.

"But this also means the outlying farms would be lacking people," she added. "This could work for us. We only need to find a suitable farm to take advantage of you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Every farmer will have the farmer class, and that means they should be able to operate simple farming tools. They are a few selections of mass-produced enchanted tools made by the Kingdom’s Artificers. It's loaned to the farmers by the King's order."

"So you are saying I could learn from it?"

"Yes, you should try or we would need to buy skill books for you. Which is expensive. But no farmer would let a stranger mess around with their most prized tools. Their heads would be on a pike if anything went wrong. They'll never let you get near it, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless we use the tool you have ready," she looked at his crotch. He blanched.

Nusia chuckled at his reaction. "The best farm is one that lacks men for some reason, leaving only the women on their own. You don't want other men's rough hands touching me, right?"

She had all her bases covered. She is right though, he would murder anyone who dared to touch her, for whatever reason.

And they also had nothing to offer. No cash or skill to help with the farm they would be infiltrating. Nusia could provide by hunting, but that wouldn't pave the way for his reputation.

Like it or not, he had to do this. He had to win the female farmers over, one way or the other. It could take him months if he would do it the normal way but he couldn't wait for months. This world’s version of bounty hunters would be on his scent by then.

Artus groaned in defeat.

After two more days sleeping strapped onto trees, he was ready for comfortable hays of stranger's barn if that was his only choice. Nusia had scouted the outlying farm and she had found a suitable one. The next step was to 'stumble' into the farm and act the part they had decided for each other.

-

Her palm on the cold ground, Cindy clutched the Necklace of Warmth. The ring-shaped necklace might have been made from simple pig-iron but it is worth more than her life.

“Fuck this,” she cursed when the land still not warm enough. They were too far from the source like her father had said.

If only she had more than only five points of mana. She could use it to warm up the soil.

She was using the necklace to check the state of the frozen ground while two others watched the tree lines for any sign of trouble. The pair and one other girl inside the house weren't hers, but during and after the long winter, they had become comfortable around each other.

All of them were unwanted children from other families and that made it easier. No one would want poorly awakened teenagers, let alone an unawakened like Lilly. She had it worse than everyone else.

Kent was the third son of the neighboring farm who was sent over to 'help' her with this part of frozen land. He could be aiming for the long run, but the crossbow on his arms proved to be useful to enable her to concentrate on her job.

The young man was originally an unwelcome addition but he had been nice to the two girls at least. He hadn't forced himself or wormed his way in during the time they were most vulnerable. Cold, lonely, and grieving, the warmth of a good looking young man would have been welcomed by anyone.

Cindy wouldn't have stopped anyone if they approached the man as she had almost done it herself. It was too unbearable and it was not like she would lose anything. She only needed to endure the pain.

Maiden’s struggles apart, somebody had to till this land. No one would have the heart to feed four extra stomachs. She would have long left this place if she had a choice.

'Papa, why would you do this to your girl?' Cindy sighed.

Attaining eternal rest after handing over his [Core] seemed so much easier right now even though she knew it was quite the opposite. Papa had simply given up when mama died.

She and her inherited skills had been their family’s pillar. Cindy had gained his skills and class after absorbing his [Core], but that's all she had received from him other than this piece of useless frozen land.

All their savings were spent trying to save mama, but it was all for nothing. Even her [Core] had been taken away as payment. Cindy couldn't hate papa for that as she had also wanted mama to live at the time.

Maybe the warmth of a man wasn't so bad after all.

A joust to her shoulder woke her up from her thoughts.

Jane, who had always complained about being born as a girl, pointed towards the border of the forest. There stood a girl that was beyond any of them with a well-shaped bow in her hands.

Cindy turned towards Kent and the young man's jaw might hit the ground if it opened any wider. She understood the reaction as this girl's expression was fierce even with the kind of flawless beauty found only in the noble houses. The green-haired girl was in dirty rags at best, but anyone could tell she would look gorgeous in a proper dress.

The sight of her limping out of the forest would have sent any boys running towards her to offer help. Kent was already walking towards her before the appearance of another young man stopped him on his track.

A barely audible click of his tongue had told Cindy his opinion over this matter.

The young man appeared to be not hurt anywhere but very concerned about the other. The pretty purple eyes spared but a glance at them before it was back to his companion. The couple had been talking to each other, almost arguing at times and she didn't think they were faking it.

If she had to guess, the smaller girl was more in control compared to the other who had only tried to talk his way through. A slap to his shoulder when he tried to pick her up painted the picture well.

It sent him rolling on the ground before the green-haired girl hurriedly went after him.

Her level should be higher than him, despite the innocent look and the flawless skin under the grime. They looked like teenagers that had been thrown away to live on their own. Pretty much like four of them.

Cindy knew better than anyone about the danger of strangers, but everyone knew that anyone like her had nothing of value. The enchanted necklace and two other things would lose their value in the hand of others. Even the most stupid bandit knew that as a fact.

But if the girl had a bow and if she could hunt, she would be a great addition to the farm. The last time she had eaten meat was many cycles ago, and the look in Jane's eyes told her the same.

The girl and Kent might have very different reasons to beg her with their eyes, but she couldn't let the two new strays on their own. She won’t be able to sleep if she does. Maybe she would find a use for the naive-looking young man too.

A nod from her sent the two walking towards the strangers. At least their story might be interesting.