Tales of the Field

The Wildlands do not care about your plans. They will kill you for a crystal. Or for nothing at all. Harlan arrives at the frozen frontier with empty pockets and a single chance. He joins a crystal prospecting expedition already cursed by failure, hoping against the odds to strike it rich. Instead, the silence of the north strikes back. Harlan is left for dead in the snow. Survival comes. But it has a price. He wakes in the lodge of a hermit. The owner is a sharp-tongued exile with terrible manners, decades of secrets, and a house full of monsters that would view a guest as a second breakfast. In this hostile place, cut off from civilization, Harlan discovers a truth the world has forgotten: magic is not a gift for the chosen. It is a tool. And anyone can take it — if they are willing to pay the cost. What to expect: - Hard Magic System: Magic is science. No hand-waving. - Zero to Hero / Slow Burn: No cheat codes. Progression is earned through study, pain, and grit. - Grim Setting: The North is brutal, and survival is never guaranteed. - Book One is complete. Regular updates. What you won’t find here: Litrpg stats, harems, fan service, plot armor (a bullet to the head still kills).