The deeper we went, the more the forest seemed to hold its breath. It didn't take long to find the site of the struggle.
Roselyn hadn't exaggerated. Stains of dark, dried blood painted the forest floor, and several trees looked as though they had been sliced or snapped like toothpicks by a massive force. Curiosity overrode my caution, and I began to follow the crimson trail.
That was my first mistake.
Less than a minute later, the bushes exploded. A pack of seven forest wolves lunged from the shadows. I barely managed to twist my body, a wolf's jaws snapping shut inches from my arm.
"Frost Nova!" I roared.
A wave of crystalline ice erupted from my feet, slamming into the pack and knocking them back. It bought me exactly the two seconds I needed. But while I was scrambling for distance, Rose went absolutely feral.
She didn't wait for a command. She blurred into motion, her eight legs a whirlwind of shadow as she tore into the lead wolf with her Multi-Strike. I supported her as best I could, firing Icicle Lances whenever I had a clear shot and weaving Aqua Heals over her whenever a wolf managed to land a bite.
By the time the last wolf slumped into pixels, I was gasping for air, having downed two mana potions and a health potion just to stay standing.
[NOTIFICATION]
Killed: 7x Forest Wolf (Lvl 2), 1x Forest Wolf (Lvl 3)
Total Exp Gained: 365 (Split between Silver and Rose)
Loot: 45 Copper, 32 lbs Wolf Meat, Wolf Cloak (Common), Wolf Dagger (Common).
I had to sit down, my legs shaking. "We can't stay here, Rose. The smell of blood will bring more."
We pushed forward, following the trail to its end: a second cave. Inside sat a massive bear, but the fight was almost pathetic. The beast was already mangled, breathing its last breaths from a previous encounter. Rose and I finished it quickly and stepped into the silence of the cavern.
The blood trail ended here, but there was no body. Instead, the floor was littered with the remnants of a life cut short. A full set of heavy plate mail lay abandoned next to a greatsword that was easily as tall as I was. Scattered coins and basic supplies told the rest of the story.
Roselyn was right. The warrior who fought her partner had died here, likely succumbing to his wounds after one final struggle with the bear.
I began to clear away the debris, and as I explored deeper, my eyes widened. This wasn't just a hole in a rock. The cave was massive—much larger than I had first thought. Further back, the sound of dripping water led me to a small, crystal-clear pond. Nearby, a patch of soft earth sat under a natural fissure in the ceiling that let in a shaft of sunlight.
"A garden," I whispered, a genuine smile breaking through my exhaustion. "I could actually plant something here."
With a source of food from the forest, fresh water at my back, and a secure place to grow, the potential was endless.
"What do you think, Rose? Should we stay a while? Build something real?"
Rose chirped, her many eyes reflecting the light of the pond. She seemed to like the idea of a home just as much as I did.
The walk back to Roselyn's lair was a bloody one. It seemed the wolves had finally caught our scent, sending two more packs to intercept us. Each time, five lower-level wolves were led by a stronger alpha.
Between my Frost Nova and Rose's terrifying speed, we made short work of them. I didn't even stop to check the loot—just tossed the meat and copper into my inventory and kept moving. Rose was becoming an efficient killing machine, her movements fluid and deadly.
When we reached Roselyn, I laid the heavy plate mail and the massive greatsword at her feet.
"The warrior who killed your partner is dead," I said, my voice echoing in the silk-draped chamber. "I found his gear in a cave nearby. I thought you should have this... as a token of my thanks for the armor."
Roselyn glanced down at the pile of steel. Her expression didn't change. There was no grief, no flash of anger—not even a sigh. She looked at the gear as if it were nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.
"He was a means to an end, Silver," she said coldly, her many eyes drifting back to me. "His death is of no consequence now. But your gesture... that I appreciate."
I felt a slight shiver that had nothing to do with my ice magic. She truly was a creature of a different world.
I told her about the cave and my plan to turn it into a home. A small, elegant smile touched her lips. "A home? In these woods? You certainly have ambition, little mage."
She reached into a fold of her webbing and produced a handful of spherical, glowing blue seeds. "A housewarming gift. These are Frostbloom Lilies. Throw them into your pond; the System will handle the rest."
I thanked her and turned to leave. On the way back, a group of Shadow Spiders—Rose's own kind—dropped from the canopy. I hesitated, my wand lowering. I didn't want to kill Rose's siblings.
But Rose didn't hesitate. Before I could even speak, she lunged, her fangs bared. She tore into them with a ferocity that surpassed her wolf-hunts. It was clear: her loyalty was to me now, not her species.
Finally, we reached the safety of our new cave. I walked to the edge of the crystal-clear pond and tossed the dozen blue seeds into the water.
The transformation was instant.
The seeds didn't just sink; they erupted. Thick, glowing vines curled through the water, blooming into stunning ice-blue lilies that shimmered with an inner light. A soft, cool mist began to roll off the surface of the pond, and a notification pinged in my vision.
[AREA BUFF: Frostbloom Fragrance]
Effect: Mana Recovery increased by 10% while within 10 meters.
Status: Active.
"It's perfect," I whispered, sitting by the glowing water. The cave finally felt like more than a hole in the ground. It felt like a sanctuary.