When Rivern left the Murmuring Sanctum, it was already noon. The streets of Northsail were filled with the enticing aroma of food, but he had no appetite at all.

He quickly crossed the bustling market, rushing towards Quigeta's tavern.

When he arrived at the tavern door, he saw Quigeta leisurely basking in the sun.

Rivern didn't greet him, simply asking, "Where's Nicole?"

Quigeta gave him an apologetic look, "Unfortunately, she found out the location of Acorn Town."

Rivern instantly knew what had happened. He stepped closer to Quigeta, his voice low and stern as he demanded, "Why did you let her go? You promised me!"

Quigeta was taken aback by Rivern's sudden outburst. He hadn't expected the usually gentle priest to have such a temper. Though Quigeta had indeed broken his promise, he seemed reluctant to apologize for it.

"Yes, that's right, I did promise you. You have every right to blame me. If you're upset, just throw a few punches at my face. I won't dodge." Quigeta stood tall, meeting Rivern's furious gaze with defiance.

Facing Quigeta's unabashed response, Rivern suddenly felt that arguing further was pointless. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, "When did she leave?"

"She left a while ago." Quigeta was somewhat surprised that Rivern didn't intend to hit him. Then, he watched as Rivern quickly rushed up to the guest rooms on the second floor, almost knocking over a waitress carrying a tray.

Soon, Rivern came rushing down from the second floor, carrying a backpack. As he hurried past Quigeta, he left a quick, "Lend me a horse," and headed towards the stable.

Quigeta watched his hurried figure, muttering to himself, "You don't even ask where Acorn Town is, just rush off to chase her. It seems you do know what happened back then. Rivern, lying is not a good habit."

Saying this, he once again put on an easy-going demeanor and strolled over to the bar, taking a seat.

"But, what does it matter to me? I've done all I could."

Last night, he had planned to use force to drive away the werewolf. If Rivern hadn't stopped him at that moment, he might have already fought the werewolf.

This morning, after Nicole learned the location of Acorn Town, he had also tried to stop her. But it was useless. Nicole was determined, and unless he tied her up and locked her in the basement, there was no way to stop her.

Clearly, there was no way he could do such a thing to a fifteen-year-old girl.

If he tried to keep her in her room, she would find a way to sneak out.

So, since he couldn't stop her, he decided to let her go.

He gave Nicole several items that might be useful in the wild, including various magic scrolls, antidote potions, and weapons and arrows that Nicole could use. The only thing he didn't give her was a mount because he knew Rivern would come back and chase after Nicole. Deep down, he hoped Rivern would catch up to her.

At that time, Nicole gratefully accepted the gifts and left without looking back.

Quigeta watched her leave, his wry smile mixed with worry, but more so with blessing and hope, "Nicole, may every 'choice' you make become a 'blessing' in your future."

Quigeta picked up a glass of wine from the bar, raised it, and then drank it all in one gulp, as if completing a ritual for his blessing.

Then, he pulled out a map of the Asate continent from under the bar, and his eyes followed his finger's path as it traced across the map. He found Northsail, and his finger moved north, out of the city gate, and along the Deep Rock Path. Ahead, the road forked, one leading to Borderwood and the other to Echowater Town.

***

Nicole stood at the fork in the road. To her right was the main road leading to Echowater Town, while the other path extended into Borderwood.

She unfolded the map, her gaze landing on a crimson cross mark, indicating the approximate location of Acorn Town based on Philler's description.

She put away the map and headed down the forest path.

Under the shadow of the trees, she carefully determined her direction, paying close attention to her surroundings.

After walking a certain distance, a faint tremor in the ground caught Nicole's attention.

A flock of Blue-Tailed Kites glided across the sky, emitting piercing shrieks.

As a beast tamer apprentice, Nicole was familiar with these gregarious raptors. They usually didn't leave their nests in large numbers unless something dangerous was approaching.

Nicole alertly used her grappling hook gun to quickly climb a nearby tree.

Before she could reach a favorable height, a powerful explosion sounded from the distance.

Then came the second and third blasts. As she got closer to the source of the explosions, she nervously gripped the tree trunk tighter.

Dust and smoke rose in the distance, obscuring Nicole's view. She could only see pill bugs scattering everywhere and clumsy short-tailed badgers running for their lives.

Danger was approaching.

Her instincts told her that if she didn't run now, it would be too late.

Just as she was about to leap down, the fourth explosion erupted without warning. At the same time, a sharp glint brushed past her shoulder and embedded itself into the tree trunk.

It was a sharp, dark yellow scale. Vibrating in the sunlight, it seemed as if it might explode at any moment.

Nicole's heart sank. She let go and dropped to the ground.

The scale exploded above her head, causing her to lose balance upon landing. She rolled aside and took cover behind another large tree.

There was no time for fear; she had to face the imminent danger.

Because the Razor Serpent was here.

This giant beast, which she had only seen in textbooks, had a terrifying attack power. With a body length exceeding twenty meters, it was covered in sharp and resilient scales. When it whipped its tail with force, the spiked scales would fly out, exploding upon impact with any object.

Fortunately, the Razor Serpent's target wasn't Nicole; it was most likely fighting something else. Sure enough, after another explosion, a Burrowing Toad was flung to the ground by the Razor Serpent's tail, crashing into a tree not far from Nicole.

Nicole didn't want to get caught in a battle between two Giant Beasts. She crouched down, carefully sneaking into the bushes, trying to leave the battlefield.

Unfortunately, the Burrowing Toad, pushed to its limits, opened its bloody mouth and spat a paralyzing venom at the approaching Razor Serpent, hitting it right in the eyes.

The temporarily blinded giant snake started attacking everything around it in a frenzy. Its powerful tail swept through a row of trees like a hurricane, making them fall like harvested wheat.

Nicole gasped. She couldn't bother to hide anymore and bolted. A moment later, the falling trees might have crushed her. But she forgot that the Razor Serpent's sweeping tail would also fling explosive tail scales.

At that moment, a black shadow in the sky blocked the sunlight falling on Nicole. An eagle owl flew in the opposite direction of her escape. Just as the scales were about to catch up to Nicole, the eagle owl transformed into a giant bear in a dense fog.

The bear, like a solid shield, protected Nicole, taking the brunt of the explosive scales. Several scales grazed its thick armored back and forepaws, embedding themselves into the ground. Only one scale managed to bypass the bear's defense, piercing its shoulder.

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The dark yellow scale vibrated violently, releasing a pungent smell.

Nicole noticed the disturbance behind her and couldn't believe her eyes.

"Kuro!?"

The scales exploded one after another, raising clouds of dust and blood mist, yet the giant bear remained standing.

It let out an earth-shaking roar and charged at the Razor Serpent.

This provocation successfully attracted the serpent's attention. It relied on its hearing to respond to the bear's attacks.

Meanwhile, the Burrowing Toad took advantage of the opportunity, burrowing into the ground and escaping without a backward glance.

Nicole, who originally had no intention of fighting and just wanted to flee the battlefield, now had to brace herself and join the fray. She couldn't bear to let Kuro face such a dangerous giant beast alone. Whether he had been following her all along or their encounter was a mere coincidence, and no matter who he really was or why he approached her, the fact remained that he had saved her.

"Kuro, be careful!"

Nicole tightened the bowstring and continuously shot arrows at the Razor Serpent.

The paralyzing venom's effect soon wore off. The serpent gradually regained its vision.

Faced with two new enemies, its fury burned even more fiercely.

It lowered its body, and while the giant bear was momentarily distracted, it raised its scales and coiled its serpentine body around the bear, attempting to strangle it to death.

The razor-sharp scales that stood upright pierced into the giant bear's body like barbs, causing it to let out a pained roar. Seeing this, Nicole grew anxious.

She reached into her quiver and pulled out a precious ice arrow, aiming at the Razor Serpent's raised scales on its back. Nicole remembered from the Giant Beast Encyclopedia that the Razor Serpent's weak spot was located on its back, just behind its head. This weak spot would only be exposed when it coiled to strangle its prey, raising all its scales.

Holding her breath and focusing intently, she pinned all her hopes on this shot.

The ice-blue arrow shot off the bowstring, hitting the weak spot perfectly. Ice spread from the arrowhead, slowing down the Razor Serpent's movements.

At the same time, the giant bear, which had been coiled in the middle, transformed into a thick mist, dissipating and then reforming into a black panther, escaping the serpent's grasp and appearing behind the Razor Serpent.

The black panther's body was already stained red with blood, looking weak and exhausted.

"That's enough, Kuro, come back! We need to leave here."

But Kuro seemed not to hear. He stood motionless, as if preparing for the next attack.

At that moment, several ice spikes burst from the ground, piercing the Razor Serpent's body. The Razor Serpent twisted and struggled in the extreme cold, still unable to escape the control of the ice magic.

This effect was not from Nicole's arrow; there were others here.

Sure enough, a few unfamiliar figures appeared behind Nicole.

"Little girl, are you hurt?" an elemental mage asked as he passed by Nicole.

Nicole turned and saw the emblem on the mage's chest, realizing they were from a hunter mercenary group. "I—"

Before Nicole could finish, the elemental mage interrupted her coldly, "You don't need to answer, I was just asking casually."

With that, he elegantly raised his hand and summoned another row of ice arrows, which flew towards the serpent.

A swordsman who seemed to be the captain loudly announced, "Sorry, this big guy is our prey. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better stay back."

The mage and the two archers quickly controlled the Razor Serpent with their superb combat skills and skilled teamwork, while the remaining swordsman leisurely watched from the side.

"We put a lot of effort into luring it out of its nest, setting traps all the way from the Green Mire Swamp to weaken it, and even specifically lured a Burrowing Toad to fight it. If you want a share now, sorry, but you'll have to get through me first."

With that, the swordsman assumed a defensive stance towards Nicole.

Nicole didn't want to pay him any attention. "I'm not interested in your prey."

She immediately ran towards Kuro, wanting to check on the black panther's injuries. Kuro, realizing that the Razor Serpent was no longer a threat and that the swordsman intended to cause trouble, began walking towards Nicole.

"Beast tamer?" The captain looked at the black panther, assuming he understood Nicole's identity. "Your black panther? I've never seen this breed before. Where did you capture it?"

Nicole felt a mix of emotions surge within her. Because Kuro was by her side, she might be mistaken for a beast tamer. Because Kuro was with her, she had survived.

Without him, with her limited skills, she wouldn't have stood a chance against the Razor Serpent, let alone escaped.

She didn't even have the ability to tame a beast, not even the weakest and most docile Chocobo.

Stubbornly shaking off her gloomy thoughts, Nicole took out a first aid kit from her bag, intending to bandage Kuro. But as she got closer, she discovered that the black panther's wounds had already disappeared, leaving only traces of blood.

Kuro walked past her and headed straight to the swordsman.

A thick mist spread around Kuro, and a tall, graceful elk appeared in front of the swordsman.

"Just a Razor Serpent, and you had to go to such lengths? Setting traps all the way from the Green Mire Swamp to lure it out—is that something to brag about? Why not continue luring it to Northsail and let everyone come out to admire it? No one is interested in your little snake. I've killed beasts far more formidable than it. If you're truly capable, keep your prey under control!"

The swordsman was so shocked by the sight of the "beast" that transformed from a black panther into an elk and spoke human language that he ignored the insult and stood there in a daze.

The elk couldn't be bothered with him. Using its long antlers, it lifted the unprepared Nicole and placed her on its back, then swiftly dashed into the forest.

The captain was left in utter astonishment. "A black panther turning into an elk? Am I blind or crazy? And it can speak the common tongue to mock me? And so fluently??"

……

The elk carried her across streams, leapt onto high rocks, and soared over cliffs, racing towards the heart of the Borderwood Forest.

During this time, Nicole tried to communicate with it, but no matter what she asked, the elk remained silent.

"Kuro, what's going on?"

"When did you start following me?"

"Talk to me, I know you can speak in your beast form."

"Are you taking me to Acorn Town?"

Finally, the elk spoke its first words, "Yes. But first, we need to go to another place. Hold on tight, I know a shortcut."

Those words seemed to transport Nicole back to that dream—the one where a black-haired, purple-eyed boy held her hand, wanting to take her somewhere...

The warmth of that hand seemed to linger in her own. Unconsciously, Nicole tightened her grip on the elk's antlers. She couldn't stop the doubts in her mind, yet she couldn't prevent herself from trusting him.

Eventually, the elk slowed down and came to a halt beside a forest cabin.

Nicole recognized this type of place. It was a communal campsite for adventurers in the forest.

Anyone could use it as a resting spot. There were many such places in the Borderwood Forest, not just this one.

"A campsite," Nicole said as she jumped off the elk's back. "How did you find this place?"

Under normal circumstances, only those with maps sold by the Mercenaries' Guild could find the exact locations of these campsites. Yet Kuro, without looking at a map, had found one with astonishing speed.

Kuro remained silent, following behind Nicole.

Nicole quickly checked the campsite; there were no other adventurers, and the cabin was silent.

When she turned to check on the elk again, the thick mist dispersed and reformed. A human-like man fell heavily in front of her.

"Nicole, don't worry about what others think of you. You are not weak. If it weren't for you being by my side, I wouldn't have dared to face such a high-level beast alone. You give me courage and strength."

These unexpected words stirred a gentle ripple in Nicole's heart.

"Sorry, I'm really exhausted. Let me... rest for a while."

With these words, Kuro collapsed onto the ground and fell into a deep sleep.

"Wait, wait a second..." Nicole tried to lift Kuro and support him into the cabin, but she found him to be unexpectedly heavy. This puzzled her, as he didn't look overweight at all.

In the end, she had to hold onto his arm and drag him into the cabin step by step.

During the process, Nicole noticed the alarming bloodstains on Kuro's leather armor, making her worry.

She tried to lift Kuro onto the bed but found she could barely move him. Finally, she climbed onto the bed herself and used all her strength to pull him up. Kuro didn't get on the bed, but she ended up falling off.

Because the bed collapsed.

The bedframe broke into two pieces, and several cushions scattered to the floor.

"Maybe I should write a complaint letter to the Mercenaries' Guild when I get back. Aren't these campsites supposed to be maintained regularly?!"

Then she thought to herself, "Well, never mind. I didn't pay the guild. Using their facilities for free gives me no right to complain."

Nicole shook her head helplessly and finally had to let Kuro half-lie on the collapsed edge of the bed.

He leaned against her, his head resting on her shoulder. His even breathing tickled her ear, making Nicole feel a bit uneasy.

Her gaze fell once again on the bloodstained leather armor. Her thoughts returned to the recent battle. She had thought Kuro was severely injured, but when he transformed into an elk, he seemed unscathed. Was such an astonishing self-healing ability real? Or was it just a temporary effect during transformation? He fell asleep so quickly—could he actually be seriously injured?

These thoughts wouldn't leave her mind, making her more and more worried. Finally, she mustered the courage to turn and unfasten Kuro's leather armor and linen shirt from around his neck. What greeted her eyes was not the horrifying wounds she expected, but tanned, tight skin and firm muscles, the collar she had given him around his neck, and a fishbone pendant resting askew on his collarbone.

Nicole's gaze lingered on his bare chest for a long time.

There was no trace of blood, not even a single scar to be seen.

"Goddess above..."

Nicole had thought she would need to tend to his wounds, but now it seemed her earlier worries were entirely unnecessary. It made her current actions seem improper—taking off someone's clothes while he slept and staring at him for so long.

"What am I even doing..."

Nicole's cheeks felt slightly warm. She immediately reached out to help Kuro put his clothes back on, but her right hand was suddenly and firmly grabbed by his left hand.

"I didn't mean to take off your clothes, I'm very sorry, sir. I thought—"

Before Nicole could finish, Kuro lifted his deep purple eyes, pulling her close and interrupting her with a deep gaze.

In that moment, they were only a kiss away.

Their eyes met—one with drowsy sleepiness, the other with a racing heart and blushing cheeks.

" Keep going. I don't mind."

"Ah?!"

Before Nicole could react, he lay down on her lap. "Let me sleep for a while, just a little while. I'm really exhausted; I haven't had a good rest for a long time."

He seemed to be struggling against sleep. His eyelids drooped, but his mouth kept moving, though his voice grew softer and quieter.

"Because once I fall asleep, I might not be able to maintain the panther form. If I revert to my human form in my sleep and you discover it... how would I explain? Would you still let me stay by your side? You don't remember anything... don't know who you are, don't know who I am... don't know how much I... care for you..."

He fell silent, but his hand still clutched Nicole's tightly.

Nicole looked at his defenseless sleeping face and silently put down the cushion she had been holding in her other hand.

She had originally intended to throw it at Kuro's face in protest.

"I just want you to tell me... who are you really..."