Days had passed, and on a dirt road, Hiro, Hikari, and King continued their journey under a mercilessly shining sun, casting its radiance upon the surroundings, making them a little impatient and nervous.

King, whose fur was covered in sweat, said with a drawling voice, "Hiirrooo... Have we arrived yet?"

Hiro, whose face was covered in sweat with drops trickling down his forehead, held onto the map that came with Arthur's belongings and replied with an almost imperceptible tone, "I think so..."

King, who was at the back of the cart along with Hikari, who was lying down, peered forward and saw Hiro constantly rotating the map. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened in surprise, while a look of shock took over his face. His eyebrows raised, denoting disbelief, and his body stood still for a moment.

"YOU WORTHLESS PILE OF SHIT, INCOMPETENT, PEASANT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE WE ARE, DO YOU?" King said, completely furious.

Upon hearing King's words, Hikari quickly stood up, her heart beating irregularly. With a trembling voice, she pleaded with Hiro, "Please, Hiro... tell me it's not true..."

Hiro halted the movement of the cart, shifting to the back until he faced Hikari and King. With his eyes squinted, a nervous smile formed on his face, revealing a subtle tightening of his lips and a slight raise of his cheeks. It was a restrained, almost forced smile, as if Hiro was trying to conceal the discomfort overwhelming him.

"Hiro, I've never needed to use a map before. I've always relied on my instincts. I thought using one wouldn't be that difficult," Hiro said, revealing his inexperience.

"Great job, King! You let a peasant take over the navigation with a map. Of course, he wouldn't know how to use it," King complained to himself, displaying his frustration.

"Hiro... If you had told us from the beginning, you wouldn't need to feel ashamed. I would have helped you," Hikari said, with an arched eyebrow, struggling to contain her nerves.

Hikari took the map from Hiro's hands, spreading it on the ground. With a keen gaze, she began to roughly trace the route they had taken. Upon realizing that by turning left at the next fork, they would reach a cave, she exclaimed, "Now I'll lead. Let's head towards the 'Emerald Cave.' We can rest there for a while and escape this sun that's melting us."

King jumped for joy, his eyes gleaming, and said, "Thank you, Hikari. If it weren't for you, what would become of us?" Then he winked and stuck his tongue out, looking at Hiro, saying, "And you, peasant, are lucky that Hikari still wants to travel with you, otherwise, you'd die without even leaving this place!"

Hiro, lacking the strength and patience to respond, simply said, "Thank you, Hikari, and tree rat."

And so, thanks to Hikari, they arrived at the cave emanating a strong green light.

"We've definitely arrived. The green light confirms it's the Emerald Cave. The light is emitted due to the immense presence of emerald within it," Hikari said.

Hiro, amazed, said, "Wow, the caves near my village were dark, and the only thing you could see were rats and such, but here it's different. This place is beautiful!"

King said, "I expected nothing less from Hikari to choose a place fit for princesses."

Hikari laughed and blushed. "Let's enter, but don't stray too far or venture too deep into the cave. There are stories about this place... But if we stay near the entrance, I think we'll be fine."

As they entered the cave, Hiro, Hikari, and King were greeted by a spectacle of light and color that left them in awe. The sight unfolding before them was simply breathtaking. The cave was bathed in radiant illumination, coming from countless emeralds that shimmered and gleamed in vibrant green hues.

The intense brilliance of the gems gave the cave a magical and enchanting atmosphere. Each emerald seemed to possess its own source of light, filling the space with an unreal radiance.

The glow of the emeralds seemed to invite them to explore the hidden secrets of the cave even further.

As Hiro ventured deeper into the cave, a mysterious voice echoed in his ears, calling him to move forward. He frowned, trying to discern if he had indeed heard something.

"Did anyone say something?" Hiro asked, seeking to better understand the situation. King, beside him, mocked him, saying, "Well done! The sun melted the peasant's brain."

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Deciding to ignore the voice as mere illusions of his mind, Hiro thought to himself, "It must be just my imagination. I can't let it distract me."

However, the voice continued to call for Hiro, this time more insistently. "Come, Hiro. I'm waiting for you..." The words sounded clearer, as if they were coming from somewhere nearby.

Hiro began to follow the voices, despite a lingering sense of apprehension in the air. However, when he turned around to reprimand Hikari and King, thinking it was them playing a trick on him, Hiro realized he was alone in the darkness of the cave.

"Shit, shit, shit!" exclaimed Hiro, frustrated with himself for getting lost and questioning the origin of the mysterious voices. The voice grew louder now, as if drawing nearer.

"You're close now, just a little more," whispered the enigmatic voice. Curiosity started to overcome Hiro, and he thought to himself, "I'll find out what this voice is and then find the others. It can't be anything too serious."

Determined to unravel the mystery, Hiro continued to follow the voice, getting closer and closer to its source. Until suddenly, a sharp and anguished scream erupted from Hiro's lips, echoing throughout the cave.

The scream caught the attention of Hikari and King, who had not yet noticed Hiro's absence. Both turned towards the sound, concerned about what might have happened to their companion in the depths of that unknown cavern.

"Damn that idiot... Quick, King, if the stories are true, he's in trouble," Hikari said with a trembling voice, filled with anxiety, as they rushed towards the mysterious voice.

"What stories, Hikari?" asked King, panting, trying to keep up with the elf's fast pace.

Hikari quickly replied, a mixture of concern and regret in her voice, "A few years ago, a human messenger came to the Elven kingdom to report disappearances that occurred in this cave."

King exclaimed, surprised, "And why did you bring us here?!"

Hikari sighed, feeling guilty, "I'm sorry... I thought the reports were false. Humans often visited our kingdom just to frighten us, keeping us confined within our territory. The story he told didn't seem credible. He said that everyone who entered the cave was lured by the voice of the crystals."

King understood the situation and calmed down, saying, "No need to apologize, Princess. I wouldn't have believed that story either. Well, let's find him and figure out what's really happening here!"

"Hiro! Where are you?" shouted Hikari and King, cupping their hands around their mouths to amplify their voices.

"Tsk, what a pain... But who the hell made a hole in this cave?" complained Hiro, brushing off dirt from his clothes.

As Hiro looked around, a wolf that appeared to be a young cub, with white fur, blue eyes, and two tails, began to approach him.

"What are you doing here, little one? I can tell you're not an ordinary wolf, despite your appearance," Hiro said calmly, trying not to frighten the wolf. However, suddenly, the wolf began to growl and transformed into a three-meter-long wolf with red fur, attempting to strike Hiro with its paw, causing parts of the cave to crumble and the entire area to shake.

Feeling the tremor, Hikari said to King, "We need to hurry!"

Hiro, who had dodged the wolf's attacks, said with a smile on his face, "Looks like someone needs to learn how to behave!"

While Hiro evaded the wolf's strikes, he thought, "How can I calm this little one without hurting him? I can't harm animals, my father always taught me that it was wrong."

Then, he had a brilliant idea, "I know! When his paw gets stuck in some rubble, I'll climb on top of him."

Blow after blow, Hiro was already tired and feeling intense pain from the previous fall. Finally, the wolf's paw got trapped.

Hiro seized the opportunity and quickly climbed onto its neck, remembering what his father always taught him, "Son, if you ever find yourself fighting with a canid animal, you have to bite their neck. If you do that, the animal will recognize its defeat."

Hiro opened his mouth wide, showing all his teeth, and shouted, "TAKE THIS!" His mouth found the wolf's neck, which immediately whimpered and returned to its normal size and appearance.

"AUUUUUUU, AUUUUUUU!" the wolf made as it nuzzled its snout against Hiro.

"Well, I guess I won, little one," Hiro said, stretching his lips and showing a joyful smile.

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" the wolf made, extending its paw towards Hiro.

Hiro immediately knew what the wolf wanted. The wolf had taken a liking to Hiro and wanted to form a pact with him. So Hiro asked, "Are you sure?"

The wolf's reaction left no doubt. With its tongue out and its two tails wagging alternately, the wolf extended its paw again to Hiro.

Hiro reached his hand towards the wolf's paw and said, "From today onwards, your name will be Ace." A bright light emanated from their touch, symbolizing the pact made.

"Thank you, master," said Ace, who was now sitting.

Hiro was speechless, with wide eyes, and said, "YOU. YOU CAN TALK?!"

"Yes, master. All animals who form pacts gain the ability to speak the global human language," explained Ace.

"SO THAT'S WHY THAT SQUIRREL TALKS! I thought it was some kind of rare animal..." exclaimed Hiro.

"Squirrel?" Ace asked, confused.

"Never mind, forget it. We have to get back to the cave entrance!" Hiro exclaimed urgently.

While Hiro and Ace were talking, Hikari and King arrived running and approached him, out of breath. "Are you okay? What happened?" Hikari asked, concerned.

Hiro simply looked at Ace and pointed to him. Hikari and King, upon seeing Ace, took a step back and said, "Hiro, stay away! That breed of wolves is super aggressive. They possess telekinetic abilities. So that's what's behind the disappearances."

Hikari and King were ready to attack, but Hiro positioned himself in front of them, arms open, and shouted, "STOP!"

Hikari was surprised and confused. She said, "Why, Hiro? Get out of there!"

Hiro responded with determination, "I have tamed him. He is our new companion. His name is Ace."

Ace added, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Will Ace be an asset to the group?