As Arya entered the second gate, he expected it to lead him out of the cave. However, instead of an exit, he found himself in another cave, nearly identical to the previous one—except for the intensity of the aura. Arya could feel its presence, but the oppressive force was no longer affecting him, thanks to the little companion below him.
After traveling for another two to three hours, Arya noticed that the surroundings were gradually getting darker. He realized that night had fallen, meaning it was time to set up camp.
"Hey... we should stop here and continue our journey tomorrow. By the way, where exactly are you taking me in this barren place?"
The beast also glanced around to check the time. With a nod, it gave Arya a thumbs-up, signaling its agreement. Then, it rubbed its stomach, indicating that it was hungry and expecting Arya to prepare something good for both of them.
Even though Arya was still young and lacked experience in this life, his rich memories from his previous lives and his cultivator's physique—which was far superior to any human he had known in his past lives—made him highly capable in almost everything.
He wasn't an expert cook, but he had enough experience to prepare a decent meal for himself and, hopefully, for the beast as well.
The first thing he did was set up camp. The equipment he carried was simple and easy to assemble, allowing him to create a shelter quickly. After finishing that, he took out the large bird he had hunted earlier but decided against cooking the two light-element beasts. Since they were rare due to their elemental affinity, selling them whole would fetch a higher price. However, before storing them, he carefully extracted their valuable parts and collected their blood, which he could use later to aid in cultivation and healing. His body still ached from previous injuries, and the beast blood would help speed up his recovery.
To clean the three beasts, Arya moved a bit further away, ensuring he had enough space to work. With some daylight still left, he quickly began the process of extracting the valuable parts. In just 10 to 13 minutes, all three beasts were fully cleaned. Fortunately, he had prepared well before coming to the Dreadfall Forest, storing bottles of clean water, which made the process much easier.
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After storing the two light-element beast corpses and the valuable parts of the bird in his spatial bag, he took its large body and began roasting it over the fire. Since he enjoyed flavorful food, he wasn't content with simply eating roasted meat. Slicing some of the bird's flesh, he decided to prepare a proper dish.
Preparation was key when venturing into places like this, and Arya had made sure he was well-equipped. He had spent almost five pink coins gathering supplies, including spices and other cooking essentials. Without any additional concerns, he focused on cooking. The dish he was preparing was a spicy chicken dish—the only difference being that instead of chicken, he was using the meat of a powerful magical beast.
The little beast watched the roasting bird intently, its eyes fixed on the cooking meat. However, it was even more focused on Arya's dish, seemingly eager to taste it.
As the meat cooked and the dish was finally ready, they wasted no time in eating. Because the bird was so large, Arya became full after consuming just about 5% of its meat—a considerable amount. However, compared to the little beast beside him, his appetite was nothing. To Arya's astonishment, the small creature devoured the remaining food without leaving a single scrap behind.
It was barely the length of Arya's leg, yet its appetite seemed infinite. Arya couldn't help but wonder—where was all that food going? Even after eating almost the entire bird alone, the beast's body showed no signs of change. What surprised Arya even more was that the little creature seemed more satisfied with the dish he had cooked than with the roasted meat. However, since the portion had been small, it was clearly not happy about that.
"Don't worry," Arya assured it. "Next time, I'll cook the whole dish. We won't settle for plain roasted meat, even if I have to spend two hours preparing it. I'll make sure to fill your endless stomach with properly flavored food."
Hearing Arya's promise, the little beast immediately perked up, delighted by the idea of a feast in the future.
After finishing their meal, Arya quickly cleaned up the area and prepared to heal himself while also cultivating with the beast blood he had collected.
Sitting inside his tent, he began his cultivation, holding the beast blood in his hands. Ideally, the best way to absorb it would be to bathe in it while practicing, but since he couldn't do that, he resorted to pouring it over his body gradually, absorbing it bit by bit.
Meanwhile, the little beast, having finished licking the last traces of food from its paws, entered the tent. It saw Arya sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and yawned, feeling drowsy. Looking around for a comfortable place to sleep, it didn't find anything suitable. In the end, it settled its gaze on Arya's lap. Slowly, it climbed onto him, curled up, and closed its eyes.
Unaware of what had just happened, Arya remained focused on his cultivation, fully absorbed in absorbing the beast blood and healing his injuries.
Without realizing it, he had just encountered the greatest opportunity of his life—one placed directly on his lap by fate itself. This seemingly small accident, or perhaps an inevitable twist of destiny, would forge an unbreakable connection between them. In time, this bond would become a source of envy for his rivals and an immense power that would shape Arya's future.