Another one

Navigating through the dangerous broken-blade forest, I noticed that there was no beast or creature in sight. The eerie silence of the forest made me question if Aspro was behind it.

'Beasts are active at night. It's weird that I haven't spotted any after I contracted Aspro and left the area around the cave...'

"Aspro, are the beasts around the forest usually quiet during the night?" I asked, hoping to confirm my suspicions.

"No, master. I'm spreading my aura to keep them at bay. They fear me and dare not approach us while I am present." Aspro replied proudly.

Having peacefully moved through the forest for what felt like an hour, they finally exited the dense forest and stepped into a clearing. The moonlight illuminated the path ahead, casting long shadows on the ground.

Walking through the dirt path, I spotted what seemed to be a light in the distance.

'It's a huge fire.' I quickened my pace towards the source of the light, wondering what or who could be the idiot who put up a large fire on the valley in the middle of the night.

'I already have my guess.'

"Aspro, can you hide your aura from others?"

"I can, master. But living beings higher ranked than me or someone with a special detection skill may still be able to sense my concealing method." I nodded, understanding the limitations of his ability. It is of the utmost importance that no one else discovers that I contracted an Akashak snake.

The consequences could be catastrophic, especially if a member of the imperial family were to find out.

I needed to ensure that Aspro's aura remained hidden at all costs.

"Please conceal your aura as best as you can, Aspro." I urged, my voice filled with urgency.

"We cannot afford any slip-ups or suspicions. The safety of both of our lives depends on it."

Aspro, who's taking a form of a white bird, standing atop my shoulder. tilted its head and let out a soft chirp, understanding my command.

I could feel his energy dissipating. Now, he really seems like a normal bird. I can't feel anything, just like when I first met him earlier.

Now that Aspro is concealed, we continue to walk towards the huge light of fire in the distance.

The flames grew larger and more intense with each step, illuminating the surrounding area.

As we approached, I could see a man with an anxious expression feeding the fire with more wood.

The crackling sound of the flames filled the air, and the warmth washed over us as we got closer.

The man turned towards us, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of me.

'This dumb chatterbox...' Adrian sighed as he noticed the man's reaction.

'What if someone or something ambushed him? That fire-like beacon is an invitation for a disaster in the middle of the night.'

But, seeing Nash's joyful and surprised expression, I choose to keep my thoughts to myself.

"Mr. Adrian..."

"Thank you for waiting."

"And for saving me earlier. I owe you one."

A bright smile bloomed on nash face as he nod at adrian as a sign of welcome.

"I have set up this huge fire in order for you to instantly know my location once you exit the forest in this dark night."

Adrian's face softened as he realized the man's intentions were well-meaning. He couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for Nash's thoughtfulness and concern for him.

'This dumb chatterbox is really...'

I nodded and smiled at Nash, thanking him.

"By the way, Mr. Adrian, what happened to the vampire?" Nash questioned Adrian. His eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"Did you kill it? Perhaps other beasts joined the fray as well?"

"How did you manage to survive, Mr. Adrian? You're really impressive."

"What is that bird on your shoulder?"

Adrian's smile faded slightly as he listened to Nash's barrage of questions. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

'I should really just kill him.'

He took a deep breath and began to answer each question one by one, revealing the truth behind his encounter with the vampire and how he managed to survive. As he spoke, the bird on his shoulder chirped softly.

"After the heart-faced spider killed the vampire, I hid because of the plethora of beasts surrounding the commotion that happened."

"And as I navigated through the forest, this bird came into me and perched on my shoulder. It looks like he had taken a liking to me and decided to stick around."

"His name is aspro, I named him that way because of his white feathers." The bird chirped happily. It seemed to understand the vampire's story and provided comfort in its presence.

"It seemed intelligent, Mr. Adrian."

"I need to go back to the forest tomorrow morning. I spotted a rare herb while I was luring the vampire to the heart-faced spider's nest... Wait for me here, nash."

"Ok, Mr. Adrian. I'll pack the things before you go into the forest, so we'll be ready to leave early tomorrow."

The night has passed, and it is now morning. As the sun began to rise, Adrian woke up and found himself in the company of his loyal bird companion, Aspro. The bird chirped, waking Adrian from his sleep.

'Master, the sun is up. Let's go meet the spider.' Aspro spoke in Adrian's mind.

Adrian stretched his limbs and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. With a nod, Adrian replied to Aspro, whispering under his breath. "Let's go."

Adrian wakes Nash up and bids farewell to him before heading out.

"Aspro, make a move once the spider threatens my life." The bird chirped in response, ready to protect Adrian.

'Should I kill her once he removes the poison from your body?'

"No, I have a use for her."

...

'We've met once again human.' The voice echoed in Adrian's mind.

The heart-faced spider crawled down from the huge web and approached Adrian, its eight legs skittering across the ground.

'Time is ticking, human. A day has already passed. Why haven't you entered the cave yet?'

Adrian raised his arms, and his ring glowed. Suddenly, dozens of luminescent poison mushrooms materialized and dropped to the ground.

The spider recoiled slightly, its eight eyes narrowing as it observed the mushrooms. 'Impressive.' it hissed.

'You're the first who has managed to bring me these mushrooms.' Its excitement is palpable.

'Now, I have a chance of breaking through.'

'You have my gratitude, human. You don't know how important these things are to me.' Adrian nodded, understanding the spider's gratitude.

"Now that you've got what you wanted, remove the poison inside my body."

'Sure, human.' The spider's voice carried a hint of relief. 'I will do as promised and remove the poison from your body. But be warned, the process may be uncomfortable.'

The spider skittered over to Adrian, its eight legs moving with purpose. It positioned itself near his arm and began to emit a strange, glowing substance.

As the spider's touch made contact with his skin, Adrian felt a tingling sensation spreading throughout his body. He braced himself for the discomfort, knowing that it was a small price to pay for the removal of the poison.

Adrian's veins popped, and his arms became slightly pale as the spider sucked in the poison. The process was both fascinating and unnerving to Adrian, who felt the strange sensation coursing through his body.

'It's done now, human. It's completely removed.' Adrian breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll get going then."

'Wait, human, I owe you one. I'm sorry for poisoning you. I was just desperate.'

'You can ask for any favor once I break through the next rank.'

Thank you, I'll come here if I need your help with something."

Adrian nodded, expecting the spider's offer. As he turned to leave, his lips curved.

'Just as I expected. Heart-faced spiders are creatures of gratitude. Now, I have another powerful ally.'

'Just wait for me, Baron William. I'll finish what you started.'