30.A Howl in the Shadows

The sky was painted in shades of burnt orange and dusty gray as dawn quietly approached. The wilderness around them remained eerily calm. No wind. No bird songs. No distant howls. Only silence—and the dragging footsteps of exhaustion.

Kai's boots pressed into the damp earth. Each step heavier than the last.

Strapped to his back, Moon lay completely unconscious—wrapped tightly in healing wraps . His body was still recovering from the strange transformation, and the wounds that came with it.

They had been walking for nearly two hours without stopping, crossing rocky paths and winding through forest clusters. Every second felt like a battle against gravity itself.

At last, when they reached a small grassy clearing near the edge of a grove—Kai stopped.

He looked up toward the sky.

Still morning. Still too early to be awake.

He dropped to his knees, slowly easing Moon to the ground. His hands trembled—not from fear, but sheer fatigue.

"We're resting here," he said, voice low but resolute.

"All day. All night. No one's moving until sunrise tomorrow."

Ruby and Minji exchanged silent glances. They were too tired to speak.

Without further instruction, Kai gestured to James.

"You know what to do. That beast-repellent fluid? Spread it around. Wide radius. I want no visitors."

James nodded, barely suppressing a groan as he began his task.

The rest of the group moved quietly, setting up temporary bedding, unrolling supplies, and laying Moon down gently beneath the largest tree in the clearing.

Despite the cool breeze, a heavy warmth pressed against their bodies—the weight of survival.

As James returned after thoroughly spraying the beast-repellent liquid across the designated perimeter, he found Kai already busy clearing out a suitable area for rest. The soil here was soft, the tree overhead tall and wide—its branches offering shade like a natural roof.

James walked up, his boots crunching on dried leaves.

"Perimeter secured. No scent trails left behind. We should be safe."

Kai nodded without looking up.

"Good. Now… remember the essence beasts we stored?"

James raised a brow.

"Yeah?"

Kai dusted his hands and stood.

"Pull one out. We need something to eat."

James reached into his storage ring and summoned the body of essence beast—charred and half-roasted due to the battle. Since the storage ring didn't allow heat to escape, the corpse was still warm, faint tendrils of steam rising from its hide.

Kai knelt beside it, inspecting the body like a seasoned butcher. He unsheathed a short combat knife, the edge gleaming in the morning light.

With practiced hands, he sliced off a portion from the hind leg—thick, muscular, and full of protein.

The rest of the body was swiftly sealed back into the storage ring to prevent attracting predators.

He brought the meat close, observing it. A few light burn marks, but still edible. He took a small bite of the meat.

Chewed.

Paused.

Then raised an eyebrow.

"It's surprisingly flavorful," he muttered,

"but it lacks proper seasoning. Needs a bit of spice…"

He turned toward Ruby and held out the meat.

"You got anything to flavor this with?"

Ruby tilted her head, already anticipating what he wanted. Without responding, she walked over, snatched the chunk of meat from his hand, and gave him a sideways glance.

"Step aside. You'll only ruin it."

Kai raised his hands in mock surrender.

"By all means, Chef Ruby."

She pulled out a collapsible grill platform from her ring—a foldable rack, small flame stones, and a compact bottle of oil. Then, with the precision of someone who'd done this a hundred times, she began preparing the meat.

A dash of crimson spice. A few flakes of dried blueleaf herbs. A small sprinkle of soul-salt—rare, harvested from salt mines touched by dormant essence energy.

The meat sizzled as it hit the flame, releasing a rich, smoky aroma.

Kai stepped back, arms crossed, watching the fire flicker in Ruby's crimson eyes.

"You act like this is a five-star inn," he joked.

"It's better than letting you serve us charcoal," Ruby shot back with a grin.

Although Kai was a chef but Ruby cooking is better than him.

Ruby took charge of the cooking—using portable flame stones, seasoning kits, and a touch of dry herbs. With enough patience, salt, and heat, the flavor transformed.

What began as a desperation meal turned into a quiet feast.

The smell filled the clearing. No one spoke as they ate. Just the occasional exhale between bites and tired chewing.

Halfway through his roasted meat, Kai lazily swiped open his system panel. His eyes blinked slowly, taking in the numbers with numb satisfaction.

> Essence Points:

Rookie – 142 / 150

Fighter – 24 / 150

Professional – 0 / 150

King – 0 / 150

Saint – 0 / 150

He raised one eyebrow, then smirked slightly.

"Well… looks like I ranked up."

Ruby raised her eyes, licking her thumb clean.

"Me too."

Minji grinned.

"Same here! Finally~"

Their tones were light, but the progress was significant. All three had officially stepped into Fighter Class.

Only one person remained silent.

James.

He chewed his food slower than usual, eyes staring blankly at his roasted chunk of meat. He didn't say anything, but his face revealed everything.

Kai watched him. Read him. Understood him.

"James," he called softly.

James glanced up.

Kai stood and stretched exaggeratedly.

"I've decided. I'm never fighting rookie-level essence creatures again. Too boring."

He smirked and added,

"So now, it's your job."

James blinked.

"Wha—"

"You're young. Energetic. Ambitious. And let's not forget—adorably angry when you miss a sword swing," Kai teased.

Ruby giggled and added,

"At your age, I used to faint seeing blood."

That was obviously a lie .

Minji threw in dramatically,

"Moon once cried because he broke a nail."

James couldn't help it. He laughed.

Just for a moment, the tiredness in his eyes faded. He looked like a younger boy again—unsure, but not alone.

---

With bellies full and spirits slightly lifted, they laid down under the giant tree's shade. Ruby nestled into a patch of moss. Minji curled beside her. Kai leaned against the bark with his arms crossed and head tilted back.

The only one who didn't rest—was James.

He stayed alert, as instructed. But after a while, his feet began to move.

Training.

Quietly, he practiced his sword swings, the movements Moon and Kai had drilled into him. Step by step. Slash. Retreat. Pivot. Breathe.

The wind passed over him gently. The kind of calm that warned of storms.

That's when he heard it.

Crk... crk... crk...

A strange, rhythmic crackling. Like something breaking… from within.

He stopped mid-swing and turned toward Moon.

His heart skipped.

There—on Moon's chest—a soft black glow.

Then… something pushed out.

James stumbled back, eyes wide.

From beneath Moon's skin—or maybe through some strange spatial fold—an egg emerged.

Obsidian black. Smooth, perfectly oval. Covered in shimmering white cracks, pulsing like veins of light.

Then came the sound:

Whimpers.

Whines.

Soft howls.

James was frozen.

The egg cracked. Hairline fractures spread like spiderwebs. And then—with one final glow—it split open.

From within stepped out a small wolf cub.

It had fur as black as raven—But its eyes…

Golden. Molten. Alive.

The cub didn't hesitate. It stumbled forward and pressed its tiny body against Moon's chest, nuzzling into him.

Then it began to lick his face gently—like a pup greeting its mother.

And Moon's body… began to glow softly.

James felt his brain short-circuit.

"Okay… this is the cutest damn thing I've ever seen."

He sprinted toward the tree, kicking up leaves.

"WAKE UP!! EVERYONE!! SURPRISE TIME!! MOVE YOUR ASSES!"

Ruby jolted awake, hair sticking out in every direction.

"What the hell is wrong with you…"

Minji yawned.

"You're too young to scream like a dying uncle."

Kai opened one eye.

James was hopping in place.

"I swear you'll regret if you miss this! Come. Now. Silently."

Still half-asleep, they followed him back toward Moon.

James pointed dramatically.

"Don't speak. Just look—focus on Moon's chest."

They all squinted.

At first—nothing.

Then—

"Is that… a dog?"

"No. A wolf cub," Kai corrected, voice almost reverent.

They all walked slowly, like approaching something sacred.

Ruby's expression softened. Her usual fire was replaced by something maternal, tender. She crouched beside the sleeping cub and gently lifted it from Moon's chest.

It stirred but didn't resist. It made a soft cooing sound, nuzzling into her arms.

She held it like it was made of glass.

She wanted to kiss it. Badly. But held back.

Then—it opened its golden eyes.

And stared at her.

A tiny howl.

A soft lick on her cheek.

Ruby blinked.

The Wolf Cub thinks Ruby is his father , and Moon is his Mother . Strange

Kai's lips twitched.

"I'm so confused right now."

Ruby laughed nervously, then sniffed.

And made a face.

"You may be adorable, but you smell like garbage stew."

Minji giggled.

"Still rhymes!"

Ruby summoned a mini wooden tub.

"Kai. Water. Warm."

Kai grunted but obeyed.

Ruby pulled out a small kit: shampoo, fur oil, soft brush.

Kai stared.

"Why do you have pet shampoo?"

Minji interjected:

"For… reasons?"

Kai narrowed his eyes.

"Wait… is there something you're not telling me?"

Ruby didn't answer. She bathed the pup gently, carefully drying its fur. Then she inhaled.

"Much better. Now you smell like a prince."

Finally, she sighed.

"Guess I have no choice now…"

She summoned a lion cub—its soft yellow fur shining in the sun.

Kai's eyes widened.

"Wait—you had a beast companion this whole time?"

Ruby hesitated.

"I… I just didn't know how to say it. Felt private. Special."

Kai frowned but didn't press, he know ruby just tryna hide something from him , but who was he to inspect her? Everyone has secrets.

She placed the wolf cub beside the lion cub . For a moment, both stared at each other cautiously.

Then… they pounced into play.

Tiny roars.

Soft howls.

Little sparks of joy in the air.

Kai exhaled.

"So that's where you went every time before meals."

Minji grinned.

"Some bonds… need time and solitude."

The team watched them quietly.

Two cubs. Two secrets. Two souls reborn in a broken world.

To be continued...