Darwin stared at the massive, motionless body of the thunder-horned wolf lying on the ground. His eyes narrowed with interest.
"Hmm... Looks like it's time to test this new Necromancer skill," he muttered, then glanced toward the elf, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath, her body covered in wounds.
"But before that..." Darwin walked over to her.
From his inventory, he pulled out a small vial filled with golden-red liquid—a High Grade Healing Potion. When it caught the light, its surface shimmered like a crystal.
The elf's eyes widened in shock. "T-That… are you insane?! A potion that valuable… I can't accept it!"
"Shut up. Just drink it." Darwin shoved it toward her.
She hesitated, but after seeing the serious look in Darwin's eyes, she downed the potion. Instantly, her wounds began to close, and her skin returned to its smooth, unblemished state. Her breathing steadied.
"Damn, that potion works like magic," Darwin said, lounging back casually.
The elf quickly stood up and gave a polite bow. "T-Thank you… for saving me… and for giving me such a precious potion…"
"Yeah, yeah," Darwin replied nonchalantly.
The elf lowered her head slightly. "I'm sorry… for leaving you behind earlier… even though you…"
"Forget it, I'm not holding a grudge. You got beat up enough already."
The elf bit her lip, then nodded firmly. "I promise… I'll repay this debt."
Suddenly—
GROOOOOOK…
Darwin's stomach growled loudly. Even the birds in the trees scattered from the noise.
The elf stifled a laugh and then let out a soft giggle. "In that case… let me cook something for you."
Darwin's eyes lit up. "Yes!!"
The elf blushed. She lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Darwin's eyes as her chest felt warm and her heart pounded. Why am I so nervous…? Please don't let him hear it…
"I'll go hunt. You should rest for a bit."
"I can help—"
"No need." the elf quickly cut him off. "You must be tired. Just rest."
Darwin raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, but be careful!"
Once she left, Darwin sat down and relaxed. But boredom quickly crept in.
"…Instead of sitting around, might as well test my Necromancer skill," he murmured.
Before that, he cut open the creature's chest, parting flesh and bone until he finally found what he was looking for—a round core, dark red in color, still pulsing faintly. He lifted it slowly, then spoke softly, "Zero, it's time to eat."
From the side of Darwin's body, his flesh writhed and formed a strange mouth lined with sharp teeth. The mouth opened wide, extended forward, and swallowed the core in a single bite.
A few moments passed in silence.
"…What a shame," Zero's voice echoed flatly in Darwin's mind. "No skill was acquired."
Darwin gave a small nod.
"Necromancer activated."
A thick black shadow flowed from Darwin's hand, enveloping the beast's body. The air turned cold, and within seconds… the wolf opened its eyes—now glowing purple. Its massive body remained intact, but it now radiated an aura of death. Lightning still sparked from its horn, but now tinged with darkness.
"Whoa… this is... FREAKING AWESOME."
The wolf approached him respectfully, then sat down like a loyal dog.
"So… now you're mine. I can ride you and never have to walk again!" Darwin cheered, stroking the wolf's fur, which felt cold to the touch.
Then, Zero's voice echoed faintly in his mind, sounding a little tired.
"Darwin… your Necromancer skill eats up a lot of energy… so… I'm gonna take a nap…"
"Alright, Zero. Sleep well. I'll let you know if there's food later."
Darwin lounged casually on the grass while the thunder-horned wolf—now his subordinate—stood proudly before him. A cool breeze drifted through the forest, which had returned to its peaceful state.
"Hmm… you need a name," Darwin muttered, stroking his chin. "Can't keep calling you 'hey, zombie wolf.' That's lame."
He studied the wolf's glowing violet eyes, its massive body emanating a mysterious aura, yet the creature remained loyal and calm.
"How about… Ciel?" he said, trying out the name.
As soon as the wolf heard the name, it started hopping up and down with excitement. The ground trembled as the massive beast bounced like an overjoyed puppy.
"HEY! Stop jumping! It's like an earthquake!" Darwin shouted in panic.
Ciel immediately sat down obediently, its expression meek. Darwin let out a relieved sigh, then sensed something else—he could still use his Necromancer skill twice more, with a total limit of three undead subordinates.
"So… I can only have three undead underlings. I've got one now, two slots left… But if I play this right, it could be a trump card."
As he pondered, the sound of snapping twigs broke the silence. He turned to look.
The elf emerged from behind a bush, a massive wild boar slung over her shoulder. Darwin jumped to his feet, startled.
"WHAA?! You got a boar that size by yourself?!"
The elf—now looking far more confident—smiled proudly. "Of course. I'm an expert hunter."
"Damn, not bad at all…" Darwin said, clearly impressed.
The elf then began preparing her tools to clean and skin the boar. Darwin sat beside her, watching her every move.
"Can I help?" he asked.
She nodded. Together, they cleaned, skinned, and prepared the meat. Before long, they had a campfire going, and pieces of meat were skewered and roasting over the flames. A delicious aroma filled the air.
As the moment quieted, Darwin glanced at her.
"By the way, I don't even know your name. I'm Darwin—just a regular human… sort of a lost adventurer."
The elf gave a small smile. "My name is Liriel von Azwenty."
Darwin's eyes widened. "Whoa… your name sounds super elegant. Like a noble princess or something!"
Liriel blushed, but looked away haughtily. "Of course. It comes from an ancient High Elf bloodline."
"Fits perfectly," Darwin said with a cheeky grin. "You look elegant, too…"
Liriel became visibly flustered. She looked down, pretending to focus on turning the meat skewers.
They continued chatting. Darwin asked about the lives of elves, and Liriel answered calmly, explaining her forest homeland, hunting traditions, natural magic, and their strong taboos about humans.
But when Darwin asked about her family, Liriel suddenly fell silent. Her expression darkened.
"…My older sister… she was captured by humans after sneaking into their territory… It's been a year, and she hasn't returned…" she said quietly.
Darwin said nothing at first, then tried to lighten the mood.
"Hey, check this out. I'll show you a magic trick."
He pulled a gold coin from his inventory and showed it to her. Then, with a swift motion, he slipped it between his fingers and made it disappear from view.
"Huh?! W-Where did it go?! What kind of magic is that?!"
Darwin only gave her a mysterious smile. "Not magic… it's called sleight of hand. A trick anyone can learn."
Liriel clapped in delight, her smile returning.
A few moments later…
"The meat's done!" Liriel exclaimed.
They began eating together. Darwin bit into the roasted meat, and his eyes lit up.
"THIS IS AMAZING!!" he shouted. "It's like… eating for the first time after being in a coma!"
Liriel laughed. "You're ridiculous. Where were you that made you so hungry?"
Darwin smiled wryly. "I was… trapped in a dungeon. Lucky I'm still alive. Just got out a few hours ago."
Liriel went quiet for a second, then nodded gently. "So… you've had a rough day too, huh?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Darwin replied with a small smile.