Whispergrove Woods looked exactly like the kind of place where someone died five minutes into a scary story.
Tall trees pressed close together, casting flickering shadows over the path. The air was thick with the scent of moss, old leaves, and things that probably had claws.
James stepped over a root and whispered, "So remind me again why this was a good idea?"
> "Because the system said so," Alice replied, voice cool as ever. "And because your spine cannot be allowed to remain jelly-like forever."
"Hey, I have a perfectly adequate spine, thank you very much."
> "Your sister showed more courage charging at me with a spoon."
James rolled his eyes. "We can't all be fire-breathing warlords in training."
> "A pity."
The system pinged again.
> [Trial Zone Detected]
Target: Rank 1 Wild Beast – Emberfang Direwolf
Essentia Signature: Fire-Aligned. Caution: Territorial behavior detected.
"You are advised to stop whining."
"Oh good," James muttered. "Even the system's bullying me now."
> "A worthy upgrade," Alice noted.
---
They crept deeper into the woods, branches crackling underfoot. James had a basic training dagger strapped to his hip — more symbolic than useful — and Alice padded beside him like a silent red shadow.
Then they heard it.
A low, guttural growl.
James froze. The sound rolled through the forest like distant thunder. It was close. And hungry.
A flash of red eyes gleamed between the trees.
And then the beast stepped into the clearing.
It was massive — nearly twice the size of a normal wolf, with thick ash-gray fur streaked with burning orange lines, like lava veins pulsing under the skin. Smoke curled from its mouth with each breath. Its claws dug into the soil, and its growl deepened as it locked eyes with James.
> "It's kind of cute," James said nervously. "In a 'definitely going to maul me' kind of way."
Alice's eyes narrowed. Her wings flared slightly. > "Permission to incinerate?"
"Granted!"
---
The Direwolf lunged.
It was fast — faster than James expected. But Alice was already moving.
She leapt into the air, flame swirling around her. Her wings snapped wide and her claws ignited with a burst of crimson fire.
> [Beast Skill: Ember Dash – Active]
With a blur of speed, Alice collided with the wolf mid-leap, claws raking across its flank. Fire exploded outward in a brilliant arc.
The wolf howled, staggering back — but not down.
> "Your creature fights well," the system noted. "You, however, are contributing nothing."
James ducked behind a tree. "I am contributing survival!"
> "Pathetic."
The Direwolf snarled and pounced again. Alice spun midair, unleashing a new burst of flame.
> [New Skill Unlocked: Flame Pulse – Tier 1]
A short-range explosion of flame. Effective against low-rank enemies.
Alice didn't hesitate.
She inhaled — a deep, searing breath — and launched a wave of fire that roared like a dragon's cry. The entire clearing lit up like a furnace. Leaves shriveled. Bark blackened.
The Direwolf was blasted backward, smoking and snarling.
James peeked out. "So. That went well?"
> "It survived. I am displeased."
---
The fight continued, but something was changing. The longer it went on, the more James started… feeling things.
He felt Alice's movements before she made them. Knew where she'd strike. Saw flashes of her instincts — where the enemy was vulnerable, when to dodge, when to push.
The system pinged again.
> [Bond Sync Level: 22%]
Status: Growing Trust. You are now slightly less useless.
James's eyes widened. "Wait… I can feel what she's doing."
> "That is the bond," Alice confirmed, flames licking her horns. "Now act like it matters."
James grabbed a stone, whispered a quick breath-channeling trick he remembered from training, and flung it at the Direwolf's eyes. It flinched — just long enough for Alice to dart in and rake her flaming claws across its throat.
The Direwolf collapsed in a heap of smoke and ash.
Silence fell.
> [Target Defeated – Rank 1 Beast: Emberfang Direwolf]
+1 Beast Affinity
+3 Sync Level
Skill Unlocked: Flame Pulse (Tier 1)
Minor Essentia Core Absorbed
You are now 3% cooler.
James dropped to his knees, panting. "Okay. Okay. That wasn't terrible."
Alice landed beside him, breathing steadily.
> "You didn't embarrass yourself completely."
"That's… almost a compliment."
> "Do not get used to it."
---
They rested by the still-smoking body of the beast, letting the bond settle between them. James could feel it — a faint ember in the back of his mind, steady and warm. Not
just a connection.
A partnership.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
Alice flicked her tail. > "We are far from done, James Blackwood. The flame is only beginning."