Location: Dark Forest - Outer Ring | Doha (Lower Realm)
Time: Days 373-376
Dawn light filtered through the cave entrance like liquid amber, painting the rough stone walls in shades of gold and shadow. Jayde sat up carefully, rolling her right shoulder in slow circles, testing the range of motion.
The wound pulled. Barely. Just a whisper of tightness where the boar's tusk had torn through muscle three days ago.
Healing progression: Excellent. Tissue regeneration approximately 85% complete. Full combat capability restored. Shoulder cleared for standard engagement.
(It barely hurts at all now. Gods, those healing pills are worth every merit.)
Three days since the boar. Three days that should've been wasted on recovery, but hadn't been—not really. She'd spent the last 2 days working, thinking, building. The Sparkcaster prototypes sat in her storage ring now, two functional weapons that married Federation engineering with cultivation mechanics.
