The night passed without incident. As dawn broke and everyone woke up, there was no need for commands—each person knew exactly what had to be done. Without a word, they began preparing their equipment, ready to set out once more.

  As Rain adjusted his gear, a sharp pain fred up in his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore it like he had since the fight, but it was getting worse. Each movement sent a fresh wave of discomfort through him, a reminder that he wasn’t as unaffected as he wanted to seem.

  Emily's sharp eyes caught the slight wince on Rain's face. She frowned, stepping closer. "You're hurt."

  Rain trying not to worry her could only pretend to not be bothered by the pain, "Nah it's healing already, it doesn't hurt as much as I first got it."

  Emily crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Oh really? Because it sure looked like it hurt just now."

  Rain forced a grin. "Just a little sting, nothing I can't handle."

  Emily sighed, already digging into her pouch. "Sit down. Let me take a look before you pass out trying to act tough."

  Emily pced a hand on Rain's wounded shoulder, a faint green light glowing from her palm.

  Rain felt a soothing warmth spread through the injury, the pain dulling but not disappearing entirely.

  'So this is healing magic,' he thought.

  When Emily pulled her hand away, the wound was still there, but it had noticeably shrunk.

  She clicked her tongue in frustration. "I’m not very good at this. Healing magic isn’t really my thing."

  Rain rolled his shoulder, testing the pain. It was still there, but significantly duller. "Well, it's better than nothing. Thanks, Emily."

  Emily crossed her arms, frowning. "Don't push yourself too hard. If that wound returns to its normal size, there's not much else I can do."

  Rain smirked. "Guess I'll just have to avoid getting stabbed again."

  Emily sighed. "Easier said than done in this pce."

  Diego scanned the group, ensuring everyone had their gear in order. Seeing that they were all set, he gave a firm nod.

  "Everyone, get ready—we're moving out," he announced.

  Without hesitation, the group set off, their footsteps steady as they pushed forward through the forest.

  Despite their caution while navigating the Forsakened Vale, the group moved with a renewed sense of camaraderie. The conversations from the night before had lightened their spirits, making the weight of their journey feel just a little less heavy.

  The group pressed on, their journey through the Forsakened Vale stretching into a week. The days blurred together—tense marches, brief moments of rest, and constant vigince against lurking threats. Each step weighed heavier, exhaustion creeping in, but their will to survive kept them moving forward.

  As they journeyed through the forest, they spotted something in the distance—a wolf. But this wasn't an ordinary wolf. A single horn jutted from its head, and it was noticeably rger than the average wolf. Its fur was an unusual mix of deep gray, streaked with vibrant violet, giving it an almost ethereal appearance.

  Diego smirked upon seeing the creature. "Everyone, take out the empty jars" he ordered.

  The group exchanged gnces but quickly followed his command, retrieving whatever empty containers they had. Rain raised a brow, curiosity piqued. "What, we're collecting souvenirs now?"

  Diego chuckled. "Not quite, were gonna harvest something important from that dog."

  Rain mulled over Diego's words, his gaze flickering between the horned wolf and the others preparing their jars.

  'Well, the meat is definitely something we're taking, but we’re obviously not stuffing that into jars…' His thoughts trailed as he considered the possibilities. 'Are we harvesting the beast’s blood?'

  "Is that wolf's blood a delicacy?" Rain sarcastically asked Diego

  Diego chuckled. "You could say that. It has an important use, and if we get the chance, we’ll put it to good use."

  Rain frowned, curiosity piqued. "And what exactly is that use?"

  Diego smirked. "You’ll find out when the time comes. I’d rather keep it a surprise."

  Rain frowned but didn’t press further. As he followed Diego toward the wolf, Diego suddenly stretched out a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

  "Lend me your dagger for a bit."

  Rain hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask why, but decided it was better to just watch and see. He handed over the dagger, his expression puzzled.

  Diego took it and began channeling his essence into the bde, its surface faintly shimmering with energy. Without turning around, he called out, "You know what to do, right, Emily?"

  Emily scoffed. "Of course."

  Without a second thought, Diego hurled the essence-enchanted dagger. It flew straight and true, piercing through the wolf’s left front leg.

  The beast let out a pained snarl, but before it could react, Emily unleashed her essence. A wall of fire erupted around the wolf, trapping it in pce.

  The others could only watch in awe at the seamless teamwork between the two.

  Diego soared above the fmes, his sword arcing toward the wolf’s neck in a decisive strike. But the beast was fast—faster than expected. With a sharp twist of its head, its horn met Diego’s bde, sparks flying from the impact. The force of the csh sent a shock up Diego’s arm, but he quickly adjusted, nding gracefully on his feet, ready for the next move.

  The wolf hesitated for a brief moment before making a desperate dash through the wall of fmes. A pained growl tore through the air as fire licked at its fur, scorching its violet-streaked coat.

  "Emily, stop the fmes!" Diego ordered without hesitation.

  Emily reacted instantly, cutting off her magic. The fire vanished, leaving behind only smoldering embers on the grass. The wolf, now partially burned but still standing, growled low, its eyes darting between Diego and the rest of the group.

  The wolf spun on its heels and bolted into the dense forest. Without hesitation, Diego sprang after it, his movements swift and precise.

  "After it!" he commanded, and the group wasted no time in following suit.

  Branches snapped beneath their feet as they charged through the undergrowth, the wolf’s glowing streaks of violet fur flickering between the trees like a fleeting specter. It was wounded, but still fast. If they let it escape, they might lose their chance to harvest the blood Diego was after.

  The wolf was fast, but with its wounded leg, Diego and the group managed to keep up.

  As he sprinted, Diego channeled more essence into his sword. With a swift motion, he unleashed a series of razor-sharp sshes that cut through the air, striking the wolf’s hind legs. The beast let out a pained growl, stumbling slightly, but despite its injuries, it pushed forward, its legs still functional.

  Rain narrowed his eyes. ‘This thing is tough…’

  Rain kept his eyes locked on the fleeing wolf but still managed to ask, "What kind of wolf is that thing? It's pretty tough."

  Diego, still in pursuit, responded without looking back. "A Horned Darkfang. They're rare, but not unheard of in the Vale. Stronger, faster, and more resilient than normal wolves."

  Diego quickly added, "It's also a type of magical beast, its blood has unique properties, that allows it to be turned into all types of potions."

  Rain shot Diego a wary gnce. "It's not running to its pack, is it?"

  Diego’s expression remained focused, his tone firm. "No. They're lone wolves."

  Hearing that, Rain let out a quiet breath of relief.

  The wolf was slowing down, but so was Diego. Seizing the moment, Rain lunged forward and drove his dagger deep into its side, determined not to let it escape.

  The beast let out a furious snarl, its body twisting violently as it thrashed in desperation. Rain barely had time to react—

  The wolf’s thick, powerful tail whipped through the air, smming into Rain's torso with crushing force. His grip on his sword loosened leaving it in the beasts side, he barely had time to brace before he was sent hurtling backward, crashing hard against a tree.

  A sharp pain shot through his body as the impact knocked the air from his lungs. He slumped to the ground, dazed, his vision swimming.

  Rain staggered to his feet, shaking off the pain as best he could. His body screamed at him to stay down, but he clenched his teeth and pushed forward, breaking into a sprint after the wounded wolf.

  Diego, still mid-chase, gnced back and frowned. “Tough kid…” he muttered under his breath. Even he was starting to worry about Rain’s recklessness.

  Suddenly, the dense green of the forest shifted into a breathtaking sea of vibrant blue. The trees, the grass, even the very air seemed to glow with an ethereal luminescence. The group skidded to a halt, eyes wide with shock—even Diego, who had remained composed throughout the chase, couldn't hide his surprise.

  Then, to everyone's astonishment, he let out a short, amused ugh. "Well this is a lucky turn of events."

  Without wasting another second, he lunged at the wounded wolf, his bde piercing cleanly through it's back. The beast let out a final, gurgled snarl before colpsing lifelessly onto the glowing earth.

  Rain, still staggering from the earlier hit, made his way toward the fallen wolf. His breath was heavy. Stepping closer, he pced a hand on the hilt of his sword, still embedded in the wolf’s side, and yanked it free.

  Rain also retrieved the dagger Diego had borrowed and thrown at the wolf.

  Blood dripped from the bde, but Rain barely paid it any mind—his attention was drawn to the glowing blue surroundings. "How lucky."

  Emily crossed her arms, gncing around at the glowing forest. "Well... that's convenient."

  Some in the group, unaware of this strange phenomenon, panicked. The eerie blue glow reminded them too much of the Withered Canopy.

  "Captain, should we run?!" one of them shouted, gripping their weapon tightly.

  Diego, still catching his breath from the fight, shook his head. "Calm down. This isn’t the same as the Withered Canopy." His gaze swept across the glowing forest, a hint of wonder in his usually sharp eyes. "This... is something else entirely."

  Diego gnced at the glowing trees and let out a small chuckle. "This is the Forest of Vitality."

  The group slowly calmed down, though some still looked uneasy.

  Diego smirked, "I guess we can use the wolf's blood immediately."

  Diego gave a quick order, "Everyone with a jar, get over here. Let's drain the wolf's blood."