Arama was reviewing the list of supplies and remaining funds, a rare smile lighting up his face.

  “Soro, my friend,” he said warmly, “we haven’t had this much stock since the old days, back when we were young.”

  The Elder standing beside him nodded, smiling as well. “Truly. Who would’ve thought that crazy mission would benefit the village this much?”

  Both were deeply grateful to Hansen, of course, and especially to Nerva and Kai.

  As they counted the crystals stored in their enchanted artifacts, the doors burst open, and two beastmen rushed in, panting heavily.

  Arama jumped from his seat, alarmed. “What is it? Are we under attack?”

  “No, no!” one of the guards gasped. “We came to report, Sir Nerva Bellator has returned with his group.”

  “Swear to the gods, you’ll give me a heart attack one of these days,” Arama muttered, clutching his chest.

  “They’re already back?” Soro asked, concern creeping into his voice. “Are they hurt?”

  “How did they look?” Arama pressed.

  “They looked tired,” said the tiger beastman. “Their armor’s seen better days, but they’re fine.”

  The other guard, a stag-like beastman with a proud set of antlers, added, “They were carrying someone, though. And there were new faces with them, a tall, black-haired beauty in armor, and a gray werewolf Divine Beast. He looked especially fierce.”

  “Hmm… sounds like they found some allies,” Arama mused. “Let’s go. We owe them more than they know.”

  Without another word, Arama led the men quickly toward the main hall.

  ***

  Umbra carried Kai into one of the spare rooms and gently laid him on the bed. She pulled a blanket over him and quietly stepped out. There was little anyone could do for him now; whatever he was experiencing, he had to face it alone.

  All they could do was hope it wouldn’t change him… or break him.

  When she returned to the main hall, Arama was already there, surrounded by a few elders and warriors.

  He turned as Umbra approached, his eyes widening. Though he hadn’t seen her before, the extraordinary mana radiating from her presence was unbelievable. He bowed instantly with respect.

  The only visible sign that she wasn’t human was her sleek, panther-like black tail. Her wings remained hidden in the shadows behind her, a skill she had instinctively developed.

  As long as she had mana, she could conceal parts of her body in the shadow realm, making it easier to move through human settlements without drawing attention.

  Arama raised his head and smiled. “And who might this lady be?” he asked politely.

  Umbra laughed. “Hey, old fox. Already forgotten me?”

  Her voice was softer now, more feminine and human, but still recognizable. “Miss Umbra, is that you!?” Arama stared in disbelief.

  Divine Beasts rarely looked so human. Most retained beast-like features unless they reached King or Emperor levels, and even that depended on their race. Only then could they fully suppress their beast nature.

  Whether it was the gem Arthraxius had gifted her, her bond with Kai, or the goddess’s influence, Umbra had evolved strikingly. She was now a rare and mysterious species; no one could guess what she might become as she grew further.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” she said with a smile that melted the hearts of the men in the room. “And don’t call me a lady. I’m a warrior first, then a female.”

  The more she grew alongside Kai, the more her feelings of inadequacy faded. She understood now, everyone had their own path.

  Kai would always stand by them, even if they were weak. Except she wasn’t weak anymore.

  She was strong. Stronger than ever, and she loved it.

  “Naturally,” Arama said, nodding. “But I must say, you look more like a beastman than a Divine Beast. That werewolf of yours looks like the real beast, though.”

  Nerva chuckled. “Don’t you recognize him?”

  Eira burst out laughing and pushed Kran forward.

  “Hey, Chief. It’s me. I messed up,” he said, scratching his head and staring at the floor.

  Arama and the villagers stared at the towering wolf-man, scanning him carefully.

  Then came the collective gasp. “KRAN?! What the hell did you do, boy? Oh no… the mage might kill us all!” Arama paled.

  Soro began pacing, and the others shivered.

  Zara burst out laughing. Harrietta was truly the alpha of this settlement.

  “It’s gonna be fine. I’ll tell her everything. It’s my fault anyway,” Kran said quietly.

  “Talk, boy. What happened?” Arama asked, regaining his composure.

  Kran sighed and explained everything, how it happened, what he did, and how he ended up like this.

  Arama scratched his grey-orange beard and nodded. After a deep breath, he said, “I see. What a stupid thing you’ve done, my boy. But I’m glad you’re alive. We’ve all watched you grow. It’d be a sad day if you died before me, you fool.”

  He aimed a slap at Kran’s head but settled for his shoulder. Kran now stood two heads taller than anyone in the village.

  Thorpe slipped in from the back, trying to lighten the mood. “So, big wolf-man… how strong are you now?”

  The warriors laughed, but their curiosity was genuine.

  One of the two barbarian brothers shouted, “Let’s go spar! My axe is itching for a good fight!”

  “I don’t know,” Kran said with a grin. “But I feel strong.”

  “Enough,” Arama interrupted. “First, we need to see if he can survive the wrath of his mother.”

  Kran frowned but sighed. He knew he had to face her.

  “Before we go watch the show,” Arama chuckled, “where is Master Kai? I need to thank him. Thanks to those crystals, we’ve stockpiled food and supplies. Even our warriors are equipped with Rare-grade weapons now.”

  Nerva’s expression darkened. “Kai is unconscious.”

  “What?!” Arama shouted. “I’ll call for our best healers. Wait here!”

  He turned to leave, but Liliya stepped forward.

  “No need,” she said calmly. “There’s nothing anyone can do. He needs to awaken on his own.”

  Her words sank deep. Xarion looked heartbroken. The first Inheritor he’d ever met, and he’d let this happen. If his elder found out, he’d be punished for days.

  Nerva steadied himself. “We’d appreciate it if we could stay here for a while. I’ll make sure all our expenses are covered.”

  “Nonsense,” Arama said firmly. “This is Master Kai’s home now. We practically owe him our lives. Stay as long as needed.”

  “When he wakes,” Arama added, “we’ll hold a grand celebration. The biggest one yet!”

  Cheers erupted from the group behind him.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Thorpe, go notify Bjorn and his men. Tonight, we’ll host a dinner to welcome Master Nerva and his group back.”

  Thorpe nodded and vanished.

  “Now, Kran, my boy, let’s go. I need to see this,” Arama said with a grin, pushing Kran toward Harrietta’s place.

  The rest of the men followed, Nerva’s group included.

  Only Liliya stayed behind. Umbra and Scry felt it best to leave her there alone and go check on Lisa.

  ***

  Harrietta, Lisa, and Hansen had just finished lunch and were deep in conversation about spirit magic. Harrietta was especially eager; she hoped to guide Lisa toward summoning her own spirit someday.

  Hansen, though he didn’t have a spirit himself, had a few tamed beasts that helped him hunt. He offered his insights from the perspective of beast taming and contract magic.

  Sparky, sprawled lazily on the table, occasionally meowed his opinions, but only Lisa could understand the spirit’s words.

  “Lisa, my child,” Harrietta sighed, “your talent is incredible. I’m a little jealous. If it weren’t for that scheming tiger, I wouldn’t even have this kitten who clearly doesn’t like me.”

  Sparky flicked his tail, unimpressed.

  “Aunt, Sparky’s a good boy,” Lisa said, scratching the spirit behind the ear. “You just need to give him more fire mana. He’ll listen. Isn’t that right, cutie?”

  Harrietta groaned. “He’s not a kitten, you know. He’s a mighty spirit.”

  Hansen burst out laughing. “Only you could end up with a stubborn, spoiled spirit. Reminds me of someone's son.”

  Harrietta narrowed her eyes. “That son of mine better come back in one piece, or I’ll test this new spirit on him.” She growled, smacking her palm with a wooden spoon.

  Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside, voices arguing, footsteps gathering.

  Harrietta’s eyes narrowed. “Who in the hell is having a gathering in front of my house? I’ll show them.”

  She rolled up her sleeves and stormed out.

  Lisa and Hansen only heard, “What the fuc…” before the door slammed shut.

  Hansen chuckled. “Better go check on her, huh?” He jogged after her.

  Lisa smiled. She liked these two. This life was nothing like what she was used to, but it helped her forget the pain and loneliness of those days in the cell. It helped her push down the memories of that day.

  She scooped up Sparky and hopped off the chair, following behind Hansen.

  ***

  Outside Harrietta’s cottage, Arama pushed the towering werewolf Kran forward. The rest of the group kept a cautious distance, close enough to witness the drama, far enough to avoid the fallout.

  Then the door slammed open.

  Harrietta stormed out, sleeves rolled up, ready to scold whoever dared gather in front of her house. But her voice caught in her throat the moment her eyes landed on the tall, grey werewolf with piercing green eyes.

  She knew those eyes.

  “Kran? What the fuck?” she gasped, stunned.

  “Hello, Mother. It’s… a long story,” Kran said with a sheepish smile.

  Harrietta blinked. “How is this possible? Why do you look like a beast? Did you go through another puberty?!”

  Before anyone could answer, Hansen and Lisa appeared behind her, drawn by the commotion.

  Hansen scanned the crowd, confused by the shouting, until his eyes landed on the werewolf. “Kran?” he muttered, dumbfounded.

  “Hello, Hansen. Lisa,” Kran greeted them gently.

  Lisa giggled. “Wow, Brother Kran is so cute now! Can I pet you?”

  Eira burst out laughing, and the rest of the group followed suit.

  Harrietta, however, was far from amused. She took a deep breath, barely holding herself together. “First things first,” she growled. “You owe me an explanation. How dare you leave and risk your life like that, without even telling me!”

  She summoned fiery whips from thin air, slamming them into the ground with a crack that made everyone flinch.

  “After everything, you go and do this? And you come back looking like this? I need answers, Kran. I swear to…”

  A whip lashed at his feet, scorching the earth. Kran shivered. “Mother, please forgive me. I can explain. Just… not here. Not like this,” he pleaded, glancing nervously at Eira.

  Seeing Harrietta’s molten mana swirl dangerously, Nerva stepped forward.

  “Miss Harrietta,” he said calmly, “I don’t think violence will fix things here. Can we all just talk?”

  Is the demon being the voice of reason? Lucius stared, flabbergasted.

  “Where was this man when I was young?” Zara muttered.

  Nerva’s brow twitched; he’d heard that but chose to let it slide.

  “With all due respect, Sir Nerva,” Harrietta snapped, “he needs to learn his lesson.”

  Sparky, sensing the rising fire mana, leaped onto Harrietta’s shoulder, greedily absorbing the excess energy and strengthening her whips.

  “He likes her mad,” Lisa whispered to Hansen.

  “Well, he’ll be head over heels soon,” Hansen chuckled.

  “You two, I can hear you!” Harrietta barked, making Hansen flinch.

  “Kran, you know the punishment. Let’s get it over with, and then you can explain.”

  Kran sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, but… let’s skip that. I’m not the same as before, Mother.”

  The crowd collectively paled.

  Did he just say that? They gasped.

  “Oh-ho,” Harrietta growled. “Big wolf man thinks he’s all that now, huh?”

  Her temper snapped. Fire whips lashed out toward Kran.

  But his lupine eyes tracked the attacks in slow motion. He dodged with ease.

  Harrietta, now fully ignited with competitive fury, chanted mid-strike. “Element of fire, grant me your power. Release my anger toward the few that dare, Molten Arrow Barrage!”

  Dozens of flaming arrows materialized and launched toward Kran and the group.

  “For fuck’s sake, is she insane?” Nerva muttered, activating his Aegis and casting a shimmering shield in front of the group.

  Arama sighed and summoned illusions of fox tails that merged with Nerva’s shield. “I’m too old for this,” he grumbled.

  “Nice skill, Chief!” Nerva said, impressed.

  Arama gave a proud nod.

  Kran, meanwhile, surged with wind mana. A gentle breeze wrapped around him, boosting his speed to its peak. He dodged the arrows effortlessly, then released a powerful howl.

  The sonic wave of pure mana shattered the remaining arrows mid-air.

  The rest were blocked by Nerva and Arama, while Eira froze the few strays with a flick of her hand.

  “Are we even now, Mother?” Kran gasped, his chest heaving. His body twitched with residual energy. This was the first time he’d truly tapped into the power of his new form, and it had exceeded all expectations.

  Harrietta crossed her arms, eyeing him with a mix of pride and lingering frustration. “Good, good. At least now you won’t die like a fool. Come inside, you owe me an apology and an explanation.”

  She turned on her heel and marched back toward the cottage, Lisa and a pale-faced Hansen trailing behind.

  “Wait… so she only tested him?” Xarion asked, blinking in confusion.

  Zara chuckled. “Yeah. She was furious at first, but once she saw how strong he’d become, she just wanted to make sure he could handle himself.”

  “Weird way to show she cares,” Xarion muttered.

  “Nothing weird about that,” Nerva said, deadpan.

  Lucius and Zara shivered at his tone.

  Arama shook his head. “Alright, everyone, let’s go. I’ve had enough of this madness for one day.” He turned and led the villagers away.

  “Xarion and I are going to rest,” Zara announced, tugging him along. “You lot can go inside.”

  Xarion cleared his throat, trying to look composed.

  Nerva paled as Umbra muttered, “I can smell hormones on the girl.”

  “Stop it, Umbra. I beg you,” he groaned.

  Scry burst out laughing.

  With the tension finally broken, the group entered Harrietta’s cottage, the door closing behind them.?

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