Chapter 26: A New Companion

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: A New Companion

Damon could still feel the effects of the contract.

The connection between him and the little fox had become much clearer now.

It wasn’t just a feeling anymore.

He could sense her emotions almost as naturally as his own.

When she was happy, he knew.

When she was curious, he knew.

When she was worried, he knew that too.

The small fox sat quietly beside him while her silver tails swayed from side to side.

Damon reached out and rubbed her head.

A smile appeared on his face.

"You’re honestly a miracle."

The fox immediately leaned into his hand.

Damon chuckled.

Out of all the things he expected to find inside the Birthground, a spirit like this had never crossed his mind.

A dormant spirit.

A forgotten spirit.

Yet it had become his greatest opportunity.

His eyes softened.

Then another thought appeared in his head.

"A name."

The fox tilted her head.

Damon looked at her carefully.

Her silver fur shimmered faintly beneath the unstable winds of the Tempest Hollow.

The three tails behind her moved gracefully.

Even the lightning around her seemed beautiful rather than violent.

He thought for a moment.

Then nodded.

"I’ve got one."

The fox immediately became interested.

Damon smiled.

"You look like a beautiful little fox."

"So from today onward..."

"Your name is Freya."

The fox froze.

For a second.

Then all three tails started wagging wildly.

A happy chirp escaped her mouth.

The response was immediate.

She loved it.

Damon laughed.

"Looks like that’s a yes."

Freya rubbed her head against his arm repeatedly.

The connection between them warmed.

Excitement.

Joy.

Pride.

Damon could feel every bit of it.

He pulled her into his arms.

"Freya it is."

The fox happily curled up against his chest.

For a moment, Damon simply sat there.

The winds howled in the distance.

The Tempest Hollow remained dangerous.

Yet things felt different now.

A few hours ago, he had been fighting for his life.

Now he finally had a path forward.

Not just Freya.

The lightning itself.

The silver lightning flowing through his core. The increase in strength. The mysterious second core.

Everything seemed connected somehow.

Damon lowered his gaze.

His attention returned to the strange core.

Even now, he could feel subtle changes happening inside it.

The more he learned, the more mysterious it became.

Yet instead of frustration, he felt excited.

There were answers waiting for him somewhere.

He simply had to become strong enough to find them.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his body.

Damon winced.

"Right."

"I’m still injured."

Freya immediately looked guilty.

Her ears lowered.

Damon instantly understood the emotion through their bond.

He flicked her forehead lightly.

"Stop that."

"You saved my life."

"You don’t get to look guilty after carrying me."

The fox blinked.

Then slowly perked up again. Satisfied.

Damon shook his head.

"You’re surprisingly easy to read."

Freya proudly lifted her head as if that wasn’t a bad thing.

Damon opened his travel bag.

The supplies were still intact.

Bandages.

Medicine.

Basic recovery aids.

Nothing fancy, but just enough.

He cleaned the wounds carefully and wrapped the deeper cuts.

The process wasn’t pleasant.

Several times he had to grit his teeth.

Meanwhile, Freya sat beside him the entire time.

Watching.

Occasionally nudging his hand whenever he looked uncomfortable.

By the time he finished, he felt much better.

Not fully healed. But good enough.

Damon stood and stretched.

The world suddenly felt larger, not because it had changed. Because his options had changed.

There were so many things he wanted to test now.

His new lightning.

The contract.

Freya’s abilities.

The second core.

His new Adept Rank strength.

Every possibility made him excited.

The gamer inside him was practically screaming.

A new build.

New abilities.

New mechanics.

New combinations.

He wanted to test everything.

One thing came to mind first.

A simple experiment.

"Freya."

The fox looked up.

"Let’s try something."

Moments later, Damon focused on the connection between them.

The bond responded immediately.

The second core pulsed.

A gentle silver light appeared and Freya disappeared with it.

Damon blinked as she was gone from his sight, yet he could still feel her very clearly inside his second core.

The sensation surprised him.

It was almost like she had entered a private space connected to him.

Then he felt her thoughts.

Confused, and curious. And a very obvious request to come back out.

Damon laughed.

"Alright."

A flash of silver appeared as Freya landed on his shoulder.

Immediately happier.

The experiment was a success.

He could hide her when necessary, and that alone was a huge advantage.

Damon nodded.

"Useful."

Freya chirped proudly.

As if she deserved credit.

Maybe she did.

With that settled, Damon finally started moving.

He had no intention of searching for the main group.

Too much time had passed.

They were either much deeper inside the zone or scattered already.

Besides...

He wasn’t interested. Not anymore.

His path had already separated from theirs.

He moved through the Tempest Hollow calmly.

The winds whistled through broken rocks and dead trees.

The unstable Aether in the air felt heavier than before.

Every now and then, distant beast roars echoed through the Hollow.

The place felt even more dangerous now.

Yet Damon wasn’t afraid.

Careful? Yes.

Afraid? Not anymore.

Not after what had happened.

Not after Freya, or after gaining the lightning element.

A small grin appeared on his face, Freya noticed immediately.

Her own lightning crackled excitedly.

The two of them seemed to share the same mood.

But suddenly they stopped.

Damon’s eyes narrowed as six figures emerged from the surrounding terrain.

Razormane Wolves.

Their bodies moved silently through the tall grass.

Predators.

Patient.

Confident.

They had already completed the encirclement.

One step forward.

One step back.

Every route was blocked.

At the center stood a larger wolf.

Its silver-grey mane was thicker.

Its body carried numerous scars.

Its eyes were calm. Experienced.

The Alpha.

The moment Damon saw it...

His grin widened.

The old Damon would have panicked.

The Damon from a few hours ago would’ve been looking for an escape route.

The current Damon?

He cracked his neck.

"Perfect."