CHAPTER 61: CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The world returned to him slowly. His eyelids slowly opened due to something warm and wet brushing against his cheek. Again, and again.

His eyes snapped open, the morning light piercing through the canopy in thin golden rays. His blurred vision sharpened little by little, until he saw the small feline beast hovering close, its wide golden eyes locked onto him. Its tiny tongue darted out, licking at his face with surprising gentleness.

"...You..." Astrael muttered, his voice hoarse.

The beast gave a soft mrrp in reply, tail flicking once, and leaned closer, continuing its determined licking as if to shake him awake properly.

Astrael groaned, pushing himself weakly up onto his elbows. His muscles protested, but the steady nudge of the creature’s head against his chest made him stay upright. He looked at the little feline, its earlier paleness gone, the poison purged thanks to the Heartglass Lily. Now it looked... healthy and Alive.

And oddly affectionate.

"Don’t tell me you’re thanking me," Astrael said dryly, though his lips twitched.

The beast blinked at him and then, as if answering, nestled against his lap with a low purr.

Astrael stared at it for a long while, silent. Then he let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding and leaned back against a tree trunk, eyes still half-lidded. "...Troublesome thing."

The little beast didn’t move from his lap. Instead, it tilted its head back, golden eyes locked on him with an intensity far too sharp for such a small creature. Its ears flicked once, then it let out a soft, drawn-out mew, pawing lightly at his chest.

Astrael narrowed his eyes. "...What now?"

The feline responded by standing up, circling once on his legs, and then sitting down again, tail curling neatly around its body. Its gaze didn’t waver. If anything, it seemed to shine brighter, as though waiting.

Astrael stayed quiet, studying it. "You want... to follow me?"

The creature chirped in reply, almost impatient, and nudged its head against his arm.

He sighed, running a hand down his face. At first he thought it was a coincidence, that maybe his exhaustion was making him imagine things. But no—the beast’s persistence, its oddly intelligent eyes, the way it refused to leave his side... it was clear enough.

"You’re serious," Astrael muttered, his voice caught between disbelief and resignation.

The feline tilted its head, then gave a short, eager mrrp.

Silence stretched for a while as Astrael leaned back, eyes narrowing in contemplation. He didn’t need a companion—companions were liabilities, weights to drag him down when things turned ugly. And yet... this little beast had already risked its life once to save him. Even poisoned, it had stood in his defense. And now, despite every chance to run away, it chose to stay.

"...Tch." He exhaled sharply through his nose, as though annoyed with himself. "Fine. If you want to follow me, then follow. Don’t expect me to carry you around if you get into trouble."

The feline perked up immediately, letting out an excited trill before leaping lightly onto his shoulder, balancing there with practiced ease.

Astrael shot it a side glance. "Already making yourself at home, huh?"

The beast flicked its tail, smug.

For the first time in a long while, Astrael felt the edge of a smile tugging faintly at his lips. "...Then I suppose you’ll need a name."

He tapped his fingers against his knee thoughtfully, studying the sleek black-and-silver fur of the creature, its piercing golden eyes that seemed far too cunning for a normal beast. "...What should I call you?"

Astrael leaned back against the tree, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes drifted toward the small feline perched on his shoulder, tail swaying lazily but claws hooked lightly into his shoulder for balance.

The feline tilted her head, ears flicking in anticipation.

Astrael’s gaze ran over the soft streaks of silver hidden in her darker fur. "...Little Silver? That works, doesn’t it?"

At once, the beast let out a sharp, offended mrowl, smacking his chest lightly with her paw as if scolding him.

"...What?" Astrael frowned.

The feline’s ears pinned back, golden eyes narrowing. Then she huffed—actually huffed—and turned her head away, tail lashing in clear protest.

Astrael blinked once, then snorted. "You’ve got opinions now? Fine. Not ’Little Silver.’"

He sat in silence for a moment, watching her as she flexed her claws against his shoulder fabric, long, sharp, and glinting faintly in the morning light. That memory returned in an instant: those same claws tearing into the serpent’s scales without hesitation, even while venom coursed through her veins.

"...Clawdia," Astrael said at last, the corner of his lips twitching. "That suits you."

The feline whipped her head back toward him, then her tail lifted in a delighted curl. She chirped, rubbing her cheek against his jaw in approval.

Astrael gave a small grunt, half-amused, half-resigned. "...So you like that one."

The beast—no, Clawdia now—purred in satisfaction, settling comfortably on his shoulder like it was exactly where she belonged.

Astrael sighed, standing up and brushing the dirt off his trousers. "Clawdia, it is. Just don’t expect me to get all sentimental about it."

Clawdia let out a smug little mewl, as if she knew he already had.

Astrael adjusted Clawdia on his shoulder and turned his gaze toward the massive serpent’s corpse sprawled across the undergrowth. Its scales glistened faintly under the dappled forest light, the gash marks and torn flesh still fresh from their brutal clash. The metallic scent of blood was sharp in the air.

"...That explains it," he murmured, narrowing his eyes.

The realisation hit him, because of this thing’s strength, no other beasts dared wander close. Even when he had collapsed, nothing came sniffing around. But now, with the serpent dead and its blood soaking the soil, the stench would spread. He didn’t need his predator’s senses to know this place would be swarming soon.

Clawdia gave a low growl, ears twitching restlessly, as if confirming the thought.

"Yeah, I know," Astrael said, tone flat but edged with urgency. "We don’t have long."

He strode toward the serpent’s massive head, crouching down. His blade flicked out with a clean metallic whisper. "The core should be here."

With precise movements, he carved into the skull, prying past bone and sinew until his blade struck something solid. A faint crimson glow shimmered inside. Astrael pushed further and finally pulled free a round, pulsating crystal—the beast core. Its surface throbbed with faint heat, as if still alive.

"...Got you," he muttered, wiping the gore off on the serpent’s scales.

Clawdia leaned forward, sniffing curiously, but Astrael shoved the core into his inventory before she got too close. "Not for you. This is mine."

His gaze swept back over the enormous corpse. Leaving it here wasn’t an option. Not just because of the valuable materials, the stench alone would pull the beast his way. With a flick of his wrist, he called upon his inventory, the serpent’s remains dissolving into shimmering particles before vanishing entirely.

The silence afterwards was almost oppressive.

"...That’ll have to do," Astrael muttered, straightening. His hand brushed Clawdia’s back, steadying her as she shifted her paws on his shoulder. "Let’s move before the whole damned forest comes looking."

Clawdia gave a soft mrrp of agreement, tail curling like a banner, and Astrael wasted no more time, slipping silently into the shadowed trees.

-----

Astrael moved swiftly but with measured steps, keeping his breath steady. Clawdia rode on his shoulder for a while, her silver-tipped tail swaying rhythmically. Her ears twitched constantly, sharp as antennae, and her low growls warned him of every disturbance in the underbrush before it even reached his own senses.

The forest around them was alive with whispers. Branches creaked under unseen weight, leaves rustled without wind, and here and there, distant snarls echoed. The serpent’s blood was already doing its work.

Once, a shadowy figure slipped between the trees ahead. It lingered briefly, its elongated snout raised as it sniffed the lingering metallic tang of blood on the air. Astrael froze, hand already on his hilt. Clawdia bristled, her claws flexing out with a faint shhhkt.

The beast, a hulking hyenawolf, matted fur streaked with bone-white stripes, snarled once, low and guttural. But then, after another long sniff, it shook its head and padded off into the underbrush. Astrael exhaled slowly through his nose.

"The beasts are already coming," he muttered, "but they can also smell that I killed it." His gaze sharpened. "Good. Let them stay away."

Clawdia purred smugly, as if sharing in the credit.

They pressed deeper. The canopy grew thicker, sunlight breaking only in fractured shafts that painted the ground in a shifting mosaic. The deeper they went, the more beasts crossed their path.

A cluster of horned boars burst from a thicket, their tusks glowing faintly with stored mana. Astrael stepped forward before they could scatter. His blade sang—

SCHHK!

—and one collapsed, throat cut clean. Another lunged from the side, but Clawdia leapt from his shoulder with surprising speed, claws flashing as she raked across its eyes. The beast squealed and stumbled, and Astrael finished it with a downward strike.

The rest scattered.

Astrael wiped his blade on the grass, breathing evenly. "Not bad," he said, glancing at Clawdia. She puffed up proudly, licking the blood from her paw.

They kept moving. A spotted lynx-beast tried to ambush them from above, but Astrael’s sharpened senses caught the beast’s presence. His sword snapped upward, skewering the creature mid-leap before it could land. Clawdia flicked her tail approvingly.

The bodies piled one by one, Astrael growing more comfortable with each fight. His movements were cleaner, sharper which was driven by hunger for growth. And though fatigue still gnawed at the edges of his muscles, the fire in his eyes only burned hotter.

But with every beast slain, with every drop of blood spilled, the forest seemed to grow quieter. The lesser predators scattered from his path, and even the stronger ones thought twice. The air was heavy now, charged with something beyond the ordinary.

Clawdia’s ears flicked back. She hissed softly, eyes locked on the shadows between the trees.

"...Yeah," Astrael muttered, adjusting his grip on his sword. "I feel it too. Something’s watching."