But eventually, the sheer weight of the exhaustion and the lingering heat of the desert became too much to bear.

One by one, the boys seemed to damn all consequences, choosing the relief of the water over their pride as we finally turned around and leapt into the stream.

"Cover up, you lewd woman," I blurted, tossing her my cloak that I took out of my inventory before turning my head away and crouching down to splash my skin with water.

"Thanchuu…" Evelyn giggled childishly as she caught the fabric and began to wrap it around herself.

Aika shifted out of her dormant form into her human form and stepped into the water beside me.

I wouldn't exactly say that we all collectively had a full bath, but we did all wash ourselves while also enjoying the coolness of the stream.

There was a phenomenon that we realized while in the stream. Just like when we were on the foothills on the other side of the desert, now that we were on this side, the sun had gone down and it was almost evening.

It was as if the desert itself was the only place where time and the sun stood still, and the moment we crossed its boundary, the natural cycle of the world suddenly rushed back to meet us.

…We stayed in the water for over thirty minutes before finally dragging ourselves onto the stony bank on the opposite side.

Now that we were out of the desert's reach, the sudden change in temperature was almost as jarring as the heat had been. It was so cold here that we immediately had to start making preparations for camp and a fire.

While Ino began the setup, I took a look around.

A few hundred meters ahead, a strange and vibrant forest of red and white leaves began. The trees were spaced out in a way that made them look like deliberate, man-made pillars rather than natural growth, and a wide path that led straight to the Puppeteer's Grove ran through the center of the woods, disappearing into the deepening gloom of the red and white canopy.

The ground from where the forest began was a carpet of fallen red and white leaves so thick that if something were to move through them, one would hear it from all the way here.

Even from here, a very large, strange-looking tree that sat in the center of the forest was visible, towering over the rest of the canopy as its twisted branches reached toward the darkening sky. Upon closer look, the silhouette of the large tree in the far center of the forest looked like a naked woman with her arms stretched out as if she were embracing the sky.

"We'll be at the Puppeteer's Grove by tomorrow," Ino informed the group as she finished setting up the fire.

"Finally!" Evelyn exclaimed as she dropped down on a large stone that Julius had brought closer to the fire. "Uh… can I please eat a full rabbit myself? Please…"

"Me too…" Celeste chimed in, raising a finger sheepishly.

The little ferret on Celeste's shoulder raised a hand in a hesitant manner and looked even more bashful. "Uh… me three."

Ino giggled as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then leaned down toward the ferret with a warm smile. "Sure thing."

She then straightened and gave a thumbs up to both Evelyn and Celeste before turning to approach me.

As usual, I handed over some mountain rabbits to her, who did a good job of preparing dinner for us.

When she was done, we all ate like starving children, including the demon of resignation in her creature form.

It was really surprising that a small ferret could actually finish off a full rabbit.

…Even though we had been together for almost two months now, no one had asked why Celeste's bond never took her human form to join us.

Questions regarding bonds were deeply personal, and so, everyone respected that unspoken boundary.

The sun had set, and it wasn't long after we finished eating that everyone quickly fell asleep, as we were all exhausted from the long trek through the desert.

However, I couldn't go to sleep with the others because I had something I needed to do. So, as tired as I was, I volunteered to take the first watch.

Up until midnight, I just sat by the fire, chewing on a blade of grass while lost in my thoughts as I watched the flames from the campfire. Aika, who had spent most of the journey in her dormant form and couldn't sleep, sat beside me, quietly drawing in mana with her eyes closed.

Through the corner of my eye, I could see her shivering slightly from the night cold.

I began to warm up some tea, which I poured into a small cup. A few minutes after midnight, I exhaled the cold air and stood up, but before I left, I took out a thick blanket from my inventory and wrapped it around her to keep her warm.

She flinched and slowly opened her eyes, and when she lifted her gaze, she met my outstretched hand offering her the cup of tea.

"Thanks…" she whispered softly as she reached out to take the cup.

I then nodded, and by the time she took a sip, I had already quietly walked away to a few meters from the campfire.

I crouched down, ran my hand above the ground, and as I did, Audrey's body materialized from my inventory.

I stared at the lifeless corpse for a few seconds, then raised my hand above it, and almost immediately, a familiar notification popped up for me.

[Would you like to use the bonded ability: Chrysalis to bestow new life upon the character Audrey Seres Platini, in exchange for 500 karma points?]

'Yes…'

[Activating the bonded ability: Chrysalis...]

Instantly, a cold gust of wind swept over the campsite. A few seconds passed, and then a cocoon of black flames erupted violently from the ground, swirling and completely enveloping Audrey's corpse.

Like always, the fire burned fiercely for a few seconds, then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

Audrey's body reverted back to looking fresh and alive. I gazed down at her peaceful face, searching for any sign of movement.

A few agonizingly long seconds passed, and then… her eyes snapped open.

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