Monts later, the tent’s curtain shifted, and a young girl entered.
She had long brown hair tied in a braid and hesitated before stepping inside.
"She’s Tiara," Mother Venice suggested. "She has the highest chance of becoming a healer."
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"Who is she? From Hans’ tribe?"
"No, she’s from ours," Naisha answered.
Draven frowned.
"Huh? Never seen her before."
Mother Venice chuckled.
"That’s because she’s always inside the tent, preparing healing herbs. And when we travel, she keeps her hood up."
Draven turned toward Tiara, observing her closely.
The girl froze in place.
Her fingers twitched slightly as she lowered her gaze, her whole body trembling.
Naisha clicked her tongue.
"Hey! Stop scaring her."
Tiara swallowed nervously, then slowly turned to Mother Venice. Her voice shook.
"D-Do you need sothing from , Mother?"
Mother Venice glanced at Draven and gave him a small nod, signaling him to talk to her.
Draven crossed his arms and smirked.
"Tiara, right? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Tiara’s face turned bright red.
Her lips quivered, her eyes darting around as if she might burst into tears.
Naisha’s eyes twitched.
"Draven."
Her voice was sharp with warning.
Draven held up his hands.
"Relax, don’t get the wrong idea."
Then he grinned at Naisha before turning back to Tiara.
"I was just thinking you’d be a good match for Deka. You two kind of look alike."
Naisha’s glare only intensified.
Draven cleared his throat, shifting the conversation.
"Alright, serious question. What’s your dream?"
Tiara blinked.
"My... dream?"
She fell silent, deep in thought.
Then, softly, she answered.
"I’m a herbalist now. Still learning about different herbs."
"Looks like I’m interviewing for a job role," Draven tilted his head. "Why? Because you love herbs?"
Tiara shook her head.
"To help the villagers."
Her voice was quiet, but there was certainty in it.
She hesitated before adding, "Every ti I see them get hurt, I want to help tend their wounds... and yours too. I saw how you almost sacrificed yourself to the Mad Clan."
Tiara lowered her gaze, gripping the hem of her sleeves.
"But still... I can’t do much. I feel useless."
Draven nodded.
"Ok. You passed," Draven grinned.
Tiara lifted her head and looked at Draven, confused.
"What do you an?"
But Draven just smiled at her.
"Co here again tomorrow."
After a few hours, they resud their journey.
Draven walked ahead, feeling much better than before.
Unlike the Verdant Expanse where giant trees covered the land and everything felt dull and suffocating, Riftwater Forest was different.
It was alive.
Waterfalls cascaded down rocky cliffs, feeding into crystal-clear lakes that reflected the sky like glass.
Small animals road freely.
Their presence makes the forest feel welcoming instead of hostile.
Draven stretched his arms.
"It looks much safer here compared to the Verdant Expanse."
"No."
Naisha’s voice was firm.
Draven turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
She nodded toward Gil, who was scanning the distance.
"It’s only because of Gil’s Hawk’s Eye skill."
Her tone was sharp.
"It’s a big help that he can see threats before they reach us, making it easy to avoid them. You lifted the curse, but did you even bother to look at what it did?"
Draven blinked.
Then he chuckled.
"Actually, I just forgot."
Naisha’s eye twitched.
Draven smirked. "But I already expected it."
Gil returned from scouting.
"You saw a beast?" Draven asked before Gil could even speak.
Gil nodded.
"Yes... but their movent was weird."
"What do you an?"
The group halted their journey.
Draven, Naisha, and Gil carefully moved toward the area where the beasts had been spotted.
As they crept closer, Gil whispered.
"Over there."
Naisha’s gaze followed, and what he saw made her stand still.
"Hey... is that a Lycan?"
In the clearing ahead, four Lycans sat beneath the dense canopy.
One stood at the front.
Its posture is different from the rest.
It wasn’t snarling.
It wasn’t hunting.
Instead, it was teaching.
The three sitting Lycans watched it closely, as if listening and learning.
Draven frowned.
"What’s wrong with that?"
Naisha’s voice was tight.
"This is new. I’ve never heard of beasts teaching each other."
Gil nodded.
"Neither have I."
In this world, beasts were beasts.
So were smarter than others, but none acted like humans.
They don’t sit.
They don’t watch.
And they certainly don’t learn.
Draven’s instinct flared.
He turned sharply, scanning the area.
Sothing was coming.
Fast.
"Prepare yourselves! They’re moving in!"
The Lycans weren’t just in front of them.
They were everywhere.
Rustling ca from the trees, the bushes, the shadows...
A dozen Lycans appear, making Draven grin.
They weren’t running.
They were facing them head-on.
The four that they were observing also joined in.
A Lycan lunged.
Draven’s eyes snapped to it.
With a single step, he twisted his waist and threw a devastating Smash.
His Morphos collided mid-air with the beast’s chest.
"CRACK!"
The Lycan’s ribs got fractured instantly.
Its body bent unnaturally before being launched backward, slamming into a tree so hard the wood split apart.
A weak groan escaped its throat.
"...Ouch..."
The other Lycans froze.
They had seen power before.
But this?
This was sothing else.
Yet, they weren’t done.
Three more rushed in at once.
One from the front.
One from the side.
One from above.
Their movents were coordinated.
This wasn’t a wild charge.
This was a hunting formation.
The first Lycan slashed.
Draven tilted his head.
The claw barely grazed his cheek.
Before the Lycan could react, Draven’s knee shot up.
"BOOM!"
It struck directly under its jaw.
A crunch echoed as the Lycan’s head snapped backward, saliva and blood spraying into the air.
It collapsed instantly.
The second Lycan ca from the side.
It twisted its body mid-run, slashing diagonally toward Draven’s ribs.
Draven caught its wrist.
The mont he did, his grip tightened.
The Lycan’s eyes widened in panic.
Draven’s smirk was dangerous.
With re strength, he lifted the entire beast off the ground and slamd it into the third Lycan.
The two crashed together with a violent impact, tumbling across the dirt.
Draven rolled his shoulders.
"Next?"
The remaining Lycans turned their eyes to him.
Before they could process what happened, a faint tallic sound cut through the air.
One of the remaining Lycans stiffened.
Naisha’s dagger was already at its throat.
Her grip was steady. Her expression, cold.
She was about to slice through its neck when a voice stopped her.
"We are surrendering."
Naisha froze.
Draven’s eyes narrowed.
Gil’s fingers twitched on his bow.
For a mont, no one spoke.
Because that voice...
It wasn’t human.
It ca from the Lycan.
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