The climb became steeper the farther Iris followed Snow uphill.
Loose stone shifted beneath her boots constantly while tangled roots forced her to slow down several times just to keep her balance. The forest behind them had already begun fading into darker shades of green as the afternoon light weakened gradually overhead.
Snow, meanwhile, looked completely unaffected.
The white dog kept running ahead, stopping occasionally whenever he noticed Iris falling too far behind before sprinting forward again the moment she caught up.
"Glad one of us still has energy," Iris muttered under her breath.
Her legs already ached.
Not unbearably.
But enough to remind her that this body still wasn't fully adapted to constant movement and combat yet.
The slope eventually flattened enough for her to breathe easier.
From this elevation, the forest stretched endlessly in every direction beneath the fading sunlight. Dense trees rolled across the landscape like waves of dark green broken only by rocky ridges and occasional clearings where exposed stone interrupted the vegetation.
And farther ahead—
The terrain changed completely.
Iris slowed instinctively.
A valley.
Not close enough to fully examine yet, but visible enough from this height to immediately stand apart from the surrounding wilderness.
The land dipped naturally between two long ridges while thinner forests spread around lower ground instead of choking it completely. Even from this distance, she could see signs of fertile terrain.
Open land. Natural water flow. Better visibility. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Then she noticed it.
A faint silver reflection cutting through the distant landscape.
Water.
A river.
Not massive, but large enough to matter.
Something inside her chest tightened immediately.
Fresh water, Defensible terrain, Forest resources, Natural elevation nearby.
The more she looked at the valley, the more suitable it felt.
Not safe.
Nowhere outside territories was truly safe.
But survivable.
Potentially.
Snow barked somewhere behind her.
Iris glanced back just in time to see the dog emerge from the trees proudly carrying an entire branch in his mouth like he had accomplished something extraordinary.
The branch itself held several pale green leaves attached to it.
Snow trotted toward her happily before dropping it at her feet.
The translucent white notification appeared instantly.
[Contracted Battle Pet "Snow" has activated a new skill.]
[Skill Acquired:
Instinct Search]
[Effect:
Allows detection of nearby useful materials, plants and creatures through scent recognition.]
Iris blinked once.
"…You unlocked a skill by randomly digging through bushes?"
Snow barked proudly.
Like yes.
Obviously.
Iris stared at him for several seconds before crouching beside the branch.
The leaves carried faint silver patterns beneath their surface, almost invisible unless the light struck them directly.
Interesting.
She activated Appraisal immediately.
[Name: Silverleaf Mint
Grade: Common
Danger: None
Effect: Mild stimulant, improves alertness temporarily]
Useful.
Again.
Not rare perhaps, but useful.
The wilderness itself felt like an enormous untapped resource waiting for someone patient enough to understand it.
Iris stored the branch inside her space before slowly standing again.
Then her gaze drifted toward the bow strapped across her back.
Right.
Practice.
Back in Aurilian Benjamin had once mentioned before that "Iris" possessed decent archery skills.
If she suddenly fought like a complete amateur now, someone would eventually notice inconsistencies.
The problem was—
She technically wasn't an archer.
At least not consciously.
Iris exhaled quietly before pulling the bow free.
The wood felt familiar immediately.
Not emotionally.
Physically.
Like her hands already understood parts of it even when her mind didn't.
Strange.
Very strange.
She reached into her space for one of the crude arrows they still possessed before positioning herself near a nearby tree.
The stance came awkwardly at first.
Her shoulders felt stiff.
Her grip slightly wrong.
Then subtle fragments of instinct surfaced naturally inside her body.
Adjust footing. Relax shoulders. Don't grip too tightly. Breathe first.
It wasn't memory exactly.
Closer to muscle familiarity lingering beneath the surface.
Iris narrowed her eyes toward a thick knot protruding from distant bark before drawing the string backward carefully.
The tension surprised her immediately.
Her arms trembled slightly. Then she released.
The arrow flew crookedly through the air before striking a tree several feet away from the target.
Snow stared at her.
Silently.
Judgmentally.
"…Don't look at me like that."
The dog sneezed once before walking away.
Rude.
Iris retrieved the arrow before trying again.
And again.
And again.
The second shot landed closer.
The third struck bark directly.
By the seventh attempt, the movement no longer felt completely foreign.
Not smooth yet.
But functional.
The original Iris really had known how to use a bow.
That realization unsettled her slightly.
Because every now and then, fragments surfaced naturally.
Tiny instincts.
Tiny reactions.
Like this body remembered things she didn't.
A sudden growl interrupted her thoughts instantly.
Low.
Close.
Iris turned sharply.
Something moved between the trees below the slope.
Then emerged fully into view.
The creature resembled a wolf at first glance.
Until you looked properly.
Its body was too lean, patches of dark exposed flesh visible between uneven fur while bone-like protrusions jutted visibly along its spine. Saliva dripped constantly from its jaws as pale yellow eyes locked directly onto her.
Snow immediately moved in front of Iris with fur raised.
The creature snarled.
[Name: Rotfang Hound
Threat: Moderate]
The auxiliary system panel appeared briefly before fading.
The monster lunged first.
Fast.
Far faster than Iris expected.
She barely managed to jump sideways before claws tore through the space where she had been standing moments earlier.
The creature crashed against stone before twisting around immediately for another attack.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Iris reached instinctively for the sword inside her space before stopping herself halfway.
No.
Practice the bow.
If she kept relying only on blades, she would never improve.
She grabbed another arrow quickly instead.
The Monster charged again.
Her heartbeat slammed violently against her ribs.
Too close.
Too fast.
Draw.
Aim.
Release.
The arrow struck the creature's shoulder instead of its head.
The impact barely slowed it.
"Shit—"
Iris stumbled backward as the monster leapt again.
Claws grazed across her sleeve this time, sharp enough to slice fabric apart while pain burned lightly across her forearm underneath.
Not deep.
But enough.
Snow rammed directly into the creature midair before it could reach her throat.
Both animals crashed violently across the ground together.
Snarling.
Biting.
Rolling through dirt and loose stone.
Iris forced herself upright immediately while her hands shook around another arrow.
Focus.
Focus properly.
The monster kicked Snow away hard enough for the dog to tumble several feet before recovering.
Then it turned toward Iris again.
Mouth open.
Teeth exposed.
This time Iris planted her footing first.
Breathed once.
Then released the arrow at the exact moment the creature lunged forward.
The shot pierced directly through one eye.
The Rotfang screamed horribly before collapsing against the rocky ground only a few feet away from her.
Its body twitched violently once.
Then stopped moving entirely.
Silence returned abruptly afterward except for Iris' uneven breathing.
A notification appeared immediately.
[Rotfang Hound Eliminated.]
[Level 3 Monster Defeated.]
[ +30 Copper + 30EXP]
[Level upgrade.]
[Current Level: 4]
Iris lowered the bow slowly.
Her heartbeat still hadn't stabilized yet.
That fight had lasted less than a minute.
Yet it felt far longer.
Because if that final shot missed—
She looked down briefly at the dead creature lying near her boots.
This was why territories existed.
Not comfort.
Not civilization.
Protection.
Even weak monsters were deadly if someone made one mistake.
Snow trotted back toward her afterward proudly despite several dirty patches covering his fur now.
Iris crouched immediately to check him.
"You okay?"
The dog barked once.
Apparently yes.
Lucky.
The sky above had already begun darkening by the time Iris finally stood again.
The sunlight now carried deeper orange tones spilling across the distant valley while long shadows stretched between the trees below.
Too late.
She drifted farther than intended.
Iris frowned slightly afterward.
Then realized something else.
"…I have absolutely no idea where I am."
The admission felt mildly embarrassing.
Snow tilted his head.
"Don't judge me."
Iris exhaled before opening the auxiliary system interface.
Fortunately, the map feature still remained active.
A translucent terrain projection appeared before her vision showing the rough surrounding landscape along with a blinking indicator representing her current position.
Farther than expected from King's Territory.
Much farther.
She hesitated briefly before selecting the current location.
[Would you like to place a map marker?]
[YES / NO]
Iris selected YES immediately.
The valley's position became marked permanently on her map afterward.
Good.
She wasn't losing this location.
Not after finding water.
The forest around them gradually darkened further while colder wind moved through the trees.
Night was coming quickly now.
Iris retrieved the arrow lodged inside the dead Rotfang before storing both the weapon and the corpse materials inside her space.
Then she looked toward Snow.
"We're heading back."
Snow barked once before immediately taking the lead downhill.
This time Iris followed the map carefully while keeping one hand near her weapons the entire journey back toward King's Territory.