The three hunters disappeared into the forest. Sera remained where she stood, her eyes fixed on Jack.
Jack, meanwhile, was lost in thought.
Those scratch marks on the trees earlier…
They weren't made by those Howlers.
Then whose were they?
Sensing her gaze, Jack suddenly looked up.
Sera flinched and quickly turned her head away.
"…Is there something on my face?" Jack asked.
"N-no," Sera replied. "It's just—"
Her eyes drifted toward the pit.
The Howlers were still trapped below, half-submerged in thick mud, unconscious after the fight.
"The hunters just left them like this," Sera said quietly. "What should we do about them?"
She hesitated before adding,
"And more importantly… how do we even get them out of there?"
Jack crouched near the edge of the pit and leaned forward, carefully examining the Howlers.
"That part won't be a problem," he said. "But first—"
His eyes narrowed.
"There," he muttered. "Do you see the belts around their necks?"
Sera leaned closer. "Yes. Why?"
"I'm not completely sure," Jack replied, "but I think those belts are what made them follow the hunters' orders."
Sera's expression sharpened.
"If that's the case… leave it to me."
She turned to Cloudy.
"Cloudy, go down and melt the belts," she instructed. "Use only a small amount of acid—gently. They're unconscious, so be careful."
Cloudy slipped down into the pit and released a controlled spray. The material hissed softly as the belts dissolved, falling loose from the Howlers' necks.
Jack nodded in approval. "Good thinking, Sera," he said. "That was the right call."
She smiled faintly.
"Yeah. Cloudy's amazing."
Jack then pulled a rope from his bag and tied it securely around a nearby tree.
"Sera, can you hold this?" he asked.
She stared at him.
"Me?"
She blinked in disbelief.
"How exactly am I supposed to hold you? I don't have that kind of strength. And that mud is thick—how are you even planning to pull them out?"
Jack grinned.
"I have Turt. Don't worry."
He added casually,
"And I'm pretty light too. Around… fifty kilos, I guess."
Sera frowned.
"Guess? You don't even know your own weight?"
She sighed heavily.
"Great."
"Will you quit complaining and help?" Jack said. "Besides—"
He turned toward the nearby monsters.
"You're not the only one helping."
Raising his voice slightly, Jack called out,
"Hey! Fennica—will you help us out?"
Once everything was set, Jack tightened the rope around the tree and looked back at the others.
"When I say pull, pull together," he said.
Everyone nodded. "Okay."
Jack slowly lowered himself into the pit. As his boots touched the bottom, he felt something strange.
The mud had hardened—almost like solid rock.
He crouched beside the unconscious Howlers. Near their necks, he noticed fragments of the burnt belts, partially melted by Cloudy's acid.
So that was it…
"Turt," Jack said quietly, "apply some water around them. Just enough to soften the mud."
Turt obeyed, carefully spreading water around the Howlers. The hardened ground loosened just enough, making it possible to move them without causing injury.
Jack wrapped his arms around the first Howler and steadied himself.
"Pull!"
The rope snapped tight as everyone hauled together. Jack emerged moments later and gently set the Howler down on solid ground.
He straightened and glanced around, puzzled.
"…What happened to you all?"
Sera was bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard.
"You idiot," she muttered, clearly frustrated. "Do you have any idea how heavy you are with that thing?"
Then, in a half-whining, half-exhausted voice, she added,
"Mom… I don't want to do that again."
Jack blinked.
"…Are you alright?"
Suddenly, Sera froze.
"…Wait."
She turned sharply toward Cloudy.
"Cloudy, get big. Your original form."
"Wait—what?" Jack said.
Cloudy expanded instantly, growing large enough for two or three people to stand on comfortably.
Jack stared at Sera.
"Why didn't you think of that earlier?"
She avoided his gaze.
"Well… ideas come when they come. Not my fault."
"…Really?" Jack sighed. "Fine. Let's do this."
With Cloudy's larger form supporting him, Jack descended again with ease. One by one, he brought up the remaining Howlers, placing each of them gently onto the ground.
"Done," he said at last.
A moment later, the Howlers stirred.
Their eyes slowly opened.
Freed from the belts, their senses returned instantly. The Howlers scrambled to their feet and bolted—only to stop a short distance away.
They turned back.
Each lowered its head briefly.
Then, without another sound, they ran again, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Jack stood there for a moment, stunned.
Then he smiled.
"Take care of yourselves," he said softly. "And don't hurt others."
Sera watched the scene, puzzled.
"That was… weird."
"They're free now," Jack replied. "Hopefully, they'll live peacefully in this forest."
He glanced around once more.
"With that, our work here is done. Let's move on."
Sera nodded.
"Yes. Let's check on the Fennica and the Fenix."
As they turned, they froze.
Every Fennica and Fenix Fox stood facing them, heads lowered in unison.
Sera's eyes widened.
Then she smiled gently.
"There's no need for that," she said. "We just did what we should have."
She bowed slightly in return.
"From now on, please be safe. Live peacefully."
"Yeah," Jack added. "That's all we want."
They turned to leave—
But something stood directly in their path.
Standing before them was the Fenix Fox from earlier.
Jack recognized it instantly.
He stepped closer and crouched slightly.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Earlier, you saved me and my partner. Otherwise, we'd have been cooked."
The Fenix Fox watched him quietly.
"With this," Jack continued, "my thanks are repaid. From now on, stay safe… and protect your herd."
He straightened.
"Alright. Let's go."
Just as Jack turned to leave, something tugged at his leg.
He froze.
The Fenix Fox had climbed up and was clinging to him.
"…Huh?"
Sera gasped.
"Jack—do you know what this means?"
Jack looked down at the fox, then back at her.
"How would I know?"
Sera swallowed.
"He wants to join you. He wants to be your partner."
Jack's eyes widened.
"Wait—what?"
He crouched again, staring at the Fenix Fox.
"…Partner? Me?"
There was a brief pause before he asked quietly,
"Do you really want to come with me?"
The Fenix Fox nodded without hesitation.
Jack let out a short breath.
"Well… it's not like I dislike you," he said. "And your attack earlier was impressive."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Alright. Welcome aboard."
The Fenix Fox hopped happily, circling Jack. Turt joined in, bouncing beside him.
Jack glanced at Turt and smirked.
"That doesn't suit you, you know."
Turt's eyes narrowed.
Splash.
A Water Shot hit Jack square in the face, sending him stumbling backward.
Sera burst out laughing.
"You two are hilarious!"
Jack wiped the water from his face, groaning.
"Man… you were never like this before, Turt."
Turt ignored him, happily hopping alongside the Fenix Fox.
Jack sighed—then smiled.
Sera cleared her throat.
"You know you'll need to make a contract to make it official, right?"
Jack nodded.
"Yeah. Let's do it."
But before he could act, the Fenix Fox suddenly ran back toward its herd.
Jack paused.
For a moment, both sides simply watched each other in silence.
Then one of the Fennica stepped forward and slowly nodded.
Permission.
The Fenix Fox turned back and sat in front of Jack.
Jack smiled softly.
"Ready to go?"
The fox nodded.
Jack followed the same steps he had once taken with Turt, forming the contract carefully.
The contract was complete.
The group of four became five.
With light hearts, they resumed their journey—leaving behind the Fennica and Fenix herd, who soon vanished into the depths of Suvana Forest.