Chapter 113: Ding! Evolution opportunity.

At that exact moment, Tessi let out a primal scream of her own, completely heartbroken and enraged by Gilby’s injury. Her mutated leopards let out a devastating, continuous sonic blast that completely pinned the second alpha to the earth, the vibrations cracking the soil beneath it.

Tessi gathered every ounce of her Soul Maiden energy, her hands glowing with a blinding, healing light that was very hot. At least, hotter than an ordinary fire. She rushed the immobilized alpha and drove her glowing palms straight into its chest.

"Die!!"

An explosive burst of raw, internal energy blasted through the alpha’s torso, vaporizing its heart and blowing a clean hole through its back. The beast crumpled to the ground, dead before it could process the feeling.

The remaining wild wolves in the shadows, seeing all their alphas brutally slaughtered in less than six minutes, let out terrified whimpers.

They tried to run but Zyra had regained her vision and some energy. She fired her lock gun and pinned them to the ground. Hunter and Tessi killed them all.

The heavy silence of the forest returned, broken only by heavy panting. A blizzard was still on the horizon, and snow was falling heavier. Tessi dropped to her knees next to Zyra, her hands glowing with a soft, stabilizing white light. She healed her first and rushed to Gilby, pressing her hands against his shredded shoulder to stop the bleeding.

"Hold still, you idiot. Why did you do that? Throwing yourself right in front of a mutated alpha wolf!"

"Had to... protect the Divine maiden," Gilby wheezed, his face pale, though he still managed a weak, goofy smirk as his fox curled anxiously around his legs. "Plus... she owes me a cut of the luxury food profits now. Right, Divine Maiden?"

Zyra scrambled over, ignoring her own bruised ribs, and knelt beside him, wiping the blood from his forehead. She felt a profound wave of emotion hit her chest. These people had done everything to protect her. They were better than her relatives.

"You get ten percent, you absolute moron," Zyra said, her voice shaking slightly with raw emotion as she smiled through her tears. "Just don’t die on me, okay?"

"Ten percent?" Gilby mumbled, closing his eyes as Tessi’s healing energy kicked in. "Man... getting chewed on is totally worth it."

Hunter was fussing over Zyra, muttering about how she needed more training.

For a while, the four sat together, laughing and catching their breath. Slowly, the beasts that had been quietly eating fruits with them earlier began to creep back out from their hiding spots. The group instantly tensed. Hunter’s hand drifted toward his belt, Tyrant let out a protective rumble. They didn’t know what to expect.

But instead of baring teeth, one of the white monkeys gently trotted forward. In its mouth, it carried an energy stone. With a soft dip of its head, it dropped the stone right at Hunter’s boots, then took a few polite steps back. Behind it, smaller beasts and white birds descended from the canopy, dropping fist-sized glowing fruits and smaller energy stones into a neat pile where the group had gathered.

Hunter frowned, his sharp eyebrows drawing together as he stared at the pile of treasure. "What are they doing?" He had never encountered such a bizarre thing. Usually, humans and mutated beasts tried to kill each other on sight.

Gilby, still propped up against a tree while Tessi bandaged his mostly healed shoulder, let out a weak, breathy chuckle. "Well, boss... unless they’re trying to buy our silence, it looks like they’re giving us gifts."

Zyra blinked, curious. Closing her eyes for a brief second, she initiated her Soul Sight. When she opened them, she could see the essence of the beasts. There was no malice, no hidden threat_ just bright, warm ripples of pure relief.

"They’re grateful," Zyra said softly, her voice carrying a trace of awe. "The alphas weren’t just protectors of this forest. They were tyrants that feasted on the beasts that lived here. These little guys were living in absolute terror."

Hunter looked at the monkey beast, which gave him a slow, intelligent blink, then looked back at the headless corpse of the alpha wolf. He let out a long, heavy sigh, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. "It seems like the wolves were bad rulers of this forest. Strength without benevolence is just butchery."

[Ding!]

A sharp, digital chime rang directly inside Zyra’s head, so loud she actually jumped.

[Host has successfully made the area secure for the native beasts by eliminating the high-ranking threat. Rewards calculated;

1,000 Resonance Points

500 Unassigned Points

1 Blank Request from the Beast System.]

Zyra stiffened, her eyes practically rolling back in her sockets as she froze mid-breath. A what? She mentally screamed back at Beauty. Don’t play with me right now. Clarify!

[A Blank Request. The host may ask the Beast System for any single realistic modification, item, or intervention within current regional parameters.]

A big, brilliant smile broke across Zyra’s face, her entrepreneurial brain instantly kicking into overdrive. She looked around at the beautiful, white forest_ the sugar cane, the heavy white mangoes, the papaya and other fruits they had not even seen.

"System," Zyra whispered, her eyes gleaming with sudden fire. "I want to seal this area from outside detection. Make it mine or part of the beast valley."

[Request processed... Granting authorization. Initializing regional terrain modification.]

The ground beneath their feet began to shake. Tessi squeaked, grabbing onto the nearby tree, while Hunter instinctively planted his feet, looking around wildly.

Beasts cried out in different sounds. From the edges of the big shallow sinkhole, massive slabs of pristine white stone began to erupt from the frosty soil. They rose rapidly, interlocking with a heavy, metallic clang until a towering, formidable wall encircled the entire perimeter of the forest.

"What is happening?" Tessi asked, "are we getting locked in?"

[Modification complete. A high-tier defensive wall has been raised. Teleportation channel activated. Security protocols locked: Only individuals explicitly authorized by the Host may cross the barrier. Exception protocol: Native wild beasts of this forest are granted permanent, unhindered access.]

Zyra nodded, deeply satisfied. "Perfect." She could leave with that/

"By the ancestors," Gilby gasped, his eyes wide as plates as he stared up at the massive wall that had just appeared out of thin air. "What...."

"It is now part of my territory, do not ask how." Zyra winked.

[Ding! Host, you have enough points to trigger a bloodline evolution in one of your bonded beasts s. Doing so, will make the system level up.]

Zyra touched her jaw and winced. Between Spice and Squirrel who would she choose?

Tessi pulled her hands back, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead and shoved Gilby. "There. You’re fully healed. But if you jump in front of an alpha wolf again without a plan, I will smack you before healing you."

Gilby grinned, flexing his arm tentatively. "Wow. Good as new. Thanks, Miss Tessi."

Hunter walked over to the pile of energy stones left by the grateful animals, picking up the largest crystal. He tossed it lightly in his hand before handing it to Zyra. "We’ve delayed long enough. Let’s get done with this mission and go home."

They collected the energy stones from the wolves. The bodies were dumped into beast pockets. The team gathered their gear, and bags. Gilby slung his rifle over his shoulder.

Zyra sighed. The beautiful white winter land was deadly. They had to move with extra caution going forward. But ultimately, the thought on her mind was which of her beasts needed leveling up the most.