Chapter 64: You wanna… be with me?

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: You wanna... be with me? Isabella had just started enjoying her moment of well-earned rest when an obnoxious voice rang in her head. [Get up. You are not allowed to sleep here tonight.] Isabella groaned, pressing a hand over her eyes. Of course, it wouldn’t let her have peace. "Relax, Bubu. I wasn’t planning on spending the night on some weird mountain." She wasn’t that crazy. Sleeping in the open? In a place where giant warriors lurked? No thanks. [Complete the main task.] "I’m onto it!" Isabella snapped, sitting up with an exaggerated sigh. "Can’t even let a girl breathe..." She rubbed her sore arms, still aching from the earlier fight. She had no idea what time it was. Morning? Night? Time didn’t matter—she just wanted off this stupid mountain. Her gaze fell on the small creature still trapped in the shimmering barrier. It was curled up, trembling, its soft fur twitching. Poor thing. Isabella frowned. "Bubu... why is it trapped? Who did this?" [The animal itself.] "...Huh?" She blinked, then blinked again. "You’re telling me this tiny thing—" She gestured at the pitifully shaking creature. "—put itself in an unbreakable barrier?" [Yes.] Isabella stared at it. The little creature gave another frightened whimper, pressing itself further into the glowing shield. "...Damn." Isabella let out a low whistle. "That’s one hell of a security system." If she had to guess, the giant she killed had been here for this creature. But since he couldn’t break through the barrier, he had no choice but to wait. The moment she arrived, the creature must have thought she was here for it, too. So, it stayed hidden. And now that the warrior was dead, it was still too scared to undo the barrier. For a moment, Isabella just stared at it. Its big, watery eyes. Its small, quivering body. The way its tiny paws clutched at itself, as if trying to make itself disappear. ...Damn it. She couldn’t just leave it like this. She sighed, leaning forward. "Alright, Bubu. Why did it trap itself?" [Fear.] Isabella’s brows rose. "That’s all? Just fear?" [It believes the outside world is dangerous. It will not release itself unless it feels safe.] "...Great." Isabella rubbed her temples. "So, what? I convince it that I’m not a threat?" [Yes. You must get it to break the barrier on its own.] She groaned. This was going to take forever. She tapped her fingers against her leg, thinking. The creature was still cowering. What could she do? Her eyes narrowed. Then—she had an idea. Reaching into her space, she pulled out a fresh slice of raw deer meat. If there was one universal truth in all worlds, it was this: Food was the way to anyone’s heart. She held it up and grinned. "Hey, little cutie, look at this." She wiggled the meat slightly, as if tempting a pet. The creature didn’t move. "...No? You’re not impressed?" Isabella sighed dramatically. "Come on, now. You’ve been in that thing for ages. Aren’t you hungry?" Still no reaction. She pressed her lips together. Alright. Time for a different approach. She put on her best encouraging voice. "You can do it, little one. Just... focus. You made the barrier, so you can undo it." Silence. Isabella held up the meat again. "If you come out, I’ll give you the juiciest, softest, most delicious piece of meat you’ve ever had in your life." She paused. "...Probably. I mean, I don’t know what you usually eat, but this? Top-tier." The creature’s ears twitched. Isabella’s eyes lit up. "Yes! That’s it! Just a little more! Come on, you got this!" Still, the creature hesitated. Isabella nearly collapsed from exhaustion. "Please," she whined. "I am literally begging you. Just break the damn thing already." The creature shifted slightly. A long pause. Then— A tiny, flickering crack appeared in the barrier. The night was thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage as a group of warriors arrived at the mountain’s base. Their leader, a towering beastman with sharp, predatory eyes, inhaled deeply. "It was last seen here," he rumbled, voice carrying the weight of command. "Find its scent." The others obeyed immediately. They crouched low, hands brushing against the ground, noses flaring as they sniffed the air. One of them, a younger warrior, growled. "The trail is faint. The storm earlier must have washed some of it away." The leader’s jaw tightened. "Then look harder. If we return empty-handed, we’ll end up like Muro." A tense silence fell over them. They all knew what happened to the last man who delivered bad news. Their city master had ripped his throat out on the spot. No one wanted to share that fate. So, they pressed on, climbing over jagged rocks and weaving through dense undergrowth. Their bodies, hardened from years of battle, moved with animalistic ease. Then—one of them paused. "Wait." The others stilled. The warrior who had spoken was sniffing the air again, his ears twitching. "Blood." His voice was low, cautious. The leader’s gaze darkened. "mythical creature? Beastman?" The warrior sniffed again, then frowned. "smells soft and sweet like a female’s." A heavy tension settled over the group. The leader’s grip tightened on his weapon. "Spread out. Find the source. No one can be trusted." BACK WITH ISABELLA Isabella gasped dramatically as the shimmering barrier finally cracked—a sound like delicate glass breaking in slow motion. The little creature flinched but didn’t run, its soft, glowing eyes flicking toward her. "Oh my god, did I just do that?" Isabella whispered. She had actually done it. After all her coaxing, all her motivational speeches, all her raw meat bribery, it finally listened! The tiny animal took a hesitant step forward. Then another. Isabella held her breath. Then, just like that, it walked right up to her. Her eyes widened as it rubbed its tiny head against her leg. "AWW, LOOK AT YOU!" Isabella squealed, grabbing the raw meat and holding it out. "Here you go, little lady. The finest cuisine I could offer in this godforsaken place." The creature sniffed once—then gobbled it up instantly. A soft ding echoed in her ears. [+5000 points received.] Isabella froze. The number repeated in her head. 5,000?! Her jaw dropped. She scrambled to check her status, eyes frantically scanning the screen. And there it was. 5,000 points. Her soul nearly left her body. "I’M RICH!" she screamed to the heavens. "YES, FINALLY! YESSS!" She fisted the air, her feet stomping in a clumsy victory dance. She didn’t even care that she was still on this cursed mountain. 5,000 points, baby! "Bubu, say it again." Isabella grinned wildly. "Say it one more time. I just wanna hear it." [+5000 points received.] "HAH! I KNEW IT!" Her celebration went on for a solid minute before she wiped a tear of joy. Right. Now, time to leave this wretched mountain. She brushed herself off and stretched. "Okay, little lady, you’re free now." Isabella patted the creature’s head. "Go on. Be wild. Be free. Live well." She took a step forward. The creature followed. She stopped. It stared up at her. She took another step. Follow. Two steps. Follow. Three steps. It followed even closer. Isabella narrowed her eyes. "Uh... what are you doing? You’re free now. Free. Like, go... frolic in the woods or something?" The creature blinked at her. Its big eyes were way too expectant. Then, the system spoke. [The creature trusts your energy and wishes to stay with you.] Isabella froze. "Wait." She pointed at herself. "With me?" [Yes. Would you like to bind with it?] She stared at the fluffy little thing. "You wanna... be with me?" It tilted its head cutely. Isabella let out a long, suffering sigh. "I’m really out here adopting animals now, huh?"