The national park still looked like a normal forest. The trees hadn't taken on strange shapes yet, and their colors remained natural—at least natural by pre-apocalypse standards. Soon, the concept of "natural" colors would disappear entirely. Trees could be red, blue, purple, even gold. The same went for plants and animals. But for now, everything still resembled the world as it had been before the first wave.

Arianna could see why this area had once been designated a national park. The trees were massive, towering overhead, though younger ones were scattered among them, filling in the gaps. A clear hiking trail wound through the woods, worn down by countless footsteps over the years. Birds chirped and tweeted above them. Leaves rustled in the breeze. For a moment, it felt almost normal.

Then came a roar. It was deep, guttural, and unmistakably not made by an animal she knew of. There could be other animals in this world she didn't know but probably not. This world and hers were so similar that way too often she felt like she had always lived in this one. The roar came again from further inside the forest. Yeah, that wasn't a regular animal. At least it wouldn't be one in her world. She didn't know if this world had such different animals. From what she had seen Cassis' world was almost the same as her own, with just a few differences. She doubted they had animals that could roar like that in a national park with a public hiking trail. It was most likely a mutated animal.

Arianna quickly glanced at their group. The adults were holding up well. Marcus clutched his staff more tightly, and Danielle had already drawn her sword. Liam, Camden and Helen were more relaxed. Their awareness had grown while in the dungeon. They would get warning before an attack came. But the children worried her. She felt guilty bringing them into monster territory, even if they couldn't be physically harmed by them. Just seeing monsters would dredge up terrible memories for both of them. But they had no choice. Times had changed, and the children needed to learn how to survive. This was the safest way possible to teach them. And maybe they could level them up some more.

Arianna looked closer, trying to decide if she should talk to them or if they wanted to be left alone. Matteo was trying to look brave but couldn't quite hide his nerves. His eyes were darting in every direction, and he was jumpy, as evidenced by him stumbling a few steps to the side because the wind had rustled a nearby bush. Felicia clutched her sketchpad, the one she used to write in, because she still wasn't speaking. Arianna couldn't read her as well as Matteo. Felicia was more closed off, but in her eyes, she saw a quiet determination. What exactly it was for Arianna didn't know, but she had a feeling she would find out during this overnight trip.

They continued deeper along the path, wanting to get a feel for the forest and its monsters before they attacked. Her and Cassis' awareness would probably tell them when a monster was near, but they still needed to be careful. What if a monster had stealth abilities like Helen? Though as the minutes passed with no attacks or surprises, the tension eased. The group began chatting quietly again.

Camden brought up the woman who might become their alchemist. "Irene told me she finally called you."

Cassis grimaced. "Yeah. She seemed nice. How do you know her?"

"She's family. Our mothers were cousins and very close. We saw each other every couple of weeks while growing up, so she feels like a little sister. When she survived, I was honestly surprised but also happy. She isn't exactly a fighter."

And with that, Arianna knew Cassis was going to help Irene reach level 10.

He'd never admit it, but when it came to family—especially other people protecting theirs—Cassis couldn't say no. That kind of loyalty tugged at him. If it didn't directly endanger those he loved, he'd help. Always.

Arianna smiled to herself. In the other timeline, Cassis had never gotten the chance to be this kind of protector. He'd been too weak, too limited. But here and now, he was different. Stronger. Willing. Even if he still pretended otherwise.

If she asked him why he was helping that woman, he'd probably just shrug and say, "We need an alchemist." And they did. Alchemists could make powerful potions and were a valuable asset to any guild. But it didn't have to be this particular woman. She would be helped not because she was especially useful but because she was Camden's family. That was reason enough for Cassis, though he still had his reservations about Camden.

Arianna's smile deepened. While she'd been lost in her thoughts, Cassis had explained to Camden that they'd need to help the woman level up first. Camden had immediately volunteered to be in that party.

Their conversation was cut short by a prickling awareness. Something was coming closer and very fast at that.

On the heels of the first threat, more monsters entered the edges of Arianna's awareness. She was currently experimenting with Cassis's approach—stretching her senses outward, interpreting every flicker, sound, and movement. It didn't come as naturally to her as sensing through mana, but she was getting better at it. Meanwhile, Cassis was trying out her method of using energy perception to sense the mana changes in the surroundings. She could see it was a strain for him.

But it was also taxing for her to keep that wide of a sensory net open. She still did the mana sensing but concentrated more on her physical senses. Right now, she was even able to count how many creatures were coming—presuming they were four-legged, based on their footfalls. She could tell the rhythm of four paws which was light, fast, and evenly spaced. Very different from the gait of a biped. She wasn't sure what something with three or five or six legs might sound like... yet.

Everyone snapped into position. Cassis stepped back first, ready to intervene if needed, but clearly giving the others space to engage. They needed not just experience from killing monsters but also real battle instincts. They also needed to learn how to work with different people. Arianna followed suit, her water shield shimmering faintly in the filtered sunlight, mace steady in her grip. The two children were kept close beside them.

The others fanned out into their formation: Danielle, Liam, and Camden held the front line, while Marcus and Helen took the second row, weapons at the ready.

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Then the bushes rustled and out burst five giant squirrels.

Well, giant for squirrels. Each one was about the size of a small dog, though that did little to make them less terrifying. Their "fur" resembled the hardened spikes of a hedgehog more than anything soft, except for their long, bushy tails. When they spotted the group, the creatures rose on their hind legs and let out shrill, eerie screeches.

Arianna blinked as a sudden pressure pulsed in her head.

A mental attack? Or was it a soundwave?

She scanned the others quickly. Danielle was holding her sword in one hand, but her other hand had gone to her temple. Marcus's face was scrunched in concentration as he gripped his staff. Liam groaned and grit his teeth. Camden looked affected, though only slightly. Helen, surprisingly seemed completely unbothered, just like Cassis.

Arianna herself only felt a mild pressure, like the beginnings of a headache. These monsters had to be low level, probably only strong enough to disrupt the weakest group members levelwise.

When their screeching didn't scatter the humans, the squirrels leapt.

One aimed straight for Camden. Danielle and Liam braced for two others each. But just before landing, the squirrels twisted in midair, using their tails like rudders to redirect. All four curved suddenly toward Camden, catching him off guard since he now had five opponents instead of one.

Danielle and Liam tried to react, but were a heartbeat too slow. Camden, to his credit, didn't freeze. He raised his massive shield just in time, catching two of them with a thunderous clang. Claws raked against the metal. Helen aw always was fast and had already drawn and fired her bow. Her arrow took one squirrel mid-jump. It dropped instantly, and Danielle was there to finish it off, skewering it.

Marcus found his rhythm again and launched an earth missile—a palm-sized chunk of compressed earth mana that looked like a stone made of dirt. It struck another squirrel directly in the skull. Liam lunged and drove his sword through it before it could recover.

Two down. Three left.

Camden, now in motion, swung his bastard sword. Scratches lined his face from the earlier flurry of claws, but he was unshaken. Those beasts had sharp claws and they clearly went straight for soft targets.

Together, the team closed in. With their formation regained and momentum on their side, they dispatched the two more squirrels quickly and cleanly. The last one jumped again. Everyone prepared, now knowing about its ability to change direction midair. This time, though, it had another surprise for them. Instead of coming down towards one of them it started twisting its tail in ways that would have been impossible for a normal squirrel. Then it started spinning in midair.

Arianna had a bad feeling. Cassis shouted. "Take cover. An attack is coming."

And just like he said, the squirrel suddenly shot spikes of its hardened fur towards them. Thankfully Arianna had been ready and a water barrier shimmered into existence before the spikes could hurt her teammates. She dissolved the barrier the next instant as the squirrel had stopped spinning. It now looked a lot less fluffy, except for its still bushy tail. Its torso had no more fur, it looked naked. Angered it stood up again and screeched. Danielle, Liam and Marcus groaned but attacked anyway. Soon after, the squirrel was dead.

Immediately, Arianna stepped forward and healed Camden's wounds. The scraps were superficial, but painful. And it took only a little mana which she got back almost right away since her mana pattern was running in three quarters of her body. Cassis was also trying to keep his mana pattern up in his torso. For now it was working.

Arianna was glad. Neither she nor Cassis had needed to enter the fight. That was good. The group was holding their own.

Judging by their size and attack strength, those squirrels were probably level 5 or 6. Not powerful, but their screeching, midair manoeuvring and spike shooting made them dangerous in a group. A good reminder not to underestimate any monster, no matter how fluffy its tail looked.

In the aftermath of the fight, Arianna's gaze drifted toward the children. Matteo looked pale but he was grinning. When he noticed her looking, he straightened and said confidently, "Soon I can fight them too." Maybe Cassis had been right. Maybe this trip would help Matteo deal with his trauma. Not in the healthiest way, perhaps but by the time he turned fourteen in a few months, he'd at least be ready to survive.

Felicia, on the other hand, wasn't smiling. She stood silent and still, sadness clouding her features. Arianna crouched down in front of her.

"Everything okay?" she asked gently.

Felicia nodded, but her eyes strayed to the squirrel corpses.

Arianna shifted her position, subtly blocking the girl's view. "Want to talk about it?"

Felicia didn't react, not at first. Arianna kept her gaze steady, not daring to break eye contact. In the privacy of the party chat, she sent a message to Cassis: "Maybe you could go to the others and give them some pointers on their teamwork. I want to talk to Felicia. Take Matteo with you."

Cassis didn't ask questions. He didn't need to. He just gave a slight nod, then gently ushered Matteo toward the rest of the group. Trust radiated from his actions, trust in Arianna's instincts. Her heart tightened and went warm all at once.

Felicia stayed quiet, holding eye contact. Just when Arianna was about to give up, the girl finally let out a breath and opened her sketchpad. She began to write.

"They still look like animals, not monsters. I don't like it when animals get hurt. I don't like it when anyone gets hurt."

Arianna's heart clenched again. This time for a totally different reason. Even after seeing her parents killed by monsters, this child still carried so much compassion in her small frame. She still felt sorry for the squirrels.

And yes, Arianna had to admit it made sense. The creatures had looked a lot like oversized versions of normal, harmless squirrels. The fluffiness of their tails hadn't helped either.

"I understand," she said softly.

And she did. She remembered being young herself, horrified when Cassis had killed monsters, especially ones that seemed peaceful or scared. She'd thought him heartless. But eventually she'd understood. For him, back then, it had been life or death. There had been no room for mercy.

And now, it was the same for all of them. She tried to explain it to Felicia.

"I understand more than you can know. But those monsters attacked us. Even if they're weak now, they'll grow stronger. That's why we must grow, too. We have to fight—to protect those who are important to us. It's not fair. And it's not kind. But it's what's necessary."

Felicia looked at her for a long moment. Her eyes were serious, thoughtful, too old for her age. Then she nodded, and wrote: "I know. But I don't like it."

Arianna smiled softly. "Neither do I. But we do it to protect our family."

Felicia turned her head toward Matteo. Her gaze lingered there, steady and contemplative.

Then she wrote one more sentence: "I will protect my family."

Arianna's throat tightened, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them away quickly. Time to change the subject before her emotions spilled over.

"Did you get any experience from the monster kills?" she asked hopefully.

Felicia shook her head. Arianna sighed. Of course not. That would've been too easy.

They rejoined the group just as Matteo was explaining what the system had told him, likely the same message Felicia had received. "The system said that because I'm still a dependent and can't interact with monsters, I won't get any experience through party combat."

Disappointment rippled through the group. But no one argued. The system had always been unforgiving. They'd kind of expected it. With nothing else to be done, the group decided to continue along the forest trail. There was still more to explore and many more challenges ahead.

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