Cassis kept hold of Arianna's hand for a few more seconds. She held on, too, but eventually they both let go to have breakfast. She smiled at him and went out first, while he stayed seated a moment longer, trying to calm the sudden rush of joy and disbelief inside him. He was grinning like a boy who had just gotten his first girlfriend. That wasn't exactly the image he wanted to show his family. They'd roast him without mercy.

As he tried to steady himself, his mind wandered back to the long night spent carving by the fire. After Arianna had gone to sleep, he'd just sat there, stunned and unable to believe she could actually love him. But she had said it. When he heard his parents approaching the campfire, he finally broke out of his stupor.

"Cassis, what are you still doing up? Go, get some sleep," his mother said.

He smiled at her, an idea sparking in his mind. "I'm not tired yet. I want to carve a bit longer."

She looked at him worriedly but nodded. She and his father sat down nearby, quiet. Then Cassis made the mistake of glancing at the fox. For some reason, it seemed like she was judging him and finding him lacking in intelligence. No, that had to be his imagination. Not wanting to dwell on it, he stood and gathered more pieces of wood. He wanted to finish the figurine he'd started earlier, but also needed to stretch his legs and find better materials to carve exactly what he had in mind.

Soon, he was back by the fire, seated with a handful of fine wood pieces. His parents remained nearby, silent, reminding him of the camping trips they had taken him and Liam on when they were still young. Thinking back, those had been some of his happiest memories. Though tonight would surely become his favourite memory yet.

He allowed himself a small smile and resumed working on the figurine. He hadn't intended to carve the fox and her cub—it had begun as a mindless distraction—but now he couldn't deny that the small figure was about them. They didn't feel monstrous at all, but serene.

He still didn't understand how a monster could become a companion. Had such a thing existed in the other timeline? If so, it had never been publicized. He couldn't blame them. He would make sure nobody knew about this until their community was strong enough not to be vulnerable to attack. People could be greedy, and many would want an intelligent fox monster fighting by their side, especially if it did so willingly. They might try to take Felicia or her cub hostage and the mother fox would probably meet their demands. Cassis wasn't sure how far she would go, but since she seemed to see Felicia as one of her own cubs, he thought it would be pretty far. Then others would want to kill the fox. Hatred was one of the strongest emotions, and many felt it toward monsters. After all, countless people had lost loved ones to them. But if the fox were attacked, Felicia would defend her, and Cassis would defend Felicia. It was better to keep this a secret for now.

Lost in thought, Cassis resumed carving. He carefully added detail to the two foxes, scraping away irregularities and even giving the fur some texture. When the forms were exactly how he wanted, he used a trick he'd learned in the other timeline. Without sandpaper, he employed his fire mana to burn away roughness and splinters. He even darkened parts of the figurine to better imitate the real thing.

For some reason, manipulating mana like this had always come easily to him. He couldn't fully control the mana inside him yet, but using it to shape his carvings felt like wielding his hand.

When he finally finished, he looked at the figurine, an exact likeness of the mother fox with her cub, curled together peacefully.

Then a system message appeared in front of him:

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the profession: Woodcarver] [Do you wish to accept it?]

Of course, he accepted. Soon, the familiar, nostalgic profession descriptions appeared, exactly the same as in the other timeline.

Woodcarver – Profession

The Woodcarver finds peace in the gentle shaping of wood. Through this meditative craft, they create everything from humble trinkets to enchanted heirlooms — decorative, practical, or powerful. With growing skill, so too grows the soul of their work.

Profession Boosts:

Grain Whisperer: The woodcarver instinctively knows which wood best suits their purpose. They may also perceive lingering impressions or memories stored in emotionally or magically charged wood.

Locked: Elemental Infusion: Allows the woodcarver to channel elemental mana into the carving process. The wood retains small, lasting elemental properties.

Locked: Mana Weave: Allows the woodcarver to infuse non-elemental mana into the carving process to enhance durability and improve item rank. Can be combined with

Elemental Infusion

.

(Restriction: Item must be at least E-grade)

Locked: Blessed Craft: The woodcarver may impart a small blessing to a carved item, granting minor boons.

(Restriction: Item must be at least D-grade.)

Locked: Living Grain: The woodcarver's creations may gain awareness and perform small tasks. In rare cases, sentience may emerge.

(Restriction: Item must be at least B-grade.)

Cassis closed his eyes for a moment. This profession had once been his only peaceful place in an otherwise violent and ruthless world. It had been his last link to his family. His father had taught him to carve during their many camping trips. And now, after so long, he had it back. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed it. There had just been so much to do, so many things to prepare so that his loved ones wouldn't be taken from him again. He'd convinced himself that there was no time for hobbies, especially not one as "useless" as carving in a world where strength determined survival.

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But he'd been wrong. Already he felt more clear-headed than he had in months—maybe longer. After Arianna's disappearance in the other timeline he hadn't been in the mood to carve, hadn't been able to focus on anything peaceful. He'd been so full of rage at her perceived betrayal. And he regretted how Arianna came into this world, but selfish as he was, he didn't regret her being here. She made him just so happy and if she let him, he'd make her happy, too. Happy enough that she wouldn't want to go back to her own world, even though this world was so dangerous. But those things could wait, had to wait until she knew about everything, his rage, his wish, his regret. For tonight, at least, he would allow himself this peace. He'd carve to clear his thoughts, and then he'd talk to Arianna. He would be as truthful as he could. Soon, he'd tell her the whole truth.

Resolved, he looked down at the fox figurine. [Item Rank: E] the system noted. With a soft smile, he placed it in his inventory and reached for a new piece of wood. Now, it was time to carve a heart. People thought it was simple—a heart shape—but it wasn't, not when it needed to be perfect. Perfect symmetry, perfect roundness, perfect smoothness. This wasn't just a token, it would be a symbol of his devotion. Arianna would understand. She had known him long enough to recognize what it meant.

But he wouldn't give her something inferior. So he got to work. The first heart turned out too rough, even after smoothing it with fire mana. [F-rank.] Into the campfire it went. The second was uneven, imperfectly symmetrical. He scowled and threw that one into the flames, too. Again and again, he carved and discarded.

Sometime later, during a brief break, he looked up, only to see Liam and Camden sitting nearby instead of his parents. He hadn't noticed them arrive, too focused on his work. He needed to concentrate. The wood he'd gathered was pale, almost white. With luck, he could coax that faint silver sheen from it, the same one he'd occasionally managed in the other timeline. Arianna liked silver. It suited her. So when he finally shaped another decent heart, he tried to manipulate the color with fire mana.

It worked. Kind of. The sheen came through, but the result was uneven, splotchy. It was still [E-rank], but that wasn't good enough for her. Into the fire it went. It didn't take long to shape the next heart, but the color was still tricky. He kept adjusting his technique, refining his approach until a system message appeared:

[Congratulations! Woodcarver has reached Level 20.] [You have unlocked: Elemental Infusion.]

Cassis blinked. Level 20 already? Sure, he'd been carving with care and his experience had probably played a role, but had that much time really passed? He looked around and found Helen sitting nearby. The sky was already lightening. So, yes, he had been at this for hours, lost in his work. Still, he wasn't done. Not yet. He had unlocked Elemental Infusion. With his fire mana he could now infuse warmth. A heart that would never be cold. A heart she could wear close to hers and never feel alone again.

This time, he carved even more carefully, every movement deliberate. The shape turned out flawless. Now came the silver sheen. He adjusted his mana flow—slower, more precise—and gradually coaxed a consistent, even glow from the pale wood. A cool, metallic shine settled across its surface.

Finally, the finishing touches. The pendant was just the right size. He carved a small ring at the top for threading a necklace through. Then, on the back of the heart, he carefully inscribed their names, all while gently infusing the piece with fire mana. The wood grew warm to the touch.

Were names carved into hearts cheesy? The kind of thing teenagers did with their first loves? Yes. Absolutely. But Arianna loved that kind of romance. Even though he felt uncomfortable with all the romance stories he'd been subjected to, he'd paid attention to the movies and TV-shows she watched and what her favourites were. And maybe they weren't each other's first loves—but Cassis intended to be her last. Her forever. So cheesy would be quite alright.

He looked at the finished pendant. [Item Rank: D] His best work tonight. Satisfied, he got up, wished Helen a good night, and nodded at the fox, who was resting with her head on her front paws. She nodded at him, approvingly, it seemed. The fox got stranger the longer he interacted with her.

Then he stepped into the tent. Arianna was still sleeping. She looked beautiful in the early light, peaceful and warm. Cassis sat down just inside, watching her quietly. He didn't want to wake her. It was already early enough that she might rise naturally soon. So he sat, heart in hand, and waited.

Cassis was still grinning, thinking of Arianna's reaction. All his effort—all the quiet cringing at the cheesiness—had been worth it. Now she just needed a second necklace chain so she could wear it alongside her sapphire one.

His grin lingered a moment longer, then faded as his thoughts turned serious. Time to check his status screen. He'd gained one level from the giant bear fight the day before. The night of carving had earned him five more through the Woodcarver profession. That put him at Level 20 (+7). He needed to evolve soon.

A glance at his skills showed some solid growth. Stab had finally reached Master rank, and Flame Burst had risen to Intermediate. Good. Still, he had more work to do, especially with his mana pattern. The splitting headache from using his pattern in the last fight still lingered in memory, a sharp reminder that he needed more practice. But the payoff had been real: his mana saturation had risen to 57%.

That was progress. And whether it was from the fight or the long hours spent carving, he wasn't sure, but his mana control had clearly improved. He could feel it. Mana responded more readily now, flowing with less resistance. The system still recognized it as Expert ranked, but that was to be expected. Expert rank wasn't easy to push higher. It wasn't just about using the skill a lot, or practicing a lot. You had to use the ability cleverly, appropriately and in new ways. To be a master was to know everything about the ability and to be able to use it well, without wasted energy, fast and precise.

He was still mulling over his progress when his mother's voice cut through his thoughts. "Cassis! Come eat before it gets cold. Everyone else is already here."

Right. Breakfast. He stepped out of the tent, blinking at the soft morning light. The rest of the group was already gathered around the campfire. Arianna sat beside Felicia, smiling faintly as she listened to Liam recount a vivid dream involving sword-wielding goats. Matteo rolled his eyes at the tale, but grinned, while Helen pretended to believe every word. The fox and her cub were part of the circle, sitting there like they'd always belonged, calmly tearing into the last of the raw bear meat. Cassis wasn't sure what to make of the way the mother fox glanced at him—still a little too perceptive—but he decided not to dwell on it.

He sat down beside Arianna, who gave him a sleepy smile and nudged his knee gently with hers. That simple touch made him feel more grounded than anything else could. As he reached for a piece of bread and a strip of bear meat, he found himself smiling again, smaller this time, but steadier. Today would be a good day.

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