"You okay?" Theo asked Liam.

  "Fine," Liam replied. "We can't waste even one second."

  "Warning! Remaining distance 70 meters. Time needed 35 seconds to escape safely at normal speed. Host must maintain maximum speed," G coldly announced.

  Theo gritted his teeth. He understood. But having resolved the risk of being attacked from behind with the Dust Explosion had completely freed Liam from defensive duties.

  "Liam! Full strength! I'm fine!" Theo shouted, urging his friend.

  Liam didn't need to hear twice. He knew the risks, but trusted the safety the Dust Explosion created. Liam concentrated all strength, Remnant Wind Method skills and muscle power to support and pull Theo along.

  The team's speed increased significantly. No longer running on red moss, but gliding in controlled chaos. Liam led the way, legs moving with astonishing flexibility, muscles bulging to compensate for Theo's slipperiness.

  They ran like mad. 20 meters, 40 meters, 60 meters.

  Liam was first to see the cave entrance. Natural light had appeared, dazzling and promising.

  They had 3 seconds and 5 meters left.

  And right then, the "clack clack clack" had returned, echoing from the curve. Though Dust Explosion had created 30 seconds, their recovery speed remained an unavoidable threat.

  Theo and Liam almost simultaneously burst out of the cave entrance, sensing sorrowful evening sunlight and fresh air. Right behind them, the two largest Stone Bugs, fully recovered, stopped at the cave entrance threshold, armor shells vibrating with fury.

  And right then, Al shot up from the high rock. It didn't cry out in worry, but instead a fierce shrieking whistle, almost a scream, concentrating all its instinct.

  Theo sensed a chaotic surge of emotion from Al: surging anger and protective instinct so strong it lacked rationality. The Pidgey was about to use Tackle charging straight at the two Stone Bugs blocking the cave entrance—a suicidal action if it didn't calculate forces.

  "NO! Al! STOP!" Theo urgently commanded strongly in his mind, while raising his hand in blocking signal.

  Al suddenly stopped mid-air, flying chaotically, blocked by Theo's command. Its eyes still fixed on the enemy, still continuously emitting Growl skill, but it had accepted the command, reluctantly flying back.

  In that moment, Theo felt a warm current run down his spine. That was the clearest proof of loyalty and bonding that had formed.

  But finally, they had escaped. Just in time.

  Theo and Liam collapsed onto the rocky ground outside, breathing hard.

  "We... did it," Liam panted.

  Theo couldn't find words. He just raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light. He looked at Al, the small Pidgey circling overhead, and a slight smile appeared on his dusty face.

  "Objective complete. Materials collected 170% of requirements. Summarizing mission process: success probability 35%," G concluded, voice still objective and cold, but those numbers spoke of the extraordinary risk the two boys had just experienced.

  Rest time passed quickly. Fatigue from the escape was quickly replaced by excitement looking at the spoils.

  Liam excitedly raised the spirit cedar box. "Seventeen Marks of Crystal Fungus Fat! And nearly a full container of Stone Bug Powder! We've earned double what Madam Lyra needed!"

  "G, appraise," Theo commanded quickly.

  "Crystal Fungus Fat—Grade III material. Base value: 6 Silver Pieces (SP) per Mark. Quantity obtained: 17 Marks, minus 10 Marks, surplus 7. Total appraisal: 7 × 6 = 42 Silver."

  A brief pause, then G continued:

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Stone Bug Powder—Grade I material. Market value: 8 Silver."

  "50 Silver with surplus materials, Liam," Theo's voice calmly recounted the price.

  Liam smiled lying on the ground saying:

  "Maybe you should keep it, who knows if you'll need it later."

  Theo thought for a moment, silently nodding.

  The two boys decided to rest one night at Old Hunter's shack, then would bring the spoils to Oakhaven market to deliver to Madam Lyra the next day.

  Theo's mood was excellent. He decided to make something really delicious to treat Al, Liam, and both Swift and Shadow.

  Theo drew out the remaining Bear Meat. Thanks to being semi-magical beast meat, it had special fat layers and structure, helping it keep long without spoiling. Theo's sophistication began showing right from marinating.

  Marinate and Lock Flavor: He sliced bear meat, gently massaged with dense Oak Forest Honey, creating a sweet outer layer, locking moisture inside.

  Eastern Soul: Theo ground a bit of dried Zaravand Emberleaf—a rare herb, faintly dill-scented but carrying characteristic warm spiciness. This light spiciness would explode when meeting heat, highlighting bear meat's rich flavor.

  Elegant Oak Fragrance: This was Oakhaven region's precious secret. Theo didn't grill directly with oak firewood, but used a small amount of Oakhaven Cinderoot smoldering under charcoal. Precious oak essential oil from roots released, evaporating slowly, permeating each meat fiber. This fragrance wasn't strong but elegant and alluring, the reason Aethelgard nobility hunted this forest product.

  Crisp Bread: He cut Sunstone Crisp—famous dry rations from Sylvanius region—and lightly toasted on hot stones with a bit of oil. This herb-made bread was the most expensive food Theo could buy, favored by sailors and desert workers for vitamin supplementation and structural durability.

  While bear meat grilled over red-hot coals, Theo prepared separate portions:

  Al's (Pidgey's) portion received a bowl of lightly boiled meat with salt, mixed with wild vegetables to ensure easy-to-absorb nutrition, naturally served in a larger bowl because Al's portions had increased greatly.

  Swift and Shadow's portions were served afterward: dry rations heated and toasted, mixed with meat scraps along with fresh reed grass Liam collected.

  When night fell, Old Hunter's shack overflowed with fragrance. The flavor of honey, warm spiciness of Zaravand Emberleaf and elegant oak smoke created a warm atmosphere, washing away the day's long fears. Theo sometimes even picked bear meat pieces from his own for little Pidgey to enjoy new flavors.

  That was the moment to enjoy success's fruits—enjoying victory together, under the forest oak's dim light.

  After the lavish dinner, when the campfire had died down, only warm embers remaining, Theo and Liam sat leaning against the shack wall, together looking up at the night sky twinkling through oak leaf gaps. This was their ritual: summarizing what had happened.

  "You almost blew up the entire cave, Theo," Liam said, voice carrying both admiration and horror. "That new magic... terrifying power! I've never seen power like that before."

  "That was just luck, Liam. It depends on terrain, tactics, and most importantly it's too dangerous," Theo replied, voice deeper, neither denying nor confirming.

  Theo continued:

  "We're too inexperienced, Liam. Only analysis and preparation aren't enough. Too many sudden events happened outside the plan. I should have anticipated the Stone Bugs' recovery capability and the fact that Smoke Bomb wasn't enough to help us completely escape."

  Liam nodded, face serious. "You're right. Next time if we encounter again, don't harvest for 30 seconds. Anything else?"

  Theo closed his eyes, listening to G summarize.

  "Combat performance analysis," G rang coldly in Theo's head. "Liam's average maintained speed on slippery terrain increased 18% compared to most recent training, proving high adaptability under pressure. Host's Dust Explosion technique achieved 98% effectiveness in eliminating pursuit. However, Host Theo has tendency to over-concentrate force in throwing arm, reducing breakthrough speed by 3% after activation."

  Theo opened his eyes. "Your Remnant Wind has progressed tremendously," he said, voice full of analysis. "You're 18% faster than before in slippery environments. That shows your body self-adapts to environments very quickly under pressure."

  Theo paused, pointing out his own shortcomings. "But I'm still the team's speed weakness. I'm your biggest burden when moving. I need to complete Remnant Wind's Spike Stepping exercise as soon as possible to overcome this. And when beasts close in, my close combat capability is still zero."

  Liam pondered and nodded. "What about me?" Liam asked, eyes shifting to worry. "What are my shortcomings? I'm usually the one leading."

  Theo took a deep breath, recounting data from G. "As scout and vanguard, you did very well. But you still lack one ability: concealment. You were discovered by the first bug, and if you could conceal yourself well, we could collect much more simply and easily, reducing risks tremendously."

  "So what will we do?" Liam asked, ready for action.

  Theo looked at Liam: "You'll begin your next training program: Basic Theory of Concealment and Movement. The next lesson is Concealment. Your leg muscles and mutation are already qualified for training."

  "And finally," Theo said, voice lowering. "Our biggest weakness isn't skills, but tactical nature. We lack a third member."

  "A third member?"

  "Exactly. We're an Attack and Speed Support duo," Theo explained. "We need someone capable of Damage Absorption. A Defender or Bulwark to minimize risk for the whole team to the lowest. A solid Shield protecting our safety before unexpected situations."

  Liam pondered looking into the campfire, envisioning the third teammate.

  "We're a team. And now, we also have Al."

  Pidgey, sleeping on a nearby branch, softly cried out, like an affirmation.

  Everything had been summarized.

  Both sank into deep sleep, preparing for a new day with a promising future.