Virestead's eastern gate came into view as the sun reached its midday peak. Ethan limped toward it, his clothes stiff with dried blood that wasn't entirely his own. His linen tunic—or what remained of it—hung in tatters, exposing patches of skin that were already developing colorful bruises. The trousers hadn't fared much better, with a prominent tear across the calf where wolf teeth had grazed him.

  Cradled against his chest was the wolf cub, now sound asleep after exhausting itself with pitiful cries during most of the journey back. Its tiny form rose and fell with each breath, one paw occasionally twitching in what Ethan hoped were pleasant dreams rather than trauma-induced nightmares.

  "We look like hell," Ethan murmured, glancing down at his companions.

  They weren't in much better shape. Moose's thick fur was matted with dried blood along his neck and shoulders where the alpha wolf had torn into him. Despite the wounds, he maintained his dignified posture, eyes alert and scanning for potential threats. Buster trudged alongside, favoring his right front leg slightly, while Pixie—despite a visible cut above her eye—pranced as though they were on a casual morning stroll.

  "Speak for yourself," Buster replied. "Some of us manage to maintain our dignity even when wounded."

  "You've been complaining for the last hour," Moose pointed out.

  "I'm wounded. I'm allowed to complain," Buster said, lifting his chin. "It's in the rules."

  "What rules?" Pixie asked, bouncing in circles around them.

  "The rules of being injured," Buster explained with complete seriousness. "Rule one: complain extensively. Rule two: demand treats for bravery. Rule three—"

  "Look alive," Ethan interrupted as they approached the guards. The same two men who had greeted them yesterday stood watch, their expressions shifting from boredom to shock as they registered Ethan's appearance.

  "By the gods," the taller guard muttered, hand instinctively moving to his spear. "What happened to you?"

  "Wolves," Ethan answered simply.

  The guard's eyes dropped to the bundle in Ethan's arms, widening further when he spotted the wolf cub. "And you brought one back?"

  "The little one was orphaned," Ethan explained, shifting the cub slightly in his arms. "Couldn't leave it."

  The guards exchanged glances, a mixture of confusion and reluctant respect in their expressions. The shorter one nodded toward the town. "Guild's that way if you're looking to claim a bounty. Though I've never seen anyone bring back... souvenirs."

  "Thanks," Ethan said, moving past them into the town proper.

  As they made their way through Virestead's streets, their appearance drew stares from every direction. A woman hastily pulled her children inside a nearby house. An old man spat on the ground and made a warding gesture. Somewhere, someone whispered about "forest spirits" and "wolf-touched."

  "We're making quite the impression," Moose observed dryly.

  "I LOVE attention!" Pixie declared, prancing even more dramatically for the benefit of her audience.

  Ethan kept his head down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. The adrenaline from the wolf fight had long since faded, leaving him with a bone-deep weariness that made each step an effort. But beneath the exhaustion was something else—a quiet pride. They'd faced genuine danger and survived. Not just survived, but succeeded.

  "Come on," he said to his companions. "Let's see what these tusks are worth."

  The Adventurer's Guild looked exactly as it had the day before—a squat stone building with its weathered green door and wooden sign bearing a carved sword crossed with a quill. Inside, the familiar scents of parchment and pipe smoke greeted them, along with several curious stares from adventurers lounging at the scattered tables.

  Rolan glanced up from his ledger as Ethan approached the counter, the guild registrar's eyebrows shooting upward at the sight before him.

  "Well," Rolan said, eyebrows rising at Ethan's blood-streaked appearance. "First day as an adventurer and you already look like you've been through a war."

  "Feels like it too," Ethan replied.

  Rolan's eyes dropped to the bundle in Ethan's arms. "Is that a... wolf cub?"

  "Long story," Ethan said, awkwardly shifting the sleeping cub to one arm while reaching into his pack with his free hand. He placed the two boar tusks on the counter with a dull thud. "I believe there was a bounty on these?"

  Rolan picked up one of the tusks, turning it over in his hands with a practiced eye. "Wild Forest Boar. Nasty beasts." He glanced at Ethan's torn clothing and the visible claw marks on his forearm. "Though it looks like you found something nastier afterward."

  "Wolf pack," Ethan confirmed. "Five of them."

  Rolan's expression shifted from skepticism to grudging respect as he took in the state of Ethan and his companions. The dried blood, the wounds, and the wolf cub made for compelling evidence.

  "You've had quite the debut as an adventurer," Rolan said, recording the transaction in his ledger. He handed the tusks back to Ethan. "These are yours to keep, of course. I just needed to verify them for the bounty. The boar was worth four silver bits and eight copper pieces."

  Ethan took the tusks back, realizing he hadn't considered what to do with them. They were wickedly curved and surprisingly heavy—potential materials for something useful.

  As Ethan tucked the tusks away, he noticed the notice board on the far wall. Among the various parchments pinned there were several wolf-related bounties—pack sightings to the west, livestock killed at a northern farm, a merchant caravan requesting protection against "forest predators."

  "Wait," Ethan said slowly, "there are wolf bounties too?"

  "Always are," Rolan replied. "Persistent problem in these parts."

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  "I'm doing this in the wrong order, aren't I?" Ethan sighed. "I'm supposed to pick up the quest first, then hunt the monsters, then come back for payment. Not accidentally kill monsters, find out there's a bounty, then claim it retroactively."

  Rolan's lips quirked in what might have been amusement. "Most adventurers do prefer to know what they're getting paid before risking their necks. But pieces are pieces, whether you planned to earn them or not."

  As Rolan worked through the currency calculations, Buster let out a dramatic sigh through the bond.

  "What's wrong?" Ethan asked silently.

  "The math," Buster grumbled. "It's so... orderly. Ten of this makes one of that. Five of these plus seven of those. I understand all of it, and I hate it."

  "You... hate math because you understand it?" Moose asked, sounding perplexed.

  "Exactly!" Buster replied. "Numbers should be wild and free, not trapped in neat little boxes. It's unnatural."

  Pixie bounced excitedly. "I LOVE BOXES! Can we put numbers in actual boxes? Can I help?"

  Ethan suppressed a smile as Rolan continued unaware of the mental conversation.

  Ethan glanced down at the sleeping wolf cub, then back at the bounty board. "So... about those wolf bounties. I killed those wolves today on my way back with these tusks." He tapped the boar tusks. "Found the boar a couple days ago before I even knew about this village or the Guild."

  Rolan's eyebrows rose. "You're claiming five wolves in a single morning? Most seasoned adventurers would struggle with that."

  In response, Ethan simply gestured to his blood-soaked clothing, the visible bite marks, and the sleeping cub in his arms. The evidence was compelling.

  After a moment's consideration, Rolan nodded. "Normally I'd need some proof—ears, tails—but given your condition and that cub..." He consulted the board briefly. "Those five wolves would come to one silver piece, one silver bit, and five copper pieces total—two silver bits and three copper pieces per wolf." He made some notations in his ledger.

  "Let's add that to your boar bounty," Rolan said, making adjustments in his ledger. "So together with the wolves..." He calculated the total methodically. "That comes to one silver piece, six silver bits, and three copper pieces total."

  "Now there's a satisfying calculation," Buster thought smugly through the bond, then caught himself. "I mean, it's terribly boring. I wasn't paying attention at all."

  He eyed their various wounds with a professional assessment. "Those cuts need attention. Guild offers healing potions at half price if you want them deducted from your bounty. Just one copper piece per vial."

  "Healing potions?" Ethan perked up. "Real, magical healing potions?"

  "Basic ones," Rolan clarified. "Nothing fancy. Just enough to speed healing, fight infection. Good deal if taken directly from your payment."

  "I'll take four," Ethan said immediately, then reconsidered. "Actually, make it eight. Better to have backups."

  Rolan nodded approvingly as he adjusted the ledger again, then reached under the counter and produced eight small clay vials sealed with wax. Each contained a liquid that glowed with a faint reddish hue even through the opaque container.

  "Apply directly to wounds or drink for full body effect," Rolan instructed, sliding the vials across the counter. "Drinking works better but uses more of the potion. Effects are quick but not instant. Give it time to work."

  Rolan made a final notation in his book. "Minus eight copper pieces for the healing potions, that leaves you with one silver piece, five silver bits, and five copper pieces. Quite impressive for someone who just registered yesterday."

  Ethan carefully placed the healing potions in his pack—except for one, which he opened immediately.

  "Better test this myself first," he murmured, carefully removing the wax seal.

  The potion had a pleasant aroma that reminded him vaguely of cinnamon and something else he couldn't identify. He took a small sip, letting the warm liquid trickle down his throat.

  A chime sounded in his mind, followed by system notifications:

  [Arcane Resonance detected! Healing effect amplified by 300%]

  [Mirror Link Effect: Healing properties distributed efficiently across all bonded companions]

  The effect was immediate. Warmth spread throughout his body, concentrating on his injured calf where the wolf's teeth had grazed him. The torn flesh began knitting together before his eyes, the pain fading to a dull throb, then nothing at all.

  "Whoa," Ethan breathed, examining the rapidly healing wound.

  What surprised him even more was the reaction from his companions. Moose, Buster, and Pixie all suddenly straightened, their eyes widening in unison.

  "I feel... better," Moose projected through the bond, sounding confused as he looked down at his wounded shoulder. The deep bite marks were already closing, the fur around them no longer matted with dried blood.

  Pixie bounced in place, the cut above her eye visibly shrinking. "It's all tingly! Like bubbles under my skin!"

  Buster examined his injured leg with astonishment. "I didn't even get any of that magic water," he thought, testing his weight on the healing limb.

  Ethan ran his tongue over his teeth, suddenly realizing that the persistent ache in his lower molar—the one he'd had a dentist appointment scheduled for back home—had completely vanished. The potion wasn't just healing the wolf wounds; it was addressing everything.

  Ethan glanced between the potion and his companions, putting the pieces together. Somehow, the system had combined Arcane Resonance with the Mirror Link Effect—his own magical properties had not only amplified the potion's effects on himself but shared them through the bond with his companions.

  One basic healing potion had effectively treated all four of them.

  "That's..." Ethan started, still processing what had happened.

  "Effective," Rolan finished for him, looking slightly puzzled himself. "More so than usual, in fact."

  Rolan studied them with increased interest, his eyes lingering on Ethan's now-healed calf and the rapidly improving conditions of his companions. "I've never seen a basic potion work quite that well before," he admitted. "We must have gotten a really good batch from the Alchemist."

  "Just lucky, I guess," Ethan replied, not wanting to draw too much attention to their unusual abilities. He capped the partially used vial, making a mental note to experiment further with the healing potions when they were alone.

  "I'll take these any day," he added, stowing the remaining potions carefully in his pack.

  "Anything else you need?" Rolan asked, still watching with interest as the last of their visible wounds faded to faint pink lines.

  Ethan glanced down at the wolf cub, still nestled against his chest. "Actually, what does a cub this size eat? Its mother was..." he trailed off, not wanting to upset the sleeping animal.

  "Goat's milk," Rolan replied without hesitation. "Mixed with honey. Market should have both. Get a dropper too—they don't take well to bowls at that age."

  Ethan nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I assume I'll need to register it eventually?"

  Rolan studied Ethan and his companions with newfound interest. "Once it's bonded," he confirmed with a knowing look. "If that's your intention." He paused, then added with slight hesitation, "Though I should mention... the number of bonds you already maintain is unusual. Most tamers specialize in a single companion. Your ability to maintain three high-functioning bonds is already remarkable."

  "Is that so?" Ethan replied noncommittally, trying not to betray his surprise. His bonds with Moose, Buster, and Pixie felt completely natural to him.

  "Just something to consider," Rolan said. "Adding a fourth would be... unprecedented in these parts."

  "I haven't decided yet," Ethan lied, knowing full well he had no intention of abandoning the orphaned cub.

  "Of course not," Rolan agreed with that same knowing expression. "You just happened to carry it all the way back to town out of the goodness of your heart."

  Ethan adjusted his pack, feeling the weight of his newly acquired healing potions. "We should go. Still need supplies, and..." he gestured to his tattered clothing, "something less blood-soaked to wear."

  "Garrick's shop is your best bet," Rolan advised. "Tell him I sent you. Might get you a discount."

  As they turned to leave, Ethan caught sight of the notice board again and made a mental note to check it properly before their next venture into the wilderness. Next time, he'd do things in the proper order.