Deciding to now move through the forest and gather whatever resources he could while the darkness still favored him, Liam and Smoke moved through the shadows with quiet efficiency.

The two of them slipped between the trees almost soundlessly, their presence blending naturally with the dimness beneath the canopy. With the moonlight barely reaching the forest floor and the early signs of dawn still distant, the environment was perfect for someone like Liam.

Entering deeper into the forest once again, the very first thing Liam focused on was finding better plants for his wound. Even though the treatment he had applied beside the stream earlier was far more effective than the rushed swamp mixture, he knew it wouldn’t last forever. If he intended to survive the remaining days of the assessment without risking infection or worsening the injury, he needed to keep gathering medicinal materials whenever the opportunity presented itself.

And surprisingly enough, luck seemed to be on his side that morning.

Within less than twenty minutes of searching, Liam managed to find several of the exact broad-leafed plants and bitter roots he needed growing beneath the shadows of a cluster of tilted trees. Their Myst signatures were faint but steady, carrying the same natural restorative properties he had sensed before.

Without wasting time, Liam crouched beside the plants and carefully harvested only what he needed. He avoided ripping them out carelessly, choosing instead to cut away usable sections while leaving the roots intact whenever possible. It was slower, but it prevented him from damaging the plants completely in case he needed to return later.

Once he had gathered enough, Liam tore a massive dark-green leaf from a nearby plant and folded it inward several times. Using a thin vine stripped from a hanging root, he tied the edges together tightly, creating a crude makeshift pouch to hold the medicinal ingredients.

It wasn’t pretty.

But it worked.

While Liam focused on that, he had already sent Smoke ahead with a different task.

The shadow wolf moved silently through the forest in search of wildlife large enough to provide meat without drawing unnecessary attention. Liam had specifically ordered him to avoid fighting demons unless absolutely necessary. The last thing he wanted right now was another pointless battle wasting Myst and time.

Once Liam secured the medicinal ingredients properly, he began making his way back toward the river.

The steady sound of flowing water gradually grew louder as he approached, until eventually the trees opened slightly and revealed the riverbank once more. The current reflected faint moonlight across its surface while the mist hovering above the water shifted lazily in the cold air.

Liam approached carefully before kneeling near the edge.

The first thing he did was gather several thick patches of wet moss growing between stones near the riverbank. Just like earlier, the moss would help bind future herbal mixtures together while also retaining moisture longer. He added the moss into the leaf pouch before finally turning his attention toward the river itself.

Fishing.

Something he was naturally good at.

Back when he was younger, before everything in his life had spiraled into blood and war, Billy Hunter, his grandfather, had taught him simple survival skills whenever they stayed near rivers or forests. Liam hadn’t cared much for those lessons back then. But now, in a place like Nalim, those same lessons had become unexpectedly valuable.

Liam remained near the riverside and searched until he found a long, sturdy branch thick enough to function as a spear.

Using one of his daggers, he sharpened the end carefully into a hardened point before stripping a nearby vine and tying it securely around the middle of the weapon to improve grip.

Only then did he step ankle-deep into the shallow edge of the river and wait.

He didn’t rush.

He simply watched the water.

The river moved steadily, carrying shadows and reflections across its surface, but Liam’s eyes remained focused beneath that movement. Small fish occasionally darted through the shallows while larger shapes lingered farther out where the current deepened.

Then he struck.

The sharpened branch pierced through the water with a sharp splash before emerging again with a writhing silver-scaled fish impaled through its side.

Liam pulled it free calmly before tossing it onto the riverbank.

Then he waited again.

And struck again.

By the time several more minutes had passed, Liam had successfully caught three decent-sized fish.

Just as he finished securing the last one, Smoke finally emerged from the darkness between the trees.

The shadow wolf carried an almost fully grown deer within his jaws, the animal’s body limp and bloodied from where Smoke had crushed its throat.

"Good work," Liam muttered calmly as Smoke approached.

The shadow beast gave a satisfied grunt before dropping the deer onto the ground beside him.

Immediately afterward, Liam wasted no time and began draining the catches beside one of the shallow pools connected to the riverbank.

Using his dagger with precise efficiency, he slit through the deer’s throat and positioned the carcass carefully so gravity could do most of the work. Dark blood streamed steadily downward into the shallow pool beneath it.

The fish followed shortly after.

One by one, Liam cleaned and drained them properly, making sure to remove as much blood as possible before storage. He worked methodically, his movements calm and practiced despite the unpleasantness of the task.

Time passed quietly around him.

The forest remained dim for a while longer, but eventually the darkness slowly began to fade as the first hints of dawn crept across the horizon.

Sunlight gradually filtered through the trees in thin golden rays while the sky above shifted from deep blue into pale orange.

By the time the sun had finally begun rising properly over the forest, Liam had managed to drain the catches completely.

The shallow pool near the riverbank had turned dark red from the collected blood, the surface disturbed occasionally by faint ripples from the nearby current.

Satisfied enough with the preparation, Liam moved on immediately.

He gathered several large leaves broad enough to fully wrap the fish and portions of the deer separately. After placing the meat within them carefully, he tied everything tightly using vines to keep the wrapping secure.

The leaf coverings wouldn’t preserve the meat permanently, but they would help keep dirt, insects, and excess moisture away long enough for him to return to the cave.

Once everything was secured properly, Liam handed the bundled catches over to Smoke.

The shadow wolf grabbed them carefully before disappearing silently into the forest, heading back toward the hidden rocky outcrop and cave.

After Smoke left, Liam finally shifted his attention toward another priority.

Water storage.

Even though the river was nearby, repeatedly traveling back and forth every time he needed water would become inefficient and dangerous in the long run. He needed a proper way to carry and store it.

With that thought in mind, Liam moved back into the forest searching for something suitable.

It didn’t take him very long.

Eventually, he found a massive tree with a naturally hollowed section within its trunk. The cavity was deep, rounded, and sturdy enough to hold liquid if removed properly.

Liam crouched beside it and studied the structure carefully before summoning one of his daggers.

Using controlled movements, he carved around the hollowed section little by little, carefully separating it from the rest of the trunk without cracking the wood. The process took time and effort, especially with his injured thigh slowing certain angles of movement, but eventually the carved piece came loose.

The result resembled a crude wooden barrel.

Not perfect.

But functional.

Liam inspected the inside briefly before smoothing rough splinters away using the edge of his dagger. Afterward, he carved out a separate circular piece of wood to function as a lid.

Only then did he carry the makeshift container back toward the river.

Kneeling beside the water once more, Liam carefully filled the hollowed container with fresh river water until it was nearly full. Then he sealed it tightly with the carved wooden lid, testing it briefly to make sure the water wouldn’t spill easily during travel.

By the time he finished, Smoke had already returned from delivering the food back to the cave.

The shadow wolf emerged silently from the trees once again and approached his master.

Liam handed him the makeshift barrel before climbing onto Smoke’s back carefully, making sure not to aggravate his injured thigh too much.

"Let’s head back," Liam muttered quietly.

Smoke gave a low grunt before turning toward the deeper forest.

Then, together, the two disappeared once more into the shadows of Nalim as they made their way back toward the hidden cave within the rocky outcrop.