While Liam and his shadow wolf tried to withstand Charlotte’s words, Charlotte allowed herself to lean against the closest tree near the pair, her arms crossed as she deliberately eyed Liam from top to bottom.

"You know, you smell really bad," she said calmly while looking at him.

Liam tilted his head slightly at that.

"You honestly smell mostly like demon blood mixed with mud..." she paused briefly, sniffing the air slightly.

"And some leaves. Oh, and there’s also the scent of your own blood," Charlotte added, her golden eyes lowering toward the bandage wrapped around Liam’s thigh.

Liam glanced down at the injury himself before looking back at her.

"Well, I kinda had a bad start to this assessment, so yeah," he replied simply.

"Hm, guess that makes two of us, but I don’t think mine was nearly as bad as yours," Charlotte said shamelessly. "How bad is it though?"

"Puncture wound from a tree branch," Liam answered casually. "Lost my supplies, so properly healing it isn’t really an option right now. But it’s not that bad. It still works fine."

Charlotte immediately raised an eyebrow and gave him a deeply judgmental look.

"Works fine my ass," she said while pushing herself off the tree slightly and stepping closer. "Getting a puncture straight through the thigh and calling it ’not bad’ and ’fine’ is actually insane, bae."

She gestured lazily toward his leg with one clawed finger.

"I literally saw you limping when you got up earlier," she continued. "And let’s be honest, your reaction when you tried to kill me was a tiny bit slower than what I’m used to."

She paused for a moment, folding her arms beneath her chest again.

"We both know I reacted slightly late to your attack, and on any normal day, I would’ve been dead already," she added with her usual smug smirk.

Liam stared at her quietly for a few seconds, studying her eyes before eventually shrugging.

"Guess you’re right. I probably reacted a bit slower," he admitted calmly. "But still, don’t downplay yourself. Your reaction speed wasn’t what I’m used to either."

Charlotte’s smirk widened immediately.

"You know, if you praise me like that, there’ll be no need for me to keep pestering you any longer," she said sweetly.

She then casually moved back toward the tree she had been leaning on earlier and began scratching along the bark with her claws the same way a large feline sharpened its claws naturally.

"Though, I must say..." Charlotte continued while slowly dragging her claws through the bark, "...I can help you deal with that injury much better than whatever herbalist method you’re currently relying on."

That immediately caught Liam’s attention and one of his eyebrows lifted slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked calmly.

Charlotte paused her scratching for half a second before side-glancing at him over her shoulder with her usual smirk still present.

"Exactly what it sounded like," she replied before continuing to scratch at the tree again.

"I brought a healing potion with me here just in case," she continued casually. "I could lend it to you so you can stop moving around this place looking like obvious prey..."

She paused briefly.

"Though it’s not like anything can really attack you without ending up dead anyway."

Liam ignored the latter statement entirely and focused only on the important part.

’She has a healing potion?’

The moment he heard that, Liam immediately began visualizing just how much easier things would become if he could finally get rid of the injury in his thigh properly.

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, the wound had become increasingly irritating the longer he dealt with it. Every movement reminded him it existed, and hearing Charlotte casually mention a healing potion instantly drew his interest.

However, while studying her, Liam realized something.

Charlotte carried no bag whatsoever.

And she most definitely wasn’t wearing clothes beneath the fur. The fur itself looked naturally grown directly from her skin.

So where exactly was she storing the potion?

As though reading his thoughts, Charlotte finally turned back toward him and Smoke with her smirk still fully intact.

"I know what you’re thinking," she said calmly. "And yes, I don’t have a bag because I didn’t bring one."

She paused before lifting her left hand slightly.

On one of her fingers rested a silver ring etched with tiny rune patterns.

"That’s because I have everything I need stored in here," she said proudly.

"I believe that’s a dimensional storage ring," Liam said calmly.

"Yep," Charlotte answered immediately.

She then channeled a small amount of Myst into the ring. Instantly, faint blue rune marks illuminated across its surface before a small spherical portal opened beside her hand.

Charlotte casually slid her arm into the opening.

A second later, she pulled her hand back out holding a small glass bottle filled with green liquid.

Once she removed it completely, the portal closed and the glowing runes faded away.

"See?" she said sweetly while lightly shaking the bottle between her fingers. "Healing potion~"

Liam’s crimson eyes locked onto the glass bottle immediately, the reflected green liquid faintly visible within them.

For a few seconds, he remained silent before finally shifting his gaze back toward Charlotte herself.

"What do you want in return?" he asked simply.

"What?~" Charlotte responded in an exaggerated innocent tone. "I never said I wanted anything in return, bae. C’mon now."

"Please don’t act stupid with me," Liam replied calmly. "I might be somewhat desperate to get rid of this injury, but I’m not deaf."

His eyes remained fixed on her.

"You said you would ’lend’ it to me, which means you expect something back eventually. But we both know I currently have no supplies, and once this assessment ends, you won’t even have a use for that potion anymore."

He paused briefly.

"Meaning you definitely want something in exchange. So what do you want?"

For a moment, Charlotte simply stared back at him, clearly realizing her attempt to trick him into accepting the potion without questioning her had failed completely.

"Well... what exactly was I expecting from Lady Seraphina’s favorite student?" she muttered with a shrug. "At least I tried. Hopefully she’ll praise me once we get back."

Liam continued staring at her silently, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, since you brought it up..." Charlotte began while deliberately stepping closer toward him. "Why don’t you just... y’know... fulfill my desi—"

"You might as well keep your potion then," Liam interrupted flatly before turning toward the direction of the outcrop.

"Oh, c’mon, bae," Charlotte called out dramatically behind him. "Why do you always have to be like this? Is it really that hard to indulge just a tiny bit?"

"I have no intention of getting involved in unnecessary academy problems because you can’t control your desires," Liam answered simply while continuing to walk away.

Beside him, Smoke grunted in agreement with his master.

Charlotte watched the two of them leave for several seconds before eventually sighing and shaking her head.

"Okay, fine~, Mr. Celibate," she teased. "What if I just tag along with you and your oversized emotional support mutt for the rest of the assessment?"

She folded her arms again.

"At least until I find an extraction point and get myself out of this place."

That finally caused Liam to stop walking.

Beside him, Smoke halted as well before slowly turning his head toward Charlotte with visible offense at the description she had just given him.

"You don’t plan on completing the assessment?" Liam asked calmly while turning back toward her once more.

"Oh noooo," Charlotte dragged out dramatically. "Please. I’m far too delicate for all this."

She lazily waved one clawed hand dismissively.

"I’ve already suffered enough. The moment I find an extraction point, I’m leaving."

Liam stared at her quietly for a few moments, though honestly, he wasn’t surprised by the answer.

If anything, it sounded exactly like Charlotte.

She wasn’t the type to fully dedicate herself to something unless it genuinely interested her. More often than not, she’d rather cruise through things using the least effort possible instead of pushing herself unnecessarily.

"Sooo~," Charlotte said while slowly approaching them again. "Can I tag along?"

Liam remained silent for a while, considering both the advantages and disadvantages of having Charlotte around.

On one hand, she was troublesome.

Very troublesome.

But on the other hand...

She was strong, adaptable, had supplies, possessed sharp instincts, and clearly knew how to survive within an environment like this far better than he did.

And perhaps most importantly—

She already knew how dangerous he was.

After a while, Liam finally sighed.

"Yeah, sure."