Chương 79: 079

"This is good," Dura beamed, taking another bite and humming low in satisfaction. Across the fire, Time nodded, halfway through his own portion.

"It is. What plant did you use?"

"Garlic," I replied, relief threading through the word. I'd half expected my Plant Growth to fail when I pictured it, worried Nexus wouldn't share the same crops as Earth. Thankfully, some comforts crossed worlds. Now, to check if they had onions… Dura paused mid-chew.

"Pretty sure there's a snail that grows that on its shell. Never thought to eat it." That caught my attention.

"Are there other variants?" She shrugged.

"Maybe. A passing adventurer mentioned it once, but it's a passive monster. I figured it wasn't worth the effort to hunt." She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"If I'd known this flavor was on the table, I would've paid more attention." Time hummed.

"You could ask Nature. She would know every variant of monster that produces edible flora."

"I might," I said, savoring another bite as garlic bloomed warm and sharp on my tongue.

"Who knows? Maybe when I retire, I'll farm monsters like that for ingredients." Time raised a brow.

"Given your current occupation, I would not have predicted that ambition." I shrugged.

"I like cooking. If I wasn't busy helping you with… everything, I probably would've settled somewhere quiet with land, crops and animals." A faint smile tugged at me.

"Gotta fill the downtime between saving people." Understanding flickered across his face, then came something almost like guilt.

"You did not originally intend this path," he said slowly.

"When you accepted Karma's offer?" Now both of them were watching me. The weight of it made my skin prickle. I rubbed the back of my neck and looked toward the fire instead.

"She offered to save me without the chosen part," I admitted.

"But I wanted to help. This seemed like a good way." A small pause.

"And she said you needed it." And given it was partially my fault she wasn't here to help him, it made sense for me to fill the spot. Time's gaze softened. Before he could respond, Dura leaned back, plate scraped clean and set aside. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"Karma sounds amazing," she said.

"My tribe always painted her as some stone-cold bitch. I knew that was exaggerated, had to be with how she only targets assholes, but helping you for nothing in return?" She shook her head.

"Even Nature would demand a favor." Time's eyebrow twitched.

"Which tribe would that be?" he asked mildly. There was nothing mild about the undercurrent. A flicker of danger ran through his tone. But after everything Karma had done for me… I stayed silent. The tribe would survive... probably. Besides, Karma only went after the bad ones. If they had a problem with her, they did something to start it. Dura narrowed her eyes at Time.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I shouldn't answer that?" I snorted.

"Because he's worked with Karma for years and will probably kill anyone who calls her names after she turns villains into cockroaches?" Dura blinked.

"Ah. Yeah, that tracks." She shrugged.

"Not all of us believe that garbage, but I'll happily point out the elders spreading it." Time nodded immediately, eyes dark with calculation.

"That would be appreciated."

"If we cross paths with the tribe, I'll introduce you." She rolled her shoulders.

"They're crotchety old bastards anyway. Could use replacing." A brief pause.

"But first, Dawnmoor. We'll deal with my tribe later." Something shadowed her expression.

"Way later," she muttered. Before I could ask, the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the clearing. Dominicus, Henry, and Maya stepped into camp. Dominicus lifted his chin, inhaling deeply.

"I see you've finished the Duggy," he said approvingly.

"It smells exceptional." I passed out the remaining portions, smiling at the chorus of thanks.

"Dura deserves the credit, she's the one who took down the Duggy." I said.

"The meat pairs really well with garlic." Dominicus stilled mid-reach.

"I was under the impression you both felled the beast." His sightless gaze fixed on me with unnerving precision. I resisted the urge to fidget.

"I just stopped it from escaping," I said lightly.

"She did the killing." The memory of those wide, startled eyes locking onto mine before the axe fell made my stomach twist.

"Probably for the best," I added.

"I might've hesitated." Dura frowned.

"You seemed fine with me killing it?"

"That's different." I rubbed my neck again, avoiding her gaze.

"I understand we need to eat. I just…" I exhaled.

"I'm not great with blood." Silence. When I glanced up, all of them were staring.

"What?" I snapped, heat creeping up my neck. Dominicus shook his head slowly.

"You're a healer… who is uncomfortable around blood?" Well. When he put it like that…

"It's a new development," I muttered.

"I didn't notice until I was cleaning my own blood off after the cave." The memory flashed sharp and unwelcome, stone, pain, the deep carve of claws changing to the sting of a knife in my gut. At the time, I'd been too focused on surviving to care, but after…

"Getting stabbed and nearly dying apparently left a mark." My jaw tightened.

"Can we drop it? I use a staff and I'm not a frontline fighter so it shouldn't be an issue." They exchanged loaded glances. My stomach sank. Something told me this was not going to be dropped.