Arthur didn't realize how hungry he was until things finally went quiet.
It hit him all at once, not sharp, not urgent, just a steady, empty feeling that had been building in the background while everything else kept him occupied. Fighting, adjusting, figuring things out—it had pushed it aside. Now there was nothing left to distract him.
He slowed down a little, scanning the area properly this time instead of just moving through it.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath. "Food."
The husky stopped a step ahead of him.
Arthur glanced at him. "…you don't need to eat, do you."
No response.
The husky just stood there, ears flicking slightly, then turned his head to the side like he'd caught something.
Arthur followed his gaze.
At first, he didn't see it. Then something shifted in the grass, subtle enough that he might have missed it earlier. Small. Low to the ground. Moving carefully.
Arthur narrowed his eyes and focused.
Name: Brush Hare
Rank: Rookie rank 2
Bloodline: None
Potential: Low
He exhaled quietly. "Yeah, that checks out."
It wasn't impressive, but it didn't need to be.
Arthur lowered his stance slightly and started moving, slow enough not to spook it. This time, he paid attention to every step, letting that same quiet correction guide him. No sudden shifts, no unnecessary movement.
The hare twitched.
Arthur paused.
It didn't run.
He moved again.
Closer now.
The husky had shifted too, but not in the way Arthur expected. He wasn't circling or cutting it off. He was just there. Watching, but closer than before.
Arthur noticed that.
Didn't say anything.
Baby steps.
He focused forward again.
The hare moved suddenly.
Arthur stepped.
Not faster.
Just right.
His hand came down, clean, precise, catching it before it could fully bolt.
It struggled for a second, then went still.
Arthur let out a breath. "Nice."
He straightened slightly, looking down at it.
"Not exactly gourmet, but we'll take it."
The husky stepped closer.
Closer than before.
Arthur glanced at him again, this time more obvious.
"You're coming in now?"
The husky didn't respond, just stood there, watching the hare in his hand.
Arthur huffed quietly. "Yeah. That's progress."
He crouched down and got to work, not wasting time. It wasn't clean, not like he knew what he was doing perfectly, but it didn't need to be. He just needed something edible.
The husky stayed nearby.
Not hovering.
Just there, unnerving and unmoving, except for the slight wagging of his tail kicking up a dust storm.
Arthur noticed that too.
Didn't comment on it this time though.
After a bit, he sat back, taking a moment before eating. The first bite wasn't great, but it didn't matter. Hunger made it easier to ignore.
He glanced sideways.
The husky was still watching.
Arthur paused, then held out a piece. "Hey bud! You want some?"
No immediate response.
The husky looked at the food, then at Arthur, then back again.
A second passed.
Then he stepped forward.
Not fast.
Careful.
Arthur didn't move.
The husky took it gently.
No snapping. No rush.
And he just took it.
Arthur let out a small breath through his nose. "Yeah. Definitely progress." He beamed inwardly, but didn't dare show it to avoid startling the husky.
They ate in relative quiet after that.
Not awkward.
Just quiet, a man and his husky against the world.
When they finished, Arthur wiped his hands against his jacket and stood up, stretching slightly.
"Alright. Let's keep moving."
The husky moved with him this time.
Not ahead by as much.
Closer.
Arthur noticed.
Didn't say anything.
Just adjusted his pace slightly.
The terrain started changing again after a while.
The ground dipped slightly, the air cooling just a bit as they moved forward. It wasn't dramatic, but it was enough to notice. Arthur's gaze shifted ahead, catching the darker outline of something built into the landscape.
A cave.
He slowed down.
"That could work."
Shelter. Maybe more food. At the very least, a place to stop moving for a bit.
The husky slowed too.
But this time, it wasn't just caution.
There was something else.
Arthur felt it a second later.
Not through the ground.
Through the space ahead.
Occupied.
He focused.
At first, he didn't see anything. Then something moved near the cave entrance.
Not subtle.
Not hiding.
Working.
The creature came into view properly, its body segmented, movements sharp and repetitive as it carried small chunks of stone and debris away from the entrance. Its frame was larger than anything he'd dealt with so far, built with purpose instead of survival.
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"Scan."
Name: Worker Ant
Rank: Silver rank 2
Bloodline: Trace Earth
Potential: Mid
Arthur let out a quiet breath. "…rank 2."
That was different.
He shifted his stance slightly, watching it more carefully now.
"Alright," he muttered. "So that's how it works."
The earlier fights clicked into place.
Not just Rookie or Silver.
Subdivisions.
Rank 1 through Rank 5, at least from what he was seeing.
Rookie rank 1 to 5.
Silver rank 1 to 5.
And probably the same for everything above that.
Which meant this—
He looked at the ant again.
—was stronger than the last one.
Not by a huge margin.
But enough.
The husky had moved closer again.
Close enough now that Arthur could feel him without needing the bond.
Arthur glanced at him.
"…you're sticking around now, huh."
The husky didn't answer.
Just stayed there.
Arthur looked back at the cave.
"…good."
He rolled his shoulders once, settling into himself.
The cave wasn't optional.
Not anymore.
Shelter mattered.
And if this ant was the only thing in between the way, it's as good as gone.