Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
I spent most of my time inside the Salom tribe, helping out in the infirmary.
Strangely, the workload had tripled. Goran grumbled nonstop as he stitched up gashes, set broken bones, and treated deep bruises. However, most of these injuries weren’t from hunting accidents or stray beasts. They were from fights. Blunt force trauma, axe-graze wounds, the kind of damage you get from clashing with other humanoids. The injured tribesmen were tight-lipped, offering only vague excuses about "border skirmishes."
Furthermore, the barbarian who’d been my constant shadow vanished yesterday. I wasn’t naive enough to think I’d finally earned their trust. They must have been called away, for something more important than babysitting the outsider needed their attention.
The change in atmosphere was subtle, but to someone like me with a wide range of abilities and experience, it was more than obvious.
The fortress felt like a coiled spring. Hunters returned earlier or didn’t go out at all, while the guards were constantly scanning the tree line. Even the usual boisterous laughter in the kitchen hall has disappeared, which led me to do a little digging.
I managed to find out that the chief, her husband, Old Man Goran, and a few elders held closed-door meetings that lasted hours.
Their auras, when they emerged, were sharp and restless. They were clearly hiding something big from the rest of the tribe.
My experience screamed one thing: impending conflict. A tribe this strong didn’t get this tense over nothing.
And of course, my first instinct was to leave, to sneak out before the storm hits. I had my own problems, my own path.
But then I remembered the bowl of stew from the gentle giant chef, the grudging respect in Goran’s eyes when I correctly identified a poison, the way Uru’en had thrown herself between me and the Vorash Strider without a second thought. They’d given me shelter, food, and a measure of trust.
Leaving now felt like stealing and running.
Therefore, I decided to stay.
I couldn’t fight their wars for them; that would blow my cover and likely get me killed by something much stronger. But I could do what I said I would. I could heal. I could patch up the wounded when the fighting started. It was the least I could do before moving on.
I just hoped whatever was coming wouldn’t drag me directly into the path of that monstrosity, the Night Devourer.
I had a feeling that it was impossible to escape-
"-What are you thinking about?"
I stopped pondering and glanced over.
Uru’en stood in the doorway of the infirmary, leaning against the frame.
The very same day, the chief had found out about our trip to the ridge and forbade her from leaving the fortress. Yeah, she’d been grounded. Officially, it was punishment for breaking the rules. But I knew the real reason: Risha was keeping her heir close for her safety.
Bored and restless, Uru’en had taken to haunting my workspace, pestering me with questions about the outside world just like the kids had days before under the guise of wanting to spend time more meaningfully, since she would have to learn these once she became a chief anyway. I naturally wasn’t against it and shared my knowledge with her.
"Nothing," I said, turning back to grinding some dried fever-root. "Just imagining how you’ll react when I leave tomorrow. Will you cry, or—ouch!"
Before I could finish, she’d moved over and smacked my arm.
"A Drakari will never cry!" she declared, glaring at me.
"O-okay," I winced, rubbing my arm. "But why did you have to hit me?"
"Because you were thinking stupid things." She crossed her arms, her annoyance shifting into a reluctant curiosity. "You... You’re really leaving tomorrow?"
"If the path is clear, yes. The dome should have shifted by now, according to the chief."
She was quiet for a moment, looking past me to the rows of wounded.
The playful light in her amber eyes was gone, replaced by something more serious. "Things are getting bad out there."
I stopped grinding. "I noticed."
In fact, I was relieved that she noticed it.
"You should go," she said, avoiding eye contact. "Before something happens."
I nodded. "I will, don’t wor-!"
My smile froze as my eyes caught a flicker of light outside the high window—a dot, getting bigger fast, trailing smoke.
’Shoot!’
"DODGE!"
I shouted.
My hand shot to my waist. I threw a small, disc-shaped relic toward the cots where Goran’s patients lay. A shimmering blue dome flared to life around them just as I activated the [Interception Step!]
The world lurched.
I was next to her in a blur, my arm wrapped around her waist as I twisted mid-teleport, hurling us sideways with everything I had.
"Wha-!"
She barely had time to gasp before—
BOOOOOOM!
The infirmary erupted .
A fireball smashed through the roof where we had been standing, detonating in a violent bloom of orange and black. The shockwave tore the air apart, hurling splinters, stone shards, and burning debris in every direction.
"URGH!"
Heat scorched my back.
THUD!
We slammed into the ground hard, rolling across the dirt as the blast thundered overhead. The sound was deafening, like the sky itself had split open.
Another explosion followed.
BOOOOOOM!
Then another.
BANG!
The fortress shook.
I planted a hand, forced myself up, and dragged Uru’en with me.
BZZZZ!
My ears rang violently, but my mind was razor-sharp.
"Are you ok?" I snapped.
She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide, then nodded once.
"I-yeah," Uru’en said hoarsely. "I’m fine."
’Good.’
I released her immediately and turned, senses flaring outward.
Smoke choked the infirmary. The roof was half gone, flames licking at shattered beams. The blue barrier over the wounded flickered but held, humming under sustained heat.
Outside, chaos had already taken over.
Shouts echoed from every direction. War horns bellowed, answering each other across the fortress. Snow barbarians sprinted past the doorway, weapons in hand, eyes burning with focus instead of panic.
Another fireball screamed down, slamming into the outer wall.
The impact sent a tremor through the ground.
I chuckled dryly.
"Is it too late to leave now?"