Blake nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yeah, I'm fine. They won't be bothering us anymore."
"Your Adaptation Sage Authority is amazing," Ayame said, admiration clear in her voice. "You handled them perfectly."
Blake smiled, feeling the bond between them strengthen even more. "Thanks to your guidance and the Surveillance Orb. We make a great team."
Ayame corrected, "I didn't help with anything, and I couldn't use the Surveillance Orb to assist you with the location of those Shadow Panthers since by the time I called them out, they'd already hidden in the shadows."
Regardless, Blake shrugged. "You are my wife, and you are watching me from above. Knowing that my wife is watching, which husband wouldn't feel motivated?"
"So you still have given me emotional support and that alone is enough for me in this foreign world."
Feeling that what Blake said made some sense, Ayame nodded as her voice of approval came out of the Surveillance Orb, "Mhm."
After chatting with Ayame, Blake looked around the forest, the threat now neutralized, and felt a renewed sense of purpose. This world was dangerous, but with his abilities and Ayame's support, he knew they could face any challenge together.
Just the thought of acting cool in front of Ayame was more than enough for Blake to do his best. If Ayame wasn't here, then he wouldn't be as fearless and as determined as he currently was.
Blake took a deep breath and continued his exploration, more determined than ever to uncover the secrets of this new world and find a civilization if possible. The night was still young, and there was much more to discover.
"Blake, your clothes…" Ayame's voice came through the Surveillance Orb, sounding slightly embarrassed. "They're completely shredded. You're, well, you're naked."
Blake glanced down at his tattered clothing, shredded from the vicious attacks. "Great," he muttered, "now what?"
Remembering the enchanted bag Ayame had given him, Blake rummaged through it and pulled out a spare set of clothes.
The enchanted bag, a gift from Ayame, was a small yet magical container that could hold a vast number of items without increasing in weight or size.
Ayame had anticipated such needs, ensuring he was well-prepared for his journey. She had given it to him before they left the mansion and he was carrying it all along, just that this was the only time he finally had to use it.
After all, the last time he fought against the Earth Dire Wolves, they were at the mansion so he could easily change his ripped clothes at that time. But now that he was away from the mansion, he could only make do with clothes stored in the enchanted bag.
With that in mind, Blake quickly changed, the fresh clothing a welcome comfort. As he adjusted his new attire, he couldn't help but think about how thoughtful Ayame had been.\
The enchanted bag was small but contained everything he needed, proving just how thoughtful and caring Ayame was to him.
There were even food and water, but Blake hadn't consumed them yet since his body could adapt to the lack of water and food, to the point he no longer needed them to function properly as a human being.
Blake also considered the pelts of the fallen Shadow Panthers. With a bit of work, he could fashion them into additional coverings or perhaps even armor. The idea of wearing the hide of his defeated foes brought a grim smile to his face.
However, the armor would prove to be not that practical since Blake didn't have to worry about defense due to his Adaptation Sage Authority. In his case, what didn't kill him would make him stronger.
Blake mused, 'I wonder what would happen if I were to die? Is my Adaptation Sage Authority limited to adapting to harm and stuff as long as I am alive or does it even grant me death immunity?'
'There were times I had felt like I had blackout and I had probably died at that time, or maybe just lost consciousness. So I can't tell.'
'Nevertheless, even if I am immune to death and my immortality includes not only hyper regeneration but also resurrection, I'm still not certain if it includes immortality to the conceptual level of death such as someone using erasure to erase my existence or something like that.'
'But for now, that's the least of my problems since Ayame and I still need to explore this new world and find the nearest civilization. If we are lucky, this world might have some useful resources or power that we can take advantage of and use to our advantage in our home world.'
'Having monopolized access to a method of otherworld transportation is like having access to a new territory but much better. The government and authorities in my world would undoubtedly want a piece of this so Ayame and I need to keep this a secret if we manage to find a way to go back to our world.'
With his clothing situation resolved, Blake felt ready to continue his exploration.
The night was still young, and there was much more to discover in this strange, new world.
Looking at the corpses of the Shadow Panthers, Blake asked Ayame, "Should I keep the valuable ones and save them in the enchanted bag? I can easily dismantle them since I have some experience from butchering and skinning live animals when I was honing my craft in cookery."
Hearing Blake's suggestion, Ayame pondered, "That would indeed be good, since if there's an adventurer guild in this fantasy world like the fictional novels we read, then we can sell these for some money. After all, I don't know if there is a goblin in this world, but these Shadow Panthers are definitely stronger and have more valuable drops than goblins."
Ayame asked in concern, "But wouldn't it be inconvenient on your part? You'd have to harvest those monsters for loot in the dead of the night."