Days went by as Kael and Remy continued on with their daily lives. With Remy's newfound strength, their survival in the wilderness had drastically improved compared to their early days.
"Remy, help me cut up these woods," Kael called out, as he motioned to the small pile of logs near the cave entrance, those of which they've collected prior.
Remy squeaked in obedience, his tiny form darting over to the logs.
"Thanks, bud! Help me cut these into smaller pieces too."
Another squeak of acknowledgment came from Remy as his small claws raked over the wood. His enhanced "Scratch" skill made the task laughably easy. Kael marveled at how effortlessly Remy sliced through the dense bark.
"Buddy! This piece is too long. Can you cut it shorter for me?"
Remy did as he was told, he gnawed at the wood, adjusting it to a length Kael was happy with. It didn't take long before a notification rang inside Kael's head.
"Familiar 'Remy' has upgraded his skill 'Scratch' to level 4! Familiar 'Remy' has upgraded his skill 'Bite' to level 3!"
Kael's eyes widened in excitement. "Amazing! Your skills leveled up! Let's keep the momentum going... cut the rest too, please."
But at that, Remy stopped and turned toward Kael, squeaking in exasperation, his small eyes narrowing as if to say, 'Am I your personal woodcutter now?'
Kael couldn't help but chuckle, a mix of guilt and amusement tugging at him.
"I'm sorry, bud... Seeing you get stronger makes me so excited that I might've gone overboard."
Remy crossed his arms and squeaked, nodding firmly in agreement.
"I'll tone it down a little," Kael promised. "Don't worry bud, with these wood, I can make stronger traps. We can catch bigger prey, and you'll get to eat good food."
'You better…'
Remy thought, squeaking in tentative agreement.
"And who knows," Kael continued, a playful glint in his eyes, "maybe we'll even catch something with an origin crystal next time. Wouldn't that be something? Too bad my traps are still a little too fragile… I just need better wood for them."
At the mention of origin crystals, Remy's ears perked up, his fatigue momentarily forgotten. His eyes gleamed with renewed energy, and without another word, he went back to cutting the remaining wood, his movements faster, more determined.
'Got him'
Kael smirked to himself, satisfied with Remy's renewed response.
Once the wood was cut and stacked, Kael spent the next few hours carefully setting up his traps.
After finishing the traps, Kael wheeled himself back into the cave, feeling an odd restlessness settling in.
"Well... There's nothing left to do for now. How about we go exploring, Remy?" he suggested, hoping for a change of pace.
Remy, however, immediately shook his head, his body stiffening at the mere thought. His head darted left and right, rejecting the idea with all the force his tiny frame could muster.
Kael frowned at the response. "Come on, it wouldn't hurt to see what's out there, right?"
Remy squeaked firmly, his meaning clear: 'The human is too weak. It's dangerous out there.'
Kael sighed, disappointment settling heavily in his chest.
"You're probably right... I'm just being foolish."
He wheeled himself back into the cave, his eyes briefly catching on the gray, uneven stone walls. A familiar pang of loneliness gripped him.
"It's just... this place reminds me of the orphanage sometimes," he muttered.
"Stuck in one spot, unable to go anywhere... always looking at the same view..."
Kael had spent most of his life in his small room at the orphanage. His paralysis made moving around difficult, and the other kids were rarely willing to help wheel him from place to place. So he had stayed in that room, day in and day out, watching the world pass him by.
Remy watched Kael's sad retreat towards the cave. His tiny body trembled in frustration, conflicted between his instincts and Kael's adventurous heart.
'This human has a death wish… but… ugh, fine!'
Remy made up his mind. He dashed forward, skidding to a halt right in front of Kael, his small body standing tall with a newfound determination.
'Human, let's go explore. I'll protect you!'
Kael's thoughts were interrupted by Remy who bolted in front of him, arms outstretched, blocking Kael's path with an uncharacteristically proud stance. His tiny paws rested on his hips as he gave Kael an exaggeratedly determined look.
"Remy?" Kael blinked in confusion. "What are you doing?"
It took Kael a moment to understand, but when he did, his heart swelled with gratitude. The bond between them had deepened so much that words were hardly necessary.
"Wait... Are you saying that you'll let me explore? And that you'll protect me?"
Remy nodded, standing tall (as tall as a small rat could) with a sense of authority that would have been comical if not for the situation.
Kael's face broke into a wide grin, his heart soaring. Without thinking, he threw himself out of the wheelchair and onto the ground, hugging Remy tightly. The tiny rat squirmed in his grip, gasping for breath as Kael held him close.
"Thank you, Remy! You don't know how much this means to me!"
Kael's voice was full of emotion as he squeezed his small companion, nearly crushing him with affection.
Remy squeaked in protest, wiggling free of Kael's grip and tapping on his arm
'Too much, too much!'
"Oh! Sorry, bud, I got a bit carried away." Kael laughed, loosening his hold but keeping his arms wrapped around the small creature.
"I'm just so happy."
Remy, though exasperated, eventually gave up resisting. He allowed Kael to hold him, his tiny body relaxing into the embrace as he squeaked in mild irritation.
'Whatever...
This does feels kinda nice though...'