The Moonlit Hollow glimmered under the pale light of dawn. Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air, landing softly on the frozen ground. Aria stretched, her muscles aching from the previous day's battle with the Abyssal Bear.
"That's it," she muttered, her sharp claws flexing as she yawned. "From now on, I'm officially retired from saving tiny, fluffy things."
Her ears twitched as a faint sound reached her. She froze, her sharp blue eyes narrowing as she scanned the hollow.
It came again—a soft, high-pitched squeak, faint but unmistakable.
"No," she whispered, her fur bristling. "It can't be."
The bushes near the edge of the hollow rustled, and a small, familiar shape emerged. The Frost Mink.
It squeaked softly, its bright blue eyes wide with what Aria could only describe as innocent curiosity.
"Oh, come on!" she growled, her tail lashing. "I saved you! You're supposed to run off into the Wildlands and live your best mink life. Why are you back?"
The mink scurried closer, its tiny paws making faint impressions in the snow. It stopped a few feet away, tilting its head as it stared at her.
Aria stared back, her claws scraping against the ground.
"What do you want?" she muttered. "I don't have time for this. Go find another predator to annoy."
The mink let out another squeak, its round ears twitching.
"Great," Aria thought, rolling her eyes. "Now I have a fan club. Just what I needed."
---
She turned away, determined to ignore the little creature.
"This is a wild predator's territory," she muttered, padding toward the stream. "Not a daycare."
But as she crouched to drink from the icy water, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.
The mink had followed her.
"Seriously?" she growled, whipping around. "What part of 'go away' don't you understand?"
The mink squeaked, its tiny paws shuffling nervously.
Aria sighed, her tail flicking in irritation. "Look, I'm not your mom, okay? You're on your own."
The mink didn't budge.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "Fine. Stay if you want, but don't blame me when something eats you."
She turned away again, her claws scraping against the frozen ground as she walked back toward her shelter.
---
The next few hours were surprisingly uneventful. Aria patrolled the hollow, her sharp senses on high alert for any signs of danger.
The mink followed her the entire time.
"Why are you like this?" she muttered, glancing over her shoulder.
The tiny creature let out a soft squeak, its round eyes gleaming with what looked suspiciously like admiration.
Aria groaned, her tail lashing. "I don't need a sidekick, okay? I work alone."
The mink squeaked again, clearly unfazed by her irritation.
"Fine," she muttered, glaring at the tiny creature. "If you're going to stick around, at least don't get in my way."
The mink tilted its head, as if considering her words, before scurrying closer.
---
Her patrol brought her to the edge of the hollow, where she crouched low, her sharp blue eyes scanning the snow for tracks.
The Wildlands were vast and unforgiving, and she couldn't afford to let her guard down. The Abyssal Bear might have been driven off, but there were plenty of other predators lurking in the shadows.
"Stay here," she muttered to the mink, her voice sharp.
The tiny creature blinked up at her, then sat obediently in the snow.
"Well," she thought, surprised. "At least it listens better than most humans."
She moved cautiously, her sharp claws flexing as she followed a faint trail of tracks leading away from the hollow.
The tracks were fresh, their pattern suggesting something large and heavy—a predator, no doubt.
"Great," she muttered, her tail flicking. "Because I haven't had enough near-death experiences lately."
---
The trail led her to a small clearing, where the snow had been disturbed by what looked like a scuffle.
Clumps of fur and faint traces of blood dotted the ground, and the scent of prey lingered in the air.
"Something got caught here," she thought, her sharp eyes narrowing. "But whatever did this is long gone."
A low growl echoed through the clearing, and Aria froze.
Her ears swiveled, pinpointing the source of the sound—a shadow moving through the trees.
"Hostile entity detected: Icefang Cougar (Beast Awakening Stage, Intermediate Phase). Threat level: Moderate."
Aria's fur bristled, her sharp claws flexing as the cougar emerged from the shadows. Its sleek, silver-gray fur glinted in the dim light, and its glowing yellow eyes locked onto her with predatory intent.
"Of course," she muttered, her tail lashing. "Because why would I ever catch a break?"
---
The cougar growled again, its body lowering into a crouch. Aria crouched as well, her sharp blue eyes narrowing as she prepared to fight.
The cougar lunged, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Aria dodged to the side, her Agility II skill sharpening her movements.
She activated Lunar Veil, her shimmering form blending into the shadows as she darted around the cougar.
"Lunar Veil: 45% Progress."
The cougar snarled, its glowing eyes scanning the clearing as it tried to track her movements. Aria struck from the shadows, her claws raking across its flank before disappearing again.
The cougar let out a frustrated roar, its movements growing more erratic as it struggled to defend itself.
Aria smirked. "What's wrong?" she thought. "Having trouble keeping up?"
---
The battle was fast and fierce. Aria used her speed and stealth to outmaneuver the cougar, her strikes precise and deliberate.
The creature's roars grew weaker, its movements slowing as it bled from multiple wounds.
Finally, with one last lunge, Aria brought the cougar down.
"Quest Complete: Eliminate Threats. +30 EXP earned. Minor Attribute Boost applied."
She collapsed onto the snow, her chest heaving as the adrenaline coursing through her began to fade.
"Another day, another fight," she muttered, her sharp blue eyes scanning the clearing. "At this rate, I'm going to need a vacation."
---
A soft squeak broke the silence, and she turned to see the mink scurrying toward her.
"You're still here?" she muttered, too exhausted to be annoyed.
The tiny creature squeaked again, its round eyes filled with what looked like concern.
Aria sighed, her tail flicking. "Don't look at me like that. I'm fine. Go back to… whatever it is minks do."
The mink didn't budge.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, curling up beneath a nearby tree. "Fine. Stay if you want. But if another cougar shows up, you're on your own."
The mink squeaked softly, curling up beside her.
As the snow began to fall again, Aria let out a soft huff, her exhaustion giving way to a faint, begrudging smile.
"Great," she thought, her eyes drifting shut. "Now I have a pet. Just what I needed."