After their conversation, Irissa took his hand with childlike enthusiasm and pulled him outside.
Louskas didn't resist. He understood her feelings—after all, she had spent a thousand years in solitude, with no one but her mother for company. That kind of isolation must have been unbearable. He gave her a warm smile and followed.
Outside the modest house, a calm blood-red river stretched quietly, reflecting the scarlet sky above. Around it, a vast forest loomed, whispering in the wind.
Without hesitation, Irissa dragged him into the water. His clothes quickly soaked through, but she didn't seem to care. Laughing, she splashed him playfully, and he responded in kind—chasing her through the shallow current, their laughter rising with every splash.
What started as a simple game quickly became a race. But the gap between them was immense—her body, empowered by the fifth stage, granted her strength and speed far beyond his. Still, Louskas refused to give up.
Each time she defeated him, she laughed and teased him, fueling his stubborn resolve to demand a rematch.
"Come on, little warrior. Is that all you've got?" she teased, grinning victoriously. Her black hair, now streaked with crimson, danced in the water, and her white robe clung to her body.
Irritated, Louskas charged again—only to lose, again.
Even when he tried reinforcing his body with spiritual energy, the difference remained. It was like fighting fate itself. Still, he didn't stop.
After hours, he finally collapsed in the water, breathless and defeated.
They left the river and wandered into the forest. Irissa carried a small wooden basket in one hand as they foraged for edible herbs and fruits. She pointed out poisonous plants, but with a child's defiance, Louskas insisted on tasting some of them—only to end up coughing and spitting violently.
She didn't stop laughing the entire time. And each time, she healed him without hesitation.
Later, as they passed by a patch of red flowers, Louskas bent down and picked a few. Then, with a slight smile, he offered them to her.
"My lady, these are for you… a humble tribute to your stunning beauty."
Irissa chuckled softly and took them, her fingers brushing his gently.
"Thank you, little knight."
He was, after all, shorter than her—barely taller than his real age would suggest. A child beside her.
He laughed quietly to himself and thought, If only you knew my true age…
But then, he remembered hers—and fell silent. Compared to her, he was still a child.
They continued walking until they came upon a territory filled with wolves. The area teemed with them, some even third-tier beasts—large, deadly, and imposing.
Yet none of them dared to move.
Irissa stepped into their midst, her presence spreading like a storm about to break.
Her eyes scanned them calmly, as if selecting prey. Then they locked onto a large gray-furred wolf, its body massive and well-fed.
At that moment, the wolf trembled violently.
She smiled. And in an instant—disappeared.
Louskas could only watch as trees shook violently, howls and crackles of energy tore through the air. Bursts of lightning, fire, and spiraling wind swept through the forest.
He couldn't even track her movements.
Moments later… silence.
She stood calmly before him, holding the massive wolf by the neck. It was still alive—but barely. Its body shook uncontrollably, as if it were on the verge of weeping.
Louskas glanced around the clearing—more than thirty third-tier wolves, many of them larger than the house they'd left behind, all lay defeated within moments.
A single third-tier wolf could challenge a human in the third stage… and Irissa had brought them down like dry leaves in autumn wind.
"Come on, we're roasting this one tonight!" she said cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The wolf in her grip trembled even more, as if regretting every decision that had led him to this moment.