Surprised by its sudden emergence from slumber, Oliver carefully brought the creature out of his pocket, allowing it to settle gently onto his cupped hands.
He observed the Chimera Wolf with keen interest and said:
"So you've finally awakened? Hmm. I expected it would take a little longer."
The Chimera Wolf, small enough to fit within his palms, rolled around briefly before managing to steady itself.
Its eyelids slowly parted, revealing a pair of silver eyes clouded with drowsiness.
It stared at Oliver for several moments before turning away to examine its surroundings. Then it looked back at the young man holding it and tilted its head slightly, as though puzzled by its presence in the hands of a human.
Oliver glanced around and exhaled softly.
"I really do not have time for this. I still need to find Joshua, but before that, I should locate Flesh Fruit Trees to sustain myself. The novel described the fruits as being as flavorful as roasted lamb."
Flesh Fruit Trees were abundant within the Outer Ring, known for producing fruits composed entirely of meat.
However, they did not resemble raw flesh in taste, instead bearing the flavor of cooked meat, which made them a primary source of sustenance for most individuals within the Garden of Death, allowing them to endure their time in that desolate realm.
The first individuals to discover it at the beginning were Kaden and Teresa.
At that time, they had encountered each other in the Outer Ring and were preparing to make their way toward the Middle Ring after discovering the human settlements built by those who lacked the resolve to survive within the Outer Ring.
…They had been on the brink of death from starvation by then until they were taken in by those people, who, as it turned out, also committed a rather atrocious act in the novel.
Naturally, Oliver had remained a lone wolf throughout his entire existence in the Garden of Death and rarely crossed paths with other characters.
He had never formed bonds with any of them, and now he intended to keep it that way.
This journey had to be undertaken alone. Besides, he already knew the location of the Flesh Fruit Trees.
That alone was enough, and he needed to reach them before the next day.
The passage of time within the Garden of Death was marked by the shifting positions of light and darkness in the sky, where day and night gradually exchanged dominance.
From the look of it, that transition would occur soon, and once it did, more Puppets, possibly beyond Rank One, would begin to emerge.
Oliver frowned as his gaze settled on the curious beast.
"I am going to name you… Rook, like the chess piece. That is the best I can come up with for now. Time for you to return to my pocket and remain quiet. I cannot believe it will take fifty Fragments to evolve you."
He felt a faint sense of dissatisfaction.
In the story, Teresa had been granted the strongest beast, a formidable dark dragon, and its first evolution required only thirty Fragments.
Yet here, the system demanded fifty for Rook. That amounted to the equivalent of five Rank One Puppet kills.
Furthermore, he also required Fragments to advance into his first rank, at which point he would finally be able to acquire a Stitch.
Fortunately, with his knowledge of future events and the structure of the world, Oliver believed it would not be overly difficult, so long as the storyline did not begin to diverge…
***
Some time later, Oliver had managed to eliminate three more Rank One String Puppets that were roaming alone, bringing his total to forty Fragments.
Fragments: [40]
The hunt was beginning to feel somewhat monotonous as he traversed the vast Tomb of Stones. Moving forward, Oliver ensured he avoided areas where groups might be present.
Fortunately for him, he was within the less densely inhabited region of the labyrinth, allowing his advance to remain relatively smooth.
Rook, however, continued to stir within his pocket, and with the wind intensifying the farther he moved toward the exit, a sense of impending trouble began to settle in.
Some distance away, two String Puppets drifted through the stone rings of the Tomb of Stones, wandering aimlessly as they patrolled the terrain.
At a certain point, they caught sight of a faint figure moving between the stones.
It was neither clear nor fully discernible, yet it stood out just enough from the surrounding shadows. Without comprehension or hesitation, they began moving toward it like mindless creatures.
Oliver continued forward through the labyrinth, unaware of what was closing in on him, the environment masking any sign of danger.
The wind grew even stronger, nearly forcing him backward, making it impossible to perceive anything beyond the relentless howl that filled the space, growing louder and more oppressive.
His ears began to ache.
Rook shifted again within his pocket, prompting Oliver to adjust slightly as he walked, but his attention remained fixed ahead as he focused on avoiding any area that might harbor a group while making his way out of the Tomb of Stones.
It was no longer a favorable location for hunting, not with the winds escalating so aggressively.
Behind him, the two String Puppets followed along his path.
The wind concealed the noise of their movements each time they collided against the stone rings after being pushed off balance, and with Oliver's focus directed forward, nothing alerted him to their presence as they drew closer with every passing moment…
The farther he advanced, the more forceful the wind became, striking against him in steady bursts and making his movements increasingly labored.
He slowed slightly as he reached a wider clearing between the stone rings.
His gaze shifted forward as he attempted to discern the path ahead, one hand raised to shield his eyes from the relentless wind.
"Should be close to the exit by now…"
At that moment, something felt wrong.
It stemmed from a subtle shift that did not correspond with his own movement after he had come to a stop.
His gaze dropped slightly to the ground, and beside him, a shadow stretched across the stone surface, moving in an erratic, almost frantic manner.
"…What?"
He turned slightly, and in that instant, one of the String Puppets lunged at him.