Then—she reached for the second pouch. Her eyes sharpened again.
"Let's see if this one's any better."
Her tone carried a hint of anticipation as her spiritual sense pressed against the seal once more—ready to erase the next imprint.
The pouch rested lightly against her paw. She didn't rush. Her earlier success had sharpened her focus, not made her careless.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"This one…" she tilted her head, "…feels stronger."
Not Golden Core. But close enough to be annoying.
She exhaled softly and closed her eyes. Her spiritual sense extended—thin, precise—slipping into the pouch like a thread of silk, brushing lightly against the imprint within.
This one reacted immediately. A faint pulse. Resistance. Sharper than the last.
The fox's ears twitched. "…Mm."
She didn't push yet. Instead, she circled it. Studied it. Mapped its structure. Noted where it was strongest, where it was weakest.
Seconds passed.
Then—she smiled faintly.
"Found it."
A weak point. Tiny. But enough.
Her spiritual sense tightened and pressed. Not everywhere—just there. The imprint trembled. Resisted. Pushed back harder.
The fox's expression didn't change. Her pressure increased. Steady. Relentless.
The pouch shook faintly in her paw. The resistance grew stronger, trying to cling. But it was already too late.
Cracks began to form. Invisible—but real.
Her tail flicked once.
Then—
**Snap.**
The imprint shattered. Gone.
The pouch fell silent instantly.
The fox's eyes opened. A slow grin spread across her muzzle.
"…Got you too."
No pause. Her spiritual sense plunged inside. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh?"
Her posture straightened. Interest sparked immediately.
"This one's better."
Items began to rise one by one. More spirit stones—higher quality. Several pills, denser in energy than the last batch. A set of talismans—offensive this time.
Her grin grew.
"Now this is more like it."
She sifted through them quickly—efficient, experienced.
Then—she stopped. Something else. Her eyes sharpened. Another jade slip. But this one—felt different. Heavier.
Her paw lifted it slowly.
"…Oh?"
She pressed it to her forehead. A moment passed—then her pupils shrank slightly. Information flowed in. Sharper. Deeper.
Her tail flicked once.
"…Sword technique."
Her voice dropped slightly, no longer casual. Interested. Very interested.
"Mid-tier Earth grade…" she murmured.
A slow smile returned.
"Looks like that one really was the stronger one."
She lowered the jade slip slowly. Then—without hesitation—it disappeared into her storage pouch. Kept. Immediately.
The rest of the items followed, neatly stored away.
When she finished, she exhaled softly, satisfied.
Then finally—she looked up at the lizard, eyes gleaming faintly.
"…That was worth it."
A pause.
Then a small smirk.
"You might want to go hunting more often."
The fox tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the two emptied pouches.
"Hmm."
Her tail flicked once.
"Only two?"
She glanced at the lizard.
"You ran into humans… but just two of them?"
Her gaze dropped briefly to the pouches again.
"Usually they move in groups."
A pause. Her ears perked slightly.
"And what about the other one?"
She leaned forward, curious.
"One had a sword… so where's the rest?"
Her eyes sharpened.
"No other spiritual tools?"
"Hidden items?"
She gave him a pointed look.
"You didn't leave anything behind, did you?"
Then she snorted lightly.
"Or maybe you just didn't look hard enough."
A faint smirk curved her muzzle.
"If you keep moving around like that, you might run into more humans."
"Better ones too."
Her tone carried clear interest. More humans meant more resources, more tools, more techniques.
Then—the lizard spoke. Calm. Simple.
"I did come across a spirit."
The fox blinked. Then immediately—
"Oh?"
Her eyes lit up.
"So you saw a ghost?"
Her tail flicked with interest.
The lizard's response came as calmly as ever.
"Not a ghost."
A brief pause.
"A mountain spirit."
Everything changed.
The fox froze. Her ears shot upright.
"…What?"
In the next instant—she moved.
Closing the distance between them in a blur. Her face came close to his, eyes wide, fully focused.
"A mountain spirit?"
Her voice dropped, serious. No trace of teasing remained.
"Where?"
The cave fell silent.
The fox stood too close—her turquoise eyes locked onto the lizard, sharp, fully alert.
No playfulness. No teasing. Only focus.
"Where?"
The lizard didn't flinch. His golden eyes remained calm.
"In the forest," he said.
A pause.
"Near where I fought them."
The fox's ears twitched. Her mind raced. *That close…?*
Her tail flicked once behind her—slower this time.
"…What did it do?"
She asked immediately.
"Did it attack you?"
"Did it notice you?"
Her gaze searched him, trying to confirm something.
The lizard's reply was simple.
"It didn't see me."
Another pause.
"It was observing."
The fox's pupils narrowed slightly.
"…Observing…" she repeated under her breath.
Then she stepped back slowly, expression shifting into thought.
"That means it's already formed awareness."
Her tail swayed once.
"And it's active."
She began pacing lightly within the cave.
"A mountain spirit isn't like a ghost…"
Her voice grew more serious.
"They don't wander randomly."
"They're tied to the land."
Her eyes flicked toward the cave entrance for a brief second.
"If it's moving around…"
"…that means this area is starting to change."
A faint tension crept into her posture.
"Spiritual density… balance… territory…"
She muttered, piecing it together.
Then she stopped, gaze snapping back to the lizard.
"Did it show any hostility?"
The question came fast. Sharp. The answer mattered—a lot.