The wyrm could only hold back her hunger for ten or so seconds before she started to dig into the wolf's carcass. Her appetite was utterly voracious, and it seemed like she put in more effort eating than fighting. Putting her front legs on the carcass to anchor herself to it, she took vicious bites out of the carcass. She ate through fur, tough muscles, viscera, and even tried to gnaw on the bones. She did not waste a single part of the wolf, eating everything she could.

Within a few minutes, she had left only the bones, and even those, she had picked clean, chewing off every little piece of flesh and slurping off every little drop of blood. She even tore up and ate the bloodsoaked grass underneath.

Li was surprised she could even physically eat that much. The wolf must have been almost twice her size. When she finally finished eating, she plopped down on her side, her breathing heavy because her stomach bulged to almost unnatural positions. The sight reminded Li of pythons whose bellies stretched to fit prey far wider than them.

Li knelt down by the wyrm to pet her and see how she was doing, but she had fallen asleep already, tired as she was from fighting and eating so much. Remarkably, he noticed as his eyes traced up and down her body, looking for any wounds to heal, that whatever scrapes and bruises she suffered were regenerating at incredible speeds.

Li knew how fast her [Lesser Passive Regeneration] worked, and it was not nearly as fast as this. The bite marks on her neck and front leg covered up with new flesh within seconds, the bleeding staunching.

Iona knelt by Li as well, observing the wyrm with a disinterested glance, but mostly, it was because her eyes had a permanent sense of tired disinterest imbued in them no matter what she felt. "My, look at that evolution. It is exceptionally fast, yes, even among dragonkin."

Li followed Iona's gaze and saw that the wyrm was changing. Her front legs, initially a little thin to support her stout and sturdy body, were filling out with muscle, becoming like sturdy trunks. Her scales were shifting from smooth patches into rough, protruding shingles. The color of her scales shifted too, changing from an olive green to a darker shade, almost brown, almost like her scales were turning into bark.

He had never before witnessed draconic evolution in action. Elden World lore always talked about it, how dragons evolved by consuming others. That was how lesser dragonkin like wyrms could evolve to drakes and dragons in the first place. But the game had never coded that interaction.

"These are interesting scales," said Li as he ran a finger across the new patches of bark-like scales. They did not cover her entire body yet, but soon, perhaps with more strong meals, they would. "I've never seen their type."

At the least, not in Elden World, but here in Eldenia, anything was possible.

"Dragonkin evolution is always a surprise, after all, yes." Iona nodded. "Contingent on not only the type of flesh consumed, but the environment around them and the nature of their caretakers."

Li glanced at the thick forest around him. "Yeah, forest all around us. Makes sense that her scales would look like this."

"And forest within you as well, her bonded parent," said Iona to Li. "The bonds between a dragonkin infant and their bonded parent are stronger than mere physical attachments. They tie to the spiritual level. I am sure her growth will be special to have a guardian such as yourself as her parent."

"Curious. You say the parent-child bonds are strong? But her real mother didn't seem like the type who would have coddled her. She flat out told me to just let her loose and have her fend for herself when she was able."

"Hm. Quite strange." Iona cocked her head, thinking for a few seconds before shrugging. "But I do not know of how dragonkin live west in the Hinterlands and the Mire Bogs, no."

"But you're familiar with dragons up north? Were they on friendly terms with your kind?"

"Our kind," Iona corrected Li. "And friendly? No. If they were, then they would have aided us when the elves razed the green. But neither were they hostile. Dragons are arrogance incarnate. They care not of others so long as their own stands strong."

"I see." Li reached down and picked the wyrm up in his arms, carrying her like a giant infant. An ordinary man would have struggled to lift her for sure, but Li was no man, and she was light as a feather in his arms. When he pressed her to his chest, she instinctively cooed and dug her head into his shoulder for the comforting warmth.

"Well, I for one am sure I won't be raising her like that. If there's anything that gets on my nerves, it's arrogance that can't be backed up."

Li had precious little idea of how to legitimately raise a wyrm, but he did have an idea of what good human parenting was like. All he had to do was remember how his parents had raised him, drilling into him hardwork, respect, and appreciation.

"I will look forward to it. A reasonable dragonkin? Now that will be a curious sight to behold." Iona smiled. "If ever you find yourself busy, then I will always be more than happy to take care of her when you cannot."

"I didn't take you for the babysitting type."

"Forest spirits are nurturing existences, after all. How I remember enjoying teaching beastmen cubs to play in the forest while respecting it. And I am sure she will not be half as difficult as teaching fickle and foolish humans."

Right. If she had the patience to dedicate years of her life to try and help humans to see a better relationship with nature, then it stood to reason that she would have no issue with babysitting a wyrm, though Li had no idea how the wyrm would do if she was separated from him.

"She's my responsibility, but if the need ever arises, I'll know who to call," said Li. "Now, shall we get back to meditating?"

Iona shook her head. "No need. You have progressed far enough already. You should get rest. More for her sake than yours." She gently tapped the wyrm's back. "She will enjoy a warm fire much more than this cold, dead forest."

"You do have a nurturing eye, huh." Li nodded at Iona, motioning for her to follow him out the forest. As he took the first few steps out, his sensitive ears picked up at incoming movement.