The early spring morning sky was a vibrant azure parted by fluffy white nimbuses scattered about. The rising sun was a slight yellow-hued white that gave off very little heat as it exited the cover of the dense pine trees. Slushy puddles of melted snow soaked the ground and the feet of anyone foolish enough to step in them.

I sat on a dry rock beside the fire as Charlotte did across from me. Charlotte's pristine white teeth tore away at a stick of dried wolf jerky while the fire loudly crackled, exuding heavenly warmth. A wooden cross was stuck above a burial mound, behind her, entombing the seven pups and their mother.

Three nights and two days had passed since Charlotte and I were attacked by dire wolves, making this the morning of the seventh or eighth day after the whole world went to shit. Not much had happened in the last two days that was worthy of note; most of it was spent constructing a wall around the cave mouth to insulate its insides.

The wall was composed of vertically place bones and tree branches covered in multiple layers of mud and plant fiber. The door that led inside was covered by a flap of wolf hide stitched together with a shoestring. Even now, it still got pretty cool inside, but it was better than nothing, especially since the tank for the heater emptied out the night before last.

Aside from the door flap, I had also stitched Charlotte a warm fur-coated blanket, which she said made sleeping much more bearable. However, the hard ground still gave her cramps each morning, which she would quickly heal with her life-magic. It was a minor inconvenience but an inconvenience, nonetheless.

All parts of the dire wolves were put up for sale on the market and were currently being auctioned off. I couldn't sell the standard wolf parts as they weren't catalogued by the System; however, I did make jerky from their meat and organs.

[Coins: 20]

[Selling: 1462 Dire Wolf Bones, 79 units of Dire Wolf Meat, 62 units of Dire Wolf Organs, 5 Dire Wolf Pelts]

[Bought: n/a]

There was quite the quantity of items being sold, especially the bones which were sold individually rather than in units. According to the System, they would be sold off sometime within the next hour or so. I could only imagine how much I would be getting for all of it.

Retrieving the five experience crystals from my pocket, I observed them closely. Four crystals were number three in glowing golden numbering similar to an alarm clock, and the fifth crystal was numbered four with no other visible change.

I looked back at Charlotte—still chewing on the stiff jerky—contemplating whether I should give her the crystals or try ingesting them for myself. I sighed, knowing full-well that it was pointless.

"Catch."

I tossed her the crystals, and she returned with a curious gaze. Then without a word, she stuck them in her mouth and swallowed down the liquid experience.

[User: Charlotte Parker]

[Race: Halfling]

[Class: Healer]

[Lv: 5]

[Xp: 1250/1300]

[Body: 10]

[Mental: 12]

[Senses: 12]

[Magic: 75]

[Skills: Class ability (Life-Magic Knowledge), Class ability (Life-Magic Control)]

[Traits: n/a]

After reading this, I realized that it wasn't even enough experience for me to level up anyway. The total experience only amounted to eighty-five meaning I would've needed another fifteen just to get to level one.

Charlotte tilted her head to the side, timidly apologizing, "Sorry."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Sorry for what, exactly?"

Her head fell to the floor, "I'm sorry that I didn't level up."

"It's okay. I assumed you wouldn't anyway." I laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. I was a bit confused why she seemed so upset by this. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything. You'll get there—"

"When?!!" she yelled with sudden irritation.

I was dumbstruck by her seemingly abrupt burst of emotion. It made me worry if I did or said something rude that made her feel inadequate.

She set the jerky down on a rock beside the fire and sprinted into the cave, closing shut the flap behind her. After a few minutes, I heard what sounded like her crying and whaling muffled under layers of fabric.

I wanted to go inside and comfort her but ultimately decided against it; If she was mad with me, then she might not have wanted to see me.

I rubbed my face with confusion and retrieved—from out of my pocket—the weird mushroom I found from the forest, closely inspecting it.

[Item: Brain-rot Glowshroom]

[Type: Ingredient]

[Quality: Low]

[Effects: Poison (Brain-Rot)]

Its quality had degraded from high to low, so I assumed that the fungus was becoming less potent as each day passed. If I wanted to get a good effect out of it, I'd have to find a use for it before it degraded completely. What more, I had to find out what "Brain-Rot" poison could even be used for.

[Help: Brain-rot poison slowly impairs the brain until the afflicted person or creature becomes brain-dead. It can be cured with an antidote, but any effects it has on the user are permanent.]

"Could this be it!" I excitedly shouted discerning that this was how I could improve my Mental attribute.

Without much more consideration, I popped the mushroom into my mouth and swallowed it down. I didn't immediately feel anything, so I raised my hands to the fire and began waiting.

After several minutes all I felt was a mild head-cramp, but then the cramping slowly began to feel like pens and needles, and then knives twisting and turning inside my skull.

I jumped up in pain, gripping my head and yelling, "Charlotte! Help?!!"

Soon after, Charlotte burst out of the tent panicked, asking, "W-What's wrong?"

Charlotte had dried tear stains up and down her cheeks with an expression that lacked confidence.

"I poisoned myself with a brain-rot mushroom and need an antidote quickly." I groaned in desperation.

"W-Why did you—?"

I fell on my back, having briefly lost consciousness. Opening my eyes, I saw Charlotte look at me with terror yelling something or other. Though I could hear her, I couldn't interpret what she was saying, and soon after I couldn't even interpret that it was her face, I was looking at. Eventually, I couldn't see, hear smell, think, or feel anything. All my thoughts and sensations had come to a complete and total standstill.

***

[Item/s sold: 37 Coins]