[ The was the first and the last present my mother had given to me. ] ( Chloe )

She showed a sad look on her face as she said that.

But that wasn't my point in asking her about that necklace.

Somehow, that necklace feels familiar to me. It feels like it's calling for me. I had the urge to touch it!

[ But I wonder why it's glowing, this is the first time my necklace is reacting this way. ] ( Chloe )

She said as she was looking at her own shiny necklace.

I started approaching Chloe and slowly closed the distance between her necklace and my finger.

[ Hatsuko, what are you... ] ( Chloe )

She reacted, but she didn't move away from her position.

My index finger was some centimeters away from the glowing rock on her necklace. But the closer I was getting, the brighter the glowing rock was becoming.

Even Chloe found it weird the fact that her necklace was reacting this way.

And the moment I finally touched it.... her necklace turned back to normal and stopped shining.

[ It stopped? ] ( Chloe )

Chloe asked as she was staring at her own necklace between her chest.

But after a few seconds, the rock on her necklace started glowing again, but the color was different than before.

The color of the rock became bright green.

[ It became green? ] ( Chloe )

The longer I had my finger on the glowing rock the more I felt that it was warming me up.

I felt like all the exhaustion I had, disappeared the next moment.

What is that glowing rock? And why does it feel it's familiar to me?

It feels really weird...

Wait... what if the rock is the cause I can't see her status?

[ Give me your necklace me. ] ( Hatsuko )

I told her as I removed my hand away from her.

She looked at me once again.

[ I'm sorry but I cant... I promised my mother that I would never take off this necklace. ] ( Chloe )

I see...

Maybe I will try and take it off when she is asleep or when she dies.

I thought as I continued walking.

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———————————

We continued walking randomly without knowing where we were heading to.

I wasn't sure how far I was from U.G.C but before going there, I needed to find something to power up my ability.

While we were walking, I noticed the presence of a monster near the bushes.

When I noticed that the monsters had stopped moving for a second, I charged towards it really fast. And with my hand, I grabbed the monster really tight. The monster was a white rabbit.

The moment, I charged towards the monster, I felt Shiro's claws holding on to my clothes.

...Maybe I should have put her down before doing this.

[ Hatsuko, what are you... ] ( Chloe )

While ignoring her, I continued doing what I had in mind.

{Life draining}

Without thinking too much about it, I drained everything that that monster had within it.

And in a few seconds, my arm regenerated as if It was never gone. I threw the rabbit in the ground after I got everything I needed from it.

[ H-Hatsuko! Y-your arm!? Is back?! ] ( Chloe )

She reacted as she started touching my regenerated arm. She kept on rubbing and touching my arm as if she couldn't believe what just happened.

[ Let's go. ] ( Hatsuko )

I said to her and removed my hand from her.

[ But your arm?! How!? ] ( Chloe )

She kept staring at my arm.

[ Stop asking so many questions or I will leave you behind. ] ( Hatsuko )

I responded as I started walking away from her.

[ Yes... ] ( Chloe )

She was walking on my side as well but I still could feel her gazes directed to me or my arm.

[ One more thing, Don't tell anyone about what just happened. ] ( Hatsuko )

[ Yes... ] ( Chloe )

She responded with the same weak reaction while looking at my arm.

[ Also stop staring at my arm. ] ( Hatsuko )

This was becoming really annoying--

[ Yes... ] ( Chloe )

--She kept replying with the same answer as if she was a programmed robot to say the same lines.

[ Are you listening to me? ] ( Hatsuko )

I stopped in front of her as I asked.

[ Eh? Y-yes I'm listening! ] ( Chloe )

Is she actually?

I continued walking while trying to ignore her gaze directed at me.

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As we continued walking for days, our daily routine was basically the same.

Walk, rest, hunt non-poisonous monsters, eat, repeat.

This continued until we reached a massive mountain which could be seen from kilometers away from here.

[ We aren't going up that mountain are we? ] ( Chloe )

She smiled wryly as she asked me that.

[ We're gonna need some monster skin cover ourselves. ] ( Hatsuko )

I said to myself when I realized that the higher the ground gets, the colder it becomes. That's why I thought about using monster skin to cover ourselves up.

[ No way... ] ( Chloe )

She looked down as she realized what my decision was.

But going up that mountain wasn't a random decision. That place looked like a suitable habitat for powerful monsters.

Maybe I will find the last soul on the way up to the mountain.

I could go there by flying, but Chloe would freeze to death from the cold air or the high ground level.

I also prepared some cooked food for Chloe, just in case we won't be able to find any monster to kill. The monster's skin we had hunted, was thick enough to keep us warm from the temperatures.

Everything was ready!

Shiro also had her own small coat which Chloe had prepared for her.

[ Let's go. ] ( Hatsuko )

I told her as I started walking.

And while pouting, she came to my side and started walking with me.