Eryx’s lower body began to morph, clothes dissolving as his spine elongated, transforming fully into his true python form.

The transformation was not graceful like Kael’s wolf shift.

A deep, heavy pressure settled over the shoreline as Eryx’s massive body unfolded. The mud beneath him sank slightly under his growing weight, and the nearby leaves trembled from the slow movement of his enormous coils.

And now that he did, he was completely majestic. His massive snake body laid thick against the muddy shoreline, his intricate, greenish-patterned scales looking incredibly smooth and shiny under the sun.

He smoothly circled around Kael’s limp frame. With a terrifying yet perfectly controlled display of muscle control, he slid underneath Kael, scooping him upward so the wolf-man lay flat and balanced along his wide, scaled back.

Nuan quickly moved in, carefully folding Kael’s uninjured right arm over his chest to keep it from dragging in the dirt.

Suddenly, the unconscious Kael’s wolf ears twitched faintly. A low, barely audible, sub-audible vibration rumbled in his throat.

Nuan blinked, staring down. "Wait... is he literally growling while completely unconscious?"

Eryx turned his massive, triangular snake head back, his slitted eyes looking down at his passenger. "Interesting. Even when walking the line near death, his territorial instincts remain active."

"Of course they do," Nuan sighed, wiping her bloody hands on her skin skirt. "His brain probably has exactly two core settings protect me and be unnecessarily dramatic."

Eryx let out a soft hiss of amusement and began moving, his massive body slithering forward with a perfectly smooth, low-impact glide that didn’t jostle Kael’s fractured ribs at all.

Nuan quickly turned back to the massive carcass. She yanked her hunting knife out of the moose’s heart, stashing it in her waistband, and then gripped the wooden spear protruding from the base of its skull.

She pulled with all her might, trying to salvage the weapon, but it was buried so deeply into the bone framework that the wood instantly snapped right in half with a loud CRACK!

"Urgh! Never mind!" Nuan muttered, tossing the broken shaft aside. She slapped her palm against the giant, dead bull moose and thought. Inventory.

Nothing happened.

The moose just sat there, a 1,500-pound lump of unmoving meat.

Inventory!! she ordered again in her mind, harder this time. Yet, the system pixels completely failed to materialize, and the carcass didn’t dissolve into blue light.

She looked up, panicking as Eryx’s massive tail was already slowly disappearing into the thick foliage of the woods.

Hey, Blue Buddy! Why isn’t the harvest getting into the inventory?! Nuan asked urgently, her competitive predator pride flaring up at the thought of losing her premium prize.

[ Error: You cannot place this entire Mature Moose inside the Inventory, Host. ]

Why the hell not?!

[ You do not possess enough remaining volumetric storage space for an object of this mass. ]

But I’ve always put stuff inside before and there was never a structural problem! Nuan hissed in her mind, casting a frantic glance toward the dark treeline where Eryx was fading from view.

[ There is a strict capacity limit, Host! I am a high-tech system, not a 4D pocket attached to a blue robot cat’s stomach! You currently have two hares, blanket, clothes. ]

"Ugh, fine! Then I guess we have to leave our hard-earned hunt out here for the scavengers," Nuan muttered, her logical heart breaking over the wasted premium fat and hide.

Knowing she couldn’t afford to lose her medical transport, Nuan turned away from the majestic beast, bracing her weight onto her good leg.

She started limping and hopping forward into the brush as fast as her human body could carry her, desperate to catch up with the slow, rhythmic glide of the python.

An agonizing hour and a half later, the slow-moving botanical transport finally reached the border of the wolf territory.

The moment Eryx’s massive, unfamiliar python scent drifted into the camp, the entire clearing exploded into a frenzy.

Dozens of wolves emerged from their dens, their hackles raised, teeth bared, letting out aggressive, bone-chilling growls that vibrated through the earth.

But the aggression stuttered into absolute confusion the moment Nuan stepped out of the thick brush first, limping but vertical, followed immediately by the giant, glittering green python carrying their Alpha flat on his back.

The entire pack rushed toward them in a frantic, chaotic wave.

"Alpha!!"

"Alpha is not moving!"

"What happened?!"

Two of the larger, muscular male wolves transformed mid-run, their fangs bared as they lunged forward to shred the snake beastman to pieces.

"STOP! GET BACK!" Nuan screamed, instantly throwing her small, fragile human body directly between Eryx and the incoming claws, using her authority as the pack’s witch to force them to halt.

"Move!"

Selka’s commanding, raw, yet deeply panicked voice sliced through the chaos, forcing the crowd to part instantly.

The older matriarch dropped to her knees the second Eryx smoothly slid Kael onto the grass.

Her experienced hands hovered over Kael’s mangled, asymmetric left shoulder, and absolute panic flashed across her normally unshakeable eyes.

She didn’t waste a single heartbeat, barking orders like a seasoned general. "Take the Alpha to my private den! Carefully!"

She pointed aggressively at the younger hunters. "Gather the whiteclaw herbs from the eastern ridge! Now!"

"Bring me fresh goat’s flesh and clear water!"

A massive, heavily muscled warrior wolf carefully scooped Kael’s limp body

and sprinted toward Selka’s den.

The rest of the pack swarmed behind them, desperate to follow. Nuan instinctively stepped forward to help, but as she reached the mouth of the cave, Selka abruptly raised her hand, gesturing fiercely for her to stay outside.

For the first time since Nuan entered the wolf territory, the pack’s eyes were not filled with curiosity or admiration.

They were filled with fear.

Whispers spread quietly through the gathered wolves.

"She returned without a single injury..."

"But the Alpha is broken."

"Why was the serpent carrying him?"

"Did the witch lead him into danger?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

No one said the accusations loudly. Not while their Alpha’s life hung in the balance.

But Nuan could feel every suspicious stare burning into her.

The cave entry was barred to her.

Inside, Koda and the younger wolves quickly lit their newly crafted defensive torches, rushing into the dark cave to provide vital illumination for the medical emergency.

Outside, the remaining pack members formed a tight, anxious circle around the den, their ears pinned back, casting suspicious, deeply unnerved glances at the furless female.

Nuan stepped back slowly, standing completely alone in the center of the clearing.

Eryx smoothly transformed back into his half-snake beastman form, his long, emerald tail coiling beneath him as his pale torso materialized from the scales.

He looked around the camp, a dry, observant smirk playing on his lips.

"It seems you returning entirely unscratched while their mighty Alpha is completely broken has caused a rather heavy amount of distrust..." Eryx murmured, his golden eyes glancing toward the dark fire pits where the remnants of last night’s bison lay. "Even after everything you have built for them."

"Tsk... shut up," Nuan muttered, her chest tightening as she stared at the glowing torches inside Selka’s den. "I’m genuinely thankful for your help, Eryx. But you need to leave. Right now."

"Pss..." Eryx let out a soft, sibilant hiss, bowing his head with mock elegance. "Sure, I shall depart before the mood sours further. But remember, Nuan... if they choose to kick you out of their dynamic framework, come looking for the Emerald Coil territory. I will welcome you with open arms."

"Yeah, a snake welcoming me with open arms. Thanks," Nuan muttered dryly under her breath.

Without another word, Eryx turned and smoothly glided backward, his majestic green form melting seamlessly into the shadows of the jungle, leaving Nuan alone to face the silent, mounting tension of the waiting pack.