"This forest is called Spring Touch Forest —moo."

Chole Millian spoke calmly as they walked, her voice steady like someone who had lived in forests her whole life.

"The best way to find a safe place in a forest isn’t by guessing," she continued. "It’s by knowing what the monsters are doing. Where they are... and where they aren’t." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Tyler listened carefully while Serena walked silently beside them, ears twitching at every sound.

"For example," Chole went on, "Goblins, Kobolds, and Orcs are the main monsters that roam here. Some move in groups, some wander alone. When stronger monsters move, the weaker ones are forced to leave their territory."

She pointed ahead with her staff.

"When that happens, the safest place is often where the Orcs used to live."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "That sounds backward."

Chole smiled slightly.

"Most people think so. But weaker monsters fear those places. They won’t return until the Orcs come back."

She continued walking.

"Some monsters also move with the weather. River Lobsters, for example, they only stay where the water is warm. When the temperature drops, they migrate."

Serena flicked her tail at the mention.

"So if we follow this route," Chole concluded, "we should reach a safer resting area by tomorrow—moo."

By the time they stopped, the sun was already sinking. Evening shadows stretched long across the forest floor.

Tyler set up a small campfire while Serena circled the area once before sitting down. Kristina brought out the yellow fruits they had gathered earlier.

"These are called Yellowstone Fruits," Kristina said proudly. "They’re common in the northern part of the forest. Very tasty—moe."

Tyler took one bite and nodded. "Not bad." He didn’t tell them that he already have few hundreds with him.

Then he skewered a few and held them over the fire.

A soft sizzling sound followed.

The fruit skin blistered slightly, releasing a sweet aroma into the air.

"...Oh," Tyler muttered, eyes lighting up. "This smells way better."

They tried it grilled.

The sweetness deepened, and the texture softened.

Kristina clapped her hands lightly. "It is better!"

Serena snatched one when Tyler was busy flirting.

As they ate, Tyler finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Why do you two always say ’moo’ and ’moe’?"

Kristina froze. Her ears drooped slightly.

"It’s just our habit..." she said quietly. "You don’t like it? Moe...?"

"Huh?" Tyler blinked. "No, not at all."

He smiled "It’s cute."

Kristina’s ears perked up again immediately.

The fire crackled gently as night settled in.

After they finished eating, Tyler stood up and stretched. Then, without much explanation, he pulled both Chole and Kristina closer.

"What—?" Chole started.

Before she could finish, the world shifted.

The forest vanished.

They were suddenly inside a quiet, dark space.

"This is...?" Kristina whispered.

"The pocket dimension," Tyler said casually. "Don’t worry. It only works if Serena allows it."

Serena sat nearby, tail swaying like she owned the place.

Mother and daughter looked around in awe.

A storage treasure that could hold living beings they had never even heard of such a thing. They remembered how Tyler had pulled stored the seeds before thinking it was just a storage ring that adventures uses.

This was on a completely different level.

"...It’s safe," Chole said softly.

For the first time since the village was gone, since they were left behind, they felt it.

Kristina curled up beside her mother. Chole slowly relaxed, years of tension easing from her shoulders.

Outside, the forest was still dangerous.

But here, wrapped in quiet darkness, with a strange human and a smug orange cat—

They slept peacefully.

For the first time in a very long while.

---

The next morning started badly.

Very badly.

They washed up at the river just after sunrise. The water was cold enough to bite. Tyler had barely finished splashing his face when Serena’s fur suddenly stood on end.

"Don’t tell me—" Tyler muttered.

The river surface rippled.

A massive shadow shifted beneath the water.

"RUN!"

They didn’t need a second warning. A river lobster burst upward, claws snapping as it chased them halfway up the riverbank. Tyler slipped once, grabbed Kristina by the arm, and sprinted while Chole kept pace surprisingly well despite her size.

They only stopped running after the lobster gave up and sank back into the river.

"...I hate this forest," Tyler panted.

"It must been migrating this place due to coldness in the water... Moe"

They hadn’t even walked ten minutes before the next problem appeared.

A goblin jumped out of a bush with a shrill laugh and grabbed Chole’s butt.

Before the goblin could even react—

BAM!

Tyler’s fist slammed into its face, "That’s my property."

Then another.

And another.

He didn’t stop until the goblin collapsed into the dirt, lifeless.

Tyler stood there breathing hard, knuckles red.

Chole rushed forward immediately and grabbed his hand, wrapping it with a piece of cloth torn from her sleeve.

"You’re bleeding," she said anxiously. "Don’t fight barehanded—moo!"

Kristina watched silently from behind, cheeks puffed slightly.

"...Hmph," she muttered, clearly unhappy about how close they were.

They both didn’t notice Tyler’s words due to their own worries.

Serena walked over and stepped on the goblin’s face once for good measure.

After that, the journey became quieter. No more monsters showed up, as if the forest itself decided they’d suffered enough for the morning.

By midday, Chole finally stopped and pointed ahead.

"Look... we’ve arrived—moo."

Tyler stepped forward and looked around.

It wasn’t a village nor It wasn’t even a clearing.

It was a wide patch of land where weeds and bushes grew thick, surrounded naturally by several massive stone formations. Some rocks leaned inward like walls, others stood tall like watchtowers. The ground was uneven but firm, and the forest thinned just enough to let sunlight through.

"Well, well, well..." Tyler muttered.

Kristina walked to the edge and peered down.

"There’s no water source here," she said. "We’ll have to go down to the river to fetch it."

"That’s fine," Tyler replied without hesitation.

He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

"Let’s clean this place up."

Without waiting, he grabbed a handful of weeds and yanked them out. Dirt sprayed everywhere.

"This place..." Tyler said, glancing around as he worked, "this will be our home and farm."

Chole froze for a second.

Kristina blinked.

Then both of them smiled.

They joined him.

Chole used her strength to pull out thick roots. Kristina cleared smaller bushes and piled them together. Serena, not wanting to be left out, grabbed weeds with her mouth and dragged them aside, tail swishing proudly.

It wasn’t fast work.

They got dirty. Tyler’s shirt was soaked with sweat. Kristina tripped once and laughed at herself. Chole wiped her brow more times than she could count.

But slowly, the land began to change.

The weeds disappeared. The ground became visible. Rocks that once looked random now felt like natural walls. The space started to feel... livable.

Tyler stepped back and looked at their progress.

"Not bad," he said.

Kristina wiped her hands on her dress. "It’s actually nice here... moe."

Chole nodded. "The rocks will block the wind. Monsters won’t easily approach from all sides."

Serena jumped onto one of the stones and sat like a guard.

Tyler smiled faintly.

A while later, Chole returned carrying three mugs filled with milk and an extra bowl placed carefully on top.

"When did you even started milking –" Tyler started, then stopped.

Between the work and the heat, Chole’s dress had become slightly see-through from sweat. Kristina’s wasn’t much better. Tyler quickly averted his eyes, pretending to be very interested in the ground.

Chole handed him a mug. Tyler used the copper pot to make copies, both mother and daughter didn’t even notice that they are the same mugs.

Tyler didn’t hesitate. He lifted it and chugged the milk down in one go, the cool sweetness washing away his exhaustion.

Kristina held her mug with both hands and drank slowly, leaving a white mustache on her lips. Serena didn’t even bother with manners —she stuck her face straight into the bowl and started licking happily.

Only Chole didn’t drink.

Tyler noticed and asked, "You’re not having any?"

Chole shook her head lightly. "It feels... strange drinking my own milk," she said shyly. Instead, she picked up a few Yellowstone fruits and ate them quietly.

Tyler nodded, pretending that made perfect sense.

’Don’t worry, ’ he thought without realizing. ’ I’ll make sure you’re well-fed with my own milk.’

He froze.

"...I should really stop my intrusive thoughts," Tyler muttered under his breath.

Kristina tilted her head. "Moe?"

"Nothing," Tyler replied quickly, coughing once. Couldn’t help but glance at her too.

Serena glanced up from the bowl, milk on her whiskers, clearly judging him.

The camp grew quiet again. The fire crackled softly, the forest breeze cooled their sweaty skin, and for a brief moment, everything felt calm.

Then suddenly the sky began to darken with rain clouds.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Tyler shouted.