By the time I got back to the inn, it was already nighttime, and I had to say my shopping trip was pretty damn successful.

  My arms were loaded down with packages wrapped in brown paper and tied with rough twine.

  All in all, I was pretty proud of myself. I'd nailed my first guild job, made good money, and bought everything I needed to start getting my life together in this world.

  And hey, I still had a few silvers left in my pouch.

  But even with all that success, my thoughts kept circling back to my dead basilisk.

  The whole thing should've horrified me, right? Any normal person would be relieved that a dangerous monster was dead. I would feel grateful it couldn't hurt anyone else.

  But all I felt was this hollow grief. Like I'd lost a family.

  God, how much have I changed?

  Did the skill mess with my head somehow?

  It was totally possible. The Monster Maker ability was way more complicated than I'd thought at first. The mental links, being able to feel what my creatures felt, these weird maternal instincts I had toward them—none of that was in the original description.

  Maybe creating monsters changed me too. Maybe the more I used this power, the more my brain shifted to make room for these new relationships.

  Or maybe I'm just going crazy.

  Wouldn't be the first time.

  Either way, there wasn't much I could do about it now. The basilisk was dead, and I had to keep moving forward.

  I settled onto the narrow bed in my small room, setting my packages aside. The familiar warmth in my chest called to me—my wild power, now sitting at eleven days' worth after today's accumulation.

  It's been more than a week since I did this.

  The longest I'd gone without exploring my abilities since I'd first discovered them.

  But I needed this. To move on. To plan for the future instead of drowning in guilt over the past.

  I need to be stronger. For my sake and for my monsters.

  I closed my eyes and focused on that warm feeling in my chest, letting it pull me inward. The familiar sensation of sinking into darkness washed over me as everything around the room faded away.

  When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in that star-filled void again.

  The same endless darkness scattered with points of light, screens ready to pop up at my command.

  God, I missed this place.

  Despite everything that had happened, despite the guilt and the pain, there was something comforting about being here.

  Blue screens materialized around me, displaying templates and options I'd been creating back then.

  I also noticed the basilisk template, sitting there among my saved designs. I shook my head hard, dismissing it immediately.

  Focus, I told myself.

  With eleven days worth of wild power, there were many options from me to choose and design from.

  But what do I actually need right now?

  I floated there in the void, surrounded by endless possibilities, trying to figure out which path would lead me forward instead of deeper into darkness.

  To be honest, I'd had a monster idea brewing in my mind for a while now. Something inspired by all the fiction I'd consumed back in my old life—a combination of concepts that had always fascinated me.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  A shadowy creature, something like a symbiote but I was thinking of blending more elements from different sources

  A sentient shadow that could function as a living appendage, following my commands without question. Something that could protect me, fight alongside me, maybe even enhance my own abilities.

  I started pulling up design screens, my excitement building despite the guilt still weighing on my chest. This could be perfect. A monster that would never be separated from me.

  The design was complex—more complex than anything I'd attempted before.

  First of all, the creature would stay inside my body most of the time unless when needed, and it could be capable of reshaping itself into weapons, shields, or additional limbs.

  The costs were climbing as I added features. .

  By the end the initial cost was around 13 days and that's without the loyalty upgrade.

  With loyalty, it would be sixteen days total. Unfortunately right now, I only had eleven stored up.

  Another thing, there were also additional options for power investment, something I learned back then when I was still exploring my skill.

  By default, a monster I created would have passive growth abilities, getting stronger through time and battles. But by investing more wild power than the initial cost, I could choose its starting level based on how much extra wild power I used.

  It was like a video game character that could level up naturally, but I had the option to start it at a higher level if I paid more upfront. If I added another four days' worth of power, the creature would be incredibly strong right from the start around A-rank in my estimations.

  The more wild power invested, the stronger it would become initially. But even at the base cost, it would grow over time, adapting and evolving as we faced challenges together.

  Speaking of which, both Fei and Nox had grown way stronger than when I first created them. I could feel it through our bond, that they'd been evolving, growing stronger through experience and combat.

  That's actually how I knew that my monsters could grow, seeing how much Nox and Fei had improved from their starting point.

  Either way, I had a lot more saving up to do. But at least now I had a clear goal to work toward.

  This is going to be worth the wait.

  =====

  The next day, I was at the guild about to look for another job when someone called out to me.

  "Are you Vera?"

  I turned around and saw a young man, maybe a few years younger than me. Sandy brown hair, green eyes…

  The moment I saw him, I felt a surge of anger. This was one of the adventurers from the meadows. One of the adventurers who'd killed my basilisk.

  But at the same time, I felt helpless. Torn. What could I do about it?

  The anger had nowhere to go, just sat there burning in my chest like poison.

  And there was something about him that looked familiar, though I couldn't place why. Something in the shape of his face, the way he carried himself.

  I nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's me."

  "You are?" I asked, studying his face more carefully.

  He stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Marcus. Henrik's grandson."

  The words hit me like a train.

  Henrik's grandson.

  Oh god…I didn’t know he had a grandson.

  I just stood there, staring at his outstretched hand while my brain tried to process what he'd just said. I could see Henrik in this young man's features now.

  My hand trembled slightly as I reached out to shake his, the anger from moments before now mixed with guilt so thick I could barely breathe.

  "I'm... I'm so sorry about your grandfather."

  Marcus's grip was firm, warm. "Thank you. That means a lot."

  I swallowed hard, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I should have been able to save him. I tried, but I wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough. I failed him."

  "Hey, no." Marcus's voice was gentle but firm. "It's not your fault. Jorik told me what happened—how you saved them.

  He squeezed my hand before letting go. "You saved my grandfather's life at least twice before... before the end. Without you, he would've died in that burning village with everyone else. You gave him extra time, extra days he wouldn't have had."

  "But—"

  "No buts." Marcus shook his head. "You did everything you could with what you had. Nobody could ask for more than that."

  If only you knew it was my monster that killed him. My basilisk that finished what the bandits started.

  That I'm the reason Henrik died.

  "I just wish..." I started, then stopped. What could I say? That I wished I'd never lost control? That I wished I'd been strong enough?

  "I know," Marcus said quietly. "I wish things had been different too. But you tried to save him, Vera. That's what matters. ”

  I fell silent, tears threatening to spill over.

  You have no idea how wrong you are.

  Then Marcus shifted slightly, his expression growing less formal. "Actually, I was wondering... are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you and Jorik to dinner, if that's okay."

  My first instinct was to refuse. The last thing I wanted was to sit through a meal with Henrik's grandson while the weight of what I'd done pressed down on me like a boulder.

  "I don't think—" I started.

  "Please," Marcus interrupted. "Jorik's been... he's been struggling since everything happened. I think it would do him good to see you again. And honestly?" He ran a hand through his hair. "I could use the company too. It's been a rough few days."

  The guilt crashed over me again, making it impossible to say no. How could I refuse when I was the reason he was in pain?

  "Okay," I said, hating myself for the relief that flickered across his face. "Yeah, I'm free tonight."

  "Great." Marcus's smiled. "There's this tavern called The Copper Mug. Jorik and I are meeting there around sunset.

  This is going to be torture but nodded anyway. "I'll be there."