Chapter 64: injured white snake

The giant creature was fully processed, its body lying in two separate pieces on both sides of the central root. Victor stood near of the clearing, as he waited for my next command. Behind his mount, the five hundred guards were already organizing the first rows of cedar logs onto the transport wagons.

“Victor, take the main division and head back to Oakhaven immediately,” I said. “Toby needs these roofing beams to secure the home foundations before the evening dampness sets in. I am going to take a solo scout route through the western to make sure the remaining tracking lines are completely clear.”

“Right away, sir,” Victor gave a sharp, rigid bow. He turned his horse around without another word, shouting to the front ranks to move the cargo out of the yard.

I watched the long line of wagons move down the trail until their footsteps faded completely into the distance. The forest around me fell into a deep, peaceful quietness. I turned away from the main track, moving slowly through the high, wild weeds as I walked deeper into the grove of ancient trees.

I had only been walking for ten minutes when a tiny, weak tremor hit my mind. It was not a physical noise, but a soft desperate mental projection vibrating through the surrounding air.

‘Help me… please… someone…’

I stopped instantly, my eyes narrowing as I focused my senses on a large pile of fallen branches near the base of an old cedar tree. The leaves over the pile were disturbed, and the natural energy in that specific spot felt fractured and weak.

I walked over to the tree, knelt down on one knee on the grass, and used my hands to carefully lift the branches out of the way.

Sitting right in the center of the hollow was a tiny white snake. It was no longer than a foot, its skin covered in beautiful, milk-white scales that looked like smooth ivory. But across her middle section, a burning wound had torn through her defensive framework, her energy leaking out.

I looked down at its small, trembling body, and a sudden wave of memory hit my chest. I didn’t know it’s name, origin, or why was out here alone. To my eyes, it was just a tiny reptile lying injured in the brush, looking exactly like I did when I first woke up in this dangerous world with nothing but a broken system.

The white snake lifted her head weakly, her small eyes looking up at me. It let out a very soft, frightened hiss, it small body coiling tighter into the moss as it’s tried to pull away from my large hand.

“Do not move, little one,” I said, my voice very calm and gentle in the quiet woods. “I am not here to collect your core. Your tracking line is a total mess right now. Let’s me fix the damage.”

I reached into my system inventory, pulling out a small glass flask filled with a healing potion. I popped the seal with my fingers and leaned closer to the hollow, making sure my mid-stage Ascendant pressure was completely suppressed so I would not terrify the snake further.

“This might feel a little warm,” I said, carefully tilting the flask to drop the medicine straight onto broken white scales. The liquid soaked into

injury instantly. The burning marks across

middle section began to fade away, the skin knitting back together in less than a minute as the medicine mended it small veins. The trembling in its small tail stopped completely, and its breathing turned smooth and regular once more.

The white snake blinked her small eyes, looking down at its healed body in total surprise. It did not know that the man standing over it was secretly a massive mid-stage Ascendant snake expert; it just felt an incredible, deep sense of safety coming from my hands.

Suddenly, the snake uncoiled herself from the grass, sliding forward with a happy movement. It climbed straight up the sleeve of my coat, her light body circling twice around my left arm before it reached my shoulder.

It did not bite or show any teeth. Instead, leaned its tiny head forward, happily rubbing her smooth white cheek straight against my face, turning around my neck in a small, loving loop to show the absolute gratitude for saving it’s life. The touch of cool scales against my skin felt very sweet and peaceful, a brief moment of genuine connection in the middle of this hard-working world.

“You are welcome, brat,” I laughed softly, reaching up with my finger to gently tap her small nose. “Now get back to your family before another hunter spots your line.”

It let out a tiny, happy hiss right against my ear, as if it understood my words perfectly. And slid back down my long sleeve, dropped onto the grass, and disappeared into a small opening between the deep tree roots, heading back to the hidden realm .

I stood back up to my full height, adjusting my clothes with a normal human smile on my face as I looked at the empty roots. The company asset was secure, a new friend was made, and it was time to head back to the office to see Suzy.

The walk back from the western was quiet until the new walls of Oakhaven appeared ahead. The village was completely transformed. Toby had already lined up the new house frames, and the village families were finishing the roofing supports using the fresh cedar logs Victor’s convoy had brought back earlier.

I bypassed the crowded construction yard and walked straight into the old supervisor’s house, which we had converted into our main branch office.

Suzy was sitting at the wide desk in the center of the room, reviewing the new timber transport sheets. Her clothes fit her figure perfectly, and her long hair was resting over her shoulder as she checked the numbers under the lamp light. When she heard the door close, she lifted her eyes, her face lighting up with a beautiful smile that made her look completely stunning.

“You took a very long solo scout route, Barry,” Suzy said, her voice carrying a soft, playful tone as she leaned back against her chair. “Victor and the five hundred guards have been back for two hours. Did you find any other compliance issues near the river bend?”

“The forest line is completely clear,” I smiled, walking over to the desk and taking off my black coat, hanging it over a wooden post. “The rogues are processed, and the timber production limits are fully secured.”

As I stepped closer to the side of her desk to look at the paperwork, Suzy suddenly stopped talking. Her nostrils twitched slightly as she leaned her upper body forward, her face coming within inches of my chest. She was not looking at the sheets anymore. Her eyes narrowed into a intense stare as she looked straight at the collar of my shirt.

“Barry,” Suzy said, her voice dropping into a very cold tone. “What is that scent on your shoulder?”

I blinked, keeping my face completely calm. “It’s just the natural cedar oil from the woods, partner.”

“It is not cedar oil,” Suzy snapped back, standing up from her chair. She stepped right in front of me, as she sniffed the air near my neck. Her proximity made her skin look incredibly smooth, and her cheeks had a tiny tint of heat on them. “I run a merchant guild, Barry. I know every single resource scent in this province. This is the distinct, sweet scent of a something else.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking up into my eyes with a funny, intense expression of pure jealousy that she was trying very hard to hide. “Did you recruit a new field assistant out in the woods without putting them on the central registry? Why was a female creature rubbing her face against your coat collar?”

I let out a loud laugh, as I realized my small white friend from earlier had left her signature behind. “It was just a tiny stray snake I found under a pile of branches, Suzy. She was injured by the woodsmen’s magic, so I gave her a healing flask. She just crawled up my sleeve to show some quick gratitude before sliding back to her nest. There is no new assistant on the payroll.”

Suzy stared at me for three long seconds, her eyes tracking my features to see if I was lying. When she realized I was telling the truth, she let out a tiny, embarrassed huff, her face turning a little more red as she adjusted her leather belt loop to look away toward the window.

“A good managing director has to protect the company’s inner circle from unauthorized outside transactions,” Suzy muttered softly, her voice sounding very cute and shy as. “We are partners, Barry. You can’t just let every single random creature you meet out in the valley loop around your neck.”