[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Quest Update: Journey to New Brookvale

Status: In Progress Objective: Reach New Brookvale and investigate the mysterious ladle Progress: 3/10 days traveled Current Location: Whispering Forest Approach

New Skill Unlocked: Trail Cooking (Novice) You have learned to prepare satisfying meals with limited resources and equipment while traveling.

Bonus: +5% efficiency when cooking with portable equipment Bonus: Reduced ingredient waste during travel cooking

Achievement Unlocked: Steady Companion You have maintained the morale and health of your traveling party through consistent, quality meals.

Reward: +2 Cooking Level New Recipe Learned: Traveler's Comfort Stew

Current Stats:

Cooking Level: 47 → 49 Gold: 487 Party Status: Well-Fed, Good Morale, No Injuries

Alert: Optional Route Available

The Whispering Forest presents two paths:

Path 1: Standard Route - Follow forest edge to eastern entrance, meet guide as planned Estimated time: 1.5 days Difficulty: Moderate (magical interference, tricky navigation)

Path 2: Shortcut - Direct path through Thornbriar Hollow Estimated time: 6 hours Difficulty: High Warning: Area guardian present - sleeping but territorial

Note: Non-lethal resolution possible.

Marron blinked, processing the information flooding her vision.

The System was... offering her a shortcut?

That was new. Usually it just tracked her progress and acknowledged achievements. It rarely offered tactical suggestions.

"Marron?" Millie's voice cut through her thoughts. "You okay? You zoned out."

"Sorry. Just—" She hesitated. How much should she tell Millie about the System? "—thinking about the route tomorrow."

"What about it?"

Marron made a decision. If Millie was going to be her traveling companion, she deserved to know about the System's existence.

"I need to tell you something. About why I'm the way I am. Why I've been successful despite being... well, mediocre for so long."

She explained about the System—how it had appeared when she first arrived in Savoria, how it gave her quests and tracked her progress, how it had helped her survive and eventually thrive.

Millie listened without interrupting, her expression thoughtful.

"So you have a magical assistant built into your head," she said when Marron finished. "That tracks."

"You're not... upset? That I didn't tell you sooner?"

"Why would I be upset? Everyone has advantages. Some people are born with magical talent. Some have family connections. You have a System that helps you grow." Millie shrugged. "Seems fair to me."

Marron felt relief wash over her. "The System just gave me a notification. About tomorrow's route."

"And?"

"It's offering a shortcut through something called Thornbriar Hollow. Says we could reach the forest interior in six hours instead of a day and a half."

"What's the catch?"

"There's a sleeping guardian. The System says it's territorial but that 'non-lethal resolution is possible.'"

Mokko, who'd been listening quietly, spoke up. "Translation: we'd have to either sneak past it or deal with it somehow without killing it."

"Or..." Marron looked at the copper pot bubbling with stew. "Or we could try feeding it."

Millie's ears perked up. "Feed a territorial monster?"

"The System specifically said non-lethal resolution is possible. Not guaranteed, but possible. And honestly—" Marron stirred the stew thoughtfully. "—that's kind of my thing, isn't it? Feeding things that are usually considered threats. It worked with the mimics."

"The mimics were intelligent and could appreciate good food," Mokko pointed out. "A territorial forest guardian might just eat the food and eat us."

"True. But the System wouldn't offer this option if it was suicide. It's intrusive sometimes, but it's never actively tried to get me killed."

"So you want to take the shortcut," Millie said.

"I'm considering it. Six hours instead of a day and a half would save us significant time. And if we can resolve the guardian situation peacefully—" Marron paused. "—that feels right, somehow. Like the kind of thing the Legendary Tools would approve of."

Millie was quiet for a long moment, thinking. Then she pulled out her enchanted compass and studied it.

"If we're going to do this," she said finally, "we do it smart. We approach carefully, assess the situation, and if it looks too dangerous, we turn back and take the long route. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"And we prepare defensively. Weapons ready, signal flares accessible, emergency plan in place."

"Of course."

Millie looked at Mokko. "You're the muscle. You okay with this?"

Mokko adjusted his glasses. "I've watched Marron feed a dungeon full of mimics and come out alive. At this point, I'm just along for the ride."

Lucy burbled enthusiastically, forming what might have been a tiny sword shape in her jar.

"All right," Millie said, a slight smile playing at her lips. "Let's try to befriend a territorial monster with food. What could possibly go wrong?"

The Next Morning - Fifthday, Dawn

They broke camp early and headed toward the Whispering Forest with the rising sun at their backs.

The System had provided a small glowing arrow visible only to Marron, pointing toward Thornbriar Hollow. She guided the group, following the subtle magical marker.

As they approached the forest edge, the atmosphere changed noticeably. The air grew cooler, denser, filled with the scent of old wood and earth. Sounds became muffled—even their footsteps seemed quieter than they should be.

"The magical interference," Millie said quietly, checking her compass. "It's stronger here. My compass is barely holding direction."

"Stay close," Marron said. "The System's guidance should work even if regular navigation doesn't."

They entered the forest.

The Whispering Forest earned its name immediately. The trees—ancient oaks and pines, their trunks wider than Marron was tall—seemed to murmur to each other. Not actual words, just the sound of wind through leaves that somehow felt like conversation.

The canopy overhead was so dense that even midday felt like twilight. Moss covered everything—trees, rocks, fallen logs—creating a green carpet that muffled sound even further.

They walked for two hours, following the System's guidance through increasingly narrow paths. The cart was becoming difficult to maneuver, but Marron managed, using her knowledge of the cart's capabilities to navigate tight spaces.

Finally, the System's arrow stopped moving forward and instead pointed down a small decline into a hollow.

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