Roh groaned and clutched his stomach, his face contorting in agony. "I''m starving," he gasped. "I haven''t had a chance to eat in the game for hours and it''s starting to hurt."


    Lorne''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hunger can do that in the game?" she asked, looking both concerned and confused. "I didn''t realize it was that realistic."


    Roh nodded weakly and tried to catch his breath. "Yeah, it''s one of the realistic features of the game. It''s a good reminder to take care of my character''s needs, but it can be a real pain sometimes. To be fair it shouldn’t hurt this much. It must be a bug that the devs will update with a hotfix patch."


    Lorne shook her head in amazement and offered Roh a large ration of cooked venison from her inventory. "Well, here, eat this."


    He grabbed it with his free arm and took a bite. “This tastes amazing, thank you!” Seeing the food, the hatchling left its post and started pecking at the meat as well.


    “Glad I could help. Seems your little companion is just as hungry.” Roh watched as Lorne approached his hatchling wyvern, a piece of raw meat clutched in her hand. The wyvern sat perched on Roh''s shoulder, its eyes fixed on the food with interest.


    As Lorne held out her hand carrying the meat, the aroma of fresh blood and seared flesh permeated the air, intermingling with the earthy scent of the ridge. The wyvern hatchling swiveled its head towards Roh, locking him in its large, inquisitive eyes. Roh could sense a bond kindling between them, as the hatchling seemed to seek his approval before diverting its attention back to Lorne''s proffered meal.


    With slow and measured movements, Lorne held out the meat to the hatchling, her hand shaking ever so slightly. The hatchling sniffed at the offering, its nose twitching with anticipation. It was as if the scent of the meat had awakened some primal instinct within it, driving it to take what it needed to survive.


    To Roh''s surprise, the tiny creature took the meat gently from Lorne''s hand, its tiny claws barely grazing her skin. With impressive speed and voracity, it began to devour the meat, tearing at it with razor-sharp teeth and swallowing it down in large chunks.


    The sight was truly astonishing, like watching a miniature dragon feasting on its prey. The hatchling''s movements were quick and agile, its wings fluttering in excitement as it consumed the meat with gusto. Roh could feel the intensity of its hunger, the way it seemed to consume not just the food, but the very essence of life itself.


    As the hatchling ate, its eyes never left Roh''s face, as if seeking his approval and guidance.


    As Roh finished the last of his meal, an alert flashed on the screen, signaling a new party notification.


    Attention all players! We have a new development in the party: Lorne has gained the wild hatchling’s affection. Roh, looks like you have some competition for that wyvern''s affection. Better step up your bonding game!


    Roh couldn''t help but feel grateful to Lorne for everything she had just provided, his hunger pains finally subsiding and his hunger finally down to 0. He had been starving and he knew he couldn''t have lasted much longer without some food.


    But as he watched Lorne and his hatchling wyvern bond over the meal and especially after reading the system notification on the party channel, he couldn''t shake the feeling of jealousy. After their first bond due to the imprinting, Roh had been struggling to bond with his wyvern, but it seemed like Lorne had won the creature''s affection in an instant.


    Roh tried to push the feelings aside, reminding himself that he should be grateful for Lorne''s help. But a small part of him couldn''t help but feel like he should have been the one to provide for his own hatchling, and that he had somehow failed in his role as its caretaker.


    "Hey, is everything okay?" Lorne asked, studying Roh''s face with a concerned expression. "You''re looking a little green with envy over here. Don''t worry, I''m sure your hatchling loves you just as much as it loves me."


    Roh''s face reddened as he realized that Lorne had caught him feeling jealous. He hoped she hadn''t noticed the disappointment on his face when he saw her bonding with his hatchling and that she was only basing it from the party notification.


    "Uh, yeah, I''m fine," Roh said awkwardly, trying to play it cool. "I was just, uh, wondering if there was any more of that venison left. You know, for the hatchling. And, uh, not for me or anything."


    Lorne chuckled and patted Roh on the shoulder. "There''s always more food where that came from. These lands are teeming with prey for us to hunt down, not to mention there is a Town just up ahead not too far from here. It has quite a few shops, a Tavern and an Auction House."


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Oh, there''s a town up ahead with lots of shops?" Roh asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of restocking on supplies. "How do you know all this?"


    "I bought a map at the town," Lorne replied with a grin. "It''s not far from here, and it''s got everything we need. Plus, I just leveled up to 8, so I’m in need of new gear. My current gear is level 4."


    Roh''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You just leveled up to 8? That''s amazing! I''ve just hit level 4."


    Lorne chuckled and patted Roh on the back. "Don''t worry, we all progress at different rates. And I was lucky enough to spawn in the town, so I had a head start on getting supplies and gear."


    Roh nodded. He couldn''t wait to see what the town had to offer and maybe even level up himself. But first, they had to make it there.


    "Hey, Lorne, do you think it would be okay if we headed back towards the town?" Roh asked, trying to sound casual. "I’m in need of a better weapon."


    Lorne smiled and nodded. "Sure, I don''t mind going back that way. In fact, I was thinking we could do some hunting on the way. It''ll be a good opportunity for us to level up and get some extra gold."


    Roh''s face lit up at the prospect of hunting and leveling up. "That sounds great! I could use the experience and gold. Let''s do it."


    As the wyvern hatchling finished the last bits of venison, it let out a satisfied belch and then proceeded to flutter its wings. It then did a little dance, as if celebrating its full belly.


    Roh found himself chuckling at the hatchling''s playful antics, feeling a surge of affection in his chest as he watched it cavort about. He couldn''t help but let out a happy sigh, feeling content and at ease in the moment.


    "Looks like someone''s got a case of the warm and fuzzies," Lorne said, with a grin as she noticed Roh stroking the wyvern hatchling. "You know, giving it a name is a surefire way to increase your bond with it."


    Roh''s eyes widened as he realized she was right. He had been so focused on caring for the hatchling, he hadn''t even thought about giving it a name. "You''re right," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I''ll have to think of something special."


    Lorne gave a nonchalant shrug, her expression softening as she looked at Roh with understanding. "Don''t worry, it''ll come to you. And when it does, you''ll see how much your bond with your little companion will grow."


    Roh nodded and looked at his hatchling with a new perspective, thinking of a fitting name for his companion that would honor it and signify their bond.


    As he watched the hatchling playfully rolling and wiggling on the ground, his body infused with sporadic leafy plumage, Roh pondered a name for his hatchling. He wanted to find the perfect moniker that would capture the essence of the leafy little creature.


    All at once, a spark of inspiration ignited within him. The essence of the taro plant, which the young creature bore a resemblance to.


    Roh smiled and said, "Taro. That''s your name. Taro." The hatchling seemed to sense the importance of the moment and stopped rolling. It wagged its tail in response to its new name and looked up at Roh with its bright, intelligent eyes.


    As Roh observed the hatchling, he noticed that it appeared to tire of its play and began to flutter its wings in an attempt to get back onto his shoulder. Despite its energetic flapping, the hatchling''s wings were not strong enough to lift its long-limbed body. Acting without hesitation, Roh reached down and picked up the hatchling with gentle care, cradling it in his arms.


    Taro nuzzled into Roh''s chest and let out a contented sigh, before climbing and curling up on his shoulder, its eyes closing as it drifted off to sleep. Aren’t you cute when sleeping and not digging your sharp claws into me.


    [Party Notification]: Bond level between Roh and Taro has increased! Congratulations on giving your companion a name, Roh. Looks like Taro is one step closer to becoming your ultimate wingman.


    "Taro, huh? Suits him. Looks like he''s not just your pet anymore, but your companion." Lorne chuckled and clapped Roh on the back. "Alright, let''s get moving. We''ve got some beasts to slay and treasure to collect."


    With a nod of agreement, they began their descent from the ridge, the stark world of jagged rocks and biting winds giving way to a realm of softer paths and silver leaves. Their heavy boots crunched lightly on the leaf-strewn pathway, each leaf shimmering under the gaze of the primordial light. The change in the surroundings was gradual, like a slow shifting of hues on an artist''s canvas, from monochrome to vibrant colors. The ridge''s relentless winds had mellowed, growing warmer against their skin and carrying with them the revitalizing scent of the Silvergrove. It was as if they had stepped from one existence into another, the harsh reality of the ridge transforming into the enchanted, ethereal reality of the woodland.


    DISCOVERED NEW LOCATION: SILVERGROVE


    Without warning, the azure expanse above was suddenly engulfed by a vivid surge of violet. The warm, bright primordial light that had moments ago dappled the silvery leaves of the Silvergrove was usurped by an uncanny glow, tinged a disconcerting shade of purple. The ethereal landscape of the woodland, so familiar yet so alien, bathed in this strange radiance, and the once comforting sounds of nature were replaced with an eerie silence.


    Roh cast his gaze upwards, a wash of confusion rippling across his rugged, battle-etched visage. His gameplay experience held no precedent for such an event. Neither the patch notes nor the gaming forums had mentioned anything of this sort. What could possibly be going on? Taro, his wyvern hatchling, stirred uneasily in its sleep on Roh''s shoulder.


    Just as he was about to dismiss this as some bizarre visual glitch, an icy wind swept across the grove. It bore the scent of decaying leaves, the damp earth, and something far more sinister. A gnawing sense of dread twisted within his gut.


    In the midst of an eerie quiet, a laughter — as cold as a frostbitten dawn — filled the air. From the deepest shadows of Silvergrove, a silhouette took form. Cloaked in aged ebony robes, its face hidden beneath a hood, it felt older than the forest itself. When it lifted grotesque decaying hands, with pieces missing and maggots tunneling through the rotten remnants, the ground beneath Roh trembled with an ancient force.