A spirit animal’s size could indeed change, but since it held little significance, its host generally wouldn’t bother to adjust it intentionally. Unless it was a natural change in form due to a power increase after bonding, like with Hati, a spirit animal’s normal state was typically fixed.

“It got smaller? What does it look like?”

Because the little creature looked so weak, pitiful, and helpless, the sense of dread Hua Mu had felt upon encountering an unknown being in the depths of a dark cave had now completely vanished.

Luna had already walked over to the spirit animal, making soft “yiyi wuwu” sounds, as if communicating with it. Through Luna’s perspective, Hua Mu got a clear view of the spirit animal’s condition.

“It doesn’t look good. Last time we saw it, its body looked a bit slick, but this time it seems all dried out.”

And if it wasn’t her imagination, its eyes seemed a little cloudy, too.

“Gurgle…”

The creature finally made a sound, which resembled the noise of blowing bubbles in water.

“It made a sound!” Although Hua Mu heard its “words” through Luna’s senses, she had no idea what it was trying to express.

Luna tilted her head and gently poked its body with her foreleg, then let out a soft call toward Hati, as if seeking his opinion.

“Awooo!”

Hati seemed very displeased, shaking his head irritably and kicking his hind legs to vent his frustration. Luna trotted back, nuzzling his head in a way that was both coquettish and soothing, cooing nonstop.

Emergency Rations seemed to sense something and leaped away. He glanced first in Hati and Luna’s direction, then toward the unknown creature, before finally scrambling up Hua Mu’s leg and jumping back into her arms.

It seemed he wanted no more part in this affair.

Bai Zhen couldn’t quite grasp the situation, but Hati’s agitation was clearly transmitted to her. Fortunately, Luna’s affection quickly soothed the white wolf’s mood. Though he was still reluctant, Bai Zhen could feel that Hati had been persuaded.

Persuaded? What had he agreed to?

Bai Zhen soon found out.

Luna returned to the unknown creature’s side and released a silvery-white light from her horn.

“Good heavens, what is she doing?!”

It wasn’t just Hua Mu; even Bai Zhen had never seen anything like this. When Sentinels and Guides first awakened, their spirit animals would sometimes go on a rampage. This was because their synchronization rate with their spirit animal was low, causing it to act on its own.

Although Hua Mu had awakened long ago, she hadn’t been with Luna for very long, so Luna often acted independently—and today was clearly one of those times.

“Is… Is Luna trying to save it?”

That was the first possibility that came to Bai Zhen’s mind. A shrinking, weakened spirit animal likely meant its master’s mental power was declining and could no longer maintain its form. The most appropriate course of action would be to replenish the host’s Guide-hormone, but soothing the spirit animal directly was also a good option.

Although Luna’s method differed from the soothing techniques Bai Zhen was familiar with, the objective was likely the same. Hua Mu’s compatibility as a Guide was excellent, which meant Luna could provide comfort to almost any spirit animal.

This also explained Hati’s irritation. Spirit animals were extremely possessive of their bonded partners. Even a simple act of soothing, which would have no real impact on their bond, would still make him unhappy.

Simply put, he was jealous.

And Hati was clearly more prone to jealousy than the average spirit animal. His domineering nature was so intense that even Bai Zhen found it incredible. But considering how special Hua Mu and Luna were, she found it perfectly understandable.

Hua Mu watched as the white light from Luna’s horn flowed like water into the other spirit animal. Mulling over Bai Zhen’s words, she had a sudden realization.

“I think you’re right. That thing looks much better!”

Almost at the instant the light entered its body, the creature’s wrinkled skin smoothed out at a visible rate. Not only did its once-cloudy eyes brighten considerably, but even its gurgling sounds seemed to have more vigor.

Bai Zhen was somewhat surprised by how quickly it took effect.

“So fast?”

“Yeah, the effect was immediate.”

The little creature was much more lively now, wagging its tail and rubbing its round head against Luna’s hoof as if in thanks. Hati immediately showed his displeasure, letting out a low growl and leaping to Luna’s side.

Although he couldn’t see, his senses were exceptionally sharp.

The little creature seemed frightened and scurried behind Luna. Luna immediately moved closer and began licking the white wolf’s face endlessly until his temper completely vanished.

Though Bai Zhen couldn’t see the spirit animal, she had a good idea of what had happened. “Hati wasn’t like this before,” she said helplessly.

Hua Mu, on the other hand, quite liked Hati’s anxiousness over Luna. “There’s nothing wrong with this,” she said, quite satisfied.

Bai Zhen smiled but didn’t reply.

“That thing… how is it now?”

Hua Mu still wasn’t sure what exactly this creature was. If it was a spirit animal, then where was its master?

“It’s pretty energetic, doesn’t seem like a threat. Do you think its master might have run into some danger, or is trapped somewhere, which is why they haven’t come out?”

Perhaps because the little thing seemed so harmless, Hua Mu’s perspective had unconsciously shifted.

Bai Zhen was silent for a moment before agreeing. “…Yes, that’s possible.”

“Should we go rescue them?”

Hua Mu was impulsive, and Bai Zhen couldn’t help but laugh.

“Miss, nothing is certain yet. Besides, this requires careful consideration. Let’s get out of here first and then talk.”

“You’re right. It’s strangely cold in here. I just don’t know what to do about that thing.”

Perhaps from being bored on the island for so long, Hua Mu had developed a great interest in the little creature now that she was sure it wasn’t a threat.

Bai Zhen found her curiosity a bit of a headache. “It seems very attached to Luna. Even if it doesn’t follow us this time, we’ll probably run into it again… Miss, didn’t you want to try making cookies with palm oil? Any later and we won’t be able to make them today.”

“That’s not urgent… Hey, do you really want to eat cookies?”

“It has been a long time since I’ve had any.”

Bai Zhen rarely ate sweets and wasn’t particularly fond of them, but to divert Hua Mu’s attention, she had to go all out.

“In that case, let’s go back first.”

Compared to other distractions, Bai Zhen was of course more important. Hua Mu instantly transformed into a domestic goddess, ready to show off her skills for her lover.

Bai Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, glanced apologetically in the direction of the spirit animal, and then left the cave with Hua Mu.

The spirit animal didn’t follow them out. Hua Mu waited for a moment, then put it out of her mind. As Bai Zhen had said, nothing was certain yet. She couldn’t let her guard down and feel sympathy just because it looked weak.

Compared to this unexpected spirit animal, the two of them had more important things to prepare for. There was only a week left until the end of December; their first New Year together was fast approaching.

Now that they had produced palm oil, many things could be put on the agenda. Bai Zhen could start treating the surfaces of the house and furniture, while Hua Mu could begin researching how to make desserts. Starch was mainly extracted from breadfruit, and combined with starch from sweet potatoes and sago palm pith, she could also make sago pudding.

Without yeast, Hua Mu used shochu to ferment flour and had managed to make something similar to bread. Now with palm oil, she could use the stearin in it as a substitute for shortening and butter to make cakes.

A wonderful life was beckoning to her, and Hua Mu was fired up, determined to successfully create desserts before the New Year.

Bai Zhen’s work was also proceeding in an orderly fashion. Besides adding a door and windows to the wooden cabin, she had also reinforced the roof. After applying wood wax oil to the walls, the house’s waterproofing improved dramatically, and it finally no longer leaked on rainy days.

The small cabin was no longer empty; it was fully furnished with a table, chairs, cabinets, and a bed. Bai Zhen had even made a dressing table for Hua Mu, not forgetting small details like a jewelry box. Whenever she had a spare moment, the Sentinel would collect pretty pearls and shells to put inside, and there was even a piece of amber among them.

Although Hua Mu wouldn’t wear them, they were beautiful just to look at.

Bai Zhen’s days were undoubtedly busy; she even had to do the preparatory work for some of Hua Mu’s tasks. But the Sentinel’s past life had rarely afforded her any leisure, so she felt no discomfort with the current situation.

For her, life on the deserted island was much happier than before—only one thing made her uneasy and worried.

The appearance of that spirit animal had reminded her of a rumor, a rumor about the base for the genetic modification project.

Back then, the international Sentinel-Guide alliance, in cooperation with the forces of various nations, had lured the snake from its hole and arrested almost all the key personnel involved in the modification project. But no matter how much they interrogated them, they could never find out the specific location of the experimental base.

Some said it was underground in a desert, some said it was on an island in a certain sea region, and others claimed it was inside a dormant volcano.

The alliance had dispatched many Sentinels to investigate places that matched the descriptions, but they all returned empty-handed and eventually had to abandon the search.

But perhaps those people hadn’t been lying. Perhaps they had been given a psychological suggestion and could only remember vague fragments. Combined with the notes they had found in the cave, a certain truth was on the verge of revealing itself.

It wasn’t that someone had been stranded on the island, but that they had fled to the island and didn’t dare to leave. This island possessed a unique geographical advantage. The Shipwreck Anomaly Zone was a lawless place; not only did countries need to apply to dispatch armed forces, but their search methods were also extremely limited.

And if this island truly was the experimental base for the genetic modification project, then that spirit animal’s identity became clear.

But she didn’t want Hua Mu to see any of this—not only because of her own cowardice, but also because the truth was too cruel.