The clearing gradually returned to silence.
Only the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds remained after the battle.
Rowan rested the broad blade of his sword against his shoulder as he surveyed the surroundings.
"The area's secure."
Eva nodded before turning toward the enormous hut standing on its gigantic chicken legs.
"Let's see what our old witch was hiding."
The wooden cottage remained perfectly still.
Without Baba Yaga, it resembled an ordinary cabin perched atop impossibly large legs.
Almost.
Eva walked to the front door and gave it two firm knocks.
To Gino's surprise...
The hut shuddered.
Its chicken legs slowly folded beneath it until the cottage settled comfortably upon the ground.
"So it still obeys basic commands," Rowan muttered.
"That's convenient."
Eva carefully pushed the door open.
A wave of warm air carrying the scent of herbs, smoke, and old wood drifted outside.
"I'll take a look."
"I'm coming," Juno replied.
Rowan shook his head.
"No."
"You stay with Jack."
"If there are any magical traps left inside, one person is easier to rescue than two."
Juno gave a small nod.
"As you wish."
Eva disappeared into the cottage while Rowan began inspecting the surrounding forest for signs of other monsters.
Left alone with Juno, Gino glanced toward the silent birdcage resting beside him.
The Caladrius had tucked its head beneath one wing, peacefully asleep after healing his wounds.
"You've seen one before."
Juno suddenly spoke.
Gino blinked.
"What?"
"The Caladrius."
"You recognized it immediately."
Gino hesitated.
"I..."
"I like reading."
"Mythology books."
Juno stared at him for several moments before nodding.
"Knowledge saves lives."
It was the longest sentence Gino had heard him speak.
Several minutes later...
Eva emerged from the hut carrying a leather-bound grimoire beneath one arm.
Bundles of dried herbs hung from her belt, and a polished wooden staff rested over her shoulder.
She tossed the staff toward Rowan.
"Caught anything?"
He caught it effortlessly before examining the intricate runes carved into its surface.
"Looks expensive."
Eva grinned.
"The inside's full of ingredients."
"Most of them are still fresh."
"There are a few enchanted cooking tools too."
"Typical Baba Yaga."
Rowan chuckled.
"A witch without a kitchen isn't much of a witch."
Before anyone could continue, a deep mechanical rumble echoed through the forest.
Gino turned toward the sound.
A massive armored transport slowly rolled through the trees.
Unlike the vehicle that had brought the explorers, this one was nearly twice as large.
The Guild's silver crest was painted across its reinforced sides.
Several workers climbed out carrying large wooden crates and strange metallic instruments.
One elderly man adjusted his spectacles before approaching Rowan.
"Captain Rowan."
He glanced toward Baba Yaga's remains.
"Successful hunt?"
Rowan nodded.
"Target eliminated."
"No casualties."
The elderly appraiser smiled.
"Excellent."
His assistants immediately scattered across the clearing.
Some carefully examined the hut.
Others measured Baba Yaga's mortar and pestle.
Several workers collected small crystal fragments scattered where the witch had died.
Gino watched everything with fascination.
"What are they doing?"
Rowan smiled.
"Monster appraisal."
"Everything that originated from the Tower has value."
"Alchemy."
"Enchanting."
"Medicine."
"Construction."
"If it comes from a mythical creature..."
"Someone will buy it."
"So nothing goes to waste."
One of the appraisers approached carrying a clipboard.
"The hut is intact."
"The mortar has no damage."
"The spellbook appears complete."
He scribbled several notes before looking toward Rowan.
"Your team may claim twenty percent of the total appraisal."
"The remainder belongs to the Guild."
Eva crossed her arms with a satisfied smile.
"I vote for the grimoire."
Juno quietly nodded.
"It complements our team."
Rowan laughed.
"Looks like that's settled."
The elderly appraiser carefully handed the leather-bound spellbook to Rowan before directing his workers to dismantle and transport the remaining materials.
Within minutes, the clearing buzzed with activity.
Watching professionals casually dismantle the home of one of folklore's greatest witches felt surreal.
No one seemed frightened.
No one treated Baba Yaga as a monster from bedtime stories.
To them...
This was simply another day's work.
The armored transport's rear doors swung open.
Rowan glanced toward Gino.
"Come on."
"We're heading back."
Gino climbed into the vehicle beside the explorers.
The heavy doors closed behind them with a metallic thud.
As the transport rolled away from the forest, silence settled over the cabin.
Gino rested against the window.
The passing scenery blurred together.
Then...
A sharp pain pierced his head.
He grabbed his temple.
"...Ugh..."
Eva looked over.
"You alright?"
"I..."
Before he could answer...
The memories came.
Not his own.
A little boy running through snow-covered streets.
Laughter echoed around him as other children chased one another through the Guild's courtyard.
An elderly instructor standing before a classroom.
A giant tower disappearing into the clouds.
Explorers returning home battered but smiling.
Stories.
Training.
Friends.
Dreams.
Jack.
Memory after memory flooded his mind.
He remembered learning to read.
Learning to fight.
Listening to explorers recount impossible adventures.
Dreaming of climbing the Tower one day.
Gino squeezed his eyes shut.
"...Jack..."
He wasn't simply borrowing another person's body.
Their memories...
Their experiences...
Were becoming his own.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Outside the window...
The forest gave way to rolling hills.
Then...
He saw it.
His breath caught.
Far beyond the horizon stood a structure so unimaginably massive that it dwarfed every mountain surrounding it.
The Tower.
It pierced the heavens.
Its upper floors vanished beyond a blanket of clouds.
Sunlight reflected from its pale stone walls, making it appear almost divine.
No painting.
No story.
No imagination...
Could have prepared him for its sheer scale.
He found himself speechless.
Rowan noticed where he was looking.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Gino nodded silently.
"It..."
"It's bigger than I imagined."
Rowan laughed.
"You've said since you were six that you'd climb it someday."
"I guess seeing it never gets old."
Gino couldn't take his eyes away.
Every myth.
Every legend.
Every creature he had ever studied...
They all waited somewhere inside that colossal structure.
His heart raced.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
In his previous life...
People mocked him for believing myths held hidden truths.
Now...
He had been reborn into a world where myths shaped civilization itself.
He smiled.
Quietly.
"I spent my first life searching for legends..."
His reflection stared back at him from the window.
"This time..."
"I'll climb straight into them."
The Tower stood silently in the distance.
Ancient.
Endless.
As though it had been waiting for him all along.