Chapter 332 -: 331 Shelter.

Before the spell could fully take effect, Rosalina quietly adjusted the flow of mana one final time, ensuring every rune remained perfectly stable. Only then did the translucent magic circle descend toward Julius, dissolving into countless faint blue particles that gently disappeared into his body. Almost immediately, the painful tension twisting his face began to ease. His tightly clenched jaw slowly relaxed, the violent trembling of his muscles subsided, and the agonising groans that had echoed throughout the hollow tree finally fell silent. Although his breathing remained weak and uneven, it gradually settled into a slow, natural rhythm, as though he had finally surrendered himself to a deep, dreamless sleep. Watching the transformation unfold before her eyes, Rosalina released a quiet sigh she hadn’t realised she had been holding. At last, he could no longer feel the unbearable pain that Event Horizon was forcing upon him. The repayment itself had not disappeared, nor had the injuries been healed, but his consciousness had been temporarily separated from his body’s senses, allowing his mind to rest while his body silently endured what it had to. For a few brief moments, even the appearance of new wounds seemed to pause. The fresh tears in his flesh that had been forming every few minutes had ceased, leading Rosalina to quietly conclude that perhaps the few minutes or hours ahead wasn’t used by Julius. It was only a theory, but even a short delay was a blessing she had never expected. With Julius finally asleep, Rosalina allowed herself another slow breath before shifting her attention toward the interior of the enormous hollow tree. Originally, she had only intended to use it as a temporary hiding place until Julius recovered enough to move, but after carefully considering their circumstances, she quickly abandoned that thought. Even under the most optimistic assumptions, Julius wouldn’t recover for at least thirty days. Event Horizon had pushed his body far beyond its natural limits, and the accumulated injuries would continue appearing long after the borrowed mana had been exhausted. Only after an entire month would those delayed wounds finally stop manifesting, and even then, he would still require additional weeks for his body to naturally heal. They weren’t staying here for a few nights. This tree would become their home for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the tree itself was unimaginably massive. The hollow chamber inside possessed more than enough unused space, and with a little effort she could comfortably carve several small rooms into its thick inner walls without compromising its structure. After quietly surveying the available space once more, Rosalina began forming a rough layout inside her mind. A bedroom would occupy the deepest section where Julius could rest undisturbed. A kitchen would be built near the outer wall so smoke could escape through a chimney. A bathroom would occupy another corner, complete with a simple drainage system, while a small storage room would hold whatever supplies they gathered over the coming weeks. Connecting everything together would be a modest central hall that served as the heart of their temporary home. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but luxury had never been her priority. Comfort, warmth, and safety were all that mattered now. Once her plan had been finalised, Rosalina immediately began working. Unlike ordinary craftsmen, who would have required weeks of labour and countless specialised tools, her mastery over earth magic allowed her to shape stone almost as easily as clay. Layers of hardened wood and compact earth quietly shifted beneath her control, smoothly separating as corridors and walls gradually emerged from the living tree. She worked with remarkable precision, carefully reinforcing every supporting section while ensuring the tree itself remained healthy and stable. The first room she completed was naturally the bedroom. Although calling it spacious would have been an exaggeration, it was more than sufficient considering the limited interior. The room was just large enough to comfortably accommodate a wide bed carved directly from the tree’s sturdy roots, leaving space beside it for a small stone table, along with enough room for someone to sit, stand, and move around without difficulty. There was no unnecessary decoration, no elaborate carvings or ornaments. Everything was simple, clean, and practical, exactly the kind of place Julius would probably prefer. Once the room itself had been completed, Rosalina stepped outside the tree and wandered through the surrounding forest in search of suitable materials. She gathered broad, soft leaves from several enormous plants, carefully selecting only those that felt smooth enough against the skin before collecting bundles of dry moss and flexible vines as well. Returning to the bedroom, she patiently arranged the thick layers of moss across the wooden bed before spreading the large leaves over the surface, creating a surprisingly soft mattress despite using nothing but natural materials. Another collection of finer leaves served as blankets and pillows, their layered texture offering far more comfort than she had initially expected. Only after she was satisfied with the makeshift bed did she carefully return to Julius. Supporting his shoulders with one arm while lifting beneath his knees with the other, she carried him as gently as though he might shatter at the slightest movement before laying him down upon the newly prepared bed. She deliberately left his body uncovered. His clothing had already been ruined beyond repair, and more importantly, the delayed wounds caused by Event Horizon could begin reopening at any moment. Keeping his body exposed would allow her to immediately treat every injury the instant it appeared instead of wasting precious time removing clothing whenever fresh wounds emerged. After ensuring Julius remained comfortable, Rosalina quietly left the bedroom and continued with the second room. The kitchen required considerably less work than the bedroom. Since they possessed neither proper cookware nor elaborate ingredients, there was little reason to create a large cooking area. She carved out a modest chamber beside the tree’s outer wall before constructing a simple stone hearth capable of supporting a cooking pot whenever they eventually acquired one. Above it, she carefully formed a narrow chimney that extended through the tree without damaging its living tissues, allowing smoke to escape safely into the open air. A few stone shelves lined one side of the room, providing space to organise herbs, dried meat, firewood, and whatever supplies they collected throughout the coming month. By the time she finished, the kitchen was small but entirely functional. The bathroom proved even simpler. Using her magic once again, Rosalina hollowed out another chamber before shaping a shallow basin into the floor and connecting it to a drainage channel that extended beneath the roots, ensuring waste water could flow harmlessly away from the tree without creating unpleasant odours. She also formed a primitive shower by directing a hollow wooden pipe through the ceiling, allowing stored water to be poured from above whenever necessary. It lacked every convenience found inside noble estates, but under their current circumstances, even something this simple would greatly improve their daily lives over the weeks ahead. When the bathroom had finally been completed, Rosalina immediately returned to the bedroom to check on Julius once more. Kneeling beside the bed, she carefully examined every inch of his body, expecting fresh injuries to have already begun appearing. To her quiet relief, nothing had changed. His breathing remained calm, his heartbeat steady, and not a single new wound had formed since the spell had placed him into unconsciousness. Whether Event Horizon had truly paused its repayment or was merely delaying it remained impossible to determine, but regardless of the reason, she silently thanked fate for granting them this brief period of solace. It meant she could continue preparing without constantly fearing that Julius would suddenly begin bleeding once again. Taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity, Rosalina immediately returned to work. The storage room required little effort compared to everything else she had already completed. Within a surprisingly short time, several sturdy shelves lined the walls while a collection of wooden crates and carved compartments provided enough space to preserve dried herbs, medicinal plants, meat, firewood, and every other necessity they would gather during their prolonged stay. Once she stepped back to inspect everything one final time, a small feeling of satisfaction quietly spread through her heart. In what couldn’t have been more than a few hours, the hollow tree had been transformed from an empty shelter into a surprisingly comfortable home consisting of a central hall surrounded by a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and storage room. It was modest, simple, and almost entirely constructed from natural materials, but for the next month, perhaps even longer, it would protect both her and Julius from the dangers waiting beyond its walls. "Grrrrrk..." The sudden sound shattered the silence. Rosalina instinctively lowered her gaze toward her stomach before letting out a tired sigh. The loud rumble reminded her of something she had completely neglected amidst all the construction. Neither she nor Julius had eaten properly for nearly two days. She had been so focused on keeping him alive that hunger itself had become an afterthought, yet now that the immediate crisis had passed, her exhausted body finally demanded attention. Julius, despite remaining unconscious, would also require nourishment if he were to recover properly. "Ah... damn it..." She rubbed her forehead in frustration as another problem immediately surfaced. Every useful supply they possessed remained stored inside the blue spatial ring. Ingredients, cookware, preserved food, medicine, blankets—everything necessary for survival had been placed there. Unfortunately, ever since they had fled, the ring had completely stopped functioning, refusing to respond no matter how much mana she poured into it. If it had remained operational, none of this would have been necessary. Julius’s mother would almost certainly have already located them through its connection and teleported them back home long ago. Instead, they remained completely isolated, forced to rely solely upon themselves. "Haa... there’s really no other choice, is there?" Another sigh escaped her lips as she rose to her feet and walked toward the tree’s entrance. Although she had spent most of her life mastering weapons rather than survival, basic wilderness training had still formed part of her education. She knew how to identify edible plants, build fires, collect clean water, and hunt enough food to sustain herself. It certainly wasn’t the elegant cuisine made by Julius, but it would keep them alive. More importantly, she intended to prepare a nourishing meat soup for Julius. Since he remained unconscious, anything difficult to chew would be useless. A rich broth made from tender meat would be easy enough to feed him slowly while also helping his weakened body recover. With that thought in mind, Rosalina quietly stepped beyond the shelter of the giant tree and disappeared into the dense jungle, her Onyx eyes already scanning the forest for the first signs of prey.