Dawn in Tallenwood arrived not as a sudden sunrise, but as a slow, reluctant dilution of the oppressive darkness. Faint grey light filtered through the impossibly dense canopy, illuminating swirling motes of dust and the heavy dew clinging to every surface. Birdsong, tentative at first, then more confident, began to stitch the silence back together, a welcome, normal sound after the unnerving quiet closer to the goblin army's passage. The air was cold, damp, smelling richly of wet earth, decaying leaves, and pine.

  William stirred, his first conscious sensation a dull, comprehensive ache settling deep in his muscles. Standard post-extreme-exertion system feedback. He pushed himself up from his slightly damp bedroll, joints protesting. Around the rekindled embers of their small, carefully shielded fire, the others were also moving, stiffness evident in every stretch and groan. Roland was already checking the perimeter, his sword gleaming dully in the half-light. Jett appeared silently beside him, presumably having finished the final watch, another blessedly uneventful one.

  They shared some of the cooked boar they had saved for breakfast, the cold meat chewed slowly, conversation muted by exhaustion and the ever-present tension. Rations were dwindling faster than planned. Resource analysis: Calorie intake below optimal for sustained travel and potential combat. Water source secure (river), but food procurement will become a critical dependency soon, William logged mentally.

  “Mana reserves?” Roland asked Julia quietly, his gaze assessing her condition.

  Julia, who looked less drained after a night's trance but still pale, nodded slowly. “Recovering, Sir Roland. Perhaps seventy percent. The Silence field and the sustained Reinforce... they were costly. I need more time for full replenishment.”

  “As expected,” Roland acknowledged. “We travel slower today initially. Focus on regaining strength.” He glanced towards Caspian, who was nervously reviewing his notes while nibbling a biscuit. “Your Highness, any relevant lore regarding sentient flora in this region? Herbert’s tales linger.”

  Caspian looked up, momentarily distracted from his texts. “Sentient flora? Abundant legends, Sir Roland, but mostly stories or tied to druidic circles not known this far south. The 'Guardian' Herbert spoke of, if not pure fancy, is more likely aquatic or perhaps amphibious, given its association with the Black Pools.”

  As they finished the meagre breakfast and began the necessary, tedious process of gear maintenance, William found himself stretching his legs, bracing for the sharp protest from his left shin where Yegun's kick had landed two days prior. He put weight on it, rotated his ankle... nothing. No pain beyond the general muscle stiffness. Frowning, he deliberately flexed the muscles around the area. Still nothing.

  Puzzled, he rolled up his worn trouser leg. Yesterday, even after Julia cleaned it, there had been a nasty, deep bruise blooming there, tender to the touch. Now... smooth, untroubled skin stared back at him in the dim light. He ran his fingers over the spot. No tenderness, no underlying hardness, no discoloration.

  His breath hitched. Quickly, heart starting to pound with a strange mix of disbelief and something else, apprehension? He pushed up the sleeve on his forearm, searching for the angry scrape he’d gotten scrambling onto the bank. Gone. He checked his knuckles where they’d been bruised hitting the boat's gunwale. Pristine. The minor rope burns from hauling themselves ashore? Vanished. It wasn't just accelerated healing, it was complete restoration. As if the injuries had simply been undone, deleted from his physical record. Using EMMA to confirm, HP: 170/170, full health.

  Anomaly Alert! Critical discrepancy between logged trauma data (Cycle End - Day Prior) and current bio-scan! Initiating detailed comparison! He leaned back against the oak, closing his eyes slightly to focus inward, pushing mana, MP: 132/136 (near full after rest), into EMMA's diagnostic suite.

  Full comparative bio-scan initiated. Comparing current tissue integrity against log file 'Biological Regeneration v0.1'. Processing... His internal display shimmered, showing side-by-side readings, yesterday's scans depicting localized inflammation, bruising, epidermal abrasion; today's scans showing... nothing. Scan complete. Comparison analysis: Zero residual indicators of previously logged minor traumas. Tissue regeneration 100% complete. Cellular structure normalized. Healing rate vastly exceeds previously observed 'Limited Regeneration' parameters. Causal mechanism: Unknown.

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  He remembered Mendal’s bewildered words about lost magic, about true restoration leaving no trace. Query EMMA: Cross-reference current regen event with known biological/magical phenomena.

  Processing... Classification Match (Potential): [Complete Regeneration - Tier 1 (Minor Trauma Only?)]. Confidence: Low (Based on limited data, requires major trauma observation). Data inconsistent with known natural biological processes.

  Query: Analyse potential causal factors. Correlate with mana fluctuations? -> Correlation inconclusive. Regeneration occurred during low-mana state post-depletion and continued during passive recovery. Query: Scan Wyvern Armor +2 for regenerative enchantments? -> Scan complete. Armor enchantments confirmed: Durability Matrix (+2). No regenerative signatures detected. Query: Analyse local environment for energy fields or biological agents? -> Ambient mana levels normal for region. No external energy fields detected. No anomalous bio-agents detected on user epidermis. Query: Analyse user genetic markers against known regenerative species? -> Baseline assumed: Human (Earth Origin). Cross-referencing... Insufficient data in current database for meaningful comparison. Probability match with known terrestrial species exhibiting comparable regeneration: <0.001%.

  EMMA could confirm the what with chilling precision, quantify the impossible speed, even tentatively classify it using fantastical terms. But the why remained a glaring void in the data. Was this an inherent ability, dormant until triggered by this world? Was it an undocumented, terrifyingly intimate function of EMMA itself, actively rewriting his physical form? The implications were staggering, vertigo-inducing.

  Decision: Log all data under Project Chimera - Regen Analysis v0.2: Complete Restoration Event (Minor Trauma). Further investigation mandatory, requires controlled observation, ideally of more significant injury. Operational Security Protocol: Maintain absolute secrecy regarding this capability. Unknown variables of this magnitude are liabilities until understood.

  “William? Are you alright?” Julia’s quiet voice pulled him from his internal spiral. She had finished her meditation and approached, concern in her eyes as she likely noted his unusual stillness and intense focus. “You seem... distant.”

  He forced a neutral expression. “Just assessing readiness, Julia. Checking... lingering aches.” He deliberately flexed his arm, showing her the unmarked skin where the scrape had been. “Actually feeling surprisingly functional this morning. The rest helped considerably.”

  She frowned slightly, her gaze sharp. “Surprisingly functional indeed. I cleaned that scrape myself yesterday, it was quite raw.” She leaned a fraction closer, peering at his arm. “There isn't even a mark.” Her eyes lifted to meet his, filled with a complex mix of curiosity and caution. “Just like the goblin bite.”

  “Apparently,” William said with a careful shrug, avoiding her intense gaze. “Maybe this my constitution has improved. Or perhaps just fortunate genetics.” Maintain plausible deniability.

  Julia didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't press further. “Perhaps,” she echoed softly. “Still... be mindful, William. Things that seem too good to be true often carry hidden costs.” The warning hung in the air.

  He knew she was right. This unexplained ability felt less like a simple 'perk' and more like a fundamental alteration, a core system difference he desperately needed to understand. It reinforced his decision regarding the 3 Unallocated Stat Points. Enhancing Vitality now, without understanding the underlying regenerative mechanism, felt like randomly tweaking critical system code hoping for a positive outcome – more likely to cause instability. Decision reaffirmed: Defer allocation. Maintain flexibility.

  “Time to move out!” Roland's voice broke the moment, crisp command replacing quiet contemplation. “Pack final gear. Jett, lead us towards the river access point Herbert indicated. We follow the bank south, cautiously.”

  The team responded instantly, stowing the last items, dousing the fire completely, erasing signs of their camp. William shouldered his pack, the weight familiar, his body feeling strangely whole despite the memories of yesterday's abuse. He was still Level 4, still fundamentally out of his depth, still burdened by secrets. But he was learning, adapting, changing in ways he couldn't explain. He was part of this team, responsible for his role.

  Jett pulled out his hand-drawn map, spreading it on the log. “Alright,” the scout began, his finger tapping the point where they now stood, well south of the rapids' main fury. “From here, the river should calm further. Herbert's 'Black Pools' are likely in this wider basin area downstream...” He prepared to outline their route options through the potentially monster-infested waters ahead. The journey continued, deeper into the mysteries of Tallenwood, and deeper into the mystery of William Shard himself.