i wake up pain jolted through my body as consciousness returned. The icy water churned around me, dragging me along like a broken toy. My wounds throbbed with each pulse of my heart, red trails of blood swirling in the current.
I kicked my legs, trying to break the surface. My head broke through just long enough to gasp a breath before the river pulled me under again. The current spun me around, my claws scraping uselessly against submerged rocks.
"Come on..." I forced my eyes open against the stinging water. Shore wasn't far - maybe twenty feet. My muscles screamed as I fought against the flow, but I barely moved an inch toward land.
The roar of water grew louder. Something was wrong. The current picked up speed, dragging me faster downstream. My heart hammered against my ribs as I realized what that meant.
The river dropped away beneath me. For one terrifying moment, I hung suspended in the air, staring down at the misty abyss below. My stomach lurched as gravity took hold.
I plummeted. Wind whipped through my soaked fur. The waterfall's spray blinded me as I fell, unable to tell which way was up. The pool below rushed up to meet me.
The impact drove what little air I had from my lungs. Pain exploded through my body as I hit the water like concrete. Darkness swallowed my vision as consciousness slipped away.
I floated back to awareness, my body breaking the surface. Everything hurt. The waterfall's thunder filled my ears as I bobbed in the churning pool, too weak to do more than keep my head above water.
The gentle current carried me toward the shore, and something strange caught my attention. The burning in my wounds began to fade. I blinked water from my eyes, focusing on a deep gash across my foreleg - the edges were knitting together before my eyes.
"System, analyze the water."
[Sacred Healing Spring - A rare natural formation infused with pure healing mana. Waters possess powerful regenerative properties.]
The warmth seeped into my bones, washing away exhaustion. My mana reserves, nearly depleted from the wolf fight, began to refill. I stretched out in the water, letting it work its magic on my battered body.
A movement on the shore caught my eye. A massive bear, at least Rank 2, lumbered down to the water's edge. My muscles tensed, ready to defend myself - but it simply lowered its head to drink.
More creatures emerged from the treeline. A pair of deer. Some kind of horned wolf. Even a creature that looked like a mix between a lion and an ox. They kept their distance from each other, but there was no aggression, no territorial displays.
"This place..." I watched in amazement as a small fox kit drank barely ten feet from the bear. "It's like neutral ground."
The spring's aura seemed to affect their behavior, creating an unspoken truce. Even natural predators and prey ignored each other, drawn to the healing waters.
I pulled myself onto a sun-warmed rock, keeping my tail dipped in the spring. The wounds from the wolf pack had vanished completely, leaving my white fur pristine once again.
I dozed on the warm rock, still keeping my tail in the healing waters, when something gripped my scruff. My eyes shot open as I felt myself being lifted. Panic seized me until I realized the movement was gentle, almost careful.
A massive creature - some kind of sabertooth tiger with midnight-black fur - set me down on the soft grass. Its muscles rippled under its pelt as it stepped back, giving me space. Despite its intimidating size, its amber eyes held no hostility.
"Young one, you shouldn't sleep on the rocks. The spring's magic can overwhelm newcomers." Its deep voice rumbled like distant thunder. The System identified it as a Rank 2 Shadow Fang Tiger.
I tried to stand but my legs wobbled. "Why... why help me?"
"This is Sacred Ground." The Shadow Fang settled onto its haunches. "The Spring has existed since ancient times. All who come here must respect its laws - no bloodshed, no fighting. Even the most savage beasts honor this truce."
"But predators and prey..." I glanced at the peaceful gathering of creatures.
"Mean nothing here. The Spring's blessing is too valuable to risk losing access to it. Break the peace, and you'll find yourself facing every beast in the forest." Its tail flicked. "Many of us serve as guardians, ensuring the rules are followed."
"I didn't know such a place existed." The concept of natural enemies sharing space peacefully seemed impossible, yet here it was.
"Now you do. Rest, recover your strength. You're safe here."
I watched as the Shadow Fang Tiger padded away, leaving me to rest by the spring's edge. Something tugged at my senses - a faint pulse of energy coming from the water. Following the sensation, my gaze drifted to the center of the pool.
Three flowers broke the surface, their crystalline petals catching the sunlight. Each bloom glowed with a soft blue radiance, sending ripples of power through the water.
"System, analyze those flowers."
[Celestial Healing Lotus - Blue Rank. Ancient flora that channels pure healing energy into its surroundings. Extremely rare. the estimated value would be around 15k system points for just one flowers]
The System's response made my jaw drop. No wonder this place was so heavily protected. Just one of those flowers could buy a small fortune in equipment and items.
I peered closer at the delicate blooms. Their petals seemed to pulse in sync, like beating hearts. With each pulse, waves of healing energy spread outward through the water. The spring wasn't naturally magical - these flowers were the source of its power.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" A deer beside me spoke softly. "The lotuses have bloomed here for centuries. Many have tried to steal them, but the guardians ensure they remain untouched."
The flowers' light reflected off the surface, creating dancing patterns across the shore. Their energy felt different from normal healing magic - purer somehow, more fundamental. This wasn't just enhanced water. The lotuses were transforming the spring into something sacred, something that transcended normal magical bounds.
I watched a wounded bird land near one of the blooms. The flower's light intensified briefly, and the bird's injured wing knitted itself back together in seconds. The sheer power these unassuming plants possessed was staggering.
"The Celestial Lotuses choose where they grow," the deer continued. "They cannot be transplanted or cultivated. This spring is one of the few places in the world where they naturally bloom."
I settled into a comfortable spot near the spring's edge, my mind racing with possibilities. The healing waters had restored my strength, but more importantly, I'd stumbled upon something invaluable - a safe haven.
"System, can you mark this location permanently on my map?"
[Location marked: Sacred Healing Spring. Warning: Multiple high-rank entities detected in vicinity.]
The warning made me chuckle. For once, those powerful creatures weren't a threat. I watched as a young deer limped to the water's edge, its leg clearly broken. Within minutes of drinking from the spring, it pranced away as if it had never been injured.
My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since before the wolf pack attack. But hunting here was forbidden, and I refused to break the sanctuary's rules. I'd need to leave eventually to find food, but for now, the spring's energy was enough to keep me going.
A soft breeze carried the lotuses' sweet scent across the water. Their blue glow pulsed stronger as the sun began to set, casting ethereal shadows across the surface. Other creatures had started settling in for the night, forming small groups along the shore. Even natural enemies lay near each other, completely at ease.
The Shadow Fang Tiger's words echoed in my mind. This wasn't just a healing spring - it was neutral ground, a place where the strong and weak could coexist. In a world of constant struggle and survival, such places were rare treasures.
I dipped my paw in the crystalline water, watching ripples spread toward the sacred flowers. The System had valued each bloom at 15,000 points, but their true worth couldn't be measured in mere numbers. They created something priceless - peace in a violent world.
The spring would make an excellent fallback point if I ever needed emergency healing. Plus, the gathered creatures might be sources of valuable information about the surrounding areas. I'd have to be careful, though - while violence was forbidden here, that didn't mean everyone could be trusted once they left the spring's influence.