"Aquarina, do you know where this Spirit Stone comes from?" I asked while sitting cross-legged beside it.
"Mmm… Mommy said it was a gift from the gods," she replied cheerfully.
"A gift from the gods, huh…"
So the gods just… dropped a huge spirit-infused rock in the middle of the jungle? Mysterious as it sounded, there was no point in thinking too deeply about something beyond my reach. Still, it felt a bit too deliberate to be coincidence.
As we sat in the tranquil clearing, the birds that had been singing around us began to fly off, one by one. I tilted my head. Something had shifted.
Soon, I noticed several soft, furry creatures hopping around the Spirit Stone. They were small, rabbit-like animals, with short limbs and round bodies. But there was one thing different—each of them had a single sharp, crystal-like horn protruding from their foreheads. These weren't ordinary animals.
They looked cute… but also dangerously sharp.
"Hey, those… are they monsters?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh! T-Those are Horned Hares… Mommy told me they're F-Rank Monsters," Aquarina whispered.
"F-Rank? Huh. Pretty low-ranked, then," I muttered, watching the creatures curiously. "Think we could take one down? Maybe… have hare stew for dinner?"
"H-Hunt them?! B-But that's dangerous…" she stammered, stepping back nervously.
Just as she took that step, one of the hares noticed us. Its ruby-red eyes flared with bloodthirst. Without warning, the muscular little beast kicked off the ground, aiming its deadly horn straight at us!
"Uwah!"
Aquarina stumbled back and fell on her rear, stunned by the sudden aggression. I immediately stepped in front of her and raised my hand.
Ember. Ember. Ember. Ember. Ember.
I fired a barrage of tiny flames, fusing them into a larger fireball in midair.
FWOOSH—!
The blazing fireball collided head-on with the charging hare.
CRACKLE—!
"Gryaaggh…!"
The hare screamed in pain as its fur caught fire. It writhed for a few seconds before falling still, the flames consuming it.
Aquarina sat behind me, wide-eyed and breathless.
"See? That wasn't so hard…" I turned to her with a slight smirk, trying to act cooler than I felt.
"Leon… you're amazing," she whispered, her sapphire eyes sparkling with awe.
"N-Not really. I'm just a kid," I muttered, scratching my cheek.
"But you're still strong!" she insisted.
I let out a nervous chuckle. "Well… we can't stop now. Want to try hunting one yourself?"
"M-Me?! B-But… what if I mess up?!"
"You have to learn eventually. You won't always have someone to protect you. Besides, didn't your mom teach you magic?"
"U-Uh… yeah. Mommy taught me something called 'Aqua Bullet,'" she replied timidly.
"Great. Try using it on that one over there," I pointed at another hare, which stood frozen in fear near the charred remains of its companion.
Aquarina hesitated, then extended her finger toward the target.
With a tiny sparkle of mana, a condensed bullet of water shot forward.
BANG!
The water bullet hit the hare right in the stomach. It tumbled back with a cry and went still.
Aquarina blinked.
"…Did I do that?" she asked, stunned.
"You sure did!" I said with a proud smile. "That was great, Aquarina!"
"W-Wow…!"
Now a bit more confident, we approached our prey.
I lifted the hare I defeated while Aquarina nervously moved to grab hers.
But then—
RUSTLE!
The forest trembled.
A much larger beast leaped from the underbrush, landing with a thunderous impact that shook the ground.
"GRAAAAOHH!"
A black panther.
No—this one was bigger than a normal panther. Over three meters long, sleek black fur, and piercing emerald eyes.
"A-Ah…!" Aquarina froze. Her limbs refused to move.
The beast's glowing eyes locked onto her.
It crouched low, preparing to pounce.
"Aquarina!"
I rushed forward, channeling mana through my freshly awakened Mana Veins.
But I wouldn't make it in time.
SWISH—!
The panther lunged, claws outstretched.
"No!"
I slammed my hand to the ground.
Agriculture: Growth Surge!
Mana surged into the grass beneath us. The plants responded instantly. Long, whip-like blades of grass burst forth, grabbing the panther mid-leap and yanking it downward with incredible force.
WHUMP!
"Fooo!"
Naturia emerged beside me, assisting me with controlling the vines and grass, reinforcing my will.
I reached Aquarina and helped her stand.
"Aquarina! Snap out of it! You need to fight!"
"M-Me…?" she stammered, still pale.
"That panther tried to kill you! Don't let it get another chance!"
Aquarina trembled, but her hand raised slowly. With a small breath, she pointed her finger and shouted:
"Aqua Bullet!"
Five tiny bursts of compressed water fired in rapid succession.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The panther groaned in pain. Its sides were punctured. Blood dripped freely.
Yet it remained alive—barely.
Its defiant eyes glared at us one last time before it slumped to the ground.
"I-It's still breathing…" Aquarina whispered.
"Let it. It's dying," I said calmly, watching its heavy breaths slow.
"I… I feel kind of bad," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Maybe it was just… hungry."
"…Maybe. But your life matters too. You have the right to survive," I said softly.
She kneeled beside the beast and placed her hand gently on its head.
The panther let out a soft growl… then closed its eyes.
Its chest stopped rising.
It was gone.
"Goodbye…" Aquarina whispered.
I looked at her and nodded.
"Let's take it back. Panther meat might be good. If not, I'm sure the tribe can use it."
"Okay…" she said, wiping her eyes and standing up.
What a strong girl.
And she didn't even realize it.