The lizard, which looked like a large two-meter chameleon, was hidden at first—it was hard to see even when they knew it was there.
"Kimya, do you think it's a magical beast?"
Fay called out as he glanced around at the other trees, thankful he didn't see any more creatures nearby.
[Most likely. I've seen creatures that can hide, but not this well. I'm also wondering what kind of creature it is… I've never fought one before.]
Fay tossed a few stones at the beast. He knew he wouldn't hit it, but he was buying time for Grin, the black leopard, to join them. They shouldn't be far.
As for Jolt, this wasn't the best place for his lizard. There was no space to roll with all the roots sticking out of the ground.
[Little hunter, keep it focused on you. I'll jump to the nearest tree and get into position with Nawah—my leopard—to kill it.]
Fay nodded and turned to his usual hit-and-run tactics, picking up stones to draw the creature's attention while the other hunter hid behind a tree.
Logan thought the beast would turn toward him, but instead, it leapt into the tree Kimya was trying to climb.
"Fall back, Kimya! This guy knows how to move in the forest. I think it's better if we find another way to kill it."
Just then, Fay heard the sound of his creature Grin—and suddenly got an idea.
"Grin, start chewing on that tree. We'll need wood, so I think it's a good place to start."
Grin, whose jaws could probably tear through steel, began chomping on the tree. Within a few seconds, he was already a third through it, loud crunching sounds echoing through the forest.
The large lizard, noticing its foothold shaking, suddenly tried to leap again—
—but it was ambushed midair by the black panther. Nawah grabbed it and brought it down. The fall hurt it enough to stun it, giving Logan and Kimya the time they needed to kill it.
[Nice going, little hunter. I was close to being in danger. I don't think I could've fought it up in the tree alone. How about you try getting the core this time? Try feeding it to one of your creatures. Just remember—not all creatures will accept it. It needs to match their element.]
Fay took out his knife and began searching for the core. Kimya, standing beside him, helped guide his hand since it was his first time.
Eventually, Fay held a small, round hazy looking marble in his palm. It wasn't as large as the lioness's core, which the tribe leader had kept.
He offered it first to Grin, who was already out and alert. Extending his hand, the large hyena sniffed the gem, and then gave it a lick.
Fay was used to his creature's antics and already knew what that meant—it found the jewel tasty.
"Guess it'll work for you, Grin. Now… what will it do to you?"
Fay and Kimya waited for the core to be fully absorbed.
[It takes a few minutes. You'll see some kind of change—although this one wasn't that large, so it won't be much.]
Grin suddenly began to glow. Fay didn't think much of it at first—he could already do that—but this time, it was more intense.
[A creature of illusions—rare but powerful. No wonder it can change size at will.]
Kimya, noticing that Grin had been able to consume the jewel, began to explain.
"It's a useful ability, almost comparable to my creature's rule over shadows.
But it also means you'll have to support it more. It'll be hard to find opponents of that element.
If your creature has that typing, it means you can somewhat manipulate it… just not yet, since you can't use your creature's mana. It's still too weak."
Kimya then placed his hand over a patch of shadow.
[Watch. When your creature has enough experience, you'll be able to borrow a little of its power.]
Suddenly, the part of his hand inside the shadow began to fade, while the rest of his body remained visible.
[My creature Nawah isn't strong yet, but I'm hoping that being in these woods will let him gain enough power… But enough about that. Have your creature finish its food—we still need to explore this area while it eats.]
Ending the conversation there, Kimya and Fay continued to check the surroundings.
They didn't come in contact with any more predators, although they did spot many other creatures—from small boars to monkeys in the trees that howled whenever the two hunters approached.
"I don't see anything dangerous. How about you, Kimya? Do you think we should head back?"
The two, who had been walking for about an hour, decided it was time to return. They had already found a few good spots to set up camp.
Upon returning, they noticed that the hunting group had split into two—one part went to assist the others, while the rest stayed near the trees, waiting for Fay and Kimya to finish scouting.
[Tell the chief we're safe. No sound or sign of hums. We walked a few hundred steps—nothing in sight except prey and one magical creature.]
The one waiting for their report was Kezho, the serval cat folk. Quick and agile, he could reach the main group in half the time it took others. They were roughly half an hour away from the forest entrance, and it seemed they were all safe.
Fay, having nothing to do, wanted to try out Grin's new powers. The hyena, who had eaten earlier, had mana to spare and was just as eager to test his abilities.
The creature was able to produce a type of magical haze around itself.
Fay didn't fully understand what it did at first, but as soon as the haze touched something, its appearance changed. The object Grin had altered was a small leaf—once green, it turned a deep red.
But when Fay picked it up and moved it, the leaf returned to its original color.
"I think we can work with this… it just needs to be used smartly, Grin."
Fay patted his large, two-meter hyena. With the marble-like bead the creature had ingested, Grin could now also control his size.
The problem now was that Grin could grow up to three meters tall—but his strength would only be proportional to the amount of mana he had.
As for Fay, he tried to picture himself doing the same thing Kimya had done earlier.
He focused on his hand and the power his creature had demonstrated. What he felt was exhaustion—just a little—as if some energy was being drawn out and directed toward his fingers.
Then he noticed it: like Grin, a faint haze began to form around his arms. It didn't change much, only enveloped them briefly before disappearing, leaving him even more tired.
He then remembered how Horin was able to passively connect to her vulture. How useful would an ability like that be?
Just as he was thinking, a voice called out to him.
[Hey, that was an interesting trick. I suppose it was a good thing I guided the Chromarok toward you.]
Fay looked up and saw a young boy peering down at him from a tree.
He was stunned—as were the others—but the catkin didn't seem ready to attack. In fact, they nodded toward the boy, almost as if they welcomed him.
The voice belonged to someone perched high above, half-hidden by the branches.
Draped in robes stitched from leaf-patterned fabric and leather, the boy looked no older than fourteen—yet something about him felt older than the forest itself.
Silver braids threaded with vines framed his sharp elven features, and a slender staff rested in his hand.
Glowing runes curled like ivy along his arms, pulsing faintly with the same energy that shimmered in the creature coiled beside him.
Fay, confused by this reaction, found it hard to understand why the cat-folk—usually at odds with the hums—were behaving so differently with this stranger who looked somewhat human to Fay, well, all except the ears and strange plant-like vines usage in his wardrobe.
[I guess you're having trouble figuring out who or what I am. How about you come up here first? My kind doesn't do well on the ground. I feel vulnerable there.]
Fay glanced at the tree, trying to figure out where to climb—but before he could act, a long string dropped beside his shoulder. It looked like a vine, and he quickly realized the boy had a small creature with him that produced it.
[Hurry up and climb on. I need to start hunting a particularly strong beast around here—it's been getting annoying.]
Fay tried to pull himself up but was instead yanked upward with such force that he nearly flew over the branch and off the other side.
[Guess you're not used to heights. Now then, let's talk. I am Elaruîn.]
The elf extended a hand toward Fay as he began to speak more about himself.
[My village lies there—Yllasei, hidden from the lowlanders. It's a sanctuary built into the treetops, where our people live alongside wind-kin and illusion beasts. Only those chosen by the forest can even see it.]
He raised his hand and conjured a faint illusion in the air—just enough for Fay to glimpse the hidden village.
Fay could barely make out the shapes: rope bridges, tall watchtowers, and soft lights that flickered like fireflies among the leaves.
[We don't usually deal with outsiders, but the world is changing. Beasts are evolving faster, and mana storms are rising. That's why I helped you. You're not like the others. The guide told me about you—you're to be my disciple. You passed the moment I saw you use illusions, a very rare gift that only a few of us possess.]
Elaruîn gave a small grin as he dispelled the magic haze.
[If you want to truly see Yllasei, you'll need to earn it. But for now, I'll offer you one thing: a warning.]
His voice dropped as he turned toward the darkened horizon of trees.
[Something is moving deeper in this forest. Even the Chromarok ran from it. Help me defeat it… and I'll become your master. Just like you need.]