The rain continued for three days.
Within the hidden cave, the gentle crackling of a small fire filled the silence.
Crystal sat cross-legged with her eyes closed as streams of emerald Magna slowly circulated through her body.
Every completed cycle expelled another wisp of black mist from her pores.
Unfortunately...
Almost as quickly as it disappeared, more black mist surfaced.
The poison clung stubbornly to her body.
"...Still not enough."
She slowly opened her eyes.
The medicinal herbs she had gathered were effective...
Just not effective enough.
"If I wish to remove this poison completely..."
"I'll eventually have to leave this valley."
Her gaze shifted toward the child.
He was no longer asleep.
Instead, he sat quietly near the cave entrance, watching droplets of rain slide from the leaves outside.
Unlike other children his age...
He rarely cried without reason.
He observed.
He listened.
He remembered.
Crystal had noticed something else.
Whenever she cultivated...
The child would stop whatever he was doing and silently watch her.
Not with curiosity.
But with concentration.
As though he were trying to understand something.
"...Interesting."
She stood and walked toward him.
The child looked up and smiled.
Crystal crouched before him.
"You've been watching me every day."
She knew he couldn't understand her words.
Yet she continued speaking.
"In Gaia..."
"Knowledge is more valuable than treasure."
"Power gained without understanding is temporary."
"Power built upon understanding can last forever."
The child simply blinked.
Crystal smiled faintly.
"Perhaps you'll understand someday."
---
Outside...
The rain had finally stopped.
Crystal carried the child to a nearby clearing.
The valley shimmered beneath the morning sun.
Flowers bloomed everywhere.
Butterflies drifted lazily through the air.
She placed the child upon a smooth stone.
"Today..."
"We begin."
With a flick of her finger...
A tiny sphere of water appeared above her palm.
It floated effortlessly.
Not through brute force.
But through perfect control.
"This..."
"...is Water Magna."
The sphere slowly transformed.
It became mist.
Then ice.
Then flowing water once more.
"It changes."
"It adapts."
"It never ceases moving."
The child watched without blinking.
Crystal noticed something unusual.
His breathing had unconsciously synchronized with the movement of the water.
"..."
She dispersed the technique.
Coincidence?
Perhaps.
---
Several meters away...
A small blue bird landed upon a nearby branch.
Crystal immediately recognized it.
A Sky Finch.
A harmless Rank One magical beast.
The little creature tilted its head before hopping closer.
The child laughed happily.
The bird answered with a cheerful chirp.
Crystal remained silent.
Most magical beasts were naturally cautious around humans.
Yet...
This one approached without fear.
The Sky Finch fluttered onto the child's shoulder.
It gently rubbed its head against his cheek.
The child giggled.
Crystal narrowed her eyes.
"You..."
"...animals trust you."
The bird remained perched comfortably.
After several moments, it flew away.
---
That evening...
Crystal prepared dinner over the fire.
The child had already fallen asleep.
She looked toward the cave entrance.
A pair of glowing golden eyes stared back from the darkness.
The massive black tiger from the Emerald Wilds slowly emerged.
Each of its steps was silent.
Measured.
Its enormous body radiated quiet authority.
A Beast Lord.
Crystal calmly met its gaze.
Neither spoke for a long moment.
Finally...
The tiger lowered its head slightly.
"I sensed an unfamiliar aura."
Its deep voice echoed gently through the cave.
"I came to see whether it was friend... or foe."
Crystal remained seated.
"I seek neither conflict nor territory."
"I merely require a place to recover."
The Beast Lord studied her.
Then...
Its gaze shifted toward the sleeping child.
For the first time...
Its calm expression changed.
"...Impossible."
Crystal's eyes sharpened.
"What did you see?"
The tiger remained silent for several moments.
Finally, it shook its head.
"...Nothing."
"And that is precisely what troubles me."
Crystal's heart skipped a beat.
Even a Beast Lord...
Couldn't perceive the child.
The tiger slowly stepped backward.
"I shall not reveal your presence."
"So long as you bring no disaster upon my forest."
Crystal nodded once.
"You have my word."
The Beast Lord turned to leave.
Just before disappearing into the darkness, it spoke one final sentence.
"The forest..."
"...likes him."
Then it vanished.
Crystal remained seated for a long time.
"The forest likes him..."
She repeated softly.
For an ordinary person, those words would mean little.
But they had come from a Beast Lord.
Such beings never spoke carelessly.
Her gaze slowly returned to the sleeping child.
"...Just what are you?"
Outside the cave...
High upon an ancient tree...
The white-haired old narrator lazily munched on a bright red fruit while watching everything unfold.
"Hehehe..."
"So even the beasts have started noticing."
He tossed the fruit core over his shoulder.
"It won't be long now."
Then, leaning back against the tree, he looked toward the sky with a mischievous grin.
"After all..."
"The children of Gaia have always been far more interesting than the adults."
His laughter echoed softly through the valley.
Yet no one heard it.
Not even Crystal.
End of Chapter 6