Creatures! - 27
Bell then added,
"Lupan horns also sell for a decent amount of money, so most ordinary people don't really have a reason to refuse helping."
Marc's darkened expression slowly brightened again.
His eyes sparkled hopefully.
"Then does that mean!"
Both Bell and Juro nodded at the same time.
--------------
Marc smiled before quickly asking, "Then how do we help this one???"
Bell softly smiled at him. "Just coat your finger with mana, then shape that mana into something sharp. You already know how to make mana solid, right? Like the mana hand you showed earlier."
Marc nodded. "So I just try to make the mana sharp?"
Juro gave a small nod. "Mhm. Then gently cut the lupan's horn off and there you go."
Marc looked down at the lupan in his arms, determination slowly settling across his face.
Carefully, he steadied the lupan on his lap while extending the pointer finger of his other hand. Mana slowly gathered around his fingertip, coating it in a soft glow.
Marc focused.
The mana gradually sharpened, stretching into a thin blade-like edge around his finger. Once it finally took shape, he carefully guided the sharp mana around the horn in a slow circle before slicing through it cleanly.
The horn dropped.
Marc quickly caught it with his free hand.
A bright smile spread across his face after successfully cutting the first horn off.
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He turned toward Bell and Juro.
Both of them nodded back with small smiles.
Marc then looked back down at the lupan and carefully continued with the other horn.
After cutting both horns off, Marc dispersed the mana around his finger before immediately pulling the lupan closer and snuggling into its thick fur.
A satisfied smile lingered on his face knowing he had helped it.
The lupan suddenly licked his nose.
"Op—PFFF hahaha!"
Marc laughed brightly before setting the lupan back down and watching it hop back toward the rest of the lupans.
Marc smiled warmly at the group, but a second later his expression froze in surprise as the entire pack suddenly began hopping toward him all at once.
"E-ehhhhh what the—.. why are they all here all of a sudden?!"
Bell smiled before crouching down and gently picking up another lupan. With a quick motion, he neatly sliced both horns off at once using the mana-coated finger on his finger.
"Didn't I tell you? Lupans are pretty smart and adaptive. They're basically asking us to help them with their horns."
Juro crouched down as well, grabbing another lupan with a grin.
"Yeah. They see you as their friend now."
Marc's smile softened warmly before he reached down to grab another lupan to help.
..
…
A few minutes passed before the group of lupans finally left one by one after getting their horns cut off.
The only things left behind were the scattered horns covering the ground.
Bell picked one up and lightly tossed it in his hand.
"We should keep these. We can probably sell them to a passing merchant or if we find a village or town."
Juro nodded in agreement before patting the belt pouch hanging by his side.
"Alright then, put all the horns in here, hehe."
Marc looked down at the horn still resting in his hand.
It was the very first Lupan horn he helped trim.
The smooth dark surface lightly reflected the sunlight.
Marc quietly smiled at it for a moment before looking back at Juro.
"Teacher Juro… can I keep this one?"
Juro looked at him before immediately giving a thumbs up.
"Of course you can." He grinned. "Keep it as a memory of the three of us helping the Lupans."
Marc's smile instantly brightened.
"Really?!"
He carefully placed the horn inside his pocket before happily gathering the other trimmed horns scattered around the field.
But as Marc continued collecting them, he suddenly paused.
"Wait, Teacher Juro…"
He looked at the small belt pouch on Juro.
"There's actually a lot of Lupan horns here…"
Marc blinked.
"I don't think this pouch can fit all of them."
He looked between Bell and Juro.
"Are me and Bell supposed to carry the rest?"
Juro simply smiled and chuckled.
"Go ahead and try putting them inside first."
Marc tilted his head in confusion before dropping one horn into the pouch.
Then another.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Marc's expression slowly became more confused with every horn that disappeared inside.
Eventually, after stuffing every single horn into the pouch.
Marc stared at it in disbelief.
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!"
He then look at juro.
"I-I put all the horns in already, but the pouch doesn't even look full???"
Juro burst out laughing at Marc's reaction.
"Well… I actually got that pouch from a different continent."
Marc's eyes widened instantly from curiosity.
Meanwhile, Bell quietly observed the pouch.
"I figured…"
"Probably from the continent Enlia."
Marc quickly asked,
"Ooooooo! What continent, Teacher Juro???"
Juro smiled proudly.
"The continent of Enlia."
Marc's eyes sparkled even brighter.
"WOAAAAAAAAA!"
"I don't even know where or what that is, but the name sounds really prettyyyyy!"
Juro laughed loudly at that response.
"Well, Enlia is basically one of our neighboring continents."
"The way things work there is completely different from here."
He lightly tapped the pouch again.
"And I got this from one of the Gates Enlia produces."
Marc still looked completely lost.
But also extremely fascinated.
"Woaaa… I don't really understand any of that…"
He grinned brightly anyway.
"But Enlia sounds amazing!"
Juro smiled before ruffling Marc's hair again.
"Yeah, you'd probably love it there."
"They have massive buildings called 'skyscrapers' and all sorts of interesting tools and inventions."
Marc immediately gasped.
"Ooooooo! Big buildings?! Like castles?!"
His excitement practically exploded again.
"That sounds so fun! I wanna go there one day!"
He quickly look toward Bell and Juro.
"With Bell and Teacher Juro!"
Juro smiled warmly at him.
But just as he was about to continue talking.
His expression subtly shifted.
Bell's eyes also quietly narrowed at the exact same moment.
Both of them had sensed it.
A presence.
Juro softly chuckled to himself.
"Guess we stayed away from the path a little too long, huh…"
Marc tilted his head in confusion.
Then suddenly.
A faint chill ran down his spine.
The three of them turned toward the sound behind them.
Far off in the distance, a big creature was steadily charging toward their direction, each heavy step quietly shaking the ground beneath it.
Marc narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look.
But the closer the creature got…
the bigger it became.
Marc's face immediately paled.
"WHATTTT— IS THAT A BIG LIZARD?!?!"
The creature barreled through the forest with terrifying momentum, crushing small bushes beneath its weight as low growls rumbled from its throat.
Marc instantly turned toward Juro in panic.
"Teacher Juro! It's heading toward us! We should run!"
He quickly spun toward Bell next.
"Bell! We should go!"
But Bell merely stood there casually watching the approaching creature before glancing at Marc with a small smile.
Marc blinked in confusion.
"Hu-huh? Why are you smi—"
Before he could finish, Juro's hand gently landed on top of Marc's head.
"Calm down. I'm here," Juro said with an easy smile. "Just watch carefully ahead or you might miss out."
Marc looked up at him for a moment.
The calmness in Juro's voice slowly settled his nerves.
Marc exhaled deeply before couraging himself to look back toward the creature instead of away from it.
The beast grew closer.
Closer.
And closer.
Now Marc could finally see its face clearly.
Rows of jagged teeth lined its massive jaws while thick dark green scales covered its body like natural armor. Each step it took matches the heartbeat of marc watching.
Sweat slowly formed across Marc's forehead.
His body instinctively wanted to back away.
But remembering Juro's words, Marc forced himself to keep his eyes open, bracing himself as the creature rapidly approached.
The creature suddenly let out a deafening roar.
The roar echoed through the air.
Then.
just as it got close enough.
Juro casually raised one hand toward it.
Mana instantly surged out from his palm with overwhelming force.
Marc's eyes widened.
The mana spread rapidly across the creature's lower body like flowing water, before in a single instant.
CRRRRK.
The mana froze solid.
Massive chunks of ice instantly encased the creature's lower half, freezing it completely in place as the beast violently struggled against the sudden ice binding its body.
Marc stood frozen for a few seconds himself before finally exhaling the breath he had been holding.
"Phew… I got REALLY nervous there…" he said before his eyes sparkled again. "Woaaaaaaaaa ice magic?!?! You froze that huge creature instantly?!"
The creature roared loudly while thrashing against the ice, desperately trying to free itself.
Marc stared at it for a moment before turning back toward Juro.
"Wait Teacher Juro… why didn't you fully freeze it? Why only the bottom half?"
Juro smiled.
"Time for creature learning."
Bell stared blankly from the side while Marc's eyes instantly lit up.
"Creature learning?!?!"
Juro nodded. "Mhm mhm. First things first, the name of this creature is a Grud."
Marc repeated the name while staring at the massive beast.
"Ooooo… Grud."
Juro then suddenly pointed toward Marc.
"Marc. Try shooting the back of that thing with a mana bullet."
Marc tilted his head in confusion.
"Eh? You want me to kill the creature?"
Juro simply smiled.
"Go ahead and try."
Marc still looked confused, but after a moment he shrugged it off and listened.
He raised his hand and pointed a finger toward the Grud's back.
Mana slowly began gathering at the tip of his finger, condensing tighter and tighter until.
FWIP.
The mana bullet shot forward and slammed directly into the Grud's back scale.
CLINK.
The bullet instantly bounced off harmlessly.
Marc's eyes widened in surprise.
"Woaaahhh! My mana bullet got deflected?!"
Juro laughed before nodding.
"Indeed. Didn't you notice something about its back?" Juro pointed toward the Grud's scales. "Instead of being rough or solid like rock, they're smooth and layered. More similar to a snake or even a dragon."
Marc looked closer at the creature's back.
Now that Juro mentioned it, the scales really did look strangely sleek despite how tough they were.
"Oooo you're right…" Marc muttered before quickly asking, "Then are they immune to mana bullets?"
Juro shook his head.
"Bell, you wanna try?"
Bell glanced toward Juro.
"Sure."
Bell stepped forward while Marc immediately started cheering from behind him.
"Go Bell!"
Bell let out a small sigh before raising his hand and pointing his finger toward the Grud's head.
But before he could fire.
"Oh, Bell," Juro interrupted casually. "Just do it at the back."
Bell looked at Juro for a brief moment.
Then nodded.
He redirected his finger toward the Grud's back scales.
Mana immediately began surging from the tip of Bell's finger, condensing into a compressed sphere of mana.
But unlike Marc earlier.
Bell didn't stop there.
More mana continued pouring into the bullet.
Denser.
Smaller.
He compressed it further and further, forcing the mana tighter into itself.
Marc watched with widening eyes.
Even he could visibly tell the difference.
The pressure around Bell's mana bullet felt far heavier than his own.
Marc stared at Bell in amazement while beside him, Juro quietly glanced down at Marc observing the process.
A faint smile crossed Juro's face before he looked back toward Bell again.
Once Bell finished gathering enough mana
he fired.
BOOM.
A loud explosive sound burst through the air as the mana bullet shot forward with terrifying speed, shooting through the wind before slamming directly into the Grud's back.
CRACK.
The condensed mana bullet pierced straight through one of the Grud's scales.
The creature instantly roared in pain and fury, its body violently thrashing against the ice restraining its lower half.
Marc looked amazed.
and slightly nervous.
"Uhh… Teacher Juro… should we really be making that thing even angrier…?"
Juro casually waved his hand dismissively.
"Psshhhh it's fineee. Besides, you've got me here."
Marc looked at him for a second before immediately smiling again.
"Yeah!"
Marc quickly ran over toward Bell.
"That was sooo cool, Bell!"
Bell gave a small smile.
"Yeah. And I'm pretty sure you can do that too. Probably even twice stronger than what I did."
Marc looked genuinely caught off guard.
"Ehhhh?! I think you're thinking way too highly of me… but I'll keep trying!"
Juro then walked over toward the two of them.
"So Marc," he began, "do you understand now why your mana bullet didn't pierce through the creature earlier?"
Marc immediately nodded excitedly.
"I didn't gather enough mana to make the bullet strong enough to pierce the scales!"
Juro nodded with a grin.
"Mhm. Correct hahaha. Such a bright kid."
For a brief moment, Bell quietly glanced toward Juro.
"Did he know I could pierce through the Grud's scales…?"
Bell's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I think he's becoming more and more aware of my capabilities."
But before the conversation could continue.
ROOOAAARRR!!!
The Grud suddenly let out a furious roar.
Marc flinched as the creature violently whipped its massive tail against the ice binding its legs.
CRRRRACK.
The frozen restraints shattered apart.
"UHHH Teacher Juro! The creature escaped!"
Marc's voice instantly filled with panic again, but Juro simply smiled casually before patting Marc's head.
"Keep watching."
Then Juro slowly began walking toward the Grud.
The creature immediately noticed him.
Its eyes locked onto Juro as a furious roar erupted from its mouth before it aggressively charged straight toward him, heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath its massive body.
Marc nervously watched from behind while Bell stood calmly beside him, his gaze fixed forward.
Juro continued walking.
Step after step.
Completely relaxed.
But as the distance between them rapidly closed, Juro suddenly began picking up speed.
The Grud roared louder and lunged forward.
and at the very last moment.
Juro leaped.
Marc's eyes widened as Juro jumped high into the air, soaring cleanly over the creature's head.
The Grud abruptly skidded to a stop before turning around in confusion, searching for where he went.
Then it looked upward.
Juro was already above it.
With one smooth motion, Juro swung his arm downward.
SHHHK.
A massive crescent-shaped slash of ice burst through the air with terrifying sharpness and instantly sliced clean through the creature's tail.
The severed tail crashed heavily onto the ground.
The Grud let out a deafening roar.
Pain and panic instantly overtook the creature as it stumbled wildly, blood dripping from the cleanly severed tail before the beast suddenly turned and fled further away into the field.
Marc stared with sparkling eyes.
"Woaaaaaaaaa✨✨"
Juro casually landed beside the severed tail as if he had done nothing impressive at all.
He then motioned for the two of them to come closer.
Bell and Marc quickly walked over.
The closer Marc got, the more fascinated he became.
He crouched beside the tail before poking it repeatedly with his finger.
"Woaaaaa… it feels so toughhh!"
Marc then noticed the end of the tail.
At its tip was a rough, boulder-like mass hardened.
His eyes widened again.
"Woaaaaa so THAT'S how it got free!"
Juro nodded.
"Mhm. The end of a Grud's tail is naturally hardened like a giant boulder. They usually use it to fight other Gruds over territory, or to defend themselves against other creatures."
Marc listened intently, completely absorbed.
"Oooooo…"
Beside them, Bell quietly looked down at the severed tail.
"He's quick with his thinking…"
Bell's gaze shifted toward Juro.
"He explained and taught Marc about the Grud so simply and effectively in such a short amount of time…"
Bell narrowed his eyes slightly.
"He's definitely not as dumb as he acts."
Juro suddenly grabbed the massive tail with one hand before casually lifting it over his shoulder without any visible struggle.
"Alrightttt," Juro said with a grin. "Let's have a quick snack break hehe."
Marc's eyes immediately lit up again, curiosity completely overtaking the earlier tension as he stared at the Grud tail.
He was already excited to see what a creature like that tasted like.
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