Before my eyes, an impressive and surreal scene was unfolding: two goats were engaged in a fierce battle. Their bleats and the thunderous clashes of their horns echoed across the prairie. They moved like seasoned swordsmen, constantly aiming for each other’s necks, but the most shocking part was realizing that those damned creatures were using some kind of trick… or magic, to take the lethality of their attacks to the next level.

  With a loud *clank*, like a sword striking a shield, one of the goats landed a precise hit that sent its opponent reeling, creating an opening in its solid defense. Sensing the opportunity, like a predator smelling its prey’s fear, it stomped on the ground, and immediately, a spike of earth shot up beneath the stunned goat’s belly.

  A powerful rumble rolled across the prairie, accompanied by the agonized cry of the wounded creature. Unable to stay on its feet, it collapsed to the ground with a fatal hole in its stomach. Seeing this, its enemy looked proud, confident in its victory. It stomped forcefully on the ground while bleating triumphantly into the air. I thought it would take the opportunity to finish off its rival with more spikes—or at least, that’s what I would have done—but the animal had something else in mind.

  The patterns on its fur seemed to glow for an instant before the creature charged at the fallen body with astonishing speed.

  Maybe it was its first fight and it lacked experience, or maybe it thought that with such a massive wound in the stomach, its opponent was no longer a threat and wanted to finish it off with its own horns. Whatever the reason, that decision was its downfall.

  Out of nowhere, a thick spike of earth shot up from the ground, blocking its path. Unable to react due to the speed of its charge and the sudden appearance of the obstacle, the overconfident animal was skewered like a kebab, unable to even let out a final cry. And yet, its horns managed to reach their target, bringing the bloody fight to a draw. A double death.

  —Is that what we’ve been eating? —I muttered under my breath, afraid that another animal might notice my presence and charge at me. I didn’t want to make the same mistake as before and lose another month recovering from injuries caused by my own stupidity.

  The two beasts that had been fighting were certainly dead, but they weren’t the only goats in the prairie. Just a few meters away from the fallen bodies, a group of these creatures grazed peacefully, as if the death of two of their kind didn’t matter in the slightest.

  Now I understood why, when I had mentioned the idea of going hunting, Kairon had refused. After all, what kind of help could a weak body like mine possibly offer in a fight like this?

  At that moment, I became fully aware of the risks of leaving the city. But deep down, I knew that if I didn’t take a step forward now, I would eventually turn into a coward, incapable of leaving these ruins.

  My decision was reckless, without a doubt. However, I trusted that wit could make up for my lack of experience and strength. Besides, I relied on Kairon’s protection. After all, he had been hunting these beasts since the day he was born.

  Honestly… if Kairon weren’t here, I wouldn’t be this brave.

  Ideally, I would go hunting with the right tools. However, all I had at my disposal was a stick shaped like a staff, the remaining bone from my meals, and a pathetic bow that, without arrows, was only useful for trying to start a fire… which, by the way, I had also failed to do.

  The goat bone was undoubtedly the most durable material, but its short reach worried me. I could have tried making arrows with it, but it was so solid that only Kairon’s teeth could crush it. So, in the end, I settled for the staff.

  With enthusiasm, a mere stick as my means of defense, and after my relentless insistence, Kairon’s frustrated gaze gradually softened. And though begrudgingly, he relented. In the end, he couldn’t resist my pleading any longer and agreed to take me along.

  I was nervous and excited, convinced that we would go hunting that very night. However, Kairon decided that the darkness would be too dangerous for me, so the lesson was postponed until the next day.

  By noon, when the daylight was at its brightest, we were ready to leave. Uncertainty flooded my body, and the staff I clutched tightly did nothing to reassure me.

  Kairon noticed my nervousness, and as if a brilliant idea had struck him, he headed toward the dense trees, letting out a soft *Grah-grah!* to signal me to follow.

  Intrigued, I obeyed, only to see him make smooth gestures with his claws as several vines wove together, forming a spear slightly taller than me. I had grown used to watching him use his magical tricks, yet it was still mesmerizing every time.

  With another flick of his claws, the newly crafted spear flew toward my hands. Enchanted by the spectacle, I stretched out my arms to catch it, letting the staff—so crucial in convincing Kairon to take me hunting—fall to the ground.

  —This is incredible, buddy… how did you do it?

  My question might have seemed foolish since I had just watched him create it with my own eyes. However, the spear felt as solid as steel, and the blade at the tip was so sharp that it looked like I could cut myself just by staring at it. It was unimaginable to think it was made from mere vines. I mean, even I could cut those vines; after all, I had used them to craft my ridiculous bow.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  With my new weapon in hand, I felt more confident. Once I steadied my nerves, we left the city.

  Feeding myself with my own hunt—that was my purpose in setting out. And it didn’t take long before we found our prey. At that moment, adrenaline replaced my nerves. But I wasn’t reckless, and a massive rock in our path served as cover for Kairon and me to approach the group undetected.

  However, things didn’t go as I had expected. Before we could even plan an attack, the battle between the two monsters began, pouring a huge bucket of cold water over my expectations.

  My help meant nothing.

  In fact, I wouldn’t even be a hindrance.

  I’m pretty sure a mere sneeze from those beasts would be enough to kill me.

  —My friend, I’m glad to know you count on me for things like this. However, you must admit that bringing me along was reckless.

  Ignoring Kairon, who rolled his eyes at my words, I turned to head back to the safety of the city. It didn’t take much intelligence to realize that trying to hunt one of those monsters was nothing short of suicidal.

  *Swoosh-Clang*

  The sound of a whip slicing through the air whistled past my ear. If that strike had landed on my head, it would have split open like a melon.

  Indignant—because, as far as I knew, only Kairon was allowed to use his tail like that—I spun around to confront the reckless dragon.

  —Hey! What the hell is your prob—?!

  But before I could finish, I realized that the rock I had been hiding behind… was no longer a rock.

  It was a living being.

  One that was looking at me as if I were nothing more than a bothersome cockroach.

  Its shape was, without a doubt, that of an armadillo—only magnified to titanic proportions. It looked like a living fortress, its shell covered in thick moss, as if time itself had claimed it. Thin roots clung to its body, as though trying to pull it back into the earth from which it had just emerged. Its elongated head, with a grayish beard hanging from its jaw like silver threads swaying in the wind, along with a scarred, scaly snout, commanded respect from anyone daring enough to meet the gaze of those two crimson gemstone eyes.

  Its legs, as thick as the pillars of a forgotten cathedral, were adorned with natural patterns that resembled the arcane symbols of fantasy tales. Sprouts of moss and lichen had found refuge on its powerful, curved claws, which looked as if they could crush boulders like tofu. And its massive tail—the same one that had nearly ended my life—slithered with astonishing ease for its size.

  A guardian of nature.

  I had never seen one before. In fact, I doubted they even existed in my world. But its mere presence exuded the wisdom of centuries. It was a being that had witnessed the world change time and time again, born from the whispers of the forest and the memory of the earth. A living remnant of history itself.

  A cold sweat ran down my back. I was in awe… and terrified.

  Many ways to deal with wild animals ran through my mind, but after watching the goats fight, I understood that none of them would work against creatures like this. I quickly discarded any thoughts of escape or confrontation.

  I felt powerless. And frustrated.

  I had spent so many days observing the prairie, preparing for this moment, yet I had reached the wrong conclusion that only goats lived here. It was hard to predict something like this would appear… but I should have been more cautious.

  I’ve seen plenty of surreal things since arriving here, yet I remain na?ve.

  It’s hard to accept that life is no longer as I once knew it. But I couldn’t use that as an excuse.

  This was entirely my fault.

  And now, all I could do was hope this creature had mercy on me.

  Maybe there was still a chance that, upon dying, I would wake up… but that was a possibility I had no intention of testing.

  I gripped the spear tightly to endure my frustration. I had no confidence whatsoever in even scratching the beast in front of me. A bitter smile curled on my lips—the weapon hadn’t even been used yet, and at this rate, the first blood to stain its surface would be its owner's.

  *Swoosh-Clang*

  "RRRAAAAARGH!"

  A powerful impact echoed across the prairie, followed by Kairon’s roar as he intercepted the beast’s tail strike for the second time.

  I snapped out of my daze and turned my head like a stiff, rusted machine… only to see that two of Kairon’s legs had been completely shattered.

  —IT DOESN’T MATTER IF I DIE, I’M TAKING YOU WITH ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!

  The fear that had gripped me was replaced by an overwhelming rage—one unlike anything I had ever felt before. I had no idea how to use a spear, but at that moment, all I could think about was using my small size to drive it into the beast’s stomach until it was dead.

  —Grahk!

  Kairon blocked my path, stopping my reckless charge. Then, without taking his eyes off the armadillo—who seemed almost entertained by the scene—he flicked his tail backward, signaling for me to run.

  I was definitely afraid. Facing death head-on and charging toward it takes more than just courage, but at this point, I didn’t want to retreat either. Kairon gave me a familiar feeling, one I had only ever felt with my mother. I didn’t want to lose my family again—not if I could do something to stop it. I didn’t want to be alone again.

  —Forget it! I might be weak, but with my size, I cou—

  —RRAAAK!

  Kairon’s sharp cry cut off my words.

  Sure, I was older than him, but right now, I was acting like one of those reckless brats I had always despised. Kairon had experience hunting in this prairie. He had likely encountered this species before and had never been injured. It was only now, because he was protecting me, that he had taken damage.

  Even so, he could still fly. If he were alone, he could probably escape.

  A long, exhausted sigh escaped my lips.

  —…Fine.

  Clenching my teeth, I turned and sprinted toward the city as fast as I could.

  I trusted Kairon, but there was no way he could kill that thing. The only thing I could do was run as fast as possible. That was my only way of helping. The sooner I reached safety, the less time Kairon would be in danger.

  It was disappointing.

  Infuriating.

  This entire excursion had been about avoiding becoming a burden in the future, yet in the end, that was exactly what I had turned out to be.

  *BANG-BOOM-KERRANG*

  The battle had begun.

  The wind from the violent clashes pushed against my back, urging me to run even faster. As I fled, I counted the distance, and when I reached the thirty-meter mark—the limit where I had never seen a single animal—I took in all the air I could and, without stopping my sprint, screamed at the top of my lungs:

  —KAIRON!!

  With a dull thud, I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. I had burned through all my energy in a single, desperate sprint, and my muscles screamed in pain from the sudden burst of effort.

  Ignoring the agony, I forced myself to my feet as quickly as I could and kept shouting with all my strength, hoping Kairon could hear me.

  —KAIRON!!