Ayyyy, Ch4 has arrived! No changes to Ch3, so you can go straight on ahead and read this one :).

I'm really glad seeing all your comments guys, gives me a lot of motivation to keep writing as I am. But guys! If you find something that you don't like, or you think something feels off, or the flow of the story feels awkward at some point; please let me know! I read all the comments, so anything you guys have to say I will see.

That's all for now, hope you guys enjoy Ch4!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

V1: Wild Child

C4: Too Young, Too Weak

After the incident, Amber fed Nova until he couldn’t eat anymore while Leilatha lectured him about how dangerous the situation was and how he shouldn’t be trying to fight monsters like that. Even though he knew it wasn’t really his fault since Bahina was the one that challenged the monsters, he didn’t argue back because he was upset at his own lack of power to do anything in the situation.

Everyone decided to get some rest before heading out again, and for the sake of making sure Nova didn’t go through their things again, Anderson set up a barrier spell on the gear.

As everyone was sleeping, Nova and Bahina were still wide awake. Bahina was laying down with her head on her paws and Nova was leaning against with his head looking up to the forest ceiling, staring into the sea of faux stars.

“To think those lizards were actually considered to be in the weakest category amongst monsters… that would mean that all of the things I’ve hunted up until now were nothing at all..” (Bahina)

“Nn.. I… I need to be stronger.. If we got in a situation like that again, and we didn’t have someone to save us.. we would probably die..” (Nova)

“...” Both of them didn’t say anything else, lost in their own thoughts, rewatching the fight repeatedly through their minds..

(How useless am I.. an Azure Tiger who can’t even handle a group of the weakest monsters? How am I supposed to get stronger..

I remember.. Mom said something about eating the mana of other monster’s will make a monster stronger.. but I’ve eaten the corpses of monsters many times.. I’ve never noticed any changes.. maybe I missed something.. I’ll need to go check the corpses of those lizards..) - Bahina

(I’m still so weak.. Compared to these people, I’m extremely weak. Mom said that the only thing I need to become stronger is time, but even the weakest of monsters here can kill me so easily.. Why does time seem so slow when its the thing I need the most..) - Nova

Secretly, Anderson is watching both Nova and Bahina, observing their expressions..

(Such a young kid is really so upset about being defeated by a monster? This is ridiculous, a kid his age shouldn’t even be fighting against a squirrel let alone monsters. But I guess this will give him some pretty good motivation.. The best thing for a person pursuing strength is perspective after all.. such a monster child could truly only have the child of a monster.)

….

In the time before the rest of the group was to wake up and get ready to travel, Bahina snuck off in the direction where the lizards were, making sure not to disturb Nova.

It took her about ten minutes to find the area, but when she got there the lizards were already butchered. Something had already gone through the corpses before she had a chance too.

(Darn.. What a waste.. I’ll have to find another monster later, I need to figure out what Mom meant.. Why can’t she ever just explain things fully, sheesh.)

While Bahina is walking through the corpses, looking for something that could help her, another figure is watching her from one of the lower branches.

“Hmm, could you be perhaps, looking for these?”

Bahina’s head jolts in the direction the voice came from, and she sees Anderson drop down from the branch. In his hands are small pale gray crystals, only about the size of peas.

“You can speak monster language?!”

“Of course, I’m also a monster species after all. Tell me, are these what you’re looking for?” This time he’s standing right in front of Bahina, showing her the pea-sized crystals.

“I don’t know.. What are they?”

“... You don’t know what they are?”

“No?”

“Haaah, no wonder you seem so weak for an Azure Tiger. Did your mom teach you anything? Sheesh.”

“Shut up. Our mother taught us plenty, she was just obscure on many things she wanted us to learn for ourselves.”

“Is that so? Well then I guess I’ll explain in her place. These are mana crystals which are literally crystallized forms of mana. They exist within all monsters, including both you and me. They are the definition of our power, they exist to contain all the mana our bodies possess.

If a monster were to consume the mana crystal of another monster, they could break it down, and add it to their own mana crystal. Each crystal is found in one place, no matter which monster it is, it is always the same. That place is the heart. The reason? Because your mana flows directly through your bloodstream, so that it can reach every part of your body. Do you understand it now?”

“Yeah! I was told about consuming the mana of other monsters, but she didn’t explain how. But now I get it, so all I need to do is eat the mana crystals and I can get stronger!” At the thought of being able to grow stronger, she reaches out for the mana crystal in Anderson’s hand..

But he closes his hand, and pulls the crystals away. “Ah-ah-ah, These are mine. As soon as something enters the hand of an Adventurer, it belongs to that Adventurer. You should remember this. Hehe, if you want mana crystals, you’ll have to go out and hunt your own.”

“You shitty bird! I fought these lizards too! At least give me one for the one I killed!”

“No can do, I told you I’m a monster too right? I can eat these just as much as you can, although.. they won’t be much use to me at my current level. But they’re still useful for magic items, enchants, and spells. As an active adventurer they’re much better in my hands than yours.”

“... I’ll tell her.”

“Hm? Tell who what?”

“I’ll tell the pointy-eared lady that you’re able to speak monster language, but you’ve made her talk through her wolf the entire time.”

“... Ah… Uhm.. thats no good.. Ah, here, I’ll give you one crystal, see? This is good right? So there shouldn’t be a need to tell her? It’s quite amusing to watch her talking with Nova using a wolf as a translator, It’d be a shame if that were to stop..”

“Two.”

“Hm?”

“I want two.”

“*Tsk* Greedy cat, fine take two.”

“Hehe, perfect.” Bahina takes two of the crystals, and runs back to camp, excited at the prospects of getting stronger.

“You won’t tell her right? Right?!” Without getting a promise, Anderson doesn’t know if he’s still in trouble or not.

….

The next few days were occupied by Bahina going out to hunt, progressively getting stronger.

Meanwhile, Nova was trying to convince Leilatha to teach him to fight like they did when they killed the lizards, but she wouldn’t teach him because she thought he was too young to begin physical training.

Even if he could run fast and was agile, he was just a four year old child. He was only considered fast and agile for someone his age, but compared to average children at the age of ten, his speed and agility counted for little because of the difference of age in their bodies. If it weren’t for being able to use feral form, Nova wouldn’t be very fast at all.

(Geez.. this kid.. this is the third day since that incident, but he still persists on me teaching him how to get stronger. I bet if he could, he would ask Anna and Amber too and they would teach him.. Good thing I’m the only one who can understand him.. But if this goes on, I may give in too..

I know! I’ll use this as motivation for him, if I can get him to learn other things at the promise of me teaching him how to get stronger later, I could probably get him to do a lot.)

*Boris, can you call Nova over here?*

*Certainly, Miss.*

“Nova! My Miss wishes to speak to you.” (Boris)

“Ah! Did you say she’s gonna teach me?!” (Nova)

“No you brat! Just get over here.”

“Mmm fine, what does she want?”

*Okay Boris, tell Nova that I will teach him to get stronger, but first he will have to learn a lot of things. And first and foremost, is he will have to learn the common language.*

“Miss says she will promise to teach you, bu-”

“REALLY?! AMAZING! Let’s get started right awa-”

“SHUT UP! Let me finish first. She will only teach you if you promise to learn everything she thinks you’ll need to know first. Beginning with learning the common language.”

“Ehhh? So I won’t get to learn right away..?”

“No. But eventually she will teach you. You’re still too young to train your body.”

“... But..”

“Listen kid. Just accept the Miss’ offer, and quit being so impatient. You think being strong and fighting is all that it takes to live in this world? I can guarantee you, that if you don’t accept my Miss’ offer, you’ll regret it.”

“... Okay. I understand..”

*Miss, he has agreed to let you teach him.*

*Perfect! Lets get started right away!*

(Oh crap.. I forgot I’m going to be the messenger..)

….

For the next four days, Leilatha began to teach Nova to speak the common language as they traveled. What surprised her was how fast he was picking up on it despite being raised to know a different language. She had a hunch that Nova might be smarter than she originally thought, remembering how he had picked up on Muiredon’s potion making skills a few days ago.

So she began teaching Nova all kinds of things while teaching him the common language.

When they wake up she would teach Nova things about camping and showing all the kinds of gear that adventurers carried with them.

During the lunch breaks she would take him on their hunts to learn the names of animals or monsters or she would follow Muiredon and teach him the names of the herbs, ingredients and potions.

And when the settled down to rest, she would take him to Amber and have him learn the names of foods and the ingredients she uses to cook.

In between the trips she would have Nova practice all the words he learned, hammering the language into his mind.

After the four days, she gauged that Nova knew was about a tenth of the way there in knowing what to say, but he couldn’t pronounce the words as easily as he could in monster language. He still had ways to go if he wanted be able to actually speak common.

But the lessons would have to be put on pause for a bit, because ahead of the ground currently there is a bright light breaking through the darkness of the Eternal Night Forest like a portal to the elemental realm of light standing before them… They’ve finally reached the border.

….

As the group walks out they’re briefly blinded by the sun flying high in the sky.. well.. most of them are briefly blinded..

“AHH..BRIGHT!!” Nova is burying his face in Leilatha’s chest after having his eyes nearly burned out of his skull for the first time. Bahina is having a similar reaction as she’s laying down on the ground with her paws over her eyes.

“Oops, I should’ve expected this to happen.. Nova, quit hiding.. if you don’t get used to it you won’t be able to see at all.. Amber help me with him, please.” She’s trying to pry Nova off her chest, but his grasp isn't giving any thought of weakening. Amber comes over, about to pry him off, when she gets a better idea.

“Hehe, Nova, you better let go, or else I’m gonna.. attack!” She begins tickling him in his sides, abusing the weakness of every child in existence!

“AHAHAH, BRIGHT! NOOA!” In the brief moment his grasp loosens from laughing, Amber has plucked him off of Leilatha and is holding him with his face facing towards the sun.

“Haha, let’s give them a moment to adjust to the sun. C’mon Bahina, you gotta open your eyes too..” Anderson tries to move Bahina’s paws from her eyes, but is greeted by a whack of her tail on his head. “Sheesh, this cat..”

After about ten minutes of being out in the sun for the first time ever, Nova’s eyes have adjusted to the sun enough for him to be able squint while looking around..

In front of them is massive plain of honey-yellow grass, the entire plain is moving in concert to the wind like a gentle sea with waves gliding across it. In the distance a dark figure can be seen, little dots are going in and out of it in groups, either heading away or traveling towards the forest.

That dark figure is none other than the Adventurer’s Outpost.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you guys are prepared for a time skip, cause its coming soon ;P

Nova Chapter List