Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Little Lizard, Don’t Be Afraid, I Don’t Eat Children
The fire lion stood in front of Sethe, its massive frame casting Sethe entirely in its shadow.
As it scrutinized the little lizard before it, the more the fire lion looked, the more peculiar it felt.
At first, this little creature seemed like nothing more than a deformed, big-headed lizard. But now, not only had its body become proportionate, but it had also sprouted two wings.
The little guy had even flown just now!
How extraordinary. Truly extraordinary.
The fire lion began to pace, circling the little lizard for a full inspection from every angle.
Under the fire lion's gaze, Sethe tensed up, not daring to move.
He had no idea what the fire lion intended to do, but he knew fighting was not an option. He felt completely powerless against this fire lion.
This was an instinctive reaction as a magical beast.
He was merely a newborn baby, whereas the fire lion before him was an adult.
However, he felt slightly reassured because the fire lion's gaze held curiosity rather than malice or aggression.
Suddenly, an orange fire line materialized in the air.
Sethe looked at the fire lion, immediately noticing it was looking at him too.
Is magic a power thread?
Did the fire lion want to communicate with him?
Magical beasts could communicate if they connected with a magic power thread, enabling telepathic interaction.
Sethe lifted a paw, pointing at the orange magic power thread, then at himself.
The next moment, he saw the fire lion nod slightly.
Feeling confirmed, Sethe conjured a crimson magic power thread, connecting it to the orange one.
[Little lizard, don't be afraid. I don't eat children.]
A youthful male voice echoed in Sethe's mind.
The fire lion smiled amiably, slightly baring its teeth.
Sethe shrank back. Honestly, the fire lion was less intimidating without the smile.
[Then what do you want to do?]
The immature tone of his mental voice startled Sethe. Why did his voice sound like that?
[Nothing much. You just seemed like a nice little guy, so I thought I'd take you along. How about it? Interested in going hunting with me?]
Hunting?
Sethe eyed the fire lion.
He wasn't sure how strong the fire lion was, but it was likely one of the dominant beings in this area.
Hunting with the fire lion would make things easier and safer.
As for whether the fire lion had any ill intentions, Sethe didn't think so. The fire lion could easily crush him with one paw if it wanted to; there was no need for subterfuge.
The power difference was too vast.
[Really?]
[Of course. This is an invitation, isn't it?]
[Then I agree. Do you have a name?]
[I do. My name is Sethe.]
[Sethe, huh? Got it. My name is Zerl, a name I chose myself. From now on, you can call me Brother Zerl.]
[Okay, Brother Zerl.]
Sethe found it easy to call him that. Having a big brother wasn't a bad thing; it would make survival in the forest much easier.
Hearing this childlike "big brother," Zerl was very pleased and bared his sharp, white teeth in another grin.
Zerl turned towards the streambank, then looked back at the little guy still sitting in the water.
[Hop onto my back. I'll take you hunting.]
[Okay~]
Although he didn't understand why the fire lion wanted him to jump on its back, Sethe decided to comply.
Rising from the stream, he ran to the fire lion's side, leaped, and spread his wings, landing easily on the fire lion's back.
Apart from the long fur on its neck and head, the fire lion's body fur was quite short.
[Grab my neck fur and hold on tight. Don't fall off.]
[Okay, okay~]
Responding quickly, Sethe flattened himself against the fire lion's warm, wide back.
Just as he grabbed the fire lion's mane, a tremendous force jolted him. If he hadn't held on tight, Sethe was sure he'd have been thrown off the fire lion's back.
The scenery around them blurred into streaks as they sped away.
It was too fast; the fire lion's speed was incredible.
Merely using the trunks of the large trees in the forest to leap back and forth, the fire lion moved with an almost ghostly speed.
Sethe had never driven a sports car, but at that moment, lying on the fire lion's back, he felt as if he were in one.
[Brother Zerl, you're so fast.]
Hearing Sethe's praise, Zerl grinned proudly, though the moment he opened his mouth, a gust of wind rushed in.
[Of course, your big brother here is the king of this area. This whole region is my territory.]
[Amazing~!]
Sethe praised him sincerely.
Though he didn't know exactly how big the region was, having one's territory meant Brother Zerl was powerful.
[Heh, no worries. When you grow up, you'll have your territory too.]
Sethe fell silent. He was just a little lizard with potential limited to one ring. Dreaming of having his territory was just that—a dream.
In this life, he planned to just get by.
[Why so quiet?]
[Nothing.]
His immature tone carried a hint of sadness.
Zerl picked up on the sadness in Sethe's voice but didn't know what to say.
He had already learned everything from the moon wolf. Sethe only had one ring of grace, which meant his potential was limited.
If it were the old Sethe, with his big head, deformities, and fragile body, he would indeed have been a one-ring beast.
But now...
Thick scales, wings, a strong body, and vibrant fire elements all around him.
He didn't seem like a one-ring beast at all.
Zerl began to wonder if the moon wolf had lied to him, intentionally hiding something.
But it didn't matter to him.
He had no ulterior motives in befriending this little guy; he just found him pleasing and wanted to hang out with him.
[Shush!~]
The branches of the tree trembled slightly.
A fire lion with a round lizard on its back landed on a branch.
[Sethe, how about we have bison for dinner today?]
Lying on the fire lion's back, Sethe turned his head to look forward.
Beyond the tree was a small clearing bathed in sunlight, with no trees but plenty of grass. A herd of bison grazed leisurely, and it was easy to see it was a whole herd.
[No problem, Brother Zerl. I can roast meat, and you can try my cooking later.]
[Oh? Then I look forward to it.]
Zerl grinned slightly. He had achieved his goal.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone