As we waited, my thoughts slowly drifted back to what had just happened.
I had manifested an energy sword, and then a spear, simply by thinking about their shapes and guiding the energy into that form. The process had felt surprisingly natural in that moment, as if the nature energy around me responded directly to my intent once refined energy flowed from my forehead into the book.
The memory replayed in my mind.
The formation of the blade, the spear, and the way they felt solid in my hand. None of it had felt forced. It had happened instinctively, almost as if I had always been capable of doing it.
So my ability was not just shields?
Until now, I had always thought of shields as my ability. Even when I created different types of shields... I still considered them variations of the same defensive ability. But now, I had shaped the energy into entirely different forms.
Why did I not think of this earlier?
If I could already create different shapes of shields, curved shields, layered shields, and even smaller precise ones, then shaping the same energy into a sword or spear should not have been that surprising. The concept felt simple now that I thought about it. I was already controlling the shape of energy. I had simply limited my thinking to defensive forms.
Yet, the thought had never crossed my mind before.
Perhaps I had unconsciously defined my ability as shields from the very beginning. Because of that, every time I used my ability, I instinctively shaped the energy into barriers without considering any other possibilities.
So what was my ability really?
Was it not shields at all?
Was it the ability to shape energy into different forms?
The thought lingered in my mind as I tried to understand it. The more I reflected on it, the more it felt like I had only scratched the surface of what I could actually do.
"Arthur..?"
Sham's voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.
"Yes?" I replied, turning my head toward him.
Sham looked at me briefly before asking, "Skra-what thinking?"
I shook my head lightly. "Uh nothing," I replied, pushing aside the thoughts about my ability for the moment.
We returned our attention to the beast, the silence between us stretching for a few seconds.
Then Sham spoke again. "Skra-beast dead."
The massive body now lay completely still. The faint breathing we had been observing earlier had stopped. There was no visible movement, no tremor in its limbs, and no sound escaping from its throat. The creature looked lifeless, its enormous frame resting heavily against the forest floor.
I slowly moved toward it, remaining cautious. Even though the beast appeared dead, I did not lower my guard. A high level creature could still react unexpectedly, and I did not want to take any chances.
I approached its massive head carefully, my eyes fixed on its body, watching for even the slightest movement. The ground beneath my feet was covered with scattered leaves and broken branches from the earlier struggle, and I moved slowly to avoid making unnecessary noise.
When I reached its face, I extended my hand and gently placed it on its thick hide. The surface felt cold and unmoving beneath my palm. I waited for a moment, observing closely.
There was no response at all. The beast remained completely still, and even the faint breathing we had been observing earlier was gone. Its massive body showed no sign of life.
I withdrew my hand and turned around, looking toward Sham.
"It is really dead," I said quietly.
Sham visibly relaxed after hearing my confirmation. The tension in his posture eased slightly, and he let out a quiet breath as he looked toward the lifeless beast.
The realization slowly settled in my mind.
We had killed a high level beast.
Even though the creature had already been severely injured, defeating a high level beast was still something significant. The thought lingered quietly in my mind, and a faint smile appeared on my face as I processed what we had just accomplished.
After a brief moment, Sham and I turned away from the beast and began walking toward the tree where Charlie was resting.
Charlie was leaning against the trunk of the tree, his injured leg stretched slightly forward and tightly wrapped with cloth. He appeared to have wrapped the cloth around his injured leg while waiting for us. When he noticed us approaching, he immediately looked up, concern visible in his expression as his gaze quickly scanned us.
"Young master, are you alright?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying clear worry.
I gave a small reassuring smile. "Charlie, the high level beast is dead. We managed to kill it."
Relief appeared on his face almost immediately. The tension in his expression eased, and he let out a quiet breath.
"How did you manage to kill it?" he asked, his curiosity now replacing the earlier concern.
"I will explain on the way back," I replied calmly.
Sham and I then moved closer and carefully helped Charlie stand up. He shifted his weight slowly, trying not to put too much pressure on his injured leg. Supporting him from both sides, we began walking back toward the village at a slow pace.
On the way, we stopped near the tree where we had hidden the low level beast earlier. The leaves and branches that covered it were still undisturbed. Sham pulled them aside, and together we lifted the beast and carried it along with us as we continued our slow walk toward the village.
By the time we reached the village, the sky had already begun to darken. The fading sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the wooden houses. The warm colors of evening spread across the horizon, and the village had begun to settle into its quieter rhythm as we entered through the gate.
A few villagers nearby glanced in our direction as we walked in, noticing Charlie being supported and the low level beast we carried. However, no one approached us immediately, allowing us to proceed toward the usual area where hunters placed their catch.
I waited at the side with Charlie while Sham carried the low level beast to the submission place. He set it down properly and spoke briefly with the person managing the submissions. After that, Sham walked back toward us and turned to me.
"Skra-inform elders about High level beast," he said.
I nodded in understanding. "Alright."
Sham gave a small nod in return before turning and heading toward the elders' area to report the high level beast. Meanwhile, I continued supporting Charlie, and together we slowly began walking toward our house.
After reaching home, I helped Charlie sit down carefully. He moved slowly, supporting himself with one hand as he lowered himself to the ground. Once seated, he leaned against the base of the great tree, stretching his injured leg slightly forward. The cloth wrapped around his leg was tied firmly to keep it stable, and he adjusted it calmly, trying to make himself more comfortable.
"Charlie, you should go to the clinic and get proper treatment," I said, looking at his leg.
Charlie shook his head lightly. "This is just a small injury, young master. It will heal in no time," he replied calmly.
I frowned slightly, not entirely convinced. The injury did not look minor, but I knew Charlie's nature. He rarely agreed to treatment unless it was absolutely necessary. After watching him for a moment, I chose not to insist further.
The exhaustion from the day finally began to settle in. I lowered myself and lay down beside him, resting against the ground near the great tree. My body felt unusually heavy, and the fatigue from the hunt became more apparent now that everything had quieted down.
Using my ability repeatedly had taken more energy than I expected. Controlling multiple shields, shaping the energy into weapons, and maintaining focus throughout the fight had strained both my body and mind. The dull ache in my forehead still lingered as I relaxed, letting the exhaustion slowly take over.