Once the ceremony was over, Malik gave one last piece of advice to the two new warriors:
"The new generation now has three newly awakened Soul Warriors, three others who are just a bit older than you, and only four adults left to protect the village. We really aren't many—help each other! Stay united! Together, you can accomplish great things! The village is counting on you now!"
"Alright," Red replied in a casual tone. The only thing he wanted was to fight overpowered monsters. The village gates were finally open, and he could hardly wait to go hunt monsters as soon as possible.
"You can go find your families now and celebrate this moment," Malik said.
Cry and Red nodded, each heading toward their loved ones. It was a big moment, and Red's whole family was there. His parents had come to see their son's ritual. Red was showing off, and his mother and father congratulated him while trying to calm him down. Knowing him, they feared something might happen to him on the very day of his ritual.
Meanwhile, Cry quietly walked home to find his family. His mother hadn't come to see the ceremony, and his brother wasn't there either. Arriving in front of a small, modest wooden house, Cry stopped, calmly looked at his stone, then stepped inside with a determined stride.
"Mom, I'm home!" shouted the young boy.
Maria, his mother, was dressed in a simple white dress with a pretty little blue apron she had sewn herself. Her long black hair perfectly matched her small almond-shaped black eyes. She was known for her beauty throughout Tipoon, and many men would have been happy to be her husband. She was a devoted mother who worked hard every day so her children never lacked for anything.
Maria looked at her son, worry in her eyes. She remained silent, continuing her household chores mechanically.
"I'm going to get ready and head into the forest with Red," Cry said calmly.
"Mhm," Maria replied, visibly troubled by her son's words.
"What's wrong, Mom? You haven't said a word. Aren't you happy your eldest son has become a Soul Warrior?"
"I'm very happy," said a small voice coming from one of the bedrooms. It was Frank, Cry's little brother. He was eight years old and had looked up to his big brother with stars in his eyes ever since he became a Soul Warrior.
"And you, Mom?" Cry asked, surprised at his mother's reaction.
"I'm happy for you, my son, but… I'm also very worried. I only have you two left since your father passed away. Being a warrior can be very dangerous. I love you so much—I don't want to lose you!" Maria said, tears welling in her eyes.
Cry took his mother's hand and reassured her:
"Don't worry, Mom. You know I'm very careful. I'll take it step by step. I won't do anything reckless."
"Yes, I know, I trust you… but that doesn't take away the danger. And I know you'll be with Red—he causes so much trouble and always ends up in problems. I'm afraid he'll get you into trouble out there."
"Mhm, I'll look after him like I look after myself. That way, I'll keep him from doing anything stupid," the boy replied with great confidence.
"You're a good son. I'm very proud of you. I'm sure you'll be a great warrior like your father was."
"Thanks, Mom. I'll live up to it, and I'll do everything I can to help you and Frank, and the village too," Cry said proudly. "Alright, I'm going now, Mom. I'll be back before nightfall."
Maria stepped closer, hugged her son tightly, and said:
"Go on then, young Soul Warrior! But before you leave, don't forget to wear the outfit I sewed for you."
"Yes, of course, Mom!"
"Can I come with you, please?" Frank asked timidly.
"No, you're still too little!" Cry replied firmly. "When you turn ten, we'll go hunting together if you want."
"Okay…" the little boy answered, disappointed.
Cry went to his room and put on the outfit his mother had prepared a few days earlier. It was a black and blue tunic. She had taken great care to make a fine warrior's outfit for her son. Once he put it on, Cry looked more than ever like a young warrior. His messy black hair matched perfectly with the tunic's colors, and the blue brought out the intense color of his eyes.
"Alright, let's go!" Cry exclaimed excitedly.
"Be careful, sweetheart," Maria said as she watched him leave.
Cry headed for the village gates and saw someone waiting there. It wasn't Red but a beautiful young girl. She had white hair and very light green eyes. She was also ten years old and a friend of Cry's—Summer. Dressed in a green tunic, she was clearly ready to go hunting too.
"Hi!" Cry called out happily. "How are you today? I didn't see you in the main square earlier."
"I was waiting here," Summer replied shyly. "I wanted to be sure I wouldn't miss your departure. Would you mind if I went hunting with you? I haven't found a monster to harmonize with yet."
"No problem. We'll wait for Red and then head out."
Suddenly, they heard someone shouting from afar:
"Hey! Heeey!!!"
"Speak of the devil!" Summer said.
"Don't leave without me!!!" Red shouted, running toward them. "Hey, hi, Summer!"
"Hey! You're still as hyped up as ever. As usual…"
"Huff… huff…" Red panted, "I'm soooo excited!!!"
"Calm down," Cry said. "I promised my mom I'd watch over you so you wouldn't do anything stupid, so I hope you behave yourself. It's dangerous out there. On our first trip, don't go attacking just anything, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not crazy, don't worry," the mischievous boy said, holding his head.
"Alright! Let's go, friends!" Cry shouted, more motivated than ever.
They looked at the massive village gate that had always marked the edge of their playground, feeling thrilled to finally cross it.
Past the village gate, a sense of pride washed over Red and Cry. For the first time, they could see the outside world. All at once, new sensations flooded them—they felt something entirely different. It was as if they could sense the aura of the monsters nearby. It was hard to describe, like gaining a brand-new sense.
"There are three monsters around us," said Summer, more accustomed to the feeling. "Do you sense them?"
"Y-yeah," Cry replied. "It's still a bit fuzzy, but I can feel their presence."
"Let's check over there—I sense a really weak monster," Red said, brimming with excitement.
In a small bush nearby, something moved. Cry picked up a small stone and tossed it into the bush. A small shadow darted out and fled quickly.
"Watch out!" Red yelped, falling on his backside.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! It's just a little spotted rabbit," Summer laughed. "Around the village, you'll only find weak rank E monsters. They're not very dangerous unless there are too many of them."
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Okay, thanks, Summer, I'll keep that in mind," Cry said, amused by the new experience.
"Summer, why didn't you choose that rabbit to harmonize with?" Red asked.
"I wanted to choose my first harmony carefully, and to be honest, on my own I didn't go very far. I only saw rabbits, frogs, and a few insects. Today, since there are three of us, I suggest we go past the lake. How about it? It's only a few hundred meters from here. Look, I have a map of the area around the village."
The two boys looked at her, and Red said admiringly:
"Wow! Who gave you that?"
"I see it's a map of the whole region," Cry said, analyzing it calmly.
"My parents gave it to me as a gift," Summer said happily. "Look, you can even see there's a dungeon a few kilometers away—but the entrance is forbidden unless you've reached level 10."